Sunday, June 28, 2015

Woman can now Stand and Pee!

In India, if a woman uses public toilets, there are high chances that she may contract Urinary Tract Infection (UTI). Public toilets are unhygienic in India and are breeding grounds for harmful bacteria. Pee-Buddy helps women stand and Pee. Watch this video to know about Pee-Buddy...





Khoya Paya (Lost & Found)


Around 70,000 children go missing every year in India, but only 73,597 children have been traced between January 2012 and April 2015.




The above statistic was provided by Union Minister of Women and Child Development, Smt Maneka Sanjay Gandhi on the occasion of the Launch of Khoya Paya (http://khoyapaya.gov.in/), a website aimed to be a common platform for people to share information about missing children. Users can upload pics, videos of the missing/found children on the portal. Khoyapaya.gov.in has been developed by the Ministry of Women and Child Development and the Department of Electronics and Information Technology (DeitY). 

In Hindi, Khoya means lost and Paya means found.

The portal is said to be the brainchild of PM Narendra Modi who had asked officers to create a portal where citizens could upload information about missing children. The portal is in addition to the existing ‘Track Child’ portal which belongs to the Ministry of Home Affairs where only police communicates with the police regarding missing child cases. However, KhoyaPaya.gov.in would help public take part in tracking missing children across the nation. Missing children could be runaways from home, or simply be lost and are trafficked for labour, for sexual exploitation, abducted, or kidnapped, or due to crimes against children. 

Khoyapaya is simple to use and the help section provides a clear flow chart on how to use the portal. The site also provides info on filing an FIR with the police in case of reporting a missing child. Interestingly, a record of proceedings in the portal states the following

 “Ms. Shobha, learned counsel, has also made another useful suggestion regarding a computerized programme, which would create a network between the Central Child Protection Unit as the Head of the Organization and all State Child Protection Units, District Child Protection Units, City Child Protection Units, Block Level Child Protection Units, all Special Juvenile Police Units, all Police stations, all Juvenile Justice Boards and all Child Welfare Committees. The said suggestion should be seriously taken up and explored by the National Legal Services Authority with the Ministry of Women and Child Development. Once introduced, the website link should also be made known to the public at large.” 

The record also states “…in case of every missing child reported, there will be an initial presumption of either abduction or trafficking, unless, in the investigation, the same is proved otherwise…”

Though the portal looks good technically, there are certain practical issues that need to be resolved. It is a matter of concern as to how the portal will be taken to the people in rural areas as well as areas where Internet is still a luxury. It has been more than a week since the launch of the portal and not sure if there is any promotional campaign around it. Also, for poor families and computer illiterates, it is still a challenge. NGOs, Social service activists could play an active role in helping the people who do not have access/do not know how to use internet and help enter the information about missing children.

Let us hope this is the beginning of the end of crimes against innocent children.

This article is written by Anand Prabu. Follow him on Linkedin here.

Thursday, June 25, 2015

Should you worry about the Greece Problem?

If Greece defaults, will this turn into a full-blown crisis for the world?  In this video, Deepak Singh talks about the on-going Greece problem and what the noise is all about.




Greece Debt Problem 101 from Deepak Singh on Vimeo.

Monday, June 22, 2015

Being a Doctor's Wife.


It is one of those lazy afternoons of Sunday, and I am chatting with my neighbor about the salary of maids these days. And as usual the conversation ends up at "Arrey, tumhare woh toh doctor hain na? kya faraq padega!" (Your husband is a doctor, right? what does it matter...), and I just return a smile with the thought, 'Only if they knew...'



I am a millionaire, which is what every person thinks when I tell them that my husband is a doctor. Well sorry to disappoint you fellas, the grass this side is not anymore prettier than yours! The doctors wallet might be fat, but so are the medical books ;) .

Life of being a doctor’s wife is not just about riding fancy cars and attending parties, but it is full of compromises and sacrifices more than a regular housewife does. 

To begin with there is no 'weekend', he is on call ANYTIME, and needless to say a person could get injured anytime. Hence we always end up late at family parties and gatherings. On arriving, and facing the question "Why are you late?” is another task.

There are also these so called 'Night Duties', where he goes to the hospital at 8 AM and returns the next morning, well this does get bugging and boring. Furthermore, when you are in a conversation with your hubby, you shall get interrupted by calls! (Which are usually from the clinic). Unfortunately, you will have to repeat the entire story again.

