On Second Thought....

The lockup of Democracy

2011-12-02T18:34:00.001-08:00

Understandably the current situation of the present house of parliamentarians is the fall of the democracy system in this country. We elect people to go up to there to bring in good reforms and build a brighter future for our generation. When politics plays down the country's growth what else can we call it.

Today almost all the political parties are expressing their dis-interest in the FDI however, have they come to realize that the main beneficiaries are one of their largest poll bank the end result would be that the Farmers and the Consumers loss with all the middlemen involved in the drama of price growth.

I totally am in an awe of "Manmohanomics" he has taken the biggest risk even at the the stake of his government, purely basing his tatics of a bigger economy and the well being of the Farmers and the Consumers. in a mere example of how the FDI would benefit both the consumer and farmers is that the FDI investors in the likes of Wal-mart and Tesco would purchase their goods directly from the farmers at the actual rate of purchase and then probably add a few rupees to it and sell it marginally less to the consumers for instance currently Onions are purchased from the farmers for as less than Rs.10/- a kilo but by the time it reaches the consumers passing through all the middle men it costs us close to Rs. 40/- a kilo this situation would be avoided when the consumers would be allowed to purchase the good for less than 50% of the actual cost. Truly a Pro-aadmi concept, and I'm glad that our economist PM is sticking to his guns of not rolling back the Bill.

Allowing FDI does not mean that Indian Market would be flourished with Chinese goods, with a 51% FDI and the conditions that the government has tabled for the FDI it does not seem to be the case. This reminds me of the days when KFC and Mc. Donald's was entering the Indian market and there was a furor of implications that they will out smart the local fast food joints and the pani puri stalls, however that is not the actual case. Giving the consumers the options to choose between a costly burger meal and a delicious chaat is economics, a perfect example of organized and unorganized retail is that of Mumbai.

Over the past years there has been many FDI in India but none has affected the local Indian industries. The fact is that Wal-Mart imports Indian Goods to a tune of close to one billion each year to sell it to the US Market. The same is that of China in the past 12 or so years there has been many foreign investments but it has failed to capture even 5% of the market.

In a growing economy such as ours we have to take risks in ensuring that we prosper and economic reforms like FDI is necessary. If those who are against FDI let them approve a bill for Free Trade, which will allow the Farmer to sell it directly to the consumer eliminating the middleman.

Aaj Ka Mausam...All iz well Saar

2011-09-23T09:02:00.000-07:00

A long awaited movie from Pankaj Kapoor, really was looking forward to an amazing story line, but i would not say i am disappointed by Mausam its just that there is too much happening in the movie, the initial scenes where Harry was in his teen was impressive, the way he falls in love and the nautankiness that he plays around with his fellow gaonwallas of his village, the first half hour was about this vigorous kid who is waiting for his letter to join the Air Force, preparations for his sisters wedding, the few initial feet thumping songs were fantastic. This Part also has a few comical scenarios like that of the Sarpanch, and the tongawala. cinematographer Binod Pradhan has done a wonderful job is capturing the scenes, making the setting enchanting and realistic.
The remaining part of the story turns into a melodramatic, you know when the love between Harry and his Aayat initiates and then there is this scene where they are in the rain and Harry asks her for an answer before the rain stops and she asks him to come the next day and she would give him the answer.. the Scene shifts to the demolition of the Masjid and the next day Harry gets to know that Aayat has left, during this time Harry joins the Air force just to meet up with Aayat after 7 years in Scotland, the romance rekindles and they commit themselves to each other, PK (Pankaj Kapoor) has shown hos love for Dev Anand when he frequently salutes him by borrowing more that just the great song "Hum Dono". The rest of the movie is about how the Harry goes to war in Kargil and and ever so Aayat clueless about the whereabouts of her lover, but no matter his absence she is patient and confident that he (Harry) would come back to her, not knowing that Harry had seen her one day in Switzerland with her cousin and his child and mistook this to be her family. Harry goes in isolation and depression about the fact that he missed his love. There are genuinely affectionate moments, like the kiss in the huge drain pipe(basically it was like a silhouette), the gestures of the Hymnal Couplet(Aayat) she portrays much grace in her role of Aayat, however we fail to realise the character of Aayat as the first time she comes on screen she is cladded in a burkah, and giggles. The second time is when she imagines her father being shot and wakes up screaming and the next time is when she giggles on seeing Harry remembering the first day she came across him when she arrived to this little hamlet.

When i said that there is a lot happening in the movie.. it sure means way too much to handle. Somewhat looks like the movie evolves around an epilogue that started with the Ayodhya issue, and moved on to Kargil then to 9/11 to end at Godhra. PK has tried to capitulate the entire happenings in this movie which has its one pros and cons.

I would have preferred a clean shaven Harry as compared to the funny mustache that did not suit him, Harry is not a loyal romantic person her has never shown love in this movie, has never manipulated Aayat, he did romance her in the beginning of the movie but failed to rekindle that romance in the later half. The war scene with the four aircraft's looked totally out of a Disney movie, the animation was not up to the mark and so was the editing, weak writing and repetitive situations making the movie predictable

But i really like the way PK portrayed this storm, understanding Mausam will take some time, as the name say it all Mausam - Season and PK has projected all the four season in this movie. Summer : for the brat like Harry who was upto all the notorious acts, falling in love at first sight, courting his love, and joining the IAF. The Monsoon Season is filled with separation circumstance and hardened choices. Winter brought about the re-union of Harry and Aayat in Scotland, Aayat not that shy girl anymore, and harry a sophisticated gentleman. Spring sees the battle, the injury, when Harry meets Aayat again just to mistaken her to be with another man and the carnage of the Gujarat violence that erupts rejoining the couplets. a beautiful aesthetic nature of the film by using the season to depict the structure of the melodrama.

I love Harry in his earlier days of the movie however the post IAF Harry did not fit into the role, with a corny mush more or like a kid in drama at school, Harry definitely needed to work on his emotions probably because Shahid was performing in front of his dad that he was too shy to portray a romantic character. There was chemistry between the two but it was not that romantic and sexual like lovers should have especially when you are separated after seven long years.

Great amount of detail has gone into the movie given the time frame that the movie was relating too, I would say this is worth the watch for PK's attempt at and also for the aesthetic splendor and brilliance, not quite the ***** movie but i would give it a ***1/2 for the songs were great and I did not miss Shahid's dance.

New FB revealed ... What you Think?

2011-09-22T01:24:00.000-07:00

Facebook is at it again, redefining the site, in my earlier post I spoke about how FB was going in for a makeover, well it was scheduled to be rolled out on Thursday, but we folks in India had a taste to the new FB when it rolled out at 9:00 IST. Well to start with there is much happening on the home page, and the new look is somewhat getting a 60-40 response from the public with not many "Likes" to the new FB layout. Lets take a look and see what new here...

