(Karthik Narayan)
People are going gaga around the world over Geographical Indications. If you haven't really heard of those... they are things that a particular place is famous for, hence to safeguard it to make it more popular or whatever reason we want to call it, we try to put it in the column Geographical Indications.
According to wiki: A geographical indication (GI) is a name or sign used on certain products which corresponds to a specific geographical location or origin (eg. a town, region, or country). The use of a GI may act as a certification that the product possesses certain qualities, or enjoys a certain reputation, due to its geographical origin.
A famous example is Tirupathi Laddoo.
But I think people are missing one very important GI that even the Multi National Companies have started adopting - Indian roads!!
Sunday, November 08, 2009
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
NaNoWriMo
NaNoWriMo, OLL’s flagship event, is a free annual program which challenges people from all over the world to write a 50,000‐word novel in a month. In 2008, more than 120,000 writers from over 90 countries took part in this high‐velocity adventure in fiction. Participants exchange advice and writing tips on the NaNoWriMo website and in their own communities, where group write‐ins are held in coffee shops, libraries, and living rooms. Over 150,000 aspiring writers are expected to participate in this
November’s marathon writing event, marking NaNoWriMo’s 10th anniversary.
The NaNoWriMo Young Writers Program also takes place in November and offers a similar prose adventure for 12‐and‐under authors and the K‐12 classroom set. Resources and curriculum materials are provided to teachers, youth librarians, and homeschooling parents to help get kids and teens excited about writing. Over 600 K‐12 classrooms participated in YWP last year. “With donations like this one from Amazon.com, the Office of Letters and Light can do so much more for the kids, teens, and adults who participate in our events,” said NaNoWriMo Founder and OLL Executive Director Chris Baty. “We can launch a pilot program to bring NaNoWrimo into libraries this fall, increase our Young Writers Program outreach to hundreds of new classrooms, and improve the accessibility and efficiency of the NaNoWriMo site.”
“NaNoWriMo and YWP give people the opportunity to discover their inner writer, and to do so in a supportive and collaborative atmosphere, both online and in local communities” said Jon Fine, director of Author and Publisher Relations at Amazon.com. “We are excited to support OLL and its programs, and the many future authors who will get their start this November.”
The Office of Letters and Light is a California 501(c)(3) nonprofit. If you would like more information about OLL, National Novel Writing Month, or the Young Writers Program please visit our website at www.nanowrimo.org or contact press@nanowrimo.org.
November’s marathon writing event, marking NaNoWriMo’s 10th anniversary.
The NaNoWriMo Young Writers Program also takes place in November and offers a similar prose adventure for 12‐and‐under authors and the K‐12 classroom set. Resources and curriculum materials are provided to teachers, youth librarians, and homeschooling parents to help get kids and teens excited about writing. Over 600 K‐12 classrooms participated in YWP last year. “With donations like this one from Amazon.com, the Office of Letters and Light can do so much more for the kids, teens, and adults who participate in our events,” said NaNoWriMo Founder and OLL Executive Director Chris Baty. “We can launch a pilot program to bring NaNoWrimo into libraries this fall, increase our Young Writers Program outreach to hundreds of new classrooms, and improve the accessibility and efficiency of the NaNoWriMo site.”
“NaNoWriMo and YWP give people the opportunity to discover their inner writer, and to do so in a supportive and collaborative atmosphere, both online and in local communities” said Jon Fine, director of Author and Publisher Relations at Amazon.com. “We are excited to support OLL and its programs, and the many future authors who will get their start this November.”
The Office of Letters and Light is a California 501(c)(3) nonprofit. If you would like more information about OLL, National Novel Writing Month, or the Young Writers Program please visit our website at www.nanowrimo.org or contact press@nanowrimo.org.
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Fortune at the bottom of the dosa
(Karthik Narayan)
This morning as I sat at my breakfast table, my mom served me her delicious dosas, the aroma of which is said to awake even a sleeping Kumbakarnan.
I was eating my dosas, with sambhar when I understood the true meaning of CK Prahlad's book title - Fortune at the bottom of the pyramid.
The dosa at the bottom of my plate was quietly drinking all the sambhar, drawing very less attention to itself.
Hurriedly, I managed to shift the bottom dosa to allocate more space and thus save some sambhar for the other dosas :)
Yummy though!
This morning as I sat at my breakfast table, my mom served me her delicious dosas, the aroma of which is said to awake even a sleeping Kumbakarnan.
I was eating my dosas, with sambhar when I understood the true meaning of CK Prahlad's book title - Fortune at the bottom of the pyramid.
The dosa at the bottom of my plate was quietly drinking all the sambhar, drawing very less attention to itself.
Hurriedly, I managed to shift the bottom dosa to allocate more space and thus save some sambhar for the other dosas :)
Yummy though!
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Daily one question
Hi
This has been going on for nearly a week now, but better late than never. I will be hosting a question daily on my gmail status msg that you can answer either thru an instant reply or thru email as is convenient for you.
check it out - these are one liners at the most supplemented with pics wherever possible...
KN
This has been going on for nearly a week now, but better late than never. I will be hosting a question daily on my gmail status msg that you can answer either thru an instant reply or thru email as is convenient for you.
check it out - these are one liners at the most supplemented with pics wherever possible...
KN
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Katisms - aggregator
Usually I manage to get some one-liners or witty ones (Or I like to think so). Like Bushisms these I call Katisms.
In due course of time, I plan to use them in some literary work that I hope to complete!!
Here's one that I made up today...
