A maestro at work

Al Pacino Rocks !!!

I had heard of this movie starring him, Any Given Sunday (1999), and about his famous speech Peace by Inches. Al plays Coach Tony D'Amato, while Cameron Diaz plays the team owner. And the director is Oliver Stone.
I must see this movie ASAP.

Coach Tony D'Amato: "Peace by Inches" Address to Players

I don’t know what to say, really. Three minutes till the biggest battle of our professional lives all comes down to today. Now either we heal as a team or we’re gonna crumble, inch by inch, play by play, 'til we’re finished.

We’re in hell right now, gentlemen, believe me. And, we can stay here -- get the shit kicked out of us -- or we can fight our way back into the light. We can climb outta hell one inch at a time.

Now, I can’t do it for you. I’m too old. I look around. I see these young faces, and I think -- I mean -- I made every wrong choice a middle-aged man can make. I, uh, I pissed away all my money, believe it or not. I chased off anyone who’s ever loved me. And lately, I can’t even stand the face I see in the mirror.
You know, when you get old in life things get taken from you. I mean that's...part of life. But, you only learn that when you start losing stuff. You find out life’s this game of inches. So is football. Because in either game, life or football, the margin for error is so small -- I mean one-half a step too late, or too early, and you don’t quite make it. One-half second too slow, too fast, you don’t quite catch it.

The inches we need are everywhere around us.

They’re in every break of the game, every minute, every second.
On this team, we fight for that inch. On this team, we tear ourselves and everyone else around us to pieces for that inch. We claw with our fingernails for that inch, because we know when we add up all those inches that’s gonna make the fuckin' difference between winning and losing! Between livin' and dyin'!

I’ll tell you this: In any fight, it’s the guy who’s willing to die who’s gonna win that inch. And I know if I’m gonna have any life anymore, it’s because I’m still willin' to fight and die for that inch. Because that’s what livin' is! The six inches in front of your face!!

Now I can’t make you do it. You got to look at the guy next to you. Look into his eyes! Now I think you’re gonna see a guy who will go that inch with you. You're gonna see a guy who will sacrifice himself for this team because he knows, when it comes down to it, you’re gonna do the same for him!

That’s a team, gentleman!
And, either we heal, now, as a team, or we will die as individuals.
That’s football guys.
That's all it is.
Now, what are you gonna do?

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Video - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WO4tIrjBDkk

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A matter of faith...

Faith. What is it? Why is it so important? What do people need it for?

I don't really believe in GOD as such. Yeah, there is LUCK, and there's always a possibility of a higher power supervising us. But is there anyone who knows for sure? Can we really believe the words of someone else? I personally haven't had any experience till now to corroborate this notion. This kind of attitude puts me in the category of Agnostics.

I am an unabashed supporter of Science. I've been a science student throughout my life. Ironically, I sucked at academics. (I have so called academic achievements in my name which a very small percentage of people have been able to achieve). But anyway, I sucked at academics because I was adamant not to adapt to the systems and practices at colleges which I thought to be useless. I always embraced and admired science. Why? It promotes rules and regulations; it has that inherent argumentative approach... When? How? What for? Where? It asks for proofs, it questions existing norms and accepted theories...not by rhetoric, but by the meticulous scientific approach. By data, by results, by experimentation...

However, many a times staunch promoters of reason treat this emotion (faith) as unworthy of being present in a human being. But they forget that faith an inherent and deep seated emotion residing within all of us. The social nature of humans instinctively demands him/her to be faithful. Everything begins with faith. A scientist begins a research or experiment because he has faith in his plan. A leader leads a community or a nation on a path because he has faith in his vision. A manufacturer produces by hiring others by keeping faith in the abilities of his workers and staff. When we buy stuff with money, we show our faith that the seller/producer is going to provide us with correct value of money. Everything starts with faith.

Faith as a concept has been narrowed down to be associated with religious things in common cultures throughout the world. The word faith has been buried under layers and layers of meandering path hijacked by religious groups for ages. The basic idea of faith is loyalty, allegiance or full confidence. It can be towards anything; a person (say Richard Branson), an idea (say Blogging), an institution (say Marriage), a plan (say MBA) or a concept (say GOD). What we should emphasize is that faith does not automatically imply connection to GOD.

