Diaspora

This is it!

2009-11-06T01:52:00.002-05:00

For any fan of music and performance, This is it is a must watch.
You dont have to be a Michael Jackson fan.
You just have to love music and you have the love the art of performing!
The movie is very well made- it is a compilation of a bunch of rehearsals for the This is it concert in London that Michael was supposed to perform before he died under mysterious circumstances.
The movie is great for three reasons-
First- It shows Michael's insights into what makes a great performance. He coaches his vocalists, he coaches the drummer, he coaches the guitarist- and all of those coaching moments, he is authentic, he is in the moment and he is looking for what would make the most impact- both for the performer as well as the audience watching it.
Second- It captures the adulation of his fans in a very real manner, it is not made up, it is just what they feel- it is raw, emotional and very impactful.
Third- the movie shows the human side of Michael as well as the musical genius he truly was. His personal life may be what it may, his idiosyncracies may be what they may, the fact remains when you write songs like Heal the world and Black or White, and perform the way he did, you are a true genius!
Hail the King of Pop!

Feinberg on "what is life worth"

2009-10-29T02:06:00.002-04:00

Ken Feinberg is in the public eye right now as he is the pay czar governing the compensation policies of bailed out companies from the crisis of last year. I had little knowledge about who he was till he was appointed for this post.
Then, I started doing some research. Found out that he had a role much more significant and impactful than what he has now- he was the person responsible for determining compensation for victims of the 9/11 attack. he had sweeping powers. On Sept 22, 11 days after the brutal attack, Congress passed a hastily created bill that sought to compensate the families of victims of the 9/11 attack. How much compensation, to who, the criterion to be used- all of this was left deliberately vague and the sole person responsible to execute on this- from design, to implementation was Ken Feinberg.
He has written a fascinating account of that journey in a book appropriately titled "What is life worth" as essentially, that is what he had to determine when he was decided how the families needed to be compensated. The book describes how it changed Feinberg as a person as he saw not just how people dealt with sorrow and loss, it also opened his eyes to vastly different perspectives on what was considered "enough" to live well.
It is a book that is well written, thought provoking and something that clearly changed the author's perspective on life in general.
A great read and well worth a skim at the very least. Given that experience if not anything else, I think he is uniquely qualified to be the Pay Czar for the bailed out companies. If he could assess what lives were worth, surely the worth of jobs is a walk in the park!

Back after a long layoff

2009-10-21T13:38:00.002-04:00

I have not written for some time. I have been off blogging for a while for a bunch of different reasons. One- too much going on at work. Two- two little kids that I'm happy to spend all my free time with. Three- traveling back to India and the just the preparation to go there and be back at work. Its been hectic, but extremely rewarding.
First of all, the economy in general and financial services industry in particular, seems to be seeing some stability. While the credit charge-offs remain high, they are trending downward and thats a good sign. Unemployment still remains worrisome, and until that shows signs of coming down, there will be always be the over-hang of the recession. Dick Bove, the banking analyst I respect a lot, today went on record to say that housing has bottomed out- that is a strong statement to make and even if there is a modicum of truth in that, there is hope.
Secondly- it seems the general American consumer is saving more and while that is not good for the retail industry, I think it is a good healthy turn of behavior. Americans have been living way beyond their means for too long and if this crisis leads to a higher personal savings rate, I would consider that a happy outcome.
Lastly- the long hiatus I was on saw us lose the king of pop in the most bizarre circumstances. Whatever the nature of his personal life and the manner of his death, he will remain, for me, one of the greatest writers and musicians of all time. Some of the lyrics- Black or White and Heal the World being two of my favorites, are a great commentary on the world we live in and what it needs.
I am hoping to write a little more regularly for the rest of the year and keep the thoughts going- from politics, to sports to entertainment.
Till then...

Why the Indian Premier League is such a success?

2009-05-25T03:23:00.002-04:00

The finals of IPL 2009 just got over in South Africa. Deccan beat Bangalore in a match that ebbed and flowed right till the last over. It was fun watching the match with friends in the US. I think the IPL will go a long way in making cricket more internationally well known for a variety of reasons.
First- it all gets over in under four hours. One of the biggest complaints of a lot of my friends abroad about learning cricket has been that it takes too long. This version is like a baseball game and you ALWAYS get a result!
Second- the combination of cricket with bollywood is a superlative idea. The glitz and glamor add to the excitement.
Third- the possibility of watching the finest players in the world on one stage.
The IPL revolution is reminiscent of the Packer revolution in the late seventies. The way Packer changed the way one day cricket was played is how IPL will change the way the shorter of the form of the game will internationalize cricket going forward.
As a purist, I still like 5 day cricket but I have been glued to the IPL over the last four weeks and I cant think of too many test series that can have me riveted for that long!

Banking, TARP and the economy

2009-04-18T03:19:00.002-04:00

We are living in the strangest times. America's savings rates are showing record improvements, the unemployment is rising close to double digits, the government is having a large share of the Banks and the financial future is anything but certain. In the past two weeks, there have some positive signs-
a) The credit/ financial crisis seems to be a hitting a bottom- banks are lending again, the toxic assets are showing signs of getting cleared out and the refinancing boom is bringing the mortgage industry back on its tracks.
b) The low end retailers are showing continued sings of resilience, which essentially means consumers are spending, but not for luxury items.
What are the headwinds?
Unemployment and softer retail sales overall.
Obama has been widely criticized but here are three things he has done which are remarkable as a leader-
a) He has acted with speed in building his administration out and the team has hit the ground running
b) He has articulated a clear vision of where he needs to take the country- you may disagree with the vision but he has set a clear vision.
c) He has shown sings of being very collaborative in the global arena.
His performance in G20 was stellar.
On a side-note, the TARP issue is an interesting one. Jamie Dimon on the earnings call said he would like to return the money tomorrow. The government doesn't want to take it back- it seems to be liking the control it has over the banks! Clearly, the banks are not liking the demonization of the industry and the very heavy oversight that is coming with the money. THis will be an interesting tug of war to watch.
I am beginning to see the glass half full and I think are on track for recovery by early 2010.

Indian cricket coming off age...

2009-03-22T11:42:00.002-04:00

Of late, I have been sleeping late watching the Indian cricket team perform in New Zealand, and what a terrific job they have done. After a slow start in the Twenty20 format, they came back strongly in the One dayers to comprehensively win the series and now, in the longest version (and arguably the purest form of the game), they defeated in the Kiwis in their own backyard.

This is a refreshing change for at least two reasons.
One- the standard of professionalism in Indian cricket has gone up a few notches. The fielding is decidedly better and they can adjust to most conditions quite well. They have now won test matches in Pakistan, Australia, England and if they can do it in SA, it will take away of "poor travellers" away from them.
Second- they no longer rely on just one or two batsmen to perform. While Tendulkar scored a classy 160, he was not the only person to stand out; Harbhajan bowled superbly, Dravid and Gambhir batted well and everyone else chipped in.

The Indian cricket is coming off age and fans like me are cheering all the way into the night....

The "Bachelor" controversy

2009-03-16T04:33:00.002-04:00

I am amazed by the consternation regarding the Bachelor on the ABC reality show dumping his new fiance and going with someone else whom "he really felt for and had a connection".

I am amazed for three reasons.
One- when you have one guy flirting with 25 women publicly on national television, can there really be something exclusively intimate?
Second- If you are one of those 25 women who knows that you are chasing someone who is chasing others, you are setting yourself up for a huge disappointment anyway, right?
Third- I amazed the show is still alive- it is patronizing, horribly manipulative and reality TV gone too far in my view. And why do I say that? Finding your life partner is an incredibly personal decision, something that required introspection and careful thought, two areas completely alien to anything on reality TV. Second, in this particular case, the bachelor had a son from a previous relationship and involving the little guy into this mess would completely ruin his head. Its one thing for adults to play around, lets not kids involved- please! Third, apart from the bachelorette Trista, there is no one whose story on the show has ended remotely happy. So history is against the show too.

Take it off air please. Enough is enough.

Michael Phelps and the photograph...who is the real villian?

2009-02-07T07:50:00.002-05:00

I am amazed about the brouhuha over Phelps' picture trying pot. Kellog has thrown him out as their brnad ambassador- he may lose millions in endorsements as he is no longer seen as a role model.
Hmm..lets just put this in perspective. The guy is 23. He is an incredible athlete. A total of 14 golds over two Olympics speak not just to talent, but incredible dedication, discipline and focus. So, after that marvelous achievement in Beijing, he is at a party, has a couple of drinks and someone says, lets try some pot. Ok- I trained hard, I won 8 golds, I am exhausted and exhilirated, the next Olympics is another four years away, what a couple of smokes...I try it- and lo and behold- someone with their phone camera click...Suddenly, I am not a role model. Ooooo- this is so way out of line.
Really?
Cmon- really!! It is not like he is addicted. He took a smoke. Ok- so what? Guys- he is 23. He is an amazing athlete. He can try things. Give him some space. But of course, no. He is supposed to be a saint just because he is so good. When will we ever grow up and not hold our celebrities to double standards...
The real villian for me is the guy who sold the picture for a few dollars. What an absolute jerk! What did he get out of it? A couple of hundred bucks and busting Phelps....cool- well done man- I hope you are gloating right now just as all other paparazzi whose only motive in life is to make lives miserable for people.
This thing is such a sham.
Enough!
We have the economy to worry about. Lets concentrate on bigger and better issues.
Also, would a six month jail term be good for the photograph for invasion of privacy.
Did you say six years?!! I am good with that too actually....

The Politics of Cohesion- An Op Ed from NYT today- worth reading

2009-01-20T22:27:00.001-05:00

In 1962, Daniel Bell published a book called “The End of Ideology.” The title struck a nerve because it reflected the view, common at the time, that the United States was about to leave behind the brutal, ideological politics that had characterized the 1930s and the early cold war. The 1960s, it was believed, would be a decade of cool pragmatism. Keynesian models would be used to scientifically regulate the economy. Important decisions would be made empirically.

Instead, we got what Francis Fukuyama later called The Great Disruption. The information economy began to disrupt the industrial economy. The feminist revolution disrupted gender and family relations. The civil rights revolution disrupted social arrangements. The Vietnam War discredited the establishment.

These disruptions were generally necessary and good, but the transition was painful. People lost faith in old social norms, but new ones had not yet emerged. The result was disorder. Divorce rates skyrocketed. Crime rates exploded. Faith in institutions collapsed. Social trust cratered.

As community bonds dissolved, individual autonomy asserted itself. Liberals championed the moral liberation of individuals. Conservatives championed their economic liberation. The combined result was a loss of community and social cohesion, and what Christopher Lasch called a culture of narcissism.

Instead of ending ideology, the Great Disruption produced ideological politics. The weakening of social norms led to fierce battles as groups vied to create new ones. Personal became political. Groups fought over basic patterns of morality.

Republicans tended to win elections because liberals were associated with disorder and conservatives with attempts to restore it. Yet both sides were infected with the same pulverizing style. Politics wasn’t just about allocating resources. It was a contest over values, lifestyles and the status of your tribe. This venomous style dominated politics straight through the two baby boomer presidencies — of Clinton and Bush.

But societies do mend themselves, slowly and organically. In 2002, Rick Warren wrote a phenomenally popular book called “The Purpose Driven Life.” The first sentence was, “It’s not about you.” That was a sign that the age of expressive individualism was coming to an end. New community patterns and social norms were coalescing.

Crime rates had begun to fall, along with teen pregnancy rates and a rash of other social indicators. Young people flocked to perform community service. Couples created families that sought to harvest the gains of feminism while preserving the best of traditionalism.

In the cultural realm, the Great Disruption came to an end. New social norms and patterns settled into place. Barack Obama exemplifies the social repair. The product of a scattered family, he has created a highly traditional one, headed by two professionally accomplished adults. To an almost eerie extent, he exemplifies discipline, equipoise and self-control. Under his leadership, as Peter Beinart noted in Time, Democrats came to seem like the party of order while Republicans were associated with disorder.

Obama’s challenge will be to translate the social repair that has occurred over the past decade into political and governing repair. Part of that will be done with his inaugural address today. Look for him to emphasize the themes of responsibility, cohesion and unity. Look for him to reject the culture, which lingered in the financial world, of anything goes.

Part of that will be done with his governing style. Obama aims to realize the end-of-ideology politics that Daniel Bell and others glimpsed in the early 1960s. He sees himself as a pragmatist, an empiricist. Politics is not personal with him. He does not turn political disagreements into a status contest between one kind of person and another. He is convinced that most Americans practice their politics between the 40-yard lines.

Part will be accomplished with his aggressive outreach efforts. Already he has cooperated with Republicans. He has rejected the counsel of the old liberal warriors who want retribution and insularity.

But the real test will come in the realm of policy. The next few months will be occupied with the stimulus package. And anybody who is not terrified by the prospect of spending $800 billion hastily has not spent enough time studying the difference between economic textbooks and the way government actually operates.

But after that, folks in the Obama camp hope to create a Grand Bargain. That would mean building on a culture of cohesion and tackling the issues that require joint sacrifice — like reducing deficits, fixing Medicare and Social Security and reforming health care. These problems were insoluble during the era of division and distrust. In the climactic season of his presidency, the winter of 2010, Obama would seek to fundamentally restore balance to American government.

If he can do that, the Great Disruption would truly be over. The next chapter in American history would begin on firmer ground.

The Obama Express

2009-01-17T18:07:00.002-05:00

Ever since Obama's stunning debut on the national stage in 2004 at the Democratic Convention in Boston, he has offered hope and the promise of peace, prosperity and unity. Today, as I watched him and his family re-enact the Lincoln train journey from Philly to Washington, all of 137 miles, the sense of optimism amongst people was palpable.

That optimism stems from three things.
One- that in his cabinet, Obama has picked people on merit, not necessarily political affiliations.
Two- he is bright, speaks from the heart, is transparent about his agenda, and uncorrupted by Washington polarization.
Three- he pretty much started on the job on the morning of November 5 and so has a head start on the job!

While I love the jingoism, and God knows America can take every ray of hope it can get, my concern stems from the fact that he has probably the most difficult job that any President has had at least in the last half century. The economy is in shambles, US is an unwinnable and unpopular war abroad, terrorism is on the rise, and America is losing its competitive advantage on several fronts- education, energy, manufacturing, infrastructure just to name a few.
Where does he even start?
In my view, the first quintessential first 100 days are going to be crucial. And during that phase, he needs to do three things.
One- be as accessible as President as he has been as a candidate- to the media, to the public- speak directly to people so they can hear him, and make the connection from Barack the candidate, to Barack the statesman.
Two- make his economic plan clear- on stimulus, on banking, on bailouts, on creation of jobs. These are real issues for real people and the sooner he can make public his plans, the better it will be.
Three- He has to lay out a timetable for withdrawal from Iraq. Very few people understand the war, fewer still support it and so many lives have been lost there, just news about that would do a lot to uplift the spirit and mood of the country.

We will see how this all shapes up but as of now, the Obama Express is on a roll, both literally and figuratively.

Parenthood- the second time around!

2009-01-15T00:30:00.002-05:00

Having become a dad the first time around on July 28, 2006, I thought the second time would not be that special and how very wrong I was! When Rica and I had our second baby last Thursday in Charlotte, the emotions were overwhelmingly ecstatic. I guess that is what an out of the world feeling is supposed to be- well and truly overwhelming.

The birth of a child makes you truly marvel at the wonderful creation of life itself. And it makes you feel truly humble. It is nothing short of miraculous and even doctors who deliver babies day in and day out understand how special the moment is. What we had not reckoned with was how quickly our elder son, who is two and a half adjusted to his baby brother. Instead of jealousy, which is what we expected, he was more than willing to share his stuff and more importantly, get involved in the chores of parenting itself! We have been wonderfully surprised and we sincerely hope it continues this way.

And of course, we have been reading on kids and parenting and three reads/DVDs I would strongly recommend are-
a) The Happiest baby on the block in book or DVD: This is a masterpiece on how to soothe babies, listen to their clues and communicate with them when they cannot converse with words.
b) What to expect in the first year
c) How to talk so kids listen and listen so your kids will talk: This is more when the kids are above two years of age but the concepts are invaluable around raising a child with self confidence and assurance.

Even as Sachin turns one week tomorrow, we are looking forward to many more weeks and years of joy and happiness.

Sydney Test- Cricket at its very best!

2009-01-07T02:03:00.003-05:00

Over the last three hours, I was glued to my television as South African tail held on frustrating Australia's march to victory on Day 5 of the Third Test. And when Steyn got out, we thought it was all over, but there was one last twist- Graeme Smith, with a broken finger and a sore elbow, decided to come out to save the test. What guts, what character- absolutely unbelievable! The crowd gave him a standing ovation and deservedly so- he has shown tremendous character in the series and for a man who is only 27, he is an incredible test player and leader.

This day, and in fact, the entire series has truly exemplified what makes test cricket so riveting. The matches ebbed and flowed right from the first session in Perth; just when you thought one team had the upper hand, the other fought back. There are so many special moments from this series- South Africa chasing down 414 in Perth for victory, JP Duminy scoring 166 with the tail in Melbourne, Steyn taking 10 wickets and scoring a career best 76, Makhaya batting for more than an hour to frustrate the Aussies in Sydney, are all stellar achievements of a team determined to fight till the very end and hungry for glory. They have defeated Australia in Australia, and they deserve the honor.

What made this series great was three things.
One- Two equally matched teams that wanted to fight till the very end.
Two- The incredible spirit in which the series was played. No controversies, no allegation, just pure unadulterated cricket.
Three- The sporting wickets for the three games- at Perth, at Melbourne, at Sydney.

I do firmly believe that for any follower of the cricket, watching the game being played in Australia is an absolute must. The people are very knowledgeable about the game, they appreciate good cricket from both the home side as well as the opposing side, the wickets are sporting- helping both batsmen and bowlers that makes the game very exciting Down Under. I was fortunate to be there in the 2003- 2004, when India fought head to head against the Aussies, drawing the series and Laxman, Dravid and Tendulkar made the bowlers work really really hard, which was fun to watch. I made friends in both Melbourne and Sydney and every Aussie I met told me how grateful he was that the Indian team was making the Aussies work so har for any win- it was fun!

2009 could not have begun with a more exciting test match for a cricket fan, and despite the fact it was well past 2am in the US when the game ended, it was worth losing sleep over!!
What a game!

Reading and cricket

2009-01-04T01:20:00.003-05:00

I love reading- but I must admit I found it very hard to read full length books early on- most books couldn't hold my attention for too long.

That was when a friend of mine gifted me Don Bradman's "Farewell to Cricket" and that book changed my reading habits forever.

The book was about cricket, a game I love, and it had incredible insights about not just on the game, but about life in general. I remember underlining portions of the book, re-reading it, and even to this day, I do at times read some of those underlined sections and Don's wisdom, his insights, his views on critics, on fame, on living an honorable life never cease to amaze me. From the time I read that book, I was hooked onto reading, more cricket books first and then books on other topics I was interested in. For some reason though, a cricket classic eluded me till last week when I finally lay my hands on Beyond A Boundary.

Written by CLR James way back in 1963, the book is a product of the anti-colonial struggle, and the emergence of West Indies cricket as a serious challenge to the domination of England and Australia. It is at once both a political and social commentary on the way cricket became a symbol for freedom of expression and a democratization of power that was ahead of its time. I have been reading the book over the last week and I can already see why it is rated amongst the best cricket books ever written.

Amongst the contemporary cricket writers, I think the best is Gideon Haigh, who writes regularly for the Guardian. Pick up any one of his books and you would get the best contemporary perspective on a great game!

Suze Orman and financial advice for 2009

2009-01-01T19:30:00.002-05:00

I like Suze Orman- she is straightforward, no nonsense finance professional who has made a living out of advising ordinary people (on her show on CNBC) on how to manage their money and their finances. I have read her books and find them practical and very user friendly. So, when I saw a slim volume from her talking about action planning for 2009, I bought it and was able to read it last night.

Here are the three key highlights of what she has to say-
One- 2009 would be the year to invest in the stock market. The prices are low and the payback for someone willing to stay there for the long haul will be massive. Staying out of the market would be a catastrophic mistake.
Second- Strike the word "deserve" from the conversation this year. What you desire is irrelevant, what you actually afford is all that counts. ( I like how straight she is in whatever she professes).
Third- Reduce or eliminate credit card debt; if you do not have more than 10% down payment on a house, do not buy!
She even comes up with a simple pledge that challenges the readers to a) not spend money for a day, b) use credit card for a week and c) not eat in a restaurant for a month. Her point- little things are the ones that eventually add up.
She also explains why the crisis took place and what was behind the collapse in a lucid manner to the layman without using any of the jargon typically seen in financial journals or magazines. Her clarity and ability to cut to the heart of the matter is what makes her one of the 100 most influential people in the world, from a recent Time poll.

Lest I appear to be too much of a fan, let me say one thing. Over the last year, she has gone very moralistic and tries to give psychological advice along with financial advice. She should just stick with the financials. She is no Dr. Phil (not that I am a huge fan of that guy but at least he has some credentials in that respect). She should realize her key strength is finance for the layman, everything else is secondary.

Bottomline- it looks like 2009 is going to be tighter belts and more rational expectations. We will hopefully to surprised by the power of the rebound! On that happy note, to everyone, Happy New Year and keep reading...

The top events of 2008

2008-12-31T10:17:00.003-05:00

2008 was a rough year, and all indications are that the first two quarters at the very least will be tough too. There is stimulus package being bandied about that should help consumer spending but until the housing prices see their bottom and begin to rebound a little, I am skeptical about a quick turnaround. It is likely to be a slow U shaped recovery than a V. But looking back on 2008, here are my top 10 events in no order of importance.

One- The 700bn bailout: Undoubtedly, that encapsulated the extent of the crisis that everyone knew was around but was shy to admit. It brought economics back on the national agenda from the War, it brought Statesmen together like nothing else ever did (with 20 of them flying to DC at a moments notice!), it signified the end of an era on Wall Street, and it galvanized public opinion around good regulation that is badly needed to keep greed in check. Hopefully, the lessons learnt will not be forgotten soon.

Two- Falling oil prices: Not everything has been bad news for the Consumer. Oil prices have fallen sharply and gas at the pump is cheap- cheaper than I have ever known it to be. The only potential downside to this is that the need for fuel efficiency might again take a backseat given people are not feeling the pinch at the gas station and that could be disastrous in the long run.

Three- The Big 3 in DC: Talking about bailouts and oil prices, we have got to talk about GM, Chrysler and Ford, the CEOs of whom travelled in their own Private jets to DC to ask for money saying they were bankrupt! The hearing in Washington, granted a lot of it was grandstanding, brought it very clear to mind that the problems of the auto makers in Detroit had started a long time back and were inextricably linked with poor quality manufacturing and ineffient labor rates determined by the Unions. While it was sad spectacle for American manufacturing, it also brought to the fore the fundamental tenets of good manufacturing where the Americans still lag behind the Japanese.

Four- The Obama election: While it was all doom and gloom with the economy, the promise of change from a humble man with a good head on his shoulders brought people together, and people from all walks of life got together to vote for Obama. It signified a change and hope that things will undoubtedly get better in DC.
Five: The Mumbai attacks: Just as everyone thought terrorism was on the backburner, it sprung back with some vengeance. It has led to a diplomatic stand-off between India and Pakistan, and given that both nations are powered with nuclear weopons, the threat of instability in South Asia must not be underestimated.