Maybe I might take pages to write about the problems created when the doc is not at home, but even though he is very busy, getting married to a doctor isn't so bad as you think (Remember, "Every coin has two sides").

If any family member falls sick then worry not! Free help and care is available at your doorstep :) . Secondly, he has many other 'doctor' friends, so to visit other speciality doctors, we need not wait in those long queues (Such a relief!). 

Adding to the pros, these doctors have in depth knowledge of everything which helps to keep our GK updated as well. We as a family get opportunities to explore new places, while the husband is busy at the conferences (yes, the family too can be brought along). And not to forget, they get lots and lots of complimentary gifts and as women, we are crazy for gifts, aren't we?

But do you know what the best part is? When I go to sleep praying for the safety of my family, there will always be another person out there praying for my husband for saving their relatives life. And that my dear readers, is indeed a very peaceful and satisfying feeling!

P.S - I truly respect my Husband for the service he is doing and I love him for being the best and caring husband and a darling father.

This article written by Zoya Tabassum.

Saturday, June 20, 2015

Arnold Schwarzenegger Pranks Fans for Charity!

Arnold Schwarzenegger pranks fans as the "Terminator" for charity. Do not miss the part where Arnold points to the wax statue of Justin Bieber and asks "Who is this girl? Does anyone know?" ;) .

Beliebers please forgive the Terminator!





Friday, June 19, 2015

Romantic monsoon songs with a twist!

Monsoon rainfall in India is above normal so far and in cities like Mumbai it rained cats, dogs and bullock carts today! While the Rain Gods are busy lashing out the nation, our lyricist Raju Varghese has written a heart-warming romantic monsoon song....




Thursday, June 18, 2015

Swinging towards Hope,Finally!


13/12/2001 – Parliament attack. Our glorious response - ‘Operation Parakram’, started with  the customary political jingoism, ended with the customary political whimper.

2002 – Akshardham attack

2003 – Spate of bombings in Mumbai. Our response – Let’s play cricket.

2005 – Jaunpur train bombing, Delhi bombings

2006 - Varanasi bombings, Mumbai train bombings, Malegaon bombings

2007 - Samjhauta Express bombings

2008 - Terror attack on CRPF camp in Rampur, Uttar Pradesh, Jaipur bombings, Bangalore serial blasts, Ahmedabad serial blasts , Delhi bombings , 26/11 – Mumbai terror attack

2009 – Guwahati bombings , Assam bombings

2010 – Pune bombing ; Varanasi bombing

2011 – Mumbai bombings , Delhi blast

2012 – Attack on Israeli diplomats , Pune bombings

2013 – Srinagar attacks , Patna bombings , Bodh Gaya blasts.

Our innovative and visionary response – Track II Chaman ka Tamasha.







And then in 2015 – Terrorists attack our army in Manipur, massacre eighteen of our army men.

Finally in 2015 political wing of governance shows some spine, we respond in kind with ‘Operation Myanmar’. A truly glorious operation. Swift,precise,surgical ; taking the enemy by surprise , filling us with pride. The moles inside MSM immediately betray their loyalties , belligerent neighbor on western border starts hyperventilating. At long last, a fitting response. An epochal moment ,or certainly the beginning of one , one hopes.

This article is written by NikhilD. Follow him on Twitter here.

Wednesday, June 17, 2015

Samsung's Safety Truck!

Argentina is a country with hundreds of one-lane roads and one person dies in a traffic accident every hour. Watch this video to know how Samsung incorporated technology into their trucks to solve this...







Coffeelicious Cupcakes!!!


The aroma of coffee brewing at home is sure to make any person feel excited and make even the laziest of all to get up from the couch and grab that cup.

But do you know drinking up is not the only way to enjoy coffee? You could eat it too! You read it right, EAT IT!



Following endless experiments, I landed upon discovering a new use of coffee in the form of a yummy cupcake that will surely make your sweet temptations go on a roller coaster ride and not settle in just one piece.

Presenting to you heaven in your hands: coffee cupcake recipe..

