Renting luxury cars at 50% discount!

One of my favourite hobbies is travelling to distant and exotic locations. But travelling has its own complications and you need mobility wherever you go. Whenever I visit a far off place I have to opt for car rental, because I don't like hiring taxis or depending on public transport. Both of which can be frustrating, unreliable and delay us to a great extent. But with gas prices heading north I was mentally preparing myself to pay more the next time I travelled.

But now I have found this great resource which will enable me to travel and pay less for car rental. Isn't it amazing, you travel and get a great deal for renting your favourite car? Yes it is. And if Advantage car rentals has its way it will revolutionise the very way in which we travel.

For this summer they have some really cool deals which will help you save money even if you are making last minute plans. Advantage's fleet of cars have the best of SUVs, Luxury cars and Convertibles, you can rent them across the country, irrespective of where you are going. From Las Vegas to Chicago, there are car rental deals which will be cheaper than you expect. Check out Advantage's special offers on their user friendly and informative website.

If you are not already floored by these offers there is another offer from Advantage which will make you want to book your rental car now. Advantage is offering upto 50% discount when you rent any of their Luxury or Convertible cars. And what is more you can reserve your set of wheels online on the website and don't have to worry about your transportation needs in a far off location.

Flying using party balloons

Ever heard of someone flying using party balloons? Does it sound crazy and outlandish... well it might for you but not for Kent Couch, a resident of Oregon. He has been using helium filled party balloons to fly from place to place since a long time. Yesterday he created a record of sorts when he flew 235 miles from Bend, Oregon to a small village in Idaho.

According to a newsreport in today's Dallas Morning News Kent has been doing this kind of crazy stunts on and off and this time he took the adventure a little far. Strapped to his lawn chair, he lifted off from his gas station with the help of his ground support crew and flew of 9 hours across the Oregon Desert and landed in the middle of a field in a farming community in Idaho. A flier, sky diver and adventurer Kent hopes to do many more flights soon.

I found some pictures of this amazing balloon flight on the internet and a youtube video which I am posting here for your information. To know more about Kent Couch and his adventures you can visit his website.

US Celebrates its 232nd Independence Day

A very happy indepdence day to all my readers from the US and those who are not from the US but still who respect and love this continent-sized country, the sole economic, military, espionage, infrastructural superpower of the world. Here are some cool graphics to celebrate independence day of the US. Well... What can I say, I am here alone bored and with nothing to do except dig my nose in books or watch unlimited movies/ browse the internet/ read books. There were several July 4th celebrations around town but since I didn't have any company and the parking everywhere was very expensive I chose not to go. Instead I sat in the apartment cybercafe almost all day and watched two Hindi movies. And of course I did some cooking and eating too. And then I washed the car... I didn't have to dry the metal mule because the heat of the evening sun vapourised the water drops on its body in a matter of minutes. Now that the day is almost over... I will head home and sleep off to prepare for tomorrow... hopefully I should go rollerskating and then continue on with the day.

Book Review: Gullah Culture in America

Exploring an ancient culture in modern America
Gullah Culture in America by Wilbur Cross; Price: $49.95; Praeger Publishers; 270 pp.

The United States of America has emerged as the sole superpower of the 21st century. The continent-sized nation has impacted its presence and power upon the rest of the world with its economic, technological and military superiority. Popular perception about America across the world is that of a multicultural, prosperous and hardworking society, with little interest in history, environment or cultural heritage. While it is largely true there are several initiatives from the government as well as by private individuals and foundations aimed at preserving ancient culture. One such example is the excellent efforts of The Penn Center, based in the island of St. Helena off the coast of South Carolina in the direction of preserving and documenting the history, heritage, religion, cuisine, medicine and prayer practices of the Gullah and Geeche Culture. The members of this ancient African-American culture trace their origins and ancestry to Sierra Leone and other parts of West Africa.

In an attempt to make the excellent work of The Penn Center known to people in America and also to introduce the Gullah culture veteran journalist Wilbur Cross has written the book Gullah Culture in America (GCA), in which he efficiently chronicles the history of Gullah culture and how it has impacted itself upon American nation, particularly in the southern seaboard states. “The Gullah people are the descendants of African ethnic groups who arrived in America as early as the late seventeenth century, and were forced to work on plantations in South Carolina and later Georgia. They were from many tribes including the Mandingo, Bamana, Wolog, Fula, Temne, Mende, Vai, Akan, Ewe, Bakongo and Kimbundu. The mixture of languages from Africa, combined with English, resulted in a creole language that eventually came to be known as Gullah,” writes the author of this well-researched treatise on an ancient culture.

Cross a veteran journalist and former editor of Life magazine has authored or co-authored over 50 books in his career has taken pains to do indepth research and portray the intricacies of the Gullah culture in his book. Spread over 12 well written chapters GCA starts with a foreword by Emory Shaw Campbell, executive director emeritus of the Penn Center. “Although thousands of articles and hundreds of books have been written on discoveries of Native American cultures and Indian lore, the Gullah-Geeche culture has been almost totally overlooked,” rues Campbell in the foreword commending that the GCA is one of the few well written books on the subject.