Six- OJ imprisonment: Just as people were losing faith in the system, the judiciary stepped up to do what it should have done more than a decade back- sent OJ to jail! Finally, justice was being served the right way.

Seven: Sarah Palin effect: Nothing was a bigger surprise than McCain's choice of a running mate, little known governor from Alaska, Sarah Palin. Her glasses became an instant hit, her lack of comprehension of bigger issues of the day made for fantastic viewing on Saturday Night live and it made Tina Fey a much bigger celebrity than she ever imagined. Palin added color to the campaign and even after it ended, made it quite clear to everyone that her political ambitions have not ended. I like her, as long as she is not making the biggest decisions for the world!

Eight- The Britney comeback: She has had a rough time- a teenage celebrity, a broken marriage, two kids and she is barely 25- lets give her a break! She fought back and I hope her head shaving and hitting the car are all things of the past. I only hope the papparazzi get off her back now. She is on the mend and lets have it that way.

Nine- The Beijing Olympics: What a show that was- and it cemented China's entry on the world stage for good. The Opening ceremony was breathtaking, all events ran on schedule and given Phelp's phenomenal achievement, ensured that the Olympics had the highest television ratings ever!

Ten- India and South African wins over Australia in cricket: The end of Australian dominance in cricket is something that cricket lovers around the world have looked forward to for at least a couple of years now. The convincing manner in which the team was beaten first by India and then South Africa meant that a new world order was emerging in cricket and Australia could not take its No. 1 spot for granted anymore. Great joy for any cricket lover!

So there it is, my top 10! Look forward to 2009.

Obama and the burden of expectations

2008-12-30T11:34:00.002-05:00

We are living in tough times- the mortgage crisis seems to have spiraled out of control, the economy is in shambles and terrorists are again striking in different parts of the world. It is natural in these times to hang to any reasons for hope for the future and the incoming President has provided that hope to the Americans in particular and the world at large. An articulate intelligent man with humble beginnings but a track record of achievement and a self deprecating style have endeared him to a lot.

But lets get realistic and lets not expect too much of the man who is taking over from the worst Presidency ever. Reading the Time magazine write up on Obama made me concerned- "Obama's genome is global, his mind is innovative, his world is networked, and his spirit is democratic"- wow- that is some compliment to live upto and symptomatic of the media hyperbole that creates unrealistic expectations. We can be hopeful but not THAT hopeful. He himself points out it will take him at least two years to make a tangible impact and given the media's short attention span, two years can be a long time. Heck- two years back, Obama had a distant shot at getting the democratic nomination let alone be President.

There is reason to hope with Obama. The man has a philosophy of leadership that I find liberating. He says- "I've got a pretty good nose for talent, so I hire really good people. And I've got a pretty healthy ego, so I'm not scared of hiring the smartest people, even when they're smarter than me. And I have low tolerance of nonsense and turf battles and game playing, and I send that message very clearly. And so, over time, people start trusting each other and they stay focused on the mission, as opposed to personal ambition or grievance. If you've got really smart people who are all focused on the same mission, then usually ou can get some things done."
Bingo. Simple and clear.
While there is reason to hope and be optimistic, I just want to caution that there is no magic wand to erase years of bad or no regulation, years of greed on Wall Street and years of callous spending habits that the average American has gotten very used to. Obama will do his best and his best will come to naught if everyone is just waiting for him to wave his wand!!
Heres to a hopeful 2009 and beyond!

The end of an era...

2008-12-30T06:52:00.002-05:00

For followers of cricket around the world, this week has been momentous. South Africa beat Australia comprehensively 2-0 to hand the Aussies their first home series defeat since 1992. Never in the last decade have the Australians looked so vulnerable and so out of sorts as they did in Melbourne last week. Never has a side seem so determined as South Africa to take the top spot in the world from a team that has dominated cricket for over a decade, and may I need, never have cricket fans around the world met this Australian demise with as much glee as they have done, including myself.

There are several reasons for this end of an era to hailed. One- it evens out test cricket around the world. It is no fun watching one team dominate every other team forever. Second- there is a certain arrogance about this Australian side that has rubbed all cricket fans around the world the wrong way and so, there is widespread celebration that they have been given the humble pie they truly deserve. Third- India and South Africa have edged ever so close to the Aussies in the last couple of years only to be edged out by some poor umpiring and questionable tactics. So, this victory seems divine justice in more ways than one.

Make no mistake. I have liked what the Australians have brought to the world stage in the last decade. First- very aggressive batting in tests with scoring rates consistently topping three and a half an over, sometimes over four make for compelling viewing. Second- very disciplined fielding both close in and in the outfield. Third- a brand of bowling led by the likes of McGrath and Warne that combined accuracy with subtle variations that left batsmen flummoxed around the world. And last but not the least, some very god captaincy from the likes of Taylor and then Steve Waugh.

When Hashim Amla scored the winning runs in Melbourne, I am sure South Africa celebrated but so did the rest of the cricketing world as those couple of runs signified a shift of balance that everyone has been desperate to see but has not been able to. I am glad the time has come...Graeme Smith and the Proteas- take a bow for beating the world champions so convincingly!

Reboot America- From Friedman's latest column in NYT

2008-12-27T23:02:00.002-05:00

I love Thomas Friedman's writing style. he is insightful, incisive and very direct.
I am reproducing here a piece from his latest column as it correctly portrays America's plight at the moment. Read on...

It actually started well, on Kau Sai Chau, an island off Hong Kong, where I stood on a rocky hilltop overlooking the South China Sea and talked to my wife back in Maryland, static-free, using a friend’s Chinese cellphone. A few hours later, I took off from Hong Kong’s ultramodern airport after riding out there from downtown on a sleek high-speed train — with wireless connectivity that was so good I was able to surf the Web the whole way on my laptop.

Landing at Kennedy Airport from Hong Kong was, as I’ve argued before, like going from the Jetsons to the Flintstones. The ugly, low-ceilinged arrival hall was cramped, and using a luggage cart cost $3. (Couldn’t we at least supply foreign visitors with a free luggage cart, like other major airports in the world?) As I looked around at this dingy room, it reminded of somewhere I had been before. Then I remembered: It was the luggage hall in the old Hong Kong Kai Tak Airport. It closed in 1998.

The next day I went to Penn Station, where the escalators down to the tracks are so narrow that they seem to have been designed before suitcases were invented. The disgusting track-side platforms apparently have not been cleaned since World War II. I took the Acela, America’s sorry excuse for a bullet train, from New York to Washington. Along the way, I tried to use my cellphone to conduct an interview and my conversation was interrupted by three dropped calls within one 15-minute span.

All I could think to myself was: If we’re so smart, why are other people living so much better than us? What has become of our infrastructure, which is so crucial to productivity? Back home, I was greeted by the news that General Motors was being bailed out — that’s the G.M. that Fortune magazine just noted “lost more than $72 billion in the past four years, and yet you can count on one hand the number of executives who have been reassigned or lost their job.”

My fellow Americans, we can’t continue in this mode of “Dumb as we wanna be.” We’ve indulged ourselves for too long with tax cuts that we can’t afford, bailouts of auto companies that have become giant wealth-destruction machines, energy prices that do not encourage investment in 21st-century renewable power systems or efficient cars, public schools with no national standards to prevent illiterates from graduating and immigration policies that have our colleges educating the world’s best scientists and engineers and then, when these foreigners graduate, instead of stapling green cards to their diplomas, we order them to go home and start companies to compete against ours.

To top it off, we’ve fallen into a trend of diverting and rewarding the best of our collective I.Q. to people doing financial engineering rather than real engineering. These rocket scientists and engineers were designing complex financial instruments to make money out of money — rather than designing cars, phones, computers, teaching tools, Internet programs and medical equipment that could improve the lives and productivity of millions.

For all these reasons, our present crisis is not just a financial meltdown crying out for a cash injection. We are in much deeper trouble. In fact, we as a country have become General Motors — as a result of our national drift. Look in the mirror: G.M. is us.

That’s why we don’t just need a bailout. We need a reboot. We need a build out. We need a buildup. We need a national makeover. That is why the next few months are among the most important in U.S. history. Because of the financial crisis, Barack Obama has the bipartisan support to spend $1 trillion in stimulus. But we must make certain that every bailout dollar, which we’re borrowing from our kids’ future, is spent wisely.

It has to go into training teachers, educating scientists and engineers, paying for research and building the most productivity-enhancing infrastructure — without building white elephants. Generally, I’d like to see fewer government dollars shoveled out and more creative tax incentives to stimulate the private sector to catalyze new industries and new markets. If we allow this money to be spent on pork, it will be the end of us.

America still has the right stuff to thrive. We still have the most creative, diverse, innovative culture and open society — in a world where the ability to imagine and generate new ideas with speed and to implement them through global collaboration is the most important competitive advantage. China may have great airports, but last week it went back to censoring The New York Times and other Western news sites. Censorship restricts your people’s imaginations. That’s really, really dumb. And that’s why for all our missteps, the 21st century is still up for grabs.

John Kennedy led us on a journey to discover the moon. Obama needs to lead us on a journey to rediscover, rebuild and reinvent our own backyard.

Outliers- What does it take to succeed?

2008-11-25T03:23:00.002-05:00

I just finished Gladwell's third book and I must say that compared to Tipping Point and Blink, this one is the lightest in content and most far fetched in terms of research. Having said that, Gladwell makes even the most mundane idea come alive like no one else I know.
Lets take one idea that is not terribly original- hard work leads to proficiency.
Gladwell doesn't say it that simply. He calls his chapter on this- the 10,000 hour rule and you get hooked.
What is the 10,000 hour rule?
You keep reading and Gladwell brings you in with stories that are carefully chosen to prove his point. He cites studies that have shown that there is a 10 year and/or 10,000 hour rule to reach the stage of "proficiency" in any field. For example, a pianist who practices 3 hours per day, 6 days per week will reach 10,000 hours in roughly 10 years. Put another way, while innate talent is needed, you cant just rely on talent, it needs a lot of hard work to get REALLY good at something.

There are some other ideas that are interesting. For example, he reasons that the seemingly mundane cutoff dates for selection to school teams matters a heck of a lot in determining who would eventually play in the big league. His reason is simple- there is a distinct advantage to have a birthdate as close as possible to the cutoff date. In general, older children are bigger, faster, stronger and smarter than their age group peers. Once they selected early enough because of their performance, they are given the environment to succeed more and hence they do- a variation of the self fulfilling prophecy I guess.

Some other key points- First- IQ is just a threshold - High IQs are not necessarily a good predictor of success. However, there is a threshold where you need to be 'smart enough' to be able to succeed. As Malcolm states in his book, "being successful is about a lot more than IQ."

Second- Generational limitations - Success also depends on when you are born which drives when you reach adulthood. For example, to be born between 1900 and 1911 is demographically unlucky as you would have hit the most devastating events of the 20th century - the Great Depression and WWII - at the wrong times.

Third- Social heritance - According to Gladwell, "Cultural legacies are powerful forces" and they can persist generation after generation long after the social and demographic conditions that created them have passed. Gladwell told about a psychology study conducted by Dov Cohen and Richard Nisbett at the University of Michigan in the early 1990s around the culture of honor and violence. It turns out that there is a difference between young men from the Northern and Southern US respond to insults and which partially explains the higher rates of violence in the South.

Fourth- 7 errors - A typical accident involves 7 consecutive human errors. Gladwell examines airline crashes and it is very rare for a crash to be blamed on equipment, and the typical cause is human error. However, it is not just one human error but a series of small errors that contribute to an eventual catastrophic accident.

These are all interesting vignettes and Gladwell weaves them remarkably well, he is a better storyteller than I have read in recent times and just for that, this book is worth a read- plus you are likely to finish this in one weekend anyway!

Human behavior, Dr. Burns and Feeling Good!

2008-11-17T00:09:00.002-05:00

I have always been a student of human behavior. I find it fascinating- why do people behave the way they do, the way they react to different situations and the way they deal with stress- are all questions that I find intriguing and incredibly interesting. It is no surprise then that I tend to read a lot of human behavior/ psychology related books.

Recently, I found one at my cousin sister's place in San Diego, that I can stack up against the very best in the subject. Titled "Feeling Good" and written by Dr. David Burns, it is the best treatise on cognitive behavioral therapy I have read. The premise of the cognitive model of human behavior is based on three simple ideas-
a) We feel the way we think.
b) Anxiety results from distorted, illogical thoughts. He clearly lays out 10 mental distortions and the way to deal with each.
c) When we change we think by correcting the distortions, we can change the way we feel.
Very simple, and very powerful.

I read the book over a weekend and got so taken in by it that I ordered his others books- When Panic Attacks, Ten Days to Self Esteem and The Feeling Good Handbook. I would highly recommend When Panic Attacks because the book builds on the foundation of CBT and takes it to another level by combining it with other techniques to reduce or completely eliminate anxiety.

Having read all these books, I am glad I was browsing my sister's library in San Diego when I was there a couple of months back, otherwise I would not have been introduced to one of the finest students of human behavior of our times!

The Buffet lessons in this environment!

2008-11-12T00:03:00.001-05:00

Warren Buffett has already told the world what he's doing in this frightful market. The Oracle of Omaha proudly proclaimed that he's "been buying American stocks" with his personal funds.

But it should also be noted that Buffett has been putting his investors' money on the line as well. After sitting on piles of cash for several years and lamenting the lack of attractive opportunities, Buffett has made several key acquisitions through his investment conglomerate, Berkshire Hathaway, culminating in a flurry of late- September and early-October deals.

In just a two-week span, Buffett picked up Constellation Energy for the relative bargain price of $4.7 billion. He bought $5 billion in preferred stock from Goldman Sachs, receiving a fat 10% yield. And he purchased $3 billion in preferred shares of GE, also yielding 10%.

This doesn't mean Buffett is saying go out and buy Goldman or GE (GE, Fortune 500) stock. In fact, there are plenty of reasons why you shouldn't try to follow his lead, not the least of which is the fact that Berkshire gets deals that individuals simply can't.

But that's not the point. The opportunity here is to pick up some valuable investing wisdom from the greatest practitioner alive. In this spirit, here's what I think you can learn from Buffett's moves:

Be greedy when others are fearful
It's the most famous of all Buffett-isms: "Be fearful when others are greedy and greedy when others are fearful." Today there's ample evidence that people are scared, as fund investors have been redeeming record amounts of money from their stock portfolios.

By contrast, Buffett is putting his money to work. Berkshire's cash balance, by my estimate, is at its lowest level in recent memory.

Now, this doesn't mean the market will turn around tomorrow. But Buffett's point is that this is not the time to flee U.S. stocks. In fact, now is a great time to be looking for shares of high-quality firms that have been beaten down to affordable levels.

Don't be hobbled by past mistakes
Buffett's investment in Goldman Sachs (GS, Fortune 500) was surprising to many, given his frequent digs at Wall Street's casino culture and a problematic investment he made in Salomon Brothers.

In 1987, Buffett bought a stake in Salomon to ward off a hostile takeover, but the firm nearly collapsed amid a bond bid-rigging scandal a few years later, and Buffett had to step in as interim chairman.

Although the investment eventually worked out - Salomon was bought by Travelers, which merged with Citicorp to form Citigroup (C, Fortune 500) - it's safe to say that it was a longer and harder road than he had anticipated.

Still, Buffett understood that investment banking, for all its recent woes, is an attractive business if managed properly. The group of top-tier firms is fairly small, and it would be hard for a new competitor to break into the business, which gives Goldman Sachs tremendous bargaining power over its customers.

There's an important lesson in this for individual investors. Just because many financial stocks in your portfolio have imploded recently, it doesn't mean you should sell out of this sector entirely - or turn your back on these stocks for good.

Don't fall in love with your stocks
Buffett is famous for having said that his favorite holding period is "forever." But he will sell a stock he loves if conditions warrant. For example, late last year, as crude-oil prices were approaching $100 a barrel, Buffett jettisoned his stake in PetroChina (PTR).

Why? After multiplying more than fivefold since he bought it a few years earlier, PetroChina shares had reached fair value, so he sold. Since he cashed out, PetroChina shares have been cut in half.

Chalk this up to a lesson the Oracle learned in the late '90s. As he admitted in 2003, "...I made a big mistake in not selling several of our larger holdings during the Great Bubble."

Buffett similarly made what may be one of his best decisions when he sold Berkshire Hathaway's long-held stake in Freddie Mac (FRE, Fortune 500) in 2000. He's never written about exactly why, but he noted presciently at his 2001 annual shareholder meeting that Freddie Mac's "risk profile had changed."

Keep your powder dry
While the rest of the world gorged on cheap credit, Buffett maintained Berkshire's conservative profile. This hindered his returns when times were good, but having lots of cash on hand enabled Buffett to snap up once-in-a-lifetime deals, like Constellation Energy (CEG, Fortune 500).

Buffett, who owns several utilities, jumped on Constellation in September after its shares tumbled from around $60 to his purchase price of $26.50 in a mere matter of days. The result: He nabbed a company that produces nearly $1 billion in earnings a year for less than $5 billion.

Now, you may not be in a position to keep $40 billion in the bank. But as Buffett showed, it's smart to have some cash on hand for opportunistic purchases. What's more, there's nothing wrong with being disciplined enough to turn your back on stocks that you're not 100% confident in. That's sage advice.

The Red Sox "faithful"

2008-10-19T02:12:00.002-04:00

I got introduced to Baseball through the Red Sox and over the last four years, the team has given me many memorable moments- whether it was Curt Schilling's bleeding sock as he pitched gamely against the Yankees, or Pappelbon's amazing closings, or the heroics of Big Papi, the team has three things- an incredible never say die spirit, two- a faithful fan base that is probably the most intense I have seen and three- a ballpark that signifies history and modernity at the same time.

Their latest run has left us glued to our television sets. Just when everyone thought the Rays would take the ALCS title, they have risen like the proverbial phoenix, winning the last two games to tie the series and now comes the decider tomorrow when Lester and Garza go against each other.

Whatever the outcome, the Sox have again shown that they truly have the spirit to be champions. What separates the men from the boys is often not skill, but the mental strength and ability to rise when the chips are down, the temperament to perform when there is a crunch, and no one knows it better than the Red Sox and the "faithful".

My wife and I watched the game till midnight tonight and given the outcome, tomorrow seems like it will be a similar story. While we would not be categorized as the "faithful" yet, we are coming pretty darn close!

Three reasons for the mess and how to get out of it!

2008-10-11T15:36:00.003-04:00

My undergrad was in History.
At that time, everyone would ask me if there was any practical use for studying the past.
I would fumble with an answer and say something like- "lessons from history are important for us to avoid mistakes in the future" or "those who forget the lessons of history are condemned to repeat it" etc etc- all platitudes that I myself didn't quite believe in.
The financial crisis currently plaguing the US and the broader world economy has brought back some memories- most recently of the irrational exuberance of the dotcom bubble in the 90's but more importantly that of the 1920's when the overvaluations led to the eventual crash of the stock market and the onset of the Great Depression that resulted in large scale government intervention, consolidation in industry and widespread unemployment, symptoms eerily close to what we are seeing now.

Why do such "crashes" happen? How can we avoid them? And will we?

Cutting through all the jargon, here are the three reasons for the mess.
One- incorrect valuation of assets based on faulty assumptions. So, the land prices will continue to go up and therefore dont worry about whether you can afford your mortgage because your house will be worth much more anyway and you will have equity in your home to cash out if you are trouble- thats faulty logic. To have "securities" based on those assumptions about mortgages is even worse as they go against the grain of what the word security means! Look at the inherent value of any asset, be conservative in predicting future cash flows and if there are positive surprises, good for everyone.

Second- affordability and that goes for both companies and individuals. Over-leverage is never good and so be careful about the materialistic streak you could enter if you spare cash. Rule of thumb- spend no more than 75% of your income and have a cash reserve equivalent to six month of expenses at the very least for a rainy day. For companies, cash is king too. See all these companies trying to get a piece of 700bn bailout- its all about the credit squeeze.

Third- remain emotionally stable and that goes for companies, markets and individuals. We have seen an incredible loss of confidence in the past three weeks, the Dow has plunged from a high of over 13,000 to under 9,000. Have companies suddenly become worthless? No. But have people have lost confidence? Yes. People like security and that comes in numbers. Panic has a cataclysmic effect too. Someone panics, some others join and before you know it, others are bailing on the market based not on their understanding of performance or objective data, but because some others think that values aren't good. This is the time to stay solid and not panic. If you have done a goof job of one and two above, you have nothing to worry about.

So there are the three lessons. Value appropriately, spend reasonably, and don't panic when crisis hits. The lessons are as important for companies and as they are for individuals.
And from all our lessons of history, we know that when we fail to live by these value, we are taught some painful lessons that make us come back on the right track.
History does repeat itself in uncanny ways, and I am glad to have that undergrad even if it was years ago....the lessons are still fresh in my mind!

Joe, Carl and Becky- 6am start to the work day!

2008-10-08T22:13:00.004-04:00

Over the past three weeks, I have been waking up religiously at 5:30.
Not to exercise, not to get ready for a morning- but to watch three musketeers tell us about the latest on the economy and on the business.
At the strike of 6, I am right in front of the TV, glued to what the three have in store for me- Joe, Carl and Becky provide a fascinating perspective on the world of business- in a manner that is engaging, fun and informative at the same time.
So what is it that I like about Squawk Box on CNBC, the only business show I tivo-
One- the three have an incredible understanding of the markets, the business fundamentals and the interconnections looking at both macro trends in terms of futures, currencies and commodities on the hand, and specific company results on the other.
Two- their style is conversational and never looks scripted- they feed off each other, and none of the three feel the need to dominate the show as they work so well together as a team.
Three- they are able to get the best in the business on their show as guests that lends incredible credibility to the show. Warren Buffet is a regular, and so is Jack Welch. And interestingly, Joe, Carl and becky interact with everyone, and I mean, everyone with great ease and comfort.
The show is informative and fast paced and I have found nothing better to start the morning in these turbulent times than the trio using their engaging style to get me to make sense of the world of business as it stands today and where it is headed.
It almost feels like I have three friends who give me a headstart in the world of business every single day of the week.
Wonder how I survived all these years without them!

Tina Fey rocks!

2008-10-05T23:38:00.003-04:00

I love impersonations, but there are so many that are terrible, that when an extraordinary one comes along, you have got acknowledge it- and Tina Fey's impersonation of Sarah Palin is one for the ages!
Granted Sarah Palin is a sitting duck for humorists- she has no experience, doesn't answer most questions directly, has not beyond Alaska let alone the shores of the US, and her understanding of economics would make her a candidate for "Are you Smarter than a Fifth Grader" but still, you've got to get things right and Tina Fey is bang on- on several accounts- the accent, the cutesy wink, the inane maverick comments and the ability to still think you're doing well. If you have not seen the Saturday Night Live portions featuring her in the last couple of weeks, you are missing out on something.
Tina Fey walked away with a few Emmys this year, and if her Sarah Palin performances are anything to go by, she is already a front runner for next year.
She rocks, as much as Sarah Palin sucks...

Palin, Pakistani President and the fatwa...

2008-10-02T05:15:00.002-04:00

I just found this news column and thought it was indicative of how the central issues in Pakistan somehow get sidestepped for the most bizarre and innocuous events that somehow take centerstage. Read on...

After the flirtation came the fatwa.

