Pkgaran's Blog

A Travelogue - Manjolai and Kudiraivetti

noreply@blogger.com (pkgaran) — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 11:22:00 +0000

Again Travelogue is on a trip with Sky Scrapping Hills... It gives me great pride and joy to bring you a travelogue of my trip to Hills. But I must say writing it was not my cup of tea, and so I ask you to please bear with me artless efforts.

Rewinding:

Back to 2009 Middle ; I was incidentally saw the documentary at Vijay TV about Kudiraivetti and it's places. Well narrated documentary made me up and making flashing light as on when week end and holiday comes. From then on, It's is my prolonged wishes and urge to reach that spot to explore nature and bringing to your eye sights.

Planning:

For company I called on my friends "X", and "Y". X had not been keeping well and quite pessimistic about the whole thing. Y had personal commitment and expressed his deep concern for non availability. I have decided to roll out irrespective of company. It has to be done within the weekend combines with August 16th. As a pondicherrian, we have been remembered 16th August every year, the merging day with India from French Government. So It's has been a declared Government holiday for Pondicherrian. I have the 3 handful days of holiday start from 14, 15 and 16th August 2010. Meanwhile, I understood that the other group of friends were going to Kutralam and Kanyakumari. So the Plan was to go with them till Kutralam and then decided to go to Kudiraivetti alone.

Giddy up!

13th August 2010:

After the end of office hours; I was taken communication details, maps and other tools which are necessary and vital role for success of my trip. 20:20hrs, Started to Kutralam; A new and 3 months old, Mahendra Traveler, 15 seated van took us - 13 Member squad to Kutrallam. A well laid NH 45 has made easy to do for speedy and safe till Madurai.

14th August 2010:

5 Falls - Kutralam:

From Madurai, We routed through Tirumangalam, Srivilliputtur, Rajapalayam and reached Kutrallam at 4:45am. The drizzling rain and chilled wind has welcomed us with little shivering chillness. Without second thought, We decided to have with 5 Falls (Aynthu Aruvi). Water falling force was good and we enjoyed from 5:00 to 7:30am.

Aathiyar Falls:

After Kuralam, We moved 40 KM to Aathiyar Falls, The water force are moderate, Rocky falls one must go with more cautions with steeper rock. We took bath for a while and eye catching nature.

Tiruchendur Murugan Temple:

We had reached Tiruchendur by 16:45hrs and it was 55 KM from Tirunelveli. We had spend almost 4 hours. We had nice dharsan along with special pooja sat infront of God. The Temple construction, renovation and beach is good and very much enjoyable too. The Temple surrounding environment is pritty much neat and good. After having dinner 20:45hrs; I said good bye to my friends; they headed towards Kanyakumari. I headed towards Thirunelveli

15th August 2010

ODD Night at Thirunelveli Bus Stand:

After spending little time, I had started and reached Thirunelveli new bus terminal at 22:55hrs. The worst part was started from here. The height of the wonder is, There is no lodge and hotel within 4 KM radius from Main BUS Terminal. The security frisk was high due to 15th August. The time need to spend at bus terminal was 4:30 hours. I was pretty much tired due to round the clock travel along with Falls bath, If I flat by sleep, It was very difficult me to wakeup by early morning 3:15hrs. Decided to stay with Bus Terminal. The consistently got warning message from Police for awareness of the pick pocket and theft. I had sat in waiting chair infront of Police control table and made me half way sleep. It was a new kind of experience which teaches me some kind of knowledge. I was remembered the Move “The Terminal”. It was a bit long night for me while spending odd hours without doing task.

Kudiraivetti:

3:30hrs; I was woke up from my sleepy mind and tired body, had some little fresh up and make myself ready for upcoming ventures. I was shopping at 3:45 hours at Mani Shop which is well known in bus terminal, when I was exchanged conversation, I have got useful tips from him about approaching nature spot at Kudiraivetti. The Shop gentleman has given nose powder and oil which helps to prevents from blood sucking insects. I had spend useful time with him, in between 4:00hrs The bus Route No:133A – Tirunelveli to Kuthuraivetti approached bus terminal. I had conveyed thanks and rush towards the bus to catch my seat at front row.