This book explores the Gullah culture's direct link to Africa, via the sea islands of the American southeast right from the days when Gullahs came into the contact with the western world during the height of the American Civil War through some missionaries who travelled to St. Helena Island, South Carolina, to establish a small institution called Penn School to help freed slaves learn how to read and write. According to Cross this was the first interaction between Gullahs and White Americans who noticed that most of the islanders spoke a language that was only part English, combined with expressions and idioms, often spoken in a melodious, euphonic manner, accompanied by distinctive practices in religion, work, dancing, greetings, and the arts.

The other chapters of the GCA explore various facets of the Gullah culture. The chapter titled ‘Hallelujah!’ talks about the religious practices of Gullahs, which they kept alive despite persecution by their masters. Chapter four titled ‘Growing up Gullah’ profiles several accomplished individuals who spent large part of their childhood in the southern islands isolated from modern America. “Many a Gullah person has risen from the most humble origins in neighborhoods in the poorer parts of town to successful careers in music, the arts, business and other callings. One fine example is that of Anita Singleton, who carried the procedure one step further by actually using her simple beginnings as the theme for her road to success,” writes Cross. Anita Singleton went on to become a popular radio host with a huge fan following for her one-woman show on PBS (Public Broadcasting Service) known as ‘Tales from the Land of Gullah’.

According to Cross even today, there are more than 300,000 Gullah people, many of whom speak little or no English, living in the remoter areas of the sea islands of St. Helena, Edisto, Coosay, Ossabaw, Sapelo, Daufuskie, and Cumberland. If not for this book, this unique and colorful culture would have remained hidden away in the remote pockets of America. The book is not only a treatise on the history of Gullah, but takes the reader behind the scenes of Gullah culture today to show what it's like to grow up, live, and celebrate in this remarkable and uniquely American community.

Cut to the Indian scenario where several such minority cultures are dieing a slow death thanks to rapid modernisation and urbanisation across the country we need people like Wilbur Cross to research, record and publish papers and books on these cultures. There are many such tribes and groups such as Chenchus of Andhra Pradesh, Ilagas of Karnataka etc, whose culture need to be researched and documented urgently.

High-tech gear for tactical operations

When you hear the words tactical pants or tactical shirts, what comes to your mind? Do you think of clothing for strategic operations like those undertaken by police, military and other security agencies? If so you are bang on target. You definitely know your stuff or perhaps you might be one of the people using these gear.

Though I am not in the business of law enforcement I have great regard for people employed in that field. They are the people who risk their lives so that our lives are safe. Typically law enforcement personnell work in precarious conditions, unearthly hours and sometimes sacrifice family time for duty, all for the security of the society they have sworn to protect.

Wouldn't you all agree that these noble souls need the best possible equipment, clothing and gear to do their duty? I am sure you all do. I came across this website which sells an array of merchandise specially manufactured keeping in mind the diverse needs of law enforcement and military personnell. They stock the best quality 5.11 Tactical pants which have been chosen by the federal, state and local law enforcement. And since the past 20 years, these forces have successfully used these 5.11 Tactical Pants!

La Police Gear is offering free shipping BOTH WAYS for 5.11 Tactical gear. It is needless to say that they have the argest in stock inventory of 5.11 tactical gear and can ship most orders within 24 hrs. And of course when it comes to dealing with security and law enforcement people, the customer service is par excellent. I am actually quite impressed with the style and comfort that these pants seem to offer. I think it would be great for use in outdoor sports such as hiking, trekking and even just walking on trails.

A gap of two days!

Since several days I have been posting about books, news, sights, propaganda, international politics etc.. For a change I thought I'd just post about what is happening in my life now. Even as I drive through the mega roads of Texas, trying to get where I want to go: pretty much the same destinations, college, our friend Mary's home, library, sometimes to some restaurant/ bar to be part of an adventure club meeting. And the occasional visit to the Chinmaya Mission center to participate in some hymn chanting activities.

Sounds pretty boring... huh... well it is not so boring as it sounds. First four days of the week i.e. Monday - Thursday I am kept on my toes, 4 hours of classes everyday and at least two days there will be exams and of course there are homework assignments to complete too. Then there is the commute to school, at least 30-45 minutes each way. This may sound a lot of time and if anyone knows what I feel about driving here, it is downright STRESSFUL. So by the time I reach my destination I will be a bundle of nerves and need at least 5-10 mins to cool off and relax my nerves, before I can do anything else. I usually take a long walk in the green spaces of the campus before starting any academic activity so I feel relaxed.

I am not saying it would be better in India but in India stress is the way of life. There is stress in every aspect of life, so it is not noticed. Here several aspects of life are easy and can be taken for granted.

Now coming to the interesting things that happen everyday. Internet is one of my most favourite things now... online gaming... browsing, blogging etc keeps me fairly occupied. Sitting either in the apartment cybercafe or in the college library I pretty much pass long hours on the net. I hope my fingers don't give way to carpel tunnel syndrome.

That pretty much sums up what I am upto most of the time...

Book Review: A Hike for Mike

Journey towards suicide prevention

A Hike for Mike: An Uplifting Adventure Across the Sierra Nevada for Depression Awareness by Jeff Alt; Dreams Shared Publications; Price: $14.95; 198 pp.

For footloose and fancy free outdoor enthusiasts trekking/hiking through inaccessible wilderness is the ultimate way to explore the world’s hidden wonders in its most pristine form. Walking through tangles of green forest, traversing hill and dales, fording every stream in hidden valleys provides rushes of adrenalin, which packaged five-star holidays can never match. Hardcore hiking enthusiasts swear that hiking through lonely woods rejuvenate mind, body and soul beyond compare. Although long cross-country treks sound thrilling and adventurous it’s useful to bear in mind that they require great reserves of energy, stamina, and the ability to lead a life bereft of the modern urban comforts which one is so used to.

