Gaming Redefined with Charter HD and Fast Internet

This post goes for avid gamers, who are interested in maximizing their gaming experience and also get a chance to win a brand new XBox 360. How does this work? I bet all you gaming friends of mine are waiting to know how to win this gamer fantasy pack as a prize. The Charter Communications Xbox Sweepstakes Prize Pack includes an XBox 360® Pro Console, XBox LIVE Headset, Wireless Controller, Component HD AV Cable and 20Gb Detachable Hard Drive.

Wow, that is some offer! I am sure lot of us would love to get their hands on the prize pack. Anyway it is pretty simple you will be entered into the sweepstakes if you buy Charter services online or simply register on the site. There are 45 Xbox 360 ® Consoles being given away. The only catch however is that winners must live in an area that offers Charter services.

Ok... ok... what are these charter services? And what will they have to offer for me? Well simply speaking with charter services you can maximize your gaming experience thanks to the Charter HD and blazing fast high-speed Internet. The internet speeds are reliable and perhaps the fastest. And of course the picture is sharper than any Standard TV.

And the best part is that you don't have to buy to experience this superior gaming. You can avail a 30-day risk-free trail and you will still be entered into the sweepstakes to win the one of 45 Xbox 360® consoles. Now that is what I would call a great offer. Don't wait for ever register for the sweepstakes and be a winner all the way.

Heritage Monuments biting dust in India

Though I live far away from India, I can't give up keeping in touch with what's happening in my mother country. And most of the time I get extremely frustrated and agitated when I read the news. Either it is terrorist attacks or it is stupid politicians or some such thing. But this newreport about illegal demolition of a 13th century monument in the national capital both surprised and anguished me.

According to the newsreport the monument, Lal Mahal or Kushaki Lal, located in Nizamuddin was built in 1245 AD during the reign of Sultan Nasiruddin Mahmud Shah, a slave dynasty ruler. The fact that the monument was declared a heritage structure by the government and civic agencies, didn't deter the anti-national and selfish builders, who ruthlessly demolished significant parts of the structure to make way for a commercial complex.

In my opinion there is no greater disgrace for a country than the destruction of its heritage monuments. The government is run by politicians who are concerned about filling up their Swiss Bank accounts with $$$s. I am sure Lord Macaulay is laughing his stomach down in his grave because his mission to shred the cultural and ethical fabric of Indian society has succeeded beyond expectation.

I wonder why even Muslims are keeping quiet. Couple of years ago, when someone in Denmark published a cartoon ridiculing their prophet, they took up arms and started burning down everything they see, across the country. Now when a monument built by one of their rulers is being destroyed, they are keeping quiet. Or perhaps they have been bought off??? or are they too busy praying five times a day and throwing stones at Hindu religious processions in other parts of India to bother about this? Whatever it is this demilition is a great national loss which can't be redeemed easily.

I sure hope that the people responsible for this dastardly act will be punished severely. I know that this is only a hope and has very little chance of coming true... but like it is said optimism is the best policy in times of crisis.

Bhakti Darpan - An evening of eternal melodies

The Sanatana Dharma Foundation, Dallas, Tx has put together this wonderful evening of soft devotional music to move your soul towards spirituality and God. The program scheduled for November 16, 2008 features Sharad Gupta, a singer whose talent lies in rendering soul soothing melodies, specially Bhajans or songs which express devotion and praise the Lord. Here I would like to say something about Sharad Gupta, I met him couple of weeks ago while he was on the verge of performing at the DFW Diwali Mela 2008. Sharad is one of those super-talented, extremely humble and down-to-earth individuals.

Though he hails from a family of jewellers he has chosen to tread the path of art and music. He could have taken the easy way out... singing for a hobby and family business as a profession. But he chose to tread a new path and journey into the world of music... and what kind of music? Not pop, not rap and definitely not bollywood item numbers... But he chose Bhajans and Ghazals... an area which most youngsters would not enter into, primarily to avoid being ridiculed by peers. And choosing Bhajans has he succeeded? Of course he has... his live performances speak for themselves. Since 2000 he has rendered over 500 live performances including 25 in various international venues such as UK, Singapore, Malaysia, US, etc.

