Apt Message for Indians in general and Hindus in particular

One of the most fearsome realities of modern world is the threat of global terror... Global Islamic Terror... to be precise. Jihad in the name of Islam has disturbed the peace of several nations including Islamic theocracies. People cry out that few terrorists are giving bad name to the majority of peace-loving Muslims. Well maybe it is true, but I don't see any evidence. Why are Muslims supporting terrorists in places like Kashmir (India)? Why are there so few Muslims in the Indian army? The population of Muslims in India is about 23 percent, but they comprise less than 5 percent of the Indian army. Why? don't they feel patriotic about India? Or are they not interested in fighting against their Islamic brothers from across the border?
Anyway this post is not about them but it is more for us. Like it is said in the picture message... the world suffers because lot of good people don't do anything. That is precisely the message for Indian government and people. We are good people, focussed so much on economic advancement and development of the country that we fail to see the threat from across the border and from within. The threat of Islamic jihad... threat of unpatriotic populations who are happy to take arms against their home country and its majority populations.
Will Indians.... Hindus... ever learn????

Bridging gaps or linking places???

These are some pictures I captured during my drives in and around my home in Dallas area. I chose a few pictures of bridges for this post, because like they say a bridge links two places which would have been otherwise divided. I remember a quote from David Russel about bridges: The hardest thing in life is to know which bridge to cross and which to burn. Insightful right?

Another quote which I like very much is from Jim Rohn which reads: Discipline is the bridge between goals and accomplishment.

And ofcourse my all time favourite: People who have lost relationships often wonder why they can't just let it be "water under the bridge." It is water under the bridge - the trouble is we do not live on the bridge but in the river of life with its many twists and turns.
How true!!!

Funny Cartoons! Great E-mail Forwards

I have a few great friends who forward me some wonderfully hilarious stuff on the email. Whenever I find something really impressive, creative, and funny I share them online on my blog. Well, these are the lastest forwards I received from a good friend of mine... thought I'd share them with all you readers of my blog... check it out and enjoy...

Working in the Arab World

I received a set of pictures promoting jobs in Arabia... I wonder if these are work conditions in the Gulf or if it is meant to be funny. I found these pictures highly hilarious and thought I'd share them here on my blog... see and enjoy...




I wouldn't be surprised if this is the actual working conditions in the Arab World... all glitz and glamor outside and filth and smears on the inside!!!

Fancy Auto from TVS

TVS Motor Company, Hosur, India has been in the forefront of the two-wheeler revolution in India. They were the first to introduce the small 50 cc moped into the market and since then they have grown from strength to strength and today TVS is a force to reckon in the Indian two-wheeler market. TVS is also the first motorcycle manufacturer in India to release the first 100% indigenous bike - TVS Victor and then the next TVS Apache came out with a bang giving all the Indo-Japanese motorcycles a run for their money.

Now TVS is foraying into a new arena... manufacturing three-wheeled auto rickshaws. Looking at the pictures of their proposed model it is quite clear that TVS will revolutionize the auto-rickshaw market and force Bajaj to upgrade their pathetic autos. One of my friends was saying that he wouldn't buy a car if these kind of autos were available in the market. I wonder what you would say after taking a look... truly global standard quality.

My own inspiring quote and picture

I constantly receive inspiring picture-messages from couple of my friends... Today I thought I'd create one of my own and share it on the blog. This is the modified version of the quote I found on the internet and the picture of a temple inside the Chandragiri fort and the mountain is located on the outskirts of Chittor, AP. I wonder how long it will remain from the rapacious eyes of granite mafia... I sure hope this kind of natural heritage survives for several more millenia to come.

Inspiration for a fruitful life

I had posted some pictures I get on a regular basis from one of my e-mail only friends. His pictures coupled with their quotes make them very interesting and inspiring and often touching. Time and again I try to share them with all my blog readers. This time it is about holidaying and happiness. Enjoy your holidays!!!

Movie Review: Big Jake

For having nothing much to do at home I borrowed this movie from the library. I must say I kinda liked the movie set in 1909. The movie features John Wayne in the leading role of the title character Jacob "Big Jake" McCandles, an aging rancher and near-legendary gunfighter estranged from his pretty family.

The movie starts with a ruthless gang of outlaws raiding the MacCandles ranch. The gang led by John Fain (Richard Boone), runs havoc on the ranch and murders some of the workers, wounds McCandles' eldest son (Bobby Vinton) and kidnaps the youngest member of the family for a ransom of $1 million. Martha (Wife of "Big Jake" McCandles) (Maureen O'Hara) summons Jacob through some messengers and tells him to find their grandson.

Though Jacob and his wife have been separated for nearly 10 years, they still love each other dearly. Jacob arrives by train and discuss a plan to take the ransom to the kidnappers and free the boy. Jacob warns that "Pay or not, we run the risk of never seeing the boy again". Martha has what is well known as a million dollars in a big red strongbox. Jacob is to deliver the box to the kidnappers. Jacob is packed quickly and ready to go along with his trusted "Native American" gunrunner.

The Texas Rangers led by Buck are close at hand ready to attempt a rescue, as is Jacob's son James McCandles (John Wayne's real-life son Patrick Wayne), whose initial greeting of Jake reveals a somewhat strained relationship. Michael McCandles (Christopher Mitchum) arrives by motorcycle and tells Martha that he saw the little boy alive. He suggests the Rangers can use the automobiles and set an ambush for the kidnappers. Buck (John Doucette) and the Rangers try to get Jacob to come along with them. The Rangers take off to set the trap in their new automobiles and are themselves ambushed at the very place they were planning to ambush the kidnappers.

