The Tax Rate Rhetoric

Recently the Democratic Party ads have been harping on the fact that Romney has not paid taxes or paid few taxes for the past few years. While it is a perfectly legitimate argument and probably a good marketing  move from the Democrats, I feel it is dumb in a literal sense. Let's dig a bit deeper shall we?

The US tax code is one of the most complex ones one can imagine. It has 71,684 pages. I found an interesting article on how many hours it would take a hypothetical business to file taxes in different countries. US ranks 66th in complexity. So why the complexity? I am no expert on taxes. But in a capitalist economy, most of the industries are supposed to be driven by the private sector. So one of the most potent levers that the government can pull to influence behavior within a sector is tax breaks. So commoners like you and me would get a break if we buy a hybrid instead of a gas guzzler. Business owners would be rewarded for innovation in the new energy initiatives. Sometimes one gets a tax refund to spend more and boost the economy. As much of this makes sense, one has to be aware that for every 10 people who are worthy of or have the right credentials for such an incentive, there is one person who would be using this break as a loophole to cut his or her taxes. It is completely unavoidable. And in most cases it would be someone who has the means to hire a top notch tax attorney to do so.

In business school, I did a course in corporate finance. One of the important aspects it dealt with choices that would minimize the tax paid by the firm. Sounds intuitive right. Well why would anyone pay the government more money than they should. There is a whole industry that feeds off of this function. The sexy term being Tax planning. And this is true not only in the US but all over the world. Accenture moved it's headquarters from Cayman Islands to Ireland not because it is a better place for talent but because Obama cracked down on Cayman as a tax haven.

The other side of the argument does not hold water either. Would someone not work hard enough if the government taxed say 20% instead of 15% of your income? As long as the income from this tax builds infrastructure and supports a stable business environment, it should not be a deterrent. At the end if an entrepreneur wants to sell his goods or services, he would want the roads to be fixed on time, his school district to be good and his customers to have the economic well being to afford his offerings. The behavior would change if this rate goes to an absurd number like 40%. So what does it boil down to?

Should people who earn more provide for someone who does not? Flipping it around, would the top 1% hurt themselves in the long run by not paying for lower income groups which in turn hurts the economy and society in general. It depends on what we are talking about. For Education - Yes and this system is already in place when you look at how scholarships in higher education work, Healthcare - Can of worms....don't know. Auto industry, Financial Services, the list goes on. All in all move beyond the rhetoric on either side and have an honest conversation with what you believe in to get the answer to those questions.

IPL - A Triumph over Regionalism?

When the Indian Premier League was launched in 2008, skeptics could have viewed it as a hazard that would further inflame India’s regional divisions. Instead, it’s doing the opposite…

The third edition of the Indian Premier League 2010 has been a tremendous success. The IPL brand value has doubled itself to $4.13 billion in a year. In due time, it is set to dethrone the greater gods of the sporting world, such as the English Premier League, in brand valuations. The league’s official Web site—www.iplt20.com—is a work of art. Every piece of action is cleverly embedded into the Video Scorecard and can be viewed for free with a lag of not more than a few seconds. The sky is the limit, it seems, for this desi concoction of sports and glamour.

The success of IPL is no surprise, given the popularity of cricket in India. What could not have been fathomed was how well fans, who are used to cheering for India, are adapting to this regional contest. Traditionally, Indians are steeped into regionalism due to pronounced linguistic and cultural differences. Such chauvinistic bents have been brought into the spotlight by the recent issues raised by the Shiv Sena and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNC) in Mumbai.

So when the IPL was launched in 2008, skeptics could have viewed it as a hazard that would further inflame such regional divisions.

But what has transpired is far from that. Every IPL team is a corporate entity. The lack of government jurisdiction on these franchises meant that mandatory local recruitment was off the table. The team owners got a pick of players from all over the country and the world. So the agenda of regionalism that has been the driving force for every political unit in every state was not in play beyond the support from the city and state of the franchise.

Chennai, a strictly Tamil-only establishment, has a captain who may not be able to utter a single word of it. Dhoni and Suresh Raina, another player of the Chennai Super Kings, would very well be the quintessential North Indians ripe for the “We don’t speak Hindi” harassment if they got off a train at the Chennai station as commoners. But as far as the IPL goes, they are on their way to superstardom in the land of Rajni. The Punjab bowling attack is filled with an ensemble entourage of bowlers like Irfan Pathan, Rajesh Powar and Sreesanth, whose Punjabi vocabulary may be limited to what is said in Yash Chopra movies. The Kolkata Knight Riders skipper, Sourav Ganguly, is the only worthy representative of the immense Bengali pride in a team filled with non-Bengalis. Nonetheless, the Eden Garden crowd vehemently backs the team with deafening uproar. Besides the Delhi duo Sehwag and Gambhir, Tamil Nadu stumper Dinesh Karthik has been the driving force behind the Delhi Daredevils’ performance.

Rohit Sharma is another anomaly worth mentioning. He was born in Nagpur, has a North Indian lineage, is a Mumbai resident and is an integral part of the Hyderabad-based Deccan Chargers. Manish Pandey and Virat Kohli are welcome additions to the already outsider-friendly city of Bangalore. The Rajasthan Royals have no players from Rajasthan! The team is a picture of national integration, with players from Goa, Maharashtra, Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Gujarat and Chandigarh.

Beyond the master blaster, Sachin Tendulkar, who has a truly national following no matter which IPL team he is playing against, the Mumbai juggernaut is powered by performers like Ambati Rayadu and Saurabh Tiwary. The latter would probably have suffered the wrath of the Shiv Sena or the MNS if he had aspired to be a rail employee instead of a Mumbai Indian cricketer.

The IPL is a microcosm of the Indian economy that is nurturing talent from the big cities and small hamlets around the country. The missing element in India’s success story, though, is the creation of opportunities for non-locals in all parts of the country in every walk of life. So it is nice to see a forum where every Indian, no matter what region he comes from, is appreciated for the runs scored for the local team. On the other hand, the individuals getting such opportunities need to strive for the team that they play for, embrace the local culture and put their pound of flesh for the betterment of the local communities. As optimistic and steep as that sounds, we have seen that happening in major league sports in the United States, and the capitalistic IPL venture proves it can be done. If the right lessons are learned from it, we can finally claim triumph over the formidable hurdle of regionalism to unite our great nation of India.