With some overly friendly comments to Gov. Sarah Palin at the United Nations, Asif Ali Zardari has succeeded in uniting one of Pakistan's hard-line mosques and its feminists after a few weeks in office.

A radical Muslim prayer leader said the president shamed the nation for "indecent gestures, filthy remarks, and repeated praise of a non-Muslim lady wearing a short skirt."

Feminists charged that once again a male Pakistani leader has embarrassed the country with sexist remarks. And across the board, the Pakistani press has shown disapproval.

What did President Zardari do to draw such scorn? It might have been the "gorgeous" compliment he gave Ms. Palin when the two met at the UN last week during her meet-and-greet with foreign leaders ahead of Thursday's vice presidential debate with opponent Sen. Joe Biden, the Democratic vice presidential nominee.

But the comments from Zardari didn't end there. He went on to tell Palin: "Now I know why the whole of America is crazy about you."

"You are so nice," replied the Republican vice presidential hopeful, smiling. "Thank you."

But what may have really caused Pakistan's radical religious leaders to stew was his comment that he might "hug" Palin if his handler insisted.

Though the fatwa, issued days after the Sept. 24 exchange, carries little weight among most Pakistanis, it's indicative of the anger felt by Pakistan's increasingly assertive conservatives who consider physical contact and flattery between a man and woman who aren't married to each other distasteful. Though fatwas, or religious edicts, can range from advice on daily life to death sentences, this one does not call for any action or violence.

Last year, the mosque that issued the fatwa, Lal Masjid (Red Mosque) in Islamabad, condemned the former tourism minister, Nilofar Bahktiar, after she was photographed being hugged by a male parachuting coach in France.

Clerics declared the act a "great sin" and, though less vocal about it, similar sentiments were shared by many among Pakistani's middle classes. The Red Mosque gained international infamy in July 2007 after becoming the focal point of a Pakistan Army operation.

For the feminists it's less about cozying up to a non-Muslim woman and more about the sexist remarks by Zardari.

"As a Pakistani and as a woman, it was shameful and unacceptable. He was looking upon her merely as a woman and not as a politician in her own right," says Tahira Abdullah, a member of the Women's Action Forum.

Dismissing the mosque's concerns as "ranting," she, however, adds: "He should show some decorum – if he loved his wife so much as to press for a United Nations investigation into her death, he should behave like a mourning widower," in reference to former Pakistani premier Benazir Bhutto, a feminist icon for millions of Pakistani women.

The theme of decorum was picked up by English daily Dawn, whose editorial asked: "Why do our presidents always end up embarrassing us internationally by making sexist remarks?"

The incident bears some resemblance to yet another charm offensive by a senior Pakistani politician. Marcus Mabry's biography of Condoleezza Rice includes a passage in which he relates a meeting between former Pakistani Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz and Ms. Rice, in which Mr. Aziz was said to have stared deeply into the secretary of State's eyes and to have told her he could "conquer any woman in two minutes."

There are some, however, who see things as having been blown out of proportion.

"It was a sweet and innocuous exchange played as an international incident on Pakistani and rascally Indian front-pages with one English daily [writing] it in a scarlet box, half-implying Mrs. Palin would ditch Alaska's First Dude and become Pakistan's First Babe. As if," wrote columnist Fasih Ahmed in the Daily Times.

For most, it will soon be forgotten in a country dealing with terrorism, rising food prices, and a struggling economy. "We don't care that much how they [politicians] behave – what really matters is keeping prices down," says Nazeera Bibi, a maid in Lahore.

1.2 trillion in market value wiped out in one day...

2008-09-29T21:27:00.003-04:00

We are living in historic times, though I wish I would be writing that for different reasons.

Today's events were extraordinary, capping off weeks of financial meltdown that finally came to a head with a 700bn dollar bailout plan failing to pass in the Congress- this after the President, no less, urged his own party to back it- only one-third did and the plan is now on hold as the politicians take a "well deserved" Jewish holiday break!

I dont think Washington realizes that 1.2 trillion dollars in market value was wiped out today, I dont think any of them get it. As I walked down Tryon Street, there was a pall of gloom across the street in Wachovia, a perfectly sound and stable bank that got sold for less than a dollar a share. A lot of people have their retirements in stock, they have their long term savings in stock and to see all that disappear is shocking. To put it simply, credit is the oil that lubricates the economy and for it to come to a grinding halt, as it almost did today, will be catastrophic for everyone, not just those on Wall Street.

A lot of people are confused about how we got here. Three easy steps- first- "selling" mortgages to those who can't afford it, second- securities getting "sold" in the hope that house prices would go up and so their value getting inflated beyond their true worth, and third- as the housing prices don't go up, the inherent value of the securities comes into question, which tightens the entire credit situation up as no one is really confident about the actual worth of the security. Crystal clear!

This has been a sad day- for investors and the common man. It has been a despicable day for politicians- their unbridled greed, unprincipled partisanship and incorrigible incompetence is something that galls me no end!

The bailout and the vote...

2008-09-29T15:20:00.002-04:00

I hate politicians, and have hated them for some time now- I find them self serving, conniving, and inherently deceitful. I stopped following politics in 1995 and I must say for the last 13 years, I have saved myself a lot of grief and wasted time discussing politics- in the newspapers, I turn to sports and entertainment right away and then move to business, I completely skip politics. My life has been inherently happier that way.

Today, unfortunately politics and business met, the politicians had to vote on the 700bn package that actually rescues the common american man and frankly, saves the economy from coming to a complete halt...and once again, the politicians let me down. They voted against it!! This is when we have faced the following situation in the last fortnight-
a) We faced the biggest bank collapse in American history, WaMu
b) Wachovia, the 4th largest bank in the country was sold off for a dollar
c) Lehman went under
d) Investment Banks as we know them don't exist anymore
e) AIG being bailed out for 85bn
f) There has been severe gas shortage in the country with gas lines at pumps not seen since the oil crisis in the seventies.

And what can the politicians think of? How will voters react? How will their contituents react? I used to think Indian politics was a quagmire, it seems no better in Washington.

What is shocking is that President can't get his party to fall in line?!!
And what is their alternative- wait for another 10 banks to fail!!!

I hate politics and politicians- always have and given the events of today, I think always will!!!

The Lehman collapse, the AIG bailout and Merrill buyout!

2008-09-17T01:47:00.002-04:00

Over the last week, my favorite TV channel has been CNBC- its almost as if you are following a thriller and you dont want to blink as you will miss something.

Its been an unbelievable week- and I was in Vegas on vacation when I first happened to glance at a news item that Lehman was in trouble. I thought, thats not a big deal as a lot of companies have been reporting losses. Being a 150 year old Wall Street powerhouse, even if Lehman was in trouble, the worst I expected was loss in profits, some more writedowns, potential layoffs and that was it. By Thursday and Friday, it was clear that Lehman needed to sell and Bank of America became a leading contended to buy. That piqued my interest.

Our vacation ended Sunday night and as I turned on my computer, I began to follow the saga more closely. It appeared that talks with Lehman had broken down and Barclays was in play for Lehman, not Bank of America. I continued surfing the net and just past midnight on Sunday, bloomberg reported that Bank of America had agreed to buy Merrill Lynch for 50 billion. That was a bolt from the blue- was Merrill even in trouble? What happened to Lehman? And as I looked over, it seemed that Lehman was going to file for Chapter 11. An institution like Lehman in bankruptcy- absolutely unbelievable and seeing the writing on the wall, Merrill did the wisest thing by selling out. Walking into the Bank Monday morning was an absolute rush- lots of excitement, lots of pride about being part of the biggest financial institution that can make a deal of 50 bn literally over a weekend! It was heady and still is...
But this was not all- news poured in that AIG was in trouble and the government was asking the big banks to pony up 75bn to help save the company. Fears about bank run, whether deposits themselves were safe became more real. Comparisons begun to be made with 1929- on Monday, the stock market had its worst day since September 11, 2001- this wasnt recession anymore, we were well and truly in Depression freefall.
Today, every hour, I kept checking bloomberg on AIG as the stock plummeted to 1.47 at one stage, kept bouncing back to 3-ish and back to the high 1's or low 2's. It was like being in an emergency room watching someone on life support and praying. My wife called me in the afternoon to ask me whether we should take out our insurance in AIG. We discussed it for 10 minutes- the longest money discussion we have had in our marriage! We decided against it- we believed the company as strong and too good to be allowed to go belly up. As a mark of my confidence, I bought a few shares of AIG, and given I just came back from Vegas, I was very willing to take on this gamble- much better odds than the roulette!
This evening, even as we went to bed, news arrived about an 85bn infusion into AIG by the government for an 80% stake in the company! Thank God! Its a relief, but we are clearly not out of the woods yet. As our CEO Ken Lewis pointed out, 2009 is going to a tough year but he can see the clouds lifting in 2010- thats still 5 quarters away!!
I turned off CNBC today and moved over to CNN in the hope to catch some political news or hurricane news, but there was Anderson Cooper interviewing Susie Orman on what the financial crisis meant to the common man, comparisons to the Great Depression and the road ahead.
It was then that I realized that maybe, CNBC is going to stay one of my regular channels for the forseeable future, not just last week. It is an exciting time, and reminds me of the old Dickens phrase- "it was the best of times, it was the worst of times" depending upon how you look at things. From my vantage, I am excited about how all this would shake out and eventually lead to a more stable, less exhuberant financial sector that relies on good old basics to make money. I never thought CNBC would be my favorite channel, but it seems thats the only way to keep up to date with a sector that is changing with dizzying speed with each passing second.
Fasten your seatbelts everyone!!

Phelps, Bolt and Obama- stories of inspiration and perseverence

2008-09-01T03:41:00.002-04:00

August was a difficult month for morning meetings in office- when I was not following the olympics late into the night, it was the Democratic party convention in Denver that kept me awake- the Michelle Obama speech, the Clinton speech, the Biden speech, the Barack speech- it lifted my spirit and made me believe in hope and that anything was possible. Again, let me qualify as I have done previously in my blog, while I am not interested in politics, just in the pure art of speech making and speech giving, if the Democrats win Gold, the Republicans dont even make the podium!

Talking of podiums, the two men who stood out for me were Phelps and Usain Bolt, one I knew before this Olympics, and the other one I had never heard of, but who seemed to possess superhuman quality in the sprints. Bolt's emphatic wins in 100 and 200 with world record times were breathtaking to watch, and given his premature celebratory gestures in the 100, he made us feel he could go better than 9.69, which makes this 21 year old a great athletic prospect for the future. He doesnt have the best of starts, but accelerates remarkably well- if he can add 400 to his repertoire, he could potentially turn out to be greater than Michael Johnson, if not Carl Lewis- he is THAT special.

Phelps made me love swimming more than anyone else. He won in all fashions- with conviction, by the thinnest of margins, leading from the front, coming from behind, as an individual, as part of a team effort- it was an incredible effort and one that is likely to stand the test of time. As my two year old watched the races with a "go Phelps" cheer, I wondered how many budding sportspersons he would inspire.

Even as I watched the closing ceremony with breathtaking awe, I wondered when was the last Olympics when I felt genuinely sad at the closing, and my mind had to go back to 1984 (when Mary Lou and Carl Lewis turned in the performances of a lifetime). I may have been bleary eyed in morning meetings, but I think it was all worth it- there is nothing like watching history being made live!

Kindle- a revolution in reading

2008-08-16T04:56:00.002-04:00

I love reading but the challenge has always been finding the time to go to a bookstore, browsing through the store, finding the right book, buying in, and then finding the time to read it. Given how busy we typically are in our work lives, that seldom happens. Result- I read only one book over the last six months.

And then, I bought Kindle, the amazon Ebook that arrived in the mail two weeks back.

Since that day, I have read three books and just love the device. I think this is the future of reading, for three reasons-
One- the convenience. Even if it is 11pm on Saturday and a book pops up in my head, I can buy it, instantly! Yes, the kindle has an inbuilt wireless that enables me to browse the Amazon store, and I can buy anything with the click of a button. That simple. If I am not sure I want to buy the book, but just want to browse, I am download a free sample of the book, read it and see if I would like the book. Virtual browsing at its very best.
Two- The non glare screen makes reading very comfortable. I have read the book in artificial light indoors as well as broad daylight under the sun. It really does feel like a real book- no glare, nothing.
Three- you don't have to lug your books around. It is light and convenient and can hold upto 200 books. So, when you are traveling, you don't have to decide, which three books to take, you can take them all!!

At 359 dollars, I think the device is a little bit on the expensive side, but if you like reading, I think it is a worthwhile investment. Of course, there are likely to be improvements in the model, like all gadgets do, but for the first generation, the Kindle is as good as you can get.
Now let me stop writing and get back to reading on the kindle....

A New Earth

2008-06-26T04:54:00.002-04:00

I just finished reading A New Earth by Eckhart Tolle. While I am not a huge fan of self help books, this book did make me stop and think in a few places, and anything that does that is worth one read at least in my view.

The framework is pretty simple.
First- he points out that your internal frame of mind shapes how you view the world. "Complaining is one of the ego's favorite strategies for strengthening itself," he warns. It's about making you feel better by putting down someone else. He elaborates later - "Complaining is not to be confused with informing someone of a mistake or deficiency so that it can be put right. And to refrain from complaining doesn't necessarily mean putting up with bad quality or behavior." So it is about standing up for yourself, certainly, but not by abusing others.
Second- he warns that all possessions fade over time, just as beauty and strength does. Taking pride in these things is setting yourself up to feel sadness when they are no longer there. It is better to be content inwardly, rather than based on external objects.
Third- he talks about how some people feel they can't be happy until something in their current life changes (I get a new house, I get a new job). He says other people feel they can never be happy because of something in their past. He says both sets of people are mistaken. You can choose to be happy NOW. Not that you resign yourself to your situation necessarily - you can strive to better your life. But you can accept that you are where you are, that you will find serenity where you are while you work to improve things.

While all this is Buddhist philosophy, Tolle has tried to make it more current. His writing style is compelling, yet tends to get tedious and repititious at times. This is NOT a light read and I had to re-read some passages just to get at exactly what he was trying to say.

But as I said, the book did make me stop and think a few times- and think about fundamental questions around life and the way to lead a good one...and for me, that is good time spent- we dont do enough of that in our busy lives.

Its the economy, stupid!!

2008-05-03T23:37:00.002-04:00

We are back at the same place we were about a decade and half ago- its all about the economy. Many folks in their working lifetimes have not faced this scenario- a recession, slowing growth, rising gas prices, falling home prices and job losses- it a tough US economy and will be for at least a couple of quarters, if not more.

There are three things are slightly surprising about the current scenario. One- very few saw it coming. Even the very best at Wall Street felt that the sub-prime crisis was fairly well contained but is becoming increasingly evident, that was not the case. Two- the Fed has been slow, first to pull down interest rates, and then, call it a recession and take necessary action. Third- the political landscape still seems to ignore the reality facing the average person in the US. The sooner the statesmen realize that its all about the economy, the better it will be for the 2008 Presidential campaign that is sounded trite and jaded even before the actual action has begun in the true sense of the word.

The only way out is through severe belt tightening- my promise to lose some weight may finally carry both a literal and figurative meaning!!

Not everything is severely gloomy though. The global economy continues to grow well and the basic fundamentals of the American economy are still very strong. The war needs to end, there needs to be an economic stimulus, manufacturing domestically needs to improve and Service sectors need to look for value add without completely wiping the customer's wallet. It will be tough but not impossible.

I have hope and and while hope itself is not a strategy, positive visualization goes a long way in moving energy in the right direction and thats all that is needed right now.
Lets press on...

A two month hiatus- a new home!!

2008-04-20T00:33:00.003-04:00

I am writing after a long time- the main reason being we have moved into a new home and as with all transitions. clearing up boxes, settling in, knowing the neighbors and the neighborhood, getting to know exactly what is kept where has taken up all the time and it has all been wonderful.

We have moved to a neighborhood in Huntersville, slightly north of Charlotte, called Northstone. 996 houses strong, the community boasts of a fantastic golf course, and while I am not a golfer, I am extremely tempted to start now for a number of reasons. First- it is potentially a game I can play well into old age, something I cant say for cricket or soccer, the two others games I love. Second- in Charlotte, the weather is wonderful to play the game almost 10-11 months of the year. Third- I am beginning to find that almost the friends I know play and love the game, so I am curious to find out what is so exciting about a game that looks fairly boring to me on television! Time will tell and we shall see.

Within a month of moving in, we have had two of our best friends, one from Singapore and one from England, visit us and that has been wonderful. Through this post on the blog, I am extending an invitation to all our friends to come and visit us- the home is spacious and from our point of view, extremely relaxing, so come on over...

Sanjay, Rica and I love it here so far and I am certain that only a big move like that makes me not write for two months. I promise to a regular routine henceforth writing about everything interesting- from American Idol, to the Obama- Clinton fights, to the IPL in India to the recession that is clearly worse than was originally thought. We live in interesting times and as always, I intend sharing my point of view...

Transitions

2008-02-16T09:41:00.002-05:00

Transitions are interesting times- a change of place, a change of scenery, leaving old friends, trying to get into new friend circles, figuring out the lay of the land- its all both extremely exciting and sometimes, can be challenging.

I have made several transitions, both in my career and in a geographies, and after the initial "butterflies in the stomach", anxiety phase, it has always worked out well, and the move to Charlotte from Boston has brought its own set of experiences so far. And the two places are VERY different, more so than I had ever imagined. It would naive to even compare the two places as they so different- in terms of history, culture, topography, weather- everything.

Heres what I have something pleasantly surprising about Charlotte. A lot of people here are transplants from somewhere else. They all grew up elsewhere and came here for work- and the fact that this is the corporate HQ for both Bank of America and Wachovia- has helped in that process. That lends to the diversity of the place. It also lends to sharing of common experience as a lot of people seem to have moved here- so there is always a piece of advice in terms of where to live, what to look for and what to do over the weekends.

What I am also beginning to find that when people move, they do take a part of the place with them.
Let me explain with a specific example. We moved to Boston in 2004 and learnt to be Red Sox fans and Patriots fans and even when we moved, its difficult to just cut off your linkage with them. So when this Super Bowl came around, we were cheering for the undefeated team of the season. We all know how that ended, but the point is, I felt the disappointment of that loss as much as most people who physically reside in Boston. I wonder whether I will ever switch loyalties. I learnt to appreciate baseball at Fenway and football at Gillette Stadium and that is something that will always stay with me. Transitions dont mean you completely uproot yourself from a place- you take some part of that with you- always!

We are looking forward to our new home and a set of new experiences, and from what we have so far, its going to be exciting. Arent all transitions meant to be that way?!!!

Beating Australia at Perth- a win to savor

2008-01-21T13:21:00.000-05:00

The last two days have been a blur for me- I still cant believe we beat Australia at Perth- what a fantastic win especially after the unsavory events in Sydney where the umpires robbed us of victory. There are some moments in sports that are memorable, that are there to savor for they show the finest in human spirit and India's win in Perth will surely count amongst them for several reasons.

First- the one hour where Ponting was made to feel like a schoolboy by some terrific bowling from Delhi teenager, Ishant Sharma. Cricket is a great leveler, and reputations are nothing on the field and the way Ishant troubled Ponting, it was apparent he would have his wicket any moment.
Second- the comeback of Irfan Pathan. He made a terrific start to his career and then went into wilderness. He has worked hard and come back into the side to win the Match of the Match award. Too often, in such circumstances, you can doubt yourself, lose confidence and not perform. Irfan has come back and come back with a vengeance and hunger that will serve us well.
Three- the all round performance here; everyone chipped in- (you could consider Ganguly and Jaffer to be minor failures) but this was a true team performance and we need that if we are win consistently.

The last time someone stopped Australia at 16 straight wins, it as India way back in 2001. This time, it was us again. If this does not prove we are one of the best in the world, what will??!!!
Not to forget that if we were not undone by the umpires in Sydney, we could be looking at a very different scoreline in the series, something the Aussies are not used to.
Hail the victory and lets savor the win.

Charismatic speech making and Obama...

2008-01-08T23:02:00.000-05:00

I have very little interest in politics. I seldom read about it, skim the headlines, read the odd column, but never quite dive in. I find it time wasting and futile- in general I find politicians concieted and self serving, and so I think it is not worth my time one way or the other. In newspapers, I read the sports and entertainment sections with much more enthusiasm and vigor. I seldom listen to their speeches, its the same thing phrased differently and packaged differently.

But one man is changing that for me- and that is Barack Obama. I just happened to listen to him the other day and he connects with the audience like I have never seen. He is by far, the most charismatic speaker I have ever seen. Is his record great? I dont know. Will he do things any different than other politicians? I have no idea...but for sure, when I listen to him, he conjures up hope and an optimism that I have seldom seen.

He seems to have a quality that I have not seen in any other politician- authenticity. If he is not authentic, he is a damn good actor!!!! Because I was very impressed. I dont know whether he will win or not, but surely, if charismatic speech making was one yardstick, he would win by a country mile!

Aussie win in very poor taste- an article by a neutral!

2008-01-06T04:15:00.000-05:00

I am rankled by not just the poor umpiring in Sydney but also by the characterless show by the Aussies who profess to be the messiahs of honest conduct of the game. I am reproducing here, an article by Peter English, on how India got robbed of a crucial game. This series should be called the Benson and Bucknor series because India is not playing just Australia, they are playing against the two umpires as well.
Read the article- coming from a neutral, it makes me feel the Indian team should return to India as there is no point is carrying on in a series that you know has been pre-decided in favor of the home team. The irony is that while Ponting cheats about catches and Symonds benefits from the umpires' largesse, it is poor Harbhajan who has been called in for bad conduct! If this is not symptomatic of double standards, I dont know what is.
Mohit.

Australia's attitude lacking in appeal
Peter English at the SCG
January 6, 2008

Andrew Symonds turned in disgust and threw darts with his eyes at Steve Bucknor. Mahendra Singh Dhoni had not played a shot to Symonds' offspin and the bowler was furious even though the ball was heading over the stumps. After the umpiring perks Symonds received during the match he had nothing to complain about.

On the last ball before tea it was Ricky Ponting who could not understand why Bucknor did not agree with a similar appeal against Rahul Dravid. Ponting crouched down and muttered as if nothing ever went his team's way. In this Test, from the moment Ponting's legside edge on day one went unnoticed by Mark Benson, almost everything did.

Symonds was the most fortunate man in the game. Following his batting reprieves, he was at the centre of another crucial decision that went against India and led to them losing the match. Poor Dravid, who battled to 38, was providing a formidable obstacle when he pushed his pad forward to Symonds and hid his bat and gloves behind his front leg. A sound was heard, Adam Gilchrist caught the ball, the Australians yelled and India's comfortable position of 3 for 115 was soon to be 6 for 137.

Bucknor was swayed in a ruling that was as bad as his miss of Symonds in the first innings. Listening to the edges has obviously become more difficult, but soon a fine servant may actually hear the calls for his retirement. The decisions contributed to India losing the Test, but the visiting players shook the hands of both officials after the match. While they took their caps off and lined up, the Australians danced, jumped and whooped in a manner that would have reminded the Indians of their World Twenty20 celebrations.

The noise of Symonds' nick on 31 was so loud it could have carried to the shoppers in nearby Oxford Street. Bucknor's decision cost India 131 runs and he also refused to call for the third umpire during a close stumping when Symonds was 148. Two days later Anil Kumble missed a hat-trick when Bucknor judged a wrong'un to be going over the stumps when Symonds pushed forward. He went on to score another 61.

