Universal Patriotism In A Borderless World

A world without borders is one in which people should be able to live anywhere, work anywhere and contribute anywhere ­ for the world is one. All thinking people have a beautiful dream ­ that of living in a world without borders. But for all these people, this remains a dream, as no one has ever been able to actualise it. For my part, however, i can say that i have made it a reality. I always actually live in a world without borders. According to my experience, the concept of a world without borders is quite an achievable target.

I can say that a world without physical borders may not be achievable, but a world without psychological borders is quite attainable for anyone who so desires it. There is no need for external permission for this purpose: every individual can enter into this state ­ by his own decision.

Recently, on a two-week tour to America, when i reached New York’s airport, i was asked to remove my shoes during the security checking process. I willingly started to remove my shoes. Once i had removed one shoe, the security officer said okay with a smile and told me to not remove the other shoe.

According to media reports, certain well-known personalities of India have had similar experiences during their visits to the US. They were offended at it and registered their complaints in the press. Why this difference? The reason was that i took the removing of my shoes as part of a discipline, while others took it as an instance of being insulted. This example shows that the goal of a world without borders is possible. It can be achieved only within a person’s own mindset rather than in the external world.

If you have developed universal thinking in yourself, that is, you consider entire humankind as your brothers and sisters and take the entire world as your own, then you have already achieved the goal of living in a world without borders. You will take every incident at which people usually get offended as normal and adjust to it, just as all situations, both pleasant and unpleasant, are accepted within a family. A world without borders only requires universalisation of this family culture.

Once when i went to Spain and landed at Madrid airport, i remembered the words of an Arab tourist who, after seeing the developments in Spain, recalled the days when Arabs were ruling over the country. He said with great nostalgia: “Will the previous age ever return to us?“ But when i saw the advances made in Madrid, my feelings were different. In my travelogue, i acknowledged the attainments of the people of Spain and observed that, whereas Muslims in their time had brought traditional development to Spain, the Spanish people had now brought about development according to modern scientific standards.

In the modern age, the maxim, `everything for everyone’ has been accepted as a principle. If a person takes the `passport’ and the `visa’ as parts of a normal routine, he will be able to consider every country as his own. He will happily accept these formalities.

In the modern world, nationhood is linked to the homeland. This leads to the concept of patriotism. But if a person lives by the concept of universal patriotism, he will take the whole world as his own.

A world without borders might currently seem unachievable at the physical level, but, at the psychological level, it is quite achievable for everyone.

- Maulana Wahiduddin Khan

First Published on www.speakingtree.in

Communication Mythos: Should the burden of understanding be on the message giver or receiver?

The message-giver thanks the message-receiver for enabling him to better understand human desire and capability. 

A friend told me something very interesting. She said, "I have noticed that during a conference Americans and Japanese behave very differently . If an American does not understand anything, he blames the communication skills of the message-giver. If a Japanese is under stress he blames himself, placing the burden of understanding on the message-receiver . Objectively speaking, who has the burden of understanding — the message-giver or the message-receiver ?

In the Western world, currently dominated by Greek mythology, where individuals are constantly suspicious of authority, the burden of understanding falls on the authority that seeks to govern. However, in the Eastern part of the world, dominated by Confucian mythology, where everyone respects authority, who has the Mandate of Heaven or legitimate power, the burden of understanding falls on the people who are being governed.

This divide is evident in communication techniques taught in training programs of modern management. The first being keep it short and simple, for people's attention span is low as is their capacity to comprehend . Another technique is repetition: "Say what you have to say, say it, and say what you have said." This we are told will get the message across. Here the burden is always on the speaker. Hence the obsession with over-clarifying and over-communicating .

We see this in the long documents and numerous posters that repeatedly seek to explain values and behaviours that the company endorses. There is anxiety that communication has not been clear or comprehensive enough. The message-giver has to constantly bring himself down to the level of the message-receiver.

This is influenced by the shift from the Imperial British system of communication to the more egalitarian American system of communication . It is not uncommon in many Indian family owned companies for owners to not bother with clear communication. Often innuendoes and signals are used to get messages across. For example: the person who is being repeatedly called for a meeting becomes the authority or the favoured one of the moment, irrespective of his designation.

It is assumed that the people who understand the leader get the message. Those who don't get the message don't matter in the scheme of things. On a more manipulative note, if the directive does not work, the leader simply gets a chance of escape. This puts great pressure on professionals who are not trained to deal with family businesses in B-schools.

Such practices are frowned in modern management as it is unclear, inefficient and adds to the burden of anxiety amongst employees. They are qualified as feudal, befitting an oriental despot. In other words, the criticism is rooted in Western prejudices about the East.

Though many business families in India tilt Eastwards, traditional Indian methods of communication actually stands between the East and the West. Who bears the burden of understanding is a function of context. It depends on who has more to lose: the message-giver or message-receiver ? This is demonstrated in the following story from the Upanishads.

