Mera Mann

Top 10 Cloud Vendors

2011-08-17T06:01:00.001-07:00

I came across this blog post by Peter Laird (Blog link) which I found to be an interesting way to rank the cloud vendors but since this list had been prepared almost 2 years before, I decided to give it a shot now to see how the ranking had changed over time.

Based on the methodology used by Peter I did the following :

Cleared all browser cookies
Ensured I was logged out of Google (to avoid personalized results)
Navigated to the www.google.com search page
Typed “cloud computing” in the search box

However unlike Peter I did not browse through all the pages but restricted my ranking until I found 10 vendors. The result is as follows.

From the search results scrubbed off all non vendors and then collected the first occurrence of each of the following vendors.

Page	Rank	Vendor	URL
1	1	Salesforce	http://www.salesforce.com/cloudcomputing/
	2	IBM	http://www.ibm.com/cloud-computing/
	3	Amazon EC2	http://aws.amazon.com/ec2/
2	4	Dell	http://content.dell.com/us/en/enterprise/cloud-computing.aspx
	5	Microsoft	http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/cloud/default.aspx
	6	VmWare	http://www.vmware.com/solutions/cloud-computing/index.html
3	7	F5	http://www.f5.com/solutions/cloud-computing/
	8	CloudVertex	http://www.cloudvertex.com/
	9	Novell	http://www.novell.com/cloud/
5	10	EMC	http://www.emc.com/microsites/cloud/cloud.htm

Congrats to Salesforce for being on the top of the list…

Technorati Tags: Cloud,Cloud computing,Cloud Vendors,Rank,2011

IITF Trade Fair , 2010

2010-11-20T10:22:00.001-08:00

The trade fair in Pragati Maidan for the year 2010 started on November 14th but was not open to public until 19th November. The experience I had the previous year has taught me not to go to IITF in a weekend and was planning to take a off some time in the weekday to visit the trade fair which I did not want to miss in any cost.

While I was still wondering when to take the leave I got to know that Interviewers were required in office this Sunday for some walk-ins my company had planned. I luckily made a deal with my senior colleague and convinced him that I will volunteer to be in office the following Sunday if I was allowed to take off the Friday. With my plans to visit Pragati maidan on a weekday coming in shape I was more than happy chalking the travel plans for the next day. Since I assumed it would be difficult to find parking nearby the Pragati Maidan I decided to use the Delhi Metro from Mayur Vihar. Although the initial plan was to wake up early and leave for the trade fair early morning, we were able to leave home only around 11 AM, but luckily got an auto till the nearest metro station, where I also bought the entry ticket for the Trade fair and in no time we were at the Pragati Maidan gate near the Metro Station.

Even though it was Friday morning there was a good crowd lined up in the entry for security checking. There were lines separate for Ladies and Gentlemen and one dedicated line for those who did not carry and bags with them. Since this was a very small line and there was no point that me and my wife carrying a bag each wait in line, I asked my wife to hand over her hand-purse to me and quickly use the third line but at last moment it was known that the no bags line was only for Men. Even thought dissapointed I handed over the bag and hand-purse now to my wife and I quickly completed my security check and started waiting for my wife for whom it almost took half an hour in the long line and limited security equipments.

As soon as we entered we were able to get into stall number 8,9,10,11 which housed the cosmetics, CSIR technology hall (Psst do not miss the DNA identification stall here). Hall number 12 is home appliances good to see stalls from Toshiba, BSA (some nice tread mills & Cycles), Singer sewing machine, Prestige etc., A lot of these brands were offering great discounts to woo customers. Even though I was enjoying all these my wife was in the lookout for the Khadi stall where she would get some nice sarees. We soon exited the Stall 12 and reached the Khadi stall which is near the Maharashtra hall.

The Khadi Gramudyog stall is the place where you could find the handicraft or hand-woven cloths from all over India. Do lookout for the nice bamboo and cane furniture's here. While my wife was still on the lookout for the sarees I spotted a interesting object. A small motorcycle totally made out of bamboo parts. Even the wheel of the bike is a bamboo diagonally cut piece. There is no plastic/metal part in the mobike but all bamboo. This was from the Nagaland Stall and It was so catchy that it will surely interest anyone. This guys had very less stock and have no plans to get more from Nagaland. The motorcycle was priced at Rs.1500 which at the first may seem slightly more but in a second thought the delicate work surely is worth of it. There was also a Glider/Airplane that was also made using only bamboo. This was a bit lesser in price (Rs.300) owing to the less amount of effort involved in this. I was able to bargain and strike a deal of Rs.1500 for both the bike and the airplane which I felt was a fair deal. My wife still around the saree stall was able to spot a beautiful Kantha work saree which she bought for Rs.4500 and a suit material with Kashmiri work over that.

Check the link for the picture of the bike

Finally tired walking till now we took a snacks break and again resumed visiting the remaining stalls. The Hall no 6 which is having the international stalls from Afghanistan, Pakistan, Korea, Indonesia. (Do checkout the marble works from Pakistan and stone pendants and ornaments from Afghanistan)

Locked outside

2010-10-16T07:39:00.001-07:00

I was very happy when I bought this Godrej Ultra twin bolt lock (“India’s first unpick able Locking System) and installed in the main entrance of my rented apartment which happens to be in the second floor. Great lock with those computerized dimpled keys and did not require a key to lock just shut the doors and feel safe.. But least did I realize that this great feature will become a curse.

A friend of my wife had visited us along with her husband and child after half a day long conversation and get together when it was time for them to leave myself and my wife walked them out of the door leaving my father-in-law at home. We walked all the way down the stairs to their car, our talks continued a little more before they got seated themselves in their car. It was when I noticed that my Father-in-law too had come just behind us to see them off and inadvertently slamming the door on the way out.. Great news… none had carried the keys while coming out … Just that we all realize that we are all now locked outside our house at 8.00 PM.

The doors in the balcony facing the road was open but there was no way that it could be accessed easily. I do always have an extra set of key in my car but guess what the car keys too are locked in the house.. So looking into the situation the options left were.. Break the wooden door (Not possible with the landlord living in the first floor), Break one of the side glass of the car and get the house keys( this would certainly dent my wallet), Or ask the neighbors to let me in and since their balcony and ours is side by side I can try sling shot my self into our floor (But problem is this is to occur in the second floor and would be highly risky to be doing out in the dark). After analyzing all the pros and cons the last option of me dangling out of the neighbors balcony seemed to the one with no direct monetary impact as long as i do not fall off and break my bones.

I walked up to my neighbors door and apologetically enquired if they would permit me do what I had thought of doing.. They agreed to that immediately and I know they too would have wanted to watch me fall that's why they agreed to it so easily… Clinging to their balcony wall carefully I managed to reach out my balcony and finally jumped in safely to retrieve the keys which were inside and in no time opened the door from inside to everyone's relief…

But not much days have gone by after this incident that it happened again. Me and my wife had a tussle and being angry and show it she walked out of the door and sat in the step in front of the door and acting as if she was crying.. A little while later I came out and finding her sitting out there covering her face I wanted to make some noise.. How stupid of me .. I slammed the door close to make her realize I was standing behind her.. Guess what no keys this time as well…

There I was sheepishly standing at my neighbors doors requesting them to allow me do my stunt once more…

Technorati Tags: Godrej,locks,unpickable,locked out,stupid,keys

Nothing Succeeds like Success

2010-09-27T07:56:00.001-07:00

“Nothing Succeeds like a Success” is the favorite quote of my Wife and I am glad it suits the following incident.

I have always been an average child. My marks in my school were barely enough to fetch me a decent rank somewhere ranging between 15 – 25 in a class of 45. I was not a popular student but neither a trouble maker, I was the average timid guy. I’ve often wondered how poor my luck was. I did not have skills like singing or dancing but I did fairly well in sketching. However in my school days I rarely won any competition.

I could still remember the day I joined my engineering college which was a newly opened college and we were first batch. The college being a new one did not have a logo/emblem of its own and it was announced that the college would give opportunity to its new students to showcase their talent and allow them to design the college logo/emblem. Although I knew how good my stars were I thought I should give it a shot. In the evening when I returned back to my room, I started sketching out a logo in my college notebook and almost finished it in a couple of hours. As I did not want to tear this off my note I decided I would photocopy it and submit the following as my entry.

The centre of the logo was the famous Rock Fort of Tiruchirapalli (Trichy), and the four sides were symbols to represent four streams Computer Science, Communication, Electrical and Mechanical. Since I probably submitted to early and the deadline was still on I almost forgot about this competition. A couple of days later when I entered our class room a group of my classmates informed me that My Logo had been selected to be the college logo. It truly was a new beginning and I could sense my luck changing already. My Joy knew no bounds and within the first few days I was already popular in my college and everyone in my college (roughly 140 students) and the faculty seemed to know me now. I received a cash award or Rs.500 from the director of my College Dr.Shanmuganathan.

This incident certainly changed me from an average timid guy to a confident person which I am now.

Haemophobia

2010-09-17T07:07:00.001-07:00

I still remember the day I first donated blood. I have been having this fear of seeing blood (Haemophobia) since birth but I first identified this condition of mine while I had to do a blood test in school. This is the time when they prick you with a needle, collect a drop of blood and smear it in a glass plate. Everything went normal so far… even the pricking but when the nurse starts to squeeze the finger and a drop of blood emerges that's when I felt some what like missing a heart beat and with minutes I found myself flat on ground… (Obviously I had fainted).

Being aware of this particular weakness in me I usually avoid watching blood but there are times when I try to be bold and take the first step to try and see if this still happens and mostly the result is same as the first time. Once while I was in college there was some requirement of blood and there was a peon who enquired in every class if someone was willing to donate. Since it had been a while when I had fainted I thought I would give it a try. I volunteered and we were all to reach a nearby hospital where it was actually required. After the initial formalities the hospital staff over there enquired who would like to have it done first.. Being the scared one I thought it would be better if its quick and I go first so that I need not see others and get scared more embarrassing all others and my self. I was asked to lay down in one of those beds and in a while the nurse was nearby with a cotton and needle in hand wiping the upper part of my forearm just in the elbow joint. Even before I realized she had already pierced the needle and the job was started. I thought it would be better if I avoid seeing the sachet where the blood was filled up. To my amazement in few minutes the pouch was full and needle removed from my hand and after wiping it off with cotton a band-aid was applied over the spot. I felt greatly relieved as there was no drama involved in this encounter. One by one all those who volunteered had donated blood and we were provided some coupons so that we can have some fresh fruit juice from canteen. We drank the juice and as it was already time in the evening when all our classes were over we decided to return back home. I boarded the public transport bus which was already full with no vacant seats. Just as I continued the journey towards home I thought what if my parents see the band-aid and enquire about it … It would really be awkward that I had to explain all those things. I decided I should peel off the band-aid and removed it in a jerk. This is when I spotted the needle mark and silently a small drop of blood peeked through it.

