Permanent Abode for sale?

This advertisement was published in a local newspaper in their religion section. Feeling this kind of advertising and promotion even for after-death services is amazing. Simply put, people in the US have mastered the art of marketing. Everything under the sun is for sale for the right price.

Texas Road Views

Some pictures shot while traveling recently. These are nothing great but general sights I see on the road. Hope you all like the views.

This is a shopping mall.. built in a different style with parking lots bigger than the buildings

Loaded pick up trucks are a common sight in Texas

Texas is a state full of multi-level highway intersections.

Hacking could be a lucrative career option!

The days when gun-wielding, masked men barging into a home/ office/ bank with an intention to rob and loot are gone. In the modern wired world thieves are suave, tech-savvy, educated and skilled people. They tamper with the IT Security of banks, individuals and businesses and rob them through the computer, using internet and telecommunications technologies.

To combat these types of white-collared crooks a new genre of professionals known as "Ethical Hackers" are being deployed. Network and system security are very important in the modern world heavily dependent upon electronic media. What is Ethical Hacking? This is the process in which software experts help organizations take preventive security measures against hackers. These professionals work like a vaccine, they attack the system, but with an intention of strengthening its security.

With the rise in internet and technology proliferation the job opportunities for a well trained and
Certified Ethical Hacker is on the rise. Organizations increasingly depend on technology, the job of the ethical hacker is becoming more complex. Keeping this in mind there are numerous organizations such as EC-Council that offer courses and certify individuals interested in becoming a ethical hacker.

In my opinion though it sounds like a glamorous career option with great earning potential, this is not for everyone. To become an ethical hacker one needs to be creative and think out of the box and come up with innovative security solutions for organizations. If you are interested in a career in ethical hacking just go ahead and sign up for a course in the subject and you will be equipped for a great recession-proof career.

Wills Point - A Texas Village

Wills Point is a small town or rather I'd say a village in back country Texas. since this is sited on the way to Lake Tawakoni we stopped by for lunch here. Like most Indian villages this Texas rural hamlet is also a one-road town. In the sense that this city has one main road which is a highway running through its downtown/ commercial district. After lunch I just walked around few blocks to caputre some pictures of Wills Point.

Will Point's main square... doesn't it look familiar??? I have seen a similar square/ round gazebo-like intersection in almost every Indian village

Looks like the city's largest business house

Thanks to road infrastructure like this, there is no real village in the US

Wills Point even has a visitor information center... wonder why???

Lake Tawakoni - Reservoir which looks like an ocean!

Yesterday we visited Lake Tawakoni State Park, sited deep in the countryside of Hunt County of Texas. Though it is sited less than 100 miles from Dallas, the drive is through several tiny villages and towns. Since spring is just starting, the weather was not too hot and lush greenery could be seen all around, hence we could enjoy the drive without feeling hot and bothered. According to Texas Parks and Wildlife website, this is one hell of a big lake. The water spans across 36,700 surface-acres and stores the waters of Sabine river. When we visited the lake it was very very windy, due to which waters of the lake were as choppy as a stormy sea. Here are some pictures of this wonderful lake.
Like all other state parks in Texas there are numerous recreation and leisure facilities available. Clean bathrooms, trash pick up sites, camp grounds and electrified camp sites (luxury in the wild???)... biking trails, walking paths, etc are available. But my favorite is of course the vast sandy swimming beach where one can enter the water and enjoy to the heart's content. The love of water is inbuilt in me, belonging to the fishy zodiac sign.

Explore Switzerland the slow and steady way

In my opinion travel is best done slow and relaxed. Visiting some place is not to see everything there but to feel and absorb the essence of the location. This can be done only when the mode of transport is such that you becoming part of the scenery and not just look at it. What better way to do this than travel by bike?

Europe is a great place for bicycling. Within Europe one nation stands out in terms of scenic beauty, natural attractions and rolling countrysides. Yes you guessed right, it is Switzerland. One of my biggest dreams is to travel across this stamp-sized nation by bicycle! Being an avid bike enthusiast I have been exploring the net trying to find out ways and means of taking a quick bike holiday in this wondrous mountain nation.

I came across Bike Switzerland, a premier bicycle tour company based in Geneva. Their tours offer participants a glimpse to the rich diversity, history and outdoor grandeur of Switzerland. The tours emphasis is on luxury, relaxation, experience and value for clients money. The itineraries are designed such that cyclists get to travel on backroads of the nation and see end to end of Switzerland in just 7-8 days.

Of course if you are the explorer types, you could opt for an independent tour package and discover Swiss hospitality on your own. If you would rather enjoy the luxury of having all the arrangements taken care, then opt for a guided bicycle tour and you can experience stay in castles, monasteries, chalets and spa hotels.

You don't have to worry about your baggage transfers or on-road bike repairs or anything like that. All those little details are taken care of by Bike Switzerland. All you need to do is to bicycle and enjoy your holiday.

Last Year's MS 150

Since I registered and started training for the National MS Society's, MS-150 bicycle ride, I have been searching the web for videos about the previous events. This is basically to learn about the format of the event and also to get an idea of what its going to be like on May 2-3 this year. I found this video of last years event and felt that it would be great to share with all my blog readers.
My fund raising efforts are still on, few people have committed to donate for the cause of MS, nobody has actually donated yet. Hopefully in the next ten days I will achieve my fund-raising goal.