Most Australian players believe luck evens itself out over a career, but their long-sightedness is not shared by visiting teams. Bob Woolmer reckoned Australia received almost six times more line-ball decisions than Pakistan during the 2004-05 series, and while it sounded like an exaggeration, it does seem that the benefit of the doubt favours the home team in Australia and around the world

Umpires must feel like frontline soldiers on the final days of the Tests. Fielders crowd round the batsmen and they are shouted at every couple of balls over fantasy and non-fiction. Every country has its ways of pushing the rules and one of Australia's traditional pet hates was the amount of appealing conducted by teams from the subcontinent.

Shane Warne helped alter that view and on the final day his former team-mates were expert at trying to influence the officials with shouts at all volumes. (Despite the consistent requests, none was as ridiculous as Kumble's plea for an lbw of Brad Hogg in the first innings when the ball was struck through cover for two.) Benson was so worn down late in the afternoon that he sent a run-out call to the third umpire even though the batsman was in by a metre.

"Both arguments are about telling the truth. Why should Clarke be trusted to rule on a potentially match-turning catch when he stayed at the crease on day four after edging a ball to first slip?"

In the same session he had to deal with Michael Clarke's low catch off Sourav Ganguly, who stood with hand on hip as he waited for a decision. Of course the Australians raced to the fielder and swamped him. They were certain it was out, but Benson wasn't sure. He looked to Bucknor at square leg and then walked down the pitch and asked Ponting what he thought. "He caught it," Ponting seemed to say and put his finger up. Benson did the same.

Fortunately for Ponting, who gained credibility for the decision by refusing to accept a low catch in the first innings, the replays did not show the ball falling short. Typically, they also could not clear all doubt from the take. Ponting's noble request for all teams to have an honesty system for these incidents has been rejected by the rest of the world - he had a small victory before this series when Kumble agreed the captains would have the final say on contentious catches - and they must have squirmed when they saw Ponting relaying the message to the umpire.

Australians see catching differently to appealing and walking. They say it's up to the umpire to decide on edges and lbws, but when it comes to knowing whether a ball has carried, the fielder is the best person to judge. What they miss is that both arguments are about telling the truth. Why should Clarke be trusted to rule on a potentially match-turning catch when he stayed at the crease on day four after edging a ball to first slip?

One of Gilchrist's finest traits is he walks whenever he gets an edge, and claims to appeal only if he's sure the batsman has got a nick. Apart from Dravid, Gilchrist was the best-positioned player to know what Symonds' delivery had touched. It was definitely not bat or glove. Gilchrist also did not see the puff of dust from the ball bouncing after Dhoni hit it into his leg before ricocheting back to the wicketkeeper, who appealed with his team-mates for a catch. It was an easy decision for Bruce Oxenford, the television umpire.

Under Steve Waugh the Australians devised a Spirit of Cricket document that they swear by. They insist they play the game "hard and fair" and are shocked whenever their outlook is challenged. After emotional days like this it is hard to sympathise with their complaints.

Back in the US

2008-01-06T03:33:00.000-05:00

It took three flights and 18 hours for us to be in the air to get from Manila to Boston.
In manila, it was about 28 degrees centigrade when we left, it was 28F when we landed in Boston.
Coach class on trans-Pacific flights can be tough but good luck on any American airline. Our flight with our 17 month old son was made good by our co-passengers and despite the airlines staff. On Northwest, they are anything but co-operative. Now, I know why most American airlines are losing money. The service is not just non-responsive, it just plain discourteous and shoddy. Pay a little more, and travel Singapore Airlines or even Malaysian or Thai. You will thank yourself that you made the choice. A long time back now, the Americans lost their competitiveness in the car industry to the Asians, mostly Japanese. They are well on their way to losing their competitiveness in the airlines industry.

Our vacation was great, but we are glad to be back. You enjoy your vacation only when there is work to reinvigorate you and I am looking forward to a productive 2008. While the recession call is still very much on the horizon, I am optimistic that we will be better off by Q3. If the Iowa caucus is anything to go by, this country is ready for a job and by God, Northwest made me feel I had changed my airline a long time back!

On the sports front, the Patriots maintain their winning streak while the umpires in Sydney handed Australia a match India deserved to win! I have already bemoaned the umpiring standards in the last column, so I will not do that again.

Its a new year and the best way to start out optimistic and hope better things will happen.
Happy New Year everyone!

Umpires rob India of dominance in Sydney!

2008-01-02T08:41:00.001-05:00

Just when you thought the awesome Aussies wee finally vulnerable against the most disciplined attack in some time, the umpires came to Australia's rescue. They refused to give the Aussie batsmen out! Loud snicks for caught behind were ignored, and clear stumpings were ruled not out. It was as if Australia were playing with 13 players, not 11. I know it might be said that these were "honest" mistakes, can we please have some more accountability in umpiring standards in world cricket?!! People pay a lot to get a cracking contest. When it is ruined by pathetic umpiring, it just leaves a bad taste in your mouth.

Dont get me wrong, the Aussies are a strong team and I do not grudge them the best team in the world status, not by long shot. But today, India had them, almost, and that almost will never be captured in statistics. RP Singh and Harbhajan bowled brilliantly to have them at 136 for 6 and while Hogg and Symonds played well, they were helped along by some atrocious umpiring decisions. Ponting was out twice before he was given wrong out on 55. Symonds went on to make 137 (still not out) when he was clearly out in his thirties and then again, on 48. What does India have to do to get them out, bribe the umpires tonight??!!!

I am amazed, that given all the technology and the money that is flowing into the cricket, the standard of umpiring remains so abysmal and how India continues to get the short shaft when it comes to good umpires. I remember in the One Day series finals in England earlier in 2007, both Sachin and Dravid were given out incorrectly, at that time, by Aleem Dar, and we were robbed of the final. If Australia do win the Sydney, they have to thank Benson and Steve "Shocker" Bucknor for their victory.

Many a times, I have complained about India's performance. Today, I will not, for the bowlers deserve nothing but kudos and while my blood boils in anger at the two umpires, there is nothing you can do but wonder at the stupidity of the officials to allow such things to happen. I am pretty certain, if Indians complain, it will be a matter of sour grapes.

Lets get rid of the double standards- when Ponting complains about umpiring, he is being fair, when Kumble complains, he is whining...
Will someone get some sense here.
I wish the Indian team luck but when you are stacked 11 against 13 with the most powerful men in the jury in the opposite, it becomes just a wee bit difficult to win, dont you think!!

Vacationing in the Philippines

2008-01-01T01:24:00.000-05:00

We have been in the Philippines over the last ten days and they have been incredibly relaxing- relaxing for three reasons.
One- our trip to Boracay, which is probably the finest white sand beach in the world.
Two- reconnecting with family and old friends. My wife's high school batch in Midsayap, Cotabato, celebrated 20 years of passing out from school and it was occasion to remember. The preparation was extensive but it was the warmth of everyone in the small town of Midsayap (pop of 120,000) that completely won my heart. Their sincerity and genuiuneness is something that is uncommon in today's day and age.
Three- the variety of food. Being primarily a vegetarian, I can't partake of most delightful Filipino food but I was completely surprised to taste the empanadas made a small boutique bakery called Blue Bell Cafe. Janette, the owner and brainchild behind the venture, is a chemical engineer, who decided to quit her teaching career for her love for baking, and what a fantastic decision it was. Now, she employs 36 people in three different stores and if the empanadas are anything to go by, I am sure she will have more success in years to come. I had three of them before my flight to Manila and three more after we landed and the taste is still lingering in my mouth. For anyone who likes the Indian samosas, Janette's empanadas are a must.

We have four more days before we fly back to the US, but the memories of friends, family and beaches of Boracay will linger for a long time.

"Busy"ness in perspective

2007-12-18T13:04:00.000-05:00

I often worry about how busy everyone in Corporate America seems to be. I bumped into a colleague at lunch and he was busy reading a presentation while also glancing at the WSJ at the same time. As he got up, he took out his blackberry frantically reading all the unread messages. We both agreed to catch up but his calendar was completely booked for two weeks!

The guy is busy!

Does he has some time to just sit back and think? Think about what he needs to do, think about the critical few things, think about where he is taking his career etc etc. I wonder...

The more and more I have met people, I have begun to realize that there are two things happening. One- a busy calendar is a sign of importance, so "busy"ness is a reinforcement of one's self esteem. Two- we dont prioritize well at all. Things just get on our calendar and we do them. Half the meetings are meetings we dont need to be at and so if we got really intentional about things, we wouldnt be that busy at all. I remember reading once that this generation is caught up in the thick of thin things. Thick of thin things...that really resonated with me. We just need to keep things in perspective and the real test of all this is when one goes on vacation. If nothing major drops when one is out (and seldom is that the case), clearly we have an overblown sense of our own importance than needs to be the case.

What does it mean? Enjoy the meeting, keep some "free" time to go with the flow, to allow for flexibility for what is life without a little bit of a surprise. While being busy is good, if you're too busy, you are living by a calendar and thats no fun...I know Sumantra Ghoshal wrote an article in HBR a few years back titled- Beware the Busy Manager, wherein he found that a lot of managers really dont focus their time well and they could be so much more effective if they just stepped back to take an objective look at how they spend their time. We could all do very well with that advice.

Leaving Microsoft to change the world...

2007-12-16T23:18:00.001-05:00

This is the title of the latest book I read over this weekend, and what a fascinating story this is...
John Wood did what most people only dream of- he left a lucrative position in one of the world's top companies to form a non-profit organization whose purpose it is to bring books, computers and a chance at education to children throughout South and Southeast Asia.

The epiphany came to him on a trip to Nepal as he was taking a break from a grueling but highly successful career at Microsoft. As he saw the incredible paucity of books in the country, he decided he needed to do something different. A small project turned into a large one and before he knew it, John was more passionate about it than his day job. Much to the chagrin of his employers, he quit.

And then he wrote a book about it. In it, he says that non-profit companies should work, in practical matters, very much like for-profit companies. They should be organized, passionate and focused. Wood takes some time to give readers pointers as to how to achieve this. He also makes the story very personal and you literally feel you are with him every step of the way- the sacrifices, the tough choices, the passion, the fatigue, the joy when the faces of children light up- it makes for fascinating reading.

If you dont have time to read the book, go to the website- www.roomtoread.org- to read about Wood's organization and the wonderful things it is doing for education of the underprivileged in some of the poorest countries in the world. I have often thought about doing something but have done nothing. I salute the man who had the courage to do it all, and do it in a manner that was forthright, upfront and not taking no for an answer but fighting all odds to make it all happen.

Read the book, you will not be disappointed.

Can we read a book a different way?!!

2007-12-09T02:11:00.000-05:00

It was only a matter of time before this was to happen. The Digital Book is here, Sony with its Reader Ebook and Amazon with Kindle are the two that are the most popular. Its a screen that you carry, ~150 or so books in hand, that you can read anywhere- on a plane, in bed, wherever- as long as there is enough charge on the device.

Reading a digital book has not really caught on yet but my guess this is going to change profoundly the way we operate sooner than we know it. When we moved from Singapore to Boston, what books to take was a key question. Books are heavy and it is difficult lugging the around. The more mobile we've become, it is important that things become more portable and the Ebook is the perfect solution. I know a lot of people read the newspapers on the web now (including your truly) and though, once in a while, I do miss the turning of the page, it doesnt bother me much anymore. The convenience on your device is critical and digital device is the logical extension for any book-lover. It saves the person not only space but also gives speed in terms of going to an actual bookstore. It downloads right off the device. How cool is that?!!

I get the feeling we are traveling faster towards convergence than we ever have and with the Iphone that combines surfing the web, listening to music, having all our photos and handling all calls, it is very well possible that books could be read on it too. A single device that serves everything you really want. We will just need to get used to reading books differently, but then, we also wouldnt need to carry three books when we go away on a trip or vacation. A single Ebook will do!
Welcome to the truly digital world!

Of movies and expectations

2007-11-12T12:54:00.000-05:00

A few weeks back, I watched Sean Penn talk on television about his new movie- Into the Wild. Based on a true story of a young man, who decided to give up his worldly possessions to seek truth, it seemed something only Sean Penn could make. He is intense, broody and incredibly talented. I consider his performance in I am Sam one of the finest I have ever seen. God knows how he didnt win an Oscar for that one (and won it for Mystic River!! but then, how did Russell Crowe not win it for Beautiful Mind and get it for Gladiator- but thats for a different column!!).

So when I did get a weekend when I was relatively free, I decided to catch the movie. Given where my expectations were, the movie was a disappointment. It was sow, sometimes tragically so, and seemed to move in fits and starts. While it captures the essence of what the young man is wanting o do, it does not string together in a narrative that makes for compelling viewing. In a way, I think Penn was being too close to the written book on which the movie is based. I wish there was more punch, more cadence and just more tight-ness to the story than what came through. The fact that there were no more than a dozen people watching the movie with me showed that others felt the same way, but the fact that there were a dozen there meant that the subject that have some resonance. Especially in our modern day lives where we are always chasing something- money, dreams, comforts etc, a movie about just experiencing life the way it is, with nature and shorn of all encumbrances, is indeed a worthwhile endeavor. Wish it had more than idyllic settings and breathtaking scenes of the environment in all its glory.

Given the fact I wanted to lift myself up from the morose tenor of Into the Wild, I watched Ratatouille, which seemed a perfect antidote. I went in with little expectations and was thrilled. It was quick, pacy and also had a message, a simple but powerful one- Anyone can Cook, you just need courage, be willing to experiment and not be afraid of any mistakes. More deeply, it talks about our prejudices, our preconceived notions and challenges us to think differently. I loved it.

It was a good weekend of movie watching that also taught me that life is all about managing expectations. Aim high, keep expectations modest and you will be happy!

Its that time of the year...

2007-10-14T07:51:00.000-04:00

Its that time of the year in New England when you look at the amazing natural beauty of the changing season along with the passion of following the Red Sox all the way to the World Series. Both are breathtaking in very different ways, especially this year.

The Boston Red Sox have had a great year, made sweeter by the fact that the Yankees are out of the championship. That makes Bostonians particulary happy. Since 2004, it has often been said that the curse of the Banbinno could be reversed and that last couple of seasons, it seems to be going that way. The battle last night at Fenway against the Cleveland Indians was a classic. The game started at 8pm when the temperature was 58 and ended at 1:30am when it had dropped to 42. The Red Sox fans were still at Fenway at that time braving the cold as the Indians took the game away in a nailbiting finish. The fans loved the game though they have loved the result to be in Boston's favor. This is the beauty of the Red Sox fans- they love the game but more importantly, stand by their team every single time. Remember- they waited for 86 years for the World Series to come home!

The weather, on the other hand, is somewhat more predictable than the Red Sox performance over the years and at this time, the scenery anywhere in New England is breathtaking. Also, the outdoor activities are everywhere. Last week, we went apple picking, this week, we will just drive to New Hampshire to see the leaves changing color. If you have never seen it, you might wonder whats the big deal, but having been here four years, I know it is special, very very special. In our hectic 24/7 lives and schedules, it is these wonders of nature that we sometimes forget. That beauty has always made me pause, and think, and wonder if everything is on track.

There is nothing like being in New England in October, especially if the Red Sox win!!!

22 year wait and an incredible triumph

2007-09-26T08:42:00.000-04:00

September 24, 2007 will forever remain a red letter day for Indian cricket, just like June 25, 1983 was. Back then, we had won the World Cup against all odds led by a young and enthusiastic captain leading a true team effort. There was a two to three year golden period when India won every single tournament culminating in the Benson and Hedges World championship in 1985 when we beat Pakistan in the finals.

Indian cricket fans like me waited for 22 years for something like this to happen again and this Monday was it. The Twenty20 Finals of the World championship, again playing against Pakistan led by a youthful captain and missing experienced players, India beat all the odds- and boy, this triumph is so sweet...having suffered bitter disappointment in the early part of the season, this is one for the ages particularly because no one gave us a chance. Also, all too often in the past, the overt optimism and jingoism of the average Indian fan, including myself, have got the team under tremendous pressure. This time was different and no one can grdge the Indians this victory. Well and truly deserved, beating Australia, South Africa, England and Pakistan in quick succession in reasonably tight games is something we havent done in years. Does the fact that the average age of this squad is 24 have something to do with their self belief and ability to win in tight situations.

Again, before we get too carried away, it will take some doing to dislodge Australia from being the most consistent team in the world. A cracker of a series is coming up between India and Australia but for the moment, lets just soak this moment- India as the world champs of Twenty20 cricket!
Congratulations and hope the next victory is not 22 years away!!!!!

Celebrities, paparazzi and "leave Britney alone" video...

2007-09-22T06:43:00.000-04:00

By now, if you have not seen Chris Crocker's "Leave Britney alone" video, you are clearly not current with popular culture of our times. A video blog on youtube with more than 8 million hits by now, it is an impassioned plea to leave the 24 year old star alone, not scrutinize her life any further given what she has been through recently including the latest bizarre custody battle for her own kids.

While the plea is overtly dramatic, let me point out that I completely agree with the sentiment. Every action of Britney has been scutinized by the despicable paparazzi over the last seven years- her marriage to K-Fed, kids, shaving of the head, going ito rehab, her separation from K-Fed(that everyone predicted and then said..I told you so!), her fight with her mom- everything and it is amazing that she is still in her mid twenties. Give the woman a break and as Chris says- Leave her alone! She is clearly going throuh troubled times. What a person needs, any person, not just a celebrity is some time alone to sort things through, to get some clarity and perspective. How can that happen when there are twenty people chasing you down with cameras the moment you leave your house. I detest the paparazzi, have hated the since they followed Diana everywhere. We know how that story ended...it is time for some responsible journalism, and for some respect for private space. We all need it and to say celebrities have forfeited that right for personal space is a nonsensical argument.

Let us be respectful of peoples' time, space and privacy, more so when they are under severe personal crisis. To take advantage of that is unprofessional, crude, disrespectful and downright wrong.

Leave her alone- and while I am not crying making that plea- I completely agree with the sentiment.

The coolest gadget in the world

2007-09-16T23:03:00.000-04:00

It took 78 days, countless visits to the store to gaze at it, play with it, work with it, and when the CEO of the company reduced the price by 200 dollars, it was just too good to pass- we finally succumbed and bought the Iphone!! We've had it for 48 hours now, and to say that we are thrilled with the purchase would be understatement!

When Steve Jobs announced in late January that Apple was coming up with a revolutionary phone that would have a built in ipod and internet capability, every tech geek in the world took notice, and while I dont count myself as a tech geek, it did pique my interest. My wife and I love our ipods- at different points, we have owned three of them between us, we have the speakers, we listen to them in our car, on the plane, everywhere we go. And to have a phone on top of that. Just the icing on the cake.

But nothing prepared us for the cool three and a half inch gorgeous interface that makes the photographs come alive, that makes us see the covers of all the albums we have in there with just the flick of our finger. It is by far, the coolest gadget we have seen. The memory is 8GB (which is small compared to normal ipods) but we could easily fit all the songs, pictures and contacts we wanted. Whats more, when my favorite contacts call now, I see their cool picture come up on the fantastic screen. Makes me want to speak with them more!

It is a cool invention, the coolest till Apple decides to cannibilize it! And by the way, did I not mention that Apple stock was trading under 80 at the beginning of the year without the Iphone and is now touching almost 140. Could the sale of the millionth Iphone in less than three months have something to do with this.

But dont take my word for it. Go to the store and play with it. We took 78 days to make our decision. You may be quicker!!

The burden of Indian captaincy

2007-09-15T06:28:00.000-04:00

Rahul Dravid resigned as the captain of the Indian cricket team yesterday.
It came as a shock to everyone- despite losing early in the World Cup, Dravid had a very successful run in England and the Indian dressing room seemed a happy place under his stewardship.

While I am as surprised as anyone about his decision, here are three reasons why I think it is a good one.
One- you must always make the move when people ask you- why did he do that, instead of asking for your head. Always make the move when you are ahead than behind. It is a god philosophy anywhere- you maintain your dignity and stature. You earn more respect because you are not craving for the job. It came to you, you did well and now, you think it is time to let go. Very few Indian captains, Ganguly being the most recent example, have had the ability to let go and that will always taint his legacy in the long run.
Two- Dravid has long been one of the most dependable and consistent batsmen in world cricket. Captaincy seemed to affect his style. He was fidgety at the crease, he was edgy, his average was dipping and he must have felt the burden, the burden of constant scrutiny, of every action being dissected by armchair observers (me included), and he must have felt that his contribution with the bat is more critical than leading the side. I personally feel we will see the return of Dravid the batsman once he has shed the role of captaincy.
Third- for all the pressures that come with being captain of India, he has not really had the support of BCCI in terms of a regular coach, his thoughts on the composition of the team and he must have felt that it is better to step away than keep leading a side where the strings are being pulled from somewhere else. Dravid is too dignified a guy to wash the dirty laundry in public. He decided to make the point by just stepping down.

A commendable decision in my view but this leaves the Indian captaincy now wide open.
Heres my recommendation for whatever it is worth.
Given that the one day side and the test sides are looking more and more different (not to talk of Twenty20) and need a different mindset for the two forms of the game, I would venture to say we need two captains. Lets have Sachin for tests and Dhoni for one dayers. Sachin is at the fag end of his career and captaincy could be a crowning glory for the what could potentially be his swansong season. Dhoni is currently captaining the Twenty20 side, is young, has proved himself in one dayers and would be a good fit in the one day format.

We shall know pretty soon but I think given these times, we need to be creative rather than having one captain for both versions of the game.

3-3 in England and all to play for!

2007-09-05T22:12:00.000-04:00

India levelled the one day series today against England with a thrilling win in the last over that was remarkable for several reasons.
First- India typically loses the tight games. Indians have lacked mental toughness and in tight situations, they have tended to crack in the past. Not today. Even when the going was very tough, they maintained their composure and focus.
Second- this win had the right blend of youth and experience. While Uthappa led the home stretch, (and he is only 21), it was Tendulkar and Ganguly who set the chase up very well with a neat 150 in quick time. In this series, a few youngsters are coming of age and I would name 4 to watch out for- Chawla (who is 18!!), Kaarthick, RP Singh and now Uthappa.
Third- This win also indicated that our much maligned fielding is not as bad as made out to be. There was passion and intensity on the field. Of all people, I saw Powar make two diving stops. That calls for a celebration!
And so, with the series level, we move to Lords for the decider.
While the momentum is with India having won the last two games, Indians are notoriously unpredictable!!
I sure hope we win, but as a long time India follower, I just hope the "right" team turns up on Saturday!

Why we are so fascinated with lists...

2007-09-01T05:51:00.000-04:00

I have often wondered why we are so fascinated with lists- the top 10 cities, the top 5 players, the top 5 actors- the latest- Shane Warne's top 50 cricketers has created as much excitement and debate in cricketing circles as any I have seen.

Using Shane's list as an example, I think there are three reasons why our fascination with "lists" will always continue.
First- lists provide an linear, "objective" lens on things that are almost always subjective. They give us an anchor to debate around, they show us a line drawn in the sand when there was none, they make us take a stand and while that is always fun, it can be tough to defend. Warne put Tendulkar at No. 1 on his list with Lara is No. 2 based on mental toughness and the fact that Sachin carries on his shoulders (and has done so since the age of 16) the burden of expectations of a billion Indians! While his technique is impeccable, it is his ability to adapt and score against every opposition against any type of opposition is what separates him from others. Some might argue that Sachin has not scored in crunch games in recent past, a fair comment in the last three years for sure, but that is what makes lists so interesting.

