Critics of IPL! In your faces!!
Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) launched the Karnataka Premier League (KPL), a T20 'inter-district' tournament, set to kick off on September 12, on the lines of IPL!
At Chinnaswamy Stadium on Friday, KSCA made the announcement on KPL, and the following few basic rules took shape then!
No of teams:
There would be bidding on the 10 district zones of Karnataka, the highest 8 of which will participate in the tournament!
This means any 8 of the following zones could be a part of KPL: Mysore, Mangalore, Dharwad, Raichur, Tumkur, Shimoga, Bellary, Gulbarga, Belgaum and Bangalore!
No of matches:
It has been proposed to have a total of 31 matches in the KPL, 28 at the league level, 2 semis, one final!
Each team will play each other, once, and then proceed to the semis! All matches are to be played at the Chinnaswamy Stadium!
Players:
KSCA has decided to make available a pool of 40 top players from across the state to be divided into eight teams through an auction, five per team. KSCA allows another 7 players to be picked by the franchisee from a list provided by them. Each team, in addition to all this, must have 2 players who are domiciled in their franchise zone and/or catchment area.
The players will be up for auction on August 8!
'Foriegn' Players:
Each franchisee is permitted to include 3 players from any other region or part of India, other than the state of Karnataka, with no geographical relevance.
Thus, each franchisee will have a minimum of 14 and a maximum of 20 players in their squad.
It was announced that the minimum bid amount per franchise will be Rs 20 lakh, with the player fee capped at Rs 6 lakh for the 14 Karnataka-based players in the team. For the first five players (out of the list of 40), a cap of Rs. 4 lakh has been decided, with the other Rs. 2 lakh to be spent on the remaining 9 players. A window has been left open for the big bucks, with the 3 non-Karnataka players, to whom no budget constraints shall apply.
(Of course, for non-Indians, understanding a lakh may get hard. Concentrating on all my knowledge of numbers, I have been able to recollect that 10 lakh = 1 million! I hope that is what it is!)
Yeah, this should be fun and exciting to watch unfold! Yeah, this should help IPL in some manner! Yeah, at least BRC and Dr. Mallya!
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Sunday, January 11, 2009
Gains In The Long Run
Under the present market conditions, it is even more important that a long-term investor pump in more money. Here's why
The sharp fall in the stockmarket this year has shaken the confidence of almost all kinds of investors—those who invest directly in stocks or those who do so through mutual funds (MF) or unit-linked insurance plans (Ulips). With markets down 50 per cent this year, the net asset values (NAVs) of most funds and Ulips have fallen to similar levels. Most retail individual investors are sitting tight and waiting for their portfolios to recover or at least break even. Not the best thing to do.
Why? Two reasons. One, your long-term financial planning should not go off-track because of short-to-mid-term economic issues. Two, for better returns, you have to not only stay invested but invest more.
For those who don’t put in fresh money, the reward will be even lower as and when the market rises. Say, the market moves up and gives a return of 20 per cent year-on-year for the next two years. The actual return on investment would still be negative. Therefore, investing fresh money now will considerably bring down the cost of investment (see Sow More, Reap More).
The gainers. For Ulip policyholders, the requirement is passive. Renewal premiums help to hold more units at the lesser NAV, reducing the overall cost of investment. Whenever markets move up, those holding low-cost units will benefit more than someone holding high-cost units. Stock and MF investors have to be proactive. It’s not the timing but the time one spends in the market that will determine the returns.
How to approach the markets now. Investing more at these levels will bring down the cost of investment for you as NAVs and stock prices are at lower levels. Make staggered investments and keep buying at different levels. In MFs, opt for large-cap diversified funds like Birla Sun Life Frontline Equity or HDFC Top 200. For your stock portfolio, pick from Outlook Money’s recommendations (Nibble Now, 19 November). For stocks you already have, revisit financials and growth outlook of the stock and the sector and then decide on buying more at the present levels.
