UK girls use camera-phones to check their hair - poll
Interestingly, 15 per cent frequently pull out their camera-phones to photograph the sides and backs of their hair, while ten per cent use their camera-phones as a mirror to check their make-up. Four per cent even resort to getting the phone out in the middle of a restaurant after dinner - to check their teeth.

Rest of the article: http://www.dmeurope.com/default.asp?ArticleID=2806

Rodas - a restaurant in Powai has a theme going on at its Oriental Restaurant called Tokyo Chop. The idea being that if you ask for your bill before midnight, you get 33% off - Tokyo time that is (or 8:30 Indian time). Now, is that smart or sneaky?

We live in a culture with a strong bias for action. This is good; it is what has propelled American enterprise as the engine of global commerce. But in the process, it has chewed up good ideas and good people. While ideas are not in short supply, thinking them through is not valued enough. Too often we jump the gun with half-baked ideas, not because we are half-baked but because our management system rewards us for doing, not thinking.

Long gone is the idea, first suggested in the 19th century, that the entire world will one day speak English as a "world language." In fact, the relative decline of English is continuing. In the mid-20th century, nearly 9 percent of the world's population grew up speaking English as their first language. In 2050, the number is expected to be 5 percent.

I recently placed an order for a book at Rediff, which after more than 2 weeks, they informed me was out of stock (incidentally, you can still place anorder for the book here). Now, is there any way for me to get my money back (I had paid through HDFC Bank's NetBanking so its out of my account), or will I necessarily have to buy something else from them? The mail which informed me that the book was out of stock was surprisingly silent on the matter.

... and all for 15 bucks. All it takes is the kind of plastic sealing machine that you have at a grocers which he uses to seal customised packets of sugar, dal, etc. and a hair dryer.
The end effect is similar to that of getting your phone shrink wrapped. A bit tacky, and no guarantees on the long term effect on the instrument though.
I got my phone laminated near the Bandra station yesterday. Lets see how long it lasts before I rip it off.

The Indian School of Business has digitised and put up a number of Management Classics online here. Its a bit of a trick figuring out which ones are available only in hard copy,and which are available as PDF download, but worth it.

I am currently drafting a Privacy Policy for Misenscene.net. Would appreciate any feedback on the first draft.
Thanks

Article on Knowledge Sharing.
http://www.destinationkm.com/print/default.asp?ArticleID=960

Advertising is still run by creatives

During my trip, I was fortunate to speak at AdAsia, a gathering of 1,400 of Asia's leading ad executives. My speech about how new technologies will change the ad business was well-received. Still, the bulk of the conference agenda (by a long shot) revolved around producing great creative. Don't get me wrong: Creative is crucial in marketing and will remain so in a digital environment. But most executives are in the dark about consumers' ability to block, ignore, or skip advertising. No matter how great the creative, if consumers don't see it, it's worthless. This education will take years.

I am compiling a list of movies that talk about media and its effect on society. So far:
EdTV
Wag the Dog
15 Minutes
Videodrome
The Truman Show
Being There (sort of ...)
Mad City
The Net (sort of ...)

Funnily enough, offline forums such as Magazine subscription forms still have a place for the Credit card number, the card holder's name, the card expiry date and the CVV no. (the last three digits on the signature panel of the card) - essentially all the details someone needs to buy something online (or offline where just the card details and not the physical card is required).
I wonder how many people actually fill in their credit card details on forms such as there. At a time when even websites have started to state that they no longer retain the details on their own website, doesn't this seem archaic (not to mention dangerous)?

The Dhirender hypothesis for the day
When faced by a rule or a system which a man does not like, (taxation being one broad example), he sees three choices:
Fight the system
Beat the system
Accept the system (to perhaps fight/ beat it another day)

A coward on the other will want to circumvent/ avoid the system.

Imagine a dot com that allowed you to design your own furniture and then sent you the pieces cut to the proper size and specifications such as type of wood/ board/ laminate and polish so that you would just need to assemble it.

