I write about…

*Many* MBA hopefulls join an MBA course with a Hypothesis in mind – H = “The better the rank of an MBA School, the better the chances of employment.” Statistically the NULL Hypothesis of the same would be H0 = “MBA School rank has nothing to do with chances of employment.” As is customary in [...]

So I know you have probably read a *lot* of articles on iPhone4s, Siri and how it is AI. What is *most* irritating is the fact that people compare GVA (Google Voice Actions) with Siri. Even when given the arguments that Siri is the result of a 1960s Artificial Intelligence Project – one of the [...]

    Thinking of buying a DSLR lens can be intimidating to say the least. While Nikon APS-C sensors have a crop factor of 1.5, Canon has a smaller sensor giving a crop factor of 1.6. So if a lens (say) 18-200mm is used on a Full Frame it is 18-200, on a Nikon APS-C [...]

Short reason: It lost 500GB of my data. In a flash. Just like that. Long Story: I had 500GB of data on a 2TB brand new external MyWorld HDD. The HDD was formatted in NTFS. To enable my PS3 to read it I had to convert it to FAT32. It is a known fact that [...]

 Exactly my condition after working on this blog, customising CSS, PHP, XFBML and what not And it’s still not done

Recently I posted a random question on FB. What was the best thing before sliced bread? Now I did receive some responses to the question: 1) Chapati 2) Unsliced Bread 3) Naan 4) Tabasco Let’s take “Unsliced Bread”. For the first 15 years of sliced bread it was a complete failure. Nobody knew about it. [...]

The Dalai Lama when asked what surprised him the most, answered: “Man. Because he sacrifices his health in order to make money. Then he sacrifices money to recuperate his health. And then he is so anxious about the future that he does not enjoy the present; the result being that he does not live in [...]

This tool – Tweet Topic Explorer – analyses your tweets and creates a bubble chart on which words occur in your tweets most often. Now, believe me, I share stuff on Google Reader which is configured, to automatically tweet every single post that I share on Google Reader. And this tool seems to think that [...]

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Very funny

Title: Yahoo! Chess Game White: Isyanov010 Black: meetarnav Date: Tue Jul 05 14:06:58 PDT 2011 White      Black 1. f2-f4       d7-d5 2. g1-f3      b8-c6 3. e2-e3     c8-g4 4. f1-e2      e7-e5 5. f4xe5      g4xf3 6. e2xf3      c6xe5 7. o-o        g8-f6                           8. f3-e2      f8-d6 9. [...]

That does it. This is the last post in the series “Why Me Syndrome”. A recent incident whose exposition might be deemed to be sensitive and therefore “politically incorrect” (nothing to do with my professional life), led me to the inevitable conclusion that everyone on the planet has a fixed amount of “luck”. But not [...]

My A$$.   I am now in the intermediate stage of the extremely enjoyable hobby of jogging. I thought I had hit a dead end for my 5K timing and so maybe, just maybe I could listen to songs while running. I am not *that* into songs, and neither do I personally know anyone who [...]

From the Tribune 27th April 2011.   Viceregal Lodge renovates godown into mini-theatre Rakesh Lohumi Tribune News Service Shimla, April 27 First a coffee shop and a bookshop, then a court gallery and now a pool theatre. The old abandoned fire services building in the magnificent heritage complex of Viceregal Lodge, which houses the Indian [...]

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There are two ways I can write this article 1) Write an article with hordes of bullshit and links and references and crap from all over the web 2) Outline the facts, predict the future and leave everything open to debate Much as I hate it, time permits me to risk the 2nd one. Q) [...]

  So I have registered for Nike+ and have taken up (cold weather) running as a means of keeping fit/relaxing/passing time/hanging around with a very fond friend (who is off late putting on the persona of a Shark). Another motive is to get one of these, but that’s a long story. Now Nike+ has a [...]

They used to tank cod from Alaska all the way to China. They’d keep them in vats in the ship. By the time the codfish reached China, the flesh was mush and tasteless. So this guy came up with the idea that if you put these cods in these big vats, put some catfish in [...]

Hi All!! Go ahead and test your predictive skills with this survey. The Oscars are on 27th Feb. THE SURVEY IS OPEN TILL 25th of FEBRUARY 2011. YOU CAN SAVE RESPONSES AND COME BACK TO COMPLETE IT WITHIN 24 HOURS OF STARTING THE SURVEY. I will consolidate the results and send it to everyone who [...]

This survey was done to emulate this speech by Nobel Laureate Daniel Kahneman – The Riddle of Experience v/s Memory. Daniel Kahneman suggests a thought experiment at 11:10 from the start of the video. This is on similar lines. The survey was a simple one question survey You have been granted an all expenses paid [...]

