Lets aim for a half century!!

pre 1947 India includes India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Burma

pre 1947 Afghanistan and Burma split

1947 India, Pakistan formed

1953 Potti Sriramulu leads by example, dies fasting for creation of Andhra, Andhra is formed.

1956 States reorganisation act - Split states based on language and culture

1956 Madras Presidency split to form - TamilNadu , Andhra, Karnataka

1960 Bombay State split to form Maharashtra and Gujarat

1962 Pondicherry, Dadra, Nagar Haveli, Goa, Daman Diu made Union Territories

1966 Punjab split to form Punjav, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and UT Chandigarh

1971 Himachal Pradesh becomes a state

1972 Manipur , Meghalaya and Tripura are formed

1975 Sikkim joins India is made a state

1987 Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram and Goa become states

2000 Chattisgarh created out of Madhya Pradesh

2000 Uttarakhand created out of Uttar Pradesh

2000 Jharkhand created out of Bihar

2009 Govt gives nod to split Andhra Pradesh to create Telangana (29th)

???? Gorkhaland (Fasting begins on 21st Dec 2009) from West Bengal (30th)

???? Vidharba

???? Saurashtra

???? Bundelkhand from UP & MP

???? Coorg from Karnataka

???? Harit Pradesh or Kisan Pradesh from UttarPradesh (35th)

???? Go on a hunger strike , pay some morons to destroy public property, name your State and you will get it

--Badri--

Separation 2

This was originally the first part of the poem Separation that I posted last week. I dint like the poem so was unsure about posting it. But several people wrote to me saying the poem was good(or not as bad as i thought) so I am gathering all my courage and posting this original first part

I avoided posting this cos this is my first poem without a rhyme scheme and I dint put much effort into it. The entire poem took less than 3 minutes to write, I was at "coffee beans and tea leaves"(a coffee shop) and wrote down the words as they came to me so here goes ....

---------------------------------------------------------------------
Am still wondering how to say those words
Even though i know I should have said them a million times before
I know now is too little , too late
But babe I owe it to you

I know we arent together
And those words now might mean nothing
They wont fix those bad sores
Nor would they bring you back to my doors

Every time that I had to say these words before
I smiled, hugged you or gently kissed your forehead
And was convinced you knew what I meant
But never did I realize saying it aloud would be important

Like morning dew falling on cacti
You came into my life trying to make me soft
Little did you know that this cacti had thorns
That could tear down and hurt dew drops

I know I dont deserve you
But please tell me how i can thank you
I am sadly just an ordinary man
From expressing my love, to thanking I need to be told how

I wish I could tear open my heart and show you its made for you
But alas I cant and in words or actions
I know not how to show you what you mean
So sadly must I let go

I have become a better man cos of you
From making my bed, dressing smart to even combing my hair
You have taught me how I could be better than what I was
But I alas thought a few gifts will make up for my lack of words to thank

Damn why cant I word how I feel
You know I love you so those arent the words I want you to hear
There is something more important alas I fear
"Babe I am sorry for all those times that I was me"

Alas "me" am a cacti with several thorns
Its with you that I have a soft side
Its as "we" that I feel fresh, green and alive
Come back my dear, I promise I wont be me, I will be the 'we'

---------------------------------------------------------------------

P.S: I know it sucks but I if I don't post it I will lose it like the several other poems I have lost. So kindly bear with me.

--Badri--

Separation!!!

Couldnt really translate all my emotions into words, nevertheless a poem it is... so here goes a half baked poem


-------------------------------------------
We both know that "we" are meant to be
But still i stay aloof and you ignore me
This Separation my dear is now starting to kill me
Like termites working on a book, slowly its destroying me

I dont know what love is
But I know you I so miss
Minutes without you seem like hours on a bed of nail
uncomfortable, torturous and by the second making me frail

I know you fell for me the very moment I first called out
But still only indirectly do you connect as if always in doubt
We both go about doing that stuff they call -living
We meet other, laugh, talk, play but oh god this is so sickening

Alas I am, without you near me just a zombie
Laugh, talk, play are all only pretense if one is just a zombie
There is hope in me that someday "we" will be
Hence I am not able to end this joke thats me

But dear if we are not going to happen
Please be merciful and end this joke thats me
Tell me that you hate me and walk away slowly
By the time my eyes lose sight of you I will be history

Cheers,
--Badri--

Microsoft's Fake Office - ZOHO's fake office and Google's high road!!!

