Training on Irving's Bicycling Trails

While in India I had often heard "there are separate lanes for bicycles in Europe and US". Since I started training for the MS-150 bicycle ride, I am beginning to discover that this is in fact true. However those people had missed a slight detail: the bicycle trails are not part of the road network, but are located inside entertainment and leisure areas such as parks, national forests, river sides etc. While these trails are a boon for the leisure cyclist it is no comfort to a person who prefers to commute by bicycle.


View Larger Map

Anyway coming back to my adventures on two wheels of a different, slower, human-powered variety. Yesterday I clocked about 20 miles of bicycling on two trails: Campion trail in Irving, Tx and the Blue Bonnet Trail in Plano, Tx. I carried my camera for the Campion Trail ride... which actually slowed down my progress.

The Campion trail is about 5 miles in length and passes through three parks and along the elm fork of Trinity River. Like every other park in the US there are walking places, restrooms (mobile variety), picnic areas, benches, trash cans, river view look out points, river side fishing and canoe launch sites, etc. For the first time I saw two Desi's (persons of Indian origin) fishing in the river. Here are some pictures of the trail experience.

Training... Training and more training

Now-a-days the primary pre-occupation of my mind is on the MS-150 bike ride, the date of which is fast approaching. Until recently I had been training off and on in the gym, on some trails and mostly using the mountain bike. But yesterday I decided to change my training regimen and increase the number of miles I ride. Hence I took down the Miyata racing cycle which I had bought recently at a garage sale. It was a pleasant difference to ride a low-slung racing bicycle after a long time. Initially it was a challenge to maintain balance and effectively manage gears.. but once I got a hang of it, riding this bike became a piece of cake. I am trying to clock at least 10 miles a day on the bicycle so on May 2 & 3 I will be well prepared to do the 80 miles required.

Meanwhile I found this video of another individual who is riding to raise funds for Multiple Sclerosis and felt it was an inspiring one. Do take a look and let me know what you think. And of course do take time to visit my participant page and donate for the cause.

Join me to eradicate Multiple Sclerosis

I had earlier blogged about registering for a 160-mile bicycle ride to obtain donations for Multiple Sclerosis Research. Well as the D-day approaches I continue to scout for generous people who could open their hearts and wallets and donate for this cause. I recently came across this video which features real people suffering from MS. Apart from being MS affected people they all have one thing in common: They are all working to make a difference for the millions of others affected by the same disease.

Should we leave the problem of MS to those afflicted and their families and friends? I don't think so.. I believe that everyone in this world should get involved and work towards making a difference. The final questions boils down to: What will you do to eradicate MS from the world?

The easiest way perhaps is to support my ride.

Bike MS 150

Embedded is a promotional video about the Bike MS 150 in which I am participating and struggling to reach my fund-raising commitment. I call upon all my blog readers to come forward and support the Bike MS: SAM'S CLUB Ride 2009 * May 2-3, 2009 * Frisco to Fort Worth

Ride for MS Getting Closer

A little over a week ago I registered for the Bike MS: SAM'S CLUB Ride 2009 * May 2-3, 2009 * Frisco to Fort Worth. Fully understanding that this two-day, 160 mile bicycle ride will be a testing experience for both my body and spirit, I started training on my training and practice on the bicycle and at the gym. Like any new enterprise this too sailed smoothly for almost a week, I would either hit the trail on the MTB or the Gym to work out my thigh muscles.

But all this came to a halt two days ago... the MTB had a flat and I started feeling over confident. Now I look at the calendar and see that there is only a months time left for preparing myself as well as raising the modest $300 donations for the National MS Society, a commitment I made when I signed up for the ride. I am certainly going to hit the gym tomorrow and the trail from day after... otherwise I will cut a sorry figure in front of 4,000 cyclists who are going to be participating in the 160-mile ride.

Texas Sculpture Garden - IV

You all must be wondering how much I am going to blog about Texas Sculpture Garden... well this may be the final blog for this time... whenever I get a chance to revisit the place I will post more pictures of those artworks which I couldn't get to this time. This post will have more pictures of the beautiful landscaping of the place than the actual sculptures, so enjoy the views...

