No Contract, Unlimited voice, text, and web for only $50 per month

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Net10 for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

Surprised reading the headline? Wondering in this day and age how is it possible to get a mobile phone service that is good, affordable and offers all the modern features? Well the simple answer to all these questions is yes it is indeed out there and there is no contract. This is not a joke or a gimmick, it is for real.

Net10 Unlimited offers an unlimited cellphone plan that gives nationwide coverage and unlimited talk, text, and data all for only $50 a monty. You don't have to sign a contract and you can be assured that you wont receive any surprises in your bills. The best part is there is no credit checks when you apply to get a phone connection. The icing on the cake is the fantastic handsets manufactured by Motorola, LG, Nokia, Samsung and Kyocera that Net10 offers for extremely low prices.

When I first heard about the plan I wanted to meet or talk to a Real NET10 customer or atleast read their opinion about the service and I found a lot of video testimonials on youtube. The common thread of the messages is that Net10 service is great and completely affordable for everyone. Along with the unlimited plan Net10 also offers a host of monthly plans. There is the Easy Minutes Plus plan which starts at just $15 for 200 monutes and then there are several pay as you go plans also. Like I said earlier there is no contract and you can switch from plan to plan based on your requirements of airtime. You can buy the airtime you require. The recharge airtime cards are available in thousands of grocery stores across the country. Still not satisfied you can buy airtime on your phone too.

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I think this is what America needs in these days of rising prices. There is one phone service provider that is offering affordable service with all features. Watch the  Cute NET10 commercial  and you will agree with me.

Last but not the least I'd like to tell you that simple handsets are under $15 and with feature-rich phones with camera, video records, blue tooth, web etc, are under$40 and smart phones with full Qwerty keyboards are priced less than $60. There is simply not a better deal out there, check out Net10 on your favorite social networking sites, Twitter and Facebook to know more.





https://www.facebook.com/NET10…

Millions of Americans left without Power

Hurricane Irene hit the East Coast over the weekend and has wrecked havoc on that part of the country. When there is a storm of this magnitude the first thing that happens is power outage and that is precisely what happened in the US. It is funny when I was in India every time it rained there would be power outage and the telephone lines would go dead, we would go into a frenzy calling the electricity board and complaining. Everything is privatized in America and most of these large corporations have their service desks in India, Philippines or other country to address their customer complaints. I wonder how effectively these service desk people will be able to support the customer at this time.

Except for TV and news reports and the internet the call center employees would not have any access to information about situation on the ground. The reassurances they would provide for the consumer would probably be shallow and not rooted in reality. Moreover news coverage of Irene is not so extensive in India as it would be elsewhere in the US. This is quite expected, because priorities of each nation varies. While the news is top headlines in every news channel here, it would be just another story in the international news in India.

I wonder how Americans so accustomed to extreme comfort of centralized air conditioned, lots of space, and nice furniture living now even as the storm passes. It will take a week or two for life to return to normalcy. And for some it will never return to normalcy because they have lost one or more of their family members.

Straight Talk - low cost, no Contract, mobile service

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Straight Talk for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

When it comes to mobile telecommunications Americans have had it tough since the past several years. All telephone service providers are large corporations and make rules that the consumer has to follow. The end result has been that mobile phone service has been on the expensive side with prices rising almost every year. Moreover phone companies love to trap consumers into contracts by offering them free phones. Once in a contract the consumer has to stay with the service provider for two years.

This kind of contract phone service is changing thanks to Straight Talk, the latest mobile phone service provider to enter the market. First and foremost Straight is a no contract, low cost service, that promises to cut your cell phone bill by half. Now imagine paying half of what you are paying for the same excellent service, nationwide coverage and using the same trendy handheld device, what would you do with the money you save? I can think of a 100 things I could do with the mega savings, I could save the money and go on a vacation once a year.

Straight talk offers several great plans to fulfill everything you need as far as mobile communication goes. For instance the "All You Need Plan" offers 1,000 minutes, 1,000 texts and 30 MB of web data. Then there is the Unlimited Monthly Service including calls, text, picture messaging, and web priced at only $45. There is no other company that offers all these services at this kind of low price. That is not all you can get this unlimited service for a year for only $499 - even more savings. You can call a friend and talk as much as you want, not worrying about whether your minutes will get exhausted or not. I am sure if you were to tell your mom about Straight Talk, she would jump at the offer, simply because mom knows best and it is generally true.

The best is yet to come, Straight talk doesn't charge you for 411 calls and there is no activation, reactivation or termination fees. Straight Talk also offers international long distance to enable you to make international calls from your home, cell or office phone at extremely low rates. This would help expat workers to keep in touch with their families and friends at home.

Finally let us talk about the hardware, Straight Talk offers reconditioned phoens starting from $10 with camera, mp3 player, internet access and blue tooth capability. Can you believe that? $10 is less than the cost of a meal in a good restaurant and you get a feature-filled phone.

This offer sounds too good to be true. So I went online and did my own research to find out what users have to say and this is what I found. Almost all the customers are delighted by Straight Talk's offerings. Watch the video below and decide for yourself.

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Lovely Lepakshi - Splendor in Stone

Lepakshi about 100 km from Bengaluru city is home to one of the most spectacular Vijayanagara era temples. Located in the State of Andhra Pradesh Lepakshi is easily accessible from Karnataka, i.e. Bengaluru.

I paid a quick visit to this wonderfully sculpted temple back in 2005 and ever since I have been smitten by the memories of the place. Lepakshi in my opinion is a place for those willing to get away from the routine multiple-destination tourist circuits and want a quiet weekend amidst ancient monuments and rugged scenery.

With its fine temple architecture and historically interesting monuments, Lepakshi is an ideal getaway for history enthusiasts, heritage lovers and monument fanatics. Sited in Anantapur District of neighbouring Andhra Pradesh, Lepakshi is a small village about 100 km from Bangalore.

Lepakshi is perhaps one of the most important locations close to Bangalore from a historical perspective. A trip to Lepakshi will prove revitalising for those who love in heritage sites, who marvel at the art created by our ancestors. Lepakshi, renowned as the repository of the best mural paintings of the Vijayanagar empire, hosts three shrines dedicated to Shiva, Vishnu and Veerabhadra. On a hillock known as ‘Kurma Saila’ (tortoise shaped hill), is located the large temple complex dedicated to Veerabhadra which also houses sub-shrines of Papanatheswara, Raghunatha, Srirama and Durga.

