In the clouds

The grimy header has changed…and I am sure to the pleasure of a few of my readers. It was inevitable. I saw time at its truant best. Was it because I walked into a cloud? Was it because of the condensation on my spectacles - which altered my city-bred vision? Was it because I was distracted by the sound of my own heartbeat thumping in my ears? Was it because my senses were confused with the moss-dew-lily-cloud fragrance that upstaged my Parisian cologne? Was it because my ears were straining to catch the tales from far away which arrived perched on top of a vagrant cloud? Was it because I experienced this descending heaven through the eyes of my angel? Whatever it was - I saw time like never before. My concept of time was one of tired seconds ticking tick-tock-tick in tandem with the mechanical ruminations of a local train. Or the minutes spent in waiting for a red light to turn green. Or hours passing with the irritating precision of pre-decided weekly conference calls which more often than not left me none the wiser.

Kasmanda Palace shattered my thusfar comfortable relationship with time. Here the seconds travelled in reverse - as I strode through a manicured garden from the times of the Raj… the minutes flew by with the speed of cavorting swallows and the fluidity of Ruskin Bond’s tales…the hours, well, all but disappeared as my “civilized” disposition was found terribly wanting when trying to make sense of the raw splendor of natural beauty that lay before me, in the “Queen of the hills”. As the more observant (and patient) readers would have guessed - Dee and I just returned from a momentous trip up in the clouds of Mussoorie. I could write a detailed travelogue with the faint hope that I would capture all that I felt within the time-proof confines of this blog…but that’s just not possible without understating and in the process doing a great amount of disservice to the feeling itself. No…this time I would rather let the pictures speak. Hope you like them…click on the images to see wallpaper size. (If they are not loading it is because your firewall blocks Flickr.)

1) Kasmanda Palace - Mussoorie.

2) The reception at Kasmanda…old world charm…

3) The maple tree above our room…

4) No wonder the English loved this place…

5) Corridors of the Raj…

6) Tea garden of Eden…

7) Trying to hide in the clouds…

8 ) One tree hill…

9) Waiting to pounce on you…only not…

10) Blood or dew?

11) Gates to heaven…at “Laal Tibba” above Landour… (this is where the Bond goes for walks)

12) We weren’t the only ones interested in the flora…

13) You want proof that Kasmanda is old? The Gardener…

***
All images copyright Dee or me. Clicked by absolute amateurs with an absolutely amazing piece of photographic equipment. The Olympus E-520 is a marvel. Hope I can learn how to use it one day…;).

Special thanks to Ruskin Bond for inviting us mortals into his humble home and regaling us with exclusive stories. We will never forget those 40 minutes (or was it seconds?). All said and done it was a beautiful trip - which ended with a scrumptious dinner hosted by the vivacious Mad Momma and her delightful hubby, and shelter provided by Sammy-boy…a perfect end to a perfect trip.

The marketplace of the future

This morning, I was standing at one of the windows in my office, sipping a cup of horribly sweet tea, looking at the rain and not thinking. I have realized that my best thoughts pop up when I am not thinking! (Try explaining that!) Through the rain - I could see a “Paperwallah” wearing a cheap black raincoat (branded DNA) desperately trying to ensure that copies of TOI (so much for the free raincoat!) were kept away from the precipitation. I looked at the raincoat…and thought about what all would have gone into procuring that raincoat for the thousands of paperwallahs in Mumbai. Some guy in DNA marketing would have contacted some supplier of giveaways - who would have connected to some stockist of raincoats - who would have talked to his supplier in Karjat - who would then give the order to some company in Pune - who would then get it made by a sweatshop in Tirupur… you get the drift. Imagine this:

DNA (Demand)  -                Middlemen (1,2,3,n)                 - Sweatshop(Supply)

How many degrees of separation are there between demand and supply? And each separation point adds to the price…and loss of control for the buyer. Internet spelled doom for the Middlemen…with platforms bringing buyers and sellers together…with the only middleman being the platform. Thus e-commerce was born… but the other day I bought a Nokia Bluetooth handset from Indiatimes Shopping - who were not the direct seller. The seller was some guy on Lamington road, who procured it from some importer in Chennai. God knows where they got it from… because the product I got was faulty - and no one claimed responsibility for it. Indiatimes pushed it to Lamington road who is yet to hear from Chennai. Who loses? The buyer and the manufacturer. I don’t think I will ever buy a Nokia headset again. The Supply Chain  automatically stretches to fill in any available space…and there are millions of businesses and individuals who have made a killing from just being able to connect supply and demand.