These psychological and emotionally rejuvenative aspects of hiking has been endorsed and well highlighted by Jeff Alt, a motivational speaker, seasoned hiker, speech pathologist, teacher in his latest book A Hike for Mike. Alt, the author of award winning hiking travelogue A Walk for Sunshine, records his journey through the famous 218-mile John Muir Trail in California. The hike and this is dedicated to the memory of his brother-in-law, Mike, who committed suicide due to depression. Throughout the book which is a daily dairy recording of his and his wife’s experiences during the 21-day hike, Alt educates the people he meets about the seriousness of depression.

The book starts off with a foreword by Dr. Jerry Reed, executive director of Suicide Prevention Action Network, USA. “This is a story about the courage of Beth and Jeff Alt, who became survivors after losing Beth’s brother Mike to suicide. They were determined, like many of the 180,000 who lose a loved one to suicide each other, to do what they could to help other families learn about depression and the terrible toll of suicide,” writes Reed in praise of the couple’s efforts in helping prevent suicide due to depression. Dr. Reed further states that 31,000 Americans commit suicide every year, while another 650,000 individuals make attempt on their lives.

The couple decides to undertake this hike to combat their own grief following the tragic death of Beth's brother, Mike Richards. They decide to dedicate the trek to Mike and raise awareness about the deadly illness that depression is. Mike suffered from untreated depression and committed suicide.

“Research shows that walking and hiking are actually beneficial to people, not just for the obvious reasons, but for fighting depression. It actually increases the antidepressant chemicals in the brain, and so does being out in the sunshine and fresh air,” writes Alt explaining the rationale behind their choice to hike one of the most challenging trails in the US.

The John Muir Trail begins in the Yosemite Valley and goes up Mt. Whitney, at 14,494 feet, the highest mountain in the lower 48 states of the US and Alt’s travelogue flows smoothly into 24 chapters, the last of which titled ‘Depression: Get the facts’ is wholly dedicated to educate readers about the facts, information and resources to combat depression. During the course of the book the author gives a graphic and detailed description of the rugged John Muir Trail (JMT), which passes through California’s Sierra Nevada mountain range. The JMT starts off at the Happy Isles at a modest elevation of 4,035 ft. and ends at Lone Pine beside Mt. Whitney, (14,496 ft), the entire trail experiences sudden and extreme temperature swings, lightening and thunder storms, flash floods, bear and mountain lion attacks.

Through his lucid and chatty style of writing Alt makes the reader experience the adventure, pains, fears, wonderment, and appreciation for nature’s beauty as the couple travel through the wilderness of Sierra Nevada. A vast amount of detail is subtly integrated with the story and dialogue and one can easily know what to expect on the JMT after reading this book. “The John Muir Trail is speckled with glacial lakes and wilderness that are untouched by roads and most other civilized amenities. The trail wanders through deep canyons, around cold blue lakes and under sunny skies. It is most rugged and arguably some of the prettiest terrains,” writes Alt describing the JMT in the first chapter of the book.

The importance of right preparation in order to make cross-country hiking enjoyable and mishap-free, trekkers need to be well-equipped. A Hike for Mike clearly illustrates the amount of planning that goes on to make a successful hike through the wilderness. The author’s list of must-haves includes sturdy and comfortable backpacks, special hiking clothing including underwear, warm sleeping bags, portable water filter, alpine tent, cutlery, food, toiletries, etc. Comfortable hiking boots and a first-aid kit are also a sine qua non. This book was released on September 10, 2005, which is also marked as the World Suicide Prevention Day.

Though Alt has extensively hiked along the numerous mountains within the US, his obvious lack of experience and exposure to the global scenario is revealed in the book. He talks about the mere 14,496 ft tall Mt. Whitney as a great challenge and speaks about altitude sickness at 9,000 ft altitude. Cut to Indian scenario we have a full fledged city with a commercial airport operating at 11,500 ft and there are villages where thousands of people live permanently at higher altitudes. At 14,500 ft in Sikkim, the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute's base camp has been established where potatoes are grown year after year during summer months. If someone unaware of the heights of the Himalayan towns and villages and roads were to read this book, they would be taken by the authors writings and misled. Altitude sickness should not affect healthy and physically fit individuals till about 13-14,000 ft asl and Alt and his wife are marathon runners.

While the book is well written and has an absorbing narration, it could have done with better editing and proof reading. There are numerous irritating typographical errors which makes one wonder about the quality of publishing.

Rampant India Bashing by US Media

American media, especially newspapers have some kind of a hatred towards India. They seem to take vicarious pleasure in publishing all kinds of negative aspects of India. Completely unrelated incidents are compiled together to make the world's most peaceful country look like a haven of violence, civil unrest, communal riots etc. Since arriving in the US in October 2007, I have been reading several newspapers online and Dallas Morning News in print and everywhere when it comes to India they seem to take lot of pleasure in battering our country.

