Colloquialism....

Funny signs in English

2010-12-14T01:30:00.000-08:00

Few Funny signs.... I hope you will all enjoy reading it.....

Cocktail lounge, Norway:

Ladies are requested not to have children in the bar.

Doctor's office in Rome:

Specialist in women and other diseases.

Information booklet about using a hotel air conditioner. Japan:

Cooles and heates: if you want condition of warm air in your room, please control yourself.

In an Aamchi Mumbai restaurant:

Open seven days a week, and weekends too.

A cemetery in Moscow:

You are welcome to visit the cemetery where famous Russian and Soviet composers, artists and writers are buried daily except Thursday.

Hotel, Zurich:

Because of the impropriety of entertaining guests of the opposite sex in the bedroom, it is suggested that the lobby be used for this purpose.

Advertisement by a Hong Kong dentist:

Teeth extracted by the latest Methodists.

Tourist agency, Czechoslovakia:

Take one of our horse-driven city tours. We guarantee no miscarriages.

Advertisement for donkey rides, Thailand:

Would you like to ride on your own ass?

The box of a clockwork toy made in Hong Kong:

Guaranteed to work throughout its useful life.

In a Japanese cemetery:

Persons are prohibited from picking flowers from any but their own graves.

Saint PAUL !

2010-07-11T22:50:00.000-07:00

Paul, a British (hatched on January 2008) octopus living in a tank at a Sea Life Center in Oberhausen, Germany, who is used and abused for its predictions.He was God to one and enemy to another. For those football fans who blame Paul the Psychic Octopus for being dumped out of the 2010 FIFA World Cup and are seeking revenge, many recipes that can turn the eight-legged football pest into a tasty meal, here is one,

Paul the Psychic Octopus Stewed

Ingredients: Paul the Psychic Octopus, two onions, two cloves of garlic crushed, two tomatoes chopped, tablespoon of tomato puree, cup of red wine, olive oil, oregano, basil and lemon juice.
Add Paul. Cook for two minutes, and rest add whatever stated above... enjoy Paul when served Hot!

Paul did his job at best, his prophesies were all tested and found to be correct but sad for your cousins in Netherlands because they will be had for Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner and in Germany as Side Dish along with their Beers. But don't worry Paul, you will be protected by Spain with Hi Tech Security.In fact Spain should adopt Paul and give him the highest honor of the country and ban all Octopus related food products in their country .At least something good will happen out of this for sea animals.

I strongly think that this sea animal should be brought to India, we need its prediction for the coming Indian election in the state of West Bengal, Kerala , Andhra Pradesh, ect than football! where he will be given an royal treatment with new name as Paul-o-Baba.

Paul is currently among the top 10 trends on Twitter. And he is big enough to get death threats. Embittered by Argentina's loss to Germany - an outcome predicted by Paul - Argentine chef Nicolas Bedorrou wants to beat him to death. Once a darling in Deutschland, most Germans now envision him fried in garlic butter after he predicted that the team would lose to Spain. Crowds also sang anti-octopus songs.

I strongly feel that Paul should apply for express immigration to Spain, because he picked them as winners. In fact he should also seek asylum in that country.

I am wondering what will happen to Bejaan Daruwala; now he is getting real competition from Paul, it should be Bejaan Daruwala (ek to bejaaan upar se daaruwala) who should be worried about all this.I recommend Nityaananda to keep pet Paulananda to predicts his future.

I read in a newspaper that a Spanish businessmen had already offered 30,000 euros to buy the octopus for use as a mascot at a gastronomic event. But the aquarium in Oberhausen decline to sell him, the businessmen hope to obtain him on loan for the festival on August 8. Meanwhile, the Italians are rejoicing too. They claim Paul is actually Paolo and the eight-legged creature is actually an Italian catch which was smuggled into Britain and later transported to Germany. God, what a voyage, Vasco-de-Gama might have used his great ancestors help to sail through Indian Ocean.

What ever may be the Paul's lineage, He could be Italian or English or German, but he predicted seven games correctly and just like the 2010 World Cup was "this time for Africa" .We have to accept it, Paul prefers to dance to Mexican/Spanish music, but he's English. if you don't agree with me ...then Check out his accent.

What if this octopus is being given inside information by the FIXERS…I wonder what kind of kickbacks he gets.Then probably he is Paid-off with morsels of mussels, I believe. :)

Failed Numerology and FIFA....

2010-07-08T06:04:00.000-07:00

I was told that this FIFA 2010 world cup winner can be determined by the numbers (Numerology)...... ooo is that so? let me give a try, any ways Maths is always a bad subject to me, but its the matter of football worldcup.

Check out how the session went ....

1. Brazil won the World Cup in 1994; before that they also won in 1970.Adding1970 + 1994= 3964

2. Argentina won its last World Cup in 1986; before that they also won in 1978. Adding 1978 + 1986= 3964

3. Germany won its last World Cup in 1990; before that they also won in 1974. Adding 1974 + 1990= 3964

4. Brazil also won the World Cup in 2002; before that they also won in 1962. Adding 1962+ 2002= 3964

5. Therefore if you want to know what nation is going to win the World Cup in 2010, you only have to subtract 2010 from the magic number that we have determined: 3964.

3964 minus 2010 = 1954... In 1954 the World Cup was won by Germany!!!
So Its "Germany" will be the winner 2010 FIFA world cup (Supposed prediction!).

Now the tragedy is.....

This time numerology failed ....... Germany is out of the race.... :( I am waiting for the guy who did this maths, giving all kinds of stupid stuffs... German team got fucked this time :(

Understanding MEN

2010-06-22T02:35:00.000-07:00

Recently, I read a very interesting post on the net about 'understanding men' by a 'Women' which I am sharing.

It goes on like this...

- The nice men are ugly.

- The handsome men are not nice.

- The handsome and nice men are gay.

- The handsome, nice and heterosexual men are married.

- The men who are not so handsome, but are nice men, have no money.

- The men who are not so handsome, but are nice men with money think we are only after their money.

- The handsome men without money are after our money.

- The handsome men, who are not so nice and somewhat heterosexual, don't think we are beautiful enough.

- The men who think we are beautiful, that are heterosexual, somewhat nice and have money, are cowards.

- The men who are somewhat handsome, somewhat nice and have some money and thank God are heterosexual, are shy and NEVER MAKE THE FIRST MOVE!!!

- The men, who never make the first move, automatically lose interest in us when we take the initiative. NOW...WHO REALLY UNDERSTANDS MEN?

No doubt, this illustration about men is very much near reality and all types of men have been mentioned in these 11 points.

---Intresting AAhaa... ;)

Save the Children

2010-06-21T23:57:00.000-07:00

Approximately 12.6 million children are employed in hazardous occupations [while unofficial estimates put this figure at over 40 million]. India has the highest number of laborers in the world under 14 years of age. Although the Constitution of India guarantees free and compulsory education to children between the age of 6 to 14 and prohibits employment of children younger than 14 in any hazardous environment, but child labour is present in almost all sectors of the Indian economy. Companies including Gap, Primark, Monsanto etc have been criticized for using child labour in either their operations in India or by their suppliers in India.

A survey conducted by an NGO, which was published in June 22 in Hindu daily, states that child workers comprise of more than 30% of total hired workers in the beedi manufacture sector.As we all know that the United States Customs Service banned the import of Beedis made in Ganesh Beedi Works of Mangalore, long back in 1994 citing child exploitation. Have we ever done any thing like this before to save our kids?

Estimates also suggest that at least 3,000 children still work at every stage of the manufacturing process. Best example of this is seen with biggest firecracker industry of India, Shivakashi, where a kid sweats out to get Rs 20 per day. I feel so disgusted about myself because some where even i was involved by encouraging those who employee by buying the fire-crackers in bundles.

Adorable Silk sarees, best to describe Indian culture and beauties, Channapatna caters for those who wants to steal the show . this town has crafted most beautiful silk sarees which is still famous around South India. Do we know from where these silk threads comes? Its our own kids ! Children are forced to dip their hands in scalding water to palpate the cocoons, dye with colours and are often paid less than Rs 10 per day.

We have so many laws against this, one such act is Child Labour Prohibition and Regulation Act, which banned the employment of children as domestic workers and as workers in restaurants, dhabas, hotels, spas and resorts effective from October 10, 2006.But how effectively it been applied remains to be answered.

The Right To Education[RTE] Act, that came into force on April 1 this year, guarantees the right of every child between the ages of 6 and 14 to free and compulsory elementary education.

`Save the Children' a campaign by CLPRA wants the government to make a perfect distinction between hazardous and non-hazardous categories of work for children below 14. But how to distinguish between these two? There cannot be any distinction between hazardous and non-hazardous labour for children below 14. Child labour in any form is detrimental to the physical, mental and cognitive growth and development of the child. By allowing children below 14 to work, we stand morally diminished. We rob them of their childhood.

Government should answer those Approximately 70% children in agriculture. The law must be amended to include the millions of children engaged in child labour on agricultural farms around India.

If RTE to be implemented it should be done with true spirit. A child cannot attend school after backbreaking work,In fact a child cannot attend both at same time.Its good to see India's hardworking future, but not at the expense of their childhood. Are we stealing their future for out present?