Earlier last week Ron Markezich, corporate VP of Microsoft Online called ZOHO , Google , Zimbra and the likes - Fake office.

"we're not seeing any inclination that Zoho or Google or Zimbra or any other of those offering fake Office capabilities can replace [Microsoft Office]," he said.

As expected the CEO of ZOHO Corp, Sridhar Vembu "took offense" or sensed a "marketing opportunity" (hopefully the latter) and wrote this blog on why Microsoft was wrong and why they should label Bing the fake search.

So far so good or was it ?

ZOHO created and launched http://fakeoffice.org/A site that had Ron's statement as its central banner message which backed by its video, testimonials, tweets and viral marketing, soon attracted visitors(I am sure the site attracted at least a few hundred thousands).

Wow , what a brilliant marketing idea - you think , but was it ?

Sure the site attracted a few hundred thousand visitors, perhaps a hundred thousand even became ZOHO customers but was this way to go, even if it was, did ZOHO cross the limits. Here is my take .........

i) It was Ron Markezich, one of MSFT's several VP's , not Steve Ballmer, but still ZOHO made such a noise around the statement, making me wonder if ZOHO is so desperate for attention that a random comment by someone is considered worthy enough to be used as a marketing tool by them.

ii) I am sure ZOHO felt comfortable to make all this fuss because it was someone from MSFT (Thanks to all the anti-MSFT crowd out there) who made the statement, wonder how they would have reacted if Eric Schimdt or someone important from Google had made that comment ......

iii) Its ironic that within hours of ZOHO making merry (cruelly if I might add) at the expense of Ron's poor choice of words, ZOHO's Rodrigo Vaca (Director of Marketing) felt it comfortable to call MSFT a "800-lbs gorilla" in the industry in his blog post here

"The question is, what do you do when the 800-lbs gorilla in the industry calls you a fake?"

What more he also adds

" Wow - Thanks! We are overwhelmed by the support everyone showed us on Twitter and else where after Microsoft called us "fake"......Tim O'Reilly also twitted about it:"

I am glad someone from ZOHO (even though by mistake) realized that Tim wasn't supporting them but "Twitting" them.

Overall, While it definitely is a big step forward for ZOHO that people in MSFT are noticing them and are worried about them(I am sure ZOHO knew this ages before Ron made the statement) , while the videos on the fakeoffice.org site display good creativity among the ZOHO folks, while Sridhar's asking "if ZOHO is fake office is Bing fake search... "is funny (and hence deserves the attention it got from people like Tim O'Reilly) .... It is sad that the great startup that ZOHO once was is displaying signs of becoming evil and may be even becoming arrogant.

For a few thousand users, they have IMHO taken the wrong road, displayed immaturity and forever attracted the attention of users and media who will have a field day when someone from ZOHO has a slip the way Ron did.

Compare this to the great wisdom/maturity that Eric Schmidt showed in his interview on Fox News in which he said "I’ve learned not to respond to quotes by Steve Ballmer." He irked Ballmer with his quote for sure, got the applause of several users and Google watchers and more importantly he "did no evil". Now thats what is called the High Road.

Hmm.. Perhaps ZOHO's actions are justified if one goes by the adage "All is fair in love and war" (or is it ?)

--Badri--

P.S: One thing beats me, why did they register fakeoffice.org instead of realoffice.org ?

P.P.S: Trash talks are good , they actually help in marketing. But the trashtalk must be subtle and funny (like Sridhar's Bing comment) and should stop there. What should you do next then ?.....