Ishqiya: Overrated but enjoyable

I went to watch Ishqiya after having seen every review in the business call it the best thing since sliced bread. The fact that Omkara was from the same production house raised my expectations still further. Was it worth the kudos? Well yes and no.

Lets look at the better aspects of the movie first. Three great performances make this movie happen. First up Arshad Warsi plays a slimy thief, Babban who shields his softer self by a crude garish mannerism. And he does this to the T. If it were not for his histrionics and witty one liners in the Bhopali accent, the film would not have been watchable. He lights up the proceedings in a way only Arshad Warsi can. And you are completely devoid of any nostalgia about his Munnabhai Mumbaiya character. Naseeruddin Shah plays Khaloojaan, a character at least 15 years younger than his actual age with amazing believability. He is a criminal with a Shayraana Mijaaz or with a childlike romanticism. The character's gullibility is reminiscent of his role in "Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro". Vidya Balan plays Krishna, a widowed village girl/woman who uses her sexuality to get her ways. Now did Vidya Balan and sexuality come in the same sentence? They can now after this complete surprise of a performance. She looks like a million dollars and delivers a performance still more precious.

The music of the movie fits into the landscape and tone perfectly. It is never an impediment to the flow of the movie. The dialogues are rustic and remind us of Omkara. The term "Ch****** Sulphate" is definitely part of the mainstream lingo after this movie. The background score is efficient and veers towards the Kill Bill style trumpet once in a while, which comes across as an ode to the Quentin Tarantino brand than anything else. The cinematography and other technical details are good. Abhishek Chaubey does well in his first time directorial venture. Every frame seems to be thought out and well executed. The references to local UP politics is kept subtly intriguing, consciously not overtaking into the main storyline.

So what lets this movie down? I would say, the basic premise of the movie is simplistic. Krishna's motives do not seem to completely justify the means or the extremities involved. The ending leaves the viewer confused as to what happens to the main characters. The biggest drawback of the movie is the fact that the audience does not feel for and is not moved by any of the characters. The movie is worth a watch, but it does not find a place in the Home DVD collection. It does not have any reason for someone to watch it again, unless you are a die hard Vidya Balan fan. All in all go watch Ishqiya. It is definitely worth a $ 8 ticket. I give it 3 outta 5 stars.

Sharks v/s Dragons

'Shark Tank', the new series on ABC premiered last month on ABC. An ardent fan of the UK version 'Dragon's Den', I was excited to finally watch it without being at the mercy of youtube. So how do Sharks compare with the Dragons? Well its a mixed feeling.


The UK Dragon's looked like a good mix of individuals working well with one another. The camaraderie between them was unmistakable. The Sharks on the other hand seem like trying to establish their expertise in their field. They constantly work at pulling fast ones on each other. Unlike the Dragons, the Sharks seem to cling on to their individual claims to fame as well as the expertise that they bring to the table. Daymond John, though accomplished in the fashion industry, does not step out of his comfort zone. Same can be said about Kevin Harrington, who does not entertain the idea of dealing with ventures outside of the infomercial realm. Barbara Corcoran brings her real estate experience and does not bat an eyelid to enter into a venture outside of her industry if she is convinced to invest. She is spiteful at times and gets into deals with the intention of getting under the skin of another dragon.

That brings me to the two Sharks that make this show worth a watch. They are the 'Good-cop Bad-cop' routine which works magic on screen. Not sure how that goes down with the participating entrepreneurs though. The Bad Kevin as he is called, Kevin O'Leary coins a line worthy of competing with "You're Fired" by Trump as well as "It's Hot" by Miss Paris. Every time someone turns down his advances he says "If you turn your back to me. You are Dead to me!". It makes great television. He is unashamed to paint himself as someone driven by money and money alone. He goes after any opportunity which has a promise to get him dough. The good cop, Robert Herjavec is the best shark on the show. He is polished, polite and is unwilling to let go of his morals when an entrepreneur is in a rut and about to give in more than he/she can comprehend later. He comes across as someone who has had success without trading his soul to the devil. Kevin and Robert are at each other on every deal possible. But they end up partnering on almost all deals that either one goes for; Which makes us learn an important lesson. You don't have to like someone to work with the person.


So what's missing from the Shark rendition of the VC story? For one, there is no money on display. And it shies away from the warehouse set. The show could use some more charm. Theo Paphitis and Duncan Banatyne were amazing Dragons keeping the UK show interesting. Another stark difference from the Dragons, is that the Sharks seem to be all about wetting their beaks so to speak. Although that is the case with all VCs, it is something that can be masked a little. Sans a few entrepreneurs who are able to heckle the Sharks, the others seem like getting a medium rare if not a raw deal. In terms of approach, James Caan had an amazing way of getting a deal with each entrepreneur. He offered to get a good amount of equity from them but was willing to relinquish part of that on the condition that the sales numbers are met. Now that really feels like a business deal rather than the quest for 51% stake on the Sharks' part.

New York: Review

Rating: 4/5
New York was one of the most awaited films of the year. John Abraham and Katrina Kaif together for the first time promised eye candy for both sexes. On the flip-side John and Katrina in the same film raised a big question on either one's acting capabilities to shoulder the film. After the well made semi documentary Kabul Express, expectations were high from Kabir Khan to deliver. So how does the film turn out?

The film opens with Omar (Neil Nitin Mukesh) being framed for terrorism charges. The FBI officer Roshan (Irrfan Khan) offers Omar a deal to be acquitted of the charges. He has to become an FBI informant to unravel the sinister plans of a sleeper cell operated by his college buddy Sameer (John Abraham). A short flashback takes us to the New York State University where Omar meets Sameer, a know-all college jock and Maya (Katrina Kaif), an immensely like-able Indian American girl. Omar instantly falls for Maya. But Maya has feelings for Sameer. Omar is shattered as his best friends profess their love for each other. The personal story takes a backseat as 9/11 changes their lives. Seven years pass and Omar meets his college friends. This time though he is thrust with the task of snitching on them. The rest of the film is a mature look at both sides of the coin of terrorism and living as a Muslim in the post 9/11 world.

