Fall Colors that almost went unnoticed

I have been busy going through my college, radio shows, volunteering and other stuff that I almost missed capturing the beauty of fall in my camera. Last weekend I finally got around to do it and here are the amazing hues of nature. Of course most of the pictures have been shot inside the apartment complex I live in and couple have been captured outside in places like Irving and Plano, places that I frequently visit.

Data about US Prison Inmates

One of the things I like about the US establishment is the way records of virtually every facet of life are maintained. This has enabled them to churn out enormous amounts of statistics, research-based data and establish their domination over the world. I recently came across this website which has a uniquely different search engine. This site enables people to locate prison inmates. Aptly titled Prison Inmate Locator, the site provides access to information about inmates in the US. Data available include inmate license and all other vital information of people in the prison anywhere in the US.

I believe this is a commendable effort, considering that nearly 1% of US population are living in prisons. And in my opinion every nation should put in place similar systems so that tracking of information will be easy and lessons learnt will be retained across generations.

Post-Terrorist Attack Protests

After the recent Mumbai terrorist attacks which exposed the total lackadiasical attatitude of India's corrupt politicians, common people took to streets with placards, posters, and banners. The people are outraged at the blatent courage of the Pakistani terrorists who struck at the heart of India. Of course the terrorists were helped by some "local loyals" of their own kind who live, thrive and enjoy the wealth of India but think, plot, and work against India, only one reason... because India has a majority Hindu population.

Here are some images that were forwarded to me by a friend in India, who was part of this protest rally. I hope the awakening of national consciousness continues till next year's elections and the people would elect a "Patriotic Government" or at least give full majority to one party... be it "minority-appeasement party" or "stupid spineless party" or anything... but let there be one power at the center and not a mixture of trash like it is now.

God's Master Plan

What is god's plan for the world? How does he decide which nation is rich, which is poor, what is strong and which is happy... well here is a humourous deduction of God's plan for the world. Read through and enjoy.


God was in the process of creating the universe.
And he was explaining to his subordinates

Look everything should be in balance.:
For example, after every 10 deer there should be a lion.
Look here is United States.
I have blessed them with prosperity and money.
But at the same time I have given them insecurity and tension....

And here is Africa.
I have given them beautiful nature.
But at the same time, I have given them climatic extremes.

And here is South America.
I have given them lots of forests.
But at the same time, I have given them lesser land so that they would
have to cut off the forests...
So you see fellows, everything should be in balance.

One of the angels asked...
"God, what is this extremely beautiful country here?"

God said....... "Ahah...that is the crown piece of all.
"INDIA"
My most precious creation.
It has understanding and friendly People.
Sparkling streams and serene mountains.
A culture which speaks of the great tradition that they live.
Technologically brilliant and with a heart of gold.....

The angel was quite surprised:
"But god you said everything should be in balance."

God replied --
"Look at the neighbours I gave them."

BASTARDS

I must say that if this is God's plan, it has worked out pretty well and that is the kind of neighbors we Indians have.

Weapons for Police and Security Forces

One of the most important necessities for any police or security force employee is a good, reliable and high-quality weapon, which can also be used as a tool in case of emergencies. Guns and other fire arms constitute such weapons but are very lethal and have limited utility. There are other implements such as Benchmade Knives which can be used in multiple applications.

I came across this website which offers several highly innovative products for the police and security forces. The range of benchmade knives available with them is impressive and conform to high standards of quality. Their manufacturing unit is completely computerised and their products are well engineering to perform their tasks.

Dating Advice from a 9-year old

This can happen only in a free spirited nation like the US, an 8-year-old writes a best selling book about one of the most talked about subject in the entire world "How to Talk to Girls". I read this article about Alec Greven, a fourth-grader at at Soaring Hawk Elementary School in Castle Rock, Colorado, US, who has catapulted to nationwide fame thanks to his first published book titled "How to Talk to Girls" and am pretty impressed by his enterprise, skill and observation ability.

This book started off as a school writing assignment, which was so well written that the impressed principal and teachers they put it up for sale at the school book fair for $3. The book became hit and soon attracted the attention of a publisher and since then Alec has been the Agony Uncle, the macho man, the ladies man, the original casanova... etc etc... Boys in his school have been seeking his advice on how to get "girls".

Reading the interview he gave to TodayShow.com I am pretty impressed by his confidence and modus operandi with which he wrote the book. His inspiration came from his observation of boys finding it difficult to talk to girls and get dates. Wish I was so brainy at 9 yrs old to write a book... heck I have not even been able to complete my books at 35...

