Diwali is Approaching Fast....

Image via WikipediaThis year Diwali is going to be on October 26, 2011, a little over a week from today. What have you planned for the festival? What about gifts you are going to give to your loved ones. I have always believed in giving the perfect gift - something that the recipient has always wanted. It is quite tough to be able to read someone's mind and give them the gift that is desired.

The closest one can get is giving an instrument that will enable your loved one to get what they desire. After all we want the best for our loved ones. Since last year I have started giving my family and close friends and of course the most avid readers of my blog the Diwali Gift Cards from American Express. These gift cards are so convenient they come in different values and can be used any where online or offline. As part of the festival offer we are giving away five $50 gift cards to my blog readers.

All you need to do is leave a comment in response to this blogpost elaborating your plans for this Diwali and what special things you plan to do for your loved ones. That is all you need to do to get a $50 gift card.

You could even tell me what you would do with the extra $50 you get during this festival season. Will you spend it on clothes, gifts, eating out or just give it away to your family. I will be choosing five winners from those who have commented during the past few days and sending the gifts pretty soon. If you want to get into the drawing make sure you leave your comments today... no... right now...

A story of Human Grit

Today I met a gentleman in my apartment complex. He is an avid biker and has several interesting bikes of the vintage era including a 500 cc Matchless, BSA Golden Flash, couple of Triumph twins among others. I stopped by his garage to have a chat about his bikes because I saw him working on one of them. We were primarily talking about bikes and riding. "I feel far more safe on the highway 75 going at 75 mph, than on the city roads going at 30mph," he remarked. I was surprised and he explained that on the highway as long as you maintained the speed and rode in your lane at a safe distance from other cars it is no problems. In the city cars come really close to you and it is quite dangerous to ride. He still rides bikes that don't have disc brakes or electronic ignition. Slowly our conversation progressed from motorcycles to traffic to business, employment and he said that there was so much corruption in the corporate world that he wouldn't want to go back to his job. Then I asked him if he was retired, to which he explained that he is technically blind. Apparently some undiagnosed illness afflicted him few years ago which made him completely blind. Now after some aggressive treatments he can see fairly well. He further explained how he had built up complete motorcycles when he was so blind that he couldn't find his way back home from the paring lot (about 20 steps). "I adjusted valves and set the guides in this bike when I was completely blind. I just knew what I was doing and had a feel for how much smooth the valves had to be ground and adjusted". After having the chat, I have a new story of human grit and another reason that I need to start riding motorcycles again. I need to get a license and find a motorcycle too. Let us hope that this happens quickly.

Diwali - The Festival of Lights

Diwali has been one of my favorite festivals for a very long time. Though over the years the way I celebrate the event that signifies the victory of light over darkness, good over evil, god over demons, etc has changed. My fondness for the festival has remained the same.
 
Diwali was one of those occasions when the entire family got together in my maternal grandfather's home. It would be a riot of colors and a cacophony of noises as we 20 grandkids played, fought and frolicked for the few days we were together. Those were the carefree days of childhood when the only job was to have fun and be happy, eat and sleep well. What better way to enjoy than by wear new clothes, receive gifts of cash, toys, etc, burst crackers, and of course eat whole lot of goodies.
 
When I got together with my cousings during these festival holidays we would have eating competitions and our moms would never get tired cooking and feeding us. At those times due to my apparent ignorence I never valued the great family together time. As I grew older and got busy with my own life, studies, college, adventure sports, travelling and other activities took precedence and the first thing to be ignored was family and these festivities. As a young college student I would look forward to these festivals but for a different reason - holidays so I could travel with friends.
 

After coming to the US, Diwali has taken a whole new meaning. It is now more than ever in my life that I appreciate and miss the family time together, that I took so much for granted in my younger years. The gifts I received were not of great value but it was given with so much love that even the most expensive gifts felt cheap in comparison.

 

As we approach another Diwali this year I remember and cherish the family times and shared enjoyment that I miss today living in America. Last year American Express launched a new gift card exclusively for the Diwali festival. This is one way through which I can show my loved ones living in this country that I remember that it is festival season and that I do care for them, even though I may not be meeting them on a regular basis. The American Express Diwali Gift Card is a great product in my opinion and I have been sending them to my family and friends here since last year.

