Friday, September 19, 2008

Chanakya Quotes...

Sharing some well inspiring thoughts from Chanakya.....worth reading

Chanakya's Quotes - Worth reading a million times.

***************************************************

"A person should not be too honest.
Straight trees are cut first
and Honest people are victimised first."
Chanakya quotes (Indian politician, strategist and writer, 350 BC 75 BC)

***************************************************
"Even if a snake is not poisonous,
it should pretend to be venomous."
Chanakya quotes (Indian politician, strategist and writer, 350 BC-275 BC)
***************************************************

"The biggest guru-mantra is:
Never share your secrets with anybody. !
It will destroy you."
Chanakya quotes (Indian politician, strategist and writer, 350 BC-275 BC)

***************************************************
"There is some self-interest behind every friendship.
There is no Friendship without self-interests.
This is a bitter truth."
Chanakya quotes (Indian politician, strategist and writer, 350 BC-275 BC)
***************************************************

"Before you start some work, always ask yourself three questions -
Why am I doing it,
What the results might be and
Will I be successful.
Only when you think deeply and find satisfactory answers to these questions, go ahead."
Chanakya quotes (Indian politician, strategist and writer, 350 BC-275 BC)
***************************************************

"As soon as the fear approaches near,
attack and destroy it."
Chanakya quotes (Indian politician, strategist and writer, 350 BC-275 BC)
***************************************************

"Once you start a working on something,
don't be afraid of failure and don't abandon it.
People who work sincerely are the happiest."
Chanakya quotes (Indian politician, strategist and writer, 350 BC-275BC)

***************************************************
"The fragrance of flowers spreads only in the direction of the wind.
But the goodness of a person spreads in all direction."
Chanakya quotes (Indian politician, strategist and writer, 350 BC-275BC)
***************************************************

"A man is great by deeds, not by birth."
Chanakya quotes (Indian politician, strategist and writer, 350 BC-275BC)

***************************************************
"Treat your kid like a darling for the first five years..For the next five years, scold them.
By the time they turn sixteen, treat them like a friend. Your grown up children are your best friends."
Chanakya quotes (Indian politician, strategist and writer, 350 BC-275BC)

***************************************************


"Books are as useful to a stupid person
as a mirror is useful to a blind person."
Chanakya quotes (Indian politician, strategist and writer, 350 BC-275BC)
***************************************************
"Education is the best friend.
An educated person is respected everywhere.
Education beats the beauty and the youth."
Chanakya quotes (Indian politician, strategist and writer, 350 BC-275BC)

Wednesday, September 17, 2008

Collapse of investment banks.

On a Monday morning when you are coming to office, you are told that your company has been sold out to someone else or your company has filed bankruptcy...... what will be your reaction? I will be devastated on the news.... I believe this was the feeling that went through the minds of 2000-2500 employees in India working for Lehman Brothers. In the case of Meryll Linch the situation is not so bad with Bank of America taking over Meryll on Monday. Yet on both these situations, the employees future is uncertain and how cruel of the management to leave in mid-air.

At the outset I believe that India and Indians working for Big Multinationals must learn to expect such things in the future. In a globalised economy nothing is certain... a change in US will lead a change in India too... a change in Japan will affect India... although everything is not direct. The economies are so interlinked with the advent of globalization no country is single...

Such kind of shocks are new to us.... but when you need prosperity you will stumble on things with bad taste.... got to swallow it.

I hope the international banking community wakes up and take stock of their own backyard... clean up their own dealings on financial derivatives, real estate and mortgage loans. I believe the Indian banks are more conservative on derivaties and all kinds of loans. They are not lured by the incentives but look at the pitfalls too before committing themselves or on behalf of their customer.

Monday, September 15, 2008

Movie Review of 'A Wednesday' - Hindi

Last Saturday, 13 Sep 2008 I had been to this movie after reading a series of good reviews.... I must say it did not disappoint!!! The movie is good, excellent screenplay and a plain script with no masala flavour. I also believe the script is original from the director Neeraj Pandey. With so many remakes and copy cats in Bollywood it is good to see an original movie!

The narration of the movie is done by Anupem Kher who has done his role to the 'T' portraying as Maharashtra Police Commissioner... The instructions from the commissioner fly high during the tense hours and he is comfortable doing the role. Nasureedin Shah, another actor who has portrayed the character of 'Aam Aadmi' with elan. He fits into the role and upon his instructions the movie moves forward. The rest of the crew have done their job! Kudos to the team of 'A Wednesday'.

By looking at the way movie went forward and with the pre-conception that I knew what was going to happen to the terrorists the suspense was gone.... I believed that there is no motive for Nasureedin Shah to ask for release of terrorists because he was so simple and the obvious motive was that shown in the movie!. Maybe I watch too many films that I can pre-conceive the ideas or it maybe because of the reviews that I read before watching the movie.

The question raised by the movie is "What if.....". Again, this comes to the subject of the system in India. As in my last review Mumbai Meri Jaan I said it's very difficult to break the system. If we try to break, we break. Nasureedin Shah tries to break the system and as shown in the movie, he succeeds although the way he does may be a question. I am sure this movie will remain as a fantasy for a 'Common man or Aam Aadmi'. I am skeptical if anyone dares to do it... Will anyone in real life take such steps?....