But anyway I will get to it and hopefully soon I will have my picture with the book.

Shanti Homam in Dallas

The recent terror attack in Mumbai took over 200 innocent lives. It is another matter that most of the dead are Hindus and the killers are all Jihadi Muslims trained in Pakistan. Most of the media and "Moderate" muslims I know are blaming the victims.. the Hindus as the reason behind the attack. The fact that we are Hindus and we follow our own religion seems to be the bone of contention in this case. I wonder when these guys will get their brains straight and start working towards creating a happy family life for themselves and their loved ones.

Anyway as Hindus we are a peace loving civilization and the most we do is pray for peace... not only for our own people for the whole world. The traditional saying of Hindus "Krunvanto Vishwamaryam" meaning "May the whole world be happy" is something every Hindu remembers and thinks before taking any action. In this direction the immigrant Hindu community, apart from donating money to help the rehabilitation of those affected in Mumbai terrorist attack, has organized a Shanti Homam in several cities in US, Canada and New Zealand. I have uploaded the flyer of the homam in this post and definitely hope and trust that several people will be joining us as we pray for world peace. To participate or know more about the homam do visit the website of Sanatana Dharma Foundation


shanti.pdf

When the nation burns, projected future PM Parties Hard

This is perhaps the most shameful facet of our country. Rahul Gandhi, the scion of the ruling Gandhi family didn't think twice before heading out and partying all night even as the family members of those dead in the Mumbai terrorist attack grieved over the loss. According to newsreports the general secretary of Indian national congress was seen partying hard till 5.00 am at a friend's Sangeet function in a private farmhouse on the outskirts of Delhi.

According to anonymous eye witnesses, Rahul Gandhi was completely out of sync with the mood of the nation post-26/11 terrorist attacks. Though officials have been cancelling parties and even private business establishments called off special events, Rahul Gandhi wouldn't stop partying. He was enjoying himself at the lavish party hosted by Leena Musafir, sister of the bride and her husband. “When everyone is cancelling parties or just keeping them low-key, Rahul Gandhi had no business to be celebrating. His action makes us lose faith in future leaders,” said Ajay Bahl, a leading corporate lawyer who was trapped in the thick of the action on 26/11 at The Oberoi, Mumbai, but managed to escape with the help of the hotel staff.

And this is the same person who is being projected as the future prime minister of India. Do we need someone like this, one who is totally callous about the sensitivities of the nation, someone who is totally self-indulgent at the tax payers expense. Someone who doesn't care about the response of the nation to this crisis and goes off to party hard. An Member of Parliament who parties instead of serving his constituency? Come on we don't need him... I'd suggest he and his family just leave the country and go away to Italy, their mother land and never come back.

Worst kind of politics by Kerala CM

This is something that can happen only in India. A chief minister insulting a slain soldier's parents is something that should never happen in any nation. And this is exactly what the great Achutanandan did in Bangalore recently. The CM of Kerala has had the audacity to say that not even a dog would have gone to the home of late Major Unnikrishnan. I wonder how he got elected in the first place and what the people are doing keeping him in power. This kind of characters should be divested of power and sent to prison for disrespecting the sacrifices of a martyr.

I wonder if there is any depth that a politician can stoop to... This is the most Thanklessness one can show. This type of people are those who surround themselves with security guards even to go to the bathroom, what does he think of himself. If he had any conscience he would have resigned or at least sanctioned money for purchase of high-tech protective gear for the security forces.

Get your Nikon Hunting Gear today!

This is the time once again, when stores and corporations wait for shoppers with fantastic deals on their products. Black friday sale is one of the largest sales in the US and the best deals of the year are available during this time. And this year world's famous camera and optics maker Nikon has announced its Nikon Black Friday Promo.

The deal is the best I have come across and the savings are huge. One can buy all kinds of hunting gear from Nikon at amazingly low prices, thanks to the black friday prmotion. Items on sale include Riflescope, Rangefinder, and other sport optics products. You could order from any division of Nikon, the Nikon Sport Optics, NikonProGear and NikonHunting.com and of course this year special is the addition of Lee and Tiffany Lakosky.