An upturn in the markets may still be a while away as the domestic economy is not throwing up good numbers and the global recession will, in all probability, take a toll on our markets as well. The markets, however, do react in advance. Retail investors can’t catch the bottom, as all previous experiences show. They enter the happy hour quite late. Staggered investing is the way to avoid such a ride and instead reap the benefits of low-cost investing.
The sharp fall in the stockmarket this year has shaken the confidence of almost all kinds of investors—those who invest directly in stocks or those who do so through mutual funds (MF) or unit-linked insurance plans (Ulips). With markets down 50 per cent this year, the net asset values (NAVs) of most funds and Ulips have fallen to similar levels. Most retail individual investors are sitting tight and waiting for their portfolios to recover or at least break even. Not the best thing to do.
Why? Two reasons. One, your long-term financial planning should not go off-track because of short-to-mid-term economic issues. Two, for better returns, you have to not only stay invested but invest more.
For those who don’t put in fresh money, the reward will be even lower as and when the market rises. Say, the market moves up and gives a return of 20 per cent year-on-year for the next two years. The actual return on investment would still be negative. Therefore, investing fresh money now will considerably bring down the cost of investment (see Sow More, Reap More).
The gainers. For Ulip policyholders, the requirement is passive. Renewal premiums help to hold more units at the lesser NAV, reducing the overall cost of investment. Whenever markets move up, those holding low-cost units will benefit more than someone holding high-cost units. Stock and MF investors have to be proactive. It’s not the timing but the time one spends in the market that will determine the returns.
How to approach the markets now. Investing more at these levels will bring down the cost of investment for you as NAVs and stock prices are at lower levels. Make staggered investments and keep buying at different levels. In MFs, opt for large-cap diversified funds like Birla Sun Life Frontline Equity or HDFC Top 200. For your stock portfolio, pick from Outlook Money’s recommendations (Nibble Now, 19 November). For stocks you already have, revisit financials and growth outlook of the stock and the sector and then decide on buying more at the present levels.
An upturn in the markets may still be a while away as the domestic economy is not throwing up good numbers and the global recession will, in all probability, take a toll on our markets as well. The markets, however, do react in advance. Retail investors can’t catch the bottom, as all previous experiences show. They enter the happy hour quite late. Staggered investing is the way to avoid such a ride and instead reap the benefits of low-cost investing.
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Working late adds no productivity
As an aftermath of recession, employees are asked to work late by companies like ( no names please) to increase productivity, but those extra hours do more harm than good. "More hours does not do much to increase the productivity as the efficiency of the employee decreases as time prolongs," said Sidappa my friend
An employee could also lose on his/her overall productivity by working late. So, more preference is given to the efficiency and the output of the work done than how long it took or how long the employee worked. Most companies follow the tried and tested module of an employee working an average of 8-9 hours a day.
The work productivity may increase depending on whether the employees are really working on business sites or surfing non-business sites. Websense, in its recent survey had pointed out that productivity loss per employee was 5.3 hours per week in surfing non-business websites. In this case, it also adds up to the administrative costs.
an x person said, "Productivity might or might not increase depending on two criteria- if employee is self-motivated to finish a work and work late, there's positive change in productivity sees and if the employee is working late due to the work pressure or under compulsion, then the productivity is deemed to see negative influence in the long dash."
An employee could also lose on his/her overall productivity by working late. So, more preference is given to the efficiency and the output of the work done than how long it took or how long the employee worked. Most companies follow the tried and tested module of an employee working an average of 8-9 hours a day.
The work productivity may increase depending on whether the employees are really working on business sites or surfing non-business sites. Websense, in its recent survey had pointed out that productivity loss per employee was 5.3 hours per week in surfing non-business websites. In this case, it also adds up to the administrative costs.
an x person said, "Productivity might or might not increase depending on two criteria- if employee is self-motivated to finish a work and work late, there's positive change in productivity sees and if the employee is working late due to the work pressure or under compulsion, then the productivity is deemed to see negative influence in the long dash."
