Is there a You?

I had watched Memento a few years ago. I watched Gajini (Bollywood rendition) yesterday. Sadly all the latter left me with was this dull throbbing ache across my temples. The former, however, had made me think.

Have any of you read Michael Crichton's Prey? It talks about a nano swarm that escapes from its fermentation tank and wreaks havoc in the vicinity, harming a few of the inhabitants. Crichton very craftily communicates an idea of the self multiplying nano particle swarm that learns by itself.

Mark Twain said that ‘Biographies are but the clothes and buttons of the man. The biography of the man himself cannot be written.’

Seeming disconnect in the three "things" mentioned above viz. Films, Nano Swarms & Twain. However, there is a unifying factor in all of them. That being – Memory.

What are we today? What you associate with....or that which associates itself with you. Depending on perspective I think it is either or both. As you start your day, you go for a jog, make yourself the breakfast that you read about the previous day, go to places that you had marked out, meet people as per you plan, lookup the sports column in the local daily to check whether your team won the league title, work, play, log on to blogger, scribble on twitter, listen to your fav track, rev up the PS3 etc..... these acts define you. What you have done, what you are doing and what you intend on doing...with varying degrees of contribution, define you.

There are various and then a few more permutations and combinations to the fore mentioned.... or in some cases there are altogether new acts.... but all of them essentially follow a common trend line. Interactions (in person or through other media) and Ponderings (with self, on paper). I am sure this is oversimplification....but it essentially is the gist.

What are we without these 'Limbs?' What are we without, our phone, the newspaper, friends, home, work, past, car, family, email etc (No particular order is intended). Man, ladies and gentlemen, is a walking block of memories.

Even, what some of us would conveniently label as ‘seldom used traits’ such as, anger, sexuality (Oh! Ouch), jealousy, introspection, which might be vestigial to our existence, are still with us and play a part in defining us.

Can Barack Obama be defined without a mention of the Presidential race? Yes! I bet the impression that the lady who was the daughter of a slave, and who passed away post voting and watching him emerge victorious (notice how we define her), is different from the impression that we will have of him 1 year from now. We will after all be aided by all subsequent events that will taint/nourish our understanding of who the man is. Memories are NEVER static.

Memories are like the ocean.... different rivers, running across different regions, planes and plateaus bringing with them a flavor unique to each participant....and they all empty themselves into the ocean. But each drop has a story to tell... a different story albeit... but a story never the less. We are a moving block of memories... memories that fade and blossom... wane and bloom....with every instant. Our sub conscience itself functions on memories... how else do you explain dreams...memories of things of the past.... memories of fears combated....thoughts of days to come... they are us.

Which is why what Leonard Shelby (Guy Pearce) goes through makes the viewer shudder. That is how lost we are in the event of the prodigal 'slate' being wiped clean! ID is quintessential. In a day and age where even bovine creatures are getting tagged... not following suit is NOT an option.

The nano swarm, exhibited, what humans inherently are unable to… a leaderless group. We tend to associate such a group as one that lacks direction. The nano particles however managed Just Fine. Distributed intelligence, continuously evolving learning, group synthesis ensured that the particles not only existed but also managed to replicate human traits such as goal setting, defense formation, survival instincts etc. They managed this because; they continuously gathered and processed the information from the environment they occupied and without any angst, doubt or fear, carried out the requisite steps with clinical precision. They shared memories, they shared their learnings and they shared the fruit of their actions...'cause in all fair means... they were ONE individual, with every particle bringing in its own ounce of memory. A swarm of memories.

It seems that to meditate is not so much a process as a state of mind. It is a mind frame achieved when one can distinguish “You” from “Yours”.

Reiterating Mark Twain….you can define his coat, his tie, his hair, his skin, his achievements, his fears, his family, his life, his traits, his birth, his voice…. But can you define HIM?

Materialism is an appendage that has not turned into a vestige yet. Until You exists….Yours, most definitely will.

PS: Thanks Vini, for planting the idea!

Trouncing Newton

Sir Isaac Newton first presented his three “governing” laws in the "Principia Mathematica Philosophiae Naturalis" roughly 325 years ago. That’s eons ago. There are those things that just don’t change… or so they say. In fact those very things change so rapidly that the transferring perception that keeps up with this rapid flux tends to believe that, things are just the same. Change is the only constant after all.

