Productivity Tool / Hack 4

Although I am not an Apple fan, I decided to change my laptop from the usual HP / Dell / Lenovo (Microsoft systems) to the Mac.

I think every windows person is scared of the Mac and how things would be.

Turns out, it is just like crossing a road from British colonial countries to the US based countries. Every thing is on the opposite side. Thats primarily it.

The biggest benefit though is putting off the screen and awakening it twice daily for a week with all the websites open in chrome and firefox (about 30 for me), and still working very well.

The minimal model options available in Apple laptops works very well with they having the best product for regular office work.

Productivity Tool / Hack 3

Once in a while, we need a USB drive to move data/ take a print out, etc.

We usually have a good fancy USB drive at home, but dont have it handy when required.

To solve this problem, use the credit card/ debit card shaped USB drive in your wallet and take it around always.

This even comes with personalisation options to portray your perspective.

You can find these here or search for personalised usb or card pendrive:

https://www.yourprint.in/product/custom-printed-credit-card-pen-drive/

https://www.igp.com/p-don-t-touch-personalized-usb-card-pendrive-64gb-139700?

Productivity Tool / Hack 2

The following tool solves the following issues:

1. Having to see whatsapp on the phone and verify/input some data in another app (xls/ doc) in the laptop.

2. Having to keep the mobile handy to see messages and getting it charged while working on laptop.

3. Speaking on the phone with bluetooth/wired earphone or headphone while working on the laptop.

4. If we are forgetful and keep searching for the phone.

This is available at:

https://www.amazon.in/icall-Aluminum-Magnetic-Notebook-Stainless/dp/B09LZL8PPL/

I have bought a similar thing and using for a month. The magnet is powerful and the phone doesn't slip.

Productivity Tool / Hack 1

Most people want to read books but don't have the time for it.
Out of the many options available online, Storyshots is a very versatile, handy and economical options among those available online. At less than Rs.450 per annum, (Rates may slightly vary from time to time) it is very reasonable and with multiple options:
1. Book Summary to read

2. Book summary to listen

3. Long book Summary to listen 

I have tried it for 2 months and have found it to be very useful to get ahead with a few books completed.

I highly recommend it.

https://www.getstoryshots.com

 

Non-value added Airport Check in process

I wonder how well-intentioned systems degrade into non-value-added processes and then take over the entire system and be a white elephant till they eventually stop existing.

A recent trip to Bangalore by flight had me experience this. The Hyderabad airport has self check in with printing of boarding passes and bag tags. This was obviously to divert the crowd from the counters and help the overall efficiency of the system.

However, the self check-in kiosk was very slow and we were not sure if it stopped working or was working silently as it took a lot of time and no notification. Towards the end, the new screen came up and the boarding passes were not printed by then. After a good 5 seconds after the new home screen came, the boarding pass got printed. There was an error about the bag tag that couldn’t be printed and before I could read it, the message disappeared.

Even after this, we had to stand in line and check in at the counter only which didn’t do any good. The counter guy made the bag tags in seconds compared to the 3+ minutes at the kiosk. A net non-valued added process.

The CISF checks your id card, the guy at the check in checks the iI wonder how well-intentioned systems degrade into non-value-added processes and then take over the entire system and be a white elephant till they eventually stop existing.

A recent trip to Bangalore by flight had me experience this. The Hyderabad airport has self check in with printing of boarding passes and bag tags. This was obviously to divert the crowd from the counters and help the overall efficiency of the system.

However, the self check-in kiosk was very slow and we were not sure if it stopped working or was working silently as it took a lot of time and no notification. Towards the end, the new screen came up and the boarding passes were not printed by then. After a good 5 seconds after the new home screen came, the boarding pass got printed. There was an error about the bag tag that couldn’t be printed and before I could read it, the message disappeared.

Even after this, we had to stand in line and check in at the counter only which didn’t do any good. The counter guy made the bag tags in seconds compared to the 3+ minutes at the kiosk. A net non-valued added process.