A young boy called Satyakama wanted to understand the 'brahman' from his teacher, Gautama. So his teacher gave him some cows and told him to take them out to the pastures and to return only after the number of cows had doubled. While the cows grazed, Satyakama had nothing to do. He kept observing the world around him. As he watched the bull, the sun, the fire, the swan, and the fowl, his mind was filled with insight. When he returned his thanked his guru for revealing to him the 'brahman' .

In modern understanding of communication , the guru had done nothing to facilitate understanding. But in the traditional understanding of communication, the guru had created an ecosystem based on the desire and capability of Satyakama. Thus the message-giver understands the best way to communicate to the message receiver. Sometimes it may be instructive and directive, sometimes it may be full of innuendoes and symbols, depending on what the message-receiver can handle.

Here, the guru is not obliged to transmit the message but does so in order to improve his own understanding of human nature. Here, the student is not obliged to listen to the guru but does, because he wants knowledge. The teacher is merely a facilitator.

The message receiver thanks the message-giver for facilitating his understanding of the subject. The message-giver thanks the message-receiver for enabling him to better understand human desire and capability, hence his communication skills. Both win. There is no authority or rules. It is cyclical, not linear. This is what the guru-shishya parampara was actually about.

Source: Devdutt Pattanaik in The Economic Times

http://m.economictimes.com/features/corporate-dossier/management-mythos-should-the-burden-of-understanding-be-on-the-message-giver-or-receiver/articleshow/36461815.cms

Some Wisdom ... some common sense

1. There are plenty of ways to enter a pool. The stairs is not one of them.
2. Never cancel dinner plans by text message.
3. Don't knock it 'til you try it.
4. If a street performer makes you stop walking, you owe him a buck.
5. Always use 'we' when referring to your home team or your government.
6. When entrusted with a secret, keep it.
7. Don't underestimate free throws in a game of 'horse'.
8. Just because you can doesn't mean you should.
9. Don't dumb it down.
10. You only get one chance to notice a new haircut.
11. If you're staying more than one night, unpack.
12. Never park in front of a bar.
13. Expect the seat in front of you to recline. Prepare accordingly.
14. Keep a picture of your first fish, first car, and first boy/girlfriend.
15. Hold your heroes to a high standard.
16. A suntan is earned, not bought.
17. Never lie to your doctor.
18. All guns are loaded.
19. Don't mention sunburns. Believe me, they know.
20. The best way to show thanks is to wear it. Even if it's only once.
21. Take a vacation of your cell phone, internet, and TV once a year.
22. Don't fill up on bread, no matter how good.
23. A handshake beats an autograph.
24. Don't linger in the doorway. In or out.
25. If you choose to go in drag, don't sell yourself short.
26. If you want to know what makes you unique, sit for a caricature.
27. Never get your hair cut the day of a special event.
28. Be mindful of what comes between you and the Earth. Always buy good shoes, tires, and sheets.
29. Never eat lunch at your desk if you can avoid it.
30. When you're with new friends, don't just talk about old friends.
31. Eat lunch with the new kids.
32. When traveling, keep your wits about you.
33. It's never too late for an apology.
34. Don't pose with booze.
35. If you have the right of way, take it.
36. You don't get to choose your own nickname.
37. When you marry someone, remember you marry their entire family.
38. Never push someone off a dock.
39. Under no circumstances should you ask a woman if she's pregnant.
40. It's not enough to be proud of your ancestry; live up to it.
41. Don't make a scene.
42. When giving a thank you speech, short and sweet is best.
43. Know when to ignore the camera.
44. Never gloat.
45. Invest in good luggage.
46. Make time for your mom on your birthday. It's her special day, too.
47. When opening presents, no one likes a good guesser.
48. Sympathy is a crutch, never fake a limp.
49. Give credit. Take blame.
50. Suck it up every now and again.
51. Never be the last one in the pool.
52. Don't stare.
53. Address everyone that carries a firearm professionally.
54. Stand up to bullies. You'll only have to do it once.
55. If you've made your point, stop talking.
56. Admit it when you're wrong.
57. If you offer to help don't quit until the job is done.
58. Look people in the eye when you thank them.
59. Thank the bus driver.
60. Never answer the phone at the dinner table.
61. Forgive yourself for your mistakes.
62. Know at least one good joke.
63. Don't boo. Even the ref is somebody's son.
64. Know how to cook one good meal.
65. Learn to drive a stick shift.
66. Be cool to younger kids. Reputations are built over a lifetime.
67. It's okay to go to the movies by yourself.
68. Dance with your mother/father.
69. Don't lose your cool. Especially at work.
70. Always thank the host.
71. If you don't understand, ask before it's too late.
72. Know the size of your boy/girlfriend's clothes.
73. There is nothing wrong with a plain t-shirt.
74. Be a good listener. Don't just wait for your turn to talk.
75. Keep your word.
76. In college, always sit in the front. You'll stand out immediately.
77. Carry your mother's bags. She carried you for nine months.
78. Be patient with airport security. They're just doing their jobs.
79. Don't be the talker in a movie.
80. The opposite sex likes people who shower.
81. You are what you do, not what you say.
82. Learn to change a tire.
83. Be kind. Everyone has a hard fight ahead of them.
84. An hour with grandparents is time well spent. Ask for advice when you need it.
85. Don't litter.
86. If you have a sister, get to know her boyfriend. Your opinion is important.
87. You won't always be the strongest or the fastest. But you can be the toughest.
88. Never call someone before 9am or after 9pm.
89. Buy the orange properties in Monopoly.
90. Make the little things count.
91. Always wear a bra at work.
92. There is a fine line between looking sultry and slutty. Find it.
93. You're never too old to need your mom.
94. Ladies, if you make the decision to wear heels on the first date, commit to keeping them on and keeping your trap shut about how much your feet kill.
95. Know the words to your national anthem.
96. Your dance moves might not be the best, but I promise making a fool of yourself is more fun then sitting on the bench alone.
97. Smile at strangers.
98. Make goals.
99. Being old is not dictated by your bedtime.
100. If you have to fight, punch first and punch hard.