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups flour
1 cup milk
2 eggs
1 and 1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter
1 tsp vanilla essence
1.5 tsp baking powder
0.5 tsp baking soda
2 sachets instant coffee powder (Bru)

For the topping:

1 Galaxy Milk Chocolate bar
1 Dairy Milk Fruit n Nut Chocolate bar
1 tbsp milk
Few cornflakes for garnish

METHOD:

- Preheat oven.
- Mix butter and sugar together.
- Add the eggs and beat with an electric beater.
- Add flour and milk, continue whisking.
- Add baking powder, baking soda, coffee powder and vanilla essence. Beat.
- Pour the batter in greased cupcake moulds.
- Bake at 200 to 250 degrees (or as per your oven instructions).
- Once the cupcakes are done, let them cool.
-  Melt the chocolate bars along with milk (should be of thick consistency). And put a spoonful of this on the cupcake and few flakes of cornflakes. Let it set.
- Takes about 20 to 25 minutes to cook ( depends on oven)
- To check if cupcake is ready, insert a toothpick, if it comes out clean, it is done.

And the most important step of all: Grab a good book and enjoy with every bite!

P.S - Coffee and chocolate = fun blast in every bite...

This recipe is prepared by Zoya Tabassum. Follow her Facebook page, "Tingling Tastebuds" for more recipes.

Tuesday, June 16, 2015

Musings of a Beeroholic - Part 4


Alcohol is like Instagram filters, makes everything look better!

People say time is precious, don't waste it. Seems the idiots never experienced pain and loss caused by spilled alcohol!

Alcohol stopped making me drunk long time back, now all it does is to introduce me to myself!



Never understood the concept of mixing alcohol with juice, it is cheating your poor internal organs which gets confused with such sorcery!

Wisdom is that you control the alcohol; insanity is to let the alcohol control you.

Stop telling me about the ill effects of alcohol, I just hate rumors!

Humans fool around, alcohol doesn't!

Morning: Take bath, cleanse your body...... Evening: Take alcohol, cleanse your soul!

Default flavor of alcohol is 'Life'

You fill your glass with alcohol when you drink alone, memories when there is a company.


                                                                                           ..........................To be Continued


Click here to read Part 3 if you haven't read it :)

Show your love for Beeroholic by following him on twitter here.

Saturday, June 13, 2015

Skateboarding in India.

For most of us in India, we normally get to see this kind of action only on TV. But little do we know that these X games are gaining popularity in India (at least in the Tier 1 & 2 cities).

X Games are really fun watching and extremely exciting to pick up one of it as a hobby. I came to know of one Skatepark in Delhi, FreemotionSk8, and did my first visit to the center last week. Rack display with a variety of stake boards is the first thing someone will notice as they enter the indoor Skatepark operating at the basement of a building near the IGNOU University. Variety of boards carrying excellent work of artistry and some really funky images sets up the mood for you to get going.





The thumping sound of wood over-powers the loud music being played. A bunch of young guys zoom around the pillars and up the ramp. Despite some touch up work pending, as the center has been moved from a different location to the present facility recently, there is no stopping of action at this indoor Skatepark. There were beginners like me who were trying to push the board and trying to maintain the balance and there were some experts who were doing mind-blowing stunts.
FreemotionSk8 is the first indoor Skatepark in the country. Steve Weightman who runs this skate park teaches the newbies the trick to ride the board.

You will be amazed to see how fast you can get to know the people around and everyone is giving inputs, cheering up on your moves and backing you. You don’t have a skate board? No worries, the center provides skate board and safety gear to the visitors who wanna try this sport. Visitors are charged for the same. Hourly/daily rates for one time visitors and monthly membership for those who are seriously into skating. They also sell the skate boards if you wanna own one for yourself.

Outdoor skateparks exist in other cities like Pune, Goa, Bangalore and there is a growing interest in this sport. Unlike in US or elsewhere where roads are good enough for the skateboarders, there are limitations in India as to where you can skate. With the kind of road traffic in India, skateboarding on the roads could be dangerous. However, quite a good number of playgrounds/stadiums exist in the country and they could be modified a bit to encourage such sports.

After three hours and quite a number of falls and bruises, I got the groove. It was an exciting experience that I am eagerly waiting to set my foot on the board next time.


After all, as Confucius said, “Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.”

This article is written by Anand Prabu. Follow him on Linkedin here.

Do not wash your Chicken!

Washing your raw poultry with water or warm water increases your chances of spreading bacteria. It does not get rid of the bacteria and it doesn't kill the bacteria. Proper cooking is the only way to completely get rid of the bacteria. Watch this video to know more....







