Salary Raises in 2011 - Is History Starting to Repeat?

The other day as I drove home listening to public radio one particular story made my ears perk up. The radio newsreporter was talking about the average salary raises that an American employee and CEO received and the disparity thereof. I somehow couldn't find that article again to cite here but I managed to find a whole lot of other news sources that present more or less the same statistics for this year.

According to CBS News: "The CEOs of most S&P 500 companies raked in an average compensation of $11.4 million in 2010, amounting to a 23 percent pay raise over 2009, according to a new study from labor union coalition the AFL-CIO." That means despite the flagging economy that has resulted in a record unemployment rate of 10 percent CEOs continue to enjoy their benefits and have not compromised on their pay raises and bonuses.

The other end of spectrum, struggling employees of these corporations. Those who have unprotestingly taken the brunt of the economy and have been working hard at their jobs, taken on additional responsibilities, and put in extra hours just to keep their jobs, received pathetic raises, if at all. Another news article on the same subject published in the USA Today mentions that an average American employee received a salary raise of just 2.1%. The article goes on to mention that corporations did not really make large profits to award high raises and bonuses to CEOs, rather they just laid off large number of employees so that they can pay their CEOs.

I believe this is nothing but exploitation of the American worker. Awarding pathetically low salary raises to few employees and laying off many more, while the executives make tons of money is simply exploitation. I wonder how long this kind of corporate exploitation can continue in the US. Of course unions, workers movements, and mass mobilization is not allowed or shunned by the Americans because they represent communist ideology. If that is true then this kind of exploitation of the workers represents what America stood for before the Civil War - "Slavery, Exploitation and Murder of the poor by the rich and powerful"

Computer Games

I have been a gamer from the day of 286 computers. I am pretty sure many of those online haven't even heard about those obsolete machines that had only monochrome monitors and the only sound one heard was that of the fan whirring inside the CPU. Computers and technology has come a long way since then. Now everything is online on the internet and so is this cool game creation platform. I used the platform to create a game with three levels. Check it out and let me know what you think.

Goa bans on foreigner's entry into temples!!!

I read this news report in the online edition of the Times of India and my first reaction was to check out what the readers have to say. Most of the readers are either Indian citizens or people of Indian origin living elsewhere in the world, interested to know what is going on in their home country.

Anyway having lived in the US for the past nearly four years I have seen several different kinds of religiosity. Time and again I have made cross-cultural comparisons and wondered how it would be. Say at any Christian event, men dress up in suits, women in fine dresses. This applies even to the weekly routine Sunday church service. The scene anywhere else is totally different, people dress up in all kinds of clothes, keeping in mind the latest trends.

Now when these people travel to India how is it that they think it is ok to go to a temple wearing bikini's. Agreed that Indian temples are not air conditioned like American churches. Indian churches are not air conditioned either, would they go to one of their own religious spaces in such clothes?

So if Hindu temples decide to impose a dress code or ban entry of foreigners into their religious spaces there is nothing wrong. If the intent of visiting a temple is tourism, then they don't need to go there. If it is spiritual learning then devotees need to be dressed appropriately.

Lake Texoma

Earlier this week we visited Lake Texoma, I have already blogged about the Eisenhower State Park through which we got access to this 100,000 acre water body. We hiked about 2 miles in the park along the beautiful hiking trail that follows the banks of the lake. The waters are flanked by high sandstone cliffs and unfortunately in some places the rock surfaces are inundated by names of people who want to leave their mark on unprotesting nature. The state park brochures, maps and signs implore visitors to leave nothing but their footprints. Some visitors think it important to carve out their names on the rock faces thus defacing the natural beauty of the place. I can understand uneducated folk in third world nations indulging in such nefarious activities but here in America... it is a shame that people are still not aware of how to protect their environment. I was too disgusted to capture any pictures of the rock defacement.

Here are pictures of the wonderful Lake Texoma.

Eisenhower State Park & Lake Texoma

I was off work for couple days after the long weekend during which America remembered its war heroes with respect and adoration. Now that I have the Texas State Park Pass I wanted to explore all the state parks within easy access. So we decided to drive an hour north to Denison, TX which is home to two major attractions: Eisenhower State Park located on the banks of Lake Texoma and the Eisenhower birthplace museum. The former is located outside the city and is a quiet, wooded and hilly locale.

View of Lake Texoma

Lake Texoma is actually a dam built across the Red River bang on the border of Texas and Oklahoma. The lake spans across a vast area of nearly 100,000 acres and has an additional few thousand acres of wooded parkland around. The wilderness around the lake teems with wildlife, deer, possum, armadillo, and other creatures live in harmony with visitors to the park. The park has a 3.5 mile hiking trail which weaves and winds through the wilderness. The path is not flat like in other state parks I have been to, it is actually undulating and hilly and has adequate tree cover to protect us from the harsh summer heat.

Hiking Trail in the Eisenhower State Park

The only disappointment here was the really small swimming beach in such a large lake and park. Then the amount of trash that was left over after the long weekend visitors had left. I wish there were a more efficient trash management system in place.