Which one is your favourite? Why? Leave a comment :)

'The Beautiful People' - The music and its relevance

'The Beautiful People' is a song written in 1997 about the '60s - STILL RELEVANT (to me) TODAY.

The song incorporates extensive use of guitar distortion, and the use of palm muting creates a highly rhythmic, driving style amplified by a heavy percussion track. The song's characteristic element is its repetitive drum beat: a five-beat common time pattern played on floor toms.

Marilyn Manson - The Beautiful People


I heard this song when I was in school ... only once. 

And true to its reputation - it has stuck in my head for over two decades. And I still don't own the album or track... 

While I am no longer a fan of this genre of music (I've got old*) But each time, I see rank commercialism and sexual objectification in our media and culture - this song invariably starts playing in my head.

To me, it has come to symbolise a rant and a paean simultaneously to what is viewed as "acceptable decadence" - the cult of the superficial.  


Here's the artiste's own explanation - 

MARILYN MANSON was featured in last week's Kerrang! magazine as part of a feature called "How I Wrote...", talking about the inspiration behind the song "The Beautiful People".

The Background:

Marilyn Manson: "I write phrases constantly and I have about 15 different notebooks going at the same time. I'll write lots of different things in each book. I have to lay them all out in the same place and pull things from each of them to write a song. I was on tour and I remember recording it on my four-track with Twiggy [Ramirez, bass] and my drummer Ginger in a hotel room. It was somewhere in the South, which is ironic. I remember playing the drum beat on the floor and then having my drummer duplicate that on the drum machine. It happened in one day pretty much. It happened maybe two-and-a-half years before 'Antichrist Superstar' was released, and if I played you that four-track recording, it would sound identical."

The Inspiration:

Marilyn Manson: "The term 'The Beautiful People' was inspired by a book that came out in the mid-'60s. It was about the Kennedys, politics and fashion at the time. The whole culture of beauty as being created at the time. We live in a world where the culture of beauty is taken for granted, but it didn't exist in the same way in the '60s. Then Charles Manson and his 'family' took that culture, hated it and reacted against it. In many ways his reaction is the same as mine, but I'm playing with it from both sides. I make things glamorous as a revolt to glamour."

The Legacy:

Marilyn Manson: "I wasn't thinking about it in terms like, 'Is this a classic?'. But I knew we'd arrived at our defining sound when we wrote it. Even now, when I go back and listen to it, it sounds big. I hear things in it that I didn't hear before. I'm still very happy and proud of it. I don't get sick of playing it live and I don't think I will get tired of it."

(Thanks: MansonUSA.com)

Additional Reading: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Beautiful_People_(Marilyn_Manson_song)

Here's the Video (not recommended for viewing) -

* Old - “To know what you like is the beginning of wisdom and of old age. Youth is wholly experimental. The essence and charm of that unquiet and delightful epoch is ignorance of self as well as ignorance of life.” ~ Robert Louis Stevenson

Understanding GEN Y Millennials

Times have changed, to see how simply turn on the TV. The shows that were watched in 70's and 80's were about "values" they were more focused on family, friendships, hard work and character.

Year 2013, now we tune into Desperate Housewives, Who wants to marry a Millionaire and American Idol. These shows tend to involve lies, deceit and quick, easy routes to fame and fortune.

The same is the case with our workforce:

The unasked questions on the minds of every baby boomer and members of Generation X in the workplace today about Generation Y is:

·         Who are these strange creatures?

·         How do you deal with them?