So what happens when your sister sends you a card in the (vain) hope that you will keep up with 50    New Year Resolutions? Simple. You answer ‘em I will smile more often (Even if I have a black tooth) – Always do, ask my work colleagues I will keep happy (Even if I [...]

When I moved into my new house, the previous tenant remarked (in broken English) – “Arnav, thank God you’re moving in. The house is now possessed by you.” Well, she was right, to an extent. The burglar alarm sensors keep flickering even when there is nothing moving in the house. O.K. dude I know you’re [...]

To choose… or go with someone else’s choice. That is the question. If it works for coffee, it should work for people too. Yep, very logical. While I am at it, might as well test the embed tweet function… here goes… [blackbirdpie id="26659064448552960"] Success!!

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Base Fortune, now I see, that in thy wheel
There is a point, to which when men aspire,
They tumble headlong down. That point I touched,
And, seeing there was no place to mount up higher,
Why should I grieve at my declining fall?
Farewell, fair Queen, weep not for Mortimer,
That scorns the world and, as a traveller,
Goes to discover countries yet unknown.

-Christopher Marlowe, in his last play, Edward II

This is a DYNAMIC POST. Whenever

When I was 7, I remember my parents pushing me into the shower to take a bath. I never cried. I remember a ton of incidents… …that happened without any reason. I never cried. There were people who lied that they liked me. I found out they were lying. I never cried. There were people [...]

There is a thin line between love and hate, caring and letting go, listening and being apathetic… the just-right balance between black and white, and that which is difficult to walk on – like a rope balancing act, but has its rewards. The line of indifference. The opposite of love is not hate; it’s indifference.  [...]

No, its not “Thank U” its “Thanks U” :) What a way to while away a snowy Sunday!

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Hi Technorati staff! Yes, my claim token is EU6Z6NMFH6SZ

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This is the *final* version of Financial Planner for the year 2011. I will probably not be working on this anymore. If I do, it will be tweaked to my personal tastes and will not be available for public download. Updates: Now includes 1) Loan Amortization Schedule 2) Simple Tax Calculator Download it here. (XSLX [...]

The planner now includes a simulation of what your savings will look like in the future if you continue a particular expense or earning trend. Uses Monte Carlo Simulation. Download it here. Financial Planner v2.0 (XLSX Excel 2007, 2010 ONLY).

Thanks everyone for their feedback. Version 1.2 Revision Functioning 1. Fixed minor bugs Cosmetic Changes 1. Changed the look of Sparklines in Financial Summary sheet 2. Gray-coloured the area of “Contractual” expenses every month. Download it here. Finance Calculator v1.2 (Excel 2007,2010, XSLX version ONLY)

There are a lot of *really*  bad excel worksheets to handle personal budget. So I took it upon myself to do the job. And after some effort came up with what I believe is the most comprehensive personal budget planner available for FREE. Screenshot: The planner is *very* easy to use and really functional. I [...]

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A good intellectual discussion on Google’s Strategy, between two great thinkers on Planet Earth. Me After relentlessly aping Yahoo (email, maps, search, messenger, local), Apple (G1, App Store, et al), Microsoft (OS, Live mail, Docs, Browser), Google sets its eyes on Facebook. I think they should get an award for being the least creative company [...]

Now its just between me and the “psychic octopus” Let’s see. I don’t know the octopus’s prediction as of now.But even if I’m wrong I wont blame it on “poor quality” of data analyzed. After all the game is meant to be Enjoyed. Go Netherlands!

This experiment started about a month ago, when I noticed that no matter at whichever setting you pop the microwave popcorn, there are always some kernels left unpopped. So either there must be an optimal setting of the microwave OR these kernels should not be there in the packet. I tried to pop various packets [...]

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There comes a point in everything when we experience it for the last time. -Arnav

I owe my success to having listened respectfully to the very best advice, and then going away and doing the exact opposite. – G. K. Chesterton

…culled somewhere random from the internet.

There are two types of people in life – those worth living for and those worth dying for. -Arnav

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I was never a good programmer – partly because programming was a hobby, so after a couple of TSRs and smoke-bellowing programs, these having no relevant link to my profession – I diverted my energy to other things – like jumping out of planes. Oh, well… So here’s to CODING! Except that it envisions snippets [...]

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Introduction: I recently did a survey  to emulate this speech by Rebecca Saxe. For actual survey and results please refer to end of article. The survey was given out to approx. 250 people (MBS Class of 2011, MBS Class of 2010 & my Facebook friends. Total people count = 580; Total approx. UNIQUE people = [...]