Bham !!! The next thing I remember was I was seated in the bus with few of the passengers fanning me and wiping the sweat off my forehead.

Monsoon Trip to Manali

2010-09-10T02:17:00.001-07:00

After having created a great deal of hype in the office and at home of going to Leh even after the disaster had struck I finally had to call it off in the last moment much to the relief of many but to a great personal disappointment. Our trip to Leh was planned well in advance and the preparation was also in full swing. Even though we knew that Leh was battered after the cloud burst in first week of August, 2010 we were expecting to get some positive news before our planned departure day(3rd Sept). But there was no positive signs till the last moment and finally we had to call off the trip. However as the leaves were already applied and cancelling them off was not a good idea we started scouting for probable places (Shimla, Jaisalmer, Manali…)where we may now visit we finally chose Manali.

Day 1 (5th September 2010):

I love driving very early morning when there is no one in the road and its easy to cross cities so we started our move around 2 AM in the morning but just as we reached the Delhi border go struck in a Jam caused by some accident, finally able to continue our move after an hour. As expected the rest of the drive was smooth and we sailed across Panipat, Ambala and Bye passing Chandigarh made our way through panchkula where we started to see rough roads all damaged in rains. Just as I was thinking this was worse there was something even more challenging waiting for us ahead. Due to the continuous rains the road ahead had been washed away by a seasonal river and the river was crossing right between the road.

There were some Truck and Jeeps waiting in both ends not sure whether they should take the risk of crossing the river or wait. I could see from the motorcyclist who were trying to cross how deep the water was and the force of the river was also too much. Since waiting here was not one of the option. We took the lead of trying to cross which although felt heroic at that time but now realize how stupid it would have been if we had been washed away or if the engine stopped in midway. With Adrenaline pumping and taking guidance from my instincts I kept to the left side of the road where the water was just gushing out back into deep nowhere. When we were right in the middle at times it seemed as though it was too much for the car to take and it might just stop midway and would have been a nightmare to us and funny scene to those waiting truck drivers who certainly would have felt “Were we stupid to be waiting in the shores”. But luckily after a few minutes we were on the other side of the road. No sooner did we cross giving inspiration to the larger vehicles they followed us.

Only after crossing we realized what we had done.. As we could see the trucks and jeeps struggling their way through the water which almost was till 3/4 of their large tyre and can imagine our small car could have been half way inside this river when we were crossing the same. I could already see adventure written all over in this trip. Later on I came to know that this place was Nalagarh (Aptly named I guess). With the sense of achievement in our hearts we continued this journey towards Manali. The road now starts winding and climbing and we could feel the increase in altitude by feel of pressure in the ear building up by a peek at the sides where in we could see the valley in one side going deeper with every few meter or road travelled. Already in early mornings now we could feel the need for a cup of tea.

We reached a place called Swarghat which looked like a tiny village in the mountains and just as the road side shop keeper started making tea it started with a drizzle and converted into a rainfall. What else could one ask for in such a superb whether a hot sip of Chai… After this the road keeps on winding Gaining/loosing altitude as we proceed further till Mandi where we take the turn towards Kullu. The road towards Kullu is nice and mostly has the river Beas on one side throughout the journey. You could enjoy the great view on both sides of the river. As we all know its not the destination that matters in a trip but the journey itself.

The way to Kullu is very scenic with some great views along side river Beas. On the way you could see a waterfall. Tourist usually stop to take some snaps in this place. Next comes a 2 Km long tunnel crossing which we reach the Kullu Valley via Bhunter. The Kullu Manali airport is in Bhunter and this is where the roads to Kullu/Manali and Manikaran splits. Once you reach Kullu which is roughly 7 Kms from Bhunter, there are two ways from Kullu to Manali on either side of Beas. We took the Highway which we soon realized was in bad shape as repairing work was in full swing. The Trip on this road was a spine breaker with pot holes and rough rodes till the last mile to Manali.

Reaching Manali roughly at 4 PM we were on the look for a nice hotel which would have some great view. The government hotel rooms were not so well kept and stink of moisture due to the continuous rains. Since this was of-season the first thought was to look out for bigger names (Holiday Inn, Sterling Resort) which would be available in discounted rates. We checked out the rooms of Holiday Inn and Sterling but the rooms with good views were already booked and the ones available were not so nice.

We came across this nice hotel (Hotel Lords Residency) on one side of Beas. The gentleman at the reception was kind enough to show all the available rooms and the best part was it was available in almost 50% discounted rates. The hotel was scantily occupied and we also came to know that it was just renovated a few months before which we could see from the new furnishings, LCD TV and clean bathrooms. The room was some kind of Large suite with large glass windows in two sides providing a great view of Beas in one side and mountains in the other. Being tired after almost a 12 hour drive we chose to retire for the day. The plan for next day was to check if visiting Rohtang(Pass) was possible and do local site seeing.

Day 2 (6th September 2010):

We came to know from the Hotel staff that road to Rohtang was badly damaged and there was no snow fall to see over there but if we still were interested we could rent a cab rather than go in our car with low ground clearance. Still confused we decided to do the local site seeing first before finalizing Rohtang. Among the places to visit locally are Hidimba Temple, Manu Temple, Vashisht Temple.

Hidimba Devi Temple

Almost hidden by giant deodars on the outskirts of the village Dungri stands this wooden temple dedicated to goddess Hidimba. This temple is supposed to be build around 1553 by Raja Bahadur Singh. Manali is a famous spot for honeymooners and around the temple you could find peddlers urging you to buy Saffron(believed it will enhance the color of the baby if consumed by pregnant women) , Shilajit(very well-known for its aphrodisiacal properties in both men and women). During winters this temple is mostly covered with snow. People here are very particular about Photography of their deity and it is not welcome. So think twice before you compose your shot.

You can get dressed up in traditional dress available here for rent (50 – 100 bucks) Also around the temple you could find Yaks or large white rabbits available to take a photograph with them for some money.

Manu Temple

Manu Temple has remained as one of the primary Manali tourist attractions, since times immemorial. It is believed to be the place where sage Manu meditated after stepping on earth. Manali has a distinct historical background that is appealing to most people who visit the pilgrim spot. According to Hindu mythology, Manu sage is the divine creator of the human race in the world. It was in this region that the sage dwelt and meditated. Whenever you visit Manali, make sure to see the temple too.

The Mall Road

The Mall road is a great hit during the Honeymoon season when you could see mostly newly wed couples who come out for a stroll. The mall has shops that are mostly eateries, or sell Shawls. The hand made shawls are mostly from the nearby villages made of Lambs wool, Yak wool, Pashmina or Angora (Rabbit hair). If you really wish to get some souvenir make sure that you land in genuine shops (Bhuttico). Also beware of cheats who try to Sell Chingu (Google for details).

Day 3 (7th September 2010)

Vashisht Temple

The Vashisht temple is yet another must see place when you visit Manali. This places houses the famous hot sulphur spring known for its healing power. The Hindu sage Vashisht is said to have prayed in this location for 1000 years. The path to this temple is a steep ride and then a breath taking walk for the last 500 mts.

The temple is a beauty to watch and do not miss to take a bath in this sacred hot water spring. You can buy towels in the nearby shop for a hefty price in case you forgot to take yours.

You could again find people trying to lure you to buy or see/hear about chingu here. its best that you ignored them and keep walking.

After giving much thought we finally decided to drop Rohtang /Solang Valley during this trip. We vacated the room and started on our way back to Delhi. But we already started to feel how short this trip till now has been considering the amount of effort it had consumed till now. Unable to make our mind we continued our drive back to Kullu now via Naggar. This road was far better than the highway and had apple trees on the both the side of the road. All the way we could see people carrying basket full of apples ready to be sorted and boxed. We stopped at one such place where apples were being packed in boxes and asked how much for a few kilos as we did not want a whole box, the person out there said they would not be able to sell in fewer quantities as he had nothing to weigh but he was kind enough to hand us over 5 big apples (atleast 2 Kilos) for free. Upon having a bite we realized the difference, These fresh apples were so juicy and tasty unlike the ones we used to buy in the cities.

In a spur of thought we decided not to return back directly but to continue our journey and to reach McLeod Ganj, Dharamsala.

(… To be continued)

100 Things in my Life

2010-09-03T03:25:00.001-07:00

100 is just figuratively speaking but the following are the things which I have already done or wish to do someday.

Started my own blog
Had chicken pox
Visited Amarnath
Had a Camel ride
Walked in Times Square
Seen Snow fall
Seen a frozen Lake
Donated Blood
Got Drunk and passed out
Seen a Glacier
Fell from bike
Held a praying mantis
Taken a sick day when not ill
Watched Sun rise and sun set in sea the same day
Watched from the top of Empire State building
Bus ride in Manhattan
Swim in Sea
Done a public speech
Posted an article in local newspaper
Built a sand castle
Won a prize
Fall off a running Bus
White water Rafting
Jumped off a cliff into a river
Spent a whole day in an airport
Collected hail
Spent a night in Tent
Bathed in a frozen River
Felt an Earthquake
Bribed someone
Got pick pocketed
Travelled without ticket in a bus and got caught
Forged Signed fathers signature in school report card
Proposed some one
Ride an Elephant
Driven car in 150 km/ph (roughly 100 miles/hr)
Lost a loved one
owned a cell phone
owned a DSLR
Kissed in a plane
Visited ground zero
Talked to a stranger
Walked on beach in moonlight
Played in a Casino
Bathed in a waterfall
Swim in a well and almost drowned and saved
Watched movie in open air theater
stayed in a shikara (Boat house)

Things I Wish to do some day

Drive a huge Truck
Trek alone in some distant mountains
Go on a Cruise
Visit Niagara Falls
Bungee jump
Buy an SUV
Ride an Ostrich
Buy a Royal Enfield
Save someone’s life
Walk in Africa
see an active Volcano
Bath in a hot spring
Ride on the top or a train
Write a book and get published
Fly in an Helicopter
Start a Business
Go to a drive-in Cinema
Drink a tequila shot
Drive a Harley
Buy a home near sea shore
Go to Ladaakh
Go Skiing

Never Happened yet

Struck by a lightening
Broken a bone
Watched someone die
Bitten by a snake/stung by a scorpion
Been to Jail

Better late than Never

2010-08-05T03:59:00.001-07:00

Apocalypse that is to finish off the earth by 21/12/2012 comes at a very short notice that leaves us with little chance for some great plans but I would say its “Better late than Never”

We all would agree that life is already screwed up beyond the chance of any revival and instead of turning our face away or ignoring all the warnings why not accept it and think about some positive things that could be done. I am not going to give the details on how The world is going to end or numerous signs that point to sure end by 2012 but rather would like provoke your thoughts on how we can plan to approach the inevitable Apocalypse and live life.

