tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5658494Sat, 11 Feb 2012 07:39:23 +0000dolphinsLegislationSitaIndian flagaffirmative legislationCrookshanks SiriusATMHairStray dogReleaseSanasarPondyBiharJerry FalwellweddingArticleRabindranath TagoreSnapeBarCampfilmsMunnabhai chale amerikaFilmDelhiRamrahulPalakkad maamiKhaleej TimesPillar rockCoinsBollywoodDietDr. Duncan MacDougallADHDHarry OsbornDialoguesmadisarChinese character for happinessRajniHarry Potter and the Deathly Hallowsmonsoon bangaloredistanceFirst Wedding AnniversaryHilltopHannah Gruen36000 LIC premiumsales yogaDumbledore's "Gleam of TriumphHonarary CitizenshipFictionISKCONAghasuraInspire MediaKrishnaManjuKyun kiBangalore International AirportHolidaysT20 world cupglobal warmingSpiderman 3ShyamaliAdIIMwater screensMalayalamWorld CupBombing BombayTreesSivajiRoadiesPatitop. Jammu. Patisafilter coffeeindiaIndia Heritage Theme ParkVacationEuropeonBCB4American IdolAmerican Sanskrit Institutejimmy walesdrainsScientific Verification of Vedic KnowledgeNancy DrewIITEmma Robertsshort storymanholeSanskritLife after deathMalakarSimonCarson DrewSmriti IranimassacreNostalgicPrincePunjabiBling JewelrySalma HayekAmbujamessjayloveDisneyrav patrao ravBlogSuicideCircuitroad tripSenior CitizenBookwormsPondicherryminority quotaZ plus securityCricketchaptersRamayanaI Can Make You ThinIndibloggies; Awardbusiness intelligenceAndaa TamatarNikeTeletubbies.Ads endorsed by Indian cricketersPaul MckennakodaiHinduism is still being misrepresentedAuctionManjunath SbangaloreAnthonySanjayaTinky WinkyVijay TimesHeaven of FreedomissuesInsultwiki pollutes the webVirgina TechNirmala DeviBugakuSadashivnagarJoshua BellDistributionJapaneseInstant JusticeMedia Cover-upTripIsrealWhat's wrong being a Hindu?Rajni can'tDavid OsbornHaneefMJchildrenAurovilleMTVAyngaranSachinExtraGigakujusticeIllustrated Bhagavad GitaMoBlogWindsor ManorBitteninteresting linksTamil channels bannedInstant NoodlesRavanJaved AkhtarChoDunu RayKeanu ReevesDriveGolden Raspberry AwardswikipediaBritneyreservationmenacejobsbeggarsTamilserialssoul weight 21 gramsjapanWashington postStraying Thoughts on Stray DogsIndia 2020...stray dogsBaniParents and Senior Citizens BillRotten TomatoesWhiterays are the early morning sun rays that come streaming through at dawn, illuminating the darkest corners and spreading its glow. A time when you can directly look at the sun, feel the warmth and experience a calm that is unexplainable.http://swethaiyer.blogspot.com/noreply@blogger.com (Whiterays)Blogger159125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5658494.post-6522187240096896266Wed, 27 Jul 2011 05:38:00 +00002011-08-12T11:37:23.316+04:00 That my boy has settled down at his school and well-adjusted to his routine has knocked one worry off my list. On day one, it was alarming to see my little boy with a dangling satchel in tow, trudge almost half-a-mile from the school gate, cross the tiny little bridge in his campus and climb a flight of stairs to reach his class on his own. For a mother who has him chaperoned even at the play http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Whiterays/~3/HIV8P9jEJ8g/our-misadventures-in-parenting.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Whiterays)4<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Whiterays/~4/HIV8P9jEJ8g" height="1" width="1"/>http://swethaiyer.blogspot.com/2011/07/our-misadventures-in-parenting.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5658494.post-4147789243397771571Fri, 26 Nov 2010 05:54:00 +00002010-11-26T10:26:17.531+04:00Of all the delusions that I may have, the one I definitely do not carry is that of my singing capabilities. I am no Lata Mangeshkar or an Asha Bhonsle is but plain knowledge but definitely am not a female voice version of Anu Malik too. Now Why am I raking this all of a sudden? My son has caught the seasonsal flu and is at home at the time when I leave to work. Its not called the age of 'terriblehttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Whiterays/~3/mk39IbugOF0/my-poor-little-squished-ego.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Whiterays)2<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Whiterays/~4/mk39IbugOF0" height="1" width="1"/>http://swethaiyer.blogspot.com/2010/11/my-poor-little-squished-ego.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5658494.post-1368404109869365529Mon, 22 Nov 2010 16:39:00 +00002010-11-24T10:56:38.368+04:00He early on let her know who is the boss. He looked her right in the eye and clearly said, "You're the boss." -- AnonymousAnd that I say, is the key to most happy marriages. ;) But jokes apart marriage has a away of growing on you. Its a wonder what good companionship can actually do. In the age where quarter-life-crisis is the norm, 5 years of being married (with a child in tow) can be http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Whiterays/~3/V01bVoNVTv4/marriage-and-everything-else.