Good Friday RATs

Today is ‘Good Friday’. For Keralites however, its not that ‘good’; its “Sorrow Friday{DukhaVelli}”. Why is it so ? Is a good Friday a sorrowful one? I am not sure !
Here are a few more good Friday RATs !
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Year 2020 : All power stations - hydroelectric, thermal, and nuclear power stations - are closed for ever. All Power generating and distributing companies, including Reliance Power, NTPC, and even our darling KSEB, are all closed, for ever.

Year 2025 : All refineries are shut down for ever. No more petrol/diesel outlets.

{ Do you think how’s this all ? Simple. By 2025, you won’t need electric power as of now. Yet, you’ll have all your gadgets and machines, and more. All homes, offices, and factories will draw their own power from the surroundings (self-sufficient). After all, you need very little power to run your home or office ( for all your needs). }
Arthur C Clarke
The creator of 2001: A space odyssey died on last Wednesday. More than a Science fiction writer, he had a fantastic vision, on how the world would be in future. He was one who predicted that man would be able to predict the climate and weather, well in advance.
Last two days, the print media carried a lot about this great visionary. While reading some of them, I remembered Prof. Pisharody, the great Indian Scientist.
I heard, from my colleagues in the MET department, that Prof.Pisharody could use ‘natural signs’ to predict weather. Eg., when ‘Kanikkonna’ blooms in Kerala region, it’s the onset of pre-Monsoon.
But I know one thing for sure. My grand mother could make very short term weather predictions. In the morning ( or daytime), “Kaakka nananjirangiyaal, annu thorilla ! “. This means : If it rains, and if crows are flying around wet in the rains, then its going to be rainy for the whole day.

Is someone compiling all this kind of rich knowledge ? Village knowledge resources !!

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Virgin ideas are haunting me ! Did you see the advertisement, about getting paid ? If not, please see my last day’s posts, and come back.
Today, let me refer to another news in the Business India magazine. Virgin Mobile launched their mobile services in India, through a franchisee arrangement with Tata Teleservices ( your Tata Indicom people !). The financial arrangements, for the partnership, are not known. However, we know and expect, Virgin would have paid heavily for using the TataTele services and infrastructure. But now all are in a confusion; who is who’s franchisee ? The report says, Virgin gets payments, as royalty fee, from TataTele. That’s business !
Who asked “What’s in a name” ? Don’t bother; Branson knows ‘there’s lot in a name’. A name is enough to earn business , and so means money.

Want another example for the value of a name ? Then here it is : Mohanlal’s name sells a lot of that ayurvedic powder. Got it ?

Get paid for using services : Mobile phones, TV, PC, Net, ..

A few years back, when Mobile phones were introduced in Trivandrum, one of my friends took a mobile connection. The then rates were sbout Rs. 4.5 per minute ! Mobile phones, more of a status symbol !
When we were chatting in the canteen over the lunch, he was quoting this himalayan rates. Then I told him :
The days are not far, when you will get money for having a phone (mobile or not !), and more money to use it. Everyone laughed it off.
Now, I am about to call my friend to tell/show him what "Virgin Mobile" is offering.
Virgin now offers 10 paise for every minute of your incoming calls.
Here is the turn of the system. Instead of paying for a service, you get paid for availing it.

The "service" is no more an offer to use a facility (by paying the company), but to use it by getting paid by the consumer.

Look at that offer in a different angle. Wow, Virgin has a fantastic idea ( a virgin idea ? ). Every call received is a call made ! Every company prompts you to make calls, Virgin prompts you to receive calls. That's the virgin idea !!

Are you mobile phone companies, cable TV/ DTH companies listening ? ( I am sure they are !). But can you visualise what Virgin (or another smart one !) is going to do ?

They will offer : free mobile connections, free outgoing calls, and get paid to receive calls. More attractions will certainly follow.

Oh! it took a virgin idea for the turn around.