If wishes were furniture, I would have my cabinet ...

Today I called up the Dell Toll Free numbers in India because I suspected that the CPU fan in my laptop was not working. All I needed was information on whether or not there was a service center in Chandigarh where I could get it checked up.
First attempt: About 10 rings - no reply. Gave up.
Second attempt: Decided to try the Technical support instead. First automated voice informed me that their menu had been changed in order to provide better service. Great. However, couldn’t get past the first menu option, because their system does not accept a pulse input. Gave up.
Third attempt: A customer service rep actually picked up the phone, but as soon as I mentioned that since the CPU fan was not working … transfer to the menu at technical support. Gave up.
Fourth attempt: Customer service rep picks up again. I start off telling her that I had called up earlier, and that I would really appreciate it if they heard out my complete problem before transferring me to Technical Support since that system did not accept a pulse input … transfer to someone’s extension who was not on her desk. Gave up.
Fifth attempt (I could do it): Decide to call up the Regional Manager (after getting his name, and the number against his name from the Dell India website). Someone picks up the phone, after I tell them who I want too speak to, I get to know that since he was located at the Delhi office, I could not get him at the number I had called (wait a second, didn’t I get the number off the website, and didn’t it mention the number against his name …) .
Anyways, I start off with my story of how my CPU fan was not working, and I just needed to know if there was a service center in Chandigarh. I get to mention what I want … finally. What’s more, she understands that I just need a service center in Chandigarh, and transfers me to someone who she says would be able to help. I start again about how I suspected the CPU fan was not working … transfer to the technical support menu.

I toy with the prospect of giving them a call every 5 minutes for the rest of the day.

Got my first goldfish bowl - two goldfish, two aquatic plants, two aquatic snails, the largest bowl available, an air pump and lots of day-old-standing-water (to alleviate the chlorine).
Aquariums have come a long way - this is almost a self-sustaining system in its own. The plants provide the oxygen and also serve as a perpetual source of nutrition for the fish (though a minuscule amount of fish food is recommended once in two days), and the snails keep the bowl and the water clean. The air pump is an add-on which is needed because I opted for goldfish and would not have been necessary for smaller fish. Part of the water needed to be changed approximately once in a couple of months.

I recall hearing about a sealed paperweight, with water, an aquatic plant and a live shrimp - a complete biosphere. Not sure if its being sold, but it seems almost as fascinating as eerie.

This tiny water plant is believed to have been the first form of plant life on earth, nearly 3.5 billion years ago. In fact, this plant was the principal for mankind's first 30,000 years of existence. And was widely used by the ancient Aztecs and African civilizations.
Since its re-discovery in the 1960s Spirulina has proved to be the most powerful and well-balanced source of nutrition on the planet. In fact, upon testing it NASA found it to be an excellent, compact space-food for astronauts (1 Kg of Spirulina is equivalent to 1000 kgs of assorted vegetables).

Over 24 hours, most parts of Toronto (and Ontario, New York etc. covering an area approximated at 15 million sq kms) were hit by a blackout - probably the largest in North America in recent history. The blackout brought the dependency on electricity brilliantly to the fore. Practically all the businesses were closed with credit card transactions coming to a halt. Restaurants shut down, with hot dog vendors having a field day (Madison did a great job of pushing their USP), a lot of mobile phones stopped working, and since most houses have cordless phones, they too were incommunicado. Transport became a problem, with subways and streetcars left standing. A friend mentioned that her husband's company had a forced holiday, because their security keys didn't work.
Surprisingly, inspite of the traffic lights not working, the traffic still managed to govern itself fairly systematically.

Spent the night of the 12th on my back looking at the stars trying to spot some of the Perseid meteors. The sky had cleared after an overcast day at Honey Harbour but the full moon made it impossible to spot any.

I guess I'll just have to save my wishes for another day.

Finally got some of my Canada photos online.