All these together form the Ultimate Hunter's Package which contains:
-ProStaff 3-9x40 Riflescope with BDC Reticle
-ProStaff Laser Rangefinder
-Silent Technology Rangefinder Case
-Mastering a Long-range shot with BDC DVD
-$50 NikonProGear Gift Card

Total savings on the package come upto a cool $114.90, isn't that at great deal. And if you are buying a Nikon Action Extreme ATB 10x50 binoculars you get an additional $20 off. And there are great deals on other models of binoculars such as Monarch, trail blazer, action, etc. So don't wait any further, this is the best deal for a long time to come just go ahead and buy all the hunting gear you need.

Book Review: 500 Places to see before they disappear

500 Places to See Before They Disappear by Holly Hughes and Larry West; Wiley Publishing Inc; Price: $19.99; 472 pp.

Global warming, climate change, deforestation, destruction of natural habitats, reduction of national park areas and melting glaciers etc are causing great changes in the way we have known the earth to be. When one reads the title of this book it would be tough to imagine that there could places on the earth which could disappear, but the unfortunate truth is that there are many more than 500 places which are in danger of disappearance due to various man-made reasons. 500 Places to See Before They Disappear is a compilation of the information on the world's most fragile wonders.

At the face on might get the impression that this book contains information about forests, glaciers, mountains, lakes and other natural places, but this volume has information about man-made wonders too. “Though this book was originally conceived as a handbook for eco-tourists, it soon became clear that we couldn’t separate natural and man-made attractions. After all, historical and cultural landmarks are part of the environment, too. If changes in the natural environment have threatened the piping plover, the Tasmanian devil and the mountain gorilla, so too have changes in our cultural environment threatened classic amusement parks, ballparks and movie palaces. Our planet is poorer every time we allow something to die,” writes Holly Hughes, the New York-based globally traveled editor and writer who has also written fiction and also edits the annual Best Food Writing anthology.

From Canada to Chile, Russia to Africa and India to Japan, 500 Places to See Before They Disappear has information about numerous locations which are suffering from the onslaught of modern development. This volume enables passionate travelers and eco-conscious individuals to learn about and plan a visit to see rare cultural, historic, and natural places before they are get permanently, irreversibly changed or disappear. These include exotic landscapes, fragile ecosystems, rare animal, bird and big game habitats, cityscapes, vanishing cultural kitsch, petroglyphs, and more.

500 Places to See Before They Disappear is ideal for school and university libraries where young students can access information about the changes that are taking place in locations across the world and the natural and man-made heritage we are slowly but surely losing.

When I saw the book my first interest was to check out how many places in India are listed in the volume. After reading the book I am quite shocked to note that 19 places in India are in danger of disappearing completely. These include the world heritage sites of Ajanta Caves, Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary, Chilika Lake Bird Sanctuary, the Great Stupa of Sanchi, Rock shelters of Bhimbetka, Sundarbans National Park, Taj Mahal, Temples of Khajuraho and the Valley of Flowers of National park.

Each fast-disappearing location has been profiled in great detail along with pictures and accounts on its history, nature of the threat it is facing, and why it’s been included. And of course there is quite a bit of brief practical information on how to visit, and what visitors can to do protect it. The easy-to-use geographical index at the end of the book makes reading the book all the more easier. This index helps travelers locate attractions in and around the locations they are traveling to.

There is a definite US spin to the endangered places featured in the volume. The places in the US are listed as per their geographical location. There are seven endangered sites in Texas including the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge, Caddo Lake State Park and Houston Astrodome. 500 Places to See Before They Disappear is doing a great public service by bringing these places to the notice of everyone so that people could take steps to extend their life and prevent them from disappearing fast.

Thanksgiving Party at College

Today the Collin county community college has organized a Thanksgiving party for all international students in association with the International Students Organization and Christ Church Plano. The event is by registration and as a person curious about traditions and cultures I registered to attend the party.

I am hoping that the party will be enjoyable and informative about the American Christian culture and will help me learn about the diversity in the world. Thanksgiving, I believe is one of the most important festivals in this continent-sized country and this is the time for grand shopping, family reunions and holidays.

Let us see how this party will go. Will try to capture some nice pictures and post them over here later. For now I am off to the party.

Festival Gifts for my loved ones

Thanksgiving and Christmas season is just around the block and this is the time for everyone to give and receive gifts. It is not uncommon to see people going overboard to give the best gift to their loved ones. So how far are you going this festival season... are you just giving them a gift or are you granting your loved ones their wishes? As for me I have decided to grant each one of my loved ones whatever they wish? Thanks to Sears Layaway I am confident of being able to grant them their wishes even in this economy.