Thursday, September 18, 2008
Commercials - 20 Seconds of Magic
Ohh Come on...not again.... another new Pepsi commercial.....it makes me soo sick...Commercials always chooses the right slot to make its appearance.....I still remember some 5 years back ...Whole family at home were watching "Kyunki Saas bhi kabi bahu thi".....where Mihir Virani is back alive and attending Tulsi's wedding with Dr. Mandira....he is near Stage...every one is sooo keenly watching wating for Tulsi to see Mihir and the serial to take a twist .....patak se salla aya eak commercial break and best ugly ad of all times ..... Wah Mohan Babu ...Naya Ghar....This ad is so pathetic even the guy who made will not like to watch it for the second time.......I also hate ads during Slog Overs of a cricket Match ...... Very rarely India will be performing well in a Match... Sprite Ads and Mountain Dew ads....played between overs alternatively...Puff.....Will these companies will ever grow up huh ??
And those serious scene in a movie will be always be intercepted by wicked Ads.....But then there are ones which i cherish ... Commercials ka Zamana tha.......... 20 seconds of Magic I should call..... Not many channles where there so as slots for commercials use to be less..... Some of them are1. Kya Swad hai ....Dairy Milk Chocolate....a cute old ad ...the free style of dace of the girl and the song.... kuch kaas hai ham sabi mein...kcuh baat hai ham sabhi mein.......kya swad hai zindagi mein......I have tried to mimic that dance so many times....but could never got colse to what she has done ...simply awesomehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pCIzzyDWZDY2. Doodh Doodh Doodh ...Doodh hai mast in every season...........Early in the moring when ever i drink milk ...I sing this song........... simple but very sweet...Infact i started liking doodh only after seeing this ad in my school dayshttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZjFH6yZ8LIA3.Hamara Bajaj: "Yeh zameen hai aasman. Hamara aaj, hamara kal.." That song is too good. And the Indian-ness shown was s-i-m-p-l-y wow. The Bajaj scooter is the Indian middle-class family mascot carrying more than 4 people and it isnt any circus feat. It is affordable, easy on maintenance, sturdy, and stylish too. Watch keenly the ad.....watch for the man when his foot accidently touches his friend.....watch for the girl who pays respect for the oldman......watch for the sardar the indianness he brings to Firangi bandihttp://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-1253297703119854898&q=hamara+bajaj&pl=true4.Fevicol is the best when it comes to commercials....They are really creative to core....some of them are ...Poor Mallu fishing with fevicol.....Politician not leaving the sweet.. Song stuck coz of fevicaol......most of their ads are truley amazing5.Titan Ads for watches are always a pleasure to watch.....the Son Mother love...Father Daughter love.....husband wife love ...rolling tears...even the latest Amirs Ads are good...needlees to comment on the music for the ad6.Pappu Paas ho gaya...Amitab's charisma and the theme have done wonders to that ad7.Cute Surf Excel ad..where a young kid fights with pot hole filled with rain water.....Soory boldiya and a smile on his face....its wooooooooooooooooawhttp://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-8656161533100023148&pl=trueSome Yuck ones are there tooooooo...these are some awsome shits.....1.Rupa Baniyan ads...Aree Sab Rupa Baniyans phendiya tho roopa kya phenegi2.All Navaratna Tel ads of Mr. Govinda3.Oyeeee O.....some guy screems scratching his back...some aurvedic ad.......eeeks4.Magu Altha ide woodwards kodi maguvige........the woodwards add.. all four generations of daddis will tell they were giving woodwars for their sons....5.All ads where Indian cricketers perform (Perform in quotes)...this is latest yuck i have developed after worldcup.....But still as they say there is nothing like bad publicity good or bad...they have done their purpose we still remember them