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I did this as an assignment on the MBA. Since it is my own work – I chose to declassify it. A critical assessment of “Marketing Myopia” – Theodore Levitt, Harvard Business Review, 1975 in context of the contemporary Green Energy Industry. If you have pests in your house, what do you do? Build better [...]

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I don’t understand the point of Global Positioning Systems. The whole essence in the experience of traveling is in getting lost. -Arnav.

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So here I am flying Qatar Airways from Manchester to Doha. Headed to Bahrain from Doha on Qatar as well. The pit-stop between two connecting flights is 20 minutes. The flight is supposed to take off from Manchester at 1400, it takes off at 1515. I was really impressed by the onboard flight entertainment system, [...]

In stark contrast to the usually accepted pecking order, I found out that Hollywood horror movies have a very different food chain:

After having seen every Hollywood horror movie under the sun (and some even under the neighbouring galaxy’s sun) including TV mini-series such as The Twilight Zone and Masters of Horror and even Alfred Hitchcock Presents of the bygone days, I decided to analyse the hackneyed plots and prove that creativity in this genre is dead. [...]

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It was eight in the morning and a police jeep came to a halt near a milestone which read ‘Kimpri-17Kms’. Nathan, Dhiru and group of four policemen disembarked from the vehicle. They had spotted a white gypsy parked in a clearing and a senior police officer ordered one of his men to check it out. [...]

It was ten minutes since Parsy had been waiting crouched in the small cut out rock with the sound of footsteps getting louder and louder with every passing minute. He did not remove his hand from the flashlight. It sure is Tembul. Thought Parsy. Before he could react Tembul appeared in front of his makeshift [...]

“I was a shepherd up there once, Saab. We were a happy family. I used to tend the flock and sometimes used to take my son along with me. It is good if you know the shortcuts in the hills. It can save a lot of time.” Rampal related to them. Nathan was getting more [...]

A boy of not more than ten came and placed three cups of tea on the table. Nathan was not interested. “When did my students reach here?” Nathan asked Parshuram impatiently. He thought it would be better than asking whether they had reached at all. “No one came here, Mr. Nathan”, said Parshuram with a [...]

The telegram. 25th December 1989. PLEASE MAKE ARRANGEMENTS FOR SIX GUESTS. AROUND MID JANUARY. WILL CONFIRM LATER. A.S.NATHAN. For Parshuram such telegrams were common. Kimpri was a small village and had no hotel or any such place for visitors to stay. Parshuram would make arrangements for any tourists in the upper storey of the two [...]

Nathan and Dhiru reached Kimpri at quarter to four. The weather here was terrible. The first thing they saw on reaching the village was that all the houses’ doors were closed. The people shut themselves in, it’s probably the cold. Nathan thought. “We’ll have to ask someone about the Post Office. Dhiru stopped the jeep [...]

Kaul. It was almost one o clock. Kaul had been sleeping for about an hour. He felt quite refreshed. Time to check out on the others. Just as he exited his hut he saw Anand standing outside about half a furlong away from him. “Bamos amigo, para coffee?” he said almost half jokingly in Spanish. [...]

Dhiru was a much more experienced driver than Kaul would have been. He drove faster and was much more alert. “The weather is getting bad, Saab”, he could see black clouds over them; the result could be a hailstorm. “Hmm, two more hours to Kimpri?” enquired Nathan. “Yes, Saab.” It was half past one in [...]

Neenu. Neenu was about to go back when she saw Tembul standing at the small door of the hut. “Memsaab” it was Tembul’s voice “you forgot the mug back there so Anand Saab sent me to give it to you.” Tembul must have been a good five feet from Neenu. Slowly his arm began to [...]

Nathan was clicking some pictures with his single reflex camera, a Nikon FM-10, which he had acquired from Delhi. At the time he got the camera he knew almost nothing about photography, which explained his choice of a very basic model. But ever since then he had stuck to this model. He could produce pictures [...]

BBC Top Gear used my stock photo for their editorial content!!!! Wooooow!!! IMAGE:    http://www.sxc.hu/photo/832501 EDITORIAL:    http://www.topgear.com.ph/news/psbank-sees-10-hike-in-2010-car-sales And with prior permission too!!! …And AutoTrends too!!! http://www.autotrends.org/unsold-foreign-makes-getting-stocked-up-at-our-ports/ …And I still don’t have a DSLR. :(

Ever since she was a child, Neenu had been afraid of woods. Her parents had seen a specialist in the matter. The doctor had said that she suffered from a false fear of the woods. Xylophobia.  While on their way up, Neenu never left Anand’s side and tried to engage in light conversation. “What is [...]

