Saturday, August 26, 2023

Remembering Laura Branigan:

 Today 26th August marks the 19th death Anniversary of Laura Branigan. She will always be missed!!! 


A Voice That Captivated: Laura Branigan's voice was a force of nature that could convey a range of emotions with unparalleled intensity. From her energetic and upbeat songs to the soulful ballads that showcased her vocal prowess, her voice resonated deeply with listeners, leaving an everlasting impression.

Her discography is adorned with hits that became anthems of the '80s and continue to enchant listeners of all ages. Songs like "Gloria," "Self Control," and "Solitaire" are not just catchy tunes, but snapshots of a vibrant era in music history. These tracks have a timeless quality that keeps them relevant even decades later.

Karthik

26th August 2023.


Thursday, August 17, 2023

2 Must Listen to Megyn Kelly Podcasts. (Sexual Health- Men and Women)!!!

 As usual, Megyn is at her Brilliant best!! She goes where no one dares!!  As she says in Tagline, Honest, thoughtful, provocative conversation. (No BS, NO Agenda, No Fear! is how she ends her podcast)....! 


Keep aside 4 hrs.... to listen,  It is worth it....! The best part was questions from the other spouse on the issues of significant other!!! 

The Megyn slot for me is 6 to 630 am Tuesday to Saturday. (I listen at 3X, so 90 min is = 30 Min!)...! 
Take care.! 
Karthik.
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Podcast 1 Last week:Megyn Kelly brings listeners and viewers a deep dive on men's sexual health, with Dr. Mohit Khera, a professor of urology and expert on the issue. They discuss how men don't focus on their sexual health in the same way women do, the causes of erectile dysfunction (ED), ways men can prevent EDs, the decline of testosterone levels and sperm count worldwide, the causes of male infertility, discuss whether there is a cure for erectile dysfunction, what stem cell therapy is, how “shockwave therapy" works, the differences between Viagra and Cialis, other more substantial treatments of ED, the connection between testosterone and libido, how antidepressants can affect libido, the different ways to take testosterone, the reality of Peyronie's disease that men suffer from silently, testicular cancer risk factors, what parents should think about for their young boys, the balance with porn, new drugs that help increase women's libido, and more.


Podcast 2: Today: Megyn Kelly brings listeners and viewers a deep dive on women's sexual health, with Dr. Mary Jane Minkin, OBGYN and clinical professor at Yale School of Medicine, and expert on the issue. They discuss women's libido issues, the difference between desire and arousal, how medical conditions could affect sexual drive, how relationships could affect a woman's libido, why women don't talk about their sexual health enough, the medical options to increase women's libido, how testosterone works for women, how various medications could decrease libido in women and men, the effect of antidepressants on women’s sexual desire, how age affects libido, how the birth control pill can affect women's libido, causes of pain during sex, challenges related to orgasm, HPV vaccine, sexual health after vaginal births, the benefits of kegel exercises and "pelvic floor physical therapy," when to know when you are in menopause and notable treatments for symptoms, the “erratic period” and how to regulate it, and more.
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Tuesday, August 15, 2023

Taking Exam after 20 years!!

 Today after 22 years, I took an exam. (Last one was in 2001 for my MBA entrance which I completed in 2003 in HR). Today is for the Insurance Advisor as approved by the Government of India under the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India institution which is the governing body for all Insurance activities in India. 

I took the exam for Life and Non-Life insurance advisory aspects. This will give me a chance to advise folks on the need for insurance. (I was motivated a lot by DAN PINK's BOOK- TO SELL IS HUMAN). 



I was able to complete the Online exam (50 questions of Multiple choice) in half of 1 hr duration. I secured 74%. Oh yes, the last 30 min before entering the exam hall at 330pm, was the same as a 20-year-old with a bit of nervousness and walking to the washroom one last time !!! hahahhah!!! (The intensity to do well triggers the Bladder, I guess!!!)

I look forward to stepping on this path come 2024 as a diversified career opportunity. 

Coincidentally, today 14th August 1985, was the day I passed out my Master's degree. The telegram came from my Professor that I passed and requested me to come and collect my mark sheets!. Also, the fun fact is I never got an official Master's Degree from University as I had a job in the next few weeks and landed in Bombay as an Environmental Operating chemist, to set up labs and move on, and no one cared about my master's degree those days. My subject knowledge and provisional certificate which came by post was good enough for companies. (Unthinkable now!)....

Regards
Karthik.

