My Work station at Home

Podcasts in my IPOD.

Hi,
I presume all had a great festive time. Things should get back to normal over the next 12 hrs, back to routine.
I have switched over to the new GMAIL version, which helps you to keep complete details and data of the contacts in the form of address book. So no more worries of the outlook or excel file missing or crashing. This is a great development. Ofcourse MS Windows email (Hotmail I believe offers 5 Gb of data storage).

I thought of sharing the Podcasts I collect in my IPOD. The Ipod is 80GB, so I guess no worry about space. I use ITUNES as a podcatcher. I havent covered the professional podcasts (Safety, health, environmental, FCPA, ISO systems to bore the general visitors, as has been the cast with the intention of the blog).

1. Aesop Fable Podcast.
2. Speed of Trust Radio
3. Brain Sync Theater of mind
4. Business Week Climbing Ladder
5. Business Week The Welchway
6. Career Opportunities.
7. David Allen (GTD) podcast
8. Digital Planet
9. East meet west Podcast
10. The Engaging Brand by Anna Farmery; One of my Best.
11. Fireside chats with Lisa Haneberg. (Management craft website)
12. Grammar Girls Podcast (Teaching English the right way)
13. HBR Ideacast from Havard Business Review. This is also gray cell ticking.
14. Insta Spanish lessons. (This is my long term plan to learn a foreign language)
15. Jumping Monkeys Podcast
16. Killer Innovation podcast
17. Law of attraction tips Podcast
18. Leadership Moment podcast
19. Leadership Place Podcast
20. Learn Spanish with Coffee Break
21. Robin Sharma Podcast
22. Project Management podcast
23. The cranky middle Manager podcast; This also gives lot of insight tools for a middle manager and Wayne is great.
24. Woodward on Management Talent is not enough. Wisdom from England Manager (Rugby world cup winning team)
25. 21 Irrefutable laws of Leadership
    

I have not covered Mike and Mark's Manager tool, which I listen Monday to Saturday for my morning walk (0630 am to 0715am). Thats a routine and I have covered enough times. I am also running out of time, I have covered the most of the list. Its exhaustive listening, is it not!!??. Thats why, the sleeping time is less. Any way its all sleep when I hit the grave, As the saying goes.

Of course, Sunday morning are for completing the Economist. The world info at your finger tips.

Untill next week, Take it easy and take care; Live consciously.
Regards
Karthik
Karaikudy@gmail.com.

Diwali Photos with parents. Chelsea

I thought of sharing this photo which I feel is a good indicator of Behaviors to execute at work and Succeed. We use this Honeywell to measure our success.










I could get the CHELSEA Home jersey for for my Son from Hargraves shop London Heathrow Shop which sells all English premier league TSHIRTS. My son, is excited about this. He is a die hard fan of Drogba










After 16 years, I could spend the Diwali festival with my parents who had come down from home town. They are visiting Bangalore after 2 years and could spend time with grown up grandchildren too. I am glad I could find time to spend with them.

Some of the photos taken during the Diwali celebrations.

2 Years of Blogging, Site meter and A HAPPY DIWALI.

All,
This week marks the 2 Years of Blogging. Wonder how the time flies. This is my 43rd BLOG post. Thats one every alternate week. I hope I would improve this and try to hit the 100th Blog post before the end of the year. It was during the DIWALI week in 2005 that I caught the fancy of Blogging. I am enjoying it.

I had installed the site meter in My blog to track the visitors, more out of curiosity. I am indeed delighted that since installing it on 22nd October, more than 110 visitors have hit this page. I guess many of them could have come through GOOGLE search power tool. I am also touched by comments posted in the blog post.

I am making this blog Short as there was a power outage at home complex since morning for more than 10 Hrs and the back up supply has almost exhausted. So I plan to do blogging over the DIWALI Holidays this week with more thoguhts.

Till then here is to wish you all a VERY HAPPY DIWALI and a prosperous HINDU NEW YEAR mostly for the Merchant community.For those married sisters celebrating BAHI BEEJ, Have a great time. As usual DEEPAVALI in south India is a day ahead of the North India. Looking forward to spend festive time with family and parents.

Till next time, take it easy and take care. Live consciously.

Regards
Karthik.

20 BLGOS that I track Daily.(Almost)

Before I commence, the blog this week, Just wanted to explain the photo. This wordings touched me when I visited the local hospital in Atessa, Italy in February this year. I had been to the hospital with my Colleague, Vincenzo Colasante, for some business reason and this plaque at the hospital reception just left a deep impression in me. I guess abandoning the child is fast catching up as a practice in India, more so if the child is Female. I hope, this inhuman practice ends soon.

Ok, on to Subject, the 20 Blogs/ websites that I track every day. I hope they are useful to you. I use the Google Home page RSS feed to subscribe to the respective RSS feed and get to read from my Mozilla Firfox under multiple Tab. Its ages since I stopped using IE. I got grudgingly use it for some official work which Doesn't support Firefox. This list is a random order and no preferences.