Thursday, June 11, 2015

Ram Prasad Bismil

Dec 18, 1927- Gorakhpur Central Jail, a middle aged woman was waiting to see her son. Her husband and another young man too joined here. Her son was bought out in chains, and when he saw his mother, tears rolled down his eyes. It was his last day, tomorrow he would be hanged to death. As the mother saw the tears she said “What is this, my son? I had thought of my son as a great hero. I was thinking that the British Government would shiver at the very mention of his name. I never thought that my son would be afraid of death.” To which her son replied

“Mother these are not tears of fear, these are the tears of joy, of beholding such a brave mother like you”.

Image Source

The son was Ram Prasad Bismil, the mastermind behind the Kakori Rail dacoity case, the man who wrote the immortal lines

“Sarfarosh ki Tamanna ab hamare dil mein hai, dekhna ki zor kitna baazu-e-qatil mein hai”

("The desire for revolution is in our hearts, we shall see how much strength lies in the arms of the murderer”).

Ram Prasad Bismil was born in Shajahanpur in 1887, his ancestors hailed from Gwalior, and his native village was close to the Chambal valley. His father was a clerk in the Municipality, and later started a small business lending out money on interest. He taught Ram Prasad Hindi, and he later sent him to a Moulvi to learn Urdu too. By 14 years of age, Ram Prasad was fluent in Urdu, and read many novels. He learnt the rituals of worship from a priest near to his home and later learnt Sandhya Vandana too from Munshi Indrajeet. He was deeply influenced by Swami Dayanand Saraswati’s teachings and his book Satyartha Prakash. He took to Brahmacharya, regularly used to exercise, and practiced it rigorously. The principles of the Arya Samaj had a deep impact on Ram Prasad, which was not to the liking of his father. He even ran away from home after an argument with his father, and was later bought back by his father’s friends. Along with some other friends, he started the Arya Kumar Sabha that began to organize meetings and processions. Swami Somadevji an Arya Samaj leader came down to Shahjahanpur, and he was the one who guided Ram Prasad on matters of politics and religion.

The turning point came in 1916, when Bhai Parmanand was sentenced to death for the Lahore conspiracy. Ramaprasad was an admirer of Parmanand after reading his book “Thavasiq Hindu”, and the death sentence made him seethe with rage. It was then and there itself that he took a vow to fight against the British government and told his Guru Somadevaji about this. His Guru advised him to think about it, as it could be quite difficult to keep a vow. That is when Ram Prasad touched his Guru’s feet and said “”If I have the grace of these sacred feet my vow will surely be fulfilled; nothing can come in the way.” It was his first step on the way to becoming a revolutionary and by this time he was an active volunteer at the Shahjahanpur Seva Samithi. Around that time the Indian National Congress was having its session in Lucknow, and it was divided into 2 groups, the moderates and the extremists. Bal Gangadhar Tilak who led the extremist group did not believe in negotiation, his goal was Purna Swaraj. When Tilak came to Lucknow, Ram Prasad led a group of youngsters to the railway station, hired a coach, and ensured Tilak was taken in their coach, instead of the car that was already arranged for him. Tilak was given a grand welcome and showered with flowers. At the same session, Ram Prasad came into contact with some members of the revolutionary committee, and soon became a part of their executive committee. However the revolutionaries were facing a funds crunch, they did not have the money to carry out their activities, or arms, ammunition needed for an armed struggle.

It was then Ram Prasad came up with the idea of publishing books, on revolutionary thought that would bring in the money and also spread their ideas. Taking a loan of 400 rupees from his mother, Ram Prasad first published a book “America ke Swatantrata Ki Itihaas” detailing the American revolution. He then published a pamphlet “Deshvasiyon ke Naam” to draw public attention and sympathy for Pandit Gendalal Dixit, a revolutionary leader who was arrested in Gwalior.Dixit was a school teacher at Auraiya in Etawah,UP,  and had led a group of revolutionaries called the Shivaji Samiti. Bismil drew attention to Pandit Genda Lal with his pamphlet Deshvasiyon Ke Naam as well as his poem Mainpuri ki Pratigya.

Though the books were banned by the Government in United Provinces, they were circulated underground, and bought in the money needed. He also began to visit Gwalior, to purchase arms needed for the revolutionary struggle, where he bought some muzzle loaded revolvers and daggers. By now Ram Prasad became a wanted man, with Gwalior state getting a scent of his collection of arms, and once he was almost arrested by the inspector, before giving the slip. He also bought a revolver from a Police Superintendent about to retire, giving an affidavit stating he was the son of a Zamindar and needed it. By this time he managed to build a neat repertory of weapons that included rifles, muzzle loaders, revolvers, daggers and knives. On the other hand his first book on the American Revolution began to be sold all over, in spite of the ban on it.

