Houston Zoo - Fantastic Collection of Exotic Animals

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

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

My Take on the Cauvery Dispute

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Writer's Workshop with Michael Patrick MacDonald

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

Inspiring Website

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

Movie Review: In America

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

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

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

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

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

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

Military Gear Site Has Fantastic Options!

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

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

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

Project Car

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

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

Gaming Redefined with Charter HD and Fast Internet

This post goes for avid gamers, who are interested in maximizing their gaming experience and also get a chance to win a brand new XBox 360. How does this work? I bet all you gaming friends of mine are waiting to know how to win this gamer fantasy pack as a prize. The Charter Communications Xbox Sweepstakes Prize Pack includes an XBox 360® Pro Console, XBox LIVE Headset, Wireless Controller, Component HD AV Cable and 20Gb Detachable Hard Drive.

Wow, that is some offer! I am sure lot of us would love to get their hands on the prize pack. Anyway it is pretty simple you will be entered into the sweepstakes if you buy Charter services online or simply register on the site. There are 45 Xbox 360 ® Consoles being given away. The only catch however is that winners must live in an area that offers Charter services.

Ok... ok... what are these charter services? And what will they have to offer for me? Well simply speaking with charter services you can maximize your gaming experience thanks to the Charter HD and blazing fast high-speed Internet. The internet speeds are reliable and perhaps the fastest. And of course the picture is sharper than any Standard TV.

And the best part is that you don't have to buy to experience this superior gaming. You can avail a 30-day risk-free trail and you will still be entered into the sweepstakes to win the one of 45 Xbox 360® consoles. Now that is what I would call a great offer. Don't wait for ever register for the sweepstakes and be a winner all the way.

Heritage Monuments biting dust in India

Though I live far away from India, I can't give up keeping in touch with what's happening in my mother country. And most of the time I get extremely frustrated and agitated when I read the news. Either it is terrorist attacks or it is stupid politicians or some such thing. But this newreport about illegal demolition of a 13th century monument in the national capital both surprised and anguished me.

According to the newsreport the monument, Lal Mahal or Kushaki Lal, located in Nizamuddin was built in 1245 AD during the reign of Sultan Nasiruddin Mahmud Shah, a slave dynasty ruler. The fact that the monument was declared a heritage structure by the government and civic agencies, didn't deter the anti-national and selfish builders, who ruthlessly demolished significant parts of the structure to make way for a commercial complex.

In my opinion there is no greater disgrace for a country than the destruction of its heritage monuments. The government is run by politicians who are concerned about filling up their Swiss Bank accounts with $$$s. I am sure Lord Macaulay is laughing his stomach down in his grave because his mission to shred the cultural and ethical fabric of Indian society has succeeded beyond expectation.

I wonder why even Muslims are keeping quiet. Couple of years ago, when someone in Denmark published a cartoon ridiculing their prophet, they took up arms and started burning down everything they see, across the country. Now when a monument built by one of their rulers is being destroyed, they are keeping quiet. Or perhaps they have been bought off??? or are they too busy praying five times a day and throwing stones at Hindu religious processions in other parts of India to bother about this? Whatever it is this demilition is a great national loss which can't be redeemed easily.

I sure hope that the people responsible for this dastardly act will be punished severely. I know that this is only a hope and has very little chance of coming true... but like it is said optimism is the best policy in times of crisis.

Bhakti Darpan - An evening of eternal melodies

The Sanatana Dharma Foundation, Dallas, Tx has put together this wonderful evening of soft devotional music to move your soul towards spirituality and God. The program scheduled for November 16, 2008 features Sharad Gupta, a singer whose talent lies in rendering soul soothing melodies, specially Bhajans or songs which express devotion and praise the Lord. Here I would like to say something about Sharad Gupta, I met him couple of weeks ago while he was on the verge of performing at the DFW Diwali Mela 2008. Sharad is one of those super-talented, extremely humble and down-to-earth individuals.

Though he hails from a family of jewellers he has chosen to tread the path of art and music. He could have taken the easy way out... singing for a hobby and family business as a profession. But he chose to tread a new path and journey into the world of music... and what kind of music? Not pop, not rap and definitely not bollywood item numbers... But he chose Bhajans and Ghazals... an area which most youngsters would not enter into, primarily to avoid being ridiculed by peers. And choosing Bhajans has he succeeded? Of course he has... his live performances speak for themselves. Since 2000 he has rendered over 500 live performances including 25 in various international venues such as UK, Singapore, Malaysia, US, etc.