From: http://www.techcrunch.com/2010/01/02/google-school-googlle/ The idea of working at Google is a dream job for many engineers all around the world. So where better to go to get ready for this career than the Googlle Institute of Software Studies, right? Hold on a second. Read that name again.Yes, it appears that some jokers in India are attempting [...]

It was eight in the morning and Nathan prepared himself for the long drive ahead. Despite living in a huge bungalow, he followed a simple routine. He dedicated himself totally to teaching his students in Palampur University. In the winters the University is closed from January to March, so he took pleasure in arranging excursions [...]

Today was a very special day for Tembul. A group of outsiders were to come to Kimpri. Kimpri was a small, self-content village a little above the foothills of the Himalayas. It was mid-January and it was cold. There was no water supply to the village and no electricity either. Tembul used to get up [...]

Someone recently asked me whether I would give up my sense of humor. And the answer is – No. Not happening. How can I give up all that I have? In Shakespeare’s times the court jesters were present to entertain the King and the court. They were called fools. Motley fools – just like Touchstone [...]

If only he had listened to Tembul. The thought resonated in Parasmani’s ears as he sat in a carved out rock cave, waiting. The sun had just set. Although he could not see it, he could tell by the reddish haze visible through the dense jungle. He could at least see the haze from his [...]

I do not feel restricted by my limitations, but rather, enabled by them. -Arnav

First post on this blog from my android phone …. and snow in Machester.

I often watch videos off the TED site, but some videos related to India, off late, set me thinking. Shashi Tharoor and the Power of Soft Power (referred to as ST from now on) Devdutt Pattanaik on East v/s West (referred to as DP from now on) Mallika Sarabhai – Dance to Save the World [...]

The online landscape: Yahoo! wants to spread some cheer to Internet users around the world. A leading online portal, Yahoo! draws people to its network of Web sites with a mix of news, entertainment, and shopping, as well the revitalized Bing search engine (powered by Microsoft). The company also offers registered users personalized Web pages, [...]

At first, I just didn’t like IE due to its slow speed, clumsy interface, lack of innovative widgets, cluttered antediluvian support… well you get the idea. I recently installed Windows 7 (which actually rocks), and tried to give IE 8.0 one last chance. Nothing had changed, it was still crappy – but this time it [...]

http://www.geek.com/articles/news/blockbuster-express-digital-rent-movies-on-sd-cards-20091110/# Last week Kingston announced it was going to start bundling movies with sales of Flash memory products, this week Blockbuster has announced you can start renting movies on SD cards. Now correct me if I’m wrong but out of the following two scenarios what looks good? This is what a sane human (Blockbuster management [...]

The problem with being a comedian is that you can’t tell whether people are laughing with you, or at you. – Arnav.

This is an analysis of how to strategically think about adopting a new social technology – if you value your freedom that is. The DATA: I asked a lot of my friends about what isthe time they think that occurs between interruptions, if one has access to any of the social technologies listed below – [...]

I know you think you understand what you thought I said, but I’m not sure you realised that what you heard is not what I meant. Rebecca Saxe tries to address the problem of how we develop the neural infrastructure to think about others’ thoughts. The region of the brain called the RPTJ can actually, [...]

I came across this article on http://dilbert.com/blog/entry/the_happiness_genie/ Suppose a genie appears and gives you two choices. The first option is that he will give you $10 million dollars, but everyone else you know will get $20 million apiece. Choice two: You get $5 million, but no one else gets anything. As a bonus, the genie [...]

Its amazing that when someone wins a competition, the person says – “Well, given more time, I could have performed a lot better.” When the same person loses a competition, he says – “Well, I gave it my best, couldn’t have done any better.” -Arnav.

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A.W.E.S.O.M.E. Don’t believe me? Try it!

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Analogy is often drawn between one, two , three and higher dimensional beings, and their behaviour, in one two or three dimensions , not respectively. I will try to express my views on one such analogy which everyone is so grossly mistaken about. The dimensions in increasing order are : zero, one, two, three, four….etc. [...]

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I came up with a formula for my reading speed long time back in school, and thought I would share it here. Conventionally reading speed is defined in words per minute but I don’t see how that is of any consequence. How can you know before hand the number of words in a tome and come up with how much time you’re going to finish it in? This formula does

Yep, on http://www.bingness.com/68/wordpress-services/real-world-examples-of-modified-wordpress-themes/ The blog is called binginess – What they didn’t tell you about online business. The case study lists out some top themes of wordpress that were modified to look even nicer. My own carbon soot from the midnight oil is on number 24.Check it out!! It’s a separate story that I trusted [...]

After negotiating a deal with MBS, for the three of us, Andy, Idalia and yours truly to attend the Cranfield MBA Regatta, that we were excited and looking forward to the weekend, is an understatement. Despite the usual academic pressure of electives and internship deadlines, we packed our bags to race against 191 professional yacht [...]

