Schooling system passes laws to discourage over-achievement

In the 1960s and 70s and even during the recent decade of 1990s, USA was considered a land of great opportunity and where people were provided opportunities to excel in the field of their choice. The concept of American Dream has been hyped up and continues to stir passions among people here.

But sometimes when I read newspapers I feel that the American Dream is perhaps only for Americans i.e. White people. Couple of months ago I had blogged about Anjali Datta a student of Grapevine High School, Texas who had completed the four-year high school diploma in just three years and had managed to achieve the highest GPA. Anjali's GPA surpassed the topper in the four-year category by a large margin. Yet despite this demonstrated superior achievement, Anjali was denied the title of Valedictorian by the School district, which cited an age-old rule to prevent a brown-skinned Indian from attaining the top-honor and ensured that a "White American" got it.

But naturally people of all color and race stood in support of Anjali who had truly worked hard for three years to achieve the grades that others would not be able to in four years. There was a huge outcry and loads of media coverage on the issue which led to public shaming of the Grapevine ISD. Despite all the uproar Grapevine ISD went ahead and conducted its graduation as planned, Anjali was not named the Valedictorian. Indeed the ISD was stubborn enough to carry out its discriminatory policies.

Now the latest news is that Grapevine ISD learnt its lesson thanks to the Anjali Datta controversy but did not reform itself, rather it went ahead and passed a new law which denies any honor to a student who over-achieves. According to the new law any student who takes lesser than 4 years to complete high school will not be considered for the title of Valedictorian.

I was under the impression that school boards in India had absurd rules and stupid administrators. But US school boards have outsmarted Indians in this aspect, denying honor and recognition to someone who truly deserves it and giving it to their own preferred candidates.

Anyway, in the US, enforcement of rules is very high. So once the law is passed, can anyone question it? No. Students have to just sit back and relax and forget about working hard or attempting to stretch themselves to achieve more than normal.

Illegal immigrants number reducing!

One of the biggest complaints of the US government as well as a majority of its citizens was about illegal immigrants (mostly hispanic) living, working and enjoying the facilities paid for by the taxpayers. According to the Washington-based Center for Immigration Studies this number was pegged at about 11.2 million, about 4 percent of the entire population. When I came to know of this statistics I was a little surprised. Consider this population break up of the US:

Total population: 300 million
Adult population: 230 million
Population in Jail: 3 million
Illegal immigrants: 11.2 million (12.5 million in August 2007)

I read a newsreport in todays Dallas Morning News which talks about illegal immigrants reducing in number by a staggering 1 million. This was kind of expected with prices of essential commodities rising rapidly and falling employment and salaries. Many illegal immigrants from Mexico and other Latin American countries left US to return to their home countries because living here had become too expensive.

These findings are the result of an exhaustive study conducted by the Center for Immigration Studies, Washington. Among the report’s conclusions: “The decline in the illegal population, whatever the cause, seems to directly challenge the argument that illegal aliens are here to stay and there is no way to induce many of them to return home. … In fact, if the current trend were sustained, it would cut the illegal population in half within just five years.”

A majority of the US legal population is hoping that this trend would continue and grow.

Technology solutions for businesses

With the advancement in communications and telecom, the proliferation of internet is increasing at an exponential pace. This has spawned new markets and created a level playing field for businesses to compete for markets. Now small businesses, irrespective of their size can use the WWW and derive immense benefits, which were hitherto the preserve of large corporations. The ability to reach customers around the world is one of the greatest boons of internet.

But as a small business owner you are probably not quite sure if you want to set up a complete technology division to drive your online business. You don't have to do it, you can just take help from network solutions, a professionally managed company where the focus is on helping small businesses gain a confident and lucrative online presence. Network Solutions works towards enabling small businesses to realize their dreams of self-reliance, entrepreneurship, creativity, and financial independence. Network Solutions will do everything a business needs to establish an online presence. From domain name registration to web design and from search engine marketing to online security, e-commerce solutions, and the whole works.

Network Solutions has been in business since 1979 and has helped numerous businesses succeed and establish strong online presence. Their commitment to customer service has been recognised by J.D. Power and Associates Certified Call Center Program for the third consecutive year. Your business needs support and Network Solutions is best equipped and willing to provide it.