The Main thing that was noticed is that the top bar, i more or like the Google+ bar with the little DP(Display Pic) and your name next to it

the next prominent thing to notice is that the little text box which used to be just below the top-bar is gone instead we have links that expand. The main page just shows us what "Facebook" "Thinks" is top story for us to view, in fact the top stories are identifies with a small little mark on the right hand side of the post. The posts appear t be larger in size.
The other prominent feature is that of the way the pictures/photos are displayed, I kinda like the layout it looks trendy with the way FB has designed it and i think that this is the only new feature that i like visually.

The other feature that you cannot miss is the live feed on the right, which tells you in real-time what your friends are doing, kinda privy on your friends, cause it reports everything from the page your friends like, to the birthday wishes to what page they like and stuff like that. The feature is more or like a real-time chat window that showcases everything that your friends part-take in. This is now a privacy issue and FB needs to come out with a way to allow the member to choose what they want others to see.

Another feature that I personally like is that about wishing your friends on their birthday, in the previous version of FB when you click the link that reminds you of their b'day it would take you to your friends profile and then you would type in your b'day wishes, but with the new update that changes. When you click the b'day reminder link you are able to type your message directly and it is posted on your friends wall without having to visit their profile. The other interesting about the live real-time feed on the right bar is that when you click on any of the news item you not just get a preview of the entire article but if there is a video you will be able to watch, and even comment and like it as normal, this feature seems to also have been copied from the Google Search, where one is able to get a preview of the website before opening the link, in the same manner your events and pokes pops-outLook like FB needs to get innovative and stop copying ideas.

The other feature that I like is the Lists feature, which again is more or like a copy of "Circles" in Google + however this ensures that I am able to see the updates of my close friends, family, work all at the click of a button without having to scroll through the zillion updates that populate on the home screen.

And finally to add a more enlarges perspective of the new FB update V8, I am not sure it would be accepted widely by the millions of users who will eventually have to adapt to it, but i feel there is a lot happening on the main page that one will have to contemplate on what to concentrate ;). With all that said and done, i guess we are left with no choice than to accept the new FB update and move along, Basically to sum it all up the new facebook is like a woman, it is quite a mission trying to figure it out, and when you have finally figured it out .. Everything Changes (lol)

What in your opinion could Facebook have done better in this update?

Even Sticky FaceBook

2011-09-19T23:21:00.000-07:00

Not contented by the way the present Genx chooses to be on FB for the longest period of time, Face Book is out for another make over that aims at getting the user to stay longer on Face Book as compared to earlier trends.

With news out about another major redesign in store, probably focusing on the music and media launch that Facebook has been talking about. However Facebook's main aim is to get the user to stick on to the website for longer hours with the upcoming changes, it sure looks like we would soon need a rehab for FB addicts. ;)

I have read reports coming out about the possible F8 release this Thursday, with major changes made to the way you interact with your colleagues and friends. FB is also working more ruggedly to get its FB Credits working to make the site focus more on e-commerce.

Well I would wait till this Thursday to see what has been the major changes and get back with the same.

Cheers till then...

Middle Class - Politically Less Critical

2011-09-19T09:24:00.000-07:00

The present state of the government's apathy towards it Aam Aadmi is blown out of proportion, i remember when the congress portrayed itself to be one for the Aam Aadmi I really felt that this government would do a lot for the people that really matter to this country, but now I fear that this government which has had most corruptions in its cabinet will have to try too hard to make it up to the people for the people to reinstate its trust in them.

I know some loyal congress folks might say that this is not the congress's fault as its allies are the main culprits. I understand your emotions and sympathize with the same, being the majority in the alliance I presume that the congress should have taken a strong stance at governing.

This government even though it has given us good relief from tax and stuff, it has pinched our pockets. Corruption has been the main cause of high inflation. the coffers of each MP has doubled with their salaries hiked by 200% over the years, the price hike in petrol / diesel would not pinch their coffers it is the citizens taxes that pays for their allowances, what difference would inflation make on an MP/MLA.

One man from Gujarat decided to sit on a three day fast in the name of citizens, this person has been the most scrupulous when it comes to being a black sheep in his party, this fast is basically his dietitians idea to reduce the flab...

From my point of view this government has become like Cancer, slowly but consistently killing the Aam Aadmi on one hand and ensuring that the politicians coffers are filled. I agree that there are some ministers who really work for the people, but as the saying goes, one rotten fish, spoils the basket, so even if there are 10 good hard working ministers they are not comparable to the other tainted ones who out number them. At this juncture I think it was right to ask the election commissioner to add another option in the ballot.. "None of the Above" - and i am definite that if and when this option is inducted into the system that would be the last day for these corrupt politicians, they just take us for granted, before elections they are on their knees begging for vote and after elections we are know our knees begging for compassion.

There are these so called panelist who come up on television news shows who have no grass root level knowledge of how the people live, how many are B.P.L how many strive hard to manage a days meal, and how inflation affects these people. People in the city are used to luxuries in life, running water, constant electricity, air conditioning etc.. whereas to support the rising needs of these city dwellers how many villages go dark, without electricity, with no proper supply water, no proper transport service.. I have been in these situations and I realised how hard it can be, but now I have become used to it.

To add to the misery, the Planning Commission has degraded the BPL families even more by announcing that Rs. 32 per day is enough for one to survive and not to be included in the BPL list. This comment comes from people who earn Rs. 55000/- in salary and plus perks and free travel, how will they know the plight of the people, with the rising prices what will one person buy for Rs.32.. will he but 100gm of rice, 60gm of Dahl, and possibly 50gms of one of the vegetables, and would this be enough, who will count the spices that go into the making of a meal, the water bill, electricity bill, etc and moreover if the family has a child how will they educate their child. Some govt officials are ridiculous in making statements, first we should ask them to live on Rs.32 a day and see if they will survive.

My perception is that we need a change, Change is the need of the hour, how long can this goverment take us Middle class for a ride with all the pre-election promises and a 100 day agenda to set things right was all mere talk and nothing more that that, today I ashamed to say that the congress and its allies are a mere embarrassment to India, we need to go by Anna's petition to add "None of the Above" in the election ballot paper. We need a government who will care for the people not destroy their lives all the reforms and price hike. I probably will not be surprised if this government does not complete its full term in office.

My Name is Job's - Steve Jobs

2011-08-24T23:27:00.000-07:00

Good Morning Everyone, My Name is Jobs, Steve Jobs eh!. I work up this morning and I though to my self after being in this industry, making enough of wealth, launching several different products that have made the world a much better place, i have decided to hang my boots.. we i can still continue as it is my company but i have made a lots of greens and its time that I need a break, after all I am just an ordinary man, but people would know me as the Master Inventor, Ultimate Brand Marketeer yada yada!!!... but i am sure that my legend in the silicon valley would continue to boo/woo others. It took me 14 years right from when i started out in my garage to get to this place. I am however sure that Tim would take Apple and its stock to the next level and make it the first trillion dollar company.