By now the police were hot on the pursuit of Ram Prasad Bismil, and they also got to know the details of the arms dump at Mainpuri, thanks to the internal infighting between the revolutionary committee members. Ram Prasad left Shahajhanpur with 3 of his friends, and stayed in Allahabad, now in exile. He had a narrow escape, when one of those friends tried to kill him while he was sitting on the banks of the Yamuna, and soon he found that his other 3 friends were plotting against him in fact. This betrayal upset Ram Prasad, and he went back to Lucknow, and wandered around in gloom for some time. He could trust none around him and his life was in mortal danger. On the suggestion of his mother, he went again to Gwalior state. His father was threatened by police to reveal the whereabouts of Ram Prasad, or else face confiscation of his property. His father sold all the property instead, and came to Gwalior to be with his son. Ram Prasad took to farming during his exile in Gwalior, and around this time, learnt to express his revolutionary thoughts in the form of books and poems. “Bolshekivon ki Kartoot”, “Man Ki Lahar ”, “Swadeshi Rang”, “Swadintha ke Devi Catherine” were some of the books he wrote. He also translated many Bengali works into Hindi as well as Aurobindo’s Yogi Sadhana. Most of his books were published in a serial form in the magazine Prabha run by Ganesh Shankar Vidyarthi as a series called Sushil Mala.

Returning back to Shahjahanpur in 1919, Ram Prasad started a silk weaving factory to support his family, which bought in profits due to his hard work. He however refused to get married and settle down, as he had already dedicated his life for the country. In 1921, Mahatma Gandhi called off the Non Cooperation movement and it gave an impetus to the revolutionary movement. This decision split the Congress into two groups, one headed by Gandhi, another by Chittaranjan Das.  Later Das along with Motilal Nehru formed the Swaraj Party, while the youth rallied under Bismil. He went to Allahabad in 1923, and drafted the constitution of the new party along with Sachindranath Sanyal and Dr.Jadugopal Mukherjee.  On 3 Oct 1924, the Hindustan Republican Association was founded in Kanpur, with Sanyal as the Chairman and Bismil as the District in charge for Shahjahanpur, he was also in charge of the Arms. In fact owing to his organizational abilities, he was given the additional charge of Agra and Oudh too.

With his business established well, Ram Prasad plunged headlong into the revolutionary movement again, organizing the workers and volunteers. However the lack of funds was proving to be a main hindrance. While he led some dacoities initially to gather money, Ram Prasad realized it was not sufficient, and there was no point in harassing his own fellow Indians. It was at such a time, while he was travelling from Shahjahanpur to Lucknow, by train, he observed that at each station, the Station Master bought bags of money and placed them in the guard’s carriage, there was no one to guard them.

Kakori was a small village near Lucknow, and the 8 Down between Shahjahanpur and Lucknow used to pass through it daily. Ram Prasad decided to stop the train at Kakori and take away the money bags, this was the famous Kakori conspiracy. August 9, 1925, evening time, along with 9 other revolutionaries, Ram Prasad pulled the chain at Kakori station, and looted the Government money from the Guard’s cabin. There was no bloodshed, except for one passenger killed accidentally. Soon the Government cracked down, on the Kakori conspirators and, and arrest warrants were issued. While Chandrasekhar Azad managed to evade the crackdown, Ram Prasad was arrested along with Ashfaqullah Khan his close associate. After a long trial that lasted for a year and half Ram Prasad along with Ashfaqullah, Roshan Singh and Rajendra Lahiri were sentenced to death. In spite of massive public outcry against the sentence and appeals from many Congress leaders, the Government did not relent.