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Sunday, August 13, 2023

REST IN PEACE (EAGLES) RANDY MEISNER

 One of the Eagles' Founders Dead!! (26th July) He was 77. I missed his death due to business travel on the 26-28th of last month. (Heavy rains in Bombay kept me away from any news too!)...Meisner left the group in 1977 due to irrevocable differences with the group's Glenn Frey and Don Henley! He was a soft guy, never wanting fame but Eagles monstrous success never allowed him to keep the low light!! His wife's accidental gunshot death in 2016 took him to extremely poor health!


Meisner's memorable song is "TAKE IT TO THE LIMIT!! Give a listen!! Soul-stirring Ballard!!! 
Regards
Karthik.
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The Eagles are sad to report that founding member, bassist, and vocalist, Randy Meisner, passed away last night (July 26) in Los Angeles at age 77, due to complications from Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary disease (COPD).

As the original bass player for the pioneering country-rock group, Poco, Randy was at the forefront of the musical revolution that began in Los Angeles, in the late 1960s. 

In 1971, Randy, along with Glenn Frey, Don Henley, and Bernie Leadon, formed the Eagles and contributed to the band's albums, Eagles, Desperado, On The Border, One of These Nights, and Hotel California. He was inducted with the Eagles into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1998.

“Randy was an integral part of the Eagles and instrumental in the early success of the band. His vocal range was astonishing, as is evident on his signature ballad, ‘Take It to the Limit,’” said the Eagles.

Prior to Poco, he was bassist and vocalist with Rick Nelson’s Stone Canyon Band.

Randy was born on March 8, 1946, in Scottsbluff, Nebraska.

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In 2018, with 38 million copies sold, “The Eagles: Their Greatest Hits” (1976) surpassed Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” to become the best-selling album of all time, according to the Recording Industry Association of America. At that point, “Hotel California” (1976), with sales of 26 million, was third on the list.

Tuesday, August 08, 2023

Father's 6th Annual Rituals.

Tomorrow, 9th August 2023 marks the 6th Annual ritual (Devasam)as per Hindu Calendar, for my departed father, Dr TM. BALASUBRAMANIYAM. (CECRI, Karaikudi). Time flies fast.. Father passed away on 15th August 2017, after a brief fight with Kidney Cancer. He was aged 80. I plan to follow all the rituals I do every year. Shall keep you updated on this post in a few days. 



Regards

Karthik

Update 12th Aug. Father's rituals done as per tradition. We also arranged to garland his picture at Gayathri Niwas Karaikudi. (The house he built in 1971 and named after my sister Gayathri). 

Bad bosses are evolving not disappearing!!!

 So true!! Most of the bosses these days camouflage their contempt through Indifference/ silence etc as this article rightly points out! They would deny that they behave in such a way.! (The Silent Assassin like Diabetes)!!! 

Poor souls in High Power distance countries like India can not even reach out and question why the boss behaves the way (s)he does! I feel pity for them... This leads to performance decay and the poor guy becomes a rut... Only when he is pushed to a corner up on humiliation after the humiliation he works an exit strategy. The sad aspect of work life these days!!..... 
I feel how lucky we were, 30 years ago, (I would say even 15 years ago!)  to work with great bosses as well as Bosses who had care/ empathy as well as intelligence to guide their team. We owe our success to such bosses in both personal and professional life thanks to their guidance. 

Also 30 years back there was a direct confrontation with a go-to-hell attitude on both sides with you giving back as good as you get !! Those days are gone! (I was one of such shouting/ screaming- Insulting words back then with only one boss, He was a Horror!! my only unlucky one for 6 months in the previous century!!! ahhahahahhhahhahh! I wonder if he is still alive!!!! )... 
Regards
Karthik. 
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https___d1e00ek4ebabms.cloudfront.net_production_d0dee577-a51f-4208-a58d-1814723c36ce.jpegGordon Gekko types are long Gone!!!! 
Bad bosses are evolving not disappearing
Scrutiny has made it harder to be an overt bully but subtler forms of harassment can be as destructive  Grace Lordan  JULY 31 2023

When people imagine a bully boss in the workplace, they conjure up images of tantrums, mockery, shouting and intimidating behaviour. They visualise sexism, racism, homophobia and cultures of fear. They recall stories of workplaces that have at times been reported as having bullying cultures, such as Westminster, Goldman Sachs, the Metropolitan Police or Uber.

But this type of old-fashioned bully is thankfully finding it increasingly hard to survive at the top levels of organisations. When they do, it is usually in the form of a high-income generator in a company with a poor HR department, or a senior leader in public service where it is harder to get fired.

