Armstrong cleared of 1999 doping: lawyers - REUTERS

 Viva La Lance!!

Quoted from – HP boost profits by 51%


"On Tuesday he (Mark Hurd, CEO, HP) showed progress in achieving both objectives as HP reported fiscal second-quarter profit that jumped 51 percent, largely on sales of more profitable types of PCs and printers and from stealing market share from its biggest rival in PCs. The results contrasted with a gloomy forecast last week from Dell Inc., the world's biggest PC maker."


Mark might be executing like he was built to, but this is Carly's strategy working. HP may never have been in a position to make money from PCs if volumes from Compaq were not there.

I still think, Carly got booted out for the wrong reasons. A CEO cannot execute when the board is not supportive. A leader that created the strategy should be given the opportunity and support to execute it. To dispute the fact that Carly may not have executed as well, you need to look at HP’s results for the quarter after Mark Hurd took over. It reads on similar lines as above. I guess this is continuing proof enough.

It is interesting to see Dell's ability to fight in a more mainstream market, where resellers and distribution channels need to be paid. Why is Dell even trying to look at these channels, when IBM and Compaq gave up figuring this out. They should be focusing on moving more people to a platform they own for sales, rather than try their hand at distribution channels they have beat earlier. I guess you need Dell to be back in the chair as Kevin Rollins might not respect this fully.

It is sad to see the media being used in such a spineless fight. Printing actual news is one thing, but proliferating speculation is plain immaturity at best.

I have watched Lance, live on TV for the last three Tours and seen him win. He and his team have been masters at all the ingredients - Strategy, Tactics, and Endurance - that were required to win a relentless race like Tour de France, not to speak of technology. This mastery has been evident in every one of his wins.

In fact, Lance has said so in so many words. He has told his opponents how to beat him. Asking them to train harder and understand what it takes to win the Tour. His teammates, witnesses to his brutal training practice cannot understand what drives the man. He seems to be a sucker for punishment when his opponents are enjoying a break in their training.

Any athlete would know what it takes to complete an event that lasts 20 straight days covering 2000 miles. Let alone competing to win. If you run everyday, you will know that your 20 min jog in the park on some days become pure agony. Nobody loves it all the time. Yet, some of us endure it. That is the thrill. Training for a 2000 Mile cycle race over the mountains?

Tour de France, can be considered a sport all by itself.

Hewlett-Packard, in its third fiscal quarter, earned $73 million (3 cents per share) versus $586 million (19 cents per share) a year ago, although the figure was drastically affected by a one-time tax adjustment, officials said. Revenue was $20.8 billion, versus $18.89 billion last year. HP's PC business was stable, the imaging/printing group saw profits fall but revenues grow, and the storage/servers division grew all around and made a profit, unlike last year. Services grew as well. Following recent layoffs, CEO Mark Hurd said he's still evaluating his next moves.

Me thinks this is still Fiorina's work that is paying off. Mark has not made many moves apart from a couple of layoffs. So HP may be sharper in getting things done now. But apart from that it is the Enterprise business that is working well with a massive 20% increase in revenues. PC is stable that is quite a achievement considering the market conditions.

I think this trend will run for a few more quarters before, new initiatives and thinking will be needed. So cheers to Carly!

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Originally uploaded by beteljues.

As alwasy I am cocky in the face of reponsibility!
God Save me.

There were exceptions!

Survival of the fittest was close.

But it should be "survival of the smartest……
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By association!"

I am going to be dad!

I am sure most of us that use auto’s in India would have had a feeling of being cheated due to faulty or tampered meters. I had this experience the other day that was unbelievable.

Taking a auto to work daily has given me an idea how much it usually costs and the distance from home to office and back.

The other day late in the night about 11.00 pm or so, going back home a friend dropped me to an auto stand, which was a good kilometer and a half from office. At the stand the usual bickering ensued and they found a guy that lived in my locality and asked him to take the fare. This guy demanded twice the meter. I was not sure if they were supposed to charge twice the money at 11.00 pm, and anyways this guy was headed where I was I told him I will give him one and a half times the fare. We quickly and finally settled at Rs. 20.00 more than one and half times the fare, which was almost what he, had asked for initially.