Only railway budget, No food budget Or education budget !

2010-04-29T23:57:00.000-07:00

Ever wondered why we have a railway budget? whats the difference between a normal General budget and Railway budget? Every time i get confused why a separate budget especially for railways?

While finding the answers i felt proud, because its only kind of budget that is presented separately in India,perhaps no other country in these world have so much of affection as Indians have for railways.The tradition of presenting Railway Budget in the Parliament was started by the British rulers in around 1929 (maybe-Approx). The purpose of introducing Rail Budget was that they depended heavily on railways to reach all corners of the country to assist control over India and ransacking of its resources. Only railways were connecting to the major ports of India from where drain of wealth to Britain was on.A well defined Railways were developed around Surat Port,Bombay Port, Karachi Port,Calcutta Port and Madras Port.

The traditions started by the British are so deep rooted in Indian soil that even after so many years of independence we are still not able to do away with them. Many traditions followed in Indian army is an example of this. It’s the same story with the Railway Budget. India is continuing with the presentation of a segregated railway budget to Parliament every year. That does not mean that railroad infrastructures in different countries have not grown or not been modernized.

Prior 1947, Railways contributed to more than 70 % of freight and Passengers. Post Independence the freight and commuters were reduced, in 1960s it was reduced to 45 % and in 2007/08 it was further reduced drastically to around less than 1 % . The role for effective communication is been taken up by Roadways and now a sharp increase in Air traffic is seen. But till now i haven't heard about Road Budget or Air Budget.

The Indian Railways age-old toilet disposal system, which lets the refuse flow directly on the tracks, has caused many to make an angry petition to Courts.Citizens complains of filthy ‘golden showers’ falling on people passing below poorly-maintained railway overbridges in many cities especially in Bangalore. To avoid get blessed by these, people wait till train move on, this causes a massive traffic blockage.Its as good as having a Rail crossing road.Did Mamta 'didi' ever said anything related to this in Budget?

The railways are no doubt important, but so are roads, telecoms, petroleum, water, education and many other necessities of life. Do we have separate budgets for these categories presented to Parliament every year?

The British rulers of India decided to have a separate budget for railways because they used the rail infrastructure to reach all corners of the country to facilitate control over India and the plunder of its resources.

In no other Parliament will you see a minister, sounding like a bad geography teacher, reading out for an hour hundreds of place names she cannot even pronounce. That does not mean that railway infrastructures in other countries have not grown or not been modernized.Countries have bullet trains and probably building on supersonic trains, where we are still in Metro Phase 1. Do these countries have a separate Budget?

It's high time India started treating the railways in the same way as any other utility rather than something that is used by politicians to distribute "goodies". If we need a separate budget at all, why not have a water budget or a food budget Or education budget?

Songs of Blood and Sword - through a daughters perspective !

2010-04-21T05:11:00.000-07:00

No, I can’t. You’ll do it for me. You can write a book on my life.” ..... “Not now,” .... “You can write it after I’m dead.”

An Aristocratic, feudal landlords for centuries, who enjoyed the land, labour and capital at maximum. The book tells how a British officer conducting a census in Sind during the British raj, who told a subordinate: “Call me when you’ve finished detailing the Bhutto land.” Several days later he asked why he had heard nothing, and was told: “I’m still working on the Bhutto lands.”

This Author tells out the story about her and her family feuds, she was born in Afghanistan in 1982. Studied at Columbia University and the School of Oriental and African Studies at the University of London. Currently writes columns for The Daily Beast, New Statesman and other publications and lives in Karachi, Pakistan and finally she dint forgot to tell that she is a Bhutto and a Pakistani. Once she asked her father if he regretted his life. “No,” he said. “I fought the government that killed my father and brother and I’m proud of that. Being an democratic representative who was considered to be a savior for the fellow citizens is interested only in two, his father and his brother! two are whole world, then whom the rest fellow country men belongs to ? The author forgets to answer these.

Book goes on explaining about how a proxy war was fought and finally on one fateful day how authors father was Killed in front of his own house.The murder of her beloved father made her to write about her struggle in later part of her life.A warm, nakedly wounded heart, a cold, probing eye and a hard, unyielding sense of injustice to a daughter presumably from her own Aunt,whom author refers as Mrs Zardari.

If there was a beneficiary of Murtaza’s murder, events demonstrate that it wasn’t Benazir. Because her "Baby brother"s murder made her husband to sit behind bars and compelled her to leave her own country for ever.

Former Scotland Yard team that investigated Murtaza’s murder. Enlisted by Benazir’s government,was not mentioned in the book. which might keep Mrs Zardari in poor light. Fatima repeats familiar but still unproven charges of corruption that triggered the collapse of Benazir’s two stints in government, this strong dislike is for sure inherited from her father and was showcased and highlighted throughout the pages.

Fatima frowns on Benazir’s decision to use headscarf, an attempt to have a good long lasting marriage between religious and her party, just as her grandfather had banned alcohol and gambling. But when her father's own use of religious symbolism, by wearing “a small and golden” replica of two pronged sword, his rival party’s symbol, is described with affection and love. Fatima is sympathetic to others’ decision to flee, leave alone her father’s understandable absence from his country, but in contrast when her aunt decides to flee the country she was termed as opportunist.

Interestingly here author describes after the murder scenes , the scene was all been swept and cleaned up: there was no blood, no glass, or indeed any sign of any violence at all, Exactly the same happened in December 2007 , when Authors aunt's met her fate. History repeated !

The battle over fatima's grandfather's legacy may still not be over. Benazir’s son and heir is poised to return to Pakistan after completing his studies at Oxford. Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Jr, author’s younger brother, has also gone abroad to study, as his family was fearful of his status as the sole surviving paternal male heir,while the author has shrugged off suggestions that she nurtures political ambitions. But as this moving, if uneven, account demonstrates, she is not prepared to let her father’s legacy die, one can see another political Bhutto in making.

Their is a sense of glaring "Half-Truths" through out the book, and reader must never forget that the author is none other than a daughter of a murdered man during the time when her aunt was Prime minister of Pakistan.

India Bleeding-Another Amritsar massacre

2010-04-12T23:31:00.000-07:00

6 April 2010 left a prominent mark in the heart and minds of millions. History will add another page into it, terming as the most barbaric incident happened in post independent India. History repeated itself, but this time it paid a heavy price.

If Marx would have given a chance to comment on it he would definitely said its a class struggle, a struggle to become class conscious, a struggle of a person to transform himself from “A class in itself “ to “Class for itself” society.

31 July 1940 - “I did it because I had a grudge against him. He deserved it. He was the real culprit. He wanted to crush the spirit of my people, so I have crushed him.”- Udham singh, A convict who was hanged for murder of Michael O'Dwyer in Caxton Hall in London. This was an aftershock for the British for all the wrongdoings which was committed on 31 April 1919 in Punjab by Brigadier-General Reginald Dyer.

Always had a question about these two people where one payed for others mistake, Brigadier-General Reginald Dyer was different from Michael O'Dwyer, who paid with his life to Udham singh. But Here vendetta was clear, to kill all those who were associated with Dyer ie in their names, colour, looks, race and what not.

Dantewada is no other new story, its all the same , the same old history which repeats every time in our country but the stage ,actor and circumstances in it keeps changing leaving behind a heavy price.

Naxal movement had its intellectual roots in the doctrines of Mao Tse-Tung and Marx promoting armed overthrow of the ruling class by exploited workers . But where is the ruling class? Being in a vibrant democracy which asks its citizens to convey their mandate via elections which allows us to select what looks best to us.

Marx , the best hated and most calumniated man of his time never stated to kill all of them who comes in your way, never stated to use always violent ways to achieve consciousness, Land , Labour and Capital instead he stressed on industrialization , innovation.

Industrialization in a Remote, sparsely-populated and under-developed district in central India, where a fellow citizen fears for his life to enter is still a dream. What General Dyer had done long back to oppress a movement which had a goal , which had a wave of similar feeling that swept across millions, against a foreigner, is now being done by groups under manipulated and misinterpreted ideologies.

There are still many more Dyers and many more Udham Singhs, but only difference is, they have changed their roles, stage and place. Pre 1947 our Udham singh was against a foreigner and Post Independence Udham singh still continues to fight , but this time not against a foreigner but against his own brother where he terms CRPF force as General Dyers's Army and bent upon to recreate a new “Jallianwala Bagh Massacre” this time not in Amritsar but somewhere down south called as “Dantewada”.

“There are two kinds of personality cults. One is a healthy personality cult, that is, to worship men like Marx, Engels, Lenin, and Stalin. Because they hold the truth in their hands. The other is a false personality cult, i.e. not analyzed and blind worship.” - Mao Zedong.

Brain surgery boosts spirituality

2010-03-29T22:53:00.000-07:00

..............Lose a tumour, gain self-transcendence...........

Lights and wings have been associated with spirituality in different cultures.

Removing part of the brain can induce inner peace.If it works then Obama needs this Mantra ! study provides the strongest evidence to date that spiritual thinking arises in, or is limited by, specific brain areas.