I am sure apart from me and my Apple success you would know much less about the person I truly am so i am here just to spell it out for you.. My Father who is half syrian was Abdulfattah Jandali, who is my actual father and my sister Mona who i had to track down in the late 90's. She was a great authour and had penned a book on the relationship of our parents, much to my anticiaption i was given away for adoption by my parents who did not know what they had coming or probably they were not read for me. well they have a movie about me and I am sure you might have come across it someday, I had a fling with this chick and she gave birth to a child and named her Lisa, however i was too skeptical and denied paternity to the child, but people change, they mature and as always we grow up, so i took the responsibility and fathered the child, heck i even named a computer after her, Lisa - Apple III. the other thing you did not know about me is that i am pescetarian, if your too naive to the term it means that I eat fish and no other meat but I also eat everything else that a vegetarian eats like dairy and eggs.

I have a strict policy for doing charity and till date even though I have close to 40 billion i hate the idea of doing philanthropic work. but its not that i have not given anything to the world look at my creations it has made life easy for you what more can you ask for..

I have been a Zen Buddist all my life heck i even wanted to become a monk someday, it was my guru who even got me married, I also remember that the best days of my tough times was sitting in the midst of a couple of Zen Monks. Even though I did not go to college I sure made a heck of a lifestyle, I remember the day I lied to Wozniak about receiving just $700 for the Breakout we made for Atari i was rather paid $5000 by Atari, Those were the days..

Many people would talk about me and relate to nuisance and ambiguity, yes they do talk about my straightforward business achievements, how i started Pixar and went broke with it, well almost, how i started and sold Next, and how i was fired as the CEO of Apple.. yada yada yada.. but I am sure that none of that would compare to the genius in the creator of iPad2, Toy Story, MacBook Air and the Apple II+.....

Well it turn out i have seen alot .. time to hang my boots...

Cheers

Steve

btw i should add.. that there has been three apples that have ever changed mankind, one seduced eve, the second awakened Newton and the third landed up with Steve ;)

State of Education

2011-08-19T23:24:00.000-07:00

This saddens me that our state of education is in a pathetic condition, the example of this is below. I would request the governance and the education minister to please look into the matter and provide educated teachers, these children are the future of this nation and we are here to support them and educate them not make fools of them. If this is the state of our Government School we can just imagine the future of the children.

Radio Taxi Service : Mauryan Cabs

2011-08-19T23:05:00.000-07:00

Patna was on the long list of cities that had call taxi and radio taxi services. better later than never Mauryan Cabs has started its service in Patna all you have to do is call +91-92-6363-6464. Another round of applause to our Chief Minister Shri Nitesh Kumar.

My Love for Androids.. and Samsung

2011-08-11T21:16:00.000-07:00

Well it’s the Honeycomb - the latest version of the Android Operating System. I have so fallen for it predecessor the Gingerbread that I can’t wait to get my hands on this, surely i would not be able to afford it cause I don't draw a huge salary with all the social work that I do. But i sure hope that one day i would be able to own a device in the likes of the Samsung Tab 750 ( Indian Market) and most popularly the Samsung Tab 10.1 globally, if you missed the Launch that we tele-casted live on August 10 click here to view the recorded version of the Launch of the Samsung Galaxy Tab 750

My association with the android came to pass when Samsung introduced the I5700-Spica when it was launched I was the first one to get my hands on it. I am an avid fan of Google and anything new from Google gets me inquisitive. I have done my share of explorations with the Spica and even rooted it, upgraded it to the froyo.. it was fun till my Spica went under a wheel... that is when i switched to the Ace, pretty neat i should say for the cost that was involved and it came with the Froyo version of Android, as time went by i did get to root the device and upgrade it to the gingerbread.. and my love for android powered phone still continue. And now that the Tab has come its brightening my perspective and respect for Samsung. Samsung is my company of choice when it comes to phones, I love the intricate design and the battery backup as compared to the others.

And now the war of the slimmest Tab just hit heights, even though Apple’s iPad is leading the race I am not quite a fan of propriety stuff, I love open source and prefer that everyone switches to the open source platform. I understand that the Tablet war has become extremely competitive and the new Samsung Tab 750 is thinner than its predecessor. The visually appealing operating system adds to the glamour of the Samsung Tab with its faster sliding and zooming, and writing on the screen. Surely priced in the range of 35000 – 40000 with a awesome 10.1 inch WXGA multi touch TFT LCD display, sporting a 3.0MP external , 2048x1536 Pix; a 2.0 MP front camera beautifully placed in the middle allowing widescreen conferencing(as compared to the iPad which only allows portrait display during webcam sessions, the 1600x1200 Pix camera has Digital Zoom with Auto Focus & LED Flash, Bluetooth v2.1 with A2DP, EDR supporting music formats, MP3, WAV, eAAC+, OGG Player. With the 6860 mAh battery that gives you a standby time of 72 hours this supports 3G at the rate of 21Mbps and USB 2.0.

Samsung Galaxy Tab 750 also features Abode Flash 10.2, Microsoft Exchange Active Sync, Google Mobile Services, Access to Android market, Social networking, Social Hub, Music Hub, Readers Hub and probably weighs 470 grams, featuring Accelerometer, Ambient Light sensor, Gyroscope and digital compass.

I would really like to get my hands on one of these and I am hoping that it would happen soon.

Ratings ( on 5)

         Performance: 4.0
         Price: 3.0
         Ease of Setup: 4.5
         Ergonomics: 4.5
         Wow Factor: 4.5

Btw, what are your thoughts on the latest Samsung offering...

Latest Update: Vodafone India has announced the offer of 2GB Data for 6 months for only 3000 for the Galaxy Tab users.

This review is in My perspective of the latest Samsung offering the TAB750, all configuration and features are based on the Samsung TAB 10.1 and is bound to change when Samsung TAB 750 is introduced in India. for actual references please visit the Samsung Website

The Ever-changing Bihar

2011-08-10T09:12:00.000-07:00

Cafe Coffee Day, a new hangout for the folks of Patna, has come as a real treat to to Patanites. Once Patna a No-Go city is now flourishing with trending joints and hangouts. All thanks to the NItesh Kumar goverment who has been rated 93% in the recent polls for good governance by CNN-IBN.

I remember when I shifted to Patna in 2007 it was not a pleasant scene, and after being in cities like that of Delhi, Mumbai Bangalore etc i was taken back by the life style here in Patna. But that has changed over a period of time. I always tell my wife (the reason i moved to Patna) that this is a flourishing city and today we are seeing that change. Initially i could never find a place to meet friends other than my house but today i have a choice.