·         And, how can they possibly become an asset to an organization?

Look around your office. Managers are struggling to keep their high-performing talent within the ranks, especially the up-and-coming young superstars from Generation Y.

You may know them as the Generation Why, the Trophy Generation, Gen Y, or Millennials. They are the generation born between 1978 and 1995. This generation has completely infiltrated your organization. They come with their own unique traits that, when harnessed correctly, can produce incredible results.

But not everyone sees it that way.

By 2020, these young hires will make up 60 percent of the workforce.  They are rapidly climbing the corporate ladder, and much has been made of the supposedly needy mindset they bring to the workplace—and how their predecessors, the Baby Boomers, must change their approach if they want to accommodate these over-coddled upstarts.

They've got the attitude, they've got the ambition, they've got the BlackBerry in one hand and the half-café mocha latte in the other. Welcome to the world of Generation Y.

GEN Y , Also known as the Net Generation, Millennials, iGeneration, Second Baby Boom, Google Generation, and the Cynical Generation, currently are the most influential consumer and employee group in the world.

Although they bring energy and innovation to the workplace, the Generation Y is challenging to manage.

Millennials are creating a change in how work gets done, as they work more in teams and use more technology. Their social mindset, however, is also a significant factor. As Leigh Buchanon writes in Meet the Millennials, "One of the characteristics of Millennials, besides the fact that they are masters of digital communication, is that they are primed to do well by doing good. Almost 70 percent say that giving back and being civically engaged are their highest priorities."

Coupled with the socially minded millennial comes their desire to be creative. Millennials have grown up in a time where information has become available instantly. Through a Google or Wikipedia search, answers to even quite complicated questions can be found. As such, millennials have developed into a group that wants to work on new and tough problems, and ones that require creative solutions.

In a 2009 article by Tamara Erickson, a millennial who had been struggling in her role, admitted to peers that, "I guess I just expected that I would get to act on more of my ideas, and that the higher ups here would have figured out by now that the model's changing." (Gen Y in the Workforce, Tamara Erickson, Harvard Business Review, February 2009)

They appreciate clear direction, demand immediate feedback on performance, expect to be Consulted and included in management decisions, and demand constant intellectual challenge.

In India, they make up the more than half of the population. Despite the large potential workforce, not all are 'employment ready' and so their talents are in short supply.

The Generation Y in India is a remarkable group that is ambitious, optimistic, embraces change and have a clear sense of where they are headed. Most are 'entrepreneurial and business savvy, as well as technologically capable and connected.

With about half of India's one billion people under the age of 25, Generation Y in India is the world's largest. Positioned in a time of exciting and rapid economic growth in the country, they are keen to participate in the country's future and success. The country's recent parliament elections saw a huge turnout of Generation Y population, demonstrating their ambition to take the country forward.

Gen Ys expect challenging work assignments, accelerated career growth, socially responsible workplaces, flexible work environments, freedom, and collaboration and innovation from their jobs and employers.

Highly competitive, Generation Y is more than ever before seeking higher education and landing jobs in multi-national companies in areas such as IT, back office operations, media, strategy and management positions. With opportunities aplenty in the current economy, they are also job-hopping, something not seen in their parents' generation.

There are certainly a lot of negative feelings about this young generation and the impacts they are having on companies. From their use of social media, loyalty to their friends over the organization and their need to be heard (even during meetings on topics they have little experience with), this generation is certainly different.

Trying to change a generation is akin to changing the direction of the mighty Mississippi: It's not going to happen. Instead of trying to force behaviour changes think about how you are managing your Gen Y employees.

The time has come to think differently, act differently and start re-focusing on long-term success. Today's forward-thinking businesses are repositioning themselves….don't be left behind…

With a better understanding of the Gen Y mindset which drives behaviour, business can better attract, manage and engage this generation both as customers and as staff.

Source: email forward

Mad Magazine: MAD's Satire of the "M*A*S*H" Finale

My Favourite Magazine Features my Favourite Show...

What more Reason needed to blog it?

MAD's Satire of the "M*A*S*H" Finale Fri, 03/01/2013 - 8:21am CLASSIC MAD DEPT. Yesterday was the 30th anniversary of the final episode of M*A*S*H — with over 100 million viewers, the most watched series finale of all time — but we were too busy updating our Trapper John M.D. Pinterest board to notice. To make amends, we present the entirety of "M*U*S*H", our satire of the beloved show's final season by Arnie Kogen and Jack Davis.  Click each page to make it bigger! SCROLL DOWN !!!! Cover Artist: Mort Drucker Tags:  Classic MAD, Movie and TV Satires, Television, M*A*S*H, MASH, Series Finales, Alan Alda, Jack Davis, Arnie Kogen, Mort Drucker, MAD Covers, Alfred E. Neuman

Who is Alfred E. Neuman?