It is our good fortune that Sharad Gupta has consented to do a special Bhajan programme at Irving Arts Center on November 16, 2008. All those of you reading this blog, do attend the program, feel blessed and support our Hindu-empowering organization. Get your tickets online at SDF Global

Gear up for Black Friday Shopping

Thanksgiving weekend is approaching fast, it is hardly a month from now and then the entire country will be on a shopping spree. I know many people who wait for this day to buy their favourite stuff be it electronic goods or clothes or whatever else it maybe. Every store offers fantastic deals and this results in long queues well before the store opens. As a result people start queueing up as early as 4 am to be the first to get the best deals.

Well here is good news for all the blackfriday shoppers, you can shop online! Yes!!! it is true, you can save thousands of dollars simply sitting at home, you don't have to brave the cold or get up early to get the best shopping deals. And this website has deals from a host of stores. You don't have to visit multiple stores to get the best deals, you just need to stay at home and browse the internet.

This Thanksgiving I want to avail few of the Sears deals on Shoes, fine jewelry, fragrance gifts, etc. But I also want to buy a laptop, so instead of missing out on any of the items I will just buy everything on I Black Friday which is a one stop shop for all deals.

And that is not all, the website is so customer oriented that you can even subscribe to their e-mail alerts and receive when new black friday advertisements have been posted. Isn't that great... you can get to know the best deals, buy your coveted products all from the comforts of your home.

I have kind of finalised my shopping for this Thanksgiving, How about you?

DFW Diwali Mela

The DFW Diwali Mela was held on October 18, 2008. I couldn't attend the mela because of my class commitments... but I found this video on the event and would like to share it with all of you. Enjoy!!!

ಕನ್ನಡ ರಾಜ್ಯೋತ್ಸವ ಆಚರಿಸಲು ತಯಾರಿ!!

ನಿನ್ನೆಯಿಂದ ನಾನು ರೇಡಿಯೋ ಸಲಾಂ ನಮಸ್ತೆ 104.9 FM ನಲ್ಲಿ ಕನ್ನಡ ಕಾರ್ಯಕ್ರಮ ಶುರು ಮಾಡಿದೆ. ನಾನು ನಿರಿಕ್ಷಿಸಿದ್ದಿಕಿಂಥ ಬಹಳ ಜಾಸ್ತಿ ಕೇಳುಗರಿಂದ ದೂರವಾಣಿ ಕರೆಗಳು ಬಂದವು. ಇಷ್ಟು ಒಳ್ಳೆ ಪ್ರತಿಕ್ರಿಯೆಯನ್ನು ನಾನು ನಿರಿಕ್ಷಿರಿಲ್ಲ. ಎಲ್ಲ ಕೇಳುಗರು ತುಂಬ ಸಂತೋಷ ವ್ಯಕ್ತ ಪಡಿಸಿ ರೇಡಿಯೋ ಸಲಾಂ ನಮಸ್ತೆ ಮತ್ತು ನನ್ನನು ಅಭಿನಂದಿಸಿದರು. ಒಬ್ಬ ಕೇಳುಗರು ರಾಜೀವ್ ಕುಲಕರ್ಣಿ ಕಾರ್ಯಕ್ರಮದ ನಂತರ ಮತ್ತೊಮ್ಮೆ ಕರೆ ಮಾಡಿ ಸುಮಾರು ಹೊತ್ತು ಮಾತನಾಡಿದರು. ಮೊದಲನೆ ಕಾರ್ಯಕ್ರಮದಲ್ಲಿ ಕರ್ನಾಟಕದ ನಾದ ಗೀತೆ "ಜಯ ಭಾರತ ಜನನಿಯ ತನುಜಾತೆ, ಜಯ ಹೇ ಕರ್ನಾಟಕ ಮಾತೆ......" ಗೀತೆ ಯಿಂದ ಪ್ರಾರಂಬಿಸಿ ನಟಸಾರ್ವಭೌಮ ದಿ. ಡಾ. ರಾಜ್ ಕುಮಾರ್ ಅವರ "ಹುಟ್ಟಿದರೆ ಕನ್ನದಲಿ ಹುತ್ತ ಬೇಕು.... " ಮತ್ತು ಮುಂಗಾರು ಮಳೆ ಚಿತ್ರದಿಂದ "ಮುಂಗಾರು ಮಳೆಯೇ... ಏನು ನಿನ್ನ ಹನಿಗಳ ಲೀಲೆ... " ಹಾಡನ್ನು ಪ್ರಸಾರ ಮಾಡುವಷ್ಟರಲ್ಲಿ ಸಮಯ ಮುಗಿಯುತ್ತ ಬಂತು.

