Stella Roy

Islam, the Modern World, and the West

2010-06-02T13:58:00.001+05:30

I would sincerely like to apologies to one and all, for not writing more often. The explanation being I moved to Dubai and currently working with a leading News Agency here. It has been two wonderful years for me, travelling to almost every country in Arab and Europe, learning new things, meeting new people and most importantly learning a new religion - ISLAM, from a different perceptive. Something, that I never gave importance to all my life in India.

When first I came to Dubai, I found it awfully fast pace and surrounded by the people who were foreign to me in terms of religion and culture. Even though, I had couple of Muslims friend in my college days, the Indian Muslims are so different from their brothers around the world, conspicuously from Arab nations. The principal difference I find is, in the way, Indian Muslims handles complicated subject pertaining to Islam.

Today when I thought of writing, I could not thing of any other topic then writing about the issue facing the most recent religion of our time. Yes. Islam is just 1500 years old and it has caught the imagination of everybody, from King to Cobbler, West to East, Africa to North America since the time the last Prophet of Islam Muhammad (S.A.W) proclaimed his prophet hood to the Arabs.

Now, when I have huge number of friends who are followers of Islam and watch them practice their religion, I came to conclusion about one thing. This religion and followers of Islam are here to stay and it is not possible to change their belief in one GOD or force them to change their custom. Be it a War, Food for Oil or any nuclear threat. Their belief is so untainted and integral that it is impossible to split it.

Oh’ now when I scroll up, I see that it is already a full page of text and I am yet to begin about the main issue, I wanted to concentrate on. Anyways, I can write it in my next post. So please do read it and give your comments on it.

Is Birthday allowed in Islam?

2010-01-10T02:57:00.000+05:30

Is Birthday allowed in Islam?

Nice topics to talk about and discuss.

Recommendation request for Car modding

2010-01-10T02:55:00.000+05:30

Recommendation request for Car modding

Myanmar-Burma burning with violence

2007-09-28T21:33:00.000+05:30

Myanmar is in turmoil once again after the 1988 protest against General Ne Win's rule. The security force of the country is on the street killing innocent and peaceful protester.

The violence started when hundred of people came out on street to protest the recent fuel hike. This was dealt with the security forces very strictly by use of guns and bullets. The protests is led by monks who pose a serious threat to the administration and raise matter of finance of the country and intensified calls for democracy. People are gathering in thousands and voice their anger against the ruler in various parts of Myanmar.

Some unofficial report coming from Myanmar has put the death toll to around fifty. There are reports that several hundreds of monks are taken into jail. The violence of security forces has even taken life of a Japanese reporter who was shot dead while he was taking images of their brutal attack on innocent monks.

The whole world has come out in protest of such cruel violation of human rights in Myanmar. The British Prime Minister has spoken to American President and Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao to intervene and put an end to violence in Myanmar. He has called for heavy sanctions on Myanmar.

As I am writing this the Junta has blocked the Internet in Myanmar to prevent news of their cruelty from going to ourside world. What a shame!

The coming week will be a huge test for the people of Myanmar who have shown great courage to demand their right for freedom and democracy. This time all eyes are on Myanmar and hope their will be a permanent solution coming out soon for the people of Myanmar.

Sharing important numbers with you

2007-09-28T16:06:00.000+05:30

They say sharing is essence of life. No feeling is better then helping others or sharing information with others that can help them in some ways. My friend sends me something that I feel like sharing with you all. It can be very helpful to you. Check the below important Toll free helpline Numbers in India. I hope it will be of some help to you and if you have more such information please share it with us in comments sections.

-Air-Lines In India
Indian Airlines - 1600 180 1407
Jet Airways - 1600 22 5522
SpiceJet - 1600 180 3333

-Automobiles
Mahindra Scorpio - 1600 22 6006
Maruti - 1600 111 515
Tata Motors - 1600 22 5552
Windshield Experts - 1600 11 3636

-Banks
ABN AMRO - 1600 11 2224
Canara Bank - 1600 44 6000
Citibank - 1600 44 2265
Corporatin Bank - 1600 443 555
Development Credit Bank - 1600 22 5769
HDFC Bank - 1600 227 227
ICICI Bank - 1600 333 499
ICICI Bank NRI - 1600 22 4848
IDBI Bank - 1600 11 6999
Indian Bank - 1600 425 1400
ING Vysya - 1600 44 9900
Kotak Mahindra Bank - 1600 22 6022
Lord Krishna Bank - 1600 11 2300
Punjab National Bank - 1600 122 222
State Bank of India - 1600 44 1955
Syndicate Bank - 1600 44 6655

-Cell Phones
BenQ - 1600 22 08 08
Bird CellPhones - 1600 11 7700
Motorola MotoAssist - 1600 11 1211
Nokia - 3030 3838
Sony Ericsson - 3901 1111

-Computers/IT
Adrenalin - 1600 444 445
AMD - 1600 425 6664
Apple Computers - 1600 444 683
Canon - 1600 333 366
Cisco Systems - 1600 221 777
Compaq - HP - 1600 444 999
Data One Broadband - 1600 424 1600
Dell - 1600 444 026
Epson - 1600 44 0011
eSys - 3970 0011
Genesis Tally Academy - 1600 444 888
HCL - 1600 180 8080
IBM - 1600 443 333
Lexmark - 1600 22 4477
Marshal's Point - 1600 33 4488
Microsoft - 1600 111 100
Microsoft Virus Update - 1901 333 334
Seagate - 1600 180 1104
Symantec - 1600 44 5533
TVS Electronics - 1600 444 566
WeP Peripherals - 1600 44 6446
Wipro - 1600 333 312
xerox - 1600 180 1225
Zenith - 1600 222 004

-Couriers/Packers & Movers
ABT Courier - 1600 44 8585
AFL Wizz - 1600 22 9696
Agarwal Packers & Movers - 1600 11 4321
Associated Packers P Ltd - 1600 21 4560
DHL - 1600 111 345
FedEx - 1600 22 6161
Goel Packers & Movers - 1600 11 3456
UPS - 1600 22 7171

-Education
Edu Plus - 1600 444 000
Hindustan College - 1600 33 4438
NCERT - 1600 11 1265
Vellore Institute of Technology - 1600 441 555