I read an article by a journalist of Indian Origin which should actually make US government and establishment hang its heads in shame. But the writer has skillfully compiled facts about another totally unrelated incident in India and written a fantastic story which makes India appear in bad light. No doubt the writing and editing skills of these journalists are admirable and their ability to cover up the negatives of their country. I used these two paragraphs to give a vent to my frustration about the media and now I will come to the point.

The first article titled "Royal care for some of India's patients, neglect for others" written by one Somini Sengupta, who seems to have forgotten her roots and changed sides after getting employed by New York Times. In the article she does the case study of one Robin Steels, a 60 year old car dealer from the US who travelled halfway around the world to Bangalore, India for a bypass surgery. The reason he had to travel was that he couldn't afford a heart surgery in the US.

The fact that the American government doesn't have any system in place to care for the country's middle-class and poor has been completely ignored in the article. It is well known across America that if one doesn't have health insurance and seeks medical care the hospitals will rip him apart and make him indebted for the next three life times. Though America prides itself as the world's richest nation; sole superpower; a nation with the largest number of millionaires; et al, the country doesn't have the heart to care for its poor. There is absolutely no mechanism in the government system which assures healthcare at a basic minimum cost to the country's poor and middle classes, who can't afford health insurance. The middle classes who don't have health insurance can afford to travel to third world countries like India where quality healthcare is available at fraction of the cost.

Steels spent $20,000 for his treatment in India. It would have cost him over $200,000 if he had the same treatment done in the US. Isn't it shamful that a country which claims to be the richest in the world but can't take care of its sick and diseased? But no, it appears to me that US media thinks it is fine for poor Americans to travel outside seeking quality healthcare at affordable costs.

Instead of highlighting the lapses and lacunae in the American healthcare system the writer takes a completely different course and targets the Indian healthcare system. She takes vicarious pleasure in highlighting the hooch (illicit liquor) tragedy which happened in Bangalore couple of months ago and says that Indian government has failed to equip its hospitals with ventilators and high-tech gadgetry to save lives of the poor. Indian government not providing high-tech expensive gadgetry in hospitals which provide FREE TREATMENT to poor people is a crime. But American government not doing the same is not so much of a crime. This seems to be the dominating sentiment in the article.

Another article I read was in today's Dallas Morning News titled "Discontent over land, jobs sweeps India". In this article the writer, again a New York Times Correspondent, and this time thankfully NOT a person of India origin, compiles three isolated incidents related to completely different issues and paints a picture of politicially and socially unstable India. She talks about unrest in Jammu and Kashmir, where terrorists funded by Pakistan (probably indirectly by the CIA) have been wrecking havock on innocent civilians since 1983 and the recent caste-based agitation by the Gujjars in Rajsthan, which happened 1,200 km (800 miles) away in the capital city and the Gorkhaland agitation in West Bengal. These are internal issues of India and don't have any consequence outside of the country. India has problems like every other country in the world and we will resolve it within ourselves. The last thing we would want is for American media to carefully hand pick disturbing news about India and highlight it and create a bad image of our country.

Indian media doesn't take pleasure in battering America for dumping Genetically Modified rice on African nations. Nor does we take pleasure in battering America for the torture in Guantanamo Bay. In 5,000 years of recorded history India has never gone to war with any nation, we have defended ourselves from invasions. And America one of the youngest nations in the world has waged several wars, all for money, oil and to satiate egos.

Media or journalists are theoretically known as the fourth pillar of democracy, the society's watchdog, force working towards betterment of society, etc, etc. But media people and organisations across the world seem to have forgotten why they were created. Instead of working for a better world and better society, media seems to focus on furthering political agendas and promote vested interests.

I wish American media focuses on development of the world and making sure that at least the 21st century will bring about an end of the concept of third-world nations. And at least during this century peace, education, health and security is something that every individual in the world can enjoy.

Human mind works in bizzare ways!

When was the last time you ate something that didn't agree with your system and you ended up farting away, suffocating everybody around and embarassing yourself? It is at those moments that people wish they had never eaten that tantalising junkfood. Well there is no alternative, if you eat lot of wrong type of food it will cause you to fart and create embarassing situations for yourself as well as those around you.

But you don't need to despair. Someone out there who is fond of eating fart-inducing foods has been creative enough to invent something which will neutralise your fart. Did you cringe in your seat and wrinkle your nose, don't do it, there is brand new product from The Pond Inc called "Subtle Butt" which is being marketed as a fart neutralizer. This product promises to eliminate smelly flatulence.

There is no magic to it, it is just an activated carbon fabric pad, measuring 3.25" x 3.25" square. This pad is stuck to the inside of your underwear with self-adhesive strips. Whenver you fart, the Subtle Butt filters the gas and lets out plain air. The pad absorbs the gas first and neutralizes its odor and lets out plain air. Now you can eat as many burritos you want and still have a social life.

Don't worry it is not priced to kill, a pack of five pads cost only $9.95.

Check out the demonstration video... It is kinda gross, so I'd advise you to exercise caution before clicking play.


Read about more bizzare products here

Book Review: Into the Den of the Bear and the Lair of the Dragon on a Motorcycle

Epic biker’s odyssey
Into the Den of the Bear and the Lair of the Dragon on a Motorcycle by Werner Bausenhart; Legas, Canada; Price: Rs.900; 203 pp

Cross-country biking is not new to two-wheeler aficionados across the world. Men and mobikes taking off to far-flung destinations is old hat for intrepid and free-spirited souls who wish to explore the world. One such adventurer is Dr. Werner Bausenhart, a former professor at the University of Ottawa, who during the past decade has biked across the Americas and travelled down the west coast of Africa.