My first flying experience

I had blogged about my experience of flying or rather co-piloting a small Cessna 4 seater aircraft. Well I hadn't been able to edit the mediocre video I had shot at that time and post it on Youtube. I finally got to it last night and here you are. The video of my flying experience. Since I was co-piloting I couldn't really do a good job of shooting the video. This is the best part of whatever I shot on that flying trip from Addison to Sherman.

Volunteers needed to walk for Alzheimer's Disease

One of the biggest health awareness events in the entire US is the Alzheimer's Memory Walk. Organised by the Alzheimers Association this national event brings together family, friends, caregivers and concerned community members and motivates them to make a difference to the world. First organised in 1989, the Memory Walk has helped raise over $200 million in cash which has been used to aid individuals and families battling Alzheimer's disease.

This year the event is expected to attract over 200,000 people from across the country. To ensure the success of this walk the association needs new leaders, captains and volunteers to participate in the event.

What is Alzheimers disease and why is it so important to help people afflicted by it? Alzheimer’s disease afflicts nerve cells in certain areas of the brain and becomes progressively worse leading to the degeneration of the brain. People afflicted by the disease often appear completely normal but will suffer internally. The symptoms of the Alzheimers include gradual reduction in abilities such as judgement, reasoning, speaking and cognitive.



In the US the Alzheimer's Association conducts the annual Memory Walk® with the sole aim of raising awareness about the disease and funds to help people afflicted with the disease. Patients are helped by providing care, support and research. The association invites volunteers of all ages to become champions in the fight against Alzheimer's. The volunteers can help in organising and conducting the walk which are held in over 600 communities.

The Memory walks are usually about 2-3 miles and held on a weekend during fall. Now is the right time to sign up with the Alzheimer's Association and join forces to fight the deadly disease. Make a difference to this world by teaming up with Alzheimer's Association.

Biker Memories

It has been 8 months since I sat astride a motorcycle and felt the raw power at the end of my palm. Being a biker-by-birth, to be without riding motorcycles for such a long time is something like not living. But then circumstances are such that I have not been able to ride a motorcycle. Do I miss riding my bike, weaving in and out of choc-a-bloc Bangalore traffic? Honking incessently? Riding out on the open but dangerous highways in India? You bet I do and now all that I have are memories of those days when I would take off without a thought or care out into the wilderness to explore the teeming countryside of India.

Now in America, I feel claustrophobic driving a car. Though the roads, speeds and relative comforts are much greater in this country, I miss India and sometimes I wonder if I will ever get back to my country? And after experiencing so much different scenario, like driving on the right side of the road I wonder if I will be able to drive on Indian roads again? Initially adapting to American roads and traffic rules was difficult and now I am comfortable in this scenario and I wonder if I will be able to fit into the chaos and disorder that prevails on Indian roads.

I don't know I will find out only if and when I return to my motherland. Till then all I can do is to remember and feel nostalgic.

Hindu Unity Day

The last two days (July 19 & 20) were celebrated as Hindu Unity Day at Dallas. Organised by the Sanatana Dharma Foundation, the event was held at the DFW Hindu Mandir, Irving, Texas. The first day's events featured talks about the Rama Sethu Agitation, which took place in India amidst high political drama and finally saved the rock bridge built by Lord Rama across the Palk Strait. One of the main speakers politician-economist Dr. Subramanyan Swamy presented conclusive evidence about the Hindu heritage of India and how Rama Sethu is important to preserve the unity of our country. Dr. Swamy has written a book about the Rama Sethu issue compiling various archaeological, geological and historical evidences to prove that there was indeed a bridge built several thousand years ago.

The other speaker Dr. S. Kalyanraman has been doing tremendous amount of work as the chairman of the Sarasvathi River Center in India. His work in proving that Sarasvathi river existed and that is where the original Hindu civilisation/ Sanatana Dharma thrived and provided knowledge to the rest of the world is taking the academia by a storm. But it will take some more time before academics, especially the communist-ideologues from India will recognise it. These people are hell bent on accepting the now-dead Aryan Invasion theory which was propagated by the Englishmen to make us Indians feel inferior. But now thanks to the work of people like Dr. Kalyanaraman, ancient truths are coming out and soon we will be able to prove that India or more apropriately Bharat was indeed the cradle of civilisation and the place of origin of several advanced scientific knowledge.