Planning for an apocalypse can be something new to all of us and since we may not know what may come and what we need to face it would be touch to plan something so instead of starting with how to survive an apocalypse lets start with an simpler task of how to spend our time worthwhile until the apocalypse. By the time I am posting this we are almost left with only 868 Days, my suggestion would be plan to work hard for a few more months 8 to 10 months the goal here is to accumulate as much money as you can within this time and then be well placed for the remaining year and a half. Many of us might have already have started certain saving plans, insurances etc., check how many of those can be en-cashed when an immediate need arises.

Postpone long term planning to post 2012.. (like buying an home, saving plans..) Instead of thinking about long term savings, plan to have more cash in hand and start thinking about those things you always dreamt of doing but just set them aside as you assumed it was not feasible now. (like going on a Trek, A long planned vacation, Buying your dream Car/Bike). This is not the time to buy home and end up locking your hard earned money but to invest in an SUV which may help you drive around and visit places. I would like to mostly travel during 2012. A RV could be a good bet, but am not sure how much I would require to buy one in India. I can certainly take a loan which I probably may not have to return.

So instead of ignoring or complaining about what is to come pull your self together and start thinking of what you want to do and how you plan to do the same.

(To be continued… )

Aspiring Writer

2010-06-23T11:39:00.001-07:00

One of the goals that I would like to achieve in my life is to write a book. I have not thought of whether it would be a Fiction, something Technical or an autobiography. Leave alone writing I have been not much into reading as well. But my instincts do say that one day I will surely fulfill this dream of mine. I am not sure about the future of novels or books in coming few years owing to the way in which technology is changing and how internet, communication and mobile is changing every minute.

My first thought in this direction is to start reading books. I came across this important link with mention of some 75 must read books for aspiring writers which I felt I could share with. Some really nice books mentioned out here a very large list though with the rate at which I read I am not sure I would be able to complete reading them all before I could start writing my self.

A few of the examples listed out there:

On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft by Stephen King:
The Best Writing on Writing by Jack Heffron:
Keys to Great Writing by Stephen Wilbers:

Entrepreneur by Accident

2010-06-12T03:55:00.001-07:00

I accidently came across a few articles(Bread King Professor, An entrepreneur by accident) about some successful entrepreneur via links shared through Twitter. Reading through the articles you tend to remain amazed how these people were successful in their business and were able to set up an empire.

Last year during the slow down a lot of us would have thought of an own venture of opening a small business a few might have tried starting and a very few might now be chuckling in success but if you try to look into the history of these entrepreneur you would note how they did not mind to start it with a very small scale. People at our level who are in their mid 30’s have already reached a spot where returning back and starting up afresh is considered cheap. Its not those Birla’s , Tata’s and Ambani’s that we have to choose our role models but these Entrepreneur by accident who did not succumb to all odds and wrote their own success stories.

Although the sequences of events when read through the article writers eyes zoom past in fast forward the fact is they have really put in a huge effort and time spanning for almost one to two decades before they could actually reap the fame of success.

Do pen your responses in comments or write to me @twivtr

Technorati Tags: Entrepreneur by accident,Entrepreneur,accident,success

On the wrong side of the Cage…

2010-06-09T10:23:00.001-07:00

Had a very weird dream last night which I would like to share…

It started with me and a bunch of people scrambling through some rugged mountain terrain and just as we were nearing the foot hills we come to know that there is a zoo. Curiously and cautiously I rush through to reach a barbed fence like thing and try to peek to see if get to see some glimpse of any wild animal just when I hear a roar behind me. I turn around only to see a lion standing a few meters away from me when I realize I have been in the wrong side of the barbed wire along with the lion all the way and was expecting it to be at the other side. I try to run and climb some structure to avoid the grasp of the lion just then my phone rings (Actually my morning Alarm) I wake up sweating in the air conditioned room…

Cant figure out what exactly this means but being a person who believes in sign I want to think this is some indication of things to come..

Online Document sharing

2010-06-02T10:39:00.001-07:00

Technorati Tags: box,scribd,google,zoho,windows live,online document sharing,collaboration

A few useful online document management sites which I personally find very useful

1. Box.net (www.box.net)

This is a cool online utility with a lot of features that not only allow you to upload and share a lot of documents but also is integrated with gmail, twitter, linkedin etc., also allows you to convert the files to pdf versions, allows to send fax and convert the text to speech if you have ispeech account.

2. Scribd (www.scribd.com)

Scribd is one more famous utility of which most of us already know. Scribd allows sharing of documents online.

3. Google Docs (http://docs.google.com)

I would consider google doc as the pioneer at least for me for it was google docs with which i started sharing documents in the beginning. Google docs did some active changes in the beginning but somehow has lost its luster now..

4. Zoho Docs (http://writer.zoho.com)

Zoho writer one more in the crowd that offers online document sharing and collaborations. Ideal for a team working in a single document.

5. Windows live workspaces (http://workspace.office.live.com/)

Last but not the least windows live certainly emerges as a winner with lots of new features a huge storage space (25G) and a very intuitive document sharing with a variety of documents in its clout.

I almost use all of the above .. I would surely believe there are lot more out there which others use do mention those in the comments section if you think it could be useful for others who are unaware of it till now.

Cup of life

2010-05-31T06:20:00.000-07:00

A group of alumni, highly established in their careers, got together to visit their old University of Notre Dame lecturer. Conversation soon turned into complaints about stress in work and life.

Offering his guests coffee, the lecturer went to the kitchen and returned with a large pot of coffee and an assortment of cups - porcelain, plastic, glass, some plain looking and some expensive and exquisite, telling them to help themselves to hot coffee.

When all the students had a cup of coffee in hand, the lecturer said: "If you noticed, all the nice looking, expensive cups were taken up, leaving behind the plain and cheap ones. While it is but normal for you to want only the best for yourselves, that is the source of your problems and stress. What all of you really wanted was coffee, not the cup, but you consciously went for the better cups and are eyeing each other's cups."

"Now, if Life is coffee, then the jobs, money and position in society are the cups. They are just tools to hold and contain Life, but the quality of Life doesn't change."

"Sometimes, by concentrating only on the cup, we fail to enjoy the coffee in it."

Have a lovely day and enjoy life to its fullest.
(Source unknown)

Amarnath Yatra to be Taxed…

2010-05-29T08:16:00.001-07:00

With no offense to any religion we in India have always been boasting of being a secular nation where Ramzaan and Diwali is celebrated with equal zeal.

Unlike any other nation the India government provides a Haj subsidy to aid the haj pilgrims have free ride, but its really a pity to hear that the dark ages of Islamic domination seem to be slowly seeping back into independent India. First was the Kashmiri Muslim hegemony of not allowing land and infrastructure for Hindu yatris; and now Jazia has been levied on the pilgrims and langars for the revered Amarnath Yatra.(Read more …)

The pilgrimage to Amarnath is considered to be one of the toughest next to the Kailash Mansarovar yatra. Pilgrims from various part of the country walk an arduous 2-3 days walk to reach the sacred caves where the lord Shiva, the Destroyer once recited the amar katha to his wife Parvati.

The Amarnath yatra is tough for the poor not so for the wealthy who could opt to take a Chopper ride from Baltal and land directly just before the steps that lead to the main cave. So having a Jazia on those poor pilgrims is an injustice and needs the attention of the government.

While we all raise our voices for petty incidences when the media popularizes it. Feel victorious when you stomp the release of MNIK (My Name is Khan) but we all rail to realize that while we dedicate our time to those petty things we leave bigger issues slip through. Taxing a pilgrimage was even condemned and abolished by emperor Akbar shame on our able politicians who turn a blind eye to such atrocity..

Technorati Tags: Amarnath yatra,pilgrimage,lord shiva,kashmir,Jazia,Tax

why keep mum.

CLUB 99

2010-05-26T11:22:00.000-07:00

Once upon a time, there lived a King who, despite his luxurious lifestyle, was neither happy nor content.

One day, the King came upon a servant who was singing happily while he worked. This fascinated the King; why was he, the Supreme Ruler of the Land, unhappy and gloomy, while a lowly servant had so much joy. The King asked the servant, 'Why are you so happy?'

The man replied, 'Your Majesty, I am nothing but a servant, but my family and I don't need too much - just a roof over our heads and warm food to fill our tummies.'

The king was not satisfied with that reply. Later in the day, he sought the advice of his most trusted adviser.

After hearing the King's woes and the servant's' story, the adviser said, 'Your Majesty, I believe that the servant Has not been made part of The 99 Club.'

'The 99 Club? And what exactly is that?' the King inquired.

The adviser replied, 'Your Majesty, to truly know what The 99 Club is, place 99 Gold coins in a bag and leave it at this servant's doorstep.'

When the servant saw the bag, he took it into his house. When he opened the bag, he let out a great shout of joy... So many gold coins!

He began to count them. After several counts, he was at last convinced that there were 99 coins. He wondered, 'What could've happened to that last gold coin? Surely, no one would leave 99 coins!' He looked everywhere he could, but that final coin was elusive. Finally, exhausted he decided that he was going to have to work harder than ever to earn that gold coin and complete his collection.

From that day, the servant's life was changed. He was overworked, horribly grumpy, and castigated his family for not helping him make that 100th gold coin. He stopped singing while he worked.

Witnessing this drastic transformation, the King was puzzled... When he sought his adviser's help, the adviser said, 'Your Majesty, the servant has now officially joined The 99 Club.'

