I am really sad to read the death of an arsenal fan post the champions league semi final.Football should be seen as a sport and not taken beyond a point. But it was truly disappointing semi final encounter for alla rsenal fans. Such a lot was expected and it was a complete non starter for the team. I am convinced the young gunners are distraught and heartbroken. I think we need some balance and convinced that we need a good balance between experience and youngsters. I hear that Xabi Alonso is available and would be desperate to make him an arsenal player. He will be the perfect foil for our midfield of fabregas, arshavin, rosicky. I also think we need one solid, experience, no nonsense defender....somebody like vidic and hangeland of fulham is a good choice.
i think one, two or three buys should be ok for the next season. we also need some trainign on how we go about mentally during the big games and be absolutley dead defensive (as tight as it can get) to defend any lead.....
hoping for a new season of titles.
eternal arsenal fan from india
Friday, May 08, 2009
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
my article in kenexa Evolve and Kenexa Connections
I got my article published in kenexa Evolve and Kenexa Connections. Had submitted the article some 8 months back. The article topic is - How networking helps in job hunting and the new trends in this. It really feels great as the Evovle magazine goes to some 1400 clients of ours globally and has 3 editions in US/UK and Canada. really thrilled.
Thursday, April 09, 2009
my visit to vizag and lessons for Hyderabad...
on 5th April, paid an official visit to Vizag (forsome office work).....i ike the city quite a bit...it is just that i cannot relocate myself their ..due to very personal reasons....
- Vizag has some semblance of planning....grossly lacking in Hyderabad
- they (vizag city administration - VUDA) have laboured quite a bit to beautify the city especially the beach road and ensure it gets some traction as far as being tourist destination.
- Many of the public lighting system does not have overhead cabling or wiring and it is underground...It does look neat. Hyderabad it ispathetic.
- The roads are well laid out and it is planned for future.
- The flats/houses are not made in a clumsy manner. It is well laid out; even flats. It looks good. Unfortunatley in big metros flats/houses are made in such a manner that looks very complex/disorganised.
- This gives a soothing experience to the eye. it is like easy going feeling. the body is relaxed.
These are some of my personal thoughts but also heard some flip side also to Vizag like the rentals have shot up (even during these times), the real estate costs have shot up, the cost living is also going northwards etc.
So judge yourselves; maybe a good place to be in once a while.
Indian elections - 15 times 28
This elections that we are going to have is very very unique...maybe our polity is becoming quite fragmented in the sense that we have more regional parties with far greater influence coming to the scene. Also their is no big emotive national issue touching one and all. That's why i say it is 15X28 as it is the 15th lok sabha with 28 different states electing for the national assembly. Quite surprisingly even terrorism, unemployment/recession impacts, power shortage, basic infrastructure are not national issues instead we have local issues be it the Jagdish Tytler case for Sikhs, tamil cause in Tamil Naidu, separate statehood in Andhra/Vidharbha or even anti incumbency at the local level. hence it is also the most difficult elections to predict the end score. No wonder Dr. prannoy Roy of NDTV is promising a Skoda Superb car as a prize for guessing the next PM.
But let us come to some hard facts as a result of this elections -
We are going to have even deeper fractured mandate putting the country to greater chaos and ensuring more number of fringe players thinking that they have greater role as national power brokers. Will this sugur good for our country especially in the backdrop of India being in the threshhold of development/growth and giving the world a direction?
These to me are some things expected from the new lok sabha and if we deliver then i am a lucky chap to go through this renaissance in our country.
jai hind
But let us come to some hard facts as a result of this elections -
We are going to have even deeper fractured mandate putting the country to greater chaos and ensuring more number of fringe players thinking that they have greater role as national power brokers. Will this sugur good for our country especially in the backdrop of India being in the threshhold of development/growth and giving the world a direction?
- We need some firm/punitive actions as far as national borders/integrity of our country is concerned considering the percieved threat of taliban from across the border (remember taliban is not a military regime to simple fight with instead it is a thought process and hence need far firmer handling no matter who).
- We need reforms and some proactive ones. Do we have the guts to do it.
- we need cleaning of the judicial system - meaning ensuring all cases are settled fast and have as minimal backlog.
- We need firmness and speed in our infrastructure build up...no matter how big our potential is if we do not spread world class infrastructure nothing much is going to change.