Texas Sculpture Garden - III

Texas Sculpture Garden is a huge space and sprawls several square miles. There are over 100 beautiful works of modern art, several water bodies, lakes, fountains, water falls, landscaped gardens, walking trails, etc. I visited only a part of the entire space and I plan to go there again... possible this weekend and bicycle across the trails. This way I will be able get some training for the 160-mile bicycle ride from Frisco, Tx to Fort Worth, Tx to raise awareness about Multiple Sclerosis.

Here are some more pictures of the Texas Sculpture Garden...

Some artistic expressions are strange

Another Sculpture - I don't know the meaning

Like a Metal Tree

Bright and Intriguing

A metal wreath???

Another Bright one

An entrance arch possibly...

Online Motorcycle Commuinty

There is something about people who ride motorcycles, they forge friendships very easily. Bikers can talk all day and all night about their favorite rides, motorcycles and communities. Every motorcycle rider has a story. The proliferation of internet has given rise to a unique online motorcycle community which is a virtual meeting place for bikers of all types. The community is not limited to any geographical region, it is global.

This community a one stop shop for information about motorcycles, modifications, parts, rides and everything conceivable about these endearing two-wheeled wonders. It also acts as a platform for motorcycle enthusiasts from across the world to meet and exchange ideas, thoughts and information about technical stuff. There are user-uploaded pictures, videos and stories about biking and motorcycles. This community will sure hold the attention of every biker acorss the world.

Texas Sculpture Garden - II

Like I had mentioned in my previous post I have shot loads of pictures of the art installations, the walking trails and the landscaping around the Texas Sculpture Garden, Frisco. Here are some more pictures for you all to admire and of course do let me know what you feel about this super-rich man's hobby... art collection...

And of course I urge you all to consider donating for the cause of Multiple Sclerosis. I have registered to participate in the 160-mile bicycle ride from Frisco, Tx to Fort Worth, Tx to raise funds for the same.

Enjoy the pictures now!!!

Water Monster installation

Water Monster installation - Another picture

A landscaped "Waterfall"

"Waterfall" - Another view

Sculpture installation by the water

One of the many lakes that have been created in the Texas Sculpture Garden!

I Ride to eradicate Multiple Sclerosis

Multiple Sclerosis (MS) aka disseminated sclerosis or encephalomyelitis disseminata is a progressive neurological disorder that affects people in many different ways. Patients afflicted with MS could be suffering paralysis one day, loss of vision the next or impaired memory the day after that. Living with MS means living with complete uncertainty.

Personally speaking I had not heard about MS until 2005. One day I received an e-mail from Aussie biker Ralph Dixon, who was setting out on a motorcycle journey from Sydney to London. The aim of the ride was to raise funds for and create awareness about MS. I came to know much later that Dixon himself was a MS sufferer and this motorcycle ride was indeed much more challenging than if a normal person were to do it. Dixon was indeed courageous to undertake a journey of such proportions. Back then I decided that when I get an opportunity I will do something for MS sufferers.

Couple of days ago I got this opportunity in the form of an adventurous activity - Bike MS: SAM'S CLUB Ride 2009 * May 2-3, 2009 * Frisco to Fort Worth. This is a two-day 160 mile bicycle ride which will see over 4,000 people riding across the DFW Metroplex, bearing the searing heat of Texas. All these people come together with one goal to help raise funds for research to find a cure for MS.

Every year the National MS Society, US organizes various outdoor activities to raise funds for research on finding a cure for MS. Long distance walking, running and bicycling are among the most popular ones. Bicycling being one of my favorite activities, I decided to sign up and be part of this mission to eradicate Multiple Sclerosis.

Apart from paying a nominal registration fee ($40) every participant has to pledge to raise a certain $ amount as donations for the National MS Society. I have registered and have set myself a modest goal of $300 and have started my fund-raising effort. I would be thankful if you all could help me achieve my fund-raising goal and at the same time help millions of MS sufferers get closer to a permanent cure.

Walking through a Maze of Artworks

Personally speaking I don't like Dallas very much... in fact the flat terrain irritates me quite a bit. But sometimes I find myself adoring the man-made natural wonders which dot the DFW (Dallas-Fort Worth) landscape. These green spaces have been created thanks to the commitment of several enterprising and passionate people. Recently I chanced upon one more of such a space: The Texas Sculpture Garden, Frisco.