1. Zen Habit.
   
2. Make it Great
3. Bing BLOG
4. The Engaging Brand.
5. Business Week Online
6. Newyork times Webpage
7. Search Blog John Battelle.
8. Fast Company Blog
9. Kevin's Blog
   
10. Tom Peters Blog
11. 800 CEO Read Blog
12. Management Craft.
13. Career Journal from Wallstreet Journal
14. Inspirational Quotes from Nagesh.
15. Fortune Magazine website. (Ask Annie)
16. Legal Point Blog on Indian Legal issues
17. Presentation ZEN
18. Slacker Manager
19. The Simple Dollor
20. Bagavad Gita.

This week has a state Holiday on Thursday, the state formation day Nov 1st. I am also looking forward to my parents visit this week. Plan to spend some quality time with them.
Until next week take it easy and take care, Live consciously.
Karthik

Evan Almighty, George Bush Job Interview, funny videos

So the Daserra festival went well, the nine nights celebrations were not as Splashy as the Dandia festivals of Gujarat which I used to venture out in the 1990s during my stay there. I remember the "GOLU" we used to have at our home in Karaikudy, it was fun. Over the last 2 days the food was also too much, Cant blame the wife for cooking good food can you!!!!).

I watched the movie "Evan Almighty" As a sequel to the "Bruce Almighty" starring Jim Carey. The movie is a must watch, being a "conservative right wing person", I enjoyed the movie. Act of God, thats what life is all about, great!!. I especially liked the Phrase" ARK- Act of Random Kindness. What a word!!!!!. I also watched the movie Die Hard IV, a cyber terrorism act during independence day weekend. You got to kill 11Hrs of flying time one way, so no better way than movie and Economist.

Ok, I just thought I would share some of the amusing videos I had seen over my search in Google. You need good speed connection to watch this.

South Carolina Gaffe.

Frustrating job Interview
George Bush Job Interview
Bad Job Interview
Amusing Job Interview
Castro's Funeral: I was not amused, to portray a living person dead. Bad.


So, My prediction of Australia Vs South Africa RUGBY final was partially right, with England taking Australia's place. I am also glad that the Springboks overcame the title of chokers and won the world cup outside their country. I guess this could be a defining moment in their sports history. With world cup football going over there in 2010, it could be interesting.

Till next week, Take it easy and take care. Live consciously.
Karthik.

Rome, Jack Reacher, Jason, Eid.

I am just back from Rome on a week visit. This was the second trip to the Historical place this year.

For the second time this year, the baggage didn't reach Rome and it got missed out in London on the BA Flight, coincidentally, this was the trip, I was confident that the baggage would come through as the transit time was more than 2 Hrs and so I did not pack any backup cloth or stuff in the hand baggage.So it was a struggle, anyway this also gave me a chance to reflect on things, how we take things for granted or how we are addicted to habits and can live without. The 3 days with the same cloth, reminded me of the Jack Reacher, the main character in Lee Childs novel. Jack Reacher just travels with one set of cloth with no spares.

The flight BA 118 which I took was kind of unique, during the 11 Hr flight from Bangalore- London, the fasten seat belt sign didn't come on even once. (Except Landing), it was kind of experience as we could move around inside the aircraft. Wonder how many would experience that!!.

I had chance to take a walking tour of the ROME CITY. The guide, Jason, an American now conducts an amazing tour, which is just takes back to you to historic time. He had come to study Theology in Italy some time back and has now decided to conduct full time tour. His Knowledge of the Rome history is amazing, so are some of his anecdotes surrounding history. Not only that, he gives you a good free information on the good restaurants and shops to do value for money. Jason's trip is worth participating if you visit Rome. He can be reached on email at : Toursofrome@hotmail.com. Jason was found by Mike Csedrik, my colleague during his previous visit on the tour of Vatican. I haven't had the time to visit Vatican, I have planned it for the next visit.

So the rugby world cup is proving great and memorable for Jonny Wilkinson and English fans, what a dream run he is having. My guess is that If England wins the World cup, Jonny would surely be on the Knighthood list next year. Great nerve wrecking stuff last night. I am sure tonight's match would be a thriller and we have a strong possibility of Falklands war settled on a RUGBY field. My Boss Anthony is following it live on the Field in France, here is to Wish Anthony a great time out in France.

Came across this interesting website on Leadership Gurus. I haven't heard of John Maxwell before, But his Maximum Impact approach looks straight forward no nonsense as well as he brings the teachings of GOD in a very subtle, secular way.

So the festive seasons has began, so its fun for the next 3 weeks with Navaratri and Diwali round the corner. Have fun. My Pakistan friends would be enjoying Eid al Fitr now. Here is to wish all the great festive times.

Till next week, take it easy and take care, Live Consciously. BTW, good to see Steve Pavlina back on podcasts.

Regards
Karthik.