The movie is on the lines of 'Khuda Kay Liye', Pakistani film. It does not go into as many complexities as KKL, but is expectedly better in production values. Kabir Khan manages to keep the film interesting all the way to the end. The climax could have been better written. The editing is crisp. But the song 'Mere Sang' could have been trimmed to make the film shorter. Every other song is well embedded into the storyline. 'Tune Jo Na Kaha' is definitely the best of the lot. The background score blends with the films theme. The dialogues, in addition to being non-filmy, are well written.

John Abraham shines in an author-backed role. He carries off difficult scenes with aplomb. Katrina Kaif uses her Hinglish diction to embellish her Indian American Maya. She expresses well with her eyes in some well enacted scenes. Neil Nitin Mukesh does well in what seems more like a lead role than a supporting one. He is a part of the new brigade of actors who underplay their roles instead of hamming over the top. Having said that, he does have to get over his sometimes rehearsed dialogue delivery. Irrfan is impeccable as usual and raises the bar for the other actors in every scene.

All in all, the movie definitely deserves a watch. It is a unique combination of a good cast, story and intentions. Go for it!

BJP: On the crossroads!

The Indian elections threw a surprise for once - a pleasant one too! The mandate circumvented the usual anti-incumbency factor. It seemed like regional aspirations and religious fanaticism were abolished. Congress got a definite majority from the Indian people.
So where does that leave the other big party in the country - Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP)? BJP has been the only other practically workable choice for India since the country was procreated out of the British Empire. The seeds of the BJP bore out of the agitation against the immense power abuse by the Congress establishment and the Gandhi-Nehru family bastions. The Emergency was sort of the first step towards a multi party democracy. But after several half-baked results, there was the need for a big bang launch. The Hindu sentiment against the pseudo secularist Congress provided BJP the much-needed launch pad. L K Advani was in the forefront of this event. The politics of Ram and Ayodhya were revived out of extinction as Advani led the RSS supported BJP towards establishing itself as a Hindu right wing party. The first chance India got to get a 2 party working democracy was thus severely affected by the Congress policy of using minorities as a vote bank on the one hand and an equally ugly manifestation of the other end of the spectrum against the minorities on the other.

The next decade saw the Congress lose its sheen over a barrage of Hindutva and the third front - consisting of miscreants like the communists and regional parties. The debate that separated the Congress and BJP came down to the garb of secularism and the nationalistic Hindu fervor. India went through some of the worst third party establishments throwing incongruous and embarrassing prime ministers like HD Deve Gowda onto the national stage. The country was ready for a stable government. It came in the form of a newly discovered beast called a coalition. The BJP led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) swept the polls under the able leadership of Atal Behari Vajpayee and gave the nation a moderate leader from an extremist party the keys to India's future. This coincided with the growth of India as an economic bigwig. BJP at the same time had enviable bench strength of second-string leaders - Pramod Mahajan, Sushma Swaraj, Arun Jaitley and Uma Bharti. This was a time; India could imagine a future with a party that had a democratic and corporate way of giving able people an opportunity to make a difference. On the other hand Sonia Gandhi was a minion within the Congress establishment with nothing going for her but the family name.

The Gujarat riots disturbed the equilibrium within the BJP. The eggs of extremist Hinduism hatched as they had in the Mumbai riots of 1992. Vajpayee could not save the BJP from losing the 2004 elections. The state sponsored pogrom could not be balanced by the realization and promises of a shining India. Though BJP lost the elections, Congress did not get a full mandate. It was just about enough for them to be offered a shot at the government. Sonia Gandhi grew exponentially in stature by refusing the top slot. She gave way to one of the most non-controversial and intelligent individuals in the country -Dr. Manmohan Singh.

The BJP failure was not an orphan for long. Oliver Twist was taken in by Fagin instead of a Good Samaritan. The moderate ideology was killed off in a hurry. The one lesson to be learned from the defeat was bunked by the whole class. They veered towards extremist ideologies again. The result oriented clean government he leads in Gujarat accentuated the rise of Narendra Modi within the BJP. Vajpayee retired and LK Advani picked the gauntlet of the party. Over time, LK Advani tried to paint over his extremist image PR exercises such as the praising Jinnah in Pakistan, which in his nick of the woods was blasphemy to the T.

The next 5 yrs of the government were a tight ropewalk for the Singh govt. It was laden with great economic developments and terror attacks all over the country. The BJP painted the prime minister as weak and impotent due to the lapse in security measures. Narendra Modi became the boy wonder for the party. Advani was projected as the strong leader who could rule the nation with an iron fist. Fortunately the campaign failed instead of marginally succeeding. India was saved from getting a fractured government. The bonus was the defeat of feudal corrupt leaders like Laloo Yadav and Paswan, as well as that of the Communist parties in West Bengal and Kerala.

Almost two decades after the Rath yatra, BJP is again at a crossroad. What is the guiding principle of the BJP? Would they be driven by religious sentiments? Would they act as grown-ups and think about what the country really needs? All these questions depend on one question that they choose as the future leader. Pramod Mahajan's demise has taken away an acceptable option. Uma Bharti's whimsical feud with the BJP rid them of a ticking time bomb of uncertain unruliness. Narendra Modi has the same problem as Advani. He may be able to convert Gujarat into Shanghai. But he would never be able to wash his hands off the anarchy and the pusillanimous massacre of minorities in Gujarat. Arun Jaitley though the brightest spot on the spectrum is far from being a mass leader. The choice thus lays between the enigmatic Sushma Swaraj, the geriatric Dr. Murli Manohar Joshi and the seasoned Jaswant Singh. The answer to the question is really going to define BJP's future and that of the country to seriously be able to create a 2 party democracy based on policies and not on religious aspirations. I look forward to how they are able to either make that switch or be at the crossroads again after Modi has lost the elections for them in the near future.

When life throws you a Lemon!

"When life throws you a lemon.....Make Lemonade"

Sounds like a mantra out of the 'Who moved my Cheese' book. You read it. Feel good about it. Seems like something you wanna follow. And then the concept just loses its sheen in due course of time. The reason I think is life is not as simplistic as that one line. Or is it?

You are sad. You got a rap from my boss about my work. You got dumped by your girlfriend. Your car broke down in the middle of the road at 1 am. Damn why did it start snowing the very next minute. Your Mom is calling on your cell phone. You bet shes gonna ask you what You are doing out so late in the night. Reject Call! You called a friend who took a freaking hour to pick you up.

