Friday Quiz - XI

Here is a new quiz to get cracking at:

1. Which team in sports was in the news recently due to a bid by Vijay Mallya as part of consortium Orange India Holdings?
2. What is OpenID? (even a close answer is fine.)


3. Identify him.
4. Connect Finding Nemo, Monsters Inc, Incredibles, Cars.
5. Whose punchline is : "Let your fingers do the walking. "
6. "Think Small."
7. Name the missing in the Apu Trilogy: _____ , Aparajito and Apur Sansar. Which famous person would you link this to?
8. Which company recently tookover Dow Jones (or with which it was merged), the publisher of 'The Wall Street Journal'?
9. What is the name of the new free office suite from IBM?
10. What is called a 'Nelson' in cricket?

Check out the answers in comments.

Himanshu

Friday Quiz - X

Hi friends,

After a long gap, I am back with this week's quiz. There are a few questions keeping up with the spirit of Indian Independence Day that was a few days ago.

1. Who lives at 4 Privet Drive?


2. Who lives at 221B Baker Street?


3. Where is the only licensed Indian flag manufacturing unit located in India?


4. According to official specification, what is the only material allowed in the making of the Indian Flag?


5. What is the code-name of the latest 4th generation Centrino platform by Intel released in May 2007?


6. Who is the world's largest manufacturer of digital camera?


7. Which Indian company has an in-house magazine called 'Namaste'?


8. Identify this product.


9. Who is the official timekeeper for F1?


10. Whose motto is "Dictum Meum Pactum” meaning "My Word is My Bond"?

P.S.: Q 6-10 are from the Delhi and Hyderabad rounds of Tata Crucible Business Quiz and not my own.

For answers check out the comments...

The next quiz will be in 2 weeks (tentatively ;).

All the best,
Himanshu

Friday Quiz - IX

Hi friends,

Here follows this week's quiz...

1. Who is the new CEO of Infosys?
2. In which country does Cannes lie(of Cannes Film Festival and Cannes Advertising Festival)?
3. Whose logo is this?
4. Who is the new Prime Minister of Britain?
5. What is name of the latest album by Enrique Iglesias?
6. Which comic character has a dog named 'Hot Dog'?
7. Who will be the next World Bank Chief replacing Paul Wolfowitz?
8. When you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it..." Where is this famous quote from?
9. Which famous family owns Hero Cycles? They started with Hero Cycles and moved onto Hero Honda in collaboration with Honda?
10. Connect: Antonio, Bassanio, Shylock, Portia. Which masterpiece are these characters from?

All the best...

Check the comments for correct answers.

PVR and other multiplexes - Overcharging and Cheating

I am sure most of us must have watched movies in the multiplexes that are mushrooming everywhere these days. The have become so popular that people now avoid going to the good old theatres. I agree that these new halls give a superior experience of watching movies, be it the the sound, seating comfort etc. Though the charges for a movie is more than double what you might pay in the good old theatres, the wholesome experience might justify the extra cost.

But nowadays these multiplexes have started making rules which cause inconvenience to the customers and give them a handsome profit. They do not allow you to take anything inside the hall except your mobile, wallet and clothes that you wear(thankfully!!). The other day a friend of mine had a packet of mouth freshner and the security at the entrance would not allow it inside. I fail to understand how that could be a security hazard?? This particular case happened in one of the largest multiplex group in India - PVR. They made him throw it away in the dustbin. People who had shopping items/carrybags were asked to deposit them at a retain chain in another floor.

One is not allowed to carry anything eatble/drinkable. So when you spend about 3.5 hours(most hindi movies are about 3 hours+time b4 and after the movie), you are bound to feel a little thirsty or hungry unless you have just had something before you come in. This in turn increases the sales of items at their counters inside the premises. And the prices are exhobitant to say the least. The prices are at least twice the normal and in many cases over 3 times. They do not sell packaged items in most cases as it restricts them to charge MRP. This is a sort of looting the public. And the authorities just dont care (or maybe they dont want to care).

A few months ago a TV channel had highlighted the case where bottled water was being charged Rs. 20 whereas the retail price is Rs.10. What was surprising was that the MRP itself was printed Rs. 20??? Now does not anyone smell irregularties here!!!!!!

What I fail to understand is that:
1) How can something that has been allowed to be carried into the mall/building be a security hazard inside the hall?
2) Why dont the authorities wake up and check the overcharging for the food at these theatres?

(ok... feeling lazy now.. wud add more later...)

Quiz

Hi frenz..