Well I chose these three items which are the wishes of three of my most favourite people. The first gift is for my beloved... she always complains having to walk all the way to the apartment laundrette to wash clothes so, this thankgiving she will get a Neat white Samsung 4.0 cu. ft. High Efficiency Front Load Washer and Dryer. I chose this gift because of two reasons.. one is she really needs a nice gadget to help her wash clothes at home and not spending loads on coin operated machines. And then the amazing savings that Sears is offering to buy this season.

Another gadget is the Craftsman 200 mph 430 CFM Gas Blower/Vac for my brother who lives in a big home and loves to do yard work. This easy starting gadget with a variable speed trigger will help him work in the yard and helps create mulch and clean up his yard. With its 200 MPH, 430 CFM blower/vac and Sim-Pul™ starting technology, Variable speed trigger and 10:1 mulch ratio I'd say my brother would be thrilled to receive this gift.

And last but not the least my sister will get her unlimited apparel shopping wish fulfilled this season. There are so many fantastic offerings like Apostrophe Vanessa Pant, the Levi's ® 545™ Boot Cut Jean and numerous other apparels on deals I am sure my sis will be thrilled.

This kind of a splurge would have been impossible in this economy if not for the Sears Layaway, which enables me to buy today and pay over a period of time in easy instalments. I am sure this season will be filled with happy memories.

Fantastic Musical Composition

I found this musical composition on Youtube while I was looking for music for my Kannada show and was pleasantly surprised by the ingenuity of the composition of this song. It is equally brilliant how the song has been adapted to a famous Kannada song of none other than Dr.Raj Kumar. This song is absolutely true and very well rendered. One would burst out laughing listening to this composition and at the same time feel the pinch about how the leading corrupt political family is taking Karnataka for a ride.

Houston Zoo - Fantastic Collection of Exotic Animals

I thought I had finished with my Houston trip, but I was going through some of my pictures and I realized that I had completely bypassed some exotic locations such as the Museum of Art, the Zoo and other places we visited in Houston. The Houston zoo was the first I visited in the US and I am pretty impressed with the collection of animals and the number of people visiting the place. Kids, parents and young people everyone yelling, squealing and happy to see the animals... I saw some really rare and exotic species of animals here... some of which I had never seen in my life. The Giraffe with its long neck, the large and regal grizzly bear, numerous exotic varieties of animals from Africa, South America etc.

One thing left me a little dazed... shelters for large mammals like the Leopard, Tiger, Lion etc were so small that these cats hardly had any space to move around and stretch their legs. In a continent-sized nation like America and particularly in Texas where everything is Texas Sized,... I wonder why these enclosures were so pitiably small... I hope this will be rectified soon... The sea lion demonstration was too good...

My Take on the Cauvery Dispute

The Cauvery water dispute between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu along with lingual and immigration conflict has been raging on since several years. I never bothered much about this dispute because I was of the opinion that this was a dispute created artificially by politicians to create and consolidate vote banks, create a lingual frenzy and gain popularity.

When the dispute was raging during the early 1990s my late maternal grandfather (may his soul rest in peace) used to euologize on his own formula of compromise and justice between the two states. His logic was simple “Maintain the same water level in the largest reservoirs in both states, Mettur’s Stanley reservoir in Tamil Nadu and Krishnaraja Sagar in Karnataka, and let the rest of the water flow freely.” At that point in time I tended to agree with him.

But after my recently acquired knowledge which I accidentally came across during my research on river Cauvery for a radio show my opinion has dramatically changed, and now I feel that Tamil Nadu’s demand for water is atrociously unjust and selfish. Tamil people by demanding water from Karnataka are in reality baying for the blood of our people.

I don’t want to get emotional and write volumes about the dispute. I would just like to state some facts and let you decide on who is right and who is wrong.