4:05hrs: The bus has started from Bus Terminal, Seat No: 3 was mine; Bus fare to Kudiraivetti is Rs.35/-. spontaneously I had rotated my eye like 360 Degree angle camera to search any travelers has came in the bus like me. The answer was YES!!!. 3 Member team from local kovilpatti had traveled with me. We were exchanged few words, I was so sleepy due to overnight odd hours and tired. After an hours of travel by 5:45hrs the bus reached forest check post, entrance of the hill ghat starting point. The bus driver has logged the timings in register and we were continued the travel by passing Manimuthar DAM and Falls.

The roads lead by the ghats is more dangerous. The very narrow roads never witnessed any safety pillars and symbols at entire path. The bus driver and conductor are friendly to villagers and passengers, like my earlier Megamalai visit. The driver has 15 years of experience in this route, so he droved more caustically and easily, even in difficult hard steeper and sharp hair pin bends. The climate and atmosphere has completely changed when the bus reached step by step layer heights. The Bus has reached Maanjolai, a small village at 7:45hrs, It has a Police Station too. The driver and conductor has taken cup of tea meanwhile I was busy with my Nikon camera.

I had a conversation with driver and conductor about their service and experience with this hill station. After the Maanjolai, from then the entire path is more n more scenery, Plantation and thick greenery. The drizzling rain has stared entire stretch till Kudiraivetti. Oothu is the notable village before to dead end of Kudiraivetti. The bus has reached the Kudiraivetti Clinical Center at 8:35hrs. I departed from the bus, but other 3 member team from Kovilpatti not decided to get down and they want to continue with the return bus. I have been informed that I have to walk till oothu to get the transport, Till 6:00Pm no public transport facility from Kudiraivetti. I decided to walk to Oothu - 5 KM Jungle.

Kudiraivetti clinical centre is running by Bombay Burma Company Limited for it’s workers and staffs and near to that I was witnessed Attendance Punching office for the workers. Just while before reaching Kudiraivetti, They have celebrated India’s Independence day with Flag Hosting. I was very much happy about that the way they are celebrating even in deep forest, and life strugleness. I had great solute with pride.

Kudiraivetti; How comes the name is a big quesion mark in mind, while finding the answer, The Villagers told me that earlier in kings age; they had horse training campe at this place. After some incidents the horse were killed by opponants for some reasons from then on Kutheraikatti (Making/Living Horse in English) was become called as Kuthuraivetti ( Killing horse in English). It was nice and interesting story, I don’t know how for it’s true.

The Facts and Ghats:

This quiet Hill resort in the Western Ghats is about 6000 feet high. Maanjolai is the nearby town and is an ideal summer resort. It is 50 kms from Ambasamudram. This hill station may also be reached from Nagercoil. One can reach Lower Koodhaiyar by winch. There is also a road from one place Balmore to upper Koodhaiyar. This hill resort offers a panoramic view to the tourists. Important locations are Oothu and Kuthiraivetti etc. They are the best viewpoints.

The guesthouse of the Travancore Royal Family is located here and is called "Muthukuzhi Vayual." The approach road begins from Manimutharu and Ambasamudram to Kodaiyar and Manjolai. Regular bus services are available from Manimutharu and Ambasamudram

Best Time to Visit: Jan to May and August to October

Bus Timings:

from Tirunelveli New Bus Terminal: 4:00 , 1:30pm and 3:00pm (4 Hours Travel)

Distance Chart:

From Thirunelveli to Kudiraivetti : 57 KM

Manimutharu to Kudiraivetti : 37 KM

Special Note: Food and Necesary things should be pack up before going

For Stay one must get prior permission from forest officical since it has comes under Reserve Forest.

For using Public Transport BUS no need get permission

Contact Details:

The District Forest Officer

Tirunelveli Division

North Main Road

N.G.O.A Colony

Tirunelveli.

Phone: 0462 - 2553005

Fax : 0462 - 2553605

Stay Room: Forest Guest house is available to stay Rs.1500/day for 6~7 Persons.