“Motorcycle adventure travel is mainly a man-thing, although lately a few women seem to have been bitten by the bug as well. It is a disease without a cure. The symptoms are well known, but not well understood, particularly by the female half of the population. We, the sufferers, need space; no, more than that: we need the vista of wide open spaces. We need adventure as a fish needs water. We need a bit of danger in our lives to add zest to an otherwise prosaic existence,” writes Bausenhart, the author of this travelogue. The ambitious eventful excursion on two wheels took Bausenhart across two of the largest countries in the world — Russia (the eponymous den of the bear) and China (the dragon’s lair). Refreshingly Bausenhart’s thrilling adventure narrated in this book began after his retirement from Ottawa University which he served faithfully for 27 years — proof there’s a lot of life after retirement.

The Russian leg of the 31,686 km journey on a BMW R 100 GS PD began in London and ended in Vladivostok via Moscow, Novosibirsk, Irkutsk, and Khabarocsky, and return was via Beijing, Kashgar, Islamabad, Tehran, Ankara, and Istanbul — an eight month long odyssey.

Liberally peppered with route maps, monochrome photographs and illustrations, this book is an easy and entertaining read. Conversations with a multitude of locals, fellow travellers on the road and policemen and inevitable haggling with border officials provide useful information on local cultures and practices of each country.

“Although the highway to Minsk was excellent, I did not make much time, since at every little town I was stopped by their traffic police, only to admire my motorcycle and to make conversation. This I loved. This was the very purpose of my journey, to meet the locals. In Minsk I was chased by a city cop on a motorcycle for no apparent reason. He pulled me over at a traffic light, and with a smile pointed out at his motorcycle: it was a BMW, the same type and year as mine, but in police livery. The two of us went through an instant ritual of male bonding, a ritual that was to be repeated again and again throughout the trip. After all boys will be boys, no matter what nationality and where they may meet,” writes the author.

Like Bausenhart’s earlier books 8 Around the Americas on a Motorcycle and Africa Against the Clock on a Motorcycle, this comprehensive travel diary would particularly interest the multiplying tribe of bikers — majority of whom entertain ideas of hitting the highways full throttle. A series of vignettes and a tour d’ horizon of societies and cultures en route, mark the meandering jaunt.

Indeed as one pours over lengthy paragraphs, it’s arguable that the unique selling proposition of this travelogue is the valuable advice it contains on required documentation, bike maintenance, road and riding conditions and how they affect the motorcyclist, sea crossings by air/ sea freight and basic security precautions. A concluding appendix of hard data provides details of exact distances between towns, camping sites and most importantly, includes the author’s rating of hotels in which he lodged.

On the down side the book could have done with professional editing, production, and colour — instead of black and white — photographs. Nevertheless for the growing tribe of subcontinental bikers, Bausenhart’s recitation of an epic odyssey is certain to prove inspirational. It demonstrates that anyone with the ability to win friends and influence people can do likewise. All it takes is a bike, a bit of money, and lots of time.

House Cleaning: My most hated task!

When I was at home in India, weekends would be a time of joy and enjoyment. I would look forward to Saturdays when I would set out with friends to explore the back country, climb mountains, trek in forests etc. I was happy and footloose because the housework was being taken care of by the maid and my parents. Now having moved to the US and living here since the past eight months, I have stopped looking forward to the weekend. Because Saturdays mean lots and lots of hard work. Vacuming the house, cleaning the bathroom, washing clothes, taking out trash, dropping newspapers for recycling etc.

I can manage tasks which involve going out like taking newspapers or trash out... but house cleaning is something that I would rather not do and spend time in front of the computer. How do I avoid this? There are many strategies to avoid this weekly cleaning torture. One thing I have learnt is that surface cleaning is easier than thorough cleaning. So when food drops accidentally on the floor, just take a napkin and wipe it clean. If there is dust on the carpet just push it aside or spread a mat over it and it will appear clean.

Apart from being a big pain vacuming consumes lots of power and shoots up our home electricity bills. So one of the reasons I avoid vacuming the home is to cut down on electricity bills. But vacum cleaners don't come with any such ratings and they just guzzle electricity like water. I have realised that picking up dirt whenever we notice would postpone my vacuming periods from weekly to fortnightly. And ensuring that dirt is not seen in the main open areas of the house will also help. What is out of sight is presumed absent so we won't bother cleaning and thus saving on energy.

The only way I feel that one can vacum regularly and still not get shocked by electricity bills is by adopting technologies which don't consume electricity. A recent innovation is the Dirt Devil vacum cleaners from AccuCharge. The Dirt Devil, Stick Vac and Hand Vac consumes 70% less energy. Do I hear "wows" and "aaahs", yes it does and you can use the savings to go out for dinner, fill up gas and go on a trip or whatever. This feature has enabled AccuCharge the first cordless cleaning technology to earn Energy Star approval.

Remembering my desert adventure

Couple of years ago I was visiting UAE and took the opportuity to participate in a day long desert drive, dune bashing and belly dancing package tour. That was in 2005, my first time outside India and in the real desert. Though I had visited Deserts in Rajasthan, it was different to be in a developed desert where even the restrooms and toilets were air-conditioned and where wild camels roamed around.

