Obama's Victory Speech
Wednesday, November 05, 2008
Just wanted to put this on my blog as I really liked this speech....
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OBAMA: Hello, Chicago. If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible, who still wonders if the dream of our founders is alive in our time, who still questions the power of our democracy, tonight is your answer.
It's the answer told by lines that stretched around schools and churches in numbers this nation has never seen, by people who waited three hours and four hours, many for the first time in their lives, because they believed that this time must be different, that their voices could be that difference.
It's the answer spoken by young and old, rich and poor, Democrat and Republican, black, white, Hispanic, Asian, Native American, gay, straight, disabled and not disabled. Americans who sent a message to the world that we have never been just a collection of individuals or a collection of red states and blue states. We are, and always will be, the United States of America.
It's the answer that led those who've been told for so long by so many to be cynical and fearful and doubtful about what we can achieve to put their hands on the arc of history and bend it once more toward the hope of a better day.
It's been a long time coming, but tonight, because of what we did on this date in this election at this defining moment change has come to America.
A little bit earlier this evening, I received an extraordinarily gracious call from Senator McCain. Senator McCain fought long and hard in this campaign. And he's fought even longer and harder for the country that he loves. He has endured sacrifices for America that most of us cannot begin to imagine. We are better off for the service rendered by this brave and selfless leader.
I congratulate him; I congratulate Governor Palin for all that they've achieved. And I look forward to working with them to renew this nation's promise in the months ahead.
I want to thank my partner in this journey, a man who campaigned from his heart, and spoke for the men and women he grew up with on the streets of Scranton ... and rode with on the train home to Delaware, the vice president-elect of the United States, Joe Biden.
And I would not be standing here tonight without the unyielding support of my best friend for the last 16 years ... the rock of our family, the love of my life, the nation's next first lady ... Michelle Obama. Sasha and Malia ... I love you both more than you can imagine. And you have earned the new puppy that's coming with us ...to the new White House.
And while she's no longer with us, I know my grandmother's watching, along with the family that made me who I am. I miss them tonight. I know that my debt to them is beyond measure.
To my sister Maya, my sister Alma, all my other brothers and sisters, thank you so much for all the support that you've given me. I am grateful to them.
And to my campaign manager, David Plouffe ... the unsung hero of this campaign, who built the best _ the best political campaign, I think, in the history of the United States of America.
To my chief strategist David Axelrod ... who's been a partner with me every step of the way. To the best campaign team ever assembled in the history of politics ... you made this happen, and I am forever grateful for what you've sacrificed to get it done.
But above all, I will never forget who this victory truly belongs to. It belongs to you. It belongs to you.
I was never the likeliest candidate for this office. We didn't start with much money or many endorsements. Our campaign was not hatched in the halls of Washington. It began in the backyards of Des Moines and the living rooms of Concord and the front porches of Charleston.
It was built by working men and women who dug into what little savings they had to give $5 and $10 and $20 to the cause. It grew strength from the young people who rejected the myth of their generation's apathy ... who left their homes and their families for jobs that offered little pay and less sleep; from the not-so-young people who braved the bitter cold and scorching heat to knock on the doors of perfect strangers; from the millions of Americans who volunteered, and organized, and proved that more than two centuries later, a government of the people, by the people and for the people has not perished from this Earth. This is your victory.
"I know you didn't do this just to win an election and I know you didn't do it for me. You did it because you understand the enormity of the task that lies ahead. For even as we celebrate tonight, we know the challenges that tomorrow will bring are the greatest of our lifetime, two wars, a planet in peril, the worst financial crisis in a century.
"Even as we stand here tonight, we know there are brave Americans waking up in the deserts of Iraq and the mountains of Afghanistan to risk their lives for us. There are mothers and fathers who will lie awake after their children fall asleep and wonder how they'll make the mortgage, or pay their doctor's bills, or save enough for college. There is new energy to harness and new jobs to be created; new schools to build and threats to meet and alliances to repair.
The road ahead will be long. Our climb will be steep. We may not get there in one year or even in one term. But, America, I have never been more hopeful than I am tonight that we will get there. I promise you, we as a people will get there.
AUDIENCE: Yes we can! Yes we can! Yes we can!
OBAMA : There will be setbacks and false starts. There are many who won't agree with every decision or policy I make as president. And we know the government can't solve every problem. But I will always be honest with you about the challenges we face. I will listen to you, especially when we disagree. And, above all, I will ask you to join in the work of remaking this nation, the only way it's been done in America for 221 years _ block by block, brick by brick, calloused hand by calloused hand.
What began 21 months ago in the depths of winter cannot end on this autumn night. This victory alone is not the change we seek. It is only the chance for us to make that change. And that cannot happen if we go back to the way things were. It can't happen without you, without a new spirit of service, a new spirit of sacrifice.