-Healthcare
Best on Health - 1600 11 8899
Dr Batras - 1600 11 6767
GlaxoSmithKline - 1600 22 8797
Johnson & Johnson - 1600 22 8111
Kaya Skin Clinic - 1600 22 5292
LifeCell - 1600 44 5323
Manmar Technologies - 1600 33 4420
Pfizer - 1600 442 442
Roche Accu-Chek - 1600 11 45 46
Rudraksha - 1600 21 4708
Varilux Lenses - 1600 44 8383
VLCC - 1600 33 1262

-Home Appliances
Aiwa/Sony - 1600 11 1188
Anchor Switches - 1600 22 7979
Blue Star - 1600 22 2200
Bose Audio - 1600 11 2673
Bru Coffee Vending Machines - 1600 44 7171
Daikin Air Conditioners - 1600 444 222
DishTV - 1600 12 3474
Faber Chimneys - 1600 21 4595
Godrej - 1600 22 5511
Grundfos Pumps - 1600 33 4555
LG - 1901 180 9999
Philips - 1600 22 4422
Samsung - 1600 113 444
Sanyo - 1600 11 0101
Voltas - 1600 33 4546
WorldSpace Satellite Radio - 1600 44 5432

-Hotel Reservations
GRT Grand - 1600 44 5500
InterContinental Hotels Group - 1600 111 000
Marriott - 1600 22 0044
Sarovar Park Plaza - 1600 111 222
Taj Holidays - 1600 111 825

-Insurance
AMP Sanmar - 1600 44 2200
Aviva - 1600 33 2244
Bajaj Allianz - 1600 22 5858
Chola MS General Insurance - 1600 44 5544
HDFC Standard Life - 1600 227 227
LIC - 1600 33 4433
Max New York Life - 1600 33 5577
Royal Sundaram - 1600 33 8899
SBI Life Insurance - 1600 22 9090

-Mattresses
Kurl-on - 1600 44 0404
Sleepwell - 1600 11 2266

-Investments/ Finance
CAMS - 1600 44 2267
Chola Mutual Fund - 1600 22 2300
Easy IPO's - 3030 5757
Fidelity Investments - 1600 180 8000
Franklin Templeton Fund - 1600 425 4255
J M Morgan Stanley - 1600 22 0004
Kotak Mutual Fund - 1600 222 626
LIC Housing Finance - 1600 44 0005
SBI Mutual Fund - 1600 22 3040
Sharekhan - 1600 22 7500
Tata Mutual Fund - 1600 22 0101

-Paints
Asian Paints Home Solutions - 1600 22 5678
Berger Paints Home Decor - 1600 33 8800

-Teleshopping
Asian Sky Shop - 1600 22 1600
Jaipan Teleshoppe - 1600 11 5225
Tele Brands - 1600 11 8000
VMI Teleshopping - 1600 447 777
WWS Teleshopping - 1600 220 777

-Travel
Club Mahindra Holidays - 1600 33 4539
Cox & Kings - 1600 22 1235
God TV Tours - 1600 442 777
Kerala Tourism - 1600 444 747
Kumarakom Lake Resort - 1600 44 5030
Raj Travels & Tours - 1600 22 9900
Sita Tours - 1600 111 911
SOTC Tours - 1600 22 3344

-UPS
APC - 1600 44 4272
Numeric - 1600 44 3266

-Others
Consumer Helpline - 1600 11 4000
L'Or e al, GARNIeR - 1600 223 000
KONE Elevator - 1600 444 666
Indane - 1600 44 51 15
Aavin - 1600 44 3300
Pedigree - 1600 11 2121
Kodak India - 1600 22 8877
Domino's Pizza - 1600 111 123
World Vision India - 1600 444 550
Telecom Monitoring Cell - 1600 110 420

Here comes Yuvraj Singh with six 6s in an over!

2007-09-21T11:48:00.000+05:30

The Game that sends a nation into ecstasy. The Game that makes the nation cry. The Game that makes the nation dance with joy. The game that brings smile on 1 billion faces. The game that unites the country. A game that is religion to millions of people and its player a super hero to them. Yes the game is Cricket for India!

Last week the people of India got a chance to celebrate big time. The whole country was talking of only one man Yuvraj Singh. They witness something that whole country will remember for long time to come.

They witness a semi god Yuvraj Singh hitting six 6s in one over of England bowler Stuart Broad. Only once before in an International match this feat has been achieved by the South African Gibbs.

Yuvraj Singh the man from Punjab was always an exceptional talent. The only thing missing was his concentration on the game which sometime is not what you expect of such high caliber batsmen.

But on Wednesday he proved that he has matured and is ready to take the mantle of senior batsmen in this Indian team. And BOY! What a way he chooses to announce this, by creating a world record of hitting six 6s in an over.

The best thing about his six sixes was that it came when it mattered. India needed to win to remain in T20 championship and the charismatic Yuvraj made it possible through his magical hitting. Way to go Yuvraj!

Yuvraj Singh has raised the hope of billions of Indians after their World Cup debacle. Every Indians want to see Yuvraj scores all the time. Yuvraj Singh, you now have to deal with expectations of billions of your fans.

He has the potential to take the Indian cricket to glory. Yuvraj symbolizes the young India who is read to take on the best in any field of life. Here comes Yuvraj Singh, take a bow!

Flying with a good Airline is Fun!

2007-09-18T15:27:00.000+05:30

This summer I had an opportunity to travel with Air France. It was an amazing experience, and one of a kind.

To start with the aircraft was well maintained, clean and tidy. There was this typical aroma sprayed in the aircraft because of which there was no foul smell and felt really fresh.

Both the flight attendants and the flight purser were at their best, customer service was well appreciated by the co-passengers. They were not irritated with the number of times they were called by these few Indians, on the contrary they were all ready to help the passengers in every way they could, unlike the staff of some other airlines who do just the opposite.

Food served for dinner did not smell and actually tasted good. They had a choice of both Veg and Non Veg. Then they played these 4 movies on 4 different screens in the Economy Class. The movies kept all the passengers entertained during their journey.
Seats were really comfortable and not smelly and messy. Not the one that you find in some of our national carrier.