The only eateries at that time that was worth visiting was Yo! China, The Windsor and a couple of others. Today i have a choice. I can call and order a Dominos Pizza, and now stroll down to the New P&M Mall just a stone throw away from my house, for movies I do not have to go all the way to Gandhi Maidan, for i now have a Multiplex - Cineplex in the newly opened mall. But other theaters like Mona at Gandhi Maidan has also come up in terms of customer satisfaction. Regent Theater next door is also revamping their theater to meet the rising requirement of the elites in Patna.

The latest to the band wagon is Cafe Coffee Day ( CCD ) located at the Regent Theater complex has ample parking space, however it would not accommodate more than 20 people at a time. Next in line we have Mcdonalds, KFC, Pizza Hut all eyeing a venture in Bihar.

Apart from all these biggies, there have been many other small time business ventures that have set shop in Patna. Tandoori and Kebabs have become popular with the localities, you can see many booming shops selling kebabs which is quite appetizing popular hangout include Bollywood Treats, the Purple Lounge etc...

Also in to Patnaites are in for a range of treats when all the other upcoming malls come up, on the cards are the Vasundhara Metro Mall that is coming up at Boring Canal Road (Nr. Rajapul) and the UFO Mall at Anishabad, Ambuja's City Centre is also set to open a mall near the Patna Museum but this is slated for a 2013 launch.

Patna has transformed at an unbelievable pace ....to add to this is the story of the ugly-duckling related to that of Patliputras Industrial Area, once a dull industrial area looks like a fairy god-mother waved her wand and turned it into a bustling commercial zone, this metamorphosis is unbelievable, starting with the IIT, The Patna Tech Park, now the P&M Mall adds to the glory of this area adding to the glitter will be KFC, Pizza Hut, Shoppers Stop will be opening shop soon .. the Urbanization of Patna is now a revolution and all this is because of our vibrant CM. Mr. Nitesh Kumar.

Apart from this business is also booming in the industrial sector with leading brands setting shop, Britannia is setting up a factory and so will be Amol Biscuits and a range of other factories.

The education ventures are not far behind, the Nalanda University is all set to be ready soon. AIIMS Patna is also set to be in about a year from now. It is not just Patna that is developing Bihta will see a rise too well connected by rail and road is all set to see Bihar's new IT park, and to add to its glory will be Infosys who will setting up its unit here ( much on the likes of Infosys in Mysore).

Road transport has also seen much change with Buses on the road, and the latest induction is the A/c Buses that started operation on the 6th of August. also Patnaites would be able to soon hire call radio taxis on the likes of Meru Cabs in metros as the BSTDC in mulling on plying these taxis by the end of september.

Much awaits the residents of Patna, and we are here to bring it to you. keep updated with our blog as we bring you the latest news, musing and happenings of Bihar, especially Patna the most happening destination in Bihar.

If you have something to add to our blog please do not hesitate to contact us.

Stay Tuned.. Live on 10th

2011-08-09T23:55:00.000-07:00

There had been a lot of anticipation and tension amongst the tech community here in India anticipating the launch of the Samsung Tab 750, which according to me seems to be in the likes of the Samsung Tab 10.1. After reviewing the Tab 10.1 which is competing close to the iPad going to the extent of matching the dimensions, for us here in India we have to wait for the launch scheduled for the 10^th of August 2011 – LIVE here!! Stay Tuned…

Appsolutely useful Android Apps

2011-08-08T00:46:00.000-07:00

In an age where there is a shift in operating systems from Windows to Linux to Macintosh, there war is all over the place and now on the mobile platform, the latest arrival is that of Android that is sweeping the older foes off their feet. Being an open source OS Android has been gaining much momentum and Samsung seems to be leading from its other counterparts in getting to us cheaper version of Android enabled phones. The best part is if you are an expert user you can root your phone to suit your needs, or even upgrade it to the most latest versions as an when it is released.

I have been an avid user of Android phones ever since it came into existence in India with the first version of Android being coded the Cup Cake, which advanced into Eclair, Froyo, Gingerbread and now Honeycomb. My First Android was a I5700 and then i moved over to an Ace ( which i upgraded to Gingerbread). I still use both my android phones.
After being used to different apps that come for the Android, I list here a few that made a difference for me by making things easy.

· Seesmic App for the Android O.S gives the user flexibility to manage various social networks within a single app. The Android users having Seesmic App for Androidinstalled within their devices have the convenience of managing their Facebook, Twitter and Google Buzz Accounts from a single Android App. Install Seesmic App for Android

· Facebook App for Android allows user to easily manage their Facebook Profiles. TheFacebook App for Android lets the user update his status, view news feed, friends wall, check into places, watch videos, upload photos, share links etc. well I don’t have to tell you all that – I am sure you all have a facebook go on and Install Facebook for Android

· Google also recently made available an app for Blogger You can easily publish posts with pictures, labels and location information. Also, you can view the list of posts and if you have multiple accounts or blogs, you can easily switch between them. Install the Official Blogger App for Android

· WordPress App for Android is an open source app that let’s user manage his wordpress blog easily. As blogging is now becoming more popular wordpress app for android is a good free app to install within an Android device. The user could easily add new posts, edit posts, view and approve comments etc. WordPress App for Android supports both WordPress.com and self-hosted WordPress (2.9.2 or higher) blogs. Install WordPress for Android

· Evernote App for Android is an interesting and useful free app that lets the user take down notes, create voice reminders, manage to do lists, save pictures etc. Install Evernote for Android

· The Google Maps App for Android lets the user access to high quality world maps. With Google Maps App for Android, the user’s can check into places and find where they are while travelling. I have used these maps when I drive around in Kolkatta cause you can really get lost with all the nook and corners. I would say that it was not pin point on the dot with exact directions but I was able to manoeuvre around using the Google Maps App for Android

· The Gmail for Android lets the user’s manage their Gmail account easily. With Gmail App for Android installed within Android device the new emails are pushed directly to the phone, the user’s can manage multiple Gmail Accounts, search through messages, use functions like the stars, labels and many other features. Install Gmail for Android

· Google Translate for Android is a useful App that lets Text to be translated in 50 different languages.
Google Translate App for Android lets the user enjoy Text to Speech, Dictionary Results and Voice Input etc. the best part it that it has Indian languages although the fonts are not present (till I figure that out) but I have been able to converse in Bengali, Kannada etc when I am on the move. Pretty neat for anyone who is even trying to learn a different language why not Install Google Translate for Android and see for your self.

· DropBox for Android is a unique and handy app that lets the user’s access their photos, videos, files, docs etc anywhere. When a user saves a file to DropBox the file is automatically saved to user’s computer, android device and even the DropBox website so that the user has access to his files. This has been a boon for me as I can upload all the stuff that I have on my phone to the cloud drop brox and then when I am on my computer I just download them, very helpful - Install DropBox for Android

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No infringement or violation of copyright is intended. The above list is prepared only for informational and educational purpose. We are not liable for anything. No brand is promoted or defamed.