The old-fashioned bully boss is being made extinct by market forces that demand managers are “high empathy”. High empathy managers empower their team, enable equal opportunities for progression and create psychologically safe environments that allow for challenge and dissent. They can navigate their organisations through times of great uncertainty by consistently delivering on the promises they make, and explaining the reasons on occasions they cannot. High empathy managers will never attract media headlines for cronyism, misogyny or threatening colleagues.

But as scrutiny has made it harder to be an overt bully, a new type of negative persona has evolved who can convincingly mimic the traits of the empathetic leader. Like the high empathy leader, the modern-day bully boss is eloquent. But unlike the high empathy leader, they do not walk the talk.

The new type of bully boss keeps their emotions in check and does not fly off the handle. But they use more subtle and insidious forms of mistreatment: they ignore and isolate colleagues they do not rate.

The modern-day bully boss sidelines rather than shouts. They “forget” to invite colleagues to meetings, rather than humiliate them when they speak up with ideas. They ignore their promotion rather than overtly argue against it. They avoid hard conversations about their behaviour rather than engage in self-reflection.

They are a particular threat as subtler forms of harassment are less likely to be taken seriously by HR. This can result in affected colleagues being unsure of their footing in the organisation and suffering deteriorating wellbeing.

The modern-day bully boss is high ego. They want to feel good about themselves and be around people who agree with them. They have the tendency to hire their friends and people who share their perspectives so they can avoid challenge. Such a “mirror-tocracy” is bad news for under-represented but talented staff, who will find themselves with fewer opportunities to develop or be promoted.

A mirror-tocratic approach makes the modern-day bully more secure in their position. It is less likely that a friend they hire will attempt to keep their isolating behaviour in check like an outsider might.

If you approach a modern day bully to question their behaviour, they will probably be defensive and deny it is happening. This gaslighting contrasts to a time poor leader who excludes you unconsciously and will address the issue when you raise it. It also contrasts to a high empathy leader who will slow down and have the necessary hard conversation.

My behavioural science research at the London School of Economics has identified other archetypes of bad bosses. The egotist is a self-absorbed and insecure manager who cannot cope with being challenged and will not let employees succeed to a level that is equal or higher to their own achievements. The mediocre manager is borderline incompetent with their core tasks, but perfectly adept at playing company politics. They often thrive because they pander to senior egotists and will probably blame subordinates for their mistakes. And the overly nice boss puts smiles ahead of productivity and avoids hard discussions and challenges.

Navigating a problematic boss is difficult as they are the gatekeeper to progression, promotion and pay within your organisation. Your boss has a significant role in your financial security and personal wellbeing. A bad boss is the most common reason anyone leaves a job. It is particularly difficult when quitting is not an attractive option.

But there are some ways to manage a tricky relationship.

First, enter compliance mode: make every detail regarding your pay and career progression as transparent as possible.

Take your focus off your boss and pay more attention to opportunities in the wider organisation. Expand your networks and seek out external opportunities. Don’t let risk aversion keep you stuck with a boss who will not enable you to reach your full potential.

Get some physical distance: secure a desk that is not in your boss’s line of vision, or work remotely.

And finally, establish boundaries between your work and home life that allow you to switch off and improve your wellbeing.

If the relationship does not improve it might be time to set a strict deadline to get yourself a new boss doing the same job elsewhere.



Sunday, August 06, 2023

Vandae Bharat Express

 I was on a business trip to Pondicherry Friday, and with direct flights being suspended by SpiceJet, the next option was to go to Madras (350 Km) and take a cab for 3 1/2 Hr journey. (Luckily the Mfg site is 25 km ahead of Pondy City en route, so you don't have city traffic hassle both ways). 

I tried the option of taking the train to Madras and the newly Introduced Vande Bharat Express to Madras. The train is an upgraded Shatabdi Express (4 1/4 hrs vs 5 1/2 for Shatabdi) but with a greater metal finish of coach,Silver white engine/coaches, similar to Shinkansen. It has better quality seats, Nice footrests, and Power supply at each seat.  First time in an Indian train, the doors close automatically so the thrill of leaning out of the train at 120Km/hr is gone. The internal doors also open and close automatically sensing passengers' movement. Also, the biggest improvement is the Toilets and looks like it is up there at last without the smell and dirt. Of course, there are a couple of support staff to clean the floor, and toilets constantly and I was bemused when dirt, and thrash kept appearing on floor. Are Indians so bad?? I expected a Paid WIFI and it was not there. Snacks are also sold for a price besides free 1 time snacks and that is a big improvement from Shatabdi. The snack was of good quality. 

