Magnum Opus.............History beckons!!

Tonight is the big night.............the chance for the dream 11 to find a place in the footballing history. Who is it going to be?? The steamrolling Germans or the smooth operators, the Spanish armada.

I am quite excited about the prospect. I think eventually the two most improved sides have made it to the finals. Germans have an envious record when it comes to the big stage. They are masters at raising their game when situation demands. But this contest might test their abilities to the hilt. The silken touch of the opposition could pose a problem or two.

Hope the best side wins eventually..................IT'S TRULY A MOUTH-WATERING FACE-OFF!!

What's all that hullabaloo about ??........size zero, implants,and now....

............all that talk about injecting the sweet spot to enhance the pleasure. The popular media is having a field day talking about such topics nowadays. The Hunger for success, to be that somebody, has taken it's toll on our every action. Yes even the action that comes most naturally, has suffered and has been reduced to one of the things on the long list of "things to do".

Kareena in her new incarnation as a goddess of size zero has become the role model of millions not just in the big metro's but right across the hinterland. These days the lady is at her boniest best. Did I hear some one say? Ouch!! Poor Saifu.

Wondering what happened to those bevy of beauties, with some flesh on the bones. By the way, the organisers of 2010 beauty pageant, Ms. Universe are planning to add a new title - Bony Ms..........Just might!! Hope Bebo is listening.

LOVE THAT CAPPUCCINO!!!

Always been a "TEAtotaler". The hot affair that started as a kid, is still continuing after all these years. Nothing can be more refreshing than two large mugs of hot chai early morning.....taken back to back, one after the other.

The much admired global hot beverage..... coffee, rarely found a place on my list of "must have"..... until I walked thru' the doors of a popular coffee chain and fell for that sparkling cup filled with espresso coffee, steamed milk with a topping of whipped cream.

There has been no looking back since.............I keep heading back to those small joints.......whenever I get time between my meetings. I wish I could do it often.............LOVE THAT CAPPUCCINO!!

SHOULD HAVE KNOWN BETTER!

Some guy's have all the luck, some guy's get nothing but pain. I don't think I'll ever be able to figure out why good guy's always have to finish last. Look around and you will understand what I mean. There are umpteen instances, where the deserving has been simply pushed aside and made to walk the dark alley of the corporate jungle.

What people in the hot seat of power tend to forget is that no single person can snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. It is always about a few good men.Behind every decorated soldier there are hundreds of unsung heroes. Martyrs, who get nothing for their heroics, but a little mention on the concrete walls of some landmark monument.......somewhere.

I am getting tired of ending up on the losing side. Still fighting it out though.........hoping to be heard, acknowledged...........some day.

A fine day among the Lords.......Lords of 83 !!

I want to thank my dearest buddy Sanju for an awesome day at Jaypee Greens Golf Club, Greater Noida. If not for him, I wouldn't have got this opportunity to get up-close with the dream cast , the legends of 1983 world cup winning team.

25 years on..........but still that sweet smell of success is so fresh. Age has caught up with the fabulous bunch but the spirits are still soaring. Cracking jokes, a little nudge here, a little nudge there, pulling each other, the camaraderie was so evident even after all these years............Wow !!

Credit goes to the incomparable organiser, The UB Group for getting the whole act together............for taking us back in time , to that day, when the whole nation went into a state of frenzy, marveling the herculean effort of these great cricketers.

Come 25th June the focus shifts to the Mecca of cricket, Lords. Where another set of celebration of the famous conquest awaits them.

I WILL NEVER FORGET THIS DAY..............A DAY AMONG THE LORDS!!

Hearsay!!........ A new leisure pursuit.

I hate hearsay !! Why can't we hear it from the horses mouth.......... and try and put an end to all that loose talk. The unproductive side of work excites lot of people. Some even flaunt their expertise with lot of pride.