It is our good fortune that Sharad Gupta has consented to do a special Bhajan programme at Irving Arts Center on November 16, 2008. All those of you reading this blog, do attend the program, feel blessed and support our Hindu-empowering organization. Get your tickets online at SDF Global

Gear up for Black Friday Shopping

Thanksgiving weekend is approaching fast, it is hardly a month from now and then the entire country will be on a shopping spree. I know many people who wait for this day to buy their favourite stuff be it electronic goods or clothes or whatever else it maybe. Every store offers fantastic deals and this results in long queues well before the store opens. As a result people start queueing up as early as 4 am to be the first to get the best deals.

Well here is good news for all the blackfriday shoppers, you can shop online! Yes!!! it is true, you can save thousands of dollars simply sitting at home, you don't have to brave the cold or get up early to get the best shopping deals. And this website has deals from a host of stores. You don't have to visit multiple stores to get the best deals, you just need to stay at home and browse the internet.

This Thanksgiving I want to avail few of the Sears deals on Shoes, fine jewelry, fragrance gifts, etc. But I also want to buy a laptop, so instead of missing out on any of the items I will just buy everything on I Black Friday which is a one stop shop for all deals.

And that is not all, the website is so customer oriented that you can even subscribe to their e-mail alerts and receive when new black friday advertisements have been posted. Isn't that great... you can get to know the best deals, buy your coveted products all from the comforts of your home.

I have kind of finalised my shopping for this Thanksgiving, How about you?

DFW Diwali Mela

The DFW Diwali Mela was held on October 18, 2008. I couldn't attend the mela because of my class commitments... but I found this video on the event and would like to share it with all of you. Enjoy!!!

ಕನ್ನಡ ರಾಜ್ಯೋತ್ಸವ ಆಚರಿಸಲು ತಯಾರಿ!!

ನಿನ್ನೆಯಿಂದ ನಾನು ರೇಡಿಯೋ ಸಲಾಂ ನಮಸ್ತೆ 104.9 FM ನಲ್ಲಿ ಕನ್ನಡ ಕಾರ್ಯಕ್ರಮ ಶುರು ಮಾಡಿದೆ. ನಾನು ನಿರಿಕ್ಷಿಸಿದ್ದಿಕಿಂಥ ಬಹಳ ಜಾಸ್ತಿ ಕೇಳುಗರಿಂದ ದೂರವಾಣಿ ಕರೆಗಳು ಬಂದವು. ಇಷ್ಟು ಒಳ್ಳೆ ಪ್ರತಿಕ್ರಿಯೆಯನ್ನು ನಾನು ನಿರಿಕ್ಷಿರಿಲ್ಲ. ಎಲ್ಲ ಕೇಳುಗರು ತುಂಬ ಸಂತೋಷ ವ್ಯಕ್ತ ಪಡಿಸಿ ರೇಡಿಯೋ ಸಲಾಂ ನಮಸ್ತೆ ಮತ್ತು ನನ್ನನು ಅಭಿನಂದಿಸಿದರು. ಒಬ್ಬ ಕೇಳುಗರು ರಾಜೀವ್ ಕುಲಕರ್ಣಿ ಕಾರ್ಯಕ್ರಮದ ನಂತರ ಮತ್ತೊಮ್ಮೆ ಕರೆ ಮಾಡಿ ಸುಮಾರು ಹೊತ್ತು ಮಾತನಾಡಿದರು. ಮೊದಲನೆ ಕಾರ್ಯಕ್ರಮದಲ್ಲಿ ಕರ್ನಾಟಕದ ನಾದ ಗೀತೆ "ಜಯ ಭಾರತ ಜನನಿಯ ತನುಜಾತೆ, ಜಯ ಹೇ ಕರ್ನಾಟಕ ಮಾತೆ......" ಗೀತೆ ಯಿಂದ ಪ್ರಾರಂಬಿಸಿ ನಟಸಾರ್ವಭೌಮ ದಿ. ಡಾ. ರಾಜ್ ಕುಮಾರ್ ಅವರ "ಹುಟ್ಟಿದರೆ ಕನ್ನದಲಿ ಹುತ್ತ ಬೇಕು.... " ಮತ್ತು ಮುಂಗಾರು ಮಳೆ ಚಿತ್ರದಿಂದ "ಮುಂಗಾರು ಮಳೆಯೇ... ಏನು ನಿನ್ನ ಹನಿಗಳ ಲೀಲೆ... " ಹಾಡನ್ನು ಪ್ರಸಾರ ಮಾಡುವಷ್ಟರಲ್ಲಿ ಸಮಯ ಮುಗಿಯುತ್ತ ಬಂತು.

