Patriot and National Leader Overshadowed by Mahatma's Charisma :(

Today's is Gandhi Jayanthi, the day one of the greatest men to have walked on this earth was born. The man who came up with the idea of non-violence struggle, strikes and bandhs. India's father of the nation was born on October 2, 1869. Everybody who is aware of the world and its nuances will know about it and surely the billion plus Indians and few hundred million Pakistanis and Bangladeshi's will have heard of him.

Unfortunately for the billion plus Indians the Charisma of Mahatma Gandhi has overshadowed another great leader's legacy and memories. Lal Bahadur Shastri, the 3rd and one of the strongest Prime Ministers of India was born on October 2, 1904 and it is ironical that the nation hardly remembers him on his birthday. This year is 105th birth anniversary of this great leader who showed to the world in 1965 that India was not weak and will take on any power when it comes to the security and national integrity. Another prime minister of India who is strong is yet to take office. His response to China's threats is a solid example of his resolve and courage: "If China attacks India it is our firm resolve to fight for our freedom. The might of China will not deter us from defending our territorial integrity."

Lal Bahadur Shastri is also the most honest and non-corrupt individual to occupy the highest office in India. He is one individual who during his short reign as the prime minister of India worked relentlessly for the betterment of our country and its people. As a railway minister Lal Bahadur was so conscientious that he took moral responsibility and resigned when there was a railway accident in Tamil Nadu which claimed 144 lives.

Taking his example and comparing it to our recent railway ministers who don't care two hoots for those dead in railway accidents or terrorist bombings, it makes me cry tears of blood. I wish this great man were given a little more importance at least in India if not across the world.....

I recently blogged about having compiled a tourist guide book about my home state of Karnataka. The creation of the Karnataka guide spurred me on to create similar publications for other places I have visited. As a result I created one more guide for one of my favorite places in India.

One is about Rajasthan the royal state of India, which attracted me to its rugged beauty of deserts, forts, and large lakes. Rajasthan has a special place in my heart because this is one state where I can get to see the stark contrasts of nature. We see the city of lakes in Udaipur and then the harsh waterless desert in Jaisalmer. We see the royal splendor of majestic palaces, which have been converted into luxury hotels, museums and schools. Then we see the abject poverty in the villages and urban slums right there.

raj

Rajasthan is also one of my favorite biking destinations. The state's highways and roads are beautifully paved and flanked by vast expanses of rugged landscapes. There are rocky fortified hills, majestic temples, rolling sand dunes as far as the eye can see, and most of all colorful friendly people.

If there is anything that I don't like about this state is the piercing heat and harsh sunshine that beats down onto the earth. The days are extremely hot and the desert cools down drastically in the night making it agonizingly cold in the night. I would rather prefer a stable mid-way temperature but then it wouldn't be a desert state with its rugged beauty would it?

I hope you would be interested in taking a look at the guidebook and possibly use it if you are visiting this part of the world. If you do read the book do let me know your feedback and how I could improve it suit your needs better.

Talk about New DOTA-Clone Game

One of my favorite hobbies is online gaming. Sometimes it can get quite addictive and keep me away from doing school work, but still I try and catch a few hours of onling gaming every week. I recently came across the beta version of this new game heroes of newerth and wanted to try it out.

But before actually going ahead and installing the game on my computer I wanted to know more about the game and I found this fantastic discussion forum where every bit of information about the game was talked about by geeks and enthusiasts like myself.

There are numerous topics such as characters of the game, hot keys, tips and tricks and a whole lot of interesting stuff. If you are a gamer this is one forum you must visit frequently.

Overland Cemeteries of New Orleans!!!

While several places in the world suffer from shortage of ground water resources New Orleans, Louisiana has the opposite problem... too much water. Two feet into the ground would yield water. This has led to great challenges to the local population in pretty much every field of endeavor. Building homes, roads, bridges, commercial structures are expensive and takes lot more efforts than elsewhere in the US.

Perhaps this problem made the people to build cemeteries over the ground instead of digging graves. Over the past few centuries the mainly Christian immigrants from Europe and Africa to this place have started building graves above the ground. These graves look more like small rooms than places for eternal resting. I visited the St Louis Cemetery which was established in 1854. This is one of the Catholic cemeteries in the area. There are several mega burial buildings which have several members of the same family resting. Then there are small individual rooms where one person is spending the afterlife awaiting the judgement day. Here are few pictures of the cemetery.

Chopper Style Bicycles = Fun on the Beach

Since the time I landed in the US I have been enamored by the wide array of choices that a consumer has. I started bicycling earlier this year after I bought a hybrid bike. Now as I explore the world of bicycling in the US I came across this company which offers exclusive chopper style bicycles for riding on the beach and other laidback locations. These bicycles look different and I am sure they offer ultimate riding comfort.

The unique selling proposition of this manufacturer is that these beach bikes are priced low and are available via shipping all over the USA. They will FedEx it to anyone, anywhere in the country. These bikes have only one speed and are frill free and come with a foot brake also known as coaster brake.

After looking at the enamoring pictures of the bikes I am being tempted to buy one for myself to ride around for fun.