Swimming Beach in Eisenhower State Park on Lake Texoma

Hindu Pushup

Since I came to America my awareness has increased about how the name Hindu and India have been interchanged. Everything good has been attributed to India while everything negative has been associated with Hindu. Ironically practices such as Ayurvedic medicine, Yoga, Mantra chanting have been referred as "Ancient Indian practices" while caste system, curry, etc have been associated with Hinduism.

Recently I came across couple of videos on youtube in which correct references have been used. It seems like lot of foreigners, particularly the westerners have begun to learn at a very slow pace what is right and what is wrong. This video showcases the Hindu Pushup, a very common exercise which involves three yoga asanas or yogic poses of the Surya Namaskar and very effective in strengthening muscles, weight loss and giving the right shape to the body.

I have embedded the video for your reference.

Affordable eyeglasses from Zenni!

Since the time I immigrated to the United States I have come to understand that there are few things in the American way of life that make it financially hard. Home ownership, healthcare and finding adequate employment when you hit middle age.

In this post I am going to talk about healthcare with particular relevance to eye care. Health care services of any kind is expensive in this country. If one doesn't have good insurance coverage, it is nearly impossible to have any access to healthcare. The prohibitive costs make it better to be ill than in debt.

After couple of hundred years of unbridled capitalism in all sectors people are getting wary of these practices and there are entrepreneurs and enterprises which offer solutions.

One such company I know of is Zenni Optical. This is perhaps the only company that offers prescription eyeglasses for as little as $6.95. In this economy and era of rising prices how is it that this company has managed to continue to offer cost effective solutions to people? It has been possible because Zenni doesn't believe in the traditional business model. Their business is based on the internet and hence there is no middle men involved. They spend next to nothing for their advertising and thus there is no overhead.

All this translates to immense benefits to the consumer. That is why people who value time and money get their glasses done by Zenni.

Ray Roberts Lake - Quiet Aqua Forte

Yesterday I visited the oceanic Ray Roberts Lake. Located in North Texas, not too far from where I live is this expansive water body that offers great recreational facilities for those who want to get away from the city and its pollution. It's 30,000 acre water span has enough space, depth and water for everyone to enjoy boating, fishing, swimming, or just watching the vast expanse of water. For those who want to be grounded and wish to wander around trees and rolling hills the area surrounding the lake has been marked off as a state park and is full of tall trees criss-crossed by numerous hiking, biking and walking trails.

Our visit was not a well planned one so we just spent time watching and wading in the water and taking some pictures of the area. Next time around we may be able to take a dip, go kayaking or ride a bicycle around the forests.

Doomsday failure...

May 21st came and went and we are still alive, the world as we know it continues to exist and thrive. The man behind all the frenzy Harold Camping made a pretty sum in the form of donations and continues to state that rapture will happen.

Harold Camping: Doomsday Preacher Explains Failed Rapture Prediction - ABC News

A clear case of history repeating itself. This Christian Pastor had claimed rapture in the late 1990s and when it didn't happen he said the very same thing that it was a "mathematical error" on his part.

The world will come to an end when some lunatic gets hold of the nuclear weapon stockpile. Otherwise we are safe. There is no danger from God to this world, if there is any danger it is from human beings.

Extreme Reactions to Bible Predictions of Doomsday 2011

Some Christians think that the beginning of the end of the world is going to start on May 21, 2011. Yes! if these christian organizations were to be believed there will be a large earthquake two days from now and that will mark the beginning of the end of world.

When faith gets into someone they can go to bizarre levels to propagate it. I read about this man in New York who spent his life savings of $140,000 to advertise this prediction in various parts of the city. He has also written a book titled The Doomsday Code about this destruction of the world.

This is definitely hilarious, the extent to which people take their faiths seriously. Here is a 60 yr old man who spends all his savings advertising this prophesy that doesn't have any scientific basis. I wonder what he is going to do few years down the line when he has to retire. Granted that he will be eligible for health benefits under Medicare and Medicaid that has been paid for by taxpaying citizens like himself.

Life in this country is not easy when one is old and poor. This precisely what this guy will be a few years down the line, if the world doesn't end day after tomorrow :)

Predict your life span with a blood test!

Every life form on this planet will fight to the end with any greater force for existence... i.e. to preserve its life, to thrive, to live longer. Human beings are the smartest of all life forms and have devised ways and means to combat common diseases and live longer.

I remember one Hindi saying on this subject: "Jaan Hai to Jahan Hai" meaning if life is there then the whole world is there. I heard this quote in the film the Mummy: "Live today to fight tomorrow". Life is celebrated and death is feared in almost all cultures across the world.

In this quest there are hoary sciences such as astrology, palmistry, tarot, etc, whose practitioners claim to accurately predict the future. Unfortunately most of them fall short sometime or the other. To this list of paranormal/ occult/ predictive sciences we can add biology/ medicine. A new test devised by scientists in Europe is said to effectively predict how many years one is going to live.

I read about the test online on Washington Post. According to the article the Telomere test, a simple blood test like the can predict the lifespan quite effectively.