Okie. “The Mirror Cracked” is no longer an Agatha Christie Mystery. And yeah, I am officially MIRROR CRACKING MATERIAL. Having put a decent suit on for the upcoming London Alumni Event, I strolled to the far end of my room to face the mirror and adjust my tie-knot. The moment I did so, the mirror [...]

You think the only people who are people, Are those who act and think like you do; But if you walk the footsteps of a stranger, You learn things you never knew, you never knew. – Colors of the Wind, Pocahontas I could not figure out what the name of this blog entry should be, [...]

Ok. Its around 1pm and we have lunch at UPH and then move on back to MBS to attend the Ops Mgmt Class. I have to withdraw some money from the ATM machine in University Precinct, the RBS Bank one. I get in queue and everything is  normal. THREE people standing in front of me [...]

Wikipedia: Caving — also known as spelunking — is the recreational sport of exploring caves. In contrast, speleology is the scientific study of caves and the cave environment. Please do NOT get carried away by the flow of this article. Caving is classified as an EXTREME SPORT and hence, do consider health and risk issues [...]

The newest version of WordPress – 2.7RC2 is out ! Its named Coltrane, after the Jazz singer John Coltrane who played the most complex chord progressions on the saxophone in the history of Jazz. Thazz what Coltrane was all about – improvisation. Which is what WP 2.7 is all about too. So saying that wordpress [...]

All the world’s a stage, And all the MBAs and Academics merely players: They have their exits and their entrances; And one man in his time plays many parts, His acts being seven ages. At first the entrant, Dazed and confused at what the MBA is all about. Amazed at Accounting and overawed by Corporate [...]

…aka “Ratatouille”.

We finalised our trip to Chester, and what fun it was !! Trang, Suryasen, Santosh, Xinxin, Qifei and yours truly booked our tickets to Chester – a small sleepy twilight town, near Manchester. The plan was to go there early morning and return by evening. We boarded a train to Chester from Manchester Piccadilly and [...]

Hmmm. You Are a Pundit Blogger! Your blog is smart, insightful, and always a quality read. Truly appreciated by many, surpassed by only a few. What Kind of Blogger Are You?

Term one is over. And how. Management Accounting: DONE Financial Accounting: DONE Macroeconomics: DONE Microeconomics: DONE Corporate Finance: DONE All projects and presentations: DONE Group work assignments: DONE Individual assignments: DONE Books and course material taken for next term: DONE I wonder how so much was squeezed within less than three months !! La Vita [...]

I just HAD to share this… Courtesy of David Petro, London, who has broken all barriers of creativity. Since the ancient Greeks and the birth of tragedy, or indeed eariler, we have asked ourselves the question, “Why do bad things happen?” Most philosophy tries to answer this question in one way or another. Catholicism: Shit [...]

Ok, then. I am getting busier by the day. There is so much going on up here in the Manchester MBA, that my blog will have to take a backseat. Studying stats at 3am (while someone is feeling snap-happy at my plight). Attending meetings with company representatives. Loading mountain bikes on the train, deboarding at [...]

The class of 2010 went to a trip to Brathay. The intent of the entire course was to develop a learning of working in teams and inculcate leadership roles and qualities. The *very* good part was that the entire facility is based in British Cottage-style countryside in the heart of Lake District National Park. The [...]

Instead of writing about day to day experiences here, I shall just recount some most interesting ones. (The slow death of this blog has begun…) All of us went to Altrincham Skating Rink, and since I am skatingly-challenged, and the entire arena was CCTV monitored, I might be on WORLD’S FUNNIEST VIDEOS soon. Keep a [...]

Spent the day, (and most of the night), sending letters to friends. Not emails, letters. On an MBS notepad, with an MBS pen, detailing my excursions around the city… and managed to try my photography skills when I was done. ;) Lemme know when you get them people !!! In three hours, the MBA class [...]

Contrary to the usual “Indian” system of starting a lecture from Day 1 at a B-School, most international B-Schools have a Pre-MBA period during which a number of social gatherings, events and meetings are arranged. Included are a few tours of the city, so as to familiarize with the train/bus stations, restaurants and bars, shopping [...]

  I could have been a balloonist, but the idea didn’t take off the ground. I could have been a swimmer, but the idea didn’t hold water. I could have been a solicitor, but the work didn’t suit me. I could have been a woodsman, but the work made me pine. I could have been [...]

So now that I can access the net free 24/7 from the MBS internet center (only for MBAs), I dont have to write the “from a borrowed lappie” thingy in front of my posts. 23/8 – I have had my fair share of artworks. I have plentiful of hobbies that I keep myself busy with [...]