View Larger Map

Set amidst commercial office buildings and contiguous to the Dallas North Tollway, the Texas Sculpture Garden showcases the private collection of businessman Craig Hall absolutely free and in the open. Usually art collections and exhibits are either showcased in a museum or gallery and entry is by ticket only. But here is Craig Hall who is of the firm belief that: "Art is good for the soul; it nurtures the spirit and inspires the imagination." and feels that "making pieces from the collection available to the public has always been a personal priority."

The result of this philosophy is the Texas Sculpture Garden, which comprises of over 100 beautiful sculptural installations created by artists from across the world. There is an obvious prominence given to the works of 41 prominent Texas artists: an effort to promote local talent. These artworks have been installed in and around the Hall Office Park, the commercial district of the city of Frisco, Texas.

Apart from the artwork themselves, I simply love the beautiful landscaping in this part of the commercial district. This is supposed to be a place for offices and one would expect lots of traffic, noise, people milling around etc. But this place enjoys pin-drop-silence except for the occasional car whizzing past and the faint vehicle sounds from the Tollway or the Tx-121 highway. Otherwise the beautiful lawns, lakes, fountains and even a waterfall, interspersed by walking trails provides a fantastic location to enjoy a good outing. You don't even have to carry a picnic lunch because there are lots of eateries in the neighboring Stonebrair Mall.

Another reason one must visit this place is that there is no entry fee. It is absolutely free to walk around the park, enjoy the artworks and scenery. My tight schedule prevented me from taking in the entire Art Landscape but in the limited time I shot numerous pictures of the space, here are some of them... watch out for more and yes... do let me know what you think of this unique open air art museum.

Movie Review: The Last Confederate

Praiseworthy Effort!!
One thing about Europeans and Euro-Americans (White people in the US) that continues to leave me awed is their ability to take up even the most trivial incident and tell a hugely successful story which will subtly enhance their image in front of the world. The Last Confederate is a movie which showcases the true story of American Civil War Hero Robert Adams is a similar effort.

The movie is set in a period just before the start of the American Civil War and narrates the story of the life of Robert Adams, during the civil war years. The story portrays the passion, courage and love of the protagonist for his land, people and way of life. Robert is a southern planter who enjoys the good life, served by slaves, meandering from one party to another, supervising agriculture, riding fine horses, etc. He wants to continue leading the same life like the greater part of the southern white population. He falls in love with beautiful Eveline, a teacher from the North (Pennsylvania) and wants to marry her.

But with the federal government abolishing slavery the southern states decide to secede which leads to the Civil War. Robert Adams passionate about his land, lifestyle and people decides to enter into the fray and is recruited as captain of the Confederate forces. During the course of the war he is captured and imprisoned, but manages to escape and reunite with his love for a brief period. He reenters the battles and fights till the end of the war and emerges as the only surviving confederate soldier (at least according to the movie), thanks to the pity of a Union soldier who just fires in the air and lets him go.

If one were to watch the movie without bothering about any historical knowledge/ perspective, then this is a brilliant story and one can't help but become a great admirer of Robert Adams. But I am a big time skeptic, so when I watch any movie I examine the story, narration and characters with an array of lenses. Ideologically speaking this movie is a sham, for one thing the makers of this movie are glorifying a man who fought for slavery. What can be a bigger insult to democracy and equality than this? Then what is great about Robert Adams? He fought for Confederates to protect his land, which his fore-fathers and millions of other white people illegally, inhumanly and unethically usurped from native American tribes. He fought to protect his family and to have the freedom to continue to lead the same way of life, which is commendable, if one looks it from his side.

Summing up, I would say this movie has a lot of lessons for Indians. Here is Julian Adams the great-grandson of Robert Adams who produced, wrote and starred in the film. Look at our country, the first film about Mahatma Gandhi was produced, directed and acted out by foreigners. Till date no descendant of Prithviraj Chauhan, Maharana Prathap, Chattrapathi Shivaji or any other Indian Hero has ever bothered to sponsor/ produce any movie to tell the true story of their ancestor. Robert Adams is no historical figure in the US, but now thanks to this movie, his place in the popular perception has been created.

Indian film directors make movies showcasing the glories of people who invaded and plundered our country, killed our people and attempted to destroy our culture, traditions and religion. The most glaring example of recent times would be Jodha-Akbar starring Hrithik Roshan and Aishwarya Rai. I wonder if our people will ever become enough patriotic and aware of our country and strive to create an honorable place for its heroes in the popular perception. Yes some movies have been made such as few about Shaheed Bhagat Singh, but this is simply not enough.