Are Diesel Cars Worth it, Absolutely Switch to Diesel

2011-08-07T07:47:00.000-07:00

I have all my life driven cars powered by Diesel, even though they did lack the power of a petrol car, but that was the thing of the past. I love what I drive..previous versions of diesel cars were sluggish and noisy and probably slow, but I do not think that is the case today, in today’s market we have variants of diesel cars that come at the price of a petrol car and is absolutely economical compared to petrol where the prices have shot up like that of gold, and owning a diesel car is the easiest way of lowering your car’s CO2 emission. Hats off

to Rudolph Diesel for his invention in making this high energy density fuel

I am always used to stepping on the pedal when I am on the highway, I remember this one time I was driving up to Kolkatta ( the roads are just awesome) and I was hitting a high of 130 km/hr( for my Tata Sumo that is a lot) I noticed that I was whizzing past many petrol cars like they were bull carts and I really liked that feeling so I have summed up that my diesel powered car is far superior than its petrol counterparts, now whenever I am on the highway I love hitting the pedal to whiz past most petrol cars.. the next car that I have in mind is either Fiat Punto or the Tata Aria, even though they are two incomparable but each has its own benefits in its segment.

In the present situation “Switching to Diesel” is your best choice, at the rate of which petrol prices are skyrocketing, we would end up paying for Petrol rather than our daily necessities.

To Summarize, there are many advantages of switching to a diesel car, for instance these cars have become more rugged and reliable, no spark plugs like in petrol cars, so less maintenance cost., fuel is comparable cheaper than petrol. And most importantly is that your diesel car would last you much longer than your petrol car. All these and much more reasons add up to why the commercial segment of vehicles in the like of transport trucks have always relied on diesel powered vehicles, which has been their saviour in worse situations.

Why not start by taking a test drive on the latest diesel version of the Fiat Punto and see for your self the difference. Test Drives are free remember ….

20 years of the first website and some interesting facts

2011-08-06T02:20:00.000-07:00

Tim Barners Lee, the inventor of the World Wide Web, had on this day, two decades back, posted a summary of the World Wide Web project on the alt.hypertext newsgroup and the first ever website http://info.cern.ch/hypertext/WWW/TheProject.html became publicly available. Unfortunately there are no screenshots available of the original page a copy of a later version of the page is available on www.w3.org.

While the Internet had been around for much longer than websites, it was due to websites that our lives have changed so visibly in the last two decades. This is akin to what the graphic user interface did for the mass the popularity of computers

Today the Web is used for a multifarious purpose, it was initially envisaged as a tool to aid physicists.

Domain names that now form the base of the Web ecosystem, pre-dates the first website by six years. The first commercial domain name symbolics.com was registered on March 15, 1985.

info.cern.ch was the first Web server and by 1992 there were 50 Web servers around the world, now there are millions.

Prior to September 14, 1995 domain name registrations were free as they were subsidised by the US National Science Foundation.

Before the browser wars began in the mid 1990s Microsoft founder Bill Gates in an interview with Don Tennant remarked that "an Internet browser is a trivial piece of software." Netscape co-founder Jim Clark, when told about Gates' opinion on Web browsers retorted "MS-DOS is a trivial piece of software." Now we know, and Bill Gates will also acknowledge, that Web browsers is much, much more than a product of little significance.

In an early 1996 interview with the Wired Steve Jobs, who was then with NeXT, expressed his fears about Microsoft dominating the Web. "If the Web doesn't reach ubiquity in the next two years, Microsoft will own it. And that will be the end of it," Jobs said. Thankfully that didn't happen but Microsoft went on to indirectly dominate the Web with its ubiquitous Internet Explorer web browser.

If you dislike Internet users being addressed to as 'surfers', blame Jean Armour Polly. It was she who coined the term "Surfing the Internet".

Archie was the first tool to search the Internet. Released in 1990 it indexed FTP archives. W3Catalog, launched in September 1993 was one of the first Web search engines.

Pornography constitutes a big chunk of the Web for most of its existence, but the first website on the .xxx domain (meant for adult websites) went online in August 2011.

According to worldwidewebsize.com, as of August 5, 2011, the Web contains of least 19.68 billion pages. That is more than three times the world's population.

Corruption in India

2011-08-05T22:49:00.000-07:00

A 2005 study conducted by Transparency International in India found that more than 45% of Indians had first-hand experience of paying bribes or influence peddling to get jobs done in public offices successfully. India tops the list for black money in the entire world with almost US$1456 billion in the form of Black Money. India has more black money than the rest of the world combined To put things in perspective, Indian-owned Swiss bank account assets are worth 13 times the country’s national debt.

Corruption is not limited to the Government we can see corruption in Hospitals in the form of fake medicines, supplies to the hospitals, in our Judicary System in terms of delayed cases, non-availability of judges, in our armed forces where many officers have been caught selling defence stores in the black market the recent Sukuna and Adarsh Scam are good examples, in the media in the form of paid news and political clout in certain news agencies and channels and also in the religious institutions where at one point of time the Church of North India was accused of selling baptism certificates is one example, the treasures that have been found in Temples and the unaccountable cash discovered in baba’s and swamis homes.

Whistleblowers have played a major role in bring out the corruption in the open, but India does not have a protection policy for whistleblowers, who have either been murdered or their so-called suicides. As in the case of Satyendra Dubey. One of the latest case of such murder is of V Sasindran Company Secretary of Palakkad based Malabar Cement Limited, a Government company in Kerala and his two minor children, Kerala High Court ordered CBI probe on 18 February 2011. Initially, CBI showed its unwillingness for probing into such cases citing over-burden as a reason.

There have over a period of time quite a few anti corruption organizations that have started campaigns to evade corruption but to no luck. 5^th Pillar was a organization most famous for making the “Zero Rupee” that it was given to corrupt officials when they request for bribes. Then there was the Jaago Re! campaign that was initiated by the Tata Tea and Janaagraha ( not-for-profit organization that aims to strengthen democracy in India) to increase the youth voters of India since then they have been actively citing other issues. The latest movement is India against corruption a movement created by citizens in various professions to work against corruption and it is currently headed by Anna Hazare more famously know for the Jan Lokpal Bill.

There have been other social endeavours that have been taken up to get the citizens of India actively involved in eliminating corruption. Websites like ipaidabribe.com / ekakizunj.com/ corruptioninindia.org/ have been actively reporting on corruption and taking in inputs from us citizens.

According to ipaidabribe.com Bangalore tops the list of most bribed states with bribes totalling to 934 Lakhs second is Mumbai totalling 334 Lakhs, New Delhi with 164 Lakhs, Hyderabad with 149 Lakhs and Kolkatta with 137 lakhs in bribe amount.