" Hey ! I've got something to tell you, I know everything that goes around in here"...........Huge claim. But sadly, this statement is loaded with arrogance, it smells of mediocrity. "I am the last word on this floor, you better believe what I am saying" attitude can severely damage the prospects of people around.

The sooner this irritating breed stops acting like unscrupulous rogues, the better it is for everybody on the floor.

ANTICLIMAX !!! Underdogs roared last night..and the night before

Holland covered in Guss pimples!.........Croatia couldn't shoot the Turkey down!! What an anticlimax at Euro 08. On current form, both where expected to go the full distance. Alas! it wasn't to be.

Russians and the Turks dashed the hopes of millions back home in Holland and Croatia. Funny game this Soccer, isn't it ?? Just When everybody, including the Pundit, thought the Orange will prevail come the Grand Finale, they are heading for the airport, with their heads hanging down in shame.

Now it's an open field heading into the Semi's, any team could emerge victorious from here on. Tonight Azzurri take on the bulls from Spain, vying for the final spot in the penultimate round. And that's going to be a cracking affair. ALL TO PLAY FOR!

TONIGHT IS THE NIGHT !!.........it's showtime at Euro 08

This is it ! the stage is set for the quarter finals. Tonight it's all or nothing. Germany VS Portugal......mouth watering encounter. Not for the faint hearted, definitely no.

The world will witness two contrasting styles pitted against each other. On one side we've got the physical and clinical approach of the Germans, and on the other, we've got the Latino magic, best of skillful soccer from Portugal.

Not easy to predict a winner in this one, could swing either way. Soccer pundits are well aware of the prowess of the Germans. They are the undisputed masters at rising to the big occasion.Their envious track record would suggest that they handle the crunch situations much better than lot of other big teams.

Portuguese players despite their awesome run so far, can't afford to let their defenses down. They will have to come out all guns blazing, if they plan to rattle the Germans.

Let's hope the tussle turns out to be an absolute humdinger.... and it rains goals in Switzerland.

YOU'VE GOT MAIL !!!

We all hate spam. Don’t we?? We lose lot of precious time, trying to get rid of all that junk from our mailboxes, every morning.

Snail mail is a passé; we all know …….speed mail is what we’ve come to rely on so heavily these days. Be it work or otherwise, we all use this tool extensively to get the message across.

I think e mailing is losing it’s potency in terms of holding the attention. Imagine the plight of the recipient. All kinds of messages keep piling in his inbox and separating the important ones from the unwanted lot becomes a mammoth challenge. It really dampens your spirits to discover that you have been inundated by scum of the cyber space without any warning.

I am a firm believer in the inherent power of e mails as a marketing weapon. If you can sprinkle your communication with elements of intrigue, put in the right words, the recipient can’t afford to ignore it. And the message will surely be read……. and who knows with a little bit of luck might elicit a response.

Good e mails are like mini billboards, trying to draw the attention of the recipient.

I put a lot of effort in my mails……..trying ever so hard to freeze the recipients in their tracks. I want my every message to shine thru’ like a silver lining behind the dark clouds of SPAM.

Honestly, I am not sure, whether every mail that I keep sending out is being read or not. But hey!! That doesn’t deter me from doing what i love doing as part of my daily drill at work....shooting lot of mails to my clients.

TO END …it’s not about what you say; it’s about how you say it.

Happy e mailing!!

Aquarium or the open sea ??

Tough choice isn't it ? Especially if you are a teeny-weeny gold fish. Who is used to being pampered every morning. Tiny flakes of fish food lowered down into the aquarium ever so gently. Variety of faces, greeting you , trying to communicate with you. And then there's the water, so clear. What a life ! Isn't it ??

Well, Open sea has it's own charm, I say. It's vast, limitless........you can swim as far as you want. But the trouble is, the company, it can get real crowded down there. All kinds of predators on the prowl, danger lurks at every corner.

