Tripping Point!
"See you in another life Brotha"
Apr 20, 2021
Aug 22, 2012
Aug 16, 2012
Jun 1, 2012
HOUSTON, WE HAVE A PROBLEM!
Apr 27, 2012
Deal or No Deal?
I saw this Groupon kiosk at Navy Pier, Chicago. Catering mostly to the 'touristy' crowd I presume, who could explore and buy location/time specific deals.
What got me thinking was that it serves two very important stimulus to buy-
- Instant Gratification- providing buyers what they want right 'now'; not later and not making them to wait.
- Deals, Discounts!!
But the realist in me find it quite hard to believe in the business model of a daily deal site (like Groupon). Afterall, the business of business remains the same i.e. to make money. As long as it doesn't lead to customer retention where is the return on the investments made in the form of deep discounts? Without any stable customer relationship there cannot be any Customer Lifetime Value (CLV) to start with, isn't it?
Mar 30, 2012
Day-Accomplished: Folder of Dreams
Nice post by Asmita!
Mar 23, 2012
Agent Vinod- The original movie :)
The kidnapping of a prominent scientist, Ajay Saxena (Nazir Hussain) prompts the Chief of Secret Services (K.N. Singh) to assign flamboyant Agent Vinod (Mahendra Sandhu) to this case. While on this assignment, Vinod meets with Anju Saxena (Asha Sachdev). Together they confront the abductors of her dad, Madanlal (Iftekhar), with the help of Chandu alias James Bond (Jagdeep) and his gypsy girlfriend (Jayshree T.)
Amazon.com deals
Just enrolled for an Amazon Prime membership which gives the following benefits-
1. Free Two-day Shipping
2. Instant Streaming of movies/TV shows
3. Instant access to '000s of Kindle Books
While still under the no-obligation period I tested it out by ordering some car accessories for my Honda Accord. The package arrived in 1 day flat! Can there be anything closer to that? Awesome is the word!! :)
Being regular shoppers in Amazon, I try to look at various coupon sites to get the best deals. Some of the websites that I trust are-
These sites aggregate all the deals the net has to offer and frankly speaking it saves me time, money and gives me the information that I need without any gimmicks.
- thecouponspy.net
- shopathome.com
- xplace-coupons.com
With revenues topping $48 billion in 2011, and constant innovation to stay top of the competition curve it seems Amazon will continue to remain as World's Biggest Online Marketplace!
Mar 15, 2012
Intelligent Analytics- Beyond the form factor
Video: Apple iPad TV ad
Read more at- Link
Feb 23, 2012
Luxury retailing in India- it's haute!
DLF Emporio Mall, New Delhi |
Key Challenges:
- Lack of dedicated retail Space; fashion high street
- Expensive real estate; which significantly hits the bottom-line
- Increasing the client base; target the high income population
- Improve service offering
- Establishing 'Luxury' as a need among Indian customers
- Focus on affordable luxury for Indian customers
Feb 18, 2012
FDI in Indian Retail- Lost in translation!
- Under-developed infrastructure
- Over dependence on weather Gods
- Numerous intermediaries without much value addition
- Colossal losses due to lack of storing facilities
Feb 17, 2012
Soap-makers of the world, unite!
Recently I have written a blog on SKU Optimization which I would like to share.
But this is 2011, and things have become a tad more complex ever since. CPG companies are looking to hold on to their market share- at the added cost of increasing their SKU portfolio; retailers are looking to streamline their aisles, lessening clutter and increasing their efficiency; and above all- customers are looking for simplicity in the choices they have once they enter the retail stores rather than the overwhelming assortment of confetti colored, similar looking products that craves for attention across the aisles.
Read more at-
http://www.infosysblogs.com/retail-cpg/2011/11/soap-makers_of_the_world_unite.html
Oct 14, 2010
hurried morning walks and the child-like fascination with cold breaths...
surreal yet real imageries...of a city unfolding bit by bit...
A city that whispers- about the land and its people...