Three to seven days after the removal of tumours from the posterior part of the brain, in the parietal cortex, patients reported feeling a greater sense of self-transcendence. This was not the case for patients with tumours removed from the frontal regions of the brain.Interesting..

We're dealing with a complex phenomenon that's close to the essence of being human, and the mind that plays 'GOD' (most of the time!!).

Two parts of the brain that, when damaged, led to increases in spirituality: the left inferior parietal lobe and the right angular gyrus. These areas at the back of the brain are involved in how we perceive our bodies in spatial relation to the external world. Its premature to conclude weather all godmans or spiritual people are 'Brain damaged'! complex phenomenon, Aahaaa.

The most surprising part was the rapidity of the change.The science of spirituality, is difficult and rather very hard to explain for those who have a mental block for spirituality.

As one GodMan explains - "I often become so fascinated with what I'm doing that I get lost in the moment - like I'm detached from time and place" and "I sometimes feel so connected to nature that everything seems to be part of one living organism."- True, Illusions what make up most of spirituality, People tend to make contact with God with a puff of Marijuana.

Spirituality was tracked to the the left inferior parietal lobe (left) and the right angular gyrus (right)

Previous studies have shown that a broad network of frontal and parietal brain regions underlies religious beliefs 2,3,4,5. But spirituality does not seem to involve exactly the same regions of the brain as religion.

Probably the most worrisome aspect of the study is the way the people measured self-transcendence...

I know the consequence if i explain this to my Father about spirituality and mind problem ... Better KEEP SHUT !

Note: Reference Urgesi, C., Aglioti, S. M., Skrap, M. & Fabbro, F. Neuron 65, 309-319 (2010).

Big balls may best brawn in beetle battles!!!!

2010-03-25T05:41:00.000-07:00

Paper Published in Nature Journal,was reading it, though not yet finished, Thought of sharing some mind blowing facts,

The horned dung beetle has been crowned World’s Strongest Insect, but a new study finds that literally having big balls can make up for a lack of brawn.
According to a new Proceedings of the Royal Society B paper, the dung beetle species Onthophagus taurus can pull a load 1,141 times its own body weight, equivalent to lifting 30 male elephant seals.

Males with long-horns guard females within tunnels beneath dung pats, fight with intruding rivals, and mate repeatedly with the females they guard, the paper says. “If a male enters a tunnel that is already occupied by a rival, they fight by locking horns and try to push each other out,”-Its evedent, no one can see his wife being courted by others.

It also found these insect athletes need to pay just as much attention to their diet as human athletes. The strongest beetles were reduced to feeble weaklings when fed a poor diet for a few days. Horned fighters put their resources into strength, allowing them to win fights and monopolise females. But they do not invest so much in testes.

Short-horned ‘minor’ males take a different approach. They don’t fight over females, instead, they sneak around mating with females when they get left on their lonesome. Rather than brute force, they rely on fast walking and large testes to fulfil their biological imperative.

Their substantially bigger testicles for their body size “suggests they sneak behind the back of the other male, waiting until he's looking the other way for a chance to mate with the female”, Knell says (press release). “Instead of growing super-strength to fight for a female, they grow lots more sperm to increase their chances of fertilising her eggs and fathering the next generation.”..........

Yeppeee After all its "Size does matter" Theory ... ;)

10 most stupid questions' people usually ask in obvious situations ...

2010-03-25T03:58:00.000-07:00

1. At the movies: When you meet acquaintances/friends...

Stupid Question:- Hey, what are you doing here?

Answer:- Dont u know, I sell tickets in black over here..

2. In the bus: A heavy lady wearing pointed high-heeled shoes steps on
your feet...

Stupid Question:- Sorry, did that hurt?
Answer:-No, not at all, I'm on local anesthesia.....why don't you try again.

3. At a funeral: One of the teary-eyed people ask...

Stupid Question:- Why, why him, of all people.
Answer:- Why? Would it rather have been you?

4. At a restaurant: When you ask the waiter...

Stupid Question:- Is the "Butter Paneer Masala" dish good??
Answer:- No, its terrible and made of adulterated cement. We occassionaly also spit in it.

5. At a family get-together: When some distant aunt meets you after years

Stupid Question:-10 most stupid questions' people usually ask in
obvious situations : Munna,Chickoo, you've become so big !!
Answer:- Well you haven't particularly shrunk yourself.

6. When a friend announces her wedding, and you ask...

Stupid Question:- Is the guy you're marrying good?
Answer:- No,he's a miserable wife-beating ,insensitive lout...it's just the money.

7. When you get woken up at midnight by a phone call...

Stupid Question:- Sorry. were you sleeping?
Answer:- No. I was doing research on whether the Zulu tribes in Africa marry or not. You thought I was sleeping.... you dumb witted moron !!

8. When you see a friend/colleague with evidently shorter hair...

Stupid Question:- Hey have you had a haircut?
Answer:- No, its autumn and I'm shedding......

9. At the dentist when he's sticking pointed objects in your mouth...

Stupid Question:- Tell me if it hurts?
Answer:- No it wont. It will just bleed.

10. You are smoking a cigarette and a cute woman in your office asks...

Stupid Question:- Oh, so you smoke ?
Answer:- Gosh, it's a miracle ............it was a piece of chalk and now
it's in flames!!!

Pic of synaptic vesicle. isn't it neat??

2010-03-23T03:22:00.000-07:00

lOVE TO SEE IN THIS WAY....

How to get a nice wife

2010-03-23T03:07:00.000-07:00

There are times in a person's life when he needs to take crucial decisions on his own. Marriage is one of them. Believe me, the decision on whom to marry is the most important decision a person will make in his life. After marriage, your wife is the most important person in your life. She can make or break your life. The mere thought of this is very frightening.
Some of the questions that crop up are -

a.. What sort of a girl do I marry?
b.. Will she adjust in my family?
c.. How can I decide on a girl by just meeting her for a few times?
d.. When should I get married?
e.. This is my life. So, I should choose the girl I marry, but then what if I make a mistake? .. so on and so forth.

I will try to address these & many more questions in the following sections.

The Nine Rules of Arranged Marriage

Rule 1 - Magic No. 26,27,28

In an ideal scenario, a girl goes to college at the age of 18. By the time she graduates, goes for her post graduation and/ or works for 1-2 years, she will be about 23- 24. This means that she has spent about 5 years away from her home. In the 5 years period, she would meet many smart guys at college or during her first few years on job. So, in all probability it would be difficult to find a good girl older than 24 yrs. Secondly, in Indian families there is lot of pressure on the girl's to get married by the time they become 24-25.
Statistics says that there is a generation gap after every 5 years. So, in such scenario, one would prefer to marry a girl who is about 3-4 years younger to you. Thus, working backwards, an ideal age for a guy to get married is by 28. Earlier the marriage, the better it is.
Well, as we all know , *in the current market scenario, there will never be stability in our career. So, I believe there is no such thing as, "I will marry when I settle down".

Rule 2 - Subset of Marriage-able Girls

At times you hear statements like, "I am not getting the right match, I will look after 3 months, I will find a better match then". Well the truth is otherwise. The subset of unmarried girl looking for a match is fixed. From this subset, there would be girls who would get married & there would be new girls added who would be looking for a match. The net result is that at any given time, the variety & numbers of marriage-able girls are fixed.

Rule 3 - Competition for Girls

Like all other facets of life, *there is lot of competition for good girls *. So, if you are looking for a girl who is post graduate, has done her Engg, is working, very beautiful, smart, from a good family etc. etc, just think again. There are other guys who are also looking for similar girls & probably they are better off than you in terms of career, looks personality etc. Given a choice every guy would like to marry Aishwarya Rai. So, set your expectations accordingly.

Rule 4 - Understanding Girls

You would have met a lot of people during your life. As we all know, it's difficult to judge a person based on a few meetings. I am sure you would agree with me that in case of girls it is even more difficult to understand them in a few meetings. I know people who are still trying to understand their wife. ;-).. Understanding your spouse is a life long assignment *. So, then how do you select a girl based on a few meeting? This is where you need to *take the help of your parents/friends & latest technologies like email/chat to choose your girl.

Rule 5 - Society Expectation

The selection process is tough on every one who is involved in the process. In arranged marriage, involvement of family & society is pretty high. You can't meet a girl 3-4 times & then say no to her. It is bad for her future. So, *you should have a good short-listing criterion. Meet only a few girls & be sure what you are looking for. *It is for the benefit of everyone involved.

Rule 6 - Marriage Between Equals

Unlike love marriage, in arranged marriage you also marry into the girl's family. In arranged marriages, family support plays a major role in ensuring a successful marriage. This is where *the compatibility of social status, family values & caste/religion plays a major role. *It's important to note that in case there is a perfect match between the two families, the marriage is destined to succeed.

Rule 7 - Know Yourself

Unlike love marriage, in arranged marriage you first marry a person & then fall in love. So, it's very important that you do a self-assessment on the kind of person you would love. They say, "Opposite attract", while they also say, "Bird of same feather flock together". So, you take a call on what sort of person you like. Take a pen & paper; write down the kind of attributes you are looking for in a girl. Say, she should ideally have the looks of Sonia, the style of Monica, the voice of Sheena, the patience of Katreena. *You will certainly not find the perfect girl *, but then you would have a good idea of what you are looking for. The secret here is to *set some minimum criteria for selection *. Don't forget rule no.3 here.