Today we delve into the early days of our moronic mascot, Alfred E. Neuman. One day in the 1960s a letter was delivered to the MAD offices bearing no name or address. Other than a postage stamp, the envelope bore only a picture of the magazine's cover boy, Alfred E. Neuman. Clearly, the gap-toothed face of the idiot kid had become iconic. Alfred and MAD, to use an overworked phrase, were joined at the hip. Already the grinning face had shown up in unlikely places: placards of him as a candidate — "You could do worse, you always have!" — were flaunted at political conventions. His features were sculpted in ice at a Dartmouth Winter Carnival. Fred Astaire danced in an Alfred mask during a TV special. A party of climbers planted a Neuman flag atop Mount Everest. Alfred owes his place in history to four men. The first was MAD's first editor, Harvey Kurtzman, who glimpsed the grinning face, captioned "Me worry?" on a postcard in 1954. "It was a kid that didn't have a care in the world, except mischief," Kurtzman recalled. The boy soon made his way into the pages of the magazine, though he was as yet unnamed. Kurtzman had been using the Neuman name mostly because it had the ring of a nonentity — although there was a Hollywood composer named Alfred Newman. Misspelled, with the added "E," it too was integrated into the magazine. When Al Feldstein replaced Kurtzman as editor, he decided to link "Alfred E. Neuman" with the face of the idiot kid. The idiot kid made his official debut in 1956 as a write-in candidate for President on the cover of MAD #30, and the magazine now had an official mascot and cover boy. In the next issue, Alfred made his second cover appearance pictured as an addition to Mount Rushmore. Though others had their doubts, Nick Meglin, then an assistant editor, believed that MAD should continue to use Alfred as the magazine's cover boy. "You'll have to convince me," said publisher Bill Gaines, who had veto power over all MAD covers. Playing up to Gaines' interest in archaeology, Meglin submitted a rough sketch of Alfred in an Egyptian tomb (MAD #32) and one or two others that emerged as cover illustrations later. Having been convinced there were endless possibilities, Gaines agreed that Alfred should reign as the magazine's icon. The Neuman face was created by Norman Mingo. Curiously, none of MAD's artists, though extremely versatile, has been able to render accurately the Mingo prototype. When Mingo died in 1980, his obituary in The New York Times identified him in its headline as the "Illustrator Behind 'Alfred E. Neuman' Face." What is the source of the "What — Me Worry?" Boy? MAD asked its readers to help out and was deluged by suggestions and theories. The kid was used in 1915 to advertise a patent medicine; he was a newspaperman named Old Jack; he was taken from a biology textbook as an example of a person who lacked iodine; he was a testimonial on advertisements for painless dentistry; he was originated by comedian Garry Moore; he was a greeting-card alcoholic named Hooey McManus; he was a Siamese boy named Watmi Worri. One reader dug up a 1909 German calendar bearing a version of the inane smiling face. By far the most pertinent correspondence came from a lawyer representing a Vermont woman named Helen Pratt Stuff. She claimed that her late husband, Harry Stuff, had created the kid in 1914, naming him "The Eternal Optimist." Stuff's copyrighted drawing, she charged, was the source of Alfred E. Neuman and she was taking MAD to court to prove it. Thus began the great Alfred E. Neuman lawsuit. The stakes were not small. If MAD lost, it would be liable for millions of dollars in damages. And Alfred no longer would be permitted to show his worriless countenance in any MAD publication or property... Source: http://www.madmagazine.com/blog/2012/12/19/totally-mad-excerpt-who-is-alfred-e-neuman

The Times Group ­- Where Ideas Get Wings

I am Proud to be a part of The Times Group

Here’s what I suggested to the CEO -

https://twitter.com/aseems/status/173647012368101376

This is what the CEO of TIL Replied –

https://twitter.com/aseems/status/174046517211041792

This is what Happened (after a couple of months…) –

http://www.indiadigitalreview.com/news/times-internet-launches-augmented-reality-app-alive-ios-devices

 Feels Great to be Heard!!!

Thanks @SatyanGajwani! You Rock Sir!