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Whiterays)1<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Whiterays/~4/V01bVoNVTv4" height="1" width="1"/>http://swethaiyer.blogspot.com/2010/11/marriage-and-everything-else.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5658494.post-6456832869872154093Tue, 16 Nov 2010 12:39:00 +00002010-11-16T17:05:54.763+04:00Its been quite some time I visited this space but today I strangely feel compelled to write here. Like renewing an old friendship, I come to say a quiet 'Hello' to the blogging world. Like when we meet old friends and promise to keep in touch, I silently promise myself to write more often. There are so many things one wants to say but with a little passage of time conversation comes not very http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Whiterays/~3/OvN2ngLDJNo/hello-again.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Whiterays)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Whiterays/~4/OvN2ngLDJNo" height="1" width="1"/>http://swethaiyer.blogspot.com/2010/11/hello-again.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5658494.post-6151009931066339598Wed, 19 May 2010 08:16:00 +00002010-05-19T12:18:22.310+04:00Take home the lessons & laugh along those who get it :)1. Verbs has to agree with their subjects.2. Prepositions are not words to end sentences with.3. And don't start a sentence with a conjunction.4. It is wrong to ever split an infinitive.5. Avoid clichés like the plague. (They're old hat.)6. Also, always avoid annoying alliteration.7. Be more or less specific.8. Parenthetical remarks (however http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Whiterays/~3/lPaFLxvPHOA/rules-4-writers.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Whiterays)4<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Whiterays/~4/lPaFLxvPHOA" height="1" width="1"/>http://swethaiyer.blogspot.com/2010/05/rules-4-writers.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5658494.post-3948356498216376321Thu, 15 Apr 2010 06:53:00 +00002010-04-15T10:56:21.668+04:00An interesting way of asking, - 'Who is your competition?'[This is written by Dr. Y. L. R. Moorthi is a professor at the Indian Institute of Management Bangalore. He is an M.Tech from Indian Institute of Technology, Madras and a post graduate in management from IIM, Bangalore]Who sells the largest number of cameras in India?Your guess is likely to be Sony, Canon or Nikon. Answer is none of the http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Whiterays/~3/Os24NOvRXSk/have-breakfast-orbe-breakfast.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Whiterays)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Whiterays/~4/Os24NOvRXSk" height="1" width="1"/>http://swethaiyer.blogspot.com/2010/04/have-breakfast-orbe-breakfast.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5658494.post-6194756134699507698Tue, 09 Feb 2010 07:14:00 +00002010-02-10T19:13:31.176+04:00Sheila meets her college friend after a long time. During conversation she casually asks for her friend’s twitter handle and in response gets a blank look. ‘What is a twitter handle supposed to be?’ Sheila is flummoxed and surprised that her friend doesn’t follow her. She is unable to come up with the right words to explain the concept of micro blogging to her friend. There seems a sudden http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Whiterays/~3/_JP3FJMypJ4/cursed-with-knowledge.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Whiterays)4<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Whiterays/~4/_JP3FJMypJ4" height="1" width="1"/>http://swethaiyer.blogspot.com/2010/02/cursed-with-knowledge.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5658494.post-4019354318783702867Mon, 25 Jan 2010 07:04:00 +00002010-01-25T11:23:07.668+04:00The Vodafone Zoozoo ads have long gone from our television but my son still seems to hold a fascination for the white rubber-bodied eggheads. He smiles and claps happily while they animatedly run about the screen. Feeding him gets easier while he watches the reruns of the 'Zuzu' (as he calls them) ad films from a DVD. This ad called - "Wonders" was running while the supposedly gibberish zoozoo http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Whiterays/~3/p4adsKQguQI/zoozooz-talk-malayalam.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Whiterays)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Whiterays/~4/p4adsKQguQI" height="1" width="1"/>http://swethaiyer.blogspot.com/2010/01/zoozooz-talk-malayalam.