Over all it was a good experience to travel Air France. I would recommend trying out Air France whenever they are planning to go on vacation to Europe.
Your comments on other airlines are eagerly awaited.

Some Of The Best Songs Ever

2007-09-12T14:52:00.000+05:30

Some feel songs are made for entertianment and some feel songs can inspire people. Well I believe there are songs that can and has inspire millions of people. Some of those songs I would like to share with you.

Please forgive me - by Bryan Adams
If your loved on is angry at you for anything, just sing this song for him/her and see how the anger vanishes. One of the most beautiful song written ever. This song was written in 1993 and is the only song of the album So Far So Good which is not featured in any movies yet was number 1.

Leaving on a Jet Plane – by John Denver
This song was written by John Denver in 1967 at the airport of Washington. The original title of this song was ‘Oh..baby I hate to go’, but then later on they changed it to ‘leaving on a jet plane’. John Denver has given many other hit songs which I love listening to but this one is an exception.

Everything I do..I do it for you - by Bryan Adams
This is one of the best songs that Bryan Adams has sung. I really love watching the video of this song, and it really makes me emotional when I listen to this song. This song was co written and performed by Bryan Adams in 1991. It was number 1 song for seven weeks at the United States Billboard Charts Hot 100.

Truly Madly Deeply to you – by Savage Garden
Savage Garden – They are the favorites with the young generation, and is a 1997 song – their recent hit song was “Animal Song”. Truly madly deeply is a romantic song which can be dedicated to your loved ones. This song has 2 videos, and the cheaper of the 2 was the most widely known amongst their fans.

I believe I can Fly – by R.Kelly
This is an inspirational song, which will boost you up and give you an inspiration to rise up in life and reach greater heights.
This song was written, produced and sung by R.Kelly and it has won 3 Grammy awards. A song of its kind. You must hear it at least once. Hear it if you believe you can fly!

You are most welcome to give songs that have inspired you in anyway in life.

Kentucky Fried Chicken Vs McDonald's Burgers

2007-09-03T12:49:00.000+05:30

The young generation of India has drifted towards junk food against the traditional Indian homemade food. People have started to live a fast track life, so much so to that they prefer going to the junk foodies restaurant and pick up a quick grab in just few minutes instead of making lunch/dinner at home and easting 2 to 3 hrs preparing it.

It all started with the invention of McDonald’s in INDIA, junk food has become more popular between the young youth as McDonald’s launched its branch in most of the major cities of INIDA. Along with McDonald’s many other junk food brands started their businesses here.

One of a direct competition to the evergreen business of McDonald’s that recently launched here in Mumbai is Kentucky Fried Chicken 9commonly known as KFC) which is famous for its fried chicken.

Though Non-Veg lovers can have a fest in KFC, the VEG lovers are sidelined and are not taken of that much care; there is no variety for the veggies here in KFC, as much as they have in McDonald’s. In MC Donald’s you get a wide variety of choices for both VEG and NON-VEG lovers.

When it comes to Quality – KFC is far behind from MC Donald’s, they really need to maintain their quality standards well if they want to rise up the ladder and compete with McDonald’s.

Presentation skills also matters – and no one can really beat MC Donald’s for that, they have these different offers from time to time, they have special offers for 12 months of the year for kiddies, they give away free toys etc, all this is really required if you want to win away the masses. KFC does not offer any of those. Presentation skills at KFC are really poor.

So my advice to KFC would be – pay more attention to people management, communication skills, have a complaint box or feedback survey done which will help you know where and what are you lacking behind at – trust me it will really help you a great deal!

The effects of social networking

2007-08-27T17:59:00.000+05:30

Today’s is a HiTech era…and era which belongs to Technology and Internet. Internet has become a fast growing technology which almost all citizens are aware of and are using it in abundance. Life has now started to become impossible without internet.
Most widely used reason of Internet is Communication, and the most targeted audiences for this are the young youth of today.

There was a time when the only way to communicate through Internet is by sending emails, but now we have grown 2 steps ahead and there are Messengers the instant chat rooms, video calls, quick-easy way to call someone sitting far away, and networking sites.

If you talk about networking sites, then the first such site that comes to anyone’s mind today is the very famous for not such famous activities ORKUT. Orkut.com as they call is a site where you can know new people, and meet old lost buddies. You can absolutely exchange scraps with people whom you just do not know, you can upload you photos and videos for others to see, there are communities which are build for all those with common interest can come and share their view etc..

Though there are good points of this site, there are many more bad points because of which it is in news almost every week in Indian newspaper. People are using this site to awaken the communal activists because of which there were riots in few cities, apart from this murderers are using this site to catch their victims, recently there was this murder case of Adnan Patrawala who was yet another victim of being friends with strangers through ORKUT.

I think though we have become HITECH in this era we should be careful enough of whom to trust and whom not. If everyone uses Internet only as a media of communication it will become much safer than it is now.

Are you in favor of such social networking sites? Please give your comments.

Let's Celebrate the Festival of Rakhi

2007-08-21T15:30:00.001+05:30

The Festive season has arrived. Yesterday was Parsi New Year. Ganpati and Raksha Bandhan will follow soon.
Today let me tell you something about Raksha Bandhan. I know most of you are aware ot it but this is for some of my international friends.

This festival is celebrated with much joy and excitement in many parts of India. Rakhi as they commonly call is the thread which is entwined with beads, precious stones, artificial flowers and colorful silk threads which is tied on the wrist of brothers by their sisters.

On tying the Rakhi sisters pray to god to for their good health, to give them more happiness and make them wealthier. At the same time, brothers promise to take care of their sisters for their entire life and to be with them whenever they are in need and to support them in all possible way (if needed). In return the brothers also give gifts to their sisters and wish them good luck.

This festival symbolizes love and bonding between the siblings, apart from this it also brings out the sense of Brotherhood in all the brothers.

This festival originated in the olden days God Idrani was preparing for a war against the demons, while he was leaving for the war, his wife Idrani tied a silk cloth on his wrist and told him that this cloth will protect him from all demons. And this is what exactly happened.

Since then whenever there were such wars all the women of the family tied the silk cloth on their wrists of their men. After which the men won all the battles and brought back home victory.

This ritual of tying the silk cloth has been carried forward since then by all the Indians.