I walked towards view point, but i couldn't able do easily due to heavy wind resistance. It was very seneric and i was enjoying, the drazzle has stared.. but move forward to view point building. From there one can easily watch the both DAM - Manimuthar and parapai dam. The lovely nature has creatcing more attraction to Kudiraivetti. Forest Guest is near to the view point. I was approched guest house and had exchange of conversation with forest guard, understood that some group of team from trichy staying with the Guest house.

Handy Statistics:

WIND blowing at tremendous speed:

[1] In Kalakad-Mundanthurai Tiger Reserver [KMTR]there is one place called 'SENGALTHERI' which has to be reached from Kalakad. Only jeep track is available and it is UN declared bio reserve area. During South West monsoon period if you happen to go there you can experience the WIND blowing at tremendous speed. [45-50 kmph guesting to 90-120 kmph] The speed is capable enough to strip your dhoti and you can NOT stand eract without hold a mast or rock. I have advised the Forest Ranger there to install wind mills there for power production. But as this is an UN declared bio reserve TN Forest Department and TVS group which was having an idea of establishing wind mills there could NOT do so. This is the catchment area for Manimuthar river. There is a forest guest house there at SENGALTHERI built in 1909]

Heavy Rainfall Region:

[2] Secondly near Manjoli estate there is a place known as Kuthiraivetti [this is one of the heavy rainfall regions in this area, apartment upper Kothaiyar which falls in Kanyakumari district where annual rainfall easily crosses 5000 mm] Here in Kuthireivetti, in November 1992, I think, one day annual rainfall of about 99 cm occurred on 11 Nov 1991. But this was NOT accounted properly . The Bombay Burma Trading Company is [Wadia Group] owning the Tea estates there. Perhaps they may be having rainfall records. Or the PWD, WRO, MANIMUTHAR DAM may be having records to this effect.

Jungle Walk in Rainy Forest:

9:00hrs: I was stared to walk from Kudiraivetti to oothu - 5 KM through deep forest, The rain was sizzing, Wind was blowing at tremendous speed, Trees are making tremendous sound due to wind. It was a rocking adventures trecking, the 5 KM walk in dense jungle was making and feeling good at it's maximum level. you can see in TV - Discovery or National Geo. Channels for this adventature, But this time i have got an opportunity to explore the nature with rain forest and made me to make more wet condition. Irrespective of weather condition my Nikon camera works hard to take some lovely snaps over that to bring to your eyes specially for you. No vehicles, No Peoples and No Animals were passed during my 55 minutes travel. The explorations and experience was amazing, I have enjoyed each and every seconds of my foot moments and I liked the way the natures and it's best. I have gone through Sky scrapping Trees, Tea Plantation valley, birds sounds, Many more unknown trees - alone with more enjoyment. It's a gift from Kudiraivetti. The words are not there in any world language to express my happiness and experience. Really Good Indeed!!!.

I had walked through about 55 minutes in rough steeper and down hill roads. The cold climate made me more healthy and checked my stamina level to the core. Eventhough I have water, I never need to take even a sip of water to mouth. I have not taken any foods since yesterday night. I have not felt tiredness and my energy level keeps high. My regular exercise makes my stamina level high, so I request you all to take regular exercise irrespective of any constraint.

10:00hrs: I had Puttu ( made for Rice flower) from kerala style Tiffin center. This was the first attempt to eat food - Puttu with Sugar,Papad and banana - Kerala type food. Healthy food indeed!!!. Near to 10:30hrs, A Mahendra Jeep and traveler Van approached, Group of people stormed to the hotel. From the group, one Gentle man enquired me that are you coming from pondicherry. Yes, I replied. He has expressed his concern toward me how you are coming alone for this kind of deep forest. With great care and kindness, He asked me to join with them for rest of the travel and I agreed. His name is Mr.Paranikumar, A notable business man from Trichy.

Drizzle rain and wind was continued to the core.....I have joined with jeep travel along with Mr.Parnaikumar, Mr.Mahendran, Mr.Pandiraj and other 2 friends. The little old jeep has got great pickup and doesn't have any side doors and closers, only top was covered. The Drizzle, speedy wind, cold waves have created more shivering experience, doorless jeep makes more rainy water came inside, it keeps us to wet. The open Jeep has created more enjoyable with lovey nature and it's creation.