Rule 8 - Girl's Beauty

A girl's looks attract, but then no one wants to end up marrying a dumb. It is like buying your bike. When you initially buy it, you are crazy about the looks, but later on you love it for its reliability, fuel economy & comfort level. Similarly, a girl's looks are important, but then it should not be the most important criteria. *Later on in life, you will get bored of her looks. It is then that her personality & behavior will make all the difference to your marriage *. I am sure your parents will be able to advice you a lot better on this topic .

Rule 9 - Taking Advice

As I have mentioned in the next rule, it's very important that the final decision on whom to marry must necessarily be yours. However, *don't do the mistake of isolating yourself from the world while planning your marriage. Discuss with your parents & very close friends on this issue. They are your well wishers *. Secondly, in such important matters it's necessary that you analyze all possibilities. Remember, I am not suggesting that you follow others' advice, but don't forget to take their advice.

-Rule 10 - Own Decision

All said & done, it's your marriage & your life that is at stake. Once you are married, you & your wife are the only persons who will be facing the music. Don't marry a girl just because your parents or friends asked you to do so. After marriage, if things don't work out & you end up saying, "It's because of my friends or my parents that I married you", then your marriage is destined for disaster. If the girl is of your choice, it is you who will be responsible for whatever happens. That's when the marriage works out perfectly. So, *ensure that you marry the girl of your choice.

*How to approach the selection process?

From the day, a person decides to get married; the selection process takes a minimum of 3 months. The whole process needs a lot of patience & commitment. The ideal steps to be followed are:

A. Definition Phase

Define the minimum criteria for the kind of life partner you are looking for in terms of education, physical appearance, social status, family values, future career plans. Remember the Rule 3 here.

B. Lead Generation Phase

Place ads in various newspapers, magazines, websites, through friends, family friends, family societies & association etc. You need to exhaust all possible means of getting bio-datas at one go. Remember the Rule 2 here.

C. Short Listing Phase

Based on your selection criteria, short-list the interesting bio-datas. The general process followed for correspondence is as follows: *
1. *The initiator sends a one page profile of himself/herself. *
2. *Based on the profile, the receiver sends his/her one page profile along with request for detailed profile, photo, and horoscope. *
3. *The initiator then sends the requested information along with a request for similar information. *
4. *The receiver sends similar information. *
5. *If the bio-data is selected, it is passed over to the next phase.

D. Casual Interaction Phase

Based on short listing, about 7 to 10 bio-datas are taken forwarded to this phase. The next step to follow here is to exchange email/ chat ids. The guy & the girl then interact for 10 - 15 days to try & judge mutual compatibility through email/chat.

E. Family Interaction Phase

Based on the earlier phase, about 5 leads are taken for consideration in this phase. During this phase, the parents get involved & check the background information about the families to find mutual compatibility.

F. Dating Phase

Based on the earlier phase about 3 leads are taken forward to this phase. During this phase, the guy & the girl interact by going out alone for 2-3 times. The guy needs to prepare a set of simple questions like who is your favorite star, what are your hobbies? He needs to use his judgment to analyze the girl based on her responses.

G. The D-day Phase

Finally, the D-day comes when the guy has to select the girl he wants to spend his life with. If the process if followed systematically, there will be no ambiguity in deciding who should be your life partner.

:) and yes... you will .........HUM HONNGE KAMIYAAAB HUM HOONGE KAMIYAAB EAK DIN .....

NOTE : ISSUED IN THE INTEREST OF ALL GIRL HUNTING GUYS. FORM THE PUBLIC WELFARE COMMITTEE..

Mistakes made by students!

2010-03-11T05:39:00.000-08:00

Summed up few common ENGLISH phrases made by our proud student community .... Hope u will never do that...

-Unfortunately, the school board was forced to cut fifteen percent off all teachers.
(God Know what 15 %..Poor Teacher !)

-Every day I study hardly.
(That is Evident Einstein)

-College is expensive. But it can help you live a bitter life.
(You are Right...Its Neem to taste !Awaaaaakkkk)

-If I study really hard, I will graduate in 2004 years.
(Mathematics....u will do it)

-I am studied hard in science class.
(And in Language class..Studied hardly !!! aahaa)

-My essay is in the American President.
(Should search Obama's Body...)

-I was walking to school one day, when suddenly a beautiful woman cut my eye.
(Poor guy..can't see beauty any more)

-I told her a joke and then she started smelling widely.
(how wide..define !)

-He had such a worm heart.

(O My goodness...how BIG)

-My boyfriend is really a eunuch person.
(Nice he din't become ur Husband...)

-I don't know if he will propose, but I am expecting.
(So early...he will not propose..Coz ur expecting)

-I can usually know when he is lying because when he lies, he starts to breed a little faster.
(Ooch...No Comments ! iam a Good Boy)

-We were lovers, but now she is my biggest enema!
(She cleaned ur stomach or what ?)

-We have hated each other for so long. I want to borrow the hatchet.

(Form a witch ?)

-My relationship with my ax girlfriend was so painful.
(I know...AXE and Ex Both Are Painfull!)

This is for all the women to have a laugh and for men to be cautious....

2010-03-11T05:38:00.000-08:00

Be specific on requirements !!!

A woman goes to Italy to attend a 2-week, company training session.

Her husband drives her to the airport and wishes her to have a good trip

The wife answers : "Thank you honey, what would you like me to bring for you?"

The husband laughs and says: "An Italian girl !!!"

The woman kept quiet and left.

Two weeks later he picks her up in the airport and asks: "So, honey,how was the trip?"

"Very good, thank you." "And, what happened to my present?"

"Which present?" She asked.

"The one I asked for - an Italian girl!!"

"Oh, that" she said

"Well, I did what I could, now we have to wait for few months to see if it is a girl !!!"

Moral of the story: Don't tempt a woman, they are dangerously intelligent!

Salary theorem.....

2010-03-11T05:30:00.000-08:00

A Common Variant in the FTO Gene Is Associated with Body Mass Index and Predisposes to Childhood and Adult Obesity

2010-03-11T05:22:00.000-08:00

Obesity is a serious international health problem that increases the risk of several common
diseases. The genetic factors predisposing to obesity are poorly understood. A genome-wide search
for type 2 diabetes–susceptibility genes identified a common variant in the FTO (fat mass and obesityassociated) gene that predisposes to diabetes through an effect on body mass index (BMI). An
additive association of the variant with BMI was replicated in 13 cohorts with 38,759 participants.
The 16% of adults who are homozygous for the risk allele weighed about 3 kilograms more and had
1.67-fold increased odds of obesity when compared with those not inheriting a risk allele. This
association was observed from age 7 years upward and reflects a specific increase in fat mass.

Seriously need some silencer for this Gene...... Fuck Off!!!!

Quite Confussed!!

2010-03-11T03:57:00.000-08:00

This year is the most crucial for me, its like Do or Die situation. As Mr Durkheim goes on explaining ,division of labor as the key glue, the “essential condition” of social solidarity. “Through (the division of labor), the individual becomes cognizant of his dependence upon society; from it come the forces which keep him in check and restrain him”. The division of labor in society not only holds that society together, it is what creates the moral order....and just little more to add on to this....its also creates Anomie ...Its Killing me from within, for this i hold the society responsible!...Keep you updated regarding this,Hope i shall come out of it very soon.Though not blogged for a long time due to my infighting with my own self... lets see what has destined for me....

Water woes!

2009-10-27T00:00:00.001-07:00

“aBdi OoRme Yu , Kaala VashaDim MaryaadE-Yam-DaAntaade”

Last month India witnessed the most devastating flood of the century, I might only guess what has happened there over a distance of 409 km from Bangalore... At least 200 people have been killed in Karnataka and neighboring Andhra Pradesh in heavy rain, army boats and air force helicopters began to rescue hundreds of people marooned at several places. One hundred and four people have died in six north Karnataka districts and 26 in Andhra Pradesh in the torrential rain caused by a deep depression in the Bay of Bengal mixed with human error. Hundreds of people in the two states were trapped in flood waters and were waiting on rooftops and higher places to be rescued. Thousands more have been rendered homeless.

Varuna unleashed his power to the maximum level, TungaBhadra-Krishna Doab swelled to that amplitude where imaginations about future remain unanswered. Water is Colorless, true, but what color is it when it cross the limits, could be seen in those who experience. It bitters the taste of life when you question it power. Thanking God, for not showing me this catastrophe and sympathizing with my fellow citizens for loosing their every thing in one wave!

15,000,000,000 cubic feet (0.42 km3) of water when it breaches its embankment causes havoc to the maximum wideness. I have experienced the power of water if not in gallons but with few drops!