Today's deliberations were more for the really committed Hindus and people who were concerned about the threats our religion is facing from within and also from external forces. Today's panelists included Dr. S. Kalyanaraman (mentioned above) and Dr. Raghavendra Prasad, a Dallas-based geriatric care professional. The sessions discussed the threats faced by Hinduism from the two of the largest religions, Christianity and Islam. The missionaries of both are hell bent upon decimating and killing our religion. It was interesting to note that each presenter didn't just make passionate statements but gave conclusive evidence in the form of numbers, statistics, quotes from research papers and other evidences which are accepted by the "Worldly wise academics and sceptics".

But one surprising thing I noticed at the sessions on both days. The participants were predominantly, at least 95%, older and born-in-India people. There were hardly anybody who were second generation Indians or American born Indians. This is really a matter of concern, this means that the youth of today, the teenagers are just not interested in Hinduism or Hindu Unity or anything like that. If these people born in America are not interested in Hinduism it is not completely their fault, a major portion of the fault lies with their parents who haven't educated them properly or instilled in them the love for their religion and respect for India.

Anyway to bring these youth towards Hinduism will be another programme or campaign and I am sure it will be far more difficult than fighting against proselytisation or war against terrorism.

A "Fine" way to enforce language

I had blogged about lingual conflicts in the US due to a heavy influx of legal and illegal Spanish speaking Mexicans. I read this bit of news online which gives a new twist on how the authorities/ government of US is dealing with the lingual conflicts. The enforcement of English language is now being done by levying heavy fines on people who don't speak well.

According to the article Manuel Castillo, a truck driver ferrying onions through Alabama was fined $500 for not speaking properly. He was not speeding or didn't break any law, his only crime was that he couldn't speak proper English. Quite expectedly Castillo is outraged and thinks this fine is not fair but since he doesn't have the time or resources to travel to Alabama and fight the case he is paying the $500 fine. The article further states that last year 25,230 tickets for language violation.

Of course this fining is debatable and I am sure lot of people are not pleased with this system of language enforcement. But as far as I am concerned I think this is a fantastic system to ensure that people learn the local language. I was born and brought up in Bangalore which, in the recent has experienced massive influx of outsiders, especially from neighboring states of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Kerala and of course from several north Indian states too. These immigrants have not only made Bangalore their homes but have established their own ghettos.

Whenever I have travelled and met people the first thing they say when they hear I am from Bangalore is that "You don't have to know Kannada to live in Bangalore." This statement always was like a tight slap across my face. When we go to other cities in the country it is almost impossible to do anything without knowledge of the local language. In some places people just ignore you when you try asking them for directions in English. And in Bangalore, the capital city of Karnataka, I have had people approaching me and asking for directions in an array of languages such as, Tamil, Telugu, Hindi etc.

It it frustrating to see this happening. To see the city I was born and brought up in being consumed by people of other languages who have scant respect and show little regard for local culture and history. I had been to a panel discussion organised by Max Mueller Bhavan, Bangalore where the panelists were all people who didn't speak a word of Kannad and had come to the city seeking fortunes. And a common sentiment echoed throughout the discussion was "Bangalore is a boring place, with no history, culture or character." And of course they complained about bad roads, Kannada speaking locals who insist on speaking their language as opposed to English or Hindi or Tamil.

If this was the case why the hell do they continue to live and thrive in Bangalore. They can go to their native places and live there. Millions of people have come to Bangalore from all over the country seeking fortune and great weather. Kannadigas by nature are very friendly and adjusting and as such we welcomed everyone into our state expecting that they would become part of us. But they come with their own agendas of making us part of them and to kill the local culture.

This is the same thing that is happening in the US. An increase in the number of Hispanics residing in the country has ensured that Spanish is the fastest growing language in the US. And now the problem is so much that the federal government has had to put in place regulations and fine people who are in violation of it. I wish this kind of regulation could be put in place in Karnataka to ensure that everyone in the state speaks the local language.

Hurtling down the slide into Guadalupe river

Last weekend I had gone caving with a group of avid cavers from DFW Grotto. After a day under the earth's surface exploring underground passages and marvelling at the amazing stalactite and stalagmite formations we decided to head back towards Dallas. And enroute Bill Steele suggested that it would be a great idea to stop at Mo Ranch and enjoy a swim in the Guadalupe river. When I heard the name I didn't give much thought to it.

But when I reached there, I was pretty impressed by the facilities and features of the ranch. The management describes itself as a camp and conference affiliated with the with the Synod of the Sun of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). The ranch was founded in 1949 and its full name is Presbyterian Mo-Ranch Assembly. Sprawling across 500 acres of lush green countryside complete with rolling hills with the river Guadalupe slicing across it, Mo Ranch presents a idyllic picturesque setting for a great family holiday.