We went to Kodayar and DAM, which is under control of Electrity Department, The secuirty restrication has restricted my nikon, unfortunatly I have never taken any snab over that. A very nice to place to see and enjoy. The climate was not favour to us, Rainy and visiability level becomes low makes us to short cut our tour and make us to get down from the hill.

The Golf course and it's lake will attract to everyone those who are crossing the path. Thick Greenery with slope along with water and trees creates heven in the earth.

As I said earlier, the road conditon are very very bad and makes us to slow progress towards downhill. Mr.Paranikumar, Mr.Mahendran and Mr.Pandiraj were more friendly to me and we have nice chit chat, brought some nice jokes and exchanged everyone's experience. We were attracted by Wooden bridge. Nice and looks good, My nikon had created it's best shots.

Mr.Paranikumar and team was stayed overnight and made Night safari. They have luck and spoted Deer, Bison and other animals.

We had small break at Manjolai, Luckly we had found broken fuel tank in our Jeep. It has took some time to rectify the same. I understood from the friends that while coming also the Jeep has created more problem, They know some basic knowledge to repair so managed without any hassels.

The driving road conditon is not as much easy compare with Kodaikanal, Ooty and Valaparai. Mr.Pandiraj has droven very carefully and followed all traffic rules. Finally, At the down hill we have reached Manimutharu Falls.

Manimutharu Falls:

We had spend couple of hours with moderate water falls, It has 80 feet deep water, So one need to have more attention and careful bath.

15:45hrs; We reached the forest check post at down hill. Again we went to Kutralam 5 falls and had nice bath over it, Water force was good compare with earlier day.

We took alomost 3 hours for water fun.

19:00 hrs, We have stared to Trichy via Rajapalayam, Srivilliputtur, Madurai. We had a night dinner at Madurai - Murugan Idli Kadai.

16th Augst 2010: 2:00hrs; We reached Trichy safely.

I expressed my sincere gratitude to Mr.Paranikumar & co. I wish to register their kind extended support, Help and extent guestors, hospitality throught out the tour was incredible and amazing. I love to have and continue such kind of friendship in my rest of life time. I remembered the quote every jounrey makes a new friendship.

Photo's From Left: Mr.Mahendran, Mr.Pandiraj and Mr.Paranikumar

Till 3:00hrs; I couldn't able to catch a bus to Villupuram/Cuddalaore/Pondicherry since it was a sunday night. I went to railway Junction and took 6:30 Pallavan Train villupuram ticket. I availed AC Rest room factilty and had nice sleep till 6:00hrs.

I reached Villupuram by 9:20 and Pondicherry - House by 11:00hrs.

With a Great memories, Experience and New Friendship, it's time for me to sign off.

If you have read till this point, I appreciate you and love your valuable feedback.

More to come..

P Karunagaran

pkgaran@gmail.com

Travelogue - Kalvarayan Hills - Periyar Falls - Megam Falls

noreply@blogger.com (pkgaran) — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 05:22:00 +0000

Again Travelogue is on a trip with my friends....it gives me great pride and joy to bring you a travelogue of my maiden bike trip to hills.

25th July 2010 04:15hrs

The Alarm goes off. I hit the snooze button.

5 more minutes.

The Alarm goes off again.

I say to my self - Wake up you have a long time.

I am up in no time. I gave wake up ring to rest of my team. I quickly finish off the morning chores. I have taken the things into small bag and started out from the house at 4:50 AM headed to Mr.Kalaichelvan house, reached 5:00 AM, he was waiting for me. I had small chat over with him, confirmed our plan as per scheduled planned earlier. We reset the speedometer to count the number of KMs for this journey. Started at 5.05 AM and reached Madagadipet 5:30 AM, Meanwhile Mr. Venkataramanagopal was also asked to accompany us at Madagadipet, I was asked both of them to pickup Mr. Srinivasan and Mr. Udayasankar. I left to Mr.Murugavel's house by bus - 5 Kms and he was waited for me. 6:10 AM, We are all up and ready to roll with 3 Bikes & 6 folks. Before starting the travel earlier that day, I had been given information to fill the fuel, checking the Tier PSI and necessary tools for bike in case of emergency with First Aid.