Scandals and Scams have rooted our motherland since the 1957 : Haridas Mundhra and till date the 2g Spectrum, CWG and many others, out of which 2010 was the most scandalous years of all.

If we have to eliminate corruption it would be at the grass roots, getting a strong Lokpal Bill in place is the best choice. I would not differ in saying that higher offices like that of the judiciary and the PMO can come under a different ambit of the law and a separate bill can most definitely be passed to stop corruption at that high a level.

Upgrade your Samsung Ace S5830 to Gingerbread

2011-08-05T03:06:00.001-07:00

Even though it is official that Samsung Ace users would get the Ginger Bread version of Android the actual official date is yet to be announced. However there have been four different firmwares making its rounds on the internet but until now i have not found the first three stable. Each update was a performance update so i waited till the final one was released.

I should remind you that this is the unofficial version and it can be installed via Odin if you follow the instructions carefully and not miss a step you could be on your way to experiencing the gingerbread on your Samsung ACE without any issue and i am sure you would appreciate the performance and functionality.

Requirements to start:

Download needed drivers for your pc from here and install them
Download Odin Multi Downloader v4.38 from here
Download : Android 2.3.4 update file from here
Password : samfirmware.com
Charge your phone battery at least 80% and using a Full charged laptop is better

Instruction on How to Update Galaxy Ace to Android 2.3.4 gingerbread

(I) Now you have everything we need, now you need to go and set Odin on PC.

Extract the firmware . RAR file in a folder

install drivers on PC

Run Odin Multi Downloader v4.38.exe

Tick the check boxes ‘Auto Reboot’ & ‘Protect OPS’ [see image below]

Click on OPS and select the .Ops file

Click on BOOT and select the file called APBOOT

Click on PHONE and select the file called MODEM

Click on PDA and select the file called CODE

Click on CSC and select a file called CSC

WARNING: Do not select anything in EFS

(II) Now we are ready to start update

Boot your phone in download mode via pressing Middle Key(OK Key) +Volume Down Key and while holding both press power on key
Now you can connect your phone to PC via USB cable

Note: Don’t proceed if you are unable to put your phone in Download Mode

When you will connect your phone to PC, you will see in Odin first box from left will turn yellow and in message box, it shows ADDED. this mean your phone is connected successfully
Press START in Odin and it will start upgrading process

This process will take several minutes, don’t disconnect or stop this process otherwise you will have a dead Galaxy ACE

let the phone reboots itself and after it you can disconnect, congratulations you have installed latest android 2.3.4 Gingerbread firmware successfully

Clearing cache data:

During flashing process , some cache data is stored on your phone, so we have to clear it -

Boot your phone in recovery mode by Pressing and holding menu key and while holding it press power on key
your phone will boot in recovery mode and you will see a menu with some options ,
select Wipe data/factory reset and select Wipe Cache partition
Now reboot your system by selecting reboot system now.

Team Anna Vs the Govt

2011-08-04T21:37:00.000-07:00

It’s high time that i shared my opinion on this aspect. I have always been a firm supporter to anti-corruption laws and this Lokpal Bill that is to be tabled in Parliament is one of them. I really would like to support Team Anna in this endeavour of ensuring that we have a strong Lokpal bill.

Of late the agenda of Team Anna has changed and it is making me realize more if this is turning political mandate, far from the cry of being the Lokpal, its mandate and focus o n getting the PMO included is such a waste of time. One has to understand that we the people of India do not go to the PMO for any sort of issues so corruption in that level is highly out of the question, we agree that there might or would be corruption but we have to realize that we the people use services at the grass root level it is here that the corruption takes shape, in government offices and other government establishments.

If Anna is fighting for the right of the people we are very much with him, but if his agenda is politically motivate then the Lokpal would just be a JokePal bill.

The PMO is an institution and not a single person, of course the Prime Minister can be taken to task but not when he is holding the office. if the PMO is to be included why not include the President also.. The adverse effect would happen if the public is given the authourity to question the PM directly, I realise that he is answerable to all our queries and is obligated, but if he starts answering to the questions of the 1.2 billion people that would be the only agenda he would have for the day rather than running this country. To include the PMO in any sort of queries should have a mandated process and the approval of the Houses of Parliament to enact action against the PMO.

My Suggestions is not to include the PMO / Judges in the Jan Lokpal Bill moreover there should be a separate bill tabled for them, in the likes of the PMO Accountability Bill and the Judges Accountability Bill. Probably that will insure the essence of Democracy to remain intact, as far as functioning of Higher Judiciary is concerned, moreover there can also be a separate bill in the likes of the UK Bribery Bill.

What makes us so sure that the members of Lokpal will not become corrupt? After all, the idea of Lokpal itself showcases the shortcoming of our judicial system.

a) What choice does the selection panel have if all of the candidates have a 'not so clean' history?(Especially since there is a time constraint for establishing this institution).

Same with the case of vigilance officers (not easy to find persons of impeccable integrity). It should not be like our general elections where people have to choose between the better of the corrupt politicians.

b) I also think a 5 year term would be too long for members. 2 or 3 years should be best.

c) I personally feel Lokpal should not be given all powers against running of judiciary and Government. Otherwise it will become the most powerful institution in India and if corrupted, can be a threat to national security.

d) It would also be best if the parliament debates on all the bills in the public domain pertaining to the Lokpal and come to a consensus and submit the same to the Standing committee, saves everyone the trouble and all the gaps and loop holes will be filled

Finally I stand to my cause that we need an effective Lokpal Bill for the benefit of the Citizens of India and not otherwise.

Transformer TF101 Tablet

2011-07-20T05:51:00.000-07:00

Asus has launched the TF101 Eee Pad Transformer for a price tag of Rs.32,999 which is presumably the MRP. This pricing is for the 16GB Wi-Fi only version, the 3G variant will be launched at a later date, the price is inclusive of a docking station,and you can purchase as an add-on the keyboard.

Transformer TF101 Tablet - Keyboard Shown can be purchased separately

The tablet alone has limited connectivity, however when paired with the docking station, we get two USB ports, a multi-touch touchpad, SD-card reader and a full QWERTY keyboard. The Transformer uses a 10.1-inch IPS panel with 1280x800 pixel resolution and features 10-finger multi-touch support. Powered by Nvidia’s Tegra 2 processor and with 1GB of memory, 1080p video playback is a non-issue. We also have Bluetooth v2.1 and Wi-Fi ‘n’ for connectivity.

What is an M-Ticket!