Money, Money and more Money for you!

2007-08-16T17:27:00.000+05:30

The best that could happen to any young entrepreneurs is having the right amount of money at the right time. Money is the basic necessity of life now. We all need that extra money at some point of time in our life to invest in business, further studies, to buy home; some may need it for buying cars etc.

You need extra money but who will give you that until unless you have some rich friends or relatives to lend you money for some time. Not many people though have such friends/relatives. So it’s here that the banks/finance institution comes to our help.

These days they give you loan that you can use for sometime and then pay back on installment. The bank charges some interest and service charge for their money. I guess paying little extra is not a problem for many of us if we get the money at right time.

There are various types of loan you can get from bank depending upon your need. Various types of loans are;

1. Home loan: - These are mainly of two types a) Floating b) Fixed
a) Floating is where you take loan and pay interest depending upon the interest rate. The interest rate may rise or fall depending upon the economy, whereas
b) Fixed is very simple. The interest rate is fixed at the time of taking loan. It doesn’t changes at all.

2. Personal Loan: - This type of loan is very simple to and easy to get from your bank though the amount varies from person to person. You do not have to provide much of documents to avail personal loan. The interest rates on such loan are very high.

3. Vehicle loan: - Need to buy a car/two wheeler then vehicle loan is the one you need. The interest rate here remains constant for your loan period.

4. Loan against property:- Such loans are very helpful in financing your child marriage or higher studies of your children. The interest rates are very reasonable on such types of loan and time period is also decent.

5. Loans against securities: - In such type of loans you do not have to sell your stock/shares but just need pledge your securities in favor of your banks.

In addition to above mention loans you may also go for medical loans, farming loans, consumer loans to finance your needs.

So what are you waiting for? You are just few steps away in getting money to realize your dreams. Apply for suitable type of loan.

Country Is Proud Of You! Jai Hind!

2007-08-15T18:06:00.000+05:30

Today as I write this, the country is celebrating 60 years of freedom from the colonial rule. It was at this day that we called our self the citizen of free India. Sixty years is long time in history of country.

In these sixty years the country has produce hundreds of human being who have made us proud. These are people who have put India into the path of recognition and prosperity. It is because of these individuals that we are looked in admiration by others.

In my own small capacity I will try to put some names that we are proud of. I might miss many names so please forgive me as I cannot include each and everyone due to post limitations.

a) Mahatma Gandhi: – Even after 60 years the man continues to inspire millions of people not only in India but across the globe. Gandhi was the pioneer of Independence fight against British. Mahatma gave us freedom by means of non violence that was so rare. We are proud to belong to land of Gandhi. Salute him!

b) Pandit Nehru: - The first Prime Minister of free India. The man who gave vision and dream to millions of people of this country. The basis of everything that exists today was laid down by Nehru. Till today Nehru-Gandhi family is serving the nation. Their sacrifice for the nation cannot be match in Indian history ever.

c) APJ Kalam: - They call him the missile man. Some prefer to call him as people’s president. If someone has right to say that he has vision of progressive India with a definite plan then it has to be APJ Kalam. The former president of the country has powered the wings of free India to next level.

d) Dhirubhai Ambani: - Will there ever be a man like Dhirubhai? Will there be a business man with the acumen that this man had? The country needs more of such people. He gave a dream to common man of India and then fulfilled them. There are millions of people in this country who made fortune thanks to Dhirubhai and his Reliance group.

e) Kapil Dev: - Without argument he is the first International superstar of modern India. The man from Haryana has managed to accomplish something that is still not match by billions of people of this country. In that summer of 83 Kapil Dev not only gave us World Cup victory but along with it he made other sporting nation to stand up and take note of our immense talent.

There are many others who have made us proud and whose contribution is on par with the names mention above but as you know listing all of them is not possible here.

Some names that need mention here are; Dr. Ambedkar, Indira Gandhi, The Tatas, Amitabh Bachchan, Rakesh Sharma, Rajnikant, MGR, C V Raman, Dhyan Chand, Anna Hazare, Arundhati Roy and many more.

Friends, I would like to know about some more personalities that you think has made difference to free India.

-Stella Roy

Chak De India, we are the best!

2007-08-14T18:17:00.000+05:30

Chak De India…means “Buck Up India or Come On India” - a movie full of inspiration, a movie which makes you feel proud of the company, a movie which teaches you how to fight and win everyone’s heart, a movie which forces you to believe in yourself.

Chak De has shades of failure, anger, hatred, love, passion, leadership, innocence, eagerness to fight back and finally of sportsman spirit. The story of Chak De is of a real-life Indian goal keeper Mir Ranjan Negi.

The Story line starts with a slow pace but then picks up immediately in 30 mins of the start of the movie. Shah Rukh is the coach of a team which consists of 16 girls belonging to different states of the country and who believe that hockey is an individual game and they actually play for their own vestige interests, but Shah Rukh makes them believe that the game is not merely an individuals game but a national game, and that they can win only if they play with the full team spirit and not against each other in rivalry. One by one he starts breaking the ice between the girls and finally reaches his goal to win the world cup.

Second half of Chak De has some excellent locations and sceneries of Australia. You really get the feel of Olympics being held.

This is not much of a song movie, it hardly has any songs. Just the title track is enough for this movie to rock. Dialogue writer of this movie should really win an award; each dialogue is worth listening, and following.

Shah Rukh Khan the lead actor in this movie has done a brilliant job and given an awesome performance. He has played the role of a coach of the Indian Women’s Hockey Team who is preparing to enter the World Cup to compete with other countries.

Through Chak De the producers/director have shown that CRICKET is not the only sport INDIA can do well at, there are other sports too, which no one is interested in and not many citizens are aware of, but if given a try we can really make a difference and win many more gold medals in OLYMPICS for the country and make the country proud.

Chak De is 2.30 minutes long, and is really worth every penny. It is a must watch movie, and do not miss it for anything.

Please comment if you have seen the movie and would like to add more points to it.

-Stella Roy

Get ready to get high salary for your job

2007-08-07T12:05:00.000+05:30

Your salary hike or appraisals are done, but you are not happy with your raise? Your boss/manager did not recognize your work well and hence the raise was very low? Your salary hike was not done as per your expectations?