I have been thru' a similar dilemma. But I have made my choice in favor of the deep blue and have thrust myself back into the open sea. Life was nice n easy in the aquarium, could have stayed there forever. But the call of the open sea was too big a temptation to resist this time round.

Hope to swim with the sharks and stay alive in my new found home.................THE OPEN SEA.

Still Counting!! gimme some more crows, please

Music transcends all language barriers, cuts across cultural boundaries. It's an Ocean out there.... different strokes for different folks. Every possible genre defined, the geniuses are still at work.Trying to create new streams everyday.

One such genius behind a cult rock band is Adam Duritz. Yes ! I am talking about the awesome, incomparable, my favorite band, the counting crows. I am a proud owner of all their masterpieces but one. Their signature album, August and Everything After, for some strange reason, is still missing from my collection. Not for long though.

Their latest offering Saturday Nights and Sunday Mornings has completely blown me away. Wow !! what a swashbuckling return. The music grows on you with every listen. Lot of people felt that the band, lost its way with Hard Candy. But I don't agree with them. I think the music on the record is as good as you will ever hear.

Thanks guys for serving yet another work of art! Can't wait to see you back in the studios and doing what you do best..........making the music for the soul.

Raindrop keeps fallin' on my head !

Kudos! to the met department. Doesn't happen very often though. Their forecast has been spot on. Delhi woke up to see the first shower of this years monsoon. It has been raining since early morning and looks like the muggy days are behind us.

What a welcome change for everybody. Wish I could carry this fab' weather in my pocket, everywhere I go. And hey !! it's a fathers day today. Though I haven't impressed the importance of the day on kids, but for a change, I have been spared and I don't have to stretch my vocal chords to make them walk in a straight line.

Super Sunday ?? maybe.

Wikimapia!!.......Map of nostalgia

I am not a tech person. My friends who understand and use it, cover for my lack of knowledge. Today we live in a world, which is being propelled by cutting edge technology. Keeping pace with the frantic pace at which it is moving is not easy. But somehow, I am managing to stay in the know of things.

Other day , my bro' had mailed me a link of wikimapia. Without giving away much, he wanted me to click on the same. I didn't realize that the picture coming next,would pack a powerful punch of nostalgia.Suddenly I saw the white screen disappearing and a green map emerging. I watched, my eyes wide open. Lost track of time and place completely. All I could see was mountains and tall pine trees every where. Hey ! I know this place, said to myself. I have been here before. This is Tharali.That small village up in the lap of Himalayas, which is so dear to our folks. Dad is no more, but I could see him so clearly walking the dusty path leading up to the bazaar yesterday. Everything was so alive in that little map..............the map of nostalgia.

Somebody stop me !!!

The dutch juggernaut keeps rolling at Euro 08. The 4 -1 drubbing of Les bleus last night was yet another clinical finish.

Looks like the men in orange, are on a mission this time. They are out to prove it to the footballing world, that they want to get rid of the tag of eternal chokers on the big stage. They have everything going for them, in the 08 edition of European Supremacy. A young ambitious coach, who is staking a claim to become the first in history, to lift the trophy, both as a player and coach. A squad full of talented players.

Is anybody listening?? Somebody stop them from running away with the honors. Honestly on current form, I have my doubts.

It's hot in the city tonight !!!

Half time score, 1-0 in favor of Croatia.............. clearly there's a breach in the German wall. Soccer pundits, while giving Croatia some chance in this much anticipated tussle, had put their money on the Germans to breeze thru' this encounter.

Well ! so far the Croats have not only withstood the onslaught, but has given the Germans ample to think about. They have hardly allowed them to settle into a rhythm. From here on, 57 minutes gone, the tie could still swing either way.

But as far as I am concerned, the Croats have displayed more than few sparks and have sounded the alarm to the rest of the competition.

Future is bright.......Future is orange !!!