Where can things be improved? Dell did it on the supply side by their now famous online sales model. There is a problem with that approach as Dell realized recently… online sales are not good for impulsive buys. You walk into a showroom and you see a beautiful machine you don’t need…but you fall in love with the demo and buy it anyway. Dell missed that opportunity and today has started selling products through the usual channels also. Also middlemen add that bit of “marketing” that is so critical to selling products - something direct online sales find hard to replicate.

Now I suggest a different way - nothing new, has been done by various people already, but not really been replicated massively. Move the marketing and sales to the demand side. Avon - and your peer recommendation models work like this. Now imagine - the world of bloggers, taking on the marketing and sales of a product. Eg. Nokia contacts me - I put up on my blog “Product of the day - Nokia handset BH400″ - at a special manufacturer price which is 20% less than markup price at indiatimes or the Mobile Store. Now why would I do that? Because Nokia gives me a free piece to test and review…. and…to add a bit of zest in the proceedings, Nokia tells me that I get further 5% off for every successful transaction that goes through from my blog. This solves the marketing problem…because (for the sake of my hypothesis) I am a respected reviewer and my community believes in me - and because I get 5% off on every transaction - I will atleast give a decent review. Will I become a sleazy middleman then? No…because my personal reputation (like for any blogger) is important. A bad product will be reviewed as it is… My blog gets 100 hits a day…and more bloggers like me can reach a potential marketplace of millions.

The big companies have twiddled with various concepts of peer-to-peer marketing - but end up creating just another supply chain. My argument is that it doesn’t have to be a supply chain but a supply “grid” if you will. That is the marketplace of the future… and I am sure that some guy reading this will find a business idea to create a “middleman” organization who would enable this.

And all this because of that DNA raincoat. All those MBAs out there (and the non-MBAs) are welcome to comment and critique…

About time - India’s first Olympic Gold in 2008

A big moment for all Indians. And about time too… Abhinav Bindra has won India’s first individual gold medal (the first ever - the others were team golds) - in the 10m Air Rifle event. I hope the nation now stops obsessing over Sania Mirza.

Thanks Vamsi for the breaking news.

You can read the whole item here:

http://www.breakingnewsonline.net/2008/08/abhinav-bindra-wins-first-ever.html

Edited: Guess what? Abhinav Bindra has a blog! But this particular news item is not on there yet…guess he is busy partying. But I will stay tuned - his perspective on how it felt.

Meanwhile - people are pouring in their wishes at this place http://abhinavbindra.blogspot.com/2008/08/we-are-now-welcomedofficially.html . …and maybe you should too…

The Pink House!

Looks like the internet has become the frontline in the war for the US presidency.

Remember, I talked about the McCain campaign ad where Obama was compared to Britney and Paris? Well - what can I say except the fact that what goes around comes around.

This is the original ad.

Notice how McCain is specifically highlighting on Obama’s immaturity in saying no to offshore drilling. Now FunnyOrDie.com paid Paris Hilton to do a rebuttal.

“I am not old and I don’t want to bring change…I am just hot!” She purrs. Worth a look. And she wants to paint the white house PINK - and wants Rihanna as her running mate! Hilarious. And she uses words I am sure she doesn’t understand.

http://www.funnyordie.com/videos/64ad536a6d

Recognition on Blogs of the day

Grimescene was mentioned by the WordPress team as one of the “growing blogs” on WordPress. Thank you readers!

http://botd.wordpress.com/2008/07/26/growing-blogs-820/

The Hillary Conundrum

Never have I been more relieved to be proven wrong (except when my son arrived and destroyed my previous notion that I was good for nothing). In my last post on Obama - I had predicted he would not secure the democratic nomination. It is old news now - but he made it. And in time too…cos he and Hillary were going all guns blazing at each other, resulting in a very nervous Dem party HQ. As is so easily accepted in politics - almost overnight, after Hillary conceded victory to Obama, they became best friends. Apart from the “fist pump” (which I think he reserves for his wife) they hugged and kissed and made up (not ‘out’…thankfully). He called her an “amazing woman” and she called him a “great leader”. Naturally this camaraderie set tongues wagging about the most logical future for this partnership. Faster than one could say “Running Mate” - Hillary was announced as the best possible candidate for the post of the “Veep”.