The reason we went there was to enjoy a dip in the waters and to enjoy rolling down the 50 ft tall water slide into the cool waters of the Guadalupe. Here is the video of each one of us plummetting down the slide and splashing into the waters.

Power Steering: One of the most important parts of your car

Most of the cars available in today's market come equipped with Power steering which makes driving very easy by reducing steering effort. How does the power steering system work? And how does it derive power? Writing about this will take a little complicated explanation. To put it in one line I would say "Power steering using an external power source to assist in turning the roadwheels and makes it easy on the driver".

According to Wikipedia, power steering was invented in the 1920s by Klara Gailis and George Jessup in Waltham, Massachusetts, USA. But they didn't patent the technology and in 1932 Francis W. Davis patented this in the US. But it was only in 1951 that Chrysler Corporation introduced the first commercially available power steering system on its 1951 Chrysler Imperial under the name Hydraguide.

Let us come back to knowing about the basic parts of a power steering system. The basic parts of a power steering system includes a steering rack and steering box. These two parts functioning properly will ensure your car running smoothly. But then these parts are subject to wear and tear and you will need to buy new parts to replace and rejuvenate the system.

There is a brand new online store which has all the power steering rack parts you need. They offer full warranty and free shipping on all orders. The array of parts is simply amazing and every product is passed through the most stringent quality tests before putting it up for sale. Especially the steering box and steering rack. There are other parts of the steering system including the rack and pinion, rack and pinion assemblies, rack and pinion units or gearbox. If you take good care of these parts, the car will never give up on you.

This is one store to buy all the parts of steering systems such as racks and boxes at affordable prices. These parts are the same high quality ones as the dealers use and there is no compromise on quality. But price yes, you get better rates than at dealerships and you get free shipping too. There are moder technologies such as Magna Steer, Servotronic, Speed Proportional Steering, Variable Assist and the resurgence of the Center Steer design. All these systems use racks and boxes but each with an highly evolved design and high technology components. You just need to visit the online store of Power Steering Pros and you will get all the parts.

India related events this weekend

Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is a happening place... at least as far as the desi community is concerned. Every weekend something or the other is happening, film screenings, concerts, dance programmes, charity events, cricket matches etc. I am not too much into Desi socialisation and as such I have attended few events and missed lot of them for obvious reasons.

Anyway there is this upcoming event during the coming weekend July 18-19, 2008 which I hope to attend. The theme of the event is rather close to my heart. The event is titled "Hindu Unity Day", something that is vitally needed in order to make the world a better place for not only Hindus but for everybody.

The schedule of the event which will be held at the DFW Hindu temple at Irving promises an action-packed weekend. There are group discussions, lectures on the Rama-Sethu issue; history of Sanatana Dharma etc. I have been listening to their radio programmes since the past couple of months and they are very informative and insightful. It is great to know that someone is doing something to uplift the image of Hinduism at the global level.

Social Spark: Providing Earning Opportunities to stay-at-home moms

One of the most testing and happy phases in a woman's life is when she becomes a mom. Life gets completely transformed by this event and things are never the same again. At this point in life several women give up their careers and become stay-at-home moms so that they can spend quality time with children and take care of them. But this leaves a great void in their life and now suddenly they have to ask their husbands for money even for the smallest of their needs. This can be quite a pain.

Thanks to the advent of SocialSpark, stay-at-home-moms can now stay at home, raise children, spend time with family and still make some money, by working at home. The rationale of this social marketing website is simple: stay-at-home moms make great bloggers and produce wonderful content and this content attracts several readers. The blog can be monetised by featuring sponsored posts, advertising etc. Blogging gives flexibility, money and a sense of achievement to moms.

So if you are a stay at home mom and are looking for money making opportunities on the internet, I'd suggest you try SocialSpark, the newest and most well organised social marketing community on the internet. Establishing an account on SocialSpark is pretty simple, all you need is a blog which is atleast 30 days old and which has been regularly updated. And once registered you have access to so many opportunities that you will be able to make money everyday just writing about your favourite topics.

Don't you all think it is a great opportunity for stay-at-home-mom's who are wanting to do something but can't go out of the house. I think this is the best thing to happen on the internet for a long time.