Total Land Area
Karnataka: 191,791 sq. km
Tamil Nadu: 130,058 sq. km

Total Land used for Agriculture:
Karnataka: 12.31 million hectares
Tamil Nadu: 6.28 million hectares

Total Population
Karnataka: 52,850,562 (52.8 million)
Population: 62,405,679 (62.4 million)

Percentage of total population dependent on agriculture
Karnataka: 71% (37.48 million)
Tamil Nadu: 56% (34.94 million)

Length of River Cauvery
Total: 765 km
Karnataka: 320 km
Tamil Nadu: (statistics not available)
Kerala: (statistics not available)
Pondicherry: (statistics not available)

Area of Cauvery Basin
Total: 81,155 sq km
Karnataka: 34,273 sq km (42.23 %)
Tamil Nadu: 44,016 sq km (54.23 %)
Kerala: 2,866 sq km
Pondicherry: 148 sq km

Draught area in the Cauvery Basin
Karnataka: 21,870 sq km
Tamil Nadu: 12,790 sq km

Contribution of water to the river from the states areas (Karnataka Claim)
Karnataka: 425 tmc ft
Tamil Nadu: 252 tmc ft
Kerala: 113 tmc ft

Contribution of water to the river from the states areas (Tamil Nadu Claim)
Karnataka: 392 tmc ft
Tamil Nadu: 222 tmc ft
Kerala: 126 tmc ft

Quantity of water demanded
Karnataka: 465 tmc ft
Tamil Nadu: 566 tmc ft
Kerala: 100 tmc ft
Pondicherry: 9.3 tmc ft

Quantity of water to be allocated according to Tamil Nadu
Karnataka: 177 tmc ft
Tamil Nadu: 566 tmc ft
Kerala: 5 tmc ft
Pondicherry: 0.0 tmc ft

Major Tributaries which feed into River Cauvery
Karnataka: Shimsha, Arkavathy, Hemavathy, Harangi, Suvarnavati, Honnuhole, Lakshmanathirtha, Lokapavani,
Tamil Nadu: Bhavani, Noyyil, Amaravathy
Kerala: Kabini

Capacity of large dams built across Cauvery River
Karnataka: Krishnaraja Sagar – 49 tmc ft
Tamil Nadu: Mettur Dam aka Stanley Reservoir: 93.4 tmc ft

Utilization of Cauvery Water (1972)
Karnataka: 277 tmc ft
Tamil Nadu: 489 tmc ft

Kaveri Tribunal Award (2007)
Karnataka: 270 tmc ft
Tamil Nadu: 419 tmc ft
Kerala: 50 tmc ft
Pondicherry: 7 tmc ft

The above statistics clearly prove that Tamil Nadu is seeking an unfair share of water of river Cauvery. According to the state’s claim Tamil Nadu contributes only 222 tmc ft (30 %) of water to the river, but the state wants 75 percent of the rivers water, so what if all other states involved were to die of thirst.

In terms of the tributaries which feed the Cauvery river, Karnataka contributes much more. Only in terms of gross population and land area in Cauvery basin does Tamil Nadu score above Karnataka...And of course in its unjustifiable demand for water. In all other aspects Karnataka stands head and shoulders above Tamil Nadu.

Karnataka has always been conservative in utilizing water from Cauvery river, while Tamil Nadu has been using the water quite extensively. Isn't it time they tightened their belts and started conserving water in larger quantities?

Even though Karnataka contributes (according to Tamil Nadu’s claim) 52.9 percent or 392 tmc ft of water to Cauvery river, Tamil Nadu feels that Kannadigas should receive only 177 tmc ft or 23 percent of the river’s water. I wonder whose screwed up logic this is, probably someone who has lost all his rockers or someone who is completely selfish and cruel much like the white people who murdered millions of native-Americans in the US and aborigines in Australia to establish their “New World”.

In my opinion Karnataka and Tamil Nadu’s political leaders have muddled up and created the conflict between the states. Of course the unjustifiable demand of Tamil Nadu is definitely not done… their people… at least those who are not chauvinistic, educated and have a sense of justice should look into these statistics and attempt to educate the people and stop this chaos which is causing devastation in both states… particularly in Karnataka.

Sources of statistics:
1. Wikipedia
2. Wikipedia
3. The Hindu
4. Asian Development Bank

Writer's Workshop with Michael Patrick MacDonald

I am quite excited at the prospect of attending a writer's workshop conducted by the author of All Souls Michael Patrick MacDonald. I am pretty sure the workshop will be one great learning experience and looking forward to it. Michael's book All Souls is a memoir about his life growing up in the Old Colony housing projects in South Boston. It is a story of his family living in the midst of crime, drugs and violence in his neighborhood during the years following Boston's busing riots. I haven't read the book but I am pretty sure it is interesting too. Will get to it after this semester is over. For now I will go to class and then the workshop and then loads of errands to run...

Inspiring Website

I have somehow gotten myself on the mailing list of an individual who specializes in sending a few pictures with inspiring quotes everyday. Initially I was ignoring the mails but then I started looking at them... and now I have decided that whenever I find something really interesting I will share them over here... I hope Prashanth wont mind.

