Waterfront Vistas in the US

Water: The elixir of life!!!

One of the most fascinating things to me is the ecosystem of large water bodies. The numerous life forms that are supported by lakes, rivers, dams, and of course the mighty oceans attract me like iron to a magnet. I could spend endless hours just looking at fish swimming around in a pond. Just looking at the vast azure expanses of water soothes my soul.
Of course I love to take a dip wherever possible... When I was in Bangalore, India weekends I'd head out to Manchinbelle dam, Kanva dam or YG Gudda dam and take a refreshing dip. Here in the US that is one thing which is possible only for the rich. All the dams and public water bodies are fenced up and the water front lands have been sold to private entrepreneurs who charge an arm and a leg to enter and access the water. The only ocean front I have visited is California where waters are so cold that it is impossible to get in without a wet suit. So here I content myself by taking pictures of lakes, rivers, dams etc... Here are some of my favorite water fronts in the US.

Lake Travis, Austin, Tx

Grapevine Reservoir, Texas

A large dam on the highway which links San Jose with Los Angeles

The Ocean at Santa Cruz

Attn. Canadian Residents! Here is your chance to win a $32,000 Kitchen Makeover

How would you like to have a complete kitchen makeover for the oncoming holiday season? Well you can get a $32,000 Dream Kitchen, if you are a Canadian Resident and wish to participate in the Dream Kitchen Contest. Other prizes include Frigidaire refrigerators and a chance to get upto $500.00 off your next purchase from Frigidaire. Now that is what I would call a completely "win-win situation". Even if you don't win the $32,000 Dream Kitchen you still get a $500 rebate for nothing.

Let me tell you more about the contest, the phenomenal website I visited and all other details. The Maple Leaf website is the ultimate place for all kitchen stuff, there are lip smacking meats, mouth watering cold cuts and deli meats, and a great frozen selection. There are separate sections for bakery, pasta maker, meat, meals made easy.

I am not a great cooking enthusiast so I made a beeline for the meals made easy section and guess what I found! There are notes and tips which will help people like me to rustle up a great meal within no time at all. That is not all you could even create a custom shopping list for the meal you want to cook. This will save your time and your family will love the food.

Don't forget all you need to do is go to Maple Leaf website and register for the contest. Who knows! you may be the winner of $32,000 kitchen makeover!!!

Remember this contest is open only to Canadian residents!!!

Insurance Company Refuses to cover heavy baby!!!

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Healthcare and insurance are two industries which pretty much control the lives of 300 million Americans. There are people who are perfectly happy with the present situation and would gladly oppose President Obama's Healthcare reforms. But then as I read newsreports from across the country I am more than convinced that these two industries have bled the nation enough, there needs to be a major revamp... not just a reform to set these greedy capitalists right.

Electric scooters From BSA

Several decades ago when BSA was still Birmingham Small Arms Limited based in UK, the company produced fantastic motorcycles ranging from 125 cc to 500 cc. Bikes like the Gold Star and B-31 reigned supreme in race tracks across the world.
Then the company went into a retrograde motion and limited itself to produce only bicycles. Now it seems like they are taking baby steps back towards its original products. This news item BSA Motors launches e-scooters in New Delhi sparked off my reverie about the past. It is good that at least the present BSA has decided to take steps towards Eco-friendly transportation. Hope it picks up momentum soon.

Winter is crawling into town!!!

Last month I was cribbing about the searing heat which prevented me from enjoying the outdoor activities. Now I find myself ruing the rains and cold winds which are once again deterring me from going out and enjoying the bicycling trails or parks or swimming. The transformation from summer to winter was almost instant.
One day it was very hot and suddenly a thunderstorm warning came through and it rained flat out for the next two days. After that it has been mostly cloudy humid days with sparse showers which has kept me and my bicycle most indoors. I wish it would get sunny again but not as searing hot as summer.
I don't think it would get too warm because winter seems to have set in with the nip in the air. It looks like this weather will continue for quite sometime and will get colder as the months roll by.....

Hilton Head Island: A beautiful seaside getaway!!!

"Water is the elixir of life" goes the ancient saying. I find this saying especially true while traveling. Holidays to places which are located on water fronts or on islands in the high sea are much more entertaining and enjoyable than visiting deserts or dry mountainsides. One of my favorite destinations in eastern seaboard of United States is the hilton head island in South Carolina. Endowed by the natures bounty of beaches and man made attractions of rolling golf courses, comfortable hotels and numerous other interesting sights this location is one place I look forward to visiting.