Lake Lavon, Wylie, Texas

I had blogged about our visit to In-Sync Exotics, a rescue center for wild cats such as Tigers, Cougars, Lions, Leopards and other endangered animals. I also mentioned that this shelter/ property is located in a beautiful location... stone's throw away from Lake Lavon, a large lake/ dam/ reservoir of fresh water. Being a piscean I can't help but be fond of water and whenever I come across a large water body such as Lake Lavon, it fills my spirit with its enormity, beauty and a sense of awe. Beneath the surface, every water body is the habitat for millions of living organisms, plants, algae, fish, etc. And of course a sense of adventure is always there around water. Water sports have always been a draw to my spirit and soul.

Since I had forgotten to carry our camera I could not get any pictures which flatter my photography skills. But I did manage to get some decent pictures of the Lavon Dam thanks to my wife's blackberry.

Sluice gates of the dam

This railway track passes by the dam.. I am sure view from the train would be spectacular

I am neither fond of this picture nor photographing trash.... But then even in an environmentally aware society like the US, trashing up lakes and natural water bodies seem to be very common..

Another View of the Dam Gates

One of the simple but efficient features to help people. Tubes to rest fishing rods after casting. If we could install it on dam piers in India, I am sure lot more people will get into fishing both for food as well as sport...

Pornography Detection Technology

Internet has brought with it several advantages: speed of communication, enhanced processing, data transfer, e-commerce, websites, e-mail, online telephony, etc. This has helped individuals and businesses improve productivity to a great extent. On the flipside Internet has been responsible for so quite a bit of problems too. For example, internet has made access to pornography easy and fast.

Businesses are working hard to tackle the challenge pornography poses to their productivity. No matter how many firewalls, trackers and other devices are installed porn-addict employees find a way to access porn at work. Confronting them directly has the potential of creating hostile work environment. At the same time porn at work can't be tolerated. Now there is a brand new tool, SurfRecon ERT (Emergency Response Tool), which helps businesses, remotely analyze computers in the official network for pornographic content. This enables HR/ IT executives to discretely detect pornographic content on the official networks and gather evidence to take action.

Visiting a Wild Cat Rescue Facility

Yesterday I finally was able to make it to In-Sync Exotics a facility which cares for exotic cats. "Exotic cats" are those Tigers, Lions, Cougars, Leopards and similar wild animals that have been bred in captivity to satisfy the whims, fancies and satiate an individual's pride. Some of them have even been subjected to cruel treatment such as getting de-clawed, de-toothed etc and they obviously don't have the capacity to get back and live in the wild.

Recently I heard a statistic which made my jaw drop... "There are more Royal Bengal Tigers in captivity in Texas, than there are in the wild". After visiting In-Sync and listening to the stories of these large, adorable cats I am more than convinced that this statistic is quite true. Apparently there are several Petting Zoos and amusement parks in Texas where they bring in 2-week old tiger cubs and have visiting children take pictures with these cubs. Once these cubs reach an age of 3-3½ months, they are too large to be carried by children and too dangerous too. At this point in time they are just discarded, and this is when In-Sync and other similar shelters come into play.

These shelters are permanent residence for these cats till their death. Committed volunteers help the non-profit take care of the animals. Funding is completely by private donations. Looks like I will be spending a substantial amount of my weekend time at In-Sync soon....

How to create a Caller ID Spoof

Technology brings with it several advantages but sometimes the same advanced gadgetry can prove to be the bane of our lives. Take for example the telephone caller ID, it is such a useful feature, that enables you to know who is calling well before you pick up the receiver and say hello. But people have learnt how to use this feature to avoid certain callers, debtors, pesky sales people etc. Another big trouble with caller ID in my opinion is that I can't make an anonymous call to my wife and play a prank on her.

But now I found this wonderful website which offers Free Spoofing services. You can now call someone from your phone and not let the person on the other end know your number. This is possible in just three easy and simple steps. Right now this service is available only in the US but I am sure this will soon become global and people will start using this quite a bit. And once this becomes very common they will invent something that spoof the spoofer, but till then go ahead and enjoy the caller ID spoofer.

My American Travel Pictures

Since arriving at the US in October 2007, I have visited nine out of 50 states of this continent-sized nation. I have been to California, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, New York and New Jersey. Though I have carried my camera to most of the places I have visited I haven't had the good fortune of getting great pictures. I post pictures on this blog from time to time whenever I shoot good pictures. Here are some I think are good... would appreciate your opinions on them....