ಮೊದಲ ನಾಲ್ಕು ವರ ಈ ಕಾರ್ಯಕ್ರಮಕ್ಕೆ ಕೇವಲ ೩೦ ನಿಮಿಷ ಮಾತ್ರ ನೆಮಿಸಿಧ್ಧರೆ, ಡಾಲ್ಲಸ್ ನಲ್ಲಿ ಇರುವ ಕನ್ನಡಿಗರ ಮತ್ತು ಇಲ್ಲಿನ ಉದ್ಯಮಿಗಳ ಪ್ರತಿಕ್ರಿಯೆ ಪರೀಕ್ಷಿಸಿ ಈ ಕಾರ್ಯಕ್ರಮವನ್ನು ೬೦ ನಿಮಿಷಕ್ಕೆ ಹೆಚ್ಚಿಸುವ ಉದ್ದೇಶ ಇದೆ.

ನಮ್ಮ ಕನ್ನಡ ಕಸ್ತೂರಿ ಕಾರ್ಯಕ್ರಮ ಕೇಳಬೇಕೆನಿಸಿದರೆ ಪ್ರತಿ ಶನಿವಾರ ಮಧ್ಯಾಹ್ನ ೧೨.೩೦ ಯಿಂದ ೧.೦೦ ವರಗೆ ರೇಡಿಯೋ ಸಲಾಂ ನಮಸ್ತೆ 104.9 FM ಕೇಳಿ.

Williams Waterwall, Houston

The Williams Waterwall is my most favorite place in Houston. Situated near the Galleria, Williams Waterwall is a cool, refreshing and soothing oasis that attracts visitors and locals in droves. Built in 1985, the amazing 64 ft tall man-made waterfall drops thousands of gallons of aqua fina every minute. In my opinion there is no better place in Houston than the Waterwall to cool off after a long day at work. Especially considering the chaotic traffic in Houston, this provides a pleasing respite.

This gorgeous piece of architecture located contiguous to the Williams Tower is in the shape of a semi-circle and has water cascading over it and down a series of steps towards the bottom. Standing in front of it and feeling the cool spray emanating from the fall is bound to be a grand experience. When I stood in the middle of the semi circle frothing water I never wanted to leave. And in the night when the lights come up.. it is a particularly spectacular sight. And of course the waterwall has a small park (large in Indian standards) attached to it and is a great place to spend a quality evening.

Enjoy the pictures

World's first Motorcycle Recreated

The world's first motorcycle was manufactured by Daimler and it was made in 1885.... a little over 125 years ago. Though Gottlieb Daimler, the pioneer in automobiles holds the patent to the motorcycle design, it was not him who created the very first motorycle. It was Sylvester Roper, who was employed in the Union Armoury during the U.S. Civil War who built a primitive "motorcycle" as early as 1867. This was a tiny two-cylinder machine powered by steam. On the other hand Daimler's motorcycle was gasoline-driven and had a one-cylinder gasoline powered Otto-cycle engine mounted on a wooden bicycle frame.

Now coming back to my post, Phil, a friend's friend in Australia is such a motorcycle lover and enthusiast that he decided to go ahead and build his own 1885 Daimler. Phil loves collecting motorcycles, specially those with 6 cylinders. One night, whilst staring at his latest Franklin Mint model 1885 Daimler Motorcycle, he had a sudden brainwave. He decided to reproduce a full size working model of it. From then on started the journey of hard work and loads of expenses. And now after 2 years & lots of $$$, the results are stunning as can be seen in the pictures, Phil plans to display this recreation at the Vic & NSW motorcycle shows. I am sure there are lots of motorcycle enthusiasts waiting to catch a glimpse of this machine.