Whenever I have thought of holidaying at Hilton Head island I wonder whether it would be a good investment to own a piece of hilton head real estate. A prospect that could have numerous possibilities including coming back year after year to vacation in this fantabulous beach resort.

I believe that hilton head south carolina is as good a location as any other beach resort such as Florida or California or even Galveston. I think investing in holiday property here is a worthy option because hilton head offers something attractive for every member of the family. Kids, elders, teenagers or the middle aged, everyone can enjoy the various attractions in the island.

DFW Diwali Mela 2009

Yesterday was the annual DFW Diwali Mela organized by the DFW Indian Cultural Society. We were supposed to keep a vendor booth on behalf of Sankara Eye Foundation at the event but due to the organizers oversight we couldn't do it. The organizers had double-booked the booth and we ended up being without a booth. These glitches apart the event was by far a success I would say for several reasons.

The first reason being the location, in the DFW area the maximum Indian population is in north Dallas cities of Irving, Plano, Carrollton, Frisco, etc. The event was organized in Arlington, which is about 40 miles from Plano and further from Frisco and McKinney. Nevertheless looking at the crowd it was clear that there were people from all over and even from out of state and far away.

For a change event parking was free, but the cops were by far the rudest I have ever come across in the US. They were not willing to talk, answer questions or direct us to the right location. This was kinda absurd and quite unexpected.

Anyway I guess the organizers will learn not to double book booths and get their act together next year.

Grow your business using Internet!!!

One of the most important tools for enhancing revenues and achieving growth for a business is Internet. Internet and the innumerable possibilities it offers can be both a boon as well as a bane for small businesses. It is a boon because it brings new business and helps the company expand its presence beyond the immediate geographic area. It could be quite the opposite if one were to end up with the wrong service provider. Not the internet service provider but the back end support provider.

Having a presence in the internet needs one vital thing, a great web hosting service provider. The ideal service provider will have over 99.5 percent uptime and less than 0.5 percent maintenance time. This will ensure that your website is available for prospective clients always. To find such a service provider it is good to look up the top-10 website hosting services listing on the site by geeks for people who are confused about technology and want clarifications.

What I like about the web hosting geeks site is the comprehensive information it provides about internet, website hosting, technologies and solutions. The exhaustive and informative Blog is my favorite section by far. The blog has superb articles on various aspects of website development and hosting. There is information about what to look for in a website hosting service. I love this list because it gives me comprehensive information on how to find the right service provider.

I simply say that if you are looking for solutions, information, or just tips for managing your online presence better visit the website and you will not regret it.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

raj

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

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

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

Talk about New DOTA-Clone Game

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

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

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

Overland Cemeteries of New Orleans!!!

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

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

Chopper Style Bicycles = Fun on the Beach

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

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

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

Karnataka Tourist Guide

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


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

Get a New Look before that Job Interview!!!

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

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

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

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

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

Martyr's treated differently!!!

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

Bywater War Memorial, New Orleans

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










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

Win a 2010 Camaro... Get into Charter Sweepstakes

This could be yours!!!

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

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

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

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

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

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

Street Views of New Orleans

I am still back in my list of blogging topics because I have been very busy with school and other mundane activities. Anyway I shared my experience of the swamp tour in New Orleans, now let me tell you a little about the roads and what I saw around there. First of all I didn't travel much of the city except for the downtown areas. So I don't know what the suburbs look like and my opinion of downtown New Orleans is definitely not great... this is one of the rundown cities in the US that I have visited. The roads are narrow, potholed, there is the tram that still runs, like in Kolkata, the city seems heavily dependent on tourism. This is city is quite like any big city in India, one can see abject poverty as well as extravagant opulence. Fancy flyovers and highways, but narrow roads within the city. Dirty sidewalks especially around the Bourbon street area. Skyscrapers overshadow small homes and generally it is obvious that there is a lot of poverty in the city.
Our host was telling that earlier he would walk to his work which is just a mile away. He stopped doing so because every day he would be accosted by at least 3-4 dirty, grimy, beggars (pan-handlers) asking for a Quarter (25 cents), food, etc. They would not beg but rather ask/ demand. Now he drives the distance or takes the tram. Here are some pictures I shot while travelling in the car check it out and let me know what you feel?

Appealing Customized Gifts

Buying a gift for that special person in our life is relatively easier than deciding on one item for a 1,000 people. For example how would you decide on a giveaway for your school fundraiser? Jewelry, make up, etc would be too feminine, sporting goods would appear too boyish and gift cards too impersonal.