The Team:

Hero Honda Hunk - Mr.Venkat and Mr.Srinivasan

Bajaj Pulsar 150CC - Mr.Kalaichelvan and Mr.Udaysankar

Hero Honda Splendor - Mr.Karunagaran and Mr.Murugavel.

Route:

Pondicherry - Madagadipet - Villupuram - Ulundurpet - Kallakuruchi - Kacherapalayam - Comugui Dam - Periyar Falls - Vellimalai - Megam Falls

( To & Fro)

Date: 25th July 2010

Mr. Venkat - Hero Honda Hunk and Mr.Kalai Bajaj Pulsar 150CC & co has started from Madagadipet (23km from Pondicherry), Myself and Mr.Murugavel - Hero Honda Splendor has started from vallavanur (30 KM from Pondicherry) rolling towards Kalvarayan Hills. I had hand sum of travel experience to kallakurchi in my past history. Mr.Kalaichelvan had visited the Kalvarayan hills many times, so he was the navigator for us.

After an hour of travel of NH45 - 4 Lane, we have reached ulundurpet which is 40 KM from Villupuram, After the Ulundurpet Toll Plaza - one must take right to go 5 Km to ulunderpet. Steadily as we made progress towards our destination our speed from a 60 ~ 80KMPh ; 100kmph at one time, had gradually to 60 kmph and by the time we reached ulundurpet we were hardly even doing 40 kmph. Speed is thrill but Safe is life. I wanted my teams to follow the safer and controlling speed through the journey, Time to time I was giving safety alarm to the team members. Mr.Venkat has never droved his bike below 90 KMPL, He always want to flash others eyes through the bike.. Mr.Srinivasan had fearful bilinear. Ulunderpet - Kallakuruchi the roads was pretty much good, except few stretches, where the double road work is under progress. We have not wanted any breaks and rest, so we continued our journey towards kallakuchi. We reached kallakuruchi by 8:15 AM. We had a good breakfast at vegetarian hotel near to the bus terminal. As usual some peoples are always to take a grand for delaying the schedule as a part of the tour. This time Mr. Venkat and Mr. Murugavel has taken a lead and wasted hand sum of time to purchase underwears cloths. We have spent more than 20 minutes to find out the shop.

Kalvarayan Hills : The Kalvarayan hills are situated on the western side of Kallakurichi Taluk. Covering over an area of 600 sq. kms. approximately with the height ranging from 315 mts. to 1190 mts. these hills offer a temperate climate and a peaceful atmosphere. There is a beautiful botanical garden on the hills. There are two waterfalls here. The area is best suited for trekking. A summer festival is also held every year in the month of May.

9:15 AM, We moved towards Kacherapalayam which is 30 KM from Kallakuruchi which is down hill of kalvarayan hill. Roads condition are goody with our bikes. The Kachirapalayam has divided the road to Vellimalai, which is top hill of the kalvarayan hill, enrooted to Comugi Dam.  The hill area has stared with as forest checkpost, we were escaped from frisking the security check - Really we are Good Peoples :) :).... After 3 KM we reached Coomugi DAM - Waterless DAM - 10:30 AM, It's not so big but it's giving significant contributions to the farmers and people of the area in villupuram District. Gomugi DAM is located at down hill of the kalvarayan hills starting point.  We have been informed that water level will be good once the monsoon season starts. I have decided to comes once again after the monsoon, We took some snaps to recall the memories. We were engaged about 10~15minuts there, Meanwhile Mr.Murugavel interestingly made some fun on that, loved such kind of body language. Near to the Coomugi Dam, the Yellow Board displayed that 16 Km ahead to “ The Periyar Falls “.