By the end of the journey I realized this guys meter was tampered with and the fare showed about 30% more than what is normal. Before paying I just mentioned it to him in the passing. This guy just took off on me and started yelling. I said I will call the cops and complain about him. He did not believe I would do that and when I actually called the 100 number he got really quite.

As I was explaining to the cop at the other end of the line, this is what I got to hear;

Me: Hello, I have a problem with an auto guy, he is charging me more.
Cop: Why don’t you just pay him whatever he wants and go!
Me: But he is cheating his meter is very wrong…
Cop: (Rudely) how do you know?
Me: I know because I travel …..
Cop: (Cutting me off) what are you a meter doctor or what?

At this stage I hung up and this had given the auto guy a new fillip. The auto guy had heard everything that was said. He started shouting and abusing me even more till I decided to call the Local Police Station. This time the cops were friendlier and promised to send a patrol immediately.

At this he suddenly became polite turned the meter to zero and said he does not want problems and asked to pay him what ever I thought was correct. I paid him and he scooted before the cops came.

I thanked the cops and went my way. But I was really really mad at the first response I got. Where the cop asked me if I was a Meter Doctor? All this after the local cops spend so much money advertising that we should call them in case we suspect overcharging or tampered meters.

What should I do? Complain or assume that he was just one ass among many that we have to deal with.

Went to the Mark Knopfler concert. Well, loved Dire Straits. Love his new music. He was awesome. For a musically challenged guy like me, his guitaring was beyond phenomenal. The audio quality was a big letdown though.

At the concert I overheard a conversation that is becoming a buzz in my ear and causing a lot of thought lately.

Episode One
A bunch of guys were running around the concert area in a human chain. Very obviously they were there for the fun of it and perhaps it was the thing to do. Apparently they got a little violent with a bunch of people during their run. 7 big guys against one or two guys is no match. These guys were gloating on the fun they had while pushing or beating the rest that wouldn’t give way. Some 3-4 instances of this occurred.

Folks with wife’s or Girlfriends who stood their ground and got beaten up for affirming their rights.

Episode Two
The other day I was chatting with an IT Industry veteran, among other things about the way big companies hire 1-4 years experienced people from smaller companies. Usually the hire gets no time to complete their notice period with the old company. As the offer is usually too good to pass up the young hire does not mind walking way from his current employer leaving things untied. This more than anything else, puts his / her colleagues through a burden that is unnecessary. The same guys that probably once worked as a team.

After all the usual reasons that did not quite provide a compelling answer, came a bombshell. “The biggest will do what they want. Try beating it, its survival of the fittest”

Episode Three
A couple of weeks ago, my brother got waylaid by a bunch of drunken political supporters of a small local election on the Highway to Bangalore at about 10 PM . These five guys pulled out a knife and proceeded to rob my brother and his friend of substantial amount of cash and two valuable gold and platinum chains.

The cops swung into action on receiving the complaint and as the details of the vehicle the description of the assailants was clear they were able to arrest the culprits the same night. Turns out, these guys were a son and relatives of a local panchayat leader. The father is running pillar to post to get these guys released without going to court. These guys are now pressurizing my brother and his friend to withdraw their complaint.

Behind bars and sober, the culprits and their family (which is very well to do) claim they did this for fun and can ascribe no reason at all for their behavior. Apart from robbery the act included almost stabbing my brother in the back and stomach with a fairly long knife.

In the first case it was educated people with professional responsibilities, in the second was a top management executive and in the third a bunch of hooligans that rule our nation.

In my opinion not much of a difference between these episodes. The common thread is that there is no need to fear the law or a self imposed code of conduct that respects everyone’s space and right to live in dignity. How long will this last?

I would say not long. There are not that many strong arms to go around. Once the weak rally, they will be a potent force. There will be no need to pardon the strong their sins. I guess the meek SHALL inherit the earth.

It is just a question of time, before the cup runs over.