So let us summon a new spirit of patriotism, of responsibility, where each of us resolves to pitch in and work harder and look after not only ourselves but each other.
Let us remember that, if this financial crisis taught us anything, it's that we cannot have a thriving Wall Street while Main Street suffers. In this country, we rise or fall as one nation, as one people. Let's resist the temptation to fall back on the same partisanship and pettiness and immaturity that has poisoned our politics for so long.
Let's remember that it was a man from this state who first carried the banner of the Republican Party to the White House, a party founded on the values of self-reliance and individual liberty and national unity. Those are values that we all share. And while the Democratic Party has won a great victory tonight, we do so with a measure of humility and determination to heal the divides that have held back our progress.
As Lincoln said to a nation far more divided than ours, we are not enemies but friends. Though passion may have strained, it must not break our bonds of affection.
And to those Americans whose support I have yet to earn, I may not have won your vote tonight, but I hear your voices. I need your help. And I will be your president, too.
And to all those watching tonight from beyond our shores, from parliaments and palaces, to those who are huddled around radios in the forgotten corners of the world, our stories are singular, but our destiny is shared, and a new dawn of American leadership is at hand.
To those who would tear the world down: We will defeat you. To those who seek peace and security: We support you. And to all those who have wondered if America's beacon still burns as bright: Tonight we proved once more that the true strength of our nation comes not from the might of our arms or the scale of our wealth, but from the enduring power of our ideals: democracy, liberty, opportunity and unyielding hope.
For that's the true genius of America: that America can change. Our union can be perfected. What we've already achieved gives us hope for what we can and must achieve tomorrow.
This election had many firsts and many stories that will be told for generations. But one that's on my mind tonight's about a woman who cast her ballot in Atlanta. She's a lot like the millions of others who stood in line to make their voice heard in this election except for one thing: Ann Nixon Cooper is 106 years old.
She was born just a generation past slavery; a time when there were no cars on the road or planes in the sky; when someone like her couldn't vote for two reasons _ because she was a woman and because of the color of her skin.
And tonight, I think about all that she's seen throughout her century in America _ the heartache and the hope; the struggle and the progress; the times we were told that we can't, and the people who pressed on with that American creed: Yes we can.
At a time when women's voices were silenced and their hopes dismissed, she lived to see them stand up and speak out and reach for the ballot. Yes we can.
When there was despair in the dust bowl and depression across the land, she saw a nation conquer fear itself with a New Deal, new jobs, a new sense of common purpose. Yes we can.
AUDIENCE : Yes we can.
OBAMA: When the bombs fell on our harbor and tyranny threatened the world, she was there to witness a generation rise to greatness and a democracy was saved. Yes we can.
AUDIENCE: Yes we can.
OBAMA: She was there for the buses in Montgomery, the hoses in Birmingham, a bridge in Selma, and a preacher from Atlanta who told a people that We Shall Overcome. Yes we can.
AUDIENCE: Yes we can.
OBAMA: A man touched down on the moon, a wall came down in Berlin, a world was connected by our own science and imagination. And this year, in this election, she touched her finger to a screen, and cast her vote, because after 106 years in America, through the best of times and the darkest of hours, she knows how America can change. Yes we can.
AUDIENCE: Yes we can.
OBAMA : America, we have come so far. We have seen so much. But there is so much more to do. So tonight, let us ask ourselves _ if our children should live to see the next century; if my daughters should be so lucky to live as long as Ann Nixon Cooper, what change will they see? What progress will we have made?
This is our chance to answer that call. This is our moment. This is our time, to put our people back to work and open doors of opportunity for our kids; to restore prosperity and promote the cause of peace; to reclaim the American dream and reaffirm that fundamental truth, that, out of many, we are one; that while we breathe, we hope. And where we are met with cynicism and doubts and those who tell us that we can't, we will respond with that timeless creed that sums up the spirit of a people: Yes, we can.
Thank you. God bless you. And may God bless the United States of America.
Source: TIMES OF INDIA
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
OBAMA: Hello, Chicago. If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible, who still wonders if the dream of our founders is alive in our time, who still questions the power of our democracy, tonight is your answer.
It's the answer told by lines that stretched around schools and churches in numbers this nation has never seen, by people who waited three hours and four hours, many for the first time in their lives, because they believed that this time must be different, that their voices could be that difference.
It's the answer spoken by young and old, rich and poor, Democrat and Republican, black, white, Hispanic, Asian, Native American, gay, straight, disabled and not disabled. Americans who sent a message to the world that we have never been just a collection of individuals or a collection of red states and blue states. We are, and always will be, the United States of America.
It's the answer that led those who've been told for so long by so many to be cynical and fearful and doubtful about what we can achieve to put their hands on the arc of history and bend it once more toward the hope of a better day.