When i ask people an almost negligible favour they react as though i want them to swallow a live mouse!!
In due course of time, I plan to use them in some literary work that I hope to complete!!
Here's one that I made up today...
When i ask people an almost negligible favour they react as though i want them to swallow a live mouse!!
Wednesday, September 09, 2009
Back to blogging
(Karthik Narayan)
Its good to get back to blogging, my Number two activity after quizzing of course.
This time, I hope to be more regular, after a hiatus there should be some justification to get back to something you consider yourself good at - in this case blogging.
I am yet to finish the book I started writing a long time ago - mainly because of personal commitments and the toll of quizzing. Now with a short break, will provide more updates on how that is shaping up.
Basically got a perspective of the book from a few angles and have ideas to re-invent the whole thing. Not sure how motivated I am towards that...
Its good to get back to blogging, my Number two activity after quizzing of course.
This time, I hope to be more regular, after a hiatus there should be some justification to get back to something you consider yourself good at - in this case blogging.
I am yet to finish the book I started writing a long time ago - mainly because of personal commitments and the toll of quizzing. Now with a short break, will provide more updates on how that is shaping up.
Basically got a perspective of the book from a few angles and have ideas to re-invent the whole thing. Not sure how motivated I am towards that...
Tuesday, September 08, 2009
Coping with anger
(Karthik Narayan)
Do not reply/ do anything when angry. Just hold back, let it cool off for at least half a day.
This is perhaps the biggest lesson I have learnt in the last two weeks, as a build up to the Madras Quiz and later, when I was taking feedback about the Madras Quiz itself.
I did not learn the lesson and hold back my anger - instead I just went wild for a couple of minutes. One of the respondents who had cared in to send his feedback got a lashing from me. A nasty one that went not only to him but also to the rest of the Quizzing community. Not good...
The problem with anger is actually - how do you smother it? How on earth would you control an emotion that comes naturally to you and blinds your thoughts? It is quite tough, let me tell you.
I did not realise the power of anger until much later when I read what I had written to that guy. The note clearly showed my disapproval of his feedback, the fact that he had called the whole quiz a hotch-potch affair and the questions were a mere-re-do of old questions.
Obviously it was not true - which was why I got angry in the first place, but maybe I should have sent him a private stinker, maybe I should have just kept quiet... These were the thoughts that flashed through my mind.
That is what anger does to you - it closes your eyes and thoughts out, the only thing you want to do that particular moment is to tear that guy to pieces. And later it makes you remorseful - why at all lose sleep over someone's views? After all, everyone is entitled to his or her own views. This certainly would not augur well to argue over nothing, really.
So again - how does one hold back anger? Sentence yourself to "Do nothing". Take in deep breaths, even if it's at the speed of knots, even if you end up looking like one of those oxygen deprived fellas on the Moon. Take time off, read something, listen to music that you like (No hard rock please). Get some fresh air (you need air for deep breaths, remember?). Do anything to take your mind off what has happened.
Be diplomatic in taking feedback. This was the greatest lesson of all. All my life, Diplomacy was the last thing on my list. At the end of it all, I ended up sending an email that went like - "hey thanks for your time and feedback. We will address the issues and come back stronger in our future quizzes"!! Where was I all this time? Was this really me?
Yep - In times when you have erred, you should quieten down, slow the pace of things. It's a lot like having pudding (payasam) - it tastes best when its cold.
To err may be human and to forgive may be divine but to forget is Godly....
Do not reply/ do anything when angry. Just hold back, let it cool off for at least half a day.
This is perhaps the biggest lesson I have learnt in the last two weeks, as a build up to the Madras Quiz and later, when I was taking feedback about the Madras Quiz itself.
I did not learn the lesson and hold back my anger - instead I just went wild for a couple of minutes. One of the respondents who had cared in to send his feedback got a lashing from me. A nasty one that went not only to him but also to the rest of the Quizzing community. Not good...
The problem with anger is actually - how do you smother it? How on earth would you control an emotion that comes naturally to you and blinds your thoughts? It is quite tough, let me tell you.
I did not realise the power of anger until much later when I read what I had written to that guy. The note clearly showed my disapproval of his feedback, the fact that he had called the whole quiz a hotch-potch affair and the questions were a mere-re-do of old questions.
Obviously it was not true - which was why I got angry in the first place, but maybe I should have sent him a private stinker, maybe I should have just kept quiet... These were the thoughts that flashed through my mind.
That is what anger does to you - it closes your eyes and thoughts out, the only thing you want to do that particular moment is to tear that guy to pieces. And later it makes you remorseful - why at all lose sleep over someone's views? After all, everyone is entitled to his or her own views. This certainly would not augur well to argue over nothing, really.
So again - how does one hold back anger? Sentence yourself to "Do nothing". Take in deep breaths, even if it's at the speed of knots, even if you end up looking like one of those oxygen deprived fellas on the Moon. Take time off, read something, listen to music that you like (No hard rock please). Get some fresh air (you need air for deep breaths, remember?). Do anything to take your mind off what has happened.
Be diplomatic in taking feedback. This was the greatest lesson of all. All my life, Diplomacy was the last thing on my list. At the end of it all, I ended up sending an email that went like - "hey thanks for your time and feedback. We will address the issues and come back stronger in our future quizzes"!! Where was I all this time? Was this really me?
Yep - In times when you have erred, you should quieten down, slow the pace of things. It's a lot like having pudding (payasam) - it tastes best when its cold.
To err may be human and to forgive may be divine but to forget is Godly....
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