He didn’t deny it outright - nor did she rule out the fact that she could be working under her former adversary. People loved it… for obvious reasons. Their fan clubs were mutually exclusive - with Obama appealing to people of color and the young - while older women and blue collar workers preffered Hillary. This alliance would get both of these factions together - “doubling” Obama’s chances of becoming president. I have to admit that they also look “good” together…both with easy effectual personalities - quick with a smile or a smart remark. They would be like Bonnie & Clyde or Moulder & Scully…just imagine the sensationalist tabloids going overboard with the sexual tension…my my - the White House would look more and more like a Hollywood ensemble…as it really is. On a more practical front Hillary would bring the “grey hair” and the practicality - which Obama purportedly lacks. The Vice President has been historically chosen as someone who “completes” the president. (If that is true the Dick Cheney must be Superman…) So Hillary fits the Bill perfectly. (No pun)

So the public is salivating with expectation, starry-eyed newspaper editors are glued to their seats with one finger hovering over the “Send” button. But - no announcement. Instead there is some migraine inducing talk about Virginia gov Tim Kaine and Joe Biden (isn’t he tired of losing?) and even magnate, NYC mayor and ex-Republican (?) Michael Bloomberg as potential candidates for Vice President. I was watching Anderson 360 this morning - and there was only one topic of discussion. Why in the blazes are they not announcing Hillary as the running mate for Obama? After all she comes with a free ex-president in tow. And I believe therein lies the problem.

Billary is probably the most famous couple after Brangelina (and Dictoria). The world watched with amazement as Hillary forgave her husband for his very public indiscretions…and continued to “stand by him”. Their story is one of courage and sacrifice - and has enabled both to sell books worth millions. The other day Bill was asked by some intrepid reporter “When you look back at Hillary’s campaign - do you feel any regret or realize that you could have supported her differently?” Bill replies in his trademark cool school teacher way “…there are more important issues to focus on right now…but let me tell you that I am not a racist and have made no racist comments about anyone.” - an obvious remark about the dirty fight between Obama and Hillary. But what is more interesting is the amount of screen time and mindshare that this small remark got from the media, analysts and the newspapers. Billary is probably more loved by the media than Obama. If Hillary becomes running mate for Obama - though it would look good on paper - she and her husband will “suck out all the oxygen” from the race - leaving Obama gasping for breath. They are just too visible - too high profile.

Obama is the star. And he needs to maintain that visibility he has worked so hard for. I don’t see him jeopardizing that for an excellent running mate like Hillary. To put it in other words - the Democrats need just one star to guide them to victory…another brighter one would just confuse everyone. Obama will be better off choosing someone with a low profile - but with the experience to further silence the sceptics.

Does this mean Hillary will have no more a role to play in the Democratic campaign for presidency? Of course not! She can still support Obama - continue hugging and kissing him and calling him a “Great Leader” - people love her, and will continue to do so even if she is not Veep. Barrack Obama has gained tremendous mileage in a very short time - and is converting sceptics every day. But the race is far from over. The last poll pegged his popularity only 3 percentage points higher than McCain - and the new Republican TV ads which compare Obama to Britney Spears and Paris Hilton are actually working (trust Americans to make that association with ease!). He can do with all the help he can get - and what better help than Billary as his supporters. As long as they let him hog the limelight.

P.S.: Hope I am proven wrong again!

House of broken love

…is a song by Great White. (A more detailed review in the “In the ipod” page) You will be excused for never having heard of the band… but they have always featured in my top 20. Esp. this song… check it out…its amazing.

*******

Lyrics:

Come the mornin’ don’t ya wake me
I’ll be dreamin’ that I’m free
Come the daybreak don’t ya shake me
Send me back to misery

Cause I’m dealin’ with the devil
With no help from above
I’m stealin’ with the devil
Through this house of broken love

Takin’ chances with you baby
I saw something in your eyes
And though no one else could blame me
There were signs I shoulda recognized

Now I’m dealin’ with the devil
With no help from above
I’m sleepin’ with the devil
In this house of broken love….broken love

If you don’t wanna lose my lovin’
Use it constantly
If it’s gonna be lies, suspicious eyes
Baby oh baby set me free

When the night falls and she’s leavin’
Ooo the moon shines cold and grey
Hear my heartbeat yeah yeah hear m’ weepin’
Pain and sorrow’s here to stay