Photo: From Left : Mr.Murugavel, Me, Mr.Venkat, Mr. Uday, Mr. Srinivasan

This is the first time I have got an opportunity to ride the bike on hill road. It was more interestingly testing bike riding conditions, how to handle clutch, Brake and Accelerator strategies. The newly laid roads and it's good surfaces has taken us to the pleasant journey till the end.
We blown the horn and keep forward to cross each curve and bends. The real nature start from here and it was wonderful sight driving through that wild greenery all the way. The real Ghats are beautiful for the eyes. The climate was cloudy and sunny, but we were not seen sun lights throughout the journey. The nature has created and added more advantages towards pleasant journey. The chilled air makes more and lovely atmosphere travel. The roads are not broad, but one can manage, when coming by 4 wheelers. We witnessed traffic signals and safety reflectors are placed then and there where it is needed, some areas constructions is undergoing. The hills stations are God's gift to the world and it's lovers and it's the acting warrior to the pollution environment.

After 45 Minutes travel we have reached The Periyar Falls, but negatively we witnessed water force was coming like our village pump set. The Government contractors were working for renovation work at the Periyar Falls. We were not attracted much at this point of time, we took some snaps over this place and headed towards further to the destination - Megam Falls.
11:30 AM; We reached the place called Vellimalai, We purchased lunch and snacks for us before going to the Falls. The Yellow Board Arrow shows that Kacherapalayam 31 KM, Kallakuruchi 43KM, on other Arrow shows that Salem 78KM. We were traveled 31KM on Hill. We were fully packed snacks and fruits what we needed for further course of travel. One elderly aged gentleman have given caution message about the herrdels that we are going to face before attempting to reach the Falls. We were already prepared ourselves for challenging the task.

We were headed towards Megam Falls which is approximately 5 KM from the Main Roads, The roads are quite pathetic driving down the hills and the dry mud path makes it vulnerable for a pleasant drive. Some of the stretches and hair pin bends are in very bad state and further it doesn't show any sign of good hope for the roads. The road made with sandstone with low ground clearance which was created severe challenge while driving our bikes. The sandstone mud along with steeper road has given many challenges; especially gripness between tire and road were completely low. Mr.Venkat bike was unable to control his bike along with me due to very poor road gripness as wells as deadly slope. Luckily we both were escaped without any hurting but due to sudden force and steeper slope it pulled me down without applying any movement. I lost my gravity, after few seconds managed and stopped my self without falling further. Other members had rescued Mr.Venkat and make them to his bike straight.

We were informed that this is the first slope and yet to come more like this. We were prepared our mindset and moved our bikes more cautiously with 1st gear & 2nd gear. One must have apply the thumb rule of handling the bike – One should not release gear and apply brake along with clutch. It will make the bike move still easier down the slope. Applying brake at regular intervals would give time for brake drum cooling or else it will fail to stop the rear wheel of the bike. After further crossing very dangerous 4 ~ 5 hair pin bends, danger sound came from back, We immediately stopped and turned. Mr.Venkat and Murugavel has fallen on steep hair bend edge of the road. The bike was almost fallen edge to the deep and dead pit, a feet away from falling edge. A great escape from life, All our body language and eyes were witnessed the danger level.   The steeper mud road is not user friendly and slope all are elevating to 70 ~ 80 degree angle . I can say the road gripness level become less then zero level as well as low ground clearance. We all are moved less then 8 KMPH with first gear. Mr.Venkat got very small amount injury in his fore hand while trying to lift his fallen bike.  Mr.Murugavel was attempted a diving and rolled twice from fallen bike. Murugavel found quite normal without any hurting, escaped the incident spontaneously. One should not reduce the gear less than 2nd gear and should not apply Clutch, which made him to slide along the rough road and lost his centre of gravity.

After the 2nd attempt of the accident, We have decided not to travel in doubles. We walked down hill for about 500 meters to reach a flat land – Dead End where we have parked our bikes. where as some of us handled the bike more safely to reach the falls destination.  Before leaving to falls we had started to think how we can go return upward hill with this deadly mud slope.

The single step foot path has Down Hill – Deadly steeper & hairpin bends which lead us to the Megam Falls. Here our foot gripness was vital role for safe steps. Our Foot Toes, Forehead and heels of the Foot, leg knee joints have worked to the core level. One must have proper fitness body can handle without hassle free workout.  We moved more and more cautiously with side foot walking instead of normal walking. Luckily the mud was not wet, it helps more for grip ness between our foot and ground. We were able to hear the falling water sound which is creating by falls. Everyone was really excited about the trip ... Remotely did we know that we were in for a really adventurous trip....Adventure is an adventure and we continued ...