Drip… Drip… Drip… Fine its only a leakage in AC vent, It will be rectified… and I can’t compare that to a Flood…this is what I used to convince myself, This time army boats, air force helicopters did came to my rescue but they were in different shapes and forms, Former took a shape of a “Dustbin” next to my working space and later a “shape of long sheet of paper” and took it position above my head with the help of Cellophane tape! Lucky me, I was rescued.

Central team visited to assess the gravity of the situation, Engineers were called upon and laborers took their respective positions few areas were kept inaccessible for unspecified time for a particular group and then repairing begun.

Good, I was saved, Happy to see my place without any trace of moisture. And all was set in a perfect place. True can’t call it as a flood, but my imagination was flooded with so many thoughts, it begun to calculate what exactly went wrong and where. My Astrology worked and I had a question for my self, “Is this an AC vent Leakage?” Division and addition of facts was already started in mind a week back, now it time to discover the result of my subconscious assessment.

With mind boggling thoughts and ideas I rushed as usual to my ‘Karma-Bhumi’ and begun working on facts, meanwhile I was surprised to see again my place was in the same condition as it was few days back! Central committee informed me that they have rectified a wrong pipe! And left the other unchecked.

What exactly these Pipes are, what do they carry? Facts were discovered lately, I was enlightened with few facts,

Firstly it was not an AC vent leakage,
Secondly they have rectified a non leaking Ladies Loo Pipe (question-what exactly thy rectified in that?) and
Finally... It was Leaking Gents Loo-Unchecked!

I know, Tungabhadra flooding and leaking pipes are of two different problems from Adam's ale, but with varying magnitude. But still water has the greatest power to unleash the most horrifying situations that mankind ever witnessed, i.e. in the form of Tsunami or Flooding or Leaking pipes!

Show me the Money…..!

2009-05-07T04:07:00.000-07:00

The pretense of khadi and Gandhian values went out of vogue with the Gandhi cap long before the Gucci generation stormed the political arena in the 1980s.

He brought South African styled dresses with him, where he had enjoyed a successful legal practice; He changed his attire when he felt he is one among those who lived in so called ‘Poor India’. He dressed to be accepted by the poorest person in India, Gandhi and his followers adopted the practice of weaving their own clothes from thread they themselves spun, and encouraged others to do so. But today our leaders are those few, who are the Rich Indians in ‘Poor India’ ! Metamorphosis of Netas from a Humble Man to Richest Person is so fast during their five years of stay in neighborhood of Raisana hills that their policies will change from Gharibi Hatoo to Gharib Hatoo!

Land of millionaires(not away from reality), at least that’s what it seems if one goes by the asset declaration in the affidavits submitted by the candidates ahead of the Lok Sabha polls. In a country where over 77 per cent of the population, or an estimated 836 million people, earn an income of Rs 20 per day and over 300 million are living below the poverty line, nearly half the Rajya Sabha members and nearly a third of those from the Lok Sabha are worth a crore and more.
Just the top ten Rajya Sabha members and the top ten Lok Sabha members have reported a cumulative net asset worth Rs 1,500 crore. The 10 top losers in the last Lok Sabha polls including Nyimthungo of Nagaland who reported total assets of Rs 9,005 crore is Rs 9,329 crore. Members of legislative assemblies seem wealthier than many MPs. The top five MLAs across the 30 states are worth Rs 2,042 crore. Of these 150 crorepati MLAs, 59 don't even have a PAN card.( A joint study by INDIA TODAY and EmpoweringIndia.org)
Rich Uncommon Netas leading Poor Common Janata ! Happens commonly in India….
1. T. Subbarami Reddy
Indian National Congress
Rajya Sabha, Andhra Pradesh
Total Assets: Rs 239.6 cr

2. Jaya Bachchan
Samajwadi Party
Rajya Sabha, Uttar Pradesh
Total Assets: Rs 214.3 cr

3. Rahul Bajaj
Independent
Rajya Sabha, Maharashtra
Total Assets: Rs 190. 6 cr

4. Anil H. Lad
Indian National Congress
Rajya Sabha, Karnataka
Total Assets: Rs 175 cr

5. M. Krishnappa
Indian National Congress
MLA, Vijay Nagar, Karnataka
Total Assets: Rs 136 cr

6. MAM Ramaswamy
Janata Dal (Secular)
Rajya Sabha, Karnataka
Total Assets Rs 107.7 cr

7. Anand Singh
BJP
MLA, Vijayanagara, Karnataka
Total Assets: Rs 239 cr

8. Anil V. Salgaocar
Independent
MLA, Sanvordem, Goa
Total Assets: Rs 91.4 cr

9. N.A. Haris
Indian National Congress
MLA, Shanti Nagar, Karnataka
Total Assets: Rs 85.3 cr

10. Mahendra Mohan
Samajwadi Party
Rajya Sabha, Uttar Pradesh
Total Assets: Rs 85 cr

Kings and Queens of India

- Mayawati the richest chief minister in 30 states,

- Karnataka has the highest number of crorepatis contesting the elections to the Lok Sabha this year.

- There are 45 or 24.9 percent compared to 93 crorepatis in Karnataka(14 percent) at the all India level.

- The richest candidate in the fray from Karnataka is Surendra Babu R of the JD-S who is contesting from Bangalore North. His assets have been valued at Rs 108 crore.

- Captain G R Gopinath, the independent candidate from Bangalore South, comes second, valueded at Rs 66 crore.

- C Aswathnarayan of the BJP and H D Kumarswamy of the JD-S are third and fourth richest with assets of Rs 52 and Rs 42 crore respectively.

- Khimji Patadia, the lone candidate of Krantikari Jaihind Sena from Surendranagar with assets worth Rs 514 crore, making him second among the richest contestants in the country.
- Deepak Bhardwaj of the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP filed his nominations papers from the West Delhi constituency, declaring assets worth a whopping Rs 600 crore.

Meet the Slumdog Millionaires, but their journey lasts 5 years on hot seat irrespective of whether they open their mouth or snore during the game show called “ Kaun Banega Corerpati – 2009” ! Hope you all Enjoy the Great Indian Tamasha……..Dance of Democracy….

Melancholic things......

2009-02-14T02:51:00.000-08:00

‘Twenty four-hour a day is not uncommon, It Unfolds a new adventure in every second which makes me slightly eccentric ...'

Few of us have had the experience of routine habit to see things which looks as usual and very much normal, but in reality it is not. we don't really want to be sober, from the unwelcome intrusion of reality, we also find our psyche playing host to the type of cold fusion nuclear reaction that demands instant release.

A Psychological phenomenon which have no adequate description which we the scientific community has given it the name “depression”, It is a improper blend of emotions that are fused into an explosive kinetic ball of emotional Kilograms, one that makes the very act of living totally unbearable. But to carry on till it shatters.

I never thought about this state in which a man spends his 24*7 in a total shock with illusions, thinking about nothing! quit difficult, but yes I have seen this happening to a person who is one among those very few chaps whom i cherish through out my life, one among those whom i am proud of possessing with. This person possessed an innate elegance, authority, and wit on handling things.

Hippocrates already described about this syndrome of melancholia as a distinct disease with particular mental and physical symptoms; he characterized all "fears and despondency's, if they last a long time" as being symptomatic of the ailment. Off course a far broader concept than today's depression, prominence was given to a clustering of the symptoms of sadness, dejection, and despondency, and often fear, anger, delusions and obsessions were included later on. But still I didn’t know about this condition, its rather my own laziness which never let me go beyond certain things which i have framed as my goals and rest i have termed them as “Out of Syllabus” so not important.

As i have mentioned each second is new , It leaves a profound effect which will have a long lasting consequence. People who made history has avoided to seek an advice due to social stigma, recently i have noticed many great personalities are also a part of this, and those who may have had depression include English author Mary Shelley, American-British writer Henry James, and American president Abraham Lincoln. Some well-known contemporary people with possible depression include Canadian songwriter Leonard Cohen and American playwright and novelist Tennessee Williams. British Prime Minister Sir Winston Churchill. Some pioneering psychologists, such as Americans William James and John B. Watson, dealt with their own depression.

She used to be in this state now and then but i never thought it will be so serious as it looks, may be i was totally away from the reality or it is quite possible that i have not made any effort to understand her. I always curse myself about my inaction to help, when she needed it the most. This time i have only the memories of the most superb days at work we had together, and a promise to have fun by having regular parties together at least once in a month to strengthen our bonds.

These days, I hope she will declare an uneasy truce with her disorder. I hope she would learn to live with this beast inside her, even with the knowledge that it could very well bring her down at a moment's notice and show her no mercy. It has taken her into faraway places and endowed her with near-mystical qualities and insights plus real-world wisdom and skills. I hope it will bring her closer to God and herself and her fellow friends. But it has also reduced her to nothing and taken away everything she had. Left her for dead, powerless to fight, feeling abandoned by both God and man.
and so she must accept what she is, the bad as well as the good, the ridiculous as well as the sublime. Maybe then, in her own way that is unique to her, she should feel as though “I fit in”. Maybe then, after nearly a lifetime of feeling different, she can say for the first time - and say it like I really mean it - that “I am truly normal.” We miss you a lot .

Satyam's Asatyam ! ...The rise and fall of India’s fourth largest IT services provider SATYAM.