It's been a long time coming, but tonight, because of what we did on this date in this election at this defining moment change has come to America.
A little bit earlier this evening, I received an extraordinarily gracious call from Senator McCain. Senator McCain fought long and hard in this campaign. And he's fought even longer and harder for the country that he loves. He has endured sacrifices for America that most of us cannot begin to imagine. We are better off for the service rendered by this brave and selfless leader.
I congratulate him; I congratulate Governor Palin for all that they've achieved. And I look forward to working with them to renew this nation's promise in the months ahead.
I want to thank my partner in this journey, a man who campaigned from his heart, and spoke for the men and women he grew up with on the streets of Scranton ... and rode with on the train home to Delaware, the vice president-elect of the United States, Joe Biden.
And I would not be standing here tonight without the unyielding support of my best friend for the last 16 years ... the rock of our family, the love of my life, the nation's next first lady ... Michelle Obama. Sasha and Malia ... I love you both more than you can imagine. And you have earned the new puppy that's coming with us ...to the new White House.
And while she's no longer with us, I know my grandmother's watching, along with the family that made me who I am. I miss them tonight. I know that my debt to them is beyond measure.
To my sister Maya, my sister Alma, all my other brothers and sisters, thank you so much for all the support that you've given me. I am grateful to them.
And to my campaign manager, David Plouffe ... the unsung hero of this campaign, who built the best _ the best political campaign, I think, in the history of the United States of America.
To my chief strategist David Axelrod ... who's been a partner with me every step of the way. To the best campaign team ever assembled in the history of politics ... you made this happen, and I am forever grateful for what you've sacrificed to get it done.
But above all, I will never forget who this victory truly belongs to. It belongs to you. It belongs to you.
I was never the likeliest candidate for this office. We didn't start with much money or many endorsements. Our campaign was not hatched in the halls of Washington. It began in the backyards of Des Moines and the living rooms of Concord and the front porches of Charleston.
It was built by working men and women who dug into what little savings they had to give $5 and $10 and $20 to the cause. It grew strength from the young people who rejected the myth of their generation's apathy ... who left their homes and their families for jobs that offered little pay and less sleep; from the not-so-young people who braved the bitter cold and scorching heat to knock on the doors of perfect strangers; from the millions of Americans who volunteered, and organized, and proved that more than two centuries later, a government of the people, by the people and for the people has not perished from this Earth. This is your victory.
"I know you didn't do this just to win an election and I know you didn't do it for me. You did it because you understand the enormity of the task that lies ahead. For even as we celebrate tonight, we know the challenges that tomorrow will bring are the greatest of our lifetime, two wars, a planet in peril, the worst financial crisis in a century.
"Even as we stand here tonight, we know there are brave Americans waking up in the deserts of Iraq and the mountains of Afghanistan to risk their lives for us. There are mothers and fathers who will lie awake after their children fall asleep and wonder how they'll make the mortgage, or pay their doctor's bills, or save enough for college. There is new energy to harness and new jobs to be created; new schools to build and threats to meet and alliances to repair.
The road ahead will be long. Our climb will be steep. We may not get there in one year or even in one term. But, America, I have never been more hopeful than I am tonight that we will get there. I promise you, we as a people will get there.
AUDIENCE: Yes we can! Yes we can! Yes we can!
OBAMA : There will be setbacks and false starts. There are many who won't agree with every decision or policy I make as president. And we know the government can't solve every problem. But I will always be honest with you about the challenges we face. I will listen to you, especially when we disagree. And, above all, I will ask you to join in the work of remaking this nation, the only way it's been done in America for 221 years _ block by block, brick by brick, calloused hand by calloused hand.
What began 21 months ago in the depths of winter cannot end on this autumn night. This victory alone is not the change we seek. It is only the chance for us to make that change. And that cannot happen if we go back to the way things were. It can't happen without you, without a new spirit of service, a new spirit of sacrifice.
So let us summon a new spirit of patriotism, of responsibility, where each of us resolves to pitch in and work harder and look after not only ourselves but each other.
Let us remember that, if this financial crisis taught us anything, it's that we cannot have a thriving Wall Street while Main Street suffers. In this country, we rise or fall as one nation, as one people. Let's resist the temptation to fall back on the same partisanship and pettiness and immaturity that has poisoned our politics for so long.
Let's remember that it was a man from this state who first carried the banner of the Republican Party to the White House, a party founded on the values of self-reliance and individual liberty and national unity. Those are values that we all share. And while the Democratic Party has won a great victory tonight, we do so with a measure of humility and determination to heal the divides that have held back our progress.
As Lincoln said to a nation far more divided than ours, we are not enemies but friends. Though passion may have strained, it must not break our bonds of affection.
And to those Americans whose support I have yet to earn, I may not have won your vote tonight, but I hear your voices. I need your help. And I will be your president, too.