He continued, 'The 99 Club is a name given to those people who have enough To be happy but are never contented, because they're always yearning and Striving for that extra 1 saying to themselves: 'Let me get that one final thing and then I will be happy for life.'

We can be happy, even with very little in our lives, but the minute we're given something bigger and better, we want even more! We lose our sleep, our happiness, we hurt the people around us; all these as a price for our growing needs and desires.

Fear of Flight

2010-05-22T06:36:00.001-07:00

Air travel was not everyone’s cup of tea in India until these low cost air travel came into picture.

A helicopter crash and a dead minister have been happening much often but we never can recall a passenger plane disaster that took such toll.

Ever listened carefully to what the flight attendant said just before the take off… Never… Might have only tried to analyze how beautiful she is.

We all have been ignoring the fact that how dangerous a air travel could be owing to the fact that there have been no major air crashes (thankfully) till the recent Mangalore crash which has left us all in a deep shock and exposing the danger involved which we all have been willfully ignoring till now.

A Few points to take note of if you are a frequent flier and cannot avoid it:

Try to sit within five rows of an exit and in aisle seats. (No window seats please).
Pay attention to the safety briefing.
Knowing what to do in a crash can save you and others.
Be prepared to act within three minutes of takeoff and 8 minutes before landing. Thats when 80 percent of accidents happen.
Relax, your chance of being killed in flight are one in 60 million.

"The weird thing is that I hate to fly, and the quote that I give people is that every time I get off a plane, I view it as a failed suicide attempt.” - Sonnenfeld

Open to your replies @twivtr

Technorati Tags: Air crash,safety,India,points to note,frequent flier

Twictionary

2010-05-20T10:47:00.001-07:00

When Google came into existence it sure did become an entry into the Webster dictionary (Google Meaning) but with the advent of Twitter its sure that it has kept the dictionary publishers with a lot new words and meanings. People who use Twitter (Tweeple) do have a lot more to add to the vocabulary.

A tweetup is simply an in-person gathering organized via Twitter, often spontaneous. Companies use them for things like hosting launch parties, connecting with customers and introducing like-minded followers to each other.

Tweeple - A person who uses twitter , has a twitter account, tweets regularly or all the people out there in Twitter.

like in “Good Morning Tweeps(Tweeple) have a nice day”

Twitizen – Just like a Citizen but the only difference here is that the country he belongs to is Twitter

like in “An Average twitizen would know what a RT , DM , # means….”

Twoob – A Twitter n00b

Twacker – A computer programmer who is hacking twitter

Twacklist – Twitter + Blacklist

like in “I am twacklisting @loremipsum never retweets my posts”

Twacklog – A Backlog of tweets

like in “Back from vacation and have a lot of twacklog”

Twaddle – The rubbish tweets that no one wants to read

Twaddict – One addicted to Twitter.

like in “Looks like I am becoming a Twaddict now a days, my fingers tremble when not tweeting”

Tworld – Twitter world

Twamous – Widely known, or honoured for achievement on the Tworld

like in “I must admit no one became as twamous as @sachin_rt in a day”

How about an Twessay:

Although I have been here in tworld for almost 2 years now I have not been able to be as twamous as a lot other tweeple out here who make me twelous about them I may not say that I tweet a lot but still may consider my self a twaddict as I read a lot of what others tweet. Just twondering how people would have spent their time at work before twitter came into twexistence.

Pls do RT if you liked it and have some more twords do put in in the comment section…..

Technorati Tags: twitter,tweeps,tweeple,twitizen,twictionary,twaddict,tworld,twamous

Want the full list do not forget to Tvisit (Twictionary)

Maid in India

2010-05-16T09:43:00.001-07:00

….. Wait !!! even before you start letting your imagination running wild.. This is nothing like the recent Shiney like story..

I am just to talk about how important your humble maid is to your house.. Being out of my house since my College days and added to the fact that I never used my hostel services but had to survive in a private accommodation with couple other friends I always knew how important that person was who cooks you your food and makes it available when you are dying of hunger.

Our first maid was an young lady from the same village where we had our rented accommodation near our engineering college. Being a girl in her late teens little did she know of cooking but since in the “gang of four” that we were none of us had any complains about the food she cooked we still continued with her. The boys were always around her helping her out cut the vegetables, wash the utensils or just talking with her sweet nothing while she cooked what ever. This did not last long as the Village elders did not approve and one fine day we had a group of villagers come knocking our doors and threatening of dire consequences if we continued with the same maid. With tears in eyes all of us relieved her and hired an old lady of whom i have nothing sweet to say of ..

The one rule I always had was never to whine about what I eat. I usually liked to have my meal peacefully. I had no favorites and mostly ate whatever was edible.

In my first job I had the luxury of enjoying the company provided hostel for the initial year but we all had to vacate our hostel room after the first year and move on to the 2 BR quarters provided to us.. Since not all my fellow colleagues were married they all had grouped themselves in 4/5 and had a maid come to their home to cook.. They all used to assemble in one of the quarter and have their lunch/dinner. Since i was not much social as all of them I preferred to have a maid for myself (Even if it was a bit costly as no one shared the money involved). The one who i got was not known for how clean she kept the kitchen but both had no issues as she never complained anything neither did I. I would eat what ever she could cook out of the available stuff in my kitchen. This lasted for a few years until I finally moved to Delhi and got married.

Soon realizing that my wife was not one of those kind who would toil in the kitchen to keep the husband happy with their superb cooking ability and since I feared that due the way we were (laid back) it would be me who would end up being hungry. We promptly engaged a maid to cook for us. This maid we had was not a good cook but my wife was happy that she keep things clean and would not involve in much of the unnecessary talking so we continued to eat what ever something she would cook. This continued for 2 years but the shocking news came in a week before when the maid told us that she has to go for a 1 month vacation to her home town. We continued discussing whether we should have someone else or try to cover up this period with some self help … The Maid left yesterday and we came to see what it could do to us today.. I had cornflakes and milk in the noon and thinking of eating out today .. Still bewildered about the days to come….

Technorati Tags: Maid India Kitchen cooks Food Hunger

Talking to an Alien

2010-04-29T09:08:00.001-07:00

What if Stephen hawking was right in saying aliens were out there and contact with them could be dangerous.

Stephen Hawking may think it's too risky to try to talk to space aliens. Oops. Too late. NASA and others have already beamed several messages into deep space, trying to phone ET. NASA which two years ago, broadcast the Beatles song "Across the Universe" across the galaxy. But the point here is we may not ignore the warning of such eminent scientist.

So its good that these guys out there are some light years away and if they too are as pea brained as humans it might take some light year form them to come with a craft that would let them ferry here faster.

Just reminds me of the flick MIB (Men in Black) where Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones go about talking to aliens in disguise as normal people to gather details of a rouge (alien). The movie showcases how aliens are well mingled with our earthlings and are already out there with us. Is it possible that they are already here living our life. So watch out … keep your eyes and ears open for they might be already tweeting with you.

Even the thought gives a creeps to think that unknowingly the girl you slept with in last party under high alcohol was a Martian with three B00B$.

Technorati Tags: Stephen hawkings,aliens,twitter

Anhoni ko karde Honi

2010-04-25T11:55:00.001-07:00

Yeah that’s what Dhoni can do….. ?

The Chennai Super Kings from not even being in the semi finals started with their win against Kings XI Punjab, A match which one can never forget for some time now where Dhoni plucked it out from no where with his superb shots to win this match and get a place in the Semi-finals and again doing a Magical win against Deccan Chargers in the Semi finals. In the final what a marvelous game to win the Lion in its den… yeah thats what we can term this feat of defeating Mumbai Indians in Mumbai to win the Title this year for IPL 2010.

The match has been nail biting since Chennai started to play … initially the way they started it seemed as though it would get only somewhere around 120 but the CSK put up a great fight to reach the 169 a score that could be defendable.. Mumbai Indians started well with Tendulkar trying to be in till the last and when Pollard came in it looked as if it would be MI who will lift the trophy but Dhoni once again proves his worth and we all know luck favors the valiant.

Winning in Style…

Technorati Tags: IPL,T20,2010,CSK,Dhoni,Mumbai Indians,Tendulkar,Chennai Super Kings

Outsourcing Hell

2010-04-18T14:22:00.001-07:00

We all know how the economy had been last year but I really doubt this would stop God from outsourcing "HELL” to “Earth”.

The summer temperature here had been consistently rising and I can see where this is all going. Not far from now there would be time when

People would stop going out in the sun in summer for the fear of blisters that they may get.
Reality prices would drop as there would be lot of land available as the Sea and poles would have dried out.
Astronauts from Mars would visit Earth and their scientists would debate of possibility that life form would have been in this planet.

And yes god would have outsourced Hell to Earth

Balls to Watch

2010-04-18T10:33:00.001-07:00

Wondering how Chennai pulled off in the last over...

I was so worried that I switched off the TV . But since my better half(A Deccan Charger supporter) who wanted to see Chennai Super Kings loose so that DC were in comfortably was insistent that she would watch the final moments , with only 6 Balls to watch I decided to take a stroll out with a lump in my neck(Sorrow) which I was unable to swallow.

Within minutes I could see her come out too… With the news that Chennai managed to get the 16 runs in last over. With no belief in whatever she was saying I still was very unhappy on the plight of the team that I had been supporting till now, Thinking that it was a prank she was playing on me. But slowly realizing that this might be a truth as well.

Now really feeling that should have watched it…

It may require one Ball to play the match but I really feel that even a pair is less to watch such matches…

Waiting for the DC vs Delhi Dare Devils match to complete to watch the highlights…

However Really sorry for Dhoni that there might be no Red light (Area) in Dharmshala

Technorati Tags: CSK,KXIP,Chennai Super Kings,IPL,Win,Kings XI Punjab

Slip of Tongue

2010-04-13T10:47:00.001-07:00

More than the happiness of how Chennai (Super Kings) won Kolkata (Knight Riders) I was shocked on what Dhoni had to say about the Chennai crowd on how supportive and welcoming they were.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni said “The crowd has been warm and welcoming while he used to ride his bike out in the night and stopped at Red light Area (While what he actually wanted to say was while he stopped at the Red light in Traffic signals) LOL.

Sab Kuch Muaf !!! to Dhoni for his superb win over KKR and bringing back CSK in the final four, with more chances of Chennai being in the semis now.

