tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-378391932024-03-14T04:01:42.759-07:00I Think.. I Actually Do! Honest!!This is for everything that doesn't fit into my other blogs. And this is my chance to get verbose.Bobinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13693886305657699055noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37839193.post-64986267801653550612007-12-04T22:26:00.000-08:002007-12-04T22:31:00.294-08:00I thot I thaw a putty cat!!<span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">There's this funny news story I came across online. Apparently, an Italian court has summoned Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, Daisy Duck and Tweety Bird in a trial of a Chinese man accused of producing fake Disney and Warner Bros products.<br /><br />Good news is that all of us toon fans can relax. None of these characters are going to do time in the slammer. They have been named as the "damaged parties" in the trial. Phewww!<br /><br />Read the entire article <a href="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22098167/?GT1=10645">here</a>.<br /><br /> </span></span>Bobinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13693886305657699055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37839193.post-84290231251064207152007-07-01T22:52:00.000-07:002007-12-04T22:23:11.818-08:00Of careers, dreams and clarinets<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">No. BusinessWeek does not pay me to promote their website. In fact, I haven't even bookmarked their site. (Though now I think, it's high time that I did.) </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">Anyway, this is a very interesting article I came by this morning. It's about making a career shift a few years into your professional life. What made me click through was the fact that I had been editing a similar story for my magazine just last week. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">What makes me put this link up on the blog here is this one paragraph - which seems to so aptly sum up things <span style="font-weight: bold;">and </span>inspire too.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">There's an old story about a man who heard a neighbor playing the clarinet. "Boy, you're a good clarinet player," he said. "Could you teach me to play?" The clarinetist said, "If you want to make that commitment, of course I could. It takes time to get good." "How long?" asked the prospective student. "In seven years, you'd be quite good," replied the musician. "Seven years! I'll be 46 years old in seven years!" Said the clarinet player: "How old will you be if you don't study clarinet?"</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">How old will you be in five years if you don't pursue your dream? Get started now. </span><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;"><br /></span></span><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">Read the entire article <a href="http://images.businessweek.com/ss/07/06/0628_second_careers/index_01.htm">here</a>.<br /><br /> </span></span></div></div>Bobinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13693886305657699055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37839193.post-35974292251749066802007-05-30T02:23:00.000-07:002007-05-30T02:30:34.782-07:00I certainly am into CDs still..<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Just came by this very interesting BusinessWeek article about the declining sales of music CDs. Aaron Pressman talks about how music piracy may not be the one factor that's contributing to it. This is one of those pieces that makes you go, "Dang, why didn't I think of it before?" </span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">http://www.businessweek.com/investing/insights/blog/archives/2007/03/music_cd_im_jus.html</span></span><br /></div>Bobinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13693886305657699055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37839193.post-65793322919005482982007-04-13T00:25:00.000-07:002008-12-11T14:06:14.584-08:00Treasure hunt<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">Sometimes, you stumble upon something really cool, when you are not looking for it. Serendipity, I think they call it. I have had a couple of such experiences. And both of them took place at PVR Saket, or more precisely where those booksellers sit right outside PVR Saket, with their stash of second-hand books. </span></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><br />I was rifling through one of the guys' collection of National Geographics and suddenly I see this particular one.<br /><br /></span></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><a style="font-family: verdana;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOR1KiOp_Ppgih3agqJMRMTKEUq5wbhaUe0CQJJC1lNW1uTrivJ5-mIh8UhaRrPfb2bbXXaodU0wov59S3u8bOTTKxnGWWxxDx1zUkbltCRztyWYYfeWzn6IBCMcKWkOapvJqK/s1600-h/IMG_0579.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOR1KiOp_Ppgih3agqJMRMTKEUq5wbhaUe0CQJJC1lNW1uTrivJ5-mIh8UhaRrPfb2bbXXaodU0wov59S3u8bOTTKxnGWWxxDx1zUkbltCRztyWYYfeWzn6IBCMcKWkOapvJqK/s400/IMG_0579.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5052812540442598018" border="0" /></a></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">So what is special about this one, you ask? Direct your eyes towards the dateline, if you will please. That's right, just below the name. March 1957. That is March, Nineteen-Hundred-Fifty-Seven!! That makes it precisely 50 years old, give or take a few weeks. And what makes this find more precious is that it's in fantastic condition, especially when you consider the age. Not a single page is torn. Not a single picture is cut out.