 

American Express is now offering my blog readers an opportunity to win $50 gift cards by sharing their memories of Diwali. All you need to do is to leave a comment in response to this post about your favorite memories/ experiences of Diwali and five winners will be chosen at random to receive $50 gift card each from American Express. So get those memories from the corners of your heart and pen them down here and your story could get you a little extra money for the upcoming festival season.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

American Express Diwali Gift Card Giveaway is back

Last year I ran the Diwali shopping contest and gave away American Express Gift cards to winners. Well Diwali is an annual festival and the giveaways and gifts are back this year too. Thanks to American Express. This year it is going to be simpler and easier to win. All you got to do is to leave a comment on my blog talking about your favorite Diwali memories. The five best expressed memories will receive $50 gift cards from American Express to help with your festival shopping.

India on the verge of losing the Taj Mahal

Image courtesy DOTW News

I read a lot of news and those that really touch my heart I blog about it. Here is a news report about two things I feel passionately about: India and its heritage monuments. I read this news report titled The Taj Mahal in danger of collapse on the online DOTW News portal. I am definitely sad but I am not surprised at all. India is one nation with a large population and a relatively small landmass. Coupled with the fact that India is full of heritage monuments, almost every small village in the country has historical temples and structures that need to be preserved.

Now given the small land mass of country, our ancestors should not have been so magnanimous to give away large tracts of territory to create smaller nations of Pakistan and Bangladesh. As if adding insult to injury the our people have ceded a third of land in Jammu & Kashmir to Pakistan to create Pak Occupied Kashmir and some more land to China in the contiguous Ak-Siachen region. Then there is the dispute with China over Arunachal Pradesh, then the Narasimha Rao government as recently as during the 1990s ceded some part of the Tin Bigha corridor to Bangladesh which has now been completely leased (read given away) to Bangladesh recently. Now with so little land left for such a huge population there is simply not enough resources in Mother India to feed, clothe and house the teeming billions.

Then we have our self-serving politicians and businessmen and the so-called societal leaders who are more interested in stripping the country of its riches and filling their own coffers. The net result natural resources of the country are ravaged, antiquities are sold. The Taj Mahal being in this kind of precarious condition is the result of this kind of the rapacity of the country.

There is a saying in Sanskrit "Yatha Raja, thatha Praja" meaning "How the king is, that is how the citizens will be". With the country being ruled by corrupt, self-serving politicians, the nations populous is equally corrupt if not more. Nobody is concerned about anything that belongs to the society, everyone is bothered only about his/ her self, immediate family, bank accounts, property. So who cares about the Taj? The media which should play the role of a promoter of national interest is doing the exact opposite. They make heroes out of terrorists and villains of the soldiers and police.

The net result is drying up of rivers, damage to our heritage and monuments like Taj will collapse. I am sure the bureaucrats and politicians who are talking about protecting the monument are more interested in the pickings they can get out of the contracts they will award to engineers, architects and builders rather than really restoring and protecting the Taj.

Walking on Wilson Creek Trail

Yesterday I went for a walk along the 1.5 mile Wilson Creek Trail in the McKinney Town Lake Recreation area. It was a nice evening and the weather was just perfect to enjoy the great outdoors. As I approached the parking lot I was impressed by the number of cars and then I saw that the entire Wilson Creek playing fields was filled with children, youngsters, teenagers and older people. Most of them playing soccer, American football, lacrosse or some other similar highly involved team sport. This kind of infrastructure has been created by the government so that people can enjoy the outdoors and then of course the natural wooded areas around the Wilson Creek are preserved. That is achieving two goals with one task. Simply taking a walk along the trail besides the wooded area and looking at the creek meandering by is a big de-stressor for me. Nature so beautiful helps me forget my troubles and focus on my dreams, goals and ambitions.

Here are some pictures.

Happy Navrathri 2011

Image via WikipediaNavrathri or Dushera or Dasara is one of the most important festivals of more than a fifth of the world's population. I mean there are over a billion Hindus worldwide and all these people celebrate this festival which commemorates the victory of god over demons, light over darkness, good over evil, etc. This is one f the most widely celebrated festivals among the Indian diaspora in the US. When I say Indian I mean the Hindus from India, not the native American tribals and their half-bred white descendants who so ardently cling on to this ethnic identity label and refuse to let go and take pride in their own national identity.

The highlight of Dasara or Navrathri in my home state in India is the celebrations in Mysore. The way these celebrations are carried out is simply mind-blowing and people from across the world come to view the grandeur of this event.

Anyway this post is about the celebration of Navrathri and I sure wish everyone across the world irrespective of their religion, nationality, ethnic identity, or culture a very happy festival season.