2011-07-20T05:45:00.000-07:00

Now, you don’t have to worry about forgetting your train tickets at home, as long as you carry your cell phone or laptop with you on train journeys.digital devices like your cell phone, I-pad or laptop would soon replace a normal train ticket, at least on long distance routes. The Indian Railways has rolled out an electronic ticketing or M-ticket wherein a virtual copy of the passenger’s ticket and a valid photo identity will be sufficient while travelling on outstation trains.In case of electronic ticketing, all you have to do is take a screen shot of the ticket and show it to the ticket checker while travelling. “For mobile phones, a passenger will need to log in through another version of electronic ticketing that is expected to begin from August. Any mobile phone with an internet facility can be used to download an ‘M-ticket’ application from the portal,” according to the report. “Booking and payment can be made on the mobile itself and an SMS with ticket details will be sent to the user. The cost of sending this SMS, will be borne by the railways. A service charge of Rs 5 for sleeper and reserved second sitting and Rs 10 for third, second and first class AC coaches..

The Indian Railways has certainly made life a whole lot easier for us commuters by introducing the new mobile ticketing application for mobile phones. Although the application is still in the development stage, it is being ascertained that we would no longer have to wait in long lines and wait for printouts of our tickets. All the customer has to do is download the application on their mobile phone and carry some kind of identification proof. The ticket will be sent to them via SMS on their mobile phone through the same application. This mobile ticket cannot be forwarded. One can download the application here

OSX-Lion

2011-07-20T05:31:00.000-07:00

Lion is the latest update to Apple’s Mac OS X, which first released in 2001. It adds several features to the operating system that were inspired by the iPad, including the LaunchPad, which gives one-click access to applications, and a more gesture-based control system.

OS X Lion will be available only through the Mac App Store and not available on disk. This is the first time that Apple has released an update to its operating system as a download-only.

Other features of Lion include a system-wide auto-save feature, which means that every app will perform regular background saves, eliminating the risk of lost work, and AirDrop, a simple means of transferring files between Macs.

Sick Culture

2011-03-31T20:51:00.000-07:00

Even though we live in a country that is considered to top the list of most developing nations, India still holds on the age old culture that has never changed, preferring Boys over Girls, I call it the sick culture, and the latest census is here to prove my statement with the constant decline in the child sex ratio, viz the number of female children per 1000 males below the age 6 In 1961, there were 978 females to 1000 male children in the 0-6 population. By 2001, the figure had declined to 927 and we have become worse as the 2011 census showed a further decline to 914. the main culprits being J&K, Bihar and Gujarat

Surprisingly India has added another Brazil to it population with a 1,210.2 million (male 623.7 million and female--586.5 million). which makes India's population bigger than the combined population of USA, Indonesia, Brazil, Pakistan and Bangladesh with Uttar Pradesh is the most populous state and that the combined population of UP and Maharashtra is bigger than USA.

As the census hypes over all the other information like higher literacy rates, high population i wounder where will India head if it tries to cover up the most vital issue of the "Girl Child"

I have been working in the North Eastern regions in Bihar, Jharkhand, Assam, Bengal and the rest and we have tried hard to get the point to the people that the girl child is as important as a boy, but here they do not seem to understand that point they think of the concequences consequences that they would have in the future with her education and marriage, they still see her as a burden. Even though the government has all these schemes for the girls they has been no respite, since many of them are not recipients of those facilities.

In Bihar, I had recently visited a village, rather a community of people basically migrants who reside in Barh in a basti / slum call sevaipuri here there are 36 girls and all of them do not go to school, i was disspointed by the mentality of the parent who said :

" What if she works at this age, anyways after marriage she will continue to work, what good will education do for her"

this statement moved me and today I have a school running in this slum where we teach all the children with basic education, the government has deserted these people because they are not of the soil and are migrants, these people do not have proper drinking water, they filter drainage water to be used for cooking, and bathe at the local pond that is stagnant with dirt. Even those they are below the poverty line, they have no facilities provided. We do not have any support or funding in this village who deserves the same attention like the rest. Our school here depends on kind and generous donations all the time to provide them with books, pencils etc, we also try to give them a meal once in a while.

India has a staggering difference and also differentiates between its people, I am sure that if we educate and provide for our villages, our India will Shine.

Why Web's Favorite Color is "Blue"

2011-03-23T01:10:00.000-07:00

Of late I have tried hard to understand why when i look at most of the web pages on the internet i end up see close to 80% of the logos and page colors end up being blue.

The first best example is that of Face Book, when it was first started it was called "The Face Book" and its colors were blue then, years have passed and FB has gone through some serious make over but it still stuck to the color blue, everything on face book is so blue or shades of blue and from what I have noticed it not just face book there are a couple of other sites that sport the color blue on their logos, some being Dell, HP, WordPress, Paypal, Sears, Citi, Twitter, IN, The Weather Channel, AOL, Skype AT&T, and even My Space and the best thing is that if we notice all these companies have excelled way beyond expectations in terms of business.

That brings me to my question is there something about the color "Blue" that turns business into fortune, what makes the color blue so attracted to the biggies in the web industry. Well have much hue and cry and lo and below i have found my answer. I was listening to an interview of Mark Zuckerberg; and in that was poised the question as to why his site was so blue, and his answer was so ridiculous, He said that when he was developing the site he once came across an online eye test that identified that he was red and green color blind and because Blue is the richest color in his eyes, is the reason why it dominates FB, i thought that was the dumbest answer one can give, but hey it has worked for him and everyone who has chosen the color blue. I have also come to understand that the color blue and green is nirvana to the brain, but I would say it was one great strategy of a well planned marketing agenda

The other side of India that we rarely see...

2011-03-22T06:44:00.000-07:00

Clicked these few pics on my visit to one of the villages in Jharkhand, its is such an apathy to see the state of life there. this is one of the villages where I intent to open a community school just like I did in Bihar.

Plug all the "Leaks"

2011-03-21T22:37:00.000-07:00

With all the commotion hustling around the walkways of parliament with the echoes of the opposition wanting the PM to go, with the breach of privileged motion against the PM, with scandals, leaks, scams I seriously don't know where my country is headed...

Wiki Leaks claims that it needs help keeping the government "OPEN" is this an understatement when all that I see is that Wiki Leaks is not helping the government "OPEN" but it is opening up the underdog in the government. I understand that there is no remorse to the powers that be to make decisions for us, but we have to remember that it is us the People who have elected the powers to be to make those decisions. I feel strongly for the people who is truing hard to demoralize and destabilize the present situation. They have identified that the opposition in the Indian constitution is weak and that it finds it attracted to any little accusations against the present government.

On the other hand we have to see that the Wiki Leaks an NGO comes to being accountable for the implications of the Cables, we totally understand that it is ones duty to bring out the flaws in the government and to highlight the issues that pertain to the public, however we have to come to a conclusion that Wiki Leaks is operating as a rouge organization, posting information that could breach the privacy of any organization or business, I feel that the sources that provide the information to wiki leaks should be examined and scrutinized, Just like the Wiki Leaks founder puts it across, the Source of the Cables is Authentic but the person who is sending the cables should be held accountable for his/her sayings, cause it is his/her own opinion of the matter.