The safest route to take is to talk about your competitors as a group, keep the direct attacks to a minimum, and keep your focus on how you can better serve the prospect.(Source)

Disclosure: I started my software career at ZOHO Corp and still am in love with the company, I admire its progress and the brilliant software the team creates. The above post is made out of pain that I felt when ZOHO decided to make hay(cruelly) out of someone's slip.

Publish Post

Update: Its been 7 hrs since I made the post now and so far 3 people have written to me(about their take on my blog and while doing so also) saying they started trying ZOHO after they read my blog post. Wow , any publicity does seem to be good publicity. (will write a blog post on this later)

Updates!!!

Delhi is an awesome 17 degree centigrade now, The pollution makes it very difficult to breath but the weather is still amazing

Went SHOPPING yesterday, purchased 7 items, Learnt two things - Shopping can be fun, I am pathetic at shopping. The shopkeepers at Lajpat Nagar probably signaled each other saying "Guy in blue tshirt, doesnt know how to haggle, pays 3 times the items price"

"Ogden Nash" is a genius , Spent 1.5 hrs at the dentist today morning, 1hr yesterday, another 1hr appointment tomorrow - Root Canal for a Tooth gone really bad

I wonder if I am special or just an aberration, 3 and a half local anesthetics later still felt severe pain, no numbness in tooth, tongue or lips. Managed to scare the doctor. Wonder why i dont get drugged that easily.

Road lessons :
Normal Roads : By mistake if you find yourself in the middle of the road and a vehicle approaching you , then stay put the driver of the vehicle will go around you.
Delhi Roads : By mistake if you find yourself in the middle of the road and a vehicle approaching you , then start praying to god and run as fast as you can to any corner of the road (if you dont the vehicle driver will find you and hit you)

--Badri--

Barrack Obama, Nobel Prize and No Value Found

I dont think Obama deserved a Nobel Prize but then what do i know , so I searched Google for details about the US presidents and guess what - Google thinks "Obama - No value found "

Who are you to tell me what I should do ?

How many times have we felt "who are you to tell me what i should do " when our bosses have instructed us to do something. However small the task might have been, say ordering a particular color t-shirt for the team mates, we still feel "damn he dint listen to my decision, he has no taste for design....".

Now invert the situation, imagine you are the boss , how many times would your subordinates be feeling , damn he is not listening to me , he is such a jerk.

Now if you have tight deadlines , a lot to accomplish and you have a subordinate who is as good as you but has very different opinions from you, how will you ensure he doesn't feel that his ideas are not being considered ......

--Badri--

Rudyard Kipling's - If

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 imposters just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to broken, and stoop and build 'em up with wornout tools;

If you can make one heap of all your winnings and risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings and never breath a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew to serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you except the Will which says to them: "Hold on";

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue, or walk with kings, nor lose the common touch;
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you; If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute with sixty seconds' worth of distance run
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it, and, which is more, you'll be a Man my son.

Dilbert - Manager's Suggestions!!!

These guys understand what happen in offices so well ;-)

