Inspirations for the MS-150 Bike ride

Since I registered for the Sam's club MS-150 bike ride I have been training on bicycling trails in the area and also looking up information, videos, pictures and articles about MS and the past rides. I found this video presentation of 2007 MS-150 bike ride and thought I'd share it with all of you.

Finding the right Dentist!

Finding the right dentist for your family can be a challenging task. Dentists are not only as important as any other medical professional you would consult with, but they are the ones who can make or mar your smile and facial appearance. Hence it is important that you find the right dentist for your entire family. I recently came across this Plano Dentist who offers services in all aspects of dentistry including cosmetic, general and family dentistry.

This dental office prides itself in making you feel comfortable and relaxed right from the moment you enter their office. Whatever your need maybe, just a routine cleaning or consultation for your child or even enhancing your smile to make it bright and glorious, the dentists here will offer you the right solutions.

And don't worry about the costs, these Plano Dentists don't expect you to pay an arm and a leg for their services. They accept all PPO insurance and will work with your checks, credit cards or cash payments. So if you want your teeth and smile to be in good hands get in touch with the best.

Training on Plano Trails

The past couple of days I have been training in the city of Plano, Tx. This city unlike Carrollton (where I live) has better maintained and longer bicycling trails. There are three trails which I frequent The Blue Bonnet Trail, Preston Ridge Trail and Chisolm Trail. Since I wanted to seriously train I didn't carry my camera, so you all will have to be content with word pictures.
Moreover today was perhaps a bad day for cycling because the wind was heavy and one direction of my cycling was a tough cookie... the harder I cycled the more resistant the wind became... so I guess I would have expended twice the amount of energy to do the same distance.

The Blue Bonnet Trail is a 5-mile long trail which passes through various residential neighborhoods and parks. This East-West trail is lined by large expanses of blue bonnet plants. It is a treat to the eye to watch these blue blossoms swaying in the wind as we whiz past on the trail. I kinda don't like this trail very much because this has too many street crossings and there is very little tree cover... actually no tree cover at all.

Then there is the Preston Ridge Trail... this is also a long trail which runs in the North-South direction and like the Blue Bonnet trail much of it is through residential communities and hence quite boring too. The one better feature of this trail is that this is wee bit hilly and one can experience climbs and down hills. The last mile of the trail, close the highway 121, is through a protected forest and has quite a bit of tree cover and a large artificial lake.

The last trail Chisolm Trail is my favorite, for two reasons, this a lots of tree cover, runs along a winding creek and has very few street crossings. Whenever a road has to be crossed the trail passes under the road via a cool bridge. There are beautiful lake views, forest areas, conservation buffer zones etc, along the trial. And of course I caught glimpses of urban wildlife... geese, ducks, cranes, egrets, and of course the ubiquitous cormorants and crows. Chisolm trail also passes along a large lake in an area known as Big Lake Park and a war memorial, known as Memorial Park. These attractions give a unique character to this trail and thus my favourite.

I enjoyed cycling 30 miles (50 km) today, took me 2 hrs 45 mins and hopefully I will do more tomorrow and the days to come.

Needless to say I am still looking for donations for my cause - Eradication of Multiple Sclerosis. Do visit my page and contribute generously to this needy cause.

Contemporary Furniture

I have always been of the firm opinion that a home should have minimum furniture and maximum space. But then this principle doesn't mean that we sacrifice any of our necessities. For example I need a utilitarian desk to work at home. But most desks available in furniture stores are so big and hog so much space I'd find it difficult to fit it in my corner niche.
Recently I visited this cool online rustic furniture store where I found just the right desk for my corner. The Walnut 3 Drawer Corner Desk is simply utilitarian, consumes little space and is shaped different making it a unique piece of furniture. The desk gives a natural earthy feel to my study and being hand-crafted it gives a human touch. Now that I have found this online store, I am sure I will be visiting this regularly to check out their offerings.

Vistas of Campion Trail, Irving

I had blogged earlier about my bicycling experience on the 5-mile Campion trail in Irving as part of my training for the MS-150 bike ride. Well one thing I must say about this trail is its natural and man-made beauty. While some of the river views along the trail are stunning.. the sight of the mega highways of Texas is no less awesome. If trees, river and birds soothe your soul, the road sight and traffic noises make you starkly aware of human intervention here.

Here are some more pictures shot along the trail.

Training on Irving's Bicycling Trails

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


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

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

Training... Training and more training

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

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

Join me to eradicate Multiple Sclerosis

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

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

The easiest way perhaps is to support my ride.

Bike MS 150

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

Ride for MS Getting Closer

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

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

Texas Sculpture Garden - IV

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

Texas Sculpture Garden - III

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

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

Some artistic expressions are strange

Another Sculpture - I don't know the meaning

Like a Metal Tree

Bright and Intriguing

A metal wreath???

Another Bright one

An entrance arch possibly...

Online Motorcycle Commuinty

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

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

Texas Sculpture Garden - II

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

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

Enjoy the pictures now!!!

Water Monster installation

Water Monster installation - Another picture

A landscaped "Waterfall"

"Waterfall" - Another view

Sculpture installation by the water

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

I Ride to eradicate Multiple Sclerosis

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

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

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

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

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

Walking through a Maze of Artworks

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


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

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

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

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

Movie Review: The Last Confederate

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

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

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

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

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

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

Lake Lavon, Wylie, Texas

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

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

Sluice gates of the dam

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

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

Another View of the Dam Gates

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

Pornography Detection Technology

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

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

Visiting a Wild Cat Rescue Facility

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

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

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