Fun always ends with "Lime" - The Bacardi Breezer

Breezer is a fruit wine-based alcopop with 2% alcohol in India. Its available in many flavors like Jamaican Passion, cranberry, blackberry crush, island pine apple, orange, lime and many others. As you can see below.

Even though I have noticed breezer is more popular among ladies, but its liked by men too. Out of all those flavors I personally prefer Lime. 

 Coz its my choice baby ...yay yay....on a serious note, post drinks many of us prefer lime soda. 
But why Bacardi Lime ? 
I see "Lime" The Bacardi Breezer to be great replacement for lime soda. The taste is really nice. It has a perfect blend of lime flavor and being a little tangy and  fresh. Even if you see the way its packaged it looks very niche. 

Does it means its just my personal choice, thats it. No...Lemon-lime soda is a good cure for hangovers, according to a new study. A group of researchers has concluded that while some beverages shouldn't be consumed after drinking a lot of alcohol, lemon-lime soda should be consumed.
Various alcoholic beverages containing different concentrations of ethanol are widely consumed, and excessive alcohol consumption may result in serious health problem. The consumption of alcohol beverages is often accompanied by non-alcohol beverages, such as herbal infusion, tea and carbonated beverage to relieve drunk symptoms.

So just instead of having a lemon-lime soda or any other Bacardi breezer, I will prefer - "Lime" The Bacardi Breezer. It 

• Tastes great
• Have a lesser alcohol %age (~2%)
• Relieve drunk symptoms

So whenever you party make sure you end all the fun with a good taste that keeps your blue away !!!

For more info. please visit BREEZERINDIA.COM

P.S. This post is an entry to a contest held by Bacardi and Indiblogger.

Aaaooo VOTE Karee !!!!

In this world, with good tele-density of mobile phone, mobile apps could be a great tool to mobilize Indian Youth. Generally, its believed that people from upper middle class & upper class don't vote for some or the other reason. At the same time, its also assumed that this is the same segment which have smart phone with various mobile apps. So, in short mobile apps should be able to help/influence them to cast their votes.

Wow ....so simple to say this? But is that simple, I believe NOOO. Interestingly, once the day of the election passes, you ask any of your friends - Did you cast your vote? Answer will not start with "N" in NOOO, it will start with "O" with "N" silent in NOOO. They will give you various reasons like

• OOOh, too much work pressure, was in office.
• OOOh, I missed it, you could have reminded me.
• OOOh, I forgot.
• OOOh, I don't have a voter ID card.
• OOOh really, does it really matter, if I vote.
• OMG, do you think one vote really matters.
• Oooh, all candidates are corrupt.
• Ooh, give me a break, there was a such big queue. 
• ......blah .... blah...blah

Now what could be done? I will suggest few steps which can be done, it will not make it 100% conversion, but at-least will improve the conversion.

• Why to reach/Vote? Every vote counts. Its just not for the sake of casting, its for accessing your rights. Its for letting world know that you have a say. Its for letting all know that your opinion counts and your issues are to be taken seriously.If the top policy makers need to take notice that we are demanding and they can just sit for some years and not be accountable. They need to know that we need better jobs, better roads, safer streets, better facilities and they are accountable for all their decisions. What they spend is our money & right, its our right to know where are they spending and if its for good of public and power holders. Its for us to say them - "WE HAVE THE POWER  & YOU OWE US YOUR FUTURE POSITION TO SERVE US".

• How to reach? Leverage the medium of connectivity of all these scattered people? But how, if not all but most of them have mobile apps like WeChat and public profile's like Facebook. Reach through them. This medium is also one of the low costs medium to reach a big mass of people as it will rely on social network. So medium is known.

• When & what to reach for? This is very important. If we launch a compaign, lets vote today now, does it count? It will have no meaning as voting is in 2014. So do we wait? Answer is no, to be able to vote one needs to various things. Based on the research from Election Commission (EC) and also various news articles & media, its because of two major reasons other than so-called personal reasons - 

• They are unregistered.
• They have shifted from one place to another for reasons like job, education, etc

         So we need to remind them through all the process during different timelines educating in parallel about the electoral rights as follows.