Painted Desert National Park, Arizona

River Paluxy, Glen Rose, Texas

Grand Canyon, Arizona

How to find best Web Hosting Services!!!

One of the common problems of every business relates to webhosting. Finding a reliable webhosting provider to host company's website is quite a challenge. The proliferation of internet has made so many choices available that it is very difficult to ascertain who provides the most reliable webhosting service.

But there is hope in the form of a new website which provides user reviews of hosting service providers. The main aim of this web portal is to provide unbiased and independent reviews of web hosting providers. At this portal we can find cheap professional web hosting services, some of it under $10 a month. Everyone is allowed to post a review of the website service provider they are using or have used in the past. These reviews will help others who are on the lookout for service providers.

My favourite section of this website, however, is the Informative Blog. The blog features comphrensive articles about latest internet technologies. For example the post on "What a Web Server is and how it works" was a very educative piece. This enabled me to learn about what all happens at the backend of our websites.

This website is a one-stop-shop for all kinds of website related information and services. It will clarify all your doubts and clear confusions related to webhosting and internet.

Justin, Texas - An American Village

Yesterday we had to travel to a small town known as Justin, about 35 miles from Carrollton, Tx. When I first heard the name Justin, my mind immediately went back to Bangalore, India where our office assistant was named Justin. So I wondered what kind of a city this was named Justin... Nevertheless we drove down the highway to reach the rickety town of Justin dominated by horse and cattle ranches.

According to the city website, this area was originally settled by a band of French colonists who in 1848 established the Icarian Colony. The community was abandoned a year later, and the area remained sparsely populated until the early 1880's. The formation of the city started in 1883, when one Chet Helm and Riley started selling town lots. At that time there was no name to this settlement/ community. A year later an enterprising individual opened a general store and four years later, the Santa Fe extended its rail line from Fort Worth to Purcell, Oklahoma. The tracks were laid contiguous to this yet unnamed community.

In January 1887, the 100-strong community petitioned postal authorities for a post office to be named Justin, in honor of Justin Sherman, chief engineer of the Santa Fe rail line. Since then the population of the city has not grown much, today Justin is still a small city of about 3,000 people. It looks like any small town in India, for example Tumkur, Ramnagar but only the infrastructure is a shade better. There are quite a few leisure facilities such a tennis court, athletic track and of course a large Church.

Of course the biggest difference is perhaps the basic civic infrastructure, smooth roads (though narrow), good drainage system and clean drinking water piped to every home. If these things could be achieved in India we would not be far behind the rest of the First-World nations. What needs to be done to achieve this is hard working people and corruption free establishment.

City Park, Justin

Trading Post (Antique Store), Justin

Water Supply location for Justin city

Any city in US must have a church....

Superbrain YOGA

Watch the video below and learn the amazing technique to improve your cranial capacity. But well I am pretty certain 95 % of Indians would already be aware of this exercise... not as Superbrain Yoga but as a punishment or as a prayer to Lord Ganesh (God of knowledge and wisdom).

When I saw western researchers, doctors and teachers using this technique to enhance brain capacity of their students/ patients, I went back in time when I was in school and my teachers used the same method to punish dull students. But I guess the teachers themselves were unaware that this type of activity is actually brain stimulant and has been carefully camouflaged as a punishment and handed down over several generations. The same goes with repeating the procedure as obeisance for Lord Ganesh with a prayer for enhancing our knowledge... it actually enhances our brain power.
Well now once this research (by westerners of course) becomes popular and accepted across the world, people who look down condescendingly upon Indian (particularly Hindu) religious practices will have a better understanding, I hope.

Efficient Property Management

Owning a piece of real estate or some kind of property gives one a sense of achievement and financial security. At the same time property ownership comes with its own share of work: managing, renting, rent collection, background checking of renters, eviction, maintenance, etc. Do these tasks sound daunting? Well, if they do, don't let them prevent you from investing in property. There are numerous Real Property Management companies which help home owners like you.

Columbus Real Property Management handles properties all over Ohio. They received the "2008 Franchise of the year honorable mention" award for their great work last year. Columbus helps home owners, especially of single family homes, by taking over the full management of the property. They will do all the hard work: advertising, showings, leasing, rent collection, and evctions if needed. All you need to do is to sit back and relax.