--Badri--

Quick Reference for Coping with Difficult People

Behavior Name	Typical Actions	Positive Intent	Basic Coping Strategy
Sherman Tanks	Pushy, abrupt, and even hostile. Attack until others move out of the way or accept their view of the world. Aggravated by too much discussion or friendly chat.	Get it done	Hold your ground, but don't fight back. Interrupt the attack by repeating name. Restate the problem. State your own opinions forcefully. Be ready to be friendly.
Snipers	Hide in crowds. Use jokes and sarcasm to sidetrack, humiliate, and embarrass people. May roll eyes to distract you. Can become tanks if exposed. Friendly snipers use humor to get attention from the group.	Get it done Get appreciated	Surface the attack immediately Ask about intent and relevancy. Seek group consensus of criticism. Solve the problem, if any exists. Resolve on-going problems in private.
Exploders	Feel thwarted and threatened so they "act out" through tantrums. May storm out of the room or attack others verbally without explanation. May cry or look silently enraged.	Get appreciated	Give them time to run down. Get their attention. Show that you take them seriously. Reduce intensity. Take a break. Identify and solve underlying problems.
Know-it-all Experts	Extremely confident in their abilities. Very accurate and thorough. Tend to ignore other opinions. Quick to criticize and pick at others. Don't like to be contradicted.	Get it done	Be prepared and know your stuff. Listen and acknowledge respectfully. Present your views indirectly. Turn them into mentors.
Think-they-know-it-alls	Act like experts. Charismatic or enthusiastic talkers. Like to pontificate about subject in front of others, even though they are not really experts. Tend to be generalists in many fields.	Get appreciated	Give them a little attention. Clarify for specifics. State facts or alternative opinions. Allow them to save face. Break the cycle.
Super-agreeables	Try to please everyone by doing what is asked while sometimes feeling put upon. Over-commit so much that they perform poorly. Use humor to reveal issues.	Get along	Make it safe to be honest. Talk personally and honestly. Help them learn to plan realistically. Ensure commitment. Strengthen the relationship.
Indecisives	Avoid making decisions for fear of harming a personal relationship. Hint or beat around the bush to remain honest. Try to postpone decisions until they are not necessary.	Get along	Establish a comfort zone. Surface the issues. Help them problem solve. Reassure, then ensure follow through. Strengthen the relationship.
Unresponsives	Withdraw from others when frustrated. Stop talking although they appear angry. Wash hands of decision rather than try to influence it. Don't like to rush into action without understanding the background and the details of a project.	Get it right	Be prepared to wait. Ask open-ended questions expectantly. Avoid filling quiet pauses with talk. Help break the tension. Guess. Show the future.
Negativists	Feel hopeless to enact change. Destroy morale. React strongly to problem solving or process changes. Sound bitterer and more hopeless than complainers.	Get it right	Avoid getting drawn in. Don't argue. Explore the problem before solutions. Describe the worst case situation. Use them as a resource. Wait for them, but be prepared to act.
Complainers	Whine and speak in generalizations about problems. Focus on problems, not solutions. Believe someone else should fix the problem.	Get it right	Listen for the main points Acknowledge, interrupt and get specific. Don't agree or apologize. State facts. Switch to problem solving. Draw the line. How should this end?

Compiled from "Dealing with People You Can't Stand" by Dr. Rick Brinkman and Dr. Rick Kirschner and "Coping with Difficult People" by Dr. Robert M. Bramson.

Copyright : http://www.userassistance.com/presentations/diff_qref.html

P.S: The way i see myself i am right in between an exploder and a know it all expert ;-)

--Badri--

4 months of silence and microblogging

Haven't blogged in the last 4 months (i am sure you noticed). Well there wasn't much to write about since i had decided not to gripe on my blog ;-)

And almost everything i wanted to say now and then, fit right into my microblog

http://twitter.com/vsbadri

--Badri--

In search of heaven!!!

Watching this video would start several threads of thoughts in you based on your own interpretation of things and your temperament

http://vzaar.com/videos/28473

The chief thought that ran in my mind was simply this -- They killed 140 odd people and caused so much in damage for "Heaven". A place we don't even know for sure exists.

Other thoughts include
i) The inability of our police and national guards to block entry of intruders into the soil
ii) Their inability to stem the acts of terror with better agility
iii) The sacrifice and bravery of the guards who lost their life trying to protect someone they had absolutely no relationship with
iv) The question Why doesnt the government declare war on Pakistan and wipe out all these organizations the same way Israel does with those that spread terror on their soil ?

--Badri--

Ayan - Tamil Movie - One minute review!!!

Story - Ok
Direction - Tolerable
Overall - 2/5 - Watchable once
The movie starts alright with good amount of comedy that keeps the audience entertained. But somewhere down the middle one starts to realize that the Editor forgot his task and slept on the job and hence the movie still contains some scenes which should have definitely been removed. Watching the movie becomes a drudgery, post the interval and one needs to 'invest'(more appropriately 'waste') a good amount of energy to sit through the second half of the movie.