1. Asking them to register or enrol in electoral(Start with this)
• Steps for how to register in case of first time voter, overseas voter, location or electoral details correction, etc
  
2. Once they are registered ask them to invite at-least 10 of their friends to register .
• Add a stars to their profile, based on the referrals who registers.
• Make these users look good & feel they are contributing back in awareness.
• Show a leaderboard (national, regional, local) which shows the leaders who got their electoral registered. 
3. Know your candidates - Once election dates are near, based on GPS, send the details of local MP candidates and their details. User will have an option to write questions to them and top 50 questions (based on likes / counts) will be sent to them in an open letter which they have to respond to in 10-15 days before elections.
   
4. Reminder for the election dates and adding them into users mobile calendar with reminders.
5. Usage of mobile app for location/map of their booth with directions based on GPS.
6. Integrity, Security & Safety : In case of any wrongful events like booth capturing, Live streaming of events using mobile camera to news media along with multiple SMS'es to police, hospital and friends.
7. After election, a pic share to all friends with a election ink in fingers, asking question did you vote? With possible compaigns like - "Pappu can't votee saalaa, Are you Pappu". A special sign in pictures similar to Online/away - showing people who voted as green and thos who don't with red.
   

I believe, if we do all the above it help achieve better turnout in the elections with free & fair elections. At the same time educating the citizens about their candidate and possible better governance in future.

AAoooo VOTE Kareee.......LETS VOTE.

The Future Of Shopping - Shopping Intelligence using Avatars, QR Codes, M2C

I wonder what will be the future of shopping in year 2030. Many ideas crossed my mind, but after thinking through them, I can say for sure that no one way of shopping will rule.

Different industries will use different channnels, Branding (4Ps of Marketing), consumer behavior and lot of environment factors e.g. Network effects will come into the picture.

Few of the ideas which I believe will be more prevalent are :

1> Usage of Social network for shopping -

• Companies will have their own page on social network and user will just order or select good and just click purchase, it will be delivered to the user taking information from social network mediums.
• Usage of Instant Messaging for ordering goods
• Request of Custom orders - E.g. sending a picture of purse design looking for
• Requesting and sending quotes in IM (Instant Messaging)

2> Usage of QR codes for mobile as well as personalized shopping

• User enters a store, scans QR code, application installed in his phone fetches information from website about the layout of store and other details and guide users for items placed in big shopping mall, which is in his wish list
• Shoppers know which user is inside the store, based on profile and past purchase trends 
• User is greeted by his name when he enters. Yes this emotional quotient can't be measured but it adds a personalised touch.
• Analytics is used to push some offers and messages to his mobile either through SMS or App

3> Mobile Banking:- At Point of Sale, he just swipes his mobile phone to pay for his purchase (usage of NFC, EDY by Docomo, Google Wallet, etc) and just walk out with his purchase. Thus, avoid standing in any queue.

4>Usage of Avatars:- All users can just send their Avatars which is closer to their body size, skin color and other personal attributes or receive a product's avatar. Both the avatar is used to show to user how it looks  together or even if it fits properly or not. So users are buying or trying goods/services just based on avatars rather than physically going to stores or trying out.  One frequent usage could be you just send your avatar to tailors/boutique/designers and they will use that for all measurements and create a dress for you.

5> Business Intelligence : Usage of BI to see the buying behavior of consumer, say a person buys utensils on every dhanteras / diwali. Based on that, even without any user initiation the APP siting on mobile aggregate all the utensils quote and on that particular day provide you all the information ready even before you step out. Its like customized catalog for shopping even before you step out.

Its for sure that shopping behavior is going to change by 2030 with variety of shopping methods. One of the new ways which you can try out is eBayCheck. Surely one of the prevalent ways of future shopping, but whether it will be monopoly or oligopoly only time will tell

Lion, Squirrel & the Gum Problem

There was an animal kingdom similar to what we all have been reading in stories from our childhood.

And obviously there has to be king in a kingdom named "Brian". He was very strong, mighty and good at killing. He used to hear everyone, but never listened to anyone except his wife "Rachel". She was especially proud of her husband and used to boast too much about his strength.

One day she announced a competition in the whole kingdom that his husband - The King - "Brian" is the strongest of all and if anyone beats him in any aspect, he will become one of the nobles of the kingdom. Only a few were part of the elite group of nobles - A Turtle, A Cheetah and A Monkey.