The Death of a Brand - RIP Indiatimes Mail

Dear Indiatimes Mail users, We wish to inform our Indiatimes.com Email subscribers that Indiatimes.com Email Service ("Service") will be discontinued and shall be permanently shut down with effect from 18th February, 2013 - 12 P.M(Indian Standard Time). You will no longer be able to send or receive mails or access your account for the purpose of reading mail and or transfer any data (i.e. emails, tasks, documents, appointments, and/or contacts) currently saved in your account post 18th February, 2013 - 12 P.M(Indian Standard Time). You can however continue to log in to all Times Internet Limited network sites using your Indiatimes.com id. You are advised to immediately download all your emails/contents/data from your Indiatimes mailbox via IMAP at the earliest before 18th February, 2013 - 12 P.M (Indian Standard Time), failing which Times Internet Limited shall not be responsible and / or liable to provide you the content of your mailbox as the same would stand deleted. You are further notified to immediately change your login credentials on networks where you have provided Indiatimes.com Email as your primary/authentication or alternate id. You are advised to visit our FAQ page or write to us at mailsupport@indiatimes.com anytime till 18th February, 2013 12 PM (Indian Standard Time) for assisting you through the aforementioned processes. Please note that under no circumstances, would Times Internet Limited and its affiliates & group companies & associates, be liable and/or responsible, at any time, for any actual or threatened losses, claims, damages, whether direct, indirect, punitive, incidental, special, consequential damages , including, without limitation for any loss of information, non retrieval or loss of data, business interruption or arising out of the inability of users/subscribers to use Indiatimes.com email services. We would like to thank you for the immense support extended to us, through the years. Warm Regards, Indiatimes Email Customer Services 04th December, 2012

Important tips for safe online banking

A close friend of mine recently lost 38K from his account online

Rather than go into those morbid details, i would rather make this a preventive post

Here are some 

Good Suggestions from Citibank

Which all of us should take to heart

Please go through the following Do's and Don'ts to protect yourself from Phishing, Vishing, and Smishing

A careless or hasty response to fraudulent emails (phishing), telephone calls (vishing) or SMS (smishing) can result in a complete wipe out of hard earned money from your account.

E-mails that appear to have been sent from your Bank, asking you to visit a website (looking very similar to bank's website) in order to procure your sensitive account information is commonly known as 'Online Phishing'. Banks never sends emails soliciting such information.

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) or your bank would never ask you for your personal or confidential information like bank account details, ATM PIN, Internet PIN, One Time Password (OTP), Onetime Access Codes (OAC) or other passwords over an email or telephone.

Never share your personal information (e.g. PAN, credit /debit card numbers, date of birth, mother's maiden name or any other personal information) over the phone, mail /SMS or on the internet unless you have a trusted business relationship with the company.

DO's

> Educate yourself of fraudulent activity on the Internet.

> Periodically review your bank account and credit card statements for any transactions that are not initiated by you.

> Always look for secure session indicators like https:// and padlock  on web sites that require personal information.

> Use an updated anti-virus software and firewall software.

> You should only communicate information such as credit card numbers or account information via a 

secure website or the telephone.

> Ensure that your browser is up to date and security patches applied.

> If you have given out your bank account information, report the theft of this information to the bank as

quickly as possible.

DON'Ts

X - Never click on hyperlinks within emails, verify the URL independently before typing it on the browser.

X - Never reply to emails that seek personal information.

X - Never respond to offers of money from abroad.

X - Never respond to/ make remittances/ participate in schemes or offers from unknown entities.

X - Do not reply to emails or Phone text (SMS) messages claiming that the recipient has won a substantial sum of money in an online lottery or promotion.

X - Avoid filling out forms in email messages that ask for personal financial information.

X - Don't use the links in an email, instant message, or chat to get to any web page if you suspect the message might not be authentic or if you don't know the sender.

BE SAFE!

Introducing TimesJobs.com's new Look!

Introducing TimesJobs.com's new Look !

What Better way to start the New Year than with an exciting new design - TimesJobs revamps its website with a neat new homepage that saves time and effort and intuitive navigation offering informed selections and ease of access

This New Year, TimesJobs.com empowers users with a new homepage that intuitively provides them a host of navigation options right from the homepage itself.

Commenting on this new release, Amit Jain, VP, TimesJobs.com said, "A host of features give job-seekers a clutter free home page experience with intuitive navigation and faster downloads. We hope these improvements encourage job-seekers to fine tune their resumes, enhance their job-search and apply to corporates that are in high demand."

Many modifications & tweaks throughout the website, have led to a 50% improvement in the downloading speed of the site. While there are several small changes to the look and feel of the homepage, users will definitely notice The Enhanced Header, The New Floating Nav Bar, the User Login Form and the Profile Snippet Box. Elaborated below –

·         The Enhanced Tabbed Header offers viewing second level navigation by simple mouse over- informing users of further selections. This feature is applicable across site and makes TimesJobs navigation clean and lets users get a preview of what to expect on the next page.

·         The New 'Floating Nav Bar' - that flashes on the bottom of the screen across site. The floating bottom bar comprises of critical navigation options that offer ease of job search to both logged-in and unregistered users.

·         The new 'User Log-in Form' - a prominent box on the top right hand side of the homepage that lets users login to their TimesJobs' account right away.

·         The new 'Profile Snippet  Box'  - Logged-in users can now view their profile information on the Home Page itself - essentially a condensed personalized summary. This box also facilitates them to update their profile details and view customized recommendations without having to visit multiple pages.