And those serious scene in a movie will be always be intercepted by wicked Ads.....But then there are ones which i cherish ... Commercials ka Zamana tha.......... 20 seconds of Magic I should call..... Not many channles where there so as slots for commercials use to be less..... Some of them are1. Kya Swad hai ....Dairy Milk Chocolate....a cute old ad ...the free style of dace of the girl and the song.... kuch kaas hai ham sabi mein...kcuh baat hai ham sabhi mein.......kya swad hai zindagi mein......I have tried to mimic that dance so many times....but could never got colse to what she has done ...simply awesomehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pCIzzyDWZDY2. Doodh Doodh Doodh ...Doodh hai mast in every season...........Early in the moring when ever i drink milk ...I sing this song........... simple but very sweet...Infact i started liking doodh only after seeing this ad in my school dayshttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZjFH6yZ8LIA3.Hamara Bajaj: "Yeh zameen hai aasman. Hamara aaj, hamara kal.." That song is too good. And the Indian-ness shown was s-i-m-p-l-y wow. The Bajaj scooter is the Indian middle-class family mascot carrying more than 4 people and it isnt any circus feat. It is affordable, easy on maintenance, sturdy, and stylish too. Watch keenly the ad.....watch for the man when his foot accidently touches his friend.....watch for the girl who pays respect for the oldman......watch for the sardar the indianness he brings to Firangi bandihttp://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-1253297703119854898&q=hamara+bajaj&pl=true4.Fevicol is the best when it comes to commercials....They are really creative to core....some of them are ...Poor Mallu fishing with fevicol.....Politician not leaving the sweet.. Song stuck coz of fevicaol......most of their ads are truley amazing5.Titan Ads for watches are always a pleasure to watch.....the Son Mother love...Father Daughter love.....husband wife love ...rolling tears...even the latest Amirs Ads are good...needlees to comment on the music for the ad6.Pappu Paas ho gaya...Amitab's charisma and the theme have done wonders to that ad7.Cute Surf Excel ad..where a young kid fights with pot hole filled with rain water.....Soory boldiya and a smile on his face....its wooooooooooooooooawhttp://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-8656161533100023148&pl=trueSome Yuck ones are there tooooooo...these are some awsome shits.....1.Rupa Baniyan ads...Aree Sab Rupa Baniyans phendiya tho roopa kya phenegi2.All Navaratna Tel ads of Mr. Govinda3.Oyeeee O.....some guy screems scratching his back...some aurvedic ad.......eeeks4.Magu Altha ide woodwards kodi maguvige........the woodwards add.. all four generations of daddis will tell they were giving woodwars for their sons....5.All ads where Indian cricketers perform (Perform in quotes)...this is latest yuck i have developed after worldcup.....But still as they say there is nothing like bad publicity good or bad...they have done their purpose we still remember them
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
ROTI, KAPDA, MAKAAN aur MOBILE
"Why the hell do you have the mobile if you dont carry it around?"
This is the most common lament people face from their friends when they dont pickup the cell phone. Cell phone dependency has been raised to such levels these days that we wonder whether there was a time when even having a Land line connection was considered a matter of pride. As someone put it "ROTI KAPDA aur MAKAAN" are no longer the only basic needs of a common man. ROTI KAPDA MAKAAN aur MOBILE is the new punch line and its surprising to see how we are dependent on the cell phones to such an extent .
Cell phones do provide a instant connectivity to the masses but that aside they have creeped into the individual's life and there is no escaping the other side effects these small devices come with. There was a time when all the members of the family shared a common number and still had a happy life. There was a time when attending a call on the phone gave so much joy. With the introduction of cell phones people seemed to have lost interest in admiring the beauty of the device which enables us to speak to another person who is physically not present at that spot.
Personal life which was well defined has lost the significance and cell phones are the basic cause for this change. Now the boss can instantly contact his sub-ordinate to discuss important and not so important issues. This way personal life has been intruded and disucussions which happened to be confined to the meeting room have now made a entry to the bedroom. Now a person can be contacted on the fly and mobile phone numbers are becoming a part of the identity of the person.
With price ranges which are affordable to the common man to high end mobile phones they have overtaken possessions like a car, bike as new status symbols. The more expensive the mobile the more it defines your personality. Internet which was a phenomenal change of the century has been brought to the cell phone thus increasing connectivity.