Coming Soon: Jersey City Project - An Intriguing TV Series

This post brought to you by Untitled Jersey City Project. All opinions are 100% mine.

I came to know about this Untitled Jersey City Project, a brand new experimental television series about the development of Jersey City across from Manhattan. I watched most of the eight short-form episodes available online and was intrigued by the plot. There are several forceful characters who look fantastic and perform even better.

The short trailers or sneak previews available on youtube have whetted my curiosity and I am waiting for the series to be named and launched formally. There is action, suspense, sex, romance, murder, and mystery all packaged in the right doses in this series. The series showcases corporate America very well. The smooth talking business executives who will stop at nothing to achieve their goals. I have attached a video clip for you all to watch and get a feel of what it will be like.

 

 

After watching the previews on youtube I am beginning to wonder what the Untitled Jersey City Project will be called once it is comes on air or gets into production mode from being in the experiment mode.

I have been talking about the new work-in-progress TV series, but you will get the real feel only when you go online and watch the previews. I would encourage you to give me the feedback on the series and tell me if I am right in looking forward for the series or am I being over enthusiastic for a normal soap? I'd appreciate all feedback in this regard.

Three Different Birds - one common location

We say India is a land where unity in diversity exists, but I think this concept is borrowed from nature. Once I heard someone say that "According to Charles Darwin it is survival of the fittest and competition in nature. I believe there is cooperation also in nature." Of course that person was talking about mixed agriculture/ cultivation of fruit trees of different species alongside each other. In this post I'd like to present three pictures shot at Santa Cruz Beach in California. The first one is of sea gulls that fly in and out of the ocean hunting for fish and live on the rocks and hills close to the beach. The next one is of pigeons which I am sure were introduced to this place by someone, these thrive on handouts from benevolent people who come and drop off corn, rice and other grains for them to feast on. Then there are the crows and ravens which thrive off the garbage, they are the scavengers of nature. Without crows it would be difficult for 100% natural degradation of wastes. Anyway I thought it was interesting that these three species live in the same space they don't compete with each other for food and sustenance. They all live in harmony without fighting... I wish we humans learned to live like that.

Penny Auctions gaining popularity!

Penny Auctions the new way to buy all the fancy things you ever wanted for super low prices. I recently came across a new penny auction site which is quite different from others for several reasons. The first being this is the only site to offer a separate beginners auction section where newbies can sharpen their skills. If a new registrant doesn't win within 24 hrs after registration their bids will be restored. All auctions on Deal Fun start at $0.01, so there is no need guess and second guess about the products you are interested in. There have been some unscrupulous operators in this area so I initially thought that this might be dealfun.com scam and not a genuine auction site. After I went through the website and noticed the products they have to offer, I am totally convinced that this is one of the best sites to buy a wide array of coveted products such as iPad, iPhone, Kindle, Laptops, LED TVs, PS3, Watches, Jewelry, Toys at super low prices. The products on this website usually get sold at over 95% or sometimes even 98% discount. This website doesn't mandate any weekly cap on winning. Their customer service officers are always there to help you and answer your queries courteously and explain things in a clear concise manner. Suppose you want the product, but you don't win, then you can use all the bids you have used and add some cash and buy this product. Now what are you waiting for, go to Deal Fun and get all the products you have always wanted but stopped for lack of money. Now money is not a problem at

Santa Cruz Beach, California

I visited Santa Cruz beach a few years ago and memories of this wonderful waterfront locale continue to haunt me. The way surfers take on the breaking waves, the sea gulls, fly around seeking food seems like they are having so much fun. We as tourists were just gawking at the surfers enjoying the water. There is a nice road with walking trail along the sea front which enabled us to get a ringside view of everything that was going on in the azure waters below. I wish I knew how to surf, I'd be checking out the surf and trying to catch a big wave. Anyway that may happen in the next birth or later in this birth if god wills. For now I just visit beautiful water front places and enjoy the beauty.

New Line of Frozen Dinners - TGI Friday's Entrees for one

This post brought to you by T.G.I. FRiDAY'S. All opinions are 100% mine.

Living alone in a different city away from home, family and friends can be quite tough on our food habits. It is boring to go out and eat in my favorite places, it is time consuming to cook and even greater pain to clean. So I end up eating frozen dinners bought from the grocery stores. Frozen dinners are not always tasteful or interesting, but I don't have much choice.