And to all those watching tonight from beyond our shores, from parliaments and palaces, to those who are huddled around radios in the forgotten corners of the world, our stories are singular, but our destiny is shared, and a new dawn of American leadership is at hand.
To those who would tear the world down: We will defeat you. To those who seek peace and security: We support you. And to all those who have wondered if America's beacon still burns as bright: Tonight we proved once more that the true strength of our nation comes not from the might of our arms or the scale of our wealth, but from the enduring power of our ideals: democracy, liberty, opportunity and unyielding hope.
For that's the true genius of America: that America can change. Our union can be perfected. What we've already achieved gives us hope for what we can and must achieve tomorrow.
This election had many firsts and many stories that will be told for generations. But one that's on my mind tonight's about a woman who cast her ballot in Atlanta. She's a lot like the millions of others who stood in line to make their voice heard in this election except for one thing: Ann Nixon Cooper is 106 years old.
She was born just a generation past slavery; a time when there were no cars on the road or planes in the sky; when someone like her couldn't vote for two reasons _ because she was a woman and because of the color of her skin.
And tonight, I think about all that she's seen throughout her century in America _ the heartache and the hope; the struggle and the progress; the times we were told that we can't, and the people who pressed on with that American creed: Yes we can.
At a time when women's voices were silenced and their hopes dismissed, she lived to see them stand up and speak out and reach for the ballot. Yes we can.
When there was despair in the dust bowl and depression across the land, she saw a nation conquer fear itself with a New Deal, new jobs, a new sense of common purpose. Yes we can.
AUDIENCE : Yes we can.
OBAMA: When the bombs fell on our harbor and tyranny threatened the world, she was there to witness a generation rise to greatness and a democracy was saved. Yes we can.
AUDIENCE: Yes we can.
OBAMA: She was there for the buses in Montgomery, the hoses in Birmingham, a bridge in Selma, and a preacher from Atlanta who told a people that We Shall Overcome. Yes we can.
AUDIENCE: Yes we can.
OBAMA: A man touched down on the moon, a wall came down in Berlin, a world was connected by our own science and imagination. And this year, in this election, she touched her finger to a screen, and cast her vote, because after 106 years in America, through the best of times and the darkest of hours, she knows how America can change. Yes we can.
AUDIENCE: Yes we can.
OBAMA : America, we have come so far. We have seen so much. But there is so much more to do. So tonight, let us ask ourselves _ if our children should live to see the next century; if my daughters should be so lucky to live as long as Ann Nixon Cooper, what change will they see? What progress will we have made?
This is our chance to answer that call. This is our moment. This is our time, to put our people back to work and open doors of opportunity for our kids; to restore prosperity and promote the cause of peace; to reclaim the American dream and reaffirm that fundamental truth, that, out of many, we are one; that while we breathe, we hope. And where we are met with cynicism and doubts and those who tell us that we can't, we will respond with that timeless creed that sums up the spirit of a people: Yes, we can.
Thank you. God bless you. And may God bless the United States of America.
Source: TIMES OF INDIA
It's so difficult to restart
Monday, October 27, 2008
It's an idle afternoon on one of the lucky Mondays. It's a holiday on the occasion of Deepawali and I am getting bored here. Suddenly, I thought of my blog and came back to visit it after really long time and felt so nostalgic about it that I sat to write something....
Life was so different last year when I was in School and I had all the time in the world to blog. Even though I had so many assignments to prepare, presentations to make and classes to attend, I always used to get time for blogging.
Now, it's different. My mind is always occupied with something at work. Often times, these are topics on which I can not blog (or should not blog). I am attending some conference calls or replying to someone's email. People always reply back for you to reply again in such a short time (thanks to blackberry age!). You are caught in a perpetual cycle of mails, calls, and meetings.
But I see a lot of professionals who get time for blogging. What am I missing here? What am I not doing right? If I love to write, why am I not getting time to do so? or is it that I am getting time, but not setting the priorities right?
Well, all these questions needs some introspection and I will get back with answers. 2008 was too uneventful for my blog. Just 13 posts (including this one!).
Let's see how does 2009 (still 2 months to go) behave....I am sure I will go find a meaning for my blog in 2 months...Till then, please hang on!
Life was so different last year when I was in School and I had all the time in the world to blog. Even though I had so many assignments to prepare, presentations to make and classes to attend, I always used to get time for blogging.
Now, it's different. My mind is always occupied with something at work. Often times, these are topics on which I can not blog (or should not blog). I am attending some conference calls or replying to someone's email. People always reply back for you to reply again in such a short time (thanks to blackberry age!). You are caught in a perpetual cycle of mails, calls, and meetings.
But I see a lot of professionals who get time for blogging. What am I missing here? What am I not doing right? If I love to write, why am I not getting time to do so? or is it that I am getting time, but not setting the priorities right?