These to me are some things expected from the new lok sabha and if we deliver then i am a lucky chap to go through this renaissance in our country.
jai hind
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
5 years in kenexa
couple of days back i accomplished something i thought is almost impossible for me to achieve i.e - finish 5 years in a company. So officially i am eligible for my gratuity dues. I must admit it was a proud moment. I will like to remember my past 5 years as being one of the most important in my life as i got married/settled and did succeed fair bit. Although do not know what holds for me in future but these past 5 years have been a great learning curve. in kenexa was given a fair amount of challenging assignments in sales support/market research and did a good job of it.
so happy 5 years anniversary in a company, ajit.
keep it up.
so happy 5 years anniversary in a company, ajit.
keep it up.
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
My laptop and ipod
Finally i accomplished my long cherished dream of buying a laptop and an ipod. really excited. i bought a leneovo laptop with the config - 2 GB/250 GB and all other standard features; black colour. ipod is the new generation ipod nano chromatic (silver colour)...it is really cool....Now it will be fun when i travel next month to kerala.
Monday, February 23, 2009
the truth about Pakistan...it is serious threat for us Indians...
I will like to thank the author (Colonel Anil Athale (retd))
of this piece of knowledge that I have taken ...it is a wonderfull article giving us a good understandign the existing Political/Legal/Economic/Social demorgraphics prevalent in Pakistan...A wonderfull read indeed....
The recent surrender by the Pakistani State to the Taliban in the Swat valley may well turn out to be a watershed in the history of the Indian subcontinent. In terms of long-term impact, this may even overshadow the recent Mumbai massacres. All signs point to the 'Talibanisation' of Pakistan. Here are several pointers:
I A Rehman writing in the Dawn newspaper on February 12 says 'the Pakistani armed forces were indoctrinated in General Zia-ul Haq's rule to reserve senior posts for genuine Islamists. The Pakistan army may have the capacity to kill hordes of people, but it will not -- and cannot -- do that.' The army and the State may well disintegrate if it does.
General Ashfaq Kayani, son of a former soldier, is the first non-elite chief of the Pakistani army. Given his socio-economic background, he is more likely to be part of the 'natural' constituency of the Taliban.
We have the example of Iran -- on February 11, 1979, when the mass upsurge to impose 'Islamic rule' reached its zenith, the Iranian army declared its 'neutrality' in the ongoing conflict. This sealed the fate of the Shah of Iran. A similar happening in Pakistan is very likely.
Slumdog Jihadis: The Dawn on December 18, 2008, quoted the Pakistan Planning Commission's Deputy Chairman Sardar Asef Ahmad Ali that poverty had skyrocketed to above 40 per cent in the country, leaving millions helpless. It is these poor/unemployed/uneducated people that are cannon fodder for the jihadis. The interrogation of the lone surviving Mumbai terrorist Ajmal Kasab's story fits the bill. There are such 48 million Ajmals waiting in Pakistan to be primed against India.
As a student of military history, I found it extraordinary that Indians were always blissfully unaware of developments in their neighbourhood. No ruler of Delhi ever woke up when the enemy crossed the Khyber Pass. The first stirrings of action were usually when the enemy was at the gates, at Panipat, just a day's march from Delhi.
Indians have been made to totally forget the holocaust that they faced in past; the name Hindukush itself means 'Hindu killer', a reminder of the days when thousands of Indians died on the mountain slopes while being taken to Central Asia as slaves.(the Encyclopaedia Britannica quoting a 12th century traveller Ibn Batua).
Nearer our times, the 1981 UN declaration of Universal Human Rights writes; 'Among the genocides of human history, the highest number of people killed in the small span of time is in Bangladesh in 1971. An average of 6,000 to 12 000 people were killed every single day. This is the highest daily average in history.' The lower estimate shows that 15 lakh were killed, a majority of them Hindus. A commission of inquiry appointed by the Pakistan government, the Hamidoor Rehman Commission, has recorded testimonies of Pakistani army officers who have quoted General Amir Abdullah Khan Niazi asking the question 'How many Hindus have you killed today?' as a matter of routine. We have forgotten this recent episode as well.
Demography is destiny
Pakistan has a very high rate of population growth. Although it has declined from three percent at the time of the census in 1981 to the present 1.9 per cent it is still the highest among populous countries of more than 50 million, except Nigeria. The more reliable indicator of population growth is the total fertility rate -- the number of children born to a woman in her reproductive span. Pakistan's TFR is four. A TFR of 2.1 is considered replacement level which leads to a stable population.