It started with a race and the Lion was winner.

And there were many other competition, none could beat the lion. Now it was about to be dusk, then suddenly a small squirrel was just passing by. Who came to lioness notice.

Squirrel being completely ignorant of the competition was not well received by lioness. Lioness asked squirrel why don't you hail your king. All Hail the King. He is the mightiest of all. Squirrel didn't seem to agree. Lioness asked the squirrel, "Why you are hoarding these nuts". Squirrel responded, "These are one of the most precious things for me, hard enough that even the mightiest will have tough time breaking it."

Lioness tells, "My husband is the mightiest of all, and its an easy one for him. What a small squirrel could do may not be worth attention of his. Anyways since you are the last one coming near the den, I won't deny the opportunity to kingdom, to see the might of their one & only King".

Brian the king was just standing beside and tries to break one of the nuts. But he fails, he tried multiple times, he fails. To his shock. Then squirrel says, "Your highness, you both have been kind. But your teeth are not stronger than mine. This is not a good sign . I want you both to stay and king & queen for long. For now you can break this nut from hammer and start brushing your teeth regularly from Colgate to all this gum problem. To read more about refer My Healthy Speak Blog"

King just ignored this warning signs and killed squirrel thinking if the word flew about his teeth getting weaker  his subjects will laugh at him. Instead of taking this warning sign seriously, he just rubbed it off.

Days passed by and his teeth started deterioration.

And soon he was challenged for his kingdom, which he lost to another lion with stronger claws & teeth.

He lost all - pride, kingdom, subjects and even the queen. He was caged and was part of Zoo - alone in an enclosure with people having fun on his lost pride.

Moral of the story :- NEITHER IGNORE NOR DENY WARNING SIGNS. TAKE STEPS TO CORRECT IT & FACE THE CHALLENGE BEFORE ITS TOO LATE.

Modern Healthcare needs a touch of humanity

I just came to read this title "Modern Healthcare Touching Lives !!!". I was wondering is it the "so-called" Modernisation which is the problem or solution. Like everything having good-&-bad, modernisation also has the same attributes. Definitely, Healthcare is more on the positive & solution-side. I don't want to talk more on the problem side of Modernisation, but will prefer to talk on "Modern Healthcare Touching Lives".

I have been doing rounds of many hospitals for quite sometime. But I believe even if Healthcare became Modern enough and capable to solve all the possible ailments, its not enough. It will just give depth to it and Healthcare-community can boost about it. But what the society need is not just depth but

• Make Life Easy - use innovative ways :- When a person falls ill, its not that the person is sick. Its tied with lives of many other persons around including person's family. As a part of society, we need to use modern techniques to make life easier for him. One such example is, patients having Dialysis its a  regular day-to-day affair for the patient & family, additional services from Hospitals/Dialysis centers like pick-and-drop can really ease the life of these patients. Nephrolife is one such hospital, I am aware off, which offers this service.
• Increase Breadth of Healthcare - Reach Masses :- I don't have statistics for this, even if I get some statistics from internet regarding the households which doesn't have any Medical health care facility within 10 km, it will be with Std. Error. But one which all will agree it still doesn't cover at least 30% of human masses. I know of many ways like online health care guidance, temporary mobile kiosks in rural villages, Mobile healthcare vans, etc being tried. I salute them for running these initiatives. Still will it cover all human masses. We need much more effort here.
• Affordability :- For many of the poors, health care is not affordable and there is no denying fact. Many hospitals and healthcare community personnel are trying to make it affordable in their own ways. E.g. Devi Shetty's Narayana Hrudayalaya for heart surgeries, Arvind Eye Hospitals for eyes and many others. We need to do more.
• Insured / Not insured ?? :- Most of the people are not insured for the healthcare in India. So once someone is sick in the family, its not just pain which the family has to bear but also tension w.r.t. economical condition & affordability. But is getting insured a solution ? What about the folks who are insured but with a limit ? I have noticed most of the time the insured folks are charged more by hospitals as compared to non-insured people. I understand non-insured people have to pay from their own pockets and insured people would have just paid insurance premium. But in the long term, it makes getting insurance more costly for non-insured families. 
• Intent of Health care - Religious Conversions / Huge Profit Making :- Even though I thought I will skip this topic, I am going ahead to share my personal views. Some hospitals have good quality health care, but the intent behind seems just not healthcare. Many hospitals are too costly, Many are run with intent to convert peoples - while they are getting treated either by monetary discounts or by propaganda, etc. We need to STOP maligning the intent of human health care with these hidden malicious intents of conversion/huge profit making. Health care shouldn't be differentiated for any human on any basis - Gender, Religion, Age, Country, Wealth, even criminal/innocent. 
• Quality Healthcare services :- Ok, say you have all this - You have insurance, you can afford healthcare expenses, healthcare is reachable to you, and you have all the means. But if the healthcare services are not quality even with all the means it won't help. E.g. I know of many cases, in which instead of curing wrong medicines made the case worse for the patient. For quality health care one of the such name is Apollo Hospitals