<br /></span></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">That is one more thing I can add to my list of things that could possibly be put up on eBay ;) </span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">And now, ladies and gentlemen, if you will please turn your attention towards Exhibit B. What appears to be just another Mickey Mouse collection with brown packing tape holding its spine together, is actually (I believe) yet another great find. I picked it up since it seemed to be old. And then I saw the original owner's signature and a date put down, on the inside cover. Mr Birla (that's the original owner) had scribbled a date from the year 1933. To be very honest, I thought that would be his birthdate or something. But then, a quick Google search later, I realised that this particular Mickey Mouse Annual does indeed date back to 1933!<br /><br /></span></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><a style="font-family: verdana;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhefb-eUZ54Pu_2cwfLGMr_hY8JVrvMTebLwMv5-_fMMUvL6ab699fpYCYlfHfd7vnqTFgRLfKkjzQOz20IyOTFxgcqUliKULqGy_doD6v6xy2JR8_x5a5L5J1a_P1eY_NniyIe/s1600-h/IMG_2607.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhefb-eUZ54Pu_2cwfLGMr_hY8JVrvMTebLwMv5-_fMMUvL6ab699fpYCYlfHfd7vnqTFgRLfKkjzQOz20IyOTFxgcqUliKULqGy_doD6v6xy2JR8_x5a5L5J1a_P1eY_NniyIe/s400/IMG_2607.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5052812763780897426" border="0" /></a></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">And oh, I almost forgot to mention the prices I got them for. The National Geographic was for 30 bucks while the Mickey Mouse Annual was for 80. You don't think I bargained, do you?<br /></span></span><br /><br /></div>Bobinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13693886305657699055noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37839193.post-71747681687569319302007-03-29T04:45:00.000-07:002007-03-29T04:55:58.177-07:00I'm a "balance seeker"<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;" >Just came across <a href="http://www.engadget.com/2007/03/28/dont-look-now-but-that-nokia-in-your-pocket-means-youre-over">this interesting post</a> on one of my favourite gadget blogs, <a href="http://www.engadget.com/">Engadget</a>. It's about a study that seeks to categorise people according to the brand of cellphone they flaunt. </span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /><br /></span><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;" >I'm supposed to be a family-minded, middle-aged manager, who seeks balance and is health-conscious! Hmm... I didn't know that about myself. </span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span></span></div>Bobinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13693886305657699055noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37839193.post-52375100027611887212007-03-12T07:27:00.000-07:002007-03-29T04:57:21.926-07:00Guerilla marketing<div style="text-align: justify;font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Tomes have been written about marketing; and people have paid not-so-insignificant amounts to buy those. (Yes, I am guilty too.) But a couple of weekends ago, I was witness to some marketing that would surely impress <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Under-Radar-Adweek-Magazine-Bond/dp/0471174696">Bond and Kirshenbaum</a>.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-size:85%;">We were at this popular market at Sarojini Nagar (that's in New Delhi), walking through seemingly unending displays of clothes and knick-knacks - most of which come at prices that deserve their own case-studies. So anyway, one of the trinket sellers shouts out: <span style="font-style: italic;">"Arre, yeh kahin aapka toh nahin gira?"</span>. As expected, all heads in the vicinity (including mine) turn towards him, then to the ground and then to him again. Then, boom! He delivers the salvo. <span style="font-style: italic;">"Arre, gira gira gira!! In sabka </span>(pointing to his wares)<span style="font-style: italic;"> bhaav gira!!" </span>Whether or not people actually bought his stuff apart, the truth was that he managed to capture the attention of loads of 'prospective consumers'.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-size:85%;">PS: I did contemplate translating the Hindi phrases into English. But then decided against it. Two reasons. One, I just couldn't get the correct flavour in English. Two, I reckon the few bloggers who do read my blog once in a while, do understand Hindi.<br /></span></div>Bobinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13693886305657699055noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37839193.post-1167301316566404372006-12-28T01:49:00.000-08:002006-12-28T02:30:31.813-08:00Why o why?<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">Why do I need this another blog? Am I signing up for the 'I have more blogs than you do' race? </span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><br />Not really. Just that I had intended my other blogs to be photoblogs, one a <a href="http://shotsinbmajor.blogspot.com">concert photography blog</a> and the other a <a href="http://khachaak.blogspot.com">general photography one</a>. </span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">Over time, I realised that there were things that I wanted to write about. (Yes, I do get the urge to write sometimes :P) So I modified the 'brief' a bit and my concert photography blog will now be used for all music-related writing.<br />But what about the other stuff? Stuff like how I find it irritatingly amusing (or amusingly irritating) when I pick up two different dailies and find three not-so-different photocaptions: <i>Skirting the issue</i>. Yes, no kidding. </span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><br />But naah, don't worry. This won't be (just) a crib-blog. I will just attempt to put down my thoughts (stop the wisecracks right there) on whatever comes to mind, here.<br />And the New Year is a good excuse too, no? :)<br /><br /></span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;"> </span></span><br /></div>Bobinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13693886305657699055noreply@blogger.com3