My Experiments with Poetry - II

This is the latest poem I scribbled while taking a break from studies at the library... wonder if it is worth anything or just few words spun together without much consequence... I look forward to reading your comments...

Road Travel
Riding thru lanes, streets, crossroads, highways and boulevards
I see vistas of happiness, grief, hope and loss
Scenes of prosperous grandeur and sights of abject poverty

As I make my way through villages and cities, I wonder sometimes:
When the world is so beautiful And full of goodness and beauty
Why do people fight in the name of religion and polity?

And when I feel tired, lonely and hungry I wonder
Am I on the right path Or have I taken a wrong detour
Is this tour an adventurous reverie?
Or is it a grand plan gone badly wrong?

I am not alone meandering across nations
For there are others on the road
Searching for love, adventure and livelihood

My dear friend these roads are not only for us to enjoy
It is for all those who seek adventure.
And a break from their daily grind

So learn to share the road like families share homes
And you will reach your dream destination
Safe and sound within a reasonable span of time.
-*-*-*-

Kaufmann - a quaint little wild west town

Yesterday we visited Kaufmann, a city of about 8,000 people located way south-east of Dallas. The reason for our visit was quite mundane, we wanted to check out an estate sale and also to take a look at semi-urban Texas landscape. Kaufman is characterized by vast open spaces with tiny residential communities dotted here and there. This city presents a completely different picture of America, no high rise buildings, narrow and mostly pot-holed streets, bushes and weeds in most backyards, etc. Kaufman could easily pass off as a small town, say Mysore (Karnataka) in India, if not for its sparse human population and heavy vehicle density. The few things that remind us that we are in the US is the fact that most houses are in good shape, very few people on the streets and every home has at least one truck and a car.

One of the pleasant experiences we had in this small town was meeting with a fellow South Asian... not from India, but from Pakistan. After coming to US, I have interacted with several people of Pakistani origin, but none have ever been as friendly or humble as this young chap in a convenience store in Kaufmann.

Wanting to explore this small town we decided to drive around and see what Kaufman has to offer and chanced upon a quaint war memorial. Christened the Kaufman County Veterans' Memorial Park, this memorial celebrates the sacrifices of American soldiers in various wars the nation has fought. A list wars given in the memorial's website includes the following wars:

• Spanish American War April 25, 1898 - December 10, 1898
• World War 1 April 6, 1917 - November 11, 1918
• World War 2 December 7, 1941 - December 31, 1946
• Vietnam War December22, 1982 - May 7, 1975
• Granada & Panama August 24, 1982 - July 31, 1984
• Desert Storm December 20, 1989 - January 31, 1990
• Iraq April 17, 2003 - Present

The memorial project has cost the city of Kaufman over $250,000 and there are other maintenance and enhancement expenses in the future. One of the features of memorials and public monuments in the US, that continue to impress me is their careful conceptualization and execution, which evoke pride, patriotism and exude a sense of aesthetics. For example this veteran's memorial is shaped like a five edged star, the symbol of Texas, has the American eagle bust in the epicenter of the monument and of course the flags of Texas, US, Kaufman, etc fly proudly in the monument. Of course there is a Patton Tank placed at the extreme end of the monument to complete the effect.

I firmly believe that we Indians have so much history in our country that we have begun to forget its value. We should learn from the west in this regard and start celebrating our war heroes and remembering that our freedom was won at a great cost and we need to honor those who sacrificed for the sake of the country.

Movie Review: Gangs of New York

The United States of America, perceived as the land of unlimited opportunities, heaven on earth, land of ultimate freedom, a place where wealth can be made, the world's most powerful nation, etc... But like every other nation in the world, it has its own share of slums, underworld gangs, thugs, crooks and prostitutes. This murky underbelly is carefully hidden away under the towering sky scrapers and grandiose buildings.

What was it to live in this land of freedom and opportunity a century and half ago? This is what the film Gangs of New York attempts to re-create and it does very successfully. Set in 1846 the movie stars Cameron Diaz, Leonardo DiCaprio, Daniel Day-Lewis and others. The story is pretty historical as it is a movie and there is a substantial amount of reality in this according to a National Geographic study.