I begged you baby help me
But you turned your back on me
You didn’t even listen
You should have set me free

Now I’m leavin’ with the devil
Gonna leave this search for love
I’m Leavin’ with the devil
Leave this house of broken love

- Russell, Kendall

*******

Mera naam Joker

Ok…I have been planning to write this for some time now… but somehow couldn’t find the words. (Believe me - that is rare.) Once in a while, one is subjected to an experience, one cannot completely grasp the significance of. Atleast not immediately. It then occupies latent brain-processor cycles (like the SETI program), tugs on the recesses of one’s intellect and often leaves one undecided about what to make of it all. That’s what “The Dark Knight” did to me the first time I saw it. It left me dazed and confused - those are definitely not the typical effects of an “action movie”. And even more atypical for an action movie where the hero wears a silly costume.

Having said that…if any silly-attired-crusader can invoke feelings above the ephemeral - it is Batman. For one…he really doesn’t have “Super Powers”. He is just a morose rich guy with no girlfriend and with lots of top-secret technology and a super-butler at his disposal. So - there is a touch of realism in his capers. (also the same reason Ironman worked so well…) There have been various attempts to create a “human” persona for batman…and a couple of them have been commendable. But all of them - in the name of gratuitous entertainment - have eventually in some way or the other, reduced that human persona into a comic book character. (Don’t get me wrong - I am a big fan of the first two Batman movies with Michael Keaton - but for different reasons.) So when the amazing Chris Nolan took the helm of Batman Begins - my instincts said that he would do something different. And he didn’t disappoint. In the second installment from Nolan - you can sense genuine agony and doubt in the caped crusader. He realizes how difficult his job is and that he is not infallible, especially when he comes face to face with an equally powerful (not in strength - but in conviction) enemy who lies squarely on the other end of the morality scale.

Which brings me to the reason why I had to see the movie a second time before writing about it. Now people around the world have been waxing eloquent about the late Heath Ledger’s seminal performance as the Joker - so I shall refrain (OK…He is PHENOMENAL!). Anyone familiar with the history of Batman comics - will know that amongst all the Batman villians - it is the Joker who brings out the best (and the worst) in Batman. To draw another cinematic reference - as Samuel Jackson’s Elijah mentions in the movie “Unbreakable” - each superhero has his arch enemy amongst other enemies. This arch enemy is typically very similar to the superhero - just believes in causes which are diametrically opposite to the beliefs of the superhero. Usually in the conflict between the Superhero and his arch enemy, against the backdrop of the larger fight between “Good” and “Evil” - the mental and physical (in that order) conflict between the hero and the villian takes centerstage. It becomes personal. Both see their reflections in the other…to the point that the existence of one, hangs on the existence of the other. Chris Nolan handles this complex relationship between Batman and his arch enemy with considerable insight and for the lack of a better term - tenderness. But that’s not what makes the movie work so well. It is Heath Ledger’s interpretation of the Joker - and what the character stands for - that shocks, provokes and gives an entire new meaning to the on-screen villian.

The Joker is essentially an anarchist. He has no specific objective (”I am like a dog chasing cars. I wouldn’t know what to do, if I caught one”). He just feels that with the coming of Batman, Harvey Dent and Jim Gordon - the balance between good and evil is getting lopsided. He feels there needs to be “a new class of criminal” - to create destruction for the sake of it. He is anti-thesis, anti-gravity and anti-establishment - all rolled into one. He represents the other side…and actually believes his existence is necessary for the existence of the regular or “good” side. He dislikes the scheming plotting planning nature of “socially acceptable” humans - as he sees no “grand” plan in how the world unfolds around him. He believes that the Sun is there to burn…not warm. He believes that evil should exist in the world without purpose - and hates so called criminals with monetary objectives. He doesn’t mind if people call him a freak - in fact he revels in that. He believes that there is a Joker hidden inside every human being…and he wants to bring that side out. Most of all…he is crystal clear about his purpose and role in the world. (How many of us can say that? ;)) Don’t mistake the joker as unhinged. He probably is the only one not.