Oh yes! As for Journey, the train's true Indian tradition was 110 min late at one time and ended up at Madras Central being 70 min late at 830pm. The consolation was seeing Kilometers still to go to Madras, as well as current speed, some memory of seeing the same at Shanghai Maglev.  (At one stage the driver hit speed of 135 Km/ hr) !!! Vandae Bhart is a good one to try one time for the experience! As the fare is close to the Airline fare (Rs1800 Exec Class vs Rs 2100 Airfare!). Yes, you have to put up with Narendra Modi appearing every 5 min flagging of the train!! hahahah!!! True to the train journey of the old days of the 80s I carried a Printed Book, and could do 50%!! 

India is way way behind for Bullet Trains or Eurostar but this is a very good beginning.! Oh Yes I won't mind paying another 50% more for a mobile free coach. The conversation jibber/  noise is just sickening one reason I would any day prefer air travel and stick to it! Oh yes, My First Shatabdi journey will linger more, as it was a game changer from 40 Km /hr to 80 Km/hr. (2000, I think, Bombay- Vapi). 

I took the Airway back home last night, and that flight too was an hour late reaching home at 1 am!! The biggest shock was the last 6km to Madras Airport, which took 70 min giving me anxious moments. My Driver Anbu told me he had never seen such a traffic jam in his 15 years of life driving Madras. The mystery was unraveled this morning as it was due to the arrival of the President of India Ms. Draupadi Murmu into the city.. (No Wonder!). 
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IMG_2888.jpgGolden Gate rereading after 42 years! 
IMG_2889.jpgMy policy of no food between 2 to 7pm made me carry it home!! it is lying now at kitchen! hahhah! I had the perishables at 10 pm with Dinner as starters! 
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Enroute to South TN, try this Restaurant 99Km from Madras, it is an Amazingly, very different type of food (millet, Red Rice etc in breakfast items!). This is being run by an Airforce veteran. 

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Regards
Karthik
6th Aug 2023. 

Wednesday, August 02, 2023

Podcast I listen to

I have been listening to Podcasts since 2007 January. (I got an 80Gb Ipod at Bangkok Airport) I used to download and sync podcasts to the device back in those days. 

People were curious about what Podcasts I listen to keep myself current. 

Here are the list as of August 2023. I listen to about 3 hrs of podcasts. (@3X Speed thro OVERCAST) podcast app. 

Happy listening.

Karthik. 

PS: Uploads are the MP3 file I personally upload to listen like Audio Books, Youtube videos -Audio converted...(Especially Interviews etc.). 





Tuesday, August 01, 2023

My Ashes Moments down the lane..! (1975-2023).

 Ashes Moments down the lane.. The only cricket matches I follow; rest all given up! 


What an incredible finish, England like last time in 2019, tied 2-2. Australia like last time won toss, lost the match chasing! 2-2 is a fair result. (England should have won 3-2, but that is cricket)
My no electronic devices after 7pm policy, prevented me from watching live this ashes series, and I catch up on highlights at 430am post cup of coffee.! I watch few balls on the internet (Sky Sports UK)  with no Ad nonsense stuff from Indian broadcasters! This must have been my lowest following of the Ashes cricket series with less than 100 balls watched/ tracked.. Shows how much things take less priority as you age. (1981 we use to wake up 5am for 530am Ashes start or awake till 12 Midnight in England for 85, 2005 Ashes). 
It was also a great pleasure listening to John Arlott, Alan McGilvaray, Brian Johnston, Christopher Martin- Jenkins, and Jim Maxwell.. What commentators, They through their voice, brought cricket to your eyes. 

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Let me know your Ashes Memory, the famous one!!???
Have a good day
Regards
Karthik. 

Ashes being the greatest cricket event, may be the top 5 sporting events. I thought I would go through my memory (NO Google) on key Ashes moments from 1975……!

1975 Sydney Test Aussies regained Ashes, Greg Chappal caught Arnold off Mallet. 3-0, 2 to play.

1977 Geoff Boycott Series 100s, Batted 5 days in a test,  England regain Ashes 3-0. Alan Knott epic rescues. Bob Woolmer too class act. 

1978-> Enter Alan Border / Rodney Hogg… Nothing could be done, England pound Aussies 5-1. Lambs to Slaughter.

1979 3 tests between West Indies vs Aussies matches. Aussies won 3-0, Geoff Boycott 99 Not out, carried his bat too.. 1st player to be left stranded on 99.