The CISF checks your id card, the guy at the check in checks the id card and the guy at the boarding gate asked for the id card. This is a little too much.

With so many kiosks to help but a non-integrated system, this system will not be used by customers once they use the system and very fast within a few months, these kiosks would be dead non used machines.

d card and the guy at the boarding gate asked for the id card. This is a little too much.

With so many kiosks to help but a non-integrated system, this system will not be used by customers once they use the system and very fast within a few months, these kiosks would be dead non used machines.

My Favourite movies of all time and the lessons from that

Movies shape thoughts and the things we like make us watch certain types of movies. A good chicken and egg situation.

I have always liked to watch action movies and with witty one liners. I appreciate movies with deep thought provoking, emotionally touch but not necessarily like to watch them as I don't like the feelings they give after watching the movie.

My favourite movies and what I learned from them or liked about them:

Action

Top Gun and Maverick - I liked the witty one liners, continuous storyline, speed, the opposite nature of Iceman and Maverick on the same team. "I wont leave my wingman" stays with me.

300 - I loved the courage, the discipline and the gore of the fighting. I was impressed by the women empowerment quotient of the the Spartans.

Kingdom of Heaven: The best one liner: "Your reputation precedes you"

Gladiator: The General's battle strategy, the speech when he removes his full faced helmet at the arena after the fight.

Rambo 3 or last blood: Survival tactics, hit and run tatics, ambush tactics, fighting alone against a group, of an expert guerilla fighter.

Black Hawk Down: Various perspectives, feelings of a real war from multiple people involved in the war. The pressures on the ground force and the things the generals/ command at the top understand and what they dont. Despite all the planning, multiple things can and will go wrong in reality.

Die Hard series: The never scared Bruce Willis using classic fundamental ideas to outsmart smart villians.

Conair: Lesson: Be good and do good irrespective of the evil around you.

The World is not Enough (My fav James Bond Movie): For the classic villians always trying to take over the world by one method or the other. Pierce Brosnan is my favourite James bond. Saw this first James Bond movie as a kid in a theater. 

Fast Five (from the Fast & Furious series) for the action scenes.

Under Siege and Under Siege 2: The profile of the "Cook" described by the villian. The cool & always calm Steven Seagal.

Judge Dredd: The multi-variety futuristic gun of the judge. Slyvestor Stallone movie.

Troy: The first fight scene where Brad Pitt takes on a giant. In one scene, he says he doesn't have to fight as he has no role in it - A person's locus standi in the scheme of things, not to get involved in everything.

Desperado: Description of the protogonist, the guitar cases, the bar joke, witty one liners (Did I thank you? No! I will!), shooting while falling backwards from a building, the initial song and Salma Hayek.

Thriller:

Italian Job: The thriller with a lot of thought on planning and executing.

Face off: Both the villians' versions Nicholas cage with his golden gun and John Travolta at their best.

Fight Club: The end changes the entire perspective of the movie. What is reality and what is Delusion? How can we make sure which one we are in?

Double Jeopardy: Brings about the case of Diplomatic immunity and how you can never be punished twice for the same crime. Good crime thriller.

Speed: Good looking Keanu Reeves in his youth and the thrilling storyline. These kind of movies are not made nowadays.

Professions based:

Lord of War: The video of the life history of a bullet is breath-taking. A few great philosophical lines in the movie. A unique story line based on the business of an international weapons dealer.

The Firm: Tom Cruise movie as a lawyer who pays back using a very basic flaw in the system.

Driven: The awesome storytelling of rivalry between 2 top Formula 1 drivers with their value systems. Their value systems are clearly visible.

A few good men: The end speech by Jack Nicholson on the stand.

Comedy:

Oscar (movie by Slyvestor Stallone): Most people dont know he has done this comedy movie, but it a beautiful classic comedy.

Laws of Attraction: Witty one liners by both the lawyers, played by Pierce Brosnan and Julianne Moore.

Sci-fi:

Minority Report: An amazing Tom Cruise movie showing what 2100's could be like.

Paycheck: A very interesting sci-fi thriller.