A shadowy stranger, listening to those...
and then like some sudden wave of cold...
nothing was left to be said- but the stillness of frost!!
Jun 18, 2010
The Spirit of the traveler
Taj Mahal, Agra, India |
In the dusty lanes of Haridwar
Rumbling with the echoes of the Om
The smeared vermillion- ash and the karmic cycle of life and death
All these I see; I being the spirit of the traveler
In the sunshine land of Goa
The feni and the swaying palm leaves, blonde hippies and youthful rave
Dancing to the tune of Galiyan Saakli Sonachi
All these I see, I being the spirit of the traveler
Hindustan ka Dil- or call it Lutyen’s Delhi
The stroke of the midnight hour, the unfurled tricolor in the Lal Qil'ah
The days of the Raj, of Firangi Paani and Paranthe wali galiyas
All these I see, I being the spirit of the traveler
In the land of the Rajas; bounded by the Thar
Brave people long gone; but their legends still holding strong
The azure of Jodhpur, the balletic poise of the Ghoomar
All these I see, I being the spirit of the traveler
In the land of the mighty Hoogly
The early morning daaks and the festivities of DurgaPujo
Enthralled by the Bauls and the ektaras; and the crescendo beat of Tagore’s ekla chalo re
All these I see, I being the spirit of the traveler
In the misty fog of the Lake Umiam
Meghalaya- they call, the abode of the clouds
The Strummin’ of the guitar and the alluring Miss Monalisa Lingdo
All these I see, I being the spirit of the traveler
The birthplace of our Father, Gujarat it is- On the western front
The salty desolateness of the Rann of Kutch, the holy Jyotirling of Somnath Temple
The Dhoklas and the Theplas and the youthful beats of the Garba
All these I see, I being the spirit of the traveler
Aamchi Mumbai- the Sapno ki Nagri-Of Stardust and Greasepaint
The City that gives everything but takes some part of the soul in trade
The Taj of Apollo Bunder and the teeming millions of the Churchgate station
All these I see, I being the spirit of the traveler
Kashmir- the jannat on Earth, bounded by the Himalayas
The boat ride on the Dal Lake, the coveted invite to the Wazwan feast
Of Rogan Josh, saffron flavored Kahwah and the comfort of the shawl Cashmere
All these I see, I being the spirit of the traveler
Karnataka- Of boiled beans and the Sword of Tippo Sultan
The ruins of Hampi and the Vijayanagar Empire
The mridangam, tambura and the kanjira and the divine gāyaki of Carnatic music
All these I see, I being the spirit of the traveler
Assam- The land of the Red River and Blue Hills
Of the Rhinos and the slopped beauty of the tea gardens
The enchanting spirit of Rongali Bihu, bringing distant hearts together
All these I see, I being the spirit of the traveler
I am- the spirit of the traveler
I wander, I search, I seek; I tread the path unknown- far and wide
Nameless; yet a chronicler of the living history
I am alive within all, I am- the spirit of the traveler- unbound!
Mar 22, 2009
Brahmaputra - Incredible River in Incredible India
Mar 9, 2009
Sweet Dream Shillong
Kwai= betel nut in Khasi language
Kong=Sister (mostly used as a dignified salutation for any unacquainted lady)
Feb 5, 2009
Do you still remember?
Jan 27, 2009
Jan 8, 2009
A special journey called life
One birthday pic: Pizza Hut, Forum Mall, 7th January 2009
Dec 23, 2008
My first horror movie!!
The Evil Dead, 1981 |
Dec 13, 2008
Romancing life!!
Dec 2, 2008
Something like Love
When I looked at you across the crowded room
And my eyes met yours
I coerced time to come to a stall
Baby at that moment... I lost myself!!
When under the moonlit night
Amidst the sea and the palm grooves
My fingers searched for and found yours
baby at that moment I found myself!!
Your princess tresses and sweet sweet smile
Ah! that heady feeling of your presence in my life
You mean everything to me, perhaps I mean something to you too
In that feeling baby let's lose ourselves for eternity!!