Sorry, no quiz again this week. Guess this shows how busy work is keeping me these days ;)

Quiz - VIII

Friday and its Quiz Time:

1. What is the name of the last(soon to be released) Harry Potter book in the series.
2. Now most of us must have travelled by Indian Railways. What does reservation status RAC stand for?
3. Whose logo is this?
4. Which brand has the punchline "How many do you have?"
5. Which company recently purchased the online portal CricInfo and from which company?
6. Connect: Spiff, Rosalyn, Susie Derkins, Moe, Wormwood. (Sitter... moreso if you know me:)
7. Another Connect: Home, Home Premium, Business, Enterprise, Ultimate
8. We all know the the Amul ads with witty takes on several topics. What is the advertisement below a take on?
9. Who coined the term BRIC (as in BRIC Countries, when they came out with BRIC report)?
10. Which films had the following tagline:
    The Fastest Hands In The East Meet The Biggest Mouth In The West
    A Hero Will Rise

Check out the comments for the answers.

Reservations II

For my earlier post refer -> Reservations

I am sure many of us (at least those in North India) must have face some trouble due to the Gujjar Reservation issue a few weeks ago.

These incidents of violence were just a trailer or where things might go from here.
For those who are unaware of the issue: Gujjar is a community which is categorized as OBC and enjoys limited reservation privileges. Now they want to be downgraded to ST(Scheduled Tribe) status.(ST is considered to be lower in the social ladder and so enjoy a lot more benefits from education to government job postings) . Not that they do not enjoy any but stepping to a lower rung would get them more.

Though they have calmed down now after an assurance that a committee would look into the issue in 3 months. But consider the consequences if they are granted the status!!!
Every other community would come on the road, hold governments to ransom and demand to to be downgraded. And then 100s of committees can be formed to look at it. And everyone can then be put into Scheduled Caste. (That would be wonderful).
All the politicians can then make election promises to get the community added to ST and thus procure votes.

On one hand, the ******* politicians are trying to divide on OBC status by getting them reservations in premier educational institutes, OBC communities are trying to move down to ST, and unreserved are trying to get into OBC. Now that is what I call "Survival of the weakest"(considering the social status), though nothing showed that they are underprivileged.

If only politicians start to realize the problems due to increasing reservations(I know they do realize but just that declaring it openly is not favorable to them..). Hoping at the judicial system takes notice and instructs the government to lay a concrete path to removing reservations gradually(wishful thinking!!!)

On the other hand... there is the Meena community...
(got to go... will continue some other time)

So much for equality...

Friday Quiz

Sorry, no quiz this week.
But do check out next week.

Quiz - VII

Here goes this week's quiz:

1. Which airline is going to be the first to introduce the Airbus A380, world's largest aircraft in its fleet?
2. Expand NASDAQ.
3. Whose logo is this?
4. Identify the advertiser.
5. Connect: Green, Gellar, Bing, Buffay, Tribbiani.
6. What are you referring to when you say 'Google Doodle'?
7. There are 6 Indian companies on Fortune 500 list currently. Reliance Industries, IOC, Bharat Petroleum, HPCL, ONGC are five of them. Name the missing one.
8. Though the theory has note been proved conclusively, what does 'six degrees of separation' mean/state?
9. what is ISBN and what is it used for?
10. Where is the famous museum Louvre located? (yes, the same museum from the Da Vinci Code)
    

Good goin everyone... for the answers chek out the comments...

Quiz - VI

Its Friday again.. and here is this week's quiz:

1. B.Tech.,Chemical Engineering ,Osmania University; MBA- IIM Ahmedabad; Member of the Rohinton Baria award winning Osmania Univ. team; Biographer for Mohammed Azharuddin; Worked for sometime at the Clarion ad agency; researcher for Sunil Gavaskar presents on Doordarshan.Now a scribe in his own right. Whom am I referring to?
2. Which four titles together constitute the Grand Slam in Tennis?
3. Connect Alerts, Labs, Scholar, Sets and Trends ?
4. Whose strapline is : "Kal par control" ?
5. In Bollywood, how do we better know Mumtaz Jahanara Begum?
6. Which state in India has its only official language as English?
7. What is the meaning of the word "Hi-Fi"?
8. Identify this.
9. In 1939, Ernest Vincent Wright wrote a novel 'Gadsby'. What is its claim to fame?
10. Who wrote Jana Gana Mana - the Indian national anthem? (u ought to get this...)

Check out the comments for the answers...

Road Trip Across India

Hey, wait... b4 u even think that this is my travelogue, let me say its not.

But this is one the best travelogue threads I have come across.
A guy and his family made this trip across India covering over 8K Km(that's right 8000 Km !!!) in 25 days.