More Caving Pictures

Unfortunately Bill Steele was only person with the camera and I was usually quite far from him in the cave. So these pictures depict different people doing different things in the cave. He just sent me some more pictures of the caving trip.. here they are...

In Texas it is illegal to dry clothes in the sun!

I never knew that there were so many restrictions to personal freedom in Texas till I read a letter from one of the harassed residents to the editor of Dallas Morning News recently. The writer lamented that the home owners association (HOA) of the community she lives in has outlawed clotheslines. And as such she had been forced to use the noisy, power-hungry drier.

The letter was followed up by an interesting and humourour column by Steve Blow, one of my favourite columnists. In this easy-to-read essay Blow fondly remembered his childhood fun times in the backyard when he and his siblings had swung off clotheslines much to the irritation of their mother and also about the fresh, crispy feel of sun-dried clothes etc.

I wonder what is going wrong with Texas, on the one hand there is extreme freedom. One can buy M-16 machine guns off the shelf in a hunting goods store and shoot anyone who steps into their yard without permission. All in the name of Freedom to protect self and family. But on the other hand there are extreme restrictions. If one wants to go hiking, he/ she has to follow a pre-set, well-defined and often barricaded and paved hiking trail. And if one wants to have a compound wall around their property the HOA has to approve it and if they don't your home site has to remain naked and exposed.

And now there is this new law which I am becoming aware of. You can't dry your clothes in the sun. That is it, you have to use a drier, spend electricity and pay the bill. No wonder corporations are making money in the US. If 300 million people are forced to not use the FREE unlimited natural resource of solar energy and use exhorbitantly priced, finite resource of electricity, the corporations which provide electricity will obviously make tons of money.

In places like Texas where 8 months a year there is abundant and bright sunlight one should encourage use of solar energy for everything: Lighting, heating, drying clothes and whatever else possible. But no, that would be cheap, only poor dry their clothes in the sun, not rich Texans. Anyway, who am I to coment on these idiosyncracies... I am after all not from here.

A radical approach to therapies of the future

I came across this radical approach to therapy online and thought I'd blog about it. It is intersting that these medical researchers are suggesting that future therapies and cures to serious illensses could be in the stem cells. And where are these stem cells found in abundance: menstrual blood of women. Where did I find this bit of news, on one of the most popular news websites: CNNMoney

The newsreport online talks about today’s hectic lifestyle, where most women are juggling careers, family, relationships, and a host of activities and seem to have forgotten that they could possibly suffer from some form of serious illness. According to the article the key to treatment of a number of health maladies such as osteoporosis, heart ailments, paralysis, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases, may be found within the womnan's body - in vital stem cells.

And these people have found the best way to harvest the stem cells from a woman's own menstrual blood and store it for future use. How do they do it?. C'elle has developed a brand new technology to provide women with a safe and easy method of collecting and preserving stem cells found in her menstrual fluid each month.

Apparently C’elle’s has developed a non-invasive collection process through which one can process menstrual cells and store at a very low temperature for potential cellular therapies in the future. These packs are available for purchase online at a special introductory price.

I have appended the press release of the company for better clarity.

Press Release
Taking Control: Future Therapies for a Host of Serious Diseases May Be Found in Women's Menstrual Blood

July 07, 2008: 01:28 PM EST
OLDSMAR, Fla., July 7 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- With today’s hectic lifestyle, where most women are juggling careers, family, relationships, and a host of activities, the idea of possibly facing a serious illness in the future is not something that readily comes to mind -- especially when a woman is in the prime of her life. But what most women don’t know, is that the key to treating a number of possibly life-threatening diseases that she, a parent, a sibling or even her children may face in later years, such as osteoporosis, heart disease, stroke, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease, may be found within her own body -- in vital stem cells, which can now be harvested from her own menstrual blood.

Now, thanks to the revolutionary research and technology of C’elle, a service dedicated to providing women with a safe and easy method of collecting and preserving stem cells found in her menstrual fluid each month, even the busiest woman can take control of her future, right in the privacy of her own home. With C’elle’s non-invasive collection process, menstrual cells are processed and cryo-preserved (stored at a very low temperature) for potential cellular therapies that may be used in the future. These self-renewing cells one day may even be used for sports medicine or cosmeceutical treatments, such as anti-aging therapies.

