Sho-sha

That is the cool term for things that we do. To show off, essentially. We can go to great extents to appear cool. From wearing a hip (used to be hep) garment to watching a film to be able to talk about it, to doing a Band, baaja, baraat wedding that costs too much, to many other things. Ok, it's also called Keeping up with the Joneses in Queen's English, but the Joneses keep growing. And they are never happy, thus getting you exhausted.

Therefore, we must draw the line somewhere, and do things that satisfy oneself. Start small, maybe do 1 thing that makes you happy, then 2, and slowly increase dosage.. and see the difference. You may be happier than you think, sooner than you think, at a lower cost than you think.

Bombast

This is not the short form for bomb blast, please note. This refers to generally showing off with words. This is what journalists, lawyers, academicians, Public Relations guys etc. do to 'add value' to themselves, their professions, and whatever they are talking about, such as events. Use of meaningless words in the right places adds to the mystique of things. Examples-

Global
Strategy
Transformation
Metrosexual (no one is quite sure what that means, unlike bi- or trans-)
Revolutionary (new product, technology)
Game-changing (THAT usage IS the game, my friend)
Breaking news (I hear laughter breaking out among readers)
Breakthrough (while you are at it, might as well break a few more)
Fantastic (savings- when you spend a lot, that is)
Out-of-the-world (holiday destination- is it on Mars?)
Plagiarism- won't plain old copying do?
Big Data- anything can be this
Cloud- this is apparently not the pieces of fluff that you encounter in the sky, but here on earth
Soulmate- by definition, the soul is invisible. So how do you know if the soul has found a mate?
Millennium- what exactly is it? A thousand, million, or in between?
Baby-boomers- may a thousand babies bloom
Boundary-spanning
Bounded Rationality (I assume it's the the opposite of Unlimited Stupidity)
X-gen, Y-gen, Z-gen.....take your pick

Dropping Names- Benefits of Branding

What would we do for snobbery if there were no brands? They are a great help at all times. Imagine the following snippets of conversation without the brand names and you will immediately agree with me.

I had this urge for a pastry and went to Black Chariot you know....you could substitute this with coffee and Starbucks or other appropriate options.

When I was at the Taj last week,....

I always fly Lufthansa, they are expensive, but their service is great.

I couldn't resist the latest Paco Rabanne/Armani/Dolce and Gabbana/Prada at the Dubai airport while returning from the Shopping Festival, you know...

When I visited my son/daughter in New York/Sydney/Singapore....

McD is the only place I like for my burgers, yaar.

My Blackberry/ipad is so cool. You should get one, you know.

My dream is to drive a Ferrari (in silent mode- actually, I own a Maruti 800).

I lost my Mont Blanc (pen) the other day...I was so sad, but my dad said he'd buy me another one!

When I was at IIM/IIT/Harvard/MIT/,......

You get the point, don't you?