Second- lists are inherently controversial. In fact, while making a list, I think the list maker necessarily throws in a couple of curved balls! In Warne's case, having Steve Waugh, Australia's toughest captain and someone who built Australia into one of the most invincible cricketing nations in the world at No. 26 is a shocker! I think he intended this to generate debate and clearly he has succeeded. If mental toughness is the criterion used to have Sachin at 1, having Waugh anything below 10 is an injustice to the man. In my view, the fact that Waugh captained Australia for as long as he did and in a way "prevented" Warne from having the captaincy has got in a little bit here. Personal bias, always, a good thing for controversy and list- making.

Third- lists pander to our sense of achievement. Everything, whether objective or subjective, has to be highest, best, second highest, second best etc. It creates a sense of competition, which is what brings out the best in human spirit.

I suppose even as Warne has rekindled the debate about whether it is Sachin or Lara who is a greatest cricketer of the modern era, it has also justified why we are so fascinated with lists- its all about a strong point of view which, if controversial, makes for better press than any "objective" fact, where there is nothing to argue or talk about. We know that Everest is the highest mountain in the world but ask any mountaineer which one is the toughest to climb and you have a debate going... long live the lists!!

Historic day for Indian cricket

2007-08-13T19:14:00.001-04:00

Today, India won the test series against England 1-0. Beating any team in its own backyard is always sweet; when they haven't been beaten at home in six years, the triumph is even sweeter. I had said at the beginning of the series that I would be happy with a 1-1 result. England have been strong at home, they were just coming off a 3-0 triumph against the West Indies and their morale was high. To manage to upset that applecart is creditable to say the least.

This is noteworthy for several other reasons.
First- it was a true team effort. Too often, Indian cricket has been carried on the shoulders of one or two great players, be it Tendulkar or Kapil Dev or a Gavaskar. This one was different. Everyone chipped in, Kaarthick and Jaffer batted brilliantly, RP Singh and Zaheer swung the ball both ways, Dhoni showed he could mix agression with plenty of caution when the situation demanded it and Kumble displayed his batting skills at the fag end of an illustrious career. What India has lacked in the past is consistency and all round team performance. This one had plenty of both!
Second- this victory was attained without a formal coach. Coming on the heels of Greg Chappell's now infamous Vision 2007 that ended in an ignominous first round exit at the World Cup, it seems the biys tend to do well without one. As long as there is some support in the bolwing and fitness departments, the need for an expert coach may be an over rated one.
Third- After the debacle of the World Cup, the Indian team needed to lift itself and play good, positive cricket to get their fans back in the fold. This triumph has again got the momentum going and made the fans believe that the team can do it. Nothing is better for a sport than the return of the loyal fan who may be feeling betrayed at the end of the World Cup.

All positive things going into the one day series which can be a completely different ball game. Given India's strong batting line-up and the consistent performance of the seamers and their ability to swing the ball both ways, I bet my money on India taking the series 4-3, but then, when have I ever been objective about India's performance!!

For now though, lets savor the test series win. Well done team!

Do Indian sportspersons lack the killer instinct?

2007-08-12T15:29:00.000-04:00

I love watching and following sports, especially Indian sport. We are a perennially under- achieving nation in sport. Part of the reason is talent, part of it is the lack of infrastructure, but a large part seems to be lack of agression, the lack of mental toughness and just a lack of self belief in being able to beat the best. The one game India is good at is cricket and if today's events at The Oval against England is anything to go by, Rahul Dravid proved that he mentally incapable of pressing home advantage even when it is there for the taking.

The Indian cricket captain today was unusually defensive, intent on playing for a draw when India had a real chance of winning the contest against England. Instead, he preferred to defend, took a good 91 deliveries to score his first boundary and a strike rate that barely got inot double figures, so much so that when he did take a single, there were cheers all across the ground. This mindset was baffling to say the least. India are 1 up in the series and had a lead of over 300 when Dravid came into bat. There were no real demons in the wicket, only in Dravid's head and the more defensive he got, the more aggressive he allowed the Englishmen to be. Great sportsmen shine through courage and ability to stand up when under pressure. Dravid inflicted pressure on himself and his team-mates and while India are likely to win this series, today's afternoon was not one of their best.

Indian sportsmen have never lacked talent, they have lacked self belief and ability to get completely on top of the opposition. In this day and age, that can make all the different between being good and great!

Are we so short on talent we need Nardelli to turn things at Chrysler?

2007-08-06T22:39:00.000-04:00

I hate corporate greed. And nobody typifies the ugly underbelly of naked capitalism more than Bob Nardelli. He did nothing worthwhile for Home Depot as CEO only to be fired and walk away with 210 million dollar severance package. I hated it when I read that story. CEOs talk about performance all the time. And I am certain Bob did. He said it it every meeting and every hardworking Home Depot employee earning a very average salary worked hard to make it work. The stock market didnt seem to think it was working out. The stock tanked and Bob got fired. When the average Joe gets fired, he gets a petty severance. Bob got 210 million for his naked greed and complete incompetence.

Imagine my complete consternation when I get up today to find out that he has a new job- to turn around Chrysler!!!
Are we so short on talent that we have to get back to an incompetently greedy self delusional CEO to turn around a company?
Is our memory so Goddam short that we have completely forgotten what he just did?
Are we not looking at right places or are we just so afraid to take a risk that 25 years at GE is what it takes to be CEO no matter how inept those 25 years may have been or your performance since?

It is by far, the worst and most demoralizing story I have heard this year. I am also reproducing an analysis from CNN on the subject. It is copied here below-

For weeks, Chrysler watchers have been wondering what, exactly, Cerberus would be bringing to its new acquisition. What did the sharp pencil guys in New York know about the auto business that Chrysler's own seasoned American executives - not to mention the Germans at Daimler (Charts) - didn't?

Now the answer is becoming clear. And it isn't encouraging.

Cerberus' appointment of Bob Nardelli, formerly of General Electric (Charts, Fortune 500) and Home Depot (Charts, Fortune 500), as CEO seems wrong-headed on a number of fronts.

One: Chrysler is a fragile place these days, having only recently recovered from the German invasion and then seen itself sold for essentially peanuts. But soothing bedside manner isn't exactly part of Nardelli's MO. Any remaining talented individuals who stuck around at Chrysler to see how things were going to turn out are now polishing their resumes and arranging severance payments before the boat starts to rock.

Two: Nardelli's appointment undercuts Chrysler's renegade culture. As the youngest, smallest and most fragile of Detroit's former Big Three, Chrysler has always prided itself on its outlaw spirit; it was willing to gamble on things other automakers weren't.

Now comes Nardelli, brandishing his Six Sigma credentials and his GE by-the-books training. His mere arrival has already forced the exit of several talented car guys. Wolfgang Bernhard, a former Chrysler and Mercedes executive, has left the building. Considered a sure thing to become Chrysler's new chairman, he's declared that family considerations prevent him from taking the job. Eric Ridenour, Chrysler's young and up-and-coming chief operating officer, has also bolted. Tom LaSorda, the popular president, took a demotion to stay with the company, but the chances of the easygoing LaSorda coexisting with the hard-charging Nardelli are slim to none, though at Monday morning's news conference, Nardelli took pains to identify LaSorda as his partner and to identify his areas of reponsibility.

Three: Observers are making much of the fact that Nardelli is the second outsider to move into Detroit in the past year, the first being Alan Mulally of Ford (Charts, Fortune 500). But any similarities between the two stop with that fact. Mulally was coming off a big success - the development of the Boeing 787 - has little visible ego, and appears to be very comfortable knowing what he doesn't know. He seems to have charmed much of Ford with his off-putting, gee-whiz style while at the same time using his knowledge of large industrial companies and some basic common sense to shape up the company.

Nardelli, on the other hand, arrives on the heels of an enormous fiasco at Home Depot, appears to have a very high psychic profile, and by all accounts has the tact of a Marine drill instructor. This is not precisely what Chrysler needs at this point in time.

So what does Chrysler need? It needs a seasoned industry executive who understands the company and the business. To start with, Chrysler must do what GM (Charts, Fortune 500) and Ford are already doing: Get smaller, strike a deal with the UAW, rationalize its product line, and learn how to deal with the new realities of foreign competition and $3 gasoline.

Beyond that, it needs to capitalize on its unique strengths. In the 1980s under Lee Iacocca, Chrysler invented the minivan, popularized the SUV, and revived the convertible. Since then, it has enjoyed other out-of-the-box successes like the PT Cruiser, the Chrysler 300, and the hemi engine.

In the past couple of years, it has made some stupid mistakes. The 2006 inventory fiasco was a disaster that everybody in Detroit could see happening but Chrysler was too slow to correct. It also dropped the ball on a couple of new products by visibly cheapening them. And its sure hand with breakthrough design wavered with the clunky Dodge Caliber and the gimmicky Chrysler Sebring.

A smart auto guy would have seen those problems developing and headed them off. There are plenty around. Bernhard would hit fit the bill to a "t." So would industrialist and racing legend Roger Penske, but he is too busy. Former Ford CEO Jac Nasser is making too much money in private equity.

If Chrysler could clone GM's Bob Lutz, now 75, it might have the perfect candidate. Instead it has Nardelli. Aggressiveness and discipline aren't what Chrysler needs right now - it got that under German management. And we know how that story ended.

The Box at Fenway

2007-08-04T06:25:00.000-04:00

I love watching sports events. Particularly up, close and personal- it doesnt get any better than having Box seats in Fenway on a cool summer night with a come from behind 5-4 victory.

Fenway has great appeal- it is the oldest ballpark in the US, it is also the smallest. I daresay it is the home to the most diehard Baseball fans in the US- New Englanders who have long suffered the curse of the Bambino till the 2004 Nirvana season when they astonishingly beat the Yankees in the playoffs when they are down 0-3 to eventually win 4-3. That was some season, and even this is turning out to be a good one.

The smallness of the Park, the unique Green Monster, the fanatical fans- all make for fantastic viewing from anywhere in the Park. And then, throw in the Box seats- and it really is special. Having grown up on cricket, baseball can seem plain vanilla at times, but as I watched pitches being thrown at 97 mph, I did begin to have a gruding respect for the batters who are able to not only see, but connect well to score- it is much more difficult than it appears on TV. I was most impressed with the intensity and focus on the Closer for the night, Jonathan Pappelbon. It is remarkably intense, not something for the faint hearted and he does astonishingly well to close innings after innings with precision, accuracy and verve.

Fenway Park is a special place and will always be for me. It is the place where I began to not only to like but appreciate the subtle nuances of baseball. And there is no other Park where I would have loved this education to be imparted!

Tendulkar, expectations and the sweet Indian win

2007-08-03T03:34:00.000-04:00

As Indians celebrate around the world at a famous win over England, I found the article below from Rohit Brijnath incisive about the accusation that Tendulkar does not deliver the goods for India under pressure. Fans recently, including myself, have complained about Tendulkar crumbling when India needed a great innings from him. Rohit reminds us how short-sighted tht view may be.
Here goes the article-

There is no truth to the rumour that Sachin Tendulkar has mailed a videotape of his painstakingly-constructed, match-tilting, rudely-interrupted 91 at Trent Bridge to Kapil Dev, with the words “What was that you said about pressure, paaji?” scrawled across the package.

Tendulkar wouldn’t do that. Because he’s too polite. Because if he did, it would mean Kapil’s recent criticism had got to him. Because he’s heard this genius-who-can’t-win-matches stuff more often than Ganguly’s heard that “princely” nonsense which Western journalists imaginatively whip up every time they sight the Bengal player.

Kapil was just nimbly leaping onto a crumbling old bandwagon recently with his doubting of the extent of Tendulkar’s talent. After 37 Test centuries, and 11,000-plus runs, this “question mark” over Sachin is tedious. We can hurl stats, for and against the notion, at each other for 10 days running, but it’s hysterical to suggest that “Tendulkar should start taking the pressure”.

Has Tendulkar ‘not’ taken the pressure? Have these 18 years of staying sane and performing as a nation howls for runs been just, you know, a stroll in a Bandra park? Was all that rescuing of India, all those forgotten years ago, when opponents used to say, openly, “Get Tendu out and India’s shoulders droop”, no big deal? Damn, he ate a pressure for breakfast Tiger Woods would have choked on.

Time has flown

But this is partially Tendulkar’s fault. People forget the player he was because they see the player he is. Time has flown and his majesty in the mid-1990s unscrolls in the mind like a fuzzy, hiccuping videotape. The clearer picture is not of the warrior rising amidst a Sharjah dust-storm, but of a man being beaten outside off by a bowler he’d have once dismissed into retirement. The longer he looks mortal the more room he gives former players to unkindly dissect his legend.

Priestly discipline

Still, Tendulkar’s innings in Trent Bridge was stirring. It showed what he can’t do, but also what he can. If his command was absent, his discipline was priestly. His face told us nothing of the wars in his mind, for he is an old pro who gives nothing away. He was beaten, he took guard, he played on, pure in his mission, refusing to bend to an instinct to lash out.

India needed patience and, cocooned in concentration, he did not let India down.

How vital the century that never came was for him, how keenly he required the validation of three figures, was evident in his reaction. After 139 Tests, he is old friends with the dubious decision, but his innate courteousness has meant he swallows injustices and moves on. It’s the only way he knows how to play cricket. But this time he staged a gentle, two-second dharna of disbelief at the crease. An ageing hero, who is in the middle of that awkward journey when the next cen tury is no longer a case of “when” but “if”, was hurting.

Tendulkar has not merely worn pressure, but done so with a quiet dignity. Indeed, an entire generation of players, from Dravid to Kumble, has ensured that India, for all its other cricketing excesses, has a reputation for on-field decency. And young Sreesanth must not be allowed to tarnish it. There is room in sport for the colourful and the eccentric but none for shoulder charging and constant mouthing off. It is no good if you can neither bowl, nor behave.

Hosts are confused

No doubt the English have shown the Indians inadequate respect, but it is because the hosts are confused. Some bizarre metamorphosis has occurred in the dressing room wherein the English now think they are Australian, and believe mental disintegration is achieved by throwing jelly beans on a crease. John Buchanan must be aching with laughter at England’s interpretation of aggressive cricket.

But it is immaterial if the hosts started the unpleasantness, for India must always demand a higher standard of itself. And only an insecure team needs to respond in kind just to prove that it won’t be pushed around. The only worthy response from India should come through a resolute performance, in refusing to disintegrate or be distracted. As England will confirm today, nothing stings quite like defeat.

5 days and no result...

2007-07-24T22:25:00.000-04:00

The first match between England and India ended in a draw after five enthralling days of cricket.
Only in a game like cricket can play go on for five days, not produce a result and still be absolutely nail biting!!
It lends to the beauty and charm of the game- it is clearly a gentleman's game where lunch and tea are duly taken along with drinks intervals right on the field that can last for a long time during the day.

What made the game interesting?
Disciplined English bowling, insipid Indian batting (apart from the last day), a cracking century from an emerging great of the game, Kevin Pieterson, and the rain that finally saved India from caving to defeat. For me in the US, it meant getting up at 5 in the morning to follow the game every day- and I did it absolutely religiously. I made a point of the other day- that this is the last tour when Dravid, Tendulkar, Ganguly and Laxman are together and they should make it count. They didnt click in the first test but my sense indicates they will come good. No wonder my friends call me a perennial optimist.

I had indicated in my earlier blog that I would be happy if we draw the series and win the one dayers. I am still sticking to my 1-1 forecast for tests and 3-2 for one dayers in India's favor.

Wouldnt it be fun if we won 2-0 and 4-1, but then, I have learnt not to dream...

Indian summer of cricket in England

2007-07-15T13:13:00.000-04:00

I have a really good feeling about the forthcoming Indian tour of England for three reasons-
a) This is likely to be the last English tour for Tendulkar, Ganguly, Laxman and Dravid together to England and I bet they are raring to go. While Ganguly and Dravid made their incredible entry together at the Lords in 1996, Tendulkar's 171 against English Lions is just the appetizer fans need for an entree in the test series. Way too many questions have been asked off the Little Master since the World Cup. Sachin looks angry; and more importantly, hungry to score and thats great news for Indian fans. Laxman, on the other hand, is due for big scores against England. This batting line as good as any in world cricket when it comes good!!
b) The English are having tremendous confidence post their 3-0 win against the West Indies. It is always a tantalizing proposition to meet a victorious side on its home turf- and dent some egos I hope!!
c) The Indian fans in England. India has a huge fan base in England and English grounds are generally small- that makes for an incredible atmosphere.
The Indian bowling attack is weak and while that may be a limitation in tests, our batting will give us the edge in one dayers.
I will be happy if we draw the tests and win the one days series.
More importantly, I will want our famed batting line-up to come good. I have been disappointed earlier, so Im not jumping out of my seat woth enthusiasm but I'm optimistic for sure.
Let the best team win!

The first six months

2007-07-09T00:07:00.000-04:00

We are well over half way through 2007. The economy is still on course, the war continues in Iraq and there is considerable uncertainty about the Presidential nominees for 2008; however, as far as I am concerned, there have been three events in the first half of the year that bear mentioning, none of them of cataclysmic importance or significance, but important enough...(they also reveal the lens through which I view the world for whatever that worth!!).

Event One- The launch of the Iphone on June 29. Much awaited technological marvel that will revolutionalize the way we will live our everyday life. A phone, a camera, a music device with incredibly user friendly internet capability, this device is well on its way to becoming the one device we would all need going forward. It wont be hip anymore to own an iphone, it will be an absolute necessity to have one. Unlike some other devices, this one has clearly matched its hype if the first week is anything to go by. And imagine this- I am endorsing it whole-heartedly even when I dont own one myself!!

Event Two- Roger Federer's 5th consecutive Wimbledon win. I grew up idolizing Borg. 5 Wimbledons and 6 French Opens is a very rare feat and I thought if anyone could come close, it would need to be Sampras and when he didnt succeed, I thought the record would stay for a long time. That long time is here. Federer is a class act for several reasons and while a lot have to do with extraordinary tennis talent on the court, his off-court appearances, his humility, his incredibly earthy and almost vulnerable persona make him that much more dear and personable as a sporting icon. He epitomises what true sporting excellence is all about- talent, perseverence, skill, stamina, resilience and all done in a manner that has the utmost respect of peers and critics alike. Even as America is torn with Barry Bonds set to overtake Hank Aron, no such questions hang over Federer- he is a true great who symbolizes the best that sports has to offer!

Event Three- World Cup Cricket 2007. Much of the cricket crazy Indians (myself included) got a rude shock when India were ousted in the first round. In hindsight, it lent us good perspective on how lopsided our passion could be. I, for one, have learnt not to buy second round and quarterfinal tickets for any country henceforth. Watching Ireland and Bangladesh play each other can be fun but not when you expected a mouth-watering India- Pakistan clash!! Enough said...

So there you have it...surprisingly easy choice for me. I thought of Diana's 10 year commemorative concert for a moment but then, I decided, naahh...this is it.

A "developed" India still a mirage...

2007-06-03T00:29:00.000-04:00

Over the last decade or so, there has been tremendous talk about India's rise in terms of the growth rate, the economy, the outsourcing of jobs to the country, the real estate, the rapidly expanding middle class and rapid urbanization. While all of that makes me very proud, there are three things that a broad generalization about "India's rise" gloss over and unless we get those three right, we are far away from being a developed country.

And these three are- infrastructure, education and clean administration.
Infrastructure is probably the mose important. Roads are archaic, not well maintained and are light years away from being world class. Electricity and power are thoroughly undependable even the biggest cities like Delhi and Mumbai. Power 'cuts' are still the norm during the summer months and that is unacceptable. Water supply is a gamble too in terms of both regularity and quality. I dont need to explain why getting these right is crucial.
The second is education. This may come to some people who've lived abroad as a surprise as they come across Indians who speak english reasonably well and are generally strong in math and science. What gets missed is that this is small minority of the Indian population. India still have more illiterates than the entire population of Europe! Walk through any street of any city to ask for directions and you will know what I am talking about. People want to succeed, want to do well, have a great work ethic but if they dont know how to read write and communicate, we have a real issue on our hands!
The third a "clean" administration- minimal corruption, good sound thinking at the top and through the ranks to make things work like the first two I pointed out. While we have excellent administrators at the very top of the house, I get the feeling that we have a "frozen middle" in our government ranks, and these are the guys who get "stuff" done or alternatively, block the passage of a well thought out policy.

Unless we have these three, we will continue to grow but not at the pace we really want- at the same time, we will continue to have civic unrest, inter-religious conflict, fight for the few opportunities, corruption in the ranks and burgeoning population in urban areas ill equipped to deal with the demands of the rising populace. Which is why I think that despite all our progress so far, a developed nation status is still very much a mirage...

Is American Idol losing its touch?

2007-05-28T01:36:00.000-04:00

As a huge fan of the show, I was disappointed by this season. It started out with a controversy about the judges being too harsh, the top 12 didnt inspire, Sanjaya's astonishing run became an increasing embarassment for the show and just when I thought the best would actually find their way into the Finals, Melinda was voted off. She is, in my view, one of the best, if not the best singer this competition has ever seen. She epitomized talent, consistency and a vocal range that few can match. I will inevitably buy her album when it comes out later this year. As for Blake and Jordin, while they have charming personalities, they are musical midgets compared to Melinda.

If Melinda does (and she probably will) outsell both Jordin and Blake, she will be continuing a trend wherein singers voted off earlier in the show have tended to have greater commercial success than the winner. Barring Kelly and Carrie, big Idol stars- Chris Daughtery, Jennifer Hudson (an Academy award winner, no less), Clay Aiken to name three, did not actually win the show but did considerably better than the actual winners which only goes to show that while Simon wants to remind us that "this is a singing competition", it inevitably tends to become a popularity contest around personality, not just sheer talent of voice and musical ability.

While I still enjoy the show, I felt jaded this season. The judges seemed predictable, Simon wasnt mean enough, the Final wasnt catchy enough and so, while I will miss the show on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, I am hoping the producers are able to do something different next season. Or maybe, its just time for me to move on to something else...

Irregular posts, warm weather and changing moods

2007-05-13T16:58:00.000-04:00

A friend of mine called me over the weekend and castigated me for not posting anything on the blog for the past four weeks. As I have said before, my irregularity is a function of three things- a) lots of work in office that consumes me mentally to an extent that it is difficult to think of something else to write about; b) whatever time one does get then is spent in the company of our wonderful son, Sanjay, who just turned nine months, has started crawling and is an absolute joy; and c) sheer laziness on my part.

I should add a fourth reason- warm weather. Warm weather, especially coming off a really cold winter, is something I want to treasure- I guess we all do! So, when the sun shines out bright, it is imperative that we either drive out, walk or run or do something outdoors as that is a luxury that would go away in a few months. Over the last month, Boston has seen incredibly good weather. Temperatures have often been in the seventies, sometimes touching the eighties too and that has meant walks by the sea-shore, enjoying the serenity of the sea and the warmth of the sun even as the trees and grass turn green in what promises to be a terrific summer.