Technorati Tags: CSK,KKR,Chennai Super Kings,Kolkata Knight Riders,Red Light Area,Mahendra Singh Dhoni,Dhone,MSD

Lens Eye

2010-04-05T04:51:00.001-07:00

I do believe that a Still Photo speaks more words than an video. A frozen moment of life that shows those happy times, places visited, which urge you to rethink that time.

A couple of years before when SLR were not affordable and photography still was in its original form where you develop you negative and print pictures choosing photography as a hobby would have been a costly affair but with the advent of digital cameras and D-SLR photography takes new twist. With Digital cameras and D-SLR although the initial cost involved may be a little high but have no recurring costs of either films to be bought or photographs to be printed to actually see them. How painful it used to be thinking have shot some good photographs but only to discover later (while printing) that a lot of them were spoilt due to over exposure, bad light, or some one blinked during the great moment,or problem with the film reel.. Now a days you are at the liberty to shoot a picture and see it instantaneously if it was what you were looking for.

© Photographer: Vtr | Agency: Dreamstime.com

While sketching I rather like portraits than scenery but when it comes to photography I like monuments a lot. My love towards travel and a taste for photography gel well. I try to shoot a lot of them. Still in a very initial stages where I just have started experimenting with the manual modes. This is one other hobby where I think you can learn slowly with no urgency and worrying of growing old practicing. I guess with age it gets better.

Remembering A Legend

2010-03-28T10:24:00.001-07:00

I Googled “My DAD” and “LEGEND” came up a million times

Have bought some old albums which I thought would be good if I scan and kept them. My Dad had been photo shy and had a very few good snaps of him. But as I start scanning this great man I just travel a few years back to just realize that what ever I am is because of him.

V. Thulasi Raman(1942 – 2006)

Unlike others my father did not leave me a immense wealth or houses but one great thing he envisioned was that importance of education and spent most of his hard earned in our education. He knew that education was the fore most wealth which I would not end up spending all and would be one which will be with me life long and help me take care of my family. Even in death bed his only concern was how I should still support my sisters who was half way in her MBA after her Engineering Degree.

In spite of his stern nature which could be attributed to his initial years in Army, he had been the best father anyone could have, who always protected our interest and thought well ahead of time. I could now understand why he ask me to choose Computer science and Engineering in 1994 when IT had just stepped in India.

I only regret that he is not around when his hard work bore results and we are in far better position that before.. I guess that’s what parents are all about, self-less and never expecting any returns.

Thirunallar

2010-03-22T09:06:00.001-07:00

One of the destination that was part of the agenda of my visit to Chennai was Thirunallar, most noted for the shrine of Lord Shani in the temple dedicated to lord Darbaresvara, a form of Lord Shiva. This is the only temple that is dedicated to Lord Shani (Lord of Saturn). Devotees visit in millions during the transit of the planet Saturn between zodiac signs, but Saturdays are as important as well..

Since it was decided that we would pay visit on Saturday our plan was to start from Chennai on Friday late night and reach Thirunallar early morning and take the sacred dip in the Nala theerth, by bathing here, it is believed that one is washed off all kinds of misfortune and afflictions. (This theerth is said to have relieved the affliction of king Nala). We reached the Nala Theerth around 4.30 am and took the ritualistic bath as per which post bath devotees leave the cloth worn during bath in the theerth and wear new ones.. visit the nearby vinai theertha Pillaiyar and offer prayers and coconut. One visits the Shani temple directly after the bathing and pray lord shani.

Its believed that this is the only place on earth where Lord Shani is an “Anugraha murthy” contrary to the fiery lord who only punishes he is in a prassanna mood and granter of Boons and so is the importance of the Shaneeswar Temple in Thirunallar.

Visiting Thirunallar temple and praying the lord Shani relieves of all the Dosham and we return back with the feeling of being relieved of lot of a burden.

Technorati Tags: Thirunallar,Shaneeswar,Nala Theerth,Shani,Anugraha Murthy

Chennai Changing

2010-03-19T07:18:00.001-07:00

Visiting Chennai almost after 2 years showing how fast a city changes.. I have always liked Chennai and feel that its the most beautiful out of all the other metros (Not visited Kolkata but heard that its not so good out there…)

(Inside IIT Chennai )

In the last 10 years the way in which this city has taken up IT industry and adopted it, has contributed a lot to the changes.. The Chennai I remember 10 – 15 years ago is the superb Green/Red striped government buses (Pallavan/Ambedkar), Bright yellow Auto-rickshaw the deep Blue colored Bay of Bengal embracing the eastern shores like a passionate lover.

One thing that strikingly welcomes you in Chennai either when you travel by Road or by Air is the Statue of Nehru in Kaththipara ( Now this statue is almost vanished between the fly-over constructed recently.. Chennai did not have these many fly-over neither did it require due to the very less traffic before but now a days most of them have a vehicle here.

Chennai has never been air polluted (maybe due to the regular flushing in and out of the sea breeze). Climate here has not changed in these years.. it has always been pleasant and it still is..

The greatest thing I still love about Chennai is the local conveyance. Be it the “Call taxi” , the “share auto” or the “government buses” all seem to be very nominal with slight variance respective to the level of comfort it provides.. I always like to travel by all modes.

Revisiting the School

2010-03-17T00:18:00.001-07:00

Visiting the school after almost 17 years after I had completed my 12th was really a moment I had been dreaming of.

One thing that I didn’t expect was that most of my teachers who where teaching at that time had retired or left school now. It was exam times when I reached and most of the old and experienced teachers whom I knew were invigilating for various classes.

It was really amazing to see the love and affection they showed to me. Most of them could only remember my face but not my name.

Finally before leaving visited the new Principal who was kind enough to speak to me for some time and appreciating my visit.

Technorati Tags: Vana Vani IIT Chennai Madras School Visiting

Holi

2010-02-28T10:30:00.000-08:00

Technorati Tags: Holi,Festival,Colors,Indian Happy Holi

::: The Festival of Colors unique to India:::

Who does not like colors but hold on … . These are not colors over the canvas but those which are smeared all over people who participate in this Indian festival that happens on Phalgun Purnima which comes in February end or early March. Holi festival has an ancient origin and celebrates the triumph of 'good' over 'bad'. The colorful festival bridges the social gap and renew sweet relationships. On this day, people hug and wish each other 'Happy Holi'.

Khaa key gujiya, pee key bhaang,
laaga k thora thora sa rang,
baaja ke dholak aur mridang,
khele holi hum tere sang.

Happy Holi !!!

People move out in tolis and apply colour on each other till they become unrecognizable. Play with colors peaks up in the residential colonies as people usually do not go out with families beyond their neighborhood. Even public conveyances do no ply with usual frequency.

Feasts, music, dancing and blasting parties are held all over the city to mark the festival of colours. People hug and greet each other by applying abeer as tilak. Any feeling of hardship or animosity is forgotten on the day. Is is said that even the enemies become friend on Holi.

Spiritualism

2010-02-19T07:44:00.000-08:00

The beliefs of Spiritualism vary among groups though they share certain beliefs.

The only base belief I would like to have is of the supernatural, the belief that there is something more powerful than us. If this supernatural power influences us to do good stuff you may believe it as a god and on the contrary if it tends to do bad stuff you may term it as Dark and negative force. All religion and religious messiah seem to have fair good understanding of this basic thing and form the basis for the religion.

Though none claim to have really seen this supernatural being but have confessed have felt the presence during troubled times.

Technorati Tags: Spiritualism,Supernatural,Religion

Courage & Patience

2010-02-15T23:42:00.000-08:00

At the outset these two words may seem to be going well together but in actual these are contradictory to each other. What I mean when i say this is an act of courage may be considered as an act of impatience and like wise patience might be taken as cowardice at some case..

Courage = impatience ?

Patience = Cowardice ?

To say that these two words are entirely opposite may be incorrect and to strike the right balance is the key to that. Both courage and patience are qualities of great men but when to shake the dust off and strike is the key to the difference. Many a people in the past have shown this great strength to distinguish between these two and attain the stature. A great example would be Mahatma Gandhi. To be patient and sit on a hunger fast or get courageous and march against the British soldiers.

I would say “Courage in self defense and Patience in attack” would be password for mastering these two.
So what does that mean …? Courage in self defense… When being hit showing patience would be considered as cowardice but when you are angry and feel the uncontrollable feel to attack then Courage would be considered as impatience..

Law of Attraction

2010-02-14T06:57:00.000-08:00

The LOA states that:

"You attract to Your Life whatever You give Your attention, Energy and Focus to. Whether wanted or unwanted."
Around 10 years back I was on board a bus from Delhi to Haridwar to join my first job in a very large PSU with lots of hope and enthusiasm that had increased due to the reason that I was from Chennai and my first visit to Haridwar the land of holy people and the pilgrimage gateway famous for Maha Kumbh.

On the half way through the bus stopped at this motel for some time and as I reluctantly had some of what ever that was available there and returned to my bus my eyes rested on a very beautiful girl sitting by the window side on another bus that was probably travelling in the opposite direction just leaving the motel. I could never forget the strange beauty in those eyes of that girl. I reached Haridwar and joined my duty. A few days passed by and one fine morning when I took off my eyes from the work to see the same girl walk into the room where I working as I was in awe she just went past to speak to my reporting manager. There was some heated discussion while she was pleading to her that she had no intentions of leaving without asking for permission but had some urgency in her home town for which she had to go. I came to know that she was an M Sc student who was there for her final year projects. In coming days things fell in places too much to my amazement that she finally was under me doing her project and helping me out. A few days passed by although I knew nothing about her more than her name I gathered the guts to propose to her ... asking her bluntly whether she would marry me.... After hearing which there was not much a reaction but she did not turn up to the office for a couple of days scaring me further. On her coming back I apologized to her being so blunt but still continued pursuing her to marry me. Time passed so fast after that and a day came when her training was to complete and she would be leaving .. Her father was out there to take her back. She did take the courage to tell her father about us and what I had asked to which her father agreed to speak to me in this regard. But at that time I was not so mature enough to know how I should speak and her father was obviously less willing for this and things did not take favorable turns and she left with her father.

With little knowledge about her home town and only her home phone to contact her our long distance love continued for a few years. There were a few vain attempts when we planned to meet face to face sometimes but did not happen due to many stopping forces. It was a lucky day to me when she first got her mobile phone which still helped us talk for hours with no time boundaries. After almost 6 years things turned favorable and when both our families did get together and we got married.