1981- Bothm Ashes. Enough said…! Personally, disappointing even radio commentary stopped. I watched Bob Willis spell first time yesterday boy what an Angry man! (Leeds!) 

1983- Enter Geoff Lawson, destroyer..! Aussies Regained Ashes 2-1. Miller famous rebound catch of Tavare to end Thomson Border resistance!!!

1985 England pounded Aussies…. 4-1 I think after 1-0 trailing, Wayne Philips out, conterversial catch of Gower Boot. Gower/ Gooch 300 runs in a day..

1986-> Enter Steve Waugh… England Retain Ashes. Mike Gatting said No hope for Australian Cricket.

1989 Border Win Ashes… Big Merv Knocks the stumps down… Terry Alderman like 1981 had lot of fun but on winning side this time.  Fastest Regain of Ashes..! Boon and Marsh 304/0 end day 1..! First ashes I didn't even have a radio to listen or track scores, as I moved to a new place/ new job. (Ratlam Madhya Pradesh!)

1992- Aussies dominance continues home, Darren Gough heroics for consolation win.

1993- Shane Warne ball of century…. Aussies win easily. England out of depth. Graham Thorpe the hope star for England.

1995 I don’t remember this series… Wonder why??? Aussies won 3-1 or so….

1997---Aussies dominance continues in England, they come back after first test loss to win 3-1.
1999- Ashes stay in Australia. 3-1 I cant even remember this series as England were in worst performance so not much followed up. Also I was busy in chaning jobs and so cricket was last thing on mind.

2001- Ashes 3-1 Another fastest win… Waugh, Warne, McGrath pound England.

2003- 4-1 Australia, England Cricket at its lowest.

2005 The greatest Ashes Ever 2-1 with Petersen century.. England Regained Ashes after 1985, I was in Thailand listening over Internet. First time crowd came to watch cricket match praying all 5 days of rain… (England up 2-1 and rains would do!).

2007 Australia Regained Ashes. Pounding poor games by England after dominating many times.

2009, 13, 15, 19, 2023--- England Didn’t lose Ashes series in England. Australia have not won Ashes in England since 2001…! England won 9,13,15 and draw 2-2. 19 and 2023. England bowling was too good!!

2010- England Regained Ashes and won in Australia 3-1 after 1-0 down. 400 for 1 was common score for England and as was Australia’s 39/5… Showed gulf in class..!

2014,18,22-- England had no answer to Aussies on slaught! Series was lost even before it began! Only Question now is My favorite crickter Joe Root, would ever win an Ashes or score 100s in Australia! 

Saturday, July 29, 2023

DIGI YATRA

 I was on a 2-day Business visit to Bombay (Kalyan). (Boy it is pouring a lot here- I am reminded of 26th July 2005 when 900mm rain fell in 24 hrs and how I escaped that day by a few hours by taking an earlier flight out of Bombay on Monsanto Business travel to Aurangabad!)!!!

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I used DIGIYATRA at Bangalore Airport, for the first time despite the APP being on my iPhone for the past 3-4 months. (It is an app equivalent to USA-TSI Check fast lane linked to facial recognition to the biometrics of your Aadhar card) It is a digital, paperless, identity system that allows you to go through entry into the airport, security, and into aircraft at the Boarding gate. There are special lines set up for every juncture for Digiyatra passengers. While I could whistle in seconds everywhere, as usual, the bags through the security check (Carryon bag took its own time due to ancient mummy-style conveyor and incompetent manual checks which can take their own time to deduct /infer that the bag is good to go) nullified all the time gained. (Like our toll collection on the highway where it can take > 5 min to pay Rs. 100 in-car queue nullifying 100km /hr racing to reach the toll plaza!!)...!  Such are the things!! Unless they bring in American-type bag scanners that roll past in a flash, these systems would have bottlenecks and impede faster action. Manual inspection is never the way in 1000 passengers/hr, unless u train a few good people and make things go fast as happens in Dubai, Doha etc. 

Yes, one pleasant thing today is that my carryon bags came through unscathed and I didn't get into an argument with CISF security who check my bag even after the scan (It is usually diverted for further manual check) and nothing would turn up and as usual they are not accountable to answer me as to why my bag went on the special scrutiny lane, thus wasting my time. The Airport security is as unaccountable for anything, as Joseph Robbinete Biden Jr. 