The impact is such that even small kids have developed the craving for these small devices and thus eliminating the idea that these are for the adults. This itself has given way to another problem of ensuring proper usage of these multifunctional devices especially with kids. The craving to get a new cricket bat, a new carrom board or even a new bicycle has been over shodowed by the excessive need to possess the latest mobile phone in the market.
Thus it is left to the individual to decide how to get the maximum use of these friendly yet so dangerous devices. One has to consider the fact that they are made to make ones life easy and not complicate them. Well the mantra will still remain the same "ROTI, KAPDA, MAKAAN aur MOBILE"!!!!
This is the most common lament people face from their friends when they dont pickup the cell phone. Cell phone dependency has been raised to such levels these days that we wonder whether there was a time when even having a Land line connection was considered a matter of pride. As someone put it "ROTI KAPDA aur MAKAAN" are no longer the only basic needs of a common man. ROTI KAPDA MAKAAN aur MOBILE is the new punch line and its surprising to see how we are dependent on the cell phones to such an extent .
Cell phones do provide a instant connectivity to the masses but that aside they have creeped into the individual's life and there is no escaping the other side effects these small devices come with. There was a time when all the members of the family shared a common number and still had a happy life. There was a time when attending a call on the phone gave so much joy. With the introduction of cell phones people seemed to have lost interest in admiring the beauty of the device which enables us to speak to another person who is physically not present at that spot.
Personal life which was well defined has lost the significance and cell phones are the basic cause for this change. Now the boss can instantly contact his sub-ordinate to discuss important and not so important issues. This way personal life has been intruded and disucussions which happened to be confined to the meeting room have now made a entry to the bedroom. Now a person can be contacted on the fly and mobile phone numbers are becoming a part of the identity of the person.
With price ranges which are affordable to the common man to high end mobile phones they have overtaken possessions like a car, bike as new status symbols. The more expensive the mobile the more it defines your personality. Internet which was a phenomenal change of the century has been brought to the cell phone thus increasing connectivity.
The impact is such that even small kids have developed the craving for these small devices and thus eliminating the idea that these are for the adults. This itself has given way to another problem of ensuring proper usage of these multifunctional devices especially with kids. The craving to get a new cricket bat, a new carrom board or even a new bicycle has been over shodowed by the excessive need to possess the latest mobile phone in the market.
Thus it is left to the individual to decide how to get the maximum use of these friendly yet so dangerous devices. One has to consider the fact that they are made to make ones life easy and not complicate them. Well the mantra will still remain the same "ROTI, KAPDA, MAKAAN aur MOBILE"!!!!
Bangalore (Traffic Capital of South)
Last evening I was stuck in a cab from ITPL and started to get restless and that familiar feeling of being stuck in traffic came over me reminding me outsiders cribbing about Bangalore’s traffic jam. To pass time the cab driver and his fellow crew started chatting. He wanted to know where I was from etc. etc. The minute he heard Bangalore he wanted to know if Bangalore is expanding rapidly and about Bangalore’s traffic. I was mildly surprised about the Bangalore traffic question and realized it was no state secret and that it was indeed tough navigating traffic in that city.
The cab driver’s question prompted a stream of thoughts about Bangalore’s nightmare traffic, a favorite topic of mine. Believe me, I have often entertained the idea of opening a traffic school for drivers and truck drivers to help them with their driving skills and road manners. Having recently spent over eight months in Pune and having had to travel around the city I have first-hand experience about Bangalore’s legendary traffic jams. It does not matter what time of day you travel, the traffic jam is less constant in an emerging IT hub called PUNE.
Add about 14-20 minutes for every kilometer and you will get a “rough estimate” of how long it will take for you to get from Point A to Point B. I would often go around asking people their views about this traffic jam problem. The one explanation that made sense to me was that most of the vehicles belonged to BPO and IT companies (many are actually leased vehicles). Since many of these companies tend to have round the clock or extended work hours these company vehicles are constantly crisscrossing and ferrying passengers across the city. That explains the volume of traffic on road. Now add to this explanation a couple of factors like inadequate infrastructure and lack of public transportation you slowly begin to understand the ripple effect of a traffic jam in JP Nagar, and how that can impact traffic all the way up to HSR layout and a traffic Jam near the Bypanahalli railway bride will lead all the way up to ITPL.