Tamanna is good , pretty looking and can act well too. Surya has done his part pretty decently too, The music sucks, actually borders over noise. Choreography is miserable and costumes defeat choreography in being miserable. But in spite of all this the above average story line, some decent acting, well interspersed comedy tracks and a bit of action make the movie worth watching once.

--Badri--

I am finally there!!!

I am finally there - If you are reading this post on 4th April 2009 that should be the message on the count down timer in the right column. The MBA program in ISB is over, 1 year is gone, the graduation begins in another 17-18 hrs and by end of day today it would be curtains.  Reminiscence is something I am not good at , it often leads to gripes, but such an important year cant go un-recollected

My biggest take away: The shift into management and a high paying job. 

Although I cant claim to have gotten the biggest or most coveted or highest paying job on campus, In an year that has tortured most of my classmates placement wise, I am happy I got a job thats above average. I have only one explanation for how I managed this - God's grace. 

My biggest regret       : Not having made any friends.

I have always struggled at making friends, I am quick to start networking with people and quicker in dropping the network and moving on. I lose interest in people very fast and find it very difficult to listen to a boring competition, put up with something I dont agree, laugh at a non joke, etc perhaps i am autistic but whatever be the reason In my 21 yrs of education and 5 yrs of work experience I have managed to make only 8 friends.

The school has been a good experience for a few, many found their dream jobs, many got what they wanted out of it, many found their future life partners. But I am convinced at least 40% of the batch would agree with me when I say  - something just doesnt add up about the ISB experience, something is lacking. Albeit we cant put our finger on a particular point, that point still exists.

Overall I am happy with the way things went. It  was ok. But if I could go back in time would i choose ISB - definitely not. Why - all i can say is that something was just not right, something was missing, and one day before I leave the school I am still unsure whether its me or the school.

--Badri--

And I am an MBA!!!

The one year long course at ISB is done, finished my last examination for the course some 20 min ago. I dont know why facebook and orkut status messages of my classmates are loaded with sad messages about missing ISB etc I am extremely happy that this is over, I am an MBA :-).

--Badri--

P.S: I finished the exam 20 min before schedule , thats something I have been very consistent about , I have finished all exams at ISB 20-30 min before the schedule. Nothing great abt that just a rant ;-) 

Treat Please!!!

One of the many disadvantages of being successful at something is the dozens of Treat Seekers one has to satisfy after the success. While  the dictionary gives several meaning for the word Treat, the ones that best fit my post are as below.

i) Provide with choice or abundant food or drink

ii)Provide with a gift or entertainment

Ever since I got placed at ISB, there are dozens of folks asking me for a treat almost every time they come across me. While as such I fail to understand how throwing an extravagant dinner to some people will help me increase my happiness from the success manifold times, I do participate in treats cos society demands so. But unfortunately ISB (hopefully for only the time being) has left me only with loans and negative account balance (I am not kidding I have an ICICI ATM receipt that reads -11.81). I have been surviving by borrowing from friends around me. That being the case I was somehow not convinced about treating a few people by borrowing from few others. But then the dozens who wanted the treat wouldn't buy the argument. 

Hence I worked out a master plan(or at least i thot it was), 60% of the treat will be paid by me and 40% by all the other participants in the treat put together. Of course the plan went kaput, the moment they had to pay all those who only wanted free stuff bailed out. While the cancellation of the planned Treat is not sad , I am surely upset about the fact that the one last gala time I was planning with those folks before leaving hyd wouldnt happen for that exact one reason for which happiness should not be sacrificed - lack of money.

So did I not treat any one at all - of course not I treated just one person but again the Treat exceeded my planned budget by 100% :-( so that left me too scared to plan any further treats. I am depressed and yet again convinced that "Lack of Money is the root cause of most unhappiness".

Cheers,

--Badri--

Now Playing!!!

"GendhaPhool" - from the movie "Delhi 6". Wait for the song to play for at least 1 min(at the 49th second the song becomes more interesting) and u will surely feel like tapping your feet to the rhythm or might be even dancing. A.R.Rahman rocks.