While recently trying to decide on prizes for a fund-raiser for a non-profit I volunteer with I hit upon this idea of giving away embroidered custom tote bags for all the volunteers and special contributors. That is when I found this website which offers several customized products. Embroidered shirts, hats, promotional items and a wide array of different products. The best part is I didn't have to step out of the house to get the products. I just visited their website and placed the order online, a few days later the products landed up at home just as I expected. The quality was superb, colors were as shown and everyone was simply thrilled.

Wild Partying in New Orleans

It is long overdue but then I can't resist sharing the experience of our visit to the wildest party place I have been to. Bourbon street in downtown New Orleans is a place where all the good things are available... Booze of all types, brands, and blends flows like water from then hands of pretty damsels, burly bartenders and also stripped up gays and male strippers. The narrow street comes alive only after the rest of the city sleeps. This is the place where everything not available in the morning hours becomes readily yours for a price. There is music, dancing, drinking, smoking, both male and female strippers... and of course a homosexual part of the street too.

We parked in a multi-storied parking lot and walked the rest of the way into Bourbon street. As we entered the street we were welcomed by the blaring blues and jazz music which spilled out from the bars. Touts were holding placards and yelling "3 for the price of one" or "2 for the price of one" etc to attract the patrons. Some even tried to block our way and herd us into their bars but we politely pushed our way forward into the depths of Bourbon street.
One thing I must say is that this street has lots of musical talent. Every bar/ nightclub has a live band playing and their music is really fantastic. We stepped into a bar which was playing blues and enjoyed their soul-stirring performance for sometime. I was particularly impressed by the saxophone player's versatility to sing and the play the sax with equal elan.

As moved deeper into the street of pleasures I was surprised to see a fairly large gathering of devout Christians with large placards "Jesus loves you", "God loves Gays" and shouting slogans against the bar culture in the street. Ironically not many of the visitors were even giving a second glance to the boisterous group and were minding their own business of enjoying booze, music, and everything else available.....

The next part of Bourbon street was certainly the wildest and perhaps a tad bit scary too. The past two years in the US I have seen scantily clad women and girls everywhere... in the streets, on college campuses, in cafes etc. But here it was quite the opposite, women seemed to be fully clothed but some men on the other hand were stripped down to the bare minimum. Leather underwear, chains, mini skirts, and what not... to see fully grown men wearing so little clothing was a bit of a shock. Surprisingly this part of the Bourbon street seemed quite neglected by the city authorities, there was litter piled high along sidewalks, beer cans, plastic bottles, paper, and all kinds of trash was strewn around. Street lights were few and far between.. perhaps the government doesn't like homosexuals...

We had had enough by then so we retraced our steps along the street to our car and headed to a nice Chinese restaurant to grab a vegetarian dinner before heading home to sleep. Almost all the eateries on Bourbon street served alligator meat and prided themselves in their seafood offerings with very few or no choices for grass eaters like us.

Own a Motorcycle? Get great parts here!!!

Motorcycling or biking as it is commonly known is not as simple as buying a two-wheeler off the shop and riding it on the road. It is more like a sub-culture with enthusiasts spending enormous amounts of time and money to customize their toys before riding them on the road. Few of the enthusiasts went one step further and promoted businesses in this area. At one point of time getting the right sport bike exhaust was a challenge. But now thanks to the internet and several websites there are thousands of different motorcycle parts which are easily available. Bike enthusiasts need to just go online order and then customize their wheels. There are special accessories for big brands like Harleys, Sport Bikes, Goldwings etc. The community of riders who ride cruisers and customize them is completely different from those who ride sport bikes. Online communities cater to all the genres of motorcycle enthusiasts.

Swamp Tour - II

Continuing from where I left off...
The guide gunned the boat deeper into the swamps through the channels passing adjacent to a large brackish water lake/ lagoon where shrimp farming is being practiced. As the boat lurched in the shallow waters of the swamps the guide explained that the water appears brown not because it is dirty because of the presence of a bacteria which stains the water. It is surprising that there were homes along the water channel and some had the most common sign I have seen in the US... "FOR SALE". There were speed limit signs for boats with warning of prosecution for violations, law enforcement everywhere, good for the local residents. Wish there was similar enforcement for alligators to prevent them from attacking humans :) and another law to make gators to voluntarily come forward to get culled :)...

Speed Limits on water too....