Hopefully things will improve in a quick and effective way, especially with the Metro project and the highway project near Hosur underway.
Fingers crossed .... Uh..
The cab driver’s question prompted a stream of thoughts about Bangalore’s nightmare traffic, a favorite topic of mine. Believe me, I have often entertained the idea of opening a traffic school for drivers and truck drivers to help them with their driving skills and road manners. Having recently spent over eight months in Pune and having had to travel around the city I have first-hand experience about Bangalore’s legendary traffic jams. It does not matter what time of day you travel, the traffic jam is less constant in an emerging IT hub called PUNE.
Add about 14-20 minutes for every kilometer and you will get a “rough estimate” of how long it will take for you to get from Point A to Point B. I would often go around asking people their views about this traffic jam problem. The one explanation that made sense to me was that most of the vehicles belonged to BPO and IT companies (many are actually leased vehicles). Since many of these companies tend to have round the clock or extended work hours these company vehicles are constantly crisscrossing and ferrying passengers across the city. That explains the volume of traffic on road. Now add to this explanation a couple of factors like inadequate infrastructure and lack of public transportation you slowly begin to understand the ripple effect of a traffic jam in JP Nagar, and how that can impact traffic all the way up to HSR layout and a traffic Jam near the Bypanahalli railway bride will lead all the way up to ITPL.
Hopefully things will improve in a quick and effective way, especially with the Metro project and the highway project near Hosur underway.
Fingers crossed .... Uh..
Sunday, August 31, 2008
ROCK ON !!!!!
MAGIK, namely Aditya (Farhan), Joe (Arjun), KD and Rob (Luke Kenny), fight hard to take their band ‘Magik’ to the position of number one. They get the opportunity to hit the music chart with an opportunity won in a competition of Channel V Launch Pad. The music channel also provides them with a chance of recording their first album. But no victory comes without its different effects. Here also, they have to compromise few things and the situation takes Joe away from Aditya. Magik gets closed rather shutt off . Aditya leaves all his friends and turns into a businessman while on the other hand, Joe keeps himself happy with his guitar while his wife turns into a family run fishing business.
Story rolls for ten years. One day Aditya’s wife comes to know about Aditya’s band Magik and to make Aditya happy, she arranges a reunion party for all his friends who were involved in the band. And the reunion gives a rebirth to the band also. They all fight for another chance at the Channel V stage.
Farhan has really overshadowed other actors in his debut film. Others are also looking cool in their respective roles. As far as the film is concerned, it can easily be called a package with visuals mixing properly with audio. Actors are rock stars and their stage presence is superb. While as a film it’s a great gift to the viewers, for listeners, too, it’s a wonderful presentation. After his negative performance in OSO, Arjun has brilliantly proved how matured an actor he is. The combination of visuals with dialogue looks really nice on the screen. Direction is really praiseworthy.
After a long time, a film is made to touch all the generations. Hats off to Farhan and Abhishek Kapoor.
Story rolls for ten years. One day Aditya’s wife comes to know about Aditya’s band Magik and to make Aditya happy, she arranges a reunion party for all his friends who were involved in the band. And the reunion gives a rebirth to the band also. They all fight for another chance at the Channel V stage.
Farhan has really overshadowed other actors in his debut film. Others are also looking cool in their respective roles. As far as the film is concerned, it can easily be called a package with visuals mixing properly with audio. Actors are rock stars and their stage presence is superb. While as a film it’s a great gift to the viewers, for listeners, too, it’s a wonderful presentation. After his negative performance in OSO, Arjun has brilliantly proved how matured an actor he is. The combination of visuals with dialogue looks really nice on the screen. Direction is really praiseworthy.
After a long time, a film is made to touch all the generations. Hats off to Farhan and Abhishek Kapoor.
Till date it is the best ever "bollywood" movie watched by me in any MULTIPLEX.
Cheers guys !
ROCK ON
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