Beijing Beauties

The Olympics brings us all a package of inspiration, patriotism and hope once in 4 years. We are in a lucky era to see people like Michael Phelps ruling the pool and yeah, Mr.Abhinav Bindra the lone gladiator from India. We are also lucky enough to witness some of nature's beautiful creatures jumping, swimming and having fun at Beijing. Have a look:

3. Achiever Beauty

Yelena Isinbayeva - Arguably the best women pole vaulter clinching golds in Athens and Beijing. Does it feel lonely at the top?





2. AquaBeauty

The stunning Aussie swam away with 3 golds at Beijing. Stephanie Rice is only 20, so there's a great chance of her gracing the next Olympics too. Hey wait..Reality Check. Next Olympics is 4 years away. Which means, in all probabilities I'll be watching that Olympics with my Missus. Hmmmm..Whoever that is!



1. Beautyo Beauty

Paraguay's Leryn Franco failed to qualify for Javelin finals. But with her stunning Indian looks, she was the gold-medalist in many a heart.







Beauties with brawns.
Phew!

FreeMind

I recently downloaded an open source software called FreeMind which helps you create Mindmaps. The site itself is a neatly organized Wiki. So I tried my hands on the software to experiment with it and pass time. I mapped an article on diversification and competitive advantage by Michael Porter and this is how the first map turned out to be.



Is it easy?
Yeah, learning to use the software is damn easy. But it takes time to create a map. There are a couple of keyboard shortcuts you can use to save time. Especially Enter and Insert for a sibling node and a child node.

Is it worth it?
Depends. I'm more comfortable underlining and taking normal notes. But it does becomes useful especially when you are dealing with a lot of info and you want to organize it in a single page for easy revision or something like that.

Does it enhance my memory or thinking ability?
Not at all. Go solve problems, puzzles, crosswords or some mentally challenging stuff. If you find these are not your cup of tea, you can eat memory tablets or get enlightenment by doing meditation under a Bodhi tree for 100 years.

Are you kidding?
Yes.

Who is Michael Porter?
It is this gentleman.


To make things simple, he is a funda dude in management circles.

Why is he famous?
He gave a lot of frameworks which management students endlessly rattle on in their job interviews to impress the interviewers. Like the Pancha Boothams, his "5 forces" are very powerful in turning the tables.

~Jai Hind

Kindle

This is it. (Though not news in the US)



More about Kindle
Will paperback books hit the fate of snail mail? Seems so. Kindle is the answer to the portability advantage that books have long since enjoyed. Even though the price now is at a higher side, as with all technology products we can expect it to be more affordable soon. By bringing books digitized, Kindle has made even books affordable - the price of books are now reduced by an average of 60%. Again you can expect it to go south further.

Adjustable font size, built in dictionary and the book-alike looks will definitely make reading a kick-ass affair.

I need it ..Badly. Waiting for the Kindle to hit India.