You are happy. Your boss cares enough about your work to give you a chance to improve on your shortcomings. You wish she was the one but good that you found out early and you learned so much from your relationship. Your car broke down in the middle of the road at 1 am. The snow looks so beautiful and makes you feel like you are in a serene place. Feels good to hear your Mom's lecture when you are in such a bad place in life. Gosh do you miss the old days when you could lose all your worries with a hug from Mom. You called a friend who picked you up in an hour. Thank god you have a friend who is willing to lose his sleep and help you at this ungodly hour.

Well beyond everything else. I think life is all about how you look at it. Everyone goes through a bad phase. The best thing to do is to dig yourself out of the ditch one step at a time. The tiniest achievement can be cherished and celebrated with a smile. Be it completing a tetris game beyond level 2 or knocking 4 pins in a bowling game. Happiness is a state of mind that each person defines for himself/herself. So depending on the situation just lower expectations from life. Appreciate what you have as against what you don't and you will have bounced back before you know it!

Social Networking 2008

"Hey do you know Ria's goin out with Rob?" "His status says so!"
"Glad you could make it to the party. I saw you were a maybe!"
"Do not tag me in that pic. pleaaase"

Before 2008 the above would not make sense. But the past year was filled with conversations revolving around social networking. If someone said the World is Flat some years ago. Well guess what? Sites like Facebook were the tipping point taking it to a whole new level.

Back in the days, everyone started a web presence opening yahoo and aim accounts called shoppergirl and NY152. The intention was to have an online presence different from the offline one. So if you were an 22 yr old bespectacled timid introvert. Wallah! stud101 is a 22 yr old hunk who can do 25 sit-ups per minute. Second life took it beyond a facade and gave people the license to create an online version. All this while the undercurrent was to meet new people and possibly make a romantic connection. With it came the evil side of 50 yr old pot bellied guys trying to pass off as teenagers. Online relationships though far and between were mostly viewed with suspicion. One could not for sure say if the other person was being himself or herself.

One fine day myspace emerged and it gave people an avenue to create their homepages. It was as if we just bought a room and we decorated it as per our whims and fancies. The background was dark pink. The prince of darkness played his songs every time someone came. It became a way of expressing our creative side. On the side, it also brought us closer to our online selves. We started putting out what we believed in sans some weird Bot profiles. In addition, there was a new way of connecting with friends and making new ones. Orkut changed things in a way no one had earlier. Everyday after creating a profile, was an anticipated exhilaration of meeting an old friend. Every search was aimed at finding an old crush and suddenly the six degrees of separation became so practical. Facebook started as a way to connect college students but took off where orkut stopped. It started connecting people all over. It changed the game enormously. Having a facebook account was a judgment on your coolness quotient. Gradually, it became an extension of peoples lives.

Now what? Well after being just a frivolous way of connecting people, social networking started approaching real world problems. In 2008, facebook was used like never before imagined. Barrack Obama was running for President. And it was a genius move on his part to use facebook as a means to reach out. And reach out he did. This grassroots effort culminated into Obama winning the presidency. The Events functionality gave users a way of extending invitations to friends for parties and organized events. The old way of RSVP by phone, email or letter was replaced by a click. Photos being uploaded always had a flaw that you could not find yours when you needed em. Well Photo Tag meant that you were at the other end of the spectrum where you did not want friends to tag embarrassing pics. The earlier minuscule feature of having a status is now being used to publicize what is happening in your life right now. This is kind of a blessing for facebook addicts as they can now have everyone know when they hit a home run for the first time....oops did I give myself away?

Whatever future holds for social networking, one thing is certain. Any progress made solves a problem someone faces in the world. First it was people coming out of their introvert ways. Then it was being friends with people all over the world. It moved on to other human problems. Possibly the future holds a solution for more serious problems as finding a solution to world hunger, preventing genocides and averting wars. Here's to wishing the social networking phenomenon reaches this level of sophistication as soon as possible.

Reporting From Mumbai on 26/11/2008

As I peer outside my window in Chembur, Mumbai, I can see children play cricket in their school uniforms. The school-break due to the terror attacks has only made their day happier. In a different part of the world children of the same age are being taught that anyone other than their faith are infidels. They are told, "They hate you! And you should hate them back! It is God's will that you join this Jihad. Killing some more innocent people will avenge the atrocities committed on brothers and sisters of your faith".

In the western part of the world, this skirmish is seen as us v/s them. Plans are made to make sure every suspected terrorist is chased. As the whereabouts of such a person is known, there will be air strikes, which will kill one terrorist and possibly create 10 more in the form of kids losing their innocent parents and close ones. In the Indian political establishment, the attack will be followed by condemnation. The Indian opposition will be rightly appalled by the lack of security provided by the present govt. But it will react with demands for resignations from the establishment. They will hardly notice the fact that their actions in the past decade may have been used as fodder for young orphans, who were brainwashed into taking up the road to terror.

While the attacks were taking place, the govt. on the other hand had been busy trying to pin down the opposition leaders in a different violent blast. This would be an attempt to be seen more secular in the coming elections. It will issue a list of all things being done for the security of the common man, when in fact the police are struggling to fight this attack with insufficient training and inadequate equipment. The Railway police were left with ‘lathis’ (sticks) to fight terrorists equipped with Ak-47s. The bulletproof jackets are not bullet proof and the helmets permit an incoming bullet to pass through. In such a scenario, the ruling class is as much to blame for not providing enough to the cops.

A couple of days will go by. Everyone will return to his or her job. The spirit of Mumbai will receive kudos for the back to normalcy in record time. People will say, "They cannot break our spirits". And a large part of us will hope that the next one does not strike our loved ones or us. The Insiders v/s Outsiders battle raging in Mumbai would re-emerge as the most telling issue of our times. The soldiers from both sides of this argument, who have saved each other`s lives after being shot, will go back to throwing stones at each other.