According to Skandapurana – a holy book of Hindus -- Lepakshi is one of the 108 Shaiva Kshetras or important pilgrim centres for worshippers of Lord Shiva. An inscription (in HaleKannada or old Kannada) on the outer wall of the temple records that one Virupanna, the treasury officer of the Penukonda Fort of the Vijaynagar empire, constructed the temple during the 16th century.

As with most ancient Hindu temples, Lepakshi also has several legends associated with it. But the most accepted legend is that Virupanna discovered the idol of Veerabhadra and decided to build a temple in the lord’s honour. Since the king was absent, he used money from the royal treasury without the former’s knowledge and started constructing the temple. When the temple construction was nearing completion the king returned to find the treasury empty. Enraged at Virupanna’s act of spending all the money without his consent, the king ordered that Virupanna should be blinded. Being a loyal person Virupanna carried out the punishment on the spot with his own bands and dashed his eyes into the temple’s stone wall. To this day one can see two dark stains upon the wall near the Kalyana Mandapa, which are said to be the blood stains made by Virupanna’s bleeding eye balls when he dashed them against the wall. Thus blinded and ailing Virupanna did not survive for long, and soon the village came to be called ‘Lepa-akshi’ i.e. the village of the blinded eye.

The Veerabhadra temple divided into three parts -- the Mukha Mandapa, (also called Natya Mandapa), the Artha Mandapa and Garbha Griha. The Kalyana Mandapa, with its 38 attractively carved monolithic grey sandstone pillars is yet unfinished. These three form a triangle with a common Mandapam or roof. To the south of the main shrine is a magnificently carved larger-than-life monolithic statue of a Shiva Linga sheltered by a massive seven-headed cobra known as the Nagalingam.

The temple is surrounded on all sides by a spacious outer courtyard or prakara supported by large and attractively sculpted stone pillars replete with relief figures of dancers, musicians, animals and birds. The finest parts of the temple however are Natya (Dancing) and Ardha (worship) Mandapas which perhaps host the best specimens of Vijayanagar style of sculpture and mural paintings. The former is adorned with intricately sculptured pillars on which are carved life-size representations of musicians and dancers in various poses of performance. The unfinished Kalyana Mandapam is a standing proof of the detailing in sculptural art of that period. The sculptures adorning the pillars and walls of the temple depict puranic episodes like those of Ananthasayana, Dattatreya, Chaturmukha Bramha, Tumburu, Narada and Rambha.

The beautiful sculptures on the outer prakara (courtyard) are bound to awe the visitor. Notable among the sculptures are the 14 forms of Siva, such as Dakshinamurthi, Ardhanareeswara, Tripurantaka etc. The unfinished Kalyana Mantapa in which the pillars are decorated with attractive patterned sculptures has provided perennial inspiration to textile designers across the world.

Another must-see monument in the town is the massive monolithic Nandi statue located a mere 500 meters from the Veerabhadra temple. The idol measuring about 30 ft long and 16 ft high, located towards North-East of the Veerabhadra temple is perhaps the largest monolithic Nandi in India.

Getting there.
Road. If you are travelling on your own vehicle, start off on the Bellary road (NH 7) to reach Lepakshi via Hindupur. Both APSRTC and KSRTC Buses ply frequently from Bangalore.
Train. Nearest railway station is at Puttaparthi aka Sri Sathya Sai Prashanti Nilayam Railway Station. Ph: (08555) 287355
Air. Puttaparthi is the nearest airport. Flights connect Chennai, Mumbai and Bangalore. The Airport is closed during summer season (April to June). Ph: (0091) 08555-87346.

Falling into Fall Semester

Image via WikipediaIt was back to school today early in the morning. Yes, the beginning of Fall 2011 semester which takes me a little step closer to my ultimate educational goal. This semester like the previous one promises to be hectic, time consuming, tortuous, and of course a great learning experience.

As I sat listening to the first lecture of the semester I was glad that the professor this time around has a great sense of humor and enjoys teaching. The very complex topics that were being taught was broken into the simplest possible units, this enabled me to understand much more. Another aspect of the prof's teaching style - humor - made the lecture engaging and kept me attentive to the goings on in the class.

I sure hope that this semester will go better than the previous one in terms of academics. Looking forward to having a learning fall and winter 2011.

Unlimited Online Data Back Up Solution From Carbonite

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Carbonite for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

In today's globalized world where business deals are struck at the click of the mouse and millions of dollars exchanged across national borders it is very important to have a backup of all the data that one transmits. Data is power, data is money, data can save businesses millions of dollars if stored and retrieved at the right moment.  Since data is so important it is important that all important information is stored not only on your personal computer but also online on a safe virtual location.

There are numerous technology companies that offer online computer backup facilities to those who are interested in safeguarding their data. One of the most hassle free service providers is Carbonite a company that makes it so easy to back your valuable data such as word documents, emails, excel spreadsheets, and any other user files. The best part abour Carbonite's online backup service is that it is automatic. The software once set up will automatically backup all the important files from your computer to one of its servers located in highly secure, state-of-the-art data centers. The software works hard to protect your data. This backup happens whenever your computer is connected to the internet. Carbonite works on both PC and Mac platforms so wherever your data is it is safely backed up. Last but not the least, there is unlimited storage space for your data. You can retrieve your files anytime you wish to from anywhere in the world, using any device, laptop computer, desktop, internet-enabled mobile phone, tablet devices such as iPad, etc. Apps for your mobile phone, iPad or any other handheld device is free.

Right Now Carbonite is offering a great deal. Use the discount code BLOGAD and get two months free with purchase of an annual storage plan. You can try Carbonite free for 15 days and decide if it works for you. With all these facilities I am definitely going to try it and I am pretty sure it works well for my business.

Happy Krishna Janmashtami

Today is Krishna Janmashtami... the birthday of Lord Krishna the supreme personality Godhead. If I were in India with my parents we would have celebrated the festival in a traditional way, but I am here in the US where the only festival celebrated is Christmas. Well you give some to get some....

This is the greeting card I received online from JK YOG a leading Hindu Non-Profit group here in the DFW area.

A Unique App to Protect Your Mobile Phone!!!

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Sprint for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

Today's mobile phones are small computers with immense capabilities. The accidental or deliberate loss of one's cell phone can lead to enormous amount of loss both in terms of data and finances. First off modern smart phones are expensive to purchase and then if after spending hundreds of dollars you lose the phone it is devastating. Secondly phones contain valuable information from important telephone numbers, email, banking passwords, and other sensitive personal data. Given this kind of importance that a cellphone holds doesn't it become a necessity to somehow protect it from loss, damage, or theft?