"C’elle enables and empowers a woman to take control of her future health, and possibly of those genetically closest to her, in a fast, painless and stress free way," said Michelle Kay, Marketing and Sales Manager for C’elle. "We live in exciting times, as science and technology are discovering how extremely valuable menstrual blood stem cells really are, and the enormous treatment potential they represent for future therapies. C’elle’s ongoing research is supporting these promising findings."

For more information about C’elle, please call 1-877-892-3553 or visit www.celle.com.

Website of a disgruntled Harley owner

The legendary Harley Davidson is definitely my all time favourite when it comes to motorcycles. But then I am fully aware of the ups and downs of owning a thumper motorcycle. It is expensive, time consuming and one has to spend a lot of time off the bike working on it to keep it in great form that we love it in. Anyway coming to the point I recently found this interesting website promoted by a disgruntled Harley owner.

Ths website reads like the diary chronicle of a Harley owner who has had lot of trouble with his bike. This man who calls himself as the "IT guy" who maintains the web-page. He has written his pains and pleasure experiences with the Harley Davidson motorcycle and has provided a platform for people to discuss the good and bad things about the motorcycle. The disclaimer on the site clearly states that "everyone who writes on the site takes ownership of what he/ she says. "Therefore, as a matter of policy, all posters on this page will be added to my e-mail list and will receive e-mails whenever there are additions to this page. If an e-mail address bounces repeatedly, the corresponding post will be removed from this web-page," reads the text on the homepage.

According to the owner of the website he has had several bad experiences with the motorcycle as well as the dealer who sold it to him. A summary of the problems reads something like this:

Summary of the problems I have personally experienced with a brand new Sportster in less then 5 years and 20,000 miles:
1. two major oil leaks: one and two
2. one major electrical failure (stranded, followed by a trip to a dealer)
3. gear shifter sticks for 5000+ miles (dangerous!! no longer happening)
4. fuel cock died, bike would not start, had to tow to shop
5. broken mirror
6. bubbling of chrome on top of air cleaner
7. periodic extended power losses (becoming less frequent?)
8. "dieseling" since the day I bought it, tune-ups have no effect

I recall the years I owned the Enfield Bullet, often referred to as the Indian Harley. And believe me I could have started a website like this. I owned the Enfield for five years and had a host of minor and major problems with it. The bike would give up at the most unexpected situations and create embarassing moments for me.

Stylish Prescription Glasses at Low Prices

In my experience I have seen that many people, especially don't like to wear glasses. Back home in India when young (unmarried) girls had eye problems and were advised to wear glasses they would get contact lenses made. This because wearing glasses were often considered unattractive and made them look geeky. But since the advent of stylish frames this trend has changed. Now many women consider even prescription glasses as an essential part of their fashion accessories and get several made to suit their clothes.

Getting stylish prescription glasses can be quite expensive, the frames cost a lot and the more stylish the higher the cost. I recently came across zennioptical.com an online store which sells prescription glasses. Zenni Optical offers complete single vision eyeglasses starting from as low as $8. This is a ridiculously low price to pay for a pair of stylish glasses.

The selection of frames available on zennioptical.com is so large that you will find it difficult to select one or may end up ordering more than one. They offer single vision lens, sunsensor (photochromic) lens, tinted sunglasses lens, bifocal lens and progressive lens. And all these at incredibly low prices. How does Zenni manage these low prices? Well it is simple, they sell only their own manufactured frames, from factory direct to customer. This kind of direct targeting eliminated middlemen and drastically cuts cost of advertising. So once these big ticket items are off the budget prices for end users can be kept low and affordable. And this secret Zenni Optical has learnt well.

High gas prices making people do strange things

I read this nearly full page article in the Dallas Morning News with great amusement. The article titled "Hypermilers driven to maximize gas mileage" talks about several individuals who have made adjustments to their driving lifestyles and do strange things to derive the maximum gas mileage out of their cars.

The article starts off with the case study of one Chuck Thomas. How does he manage to get more bang for his buck? He drives at a steady 50 mph on highways even as other cars zip past him at 70 mph or more. I have seen on US highways driving at 50 is near impossible, motorists behind you come threateningly close and do all kinds of things to make you speed up. But these "Hypermilers" are obstinate they don't go faster. Then what else do they do, they install high-tech gadgetry to track gas mileage on their dashboard guages. Then often they stop the car and push it into their parking slots to save a few drops of fuel. And the results have been astounding to say in the least. Chuch is getting 80-90 mpg (miles per gallon) out of his car which is supposed to deliver only 53 mpg.