Movie Review: In America

In America
Cast: Samantha Morton, Paddy Considine, Djimon Hounsou, Sarah Bolger and Emma Bolger.
Direction: Jim Sheridan.

I watched this movie at the Angelika in Plano, Tx last week. The broadcast was part of the Auteur film series conducted by the college. The theme of the movie, the trails and tribulations of immigrants in America, sounded interesting and hence I decided to take a look.

Anyway the movie begins with the typical scene of an Irish family illegally entering America from Canada. The protagonist family comprising Johnny and Sarah and their two daughters, the bubbly and outspoken younger one and the silent and introspective older child, are trying to make a new life for themselves in the big city. Set in the mid-1980s the movie portrays three or four major human sentiments: hope, determination, community, frustration and fear.

The family's attempts to settle down in a dilapidated building in which the elevators don't work, there is no air conditioning and erratic water supply evokes empathy from viewers. Personally speaking it came as a surprise that anyone could be so poor in America... and that too in Manhattan...

One of the most touching parts of the movie for me was the Halloween celebrations. The girls go to school dressed in home-made costumes and become a spectacle because everyone else is wearing fancy costumes. And after coming back home the girls decide to go trick or treating in their building and knock on every door in vain. And finally they reach the door of the "the screaming man," a reclusive neighbor named Mateo. This is the turning point of the movie, the reclusive Mateo becomes a family friend and supporter in crisis. He himself is afflicted with AIDS and dieing, but he gives hope and support to the family.

Underlying the plot of the movie the entire family is trying to deal with the loss of "Frankie", who passed away due to brain tumor. While the parents are in denial, the children miss their late sibling. The movie ends with the death of Mateo and birth of another baby girl to the family and the father accepting that Frankie is no more. A very touching movie indeed... must watch in my opinion.

Military Gear Site Has Fantastic Options!

Since early childhood I have been fascinated by military, police and all the uniformed protectionary forces. As a youth I wanted to get into one of these forces and serve my community. But that didn't happen and I am doing something else for a living. But whenever I get an opportunity to express my adoration and respect for these wonderful people I do.

I recently came across this website which is a one stop shop for all gear used by uniformed forces. Be it Military, police or even a high-tech industrial security force, the LA Police Gear website has everything that would be needed by them. The 5.11 Flashlight listed on the site for $169.99 is one heck of a gadget. With a standard capacity of 90 lumens and peaking at 270 Lumens, this flash light really creates daylight on the darkest night.

Moreover the 5.11 Tacitcal Light for Life comes with a limited lifetime warranty with its internal parts assured to perform for over 50,000 cycles. With a sturdy impact resistant polymer body, this flashlight is a winner all the way. You just need to get one if you are going out into the forest in the night.

Project Car

When cars were first conceived not all of them had 4 wheels, some of them were like autorickshaws... had only three wheels. One of my friends' friend in Australia had this inspiration to build a 3-wheeler replica of the 1885 Daimler. The car looks fabulous and took over 2 years to build.

Here are pictures of a 3-wheeler car recreated by a enterprising automobile lover in Australia. I received the pics from a friend of mine who knows the builder of this unique car. Indeed this machine looks fantastically beautiful.

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.

Zenni Optical providing eyewear for less

Suffering from the choppy economy? Worried about having to spend lots of money to buy eyeglasses? Well you know there are few companies which do sell high quality eyeglasses for low prices. Oh! and don't worry these glasses are not some export rejects or old unfashionable models. They are stylish, durable, high quality and will make you look better in them.

Which is that company which has revolutionized the eye care industry? That is Zenni Optical which is currently offering unheard of low prices on glasses. Their prescription glasses start from just $8, that is less than the cost of a meal in a good restaurant. Can you believe it? If you can't just visit their online store and you can see for yourself. ZenniOptical.com has a large selection of stylish frames and an array of lenses: single vision, sunsensor (potochromic), tinted sunglasses, bifocal and progressive lens.

How is it that they can sell for less? Well the secret of Zenni Optical is that they are manufacturers and sell direct to consumers, the costs associated with employing distribution and marketing agencies is cut down which is passed on to the consumer. This strategy has brought immense fame to Zenni Optical. The company was featured on Chicago Tribune recently.

So if you are in the market to buy glasses, Zenni Optical is the place to go.