This association with religion starts from the very childhood. Young kids are told to put their faith in some GOD. They are told to bow in front of certain statues. They are told to follow certain customs. And when they ask the dreaded question "WHY?" they are either told to "Shut up and listen to their elders" or they are told some Cock-and-bull story. Same goes for the schooling system. And over the centuries, this implication has given rise to superstitions, simply because people merely followed the practice without understanding the core concept behind it.

We have to stop this. Please, treat children like children, not like morons who have an IQ of zero. Tell them the truth right from the beginning. Only what is correct. Anything... and I mean anything can be simplified to make kids understand. Remove the complexities, leave out details, use analogies, but let them know what is true, to give them a solid platform on which they will be able to create their philosophy and practices based on the sound reasoning of their mind. And more importantly, give up redudant practices and customs, which almost always snowball into superstition.



A common example is prayer. Many of us pray, but few ever think what its importance is? Most do it because it has become routine. Because everyone else prays. Because a person who doesn't pray isn't looked upon too well by others. Is it so that we come closer to the Lord? Is it that our sins will be washed away as we pray?
Prayer is basically just a form of meditation. We pray, we feel calm, composed and secure. We think through the things that trouble us. We make better decisions. We connect with our needs and desires. We get a level headed perspective of things affecting our lives.

But even blind faith has its advantages. I think most people behave themselves because of this blind faith in religion and GOD (The doctrine of Paap - Punya). It gives you confidence and a glimmer of hope when you are down. It is like Amitabh Bachchan going to Tirupati Balaji, Steve Waugh carrying his red handkerchief while batting and Makhaya Ntini running 10 kilometers every 3rd day of a test match. Routine has its own strength.

All-in-All, faith translates into determination, courage and hope at the time of crisis. When directed at a good cause, even blind faith can lead to miraculous feats by common men. But this is not the majority case, where blind faith clouds the very reasoning of a person.
I as a person will perhaps never turn to GOD, no matter what state I'm in. But does that mean I will have no faith? NO. Everyone clings on to something he / she believes in difficult times. Some turn to GOD, some turn to elders, some turn to friends, some turn to the love of their life.... I have faith in myself, so I turn to myself.

QUOTE:
“Faith isn't faith until it's all you're holding on to”

Confessions of a pseudo workaholic

I was talking to a friend on phone a few days back, and he was bickering about how his life has become so boring and monotonous, he has nothing to do once the office ends. He wanders around with friends, drinking beer, going to movies, eating out... basically spending money to kill time. And when he asked me, I had no inkling of what he was feeling. I told him so, and he told me, "Dude, you've become a workaholic".
Have I really become one?
This term is often associated with those who spend long hours at work, sometimes when not necessary. They pile up work for themselves, perhaps to cut themselves off from the outside world, or maybe to get their mind off some other matter.

IT DOESN’T APPLY TO A PERSON JUST BECAUSE HE / SHE IS BUSY

I am busy and more or less happy with my life. Of course, one always wants more. But I'm comfortable to be where I am at present. I know where I am going and what I want.

As I talked more about this to various people, I found most of them had a similar opinion of my life. I guess it is so because these habits are the hallmark of a compulsive workaholic, someone who looks busy and happy with his life, who just doesn't have the time to stop and look back, to catch his breath midway...he is so accustomed to looking ahead...only in few desolate moments would he / she wonder whether there is something that he / she is missing? And by the time this thought grabs him / her, there is the next thing to be done. People (even my relatives) tell me that I am so often lost in my own thought, reading some book, surfing the net, listening to some song, watching TV, talking to someone... that I may as well be sitting on a couch in Mars... Well, sitting idle; its hard for me.

I'm just not willing to give up even an ounce of my current life to something I'm not interested in, that's the baggage I have to carry because I know what I want. People can perceive you to be arrogant or self involved, but they eventually come around.

