iCon..??

Hey..

I just completed reading a couple of (unauthorized) biographies of Steve Jobs, the king-of-Mac. While much has been said and read about his evil nemesis Bill Gates, it was a very different idea I got about Steve Jobs after going through these biographies. Of course, they could be biased, sponsored by Bill Gates himself to tarnish the image of the king; It still revealed a darker side of his persona and for some reason I have now very little attraction to Mac, iPod and the like.

After touring India and getting himself buried in Zen principles, Steve Jobs went on to break
the things which he 'posed' to believe. Fathering a child with Chris-Ann, Steve Jobs refused to accept the fact that he was the father even after a DNA test proved him to be the one; even after the state court ordered him to take custody or provide alimony. It took him more than 10 years before which that daughter (Lisa) was allowed to use his last name.

He broke off trust and relation even with his closest friends to prove his authority - be it Dan Kookte or Steve Wozniak or Mike Marukkula. By sheer marketing brilliance and displaying overpowering passion he has demanded authority everywhere - sometimes it has backfired and sometimes it has worked so well.

Not to blindly discredit Steve Jobs, it only goes to prove that the darker side exists everywhere - even with the geeky technologist believing in Zen - and the icon Steve Jobs is no exception to the rule.

At the end of it, I somehow get a feeling Bill Gates is a shrewd businessman but not necessarily a bad human and definitely much better than the geeky, young, rash, abrasive Steve Jobs. And I have stopped becoming crazy for Mac, iPod and the like..

Recommended: iCon - Steve Jobs and Greatest Second Act in History of Business

Ciao..

f1 2007

Hey..

The Formula 1 2007 season is almost all set. Most of the teams have announced their driver lineups. There have been very significant changes to the game overall, even before Concorde agreement revision next year. In addition, the teams have also undergone rapid transformations with changes from drivers, mechanics, engineers, designers etc etc.,

For one, the Ferrari is all new, save alone Massa. Kimi Raikkonen is poised to lead the tracks in what can be called the best car of the world. This combo is sure to be the favorite of all crowds. Felipe Massa has declared that he will not play a second fiddle to anyone - though much of this will be the team decision.

Ron Denis is very happy to have the two time champion Fernando Alonso with him in McLaren. This team had a very disappointing season in 2006 and is badly looking forward for a good performance this year. Montoya's abrupt exit, Kimi's drunken antics, retired cars and lack of wins have left the team with a low morale. Ron Denis has banned any alcohol consumption in 2007 for his team (except the winning champagne).


Renault will be fighting for a hatrick in both constructor and driver championships. Renault did have to compete fiercely both the years and a major backbone of the team was Giancarlo Fisichella. He may not belong to the best breed of drivers, but he has one of the most stable and enviable cars in the ciruit, not to mention, a mastermind team management.

If there is one additional person I will put my money on, it is Jensen Button. Perhaps the most overrated and overpaid driver of Formula 1, Button clinched his first victory in 2006. I strongly believe he is the only other threat to the other four mentioned above. (Of course, I have my strong opinions against Toyota and so my observations are biased).

F1 2007 will be a different sport, with changes to the tyre provider. Bridgestone will be the sole supplier of tyres and hence the tyre feud (which has been huge since Indy 2005) will be gone missing. Also freeze of engines is another to look up to. Maybe Alonso is already sweating in his pants given the dismal Mclaren last year.

But most important of all, which masks every other change will be the absence of the legend Michael Schumacher, king of the sport. I have never been his fan but somehow his absence leaves such a big void to this game. He brought life to this sport in addition to several things. He will be sorely missed.

Go F1 2007. vrrrrrrrrroooooooooooooommmm.......................

Ciao..

nostalgic notions

Hey..

For some reason all of us always love to go back to "good old days". For some it is the school, for some it is their college, for some it is the bachelorhood, love life, the days when the daughter was still a kid etc etc., The drive stems from our preference for familiarity and our comfort factor in familiar grounds. We can sit and talk about Who moved my cheese and discuss Alvin Toffler for hours - talk about the need for change, insist that the only constant thing in the world is change; but the unchangeable truth is that all of us like familiar grounds. Given a chance, we would like to rewind our life for a few hours or days or years and live the golden life again.

Maybe that is why I am so excited to go back to school again !

I have been accepted for the Post Graduate Program at Indian School of Business (ISB), Hyderabad. I am so excited to go back to full time school. I am so thankful to everyone who has made this possible for me, giving me a chance to re-live the college life to some extent.

It is of course true that it will never be the same again. It can never compare to my undergraduate college life. Maybe I will be in a hurry to come back to the world of paychecks and make money and spend it without guilt. But it doesn't matter. For just the sheer excitement of going back to school has pumped enough energy into my blood.


Yes, change is good. And when coupled with little bit of nostalgia, it tastes wonderful !.

Ciao..