An ode to a loved one!!!

Have fallen in love with her
Years after I first met her
Dearer to me she has now become
Even though to the end of our chapter we have come
Rarely have I missed someone
And a permanent place in my heart very few have won
But she has now etched herself
Alas she has given me so much more than just herself
Dear I am sorry I have to go

Change alone is constant like you already know
Thanks for the friends that you gave me
Thanks for the aspects of life you made me see
I have changed a lot cos of you
I am a better man cos u made into
It sure feels like the end of an era
But dont worry "Merey dil mey sada rahega ek place thera"

How is it ?

Roughly 30min of googling for blog templates and 2hrs of battling with CSS, HTML and Javascript later my Blog wears this new skin. Somehow i am left feeling I have forgotten all that i knew about the coding and designing world. I also feel that blogger makes it really really diff to change templates. Anyways how is my new template?

Cheers,
--Badri--

Blocking Anonymous Posts!!!

Long long ago when i started blogging a bunch of nut cases who also happened to be cowards without balls teamed up to post anonymous comments ridiculing me. While its understandable that there are people out there who hate me or have a different take on what i post out here, anonymous comments are annoying and often dont provide useful feedback.

The phenomenon has repeated in the recent past although this time it seems to be just one maniac who knows me well and not a bunch of idiots. Nevertheless to save myself the pain of comment moderation and/or comment deletion I have blocked anonymous comments on my blog, my apologies for the inconvenience caused.

--Badri--

Delhi 6 - A Movie Review - Yeh Silly hey merey yaar!!!

Ok first of all I must acknowledge having stolen the title of my review from that of Raja Sen's here.

But for A.R.Rahman's awesome music, a very good performance by Sonam Kapoor and some nostalgic memories of Delhi and Indian way of life(If you are a Delhiite or have been away from home for long) the movie sucks big time. Its a horrible waste of the producer's money and is truly very very silly.

In spite of the spiteful comments to Raja Sen's honest and good Delhi 6 Movie Review and the overly biased horrible and misguiding review of the movie by Arthur J Pais I stick to my point the movie is definitely not worth watching even once.

After seeing Times of India give the movie a 3star and Arthur J Pais a 4star I decided to watch the movie on the day of release i.e today. The movie started well with touchy feely family sentiments , Indian cultural elements and yada yada. But very soon the director lost direction(all puns intended) and tried to bring in Hindu, Muslim unity, scenes from after death, martyrdom in Abishek Bacchan and totally screwed what could have been a good time pass movie. As far as the acting goes, AB looked constipated in his affected american accent but Sonam Kapoor the other lead has done a pretty good job(she looks very pretty too.). She cant cry it and just yells but I am sure she will work on that skill. But for the bad crying acting Sonam has improved a lot and shown that she can act, dance and be sexy. Kudos !!!

The Kaala Bandar in the movie which pops out of nowhere and finally is portrayed as the badness in all of us is a miserable attempt at being emotional, preachy and winning awards. One is left wondering if the Kaala Bandar has been given so much screen time that it and not Abishek should have been the Hero, well wudnt have made much difference for the movie anyways.

Anyways watch Delhi 6 if and only if , at least one of the following apply to you :

i) u r sick,
ii) have nothing else to do,
iii)want to really piss yourself off,
iv) Are a Delhiite and want to enjoy the spirit of Delhi, have some fond memories of the place kindled

else DONT GO WATCH THE MOVIE

And finally "Arthur J Pais" in the rare event that you are reading this - Whats wrong with you - Delhi 6 and wow dude u need to meet a psychiatrist

--Badri--

Firefox yes, IE yes, Chrome No!!!

Rebirth - Thoughts!!!