I don’t consider myself a workaholic, because I don’t work to escape from something. I work to please myself, to prepare myself for the things to come, to add capabilities I would need to live the life I want to live in future. And by WORK, I don’t mean Office work... It could be anything, so as it keeps me busy in a constructive manner.

QUOTE:

Laziness may look attractive, but its work that gives you satisfaction.

The last FIVE books I read....

I read a lot. I acquired this habit in the very first year of my college, owing to some of my best college friends...


The Origins of CRASH is the latest one which I've finished. Mind Blowing. I wonder how much research Roger must have done to produce such a masterpiece. The whole book is about the Stock Market crash of Spring 2000 in US. Those of us vaguly familiar with the crash treat it synonymous to the bursting of the dot com bubble, but as I read this book, I understood a lot about what went into building the premises where this market frenzy existed, and the cause of fallout. It deals with the likes of Enron and Worldcom, along with the foray of accounting firms into the lucrative consulting business, the use of Special Purpose vehicles the role of media in shaping public sentiment to make people invest in equities...An eye opener.

Awesome. I read this book, and then I couldn't watch the news channels or read through Newspapers and magazines for around a week. It is just so overwhelming to find out that 2 people control practically every piece of news that we recieve. The book chronicles the rise and clash between two media moghuls: TED TURNER and RUPERT MURDOCH. Just gives an insight how much politics and maniac competition is involved in the media industry. I bet the makers of James Bond must have thought of their villian Carver from Tomorrow never dies from these two gentlemen. And within a couple of days of finishing the book, Rupert Murdoch successfully completed his bid for the Wall Street journal; another brick in the wall.

I've always been a brand Enthusiast, and have read a LOT about branding and related stuff. Brands excite me. And here, Patrick Hanlon reveals the most engaging piece on branding I've come across in my life. His Primal code: The Seven Characteristics a brand must have to become a super brand is mind blowing. And, the book is a wealth of information hitherto absent on branding in 20th century.

Aahh... Harry Potter. What can I say. I am a massive fan of Harry Potter... hats off to JKR to give such an ending which managed to satisfy fans and critics alike...I dont recall such a marketing Blitz for a product, barring perhaps iPhone. The book broke the selling records of harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince (which incidently had broken the record of Harry Potter and the Order of Phoenix). What was truly remarkable was that despite the immense scrutiny for the clues in previous 6 books, JKR managed to give us an ending worthy of the grandeur of the series. Bravo...And thank you for nor killing Harry, for finally revealing Snape was good and not bringing Dumbledore back to life.

Google. Isn't it fascinating? How has Google become this Mega Brand without spending a single penny on advertising? How the hell does Google make so much money, by merely the clicks of users on sponsored adds? How did google surpass others like askjeeves to become what it has become today? Why was Google so late in listing on the markets? These and much more questions are answered by David Vise, in a very no-nonsense way. It has amazing inside stories, like The Burning man, The story of Google's Chef, how the SEC objected to Google's official letter before the IPO because it used the first names of all key executives, The Do no Evil part of its policy... Bingo !!!

23 years...

I wrote this on my 23rd Birthday. I was thinking over stuff, CAT had just happened, my brother was to be in town the next day... Its been 10 months.

Its been 23 years,

Since I was born,

Its been 23 years,

Since that first dawn,

Adhering to the code,

I mowed the dry lawn,

And on this life's chessboared,

I am still feel like a pawn,

Chained to my convictions,

I braved deciet everywhere,

Absorbing the friction,

I grudgingly sleep in despair,

Layers and layers of defeate,

Fill the chapters of my life,

All my principles; noble and elite,

Kill my sanity with inner strife,

The guilt within is deep seated,

Guilt of having nottruly tried,

I myself feel cheated,

Cheated by my own pride,

Bound and gagged by chains,

How far can I further slide,

just one comforting thought remains,

That everyone has something to hide.

Quote:

Limit is in mind. Sky is just an excuse..!!

All 13 - 19 years - Buy my product

I am fascinated by marketing. And these are my views on the monstrous challange before the corporates in india, and around the world.