This is an amazing account of developement or change sweeping across India right now. The photos and account of the travel is fantastic.

www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=341281

Hope u enjoy it as much as I did... and wish I would be able to do it myself someday...

Cheers,
Himanshu

Quiz - V

Here goes this Friday's Quiz:

1. Name the films with the following taglines:
   The film they didn't want you to see...Is now the film you have to see!
   The question of whether or not we are alone in the universe has been answered
2. Name the brands with the following straplines:
   Better sound through research
   God's own country! (Has two answers, either is acceptable, getting both is a bonus:)
3. Which well-known company, headquartered as Silicon Valley, was the first to build an IT product with "Made in India" tag as it was fully made by their development centre in India?
4. In net jargon, what do the letters DQM stand for?
5. Which sports event is watched physically by the largest number of people?
6. Name the only country which does not have its name on postal stamps? (Sitter)
7. Why was 26 January selected as the Republic Day of India?
8. Which organisation's tagline or motto is: "Where the people meet the people"?
9. Which other country shares India's Independence day, August 15th as its Independence/Liberation Day?
10. What is the term used to describe the object in the picture? Also what is so peculiar about it?
    

For answers check out the comments.

Quiz - IV

So here's the Quiz for this week:

1. Expand NOIDA
2. Which company developed 'Blackberry' and owns the trademark?
3. “ Don’t Just Courier it, ______ it “. Identify the company
4. Name the Bank founded by Professor Mohammed Yunus
5. This dyslexic 16 yr old student dropped out of his school to found the British Magazine called ‘Student’. His headmaster remarked "I predict that you will either go to prison or become a millionaire." He did both. He was imprisoned for dodging the customs. Now a millionaire. Whom I am talking about?


6. Identify the advertiser.


7. Identify the advertiser.
8. Name the films with the following taglines:
   A Hero Will Rise
   There are 3.7 trillion fish in the ocean*, they're looking for one
9. What is the Snellen Chart used for?
10. Who is the well-known chairman of the board of Berkshire Hathway?

For Answers, check out the comments.

Best shots through my lens

Brighton

Dhanaulti

Paradoxically Speaking

I find paradoxes interesting...
some thoughts...

The Universe is defined as "everything that exists".

It is said that universe is expanding?
Now where is it expanding into? If everything that exists is the universe? There would be nothing left, not even vacuum of space to expand, coz that wud as well be part of the universe.

Counterpoint:
Also if that is so what is present beyond the universe, I mean what after everything.

Need a break...

Quiz - III

1. Who has classified his style of singing as “Urdu Blues”?
2. Name the films with the following taglines:
   The greatest fairy tale never told.
   She brought a small town to its feet and a huge corporation to its knees.
3. Who, in the 2006 Football World Cup, were referred to by the acronym WAGS?
4. Which comic character uses a machine called the "transmogrifier"?
5. What was Mark Twain referring to when he said “this day on which are reminded of what we are on the other 364”?
6. Which is the only country to have its map on the National flag?
7. What is the Stockholm Syndrome?
8. Name the author of the book, "Who Moved My Cheese?"?
9. Who was the first space tourist?
10. Which company's tag-line is(was?): 'Natural Gas, Electricity. Endless possibilities'?

For answers, click on comments.

Quiz - II

1. In Tennis, what is known as “Double Bagel”?
2. Name the only team to have participated in all the F1 races.(Sitter)
3. Which films had the following taglines:
   Collide with Destiny.
   The guy next door just became the man upstairs
4. Which Fevicol commercial won the Cannes Silver Lion in 2002?
5. Name the creator of the Calvin & Hobbes comic strip characters?(Another sitter)
6. Where is the headquarters of Bata Shoes?
7. After acquisition of Sahara, Jet will brand it as a separate airline as a value carrier. what is going to be the new brand name?
8. Where and in which year did India's first metro run?
9. What was CII(Confederation of Indian Industry) earlier known as?
10. What is the name of the dog in HMV logo?

For answers, click on comments.

Quiz - I

1. He got admission in Lala Lajpatrai College in Mumbai in the cricketquota. He was a right handed batsman and left arm spinner but never played for the college team. He once told Sucheta Dalal that he would've played Ranji for MP if he had stayed on at Raipur and not migrated to Mumbai. His first job was as a clerk for New India Assurance for Rs. 600?
   
2. This appeared in a company's annual report - "A billion hours ago, human life appeared on earth. A billion minutes ago, Christianity emerged. A billion __________ ago was yesterday morning". Fill in the blank.
   