It was during his stay in prison that Ram Prasad wrote his own autobiography, considered one of the finest works in Hindi literature. Though under strict watch in prison, he managed to successfully smuggle out copies of his manuscript in 3 instalments. The book was published in 1929, but was again banned by the Government. It covered his childhood, his ancestors, and his experiences with the Arya Samaj, along with more intimate portraits of his mother with whom he shared a close bond. He was deeply concerned about the future of the revolutionary movement in India. He felt that given the existing conditions in India, the revolutionary movement will not succeed in India for some time, and advised the youth to give up arms, and become real servants of society for change. Bismil was his pen name and his poems were often imbibed with revolutionary fervour and spirit. One such was written just before he was about to be hanged

Oh Lord! Thy will be done. You are unique. Neither my tears nor I will endure. Grant me this boon, that to my last breath and the last drop of my blood, I may think of you and be immersed in your work.

Rajendra Lahiri was hanged on December 18th, 1927 and Roshan Singh on December 20th. On December 19th, 1927, Ram Prasad got up, had a bath, said his morning prayers and wrote his last letter to his mother. He walked without any fear to the gallows, completely at peace of mind, even the authorities were surprised. As he mounted the gallows, Ram Prasad shouted “Vande Mataram”, “Bharat Mata ki Jai” and recited the prayer “Vishwani deva savitaha dunitani”. And soon the brave son of India was hanged, his voice was stifled, but the message he gave to his countrymen reverberated wide and clear. Gorakhpur gave him a fitting funeral, with many breaking down seeing his body and he was cremated near the Rapti river. He was a true man of honour and integrity, a man who lived by his principles, never compromising on them even once.

This article is written by Ratnakar Sadaysula and it originally appeared here on his History Blog. Follow him on Twitter here

Tuesday, June 9, 2015

EGO – Let’s bury the hatchet and start living

The root cause of many strained relationships when analyzed would be “ego”. Not many can escape the problems caused by one’s ego. Many mountains have been made out of molehills in the past and also in the present due to ego.

How do issues arise out of ego? Well, it finds its way even between the best of friends, spouses, parent, child and any known relationship. A classic example for this would be between a father and a teenage son once the teenager enters the freshman year in college. This is the transition phase where a teenager believes that he is no longer a boy and he ought to be treated with respect. And this is the same phase where the father feels that the son should respect him more as he is still living on his money. In every college there would be at least a couple of students who don’t study well because of a strained relationship with their father or because they had to take up a study course against their wish due to the father's insistence. Some come out of it soon but for some it may be a lifelong grudge. And some end up becoming thugs. This ego clash is not limited to studies; many marriages are lifeless because they were arranged by parents against the wishes of their son or daughter. A lot of movies have been made in India that demonstrated the problems arising due to ego between two people.

In day to day situations too ego has played spoilsport. An insecure boss who can’t accept better qualities in his subordinate or a subordinate who thinks of himself as more efficient than his boss because of a few bad qualities in his boss is a common problem in office. Many lose their career or are unhappy with their job because of the ego.

Even between friends ego spoils the relationship. How many times have we really understood the feelings of a friend, colleague or an acquaintance? Even a simple eat out at a restaurant could leave someone hurt because of the subversive nature of a person, or a small get together of friends could leave someone hurt because of a joke that was a bit too harsh.

Are such ego clashes worth the time and energy spent on them. What if we forgive and forget them? What if we start everyday with a clean slate? Would it not be nice to live a burden free life?

Wouldn't it be wonderful if we bury the hatchet and start living with a light heart!

This article is written by Thiruvengadam Arasalwar. Follow him on Facebook here.

All-out-war: The Hindu trolls Times of India.


Times of India and The Hindu newspaper are fighting out a fierce battle to attain leadership position in Mumbai (currently TOI rules the roost).

This ad below is from the Matrimony Section of Mumbai Mirror edition of 7th June, 2015, page no. 39. Mumbai Mirror is published by Times of India in Mumbai.







Here, The Hindu  trolled TOI by placing an ad in TOI's MumbaiMirror's Matrimonial classifieds.

Well, The Hindu claims that they were not involved in this and maybe one of their loyal readers could have done it ;) . But this trolling act has become a sensation over social media since it got published. There were earlier instances where The Hindu had openly trolled TOI in their advertisements. This has been a discussion point in various MBA classes too. Here is one such video of trolling. Please watch and share your thoughts on who will win this war :) . 



This article is written by Raju Verghese. Follow him on Facebook here.

Sunday, June 7, 2015

Musings of a Beeroholic - Part 3


I don't care about Maggi, I will outrage the day they will try to mislead me about beer.

Alcohol feeds memories!

Alcohol dilutes hate and thickens love!



If there was no alcohol, many sports fans would have died out of depression during the games.