In Pakistan, the under-15 population is 37 per cent of the total. Given the poor education, health and skills of this youth, they are fodder for jihad and little else. With the mullahs constantly drumming that all of Pakistan's ills are due to the evil Hindu India/Zionist Israel/Christian America troika, Pakistan's biggest export for a long time is likely to be terror.
If by some miracle, Pakistan is to implement population control tomorrow, it will take two to three decades for it to take effect. Even if the re-brainwashing was to begin now, again it is bound to take time. The sad fact is that neither of these things is happening either tomorrow or any time soon.
Impact of the economic meltdown
For decades over 25 percent of the Pakistani labour force was employed in the oil-rich Middle East. With the economic downturn and lower oil prices, the boom is over. The Dubai shopping festival was a flop this year. The returning labour force will only add to the unemployment in the country.
In any case, Pakistan has very little industry and its agriculture is confined to Punjab and parts of Sindh. Most of the country's landmass is arid and unfit for agriculture. Rural poverty will gallop in the near future.
Ripe for implosion
The politics of extremism as represented by the Taliban, the economic meltdown and demographic pressure all point to a major implosion in Pakistan. Are we ready for the fallout?
Despite this threat staring in our face there is a palpable lack of national unity -- another Indian trait. In the last four years, we have let our defence apparatus go to seed, so much so that we have lost the conventional edge over Pakistan.
Given this situation the only option for India is to 'isolate and contain' Pakistan. That still leaves the million dollar question about Pakistan's nuclear weapons. Here one hopes that all those joint exercise with special forces of the US, UK, Israel, China and Russia were in preparation for this very contingency.
If not, then God save the world!
of this piece of knowledge that I have taken ...it is a wonderfull article giving us a good understandign the existing Political/Legal/Economic/Social demorgraphics prevalent in Pakistan...A wonderfull read indeed....
The recent surrender by the Pakistani State to the Taliban in the Swat valley may well turn out to be a watershed in the history of the Indian subcontinent. In terms of long-term impact, this may even overshadow the recent Mumbai massacres. All signs point to the 'Talibanisation' of Pakistan. Here are several pointers:
I A Rehman writing in the Dawn newspaper on February 12 says 'the Pakistani armed forces were indoctrinated in General Zia-ul Haq's rule to reserve senior posts for genuine Islamists. The Pakistan army may have the capacity to kill hordes of people, but it will not -- and cannot -- do that.' The army and the State may well disintegrate if it does.
General Ashfaq Kayani, son of a former soldier, is the first non-elite chief of the Pakistani army. Given his socio-economic background, he is more likely to be part of the 'natural' constituency of the Taliban.
We have the example of Iran -- on February 11, 1979, when the mass upsurge to impose 'Islamic rule' reached its zenith, the Iranian army declared its 'neutrality' in the ongoing conflict. This sealed the fate of the Shah of Iran. A similar happening in Pakistan is very likely.
Slumdog Jihadis: The Dawn on December 18, 2008, quoted the Pakistan Planning Commission's Deputy Chairman Sardar Asef Ahmad Ali that poverty had skyrocketed to above 40 per cent in the country, leaving millions helpless. It is these poor/unemployed/uneducated people that are cannon fodder for the jihadis. The interrogation of the lone surviving Mumbai terrorist Ajmal Kasab's story fits the bill. There are such 48 million Ajmals waiting in Pakistan to be primed against India.
As a student of military history, I found it extraordinary that Indians were always blissfully unaware of developments in their neighbourhood. No ruler of Delhi ever woke up when the enemy crossed the Khyber Pass. The first stirrings of action were usually when the enemy was at the gates, at Panipat, just a day's march from Delhi.
Indians have been made to totally forget the holocaust that they faced in past; the name Hindukush itself means 'Hindu killer', a reminder of the days when thousands of Indians died on the mountain slopes while being taken to Central Asia as slaves.(the Encyclopaedia Britannica quoting a 12th century traveller Ibn Batua).
Nearer our times, the 1981 UN declaration of Universal Human Rights writes; 'Among the genocides of human history, the highest number of people killed in the small span of time is in Bangladesh in 1971. An average of 6,000 to 12 000 people were killed every single day. This is the highest daily average in history.' The lower estimate shows that 15 lakh were killed, a majority of them Hindus. A commission of inquiry appointed by the Pakistan government, the Hamidoor Rehman Commission, has recorded testimonies of Pakistani army officers who have quoted General Amir Abdullah Khan Niazi asking the question 'How many Hindus have you killed today?' as a matter of routine. We have forgotten this recent episode as well.