It is so good to sit thinking in this Valentines day that we go married 3 years before just had our 3 marriage anniversary on Feb 9th and our third Valentines day as well.

In other words,
By having an optimistic attitude and focusing on success, you attract success.That's what Law of attraction is all about isn't it.

Track Back

Craving for Attention

2010-02-12T22:45:00.000-08:00

Getting the attention of a visitor or getting more people to visit your blog is the biggest challenge. Usually this is the greatest crave for any blogger to see his blog be poplular ... swarming with visitors who comment on their thought. To achive this may seem a himlayan task but for some its just a click of fingers ... so simple .. that they keep achiveing this on and on..

Just as we all know money attracts money the same holds good for popularity as well... Popularity attracts popularity. So popular celebrity might get away writing crap and still managing to get a far better reach but as a normal user you need to be sure that you write something that has a large audience and makes them feel it was useful to them.

The olden day trick was send out the link in a email to all those you think would be interested in reading or atleast promoting it further to their friends but now a days social media plays an active role in achieving this trick.

With all these extrordinary efforts one thing that surely needs to be good for people to be visiting your site or blog is how frequently you keep it updated with interesting writeups.

(Pls do comment your thoughts and retweet this link if you felt it was useful to you..)

Valentine

2010-02-10T08:16:00.001-08:00

IMG_2943
Originally uploaded by vtrravikumar

A bunch of flowers to my Dear Valentine...

Mightier

2010-02-10T07:36:00.001-08:00

IMG_2936
Originally uploaded by vtrravikumar

Which one is mightier..

The Pen
The Phone or
The Laptop........

FITE for Survival

2010-01-28T22:18:00.000-08:00

The very basic human nature to ape someone has been the way of growing. Even as infants be it the tricks of speech or to Walk we have taken our Parents as role models trying to imitate what they say and how they do as we grow. As nations we try to Ape our western brothers in various aspects and try to be in their level.

First Imitate Then Excel (FITE) is basically an approach where in we try to do new things better by looking over people who do it already. In this approach the first and foremost task is to identify the task, identify role model, identify the how it is being done now, Improvise and Excel.
Approach :

Identify Task/Goal
Identify Role Model
Identify Steps to do
Improvise the Steps
Do it Better and Excel

But as the tasks get bigger so does the challenges to do it better and usually there may be three things we might end up trying.

Fail trying to reach the state of the Role model.
Fail improvising and remain in the same state as Role Model.
Achieve the Excellence.

(To be contd… )

Happy New Year

2009-12-30T09:38:00.000-08:00

I guess its time to say Happy New Year Remember 2009 and Welcome 2010.

Remembering 2009

I had been a hectic year with lots of thing happening some sweet and some sour experiences to all. I guess people from IT background/Finance and most of us which ever filed they earn their bread would love to forget their experiences this year.

Obama would certainly love to remember this year with it being the most happening year of his life so far.. President of the US, Nobel Prize...

Tiger Woods would wish this year did not come.. All his fame earned in Golf gone in a wind with redefining what a hole meant to him...

....

Welcoming 2010

Fall back in line

2009-12-19T23:31:00.000-08:00

I know when i started this blog I thought it would be a reprieve from my usual work related stuff but lately looks like I have skewed off my course... To those who have been annoyed with my change please bear with me until I fall back into the line...

Promise to keep my writing strictly to my non technical thoughts...

Enterprise Service Bus

2009-12-18T07:11:00.001-08:00

The Enterprise Service Bus is now being considered as the Best approach to realize Service Oriented Architecture. Service Oriented Architecture has been a term we all have hear for quite a time now but the success of this architecture still had been in question. The ROI it can provide to an application had been in firing lines till now. With the advent of the ESB there is a change in this conception of the people who have been talking about or questioning SOA till now.

SOA is neither a product nor a solution. It is an integration framework that binds internal and external services to create a solution. With SOA, instead of focusing on different applications that reside on different computers, the emphasis is on business services that represent several different underlying applications. As SOA can seamlessly be put into practice in existing IT environments it ensures that changes in technology and processes during core banking replacements can be phased out and managed effectively.

The Enterprise Service Bus is emerging as a winner where businesses are integrating call centers with order-management applications and manufacturing systems and tying them together with BPM. From integration to routing to management and monitoring, the goal remains the same--optimization and control of business processes in an increasingly dynamic business environment. Process flexibility will remain the business driver for BPM. Before you know it, you'll be designing your enterprise SOA to support managing, optimizing and growing IT-enabled business processes. CRM on demand is a booming business. large enterprises turned to CRM on demand.

IITF 2009, Pragati Maidan Delhi

2009-11-23T05:58:00.000-08:00

I was in the pragati maidan for The International Trade Fair 2009. Initially although i felt i chose the wrong day (Sunday) to be here but later was convinced as what pleasure could it be to watch a huge fair with less people.. The crowd is an attraction as well.

Among the usual state wise stalls the following seem very appealing stalls from Maharashtra, TamilNadu, AndhraPradesh, Standing out even.

Not to miss Hall number 12.

The stalls from Thailand, Afghanistan, Pakisthan, Bangladesh.

Get some nice massage from Thai masseurs at a nominal cost of Rs 200/15 mins for foot massage, body massage, or neck and shoulder.

The Stone works (Onex) from Pakistan was superb but so costly.

The silver furniture store was one more good thing out there... Dining table for 4 L and similar costs for a furniture set , and a swing all made of solid silver..

The arrangement for food was one thing that the organizers should re-think for next year. The reason may be attributed such huge crowd, feeding lakhs can be an infrastructural issue but thinking of the coming Common Wealth games this is one more hurdle that needs to be tackled

Got a few souvenirs for this year (Some pearl jewelery from Hyderabad stores), Turkish evil eye pendant (remember it was hot pick last year)

And finally the welcome relief for this year was the way in which the Delhi Metro comes to the rescue of a large percentage of crowd. My ride from Pragati Maidan station to Noida in the newly build line was the main event for the day.

Google Wave

2009-11-02T09:07:00.000-08:00

Finally after the long wait got the invitation from google and now have my account setup. With some initial roadblocks of not knowing what to do and how to just as if an infant would learn to walk with its first few steps...

As a few of us might already know right now the wave is only open as a developer preview and Google actually aims to have this coming up late this year. But in order to try out your developing skills with the Google Wave you need to have a sandbox account too... (Am glad that I was able to request for and was granted too soon... ) With a little bit of tremble I was able to create my first Google Wave Robot as it is called (If you have a wave account try adding my application by including vtrravikumar@appspot.com) This is a friendly bot that would greet as soon as anyone joins the wave. There are gadgets that could be developed and have seen few useful ones already there like the one which uses the map API.. It was also good to see lots of people already started discussing and developing stuffs using the API's that are available out there.

To make a wave public you can add easypublic@appspot.com to your new wave...

Still not got your invite comment on this with your email id where you would like me to send the invite.. (Got a few left so every 5th comment gets a invite .)

Already have your wave account... Check what all you could do with Wave

another good link to know more about the Wave Click here

A Few helpful bots that you add once you have your account

wikifier@appspot.com,
polly-wave@appspot.com,
twitusernames@appspot.com,
sweepy-wave@appspot.com

#FollowFriday

2009-10-23T11:14:00.000-07:00

This is a place where every one who knows about twitter would love to have their twitter account listed... It is a common belief that if your twitter account is mentioned with the #FollowFriday tag by someone may influenze the followers of the person who mentioned you to follow you too...

Google Wave

2009-10-14T12:53:00.001-07:00

Finally after long got a mail from Google with an invite for Google Wave Sandbox.. But looks like I need to wait for some more time until I get the access.

Fingers Crossed and exited already

Taxes

2009-10-14T12:47:00.001-07:00

In a recent trip from Delhi to Jaipur I realized we end up paying toll tax approx. 150 - 200 Rs. which is a sum of 5 - 6 various toll booths that we pass by (Noida DND, Gurgaon Toll , and a few more on the way....) But this let me start thinking why the hell would I pay for a good road while I already pay my taxes (Income Tax). Shouldn't the government use my tax money for this purpose instead of asking me for a separate tax to avail a road that I should any how be entitled to...

Surprised, humbled

2009-10-09T10:10:00.000-07:00

Its not only Obama who feels that way on getting the Nobel Peace prize... But a whole lot others are certainly surprised.

“I don’t deserve this award but will accept this as a call to action.” - B H Obama

No Work and No Play

2009-10-06T13:57:00.000-07:00

When young all would certainly have heard the saying "All work and no play makes jack ....." But the current situation I feel it would be better to say "There is no Work but no Play either "...

Our lives have become a bag of boredom that although there is not much sincere work to keep us awake whole day but we still tend to sleep late and fail to enjoy the smaller joys of life... The economic situation and the job scenario now a days does have bought in the fear of lay off but all know there is not much work either to keep you busy... All that we do is to pose as if we are so busy. We waste all our week only to work more in the weekends to prove to nobody of this extra effort for which we all know that we are not going to get any special bonus or kudos... We all have our complains that life has become so fast that we got no time but in fact I would say that it has become so slow that we are not able to understand the slow babble...

Sound of the Silence

2009-09-22T12:55:00.000-07:00

In the current economical situation , with a mixed group of people who blew the whistle when the recession started and now again when the word is out saying that recession is over and markets are coping up. As a layman all that I could hear is the Sound of Silence.

I am sure no one saw our NRI's returning back home, I still don't see people getting hired either, Firing has not stopped and am sure the organizations we all work for would have some more reasons not to give us the much needed hike... all that I could hear is the Sound of Silence.

I just keep wondering if am alone in the whole void of people who is having this feeling or there is a roaring crowd out there with similar thoughts. since all that I could hear is the Sound of Silence.

With all the rumours of WHO declaring Swine Flu as a pandemic and people running all over to buy the N90 mask, news media counting the number affected and dead in every hour. All the news channels have either ran out of patience or not cared of who dies now since all that I could hear is the Sound of Silence.

How Serious is India

2009-08-09T10:26:00.000-07:00

How serious is India about the spread of Swine Flu in the country...

Although it may seem as if that the wave was subdued in rest of the world but it rather has just changed location.... In India as ever even now this has not been taken up seriously... With the Government hospitals the only resort I bet we could be having a lots of deaths unofficially which the adminstration instead of taking responsiblity and suitable measures would be spending significant time and money to hide this...