Would I try again DIGIYATRA? I may give another couple of shots, then decide that I would rather undergo the torture of normal lines knowing that I have 0 expectations of anything good happening in Indian Airports, and then get a pleasant experience if things breeze through like many other things in India, where we compare ourselves to better things here than in Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq, Somalia, etc and smile, cheer and move on! 

DIGIYATRA is now available in Bangalore, Pune, Hyderabad, Benares, Bezwada, and New Delhi. 

Regards
Karthik. 

Tuesday, July 25, 2023

Why I won't go watch even one World Cup Cricket match, despite 5 matches in Bangalore!!!!

Shravan, my son, insists that I go for the matches at Bangalore saying, "100$ a ticket Dad,  I shall get you"! I have flatly refused.! (We both went 2000 Miles to Qatar to see 6 world cup football matches in 4 days in warmer conditions in November 2022 !! What an awesome experience it was !)..!!!  In fact, I may even spend 0 time watching any match even on TV/ Internet, the white ball game has become such an untouchable/ loathed sport. 


The one time I went for a cricket match in India was more to show my Dad what a test match is all about and let him enjoy the atmosphere, (He arranged for me to go watch the 1981 Madras test) so I took the trouble to get a good VIP ticket. Fortunately, 20 years back the madness was less in Bangalore. (Michael Clarke Debut test). 

Sidharth Monga below in his ESPN Cricinfo article, speaks my mind!! Also, cricket matches are gambling with illegal aspects ruling roost, and game rules bent as required, unlike Football!!


Regards
Karthik.  
I reproduce article below for easy reading.....
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Can Indian fans ever expect a pleasant stadium experience?
There are glimmers of hope as the BCCI looks to address some of the most pressing spectator grievances ahead of the World Cup


Fans took shelter on the stairwells and under the bleachers as the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad dripped and leaked around them during the rain-disrupted IPL final  •  Associated Press
Fans took shelter on the stairwells and under the bleachers as the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad dripped and leaked around them during the rain-disrupted IPL final  •  Associated Press

Earlier this month, the ICC AGM ratified its new revenue model, which gives the BCCI nearly 40% of the ICC's net surplus earnings. In the last cycle the BCCI's share was a little under 25%, a compromise between what the Indian board wanted through the infamous Big Three "reforms" and what the ICC board agreed on with an overwhelming majority.

This year the new model met significantly less resistance than the Big Three proposal did. It is being seen as vindication of the BCCI's stance - a constant source of tension in the ICC - that it should get a bigger share by virtue of how much the Indian market contributes to the ICC's revenue.

The Indian market contributes so much because it can sell the product - live coverage of cricket matches - to a much bigger population than the rest of the cricket world combined. The BCCI has argued its case, and now managed to seemingly convince the rest of the world, for a larger share on the basis of the high numbers and the passion of Indian cricket fans.


Even as discussions about the revenue model were being held at ICC headquarters in May, a number of the Indian fans on whom the BCCI's empire is built were being baton-charged outside cricket stadiums and ticket collection points as they tried to get themselves tickets for IPL matches. Even those who had managed to buy the small percentage of tickets made available online needed to collect physical copies of them by queuing up. Those who wished to actually buy the tickets being sold offline turned up in larger numbers. In peak summer, with no shade, people waited hours for tickets that would run out in minutes.

There was no attempt made to separate the two kinds of customers. Naturally there was chaos. Out came the batons, a colonial gift the Indian police have refused to give up even after 75 years of independence. They must be an effective tool for crowd management given how commonly they are used by Indian police.


There was no one outside the ticket offices from the BCCI or the state association hosting the match. On the part of the ticketing partners, bouncers in dark safari suits - the kind you see in the security detail of important Indians - and blue lanyards were seen using force to manage the crowds as if they were not genuine customers but trespassers.


In Ahmedabad, ticket sales at the counters at the stadium started only one day before the final. Those who had booked tickets online received emails telling them they needed to pick their physical tickets up before match day; it would not be possible to collect them the day of the game. To create the perfect storm, it was decided that for this match there would be no other collection points in the city. Nightmarish stampede-like scenes ensued for both playoff games in Ahmedabad.

These were people who had paid or were willing to pay hefty sums of money for the tickets.


****


Procuring a ticket is not the end of the ordeal. Getting to and from some of India's newer cricket stadiums is a trek. There is no reliable public transport and taxicabs are hard to come by. Once you get there, you become part of slowly moving queues early on match day because the gates won't open early and every single person has to be frisked so that they don't take in water bottles, coins, pens, pencils and erasers, to name only a few things, But the stadiums still somehow smell of chewing tobacco and the seats are stained with the red magic elixir that marks so many public spaces in India, to go with dust and bird droppings. It is a good job newspapers are allowed inside because you need them to cover the dirty seats with.