Large bird looks majestic and beautiful

I saw numerous birds such as cranes, egrets, ducks, an occasional eagle flying past ignoring the noise and spray raised by the boats as if it were their daily obstacles. The vegetation/ mangrooves became thicker as we ventured deeper into the swamps forcing the captain to slow the boat almost to a crawl as we passed an oil well which pumped away the black gold from the depths of the earth. Evidence that there is no corner in the earth which has not been explored and exploited by some greedy human being.

Duck with its chicks on a pier

An oil well in the swamps... quietly pumping away

After more lurching in shallow waters the captain stopped the boat and started shouting "oup... oup... oup... oup..." rather loudly. Initially I couldn't quite understand why he was yelling, but it soon became evident that he was trying to attract some wild alligators. Soon a few alligators were sighted around the boat and they started swimming towards the noise. The captain took out a bag of marshmallows and threw one into the water which was immediately grabbed by a hungry gator. Several gators came up as more marshmallows were thrown into water. The guide jokingly also said that if one of us wished to swim with the gators we were welcome to jump overboard.

Going deeper into the swamps... supposedly wild and unchartered territory

Gator coming for Marshmallows

Gator poses for a picture

Our tour guide playing with the Gator...

That's me handling the baby Gator...

We left the place and got back into the main channel after playing with the gators for some more time. The real surprise awaited us here. The tour guide produced a small one-year old gator and allowed everyone on the boat to carry it like a pet and get a feel of it. The yearling looked like the garden lizard but only more scaly, rough skinned and lazy. The baby gator didn't open its mouth, I wonder why... the guide mentioned that it usually doesn't open its mouth and bite but if it was suitably irritated it would. None of us tried to make it open its mouth was we passed it around. The last part of the tour was a fast boat ride through the channels, the twin-engine passenger boat showed its true power as the guide gunned it towards the pier. It churned up frothy waves and created a line of white as we sped towards our destination where we ended our short swamp tour.

Waves formed by the boat

As we disembarked from the boat the captain stood by the door gratefully accepting the tips handed out to him by passengers. There were boards all around the boat and the ticket counter which read "Tips accepted and appreciated"... Well that is how marketing is done I guess... instead of asking just say it...

What I must say here is that the guide did a good job in showing us the important sights around the swamp, gave us the true gator experience and even let us handle a year-old gator. He was funny and his narrative absorbing and never overbearing or overly seeking money. I think this kind of a positive attitude will generate lot more revenue than outright solicitation of tips.

Swamp Tour in Louisiana

New Orleans, Louisiana thrives on tourism related industries. Swamp and Plantation tours, night clubs, restaurants, coffee shops, trinket stores, Native American and Cajun burial ground tours, etc are frequented by visitors, thanks to entrepreneurs offering these locations as attractive tours. I have always been an outdoors and adventure person so we decided to go on a swamp tour across the Barataria Swamps on a covered boat.
As we waited at the boat pier for the tour to start, I was surprised by the number of alligator products that were being sold at the souvenir store. Slaughtered gator heads for $15-35, Gator claws as back scratchers for a few dollars, gator skin, etc. It gave me an uneasy feeling in my stomach to see that these regal reptiles were being farm-bred for human consumption not only as meat but as these souvenir samples. We human beings often refer to wild animals as wild, cruel and savage etc, but I am convinced that it is the other way round. It is human beings that are cruel and not the animals. For wild animals it is a question of survival when they attack humans, but for us it is often pride, an urge to show off, etc that drives to attack animals.

Gator head for sale!!! Can humans get any more barbaric???

After a few minutes our tour-guide came and hollered for all of us to get into the boat. The guide was a tough-looking bearded man with a great sense of humor. He started the tour by saying that "Alligators are cold blooded like most women," and introduced us to the waterways on which we would be traveling and also the surrounding habitations where Cajuns of the Bayou continue to live amidst swamps. I was amazed to know that the waterway we were on was actually man-made, it certainly didn't appear so. I am pretty certain lots of slaves labored on this project and many perished too.

Man made water channel; amazing human endeavor!!!

As the tour progressed the guide pointed out a 2000 year old Native American Burial Mound adjacent to a Cajun cemetery and a small Fishing village!

Cajun cemetery and the Native American burial mound

The fishing village was particularly interesting because there was a large building on the wharf into which a drunk had plowed his speed boat. The wrecked boat and the broken building had been boarded up awaiting renovation. As we slowly ambled on, I saw several species of wildlife such as birds, turtles, furry animals, and of course a number of small to large Alligators or simply Gators.