Have we read this script before? Well 10 yrs ago, 5 yrs ago, 2 yrs ago and maybe an yr or 2 from now as well? Something somewhere is amiss. 9/11 was followed by some correct and some incorrect decisions and actions from the US. But the fact that they did not let another attack happen speaks volumes about the kind of measures taken. The actions of Giuliani and Bush post the attacks did project a sense of resolve and calm. The Maharashtra CM, the Maharashtra Home Minister and later the Prime Minister hardly gave anyone a sense of security. Rather than divulging details about how the operation is being carried out, there needed to be more discretion and reassurance. I haven’t seen a single person from the govt. who exudes an inner strength and resolve to be seen as the one leading an effort.

What we need to do after this attack is to learn the right lessons. Who attacked and why are questions best left to the investigating teams. What needs to be done is re-evaluate our readiness to deal with a crisis. Be it a terror attack or Heavy Rains or Earthquakes. Every city needs to have a Crisis management team, which I am sure Mumbai has. But how effective is it? A single person needs to be appointed to deal with a crisis. He/She needs to be the one calling the shots. The govt. spokesperson needs to be given the role of fielding questions from the media and providing censored details about the operation underway. Scared-shit politicians are better left in their toilets. Every news agency needs to have a govt. conduit so that an experienced negotiator rather than a mainstream TV journalist handles an occurrence like a call from the terrorists. The budget allocated to the police force needs to be re-evaluated. A 50,000 strong police force cannot serve a big city like Mumbai. We need more police recruits and possibly a better volunteer force, which comes into action in each neighborhood. The police vans need to be fitted with GPS devices to track down rogue vehicles. Also each vehicle needs to have a bulletproof windscreen. The arms and ammunition used by the police needs to be upgraded big time and there needs to be a review on its condition from time to time.

Hopefully all or some of this gets implemented. As of now all we can do is pray for the safety of hostages, mourn the loss of victims and salute the bravery of our fallen heroes.

Utopian Investments

All over the world, the stock markets go up and down every day. Every day millions of investors make decisions based on the last quarter numbers of companies. The company stock is rewarded for posting great numbers for a quarter and punished for a single misstep during the quarter. In such a scenario, the company executives more often than not are always in reactionary mode. The "You are as Good as the last Quarter" attitude has permeated down the management chain right from the CEO to the middle management. Somewhere down the line, the companies have moved away from their core value. What has gotten lost on people is the fact that a good company remains that regardless of a bad quarter. It is like treating a crumbled dollar note as waste, due to a belief that it has lost its worth.

The problem is not just limited to the higher echelon of the company. The culture of making a quick buck trickles down to every facet of an organization. Every department is conditioned to spitting out the numbers every single quarter. Decisions are made to salvage the company numbers during a single quarter. Every quarter the employees in sales are under pressure to perform or perish. Every year Department Heads face a decision to grow profits or cut costs, which in real world terms means laying off people. This is probably a necessity in a recessionary economy for the survival of the company or when someone is given a pink slip because of incompetence. But in the long run, it is a foolhardy move to let go of a competent employee.

As a practice, every one in the workforce needs to look beyond short-term goals and look to build a business which is not taken hostage every time it fails in moderation. Traders on the other hand need to grow up and understand that the most money is made in long term holds and not short term Bearish moves. It is during a crisis that good companies need their investors to back them. People or their brokers need to invest in companies which have a good prospect over a period of time rather than run up the price of a company beyond its worth and sell it all at the same time when bad times fall on it. While this may seem Utopian, it still is the only way to prevent such Carthage on Wall Street.

Politics!!! Phew!!!

Currently looking at the presidential battle in the US makes me compare it to the situation back home. How different is India from the US politically? Is the politics played out better or worse? Is anything different at all?

Politicians, no matter which place they are from, have an innate ability to convince people that trivial inconsequential matters drive their day to day business. In any place with moderates and extremists in equal number, promises made about controversial issues during the elections are more often than not put on the back-burner post-elections. BJP cannot go against the law and build a Ram Mandir in Ayodhya without consensus. Neither can the GOP overturn Roe vs Wade without getting buy-in from people across the table. And even if they do so, well we are not gonna see the basic problems plaguing the respective countries go away.

The one thing I think will help India, is to have a Presidential system. The current parliamentary system acts as a good deterrent to unpopular or partisan policies. But the multi-party system is stifling democracy and giving horse-traders the opportunity to be king-makers. Every election the number of parties in the fray seems to have doubled. As a result, there is no clear path that a ruling party can take to mitigate a coup of sorts midway through its term. Every now and then, there are people like Deve Gowda propped up to the hot seat due to coalition politics rather than their capability. This not only cripples the country's image but also is a big impediment to a stable leadership.

Having said that, its a wonder that a country can exist with so many diverse languages, cultures, mentalities and classes of people. Even so, every political party in India is set-up to celebrate or counter a single thread of these diversities. None of them have embraced a multi-ethnicity mission to celebrate India's diversity. You have Telugu Desam for Andhra Pradesh, Bahujan Samaj Party for Dalits, Shiv Sena for Maharashtrians, J&K National Conference for Jammu Kashmir and the Commmunist Parties for the insane. This has made it very difficult for any new leader to make it to the national scene before he\she is a septuagenarian. Decades go by before the person is popular in the district, state and country. The only way that has changed over time is when there is a generational passing of the Baton from the popular old leader to his/her kin. Initially, I thought its pretty plain and simple in the US: Republicans and Democrats. Well guess not, there is pro-life, pro-choice, liberal, right, center, left, right centrist, libertarian and what not. The only divergence is that the lack of linguistic differences helps politicians transcend geographical boundaries. But, it is still rare for someone non-mainstream to get elected. The one thing that gives India an edge over the US in some way is the lack or weakness of the glass ceiling for women in the political space. India has had women governing various levels of the government, including the highest office.

What I have realized is human beings tend to connect with someone from their clan instantly. Every citizen wants someone with a common thread connecting him or her with the leader he or she elects. For Indians, the leader being Indian is last on the list of commonalities. Ideology has little to do with this decision. People just want someone who looks and acts like they do. Laloo Yadav has made a living out of acting like a village bumpkin all his political life so as to be accepted by his base. In the US as well, people want someone just like them. Its a sin being elite. Why would one want someone with a higher intellectual capability in the most important office in the country? Wouldn't it be better to support someone who knows how to tend to cows or ride horses? Well, people everywhere work the same way I guess.