The movie starts off in the year 1846 with the protagonist Leonardo DiCaprio getting released from the prison and returning to the neighborhood in Manhattan where he was born and grew up. As he approaches the five points neighborhood, DiCaprio is witness to hordes of Irish immigrants landing into the US, in a bid to escape sure starvation due to the Potato Famine and of course persecution from the British Crown and nobility. But the original settlers (who call themselves "Natives") don't want new immigrants and they are standing at the docks yelling humiliating abuses at the immigrants.

DiCaprio, himself an Irish immigrant-settler and has seen his father being murdered in cold blood by Bill the Butcher, the undisputed king of underworld in New York. Young DiCaprio is thirsting for revenge and his target is Bill the Butcher. DiCaprio starts off being a small time thief and gets into the Butcher's brotherhood of thugs. In his life of crime he tangles with Cameron Diaz who is another petty thief and pick pocket in the same gang. Love blossoms between the two much to the angst of DiCaprio's best friend, who reveals the former's true identity to Bill the Butcher.

DiCaprio's first attempt to kill Bill the Butcher fails and he is thoroughly beaten up and knifed. In retaliation DiCaprio decides to start his own gang of Irish settlers and wrest control of Five Points from the original English settlers (Natives). This coincides with the American civil war era when Irish immigrants were ordered to get drafted into the army to fight the southern states against slavery. In frustration the immigrants rebel and riot and of course there is the clash of gangs in which Irish emerge victorious.

The Gangs of New York is a brilliantly made movie and performances of all the stars are captivating and cinematography is hypnotic. It has a few subtle lessons about American history, social equations and immigration. The original British settlers who landed in the US and started killing native Americans and taking over their lands were intolerant towards Irish immigrants in the 19th century, now a substantial section of the white population of the US hates increased influx of Indian technology workers. Things are pretty much the same: American's hate immigrants, especially those whom they think are taking their jobs.

Another subtle reinforcement that the White people try to make is that America belongs to them and not to the native Americans who were here thousands of years before the settlers came in. It is common for people of color in the US to be referred to as "Asian Americans", "African Americans", "Indian Americans" but to themselves they say "Americans" implying that the country belongs to them. This movie in which the original settlers call themselves "Natives" is one such attempt. To understand these messages one must watch The Gangs of New York.

Inspired-in-India movies win Oscars

The entire world... 20% of the world definitely... billion plus people in India and millions of people of Indian origin across the world are in a daze of jubilation after last night's Oscars. Slumdog Millionaire a film set in India and based on a fantastical rags-to-riches story of perseverance, determination, optimism and positive thought won not one but eight Oscars and two were given to music maestro A.R. Rehman.

I have watched the movie Slumdog Millionaire and my personal opinion is that when I see it as a movie, it is a brilliant work of art. But when I watch it as an Indian and Hindu I simply feel that this movie is subtly targeted at tarnishing the image of India and Hindus particularly. All the protagonists in the movie, the hero, heroine, his brother and family are Muslims and poor. The villains in the movie; corrupt cops, malicious reality-show host, taxi drivers, etc are Hindus. Then the tourists who show lots of sympathy are Americans.

Anyway about the other movie, a documentary about how a girl with cleft lip was ostracised by the village and this foreigner comes to her rescue and funds her surgery and makes her beautiful and accepted again. Once again this documentary also makes a hard hitting story of India's poverty and that despite its economic growth the country still can't afford to take care of its people.

I wonder why it is only this kind of movies get to Oscars and receive awards. The music in Slumdog Millionaire was nothing so great in my opinion... I am no music expert but with my limited understanding of Music I believe that several of Rehman's past scores were far far better than the Music of Slumdog Millionaire.

Another small bit of news that I read related to this legendary movie which won two oscars for Indian and eight for a movie set in India is about the singer of the Oscar-winning song. Sukhwinder the singer of the song Jai Ho which won Rahman the Oscar attributes the success to Lord Shiva. In an exclusive interview to NDTV Sukhwinder said:

"Today is Mahashivratri and it s lord Shiva who blessed me and the whole team of A R Rahman to get this international honour. Jai ho is not just a song. It connects me spiritually to the Almighty. It has spiritual
connection. I was confident that the song will win Oscar because you know the Oscar award ceremony has taken place on this spiritual day of Mahashivratri."

But this will never become global news... I wonder why???