 "Our research showed that the above data fields are critical to a jobseeker's success in finding a matching job, and having them put succinctly in a single box makes it very easy to access." Amit Jain summed up.

So visit the New TimesJobs.com today and tell us what you think!

#####

<ScreenShot of TimesJobs.com Home Page.jpg>

--

Fwd: Thank you from the Wikimedia Foundation

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Sue Gardner <donate@wikimedia.org>
Date: Mon, Dec 26, 2011 at 12:31 PM
Subject: Thank you from the Wikimedia Foundation
To: Aseem Seth <aseemiphone@gmail.com>

Dear Aseem,

You are amazing, thank you so much for donating to the Wikimedia Foundation!

This is how we pay our bills -- it's people like you, giving five
dollars, twenty dollars, a hundred dollars. My favourite donation last
year was five pounds from a little girl in England, who had persuaded
her parents to let her donate her allowance. It's people like you,
joining with that girl, who make it possible for Wikipedia to continue
providing free, easy access to unbiased information, for everyone
around the world. For everyone who helps pay for it, and for those who
can't afford to help. Thank you so much.

I know it's easy to ignore our appeals, and I'm glad that you didn't.
From me, and from the tens of thousands of volunteers who write
Wikipedia: thank you for helping us make the world a better place. We
will use your money carefully, and I thank you for your trust in us.

Thanks,
Sue Gardner
Wikimedia Foundation Executive Director

For your records: Your donation on 2011-12-26 was INR XXXXX.
This letter may serve as a record of your donation. No goods or
services were provided, in whole or in part, for this contribution.
The Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. is a non-profit charitable corporation
with 501(c)(3) tax exempt status in the United States. Our address is
149 New Montgomery, 3rd Floor, San Francisco, CA, 94105. U.S.
tax-exempt number: 20-0049703

UPDATE - 03 Jan 2012

Thank you from Executive Director, Sue Gardner
Thank you.
We've taken down our fundraising banners, because we’ve hit our target. Thanks to you. Over the past few months, more than one million people have come together from all over the world to keep Wikipedia and its sister sites alive and flourishing for another year.

Your support is how we pay our bills. People like you, giving five dollars, twenty dollars, a hundred dollars. Thank you for helping us.

We’re the #5 most-popular site in the world --- we operate on a tiny fraction of the resources of any other top site. We will use your money carefully and well, I promise you.

For everyone who helps pay for Wikipedia and all the Wikimedia projects, and for those who can't afford to help -- thank you so much for making the world a better place.

Sue Gardner
Executive Director
Wikimedia Foundation 

Social on Mobile - The Next Wave in Communications or Revolutions?

These are Social & Mobile REVOLUTIONS that cause Revolutions

This post takes inspiration from where where my earlier post left off

There are two 'new' frontiers in the world of communications today - Mobile and Social, these two spaces are primarily a continuum and the overlap,

While the former  is receiving a huge amount of  public attention both solicited and unsolicited with the 2G Scam, and other skeletons crawling out of the woodwork. It is the impact of Social that is seen on the Regimes in the Middle East, starting with the Story of a Tunisian fruitseller, to the fall of the Egyptian & Libyan  Dictators, to the Rise of Anna Hazare.

"You can buy my hands, but have to WIN my heart" seems to be the dictum of today's youth, and to win it is difficult to say the least.

With the pace of change increasing exponentially, what took microsoft 20 years to accomplish, took google 10 and facebook about 3 years.

When seen in the light of my ealier post "Is it a Bird? Is it a Plane? Noooo! It’s a CELLPHONE!" - and the fact that our mobile phones today have as more computing power than Yuri Gagarin's Space Ship!


How many people would have been able to predict  or foresee such leaps in science & technology, such revolutions?

Do your reach for your phone or paper first thing in the morning?

Like our parents waited eagerly for their morning fix of  coffee & newspaper (to the point that most of you would recall the withdrawal and how uneasy they felt when the paper didn't arrive on time!)

Today youth don't wait for the newspaper to get the news, the first thing they reach for is their smartphone to read the latest tweets - Tweets & RSS Feeds are replacing print for today's youth.

As discussed earlier  The Paradigm Shift from the Ear to the Eye, the mobile phone basic functionality is now visual rather than auditory  - The Twitter Stream, The Facebook Update, The YouTube Video are the New HEADLINES - personalized, customized and delivered in Real Time.

Traditional Media like TV programmes today have have twitter id's (@thenewshour, @face_the_nation), Print publications have online editions  (TimesOfIndia.com),  E-Paper editions and RSS feeds, Radio programmes run facebook contests & campaigns.

The psyche of the youth is so ingrained with Social Media, so pervasive is this technology, that Scientific Studies have actually  found that Youngsters feel disoriented, when they are disconnected  (withdawal akin to dad's morning grumblings when the paper didn't come ;-)

This obviously can not be a good thing... or can it?