When the match is going between your two favorite teams, it's always the alcohol which wins.

Every bottle of alcohol comes with a story!

At 3 pm when sun gets swallowed by clouds, it's called rum weather.

It's the way how you hold your girl or glass of drink, which shows your love towards them.

Nobody gives a fuck, but everybody wants one.

Once drunk, you are what you think you are!


                                                                                                 .....................To be Continued

Click here to read Part 1 and Part 2 if you haven't read them :) 

Saturday, June 6, 2015

A "How to" guide to become a comedian.

Are you funny? Or are your friends calling you funny? Do you think you can make strangers laugh too? Then you should think about doing stand up comedy. Dont know how to go about it? Watch this video





To know more about his upcoming shows follow him on twitter @Funny_Leone

Sunny Leone makes Men spend more time in the Loo!

The other day I was in a mall and had to use the restroom. I noticed that men were taking exceedingly more time to relieve themselves at the urinals. When few of the urinals got vacant, I couldn’t hold back my curiosity and decided to investigate. And this is what I found.









Having studied Marketing in MBA, I started analyzing various aspects of this advertisement. Guerilla Marketing of this kind are inexpensive and yields maximum results. Check out the non-verbal gesture in this image and I am sure it catches the attention of the viewer and it makes them special and feel important. This image communicates the message so well and is sure of creating Top-of-Mind awareness for the brand. 

Hats off to the creative mind that has come up with this idea.

This article is written by Raju Verghese. Follow him on Facebook here.


Friday, June 5, 2015

The one sided love affair between Maggi loyalists and Nestle India!


If you have clicked on this article chances are that you are well aware of the ongoing issue involving India’s one of the most loved instant food items, ‘Maggi’. After many states conducted tests and found that Maggi contains MSG well above the permissible limits, the issue came into the limelight. It kept simmering for a couple of weeks for reasons no one knows.
While all this was happening, the young Indian generation that grew up on Maggi and still swears by it, never betrayed it. Although many people expressed their disappointment at the presence of toxic content, general sentiment was, “Maggi fed me when I was a kid, it was my savior when I was in college, when I was bachelor. Maggi saves the day even today when I am married and have little appetite or no strength to cook after a hard day at work. I cannot simply chuck Maggi and move on”. With the credibility of our state labs not at par, people still waited for assertion from Nestle that they were not at fault.

The painful wait was getting more uncomfortable with each passing moment but Nestle did nothing to assure its loyal customers. Instead they tried avoiding the direct questions which aggravated the situation. Rather than plainly telling how much the difference was between MSG quantity found in their internal testing and that found in government labs, they chose to stick to side questions such as ‘Why is there any lead at all in MAGGI Noodles?’ and  'Is Monosodium glutamate (MSG) unsafe?’

On one hand we have loyal customers who are not willing to switch to other instant noodles. They would probably stop eating noodles than switching to other brands. On the other hand we have Nestle who didn’t bother to make any real effort to save the trust and simply let it become the worst PR disaster in recent times.

Compare it with Cadbury’s response when worms were found in some of their chocolates. They not only responded in a timely manner, owned up the fault, made the course correction and roped in the biggest possible name India easily relates to (Amitabh Bachchan) in order to assert the people that they have have done whatever it takes to ensure that such things don’t happen again. It was called a PR win and is a case study in marketing/sales field. Nestle just hid its neck in sand and let its brand ambassadors also come under fire. The way things are going, it will also become a case study but of a contrasting nature.

All said and done, for kids of the 80’s and 90’s Maggi is like first love which cannot be forgotten. There can be only one first love, it cannot be replaced. As Datto of Tanu Weds Manu returns says, “I either win or lose. I don’t play for consolation prize”. If not Maggi then no other instant Noodle either. May be this will be a trigger towards chucking other unhealthy food items we consume (Carbonated drinks, processed cheese, Pizzas, fries etc.) unless people see it as conspiracy to promote Baba Ramdev’s desi food items. Considering the way Indian media works, I won’t be surprised if they start spinning it like this.

This article is written by Nitin Nigam. Follow him on Twitter here and Facebook here

Wednesday, June 3, 2015

Google Keep - You might wanna Keep it!

There are several ways to keep a “To-do” list. Some carry a notepad and pen, some use post-its or set up reminders in Mobile etc. I’ve always wanted an option to keep all my to-do items in one place and have the flexibility to access it in my computer and mobile.