Dune bashing is also referred to as "White water rafting of desert" because it gives so much thrill and adrenalin rush to participants. I rode a buggy as well, up and down sand dunes rising dust storms wherever I went.

Then the real dune bashing was done seated inside the plush comfort of a monstrous Toyota Landcruiser driven by a Lebanese driver who expertly manouvered the SUV up and down sand dunes. There were instances were my heart leapt to my mouth and I felt certain that our vehicle would tumble like a match box down the high unsteady sand dunes in the middle of nowhere. After a few years I remember those memories with a rush of excitment whenever I look at the pictures.

Of course I enjoyed watching the Belly dancer gyrating to the beat of desert music. Few other tourists enjoyed dancing with her while I contented myself photographing them.

Solutions to create your own space online

So you have a great new spiritual philosophy and want to disseminate the knowledge about your thoughts through the internet. In the fast paced world that we live in, internet is one of the quickest, cheapest and most effective way of spreading information to millions of people at the same time. Moreover Internet like God and philosophy transcends national, regional and continental boundaries and is accessible anywhere, anytime. Most business, social, cultural, government and religious organisations in the world have their own websites which serve the puposes of giving information, collecting data about users, soliciting support/ donations etc.

In order to have your own website you have several options, you can go to a website hosting company and pay them exhorbitant amounts of money and let them host your website. Then there is Network Solutions, which offers just two great packages to create a web site of your own. You could use existing templates and opt for the do-it-yourself website design package or alternatively you could use opt for the Do-it-for-me package, where there will be a professional web site designer to do your work. The do-it-for-me package includes professional copywriting, setup and designing of your website.

The do-it-yourself package starts at just $4.95 a month and what's more your domain registration is absolutely FREE. You couldn't ask for more for your small business or for a church ministry starting out new. There are hundreds of attractively designed ready-to-use templates online waiting for you to modify and create your website with.

All these services come with a 30-day warranty. If you're not satisfied, simply cancel your order within 30 days of purchase. Moreover there is a technical support team waiting to help you create the best website for your business. This is free and available 24/7 over phone or e-mail. Don't you think this is the best place to shop for your new website? Start right away.

One More Drag Racing Fatality

Scott Kalitta an American drag racer who competed in the Funny Car class in the NHRA Powerade Drag Racing Series met a fiery end today evening when his car exploded after he attained 300 miles per hour. I had embedded a Youtube video of the crash but for reasons best known to Youtube the video is no longer available. I found this AP picture on the website of The Age and thought I'd share it to show the seriousness of the crash.
Racing is a risky sport and like any most other dangerous sports there is a high possibility of losing one's life in this. Even the most experienced racing champions can succomb. It can be due to a technical snag, a human error or any minor mistake. This incidents are scary but not scary enough to deter people from racing or participating in the sport. So long as human race exists extreme sports will continue to exist. It gives an adrenalin rush to us and we will indulge in the sport.

Movie Review: What Happens in Vegas

Disappointing comedy!

Title: WHAT HAPPENS IN VEGAS
Director: Tom Vaughan
Starring: Cameron Diaz, Ashton Kutcher, Rob Corddry, Lake Bell and Queen Latifah
Genre: Comedy, Chick flick

What happens in Vegas is one of those total fantasy movies with completely outrageous plot. The movie starts off with a jaded looking Cameron Diaz and her friends planning a surprise birthday party for her fiancé. But her fiancé has his own plans, he comes home and before she could utter one word, he dumps her. A visibly distraught Cameron Diaz decides to take a holiday in Vegas and come back rejuvenated to her job.

At Vegas she bumps into Ashton Kutcher who has been fired from his job by his own dad and is combating depression. Both of them hit off in the casinos and in drunken stupor get married. Next morning while they are still not sure how to tackle the marriage and annul it, they come by a windfall of $3 million. Now the question is who gets the money, though both of them agree to split even, the judge plays spoilsport. In the court the judge dismisses their plea for annulment and orders them to live together for six months and get marriage counseling. If they fail in their efforts then they would be granted divorce.

The judge further says that if they stay together and show that they really tried to make it work for six months, they split the money evenly. But if one can prove that the other cheated, didn’t try to make the marriage work, quit from the marriage then, he/ she gets to keep all the money. Both Jack (Ashton) and Joy (Diaz) attempt every trick in the book to mess each other’s life so that they can claim the booty. The rest of the film is how each makes life miserable for the other and in the process fall in love with each other. Their divorce plea gets passed but they reunite and decide to get married again.

Cameron Diaz and Ashton Kutcher have delivered a good performance as bickering newly weds. Queen Latifah in her role as marriage counselor seems so out of place, even with her funny accent and seemingly authoritative postures. She needn’t have accepted such a minor role in this movie. The only merits of this movie are the numerous comedy sequences, such as when Jack removes the toilet seat because Joy tried to give him potty training. The early morning sequence when Jack pees into the kitchen sink loaded with cutlery is really gross.

The movie disappoints in several counts, first Cameron Diaz seems to have lost all her beauty. She looks skinny, tanned, dehydrated and really old; almost like Ashton’s mother. Wonder if the movie makers couldn’t afford a better make up artist or wonder if she has really become old. The screenplay is mediocre and the dialogues are just average. It is ok to watch once if you have loads of time and no other options.

I’d give it a rating of 2.5 out of five.