I have got concrete news that this is not the case anymore. There is a new line of Frozen Dinners from one of my favorite restaurants: T.G.I. FRiDAY'S. Aptly named T.G.I. FRiDAY’S “Entrées for One” this pretty much solves my frozen food problems. This is the same food from the restaurant but frozen and I can eat what I want, when I want and where I want. It is like taking my favorite restaurant with me in my backpack. The entire array of entrees from Sizzling Steak Fajitas to Cajun-Style Chicken Alfredo, all of them are available.

Now as a launch offer there is a bonus to stock up on these frozen entrees. T.G.I. Friday's is running a Fun Freezer contest to encourage people like me who love our frozen entrees to create our own stylish freezers at home. The contest is simple decorate your freezer to reflect your own unique style and upload a picture on Facebook and you stand a chance to win some really cool prizes including a home theater makeover. Visit http://www.facebook.com/TGIFridaysFreezer to know more.

My favorite items in the T.G.I. FRiDAY’S “Entrées for One" line include Chicken and Broccoli Alfredo, creamy chicken pasta Carbonara, Sesame orange chicken and Loaded chicken and cheese. I am pretty sure all my new friends will start hanging out at my place because they now know that my refrigerator will be loaded with T.G.I. Friday's best entrees and they will have a wide choice of what to eat.

Road to California

I visited California in 2008 soon after coming to the US. At that time I didn't know much about this country, society, culture or politics. I fancied myself to be a tourist and tried to enjoy my visit. Roads in the US are great marvels by themselves. I enjoy taking pictures of the road, specially when it is a scenic route linking mountains or runs along the sea shore. As we drove through the mountains towards the Bay Area or Silicon Valley, I captured some of the road views from the moving car. '

Net 10 Revolutionizing Cell Phone Services

This post brought to you by Net10. All opinions are 100% mine.

The cell phone has become an essential part of our life. We can no longer afford the luxury of not having one. The cost of calling via a cell phone still remains expensive, most service providers do offer unlimited calling plans but these are quite pricey too. 

All this is set to change now with the arrival of Net10 Unlimited Plan in which you get nationwide coverage, unlimited talk, text, and data for just $50 a month. That is almost less than half of what other providers charge. This low price comes without a contract, credit check or any other additional hidden costs. You get nationwide coverage, great handsets and phenomenal savings.

Consider this you have a mobile phone from LG, Motorola, Kyocera, Nokia and Samsung; you can be talking to anyone in the country for however long you want, you can check your facebook and update twitter all on your cell phone and that too just for $50 a month. When I saw the Cute NET10 commercial I was completely taken and I immediately decided to learn more about it.

Then after a few clicks on an internet search engine, I found some Real NET10 customer reviews of the service which were very flattering. I believe this a fantastic plan for everyone who wants to be connected with his family, friends, or even business associates.

The Unlimited plan is not the only one, there is the Easy Minutes Plus plan which starts at just $15 month and then there are other plans too. As I learned more about Net10 I began to See the Light of the cell phone service. The best part is you can switch between plans each month, there is no additional charges.

Phones from Net10 start at at $15 for simple ones, and $40 for feature rich phones, and for $60 onwards you can get a full QWERTY keyboard, slider and touch screen phones.

Look up Net10 on Facebook and Twitter, become their fan and watch some video testimonials of real customers. I have embedded one for your reference.

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Water - the Elixir of life

Water - The Elixir of Life 

A compound that contains just two elements
Two atoms of Hydrogen and one of Oxygen
Seems amazing nobody can live without one
The world would not exist without this essential liquid

We people don't seem to value this gift of god
We think that the water supply to our homes will never end
We wash, clean, bathe, and waste it without thinking for a second
We might be a little more respectful of this gift of god

On this day, let us make a solemn vow,
That we will utilize as little water from now,
That we will conserve it for the future starting now,
That we will share the resources we have with fellow men and animals

Remember! access to clean drinking water is a basic human right
But how many people in the world have this thought
Most people are busy living a life rather than think about water
Water maybe everywhere but very soon there wont be a drop to drink

Do we want to live in such a world?
A world where nations fight for water
Friends become enemies,
Families become feuding relatives
Brothers would kill each other for water

Young couples would not have children
because they can't afford to pay the water tax
That is when the world would come to an end....

New Font!!!