One cellphone service provider has found it relevant to develop and deploy a mobile app that will help protect their subscriber's telephone and data from theft, loss and/ or damage. Yes Sprint Telecom has introduced a new app for Android, Blackberry and other select feature phones. The app aptly named Sprint Total Equipment Protection App enables you to perform several tasks such as: locating a missing phone, sync contacts, remote wipe phone memory, remote lock the phone, sound an audible alarm so you can find the phone. This app is available for all Sprint Total Equipment Protection subscribers at no additional cost.

If you are a Sprint Total Equipment Protection subscriber this app will make your life a lot easier, you will not have to fear losing your phone or the data contained within it. You can be rest assured that your phone and data are secure with Sprint. If you are one of those who suspects everything that comes out of a big corporation you can just check it out online and download the app. You have till the end of this month (August 30) to add the feature to your current phone. After that the open enrollment closes and god knows how much longer you will have to wait and how much you might have to pay to get the same service. If you enroll now and by chance you lose your phone , you don't have to worry. You will get a replacement phone. This offer is good even if your phone gets damaged, malfunctions, even after the warranty expires.
Still not convinced Check out the Youtube Video about the app and its features.


All these and more benefits are available for Sprint customers for a small fee of $8 per month. What are you waiting for? Enroll now by visiting http://www.tepenroll.com.

Summer Burns Texas

It is almost a week since I returned to the US and I feel as if I am melting in the triple digit temperatures of Texas. The day I returned it seemed as if Gods had taken pity and cooled it down with a small shower. Then the sun came back with vengeance and it has been in the 100s ever since.

Today the sun burned a steady 104 degrees F making it feel more like 114. This is not the hottest day... if the weatherman is to be believed tomorrow the mercury is going to rise to 107 with partly cloudy forecast. Clouds don't mean rain but more heat because heat gets trapped underneath the clouds and above the earth's surface making it searing hot.

If there is one season I don't like it is searing hot summers in Texas. I can take icy cold when temperature dips to a negative 5 or 10, but when mercury rises to triple digit heat that is when I get extremely uncomfortable. When it gets cold I can cover up with more and more layers but in the heat there is only that many layers I can shed.

I just hope that summer passes off soon giving way to the nice two months of the year, i.e. fall.

Happy Independence Day 2011

Image courtesy Rumela.com
Here is a wish to all my compatriots from India.

Wherever you live,
whatever you do,
whichever nation you are a citizen of....
remember your roots are always in India
Celebrate today - the independence day
a day for which thousands of valiant souls
left their mortal bodies in the face of
enemy bullets and gifted the nation
FREEDOM

Travel Deals to make you hit the road!

I love to travel by any means of transport to any kind of location. From scorching deserts to freezing mountains, burning volcanoes to the cool beaches, dangerous war zones to comfortable resort style holidays, every kind of destination appeals to me. While travel is a great benefit for the soul, it can prove to be a big set back for your savings. Travel costs money and comfortable travel costs more.

One of the biggest costs during a holiday is the stay. Hotel accommodations are usually expensive, irrespective of whichever part of the world you are traveling. The hotel managements know that you are not from the area and try to make a fast buck out of you. They did get away with this kind of practice till about recently when internet opened up a new bargaining platform for travelers and hoteliers.

New age entrepreneurs passionate about travel have promoted websites that offer Cheap Hotel Rates to ardent travel enthusiasts. This kind of websites enable holiday makers and vacationers to visit places and still not burn a hole in their wallets and pockets.

The rationale of this website is simple, combine a large number of hotel offerings and provide discounted options to travelers. This site is one online place where one can find great travel deals, book low rate rooms in comfortable hotels. The best thing is that you can also combine room, airfare and car rental to get wonderful deals. The net result is savings of hundreds of dollars for you so you can extend your stay or say travel to another destination. If something comes up in the last moment and you can't go, don't worry there is no cancellation charge.

The deal can't get any better.

My Bangalore visit so far....

This time my visit home, to Bangalore has been limited to staying at home watching TV and going to the movies. I watched two movies Singam and Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara. Apart from this I haven't done anything much. I have couple of weeks more to stay in Bangalore and I hope I can accomplish somethings that I haven't been able to in the past two. Let us see only time can tell. I wonder if things turn out well or if they turn out in such a way as to prove my worst fears once again. I don't know only time can tell...

Accessories for your Harley Davidson

America has a few non-negotiable icons. One of them is the legendary Harley Davidson Motorcycle, the dream machine of every biker in the world. The motorcycle is one of the most popular, desired and revered two wheeled steed in the US. During my short stay in the Texas, US I have come across several ardent bikers who own a harley and spend thousands dollars not only to buy one but to add accessories.

While browsing the internet I found this website that is solely selling harley-davidson accessories at discounted prices. They site is an ideal place to purchase everything that can be added onto your Harley Davidson motorcycle to make it look and feel better and more utilitarian. Things like touring bags can be added to carry stuff on long rides.

The site is user friendly and one can browse by model to find the exact part to fit into the motorcycle. Each model has numerous accessories that fit in as if it were stock equipment. The net result, your motorcycle will look even better and the next time you hit the road on your favorite set of wheels you can be sure to attract several envious and admiring stares.

For a short time they are also offering free shipping on all orders.

Patterns and Shapes

I designed one more image/ pattern based font. I tried to make diverse and different patterns to fit in seamlessly. Feel free to download and use it, and of course I do require your feedback about the utility or not thereof so next font I design will be better aligned for your use.

Hottest day in DFW area!

Today was one the hottest day in the Dallas-Fort Worth area since the past several years. Texas summers have been sizzling since time immemorial, but as the world develops into a more comfortable place for human beings, the planet is getting hotter. This is the direct result of what is known as the 'urban heat island effect' that I read about on Yahoo News.

Due to this urban heat island effect densely populated cities that have turned into concrete jungles are hotter than open rural landscapes with sparse population and few buildings. Anyway the heat reminds me of my travels through the eastern seaboard state of Orissa, India during 2007 summer. The only consolation out there was the humidity that made it possible for the body's regulatory mechanism to kick in and cool down by sweating. Here in Texas the body burns and gets charred, but it wont sweat or steam....

A few more months and then it will be fall, when the good days will be back again.