Most people who make it into the stadium choose not to drink water or eat the often unhygienically prepared food, not because it is exorbitantly priced, which it is, but because they don't want to be forced into a situation where they have to visit the dirty, unusable toilets. They can't even hope to go out and use the services elsewhere because the tickets allow only a single entry into the stadium.


During the final, when it rained in Ahmedabad, the rain water from the stands drained onto the people in the stands. By design, not malfunction. Water cascaded down stairwells. In that rain, without umbrellas (because umbrellas are not allowed in the ground), people had to make sure they kept the QR code on their paper tickets intact so they could come back for the reserve day.


Earlier this year, the BCCI moved a Border-Gavaskar Trophy Test from Dharamsala to Indore at the last minute because the outfield in Dharamsala was not ready. After weeks of uncertainty and panic among those who had booked their travel to, and stay in, Dharamsala, the BCCI's media release didn't express any regret to the fans. It didn't address the fans or consider the possibility of any inconvenience caused to them.

****


Can there be a bigger show of power than being able to treat like dirt your biggest asset, your biggest bargaining chip? The fans are the reason you can win any argument at the ICC. They are the weight behind every threat you make of withdrawing from a tour. They are the reason the red carpet is rolled out for your team everywhere you go. And you don't even have to care about them.

How powerful you must feel knowing that even if you don't build it, they will come. Indian cricket grounds are like trains in the country: dirty, dangerous, and manned by rude people, but there is no alternative to them.

Nobody at the BCCI is tasked with enforcing the basic minimum requirements for the ticketing process and the fan experience at the stadiums. Someone who runs quality checks, who can appraise the venues. The BCCI is in charge of only the playing surface and the players and match officials' (PMO) areas in the grounds.


The BCCI is but a union of its state associations, for whose convenience it exists. It can't meddle with how the state units deal with match tickets or how fans at those associations' grounds are treated. The stadiums belong to the state units. There is no incentive to be fan-friendly. There is no deterrent for the absence of toilets or leaky roofs, because match hosting opportunities are granted by rotation. Unless you are Ahmedabad.

The match ticket is a powerful political and diplomatic tool. The state units keep their constituent clubs and other powers in their constituency happy with complimentary tickets. There is no way they will part with that source of power just to make sure more genuine fans come in. Gate money is loose change compared to what a free ticket handed out to the right person can buy.

When the BCCI made the last-minute call to move the Border-Gavaskar Trophy Test to Indore, the reason it offered was that the extreme weather in the hills had interfered with the preparation of the re-laid outfield. That is not something that happened overnight. It is highly unlikely the BCCI didn't know well in advance that the stadium in Dharamsala was in a race against time. If they knew, they found it too extreme a step to take the match away from a powerful member unit that was insistent on hosting it. On the off chance the BCCI didn't know, the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association didn't feel the need to apprise it of the readiness of the ground. Either way, the loser was the fan.

And at the end of the day, as it happened, if not in Dharamsala, in Indore, "they will come". In this market, the fan can't boycott stadiums in the hope that will bring about change, because there are tens of thousands of others willing to do anything even for this horrid experience.


During the 2012 IPL, the Chinnaswamy Stadium was stinkier than your usual cricket ground in India. That was because the Bangalore Municipal Corporation refused to collect garbage from the stadium. Turned out it was because the municipal authorities were told they would be given only a little more than half of the number of free passes they had asked for.


If the stink of the garbage didn't work, a threat to change the discounted rates at which the cricket association was paying tax surely did. The deputy mayor then told the Times of India that the Karnataka State Cricket Association was paying only 1% of the normal rate for advertisement tax and garbage collection. Not only does the fan lose out on tickets, the common taxpayer also pays for these tax discounts the BCCI and its state associations are afforded.

To be fair to the BCCI, though, working with local authorities in the various states is not easy. A lot of the rules that make the ground experience uncomfortable for people are imposed by the police. The police decide what people can take inside the stadium. If certain venues make you walk kilometres, it is because the police disallow vehicles beyond a point. It is the police who prohibit fans from going out of the stadium and coming back in again, presumably to make sure people don't throw their tickets over the fence to their friends, who can then use them to enter illegally.

The police, like any wing of Indian bureaucracy, doesn't take kindly to what it sees as meddling. So if the BCCI wants to use paperless tickets, it has to do so with the blessings of the police. And the last thing the police wants is change.