Tried several applications and found Google keep to be the perfect way to manage my list. Google Keep, in fact, is much more useful than what I thought an ideal app could help me.

Google Keep helps me sync across my computer and mobile – so when I am at work or at home in my laptop, I do not have to reach out to my mobile to make a note or set a reminder for a task
Coming to the features, 

The app is very simple and takes no longer than a few minutes for you to become comfortable  using it

You can add checkbox to your list to simply tick off the completed items

Ability to choose a Color and add labels to code notes helps to organize and pull out what I need quickly

And if the list of notes is too long, a simple search will turn it up

See something and have an action item on it for later? Suppose you have sent a courier and need to check the delivery status of it the next day, simply take a picture and save it with a reminder. A pop up at the specified time reminds you of the same and shows up the image – Pretty simple, isn’t it?

And now the advantage of being a Google product, 




      o The app allows you to share your lists, notes with other Google users and you can export your notes in a word document as well. Select one or more notes and export to Google doc.

      o Add location to the notes, so when you move into that location, the app brings up the reminder for you

If you want to try, the app is found at Google Play or Scan the QR Code by pointing your phone at it

  

Musings of a Beeroholic - Part 2

Alcohol is the best dress opener!

Once you are familiar with alcohol, nothing looks stranger anymore!

Best thing about alcohol is that it has got only answers and no questions.






Once alcohol accepts your friend request, you hardly need anyone else to be social!

People, alcohol is not the only solution to all your problems, there is one less known solution too, called death. Choose wisely!

Being drunk or sober are two sides of the same coin called alcohol, if you are drunk then u r on right side and if sober then wrong side.

Alcohol doesn't make you stupid or wise, it's all about how you behave after having it.

When you are happy, you enjoy alcohol. But when you are sad, you just drink it! 


                                                                                                      .......................To be Continued

Click here to read Part 1 if you haven't read it.

Kung Fury - the 30 minute Bizarre Short Film that has taken the internet by storm!

Kung Fury is a Swedish martial arts comedy film that had garnered over 10 Million views over the weekend. This crowd funded feature film was selected to be screened at the 2015 Cannes Film Festival. The movie has its Director, David Sandberg playing the protagonist Kung Fury. It also has characters like Triceracop, Barbarianna, Katana and Thor and the villain is none other than Adolf Hitler a.k.a Kung Führer. Watch this funny super cool movie and share your experience. 











Tuesday, June 2, 2015

Maggi India says extensive testing reveals no excess lead in MAGGI Noodles!

Here is the media statement from Maggi India.


1 June 2015

Extensive testing reveals no excess lead in MAGGI Noodles

We understand that consumers are concerned by reports that the authorities in Uttar Pradesh have found elevated levels of lead in a sample pack of MAGGI Noodles. We are fully cooperating with the authorities who are conducting further tests and we are awaiting their results.

We have also submitted samples of MAGGI Noodles from almost 600 product batches to an external laboratory for independent analysis and we tested samples from almost 1,000 batches at our accredited laboratory. These samples represent around 125 million [12.5 Crore] packets. All the results of these internal and external tests show that lead levels are well within the limits specified by food regulations and that MAGGI noodles are safe to eat. We are sharing these results with the authorities.

We regularly monitor all our raw material for lead, including testing by accredited laboratories which have consistently shown levels in MAGGI Noodles to be within permissible limits.
In addition, we remain committed to continuing to improve the quality of agricultural raw materials across the food chain working with farmers, suppliers, authorities and the food industry to ensure food safety.

The quality and safety of our products are the top priorities for our Company.


Disclaimer - This article is not endorsed or recommended by the NewsCaustic website or its owners. The views and opinions expressed in this article do not necessarily state or reflect those of the NewsCaustic website or its owners, and shall not be used for advertising or product endorsement purposes. Newscaustic or its owners do not guarantee authenticity of the information (expressed or implied) and does not accept responsibility for any kind of loss and damage incurred due to the use of the information and graphics published on the website.

Monday, June 1, 2015

Upgrade to Windows 10 for free!

By now, you would have seen a new icon on the notification tray. It is an offer to reserve a free copy of Windows 10. Sounds great, doesn't it? What you have to do is just enter your email id to confirm.



So what you have to do is to enter your email id to confirm. 





And that is all. You are done! Is it absolutely free? Yes, it is. Click here to know the facts at Microsoft official website.