And all this is magnified when projected from behind the ultimate mask of duality. The face of a clown. Good when there is evil. Laughter where there is pain. Heath Ledger’s potrayal of Joker is nothing short of terrifying. To me he makes Alien Vs. Predator look like a kindergarten costume party. And this is partly because he makes it look so frighteningly real. But what he also does is that he defies our instinct for rationalizing everything we see. When we see a real life villian like Osama Bin Laden fly planes into our buildings - we rationalize, cook up conspiracies, wage wars. Because there is a “reason” why someone would do this…right? The Joker defies reason. And that is the most unsettling bit about Heath Ledger’s character.

Batman had given himself the purpose of cleaning Gotham’s streets. But if you dig deeper into the character - he still feels that he is “forcefully” rationalizing his existence - by juxtaposing it with these cheap criminals. “I have to do good things - because I have to give the citizens of Gotham a better life.” With the joker - he realizes (as you see at the end of the movie) that he doesn’t have to “appear” good and that appearances are rationalizations. He realizes when he comes face to face with his arch enemy and the broken hero “Two Face/Harvey Dent” - that he exists because a character like the Joker exists. He attains the same amount of clarity of purpose and role - that the Joker has. And this non-rationalized purpose is what makes Batman complete. It is the Joker who makes Batman believe in himself.

One of my favorite Joker dialogues is when he hisses, “You make me complete.” I now realize that he was speaking for both of them.

I hope all of you have watched this movie - if not, I hope you watch it. And not just for the awesome special effects.

Bomb blasts in Bangalore, India

Just heard from a colleague. Bomb blasts occured in 5 discrete locations around Bangalore - in India. As usual there is total lack of information - and the only current source is NDTV.com. I hope all of you from Bangalore and your kin are fine and unaffected. Don’t worry if you are not able to get through to anyone on your phone. There is nothing you can do about it and in all probability all should be fine. A show of hands by readers from Bangalore would be great…just drop a comment.

>>Additional sound advice from Abha in Bangalore: Stay put wherever you are. Don’t panic. This shall pass.

>>Updates from Punya (doing some Punya ;)):

Bangalore has been hit by five serial bomb blasts at crowded locations. The blasts reportedly occurred at Nayandahallil, Anepalya, Madiwala and Koramangalam within a span of 12 minutes, leaving at least 3 dead.

According to preliminary reports, the first blast took place at 1.30 in the afternoon.

Bomb squads have been rushed to the blast sites. The telephone lines have been jammed.

Midnight baby oil

Dhruv is a late sleeper. Some might count it as one of my parental failures - but I cannot for the life of me get him to sleep before 11. I take him to bed at 11…and then he takes half an hour to sleep. We have this ritual where I open his BIG storybook with 365 stories…he closes his eyes and randomly points at one of the 365 and I read it out to him. I don’t know how much he understands but he definitely seems highly interested in the funny expressions I make and the weird voices his otherwise staid father emanates.

All that has changed in the past two weeks. Much to my inexplicable horror he has developed an inexplicable liking for his Maths and English work book. So everynight before going to bed he wants to solve puzzles. All ill-informed reader might not grasp the full weight of this development…so let me try and explain. People in my immediate family don’t study unless they absolutely have to. By God’s grace and lots of luck we are doin quite ok in our lives… but studies? Nope…not something that has ever kept us awake at night. My son’s mother is not too much of a crammer either… so this development is as significant as the discovery of fossilized bacterial genetalia on Mars. (hmm…that’s a weird metaphor…)

So every night I have to make him do puzzles involving basic maths and english…and my little genius always does so well! The other night I was on the phone with Dee…and he was patiently waiting for me to start the noctural cerebral exercises… He scribbled on the notepad with his pen, opened the pen up to inspect its internals, the closed the pen again and tried to balance it on his little nose, then tried to put the pen through various holes on his face… then he got bored. So he suddenly turns away from me and starts writing something on the pad. I am curious. I try to peer over his shoulder - but he shrugs me off. Then he turns and asks me “Dad, “the” kaise likhte hain”? “T-H-E” I said going back to my nocturnal cerebral exercises… Then after some time he asks, “Dad, “best” kaise likhte hain?” I raised my eyebrows as I spelt it out to him…wondering what the little tyke was up to.

Then after busily cutting and scribbling for a couple of minutes he turned back to show me the notepad - he had written “U R the best.” He read that aloud in his sweet baby voice and immediately buried his face in the covers… My four year old wrote me a “love note”. AWWWWWWWWW.

It was then I realized that yeah…that is MY kid. And that I am the luckiest father alive.