The impact of Social Media is seen on the Regimes in the Middle East & Asia, starting with the Story of a Tunisian fruitseller, to the fall of the Egyptian & Libyan  Dictators, to the Rise of Anna Hazare.

"When I first saw that he was getting in, I thought, 'Well, this has got to be a joke,'" the Boone-based evangelist told ABC's Christiane Amanpour. "But the more you listen to him, the more you say to yourself, 'You know? Maybe the guy's right.' -  Franklin Graham

McKinsey Hacked! (April Fools' Day???)

McKinsey recognized the world's "most powerful consulting firm", (elitist by design) falls victim to the whims of lowly hackers

Here's an email i recieved from "The most well-known, most secretive, most high-priced, most prestigious, most consistently successful, most envied, most trusted, most disliked management consulting firm on earth"

from  McKinsey Quarterly  date  Sat, Apr 2, 2011 at 8:51 PM subject  Important information from McKinsey Quarterly mailed-by  e.mckinseyquarterly.com signed-by  e.mckinseyquarterly.com > Important mainly because of the people in the conversation.

Apr 2 (1 day ago)

View this message in your Web browser

Important information from McKinsey Quarterly

We have been informed by our e-mail service provider, Epsilon, that your e-mail address was exposed by unauthorized entry into their system. Epsilon sends e-mails on our behalf to McKinsey Quarterly users who have opted to receive e-mail communications from us.

We have been assured by Epsilon that the only information that was obtained was your first name, last name and e-mail address and that the files that were accessed did not include any other information. We are actively working to confirm this. We do not store any credit card numbers, social security numbers, or other personally identifiable information of our users, so we can assure you that no such information was accessed.

Please note, it is possible you may receive spam e-mail messages as a result. We want to urge you to be cautious when opening links or attachments from unknown third parties. Also know that McKinsey Quarterlywill not send you e-mails asking for your credit card number, social security number or other personally identifiable information. So if you are ever asked for this information, you can be confident it is not from McKinsey.

We regret this has taken place and apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused you. We take your privacy very seriously, and we will continue to work diligently to protect your personal information.

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact McKinsey Quarterly at info@mckinseyquarterly.com. For any media inquiries, please contact Humphrey Rolleston at +1-212-415-5321.

Sincerely,

Rik Kirkland

Senior Managing Editor

McKinsey & Company

(As it is dated 02 April 2011...  had me wondering are they playing me for April's Fool?)

my phone's display looks better

Mobile phone display mega shootout: The full picture - GSMArena.com

Though this Article was written in November Last year. I've gone blue in the face explaining these concepts... so here it is again - STILL RELEVANT TODAY


The Take Away is simple 

1) AMOLED is the future - Contrast, Colour and Viewing angles are better
2) 300+ PPI Resolution is yet to be achieved in AMOLED
3) LCD technology is old BUT iPhone4's Retina Display is the BEST at Squeezing every last ounce from LCD Technology (TFT LCD with IPS).
4) iPhone4 (but NO other product) has 326 PPI Resolution aka  Retina Display 


Display technology is important for making the right choice but in the end you have to consider more than just that.

There are different resolutions and screen sizes and - of course - the feature sets count too. While you can find an LCD screen of pretty much any size and resolution, you only have two options for Super AMOLED and just one for the Retina.

Cheat sheet

And here goes a brief summary of our findings for the time of creation of this article. We wouldn't advise you to base your decision only on the ratings in it, but it could be used as a quick reference after you've read the whole thing.

Also check out those collages we prepared for you so you can compare the handsets for yourselves.

  
In complete darkness

  
Indoor shot • Out in the sun

In the end it all depends on what you use the phone - and the screen - for. The I9000 Galaxy S seems to be the best performer overall, but don't hesitate to go for an iPhone 4 if you need more resolution for those web pages.

Nokia is really going the right way with its CBD technology too - it's just a matter of time before they lift that resolution cap and start using it to its fullest.

And if don’t really care about image quality all that much... Well, grab yourself an LCD and save some cash to spend on apps.

The only technology that has a long way to go to convince skeptics (us included) is S-LCD. It’s just too insignificant of an update for the price premium and the time it took to appear. It will need to boost its credentials and shed its image of an emergency cure for the AMOLED shortage. At least, Apple’s Retina display has shown it’s not all lost for LCDs.

And while the future is with AMOLED, it’s not all rosy for them right now either. They offer excellent image quality and lower energy consumption – that should be enough to make them the definitive choice. But the negative effect of the present AMOLED shortage will be felt for some time.

One possible outcome is that AMOLED screens could become even more desirable. Phones like the Samsung Galaxy S and Omnia 7 will get a major boost being the lucky few to sport a Super AMOLED screen. It’s curious to see what happens to Nokia’s CBD – the Clear Black coating is theirs but they still need to ensure continuous supply of AMOLED units.