Check out the trailer.

Book Review: Two Wheels Through Terror

India has always been full of warm and compassionate people. This is the only country in the world where Jews were not persecuted. This is one country where everybody was welcomed with open arms. The concept of “Athithi Devo Bhava” or “Guest is like God” is practiced only here. But somehow in post-independence India, the road has become one of the most dangerous places. Road travel, be it in the bustling cities or on the highways has become increasingly dangerous. Somehow once people get behind the wheel or astride a motorcycle, a strange phenomenon happens. They get taken over by road rage, speeding, reckless driving, callousness towards other road users seems to be the order of the day.

In such scenario what do bikers who wish to travel around the country or even the world on their trusted metal steeds do? India being the youngest nation in the world with more than half its population comprising of people under 24 is also waking up to the growing culture of biking holidays.

Not surprisingly the availability of vrooming nexgen motorcycles has incubated the phenomenon of biking holidays. In contemporary India it’s not uncommon for bike enthusiasts to strap up their saddlebags and hit the highways to exotic, off-the-beaten-track destinations ranging from the freezing heights of the Himalayas to the golden beaches of the Indian Ocean. Cashing in on this new fashion are smart two-wheeler marketers who have promoted motorcycle clubs in major cities across the country. These clubs with evocative names such as Rolling Thunder Motorcycle Club, Bangalore; Inde Thumpers, Pune; 60Kph, Mumbai; Indian Bikers, Kolkata, among others, are thronged by leather-clad, greasy-handed motorcycle buffs.

But the new-age Indian biker is hardly aware of the hazards of cross-country running on a two-wheel machine. He has to negotiate unruly truck drivers, bandits, vehicle snatchers, naxalites and terrorists among other perils on the nation’s unpoliced highways. In terms of books and journals there are no recallable works by Indian authors on the subject and most automobile magazines devote their columns to techno mumbo jumbo. Against this backdrop Two Wheels Through Terror by US-based adventure motorcyclist and traveller Glen Heggstad, is a boon even to sub-continental bike enthusiasts. The book is a first-hand account of an ambitious motorcycle journey through South America that gets horribly, and violently, detoured. It’s as much a travel diary of a motorcycle odyssey as a story about bravery in the face of terror and perseverance in adversity.

Heggstad aka ‘Striking Viking’ has driven custom-built Suzukis across the most rugged terrains worldwide and is a former member of Hell’s Angels — the largest motorcycle riders group in the US — apart form being a martial arts expert. His biking adventures have been featured on NPR and CBS’s 48 Hours. Currently in Asia on yet another round-the-world motorcycle tour, Heggstad has his permanent residence in Palm Springs, California, where he owns and operates a martial arts school.

Divided into four sections featuring maps and top-quality pictures of South American landscapes, the book begins with the profile of a confident man preparing to zoom away from the safe confines of his home to realise a dream and ends with a dazzling display of determination and courage. "Warriors claim that battles are won in the preparation. This is a personal battle for which I am preparing — a battle to survive the adventure through Mexico, Central America and the West Coast of South America to the tip, across the Straights of Magellan to the island of Tierra del Fuego, and back up the East Coast — on a 650 cc dual-sport motorcycle. A 25,000 mile ride through blazing deserts, freezing mountain passes, sub-Antarctic wilderness, and steaming tropical rainforests," writes Heggstad in his introduction.

Two Wheels Through Terror is perhaps the most thrilling and absorbing motorcycle adventure travelogue ever written. Both diary of a motorcycle pilgrim and survival guide, this book should be standard reading for any daredevil motorcyclist who plans to hit country roads, and especially for bikers planning cross-country travel in India, infested with militancy in Jammu and Kashmir, the naxalite-insurrectionary states of central India or the lawless BIMARU (Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh) jurisdictions. While biking through the rebels-dominated northern district of Columbia, Heggstad was kidnapped and held for ransom for five weeks by the rebel army Ejercito de Liberacion Nacional (ELN).
A compilation of events recorded by Heggstad during his journey, his capture, escape and eventual realisation of a dream, Two Wheels Through Terror is a gripping story of a bike adventurer robbed of all and frog-marched through fly-infested tropical jungles with assault rifles pointed into his back. But given his preparation in terms of proficiency in martial arts, unarmed hand-to-hand combat and shrewd thinking, he overcomes.

Once free, Heggstad does not return home. Not a bit bogged down by the violent torture he had to suffer, Heggstad arranges for another motorcycle to be despatched to him in Columbia to continue on the high road to adventure through Ecuador, Peru, Chile, Argentina and Brazil. The rest is smooth riding, by his standards of adventure from which automotive two- wheeler enthusiasts worldwide can derive great inspiration and knowledge.