The metros although the main highlight of these incidences but we might not have to wait longer untill swine flu reaches every nook and corner of this country...

I hope this is not the gods way to curb the population....

for more recent news on Swine flu in India

A Distant Dream

2009-06-27T04:54:00.000-07:00

A lot of things in the life just seems like a Distant Dream. With little hope and knowledge on how we are going to achieve those we still keep running towards it. Not all are born with a silver spoon and only a few manage to earn one.

"I just ponder over my past to figure out my future" - vtrravikumar (wow cant believe I wrote my first very own saying)

Life has not been kind to me as to the 99% percent of the rest of the world , so it doesn't seem as I been the few who has been cheated but at times I do feel bad that I could have been the remaining 1%.

Have your felt being in a situation where you have not planned your future, your present seems grim and Past worth forgetting, I ask this because I often feel that and considering my self a part of the majority I am sure a lot of us must be feeling the same. Although an average from my start but never have I let this bother me. But have been no lesser sad when I lost something.

So Whilst
I ponder over my past to figure out my future I am just worried If I am wasting my present......

Twitter Verified Account ?

2009-06-21T03:42:00.000-07:00

Recently while twittering I had a response from @gulpanag 's for one of my tweet. I was really overjoyed but also this let my imagination to run wild as I was not certain whether it is the actual celebrity or someone else. I checked her twitter profile immedietly ... Wherein I saw this message saying "Twitter verified account". So what does this sign mean to a normal person like me .... It means that the person I am following is the really celebrity himself/herself and not an impersonator... Doesnt that gives a great relief especially when there is a response from the celebrity to you...

Follow me @vtrravikumar

Definitions of IT Job Designation

2009-06-20T10:11:00.000-07:00

1. Project Manager is a Person who thinks nine Women can deliver a baby in One month.
2. Developer is a Person who thinks it will take 18 months to deliver a Baby.
3. Onsite Coordinator is one who thinks single Woman can deliver nine babies in one month.
4. Client is the one who doesn’t know why he wants a baby.
5. Marketing Manager is a person who thinks he can deliver a baby even if no man and woman are available.
6. Resource Optimization Team thinks they don’t Need a man or woman; They’ll produce a child with zero resources.
7. Documentation Team thinks they don’t care whether the child is delivered, they’ll just document 9 months.
8. Quality Auditor is the person who is never happy with the PROCESS to produce a baby.
9. Tester is a person who always tells his wife that this is not the Right baby.

VSS - Very Short Stories

2009-06-19T14:33:00.000-07:00

6 Words to represent a story...

1. Desire to Write .. What is stopping?
2. Poison, hic hic hic hic, Dead!
3. Power on Windows booting Crash! Shit!
4. Lazy writer asks ... (Is this enough)
5. Smart I like .... Smart@$$ I don't

Wondering if Recession was there long before

2009-06-19T12:11:00.000-07:00

Right now when we are recession struck and loosing jobs the one thought that circles our mind is it would be better if I had some land of my own.. I would have rather gone there to try out my luck with agriculture than to remain in this uncertain world to wait until I get fired.

But wait I have a question was recession there long before in the times when it was not a democracy but autocracy, when people were not employed in BPOs, IT industries, or High paying jobs but were simpletons who used to work for their kings army or were farmers and peasants. Where would they thought of going in case they faced Recession.

Probably they would have moved out to someother teritory , greener pasteur or got killed by their arrogant king.

Loosing Shine or Shining Bright

2009-06-12T11:35:00.001-07:00

Traditional Cricket loosing its shine with the new format of T20 coming in. I don’t think people now have patience to watch a one day.

I run down the lane my thought to few years before. I used to curse thinking that in this country where there are more than 100 Crores in population why can’t they find the able Eleven players to represent our nation and keep winning as other countries. I am sure that Ranji existed long before but with the new format of Twenty 20 coming in picture and with lots of new tournaments like IPL and ICL a lot of youngsters have got the chance to show off their skills and get a place in the squad to represent the country.

Could such a thing be done to other games too… (Hockey, Tennis, Athletics … ) So that instead of those red tapes we are able to identify brighter players to represent us in Olympics and other such events. Conduct lots and lots of internal tournaments for Cricket, Football, Tennis and identify the great players in this country.

I Just wonder are we “Loosing Shine or Shining Bright”

Too much of Twitter

2009-06-10T12:51:00.001-07:00

I felt it was a too much of office in me when I started to swipe my i-card before the door in my house… Thats when I realized that my office habit being to much in my nerves …

But recently have been adding @ before my '”To address” in my emails like writing @vtrravikumar instead of vtrravikumar@xyz.com to whom the mail should have been intended too. I believe Twitter in my nerves now a days ….

Is Recession really that bad

2009-06-05T12:17:00.001-07:00

Today I was out in a Seminar sought of thing organized by IBM Developer works. Although the planned session was no up-to mark due to last minute cancellation by one of the the speaker and the substitute speaker did not impress me at least. The last part of the agenda was un-conference where a few from the participants spoke for few minutes and One of the participant I don’t remember his company had a beautiful thing to share. He said he had interviewed some top notch recently for some journal and his question was “How bad is recession going to be ?” but was pretty astonished when the senior person had some positive things to say about Recession.

As we all presume recession is not all that bad and there are good things too.

Survival of the fittest – Darwin did identify this for different reasons but it sure does fit well with the current scenario too. In this cut throat market only the fittest might emerge out of this situation so hold tight and strengthen your basics.

Better processes to evolve – Companies out there are striving too but the good part is that this is the time when they would also be revisiting their processes and make sure that they change for the betterment.

Let me steal a quote from Benjamin Franklin “We must, indeed, all hang together, or assuredly we shall all hang separately.” Which was one more thing I heard in the session today…

Minting Money

2009-06-04T09:18:00.001-07:00

Ever thought who is minting money even in this recession. Its not those intellectuals , its not those businessmen,

Its the Actors, Cricketers and the Politicians.

Just imagine in the current scenario where earning a dime is such a tough thing how these guys make so easy money with no basic education.

I wish my parents have had let me play cricket all the day when I was young and not forced to study all the while.. I neither was able to learn the skill of cricket nor did I excel in studies. :)

Google Wave the Tsunami 2009

2009-05-31T02:57:00.001-07:00

The Google unveiled “Google Wave” to the developer community on the Google I/O 2009. The main aim behind to do this is to involve the developer community to participate, Since Google Wave is planned to be a open Source Google wants open source developers to start working on the APIs and add many features in parallel while Google Wave is being developed.

Google hints of releasing the Google Wave end of this Year.

I was following the first few minutes of the presentation the Google team made regarding the Google Wave and it really seems to be thing which would revolutionize the way in which we see emails today. The point they are making here is the email currently we use were developed long before and did not consider many of the new feature developed lately. What if email was developed now...? What will a email designed now do…?

Remarkably the features that were shown as a part of the preview are going to attract the present web crowd. Lets have our finger crossed untill we get the invitation to this new Wave.

Windows Live Writer

2009-05-31T02:47:00.001-07:00

Just trying out my first post with Windows live writer.. So far it seems to be a cool thing to use to update my blogs.

Would try using this here after.

What a Shame

2009-05-03T08:31:00.000-07:00

Looking in to the type of events that occured in the near past (Terrorist attacks, blasts, Attack in Taj and Nariman house) etc., and the following public awareness and the candle lights I thought the people have changed and they have now understood how important it is to unite and fight back Terror, I thought people will come in bunches to vote this election, I thought the election turnout would reach its 80% mark in most of these place

and What a Shame?

Upon confronted with such problems the public instead of fighting against feels its better to stay back in home in the comforts of the couch and watch television instead.

Why do we whine then ... Lets face it ...
We do not mind anything but our own selfish needs.
As long as it is some unknown person that dies in a blast ...
As long as its some unknown young soldier dieing out in the kargil....
As long as its some unkown millionaires money out there in Swiss account...
As long as its the same old politician who speaks with sweet words and stabs from behind...

"I dont care" is the attitude of this largest democracy...

Time to update your Resume

2009-04-21T08:53:00.003-07:00

The only thought that comes to mind with the new advancement of Oracle buying Sun microsystem is that is it high time to update the resume. The possible actions would be to

Consider highlighting the Oracle capablities
Take any task done in Mysql or any such certification out of resume
Know how to use Netbeans ? No use
Have worked in J Developer good time to show it off

Anyways Sun chairman Scott McNealy hailed the merger as an industry-defining event. No doubt about it.

http://firststop.in/index.php?filepath=Articles/News&filename=Oracle_Buys_Sun_Microsystems.html

2009-04-21T08:53:00.001-07:00

Confused about the Future

2009-04-09T11:40:00.001-07:00

Have you ever given a thought about what the current politico economic scenario in the world could do to the future of the young students today. The greatest challenge to the students more that to excel in the studies is also to choose thier path correctly so that 4 years later or 5 years later they do not feel that they chose the wrong direction. Its a great pressure mounting within the minds of those who are in that stage of their studies which would determine thier career. The current recession which is the outcome of the Economic crisis is doing more invisible loss.

Having completed my education 10 years before I really feel relieved. I did have a option to decide depending upon the job scenrio then to choose computers as the field of oppurtunies then. I just was wondering what course would I choose if I had to do it now ? A tough question to answer indeed.

Assuming that someone is somewhere in the last two years of his schooling. What direction would one choose.

Would a Bachealors in Engineering ensure me a job.
Should I be opting to do an MBBS.
Could a MBA assure me of a bright future.
....

Those are very few of the thousands of question that might arise in the mind.

There was a time when government job was liked by all then came the computer era and people found more money in a private sector than in government jobs. Bridegroom who where working in computer related jobs, working abroad where most sought off. But with the current uncertinity its again the government jobs are preferred due to the stability that it provides.

I am sure Career counsellors too would not be able to provide the right guidance in such a market.

(I'll be glad if you could pen your thoughts regarding this post in the comment section..)

Photography

2009-04-04T02:38:00.000-07:00

Although I would not say that I am a professional photographer but due to my craze of traveling I usually make sure that am out of my home every 2 months and eventhough the place chosen is in 400-500 radius from Delhi some times it becomes a long drive too. Yeah I like to drive and when I plan my trips I usually make sure that I drive to that place instead of hiring a cab or taking any other mode of transport unless it is too far or not accessible by road. I have made it a habit since I got my first job 9 years before and still have been following it religiously. Due to this nature of mine I end up travelling 4-5 times in a year. And not to say wherever I go I take lots of photographs thanks now to the Digital revolution one can not worry about the cost involved in Developing and printing that had earlier made photography a costly hobby.