Now wouldn't that put a spanner in the works of astrologers who have hitherto held sway over people who have been trying to unravel the mysteries of their future. It would also create a great catastrophe like the author points out if Insurance companies were to come to know about your test results, or even if your employer were to know your test results.

I think this is a great test and should be made accessible to everyone, making the results public could be left to the discretion of the individual.

A Working Summer

For students in the US summer break is not a time to enjoy holidays. Rather everyone does something productive such as taking up a job, volunteering, enrolling for summer classes, traveling to another country, etc. This trend is catching up in upcoming economies such as India but it is not enough to sustain the large population of youth in that country.

Coming back to what I am doing. This is one period of the year when I get unbroken time to work and pick up overtime hours. Overtime pays (1½ times) and when there is opportunity to earn overtime it is the best thing to do. Moreover with summer heat melting the muscle and vaporizing blood it is better to remain indoors in the comfort of the air-conditioning.

I hope I can blog occasionally....

Summer is here :)

It is that time of the year again... 100 degree days and sunshine upto 9.00 pm. It is a good time to go out and enjoy but at the same time the heat is so prohibitive it keeps us indoors most of the day. Anyway this is my finals week and then I will be working lots of hours during the next month... for now it is sitting in front of the computer and studying and during my break I create graphics like the one below.

New Downloadable Font

Needless to say I have worked on creating new fonts some are in progress and some have been complete. Click on the font if you like it and down load it on your computer and use it. If you think it is a really cool font log on to Fontstruct and leave a high-five...

Sewing Machine Parts and Accessories

A major feature of the American lifestyle that is often not understood enough by immigrants is the necessity to be able to do everything. From cleaning the house, to washing the cars and from changing fused bulbs at home to using the sewing machine to alter, fix, embroider clothes. Talking about sewing machines, most people in India don't own one. I am talking about India because I am from there. Most people who own these implements are professional tailors. Those individuals who own one use it to stitch all kinds of clothes, curtains, etc at home.

In the US, for everything that is available in the market, there are an array of accessories to make it look, feel, or work better. Similarly with the sewing machine there are numerous accessories and several industries actually owe their existence to this secondary market. Another secondary market is for sewing machine parts which are a big draw among owners and prospective owners.

I know people who have invested several hundred dollars on sewing machine parts and accessories simply because they enjoy creating new fabric with the machines. There are numerous parts that are consumed by sewing enthusiasts on a regular basis. These parts include bobbin cases foot pedals, footwork kits, sewing machine foot, etc.

During the recent years the convenience of the internet has enabled all sewing enthusiasts to buy lots and lots of parts online. The online businesses are also thriving because they can sell cheaper to the consumer because middlemen are eliminated. The consumer is happy that he/ she can see pictures of the part before ordering and also that there is a money back guarantee on most online purchases. Then there are auction sites where people go scouring for bargains.

Once again I would like to reiterate that the internet may after all be the best source of news, views, and opinions.

Another Brand New Font

I am totally enamored by the website fontstruct which enables me to create new fonts as per my creative abilities. I spend lots of time trying out new styles and designs. Sometimes I succeed in creating a complete font, other times I just have to abandon the project and start a new one. Here is one of the fonts I recently completed. Feel free to download and use it and let me know whether you found it utilitarian or is it not worth using.

Smile & Be happy....

If you’re not using your smile, you’re like a person with a million dollars in the bank and no checkbook.

Adding Glamour to your ride!

It has been couple of days since I posted any blogs. I was busy looking at some spanking new products that would enhance my ride. I had been thinking of going to the car dealership to upgrade some features of my car, but the exorbitant prices they charge discouraged me. Recently I found an online store where one can buy OEM Car Parts for the right price and get it installed at a local garage or if one is handy it can be self accomplished.

Well, naturally I was thrilled by the fact that Auto Parts were so affordable here while at the dealership they cost so much more. For example I wanted to replace the A/c compressor in my Saturn L series vehicle. The dealership had quoted $1,500 including labor for the job. When I questioned the rationale they had said there was a parts cost of $1200 and $300 was for labor. Here on OEM Auto Parts the cost of a brand new OEM compressor is only $495. This is indeed a significant savings.

I now understand how car dealerships make so much money, they simply overprice everything, just because they are bigger corporations. I believe that we can accomplish the same upgrades to our cars at a much lower price if we buy parts here and install it ourselves or get it done at a local mechanic.

Walking/ Hiking Trail

The woods beckon me to walk and explore, and enjoy the bounty of nature. I turn around to see the world around me and realize that there are miles to drive before I can stop the car and get into the trail. For now it is going to be walking along the Wilson Creek Park trail in McKinney, Texas.

Highways in Texas

This is the picture of the Central Expressway in Texas, US. I took this picture while walking under the bridge in one of the rarely seen foot paths. I guess this trail exists because it is part of a walking/ bicycling trail system in McKinney Texas, my new home city. It is interesting to notice the amount of space that is left open in this country. If there was this much space in India I am pretty sure there would be either a few families living here or couple of small stores operating a thriving business selling pan, cigarettes and odds and ends.