Last night the legendary Yohann Cruyff would have felt proud, savoring the exploit of Marco Van Basten's armada in Orange. The Holland team made the defending champions Italy looked so ordinary. 3 - 0 thrashing doesn't tell the entire story. The dutch might finally came to the fore and handed the hapless Italians a humiliating defeat.
Barring the opener, which seemed like a clear off-side, by Rudd Van Nisterloy, the remaining two were real gems. There could have been at least two more goals had the dutch managed to find the back of the net. With yesterdays rock - solid display, I guess I'll back the dutch to reach the finals of Euro 2008.
Wow!! what a match. Loved every bit of it. For a change, even FTV Midnight Hot wasn't a lure, big enough to move me away from the game.

Nothing much really !!.........Waiting for some sparks

We all need sparks when the going gets tough. Voice from deep within can do real magic. Listen to your heart, they say when the road ahead is not so easy..... when you are caught up in a rough weather.

Hasn't been an easy ride at work today . Back against the wall......feeling let down by the clients, by the team, by my prowess to challenge and change the status quo. At times, the best is not good enough. When things aren't going your way, it becomes a lonesome ride and the daily crusade becomes a lot bloodier.

I am in need of sparks. A lot of them, to be honest. Hope tomorrow is going to be another day. And not as gloomy as today.

What a day!!!....sporting spectacle all way.

After a long time, I find myself in the midst of a sporting typhoon today. A SUPER SUNDAY in the true sense. Men's singles final at Roland Garros, Euro 2008 and the icing on the cake at Montreal, the Canadian Grand Prix, couldn't have asked for more.

A day tailor made for an ardent sports buff like me. French Open just got over, turned out to be a lackluster, one sided affair. Rafa proved too much for Roger today. Rafa's performance was a tennis master class on red clay. All the past greats in full attendance including the incomparable Bjorn Borg, Roland Garros looked very special today. Matching Bjorn Borg's 4 consecutive French Open wins has catapulted Rafa into a league of his own. Roger will have to wait one more year to try again for that elusive win on the red clay.

Euro 2008, kicked off yesterday. No surprises, fancied team doing what they do best, comfortably nailing the opposition. Czech Republic and Portugal came out triumphant. Today the Germans take on the might of Poland. That's something I am eagerly looking forward to.

Montreal has always been a tricky race, Lewis Hamilton scored his second pole of the season yesterday and starts from the front row of the grid at Canadian Grand Prix. After a great win at Monte Carlo Lewis is looking forward to his second win on the trot here. Let us see if the boy's in the Scarlet car can do something to stop him.

Much Ado About Nothing !!.....gimme the real thing, anyday

Much has been said and written about the mega success of IPL. Right from the start it was hailed as the best thing that has happened to the shorter version of the game. For a purist like me it's a disgrace, a mockery of the real thing. Ever thought how exciting an affair, a 10 over match can be. Yes! just 60 balls a side. Don't you dare call me crazy! I mean it. Imagine four's and sixers raining every over.

Cricket is a mind game. As much as it is about skill and application, it is also about character and mental toughness. For aficionados of the game, test cricket would always be special. This traditional, true form of cricket is like a game of chess. Every move counts. One wrong step can lead to catastrophic consequences.The battle lines are drawn from the moment the coin is tossed. The weather, the track, the ground, the stadium, the crowd, everything tells a story. Cricketing history is littered with great tales of rivalries, of one teams unbridled passion to succeed against all odds. Who doesn't remember the bitter rivalry between eternal foes Australia VS England, India VS Pakistan. Every confrontation a magnum opus.

Wow!! I love this game. I can go on and on, but the truth is 20 - 20, is just a fun thing and not the testing ground of the real character, it is not the abode of supermen.

P.S - Apologies to all the friends who've received small dents in their coffers as proud owners of various teams. Even though IPL ain't my cup of tea, mark my prophecy, the next edition is going to be a even bigger success.

Rocking myself to grave !!