2009-01-18T22:32:00.000-08:00

Satyam was founded in 1987 by its chairman B Ramalinga Raju, who was born into a family of farmers. Before Satyam, Raju ventured into other businesses such as construction and textiles. He started Satyam Computers with 20 employees and bagged multitude of IT projects from US companies. A graduate in B.Com, Raju did MBA from Ohio University.
Satyam debuted on the Indian markets in 1991, followed by a listing in New York in 2001.

In 2008, it launched a secondary listing on Euronext Amsterdam under NYSE Euronext's new "fast path" process for cross listings in New York and Europe. In October, it said revenue in this fiscal year ending in March 2009 will rise 19-21 percent to $2.55-$2.59 billion.

Satyam clients include General Electric, Nestle, Qantas Airways, and Fujitsu, specializes in business software, and offers back-office outsourcing and consulting services. Earlier the company said that it plans to expand its presence in Europe, Asia-Pacific and the Middle East to cut its dependence on the United States.
Satyam computer services has scripted a new story in the history of corporate India. All for the wrong reasons. It is difficult to pick a paper without a news story about Satyam-Maytas fiasco. The future of Satyam is uncertain.
The craniological events which leads to the speculation, a Event from Satyam – Maytas or from Truth to Lies. Commonly termed “Satyam Maytas Palindrome Syndrome”.
It all started when Satyam board decides to acquire stakes in Maytas Infra and Maytas Properties which are fully or partially owned companies by the Ramalinga Raju family. This would transfer $1.6 billion cash from Satyam’s books to the promoters. This move would also incur some debt for Satyam which so far has been a debt-free company. Rumors are abound that the promoter’s would have diluted most of their 8% stake in the company.
Satyam is a fundamentally strong company with zero debt and surplus cash. It just needs a reboot. That could be a total revamp of the top management including Ramalinga Raju or a acquisition or a merger. It should come fast.
It is hard to let go of something which you have built over the years. But, this is definitely not the time for being emotional
As far as how much I know about my self , I can’t imagine me standing in front of my investor quarter after quarter and making false claims about the company, Accepting big awards, volunteering my self as official sponsorer for 2010 and 2014 soccer World cup by keeping Satyam and ASatyam in my mind. Hats off to Mr Raju, for being the best actor outside Bollywood.

One Common observation, The companies that have used the name of original company, spelt reverse for their new company, have gone down the drain. ALPIC Finance (CIPLA spelt reverse), Metro tyres (ORTEM spelt reverse) and now Maytas, incidently SATYAM is truth in Sanskrit and Maytas means “to the dead” in Marathi.

The Maytas tremors might be felt In our own City, The Bangalore, because it has been involved in some key infrastructure development projects in the state on a public private partnership (PPP) basis. And they are,……

1) Shimoga and Gulbarga airports
2) Elevated expressway (Elevated toll expressway connecting Bangalore and Electronics City.)
3) KPTCL sub-stations.
4) Bangalore Metro Rail
5) Bangalore-Mysore highway.
6) BMIC(Bangalore Mysore Infrastructure Corridor)

I hope all these Projects will not go to the Dead….

Plz note, All these information are based on news which i got, and summarized here! and analyzed in my own way ;)

Bio-techiee.............Immune to Indian Recession !

2008-11-26T04:18:00.000-08:00

Indian clinical research organisations (CROs) do not see any near-term impact of recession as large pharma customers such as AstraZeneca and Glaxo continue to send more work to India, where these trials could be conducted at one-fifth of the US cost.

The $200-million Indian clinical research outsourcing market will reach up to $600 million by 2010, according to a joint study done by research firm KPMG and the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) in September this year. “Credit restrictions will prompt global biotech companies to see greater favour in outsourcing clinical trials to India,” Partner- Healthsciences Practice, Ernst & Young India, Ajit Mahadevan said.

While the cost of clinical trials vary on the basis of complexity and disease segment, a simple trial in India can cost 15-20% of the US price, while a more sophisticated trial—involving imaging systems—may be 50-60% of the US price. Studies suggest that R&D expenditure is increasing by 15% per year, making global biopharmaceutical companies look for cheaper options. India scores high due to faster enrollments, speed of completion, large and diverse patient pool as well as increasing private healthcare network.

“Biopharmaceutical discovery generally involves a commitment of $350-400 million till the pre-clinical phase, writing it off will not be easy. This will put pressure on companies to continue trials,” said Institute of Clinical Research (India) chairman Shiv Raman Dugal.

With many bio-pharmaceutical companies’ clinical trials already in the pipeline, and with patent expiry dates remaining constant, Indian CROs working for them are somewhat insulated from any slump so far.

Experts such as Dr Vasadeo Ginde, who is the president and managing director of iGate Clinical Research, believe that while work coming from smaller biotech companies might get affected in the long-term, bigger biotech companies will increasingly seek to leverage India’s cost advantages. “Moreover, since they manage their own CROs, impact will be neutral to positive. India currently has about 360 trials underway, including phaseI to phase IV studies,” he added.

Meanwhile, companies such as Biocon’s Clinigene continue to see more trials coming their way.

Recession..... India, pull up the socks.

2008-11-26T04:14:00.000-08:00

So what is a recession?

A recession is a decline in a country's gross domestic product (GDP) growth for two or more consecutive quarters of a year. A recession is also preceded by several quarters of slowing down.

What causes it?

An economy which grows over a period of time tends to slow down the growth as a part of the normal economic cycle. An economy typically expands for 6-10 years and tends to go into a recession for about six months to 2 years.

A recession normally takes place when consumers lose confidence in the growth of the economy and spend less.

This leads to a decreased demand for goods and services, which in turn leads to a decrease in production, lay-offs and a sharp rise in unemployment.

Investors spend less as they fear stocks values will fall and thus stock markets fall on negative sentiment.

Stock markets & recession

The economy and the stock market are closely related. The stock markets reflect the buoyancy of the economy. In the US, a recession is yet to be declared by the Bureau of Economic Analysis, but investors are a worried lot. The Indian stock markets also crashed due to a slowdown in the US economy.

The Sensex crashed by nearly 13 per cent in just two trading sessions in January. The markets bounced back after the US Fed cut interest rates. However, stock prices are now at a low ebb in India with little cheer coming to investors.

Current crisis in the US

The defaults on sub-prime mortgages (home loan defaults) have led to a major crisis in the US. Sub-prime is a high risk debt offered to people with poor credit worthiness or unstable incomes. Major banks have landed in trouble after people could not pay back loans.

The housing market soared on the back of easy availability of loans. The realty sector boomed but could not sustain the momentum for long, and it collapsed under the gargantuan weight of crippling loan defaults. Foreclosures spread like wildfire putting the US economy on shaky ground. This, coupled with rising oil prices at $100 a barrel, slowed down the growth of the economy.

India and recession

2008-11-19T07:57:00.000-08:00

Wanted to tell you all guys about recession .......let me do research on this and I will post it for the cause of humanity ;)

To Maaam With Love....

2008-11-17T02:00:00.000-08:00

When I was a 11th grader, Life was well defined for me by my parents. From my side their was no commitments, no Informal or ad-hoc plans or Structured and formal plans , in short nothing to worry about future, I always believed that future is what your parents decide, and its their job. Those days I use to have one common question which kept lingering in my mind and quite fascinated about it, thanks to thoughts, which kept my mind busy at least there was some work which I can give my brain to work on other than usual syllabus which was designed to cater my parents needs.

I was happy that am back home from Boys hostel, and started living with my dear ones. Life suddenly turned very cool and colorful. I still remember my first day at college which had a Co-education system. With hesitation I stepped into a new world and encountered many wonders which I used to dream about. My hostel life always fantasized girls, we use to have seminars and round table discussions regularly, and in short the conclusion was to fall in Love with women because you are born to fall in Love no matter how much ever you fall.

As many teachers used to define us a class of cynical teenagers exhibiting different characteristics. No matter what society call without bothering I continued my search to Fall in Love with a Ms perfect, every day I use to feel that am in Love with some or the other person, and waited for a perfect time to confess about my feelings towards her.

Generally the lectures were filled with high quality drab materials and preaching’s that never entered my mind and kept resonating, except for one sweet voice, which was from my English Lecturer. She had a very attractive way of narration, best phonetics, filling every character with life. She was blessed with best expressive look which changes according to the context.

I was very punctual to her class, and totally influenced with every thing that was associated with her. Unknowingly I started to notice her dressing style, the way she walks, stands ect ect. I tried my level best to be in her good books and my area of interest changed from Science to English which was also giving me constant backlashes at home.
It din’t took long for me to infer that I was in Love, for the first time in my life with my English Teacher.

Love is blind, and I realized this, it was a pleasant feel. I was in love with a Women who is a Mother of two college going Kids! I kept constant records about her every move in the college. And to my luck I was the most admired person in her class. Months rolled on, before I could take some more steps deep into this affair, I got a sudden shock of my life, My Girl friend is being transferred and this time she may not even turn back to see me for at least once in a week!