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5658494.post-1425689065259303408Wed, 23 Dec 2009 02:48:00 +00002009-12-23T07:04:34.318+04:00Am actually tired of seeing dozen's of such wannabe's seeking their 30-secs of fame by raking up some controversy or the other. But off late, worldover, the easiest route to fame seems to be to attack India and Indians. Seems like we are an easy target. Look at this one - India's Healthcare is Cheaper than America's! - Fox News Investigation - Glenn Beck ReportsGlen Beck seems surprised that http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Whiterays/~3/k4D2lUNWOYM/india-easy-target.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Whiterays)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Whiterays/~4/k4D2lUNWOYM" height="1" width="1"/>http://swethaiyer.blogspot.com/2009/12/india-easy-target.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5658494.post-2357872178875875927Tue, 22 Dec 2009 17:21:00 +00002009-12-23T06:47:19.802+04:00Last few days have been quite eventful. Lots of discussion, pondering over questions and seeking an answer everywhere but no decisions arrived at. Its funny how we strategize, antagonize and think we are making things happen while none of it is in our control. And what is even more strange is how perspectives alter in a matter of minutes. Actually we are no different from little children, despitehttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Whiterays/~3/ZZIpkoSj3ZI/week-that-was.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Whiterays)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Whiterays/~4/ZZIpkoSj3ZI" height="1" width="1"/>http://swethaiyer.blogspot.com/2009/12/week-that-was.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5658494.post-4341827309181500040Sun, 15 Nov 2009 17:28:00 +00002009-11-20T14:52:59.658+04:00Indian television seems to be going from bad to worse. Reality shows centering around dance & music was one thing but then the progressive decline into finding the perfect (sic) bride is completely another matter. Do the majority of Indian audience really enjoy these kind of shows? Why isn't there a single Quiz show or a science program like Turning Point in any of the popular channels? Even a http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Whiterays/~3/PgAIzUWu91Y/dreadful-indian-television.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Whiterays)6<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Whiterays/~4/PgAIzUWu91Y" height="1" width="1"/>http://swethaiyer.blogspot.com/2009/11/dreadful-indian-television.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5658494.post-6605065932908516146Thu, 29 Oct 2009 06:59:00 +00002009-10-29T15:36:20.561+04:00Its few hours since I have completed reading the book and am still reeling under the after-effects of it. Its not about being overwhelmed by the book but every book I read usually lingers in the mind for some time, like how the taste of coffee (good or bad) remains. So I will try and be as objective as possible about it. With Dan Brown for an author, the book is more or less expected to be a http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Whiterays/~3/8SjmPqF_vvE/lost-symbol-dan-brown.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Whiterays)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Whiterays/~4/8SjmPqF_vvE" height="1" width="1"/>http://swethaiyer.blogspot.com/2009/10/lost-symbol-dan-brown.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5658494.post-686644883852872149Sun, 25 Oct 2009 05:24:00 +00002009-10-25T11:20:48.646+04:00I still remember the first time I got a letter from my school friend whom I had left behind when we moved cities. The adrenaline rush of seeing the blue envelope and unable to contain myself to read through the contents and simply wanting to reply back query-to-query asap. Slowly the joy of writing letters waned out to sending seasonal greeting cards.Emails brought its own share of excitement andhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Whiterays/~3/hdZGhL0XZNw/time-for-just-140-words.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Whiterays)3<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Whiterays/~4/hdZGhL0XZNw" height="1" width="1"/>http://swethaiyer.blogspot.com/2009/10/time-for-just-140-words.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5658494.post-3312191729301364451Wed, 21 Oct 2009 06:46:00 +00002009-10-21T12:05:11.406+04:00While the ad industry seems to be going overboard with their in-your-face-sex to sell from soaps to fruit drinks, this could prove to be a deter. Though narrated in all jest, one must note the underlying satire speaking volumes for the gullible youth who are being typecast to being Fair & Handsome to get the attention of girls. Girls who must be Fair & Lovely to get the dream job, dream man etc. http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Whiterays/~3/YccD0HUJS4Q/unable-to-attract-girls-man-sues-axe.