Now with the uncertain economy and Job losses happening globally I been lately thinking of alternative professions I can do and taking up photography as a profession is also an option I have been looking into. I just wonder how those photojournalist are recruited in reputed places like Discovery, National Geography, etc.,

Would I need a degree in media and journalism to make my move towards this career. I would love to hear more on this from anyone who knows about it. (Please do comment if you have any suggestions)

How to publish a personal Web Page

2009-03-31T12:22:00.000-07:00

This is a post I thought would help many of those not so computer savvy people who wish to create and publish a website for their personal or small business need. I am sure there would have been times when a need for creating a web page to host those ideas or business details might have come. So what actually is required to create and host a website of ones own. Believe me when I say this is not as hard as it appears and you would not need much of a technical expertise but a couple of patient hours with some content only to host this personal site of your own.

First of all what you would require is a domain name ... To put in more plain words this would be the text that one would type in the browser address bar to reach out to your website like www.mypage.com usually you can go to some domain registrar(one who has rights to sell you such domain names). I used this particular domain registrar hosting.india.to. All you need to do is choose a name for your website and see if it is available in the extensions like .com .in .info etc., Once you have got a suitable name now is the part that comes where you keep the content.

The second thing after getting a domain name is the hosting. The site from where i got the domain name provides free hosting as well. So I opted for the free hosting package. Its usually great to have the same place to have the domain registered with and the hosting also as it would relive from having some dns setups which is pre done in this case.

The third and final step is to create the content that you wish to display out in our newly created domain. Even for this the hosting sites provide very simple interfaces that help you create web pages on the go and within minutes you can have your page up and runnign viewable by millions over the net.

U3 launchpad

2009-03-31T12:13:00.000-07:00

It sucks the U3 drive i had does not work in the new laptop I bought with preloaded Vista. I just tried poking in the U3 pendrive i had to check whether it works in the new laptop i bought and was dissapointed to see that the U3 launchpad i have is incompatible with the Vista OS.

Would be glad to hear from someone who had faced a similar issue and had resolved it. The only resolution I think in this hour is to throw back the drive into my desk draw and keep moving on.

Varun Gandhi

2009-03-28T01:19:00.000-07:00

The new rising Star in Indian Politics. Unlike his cousin who takes the softer approach Varun seems to be emerging as a dynamic personality that might appeal the common man.

As normally said the First impression is the best impression. This young lad surely has made his impression in this vast country. Its good to see someone from Gandhi family being as popular as this after Rajiv Gandhi but this time only to be in the opposite side of Congress.

His bold approach towards what his thoughts and expressing them publicly and then standing for what he said with no fear really impresses me. I am sure this would have impacted a lot of people in this country.

Varun Gandhi is surely one person to look for in this elections.

Whom to believe

2009-03-27T09:13:00.000-07:00

In this time when Elections are around the corner whom should the Indian public believe and cast their vote. Although looking at the broader picture it seems like Congress and Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) seem to be coming as the two most prominent candidates. As a common man it really seems confusing on whom to believe.

Should one Believe BJP which might not look into the concerns of the minority and might be inclined to one particular religion. Certain acts of this party in the yester years should be haunting a lot but BJP itself has not been able to cash in many goof ups the Congress did. Once given a chance was not able to keep it up to the whole term. With no powerful personallity to pose for the prime minister candidate. The lack of being in power for long term should be an inertia that BJP has to deal with.

Whether to believe the (Psuedo) Secular Congress who have been around almost since our independance a good 50+ years. After the 400 years of slavery under the British Rule what came next was under the rule of the one another family who knew well how to hypnotize the common man just before the elections and come to power once again only to do nothing for the next 5 years. It was really a shame on certain incidences where this party tried bribing ministers to prove their majority in parliment. A major blow to our countries integrity and security when a couple of 5 star hotel were under attack killing lot of innocent. Even after having proper proofs to nail the neighbouring country Congress could do nothing and kept mum.

I really am confused... are you...

2009-01-02T21:56:00.001-08:00

Its a very cold Day !...

Dooms Day Machine

2008-09-05T13:28:00.000-07:00

Large Hadron Collider - The LHC is almost nearing its completion after years of development and construction at CERN. Now our scientist can know how this Universe came into existance. -

The LHC is a machine that is used by scientist to collide matter head on. Two packs of protons are accelerated in two different directions; and collide exactly at the 'collider'. At this portion of the accelerator, as a result of a head on collision between two proton, a shower of elementary particles a produced and it is detectable by the instrument. This shower of particles is of particular interest to the scientists because they are looking for the tiniest elements that makes up the tiniest element known in an atom. It may reveal a clue of how the universe began, or it may reveal something else beneficial to human kind one day. The scientists are producing interpretable results in terms of figures, and these figures are supported by rigorous mathematical foundation and proofs.

The main concern looming around is about the negative impact this machine can trying to replicate the creation of universe. Creating a black hole and getting away with it doesnt sound easy either.

Google Chrome

2008-09-02T23:12:00.000-07:00

Was initially unable to download google chrome using the links that were earlier available in the net. It was showing some script error.

I then succeeded using the other link. http://www.google.com/chrome

downloading it now....

Google Crome

2008-09-02T09:06:00.000-07:00

The Google Chrome browser, I hope its a pleasant surprise like any other google products we have used till now and I am sure that Google won't disappoint any of us

Beijing Olympics

2008-08-15T08:40:00.000-07:00

The official site : http://en.beijing2008.cn

India's Standing : http://results.beijing2008.cn/WRM/ENG/INF/GL/92A/IND_T.shtml

Ishmeet Singh

2008-07-29T11:52:00.001-07:00

The Star Voice of India 2007 winner, Ishmeet Singh died today of drowning in a private resort in Maldives. Still there are no details on how this happened. Ishmeet (1989 - 2008) was just 18 years old and had been a household name since he won the title Star Voice of India in November 2008.

Technorati Tags: Ishmeet singh, Star Voice of India 2007, Drowned, Maldives

iPhone 3G Airtel

2008-06-30T11:10:00.001-07:00

Become the proud owner of Apple iPhone3G on Airtel.

To pre book your iphone click the link below

http://www.airtel.in/iphone3g

Dog

2008-06-26T22:01:00.001-07:00

Bad News : Got bitten by a dog today...
Good News : Dog Was vaccinated ...
Bad News : Has teeth marks in my right leg...
Good News : Not so deep
Bad News : Still got to have TT Injection..

Nothing

2008-06-26T21:54:00.001-07:00

I started out with nothing, and I still have most of it.
Everyone has a photographic memory. Some don't have film.

Shahrukh Khan Dug Out

2008-05-18T11:27:00.001-07:00

Shahrukh can be the owner of Kolkata Knight Riders but the kind of advertisement/Promotion he tries to generate using this status has been a issue for some time.

From the time when he tried to promote his OSO during a cricket match and thereby gathering the ridicule by BCCI he had tried different things to be in close touch with the Cricket team. SRKs buying KKR seems to be one of the ways he invented to be with the team he was forbidden to.

Today during the IPL match what I saw was SRK was not only in KKRs dug out but also was seen aroung Chennai Super King's dug out. What if he was trying to bribe the CSKs (Just for the sake of humour) but does not seem impossible.

Cricket now has come more popular and viewer capturing with the T20 format and no wonder everyone is trying to cash out this oppurtunity.

IMHO Cricketers should stick to Cricket and Actors to Acting...

Escept for the two characters R and K , I couldn't find any significant connection between SRK(ShahrRukh Khan) and KKR(Kolkata Knight Riders).

After the spurt of incidence of Mr.SRK trying to promote his home production OSO(Om Shanti Om) during a Cricket match and Mr.SRK caught publically smoking the undaunted Mr.SRK thinks of an unique way to keep him linked with Cricket.

Stop him coming in the stands and promoting movies ...
He reverts back by coming in the Dug out now.

Stop him from coming in the Dug out
He probably will feature in one of the KKR matches as a player too...

Try stopping him...

What all would love to see is Mr.SRK featuring as a substitue fielder in one of the KKR matches and running over all the Field singing "Karbo Larbo Jeetbo Re..."

02-05-2008

2008-05-02T05:49:00.000-07:00

A usual Friday..

Woke up at 3.30 PM... A bit late to office today...

01-05-2008

2008-05-01T06:36:00.000-07:00

May Day - Not the distress call...

Got to go to work no holiday today :)

Rajasthan Royals register their victory again. Its a mayday call for Kolkata Knight riders...

Knight Riders make Pontings absence not felt. Ganguly takes charge of non sportsmanship

Today got the link of Amitabh Bachchans blog Here is the link

ENagar

2008-02-14T07:51:00.000-08:00

"A normal man learns from His own mistakes,
A wise man learns from other’s mistakes,
and a fool never learns."

Nano

2008-01-25T03:51:00.000-08:00

The Tata Motors have launched the cheapest car in Auto world. Many auto rickshaw owners now feel it would be viable to buy a nano instead of a Auto Rickshaw. Its more passenger friendly , can accomodate 4 to 5 persons (an auto can take only 3 at the max) has got a boot space..

http://jalopnik.com/343003/the-2500-tata-nano-unveiled-in-india

Woman on Mars

2008-01-24T02:21:00.000-08:00

Woman on Mars
Its time now John grey changes his title from "Men are from Mars and Women are from Venus" to "Women are from Mars and Men are from Venus" ... After this shocking image reported by the rover in Mars... Really Creepy though to see a sight like that... Reminds me of few of the sci-fi "Species" etc.,

Crooked ways in Cricket

2008-01-06T04:59:00.000-08:00

Todays Test match should be taken off records ...

A match full of faulty decisions. Australian team plays with 13 Players (11 players + 2 umpire)

I have always hated Australian team famous for its crooked ways in cricket.. But Today it has crossed limits....

Under arm bowling
Sledging
Complaining..
Using of hearing aids to listen live coaches words while match was going on...
Non wooden bat
Using pingpong ball in gloves...

2008

2008-01-02T03:51:00.002-08:00

The New year Sneaked in like a thief...

I am glad that it was not as bad as last year, which started with a bitter note and was full of sad things..

Independence Day Speech

2006-08-14T20:37:00.000-07:00

Manmohan sounds like Sonia