Farewell. Farewell everyone. I am leaving for the UK in about three hours’ time, for a good eighteen months, or forever (whichever is longer ). I started from Shimla towards Delhi, in the morning, and reached the airport an hour ago. Having checked in my baggage and procured my tickets, I saw this guy with [...]

This article (including the title) was written by me in 2001, in third year of college. I have tried my best to reproduce it as it was, though I cannot find a copy of the printed article. The magazine in college was entitled “Views Paper”.

Father: “Son, what would you rather be? A tall tree or a blade of grass?”
Son: “A tall tree, father.”
Father: “Son, when the storm comes, it uproots…

Growing political mayhem and economic mismanagement are turning India into a High Cost Economy. Read that as falling competitiveness, job losses and industrial emigration.

On September 12th, 2005, Business week headline read : “Why the world must watch out for India and China”. Alas, this very statement created in India a superego that is now hard to get rid of.  We are proud people. A little bit of praise thrown at

… from Shekhar Kapur’s blog. 20th Jan 2008.

http://www.shekharkapur.com/blog/archives/2008/01/apnapan.htm

a gentle touch of a finger
a leg rested gently against mine,
apnapan …

Wikipedia definition of a toddler: Toddler is a common term for a young child who is learning to walk or “toddle”, generally considered to be the second stage of development after infancy and before childhood occurring predominantly during the ages of 12 to 36 months old. During this period, the child learns a great deal about social roles and develops motor skills; to toddle is to walk unsteadily. The term…

Never let success hide its emptiness from you, achievement its nothingness, toil its desolation. And so keep alive the incentive to push on further, that pain in the soul which drives beyond ourselves.

Whither? That I do not know. That I don’t ask to know.

- Dag Hammarskjold

I believe that no man can be completely able to summon all his strength, all his will, all his energy, for the last desperate move…

Sometimes, if I lose you in the crowd,

Will you search for me, or leave me alone?

Sometimes, if I lead you into the darkness,

Will you stay back, or hold my hand and follow me?

Sometimes, if I break your trust,

Will you break mine, or try to understand?

Sometimes, if I do what I must,

Will you be by my side and take a stand?

Sometimes, if

This Friendship Day, a foggy cold afternoon in Shimla, instead of the usual rating and flirting with girls on the Mall, Me and Gaurav decided to top it off with a visit to our first Alma Mater – St. Edwards School, Shimla, where we became friends ages and ages ago. We decide to be self-invited victims to inevitable Nostalgia. We head off to the school on a holiday – that’s when Gaurav is free of his duties, and we enter our Alma Mater from the

This is a classic example of CHEAP AT TWICE THE PRICE.

I ordered a book “The Interpretation of murder” by Jed Rubenfeld through rediff shopping on 4th July 2008, and paid via ICICI bank transfer. Astonishingly the book was dirt cheap ! INR 258 only !

So the order is supposed to arrive at my doorstep in a week. I wait anxiously for

Ok. So here I am going to Mandi for Mr. Vaidya’s marriage. I have left it to the discretion of the party arriving from Chandigarh to get his gift. So all I had to do was to get to the place. Its the 2nd of Feb.

I board a bus that is headed from Shimla to Manali, and Mandi being more or less the center, I would get off midway. Accompanying

Yet another year of my defined existence rolls past. This birthday, however, I took some time to sit back, and while sitting at my Think-Table, in a far away country cottage, look out of the window at the cool blue sky, and ponder on where my life is leading me. I have read a lot

The great difference between voyages rests not with the ships, but with the people you meet on them.

-A. E. Barr

I had heard about the movie in Cochin Shipyard where my fellow mates spent half their time in front of the idiot box, while I spent my better time on beaches and in and around Kerala’s tea gardens and waterfalls. My friends told me about the movie largely because

News.
Namesco, the main sponsor of WordCamp UK confirmed today that they will be providing EVERY ATTENDEE TO WORDCAMP UK 2008 with a 1Gb memory stick – nice one guys!

WordCamp UK is an informal gathering of WordPress bloggers, podcasters, designers and developers based in the United Kingdom.

When – Saturday and Sunday 19-20 July 2008 < --- GREAT timing guys, Hmfph !

Where – The Studio

Washington, July 10: Invoking national interest, renowned spiritual guru, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, has appealed to all Indian political parties to display ‘magnanimity’ and support the troubled Indo-US nuclear deal.

“All parties must support the deal that is beneficial to the country,” he said.