Well, all these questions needs some introspection and I will get back with answers. 2008 was too uneventful for my blog. Just 13 posts (including this one!).
Let's see how does 2009 (still 2 months to go) behave....I am sure I will go find a meaning for my blog in 2 months...Till then, please hang on!
Bankruptcy for an Investment Bank
Friday, September 19, 2008
Ed Morrison, a professor and bankruptcy expert at Columbia Law School gives some wonderful analysis on how different Bankruptcy laws when it comes to Investment Bank. The article was written by Roger Parloff.
LINK TO ARTICLE
Enjoy Reading and enlighten yourself....
...and by the way, if you are yet to be educated on Subprime mortgage crisis...Read THIS
Sunk Cost !?
Tuesday, August 05, 2008
What is sunk cost?
Wikipedia defnes sunk costs as the costs that have been incurred and which cannot be recovered to any significant degree.
Wikipedia defnes sunk costs as the costs that have been incurred and which cannot be recovered to any significant degree.
I just had a first hand feeling of sunk cost when my 10+ hours of research on mobile phones went down the drain. I was told that I am eligible for a handset upgrade and I was given plethora of options to choose from. Having an analytical insect inside my vein, I took the job with all my diligence and spirit. Even going all the way to use a concept selection matrix (pugh matrix) to choose from the vital few to the one model. Finally, after spending several hours reading reviews on various website, I had a winner. My body and soul was all set to accept Nokia E66 as the next phone for them. They were just too eager to meet and the order was even placed to Singtel.
But then came the murphy!!! Hello, did you guys forget me..I mean altogether forgot who I am?? I do exist, you know!
"Mr, You don't qualify for a change of handset yet and I am afraid you will have to wait until your current contract expires next year in Feb."
So, what about all my hardwork? Well, that's what they call - sunk cost….!!!
Afterall, Moto Razr V3 is not a bad phone after all! Not for another 210 days, that is!!
Commencement and the journey ahead....
Tuesday, July 08, 2008
Hey.....It's me again....
I am a full MBA now, technically!
We had our commencement (convocation) this morning and we are finally conferred the revered MBA degree. It was one class of an event and it was made as classy as it can possibly get. Not even in the movies, have I seen such a wonderful way to celebrate the achievement and excellence, so to speak.
We flew our mortar board cap and took numerous pictures. Will upload some of the pictures later.
I am missing the celebration dinner and compensating for it here at the lounge waiting for my flight to Shanghai which takes off in another hour or so.
Coming back to MBA, NUS had everything great about it for the last 2 years and the ceremony which officially marked the end of the journey was a befitting end to it. They say it's just the beginning. I hate to admit that they are right. As the guest of honor, Jim Rogers, rightly mentioned that the big bad world is waiting for us out there and we should not be too complacent to have achieved this feat called MBA. It might help you get the first job, or may be the second one. After that, you are on your own. Well, MBA already gave me more than 3 jobs and definitely, I am on my own now....Wish me luck!
GE is out of Kitchen.....
Sunday, May 18, 2008
GE finally decides to sell / spin off its appliance division as it faces pressures from the declining appliance market and unstable corporate performance. When I was a part of this business from 2002 to 2006, I often heard this rumor but it never came true. There was little or no reason for me to be afraid as my employer was not GE and I would have found another job at my employer's other divisions if this business was shut down. We often used to hear sentimental reasons for not selling off the appliance division. Because Edison invented electric bulb (now part of appliance division), GE was supposedly putting up with the bleeding division.
Analysts estimate sales in the appliance business, which posted revenue of $7 billion last year, are likely to decline between 10 percent and 12 percent this year. That stems from weak consumer spending and a drop in home improvement sales and residential construction (Source).
I was just wondering about the aftermath of this move. There are so many people dependent on that business and if it is sold to say, Whirlpool (which already bought Maytag in 2006 and terminated most of the employees) which is already running an exactly similar business, there will be so many people who will lose jobs (GE Appliance employs approximately 13000 people worldwide - Source) . A spinoff may be a better option for the appliance division as it will atleast keep the people intact but that seems very unlikely given the plight of the market. Who will buy an ailing appliance division?
GE appliance has a huge network of suppliers as any business with an annual revenue of $ 7 billion will obviously have. Now, with a company like Whirlpool buying GE Appliances, I bet they will kill more than half of the suppliers, if not all, because they must have loads of MBAs a dn supply chain evangelists thinking about strategic procurement and harnessing economies of scale out there! So much for these concepts!
Let's turn out focus to the outsourcing partners of GE Appliance (I was at one of them for 4 years). I don't know what would convince the new buyer of the company to continue with these partners. My guess is that all of the contracts will be terminated due to some clause mentioned in the 200 page contract which would probably read like this ... " In the event of company being sold out blah blah blah".... All said and done, nearly 500-1000 people will again look for jobs and realign their energies elsewhere.