ಮೊದಲ ನಾಲ್ಕು ವರ ಈ ಕಾರ್ಯಕ್ರಮಕ್ಕೆ ಕೇವಲ ೩೦ ನಿಮಿಷ ಮಾತ್ರ ನೆಮಿಸಿಧ್ಧರೆ, ಡಾಲ್ಲಸ್ ನಲ್ಲಿ ಇರುವ ಕನ್ನಡಿಗರ ಮತ್ತು ಇಲ್ಲಿನ ಉದ್ಯಮಿಗಳ ಪ್ರತಿಕ್ರಿಯೆ ಪರೀಕ್ಷಿಸಿ ಈ ಕಾರ್ಯಕ್ರಮವನ್ನು ೬೦ ನಿಮಿಷಕ್ಕೆ ಹೆಚ್ಚಿಸುವ ಉದ್ದೇಶ ಇದೆ.

ನಮ್ಮ ಕನ್ನಡ ಕಸ್ತೂರಿ ಕಾರ್ಯಕ್ರಮ ಕೇಳಬೇಕೆನಿಸಿದರೆ ಪ್ರತಿ ಶನಿವಾರ ಮಧ್ಯಾಹ್ನ ೧೨.೩೦ ಯಿಂದ ೧.೦೦ ವರಗೆ ರೇಡಿಯೋ ಸಲಾಂ ನಮಸ್ತೆ 104.9 FM ಕೇಳಿ.

Williams Waterwall, Houston

The Williams Waterwall is my most favorite place in Houston. Situated near the Galleria, Williams Waterwall is a cool, refreshing and soothing oasis that attracts visitors and locals in droves. Built in 1985, the amazing 64 ft tall man-made waterfall drops thousands of gallons of aqua fina every minute. In my opinion there is no better place in Houston than the Waterwall to cool off after a long day at work. Especially considering the chaotic traffic in Houston, this provides a pleasing respite.

This gorgeous piece of architecture located contiguous to the Williams Tower is in the shape of a semi-circle and has water cascading over it and down a series of steps towards the bottom. Standing in front of it and feeling the cool spray emanating from the fall is bound to be a grand experience. When I stood in the middle of the semi circle frothing water I never wanted to leave. And in the night when the lights come up.. it is a particularly spectacular sight. And of course the waterwall has a small park (large in Indian standards) attached to it and is a great place to spend a quality evening.

Enjoy the pictures

World's first Motorcycle Recreated

The world's first motorcycle was manufactured by Daimler and it was made in 1885.... a little over 125 years ago. Though Gottlieb Daimler, the pioneer in automobiles holds the patent to the motorcycle design, it was not him who created the very first motorycle. It was Sylvester Roper, who was employed in the Union Armoury during the U.S. Civil War who built a primitive "motorcycle" as early as 1867. This was a tiny two-cylinder machine powered by steam. On the other hand Daimler's motorcycle was gasoline-driven and had a one-cylinder gasoline powered Otto-cycle engine mounted on a wooden bicycle frame.

Now coming back to my post, Phil, a friend's friend in Australia is such a motorcycle lover and enthusiast that he decided to go ahead and build his own 1885 Daimler. Phil loves collecting motorcycles, specially those with 6 cylinders. One night, whilst staring at his latest Franklin Mint model 1885 Daimler Motorcycle, he had a sudden brainwave. He decided to reproduce a full size working model of it. From then on started the journey of hard work and loads of expenses. And now after 2 years & lots of $$$, the results are stunning as can be seen in the pictures, Phil plans to display this recreation at the Vic & NSW motorcycle shows. I am sure there are lots of motorcycle enthusiasts waiting to catch a glimpse of this machine.