You feel that your hard work is not fully recognizes, you start to feel cheated. There comes a thought in your mind to shift your job. Hold on before you take such steps. Do you think you will get better salary hike in your next job? Do you feel they will offer you better opportunity then your current employer? Answer all this question before taking any drastic step to change your job.

Well, Salary negotiations can be cumbersome and the most difficult part yet the very important part in ones life. If not handled with care it has many adverse side effects which then will be difficult to bear. First an analyze yourself. Your salary hike is totally dependent on how you present your work in front of your manger.

Here are a few tips on how to tackle this situation:

Go out and research the market pay scale for your kind of job profile. See where you stand, and accordingly decide what you want. If you are already being paid above the market pay scale then negotiating for more raise could be little difficult.

It’s always a good habit to make a list of all the work that you have done at your job, which in some way or the other has helped the company grow or win more clients, this list might just help you get the pay raise that you are expecting.

Try to bring to your manager’s attention the extra effort you might have put in to complete task/project. Reason with him the value you bring to the organization with you.

Be ready with the research proof and let your manager know that you are asking for the pay raise according to your accomplishments and contributions in the past year towards the company.

Make sure that you go with full preparation because there is no second chance given and your manager wont tell you ok come again we will discuss again, remember you are in need and you know that you really deserve it, go with the positive attitude and win your boss and get a pay hike.

Best of luck at your job!

-Stella Roy

Justice or Injustice

2007-08-02T16:59:00.000+05:30

The recent Judgement on Sanjay Dutt has opened a pandora’s box and there is nation wide debate on it.The judgment has left some critical question to be answered by the judiciary in this country. Their job is not yet complete.

a) If Mr. Kode found Sanjay’s crime so immoral, then why was he taken out of strict TADA act?
b) Why other accomplices of Sanjay Dutt were charged under TADA?
c) Why was Abu Salem confession and statement not recorded in connection to his visit at the Dutt residence to deliver the AK-56? And why his case will be heard separately?

With due respect to his highness Judge P D Kode the nation feels that at various times in this case; be it discharging him of TADA or giving him six years of imprisonment Sanjay’s celebrity status did came into consideration. It feels that even Judge P D Kode could not keep himself totally immune from the celebrity status of deadly Dutt in giving out his judgement on the convict number 117 of Mummbai blast case. Justice was done, no question about it, but sadly it was a not a consistent justice.

The Beginning
It all started one bright afternoon. Every thing was going smoothly for Mumbaikars. Businesses were just starting to recover after December – January communal riots. Students were appearing for their examination across various schools in the city. Families were busy making vacation plans for summer. People wwere marching towards mosque for their Friday prayers and as the clock tick to 1:00 PM Mumbai was rocked with series of bomb blasts killing several hundreds of people and destroying property worth millions of rupees. The whole world was shocked. No place looked safe. The fear factor came back to haunt the Mumbaikar once again.

The Players
What followed next was a massive hunt to track down the culprits. Several hundred people were arrested and among them was high profile superstar of Bollywood movies – Sanjay Dutt. He was arrested for having got the AK-56 gun from the people who were involved in the Mumbai blasts. The actor was booked under TADA act then got bail twice and now again he is back in jail for 6 years till he gets reprieve from the supreme court. Some main players like Memon brothers, the fugitive DON Dawood Ibrahim, Dosa Brothers left the country on the D-day.

The Government and the Judiciary
Was the Judge fair enough to the verdict given, or was he pressurized to give him strict verdicts because of Sanjay’s background? Did he give such a strong verdict only to show the nation that no person can get away from law? If this is the case then what about all those politicians who are involved into similar act of crime? Who will keep an account for them? They get away from anything and everything, why are they not given such strong verdicts? Why are they always released on bail?

Government knows how to trouble an innocent citizen, how to harass him from time to time, how to loot him with all the money, etc. but what about the politicians? The real culprit, the real thieves? The real DON? Why is the government not using their brains and energy in catching hold of them? And putting them behind the bars?
One thing that the citizens of INDIA should really ponder upon is “Will the nation gain anything if Sanjay Dutt is behind the bars?” OR “Will the nation gain if the real DON/thieves/smugglers/bomb shooters etc are put behind the bars?”

Sanjay Dutt had done some crime of which he has got enough in the last 13 years, and now still they are behind him and have put him behind bars, but on the other hand if the real smugglers are caught, nation will really gain and who knows by catching them the idea of an awaited bomb blast will be dead?

You may have your opinion on this and I would love to hear it.

-Stella Roy

An offfer not to be miss ever

2007-07-28T22:29:00.000+05:30

What would you say when a book on mafia is referred to Management students in various prestige Management institute across the globe as a lesson in excellent management? Imagine millions of youngster getting inspiration from words spoken by a mafia DON. What rationalization can one have when a movie based on a book about mafia is judge to be the greatest movie ever made in history of cinema? None! right?

But this is exactly the effect of THE GODFATHER written by Mario Puzo has on millions of people. The Godfather is nothing less then words of gospel to all the book lovers. There are parents who teach their children the family values by referring to Godfather.

Godfather is primarily about the fight between the five mafia families in New York. The book mainly focuses on one of the family, the Corleone family. The Corleone family is headed by an aging DON who is referred by many as their Godfather. The entire story revolves around him and his youngest son Michael Corleone; and how the Godfather and his son manage to salvage the lost respectability of Corleone family.

The book tells you about the belief that Godfather has; that every man has but one destiny. The Godfather gives you detail insight of how the mafias use to function in early 40s and 50s. All the characteristic of Michael Corleone’s revenge against his family enemies are marvelously captured by Mario Puzo in Godfather. Each and every page of Godfather teaches you something new.

Mario Puzo has created a work of genius. Godfather is his finest work till date. He could never recreate the magic of Godfather with his other books before or after Godfather, though he tried a lot.

There is also a thrilling movie with same name and story that won many Oscars award with Marlon Brando playing the role of Don Corelone and Al Pacino essaying the role of his youngest son Michael.

If you have not read this book yet then believe me you are missing a classic. I would say that it’s truly a masterpiece and must read for every human being. Let us thank Mario Puzo for giving us a gem like Godfather.