A Thousand Splendid Suns

This was probably the book which was on my To-Read list for the longest period of time. Finally I ended up reading it and it was worth every bit of praise showered upon it. So instead of giving away the plot (not that it's a whodunnit), I would like to thank Khalid Hosseini (hope i got the spelling right) for being able to write from a woman's perspective though being from the weaker sex himself. You heard me right! For all that we know, physical strength is highly overrated!

Words flow like human emotions in this amazing book. The thing that impressed me the most was that the book manages to emulate the human mind so well. Most of the times, the characters are in a conversation and their mind is playing some different track on them. And you as a reader are drawn to the thoughts more than the conversation. As with Kite Runner, you can almost guess what is on the horizon in terms of the story line. Still you read and anxiously wait for it to unfold. Unlike the Kite Runner, there is a silver lining to the cloud. So those who get depressed by the way it goes, stay tuned coz this one does have a 'happily ever after'.

The Power and Futility of Retrospection

For the past few days, I have had the privilege of bouncing off ideas with fellow inquisitive souls. One of the things that was a real take-home for me was how powerful and at the same time futile retrospection can be. Decisions made in relationships, business and almost every aspect of life have a lot of baggage. Some duffel bags and some large suitcases filled with past mistakes. Many a times people are scarred for life due to these mistakes. They carry their suitcase everywhere from that moment on. And end up not having the courage to risk making another decision in similar scenarios. They give in to the fear of increasing their check-in luggage.

So what are mistakes that you me or anyone else makes? Would we make them if we knew they were wrong? Well in some cases we would! Those are matters of the heart which we can take up some other time. More often than not though, given the choices, the circumstances and the lack of ability to view a crystal ball, we would make the same decision. Sometimes we are dealt pocket Kings and we play the hand. Only to realize someone else has Pocket rockets. Sometimes we have so few chips left that we have no option but to go all in with a deuce and maybe still win the hand. So which one is a right decision anyways? No one knows what the river card is or whether someone else has a better hand. We all use our better judgment, evaluate our options and make a move one way or another. So should we really be regretful about our judgments. Well yes and no! We got to understand that every step you take when you have a choice is the best option that you had. Sometimes maybe you just don't know any better.

So who's to say the war in Iraq was a bad decision? Well maybe it was for people who played up the possibilities of WMD. Coz that was unscrupulous on their part. But for the majority it was a decisive response to what they thought they knew! Who's to say it was a bad decision for banks to enter sub-prime loans? They were just trying to jack up their bottom-lines to surpass their quarterly numbers. It turned out to be a disaster for people buying homes beyond their incomes. But again it was their decision to enter a deal and a market which they did not understand well enough.

Do you think we are not gonna make any more mistakes in future? Well best of luck if you think that. Whats important is to make sure you learn the right lessons after you are knocked off the horse. You need to learn to recognize that mistakes happen. But the biggest mistake is the failure to learn from past mistakes. An even bigger mistake is to repeat the same one again. So my fellow humans and mammals and others with a cognitive sense to process this, Be as informed as you can be...Make Decisions.....Make mistakes....Retrospect....Laugh at yourself for doing what you did.....and move on....!!!

Ugghh.....

Coming from the land of Gandhi, I am all for non-violence. But when I am stuck behind a racer who would finish last in a one car race, it makes me desire the lineage of 'Don Corleone'. And this slug just creeps up in front of me at the most opportune time. I am trying to catch a flight in 45 mins, there’s bumper to bumper in all the lanes around me and I think getting into the left-most lane would give me some leeway. I follow my instinct and as soon as I hit 50 mph…Bam! There is a snail right in front of me. I despairingly look at the right lane for a place I can slide my car into. Cars which I had left behind a moment ago mock my instinct by zooming past me. I try to spot the eyes of the perpetrator in his rear view mirror. Every car that passes me by makes me want to transform my car into a monster truck and do an Ace Ventura on the lil guy. I spot a weak driver in the right lane. The horn blares as I swoop in throwing caution to the wind. I don’t mind it though as long as I am rescued from turning into a serial killer on the road. Even as I pass the herbie that tormented my existence for those millions of milliseconds, I want to ram it into the curb. As my ‘hulk’ de-mutates with each passing moment, I manage to grin at the zany ferocity that dogged my psyche. I am glad I can step on the gas now. All of a sudden I apply the brakes as I spot the car in my lane going slower than the one I passed. I am further distraught when I see a wry smile pass me from the left. I just look into the sky and cry out loud “Why me God? Why me?”

Definitely, Maybe

Definitely, Maybe. Now thats an awesome title for a Rom-Com. So whats the purpose of a Rom-Com? Going beyond all the BS and corny mushy lines, it all boils down to 2 fundamentals.

First, a couple watching the movie thinks of each other if they are watching the movie on their own. If they are watching it together, well thats a lot of gazing into each others eyes.....lots of the soft mushy BS making sense at the time....maybe some reuse of the corny lines after a fight.

Second, a Single viewer comes out of the theater wishing he/she falls in love the next time he (you know what lets stick to he....considering yours truly is in that category) boards a train or picks a coffee at the airport Starbucks. (Oops did I give away my thoughts?) He starts thinking of a lot of 'what ifs'. Should I have talked to her? God help a hopeless romantic coz it just causes the person to have a heartbreak. Did I become a friend and miss out on being her soul mate? Wonder if she is still single?

So does the movie fulfill these? Well kinda sorta in a way......Ryan Reynolds holds the movie together appreciably well. Isla Fisher is just sooo cute. (Did I say cute? Well I am not from California and I don't wear pink if it sounded that way) Rachel Weisz looks a million dollars each time she appears on screen. Kevin Kline plays the most refreshing role of the movie. Now hold on let me restate that. Kevin Kline plays the only refreshing role in the movie. Abigail Breslin tries to play this kind of a character. But I wish this was made with Dakota Fanning a few years ago. There needed to be an endearing heart melting character making us go 'awww'. She is too good an actor maybe to be just a kid on screen and make us feel for her. The film also lacked that one scene which remains with the user all his life. Having said that this is worth a watch on dvd. Pick it when it makes it to the Blockbuster store near you.....(Blockbuster better pay me serious moolah or I am backing Netflix in my next review)

Wishful start to 2008

As any other year, 2007 saw its share of problems; the Iraq war, the instability in Pakistan, the global warming debate and the local violence in different parts of the world, to name a few. It was filled with some great moments but also some seeds sown for problems in 2008.