Oct 23, 2008
Ol' Man River silently keeps flowin'
Brahmaputra, Guwahati, Assam, India |
Oct 7, 2008
Winter must be cold for those with no warm memories...
Quietly pirouetting in on silvery-toed slippers of snow,
And we, we were children once again.
~Bill Morgan, Jr.
Sep 20, 2008
Down memory lane...
Excerpts from The Telegraph newspaper:
Quizzing is sometimes like the 100-metre dash in the Olympics? It's all about speed and photo-finish. Three young men, calling themselves MI3, crossed the finish line a fraction of a second ahead in the tie-breaker to emerge winners in the Guwahati leg of TOPS on September 4. Jagat Jyoti Saikia, Manas and Biswajit, however, will not be able to make it to the Calcutta finals due to exams. Taking their place will be Vedanta, Pranami Tamuli and Hrishikesh Mali-- Class XI students of team Mensa, who came in second after losing the tie-breaker, despite tying with MI3 with 105 points after eight rounds..
Aug 27, 2008
Down memory lane
Aug 4, 2008
Miracle
It was just another day...
The same sunrise, and the same old life...
The guitar and the lyrics...
long forgotten and gathering dust
The swaying flowers in the gentle breeze
in uncounted hues... and sweet sweet fragrances
once took my breath away...
but slowly they lost their charm like withered memories
Scruffy and in a daze...
tired after the late night's sleep
splashing my face with icy cold water...
and glancing at my reflection after a long long time
The glint and the forgotten smile came back
as if in a wonderful serendipity
instant karma kissed me long and hard
and embraced me till time came to a sweet pause
It's that wonderful feeling...
that warms the heart's intimate corners
Leaping up in countless emotions...
to savor life... in blissful adoration!!
Jul 30, 2008
Chariots of Fire
After a few moments of warming up I knew in my heart-o-hearts that I wasn’t fully fit… and the hard track of the MIT sports arena was making it more difficult.
I ran in the 400m heats and after maintaining my tempo for half the distance I couldn’t run… it was as if someone has tied a heavy stone under my legs and it wasn’t allowing me to surge ahead… dejectedly I lingered off the field… knowing well that the 100m will be more tougher.
And then in the semis I ran… and ran hard… came a comfortable 2nd and qualified for the finals… the fact that one is competing with 2 junie sprinters who were professionally trained and naturally gifted was something that was playin on my mind. But I moved on without many expectations except the inner thoughts that I’ll give it my best.
The whistle was blown and 8 of TAPMI’s fastest sprinters flew along with the wind… the atmosphere was charged with such nervous tension with scores of fellow people cheering their teams… my lungs was gasping for breath… I could feel my blood rushing through my veins and the thumping of my injured legs…
After 50m I could see that the 2 junie sprinters have created a lead of around half a meter… and they had the momentum… and there were people breathing down at my neck… then suddenly something happened… as if some wild animal power has been teleported into my legs and I was running as fast as I could... without any feeling of the pain in my ankle and left knee…
As I pushed for the finish line the 2 junie sprinters managed to brush the tape in a brilliant 1-2 and there was a guy and myself in a virtual photo finish for the 3rd position… and then I fell down… down and hard with all the mass and acceleration that comprises Newton’s Force!!
There was blood all around my left shoulder and the hands were scaled and blood oozed out… and beneath the torn T-shirt I could see white-flesh…
I was trying to edge out my competitor in a photo-finish and just managed to bend my head and body ahead of him… and in the result I fell down… but not before coming 3rd for my team… I won’t forget the adulations that I received from my team mates… I gave it my all when my body told me to keep away…
The marks on my shoulders are still there… a constant reminder that in a small little place… in a small little game… I tried my best against all odds.
I don’t have any answers for why I did what I did… coming 3rd wasn’t a big deal… but still why I literally threw myself to come 3rd I don’t know!! Maybe it’s the sportsman spirit within us all…!!