Please leave your comments. I love your comments.

-Stella Roy

Some invaluable moments/quotes from the book;

Don Corleone: I'm gonna make him an offer he can't refuse.

******************************************

Michael: Some people will pay a lot of money for that information; but then your daughter would lose a father, instead of gaining a husband.

******************************************

Cop with Capt. McCluskey outside hospital: The kid's clean Captain, he's a war hero! He's never been mixed up with the rackets...

******************************************

Michael: Luca Brasi held a gun to his head, and my father assured the bandleader, that either his signature or his brains would be on the contract.

******************************************

Michael: My father is no different than any powerful man, any man with power, like a president or senator.
Kay Adams (girlfriend): Do you know how naive you sound, Michael? Presidents and senators don't have men killed.

******************************************

Emilio Barzini: [during a meeting with the Five Families] Times have changed. It's not like the Old Days, when we can do anything we want. A refusal is not the act of a friend. If Don Corleone had all the judges, and the politicians in New York, then he must share them, or let us others use them. He must let us draw the water from the well. Certainly he can present a bill for such services; after all... we are not Communists.

******************************************

Don Corleone: I never thought you were bad consiglieri(advisor), Tom. I thought Santino was a bad Don, rest in peace.

******************************************

Don Corleone: What have I ever done to make you treat me so disrespectfully? If you'd come to me in friendship, then this scum that ruined your daughter would be suffering this very day. And if by chance an honest man like yourself should make enemies, then they would become my enemies. And then they would fear you.
******************************************

Kay Adams ( Michael’s wife): Michael, is it true? Did you have Carlo murdered?
Michael: Don't ask me about my business, Kay.

******************************************

Tom Hagen: Mr. Woltz, I'm a lawyer, I have not threatened you.
Jack Woltz: I know almost every big lawyer in New York, who the hell are you?
Tom Hagen: I have a special practice. I handle one client (Godfather). Now you have my number. I'll wait for your call. By the way, I admire your pictures very much.

******************************************

Michael: You and I are going to move my father to another room, now can you disconnect those tubes so we can move the bed out of here?
Nurse: That is out of the question.
Michael: You know my father? Men are coming here to kill him, now help me, please.
Michael: Pop...Pop, it's me Michael. Shhhh, don't try to speak. There are men who are coming to try to kill you. But I'm with you...I'm with you now...
Don Corleone: (unable to open his mouth, wanted to say) Michael, why should I be worried now? Strange men have come to kill me since I was 12 years old.

******************************************

Don Corleone ( Meeting with other Don): I'm a superstitious man, and if some unlucky accident should befall Michael - if he is to be shot in the head by a police officer, or be found hung dead in a jail cell... or if he should be struck by a bolt of lightning - then I'm going to blame some of the people in this room; and then I do not forgive. But with said, I pledge - on the souls of my grandchildren - that I will not be the one to break the peace that we have made today.

******************************************

Don Corleone: I never wanted this for you. I work my whole life - I don't apologize - to take care of my family, and I refused to be a fool, dancing on the string held by all those bigshots. I don't apologize - that's my life - but I thought that, that when it was your time, that you would be the one to hold the string. Senator Corleone; Governor Corleone. Well, it wasn't enough time, Michael. It wasn't enough time.
Michael: We'll get there, pop. We'll get there.

Shah Rukh - The King Khan

2007-07-25T17:48:00.000+05:30

Time Magazine has called him as probably one of the most recognizable actor in the world. Madame Tussauds Wax Museum in London has his wax figure along side Prince Charles, the Beckham couple (David & Posh), Amitabh, Saddam Hussein and many other international stars. He is non other then the current Superstar Shah Rukh Khan! King Khan as they all call him has taken the Bollywood by storm since his debut film Deewana in the year 1992. The boy from Hansraj College in Delhi has excelled in almost everything that he has done in movie industry till now. Shah Rukh Khan’s initial days were very tough.He had come to Bombay as any other ordinary man from Delhi, with that passion of becoming a actor one day, he used to stay as paying guest as he had no money to buy room for himself. And today here he is, building a multi storey building for himself and his friends to live together. He started off his career in a TV soap called "Fauji", after which he signed another hit TV serial called 'Circus" - after this serial he gained popularity in the mass and then went on to movies. Since then he has given many hits and has worked with almost all actresses in bollywood (current and some past genre actresses). He started off with the first hit movie "Deewana" later he went on with negative role in movies like "Bazzigar" and "Darr", where he was liked by everyone. Other hits include "Dil To Pagal Hai" with Madhuri Dixit and "Kuch Kuch Hota Hain" with Kajol and Rani and "Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna".

Not to forget the classic "Devdas" and "Paheli". He has been there and done it all. His one characteristic that brought him to where he is today is his believe in “What you do – do it the best and leave it on GOD”. In all he is an amazing actor, a human being despite of all thick and thins he has gone through to reach the top. He will surely rule Bollywood for another 10 years. He really deserves what he has got. Do watch his upcoming movie “Chak De India” which is showcasing HOCKEY the national game of India. Chak De is the first such glamorous movie being made on HOCKEY. Hats off to this guy in trying to do something different and yet winning peoples heart on whatever he does!

Your comments are most appreciated.

P.s With so many years passed I found this article that is really an interesting read on Shah Rukh Khan - https://ekhichdi.com/2021/06/26/shah-rukh-khan-king-without-a-voice-and-soul/

-Stella Roy

Ekta Kapoor save us please from KK....K

2007-07-23T10:44:00.000+05:30

Ekta kapoor…as the name goes….the queen of all serials! Oh God, she is just so amazing at making serials, her serials go on and on and on….they are never ending! I am just wondering how can she manage so many serials with the same story, a little bit of twist here and there, some songs and of course with a different title of each serial- all starting with alphabet K! kyunki saas bhi kabhi bahu thi, kasuti zindagi ki,kahani ghar ghar ki are some of those that taken nation by storm

There was a time, when people used to love watching serials, Television soaps were a source of entertainment, a source of relaxation, and a source of stress reliever, those were the times, when after watching serials like Buniyaad, Humlog etc used to feel fresh, they used to feel relaxed.