Karnataka Tourist Guide

While I was browsing through my old articles and pictures I decided to put everything together in a thematic fashion and make it some sort of a book. I started off with my home state of Karnataka and I compiled only a few articles I had written for EducationWorld and the result is a 54 page book. Having done that I decided that I must share the information with others who might be interested in visiting the various tourist attractions of my home state. I have put up the guide for sale as a PDF download on Guidegekco an online travel site which helps travellers become writers.


Here is an image of the coverpage if any of my blog readers are interested I'd be glad to share the guide with you all. If you are feeling generous you could buy it online at Guidegecko.
If there is suitable number of requests I might even consider offering a print version of the book.

Get a New Look before that Job Interview!!!

During the past couple of years of economic downturn hundreds of thousands of people have been laid off, businesses gone bankrupt, retirees have reentered the workforce, and the job market has become unusually competitive. In this scenario what is the best way to hear that four magical words from a prospective employer: "When can you join?" Given the competition there is a need to pull all the stops to ensure that you land the job you are looking for.

Recently Gillette (R) commissioned a survey of about 500 HR professionals to know what a job seeker can do to create the first impression. The results of the survey conducted by Harris Interactive(R) are quite revealing of hiring trends with 84% respondents saying that they have noticed well-groomed employees climb the corporate ladder faster than those who are not. Another glaring statistic of the survey is that 90% of the HR professionals consider a well-groomed appearance better than a firm handshake.

As a result of the survey Gillette decided to do something for the job seekers and promoted the Gillette Career Advantage, a unique portal where job seekers can get advice from career expert Mark Jeffries and GQ style correspondent, Brett Fahlgren on how to get ahead in their profession. The website also features the Gillette Career Quiz, a hire guide which reveals what HR professionals really think and numerous other resources for the job seeker. This website is designed to equip and empower job seekers with the tools, information and advice on how to beat the competition and rise up in their career even in this weak economy.

That apart there is another initiative from Gillette. This is named the Gillette Resource Center where one can information about the survey, get the numbers and charts of the survey findings and get grooming and career advice from career experts.

I wouldn't miss this opportunity to know what is in the mind of a HR professional even though I am not in the job market. This is information one could use anytime in his career.

Martyr's treated differently!!!

We know that until the Civil Rights Movement African-Americans didn't have several basic rights and were heavily discriminated against. Some of the books I read talked about soldiers of African-American origin who fought with the Union during the civil war and helped free their brethren. But what those books didn't say was that even though both White and Colored (African-American) soldiers did exactly the same thing, they were treated differently.

Bywater War Memorial, New Orleans

When I was in New Orleans earlier this month I took time off to visit the Katrina-devastated and under-reconstruction Lower 9th Ward. In Bywater neighborhood of the Lower 9th Ward is this World War I war memorial. The structure which looks quite similar to the India Gate in New Delhi commemorates those from this area who laid down their lives for the country. The memorial is a great initiative and everyone listed there deserves the respect of one and all. But what stuck me hard was the fact that the memorial has separate boards listing the names of "White Men" and "Colored Men". This is quite absurd in my opinion, a man or woman who serves the nation and performs the ultimate sacrifice of giving up his or her life is not to be perceived by color, they are patriots and that is it.










It seems like even after getting martyred some people are simply not accorded equal status.

Win a 2010 Camaro... Get into Charter Sweepstakes

This could be yours!!!

Charter Communication services is constantly setting new trends in technology, home entertainment and the way you use internet. Apart from being a pioneering cable TV, high speed internet and telephone service provider, Charter is also known for its annual sweepstakes when they give generously. If you were to follow Charter on Facebook you will know how much is happening at Charter. The sheer magnitude of their giveaways are simply amazing.

Last year Charter gave away a Hybrid car, several XBox 360 units, laptop computer every day for almost two months and every year the prizes get bigger and better. This year Charter brings you the Camaro Sweepstakes. A chance to win your dream sports car, the truly powerful Camaro in a bright yellow exterior color and black interiors. While most sweepstakes have a disclaimer that the winner will have to pay taxes and other levies, Charter's giveaway includes taxes too. The winner practically gets the car absolutely free. That is what I would call real generosity.

Anyway to tell you more about the contest, it started on September 15, 2009 and will run through November 26, 2009. There is a lot of time to register and win the Camaro, but I'd suggest you to immediately start following Charter on Twitter because they will always come up with some great offer or the other.

When you visit Charter's website don't forget to checkout their gift card offers. You can get a $100 gift card when you sign up for 3 Charter services, $50 when you sign up for 2 services and $25 when you buy any one of their services. But to enter the Camaro sweepstakes there is no purchase necessary.

Camaro is one of the fastest and trendiest cars from the Chevy stables and Charter is one of the fastest internet, telephone and cable service you could sign up for in the US. The synergy is really unique and hence the best giveaway Charter decided was on a Camaro. Imagine the shiny yellow Camaro parked in your garage, wont it bring the otherwise greasy room to life???

Don't miss this opportunity to be the proud owner of a 2010 Camaro, sign up for the sweepstakes today!!!