Published in EducationWorld

Learning New skills

America is truly a land of opportunities where one can fulfill his dreams. At least as long as one can make enough money to pay for them. In my case I am lucky to have a supportive wife-to-be who is helping me fulfill do several things which I would probably never have attempted in India.
One of the things, Roller Skating, an activity which I was interested in since my early childhood and had never learnt in India. Yes there are some facilities to learn Skating out there but they were either inaccessible or only for kids. Here I started learning roller skating about 8 weeks ago and I have been going to the classes off and on. But the first five weeks I was regular and made rapid progress. I can now skate straight at slow speed and forwards. I can turn, stop, run and walk on wheels. And after some more classes I am sure I will be able to skate backwards, reverse, jump, hop, skip etc all on wheels.
Another activity I took part in last weekend was flying. Can you believe it I actually co-piloted a small plane. Again thanks to Padma and her friend Chris I was able to do it. Padma spent the money and Chris, a certified commercial pilot taught me the basics of flying. Last Sunday morning was perhaps one of the most thrilling mornings of my life so far. I expected it to be a joy ride with Chris taking us in a small aircraft around Dallas area. But when I met Chris at the Addison Airport, he asked: "Who is going to fly first?". Padma replied: "He will" and pointed to me.
Then we went into the hanger and Chris started gave us a brief lecture on the various things to check before even getting into the air-craft. The fuel quality, wings, weights, rudders and lot more.
Then we got into the aircraft each wearing a headphone for communications. Seated in the small 4-seater aircraft Chris explained all complex instrumentations and levers in the cockpit and what they do and how we need to operate them. Once these things were done, Chris spoke into the radio with the air traffic control tower and obtained clearance to taxi and we were soon on the runway ready to take off. One more exchange of words on the radio and we got a green light to fly and in a matter of seconds we were off with Chris giving a constant commentary on what is happening and why he was doing what.
It was a great experience of sitting in the cockpit staring at so many instruments giving an array of measurements, each important for at least one aspect of the flight. We climbed higher and higher and attained an altitude of 2,000 ft, Chris said we will fly at this height and land at Sherman Municipal Airport and then fly back to Addison. Enroute Chris taught how to manouvere the metal bird to destination and how to read the in-flight GPS and set course. We also did a small 360 degree loop at 2,000 ft. It was a little scary but with Chris' reassuring us, we were comfortable.
Return was even more thrilling when Chris told me to manage the course till Addison, soon after taking off. He taught me how to maintain altitude, how to ascend, decend etc. The flight was in my control in mid-air, couple of times I lost altitude and had to fly up. I did panic and feel jittery when this happened but under the Chris' expert guidance I made it safely upto Addison. Chris took permission from the ATC tower and landed safely.
For this wonderful experience I must say thanks to three entities who made it possible. The first being Padma, then Chris and then America.

Advertising Humour at its best

Advertising is one of the best ways of capturing people's attention and making them aware of the merits of your product or service. Advertisements can be downright dumb or sometimes so good that we like to watch them again and again. All this conveys the message of the sponsor/ advertiser to the audience.

Anyway I came across this compilation of five advertisements of a mortgage company in the US. I am quite sure you will fall off your chair laughing as you watch these five advertisements. Do let me know if you like them or dislike them.



Don't Judge Too Quickly... We Won't. - video powered by Metacafe

How to slash your international phone call expenses

I have been living in a foreign country (US) since the past eight months and believe me feeling homesick is very common. My family, friends, home, everything else I was familiar with has changed and it is quite natural to miss these things. The telephone is a magical gadget which keeps me in touch with my loved ones back home. While international calls keeps me in touch with my loved ones, it also costs quite a lot. In my quest for affordable telephone calls, I found this great online resource, where I can buy cheap phone cards and make international calls.

This place known aptly as Phone Cards Avenue is one the few places which offers cheap international phone cards which enables users like me to save 80 percent or more on international calls. This savings are better than popular mass-market telephone service providers like at&t, sprint, verizon etc.

Prepaid phone cards are one of the best ways to save on long distance and international telephone bills. The market is full of companies selling phone cards, each claiming to offer the best deal. This blitz of advertising makes it very difficult to find and buy a really cheap phone card or calling card.

Thousands of websites sell pre-paid phone cards online, and searching for good deals only make us frustrated. But at Phone Cards Avenue, this frustration is removed completely, the site offers pre-sorted international calling cards which offer great quality and value. Users can save thousands by buying country/ region specific cards available online at Phone Cards Avenue.

My advise is simple and straight forward: If you call home frequently, don't bother to buy minutes from your phone provider. Just buy a pre-paid phone card from Phone Cards Avenue and start saving money.

Skateboarding event at Plano

The day started off as a boring Saturday morning and we didn't know what to do. We finally decided that we must get out and do something and got ready to go out. But in flat Texas and boring Dallas area what do we do? Well, we decided to go to Sports Academy and check out their bicycles and if there are any good offers we would buy a bike and start biking around the trails in Carrollton.

We drove down to the mall were the sports goods dealer is located and to my surprise I saw this huge crowd of kids doing skateboarding. Getting closer to the venue music was blaring deafeningly and there were guys and gals enjoying themselves on 4 miniature wheels of the skateboard.

I have always been fascinated by skating activities of all kinds, roller skating, inline skating/ roller blading and skateboarding. But lack of facilities to learn ad practice in India had always prevented me from indulging myself in these pursuits. Now thanks to my being in the US I have learnt how to do roller skating. I am not perfect but I can do something. So this event was too much of an attraction to give up. The sun beat down on us as we walked around the parking lot looking at the various fun stalls, skateboarding kids.

There was one stall selling skateboards and funky t-shirts, another peddling food and bottled water, one of them was a fun stall in which they were giving away T-shirts, chains and other funky stuff if participants did something really gross. Like applying mustard sauce all over their face, coloring their hair purple etc.

I shot a video of the proceedings, skateboarding, doing gross stuff etc. Watch it and give me your feedback.