Why am I counting all the effects of this move? Is it such a shocking news after all? Didn't I enjoy reading the book "Straight from the gut" by Jack Welch which was full of such stories? Isn't Jeff Immelt reacting to the recent share market disaster which GE displayed for the first time in recent history (Source)? All said and done, there is nothing wrong in what GE leadership is doing and it was destined to happen one day. My only concern is that this is the first time I am putting faces to a restructuring / sell off decision and I can see the effect much more clearly. I just hope that the entire episode is handled in a humane manner with mimimum losses to people I care for and I know personally.
This reminds me of the article written by Milton Friedman titled as The Social Responsibility of Business is to Increase its Profits! Milton Friedman claims, "there is one and only one social responsibility of business–to use it resources and engage in activities designed to increase its profits so long as it stays within the rules of the game, which is to say, engages in open and free competition without deception or fraud."
Looks like everyone believes in his logic these days! Certainly, the executives at GE certainly do!
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Labels: GE, Leadership, opinion, Point of View, Supply Chain Management
Before I leave......
Friday, April 25, 2008
I am sure everyone has a list of things to do before they leave this earth for "god-knows-where"! I have 2 passions in life (non academic and non work related) - Reading and Traveling (this one is new). I will speak of the former in this post as I have not really come up with a list of places I must see but I have come up with a list of books I must read. Or rather, I have come up with many lists!
Let's begin with an information overload!
Here are some of the great novels and work of fiction (whatever you choose to call it) of all times. I was digging up the most authentic list but looks like I do not have either the acumen nor the authority to find which one is THE MOST authentic. So, I settled with these four:
Time's List
Guardian's List
Modern Library's List
BBC's List
But then, I thought unless I resolve the issue that which one is most authentic, how do I know which one to follow? There is some ambiguity and inconsistency in these lists and I was really confused as to which one should I use for my reference. For example, Moden Library (Reader's List) has almost all of Ayn Rand's books in the list where as BBC doesn't even talk about her. The reverse is the case with Terry Pratchet! BBC has 15 of his novels in the top 200 lists where as Modern Library doesn't even mention it. Time and Guardian also doesn't think that Ayn Rand should be there....
So, which one do I use? I thought I will use my taste as a hint of which list suits me more. I am a die hard fan of Ayn Rand and only the Modern Library list has given full justice to her. Besides, I did a quick check if novels which I have read and feel that they should be a part of the lists are there or not? Novels like Catch 22, To Kill a Mocking Bird, The Great Gatsby, The Catcher in the Rye, 1984 etc etc. Modern Library List scores full marks on this and I have my answer now. Hence, I will rather go with the modern library list.
But, Modern Library has missed some of my favorite books like "Love in the time of Cholera" and "All Quiet on the Western Front". So, I guess I will make a list of my own very soon and follow that. But it will be mostly derived from the Modern Library.
Basically, on my 60th Birthday, I should have a look at the list and proudly say to my grandchildren that I have read them all! That's the long term goal. Short term goal is to get my hands on the three books which are on my shelf - "Lord of the Rings", "Guns, Germs and Steel" and "The Lexus and the Olive Tree"
My reading times will start again which was on halt for long - ever since I thought about taking GMAT in May 2005. Life never stopped after that and now since I am done with my MBA and back in the work force, I guess I should get back to this wonderful hobby of mine! Haven't read much since then!
Let's begin with an information overload!
Here are some of the great novels and work of fiction (whatever you choose to call it) of all times. I was digging up the most authentic list but looks like I do not have either the acumen nor the authority to find which one is THE MOST authentic. So, I settled with these four:
Time's List
Guardian's List
Modern Library's List
BBC's List
But then, I thought unless I resolve the issue that which one is most authentic, how do I know which one to follow? There is some ambiguity and inconsistency in these lists and I was really confused as to which one should I use for my reference. For example, Moden Library (Reader's List) has almost all of Ayn Rand's books in the list where as BBC doesn't even talk about her. The reverse is the case with Terry Pratchet! BBC has 15 of his novels in the top 200 lists where as Modern Library doesn't even mention it. Time and Guardian also doesn't think that Ayn Rand should be there....
So, which one do I use? I thought I will use my taste as a hint of which list suits me more. I am a die hard fan of Ayn Rand and only the Modern Library list has given full justice to her. Besides, I did a quick check if novels which I have read and feel that they should be a part of the lists are there or not? Novels like Catch 22, To Kill a Mocking Bird, The Great Gatsby, The Catcher in the Rye, 1984 etc etc. Modern Library List scores full marks on this and I have my answer now. Hence, I will rather go with the modern library list.