Secure Internet via VPN

Internet browsing, e-mail, downloads, e-commerce, online shopping, auctions etc have become a norm. Security and service issues are the biggest concerns in modern electronics-driven world. There is a new
vpn based internet which aims at providing higher level of service and security using a 128-bit encryption. This advanced level of encryption offers enhanced protection to your information over the internet. Secure internet is still the quest of a large number of people. Maybe the solution lies in new technologies, till something superior comes around.

Cave Home Up for Sale!!!

People have strange tastes and fancies and when they live in the US, the eccentricities seem to go a little haywire. This is what happened to a family in Festus, Missouri (MO), US. They bought a cave on a 3 acre property and remodeled the grotto into a home and a fancy one at that. The cave has hardwood floors, fancy kitchen cabinets and all the comforts of any city home.

But unfortunately the owners are now caught up in the home mortgage crises like most homeowners in the US are and may lose the home to their bankers if they don't come up with the money within 60 days. So what do they do? they have put up the home (cave) for sale on Ebay for $300,000. They are trying to raise money through friends and family to keep the home. Here is my best wishes for them to raise money to tide over the crises and continue to live in a dwelling which they have so painstakingly crafted in the lap of nature.

Learn about file extensions online!

One of the most complex things I faced when I was new to the world of computers is the myriad varieties file names. Each file name is divided into two parts and the latter is known as an extension. One can usually identify the type of file based on its extension. For example file extension dat indicates a data file. These files are built in such a way that they can store any information type. It can be text, data, and both etc. The DAT file is perhaps one of the simplest to handle, it can be edited with a text editor. But to open the file one needs to have the software that was originally used to create it.

Coming back to the original purpose of this post, some file extensions can really fox users. When one is in such a situation there is the file extension library which has information about pretty much all types of files. The online resource can demystify your dilemma and tell you what is the exact type of file you are dealing with.

Inspiring Feel Good Video

One of my close friends forwarded a link to this video. When I watched it for the first time I couldn't quite understand. So I watched it again and this time I paid more attention on the voice... then I understood the message. This is basically a feel good video meant to inspire viewers/ listeners. Heavy on text and voice with very little video element, this presentation has been crafted such that the message is rendered in a very persuasive manner. Thought I'd share it with my blog readers and elicit their comments.

New Models at the Mumbai Auto Show 2009

I found this video on zigwheels.com.. the comment attached to the video mislead me into watching (or should I say enduring) the entire 5.5 minutes hoping to get a glimpse of the new motorcycles from Royal Enfield. But then apart from bad presentation and reporting the video contains a fleeting glimpse of the two wheeled wonders. Anyway this is one of the most mediocre works I have ever come across. Hope they will do a better job next time around.

Long time, No see!!!

Well, what do I say? I have not blogged since 4-5 days because nothing significant happened. My routine has been quite the same... classes, library and home. Pretty boring.. huh... well that is how life is if you are in the US and belong to the burgeoning student community. You can't work outside of the campus and with the economy the way it is, on-campus jobs are all taken by local students, so that leaves us international students jobless. The best we can do is to spend maximum time in the library either studying or browsing the internet.
If one is supremely lucky and has found a good group of friends in the college then you could go and hang out in the student life area and play pool, Table Tennis or something like that. But otherwise life is pretty boring as mine is right now...

Another Racing Fatality

Motorcycle racing is a very dangerous sport which attracts only those who dare. The sport is most common among the young and reckless and it is not uncommon for promising young racers to get martyred on the tarmac or dirt. The race track took another life today in Costa Rica. American freestyle motocross racer Jeremy Lusk (24), succombed to his head injuries today, two days after a serious crash, while attempting a backflip during a competition.

A high-achiever motocross rider, Lusk had a successful 2008 season during which he won a gold medal at the 2008 X Games, and silver in Best Trick when he landed the first double-grab Hart Attack backflip. He won a bronze helmet in Freestyle at the Moto X World Championships in his hometown of San Diego. Here is a video of his crash taken from Youtube.



Motorsports is thrilling and gives one the rush of adrenalin which most other mainstream competitive sports give. But this rush is intimately attached to the possibility of severe and at times fatal injuries to the participant, however good he/ she is. Life hangs in balance when one gets astride the metal steed and revs up the engine to enter the arena of motocross. If one comes out alive and unscathed then he/ she gets to live another day and ride another course, otherwise.... well... otherwise... the rider becomes a memory like Jeremy Lusk became two days ago....