So what's the root cause of all of them? Well it so happens that humans like most other species have an inherent tendency to ally with others of their kind. Ever see an alliance between cats and dogs? Let me know when that happens. People have always been coming together as a group due to some commonality. This is the reason; you have pockets of similar people living in a particular area. This is China town or this is a Desi hub or this is predominantly a Jewish establishment or this is the Bible belt. That's the reason, Indians generally marry in their own caste or Catholics prefer someone who goes to the same church or Sunnis marry Sunnis. Well that's the norm usually. This has created a world, which is somewhat divided by our differences.

A striking resemblance in human beings from all over the world is quirky. A common love is not as effective as a common hatred, to unify a group. For Indians, it was the fight against the British that brought us together against language and regional barriers. The US has had causes like anti-communism, the fight against outsourcing and now the fight against terrorism to bring people together. While this is not always a bad thing, a few individuals often drive the implications of this fight against something. History is fraught with instances when leaders have misused the sentiment of the masses to carry out pogroms. Be it the Nazis or the Islamic fundamentalists, we have seen enough acts of pusillanimous nature. Are we going to blame the leaders who bring out the worst in us as human beings or are we going to look beneath our own skins and fight away our own demons? Well the question answers itself.

The change that would ultimately propagate us to a better tomorrow is no miracle pill. It boils down to each and every one of us treating everyone else the way we want us to be treated. No matter what the race, religion, language or country, every person has a perspective, which may be at loggerheads with your beliefs. If we make an effort to understand theirs and give them an insight into our own, there is hardly any reason for conflict. We may not agree on every aspect of life but we need to respect the other persons view and reach some kind of a 'agree to disagree' plateau of understanding.

So what does the above jargon imply for you? Well a good start to 2008, would be to try and get to know people from other camps. Open your mind and be friends with someone from a group, which you detest or maybe just disagree with. Pro-lifers break bread with a pro choicer. Christians get a Muslim friend. Desi's should make a Pakistani friend or pen friend. On a bigger scale, I would say every country should have a joint effort to send school children to other regions as a cultural exchange. Let them get a feel of knowing the people they would have under normal circumstances hated in the near future. It is difficult to hate someone you know.

Lets all hope 2008 is a lot more peaceful and skirmish-free than earlier years. May common sense prevail on us all and Wish everyone a happy new year.

If I am damned till eternity

So heres a crazy thought that makes me wanna stay righteous and not sin....well almost. I can't bear to imagine the possibility that I may be damned till eternity. So whats so bad in that? Well if I was the devil I would make all my slaves do what they hate the most. Like make Al Gore drive a PUC failed wagon truck smoking a combination of a million cigars. Simon Cowell would have to listen to Sanjaya sing for eternity. Inzamam-ul-Haq would speak in English all the time.
I would make Donald Trump share a room with Rossie O'Donnell......Have Nicole Ritchie eat a full meal and stop the fat bastard from eating (thats a metaphor for you...sitting on the couch and eating chips all day). Force Adolf Hitler to lead a Kosher life and be hounded by his own Nazi army.
So whats my bane of existence you ask? Well it would have to be ironing my clothes. If the Devil wanted to make sure I suffer, I would be ironing his (Is that a her.....I would certainly prefer Liz Hurley to reprise her role here) wardrobe for eternity.

So how do we make sure that things we hate doing don't get to us? Well for one a lot of people visualize their workplace as hell on earth. There are a few who make sure that workplace is hell for others. (Well thats a story for another blog) Now its very easy to say that you should do what you love doing.....and if u don't like your job just Quit. These are options for some of us. Most others have priorities in life which obviate such utopian concepts as the dream job or the one thing that one was destined to do.

Having said that, it is in every single one of us to achieve or do what we really want in life. Borrowing a quote from the Alchemist "If you really want something, the Universe conspires to get it for you" (Don't sue me if you want Angelina Jolie and don't get her....there are some things the Universe just can't conspire enough for) You gotta keep working towards what you want. You also need to know that however crappy your job seems to be, it is making a difference to someone. Just borrow a leaf from John McLaine (Die Hard), you may not be wanting to do something. Nevertheless at this point in time, theres no one else to do it. If somethings gotta be done, its gotta be done. You can either be unhappy and do it or be happy about other things going right in your life and do it believing this will be over in no time.

As for me, well I am back to doing laundry, while I listen to my favorite music in the background. Or as I would want myself to believe listen to my favorite music and iron my clothes in the background. Whatever keeps me happy!

Om Shanty Om

After reading every review praising Om Shaanti Om vis-a-vis Saawariya, I had to see OSO before the Bhansali dud. I guess the reviews were written comparing the 2 movies or just for some plain hard cash. Well I didnt get my share so heres the truth as I see it.

The film starts off with Om Prakash Makhija (Srk) as a commoner extra in the movies and a fan\admirer of a starlet Shaanti Priya (Deepika). This seems reminiscent of the RGV flick Mast. The twist being, Om has ambitions of becoming a big star himself. What follows is a charade of almost every old actor in the business. A lot of it tastefully, some not so. This part is quite entertaining, I must say. Om saves Shaanti from a fire disaster ala Sunil Dutt-Nargis. Theres a very funny 'Rascalaa Mind it sequence' Unfortunately she is already in love with a producer Mukesh (an odd looking Arjun Rampal) The brief friendship between Om and Shaanti ends with their death courtesy Mukesh.
Flash-forward 25 yrs (or whatever) and you see Om reincarnated as Om Kapoor aka OK. He is a star son and we are served with a lot of funny anecdotes about star tantrums. But soon OK recalls his earlier birth and goes on a mission to make things right with the old producer rechristened from Mukesh to Mikey (an even odder looking Arjun Rampal). Deepika makes an appearance as a starstruck Sandhya aka Sandy and what follows is a comic revenge plot against Mikey. Sound familiar? Maybe you saw the stylish yet unsuccessful Sanjay Gupta caper "Hameshaa".