These days TV soaps, they portray only hatred, anger, how one woman betrays the other, how only a woman is the cause of all bitterness in the family…how 2 brothers fight over their property, how the fight reaches their businesses and how they split and the family is split, and in the end after 4 years of showing the serials and dragging the story so long, someone dies and then guess what there is a rebirth? Or the dead person suddenly becomes alive…..blah blah blah!
How can one relax his/her mind after watching such serials? Instead people have started growing mad at each other, after watching such serials they have started getting more stressed etc.

I always wonder how Ekta manages such trash coming out of her production house. All these production houses are interested is in increasing their TP rating. It’s high time Ekta Kapoor and others realized the bad effect their serials are causing to the Indian society and take corrective measures to stop making such programs.

Looking forward to your comments and suggestions.

-Stella Roy

The new HOT cell phone

2007-07-12T15:52:00.000+05:30

I owned a NOKIA 6230i for more than 2 years and now thought of changing my cell phone. I was a big fan of NOKIA and all of its products; I have almost used all models of NOKIA phones, and had believed that there cannot be anyone in this market who can give competition to NOKIA when it comes to cell phones. I loved all the features that they gave and thought that a cell phone cannot get better than this with each upgraded NOKIA phone that I bought.

But after 6230i when I went to the NOKIA shop, he started showing me all N-Series and told me after 6230 you can only upgrade yourself by buying N-Series, but then N-Series had drawbacks, software problems, model was bulky and heavy etc .

And there I was in a fix, in a dilemma for almost a month, that’s when I actually drifted my attention towards other cell phone brands that are popular in India. One such brand which caught my immediate attention was Sony Ericsson W810i, it had the most enhanced speakers and provided 1 GB memory, I was dazzled by its look, by the extra features that it gave which I thought only Nokia could give, best feature was the memory and sound quality, I threw away my IPod, because with this cell you need not carry an extra music device with you, this cell has everything you need!

Apart from the above mentioned features it also has 3 games inbuilt in the software. It has a 176x220 pixel wide screen, phone memory of 20 MB, comes in 2 dazzling colors white and satin black.

Other features includes a camera of 2megapixel i.e. 1632x1224 pixels, you can also record video clips up to an hour or more depending on the free memory you have, it has a special video player, a picture editor, image viewer, it has built in hands free, it also comes with 2 external speakers etc

If you compare the high range of features this cell phone offers and its price, definitely you will find this phone much cheaper than any NOKIA phone. I have been using this phone now for about a year and I highly recommend this phone to all.
If you are using Nokia phones, please do not hesitate to look around at the other range of phones that the market is providing, Sony Ericsson W810i is one such best phones in the market.

I can go on and on and on about this cell phone, I am not only in love with it but also in awe with it. This is the best cell phone of the century!

I would like to know which Cell Phone you own. And what do you like about it the most? Please comment.

-Stella Roy

In Love with rains

2007-06-28T12:04:00.000+05:30

Wow, I cant believe that that the rainy season has started, it feels like it was just yesterday when I was out there on the roads with sweat all over my face and quite irritated with the sun, applying of UV rays protected lotions, avoiding to wear black clothes, swimming pool was my favorite past time place and what not! But now all those lotions are in the dust bin, no more swimming pool, I can wear my favorite color black almost everyday now. Wow isn’t rains awesome?

Rains also brings back with it many memorable moments when it comes to food. Corn or what they call as the bhutta bought only from the roadside bhaiya is one of my preferred snacks! Then the famous batata bhaji , isn’t it mouth watering?

Getting wet in the rains is another fun activity that anyone enjoys at any given time. Though rains brings back with it many cherished moments and happiness with every drop that falls on earth, we should also take care because unknowingly it also brings with it many harmful diseases and sickness.

There are few precautions that I would recommend to all who want to enjoy this season an yet remain healthy

1. Do not get wet if you are allergic to cold water.
2. While travelling always carry following with you: Umbrella, raincoat, extra clothes, hand towel, socks if you wear shoes – am sure you don’t want to sit in those wet socks whole day and fall sick.
3. Make sure you have enough money when you travel – you never know when it is in use.
4. Avoid wearing jeans as it takes really long to dry.
5. Carry an extra plastic to avoid your valuable stuff from getting wet.
6. Make up for girls should be to minimum if they are going outdoors. Make sure products you use are waterproof or else you will end up making a fool of your own self.
7. Do not avoid if you feel sick/ill even for few hours, rush to the doc immediately.
8. Try not to eat outside food specially fried stuff.
9. Try not to drink water from restaurants or other places where you suspect they don’t boil the water. Learn to carry your own bottle of water.
10. Last and not the least – when you return back home from outside, take a shower or clean your legs, hands and face with water and soap. By doing this you will let all the germs and illness stay away from you.

So these are some important precautions that you have to abide by if you want to enjoy this season of happiness and fun. I am looking forward to your suggestions and comments.

-Stella Roy

Tennis at Wimbledon

2007-06-27T18:32:00.000+05:30

"If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same;"

(The above lines are carved on the wall above the doors that lead to the centre-court at Wimbledon).
There cannot be a better narrative of games played at Wimbledon then the above lines from Rudyard Kipling.

By the time I publish this post the Tennis festival at Wimbledon Tennis Championship would have started.

Wimbledon is known to be the prime tennis tournament in the world. Every tennis player has a dream of playing at the famous center court of Wimbledon once in his lifetime.

Wimbledon is the only major Grand Slam that is played on grass. This Grand Slam takes lot of pride in its old culture that’s why you will find all the players in white clothing. The game on grass is totally different from other surface. On grass the players need to be fully fit and should posses a great serve and volley. (Borg was an exception champion)

Wimbledon has produce some great rivalry in tennis, such as McEnroe-Borg, McEnroe-Connors, Becker-Edberg, Sampras-Agassi, Evert- Martina and the most recent one is that of Federer-Rafal.

Some major facts/records about Wimbledon:-

• The current year is the 121st championship at All England Club
• Boris Becker is youngest champion at Wimbledon at the age of 17 years.
• Bjorn Borg is the only male player to win five successive titles.
• Martina Navratilova is the only female player to win seven successive titles.
• Pete Sampras has won the maximum titles in the last 30 years at Wimbledon. In total he has won seven times.