India has always had a tradition of the government and opposition coming together in national interest whenever a crisis of war befall on the nation, he said, appealing

Someone once sent me an sms which had my personality traits as reported by an anonymous server somewhere on the planet. Recently when I got the same sms, (infact a bonus one too), from one of my langotiya yaars, and when it triggered a deja-vu effect,  I thought I would do an article on it. I don’t really know how to get these things on the mobile but anyways…

As I listened to a long speech
neither in praise nor in reproach,
addressed to my achievements
my life set me thinking.
I had been a victorious sailor
keen to explore the world – and did so
and what did I gain? Sweet words…

A lengthy slam book in my inbox is just about the most irritating things that I would want to see. Leave alone the idea of forwarding it to anyone, I detest simply to fill these things up. Makes me think of the movie “The profiler”… Anyways, what the heck.

1. Favourite/Least Favourite Color? Black/Orange.
2. Favourite/Least Favourite Sound? The Ocean/Chalk screeching on a blackboard.
3. Favourite/Least Favourite Smell? Rose/Public washrooms in my country.
4. Favourite/Least Favourite Word? Forever/Goodbye.
5. Favourite/Least Favourite Food? Maggi/French beans.
6. Do you hate more than 3 people? Who’s counting?
7. The last thing you drank? Cognac.
8. What was your first car? Dinky

Never has any other post on this blog elicited so strong a comment count as . So this article is based upon how I rate myself. Why? Reasons shall follow at the end.

I feel like the Bard of Avon, who drenched in the rain (on purpose, to the amazement of onlookers), is sitting down to write another of his plays “Twelfth Night” Or “What you will”, so I name this post in a similar fashion.

Ok. So after 6 days of interviewing 39 people( 29 girls, 6 guys and 2 couples) over the phone, smses, emails, social networks or just good

Searching for a new theme for my blog I came across this list of things that kids often do. So I thought I would highlight some of the things that I still do:

1. Do a cartwheel.
2. Sing into your hairbrush.
3. Walk barefoot in wet grass.
4. Play a song you like really loud, over and over.
5. Dot all your “i”s …

This post is a challenge. Actually, when I was sixteen, in a boring history class I invented a cipher. A code. Later I was able to program it on Turbo C++ in college, and further on in Visual Studio 6.0 Enterprise edition. I am NOT giving away the logic. Just that I want someone looking for an exercise in cryptography to try and decode this.

• The message DOES NOT CONTAIN a ‘q’ and an ‘x’ simply because it is a random passage which did not happen to contain these letters.
• There are no numerals either. Although my algorithm is capable of handling

Educated in a boys’ convent school, we were always at war with the girls. The rivalry between St. Edwards, a boys’ school and Sacred Heart Convent a girls’ school, in Shimla, is as old as the conflict between science and religion, as grave as the mystery of the Mayans and as famous as the controversy of the Bermuda Triangle.

Reminiscing the halcyon days of my school life, everything was kosher. Throwing carrots and cabbages via the only open window in a broken down school bus to the rival school bus. Perfectly legal. Getting radishes and

And now the big one. Salary. Why big? Money makes the world go round. I ain’t saying it. Its general consensus. In this article we plan to look at post-MBA salaries across various industries and sectors. Naturally, these depend on the number of years of work experience, the pre-MBA profile, how well defined are the aims of the candidate and the list goes on and on and on. In fact a company called Wetfeet publishes insider guides to dream companies like Mckinsey, BCG and Booz Allen Hamilton, just to give prospective hires a flavor of what they would be grilled

Do It Anyway …

~ People are often unreasonable, illogical and self-centered a**holes; let them be. Forgive them anyway.

~ If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish ulterior motives; let them bray. Be kind anyway.

~ If you are successful, you will win some false friends and true enemies; f**k those losers. Succeed anyway.

~ If you are unsuccessful, people will laugh and make fun of you; have the last laugh. Beat ‘em anyway.

~ If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you; they’re cheating themselves. Be

Recently I deleted all my scraps on Orkut. All picture albums and all videos. I have currently retained my account though. I have never used Facebook and will probably never register on MySpace either. Why? No reason. But then I started to wonder why social networking sites were started in the first place? Or is it worth using social networking sites to substitute reality?

Today there are literally hundreds of social networking sites. The theme of the site might range from, business to classmates to medicine to photo-sharing (yes, Flickr and

“To-morrow at twelve o’clock I regain my freedom and the right to associate with other men, but before I leave this room and see the sunshine, I think it necessary to say a few words to you. With a clear conscience I tell you, as before God, who beholds me, that I despise freedom and life and health, and all that in your books is called the good things of the world.

“For fifteen years I have been

Out of the night that covers me,
Black as the Pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever Gods may be
For my unconquerable soul.

In the fell clutch of Circumstance
I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of Chance
My head

ISB among top 20 B-Schools globally” was the subject of the email I received from Mr. Rao. The content of the email is reproduced below:

Dear Arnav,
Today, the 28th of January 2008, is a red letter day in the history of the ISB.