So is Om Shaanti Om justified the box office collections, hell no! What works for OSO is a good music track, Srk's new found abs and of course the divine looking Deepika. The movie is more or less a spoof of the 70s movies....but hey wasn't 'Main Hoo Naa' a 70s movie spoof as well? hey wait wasn't it made by Farha Khan? Well you shud get used to it now. Sooraj Barjatya makes wedding videos, Ramsays make 'scary' movies.....and well Farha makes spoofs. So get over it. The biggest downside to this movie is a complete lack of chemistry between Deepika and Srk. Though they look like million dollars individually, together they look well like Dad and daughter...well lets say big bro small sis to be non-acerbic. I would have thought Om could be played by a younger actor like Saif and this would have been a better movie. Regardless of the great box office collections, OSO would not find a place in my all time gr8 SRK movies....let alone all time great movies. But then again who cares? Go see this one for Deepika if you are a guy! Go watch it for Srk's 6 pack if you are a SRK fan! For the rest just have some guffaws!

Johnny Gaddar

Rating: 3/5
Audience: Urban Multiplex
Review: Johnny Gaddar the title suggests a cheesy movie and it almost is one, almost being the key word there. This one is a tribute to the cliched thrillers in the bollywood movie world and beyond. Sriram Raghavan has earlier directed the uber-fast and exciting Ek Hasina Thi. If you have seen that one, you would agree when I say that I had high expectations. Raghavan almost got the high bar he set with his first movie, again almost being the key word.
The Plot: JG begins on a very intriguing note and keeps you interested all through. There is never a dull moment. The movie though a thriller, has no elements of suspense. It makes this one churn up a different brand of storytelling. The lack of suspense does get to you in the second half. I am cruel enough to give away the plot.
The protagonist or should I say antagonist is a double crossing average Joe "Vikram" played by newcomer Neil Mukesh. He is involved in a heist with the stately ex-smuggler Seshadri (Dharmendra in a good role sans the English tit bits...he seems to be on a roll after Life in a metro...Whatever happened to Main tumhara Khoon Pee jaaoonga Kutte), temperamental gambler Prakash (Vinay Pathak the new Mr. Dependable these days when it comes to comedy and\or drama), sinister Shardul (Zakir Hussain.....Remember Rashid from Sarkar?....another feather in his cap this one) and the calm Shiva (Daya Shetty). And as fate would have it....(thats what he says!)...he ends up double crossing them for the money. The supporting cast also has Govind Namdeo (awesome as always), Rimmi Sen (watever happened to the girl from Shik dum!!!) and Ashvini Kalsekar (Not found on the main credits but amazing actress if directors use her well which has been done the second time after Khakee). The soundtrack is exquisitely fused with the storytelling and brings out the mood of the screeenplay perfectly. The movie falters marginally in the dialogue department. There aren't very many one liners which become part of your vocabulary after the movie. Neil Mukesh does a commendable debut. But somewhere I believe he underplays his character, unfortunately putting him in the Fardeen bracket. I sure do hope that the portrayal was due to the character he was playing and hope to see him in his next flick. All in all, a good movie worth a dekko.

Fate 2 Me 0

Whoever said "Man makes his own Fate" must be smoking pot of the highest degree. Well an overstatement that might be, but it sure holds true when a Mr. Murphy used your life as his apparatus for experimentation....(For the dimwits....ding ding ding....I am talking about the Murphy's law)

I for one, have added Murphy to my all time hit list....(He is target# 2....right after my friend Newton....Why? he had to creep into every facet of Physics and screw it up for people reading it....Sometimes I feel I should use all of Newton's laws, create a time machine and kidnap him out of his century.....wonder what that would do the space time continuum....Well I gotta consult my friend Hiro Nakamuru for that) Why poor Murphy? Well he just about uses me as his Beta Site every now and then and I am just done with him. I could forgive him for deeds such as
1) My flight gets canceled. I wait in line for a reschedule. A new line opens. I wait for a while and then shift to the new line. But wait, I am the last one to change the line. Next thing I know the line I just left has been served and I have to actually walk with my tail between my legs to the old line coz my stupid line refuses to take me to the end.
2) I am driving in the fast lane in heavy traffic. I see the guys to my right going past me like they have just opened up cars that can fly only in that lane. I bite temptation and change lanes. Well you guessed it right the fast lane is the one with flying cars now.
3) I am sitting in a bus in the aisle seat. I feel the urge for a window seat. I change my seat. The guy at my earlier seat leaves and a hot chick sits at the place I vacated. The seat next to me is inhabited by an old man.

Now that was Murphy's test cases in his Unit Testing phase (sorry for that jargon.....my software background just catches up with me sometimes)....He had something sinister planned for me. So heres what happened......

Week 1: Gorgeous weather. I wanna catch a 5:36 pm flight. I start from the office at 3:45...(15 mins past the usual time)....Sure enough I get caught in traffic.....I am STUCK in traffic.....Move it....No. 3 above is repeated countless times. Some jerk has banged his car at exit 68....and I am stuck.....Finally some respite....I get a shoulder to drive on. I get past 2 exits in a jiffy.....5:10 pm....Gosh I am just gonna get there....(thats the fun part Murphy gives me hope....it would have been so great to have no hope instead)..I am hoping theres a tornado warning somewhere and my flight gets delayed by 15 mins....15 mins is all I ask for God..5:20 pm....I reach the Rental Car compound....and the Bus for the airport is right there....huh No Sir....I wait for 8 more mins....Bus comes....I ride to the terminal....."Sir its too late for you to get to the boarding gates"..."Whens the next flight? Put me on that one"...."Tomorrow morning 6 am"...."Huh?".....I spend the night at a hotel near the airport and catch the flight next morning waking up at 4 freakin am in the morning.

No sir it doesn't stop here.....Week 2: Gorgeous weather. I wanna catch the same flight. I leave at 3:15 pm.....I don't wanna be the buffoon that I was last week. Now I am not gonna miss another flight....I drive on the freeway with the adroitness of a Schumacher.....Theres no traffic whatsoever....Could God just show me some traffic to reiterate my belief in keeping a safety buffer....Nope no help there. The cars move away giving me way like I am Bruce Almighty......4:15 pm.....I am at the Rental car compound....Well guess what this time the bus is waiting for me to board.....4:30 I swipe my card to get the Boarding pass....I am told my flight is delayed by an hour...But why Muldn't you do this a week ago....More sadistic laughter my way.....All I can do is sit at the airport, drink a cold glass of Beer (thank God for that) and write this blog cursing Mr. Murphy...@#$%^&^&*