I was in a state of shock, My Love story couldn’t even manage to sneak through her heart. I stopped going college, started living in a pensive mood and suspended my social life completely. Life looked colorless and all other things which use to fascinate me started looking lifeless. Months passed, Dad thought to visit my college to know how and what made me like this, He was very furious to see his future dreams stumbling down and took a serious note of it.

Time passed, I started feeling that I was again in love with some one, but luckily this time my classmate; she helped me to solve all the assignments and bring back from my old pensive mood.

At this stage I think, I was in love not with my English teacher but with her teaching style, I have learnt to differentiate the thin line between Love and infatuation. Recalling all this make me tickle my funny bone, what a maroon I was !

The Perfect Boss...

2008-11-12T00:06:00.000-08:00

BEING the perfect boss is a lot like trying to be the perfect man!!! And doubly tough! I have had bosses with myriad personalities. Raging from the grumpy grouch obsessed with paperwork to the distant interested in few close circles and ruling from their ivory tower. An individual's performance predominantly depends on his immediate superior unless he is the completely self-motivated genius kind!
Communication-Sending the right signals!
The team members always look up to the Head for communication patterns to prioritize the various aspects of work life accordingly. It Looks Like I always Misinterpret the Signals which has been sent right from the above. Then if it happens frequently, there is two possibilities, one either am not a right decoder or the messages sent to me are not in a proper coded format.
If the second case is true…I think their is some problem in the coding machine.
Constructive Criticism:
Mistakes happen often enough at the work place and how the manager deals with these human errors proves his mettle as an effective boss. While assigning blame is the easiest way out it is also the most destructive. It not only demolishes the individual's self-esteem, It also destroy every thing in you.
If constructive criticism is done for the betterment of team then there is no problem in it, but what if there is a constant criticism and looked down always? Instead of Mono log or dialog what if there is a Poly log which comes and hits your eardrum from someone else?
Appreciation
Positive reinforcement helps each employee to ascertain his position and role firmly in the BIG picture. As a Human I need someone to see my work not to criticize but to appreciate and inflict the pros and cons in it.
What if a manager is knocked out by the concept that a simple 'well done' or 'thank you' can do the Munna Bhai Magic? This is what my effort deserves…. Only two different words?
Recognizing potential:
Tapping the potential dormant within each employee is akin to a dog sniffing out a buried bone! It takes a special kind of person to identify the hidden talents of a person. It takes effort and sensitivity to recognize what an individual is capable of doing so as to find the right role for him within the team.
What if a manager wants potential to come out from a resource in which there is no potential for that type of work to carry on? What will be the effect of it from immediate subordinate? Should the deserving candidate cremate the potential in it just because Manager doesn’t see it, or should pray and ask a “Divya Chakshu” from God which may help manager!

Motivation:
Many a times to perform the routine tasks without losing an ounce of interest and always delivering perfection. Looks quit good,
What if there are no routine tasks, if tasks are their which are highly dependent on mangers mood and wants without delivering perfections even though he wants to deliver in a perfect fashion?
Follow the Leader:
Simply put, a leader can be of two broad types, the General and the Mentor. The General leads through a series of short precise commands barked out at team members. God have mercy on those who fail because the General is surely not going to show any!
Mentor guides in the background to find help the junior discover and formulate their own modus operandi. This does not mean that the mentor is all empathetic.
What does if a Leader thinks that there is only one path and every one should follow him, irrespective of dreams, they should design dreams according to his vision?
Fun & Work!
Both fun and work are the two sides of the same coin. Many a staid boss would ask does this mean loud music at the work place. Fun work schedules effectively serve to diffuse tension and keep those spirits soaring.
What if a Leader expects to have fun when he needs? If this is true, then “Rats play when cat is away” should be true also, Coz both cannot play together!

I am searching honest answer for all these, if I get solution out of these pros and cons, probably on that day I will be Human first, rather than Boss and Employee. If some one knows Please convey these to me.

Anorexia – Mission Figure ‘Zero’ which is possible.

2008-11-10T03:11:00.000-08:00

My look at her left her in discomfort and consequently she averted her eyes. My younger brothers (cousins) and friends often say that I have 'an X-ray vision' as people can't sustain my gaze for long. I continued to stare at the girl in front of me, ignoring her obvious discomfort, and noticed all her features carefully. Her eyes were beautiful, Jet black in colour, yet one couldn't miss the dark circles beneath them. Her beautiful honey-coloured hair was yet at the height if its dullness. Her complexion was wheat-coloured, but the skin didn't have any freshness, any life!

Let me tell you about this Lady, She was(at that time around 3 months back) doing her Internship under my Dr BIL’s(Brother in Law) guidance to get a star crossed degree which she can use to treat others, if she complete it successfully with good health! Let me remind readers that this person is going to be a Certified Doctor in a short time span. I know her from a quit long time and she is also my Sister’s friend. Using all this references and advantages off course, I mustered courage to ask about her figure

It was expected, of course, I thought, considering what she had told me earlier; she had been dieting for a while. And, it was even more casually that I had asked her in the sweetest possible way about what and how much she was eating daily (I didn't want her to lie). Her proud reply was, "Half a mug of milk in the morning, no lunch, a cup of tea for dinner, and a light sandwich as supper."

My resultant shock and sudden outburst took her by surprise. "Do you want to kill yourself? How are you surviving? You can't ask for a better figure! As it is, you are already too thin," I protested. "I won't kill myself", she said with a soft smile. "I just want to touch the 47kg mark, that's it," she replied. "That is crazy! Look at your height. She remained silent. I Have read in some news paper about a girl who died last weekend while dieting. Her blood pressure fell excessively low," I wanted to explain, while giving her a piercing look, but as usual she avoided me, saying that "Please, don't try to scare me," she said with a slight smile that betrayed disbelief, and off course to shove me away.

It was my turn to remain silent. My mind was working out logical arguments supported by statistics and facts.

The electronic media is leaving no good impression in showcasing laughing and smiling 'Barbie dolls' in advertisements, soaps or movies. The girls, in their immature teenage, are influenced by what they see on the media and think that their only salvation lies in achieving an attractive figure. Which girl wouldn't be lured in acquiring an 'Angi-J figure' or ‘zero’ figured Kareena ?

It is true that in the world of today, the price that all women are paying for the 'so-called-women-liberation' is being judged not for their talent but for their beauty and figure. I do not speak of exceptions, but am merely highlighting the general trend of the society. But can we allow Our girls to endanger their lives and health by mindlessly starving themselves in the name of dieting? It is also not rare to read in newspapers of girls committing suicide after long episodes of depression stemming from the same cause.

Anorexia is very hard to treat. Firstly, because the patient (Mostly Girls,90 per cent of the sufferers are females)does not even accept that she has any problem. It takes a lot of psychotherapy to gain her trust and make her face the reality. And unless you have the patient recognise the disorder, you cannot proceed any further.

Anorexia leaves a lot of permanent marks on the body even if the patient manages to return to a normal weight. A one-time sufferer of anorexia will always remain mentally and physically deficient, as it is the brain and the skeleton that share and bear the major hit of anorexia. I wonder what an 'ideal figure' is after all! Or is it simply a lack of self-confidence? I can bet that our dear Barbie doll wouldn't even be able to stand upright if she weren't made up of plastic!

Life is too short, people. Don't shorten it further by starving yourself in the name of dieting!

377 Bharat chhodo !

2008-11-09T04:50:00.000-08:00

It was a routine for us to have our intellectual powers shared during our Lunch breaks, shedding off our long unsolved answers that occurred during our working periods. Its a part of our daily curriculum to sit together, Peep into others lunch box and check out exactly what it feels when it touches your taste buds and vibrate the sense of different chemoreceptors ! It happened on that fateful day when we entered into the arena of which even speaking is a form of Taboo in Indian Society.... It is not against words, objects, actions, or discussions that are considered undesirable or offensive by a group, culture, society, or community but to a Human by another ! our Round table conference went on and on and I still remember Shyla and Ambika's Pros and Cons, While Manju's "Lost" look, I was sensing Avinash's volcanic fumes otherwise we had a very Good Heated aurguments. Iam herewith having an excerpt that happened on June 29 in New Delhi while they were "walking with Pride" People protested and raised slogans this time, Not against British but ARTICAL 377.

It was to be a small step by Delhi’s gay community, but Sunday evening’s Queer Pride, the first in the Capital, soon turned into a march for freedom.

Over 450 members of the community — bisexuals, transgenders, gays and lesbians — walked down Tolstoy Marg towards Jantar Mantar screaming out slogans to denounce Article 377 which criminalises homosexuality in India. Similar marches were simultaneously being held in Kolkata and Bengaluru.

Article 377 is currently being debated in court and the verdict will be an important landmark in the gay community’s struggle. Hence, under the colourful umbrellas, banners, flags and in step with drumbeats, the pride march voiced a serious concern: “Angrez chaley gaye 377 chhod gaye,” screamed a banner as the marchers shouted, “377 Dilli chhodo, 377 Bharat chhodo”.