But, Modern Library has missed some of my favorite books like "Love in the time of Cholera" and "All Quiet on the Western Front". So, I guess I will make a list of my own very soon and follow that. But it will be mostly derived from the Modern Library.
Basically, on my 60th Birthday, I should have a look at the list and proudly say to my grandchildren that I have read them all! That's the long term goal. Short term goal is to get my hands on the three books which are on my shelf - "Lord of the Rings", "Guns, Germs and Steel" and "The Lexus and the Olive Tree"
My reading times will start again which was on halt for long - ever since I thought about taking GMAT in May 2005. Life never stopped after that and now since I am done with my MBA and back in the work force, I guess I should get back to this wonderful hobby of mine! Haven't read much since then!
Thou shalt not repeat the history!
Sunday, March 16, 2008
Once upon a time, there were two finalists in a competition and one of them was obviously not as good as the other. But guess, who finally won the competition? It was the bad guy! Nice Guys finish last, isn't it?
Yes, I am talking about SaReGaMaPa Challenge 2005 finalists - Vinit and Debojit! Debojit polled 27,757,733 votes against Vinit’s 27,298,268 votes to win the competition and went on to become a lost star! His home state - Assam took on to their ego to make Debojit a winner because he was humiliated more than once because of his poor singing skills and yet surviving the competition week after week. There was even discussions whether Debojit is emerging as India's voice or Assam's voice! In some of the weeks, as much as 82% of the votes were from Assam only. No wonder he emerged as a winner. Hats off to Vineet who gave him such a competition purely backed by his singing quality.
Now, Mr Gajjendra Singh is directing another show Voice of India (VOI) and he is no longer associated with SaReGaMaPa. So, all the charm has come with him to VOI. Looks like, he has learnt from his mistake and he has now added another twist to the selection process. 50% of the votes lies with the judge and the rest with public.
Flash ! Come to 2008! We have a similar situation and it's a Deja Vu for me and many other who watched the previous show! We have three finalists left now in the show - Aishwarya, Anwesha and Prakriti. Aishwarya and Anwesha are the stars and Prakriti is an average joe between them (and she is from Darjeeling - not too far from Assam). But it so happens that public voting is helping her to climb up the ladder week after week and she has finally managed to come to Top 3. She was even eliminated from the competition sometime back but got resurrected like a phoenix using wild card entry which was decided by 100% public voting.
This entire phenomenon must be troubling Gajjendra Singh and he is determined not to letthe history repeat itself. Judges have been instructed (I presume) to give Prakriti the last rank every week (every damn week) irrespective of what she sings because they know that she will survive through public voting. So, they are doing their best to throw her out. This week, when all the three finalists performed in Bhopal, judges took another stab at her when they felt that it is going a bit too far. They publicly criticized her voice quality and her merit to be in the Top 3. So much so that she cried on the stage.
Everyone must be feeling bad about her but I am not feeling all that bad about her. She should have been eliminated long back and the reason judges have to be so direct now is that public has taken her too far. I bet Gajjendra Singh will not let another Debojit win the competition. He is doing all he can, in his own right, to convince the public to vote for the "right" person. It's looking dirty on screen but it takes a person of his gut to do this kind of manipulation. I really commend him to do his best to let the best person win! I don't know if Assam and the north-east will again take it to their heart and vote for her like mad to make her another Debojit. I just pray it should not happen anymore!
Yes, I am talking about SaReGaMaPa Challenge 2005 finalists - Vinit and Debojit! Debojit polled 27,757,733 votes against Vinit’s 27,298,268 votes to win the competition and went on to become a lost star! His home state - Assam took on to their ego to make Debojit a winner because he was humiliated more than once because of his poor singing skills and yet surviving the competition week after week. There was even discussions whether Debojit is emerging as India's voice or Assam's voice! In some of the weeks, as much as 82% of the votes were from Assam only. No wonder he emerged as a winner. Hats off to Vineet who gave him such a competition purely backed by his singing quality.
Now, Mr Gajjendra Singh is directing another show Voice of India (VOI) and he is no longer associated with SaReGaMaPa. So, all the charm has come with him to VOI. Looks like, he has learnt from his mistake and he has now added another twist to the selection process. 50% of the votes lies with the judge and the rest with public.
Flash ! Come to 2008! We have a similar situation and it's a Deja Vu for me and many other who watched the previous show! We have three finalists left now in the show - Aishwarya, Anwesha and Prakriti. Aishwarya and Anwesha are the stars and Prakriti is an average joe between them (and she is from Darjeeling - not too far from Assam). But it so happens that public voting is helping her to climb up the ladder week after week and she has finally managed to come to Top 3. She was even eliminated from the competition sometime back but got resurrected like a phoenix using wild card entry which was decided by 100% public voting.
