Frames of Mind, 2007

I'm exhibiting some of my pictures as part of "Frames of Mind", 2007, organized by "Bangalore Photography Club". More details on the event below. Please do try to make it for the event.

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"Bangalore Photography Club" is hosting its second annual photography exhibition "Frames of Mind", 2007.

This year Frames of Mind- 07 offers an exciting platter of breathtaking photographic works from professional and hobby photographers, including some of my pictures. It's a presentation of emotions and passions captured & frozen in frames.

A unique feature of this annual exhibition is that various photographers both Professional and Hobby photographers will be displaying their works on diverse themes.

The Club through this event wants to promote photography as a creative hobby and a getaway from one's stress filled life style and also create a platform for amateurs and hobby photographers to display their work, which would otherwise not be possible individually.

Exhibition this year is scheduled between 8th, 9th and 10th June 2007, at

Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan (near Chalukya Hotel) Race Course Road, Bangalore-560 001.

The exhibition will be open from 10 am - to 7 pm.

Exhibition will be inaugurated by Mr. N. Achuta Rao Commissioner of Police - Bangalore at 11:30 am on 8th June 2007.

Also, as part of the exhibition we will be holding work shops on saturday 4:00 pm & on sunday 12:00 pm by eminent photographers on basic & advanced techniques.

On Behalf of the club I cordially invite you for our second annual photography exhibition.

For Further information please visit our website www.bangalorephotographyclub.com

An online Volunteer opportunity database...

I set out looking on the internet for an online volunteer opportunity database to see if one exists for Bangalore. Didnt quite land where I wanted to, but stumbled upon a couple of hitherto unheard sites:

Here's one that caters to the US - http://www.volunteermatch.org/. Equally interesting are the profiles of the people behind this initiative.

Isn't it time India, at least, Bangalore, to start with, had a similar one?

Certainly, the way to go...

Cheers!

Right or Wrong this time around?

Continuing from my previous post........
I got the books I'd ordered in around 10 days
(against Amazon's estimate of 30 days.)

Now, the question is:
When Amazon said 5-7 Business Days, was Amazon right/wrong?

The point I'm trying to make is this:

Amazon messed up it's reputation first by giving me a wrong estimate and then sent me the books a couple of days off 7 business days.

If this were to happen to a large number of customers, Amazon would end up with a lot of confused first timers.

mmmMMMmmmMMM

Sloppy Sloppy Amazon!!!

The American Online Retail Darling has got a long way before it's viewed by worldwide consumers the same way as it's american counterpart.
(This page is shown to the customer while choosing an International Shipping Option, WHILE placing the order.)

Check the image above and compare it with the shipping estimates on this page.
(This is their International Shipping Options, Pricing and Delivery Estimates Page)

Ask Amazon about it and the answer is sloppy customer service, with standard canned responses without an answer and a lot of junk amazon links!

Sending them feedback doesn't seem to work as well!

Amazon: Get your act together soon, or else you'll lose out to the local players, who offer much better service, it's only a matter of time before they broaden their range of offering. You've got such intelligent systems, that you can let the consumer know the delivery estimate before completing the order, so the consumer can make the choice, based on that!

An NGO that deals with Money Management...

To think of it, the fact that there isn't a decent course in school or college that deals with simple, fundamental rules of money management is very shocking!!

I was wondering why there isn't an NGO/NPO/Social Benefit Organization out there that deals with the education of this aspect, considering the difference they can make to people from various sectors of the society.

Many economists propose that the path to eradication of poverty is not by mere education, nor by providing subsidies, but by economic development that creates jobs and supports rural entreprenuerial activity, in very very small steps.

I propose that the best way to take the first step to progress towards that goal is by helping educate people on how to manage their money and credit better!

Here's an example, for a start:

# 1: Inflation erodes your money; implies (among other important things remember this is just one example), that the return on your FDs (Fixed Deposits) works out approximately to between 0 to 2% (Assuming current Indian Tax Laws and an average Inflation of 4-5%, considering the last 2 years).

You see what I'm saying? I'll wage a bet that a greater percent of even the middle class bread winners do not know this fact! How shocking!!!

Can you guess what's #2, as related to your SB A/cs?

The power of the pen!!!

I've thoroughly enjoyed reading his articles........sublime, exuberant, profound and contemporary, ever since I chanced upon his column in the Sunday Times of India
(which I now think is probably the newspaper's only straight faced, no flesh page)

He's been my inspiration to delve into economics, and understand the beauty behind the subject!


Must Read for anyone who's interested to find out more, for example about the connection between your FD interest rates offered by banks and the nation's Inflation!

Here it is Swaminomics, by Swaminathan S. Anklesaria Aiyar

Hats off, Mr. Iyer!

A-Ha!!

Yes, one of those A-Ha moments! Working out a small feasibility plan...if all works out fine, I might be working on publishing a book!

Another catch 22 situation though...

Go for the kill, taking into account Time to market factor vs. staying put on important tasks underway and going slow on this one!!!

More soon! Promise!

Smart line!

My goal is to be a failure. If I try and fail, I'll still be successful!

-Anonymous SMS!

My Epithet!

Way back, years ago, for some reason, I was scanning the dictionary (as strange a habit as that sounds) to learn some new words, I chanced upon this word: 'epithet'
I even saw some smart ones quoted!

For a long while after that, once in a while though, the questions would come back to me, with no philosophical bent, as if asking myself if I could pen a smart one myself!

I think I had started to read this book by Stephen Hawking: A brief history of time, and suddenly, due to some randomly ordered connection of nerve endings, a smart line struck my mind....

It read: "Wake me up when you find the end of the universe!"

That famous 5 point someone!

Just finished reading the book called '5 Point Someone'!

Got reminded of Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy, and the kind of roaring laughter that I paid for, along with the cost of that book!

I was led in by some of my friends who said that it was a true story, and was pretty much like the part of his biography at IIT.

Good uncomplicated, easy writing style nevertheless, that adds to the narrative.

Read it if you want to walk down memory lane and revisit those college days!

Adios!

Working up your creative side!

What's your key to get your creative side worked up?? Ever experienced a rush of thoughts and the clear lucid flow of words?

this is how I have managed to do it at times:

> compete with a friend for an unsaid, unplanned one liner competition!

> write an amusing e-mail to staff or your team! the idea is to make them laugh

> flirt over chat! (for a mutual fun factor only, of course)
(watch your limits though!)

> think of an plot for a small comedy story (5 - 10 pager).

> And sometines, just writing whatever comes to mind........COMPLETE uninhibited flow, you just let your mind control you. This way, I've written about my opinions about creativity and innovation and some current issues.