American Independence Day Celebrations!

Having stayed in this country for three years this is the first time I went to view the American independence day... ooops.. the 4th of July parade and fireworks display. The parade was held at the historic downtown McKinney, it was short, colorful and intense. Everyone from tiny tots to senior citizens participated in the parade enthusiastically waving flags, clapping, cheering and generally being happy to be a part of this country.

The show of support by the people in this quasi-official celebration is pretty impressive. The population of McKinney and surrounding towns might be just over 150,000 but I am pretty sure at least 10,000 people were there to watch the parade. Thoughts took me back to Bangalore, India which hosts over 6 million people and not even 1,000 people turn up for the independence day parade. I wonder why?

Anyway here are some pictures of the parade:

NPR/ KERA repeats identity blunder!

Ever since I came to the United States, I have been disturbed by the fact that even after 500 odd years, the Euro-American majority have not begun to attempt to correct the historical error. i.e. the wrong identity label stamped upon the original peoples of this country/ continent from whom the Europeans usurped the land and built this glorious nation. These original people continue to be referred to as "Indians" even though everyone in the world knows that only those people from India can be referred to by this identity label. The original peoples should be referred to by their ethnic identity, such as Cherokee, Chickasaw, Comanche, etc. There was not one or two such distinctly different ethnic groups but more than 700 before the first Europeans even stepped on this land.

Recently I was listening to National Public Radio while commuting to work and I hear about this important Native American ceremony. The news report was about the first peoples of this nation commemorating the birth of a White Buffalo Calf. The news report started off politically correct by referring to these people as "Native Americans" but as the story progressed it changed once again to refer to them as "Indians".

I wonder how many more centuries these Euro-Americans will take to realize that they need to correct their erroneous identity labels. More than that I am amazed at the billion plus Indians in India and the few million Indians in the United States of America who are silently watching this historical blunder repeat itself again and again. I don't know whether people from India are even aware of the misuse their ethnic identity is undergoing.

I know being one individual I can't fight the system that has been established for over 500 years but I can make my protest to this gross misuse of my ethnic identity label to refer to someone who is not even remotely associated to my culture, nationality, or ethnicity.

Summer heat continues to burn....

Texas Summers are my most disliked seasons in a year. It gets so hot that stepping out of the air conditioned comfort is nearly impossible. I have been spending time reading, browsing the internet, watching movies on youtube and generally passing time at home when I am not at work. On those days that I work the day generally passes fast with a wide variety of experiences. I am hoping that summer will pass quickly and there will be fall, the time before winter when the weather is just right to enjoy outdoors.

Free Healthcare & Housing in the US for Bank Robbers

When I was in middle school I had read the story about a homeless man in New York who tries to go to jail so he can spend the winter away from the biting cold. His rationale that he would be indoors, provided with a warm bed and hot food during the period of winter and then he could come back and live off the streets of New York. I had laughed off the story then, but now I realize that this is precisely what happens to people who end up in prison in the US. They get free housing, food and healthcare. After coming to America few years ago I am reading more and more news reports of actual people employing this method to get their basic needs fulfilled.

The latest example example is a 59-yr-old man from North Carolina, who made headlines on MSNBC recently. According to the news report this guy robbed a bank of $1 and waited patiently in the lobby for the police to arrive and arrest him.

Why did he do that? So that he could get his health problems taken care of and then have a roof over his head for the next couple of years. The man with no job, no insurance and dwindling savings and increasing age decided to commit a crime and get arrested. This way the state/ nation/ government will take care of him for the next couple of years by which time he will be eligible for social security/ old age pension of the federal government.

This is bound to happen in the exploitative capitalistic society that the US has evolved into. Where hardworking employees get 3-6% annual raises while CEOs get at least 24% raises and millions in bonuses. The employees, driven by poverty and desperation when they get old and infirm will resort to this kind of practices in order to barely stay alive.

I wonder if American society will ever change....

Summer burns through Texas

This year we kinda lucked out with the arrival the severe summer heat that Texas is associated with. Summer arrived late but with a vengeance... after a few weeks of bearable heat, yesterday heat wave topped 100 deg F. In fact it was 103 yesterday and as I drove back home strong gusts of searing hot winds blew through the car. I felt as if I was driving through a forest fire of the magnitude of the one that is currently raging in Arizona.

Weather.com, the leading website that provides information about local weather in most of the first world nations always mentions temperature as actual temperature and what it feels like. I am pretty sure yesterday it would have said 102 degree and feels like 109 degree.

Texas sprawling landscapes offer numerous outdoor recreation activities but during the peak summer months and winter months these facilities are bereft of people. Simply because the weather is too hostile for anyone to get out of the comforts of their air-conditioned homes.

I have been planning to go swimming since the past one month but the heat has confined me indoors. Hopefully I will break loose and go one of these days...

Arrows Font

I had been creating text fonts thus far and now I decided to try out a font that had no text but icons, images or clip art. Here is the result, a font full of arrows of different sizes, shapes and genres. It is free to download and use.

Free Wallpapers

I don't claim to be an artist of any kind... I just scribble with a pencil or pen like a child who has nothing to do. Similarly when I get access to a computer design software that is what I try to do and often the results turn out like the one below... I use the final output file as a wallpaper for a few days and then discard it in the trash bin of the computer.

Salary Raises in 2011 - Is History Starting to Repeat?

The other day as I drove home listening to public radio one particular story made my ears perk up. The radio newsreporter was talking about the average salary raises that an American employee and CEO received and the disparity thereof. I somehow couldn't find that article again to cite here but I managed to find a whole lot of other news sources that present more or less the same statistics for this year.

According to CBS News: "The CEOs of most S&P 500 companies raked in an average compensation of $11.4 million in 2010, amounting to a 23 percent pay raise over 2009, according to a new study from labor union coalition the AFL-CIO." That means despite the flagging economy that has resulted in a record unemployment rate of 10 percent CEOs continue to enjoy their benefits and have not compromised on their pay raises and bonuses.

The other end of spectrum, struggling employees of these corporations. Those who have unprotestingly taken the brunt of the economy and have been working hard at their jobs, taken on additional responsibilities, and put in extra hours just to keep their jobs, received pathetic raises, if at all. Another news article on the same subject published in the USA Today mentions that an average American employee received a salary raise of just 2.1%. The article goes on to mention that corporations did not really make large profits to award high raises and bonuses to CEOs, rather they just laid off large number of employees so that they can pay their CEOs.