Newton’s findings have now found some 21st century critics (as well) in Nobel laureates John Neumann and Oskar Morgenstern. The third law Newton proposed suggested that "To every action there is an equal and opposite reaction"

Through ‘Theory of Games and Economic Behavior’, the duo suggests that “To every action there is a reaction.” The reaction is however not programmed to be equal and opposite. Business and sport share an alarming set of key words. Their interpretations however are different in both avenues. Unlike sport, business is not a zero sum game. One does not need to beat the other to win. Avenues are ever expanding. In business the art is in not winning or loosing (‘cause, there is no set benchmark for the aforesaid) the game. It is about playing the right game. It is better to shape up the game you play than go hopping towards any game available.

Argh! Got to scram.. more on this later.

Stinker: Farewell Kiss to the President

On Sun, 14th Dec, Bush paid his last visit to Iraq. The entire operation seemed to be extremely clandestine and rightfully so. Any fliers proclaiming the visit might have made jihadis inc. rub their hands in glee...

Moving on... Sticking to his characteristic denial mode and 'I’d rather choke on my foot than have it wrenched out by someone else' sentiment... Bush advocated the importance of the war towards maintaining.... get a load of this....American Security, Iraqi hope (what does that mean) and the best of the lot.....WORLD PEACE! Ha!

Didn’t come as a surprise that he got lambasted by the journos while addressing the press. But here's the coup de grâce.... a journalist sitting on the third row... actually hurled his shoes at bush, whilst Dubya was shaking hands with the Iraqi PM. But the sad bit was.... HE MISSED!

In both his attempts. Tough luck dude, but got to admire your spunk!

That’s design thinking.... while attending an address by the most powerful man on earth... with an elite security force guarding him... who would have thought that launching an offensive was possible!

What does the Security Council do now...not permit people to wear shoes whilst around dignitaries! He He He.

I am glad that, that's not a possibility. So, for all and sundry, that avenue is always open.

The common man has in his arsenal a tool that cannot be combated! Let’s just hope that in future, people hit bull’s eye!

Now for the hilarious bit: CNN reported that the throwing of shoes is considered highly insulting in Iraqi culture!

Duh!!!! I think that for the cultural melting pot that that United States prides itself on being, this might come as a bolt outa the blue!

Flinging any kind of foot wear.... is insulting in EVERY culture.... I speak for the rest of the globe when I say this... EVERY culture.

It’s a wonder that this sentiment needed to be published.... did someone think that the gesture had some other, paternal…hospitable…miss you…kind of sentiment attached to it?

And the post title is what the journo said, as he flung his shoes at the President..."It is the farewell kiss, you dog"

Religious Dilemma

Did you know: When you move into a town in Germany, you are asked to register your religion. In keeping with the faith you belong to, 8% surtax on your income tax liability is levied upon you.
This is then passed on to the trust or corresponding regulatory body empaneled by that faith.

Three words (as is so often the case).... WTF?

Religion is a matter of choice, but once 'enrolled' there are soothsayers, who would be prodding you whenever you toe the line. According to me, irrespective of the number of individuals who prescribe to a religion, it still remains very individual and personal. I interpret it the way I want to, follow the dictum to the extent I deem feasible, and don’t appreciate being questioned.

Why then, the surcharge? Religion has over time gotten institutionalized. It has become a group activity. Unless a million or above subscribe to it, it is not considered mainstream. The herd mentality rules. Comfort is in the numbers. And so deeply is faith indoctrinated, that people, leave alone question its benefits... start believing that they are doing it out of their own free will. Habitual nature is not the same as conscious decision.

I realize that religion as a result of the sheer number of subscribers is big business. It takes money, to fuel faith it seems. The wealthy should pay more and the poor should pay less.

So here is the deal... The synagogue (as was the case with this article I had come across, http://freakonomics.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/10/14/why-cant-religion-be-pay-to-play/)
charges its patrons in keeping with their ability to pay.

Notice the choice of words.... Ability and NOT Willingness to pay.
Considering I am a wealthy man, irrespective of the extent to which I believe in the religion or the extent to which I follow public opinion regarding the practices and traditions, I still have to pay 8%.
Does God favor this kind of a contribution? Nopes, I do not thing so.

This sentiment of mine has often been met by the usual, "If you do not believe in it, why are you a part of it". To which I would respond, that I think that belief is often mixed up with the ability to adhere to some practices. Get this misconception sorted out and you'll understand my school of thought.

It seems that no privilege comes without responsibility. The problem is misplacing responsibility with compulsion.

Why should religion be the route to God? I might believe... but I would believe what I want to, not what all and sundry think I ought to.