When I was in college, RADIO GA GA used to be one of my favorite tracks. Incomparable Freddie Mercury has belted many great songs during the rein of QUEEN and who can forget the unforgettable Bohemian rhapsody, became an anthem of sorts when it was released. But ga ga for some strange reason, has stuck with me... an eternal favorite? maybe.

Cd's used to be a rich man's buy those days, hence tapes used to be our staple diet. Believe me, on a shoestring pocket money, even buying a tape used to be an expensive affair back then. It's said nothing can stop the passion when it assumes himalayan proportions. Budgetary constraints not withstanding, in no time a small collection of music turned into an ocean. The drill used to be simple. If you like it, you better buy it !!

Lot of water has gone under the bridge since, but the passion hasn't gone down a bit. Though I experiment a lot these days and have dabbled into every genre of music, still rock continues to be the soul curry. Can't imagine my life without my music...MY GREATEST COMPANION, MY BIGGEST STRESS BUSTER.If not for my music, the path I tread would be a long and lonesome one.

Wish I could turn back the clock.......

Slow down the pace a bit........sit down and mull over issues that are important to me, to the world we live in . Just like old times, when there were fewer distractions, life was nice n easy.

The more we work, farther we go away from things we love to do. Time is a real luxury these days.This constant craving for fame and money, the desire to be somebody has left us completely drained, with very little energy to pursue things we always wanted to do.

Earning big bucks seems to be the universal goal today. You are nobody, if dollars are not sticking out of your every pocket. Everyone has succumed to the charm of this green small rectangular piece of paper.

I am also a part of this mad scramble. Family, friends,peers, everyone has played a part in drilling this ultimate goal in my head. IT'S ALL ABOUT MONEY DEAR!! is all i hear, all the time. Even I have dreams, beautiful dreams, priceless dreams. But Alas ! WHO WANTS TO KNOW.

Buyer or Pahalwaan !!

What would you call our esteemed media buyers today ?? I am sure at some point, each on of us, especially who are part of the advertising sales, might have faced their wrath and would have been at the receiving end of their strong arm tactics.

I always thought media buying is both, a science as well as an art.With due respect to some, and unfortunately this breed is fast disappearing, most of them believe in wielding the sword and hammering the daylights out of poor media representatives.

I completely understand that the buyers today want to get the best deals for their clients. And why shouldn't they. After all ,getting more bang for the clients investment is the primary objective of all the media agencies.

But the point I am trying to make here is, about the faulty process, the error prone approach when it comes to negotiations. Firstly, every offering, be it a broadsheet, a magazine, a channel, or the new media (on-line) should be treated on merit. To put everything in one basket, and demand rates, which make a mockery of the card rate and challenge the very wisdom behind the offering, is sheer stupidity.

It's time they should realize that, it is very important to evaluate the medium from every aspect. There are so many serious launches happening today, and unless the buyers understand the medium, asks the relevant questions and gives that extra bit of weight age, negotiations will continue to be nothing more than a " Pahalwaan show" .

Let's hear it for the new "P" !!

Marketing has come a long way today. And the original four P's have been stretched and transformed into a huge never ending list . And I presume we aren't finished yet. All the necessary "P's" in place, still success ain't easy to come by. It can't be guaranteed. There are umpteen examples out there. So close, yet so far. The success and failure of a brand today is not just the result of getting all the laid rules right, but taking one extra step. Or is it a giant leap?

P for PASSION is what this giant leap can be termed in today's context. Having a visionary at the helm, an excellent offering, a great set of employees , is a surefire recipe for annihilating the competition in their trenches, we all know this. But, in the long run if this new "P" is not an integral part of the whole mix, it could spell trouble.
Every soul behind the brand,irrespective of the levels and roles, need to be supremely passionate about what they do .
Apple a classic example, a company, a pioneer, always exploring new technological frontiers, fosters a culture where every individual is on fire....so full of passion. i mac, i pod ,i phone and many more such marvellous technological innovations, which are yet to come, are result of unparalleled passion.