The fishing village where a drunk boat driver had rammed the building!!!

Here are some pictures, but wait there is more to the tour... will blog in the next post.. including how we handled a 1-year old baby gator and fed large adult gators with marshmallows and more.

While millions starve.... Belgian farmers dump milk

Even as millions of people in third world countries in Africa, Asia, South America and a small population of poor in the US and EU member nations starve to death due to hunger, angry Belgian farmers dump 3 million litres of milk into agricultural fields. What kind of idiocy, expression of anger is this? I fail to understand. I have seen farmers dumping tomatoes onto the road in rural Karnataka (India) due to the same exasperation about prices. Though the quantities are never this much, it nevertheless is a great loss for not for the individual farmer or the country but the entire humanity.

In Sub Saharan Africa, thousands of people are starving to death. There are riots when Red Cross volunteers distribute food. A few thousand miles away in Europe this kind of gross wastage of milk is happening because a few politicians and corporations are fighting over the price of milk. Farmers are complaining that milk prices have dropped below production costs. The solution is simple stop producing so much milk and switch to other products. Process the milk and sell butter, cheese, and whole lot of milk products. For God's sake don't waste the milk and dump it into agricultural fields.

I guess the financial value of 790,000 gallons of milk is just $4 million not much for many European powers who continue to live on the wealth they looted from rest of the world during the past few centuries.

Looking for a used car? Look no further!!!

Buying a used cars can be quite difficult, considering how dealers try to manipulate the prices, conceal the records etc. I recently came across an automobile portal on the internet which offers a completely different perspective to car sales. The site focuses on used cars, new cars, leasing and research. The unique features of this site is that you can search cars, research cars, ask questions, compare prices from various dealers, read car reviews and do a whole lot of other stuff related to cars. There is an entire section on insurance and maintenance too. In this era of websites and car dealerships which focus entirely on selling and buying here is a different portal which provides a low down on the whole gamut of things. If you are in the market for a car, used or new check it out before you sign the dotted line.

New Orleans Visit and Lessons

A little over ten days ago it was the Labor day weekend which was an extended holiday across the US. We decided to take this opportunity to accomplish two things at the same time. Visit family in New Orleans and also take in the sights and sounds of this recently hurricane devastated city. It sounded like a good plan and this time we decided to undertake a road trip instead of an flight. I am glad we did it because the drive showed me a completely different part of the US, something which is yet wild, sparsely populated and still relatively natural.
The trip to Louisiana's Katrina-ravaged city helped me learn several lessons. The biggest lesson was that even in America the government doesn't bother about its poor and underprivileged. The trip exposed the murky underbelly of American capitalism and how the government, corporations, and the majority of this continent-sized country have simply ignored the small minority of people (estimated 1.5 million) who were affected by the Katrina. Despite the fact that US receiving millions of dollars of aid in cash from several countries including the poorest nations of the world. Here is a list of countries which provided cash-aid to the US when Katrina hit.

Kuwait	$500 million
Qatar	$100 million
United Arab Emirates	$100 million
South Korea	$30 million
Australia	$10 million
India	$5 million
China	$5 million
New Zealand	$2 million
Pakistan	$1.5 million
Bangladesh	$1 million

When I saw these numbers I was surprised to note that the developed nation of New Zealand contributed much lesser than India, which is a much poorer and still a third world nation and has a much larger population. Even Bangladesh which reels under its own floods, hurricanes, every year has given $1 billion towards aid. Apart from these contributions, US and international nonprofits have raised about $4.5 billion and corporations pledged about $1 billion.
According to the Wikipedia article the total devastation in New Orleans has been estimated at about $90 billion. Federal aid to provide relief to affected people a mere $16.7 billion for housing, $5.5 billion for roads, and $2 billion for highways and bridges. A few million here and there for other purposes. I am surprised that despite such widespread damage, fatalities and devastation the federal government has not done enough.

Even after five years of Katrina the lower 9th ward of New Orleans looks like a ghost town, broken down houses, uninhabited neighborhoods, home sites overgrown with weeds and brush, etc. If this were the scene in a third world nation I would not have been so surprised, but in the US which has flattened two nations in the past decade and which claims economic, military, infrastructural supremacy over all other nations in the world, this is pathetic.

Anyway I guess this is the way poor and oppressed are treated even in the heaven of freedom and equality.

This is where I will end today. I will be posting pictures and experiences of a swamp tour, handling alligators, a wild party night on Bourbon street and the return journey in the next few days.