Riga: A beautiful tourist and business destination

Riga, the capital of Latvia is fast emerging as one of the big time business and leisure travel destinations in Europe. Founded in 1201 AD, Riga was one of the major stoppings on the trade route taken by the Vikings of Norway, on their wey to Russia and Central Europe. Riga's ancient churches including the 800-year-old Krimulda Church are slowly being discovered by tourists. As part of the USSR tourism was not such a big industry in Latvia but now people visit riga in droves and marvel at the ancient and modern buildings that dot the city.

While travelling to latvia there are numerous options to enjoy a comfortable short term stay in Riga. One could stay in a hotel, apartment or even villa. Renting an apartment in Riga for short term stay is simple, easy and affordable. By renting an apartment you can get the comfort, privacy and freedom which will make you feel like you are at home and not in a foreign country.

There are different kinds of apartments available on rent: from studios to spacious four bedroom apartments, from low-budget to luxury accommodation. Locationally most apartments are sited conveniently close to all the tourist attractions and the business district of the city, within walking distance of the city's main attractions. There are museums, restaurants, nightclubs and bars, business centers, corporate offices all within close walking distance of the apartment.

Renting an apartment in Riga is not too expensive. Prices start from Euros 40 and you are assured the comfort of home setting. If you are travelling to Riga opt for apartment rentals in riga and you will surely enjoy your stay. There is nothing like recreating a home like ambiance wherever you go.

Stressbusting initiative for US war veterans

A few days earlier I had blogged about how an increasing number of American soldiers are buckling under pressure of war and loneliness and committing suicide. Today I came across this wonderful initiative to help US veterans deal with post-traumstic stress disorder. Titled as Project Odyssey, organised by the Wounded Warrior Project in collaboration with the Department of Veterans Affairs and other similar organisations, the aim is to get veterans together in different kinds of activities and make them come out of their post-war trauma.

Fighting a war is not like enjoying a holiday and especially so for people from America who rarely see poverty and a scramble for basic existence and survival. Their come face to face with something worse than their worst nightmares when they get deployed in war torn areas such as Iraq and Afghanistan. Under the project selected veterans are brought together in exotic locales and what ensues is activities which create bonding among people who have been through and experienced same situations.

Recently 21 veterans from across the US were brought together for a small camp and bonding outing at the Wildcatter Ranch in Texas. Sited about 120 miles northwest of Dallas, Wildcatter Ranch is an upscale resort set amidst picture postcard settings above Brazos river in Young County.

This is a testimony of the common people's love for their forces. The ranch's owners, Anne and Mike Skipper, shutdown their entire business for four days to cater to the visitors. Having heard about Project Odyssey from a friend, Skipper, a theatrical producer, did some research about it. When the couple learnt about the initiative, they voluntarily offered their property and staff for the programme which included activities such as riding a cow, skeet shooting, games such as "blindfold maze" among others.

I believe that such programmes go a long way in making sure that war veterans are cared for and start leading a normal life. All 21 participants of this project had suffered from post-war trauma, depression, Isolation, post-traumatic stress and one of them had not been out of his apartment in six months.

As far as I know there are no such programmes from the government or NGOs in India. The Sainik resettlement board of the army helps ex-servicemen in finding jobs in civil life and settle into life. But nothing is done to address their emotional trauma, stress etc. Their families who don't know anything about the stress they face on the border or fighting insurgents in Jammu and Kashmir, North eastern states etc. It is high time that we started something for our soldiers too.

Read more about the Project Odyssey
Video of Project Odyssey

Banks and their policies continue to confound and confuse

Opting for a mortgage and setting up home is one of the biggest decisions in one's life. And unless one is a superrich individual it is impossible to buy a home without mortgage. Especially so in the UK. Finding a home may be easy compared to understanding the numerous terms, conditions and clauses of a mortgage agreement. With a slump in borrowing and home purhchase banks and mortgage companies are finding out that most homeowners are confused and are finding it difficult to decide on which mortgage plan to choose.

Industry experts opined that this has led to people postponing home purchase decisions and thus affecting the business of Mortgages UK. One of the leading mortgage brokers Abbey Mortgages was recently in the news when it released the findings of its research on the subject. The results were quite shocking, more than 66 percent of the homeowners are totally confused about choosing a new mortgage and will not be able to do it.

This is essentially because of misinformation and oneupmanship on the part of the so called mortgage experts. Each one has a different opinion and looks at the same subject from a varied perspetive. This has left homeowners confused and in a unresolvable dilemma.

In my opinion this confusion has more to do with people being unconcerned with the happenings around them. One has to keep oneself abreast of the economy, local, national and global. This will indicate where the money flow is greater and what could be expected in the future. Without keeping up with the news one can't take decisions which will change their financial life completely. So to know about the right Mortgages UK one has to be prepared by reading news, looking up statistics and other details. This is a tedious process but then what is easy in this world?