There is something about the sun that impacts my mood too. The fact that you could see the sun even when you are coming out of the office after a hard day's work can elevate spirits, more than I ever imagined they would. I feel energized, there is a spring in the step and there is a resolution to pursue healthy habits- walking, running, regular exercising etc. We will have to wait for a few months to figure out how seasonal those resolutions are- but undoubtedly, warm weather brings better moods all around- lately I have seen more people smiling in office! Which is probably why people retire in warm climates- Florida, Arizona etc remain destinations of desire for retirement- I bet weather plays a big part.

It also looks like the Boston Red Sox are getting positively impacted by the weather this year. But given their chequered past, I shall not celebrate just yet. But then, the warm sun, the blue ocean, and the greenery all around are reasons enough to be really pleased, and I will enjoy this weather till it lasts!!

The Queen

2007-04-16T21:32:00.000-04:00

Ever since Helen Mirren won all the major Best Actress awards this year, including the Oscar, we have been keen to watch The Queen.

And to say we were not disappointed would be an understatement. We went to watch her act, and what we got was much more- an engaging commentary on the challenges of the monarchy in modern times, the tenuous relationshipship between the Head of State and Head of Government, the incredibly difficult balance between regal 'distance' and 'connection' with the masses, the unusual loneliness of the Head of State, the maddening scrutiny of the media- all of it paints a poignant picture of the monarchy that is clearly at crossroads as more and more questions are asked about its utility, its significance and frankly, its relevance in modern times.

The key thing is any of this of is just to portray things as they are, not to take sides, but let the facts speak for themselves, and this is where the movie excels. It sticks to commentary without being "preachy"- makes you make your own judgments and also speaks to how people in power are terribly insulated from the world by their advisors, assistants, secretaries and what have you- this entourage has as much if not more power than people imagine- and they tend to use it in subtle ways. The movie's deft charatecterization of all characters, big or small, is what makes this movie riveting. The movie uses the week of the terrible tragedy of Diana's death to portray the various shades of the Queen- seemingly aloof and distant, honoring tradition, but at the same time, capable of adapting and changing with the times.

Helen Mirren clearly deserved the Best Actress award. She portrayed the role with dignity, poise and just enough vulnerability to show us what may be under the veneer of royalty and that is no mean feat!

Cricket- the World Cup, India's agony and Woolmer

2007-04-06T02:34:00.000-04:00

Anyone who has been reading my blog knows how big a fan I am of the game- have been for three decades and will always be. The game itself is as at an interesting cusp with this World Cup. India and Pakistan crashed out early, Bob Woolmer, Pakistan's coach was murdered, India's coach Greg Chappell quit, and with very few spectators watching the game right now, this World Cup is likely to be a disaster for sponsors and commercial entities that support the game. While this is certainly a concern, the Australian juggernaut rolls on as it has been in the last decade ( and barring a huge upset), they should win their third title in a row, New Zealand has been playing great cricket, Sri Lanka are waving the sub-continental flag, and South Africa are in the best position to reach the Finals they so richly deserve and have never managed to reach. So with one eye on the game itself, what do I make of it.

At the very macro level, three observations bear mentioning.
One- the Aussies are way ahead of the rest of the pack in terms of skill, talent, succession and "pool" of players that are mentally tough to win in any situation whatsoever. By the same token, the Indian sub-continental teams have a long way to go in terms of consistency and balance of their teams apart from mental toughness- for Indians (including me) to think we were a serious threat in this World Cup was nothing but jingoism gone wild. So there are lessons to be learnt from the Aussies in terms of their system, their training, their domestic cricket structure etc.
Second- Woolmer's death has exposed the ugly underbelly of cricket in the sub-continent- the pressure, the stakes, the bookies, the analysts, the commercial interests- it all got to the point whereby unfortunately, it takes the murder of an honest man for us to all realize it is only a game after all- this tragedy calls for a clean-up of the system as also a rational fan following-not a maddening, fanatical following that swings between ecstacy and despair at wins and losses respectively.
By definition, fans are not objective and dont need to be, but they (including me) need to understand that victory and defeat are part of the game and if your team is not good enough on the field, the passion of fans in the stand does not compensate for lack of mental toughness or skill on the field!!
Third- I really think the combination of events above, however tragic they are, will be good for the game in the long run. There is opportunity everywhere- and to paraphrase two former cricketers, all of us have been shown the mirror- from Sachin Tendulkar (who is way past his best and has been for a good three years), to the average sponsor, to the average fan across the world.
Whilst we do not want to take away passion and rabid following for the game on the one hand, when that translates to mass hysteria, we just to step back and think- its a game that is meant to give us all joy by the nature of its beauty, its subtlety, the ebbs and flows as runs are scored and wickets fall, as batsmen craft their well paced innings, as bowlers out-think the batsmen- and that joy is timeless for the true connoiseur of the game. The game of cricket will come out stronger from this crisis- I not believe feel but sincerely believe that.

Eat, pray, love

2007-03-31T08:58:00.000-04:00

I love travelogues. And the latest one I have read is right there amongst the very best.
Eat, pray, love written by Elizabeth Gilbert is about a 34 year old writer who realizes she is in an unhappy marriage- she decides to go for a divorce and do what she has always secretly dreamed off- take off for a year and live for four months in three different countries- Italy, India and Indonesia. The choice of countries is dictated by her yearning for learning Italian (for no reason whatsover), a deeper understanding of spirituality and God, and her desire to understand more about romance and relationships unemcumbered by materialistic shenanigans.
What follows is a riveting journey through the countries that is as insightful about the countries themselves as it is about her own self as she challenges herself emotionally and spiritually.
She asks herself some fundamental questions- questions we have all asked ourselves at some point in our lives but are afraid to seek the answer- she does not- she ventures forth and her ability to relate those experiences with authenticity, charm and uncanny wit is what makes this book a must read.

Setbacks lend perspective to the view!

2007-03-24T20:52:00.000-04:00

It has been 10 days since my last post. I havent felt like writing- as a cricket enthusiast, following this World Cup has been anything but joyful. First, India and Pakistan's ignominous exit from the first round and then the shocking news of the murder of Pakistan coach, Bob Woolmer, have left me in a bit of a daze.

Frankly, the wounds are too raw to be thinking straight but one thing is for sure. The reputation of cricket as a gentleman's game has taken a setback. And maybe, just maybe, fans are just as much to blame for the current crisis as players, administration and sponsors. Nowhere is the game more commercial than the Indian sub-continent. Nowhere are cricketers treated as demi-Gods but the Indian sub-continent. No Board is as powerful as the Indian Board. And why is that? Because nowhere is the fan base as widespread as in the sub-continent. There is a difference between following the game with passion and following the game with fanaticism. The commercialism, the match-fixing, the bookies (the needle of suspicion in Woolmer's murder seems to be pointing to the bookies) are all a result of the incredible, sometimes senseless following and I admit I have been guilty of this myself. Just a couple of weeks back, I wrote how I wished India would win the Cup. Nothing in their performance warranted my belief- it was just patriotism over cold logic and while that is understandable, to be hugely upset at the team's debacle is actually unwarranted.

Sometimes, setbacks do lend perspective to the view. Even as I canceled my ticket to the Caribbean, I realized I was getting ahead of myself in following the game. The game is about skill, mental fortitude and the ability to rise to the occasion in pressure situations. It is not about deceit, cowardice and meek submission- traits exemplified by both India and Pakistan in this World Cup. We do need a "cleansing" of the system in the sub-continent and only a setback provides that. It is time to reassess, look afresh and not get lost in the bubble of hollow victories against meek teams on meek wickets.

I did not go to the Caribbean not only because India did not make it. More importantly, I do not want to support a game that has led to the ghastly death of one of the genius minds of the game. His memory deserves respect, and carrying on without apprehending the killers is an affront to his memory.

Setbacks sure lend perspective and even though I will remain a true follower of the game, the events of the last ten days have sobered me down and given me food for thought about how passionately I have supported a bunch of complete non-performers. More importantly, any hero worshipping would only accentuate the pressure on players and coaches that could have fatal consequences. It is a costly lesson, but a timely one.

The cruise to the Caribbean will have to wait for better, sunnier times!

Remember...its only a game after all

2007-03-18T17:03:00.000-04:00

One of the first things I do when I switch on my computer is look at the Cricket site to know the latest scores around the world, who won, who lost and who the performers have been...

Clearly, nothing prepared me for what the headline was today. Bob Woolmer, the coach of the Pakistan cricket team, was found dead in his hotel room shortly after Pakistan's shock defeat to unfancied Ireland in the World Cup currently underway in the Carribean. Woolmer played for England in the 1970s but made his mark more as a coach for South Africa in the 1990s. He was drafted by Pakistan a couple of years to help a mercurial side reach the pinnacle of glory in a country where the game is followed by tremendous passion and intensity. The fact that Pakistan were eliminated early in the World Cup automatically meant drastic repurcussions, but some that went way beyond the normal course of civility. Reports coming out of Pakistan talked about possibly arresting the captain, Inzy, and the coach, Woolmer when they arrived back in Pakistan. While the exact cause of his death is still to be ascertained, clearly the pressure was way too much for both the coach and the players. The point is- fans can and should be passionate but that doesnt mean they need to be mad and violent.

The Indian sub-continent fans are cricket crazy and the performance of the teams is met with extreme adulation during victory and utter contempt in defeat. That, in my view, is a problem. A game is a game after all. There will always be winners and losers. Also, nobody intentionally wants to lose. Hence, while disappointment in defeat is natural, the reaction should be just that- disappointment which in my terminology means a quiet swig of my favorite Guinness. Victory, on the other hand, means a celebration, which to continue on the same path, means three Guinesses with friends at a favorite pub. Either way- when we lose sight of the fact that it is a game where victory and defeat are natural outcomes, we lose our sense of balance and passion can turn into fanaticism.

My heart goes out to Woolmer's family, and lets all remember three things-
a) Cricket is a game- nothing more, nothing less
b) If you as a fan are disappointed with a defeat, the players are likely to be kicking themselves thmselves too
c) Fans showing their disappointment in a violent manner never improved a team's performance.

May Woolmer's soul rest in peace.

Off to the Carribean

2007-03-17T01:44:00.000-04:00

Typically, people go to the Carribean to lie on the beach, to relax along the ocean side, take a cruise or just hang out and not have a planned agenda. I am going to the Carribean but I do have an agenda thats to watch the Cricket World Cup. Anyone I have told this to has reacted to the news with surprise- and I've received the entire range of emotions- astonishment that my wife would allow me to do this all by myself (which I am grateful to her for), grudging respect that I was able to plan for this despite a relatively "busy" executive life, envy from others who "planned" to watch the World Cup at some stage but never quite got around to doing it- but its been support all around. And frankly, even as India take on minnows Bangladesh, in their opening game, I am excited like a two year old trying his first candy!!

I really am...which is thrilling in its own way because seldom does one feel like that. And it goes back to a childhood passion not just for the game but for travel, travel not for a purpose but travel for its own sake. I have often believed that travelling around the world has been the biggest teacher in my life- lessons on adaptability, appreciation of differences, ability to understand and comprehend nuances of culture, the different varieties of food and of course, the music!! Incidentally, this trip would also make me watch a game I have become increasingly passionate about ever since I have lived out of India. I sincerely believe that apart from Bollywood movies, cricket games bring not just the country together, but for everyone living outside, give them a feeling of "rootedness" that is so sorely missed by millions of us. The game with all its subtleties brings us together and despite the fact the Indian team is not the best in the world, a veritable combination of national pride and extreme jingoism makes you toss the past records aside and root for the team to take the trophy! Based on past record, that would be a surprise, but the inpredictability of games is what gives the World Cup its unique flavor and as long as India is at the favorable end of surprises, I dont care!!!

Even as Boston faces a winter storm ( I look out of the window and I reckon there is probably four inches of snow on the ground right now), the Carribean offers a fantastic prospect of warm weather, and of course, the fantastic spectacle of world cricket at its very best. Did I mention I am as excited as a two year old....

Newbury Street on a bright, sunny day

2007-03-04T20:06:00.000-05:00

There are some places that define a city- a landmark, location, a streeet, a building- something that exemplifies what the city offers. Boston has many landmarks- Harvard, MIT, Beacon Hill, Bunker Hill. Boston Tea Party Monument amongst others- all that speak to the academic and historical significance of this city- but for me, the street that really brings Boston to life is Newbury Street. Especially on a bright, sunny day.

For the uninitiated, Newbury Street is located in the Back Bay area of Boston, running roughly east-to-west, from the Boston Public Garden to Brookline Avenue. It is lined with historic 19th-century brownstones that contain hundreds of shops and restaurants with stores generally at the basement and street level and residential apartments above giving it a quaint, sophisticated and absolutely unique feel.

Having driven through Newbury several times, my wife and I decided that we needed to explore it, and this Saturday offered us the perfect opportunity- a temperature of 60, a clear sky and a slight wind. Of course, all of Boston seemed to have the same idea as us- and we had a great time. Lunch in Kashmir was delicious but the walk around the street was what made our day. It was lively, plenty of people- some of them window shopping, some having lunch outside, some sipping wine, some walking their dog and others just soaking in the atmosphere. Even our seven month old son seemed to enjoy the atmosphere- he seemed to talk a lot to himself in his pram, and looked around the street admiring the incredible mix of people, cultures, residential complexes with commercial ones and just vibrancy of the place seemed to invigorate him.

As we got back to our car, both Rica and I knew why Newbury defined Boston in a lot of ways- multi-cultural, classy, stimulating, and above all, incredibly vibrant. If only, finding parking was easier...

Preview to the most open World Cup ever!

2007-02-25T12:44:00.000-05:00

Last week, a Fedex packet arrived at home for me- it contained 8 Cricket World Cup tickets. To say I was thrilled was an understatement. Before the tickets arrived, I was wondering whether I should go; after I saw them, there was no question, especially as my wife backed me all the way. Since that night, I have been like a small kid- looking at those tickets again and again, checking for flights to Antigua, checking out the right hotel to stay in, checking out restaurants, reading up on Antigua, checking out the maps to see exactly where it is- its been wonderful and I just cant wait...

Its been four years since the last one, and four years since India lost the finals to Australia, something we would be out to avenge this year. The fact that Australia have been the most dominant team in the interim doesnt matter, they have lost five of the last six games they have played and they have given everyone a lot of cheer. One perpetually strong team that has always choked under pressure in the World Cup have been South Africa. I would love to see them in the Finals- and for India to beat them of course. Australia's recent slump has thrown the World Cup wide open- and thats what would make it fun. Pakistan has a strong, but mercurial side, Sri Lanka can beat anyone on its day, New Zealand and England have both beaten Australia recently, South Africa have been beaten both India and Pakistan in recent series- it just seems like nobody is a real favorite going into the cup. Based on current form though, South Africa have a slight edge over the rest. Despite India's unpredictable performances, I am a strong India backer- its a balanced side, good blend between maturity and youth and in Rahul Dravid, we have a terrific leader who can take us through the roughest times. Just a matter of hitting our stride in the next couple of months.

Whatever happens, here are my hope. I hope Australia does not win the third time around. There is much to be admired about that team, but continuous dominance by one team is never good for the sport at large- it makes for boring viewing plain and simple. I would back any underdog ahead of Australia and no surprise I would back India. (wonder why.....huh..) I also sincerely hope that all the logistics work out just right- enough has been said about logistical nightmares in the Carribean but I have enough faith that it will all work out...just like my tickets to Antigua!! May the best team win...(and did I mention that the best I think is India....)

The controversy surrounding American Idol

2007-02-16T01:48:00.000-05:00

This season's American Idol has generated controversy in the early weeks for two reasons. One- some of the comments by the judges were particularly mean. Second- it is claimed that the show exploited the way it portrayed the talent or the lack of it for some of contestants, particularly the not-so-good ones.

While I personally did not enjoy the early episodes, it amazed me that people with absolutely no talent whatsoever would show up for the auditions. Worse, they would actually believe that they were good singers. Even for a lay person like me with little musical talent, I cant believe how some of the worst singers would actually get distraught when they would be told the truth. Are people really so deluded? Have they got no idea about where their talent lies? Even if people did set them up, how did they come to believe so strongly that they had musical talent when clearly, a lot of them were tone deaf! Some of the comments from the judges were admittedly mean, but if I was listening to a hundred auditions day in day out with 97 of them extremely poor, at some stage, my patience is going to wear thin too. Secondly, people volunteer to be on the show. And it is the sixth season, not the first, so they should by now get used to Simon being mean, Randy being honest and Paula being .....incomprehensible and unpredictably sentimental...so people to act surprised about the initial episodes is a surprise to me. Some of it made for good TV and clearly, some people who didnt make it made it to other shows, so they can leverage their 15 seconds of fame to whatever heights they want to take to.

The show is a success because of the stars it produces- from Kelly to Clay to Carrie- it has taken raw talent, made them go through a rigorous process that hardens individuals to face the realities of the music industry, gets the public to vote so that we are an integral part of the success of these individuals. My wife and I watched the Grammys and werent as kicked about the success of Dixie Chicks as with the success of Carrie Underwood, who would have been singing in a church in Chicotah but for this show.

The show in a lot of ways encompasses what reality really is- life is not always fair, but if have talent, work hard, are willing to take the knocks and stand up every time, you are bound to succeed. And the sooner you know you dont have the talent in a particular field, it is better to exit and try something else rather than chase a mirage.

I am excited now that the field has been whittled down to 24, excited both about watching the show every Tuesday and Wednesday and also the conversations amongst my friends that happens straight after the show about who was the best. American Idol community lives on....despite all the controversy.

Confusing times

2007-02-14T00:10:00.000-05:00

One inspirational nomination, one bizarre end to an odd life and an insipid musical extravaganza is what caught my attention over the last week. It also pretty much characterized the state of the US at present- confused, looking desperately for direction and searching for hope. Obama is the media's darling- at least for the moment. He made his nomination for 2008 presidency public, not on Oprah as a lot of women had hoped, but from the Illinois state house that had the symbolism that Obama represents- a good working class ethic, meritocrisy and egalitarianism and a strive towards excellence, equality and prosperity. I am a huge Obama fan, but my gut says that he will trail in the polls, come second to Hillary, who will ask him to be a Vice Presidential nominee- not sure whether he will accept but being a Vice President for four years could just be the right platform for him to gain diplomatic and international exposure that his resume currently lacks. So for me, its Obama, the Vice President for 2008, President in 2012, and who knows beyond that!
Another news story of a different kind that is dominating tabloids is about Anna Nicole Smith. A bizarre end to a bizarre life made more bizarre by how many prospective fathers are showing up for the five month old daughter. The less said on this topic, the better America will be for it, but I suspect the tabloids have their story, at least to take them through the first half of the year. Until Jennifer Aniston ties the knot that is. My tolerance for such stories is sub zero. Filthy lives of the rich and infamous dont interest me and thank God never will!!
And that brings to the Grammys and to say that I found the show all over the place would be an understatement. Learn from the Oscars please- have a host that can weave things together. Also, the awards just seem to have a favorite for the year and the rest can just go home for all they can care. This year, if you were not Mary J Blige or Carrie Underwood or the Dixie Chicks, you might as well have stayed home. Dixie Chicks got the award for the best country album- need I say more!
Confusing times for sure, but the key thing is still that the economy is stable, New England has had a reasonably pleasant winter and Jay Leno continues his satirical commentary of the country on the Tonight Show, and frankly, those things keep my sanity- apart from my wife and kid of course!

Its Peyton Manning and the Colts!

2007-02-05T17:28:00.000-05:00

In my last post, I had written about the spectacle that is the Super Bowl. All of America comes to a standstill in these four hours- and what are people really watching for?
3 things I think-
a) The Football game itself- this time, it was about whether one of the legends of the game, Peyton Manning to win the elusive Super Bowl and get the monkey off his back regarding his performance in the Big Game!
b) The Half Time show- Remember the wardrobe malfunction and the furore that followed. Everyone forgot about the game- I don't even remember who the winner was. This time it was Prince, and by all accounts, he acquitted himself well, and thank God for no malfunctions there!
c) The Commercials- This is place where companies showcase their big commercials and it seems like Budweiser won it by a mile, not just in terms of having more than half a dozen commercials there, but also the quality. Beer and football just go together, somehow!!

So how did the game end? Thankfully, with Peyton Manning and the Colts winning the coveted title. I still cant get over the title of being World Champions. Could we include one more country to give it that credibility please, even if that is as close geographically as Mexico or Canada. At least, that way, the "world" will have a larger connotation than the borders of the US.

Onto the baseball season now!

The Super Bowl- a uniquely American event

2007-02-04T05:11:00.000-05:00

In just over 12 hours, all of America will stop working and be glued to the television- either at a bar, or a friend's place or at home or with the extended family- all to watch who wins the Super Bowl, the final championship game of American football. Prince will perform at half time, and we hope that there will be no wardrobe malfunctions, a la Janet Jackson! Over the last two weeks, I have been asked what I am doing for the Super Bowl. Presumably, I should have big plans but I don't. First- because I dont quite understand the nuances of the game. Second- cricket excites me more than American football. Third- as far as a ball game is concerned, soccer world cup for me is a much bigger event, especially when you consider the countries who play it. And so when Italy met France last year in the World Cup Soccer finals, I was glued. I am not sure whether I will be this evening.

But I shall watch nevertheless. Because it is a uniquely American event and to miss means not just missing the game, but the thrill and joy that comes with living here. Its not just about the half time show, its not just about the new commercials that will be launched, its not just about whether Peyton Manning will get his Superbowl ring that he so richly deserves, it is about enjoying everything that is unique to this place and makes it different. I am amazed that the champions will be called the World Champions, as the "world" extends not an inch beyond Florida and Alaska, and if you ask anyone outside of the US what they think of the skills of Tom Brady, they are likely to think you are asking them about Tom Cruise and I daresay, Baby Suri is more well known in the world than Tom Brady!

But America will celebrate as it should. Sports truly represents popular culture and American football represents everything that makes this country what it is- excellence, hard work, competitiveness, celebration of excess and also, its amazing insularity!

For sure, I dont understand the nuances of the game, but I have followed it enough to know that Peyton Manning winning it tonight is equivalent to a Sachin Tendulkar winning the World Cup cricket- individual genius waiting to lift the collective team to lift one of the most coveted trophies in the game, or should I say the 'World"!!

Good vs Great- Sachin Tendulkar and Tom Brady

2007-01-14T20:27:00.000-05:00

A couple of weeks back, I had written a post about the decline of India's batting legend, Sachin Tendulkar. I had argued- he has lost his edge, and age and injury has slowed him down physically. He seems mentally fatigued as he lets the opposition get on top of him rather than dictate play- over the last two years, he has not performed under any sort of pressure. That is what makes him merely good, not great in my view. Since I wrote that, I have not been popular amongst my friends, particularly Indian cricket fanatics who worship Tendulkar.

I wish they would all could have seen Tom Brady in action today. For those who dont American Football, Brady is the Quarterback of the New England Patriots, a team that has won the Superbowl on three of the last five occasions. Today's performance was classic Brady- against the No.1 seed and best team in the league, San Diego Chargers, New England was trailing for most of the game. In fact, half way into the fourth quarter, they were still behind by a good eight points. Then, just when the team needed great inspiration, Brady produced a magical run of passes to tie the game at 21 all and then in the very last minute, edge it past the Chargers to win 24-21. Intense pressure, intense scrutiny, intense time crunch and Brady rose to the occasion.

And he does it time and time again- the best record in the fourth quarter in Post season history, the most number of come-from-behind victories in the league.

Performing under that sort of pressure and taking the entire team with you is what separates the great from the merely good. Brady is great, while Tendulkar is quickly joining the ranks of the merely good.