I believe this is nothing but exploitation of the American worker. Awarding pathetically low salary raises to few employees and laying off many more, while the executives make tons of money is simply exploitation. I wonder how long this kind of corporate exploitation can continue in the US. Of course unions, workers movements, and mass mobilization is not allowed or shunned by the Americans because they represent communist ideology. If that is true then this kind of exploitation of the workers represents what America stood for before the Civil War - "Slavery, Exploitation and Murder of the poor by the rich and powerful"

Computer Games

I have been a gamer from the day of 286 computers. I am pretty sure many of those online haven't even heard about those obsolete machines that had only monochrome monitors and the only sound one heard was that of the fan whirring inside the CPU. Computers and technology has come a long way since then. Now everything is online on the internet and so is this cool game creation platform. I used the platform to create a game with three levels. Check it out and let me know what you think.

Goa bans on foreigner's entry into temples!!!

I read this news report in the online edition of the Times of India and my first reaction was to check out what the readers have to say. Most of the readers are either Indian citizens or people of Indian origin living elsewhere in the world, interested to know what is going on in their home country.

Anyway having lived in the US for the past nearly four years I have seen several different kinds of religiosity. Time and again I have made cross-cultural comparisons and wondered how it would be. Say at any Christian event, men dress up in suits, women in fine dresses. This applies even to the weekly routine Sunday church service. The scene anywhere else is totally different, people dress up in all kinds of clothes, keeping in mind the latest trends.

Now when these people travel to India how is it that they think it is ok to go to a temple wearing bikini's. Agreed that Indian temples are not air conditioned like American churches. Indian churches are not air conditioned either, would they go to one of their own religious spaces in such clothes?

So if Hindu temples decide to impose a dress code or ban entry of foreigners into their religious spaces there is nothing wrong. If the intent of visiting a temple is tourism, then they don't need to go there. If it is spiritual learning then devotees need to be dressed appropriately.

Lake Texoma

Earlier this week we visited Lake Texoma, I have already blogged about the Eisenhower State Park through which we got access to this 100,000 acre water body. We hiked about 2 miles in the park along the beautiful hiking trail that follows the banks of the lake. The waters are flanked by high sandstone cliffs and unfortunately in some places the rock surfaces are inundated by names of people who want to leave their mark on unprotesting nature. The state park brochures, maps and signs implore visitors to leave nothing but their footprints. Some visitors think it important to carve out their names on the rock faces thus defacing the natural beauty of the place. I can understand uneducated folk in third world nations indulging in such nefarious activities but here in America... it is a shame that people are still not aware of how to protect their environment. I was too disgusted to capture any pictures of the rock defacement.

Here are pictures of the wonderful Lake Texoma.

Eisenhower State Park & Lake Texoma

I was off work for couple days after the long weekend during which America remembered its war heroes with respect and adoration. Now that I have the Texas State Park Pass I wanted to explore all the state parks within easy access. So we decided to drive an hour north to Denison, TX which is home to two major attractions: Eisenhower State Park located on the banks of Lake Texoma and the Eisenhower birthplace museum. The former is located outside the city and is a quiet, wooded and hilly locale.

View of Lake Texoma

Lake Texoma is actually a dam built across the Red River bang on the border of Texas and Oklahoma. The lake spans across a vast area of nearly 100,000 acres and has an additional few thousand acres of wooded parkland around. The wilderness around the lake teems with wildlife, deer, possum, armadillo, and other creatures live in harmony with visitors to the park. The park has a 3.5 mile hiking trail which weaves and winds through the wilderness. The path is not flat like in other state parks I have been to, it is actually undulating and hilly and has adequate tree cover to protect us from the harsh summer heat.

Hiking Trail in the Eisenhower State Park

The only disappointment here was the really small swimming beach in such a large lake and park. Then the amount of trash that was left over after the long weekend visitors had left. I wish there were a more efficient trash management system in place.

Swimming Beach in Eisenhower State Park on Lake Texoma

Hindu Pushup

Since I came to America my awareness has increased about how the name Hindu and India have been interchanged. Everything good has been attributed to India while everything negative has been associated with Hindu. Ironically practices such as Ayurvedic medicine, Yoga, Mantra chanting have been referred as "Ancient Indian practices" while caste system, curry, etc have been associated with Hinduism.

Recently I came across couple of videos on youtube in which correct references have been used. It seems like lot of foreigners, particularly the westerners have begun to learn at a very slow pace what is right and what is wrong. This video showcases the Hindu Pushup, a very common exercise which involves three yoga asanas or yogic poses of the Surya Namaskar and very effective in strengthening muscles, weight loss and giving the right shape to the body.

I have embedded the video for your reference.

Affordable eyeglasses from Zenni!

Since the time I immigrated to the United States I have come to understand that there are few things in the American way of life that make it financially hard. Home ownership, healthcare and finding adequate employment when you hit middle age.

In this post I am going to talk about healthcare with particular relevance to eye care. Health care services of any kind is expensive in this country. If one doesn't have good insurance coverage, it is nearly impossible to have any access to healthcare. The prohibitive costs make it better to be ill than in debt.

After couple of hundred years of unbridled capitalism in all sectors people are getting wary of these practices and there are entrepreneurs and enterprises which offer solutions.

One such company I know of is Zenni Optical. This is perhaps the only company that offers prescription eyeglasses for as little as $6.95. In this economy and era of rising prices how is it that this company has managed to continue to offer cost effective solutions to people? It has been possible because Zenni doesn't believe in the traditional business model. Their business is based on the internet and hence there is no middle men involved. They spend next to nothing for their advertising and thus there is no overhead.

All this translates to immense benefits to the consumer. That is why people who value time and money get their glasses done by Zenni.

Ray Roberts Lake - Quiet Aqua Forte

Yesterday I visited the oceanic Ray Roberts Lake. Located in North Texas, not too far from where I live is this expansive water body that offers great recreational facilities for those who want to get away from the city and its pollution. It's 30,000 acre water span has enough space, depth and water for everyone to enjoy boating, fishing, swimming, or just watching the vast expanse of water. For those who want to be grounded and wish to wander around trees and rolling hills the area surrounding the lake has been marked off as a state park and is full of tall trees criss-crossed by numerous hiking, biking and walking trails.

Our visit was not a well planned one so we just spent time watching and wading in the water and taking some pictures of the area. Next time around we may be able to take a dip, go kayaking or ride a bicycle around the forests.

Doomsday failure...