The latest list of the 100 top Global MBAs in the world released by The Financial Times today ranks ISB at Twenty (20), making it perhaps the youngest institution ever to be ranked among the top business schools in the world. The fact that we have been ranked 20th in the first time we have participated in rankings, makes

Venue: Telephonic. Result: Accepted after interview.

The interview was with Ms. Lori Garnier. Pretty straightforward in the sense that it was largely profile based and the tone was counter-questioning. Emphasis was laid on leadership and teamwork experience and how I would fit into a team based MBA at Queen’s. I had a feeling that even though not many questions were asked whatever I answered was considered very seriously. The interview…

Venue: Telephonic. Result: Accepted after interview.

My interview was scheduled with Mr. Sean Rickard. Two weeks earlier they had given me a topic to write 500 words on by taking a stand and justifying it. My topic was “Eventually currency in the form of coins and paper will completely be replaced by electronic system of transferring money. To what extent is this true and what are the advantages and disadvantages?” This was my response:

Many people believe that a system of exchange of coins and paper for currency will be completely replaced by a system which favours the exchange of

Hotel Intercontinental Eros, 3rd November, New Delhi. Result: Rejected after interview.

Looking at my proflie I would say I had a very good chance at ISB, simply because they are looking forward to people joining from different backgrounds, sailors, doctors, defence personnel and the likes.

I reached the venue half an hour before my scheduled time (9:00 am). I met three other candidates there – a DRDO scientist, an Armyman and an IPS.

Before the interview everyone was given a word to write a short essay on. In our case it was the same

Venue: Hotel Oberoi, 15th Jan Mumbai. Result: Accepted after interview.

Interviewing staff: Dr. Heather Spiro, Associate Director of Programmes, Manchester Business School.

I had travelled a long way for this interview, all the way from Shimla. The interview was on an formal tone, but Dr. Spiro is a wonderful person to talk to and put me at ease soon after beginning.

The questions were usual with emphasis on real life situations.

Why MBA? Why Manchester? Why now?

Leadership experience and how would you handle conflicts within your group? Also some profile based questions straight out of the resume. Dr. Spiro seemed to have

If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you
But make allowance for their doubting too,
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or being lied about, don’t deal in lies,
Or being hated, don’t give way to hating,
And yet don’t look too good, nor talk too wise:

If you can dream–and not make dreams your master,
If you can think–and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same;
If you can bear to

Once in Persia reigned a king,

Who upon a signet ring

Carved a maxim strange and wise,

When held before his eyes,

Gave him counsel at a glance,

Fit for every change and chance:

Solemn words, and these were they:

‘EVEN THIS WILL PASS AWAY.”

Trains, of camel through the sand

Brought him gems from Samarcand;

As you stand in the middle of nowhere, my son

Surrounded by hundreds with nowhere to run

When in the game of Kings you feel like a pawn

Just smile, be proud and say “Bring it on…”

When your steps feel heavy to take on the world

When your destiny is mute, never utters a word

You feel your life bloodied, shattered and torn

Just smile, soldier

Anyone who reads the MBA posts would want to know my profile.

Here is a summary.

GMAT 710, AWA 6/6. Taken once and final 31st Jan. 2007

TOEFL 114/120. Taken once and final 18th May 2007.

5 years+ work experience in the Merchant Navy with Barber Ship Management, 2003-2008

The Financial Times does a BORDA COUNT on all the factors responsible for ranking a B-School. However, some of these factors are not really “factors of competition”. So from a voting perspective this article looks at the modified rankings of B-Schools, using the PLURALITY method of voting, considering the effect of removing the insignificant factors. [...]

THE DEAL IS FINALISED

You are a couch potato.Imagine an ad on your local television network. “Do you want a salary hike? Do you want to be sought after by big-shot companies? Do you think your present qualification is not enough? Do you want an MBA? You have come to the right place! Presenting the Super-MBA Maker! Satisfaction guaranteed!” The only catch being that the word satisfaction is not really defined. If only…
Of course the Super-MBA maker would come with a caveat emptor. The Mr. read-between-the-lines. But the temptation of the ad and the product would be so much

After getting TONS of experience now for one year of researching GMAT and MBA stuff, I present prospective with MBAs some results of my research.

In this post I shall be discussing only MBA degrees offered by colleges accepting GMAT and/or TOEFL scores for the same.
Ok. Let’s assume that you have already taken a decision to get an MBA. The reasons might be varied. You hate your job – want to switch an industry. You love your job – want to accelerate to a higher position. You hate your city – want to get out. You love your city – want