I have been working on the online platform at Fontstruct to create my own fonts. I have worked on and created about 10 different typographic designs and two image fonts or design fonts like the wingdings. This is one of the fonts I recently created and there are other works in progress which I will complete as soon as I have time, motivation and a computer with internet connection at hand. Coming together of all these factors is some sort of a challenge because at work it is impossible, at school it is difficult and the rest of the time is at home where I have to study. Anyway here is one font I recently created, you could download and use it as you please.

Switching to Straight Talk is a Wise Thing to do!

This post brought to you by Straight Talk. All opinions are 100% mine.

I recently decided to change my cellphone service. I am tired of contracts, that make me feel like I am in a prison with the most unpleasant characters. I wanted a phone service that is reliable, affordable, and without contract. I found my answer in Straight Talk. When I came to know about the great rates and that there was no contracts I fell for it Hook, line and sinker.

In my opinion the first and foremost benefit of switching to Straight Talk: cost cutting. I already feel richer when I realize that I'd be cutting my cellphone costs by nearly half. I would be saving a tremendous amount of money in a year's time. I can Call a friend and talk to him all night long without worrying about the bill. The savings could pay for a short holiday, for a brand new laptop computer, for some kitchen stuff, or whatever I choose to spend it on. This kind of savings without an iota of compromise in terms of service and offerings. I simply love this idea of switching to Straight Talk.

Another great feature of Straight Talk, they are not gonna run your credit and they still provide the same excellent nationwide coverage. The cool thing about Straight Talk is that they use only trusted phone manufacturers for their hardware requirements. Phones from LG, Motorola, Kyocera, Nokia and Samsung are offered with their awesome cellphone service. There are an array of Android on Straight Talk phones that support . So don't wait for too long, sign up today.

You can sign up for a monthly plan that offers 1,000 minutes of voice, 1,000 texts and a 30mb data plan. Or take up the monthly unlimited service for just $45. Feeling like saving more sign up for a year and it is only $499.00. You can talk, text, and browse the internet for a whole year for only $499.00.

Now that is what I call a bargain. And when I came to know that even 411 calls are included in this scheme I felt delighted. If you are frustrated by the big corporations that make you sign contracts, but are not sure of switching yet. Watch the videos of Straight Talk customers and you will be convinced.

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Transformations

Image via Wikipedia

Transformation happens....


When the orange glow of sun breaks the darkness of the night
When winter snow is melted by the rays of the spring sun
When trees sprout fresh green leaves after winter hibernation
When the summer heat is cooled by the freezing winter blizzard
 
When the enslaved masses are empowered and attain freedom
When a young couple come together and make a home
When a poor family can afford a home of their own
When there is no one cheats in this world that we call our home

Will this day arrive?
Will I be around to see that day?

When I look inside my soul tells me:
"Don't wait for the day to arrive!
You  have the power to make it happen!"

So my friends don't wait for someone to start a movement for the better!
Be the change you want to see in the world and you will see that the world will change in front of your eyes.

Innovative marketing!

Image via WikipediaOne of the reasons that American corporations have dominated the consumer product industry across the globalized world is their innovative marketing strategies. The corporations are willing to invest money into research to find out what exactly the consumer wants and then modify existing products or launch new ones to fulfill these needs. A recent example is the new packaging of ketchup by Heinz. Hitherto the company marketed tomato ketchup in the form of large bottles and small single serve sachets. Both these products were squeezer products.

Sometime ago, probably after receiving consumer feedback, the company launched a research to find out how many are squeezers as against dippers. In the sense they wanted to find out how many ketchup eaters prefer to squeeze ketchup over their food such as hamburgers, french fries, hot dogs, etc and how many like to dip their food into the savory sauce. The results were skewed in favor of dippers and in order to satisfy the majority the company changed their packaging into a dual purpose one. If one likes to squeeze they can do so and those who like to dip can do so too. The new package can be used both ways.

I am pretty sure this will increase Heinz's market share in the ketchup market. I wonder how many Indian-owned companies employ these kind of strategies to enhance sales and get greater market share. I would be curious to know if there are any and what they do.

Surviving against all odds

I captured this picture in 2005 near Devanahalli town. It was located close to the highway, which at that time was undergoing expansion to accommodate the increased to the new international airport. Now that the airport is complete I don't think this tree would have been spared the development axe. Looking at the tree one would think that it is so crooked that it would fall dead anytime, but no it was thriving and would have lived for several more years.... This shows that any life form will not give up so easily. It will fight against anything and everything to stay alive and continue life. This tree though crooked beyond proportions has survived in the face of rain, sun, winds, and of course humans.