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.

Italy: An ideal train holiday destination

What is your idea of a great holiday? A super relaxing train ride across Europe's most scenic locales? Or is it a sojourn across the Swiss Alps and swim in Italy's lakes. Europe has always held a charm for every tourist/ traveler. Italy in particular offers several amazing holiday options. There is charming Venice, fashionable Milan or the artistic Tuscany, even the smallest town in Italy has something unique to offer to the discerning traveler. Now with the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express, the world's most famous train available for your holiday, it will be a once-in-a-lifetime experience. You can feel being a part of European history while riding this train even as you enjoy an unforgettable holiday with your loved ones. Personally speaking I have always enjoyed traveling by rail. Now this opportunity to enjoy rail journeys in Italy has me looking at my calendar to see when I have my next long break. It would be my dream vacation to travel across the Alps and enjoy the tranquility and soak in the ethereal beauty of Italian lakes. I would love to explore the lush islands and if time permits take the train into Switzerland. Maybe next summer will be the time when I go on a train ride through Italy, until then I will keep planning my holidays.

Beauty Destroyed by the Beast

I shot this picture at a granite quarry close to Bangalore. Sited enroute to the Bengaluru International Airport, this mountain has been quarried since the past over 30 years. The exploitation of nature continues full swing with modern technologies and vehicles such as the lorry pictured above. In my opinion the title reflects the image. I am pretty sure before quarrying started to batter the rocks on this mountain it was a place of great beauty and serenity. Now thanks to greedy human beings the mountain is almost gone, and what remains is an ugly facade of broken rock, dust and the residue of pollutants emitted by the vehicles, and equipment used to destroy the rocky cliff.

Auction Deals On Coveted Items!!!

How would you like to buy your favorite gadget, say an iPad or an iPod Touch for 99% discount off its original price? I am sure each one of us would love it and grab such a deal with both hands. Well days of waiting are over, you can get that kind of deals on a brand new penny auction website known as dealfun. I first read about dealfun.com on one of the prospective user's blog. My interested was piqued and I immediately visited Dealfun website and investigated. First things first, the website is genuine, they do offer all the fantastic products that are seen on the homepage. It is a penny auction site with a difference, dealfun guarantees a win within the first 24 hours of your registration and they will reset your deals after that. I haven't come across any auction site which resets your deals immediately after the first win. The good deals doesn't end there. There is a free shipping deal going on right now on all products. You get products at a throw away price and then you don't even pay for shipping it to your place. Isn't a true American-style deal? I am sure you'd be willing to buy half the products on dealfun if only you would be allowed to.

A Long Walk Home....

I shot this picture when I was trekking in a rural locale about 60 km from Bangalore. The picture was obviously shot from atop a hill. This image shows how this villager has to struggle to lead her life. She is ok with the risk of walking along the railway tracks for long distances to collect firewood from the forest. Life is so easy for us in the city and yet we still complain that government is not doing enough. Here is this lady who has to walk long distances over uneven ground just to survive... It is time we appreciate the good things we have...

Happy Ganesha Chaturthi

Wish you all a very Happy Gowri-Ganesha Festival!

Image via Wikipedia

Most of my readers from India would have celebrated the festival with devotion. Here in the US I am pretty sure only a minority of the Hindus would have celebrated the festival at home. Most would have gone to the temple, some would be scheduled to celebrate over the weekend. Whatever your plans are, I wish you a very Happy Gowri-Ganesha Festival.

Wildfires ravage homes and wilderness areas in Texas

News reporting is mostly about scams, crimes, and other negative aspects of the human society. When I hear about political scams, businesses exploiting workers, etc I just nod and go on with myself. It is only when I listen to news about gruesome crimes and harm to the environment that I get deeply affected. Since the past couple of days I have been listening to the news about wildfires that are burning several pristine wilderness areas in the State of Texas, US.

Nature, wilderness, forests, wildlife, and birds have so little left after what we humans have consumed, and now even their shrinking habitats are being threatened. The first threat is from the ever-greedy human being and then the next threat is mother nature herself, who rears up as floods, hurricanes, thunderstorms and sometimes as wildfires.