May 21st came and went and we are still alive, the world as we know it continues to exist and thrive. The man behind all the frenzy Harold Camping made a pretty sum in the form of donations and continues to state that rapture will happen.

Harold Camping: Doomsday Preacher Explains Failed Rapture Prediction - ABC News

A clear case of history repeating itself. This Christian Pastor had claimed rapture in the late 1990s and when it didn't happen he said the very same thing that it was a "mathematical error" on his part.

The world will come to an end when some lunatic gets hold of the nuclear weapon stockpile. Otherwise we are safe. There is no danger from God to this world, if there is any danger it is from human beings.

Extreme Reactions to Bible Predictions of Doomsday 2011

Some Christians think that the beginning of the end of the world is going to start on May 21, 2011. Yes! if these christian organizations were to be believed there will be a large earthquake two days from now and that will mark the beginning of the end of world.

When faith gets into someone they can go to bizarre levels to propagate it. I read about this man in New York who spent his life savings of $140,000 to advertise this prediction in various parts of the city. He has also written a book titled The Doomsday Code about this destruction of the world.

This is definitely hilarious, the extent to which people take their faiths seriously. Here is a 60 yr old man who spends all his savings advertising this prophesy that doesn't have any scientific basis. I wonder what he is going to do few years down the line when he has to retire. Granted that he will be eligible for health benefits under Medicare and Medicaid that has been paid for by taxpaying citizens like himself.

Life in this country is not easy when one is old and poor. This precisely what this guy will be a few years down the line, if the world doesn't end day after tomorrow :)

Predict your life span with a blood test!

Every life form on this planet will fight to the end with any greater force for existence... i.e. to preserve its life, to thrive, to live longer. Human beings are the smartest of all life forms and have devised ways and means to combat common diseases and live longer.

I remember one Hindi saying on this subject: "Jaan Hai to Jahan Hai" meaning if life is there then the whole world is there. I heard this quote in the film the Mummy: "Live today to fight tomorrow". Life is celebrated and death is feared in almost all cultures across the world.

In this quest there are hoary sciences such as astrology, palmistry, tarot, etc, whose practitioners claim to accurately predict the future. Unfortunately most of them fall short sometime or the other. To this list of paranormal/ occult/ predictive sciences we can add biology/ medicine. A new test devised by scientists in Europe is said to effectively predict how many years one is going to live.

I read about the test online on Washington Post. According to the article the Telomere test, a simple blood test like the can predict the lifespan quite effectively.

Now wouldn't that put a spanner in the works of astrologers who have hitherto held sway over people who have been trying to unravel the mysteries of their future. It would also create a great catastrophe like the author points out if Insurance companies were to come to know about your test results, or even if your employer were to know your test results.

I think this is a great test and should be made accessible to everyone, making the results public could be left to the discretion of the individual.

A Working Summer

For students in the US summer break is not a time to enjoy holidays. Rather everyone does something productive such as taking up a job, volunteering, enrolling for summer classes, traveling to another country, etc. This trend is catching up in upcoming economies such as India but it is not enough to sustain the large population of youth in that country.

Coming back to what I am doing. This is one period of the year when I get unbroken time to work and pick up overtime hours. Overtime pays (1½ times) and when there is opportunity to earn overtime it is the best thing to do. Moreover with summer heat melting the muscle and vaporizing blood it is better to remain indoors in the comfort of the air-conditioning.

I hope I can blog occasionally....

Summer is here :)

It is that time of the year again... 100 degree days and sunshine upto 9.00 pm. It is a good time to go out and enjoy but at the same time the heat is so prohibitive it keeps us indoors most of the day. Anyway this is my finals week and then I will be working lots of hours during the next month... for now it is sitting in front of the computer and studying and during my break I create graphics like the one below.

New Downloadable Font

Needless to say I have worked on creating new fonts some are in progress and some have been complete. Click on the font if you like it and down load it on your computer and use it. If you think it is a really cool font log on to Fontstruct and leave a high-five...

Sewing Machine Parts and Accessories

A major feature of the American lifestyle that is often not understood enough by immigrants is the necessity to be able to do everything. From cleaning the house, to washing the cars and from changing fused bulbs at home to using the sewing machine to alter, fix, embroider clothes. Talking about sewing machines, most people in India don't own one. I am talking about India because I am from there. Most people who own these implements are professional tailors. Those individuals who own one use it to stitch all kinds of clothes, curtains, etc at home.

In the US, for everything that is available in the market, there are an array of accessories to make it look, feel, or work better. Similarly with the sewing machine there are numerous accessories and several industries actually owe their existence to this secondary market. Another secondary market is for sewing machine parts which are a big draw among owners and prospective owners.

I know people who have invested several hundred dollars on sewing machine parts and accessories simply because they enjoy creating new fabric with the machines. There are numerous parts that are consumed by sewing enthusiasts on a regular basis. These parts include bobbin cases foot pedals, footwork kits, sewing machine foot, etc.

During the recent years the convenience of the internet has enabled all sewing enthusiasts to buy lots and lots of parts online. The online businesses are also thriving because they can sell cheaper to the consumer because middlemen are eliminated. The consumer is happy that he/ she can see pictures of the part before ordering and also that there is a money back guarantee on most online purchases. Then there are auction sites where people go scouring for bargains.

Once again I would like to reiterate that the internet may after all be the best source of news, views, and opinions.

Another Brand New Font

I am totally enamored by the website fontstruct which enables me to create new fonts as per my creative abilities. I spend lots of time trying out new styles and designs. Sometimes I succeed in creating a complete font, other times I just have to abandon the project and start a new one. Here is one of the fonts I recently completed. Feel free to download and use it and let me know whether you found it utilitarian or is it not worth using.

Smile & Be happy....

If you’re not using your smile, you’re like a person with a million dollars in the bank and no checkbook.

Adding Glamour to your ride!

It has been couple of days since I posted any blogs. I was busy looking at some spanking new products that would enhance my ride. I had been thinking of going to the car dealership to upgrade some features of my car, but the exorbitant prices they charge discouraged me. Recently I found an online store where one can buy OEM Car Parts for the right price and get it installed at a local garage or if one is handy it can be self accomplished.

Well, naturally I was thrilled by the fact that Auto Parts were so affordable here while at the dealership they cost so much more. For example I wanted to replace the A/c compressor in my Saturn L series vehicle. The dealership had quoted $1,500 including labor for the job. When I questioned the rationale they had said there was a parts cost of $1200 and $300 was for labor. Here on OEM Auto Parts the cost of a brand new OEM compressor is only $495. This is indeed a significant savings.