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Whiterays)3<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Whiterays/~4/YccD0HUJS4Q" height="1" width="1"/>http://swethaiyer.blogspot.com/2009/10/unable-to-attract-girls-man-sues-axe.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5658494.post-7860173655598169972Tue, 13 Oct 2009 11:20:00 +00002009-10-13T17:33:49.121+04:00Its just October yet here is Top 5 list of my favourite songs from Bollywood movies. It has not been a very tough list to come up with considering the crop of movies released this year. #1 Tum Mile - Emraan Hashmi invariably ends up with a great song to his name. A very lucky guy indeed. This melodious number sung by Neeraj Sridhar has me completely mesmerised. Not a song that can boast of great http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Whiterays/~3/KYvS64JDQ0U/top-songs-of-2009.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Whiterays)4<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Whiterays/~4/KYvS64JDQ0U" height="1" width="1"/>http://swethaiyer.blogspot.com/2009/10/top-songs-of-2009.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5658494.post-3145570242602336416Fri, 02 Oct 2009 05:46:00 +00002009-10-02T22:07:52.460+04:00Hindu mythology & folklore says there are 7 people around the world who lookalike. Some say its a myth and many others beleive in it. While this is a very tough thing to prove we all surely might have come across someone who looks very similar though.Last week I was watching 'Maid in Manhattan' and I felt I had seen the character of Jerry Seigal somewhere. Few days later I was seeing the movie http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Whiterays/~3/TFocd9s8NfA/erehavent-i-seen-u-somewhere.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Whiterays)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Whiterays/~4/TFocd9s8NfA" height="1" width="1"/>http://swethaiyer.blogspot.com/2009/10/erehavent-i-seen-u-somewhere.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5658494.post-8687026905315449458Fri, 18 Sep 2009 04:07:00 +00002009-09-18T08:30:09.404+04:00I saw this mail mentioning 'baby food' and instantly my alertness quotient skyrocketd. This was the message it contained: Nestle food products (including baby food) are fairly popular in India, but I just found out something about their policy for the products they sell in India, and it's shocking. Nestle has actually admitted it would use genetically-contaminated products in the food it sells inhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Whiterays/~3/GVrnDIUtEyY/nestle-baby-food-is-not-safe-says.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Whiterays)2<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Whiterays/~4/GVrnDIUtEyY" height="1" width="1"/>http://swethaiyer.blogspot.com/2009/09/nestle-baby-food-is-not-safe-says.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5658494.post-1947899628120591372Tue, 15 Sep 2009 14:07:00 +00002009-09-16T10:26:07.955+04:00I am not sure but it seems like our threshold of tolerance specially for swear words keeps raising with each passing year. Earlier when I was in school words like - bloody, bitch, rascal (oh yeah!) etc was unmentionable. And girls who used to utter them within the pristine convent environment were shunned as the bad lot. Sounds hilarious now, but true.Later once we entered our teens it became http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Whiterays/~3/7PhVBUSBmiM/v-r-bloody-cool.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Whiterays)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Whiterays/~4/7PhVBUSBmiM" height="1" width="1"/>http://swethaiyer.blogspot.com/2009/09/v-r-bloody-cool.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5658494.post-4787308892308914283Sun, 23 Aug 2009 18:03:00 +00002009-08-27T10:20:37.287+04:00One more Ganesh Chathurthi has come and gone. My earliest recollections of Ganesh puja was when I was about 8-10 years. Awoken by 5:30 a.m we used to accompany dad to mwm market to bring home our very own Ganesha idol. It used to be a ritual by itself with me & my sister enjoying every minute of it. Since mwm market used to be a stone's throw away appa used to take a brisk walk and we used to http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Whiterays/~3/cNORr12AotU/bringing-home-ganesha.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Whiterays)1<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Whiterays/~4/cNORr12AotU" height="1" width="1"/>http://swethaiyer.blogspot.com/2009/08/bringing-home-ganesha.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5658494.post-7598814784839328573Tue, 18 Aug 2009 13:27:00 +00002009-08-19T09:41:31.754+04:00We as a country don't think too much of Identity cards and information security, is known for a fact but I did not think these things are treated with so much alacrity out here. Someone I know of and who is quite well-educated threw away her passport just because she never used it and it got expired! Another lady who is a teacher in a reputed school in Bangalore tore away her SSLC marks sheet as http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Whiterays/~3/WsEwO6zaqR8/whats-in-id.