Too many thoughts have been taunting me the last 10-15 days. While there is nothing unusual about my being troubled by thoughts, whats unusual is that even while I was happy touring places like cape comorin and trivandrum these depressing thoughts were taunting me. So what was i thinking about that depresed me so much - Rebirth

I was thinking what the world would be like if one were to know what he is going to be born as? Of course there are several schools of thought about rebirth and i am sure there will be several lines of thought for my question. But just imagine a situation, a guy is struggling in this birth, has lots of dreams, but is unsuccesful is achieving any of it as hard as he might try, his role model in life late.Mr.X has achieved all of his dreams and also become a legend. And one fine day he finds out that he was Mr.X in his past birth. How futile will his life seem? how relevant will aims, goals and achievement be if one realises its a game played over several births and even if u win this one, u might be the biggest loser in the next?

btw the idea above is copyright 2009 Badrinath, I plan to right a book with this as the subject ;-)

--Badri--

And ISB is FT 15!!!!

ISB has moved up 5 places in the Financial Times MBA rankings and is now the 15th best B-School in the world.

http://rankings.ft.com/businessschoolrankings/global-mba-rankings

I would like to dismiss this as just another number that grown ups in academia play with but then for the last 30 min I have been pondering what it really means to ISB
Thinking aloud:
i) The placements this year arent the best we have had, like every other school out there we have been hit by recession. FT20 dint help us much in this frontier
ii) I would like to believe the number of foreign students interested in us has gone up. Although their numbers aren't a significant percentage of the desi populace at school, the number of foreigners coming through exchange programs and no,of foreigners applying to ISB has definitely gone up.
iii) For every 10 people in India who dont know what IIMs are there are still 100 who dont know what ISB is (Its my alma matter so I have shrunk the number a bit but if I were to be truthful it wud be around 200-250 i guess)
iv) The no.of foreign companies interested in ISB hasnt risen much, mebbe recession , mebbe it takes time but then how do students benefit from FT15 if the foreign companies dont come for recruitments.
v) I just cant digest that Cornell ranks below us and Tuck is only two places above am I missing something or is it FT
vi) Btw how credible is the FT ranking is it the best in the industry/area
vii) There is one another point i want to add here but I will reserve it till I finish the course

Anyways congrads to my alma matter for the achievement, for whatever its worth FT15 sure does seem big, after all which other school that is less than 10 years old has gotten this far

Cheers,
--Badri--

The month with no posts!!!

My last post was on Dec 24, almost 30 days have gone by without a single post. Why

i) I wanted to open blogging this year with a great post
ii) Was slightly pissed with the job applications and the dings
iii)Had a 15 day long vacation during which time I concentrated on two things - eating and sleeping.

In spite of the fact that I cudnt come up with a great topic or a great post I decided to blog today to break the one month drought. A lot happened in the month that transpired but not everything is important and not everything is worth sharing. So here are the highlights.

Got placed in a IT startup on Day1 of placements. Yah Yah startup, in this economy, some risk involved and some instability but then I had to take my chances. Getting placed on day 1 is such a relief and well worth the risk or is it? Anyways keeping my fingers crossed and hoping I have a long career at that company.

A little earlier than that placement I applied to close to 14 companies and got only 2 shortlists. A dozen dings aint that bad compared to what some of my classmates had to go through but then it wasnt pleasant either. Most importantly it demoralizes you.

A little earlier than this applying and dings, a good number of us went crazy about occult and astrology and some how wanted to figure out what was in store for us post ISB. Feel like laughing do ya, you must have been in our shoes

The last one month has been very boring. 7th term should easily be the worst term ever. The profs dont realize that no one wants to do a gazillion assignments and write exams during placement season and more importantly during 7th term.

Well then I guess I have ranted enough and have covered almost all the highlights of the last 30 days. Well there was the ISB Dean and Satyam stuff abt which I am not going to blog, Slumdog nomination for 10 oscars which is all over the web and hence doesnt need a mention from me, Rehmans awesome music in Slumdog and Delhi6 and the absolute certainity of his winning an oscar which again has been stated very many times by very many people. Hmm.. Well then I guess thats it for now. Thanks for staying tuned, Happy new year.

--Badri--