I now understand how car dealerships make so much money, they simply overprice everything, just because they are bigger corporations. I believe that we can accomplish the same upgrades to our cars at a much lower price if we buy parts here and install it ourselves or get it done at a local mechanic.

Walking/ Hiking Trail

The woods beckon me to walk and explore, and enjoy the bounty of nature. I turn around to see the world around me and realize that there are miles to drive before I can stop the car and get into the trail. For now it is going to be walking along the Wilson Creek Park trail in McKinney, Texas.

Highways in Texas

This is the picture of the Central Expressway in Texas, US. I took this picture while walking under the bridge in one of the rarely seen foot paths. I guess this trail exists because it is part of a walking/ bicycling trail system in McKinney Texas, my new home city. It is interesting to notice the amount of space that is left open in this country. If there was this much space in India I am pretty sure there would be either a few families living here or couple of small stores operating a thriving business selling pan, cigarettes and odds and ends.

Happy Ugadi - Happy New Year!

Wish you all a Happy New Year!.

This new year festival is relevant to me, as I am a Hindu. Moreover this festival has been celebrated as New Year day since the past several thousand years. This day is indeed auspicious and relevant. Back in India we would receive neem flowers and jaggery (brown sugar) from our parents and family symbolizing that the forth coming year will bring both bitter and sweet things for our life and we will accept both equally.

Being in America all these days, festivals and traditions have almost become forgotten and irrelevant. I wonder if all Hindus in America feel the same way????

India Wins the Cricket World Cup 2011

After several years of anticipation, and heart breaks the Indian cricket team has finally put in a great performance and won the ultimate trophy.

I am not a cricket aficionado, but most people from and in India are cricket fans... no cricket lovers... no cricket devotees. These people would skip work, school, or other important events in life to watch a game on the idiot box (TV). The fact that our team was perpetually disappointing its fans, particularly the Indian people who give them so much love, adoration and respect is what I never liked.

Finally the day has arrived when Indian team has made the Indian people happy... jubilant... overjoyed. I hope their winning spree continues for another series.

Wilson Creek Trail & Park, McKinney

A sole tree stands as silent witness to the changing weather in McKinney, Texas. Children play, adolescents come here to court their romantic partners, adults and seniors throng to get some exercise. The needs of different sections of the population are different but the park and its components including this tree fulfill all the diverse needs successfully. Some lessons we as a society need to learn, to live cooperatively, rather than competitively. Lot more can be achieved this way than the present way.

TV Stand Enhances Home Aesthetics...

A TV without a stand is like a building without foundation. The necessity of a stand for your TV is as important as a building needing a foundation. I have seen in several of my friends homes the TVs are inconveniently placed on a table or precariously perched on a bench or stool or something like that.

The most common argument that I have heard against tv stands is that they are too bulky and occupy too much space. Well I don't buy that, not all TV stands are bulky, there are those that are sleek and consume very little space. For example corner tv stands take so little space and conveniently fit into any corner of your living, dining, entertainment room. There will be no space lost after installing the TV stand in the corner because the corner was anyway not used.

TV stands apart from being a utilitarian products that help showcase your TV and store CD, DVD and VHS conveniently and also enhance the beauty of your home. After much persuasion my friend bought one of the black tv stands online and boy now his living room seems to have a charm of its own. The stand shows off his TV in much better light and it is looking simply awesome. The same home, same TV and same furniture, it all looks a lot more elegant now thanks to the black TV stand.

TV stands are available in pretty much every conceivable material and style that one would want. Aluminum, wood, glass, steel, hard plastic, etc. All you need to do is to check out what suits your taste, style and budget and order it.

No respect for animals!

I have lived in the US during the past 4 years and one thing I have noticed is that being a vegetarian is quite a challenge in this country. When I was in India it was common saying "there is no value for human life in India", here it is the opposite, "there is absolute disregard for anything that is not human." This became evident during a conversation I had with someone I met. We were talking about the depleting Tiger population and he commented that the Sunderbans in India would be a good place to hunt. I replied saying that the tigers are a highly protected species in India and that there are only about 1,500 left in the wild. Pat came the reply: "There is only one me!". What I infer from this statement is that an individual is more important than everything else in this country.

Another pet peeve I have about this country is the way they price food products. A lb (454 gm) of tomatoes is around $1.99-3.99 while the cost of a lb of beef is about $1.41-2.51. Isn't that amazing? A living animal is valued far less than a plant, it would probably take many lbs of tomato plants to feed one meal to a cow. While a gallon of water is more than enough to feed several tomato plants. Hence whichever restaurant one visits, it is very difficult to get a decent vegetarian meal.

Bedroom Set - Important Facet of Your Home

After moving to the United States I am getting exposed to stylish living. Here everyone wants to have everything and as such the economy is doing so well. I have decided to join the rat race and among my first acquisitions will be bedroom sets for all the rooms at home. These sets make the room look spacious, elegant and luxurious and most importantly they make life easy.

Summer is almost here...

If there is something I particularly don't like about Texas, it is the 100 degree summer days. The days are getting warmer and more sunny showing a clear sign of oncoming summer. It's going to be 90 on Saturday and I am definitely not pleased. I'd rather have an ice day with sub zero temperature than a 100 degree sultry afternoon. There is precious little anyone can do about these super hot days but complain, fret and live on. That is precisely what I am going to do also. Just go on with life... the only difference being I'd be going around in thinner clothes and will be visiting the park more often to bicycle, walk and run hopefully.

Whining and Complaining is pretty bad!

I heard a famous radio anchor say this on air and was pretty struck by this message. I had thought about it before but coming from this personality it sank into my psyche deep and firm. The quote below is a modified version of what I heard, this is more suited to my situation in life.

I will not complain about things going wrong in my life because 80% of the people don't care, 5% really care but can't do anything about it and the remaining 10% are actually happy that I am having these problems

.

Holi The Festival of Colors

Holi the Hindu festival of colors is just round the corner. This year it is going to be celebrated on March 20, 2011. One of the unique features of this festival is the concept of smearing our family and friends with colors. Earlier the coloring was a predominantly North Indian concept but now it is a national festival celebrated the same way. This festival depicts the dawn of spring when new leaves spring up in plants, and there is a riot of color in the outdoors.