As far as the Football season goes, it will be a fantastic battle next Sunday between the two best Quarterbacks in America- Peyton Manning and Tom Brady. Let the battle of the greats continue!

A "short" work week

2007-01-13T00:52:00.000-05:00

A work week with 4 days is considered a "short" work week. For me, it is the week when you put five days work in four! Consequently, you feel more rushed, just a wee bit more exhausted and look forward to the weekend even more.

Why does it happen?

Two reasons I think.
One- in a knowledge driven, non-widget producing environment, we are measured by intellectual output which is not a direct function of the number of hours you put but the quality of your output irrespective of time involved. The outputs desired do not change whether it is a normal five day workweek or it is a shortened four days or even three.
Second- given the flexible work arrangements, the workload is being divided into chunks not necessarily in terms of how much time they are going to take, but in terms of skill sets and ability to accomplish a given set of goals.

There is also the slight ramp-up factor in the normal week. We all know Monday mornings can be a little slow and Friday afternoons tend to be 'wind-down' time. In a shorter work week, you are expected to hit the ground running on Tuesday and you are likely to stay longer on Friday.

In short, the "short" work week is a mirage. Here are three suggestions to cope with it-
a) In case Monday is a holiday, set aside a couple of hours the previous Friday to lay out deliverables for the week and ideally, if you can take a start at a couple of them on Friday itself, you are setting yourself up for success the following week.
b) If you are driving out somewhere for the long weekend, be back in your city of work by lunch time on Monday. It will give you time to 'mentally' readjust and feel fresher for Tuesday morning. Anytime later than noon, and you will feel rushed and nostalgic about the long weekend.
c) Try and spend your long weekend pursuing a hobby that you havent had time to go to for a long time. It will be the perfect energizer for the week ahead.

Anyone interested in a very different take on the topic can read Ricardo Semler's Seven Day Weekend, where he talks about the fact that if you really love what you do, then, everyday feels like a weekend. Not sure how many people are lucky to be in that spot but its a worthwhile goal of course!

What am I looking forward to in 2007?

2007-01-01T22:19:00.000-05:00

Four things stand out-
a) World Cup Cricket 2007- The tournament held every four years, is being organized in the Carribean this March-April. So far, the news is that it will be a logistical nightmare- stadiums aren't ready, the visa situation hasn't quite been resolved, the islands aren't ready to deal with the heavy flow of tourists during this time. Be that as it may, nobody can take away from the incredible excitement of the tournament itself. Australia beat India in the finals the last time around. The Aussies continue to be the best team by a distance. I am just hoping that they lose their way somehow and the Indians find some inspiration. If the visas and the logistics do get sorted out, I might even use my pre-booked tournament ticket to watch all the fun in person!
b) The new season of American idol- No logistical nightmares here. Only talent and tremendous excitement every Tuesday and Wednesday watching my favorite Reality TV show. If Jennifer Hudson does win an Oscar for her performance in Dreamgirls as she should, it will only reinforce the power of the franchise- the 'loser' on American idol is an Oscar winner- what better ad would you want!
c) The increasing 'flatness' of the world- The triple convergence as Tom Friedman calls it, I am looking forward to newer and cooler inventions in the tech world, be it the latest ipod, the newest Mac, Microsoft Vista, the freshest offering from google, I can't wait for the possible surprises.
d) Our son's first birthday- Ok, this is selfish, but July 28 is an important day. And shall be for the rest of our lives.

Of course, there will be many more and I will keep all you guys posted as the year progresses.
Heres wishing everyone a Happy New Year from Boston.
Keep reading and stay safe!

Tendulkar, Indian cricket and performance!

2006-12-30T12:30:00.000-05:00

For followers of Indian cricket, 2006 ended the way it began- with a tragic loss to a team that was just more determined to win. A loss to South Africa on the bouncy track of Durban would not be unexpected but the manner of the loss is what rankles me the most. And we are not talking talent. If there is one thing that separates the good from the great, it is mental toughness- ability to persist, rise to the challenge, have the belief that the impossible can be done, and be able to inspire everyone around you.

And the greats of Indian batting just dont cut it any more. And it starts with Tendulkar. Blasphemous for sure given all his lofty achievments but on pure merit and form over 2006 alone, he would struggle to get into any side in the world barring Bangladesh or am I missing Zimbabwe here, the two minnows of world cricket. And of course, people will turn around and say- remember his assault against Australia in Sharjah, remember his 98 against Pakistan in the World Cup...remember....., but wait- aren't we almost at the next World cup now- my memory is getting strained here.

What makes Australia a great team is that the team is above any individual. It is able to recognize when players need to leave the scene. Steve Waugh was gently nudged out even when he was arguably at his best. And he ended with 32 centuries, just behind the then world record of 34 centuries. Had he been playing for India, we would surely have given him a good chance to make the 34 centuries. Of course, he has done so much for the country- lets please allow him to do it- reach his personal milestone- please, please.... That is not an argument that works where performance is king. Australia are world champions because individuals are not above the team. In India, they are! And thats the big issue.

I am sure people will turn around and say- why blame Tendulkar alone. He got out to a good ball. What about Sehwag? Everyone wants Sehwag axed. Well, Sehwag has had a bad run but his average in test cricket in 2006 is almost 40, not great but what about Tendulkar? A glorious 24!! At least Sehwag scored a memorable 254. Tendular's highest. One half century- 63!!

All I want to say is- when people talk performance, lets not use double standards. And great teams aren't built on reputations, they are built on great performance, day in and day out- that builds your toughness, your resolve, your ability to fight the odds all the time and to produce consistent results.

Tendulkar is a shadow of his great self, especially in Test cricket. We waited forever for him to break Gavaskar's record of 34 centuries. What are we waiting for now? Till his average falls below 10.... or till we tour Bangladesh again!! Lets just hope he comes good in the World Cup! Otherwise, I might have to rethink my planned visit to the Carribean.

My person of the year

2006-12-29T04:35:00.000-05:00

A couple of years back, research by Laura Nash from Harvard Business School on what it means to succeed pointed to four aspects- happiness, achievement, significance and legacy. Happiness is doing what you love to do, achievement is attaining a standard of excellence in what you do, significance is having a larger purpose to what you do and legacy refers to what you leave behind. Research pointed out that the people who have the ability to balance these four perspectives lead contended, fruitful lives and can be called successful. For me, the idea of balancing the four aspects is the crucial element- too often, one overweighs the other three- these are not totally distinct categories- the idea is to lead ones life in a manner that aligns all four. And that is easier said than done!

One person who seems to have done a stellar job on this front, one who is an unquestioned leader in his field (achievement), one who derives incredible joy at what he does (happiness), one who has disseminated his wisdom to thousands if not millions to make them reach their dreams (significance), and lastly, one who decided to make a significant contribution to society when he leaves (legacy) is Warren Buffet and for all of those but especially the last reason- he is my person of the year.

For a man who is the second richest man in the world, he leads a simple life (no chauffer, no security, no cellphone!!), has simple, enduring rules for investing- looks for integrity in management and a stable business to invest in, has returned incredbile returns year over year over the past four decades, freely discusses his mistakes, his philosophy, his rationale at his legendary meetings at Omaha with his long time friend and partner, Charles Munger, but what he did this year was particularly remarkable and in a way, not surprising with how he has lived all along- having accumulated enormous wealth over decades of sound investing, he decided to give it all away (or most of it) to the Gates Foundation that is working tirelessly in the areas of health and education to make our world not only heathier but to raise the level of literacy around the world- the only way out of widespread poverty and hunger. Buffet has never believed in leaving money for kids- bring them up well, give them a good education, a sound set of values and they will take care of themselves- a great philosophy to have.

For leading a simple life with extraordinary achievements in his field of interest (he started investing at the age of 11!), for his earthy wisdom, but most importantly, his enormous contribution in giving back to society, Warren Buffet is my person of year.

Sportsperson of 2006- An article by Sajith Sivanandan

2006-12-27T22:00:00.000-05:00

Even as the year comes to a close, there are plenty of articles floating around about person of the year, moment of the year, sportperson of the year, personality of the year etc. Frankly, I find a lot of these articles lacking imagination. They tend to define things too narrowly and when they do take the odd risk, like Time did this year, you somehow feel that the surprise value of the nomination overtook the actual significance of the choice. I am publishing here an article that is different- different not in its choice of the sportsperson of the year (that is what it is about and got recently published in Today newspaper in Singapore), but different in its take for what it takes to be the person of the year. The writer, Sajith Sivanandan, apart from being a dear friend of mine, is an accomplished opening batsmen but I didn't realize that his prowess with the pen was as good as that with his bat! Read on!!

George Frederick Will, a Pulitzer winning author, once said, “Sports serve society by providing vivid examples of excellence.”
When sport serves society in this manner, it rises above being just a game; it rises above the mere commercial; it takes on a hitherto unknown hue. It uplifts the spirits of man and all those privileged to view and be part of that vivid moment of excellence. So who in sports defined excellence in 2006? Was it an athlete? A team? A moment?

Let us start then by defining excellence. It is after all a much bandied about word. Should excellence be judged by achievement alone? Would Italy winning the World Cup qualify as a moment or tournament of excellence? On the other hand should excellence by defined by a memorable moment alone? Such as a silken drive through the covers with a caress of the willow by Mohammed Yousuf, scorer of most Test runs in a calendar year in the history of cricket?

True excellence defies description. It defines the moments we keep going back to, it becomes the backbone of trends we follow and adopt eagerly, and it assumes significance in our lives and that of society. In 2006 Roger Federer re-defined the meaning of excellence. For that he is the Sports Person of the Year for 2006.

I hear the groans already. Isn’t Roger too obvious a choice you may well ask? Wasn’t he Sports Person of the Year a previous year? Why him again – make a controversial choice I hear in the background. Yes he may well be an obvious choice but there is nothing obvious nor commonplace about his excellence. Given his achievements and how he handles himself on and off the court, we may well ask – is he Sports Person of the Year or is he States Person of the Year?

Statistics are but mere numbers. 90 won and 5 lost do not capture the genius of Federer though they indicate a level of untouched excellence in a sport that has depth. Just a few points away from winning a historic Grand Slam, Federer is Sports Person of the Year for having done much more than just winning consistently, though that is table-stakes for being considered for this prize.

But what or who exactly is Roger Federer? Is he just a very good athlete? Is he only a Sportsperson – competing as all sportspeople do, striving to win titles at the expense of fellow competitors? Does he just hoard his fame and wealth? Federer is more than just an athlete. In an age where footballers are coached to dive and then do it, where drugs and substances in athletics and other sports refuse to disappear, where brawls on basketball courts set vitriolic examples for youngsters, where conspicuous consumption by elite athletes is rampant, Federer stands apart. In doing so Federer is actually more States-Person of the Year than just a sportsperson.

Nobody is respected more by his peers. Opponents grumble about losing to him but remain fulsome in praise of his game. Opponents seldom cite injury, bad line calls and lack of fitness as reasons for losing to Federer. More often than not it is always about how much better he was on that day.

There are no risqué locker room stories about the player. He has a small entourage, which includes his partner of long time and now fiancé, Mirka Vavrinec. Almost as if enveloped in the slip-stream of the champion’s elegance, they behave themselves exceedingly well. There are no stories of high-handedness, of celebrations running coarse and the like.

The champion also touches the lives of many by his actions off the court. Federer is a Unicef Goodwill Ambassador and what’s more takes that role seriously. In December of this year he will be in India on the second anniversary of the Tsunami tragedy that affected thousands. Few know that in the disaster's aftermath, Roger led several fundraising initiatives including the ATP All-Star Rally for Relief, a unique exhibition tournament with proceeds benefiting UNICEF's tsunami-relief programmes. He set up the Roger Federer Foundation as far back as December 2003 to help disadvantaged children in South Africa. His impact, as is evident, far outweighs what he has achieved on the court.

Above all he has married beauty and dignity to excellence and achievement in the field of sports such as no other. Winning is a happy by-product of this fantastic confluence. Federer could win for the next ten years as he has been for the past three years and his opponents will continue to marvel at his artistry without malice. Every match he plays today resembles a song full of the most exotic instruments that uplifts anyone watching it. And when he wins (which is often), he does it with unparalleled dignity. He strides the court like a statesman, commanding respect accorded to those who are 75 and not just 25.

I can’t say it better than Grantland Rice, an early 20th century American sportswriter:

For when the One Great Scorer comes
To write against your name,
He marks-not that you won or lost-
But how you played the game.

For all of the above and much left unsaid, Roger Federer is indeed States-Person and Sportsperson of the Year.

Dreamgirls

2006-12-27T07:05:00.000-05:00

There are three reasons why Dreamgirls is a must watch movie-
a) The pace is superb, the script is tight, the music fabulous, and unlike other musicals, this movie is very real- it exposes the underbelly of the music industry in the sixties and seventies and what making "big" is all about
b) The casting is terrific- you would never have seen Eddie Murphy in a role like this, Jamie Foxx carries on from where he left off in Ray, Beyonce is understated, Anika Noni Rose, Keith Robinson and Danny Glover excel in their characterizations to make for compelling viewing; and
c) Jennifer Hudson's astounding performance- she is vocally brilliant and seems to be unfazed by the incredible acting talent around her- in fact, they seem to inspire her- she portrays the different shades of Effie White- the supremely confident, the jealous, the insecure, the moody, the indifferent, the humbled and yet ambitious nature- with such grace and passion that it is difficult to fathom that this is her very first movie. A Golden Globe nomination well deserved and I am sure many more awards on the way.

If you don't like musicals and wouldnt go to see it for that reason, it is a huge loss for you. The movie is as much a commentary on the meaning of success in life, the 'sacrifices' to get there, the deep question of values and quest for money as it is about the Supremes' incredible rise to fame and fortune.
A bigger recommendation is not needed I suppose!!

Travelling internationally with a three month old!

2006-12-22T02:27:00.001-05:00

When we indicated that we were going to Singapore and India to meet friends and family with our three month old, everyone told us we were crazy to be traveling with such a young child!! Barring a colleague of mine at the Bank- he indicated that between three months and a year is probably the best time to be travelling- the kid isn't mobile, he typically doesn't have demands beyond basic food and hasn't quite figured out his love for the video games! As long as the child remains fed and you are oblivious to fellow passengers' stares at the occasional cry at the oddest time- you will be in good shape.

The journey itself can be tiring under the best of circumstances. A 19 hour flight to Singapore, another five hours to Delhi and then a five hour drive to Jaipur where my parents live- that is a lot! I managed to read The World is Flat, watched two senseless Hindi movies on the plane, watched A Beautiful Mind for the umpteempth time, and discovered incredibly novel ways to amuse the baby. The wife didnt have that great a time though. Her plans were foiled time and again by our son who would choose to start squirming just as she would get settled to do something- either eat or read or watch a movie or just take a walk around the plane. This is where I think the men and women are wired very differently. While I would get a little impatient with our son's timing or lack of it, my wife was unfailingly patient with all his needs. She ate when he slept, watched a movie when he slept and fed him when he was awake. It was much tougher on her than me but we did some learn some golden rules of travelling internationally with an infant and here are the 10!

First- travel Singapore Airlines. Not for nothing is this the best airline in the world. Very prompt, very polite and very infant friendly- diapers, toys, wipes- you name it and they have it. Best of all, they do it all with a smile!!
Second- be thick skinned about fellow passengers who've never had babies. What you learn with infants is flexibility and anyone who gives you a stare for his occasional cry, just ignore it.
Third- carry his favorite toy. A lighted head with some music is an unbelievable toy at 30,000 feet when nothing else seems to work.
Fourth- whenever he cries, feed, feed feed. Over-eating is better than hunger pangs or possible dehydration.
Fifth- when taking off or landing, have him suck something so that his ears dont 'pop'.
Sixth- forget traveling light as you have a million contingencies to plan for.
Seven- be prepared that he will fall a little ill. Nothing alarming- big timezone shifts and climatic changes get to the best of us. He needs time to adjust, and he will. Do not panic.
Eight- Carry the medical kit for both you and him, you might need a few tylenols yourself.
Nine- Be patient and flexible with everything. Have an hour's cushion with everything you do.
And ten- maintain your sense of humor. Its the one remedy for all unplanned emergencies.

We had a wonderful trip and right through Christmas and New Year, I hope to keep posting my observations from my Asian sojourn. It was relaxing, instructive and as always, a lot of fun!

The Audacity of Hope

2006-10-29T04:45:00.000-05:00

In general, I dislike politicians. I find them self serving, insincere and shallow. I dont like spending time either listening to them let alone reading what they have written. Their books are mostly ghost written, full of platitudes and explanations about what they did was the right thing for the country and how everyone else misunderstood them.

Barack Obama's book- The Audacity of Hope, is different. The title itself is inspiring and reflects the aspirational quality of the American dream as exemplified by Obama's own life- born in 1961 to a white American woman and a black Kenyan student, he was raised in Hawaii by his mother and her parents, his father having left for further study and a return home to Africa- he worked his way to Columbia and Harvard Law before settling down in Chicago and becoming a Senator from Illinois.

He writes with a sincerity and a candor that is unique- weaves in personal stories with appropriate history to give us a glimpse of his thoughts on as wide ranging topics as the supposed Blue-red states divide to Iraq to faith and spirituality. His key message is that this country is not as divided as Washington politicians make it out to be. The key values of honest hard work, respect for each other, commitment to community, to excellence, to creating a better life for ourselves, to protecting the country- are common across the board. What plays out in the media is more of the extreme positions on "touchy" topics as that is what makes news, that is what catches attention, that is what eventually derails national agenda as the real issues- of poverty, health and education- never quite get discussed. Obama argues articulately for the middle ground- to get the key issues back up for discussion as that is what will make the biggest difference in the long run for competitiveness of the country. On a personal note, he also lays out his views on race, faith and family and shows a certain vulnerability in terms of balancing work and family life- he readily acknowledges the challenges and admits his struggles, something that adds an authenticity to his personality that is a refreshing change from the run of the mill politician.

I have no idea whether he will run in 2008, but reading this book, he seems to have brought a sincerity and authenticity to the political landscape that has at least made me think there is still some hope- and just for that, this book is worth a read.

Into Fall 2006

2006-09-03T00:56:00.000-04:00

The Labor Day weekend typically marks the end of summer and what a way to do it here in Boston- gusty winds and the after effects of Hurricane Ernesto have been felt all day- the holiday spirit has literally been dampened! The fact that the Red Sox lost (again) today didn'd make for any better news in Boston. We really have to look for something to cheer us up- and Fall it is going to be!!

This is the time when New England is at its charming best- great warm days, cool nights, the natural beauty of the leaves changing color- it all signals the most heart-warming change of season that I have experienced living here. You await winter with dread, you look forward to the spring as a relief from winter only to be hit by incessant rain, and then some summer days can be really warm. The New England Fall that way is a great balance and has inspired poets, writers and artists for centuries. If only it could inspire the Red Sox to improve on their horrible record, that would be wonderful.

This also signals completion of a couple of years of living in the US- it was at Labor Day two years back that we had landed in Boston, and how time flies- I've graduated from university, Rica's diligently chipping away in her profession but most significantly, we have a baby and a family that we've begun here. In that sense, Boston will remain an integral part of wherever we go and eventually land up. I am looking forward to the Fall here as I would love to do the drives along the highways where we would be able to see and better appreciate the changing seasons that you see here more starkly than anywhere else in the world.

We are moving into the Fall of 2006 and as you can probably make out, I'm really looking forward to it, despite the damp start to it. It is bound to get better!!

The gentleman's game under scrutiny

2006-08-26T15:22:00.000-04:00

The events in world cricket this past week have been bizarre to say the least. The game has been known to be a gentleman's game, with rules being followed scrupulously, the game generally played in good spirit and intense rivalry between nations on the field is matched with almost equal camaraderie and bonhomie off the pitch, which is always gratifying. No wonder, during the Cold War, an Australian MP said: "it is a pity US and USSR dont play cricket- if they did, there would be no need for summit talks." From those lofty standards of ethics, neutrality and friendship, the game has sunk into depths of despair, intrigue and acrimony thanks to obstinacy of one single man- Darrell Hair.

This umpire, of Australian origin, currently living in England, has been time and again accused of bad decisions, and worse, bas decisions based on race- typically tends to rule against the teams from the Indian sub-continent. This has gone on for at least ten decades with the game's governing body not willing to listen to any of the complaints. Matters came to a head when, last Sunday, in an England- Pakistan game where Pakistan clearly had the upper hand for the first time in the series, ruled that the Pakistani bowlered had illegally tampered with the ball and awarded penalty runs to England. Mind you, this was the fourth test, Pakistan had comprehensively been outplayed in the first three, and the ball apparently has not been tampered. This time, in the second innings that too, with Pakistan closing in on victory, Darrell Hair played his 'racist' card under the cloak of neutral umpiring. The pakistani team walked off in utter disgust, the crowd was perplexed, Pakistan eventually returned but Darrell Hair refused to umpire and then, in a bizarre twist, awarded the game to England- the first time in the history of 129 years of international cricket that such an event has ever happened.

Even as the game's governing body, ICC, sought to punish Pakistan for walking off the field, a letter was leaked to the press that revealed that given his incredibly bad record in the past and his credibility under serious doubt, Hair was willing to step off the umpiring panel as long as the ICC paid him half a million dollars to compensate for his potential earnings in the future. The umpire is not just racist, it turns out he is also a mercenary. How a man of such questionable integrity can ever umpire a gentleman's game beats me.

What the ICC needs to do is quickly address the issue- remove Hair from the international umpiring panel, fine Pakistan a small sum for leaving the field and ensure that the future umpires are chosen with integrity and care. This absolutely disgusting incident soils the reputation of one of the finest, and fairest games in the world. People like Hair are a blot on the game and the sooner they are removed from the cricketing, the better it will be for all of us- cricket followers around the world deserve integrity and transparency around officiating, not to be at the mercy of a racist, prejudiced mercenary, who is clearly a relic of the colonial past.

God save the game- and quick!

The Boston Brahmin

2006-08-20T10:31:00.000-04:00

As I mentioned in my last post, the birth of our son has turned our life topsy-topsy, in a good way and just the other day, it occured to me that he would be a brahmin who was born in Boston, so would it qualify him to called a Boston brahmin? That made me think about where exactly did the term originate.

Apparently, the term was coined by physician and writer Dr. Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr. (father of the famous Supreme Court justice). Dr. Holmes used it both in a novel and in an 1860 Atlantic Monthly article called "The Brahmin Caste of New England" to describe the region's upper crust. The words caste and Brahmin indicate where Holmes got the idea. Of course, the origin of the term comes from India where Brahmins made up the highest caste that prided itself in priestly duties and high educational standards. By applying the term to his native Boston, Holmes was describing a more secular but equally powerful group—the city's entrenched WASP elite, or what he called its "harmless, inoffensive, untitled aristocracy."

Holmes counted himself a Boston Brahmin. In large part, he used the term to refer to families who produced generation after generation of scholars at institutions like Harvard. (He contrasted this "race of scholars," whose aptitude for learning was "congenital and hereditary," with what he called "the common country boy, whose race has been bred to bodily labor." However, Holmes also thought there was room in elite circles for hearty country boys who had gained an education—their better health could be useful in certain cases: "A man's breathing and digestive apparatus [one is tempted to add muscular] are just as important to him on the floor of the Senate as his thinking organs.")