Prosecution under Section 377: A case of uncontrolled state power

2008-11-09T04:45:00.000-08:00

The judicial understanding of Section 377 only legitimises and reinforces state power to persecute and harass those of an alternative sexual orientation or gender identity. This enormous power in the hands of the state to enforce its vision of morality finds frightening expression in the form of arbitrary and brutal state action.
I would just like to highlight one case of how Section 377 confers uncontrolled power on the state.
On 4 January, 2006, four men were arrested in the North Indian city of Lucknow on the charge of having sex in a public park. A national level Fact Finding Team, on visiting Lucknow, found out that the First Information Report (FIR) filed by the police was an outright concoction and that in fact what happened was that one person’s phone number was obtained from a gay website, he was then beaten and tortured and forced to reveal the names of his other friends and an FIR was registered against these four and thirteen others. What is noteworthy about the case is that the police were confident that since these four were on the gay website , they were guilty under Section 377. They unleashed a media blitz in which the key exhibit was the sexuality of the four accused. Though the fact finding team revealed that the most the four could be accused of was putting their profiles online, the police went ahead and concocted a fictitious case under Section 377. The case illustrated the arbitrary powers in the hands of the state to periodically harass queer people in the confidence that it would never be a serious human rights issue. But what was interesting about this story of arbitrary state action in 2006 was that it resulted in protests across the country in Delhi, Bangalore and Bombay in which the queer community asserted that , 'The state response is in effect a clear attempt to terrorize the sexual minority population, clamp down on the very expression of anything outside heterosexuality and is fundamentally dissonant with any tolerant pretensions the government might have. It is unacceptable that in a context where gays, lesbians, bisexuals, hijras, kothis and other sexual minorities are being increasingly vocal and articulate about rights, the UP (Uttar Pradesh) State is attempting to push UP back to the dark ages, wherein individual autonomy was a casualty of the authoritarian State.'

The hated Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code

2008-11-09T04:36:00.000-08:00

India must march in step with other democracies in removing legal restrictions on sexual orientation. With Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code, which criminalises homosexuality, posing a threat to public health by impeding programmes for the prevention and control of HIV/AIDS, the issue has become urgent.

THE DEBATE on the continued relevance of Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code is on centre-stage. The issue is whether homosexual practices between consenting adults, in private, should be decriminalised by amending the section.

In India, it has a very serious public health dimension relating to HIV/AIDS prevention. Sujatha Rao, the Director General of the National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO), a Central Government agency, at a recently held international conference is reported to have said that "Section 377 places a huge constraint on Government's HIV/AIDS programme ... if you criminalise any behaviour you increase the chances of it going underground. We are hoping to change that."

The letter of Vikram Seth signed by many citizens (including myself) and the statement of Amartya Sen pleading for decriminalising homosexual behaviour in private, between consenting adults, have given high visibility to this debate.

The human rights of homosexuals, as recognised in other jurisdictions, will help the Indian citizen to arrive at an informed judgment and de-stigmatise a significant segment of our population. The American Psychological Association has opined that "despite historical views of homosexuality, it is no longer viewed by mental health professionals as a `disease' or `disorder'. But obviously, neither it is simply a matter of deliberate personal selection. Homosexual orientation may well form part of the very fibre of an individual's personality." And the European Court of Human Rights, while deciding a case from Ireland, noticed that "exclusive homosexuality can be congenital or acquired." Some are born with long noses, big ears, or blond hair, so it could be with a homosexual.

In England, homosexual behaviour between consenting adults, in private, was decriminalised in 1967 pursuant to the Wolfenden Committee report.

In 1981, Jeffrey Dudgeon, a shipping clerk in Belfast, applied to the European Court of Human Rights challenging the provisions outlawing homosexuality in Northern Ireland on the ground that they violated his privacy right under Article 8 and his right to equality and non-discrimination under Article 14 of the European Convention of Human Rights. The Court declared the law, insofar as it criminalised homosexual acts between consenting adults, in private, as impinging on the privacy right under Article 8 but did not consider it necessary to deal with the equality challenge. The Court noticed that in a great majority of the member states of the Council of Europe, the sanctions of the criminal law were not applied to such practices.

In 1988, David Norris, an Irish citizen and a lecturer in English in Trinity College Dublin, and a member of the Irish Parliament who was an active homosexual and chairman of the Irish Gay Rights Movement challenged before the European Court the validity of the provisions of Irish law criminalising homosexuality in private, between consenting adults. He failed in the Irish Courts, but succeeded in the European Court, and was awarded substantial damages and costs. In 1992, Alecos Modinos, a Cyprus citizen and president of the Liberation Movement of Homosexuals in Cyprus, challenged the provisions of Cyprus laws criminalising homosexual practices in private, between consenting adults. The European Court, following its earlier judgment invalidated the law, notwithstanding the plea of the Cyprus government that as a matter of policy after the 1981 Dudgeon judgment of the European Court, no prosecution was initiated relating to homosexual behaviour in private, between consenting adults.

In the United Kingdom, interesting cases arose from the government's absolute policy of banning employment of homosexuals in the armed forces. Duncan Lustig-Prean joined the Royal Navy Reserve as a radio operator in 1982. He had a homosexual relationship with a civilian partner. On anonymous information and after an inquiry by the Military Police, his service was terminated on the ground of his sexual orientation. He failed in the High Court, the Court of Appeal, and the House of Lords. The European Court while affirming the right of every state to formulate its own policy regarding armed forces, held that on the facts of the case, his privacy right was violated and the government was unable to justify its absolute policy by concrete evidence to substantiate its allegations of negative effect on the armed forces. He was awarded non-pecuniary damages of £19000, and further £94,875 as pecuniary damages and, in addition, costs and expenses of £34,000. Ms. Jeannette Smith, who joined the Royal Air Force as a nurse and was promoted to the rank of Senior Aircraft Woman, was discharged after an anonymous tip and an inquiry, where she admitted that she was a homosexual. She succeeded before the European Court on the facts, on the ground of the violation of her privacy rights, and was awarded substantial damages and costs

The South African Constitution of 1996 alone has a unique provision in its Bill of Rights. Article 9 provides equality before the law and the equal protection and benefit of the law and enjoins the state as well as all persons not to unfairly discriminate, directly or indirectly, against anyone on several grounds including sexual orientation. In 1998, the Constitutional Court of South Africa, one of the most respected international judicial institutions, unanimously invalidated provisions of several criminal laws, which made punishable homosexual conduct between consenting adult males in private, as violative of the Equality Clause. The judgment was delivered on application of the National Coalition for Gay and Lesbian Equality and the South African Human Rights Commission. The judgments of Ackermann and Sachs JJ, are a tour de force and summarise the law of several countries, including Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the decisions of the European Court of Human Rights. The court observed that even though the provisions in South African law against such homosexual practices were not enforced, the provisions were invalidated because "they reduce gay men to the status of `unapprehended felons,' thus entrenching stigma and encouraging discrimination." It further observed that "the enforcement of the private moral views of a section of the community, which are based to a large extent on nothing more than prejudice, cannot qualify as a legitimate purpose."

The Hong Kong Court of Appeal, in September 2006, unanimously invalidated similar provisions in Hong Kong laws, which criminalise homosexual practices in private, between consenting adults. In August 2005, the High Court of Fiji invalidated similar laws. It is worth recalling that Justice Michael Kirby, one of the most distinguished serving judges of the High Court of Australia, and Justice Edwin Cameron, a great anti-apartheid activist and now a serving Judge of the Supreme Court of Appeal in South Africa, have publicly acknowledged their gay status for many years.

In 1986, the United States Supreme Court upheld, by 5 against 4, a Georgia statute criminalising homosexual behaviour in private, between consenting males. However, in 2003, the earlier majority judgment was overruled and the minority judgment approved, by a majority of 6 against 3, while invalidating a Texas statute and quashing the convictions based on it. The earlier minority judgment, which was reinstated, had observed that "a state can no more punish private behaviour because of religious intolerance than it can punish such behaviour because of racial animus" and "only the most wilful blindness could obscure the fact that sexual intimacy is a sensitive, key relationship of human existence, central in family life, community welfare and the development of human personality."

Justice Clarence Thomas, while dissenting and upholding the Texas law, made this significant observation: "I write separately to note that the law before the Court today is uncommonly silly" and "if I were a member of the Texas legislature I would vote to repeal it." Earlier, in 1995, the U.S. Supreme Court (6 against 3), invalidated an amendment to the Constitution of Colorado, adopted in a referendum, on the ground that it violated the equal protection clause. The amendment sought to repeal various local laws that banned discrimination in many activities like housing, employment, and education, on the basis of sexual orientation and protected gays or lesbians against discrimination.

India must march in step with other democracies on this human rights issue. It must emulate the sentiment of the European Court that such restrictions on the most intimate aspect of private life are not necessary in a democratic society that values tolerance and broadmindedness. It is high time the Indian Parliament brought our Penal Code in line with these international legal standards on human rights, which are applied in Europe, the U.S., Canada, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, and Fiji. This reform is urgent because Section 377 poses a threat to public health by impeding programmes for the prevention and control of HIV/AIDS. Should not our Parliament adopt the view of the ultra-conservative Justice Clarence Thomas of the U.S. Supreme Court, who, while upholding the Texas law in his dissent, characterised it as uncommonly silly and observed that he would vote to repeal it, if he were a legislator?