Zenni Optical providing eyewear for less

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

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

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

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

Houston: Downtown Aquarium

I have had this long backlog of blogging about what I saw in Houston that it seems to be taking me forever to complete it. But I will catch up slowly. Well on October 3, 2008 we decided to checkout downtown Houston and since we had bought a city pass we wanted to visit the Downtown Aquarium, a place for children and lovers of aquatic life. For veggies like me the Aquarium offers a rare insight into the myriad varieties of aquatic life. And for foodies who love eating fish and other aquatic life, the restaurants in the same building offer tantalizing tastes. Choose your pick.

Old blends with New at downtown

Well before we got to the aquarium there were several interesting spots in Downtown Houston which I felt I must post and share with all of you. The streets are narrow and the buildings seem to reach up to sky, parking is scarce and the few lots where it is available one has to fork out $5 minimum. There is a certain amount of charm to downtowns in the US, they blend history and modernity seamlessly and one can tall glass skyscrapers rubbing shoulders with quaint brick buildings. I wish Indian cities had downtowns and residential areas separate and not the masala that is going on out there. Anyway that can be a separate post... now let us see what Downtown Houston had to offer us... in terms of sights.

One of the large buildings in Downtown Houston

Downtown Sights

Giant cement sculpture in front of an office building

Road signs are impressive looking too

A large church in downtown Houston

Waterbody in front of the city hall plaza

Mural inside the Houston city hall

Another view of the mural

Another view of the Mural

Entry to a walkway along the river

River Brazos which passes through Houston downtown... dirty as ever

Old and new buildings in downtown

Downtown Aquarium

Giant Ferris wheel in the downtown Aquarium complex

Facade of the downtown aquarium building

Main entrance to the Aquarium

Beautiful fountain in front of the Aquarium

Entry to the downtown Aquarium

There is a white tiger inside the Aquarium

Catfish.. visitors can touch and feel them

Will there be an increase in suicides?

The global economic crisis is getting excerbated with every passing day. Until yesterday we were reading about how corporations are suffering huge losses. Now thanks to the bloodbath in the stock market individual investors are being forced to take huge losses. And what does it mean to the common man... life time savings going down the drain. And if it is retirement earnings of a senior citizen that is gone, it usually results in suicide.

I thought of posting this blog after reading two related but diversely different newsreports in Times of India. While one talked about a husband contemplating divorcing his wife because she lost 30 lakh on the stock market, another talks about the suicide of a retired teacher in UP. Both these individuals had invested heavily in the stock market and the global economic crisis have put them in deep trouble.

News about farmers suicides due to crop failures, rising debt etc have become so common in India that people have become insensitive about them. I wonder whether the next trend would be "Investors Suicides" due to tumbling stock market indices. Let us hope the crisis is solved now that an Indian is heading the recovery plan in the US, he will exercise some Hindu instincts and make the world an economically safer place to live in.

Find True Love at True.com

Finding true love is one of the most challenging tasks for everyone, irrespective of where one lives. Making money and building a career is difficult but finding true love is more so. In a country like the US where life is so hectic and population is sparsse the difficulties of finding a suitable mate gets excerbated.

Now thanks to internet there are numerous dating sites which act as a platform for young and old people to meet and search for their soulmates. There are thousands of people around who are looking for their beloved on this website. I agree that finding a mate on the internet is not easy and sometimes can be quite expensive. But at True.com you don't have to pay until you find the one you would like to correspond with. The best part of True.com is that you can sign up for free and you could set up your profile too.

So what are you waiting for go ahead and start search for free among the thousands of profiles, the ONE you are meant to be with may be out there waiting for you. Signing up for a free account at True.com may be your first step towards a happy-ever after life.

NASA Rocket Park - Last stop of the tram tour

I have already blogged about my experience of visiting the Space Center Houston and going through the numerous high-security buildings in the NASA. Well the last stop during our tram tour of NASA was at the Rocket Park where numerous rockets which were built but never launched are kept on display for visitors. The most notable among the rockets was the Appollo VI which was built to go to Moon but never launched because the US congress closed down the mission.

Anyway the rocket definitely looks impressive, I can imagine how tall it would look if placed vertical. The rocket is placed on wheeled wagons as if it is ready to be assembled and taken for launch. The engines, fuel tanks, astronaut cabins etc are all complete and it definitely presented an impressive sight. Here are some pictures of the same. Enjoy!!!

Rocket on display

Engines of the Appollo, impressive indeed

This is one huge rocket!!!

This is one huge rocket!!!

Engines of this rocket - another view