This entire phenomenon must be troubling Gajjendra Singh and he is determined not to letthe history repeat itself. Judges have been instructed (I presume) to give Prakriti the last rank every week (every damn week) irrespective of what she sings because they know that she will survive through public voting. So, they are doing their best to throw her out. This week, when all the three finalists performed in Bhopal, judges took another stab at her when they felt that it is going a bit too far. They publicly criticized her voice quality and her merit to be in the Top 3. So much so that she cried on the stage.
Everyone must be feeling bad about her but I am not feeling all that bad about her. She should have been eliminated long back and the reason judges have to be so direct now is that public has taken her too far. I bet Gajjendra Singh will not let another Debojit win the competition. He is doing all he can, in his own right, to convince the public to vote for the "right" person. It's looking dirty on screen but it takes a person of his gut to do this kind of manipulation. I really commend him to do his best to let the best person win! I don't know if Assam and the north-east will again take it to their heart and vote for her like mad to make her another Debojit. I just pray it should not happen anymore!
If only we talked!
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
This morning, I woke up to rescue my wife from a lizard which was too close to the cooking area. She had to prepare lunch for me before I leave for office. It was still 6 something and before I could understand anything, I was in business.
This guy is staring at me and I am trying to push him off so that he goes to a secluded area and survive but he was just not moving after all my hoo-haa-hee efforts. Finally, I had to go after him and in my effort to touch him using a mop and push him, he didn't survive. This event led me to think if I was really planning to kill him. The answer is an absolute "NO" if only we could talk. I could have told him that he is in a wrong place and he would have just changed his location. Happy Ending. But because we can't talk, he is assuming that I am determined to kill him and I am assuming that he just might hurt someone with whatever little poison he has, if he has any! In this confusion, we take a totally different path. He is trying to hide from me by getting into some remote corner where I can not reach (but still close to cooking area) and I am trying to get him out of that place and get him moving.
Isn't the same thing happening to us humans also! Even though we CAN talk, we don't do it quite often. We have our list of assumptions, predispositions and prejudices against others and we never walk that extra mile to sort things out. And because of this inability, or rather reluctance, to talk, we end up hurting each other. Take a look around you. You will find so many cases like that. The issue is that these assumptions take such a deep root in our minds that we often forget to challenge them. I guess, we should, at times!
So, the next time, you are out there to kill (hurt) someone, think again if this hatred is just an after-effect of your inability to converse with the other person? The answer will take some time to surface but it will eventually come up in an affirmative!
This guy is staring at me and I am trying to push him off so that he goes to a secluded area and survive but he was just not moving after all my hoo-haa-hee efforts. Finally, I had to go after him and in my effort to touch him using a mop and push him, he didn't survive. This event led me to think if I was really planning to kill him. The answer is an absolute "NO" if only we could talk. I could have told him that he is in a wrong place and he would have just changed his location. Happy Ending. But because we can't talk, he is assuming that I am determined to kill him and I am assuming that he just might hurt someone with whatever little poison he has, if he has any! In this confusion, we take a totally different path. He is trying to hide from me by getting into some remote corner where I can not reach (but still close to cooking area) and I am trying to get him out of that place and get him moving.
Isn't the same thing happening to us humans also! Even though we CAN talk, we don't do it quite often. We have our list of assumptions, predispositions and prejudices against others and we never walk that extra mile to sort things out. And because of this inability, or rather reluctance, to talk, we end up hurting each other. Take a look around you. You will find so many cases like that. The issue is that these assumptions take such a deep root in our minds that we often forget to challenge them. I guess, we should, at times!
So, the next time, you are out there to kill (hurt) someone, think again if this hatred is just an after-effect of your inability to converse with the other person? The answer will take some time to surface but it will eventually come up in an affirmative!
The Future of my BLog
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Many of you were complaining that my blog has become dull as new posts are not coming....Quite frankly, you are absolutely right. Even I have left visiting my blog. I do not do the layout fine tuning any more. I do not keep updating the menu items every now and then!
The main issue is that I am not deciding what to do with my life these days. It has become so darn fast that I am just watching it from a distance. The other issue is that I am running out of ideas and topics to scribble about. I have stopped reading & I have graduated. Now you must be wondering what does graduation has to do with blogging. In this respect, I'd say a full time student status gave me the required intellectual fuel to keep blogging. There were intellectual discussions everywhere and there were always more topics to write about than what I could possibly write. Now since I have started working, my intellectual juices are flowing towards solving problems I can not talk about.
But, does that mean that it's the end of my blog! A BIG NO! Do not write me off so soon. I am thinking over the definition my blog will take eventually. One thing I am sure of is that I want to read this blog with my grandchildrens! So, this will continue. The topics will change. The frequency will change. The temper will change but what will not change is the existence of my blog.
Please be patient with me! I will keep coming and I hope you will keep coming too.....
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