Demography is destiny
Pakistan has a very high rate of population growth. Although it has declined from three percent at the time of the census in 1981 to the present 1.9 per cent it is still the highest among populous countries of more than 50 million, except Nigeria. The more reliable indicator of population growth is the total fertility rate -- the number of children born to a woman in her reproductive span. Pakistan's TFR is four. A TFR of 2.1 is considered replacement level which leads to a stable population.
In Pakistan, the under-15 population is 37 per cent of the total. Given the poor education, health and skills of this youth, they are fodder for jihad and little else. With the mullahs constantly drumming that all of Pakistan's ills are due to the evil Hindu India/Zionist Israel/Christian America troika, Pakistan's biggest export for a long time is likely to be terror.
If by some miracle, Pakistan is to implement population control tomorrow, it will take two to three decades for it to take effect. Even if the re-brainwashing was to begin now, again it is bound to take time. The sad fact is that neither of these things is happening either tomorrow or any time soon.
Impact of the economic meltdown
For decades over 25 percent of the Pakistani labour force was employed in the oil-rich Middle East. With the economic downturn and lower oil prices, the boom is over. The Dubai shopping festival was a flop this year. The returning labour force will only add to the unemployment in the country.
In any case, Pakistan has very little industry and its agriculture is confined to Punjab and parts of Sindh. Most of the country's landmass is arid and unfit for agriculture. Rural poverty will gallop in the near future.
Ripe for implosion
The politics of extremism as represented by the Taliban, the economic meltdown and demographic pressure all point to a major implosion in Pakistan. Are we ready for the fallout?
Despite this threat staring in our face there is a palpable lack of national unity -- another Indian trait. In the last four years, we have let our defence apparatus go to seed, so much so that we have lost the conventional edge over Pakistan.
Given this situation the only option for India is to 'isolate and contain' Pakistan. That still leaves the million dollar question about Pakistan's nuclear weapons. Here one hopes that all those joint exercise with special forces of the US, UK, Israel, China and Russia were in preparation for this very contingency.
If not, then God save the world!
Friday, February 20, 2009
Layoff Tracker (Total employees laid off in recession)
This is such a wonderfull thing that Klaus Kneale has complied. He has complied the Number of layoffs since Nov. 1, 2008, at America's 500 largest public companies (Total announced layoffs at America’s 500 largest public companies as measured by a composite ranking of sales, profits, assets and market value since Nov. 1 2008. Includes layoffs at subsidiaries, joint ventures, and majority owned companies). As of Feb 18th 2009 the total lay off count inn America stands at - 471224.
Thursday, February 19, 2009
India should act firmly (read militarily) if Pakistan is to be taken over by Taliban and they trade their guns against India.
Let me start this particular piece of write up with a confession - I have never been so afriad/larmaed in my entire life as for the past 3 or so days. Taliban almost having full control over SWAT province is so bad for us Indians. Yes it is true SWAT province is some 180 odd kms from the capital Islamabad (I think Surya pet is around 140 kms from Hyderabad and it is less distant than Vijayawada-Hyderabad). We should be very clear if at all Taliban does eventually take over Pakistan and they think to spread their ideologies across the borders into India and spread there sphere of influence then our goverment should be unequivocal in its approach to militarily and diplomatically (in its strictest sense) decimate them. We have taken this sentiment of being a peace loving nation far too much and sometimes offence is indeed the ebst form of defense. For some thing like Taliban or the Al Qaeda to come to our borders and try to exert their militray power should never be combatted by dialogue. it has to be dealt with our might and should teach them a lesson. We need to be the aggressor. I am really tensed and worried by this incident. Werae indeed a secular and peace loving nation and doing well as a nation. This is the last thing that all of us need in our doorsteps. I am atleast expecting our political heirarchy to be very vigilant to the activities happening in our immediate neighbours placvea nd not be lost in election hysteria. May be it is our first real test after a long long time and it has to be dealt in a very firm manner. Also we should not be listening to anyone else and do not need their advice. it is our problem and we will ahve to solve it.
Thursday, January 01, 2009
Writing Assignments - I am available
Although I have good job in hand and a happy man to do that but writing has always been my passion. So this small post is to all those who have some interesting writing assignments with them then I am more than willing to chip in(It can be on anyhting). You can reach me at - ajitpnair@yahoo.co.in
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