Remember you are answerable to your self, over anybody else.
Peace out! :)

Simple learning

Simple learning... honestly its really simple... guess what simple should be made more synonymous with... Logical! 'cause most of what is simple is also logical.

I recently had to assist the MD with a business proposal that was to be presented and put across to the board at the Excon due the next week. While I got the essence of the report right, I goofed up where the nitty grittys were concerned.

A mistake made by all and sundry where report submission is concerned is treating a report as they would treat a paper presentation. A report made for a purpose as mentioned above needs to be precise. It needs to find that delicate balance between depth and width. Not to mention that clarity should not be compromised upon. A report is not about being opinionated... that quintessential Hmmm or Arghhh post reading, is for the analysers to decide. Prejudiced views are not the way to go... and are more often than not frowned upon.

The report that I had prepared included figures.... Hordes of them. Volume traded, equity and F&O distribution, value traded, segment wise distribution, asset class bifurcation, break even levels, return calculations, interest hike repercussions etc. Now the point being that many of these figures ran into mullllltiple digits... In keeping with the source I got them form I stated the numbers religiously. Only to find that the report made the reader comprehend the difference between a fill rate of 31234536million and 4578659million. Only then did I realise my folly. My choice of scaling factor was not appropriate. While the accuracy is sometimes compromised, I think it is safe to say that 31234536million is as clear as 31Trillion. It sure is a lot easier to compare 31 trillion and 4.5 trillion.

Lesson well learnt. Shall imbibe them in presentations to come. I am sure that this does not come as a bolt out of the blue for many of you. However I think, many among them, do this kind of scaling subconsciously. Least to say it strengthens the point I made earlier. Simplicity is more or less Logic. And a lot of logic is dictated by instinct... directed by the subconscious mind.

More on similar matter, later.

Coming up:

• The lenses used to view the manner in which Presentations are made and delivered.
• An interesting international group which is blossoming in various parts of the city, that works on honing the skills of Speech mavericks!

Dethroning or Repositioning?

I seem to be hung up on Apple. Recently came across a mention of Apple being retailed at Wal-Mart!

Is this consumerism or what? There is a line, and I do think that it is a thick line, between repositioning and dethroning. Wonder why it is difficult to tread the line then?

We live in a world of balanced equations. This balance is not brought about by natural symmetry but by balancing variables. 'x', to put it simply. Whilst repositioning a product line, this equanimity is artificially induced. The variable 'x' is what adjusts itself to maintain the balance. A lot of marketers fail to acknowledge the impact of x. X for Apple, might well be the process of dethroning the iPhone, a product at its infancy state, in terms of PLC.

A lot of purchases are linked to the “aspiration” rationale of the customer. Apple happens to be an enterprise which feeds on such aspirations. The Apple iPhone is just that. An aspiration, a must have, a bling gadget, a connoisseurs possession. The grapevine has it that Wal-Mart is in talks of retailing the iPhone. It has been brought to my attention that the model on the shelf would be pruned version of Apple’s original masterpiece, as this would be a 4GB communicator priced in true Wal-Mart tradition at USD 99.

A lot of purchases as I had mentioned earlier are based on exclusivity. While you might come across a lot of ‘me-too’s’, post the launch of the iPhone, it still has managed to beat competition hollow. That is a commendable feat, considering the average ‘recollection coefficient’ in the telecommunication market, is comparable with that of Drew Barrymore in Fifty First Dates. That it still able to garner attention is commendable.

But, liquidating its exclusivity for deeper penetration might not be called for. To my recollection, competitors include, Research in Motion’s Storm and Samsung’s Instinct. Both are laggards with respect to brand value, design, or penetration. The move to my understanding can be termed tactical; however the need of the hour is Strategy. In today’s market being tactical is akin to being tacky and instinctive.

Echoing Motley Fool’s sentiments, sacrificing profitability and high-end appeal, for a greater market share might turn out to be hara-kiri. Nokia, a market leader in terms of market share, has discovered that the hard way. The smart man learns from other's mistakes. And Job is smart to say the least. Unless he can prolong his Midas touch (w.r.t shareholder returns) with this move as well, Apple would be doing itself and its stakeholders a lot of good, by abating their twitching tentacles.

By coming out with stripped down versions, the life cycle of the original product receives a shock, welcome or otherwise. Its natural trajectory gets interrupted and this creates ripples in investor returns. That a futuristic product such as the iPhone needs this kind of duplication within its ranks is not easy to comprehend. For the sake of a company as revolutionary as Apple, I hope I do not start a rant some time in future muttering, 'I told you so....!'