Everyone is accountable for his own views of the matter, it is just how the rest of the crowd interprets that opinion

All in Vain

2011-03-21T22:08:00.000-07:00

I really did not realize with the mounting work load that I even used to blog, however whilst i was going though my Facebook links i realized that i once was a blogger - a big time blogger and with time that has faded and the reason is my total commitment to my NGO. Sorry that i have not been able to share my thoughts, but I feel that i have all this stuff in my head that writing them out is the best way to get them off my shoulders, there are people who i can share all my unmelodious thoughts but how much can i bother them.

Well after being ill for the past half month with all these thoughts just sitting in my head i think i have scummed to the "Blue Brain Syndrome" where all the thought in my head is just waiting to explode. well lets see how far i can get this time.

Operation BLACKBOARD

2010-07-02T09:59:00.000-07:00

Are you in it... Blog for Education is here to show that "Its Time for India" education for all is the need of the hour.

According to the "Education Bill" that was implemented in India we are yet to see action on the governments end, as said and i quote the South Asian :

“The budgetary allocation for education in our country is pitiable and is grossly insufficient for providing even basic facilities to children. The new Bill while making education mandatory for children between the age group of six to 16 does not provide for any financial mechanism on how this will be accomplished. Without proper funds, experts fear that states will adopt cheap "alternatives just to fulfill their constitutional obligation forgoing the real objective behind the passage of the bill.” : http:/the-south-asian.com

It time that the goverment switch their priorities and enforce the education bill.

It is up to us to promote this to the widest extent, Join me and others as we " BLOG 4 EDUCATION"

Leadership

2010-07-01T00:39:00.000-07:00

.....It is the capacity to guide on a way, especially by going in advance.

..... the quality of giving direction on a course.

There is need for leadership
-In our country
- In our Community
- In our Business and Industry
- In Education
- In Family

There are four keys to effective Leadership

- Get attention through vision
- Establish a meaning through communication
- Build Trust
- Build conviction through patience

I am sure that if a leader lives on these four keys he would make a very good one.

Finally the Cat is out...

2010-06-25T08:33:00.000-07:00

So at last the UPA govt decided to let the cat out of the bag, Increasing the fuel prices was a very bad move, but you cannot blame the government as this is the only source of income that can help in reduce the fiscal deficit from the projected 5.5 percent of 2010/11 GDP and free up revenues for other programmes.

But i am sure that this exorbitant increase of the fuel price could be avoided.

As i was driving back home today, i was caught up in snarling traffic jam on either side of the road, I then happen to learn that the jam was caused because people are rushing to the fuel pumps to fill their tanks, and boy was it a rush up...

The govt needs to understand that such drastic increase especially when the prices of commodities are soaring should be avoided. Much to blame are people who stack up their riches and not pay their tax, had only every citizen work accordingly there would not have been this issue of a high price index.

Raaaavan - Bak Bak Bak Bak...

2010-06-19T22:04:00.000-07:00

I was looking forward to my date with Raavan, with all its mesmerizing clips that made up the trailors i was really expecting to see Mani Rathanam make a despicable performance.
Even though the locations and the shots of every scene was an "awww" effect the character of Beera did not stand out, i think he would have better suite the role of the SP Varma. Beera is an angry agnostic character and Abby was not in that realm of pulling off such a character as compared to the others, Govinda in his role of the mordern day hanuman was upto the mark with his accented dialogues and timly expressions, so was the case of the others, Beera's brother especially...

All in All Mani should have done his casting right, just as he did in the Tamil version by casting Vikram as "Beera"

The dialogues were catchy, the scenes mesmerizing, the location amazing... musical scores excellent.

Rating ***

Aap Hain The Best

2010-05-28T06:21:00.000-07:00

Image via Wikipedia

My Cousin Bruce Nicolas, a avid Sachin fan has composed an Anthem on Sachin Tendulkar, his tune is also available on all mobile networks as a Caller Tune : Aap Hain the Best ( Call your Operator and ask) Way to go Cuz... Mount is proud of You.

Excerpts from "http://sachinist.com"

A song on Sachin Tendulkar set to become a ringtone!
A cricket fan is singing Sachin Tendulkar's praises. Literally! Bruce Nicholas, a communication trainer with a gift for singing, has written and sung a song about Sachin.
Set to music by Shaun Roberts (guitarist of Molotov Cocktail), the ode to the cricketing genius was timed with his 20th year in cricket.
Bruce has been batting hard for the song, knocking on many doors in an effort to make it more heard.
The song was lapped up by Chennai Live (104.8 FM). Being heard on FM did not hurt Bruce, but he badly wanted the song to be ‘seen' as well. He has been looking for help to create a video that would go with the song.
There is no denying that the Sachin song will do better with a video; but it has not been doing too badly without one.
It has received positive feedback. The song flirts with many genres. “I had a tune in my head when I approached Shaun. But, he took it to a new level. The song combines slow rap, rock, calypso, bhangra and dappankuthu,” says Bruce. Convinced it can make a good ringtone, Bruce contacted numerous companies in the business. His search ended in Sachin's home town. Mobile Traffik, a Mumbai-based company, has signed up a contract with Bruce for making the song available as a ringtone.
Encouraged by the response, Bruce has started focussing on Indian cricket and its cardinal personalities.
He is working on a song about Dhoni, ‘Dhoom Dhoom Dhoni', and a Tamil song about India's chances in the 20-20 cricket — ‘Jaikaporom Indha 20/20'.

Rigorous Imprisonment for Rathore

2010-05-27T23:27:00.000-07:00

Image via Wikipedia

There should be a re-trial of former Haryana DGP S P S Rathore, who molested and allegedly abetted the suicide of Ruchika Girihotra, and demanded reforms in the law in terms of child sex abuse.

It is because of cops like these that we do not want to put our trust in the others, "One rotton fruit, spoilt the basket"

I stand with the others in saying that Rathore, should be given life imprisonment, without bail. the mental torture that the Girotra's family went through and the court just sentencing him to 18 months in jail is appalling.

Generous TATA

2010-05-27T23:14:00.000-07:00

I just heard that the OC of the Delhi Games has accepted Tata generous offer to supply 2000 cars to ferry dignitaries and officials during the event.

"All the road taxes, VAT and registration amount will be borne by Tata Motors," said an OC official.

That is so generous of you TATA, i wonder if you guys are going to use brand new cars or have you worked up using the cars that you picked up from the exchange deals.

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Thank you For Droppin By

2010-05-27T23:00:00.000-07:00

Hey There .. welcome.. first post - fingers crossed - hope to blog for long...

ciao
josef