3. What is common to Deepak Shodhan, Lala Amarnath,Hanumant Singh, Abbas Ali Baig, Surinder Amarnath and Pravin Amre?
   
4. Lt. Col. Douglas Kirkpatrick ( Prof. of Aeronautics at USAF Academy ) on observing something said : ___ has overcome the acceleration of the earth's gravity by use of muscle power in the vertical plane, thus producing a low-altitude earth orbit.
   
5. What is special/significance of the number of shares Google is offering in its second public offer i.e, 14,159,265?
   
6. Connect jhankaar,Amore,Upop,Swing,Shruti..
   
7. Described by one of its stars as "Four hours long, with no stars, and no women, and no love story, and not much action either", this film nevertheless took 7 Oscars at the 1963 Awards, including the ones for Best Film and Best Director. Just name the film.

For answers, click on comments.

Quizzing..

Hi there...

Any quiz aficionados over here... If yes, u might want to try ur hands at the quizzes that I would post from now on(most probably weekly, every Friday).

Lets start with a short quiz you might want to rack ur brains at.

Post in ur answers... & No googling though..;-)
The only prizes : Getting to know how good ur :)

-Cheers
Himanshu

Gurgaon Woes...

Gurgaon, also called the city of malls or the millenium city. But wait... I wonder why would it be the city of the millenium!!!
Just because the real estate prices are sky high... or because the architecture of buildings is brilliant... or because new construction projects are coming up at ever increasing prices...
But, what is it basically like to stay here-

1. The power situation is extremely poor and only getting worse. The winters have power cuts of over 2 hrs everyday and in summers you would be lucky if power outage is less than 8 hours on any given day.
2. Public transport is as close to nil as possible. The rickety buses that ply between Delhi and Gurgaon are not worth getting on but they are the only option (unless u want to use the private cabs and risk ur life after the number of incidents in recent times).
3. I do not seem to understand the reason for lack of buses within gurgaon. Not that it is a small town. The distance from the railway station to sec57 would be in excess of 15 km. and there are areas which are further apart. Also no autos ply on the road, at least on the better planned side of NH. This leaves hiring a cab as the only option, which is a very expensive.
4. Traffic discipline/management is again nowhere to be seen. Just because the newer parts of city has decent roads does not mean everything is fine. No one follows rules. There are very few traffic lights and fewer still which work. Even where they work, people hardly care to wait and jumping signal is no big deal. Sometime when I wait, I feel foolish when everyone just drives past caring least for the red light.
5. After the flyovers on NH finally opened(though supposed to be completed long back), the number of accidents is consistently on the rise. No arrangements are in place for pedestrians who want to go to the other side and they risk there lives just to cross the road.
6. You can always see the cows, sheep, donkeys blocking the roads and causing a traffic snarl once a while too frequently.
7. Security: This is another issue that keeps cropping up in news papers everyday. I think anyone living in the place would agree that they dont feel safe going out alone in the dark. petty thieves, robbery even killing just for small amounts can be read in the newspapers almost everyday.

Inspite of lack of basic amenities like transport, power, security... whey would it become a millenium city... are you sure we are talking about the 21st century!!!

(feeling at peace, after pouring out my rants... :)

Reservations

A step in the right direction. Thats what the SC's order of stay on OBC reservations looks like.

Why are people ready to be divided on caste lines?
Even after almost 60 years of independence, and all those quotas, the only reason benefits are not reaching the needy is that the same people are gaining again and again. I mean that ppl from families who has at least 1 well educated person(person with a good job) should be kept out of the quota ambit. This is what constitutes the creamy layer.
As for the others in need, quota is not the answer.
The points raised are they do not have proper resources/access to education to compete. If that is the case, government should try and provide these basic things rather than trying to spoil one of the very few things that works in India.

Why does the government not do something about Primary education?
Why do they not concentrate on preventing school dropouts?
Why do they not make sure that books and healthy food are available?
If people who do not have proper foundation, enter the best of the institutes, what purpose would it serve?
Would they be able to do well/compete?
What kind of doctors/engineers/any other professional would they make?
Very few of them would actually be able to complete the course unless it is also based on quota
(say reserved quota need to study only chapter 1-10, General Category - Chapters 1-20)

And I think people should know better than to fall for such caste-based politics that politicians have been using since long.

Its high time, concentrated effort is put to improve primary education and the affect would flow higher education automatically .
(I know the points here are not very organized, might just consider it a reflection of the title of the blog ;)

Interesting thoughts...

Five lessons to learn from a humble pencil:

• It tells you that everything you do will always leave a Mark.
• You can always correct the mistake you make
• The important thing in life is what you are from inside and not from outside
• In life you will undergo painful sharpening which will make you better in whatever you do
• Finally, to be the best you can be, you must allow yourself to be held and guided by the hand that holds you