A blog about off road videos

During one of my several travels on the information superhighway I hit upon this blog which features several youtube videos of offroad driving. The blog features all conceivable types of 4X4 off road vehicles, from Monster trucks of Toyota to compact powerful Jeep Wranglers. The videos out there are real and driven by enthusiasts. As far as I could see there are no camera tricks or studio effects in most of the videos and one can actually notice amteurish bumps and jerks in some of the videos.

Some of the videos feature trucks hurtling down scary terrain, getting stuck in the muddy swamps, getting stuck and extricating itself. I liked this video of a Toyota 350 truck going through river beds and hiking trails. I am sure you guys out there will also enjoy it. For more visit the original blog.

More people are buying homes in UK!

What are the basic needs of any human being? Food, shelter, clothing, education, healthcare, profession etc the list can go on. But the most important has always been food, clothing and shelter. Everything else is a way to fulfill these three needs. Among these three needs, housing or shelter is perhaps the most expensive and most difficult to achieve.

Purchasing a home is a tough decision and as the population increases and real estate prices shoot up, it is getting tougher and tougher for families and individuals to purchase their homes. Though there are numerous agencies extending easy home mortgage loans it is difficult to qualify for them and one has to be responsible to handle such a large commitment.

Housing loans or home mortgage has been one of the most popular methods of home purchase across the world. Middle class families are the maximum number of people to opt for a Homeowner Loan through mortgage companies. People usually buy new homes during summer and winter months (November-February) are periods of slump for real estate and allied professionals. Bankers find this period tough because new Homeowner Loan applications are few and far between.

But latest statistics of the Council of Mortgage Lenders show a slightly different trend for 2008. The CML says that the number of new Homeowner Loan applications and disbursements increased in January. This is definitely surprising considering that the housing market is down and real estate is not doing too well world over.

In the US there are thousands of homes lying vacant because there are no buyers and those who bought homes as an investment are unable to rent it out and are going in for foreclosure. Those homeowners who are in financially better off positions are opting for a second-mortgage and refinancing their home so they can get the much required breather.

Homeowner Loan interest rates are being slashed like nobody's business. the Bank of England cut the interest rate to 5.25 percent this month. Other banks are also offering several lending options so investers and home owners don't have to go into foreclosure and can continue paying their dues ontime.

We have to wait and watch how things turn out this year. Hopefully the real estate market will rise and people will start making more money and buying homes. This will definitely make the real estate and banking professionals heave a sigh of relief.

Remote controlled war machine for the US Army

Can you imagine a mean and menacing six wheeled war machine out to destroy anything that comes in its way. And the best part is this six wheeled monster doesn't have a driver and is operated by a pre-programmed robot with little or no human role in its operation. Whew.. I definitely wouldn't want to cross the path of this 6.5 tonne hulk on 49 inch tires and armed with .50 caliber machine guns.

The machine has been conceived by the US defense Advanced Research Projects Agency and robotics engineers of the high profile Carnegie Mellon University. The machine is being tested in the desert lands of Texas and hence was featured in the Dallas Morning News.

Each unit of the "Crusher" costs US$30 million (Rs.150 crore) and the US army will surely commission manufacture of several of these.

I wish CMU would use some similar but cheaper technology to build driverless cars. That would find wide ranging market both in the US and across the world. Especially in nations with chaotic traffic such as India. But then the issue would the technology be affordable for non $ earning poor people of India?

Oh! And if you want to see some pictures of other driverless war machines being developed for the US Army check out this link.

My learnings in managing personal finance

I have been reading a lot about making money on the internet. How there are millions of dollars on the internet waiting to be picked up etc. This set me off on a train of thought and reminiscing about my past life and how I handled finances, loans etc.

Let us come to the point. As of now I have never taken any major long term loans, so in that effect I could say I have never been in debt. My first and only car was on loan and has been paid off several years ago. The time I was paying for the car was perhaps one of the most financially trying phases. Not because I was paying too much, but because during the initial months I was not doing effective Debt Management. When payments got delayed, I lost my peace of mind. This led to a frayed temper and I would be jumpy. One day I sat down and decided that from now on I would manage my finances better and include Debt Management as my routine monthly budgeting.

One of the most effective ways of Debt Management in my opinion is to make a table of money you earn and payments you have to make. And then deduct the payments from earnings to know how much you will be left with to spend and if you will have enough or have to dig into your credit card to sail through the month. If you can sit down and draw up a table defined above, you have taken the first step towards effective Debt Management.