A different perspective

12 Angry men: A movie of perspectives, analysis, persuasion, change of thoughts. A 1957 movie made in a room.

The Truman Show: The end shocks you with multiple ethical questions on living.

Requim for a dream: I would want every teenager to watch this movie. After this, I think they will never do drugs.

Odd ball movies:

Tattoo (German movie): The first movie I saw free in an International Film Festival while in college. Super impressed with the story line and the story of the market for artist tattoos done on the back of real people. Still not been able to see it anywhere after that.

The Human Centipede 2: I can appreciate the crazy creativity for this unheard of movie series.

I spit on your grave: Brings about creativity in various forms of killing the villians for revenge.

Ringu (The Ring in Japanese): A real horror movie. The first time I felt a chill down my spine.

Forest Gump: Courage

The Truman Show: I was mind-boggled with the concept of this. For all you know, someone can really do this.

A poem to Adani

You took on so much Debt to grow

You became world’s richest with dough.

You stocks had a 3 year hit show

And now this shit-show.

Listing your group companies for stock manipulation,

only aided your debt addiction,

becoming a growth sensation,

But this allegation has brought much aggravation.

The PE ratios of your group stocks are so ridiculous,

That it has become conspicuous.

You got so mischievous,

that you route your funds through Mauritius.

You did all this with the absence of the P-notes,

But, lo and behold, Nirmala has again authorised P-notes.

The report by Hindenburg,

May just be a tip of the iceberg.

For the report has been meticulous,

And for you, it has been strenuous.

The report has gone downtown

The groups’s stock prices have been beat down.

The group’s global bonds are in distress,

While the SEBI seems clueless.

The report mentions your Annual report’s key omissions,

And it has raised suspicions.

It questions your statutory audit,

much to your discredit.

After all this, I wonder why IHC would commit,

Unless you had agreed to remit.

Now that you have cancelled the FPO,

There are now no institutional anchors,

You may soon get margin calls from your bankers.

The Adani Hidenburg boxing match

I heard about the Hidenburg research report over a week ago and read the report on their website 2 days later once everyone was talking about it. While going through the report, the first question remained unanswered: why did they take 2 years for this report? The research seems genuine on all the things dug up, researched and put up.

While the Adanis were busy doing the puppet show to the audience, someone outside the audience saw the Adanis doing the puppet show. This is visible in the counter-transactions shown with the firms outside India and not shown in the annual reports of the Indian companies.

Round 1 goes to Hindenburg! The shock & awe hard punch will hurt Adanis for a long time to come.

The twists in the tale get interesting. Right after the damaging report, the international fund IHC promises to invest $400 million into the accused company. 

Round 2 goes to Adani!

Which company would ever do that unless the other company was a holding company or a govt. nationalising a company or trying to prevent a big bank bust case? This raises a lot of eyebrows and red flag as it is very unusual and non-sensical.

The hidden truth is revealed the next day. Adanis cancel the FPO. This means that the Adanis had to save face and get the FPO successful while ensuring that IHC gets its money back after the jitters of the report. This seems to be a pre-meditated invest and pull back strategy while influencing the other investors into investing into this FPO.

Round 2 was an unexpected double punch going to the Adanis!

I am sure on detailed investigation of the FPO process, the regulators would be able to find this pre-meditated arrangement duping the others (retail investors and few others) into the trap of investing their monies in this FPO only to be forced to get out of it.

Another interesting critique from some people is the timing of the report. I laugh at their questioning. For any investor in a fair market, maximising returns is the objective. This report was timed to maximise the value of the shorts and earn profit. Isn't this is what fair market is all about? Plus maximum visibility for the brand. Who wouldn't do it given the opportunity?

While reading the report,  the Adani strategy to raise funds becomes clear.
Step 1: Keep a number of close set of companies with maximum percentage control on and off the public books. Includes hiring experts in price manipulation like experienced Ketan Parekh.

Step 2: Based on these inflated stock prices, pledge the promoter stocks and raise more loans that is actually possible to fund the investments.

Awaiting to see Round 3!