Marketing is tough. Its exciting and boring at the same time. This job makes and breaks careers with equal ease. Every marketeer dreams of a "Cinderella story" for his/her product.

There's only one thing that superseeds the charisma of Marketing.
Teen Marketing.
Its hip. Its hot. Its challenging. And no aspiring Global entity can do without it. Its a double edged sword. Its a necessary evil.

Teens don't listen to reason. They don't really go for details. They're impatient. That's what teen marketeers needs to focus on.

To start with, be simple. Be catchy. Be succint. Let the people and media talk more about it than the company. Jump in only to give clarifications or prevent controversy.

But widespread teen affection for a brand cannot happen overnight. Like most trends among youth, it has to begin quietly. The early spread has to be by word of mouth, until it becomes a cultural phenomenon. Yeah, a PHENOMENON.

The brand must become a status symbol among teens. It should acquire a mystique aura that makes it cool. It should stand for values which a teenager lives for; rebellion, ambition, attitude.
It should make them feel wanted, empowered, FREE...

But thats Phase I. Phase II has to concentrate on teen loyalty, because once the company has it, its near term future is pretty much secure (Think iPod and XBOX). Without loyalty, the initial marketing blitz will fade away rapidly. There is one and only one way to ensure it. PRODUCT QUALITY.
Long term marketing and branding must involve better design and service. Another point. Give the teen customers an easy official outlet to expres their views on the product. Monitor their response, and adapt accordingly.
And... Marketeers, you've got to be FAST. LIGHTENING FAST. Response time has never been so crucial.
Well thats it. The view of a casual fan of Ad Campaigns...

Quote:
There are very few things in this world tougher than understanding women. Understanding teenagers comes pretty close(Anonymous).

Just an Experiment ....

One of the reasons I love Rock n Roll is the blunt ‘In your face’ attitude reflected in the formation of lyrics.

I am trying to formulate a quiz based on Legendry Rock Band‘s lyrics. And while I am at it, this funny idea hit me.
To write a poem where every alternate line is taken from some legendry Rocker....
And I ended up with what’s below.
Mind you, it very very difficult to do this.... I had to cut my favorite lines just so that the poem made some sense...
And Of course, I had to go through loads n loads of lyrics...

Well, it might not make much sense; I’ve just tried to do something new over here...
Maybe I could have done a better job had I given it more time, but frankly, I got fed up.

In fact, Rock fans reading it can take a quiz themselves over here!!!
Well, the first and third line of each paragraph in from some song.
Simple. Identify it, as far as you can......

Search for the light

Do my dirty work, scapegoat
I’ve got you by your throat
Sharin' hopes and fears
The Ego always hears

Just another brick in the wall
Taking a stroll through the mall
Sleep with one eye open
Waiting to cash your token

She pushed food through the door
For her, another daily chore
Now there's a look in your eyes
Mirroring, those true lies

Well, she's fashionably lean
The eyesore of your dream
Another flashing chance at bliss
But you again give it a miss

Oh, don't ask why
Forget their hue and cry
You know that it would be untrue
But that’s the picture you yourself drew

The day the music died
To yourself you again lied
You know the day destroys the night
And still you search for the light

The song lines and their source is as follows:

Do my dirty work, scapegoat - Sad but true (Metallica)
Sharin' hopes and fears - Poor tom (Led Zeppelin)
Just another brick in the wall – Another brick in the Wall (Pink Floyd)
Sleep with one eye open – Enter Sadman (Metallica)
Oh, don't ask why - Alabama Song (Whisky Bar) (The Doors)
You know that it would be untrue - Light My Fire (The Doors)
She pushed food through the door - Bleach (Nirvana)
Now there's a look in your eyes - Shine on you crazy diamond (Pink Floyd)
Well, she's fashionably lean - Twentieth Century Fox (The Doors)
Another flashing chance at bliss - The Crystal Ship (The Doors)
The day the music died – American Pie (Don MacLean)
You know the day destroys the night - Break on through (The Doors)