A big chunk of complimentary tickets has to go to the police, just like it has to go to the municipality and other departments that ensure the smooth running of any given match.

And part of blame for the lack of cleanliness in India's cricket grounds has to go to us. Our crowds - and indeed Pakistan's and Bangladesh's - are products of a patriarchal and casteist society, where cleaning up afterwards is always someone else's job. It is no wonder the janitors are overwhelmed when a big crowd turns up.

****


Between the state associations and local authorities, some benefit of doubt can be afforded to the BCCI, especially to its straitjacketed professional wing. There are many things the board does right, despite similar challenges, including using its political clout to better work with government agencies. Remember the time the IPL was moved to South Africa at short notice in 2009? Or when the tournament was played in the UAE during Covid?

With little incentive to make the fans' experience more pleasant, with fans holding so little agency, it purely comes down to the board's will. If there is a will to go out of its way, the BCCI can do better by the fans.

Fortunately, in a World Cup year, there seems to be some will to make this happen. During this year's IPL, the BCCI carried out an internal (but independent) audit of the stadiums that will host World Cup games. ESPNcricinfo has learnt that outside of any structural changes that might be required, three common areas of improvement identified were accessibility, clean seats and clean toilets - and in some cases, more toilets. These are the urgent priorities for the board in the lead-up to the World Cup.

A sign that it is not all just talk is how paperless tickets were trialled during the IPL playoffs in Chennai. Fans in that city were extremely unhappy this year because of the low number of tickets put up for sale, despite all the stands in the ground being functional. The centralised ticketing process, especially the paperless tickets, came in for praise during the playoffs. A higher number of tickets than before went up for sale, and those who bought them online didn't have to queue for paper versions later.

The BCCI is not the only Asian board reluctant to go paperless. SLC and the BCB haven't tried it, and the PCB didn't stick with the experiment for long. However, the BCCI is believed to be satisfied with the trial and is likely to make a case for broader implementation to the board's apex council. Fears of chaos caused by the same ticket being presented multiple times for entry seem to be unfounded.

Don't get your hopes up for access for the differently abled yet, but the BCCI seems to be working on getting people into and out of the stadiums quicker. Cleaner seats and more and cleaner toilets is something they are hopeful of delivering. The spending on these projects has been centralised, which means it is down to one organisation's will and not that of ten state associations.

The proof of the pudding, though, is in the eating. That even these small improvements are going to be a tall order is clear from how tickets have not yet gone up for sale close to two months before the World Cup. Air tickets to and from the hosting cities, and hotel tariffs, have already skyrocketed. Still, there is cause for optimism that the BCCI is acknowledging fans' issues and looking to tangibly work at addressing them. Because if the BCCI does have the will to do something, it has all the tools to make it happen.

Sidharth Monga is an assistant editor at ESPNcricinfo

Oppenheimer

 Lalitha and I are just back on this rainy muggy day Sunday here in Bangalore, watching the movie, "Oppenheimer". This movie is also special, as this is the first movie in 33 years of married life that Lalitha and I are seeing at the theater with just both of us. (The total movie could be about 10 or so in the 20 years of movie watching since children pestered me to take them to Harry Potter movies back in the early 2000s and then they took me to movies which I selected like Reacher, The Post, Dunkirk etc.). Also, I broke the promise of 1 movie a year with 2 movies in 6 weeks. (hahhahah But still one movie a year in India holds good!).....


Oppenheimer is a must-watch- must not miss the movie. Please take 4 hrs of your time to go and see. Christopher Nolan has mixed the past (Black and White) and present of the Oppenheimer saga. How he built the bomb, the challenges as well as how his left-leaning tendencies worked against him post the Atomic Bomb development. I don't want to spoil the plot. 

The music score by Ludwig Gorransson (It was always Hans Zimmer until Dunkirk for Christopher Nolan) adds spice to the picture. Characters just stand out. No wonder Matt Damon came out of his self-imposed exile from the movies to play Gen. Leslie Groves (He promised his wife that he would act only if directed by Christopher Nolan).!! If the Academy of Movies is unbiased without its woke ideology and stupid rules of the ratio of Diversity, this should sweep the Oscars!! Let's see in March 2024.....

Enjoy it.... 
Regards
Karthik. 
PS: One surprising aspect was when Cillian Murphy and Robert Downey Jr made their initial appearances in the movie scene, the cheer and whistle were surprising. More so from my back rows which was Platinum- high price seats!! 
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