The next step would be to map your daily expenses. Make another table with a minimum of four columns: date; particulars; amount spent and mode (cash, credit card, check etc). Now you have to have the discipline to sit down at the end of each day and write how much money you spent and on what. This will help you keep a tab on your expenses and see where you are spending too much and how you can curtail unnecessary expenses. Once this is done it is easy to manage your finances and arrive at effective strategies of Debt Management.

These are steps to avoid getting trapped in debt. But if you are already deeply entrapped, the strategies would be different. There are several organisations out there to help you to get out of debt and help you in your Debt Management systems. Get in touch with them consolidate your debt and follow a disciplined approach to Debt Management and I am sure you will soon get out of all debt.

Iron horses on Plano Parkway

Iron horses on Plano Parkway
Originally uploaded by srinidhilv.

These metal sculptures depicting horses have intrigued me since the day I saw them. Installed at the entrance of a ranch, facing the Plano Parkway (Texas), these horses seem very much lifelike. I somehow can't believe that these are not alive. Each of them display a different posture. The one which appears grazing is too convincing. I guess one owes it to the artist(s) who created this beautiful metal animals.

The first time I passed by, I wanted to stop, take a closer look and shoot couple of pictures of the same, but lack of time, traffic and other reasons prevented me from doing so. Finally that opportuinty presented itself last weekend while we were driving home. Getting off the car I walked up to the statues and took a closer look. The mild sunlight, cloudy facade and slightly warm weather added to the effect. Perhaps the great weather helped me spend a little more time and shoot pictures. If it had been cold or not so bright I'd have probably given up the chance.

I always wonder about these almost real, lifelike images in a slightly philosophical way. What if they were really live, would they be happy being in the ranch? Would they be in the ranch at all? or would they be racing on the course or been show pieces of the mounted batallions of police or the army. Many a time an image is lot better than the real thing. Say for example places in National Geographic Movies appear much better than they actually are. Think about it!

Concrete garage space from Liget

In our family home we don't have any separate garage space. I always wished I had a small room to do my rough work. A space where I could experiment and hone my skills in carpentry and metal working. A covered parking for my motorcycle, where I could also work on it without hassling any other person. I mean if that kind of extra space were available I would probably start a small home based business too. Maybe take classes, have a store front, store things etc. I can think of a thousand applications for the extra space. But I can't imagine the hassle of building the space. Interacting with so many people and trying to put a building together is too much trouble.

Recently I came across this unique concept of Concrete Garages built using the concept of concrete sectional buildings. One of the pioneering companies in this space Liget Concrete Garages has been specialising in this area since the past three decades. They build amazingly designed workshops, sheds and garages that can be used for any purpose. The garages are built in such a way that they are attractive to look and very functional to use.

The principle is simple you decide on the size and type of garage you want built and then place the order. Liget Concrete Garages will produce it in their factory, deliver it to your home and install it the same day. Liget offers several types of pre-fabricated concrete buildings and all details are available on their website. You could place the order online too. Just think of various things you can do in the sapce and leave the job of creating the space to Liget.

Interesting quotes about motorcycles, bikers and related topics

It is often stylish to quote famous people while speaking on a subject. Quotes often serve as emphasising statements, nuggets of evidence, evidence, etc. Sometimes quotes are used to lend humour into a conversation or even mock at an individual or a select group of people. But the best use of quotes in my opinion is for inspiration and humour. When one quotes a sentence to inspire a group of people or oneself it serves as a positive fulcrum. In terms of humour quotes play the role of lightening and often defusing a tense situation or they may even add to the merritment of the time.

I am a biker and I have been collecting quotes about motorcycles, bikers, gangs, motorcycle travel, etc since a long time. I just thought I would put them together and publish them on my blog. I have provided the source for attributable quotes, while the authors of others remain unknown.