Yes Modern Healthcare is touching lives, also needs a touch of humanity not maligned with Wealth/Religion/Gender/Nationality/Anything.

This post is a part of the Apollo hospitals- Modern health care touching lives contest held at Indiblogger.

The Opera - "We Frey Talk"

This is about The Opera Show - "We Frey Talk" hosted by Oprah Winfrey and the guests are Mahatma Gandhi, Joseph Stalin, Charlie Chaplin & Hugh Hefner.

Agenda :- How to Frey* - "dispense peace, good weather, prosperity, and bountiful crops."

Note:- * Frey means "The Norse god who dispenses peace, good weather, prosperity, and bountiful crops; the brother of Freya." I will use Frey as a verb.

Show Starts:-

Oprah :- When it came to choosing my guests for this new show, it could only be one of the most powerful person in the world - Joseph Stalin, Most humble & peace lover - Mahatma Gandhi, Most popular who brings smile to everyone's face - Charlie Chaplin and Hugh Hefner: Playboy, Activist and Rebel.

Oprah :-  Mr. Gandhi to start with. I hear that you make people shun violence and become peace loving non-violent people. What would you say to Mr. Stalin.

Gandhi :- Stalin will need to do lot of work. His first task will be try not to force communism on all and let them freely choose.

Stalin:- Don't point fingers at me, even though you act as Demi-God of Non-violence, you also influence people and don't let them freely choose. Actually you force them to follow you with your weapon of fast-unto-death. That is also a weapon, you can fool world but not me. At-least I am straight and true to myself and world. You are always carrying a stick, which itself shows your true intent. I came to know from some of my Indian friends about one of the sayings "Jiski Lathi Ussi Ki Bhains". 

Charlie Chaplin:- Don't say anything about stick - you both serious, non-humorous politician with your own agendas. My stick is for my support and not to beat others. World needs and love people like me, the comedians who make them smile and be happy. Neither of you can bring smile to people as I do. All Men and Women love me.

Hugh Hefner :- Women love me too, much more than you, charlie. You just make them smile, but I make them feel better & Sexy. They feel so good in my big mansion. All 3 of you do have different postures in public & private. I am quite open, everything private about me is open. 

Gandhi :- Hugh, you should be ashamed of all your act including so many girl friends and relationships. Can't you be a good family Man.

Hugh :- Buddy, why don't you visit my Mansion some day. I can show you how you can be a good family man at the same time, your deeds should be good & truthful. BTW, even after you have left nothing much has changed in India. Why don't you check out Vijay Mallaya, one of my disciple in your philosophical & cultural stronghold. He Told that you are no different from him.

Oprah :- Why don't you show me your mansion?

Stalin :- Women/ Men will never change. Can't you folks think about better things. What about your country? Why not bring new Revolution? You all are mean folks with your own desire.

Gandhi :- Why you want everyone to be red, Stalin. White is a colour of peace. BTW, we also had a White Revolution in India -. 'Operation flood'.It made India the largest producer of the milk in the world.

Hugh :- Whose Milk !!!

Charlie :- Shut-up Hugh. Black is better colour !!!

Oprah :- Well, timeout guys !!! That's it for now. Wished somebody would have talked about "Frey", everyone is busy in their own world !!!

Keep watching The Opera - "We Frey Talk"  for more shows.