The rest of the story is about their journey through the stunningly scenic wild west territory of South Texas and Mexico. Their gunfighting with the villains and rescuing "Little Jake" the grandson of "Big Jake". The journey and the hunt for kidnappers also serves to unite the long lost father with this sons and family.

In my opinion this is a great movie to watch. Fast paced, straight forward narrative and stunning photography. Worth every second spent watching the DVD, I'd say.

Expert Ratings and Reviews of Web Hosting Services

One of the most important needs of any business, big or small, is a strong internet presence in the form of a website, blog, online store etc. To have an online entity you need a reliable, efficient, and cost effective website hosting service provider. With so many companies offering more or less the same services, it is very difficult to decide which company is best suited for you.

I was in the same dilemma recently and after considerable amount of research on the web I found this website known as Web Hosting Geeks. The site provides ubiased user ratings of almost all the web hosting services in the market. These reviews are independent and are both cheap and expensive ones. There are services which offer Free Domain Name registration if you host with them. Personally speaking I think the free domain name service is a great advantage for me because that cuts down my costs quite a bit. I only want to host my blog on my own domain and for this I just need a domain name. And I could find such a service on Web Hosting Geeks. I believe this site has the resources to fulfill all your information needs about website hosting and related services.

I strongly feel that if anyone is interested in hosting a website or looking for a good hosting company one should consult Web Hosting Geeks and then decide upon it. This is one site where you can find all the necessary information, pitfalls and advantages about a wide range of website hosting service providers.

CCCCD Dance Ensemble

On Monday, I finished my Economics exam and was walking through the corridors towards the exit when I chanced to see a notice that the college dance ensemble would be performing at the auditorium and it was free entry for students. I immediately decided that I would go and take a look and started walking towards the theater. Anyway the programme started on dot 8.00 pm and ended an hour later at 9.00 pm. The English musical dance drama titled The Producer, was well executed and the entire team did a great job of entertaining the audience which comprised mostly of students, faculty and other staff members of the college. Since I had the camera handy I thought I'd shoot some pictures and present them on my blog. I also shot a video which I will be posting soon after I add some titling and edits to it. For now you all enjoy the pictures, they are a bit dark but that is the best I could do given the limited lighting in the auditorium.

Affordable High-Quality Prescription Glasses

One of the banes of life in the US is that if one doesn't have insurance for any health related issue, he is doomed. If one doesn't have vision insurance, buying prescription eyeglasses can make a hole in one's pocket. Vision insurance can be prohibitively expensive too.

But even in such scenario there are companies like Optical4less.com which sells eyeglasses for as little as US $15. These are not cheap plastic ones but high-quality glasses and made according to your prescription. I got to know of this site because I wanted to get a pair of eyeglasses for myself and was aghast at the exhorbitant prices in the stores. So I did a google search and found Optical4less and was overjoyed to see prescription glasses for just US $15. I would never go to a store again... at least not to buy eyeglasses.

In this downward spiralling economy what Optical4less offers is something that everyone would be thankful for. Of course traditional eyeglasses stores will not be happy to know about Optical4less, but then it is the consumer that matters. Consumers are served well and are happy with the high-quality prescription eye glasses with anti-reflective coating. Apart from prescription glasses, Optical4less also offers tinted sunglasses; bifocal reading glasses; progressive reading eyeglasses and photochromic sunglasses.

What impressed me the most about Optical4less is that their service is not limited to US, they are worldwide. One has to order more than 1 pair of eye glasses and Optical4less will ship it to any corner of the world absolutely free. Their inventory has some amazingly trenddy and stylish frames.

Fall Colors that almost went unnoticed

I have been busy going through my college, radio shows, volunteering and other stuff that I almost missed capturing the beauty of fall in my camera. Last weekend I finally got around to do it and here are the amazing hues of nature. Of course most of the pictures have been shot inside the apartment complex I live in and couple have been captured outside in places like Irving and Plano, places that I frequently visit.

Data about US Prison Inmates

One of the things I like about the US establishment is the way records of virtually every facet of life are maintained. This has enabled them to churn out enormous amounts of statistics, research-based data and establish their domination over the world. I recently came across this website which has a uniquely different search engine. This site enables people to locate prison inmates. Aptly titled Prison Inmate Locator, the site provides access to information about inmates in the US. Data available include inmate license and all other vital information of people in the prison anywhere in the US.

I believe this is a commendable effort, considering that nearly 1% of US population are living in prisons. And in my opinion every nation should put in place similar systems so that tracking of information will be easy and lessons learnt will be retained across generations.

Post-Terrorist Attack Protests

After the recent Mumbai terrorist attacks which exposed the total lackadiasical attatitude of India's corrupt politicians, common people took to streets with placards, posters, and banners. The people are outraged at the blatent courage of the Pakistani terrorists who struck at the heart of India. Of course the terrorists were helped by some "local loyals" of their own kind who live, thrive and enjoy the wealth of India but think, plot, and work against India, only one reason... because India has a majority Hindu population.

Here are some images that were forwarded to me by a friend in India, who was part of this protest rally. I hope the awakening of national consciousness continues till next year's elections and the people would elect a "Patriotic Government" or at least give full majority to one party... be it "minority-appeasement party" or "stupid spineless party" or anything... but let there be one power at the center and not a mixture of trash like it is now.