This year Roger Federer is defending champion and will be trying to emulate Bjorn Borg record of six successive titles. I wish him all the luck.

If you love tennis and have more facts about Wimbledon then please do write me a comment.

-Stella Roy

Exams, results and career

2007-06-25T14:38:00.000+05:30

It’s month of June and time for results of HSC and SSC examination across the country. Depending upon the results people choose their next step in academics. It’s during this period that you choose the path of your career.

Talking to many educationists I have learnt that choosing a career is like choosing your new life.

Choosing a career after Secondary board exams is the most difficult phase of any student’s life. He / She have to be very careful on choosing the right career as this would decide the fate of their future life. Elders should be more cooperative and supportive at this time and should give proper advice and guidance to the students.

There are basically 3 streams that one can opt for after higher secondary exams, they are: Science, Commerce and Arts.

These are entry level for your degree/ graduation. If you want to opt to become an engineer or a doctor you need to move in to the science stream, if CA is your ultimate goal then go for commerce, if teaching is what you want to do then Arts is well suited.

Apart from these there is also a Home Science field especially for girls. There are many courses in it that one can explore.
There are various diploma courses also available as good option for students. There are many diploma courses we have, like in Engineering, mechanical, pharmacy, Mine Engineering, textile engineering, architecture, for girls we have fashion designing, jewelry designing, etc.

You can also study to get into army, navy, or become pilots or air hostess etc.
If you go to see there are many courses available for each field today. It’s always help to take advice from a academic/ career counselor.

Before choosing your career, make sure that this is what you want to do all your life, know the end results, know your capability, explore various fields and colleges, talk to various people of the same field, take advice from elders and only then chose the right stream.

Best of luck

-Stella Roy

Movie Review of Rajnikant's Sivaji - The Boss

2007-06-17T17:51:00.000+05:30

Some people are born to make history. No matter what and how they do, each and every act of their in public becomes a talk about topic for several years. And this Friday 15th 2007 Rajnikant the megastar made history with the release of his movie Sivaji. Well some may argue that every movie of Rajnikant makes history. Hmm! Yes I agree to it. It is Rajnikant's job to deliver hit after hit movies.

Sivaji is supposed to be the most costly Indian movie ever made. It is Rajniknat’s 100th movie till date.

Sivaji - The Boss starts with Rajnikant coming down from USA to India. The aim of Sivaji is to improve the social condition of the country. The first part of the movie is all about how the superstar is cheated and is left virtually penniless.

Sivaji losses the court case on a plot of land and with that he is left with nothing in his pocket. It is here that famous scene of Rajnikant comes to the screen. Suman gives him a 1 Rupee coin and Rajnikant tosses the coin towards the sky and vows to take revenge from his enemies and earn back whatever he has lost till now. The first half of the movie has some good comic scene with Vivek.

The second half is all about how Rajnikant goes about taking revenge from his enemies’ single handedly. The second half has lot of action that is synonymous with Rajnikant’s movies. The next 90 minutes of the movie is what you need to look forward to. It’s Rajnikant all the way in second part of the movie. It’s virtually impossible to hear anything in cinema hall except the chanting of Rajni’s fan.

Now if you analyze the performance the cast then there is not much to talk about except the two legend of South Indian cinema i.e. A R Rehman and Rajnikant. The music of A. R Rehman rocks! With Sivaji A R Rehman proves why he is regarded as the country’s premier musician.

Rajnikant’s performance in Sivaji is not the best of Rajnikant till date but a very inspiring one. Rajnikant is the soul of Sivaji. Take out Rajni from the movie and you have the same old story without any style to it. What Rajni has done to Sivaji is that he has given Sivaji the Rajnikant’s flavor. The same flavor for which the people gave him a demi God like status in South India. Whether it is a comic scene or a song/dance sequence with the heroines, be it fighting with the villains of the movie single handedly, Rajnikant delivers everything with élan and ease.

The songs of the movie are good with ‘Sahara Pokal’ being the best of the lot. Rest of the songs makes the flow of the movie little slow, but the music by the maestro A.R Rehman keeps you on your toes.

The rest of the cast is done good job of supporting Rajnikant. Vivek has done marvelous job in the movie. He has a wonderful comic timing with Rajnikant and others in the movie. The ladies of the movie have not much to do but Shriya looks good and have justified her casting against superstar by Shankar.

All in all a must watch and if you are a Rajnikant’s fan then by now you must have watch the movie at least twice.

I would like to have your comment on Sivaji the movie. And if you like my review please forward it to your family and friends. I would love it.

-Stella Roy

34th Annual Daytime Entertainment Emmy Awards

2007-06-16T12:50:00.000+05:30

The Daytime Entertainment Emmy awards are awarded in the field of daytime television production. It’s the most reputed award in television Industry for more then 30 years. Every year the Daytime Entertainment Emmy awards are given in more then 50 categories that include best production, best actor and other technical aspect of a TV production.

This year the 34th Annual Daytime Entertainment Emmy awards were held at The Kodak Theatre in Los Angeles.

Bob Barker won his 19th Emmy awards at the age of 83. CBS swept most of the leading awards at 34th Emmy awards night. Some of the winners in the popular categories were;

Category: Best Drama (there was a tie)
Winners: Guiding Light" and "The Young and the Restless

Category: Best Actor in Drama series
Winner: Christian LeBlanc (The Young and the Restless)

Category: Best Actress in Drama series
Winner: Maura West (As the World Turns)

Category: Supporting actress in a drama series
Winner: Genie Francis (General Hospital)

Category: Supporting actor in a drama series
Winner: Rick Hearst (General Hospital)

Category: Younger actress in a drama series
Winner: Jennifer Landon (As the World Turns)

Category: Younger actor in a drama series
Winner: Bryton McClure (The Young and the Restless)

Category: Best Talk Show
Winner: The Ellen DeGeneres Show

Category: Best Talk Show host
Winner: Ellen DeGeneres

Category: Lifetime Achievement Award
Winner: Lee Phillip Bell, co-creator of ‘The Young and the Restless’ and 'The Bold and the Beautiful'.

Let us take this opportunity and congratulate the winner of 34th Daytime Entertainment Emmy awards who keep us entertained all the time.

-Stella Roy