The term Boston Brahmin quickly came to connote great wealth, political influence, old New England roots, and often all of the above. These Brahmins frequently intermarried, founded and patronized Boston cultural institutions, and had some connection with nearby Harvard. Dr. Holmes himself was dean of the Harvard Medical School.
"A Boston Toast," the famous poem by John Collins Bossidy, neatly sums up the Brahmin culture:
And this is good old Boston,
The home of the bean and the cod,
Where the Lowells talk only to Cabots
And the Cabots talk only to God.

Personally, I was born a Brahmin, married a non-brahmin, have seldom indulged in traditional priestly class activities, but have prided myself in a strong work ethic, strong commitment to values, excellence in academics and that is what I would interpret the secular notion of the term brahmin to mean. The traditional brahmin has a certain social exclusivity that is neither desired nor wanted in the modern inclusive world.

Being in Boston has indeed made me revisit the notion of being a brahmin and I am sure the views will continue to evolve over time. The birth of our son has indeed made me think a little differently!!

A new life-Sanjay Misra

2006-08-06T04:09:00.000-04:00

Some weekends are to be cherished. The weekend of July 28 was one such for me and Rica.
We became parents!!!!!

Sanjay, our son, was born on Friday evening at 7:38pm in Boston. The nine months of pregnancy, the 12 hours of labor- all seemed worth it in a single instant as we looked at our son. The realization that we brought a new life into the world was overwhelming. It has been a week since, and we haven't slept much, but we are already beginning to see why people consider becoming parents as one of the most defining moments of their lives. Nothing, absolutely nothing is the same- how we plan our day, where we go, what we shop, even the way we drive- has changed! I have visited babycenter.com much more than either cnn or google. I have read two father-to-be books. Am half way through "What to Expect in the First Year". Our most exciting outing was not the first show of the latest movie in town but the first visit to the pediatrician!
There is a heightened sensitivity to simple pleasures- of seeing him just look at us and what we think is either a yawn or a smile gives us reason to smile. Rica has never felt so tired, yet so incredibly joyful. I cook new dishes to feed the mom, who in turn feeds the baby. Am loving this tripartite partnership.

I realize that though we've been anxiously awaiting his arrival, nothing could have prepared us for the event. It just feels different and we are reacting differently. We feel tired, we feel unsure, we feel ecstatic but above all, we feel blessed. Its the one time I can say that sleep deprivation is worth it!
Hopefully, it will be a great ride!!

American Idol Season 5

2006-05-29T13:21:00.000-04:00

Im addicted to this show and am wondering how I will spend my Tuesdays and Wednesdays from now on till January when the next instalment will come around. The success of the show is predicated on a few things-
a) Its the story of ordinary talented people trying to make it big
b) Voting gives the viewers control over who they want as their next Idol- that generates following and competition
c) Simon Cowell is acerbic, almost brutal and almost always right in his assessments.

And this season was quite a roller coaster. The initial favorites seemed to be Paris and Lisa Tucker, then Chris, the rocker emerged as the strong contender only to be booted out of the top 3. The eventual winner- a prematurely greying 29 year old southerner with a Joe Cocker type vibe- was for me a surprise. He has a terrific voice, a strange mannerism and is a great story- was a singer at weddings trying to make ends meet before the show happened.

My personal favorite was Katherine Mcphee, the runner up. She has a pure voice, great looks and if she just sticks to "Somewhere Over the rainbow" type songs, she will sell millions of albums. She was so erratic throughout the show- from the brilliant to the very ordinary, it was difficult for her to win eventually. Her choice of songs left a lot to be desired.

As for the Finale, I was blown away by the artists who performed, from Dione Warwick to Prince, it was a cast par excellence.
This show is clearly here to stay and it only gets better with time.
Kudos!

The discipline of writing

2006-04-30T00:49:00.000-04:00

It has been over a month since my last post.
I have only five entries this year.
I have not looked at my blog this month.
Clearly, this needs to change, and it will!!

One of the reasons I started writing a blog was to get into the discipline of writing.
Writing is therapeutic, it is an activity whereby you reflect on yuour actions, verbalize them, make observations of the world around, articulate a spoint of view and share it with your friends and all your readers. It is also an activity that maintains my life in balance and the very fact I have been inconsistent means that there is pressure from the one area( particularly work) that is obviously spilling over some other aspects of my life.

Balance is tricky but the key to balance is ability to lay out all the potential things that one does and then outline some priorities for them so that given the 24 hours in a day, one can keep in mind the competing priorities and make appropriate trade-offs. The consistent trade off I seem to have made in the past few months is writing a post on the blog. If I had done that deliberately, that would have been fine- meaning it lined up well with my priority list and I made the conscious decision knowing I was sacrificing this for something more important. However, the decision has not been conscious- it is something that just happened. And that is what I or I guess, most of us need to avoid.

The corporate sector gets us into a certain rhythm, a certain consistency, a certain pattern of doing things that grows exponentially over time. While that has its important uses, we must never forget that life isnt just about making money and pleasing our boss and climbing the corporate ladder. I know I need to constantly step back, and think about where Im going. The discipline of writing regularly helps me do that.
I am sure you have the same conundrum. You dont have to write- do anything that suits you, a long walk, listening to your favortie music, meditation- anything that would help put things in perspective. Remember, there is a reason why life in the corporate sector is often referred to as the rat race. We and our lives are meant for bigger and better things. The corporate life is means to that, and so are so many others things that we shouldnt miss out on.

Though I have been recalcitrant on the blog, I shall hope to correct this in the future, not with such admonitions, but something lighter, hopefully more amusing, and infinitely more interesting about the world and life around us.

Harvard and Larry Summers

2006-03-05T18:44:00.000-05:00

Last week was a sad day- Larry Summers stepped down as President of Harvard. A man with extremely good and innovative ideas ran up against a brilliant, yet inflexible Faculty and it was a no brainer that the President would lose! He fought and fought hard, for four years and decided it was best not to continue.

The key questions are two- Does Harvard, with all its success need to change at all? And if so, did the direction in which Larry Summers wanted to take it made any sense?

Again- the answers to the first question is an unequivocal yes. Any institution needs to continuously reinvent itself to stay at the top of the game and you need to be either a Harvard student or faculty member to know that. But to be told what to do in a manner that may appear non participative and even draconian is not acceptable, particularly to people who consider themselves the very best in the business and this is where I think Larry Summers lost the plot. People will resist any change but changes one after the other, in a manner that does not take into the account the view of the key stakeholders, particularly, in this case, the Faculty can the situation unteneble for any chief executive and the President should have known that. His ideas for an Allston expansion of the campus, of reworking the undergrad curriculum made sense but it needed to be more than a top down approach for it to succeed at any given level and unfortunately it crumbled at the very top. Once that trust is eroded at the top, your every action is scrutinized and every word you utter that is slightly out of the norm makes the realm of controversy- the women in science controversy early last year being a case in point.

I am thinking whether this should be a Harvard case study on change management and leadership. It has all the right ingredients- a great institution needing to reinvent itself, a president who has bright ideas, a faculty that is brilliant, yet intransigent in its ways and powerful stakeholders from students to alumni who have their own million ideas on where to take the institution. The good news out of all this- Harvard is an incredibly resilient institution where very bright people ensure that the standards are consistently highest in the world and the quality of research produces path breaking work that makes us all proud of the motto- Veritas- or the pursuit of truth and excellence in everything we do!

The mild winter!

2006-02-11T04:10:00.000-05:00

It has been close to four weeks since my last post. That means that my work has been busy- incredibly so as business plans are finalized and rolled out for the year. Work has been exciting and rewarding, but the reason for starting a blog is to be able to reflect on what one is doing and not get so caught up in work that it takes over everything one does. Hence, it is just good to connect back here and talk about anything under the sun- especially the unusually mild winter so far in Boston.

By this time last year, we had mountains of snow. This time, apart from the stray inch or two of accumulation, there have only been flurries, not snow storms! Very unlike the New England winter. Some really strange and unusual about it. Which is why when there was prediction of a snow storm this weekend, New Englanders actually welcomed the news. When my wife and I went to do our groceries last night, there was a certain excitement about stocking up for the weekend- with a few drinks, plenty of food to eat and movies to watch. I must confess that both of us are looking forward to this snow as well. I know a couple of weeks from now, when it will be difficult ot tread through all the snow, I will hate myself for saying that, but today- welcoming the storm is really the sentiment.

Just to make the point that despite hailing from the tropics, we are coming to terms with living in New England and whats a winter here without a few of the trademark snow storms!! We know what we are doing- reading a couple of good novels, catching up on old National Geographics and seeing the snow fall from the safe environs of our home!!

American football

2006-01-16T00:16:00.000-05:00

I have always been a big sports fan- from cricket to soccer to hockey. Following sports in a country normally is a good way of getting to know about the country itself- what it is crazy about, what arouses passions and what lengths people will go to, to really watch their stars perform. In the US, there are three big games- baseball, football (the American football, not soccer that is played worldwide) and basketball. Before I came ot the US, I knew something about the last but very little of the first two games. Then, the Boston Red Sox became the World Champions in 2004. Living in Boston, it was a little difficult not to get caught into the legend of the curse of the Bambino or watching Ortiz hit the ball out of the park or feeling for Curt Schilling as he pitched with a tore ligament in a crucial game. I went to Fenway Park and started following baseball.

One game I never quite followed was football.
Neither the brilliance of Tom Brady nor the Patriots 3 titles in four years could get me interested.
I never thought I would get into the game.

Till today that is!

And it happened almost by chance. I came back home after a drive, switched the television on and thought I would go to sleep in front of the couch and the channel I switched to first was showing the playoff game between the Indianapolis Colts and the Pittsburg Steelers. From conversations in office, I knew that the colts were favorites. A 21-8 scoreline in favor of the Steelers got me interested in the first place. I love underdogs! Only 8 minutes left in the last quarter. I decided to continue watching- and as the pressure mounted, touchdowns were made, mistakes were committed and clock wound down, I was totally and completely hooked! It was one of the most pulsating games ending at 21-18 with the Steelers escaping by the skin of their teeth and beating the highly rated Colts at their own home turf.

I am glad I watched it. My respect for the game has grown. It is not just about brawn as I had originally thought. Strategy, tactics, the ability to stay calm under pressure, speed, agility and a razor sharp focus on the task at hand under intense time pressure are all key ingredients to win. I love to see all that in a game.

Maybe, I got to see one of the best close finishes in recent times. And the fact that the underdog eventually won made it all the more exciting for me.
American football is now on my list to watch, and coming as it does at the very end of season, that would mean only a couple of more Sundays to watch!

Luck, fate, hard work and Woody Allen!

2006-01-15T01:26:00.000-05:00

Growing up, one of the things we did in school was learn some key quotations that we could use in debating competitions and in our essays. Teachers told us that great quotes reflect the essence of wisdom that is gleaned from great lives lived before us. It would be a pity not to learn from them. One of the many quotes that has stuck for me has been-
"Shallow men believe in luck, strong men believe in cause and effect." Ironically, I no longer remember who said, but just reflecting on my own my life and those of my key friends, I am not sure I entirely agree with this statement any longer.

Of course, hard work is needed. Of course, you have got to have the requisite qualifications to succeed. But oftentimes, you find yourself at the right place at the right time and the big break happens. What do you attribute that to? I have changed two careers in my professional and though both were carefully thought out decisions, the exact areas where I landed up were- well, a lot of luck and good fortune, not that I didnt make my effort, but surely, good fortune played a sizeable part.

The role of luck and chance are really the central theme of Woody Allen's latest venture- Match Point. The question is set against a story of infidelity, intrigue and seen through the life of an upper class British family that is struggling to find the right balance between tradition and modernity. The movie is heavy going and Scarelett Johansson is absolutely lovely, but the plot is little too convoluted for me.

I like the question being raised and do think that luck is an important element of success and I am sure there are better ways to get that message across than a fairly morbid story of unfaithfulness, murder and intrigue. Life is complicated as it is and a convoluted plot to convey a simple message isnt my idea of fun!

New Year in New England

2006-01-02T00:58:00.000-05:00

It is only over the last two days when there have been a few flurries that we have felt like we are in New England. For large parts of November and December, the day temperatures have been well in their fifties making for an uncharacteristic winter in New England so far. There has been some bad news- the Patriots form for example and the shocking loss of Johny Damon to the New York Yankees. But the fact that the Boston spirit is very much alive for evident in the New Year celeberations.

Whether it was the ice sculptures on the Boston Common, or the famed parade or the fireworks display, it amazes me how optimisitc people are despite everything that is going around them and it is with great optimism that this New Year has been greeted. As it began to snow around the afternoon, we headed home and watched the fireworks from home- praying that the relatively mind winter might continue and it doesnt snow as heavily as it did last year. But then, what is winter in New England without a few feet of snow. Given the forecast over the next few days, we may just get that.

I also noticed that this weather forces you to stay warm indoors and also allows for some quiet reflective time. No wonder some of the best writers of several generations come from here from Robert Frost to Dan Brown, two writers of very different ilk. As I gaze out of my window, see the snow covered grounds that hide the tennis lawns under them and the ocean just beyond, I really marvel at the dramatic transformation this place takes over the several seasons. It seems only yesterday that I saw of group of young enthusiastic tennis players playing where some young kids are just learning the beginning steps of ice skating. It is this marvellous mix of seasons that makes New England so special I guess.

Having grown up in tropical climates, this might just take a little getting used to but I am trying to write as much as I can, hoping some of the writing bug might actually rub off on me!
Heres wishing everyone a very Happy and Prosperous 2006!

Driving in India

2005-12-31T01:33:00.000-05:00

A friend of mine travelling to India asked me for advice and tips on driving and I found this excellent pice on the subject. Here it is for the benefit of all.

For the benefit of every Tom, Dick and Harry visiting India and daring to drive on Indian roads, I am offering a few hints for survival. They are applicable to every place in India except Bihar, where life outside the vehicle is only marginally safer. Indian road rules broadly operate within the domain of karma where you do your best, and leave the results to your insurance company. The hints are as follows:

Do we drive on the left or right of the road?
The answer is "both". Basically you start on the left of the road, unless it is occupied. In that case, go to the right, unless that is also occupied. Then proceed by occupying the next available gap, as in chess. Just trust your instincts, ascertain the direction, and proceed. Adherence to road rules leads to much misery and occasional fatality. Most drivers don't drive, but just aim their vehicles in the generally intended direction. Don't you get discouraged or underestimate yourself except for a belief in reincarnation; the other drivers are not in any better position.

Don't stop at pedestrian crossings just because some fool wants to cross the road. You may do so only if you enjoy being bumped in the back. Pedestrians have been strictly instructed to cross only when traffic is moving slowly or has come to a dead stop because some minister is in town. Still some idiot may try to wade across, but then, let us not talk ill of the dead.

Blowing your horn is not a sign of protest as in some countries. We horn to xpress joy, resentment, frustration, romance and bare lust (two brisk blasts), or just mobilize a dozing cow in the middle of the bazaar.

Traffic Jams: Keep informative books in the glove compartment. You may read them during traffic jams, while awaiting the chief minister's motorcade, or waiting for the rainwater to recede when over ground traffic meets underground drainage.

UFO: Occasionally you might see what looks like a UFO with blinking colored lights and weird sounds emanating from within. This is an illuminated bus, full of happy pilgrims singing bhajans. These pilgrims go at breakneck speed, seeking contact with the Almighty, often meeting with success.

Auto Rickshaw (Baby Taxi): The result of a collision between a rickshaw and an automobile, this three-wheeled vehicle works on an external combustion engine that runs on a mixture of kerosene oil and creosote. This triangular vehicle carries iron rods, gas cylinders or passengers three times its weight and dimension, at an unspecified fare. After careful geometric calculations, children are folded and packed into these auto rickshaws until some children in the periphery are not in contact with the vehicle at all. Then their school bags are pushed into the microscopic gaps all round so those minor collisions with other vehicles on the road cause no permanent damage. Of course, the peripheral children are charged half the fare and also learn Newton's laws of motion reroute to school. Auto-rickshaw drivers follow the road rules depicted in the film Ben Hur, and are licensed to irritate.

Mopeds: The moped looks like an oil tin on wheels and makes noise like an electric shaver. It runs 30 miles on a teaspoon of petrol and travels at break-bottom speed. As the sides of the road are too rough for a ride, the moped drivers tend to drive in the middle of the road; they would rather drive under heavier vehicles instead of around them and are often "mopped" off the tarmac.

Leaning Tower of Passes: Most bus passengers are given free passes and during rush hours, there is absolute mayhem. There are passengers hanging off other passengers, who in turn hang off the railings and the overloaded bus leans dangerously, defying laws of gravity but obeying laws of surface tension. As drivers get paid for overload (so many Rupees per kg of passenger), no questions are ever asked. Steer clear of these buses by a width of three passengers.

One-way Street: These boards are put up by traffic people to add jest in their otherwise drab lives. Don't stick to the literal meaning and proceed in one direction. In metaphysical terms, it means that you cannot proceed in two directions at once. So drive as you like, in reverse throughout, if you are the fussy type.

Speed Breaker: Least I sound hypercritical, I must add a positive point also. Rash and fast driving in residential areas has been prevented by providing a "speed breaker"; two for each house. This mound, incidentally, covers the water and drainage pipes for that residence and is left untarred for easy identification by the corporation authorities, should they want to recover the pipe for year-end accounting.

Night driving on Indian roads can be an exhilarating experience for those with the mental make up of Genghis Khan. In a way, it is like playing Russian roulette, because you do not know who amongst the drivers is loaded. What looks like premature dawn on the horizon turns out to be a truck attempting a speed record. On encountering it, just pull partly into the field adjoining the road until the phenomenon passes. Our roads do not have shoulders, but occasional boulders. Do not blink your lights expecting reciprocation. The only dim thing in the truck is the driver, and with the peg of illicit arrack (alcohol) he has had at the last stop, his total cerebral functions add up to little more than a naught. Truck drivers are the James Bonds of India, and are licensed to kill. Often you may encounter a single powerful beam of light about six feet above the ground. This is not a super motorbike, but a truck approaching you with a single light on, usually the left one. It could be the right one, but never get too close to investigate. You may prove your point posthumously.

Vacations

2005-12-30T21:45:00.000-05:00

I have always looked forward to vacations. Time to take a break, to reflect, to recharge your battery as you move on.

The best vacations have been those where there has been quiet time interspred with partying with friends, reminiscing about old times and thinking of times ahead. They say what you do on vacation is representative of what you value in life. Since there is no pressure, no expectation, what you do at this time is what you do if you didnt have to work to earn a living. What have I done in the past few vacations. Travelled, caught up on reading, watched movies, and also written diaries. This blog was born on a vacation- the time between my final exams and date of graduation from Harvard.

Sometimes, I have consciously cut myself from some of the social occasions just to spend more time at home- either at the computer writing or with my wife. I find this 'downtime' reinvigorating. In fact, this is the time I think I 'work' the hardest- think about key decisions for the year- what do I need to concentrating on- in terms of time and effort. I find this a worthwhile exercise and best done either alone or in the company of my wife. Anybody else only clouds the decision making process.

This time around, I have read or rather re-read some of my old books- The Alchemist, Seven Habits, One Minute Manager, The Hungry Spirit, and reconnected back with some of my very old friends. Also watched Memoirs of a Geisha, Forrest Gump and the famous Boston Pops Symphony Orchestra. I cant believe Ive been on vacation only for a week.

I'd love to be on more such vacations. And given the temperate winter so far, I wouldnt mind spending Christmas and New Year in Boston!

The Family Stone- What a disaster!

2005-12-25T21:59:00.000-05:00

You watch some trailers of movies and they raise your expectations. You look at the cast and that raises expectations further. You look forward to watch the movie. Then, you go ahead with your wife and friends to watch it on Christmas Day. And it turns out to be a unmitigated disaster. What do you do? You not only feel let down but almost cheated by all the expectations that were raised through the trailer and the prelude that accompanied the preview of what was expected to be one of the better movies of the year. The Family Stone has let me down beyond anything in recent times.

Think about it. The cast. There is Diane Keaton. And Sarah Jessica Parker. And Claire Danes. And Dermot Mulroney- and the trailers give you a glimpse of meeting the parents gone wrong. You think comedy, you think great pace and great timing. And then you go and watch a slow, boring, monotonously winding screenplay with some pedestrian acting to boot and you come off feeling cheated. If there was a money back refund available, the producers would be in serious debt.

Suffice it to say that this would be one of the worst movies of the year, and I watch a LOT of movies.
For critics who are slamming Memoirs of a Geisha, they ain't seen anything yet.
Or maybe, its just better they skip this one.
Take my word- if you have an extra 7 bucks, rent two good DVDs and watch them in the comfort of your home and save yourself the agony of going through this awful flick.
I will do some more research before spending another Christmas day watching a disastrous movie!
Enough said. I feel better having vented my frustration here and hoping at least somebody will be saved the agony and that my wife and I had to go through earlier!

Are fans more loyal than sports stars?

2005-12-23T09:58:00.000-05:00

Boston is a picture of gloom and shock over the last couple of days.
The reason: Johnny Damon has signed for the Yankees- 52 million for 4 years.
The shock not just because he left but because he went to the most hated team in Boston- the Yankees. This is one of the most fierce rivalries in sports and Damon switched- for money of course! He was here for four years and had pretty much become the poster boy for the Red Sox team- his carefree attitude endeared him to everyone and also epitomised the attitude of the team in general- competitive yet likeable. When I watched a few games in Fenway, I remember fans comparing him to a Messiah and his bearded look and affable manner helped him become one of the most loved sportspersons in New England!

Isnt it strking that while fans stay true to their loyalties, sportsmen switch, and quite easily. Fans root for them and stay with clubs forever. When Red Sox won the World Series last year, generations of fans lined up to celebrate, fans who had waited an entire generation to see this come true. Sportspersons have a shelf life and they want to make the most of it- monetarily and otherwise. Switching loyalties isnt such a big deal with them.

But the fan feels cheated. At least I do. Unless I become more detached.
But then, if I become more detached, am I am fan at all?
Are fans more loyal than sportsmen?
Moot question.

The travails of corporate life

2005-12-02T16:53:00.000-05:00

The more talk I hear about work-life balance in the corporate sector, I wonder whether that dichotomy denotes something deeper- a fundamental view that being at work and enjoying life are two very different things. If people are very happy on Friday evening looking forward to not being at work, doesn't that mean that they haven't been happy at work at all.
So, are we just working to pay bills?
To take the next holiday?
To earn to then enjoy the things we really like?
And when would that happen? When we retire!!!

I take the subway to work and can see a visible difference in people's attitudes on Monday morning compared to the Friday evening. The latter expression is much more chirpy than the one you see on Monday. Does that mean that for a large chunk of the population, corporate life is really a necessary drudgery to just try and make the cut in terms of living a life of comfort.

If you really do enjoy your work, wouldnt you like to do it all the time. Can't we see that with sportspeople, or with musicians or with entertainers or with artists or with anybody in pursuit of excellence? Have you heard Michael Jordan complain about playing too much basketball? Or Sachin Tendulkar playing too much cricket? But corporate executives do complain about too much work. Is it just me or I just feel that a lot of people haven't found their calling, drift into professional jobs and continue in them just to get by.

Can corporate life or even a subset of it really be a calling in and by itself?
I hope it can be, otherwise there are millions of unhappy people around waiting for their nirvana from something other than what they are engaged in 8-10 hrs everyday.