There are numerous legend associations to Holi but personally for me it signifies the vibrancy of Hindu heritage and culture that is unique and quite superior. A religious tradition that accepts diverse schools of thoughts and has an answer to pretty much every spiritual and philosophical question.

McKinney Town Lake

I revisited McKinney Town Lake again today and took a walk along the meandering trail that follows the lake shores. The numerous birds in the lake are highly used to people and await for feeders to come and give them goodies. Some of the birds are so used to people capturing pictures of them they even pose like the one in the picture here. Overall it is a great place to visit and wander around both for recreation and exercise.

Meditation Center amidst woods in McKinney

Experiencing Nature in McKinney, Texas

I had not had the opportunity to explore the community, and its attractions since moving to McKinney couple of months ago. Today after a stressful day at school I decided to take a break and go out in the evening to spend some time outdoors. I went to the Town Lake recreation area located right beside the Central Expressway. There is a short nature trail through a wooded patch that stretches along the gurgling Wilson Creek and a fairly wide paved bike, walk trail that meanders around the lake.

I went to walk the Nature Trail first through the trees treading on the soft soil. The only differences this trail has with trails in India that I miss so much is its flat terrain and the wooden decks/ bridges when we cross creeks. This trail passes through a wooded patch with tall trees. The trees must be at least several decades old because each one of them are at least 50 ft tall.

Nature has always had a soothing effect on me and when I am amidst nature I feel so humbled. We human beings have created so many things out of the raw material that nature provides to us. Plain water, mud, and sunlight is all it takes to enable plants to provide fantastically tasty food for our consumption. Today as I walked through the tall trees bathed in the soft evening sunlight I felt very minuscule. Whatever ego I had melted away and for the next few minutes that I was traversing the trail I felt as if all my worries and problems were nothing compared to what obstacles the trees, plants, birds and other beings had to endure just to live.

I came out of the nature trail rejuvenated and feeling fresh to take on the world today and tomorrow, when I go back to working from 7am to 7pm and driving an hour to work and back. Indeed nature has so many lessons to offer if only one were to pause and learn....

Smart, Business Savvy, But Unaware or Callous???

I continue to blog about the gross injustice the western world is inflicting on easterners... particularly people from India. First when people in the US or Europe say "Asian" or "Asia" they mean "China". This is a recent phenomenon since the west began to access cheap goods produced by slave labor in China.

What I am blogging today is about a greater and more historical injustice that continues to go unnoticed in the greater consciousness of the entire Western world and almost everyone in the Eastern world also. This is the identity mistake that has endured since the past 500 years and has not been corrected despite the arrival of the internet that has ushered in the information age and created knowledge explosion.

Yes I am talking about the identity label of "Indian" being hijacked by people of "Native American" tribes. Today I listened to a radio program titled "Smiling Indians" on NPR. Quite predictably this program spoke about the Native Americans or the original inhabitants of continental America, most of whom were massacred by the European settlers when they started colonizing this continent.

Well I understand that Christopher Columbus was totally mistaken when he landed here and discovered the new world for Europeans to exploit and conquer. But isn't it high time for the world to recognize that these people are not "Indians" but are whatever nations they profess to belong to.

I am amazed by the fact that these "Native Americans" are also not standing up to claim their true national/ tribal identity and are piggybacking on the "Indian" identity label. How much longer will they remain oblivious of their own roots and compromise their ethnic identity for the collective label often used in a derogatory sense: "Indian".

I am totally shocked that the fairly influential and large Indian diaspora living in the US since the past several decades have quietly accepted the title of "East Indians" and allowed their true identity to be pegged on to the Tribals of America. I wonder when these people: Indians and Native Americans will get educated and start labeling themselves correctly.

I hope this happens in my lifetime.... or is it too much to hope for???

Homelessness, a problem in America also...

I listened to this story on NPR this morning while driving to school. According to the reporter there are over 650,000 homeless people in the US. That is almost 0.2% of the total population. My first reaction was that of shock and surprise. How can there be homeless people in the world’s richest nation? What is going on with this country which controls the world's economy; dictates who has the right to have weapons and who doesn't; provides billions of $s of aid to poor nations across the world; hands out arms and weapons to militias in third world nations to create the likes of Taliban and Al-Qaeda?

Housing these people wouldn't take even a fraction of the money that is being spent on these programs. It is apparent that most of these homeless people are those who refuse to conform to the rules of the capitalist economy and materialistic society of America. I don't know whether these people are out there on the street abusing drugs, and other illicit substances out of their own will or have been forced out of their homes by unscrupulous mortgage and loan brokers.

Anyway bottom line, if America doesn't pull its act together and get these people off the streets there will be a big problem pretty soon in the future.

Hindu Pride.... Abysmally low....

Throughout my short life I have come across people of many religions. What makes everyone different from people of Hindu faith is the pride of followers or lack thereof. I have come across very few Hindus who are proud of their religious identity... more so if they are from India or those born in the United States. This is ironical because everything that has come from Hinduism is trendy, cool and sought after in the United States. Even in the so-called Bible belt of US Yoga is popular, meditation is trendy, Kirtan, chanting of Sanskrit mantras are popular.

When it comes to identifying oneself as a Hindu, there is a huge gap. People from India would rather identify themselves by their regional, linguistic, national, or caste identity rather than their larger religious identity. This is perhaps why even Europeans who have gotten attracted to Hinduism's philosophy are hesitant to say they are Hindus but say they like "Eastern Philosophies" better than "Western ideologies".

I wonder when Hindus will start taking pride in their religious identity?

A thin font created by me...

Font creation is a great way to play with your design sense. It is not about one letter but about the entire alphabet and related punctuation marks. It is not good enough to have a great sense of design to create a font, but one needs to have forethought, and a sense of organization to be able to conceive the entire alphabet and create the font.
I will continue to work on more fonts and share them right here on my blog.

Font Creations....

I tried a hand at font construction again and here is another examples of what I conceived to be complete fonts with 98 characters including numbers, punctuations and special ascii characters. If you wish to download the font and use it on your computer go ahead and enjoy... just make sure you give me your feedback...

One Week Later.....

In the US people always say one thing: "Life Happens". This is to explain sudden and unexpected happenings which change the course of people's lives. Well nothing of that sort has happened in the past week in my life. But then I use this term to explain why I have not been doing things that I routinely do... like blogging.

School and work have been taking up so much of my time that I haven't spent any time on the internet for a while. Now today I have this opportunity window and hence here I am. Will be back in a bit to post more..