Every year during summer bush fires are common in rural Texas but this year it has been extremely severe. Texas has been suffering from drought which has limited water resources drastically. As a result the vegetation and forests have become extremely dry and susceptible to fire. This summer has been extremely severe thanks to the drought, temperatures have been constantly over a 100 deg F. I remember three years ago when I came here new if summer temperatures rose only to about 102 or 103 and that too only for a day or two. Unfortunately this year has not been so, triple digit temperatures have burned down for the past month or so.

Earlier this year in April 2011 Possum Kingdom State Park was consumed in a wildfire that devastated several thousand acres of pristine forests. Now in August, 2011 it is a repeat incident in which 6500 acres of wilderness areas have been consumed and the fire is spreading. Hundreds of firefighters are working hard, day and night to combat and contain the fire but in vain. Several residences close to the fire have been evacuated and now the residents are not sure whether their homes will be safe when they return.

What caused the fire? It is the dry wood from dead trees, twigs, and dry grass in the forest that easily catch fire in the heat of the sun. In countries like India where there are several hundred poor people who live by collecting firewood for cooking and sometimes to sell to others, the forest wastes are effectively used. In America there are no such abjectly poor people. Even the poorest of the poor drives a car and lives in a home with central air conditioning and heating, so nobody collects or uses the dead wood in the forests.

Moreover the state parks officials consistently maintain the park very well in such a way that insects and pests that eat dead wood and compost it can't thrive in state parks. This adds to the problem of dead wood and fire-susceptible state parks. The result is wildfires summer after summer.

I feel sad for the people affected and sadder for the animals and plants in the park that are now homeless, and perhaps lifeless too. Anyway I hope this fire doesn't happen ever again anywhere in the world and we can Save our forests for the future.

My Favorite Places around Bengaluru

I have been living in the US since the past nearly 4 years. Life has been pretty good, the roads are better, traffic jams are almost unheard of, I drive a pretty nice car, and enjoy lot more luxuries than back home in India. I have traveled the length and breadth of the country and have my favorite spots everywhere. Living in the US is like staying at a luxury hotel, how much ever comfortable and luxurious it maybe it can never be called home. When I was living in Bengaluru it was common for me to take off every weekend for a short or long trip. Here are pictures of some of my favorite spots around Bengaluru.

Devanahalli Fort

Gokak Falls in Karnataka is beautiful

Sunset at Gokarna

Sculpture of Serpant and Lord Shiva in Lepakshi

Intricately carved temple pillars at Lepakshi

No Contract, Unlimited voice, text, and web for only $50 per month

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Net10 for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

Surprised reading the headline? Wondering in this day and age how is it possible to get a mobile phone service that is good, affordable and offers all the modern features? Well the simple answer to all these questions is yes it is indeed out there and there is no contract. This is not a joke or a gimmick, it is for real.

Net10 Unlimited offers an unlimited cellphone plan that gives nationwide coverage and unlimited talk, text, and data all for only $50 a monty. You don't have to sign a contract and you can be assured that you wont receive any surprises in your bills. The best part is there is no credit checks when you apply to get a phone connection. The icing on the cake is the fantastic handsets manufactured by Motorola, LG, Nokia, Samsung and Kyocera that Net10 offers for extremely low prices.

When I first heard about the plan I wanted to meet or talk to a Real NET10 customer or atleast read their opinion about the service and I found a lot of video testimonials on youtube. The common thread of the messages is that Net10 service is great and completely affordable for everyone. Along with the unlimited plan Net10 also offers a host of monthly plans. There is the Easy Minutes Plus plan which starts at just $15 for 200 monutes and then there are several pay as you go plans also. Like I said earlier there is no contract and you can switch from plan to plan based on your requirements of airtime. You can buy the airtime you require. The recharge airtime cards are available in thousands of grocery stores across the country. Still not satisfied you can buy airtime on your phone too.

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I think this is what America needs in these days of rising prices. There is one phone service provider that is offering affordable service with all features. Watch the  Cute NET10 commercial  and you will agree with me.

Last but not the least I'd like to tell you that simple handsets are under $15 and with feature-rich phones with camera, video records, blue tooth, web etc, are under$40 and smart phones with full Qwerty keyboards are priced less than $60. There is simply not a better deal out there, check out Net10 on your favorite social networking sites, Twitter and Facebook to know more.





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