Quotes by unknown authors:
"While travelling in a car you watch the world like a movie. But on a motorcycle you are the film."
"Roads are for journeys and not for destinations."
"The best alarm clock is sunshine on chrome."
"Bikes are like tigers, they leak oil and mark their territory."
"I don't need shoxs, my ass absorbs the impact."
"When there is a hill to climb, don't think waiting will make it smaller"
"They say... That there are only two kinds of bike racers... those who have crashed... and those who are going to crash."
"I'd rather be riding my motorcycle thinking about God than sitting in church thinking about my motorcycle."
"Four wheels move the body. Two wheels move the soul."
"You start the game with a full pot o’ luck and an empty pot o’ experience... The object is to fill the pot of experience before you empty the pot of luck."
"Never trade the thrills of living for the security of existence."
"A cold hamburger can be reheated quite nicely by strapping it to an exhaust pipe and riding forty miles."
"Sometimes it takes a whole tankful of fuel before you can think straight."
"Keep your bike in good condition: Motorcycle boots are not comfortable for walking."
"Well-trained reflexes are quicker than luck."
"Sometimes the best communication happens when you're on separate bikes."
"When you're riding lead, don't spit."
"Safety is a cheap and effective insurance policy."
"Never ride faster than your guardian angel can fly."
"If you ride like there's no tomorrow, there won't be."
"If you drink and ride, you are sure to go to hell."
"If you really want to know what’s going on, watch what’s happening at least five [vehicles] ahead."
"A friend is someone who’ll get out of bed at 2 am to drive his pickup to the middle of nowhere to get you when you’re broken down."
"If you want to get somewhere before sundown, you can’t stop at every tavern."
"A good long ride can clear your mind, restore your faith, and use up a lot of fuel."
"Everyone crashes. Some get back on. Some don't. Some can't."
"Respect the person who has seen the dark side of motorcycling and lived."

Quotes by famous personalities
"Faster, faster, faster, until the thrill of speed overcomes the fear of death..." Hunter Thompson, author of "Hells Angels, A strange and deadly saga".

"There are only three sports: mountain climbing, bull fighting, and motor racing. All the rest are merely games." Ernest Hemingway, American novelist.

"A zest for living must include a willingness to die." R.A. Heinlein

"People are more violently opposed to fur than leather because it's safer to harass rich women than motorcycle gangs." - Alexei Sayle

"I carry groceries home on the tank of my motorcycle." - Stephan Jenkins

"If I'm out trail-riding, I have a favorite motorcycle. Riding on the road, I've got a favorite. If I'm jumping, I have a favorite, and if I'm racing, I have a favorite." - Evel Knievel

"Riding a motorcycle on today's highways, you have to ride in a very defensive manner. You have to be a good rider and you have to have both hands and both feet on the controls at all times." - Evel Knievel

"When I was 21, I got into a motorcycle accident while traveling in Europe and I had to lie around a lot in the aftermath, which was really the first time in my life that I became really focused and inspired to write." - Chantal Kreviazuk

“They’ll talk to ya and talk to ya and talk to ya about individual freedom. But they see a free individual, it’s gonna scare ‘em.” George Hanson in the movie 'Easy Rider'

“So if you own a Japanese motorcycle, what kind of guy are you? Let me answer: a wannabe. You bought a bike from a company that wanted to be like something else. Harley-Davidson was the original. Bottom line. End of story.” Jay Barbieri

If you have any more quotes do send them to me. I shall include them in this list.

Cabin Fever and driving on a cloudy day

Reading my blogs, my close friend Don Siewert from Seattle wrote to me saying that I am getting "Cabin Fever" being holed up for too long at home. Deciding to do something about it, we set out on a long drive through some of the back roads of Carrollton, Dallas, Plano etc.
After a Tex-Mex breakfast of Tacos and Burritos (something like the rolls we get in India). Taco is a small chapathi and Burrito is a large chapathi, stuffed with potatos, beans and a choice of sauces, vegetables and pickles. And then drove around in the urban countrysides and finally lunched at an Indo-Chinese restaurant "Masala Wok". Like it is said of high-flying businessmen "breakfast in India, lunch in London and dinner in New York"; we kinda had variety of cuisines today. Breakfast in Mexico, lunch in China and dinner in India! The only difference however was that it was at these restaurants and not in the countries.

Some pictures I shot during the drive are below. Your comments would be highly appreciated.

A place where they will give your body the shape you want. Now do you know how Angelina Jolie and others get their sculpted figures??

Boney-M: Desi Style

Boney M is a name which is quite popular among people who like 1970s genre of pop and disco music. I would say I grew up listening to ABBA and Boney M during my early childhood in my uncle's home.

Yesterday one of our friends gave me a CD containing hit songs rendered by Boney-M, one of the most successful pop and disco band of the 1970s. We were listening to the audio in her car stereo and hence I thought it was an audio CD. But, when I came home and poped the CD into the computer I was in for a surprise. Apart from the audio of about 12 Boney M hits, the CD also contained a short 5 minute video of a stage performance by Boney Menon and party rendering these very hits. While the audio has not been tampered with, the video looks refreshingly different. Take a look and I am quite sure you will agree with me.



Boney M was put together by West German record producer Frank Farian. The vivacious group of pop and disco musicians shot to fame during the late 1970s and continue to hold sway over pop music afficionados. Their highest fan following was in Africa, South East Asia, Iran and former Soviet Union (Russia).

But I remember my childhood as I would listen to "Daddy Cool", "Rasputin" and other Boney M songs and would feel thrilled. I still love Boney M but the desi twist to the original audio is simply too good.