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Whiterays)1<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Whiterays/~4/WsEwO6zaqR8" height="1" width="1"/>http://swethaiyer.blogspot.com/2009/08/whats-in-id.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5658494.post-3376529119874624887Sun, 09 Aug 2009 15:43:00 +00002009-08-14T14:41:14.442+04:00Every time someone talks about babies and the tough parenting involved they are quick to talk about changing umpteen nappies and of sleepless nights. But what is actually more excruciatingly tough and which nobody seems to talk about is - about feeding them. Almost right from the time they are born, be it breastfeeding or formula and then progressing to the next stage of baby food and then http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Whiterays/~3/ddNV2fsPBQ8/feeding-tales-harried-mothers-rant.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Whiterays)3<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Whiterays/~4/ddNV2fsPBQ8" height="1" width="1"/>http://swethaiyer.blogspot.com/2009/08/feeding-tales-harried-mothers-rant.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5658494.post-4328761626953054374Fri, 31 Jul 2009 05:34:00 +00002009-08-06T11:23:39.143+04:00The other day I was pondering over the vagaries of life, as my lil son snuggled next to me for his morning nap. My trail of thoughts (its usually a long trail) took me on a self-discovery trip and I realized that I am quite quirky by nature. Now, now every man has his own share of quirks & twists, its just that the sudden realization of them made me quite unnerved. Is it like am afflicted with http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Whiterays/~3/6CQ80rYubsY/quirky-me.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Whiterays)3<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Whiterays/~4/6CQ80rYubsY" height="1" width="1"/>http://swethaiyer.blogspot.com/2009/07/quirky-me.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5658494.post-868009134240203211Sun, 19 Jul 2009 15:32:00 +00002009-08-10T14:35:18.364+04:00Most tambrams will need no introduction to what I'm saying out here, but to the others "Bhagavat Sevai" is a very special annual puja conducted for Goddess Bhagavati, seeking her blessings for the health, wealth and prosperity for the entire family. Though it is one among the numerous puja's that are conducted annually, the bhagavat sevai has its own routines and elaborate rituals. The house getshttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Whiterays/~3/knCa-bVQqXU/bhaghavat-sevai-seeking-divine.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Whiterays)1<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Whiterays/~4/knCa-bVQqXU" height="1" width="1"/>http://swethaiyer.blogspot.com/2009/07/bhaghavat-sevai-seeking-divine.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5658494.post-1989887418087273803Sun, 19 Jul 2009 09:03:00 +00002009-07-19T13:21:23.710+04:00Am not a well-versed cook as I have hardly spent any time in the kitchen. Yet here is a snack that I am quite adept at making and would like to share it with all out there. Crispy Bread Rolls is the ideal snack for a raining evening as its quite easy to make and most of the ingredients are usually available at home. Crispy Bread Rolls Ingredients - Sandwich Bread - 6 slices Baked Potatohttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Whiterays/~3/Delg3dvg4Us/monsoon-recipe-crispy-bread-rolls.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Whiterays)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Whiterays/~4/Delg3dvg4Us" height="1" width="1"/>http://swethaiyer.blogspot.com/2009/07/monsoon-recipe-crispy-bread-rolls.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5658494.post-8365998217422075096Mon, 13 Jul 2009 09:18:00 +00002009-07-13T14:44:39.925+04:00Recently I saw a couple of Tinkle comics on a coffee table that caught my attention and brought back lots of happy childhood memories. Shikari Shambu, Suppandi and the rest used to be our favourite characters. I still remember how mom used to hold up the comics with a condition to finish our evening tiffin and homework. She could have blackmailed us to jump of the roof and we would have easily http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Whiterays/~3/Kus7HXVLMgo/when-reading-was-fun.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Whiterays)3<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Whiterays/~4/Kus7HXVLMgo" height="1" width="1"/>http://swethaiyer.blogspot.com/2009/07/when-reading-was-fun.html