I find it outright ridiculous that Americans are indulging in such acrobatics to save gas. Fuel is only $4 per gallon here compared to approximately $6 per gallon in India and I don't remember having done any of these kind of acrobatics to save fuel. I had three advantages one, my car is small it is powered by a 3-cylinder 800 cc engine and delivers a whopping 40 mpg on highway and 30-35 mpg in the city. And then I prefer to ride the motorcycle most of the time and only when it is absolutely necessary I take the car out.

But what do I say about American cars and the roads here. I have time and again seen one individual driving a huge V-8 truck or Luxury SUV which delivers about 12-17 mpg. The present fuel crises is chasticising Americans to a great extent it is showing them that they can't ignore environment completely and exploit the finite resources endlessly. Now thanks to $4 per gallon fuel prices many people here are thinking about economical and smaller cars. If they had thought about these things 10 years ago, probably the mortgage crises could have been avoided. Think about it!

IT Certification, the highway to satisfying careers

Since the advent of personal computers and the resulting automation of several mundane tasks there has been a large and growing demand for trained and certified IT professionals. Becoming an IT expert is not about knowing how to write programs or how to operate computers, it needs a much larger diaspora of skills training, orientation and attitudes. There are certifications in different niche areas of the IT industry. You could be a certified network expert, or a microsoft certified system expert or qualify for any one or more of the several similar certifications available. But without proper training and certification you can't land your dream job.

In the current market the largest demand is perhaps for professionals with Cisco certification. Cisco offers several niche areas in which you could get certified such as voice, network or security. Different certifications prepare you for distinctly different roles in the industry. For example a CCNA Voice certification prepares you for jobs such as voice administrator, voice engineer, and voice manager. The certification is proof that you are trained and able to configure and manage the latest technologies for VoIP infrastructure.

Career opportunities for people with Cisco certification are tremendously large. For example according to Certification Magazine's 2007 Annual Salary Survey the average salary of a CCNA professional is around US$74,810. And if the person has a professional-level CCVP voice-based certification beyond the CCNA, there is possibility of a 23 percent salary hike.

I personally haven't yet experienced the uniquely uplifting and professionally dispensed Cisco training. But I hope to sign up for a programme soon and get myself certified in one of Cisco's leading fields of IT. I am confident that this certification will catapult my career to great heights and enable me to gain respect among peers and colleagues. One of the sole aims of becoming a Cisco-certified professional is to get access to the amazing careers in the IT field. A field in which there is constant career growth and excitement of learning and implementing new technologies.

Entrepreneurial Kids!

I had this experience yesterday evening when I was walking home from the swimming pool in our apartment complex. I saw two kids with their skateboards playing in the empty parking lot. One of them was slightly chubby and looked like the typical hyperactive kid. The other wore thick spectacles and looked like the studious types. Both of them were attired in complete safety gear for skateboarding, knee pads, elbow guards, helmets were in place and they were enjoying themselves on the wheels.

I have always been enamoured by skates and skateboarding and stopped to chat up with the kids. "Hey! Do you skateboard everyday?" I asked. "Yes, we are having holidays now. Do you have anything for us to do?" said one of the kids. I hid my surprise at the open question and asked them whether they could teach me how to skate board. "Yes of course!" said both in unision. I was taken aback because I was not prepared for such an enthusiastic response. Moreover I was still attired in swimming clothes and sandals. "Not today, I will be here tomorrow." I replied.

"You don't have to do it. Just watch us do and you will learn a little," said the chubby kid and both of them launched themselves on the boards and started whirling around me making odd curvaceous patterns. After sometime they stopped and started talking to me. "This is summer, we don't have school. We want to perfect our skating and then perform stunts," said the chubby kid who was obviously more vociferous than the geeky looking one. In the same breath he continued "Yesterday we earned five bucks at the basketball court by fetching them balls which went out. We are always looking for jobs so we can make some candy money."

This caught me completely by surprise. These are two kids, probably 10-12 year olds and they already want to work and earn money. They are not looking for handouts but for jobs to make money. I wish I had had this kind of entreprenurial spirit and acumen when I was their age. I recall our former president APJ Abdul Kalam's constant emphasis that education institutions should focus on creating entrepreneurs and not employees. Now I understand what he meant. This kind of enterprise is what is absolutely necessary for the economic progress of a country.