   Photo Stiff hairpin bends

Adventure Rocks with Steeper
After 15 Minutes of travel we reached the falls. Again we had challenge to cross deadly and dangerous cliffs. While seeing we thought it was very difficult to approach, but forward with more cautiously approach finds us to reach down hill without any hazards.  Like Monkeys we were jumped between the stones and moved to near the falls. We were fully covered by stones and our voice reflecting echo's were really amazing. If any task if we approach from outside it will be difficult, when you are approaching it will be very easy as much easy as you can do.. The simple theory of life – Here we applied.

The wrist watch shown 12:00 PM Noon: The climate was cloudy and little sunny, but no down pour from sky. We took our own time for settle our baggage and things. Water level is one step ahead of low level, can be enjoyable without second thought. The water came from top the hill from 500 Meters height, The hill is not a part of Western Ghats. Normally here the rainy session will start from July to October – South East Monsoon. The Megam Falls looks as much as beautiful between the month of September to December.
We witnessed poisonous insects in water; it is dangerous to the life. We all took oil bath with more n more fun has taken more time without our knowledge. we were enjoying ourselves getting wet in the waterfall ... we had pleased atmosphere physically and mentally.  We 6 are spend for about 2 Hours.   By the time we thought to leave, 8 Peoples have came from Pondicherry, Ariyankuppam – My native place. They were recognized me, but I couldn't. I felt embarrassed.
14:00hrs, We have stared towards uphill from Falls, Deadly sharp slope – One must climb with great gripness both from hand and foot towards up hill. The Photo figures shows, How we were managed to come up. After very very careful attention of each steps and resting body as on when it needed. After 15 Minutes of walk we were able to manage and reached the place where our bikes parked. We took time to complete our Mini Lunch. Drinking water shortage has created panic among us. Our friends namely Murugavel, Venkat and Kalai have taken their bike towards uphill where Venkat has fallen 1st time. We, myself, uday and Srinivasan were walked towards up hill, We were reached top hill after 40 Minutes of walking. I loved my first trekking experience and difficulties which we explored. The ghat was a lovely drive
15:00hrs, We started to destination Pondicherry. One small park and boat house we were witnessed near to location. I ride the bike with great happiness. We never found any difficulties while approaching down hill, 15:40hrs reached downhill.

   From Left : Mr.Kalaichelvan, Srinivasan, Murugavel & Venkat

Cliff to move up

We have crossed Kallakuruchi by 16:30hrs and Ulundurpet by 15:15hrs. We had small refreshment at Toll Plaza - Ulunderpet.  Steadily as we made progress towards pondicherry, our speed ranges from from a 80 ~ 90KMPh, We have crossed villupuram by 18:15 and reached pondicherry by 19:15hrs.

Total Distance Covered : 373 kms

Distance Chart from different places :

Chennai to Kallakurichi                                : 234 KM
Kallakurichi to Kacherapalayam              :     12 KM
Kacherapalayam to Coomughi Dam         :       3 KM
Coomughi Dam to Periyar Falls                :     16 KM
Periyar Falls to Velli Malai                          :     12 KM
Velli Malai to Megam Falls                          :       5 KM

Best Time to Visit :
October, November and December - After the Monsoon Session

We thank all our team members who admitted our request to join our adventure like mindly without any hesitation and had a safe and sane driving with us. A Special thanks to our navigator Mr. Kalaichelvan for having taken us around to such a discreet place in tamilnadu unexplored. May this trip enable us to plan and go for further more adventures in this forth coming days. Hope sure that we had a great time and lots of experience in handling bike, pupils and places. My Friends thanked me for my exact programing and scheduling carried out to reach our destination and back to our home town in time.

Leisure Moments at Ulundurpet Toll Plaza

The bonding between bike, hills and me has increased with this trip. This journey is added new dimension of traveling experience to me and brings so much of happiness. A splendiferous journey makes Super Special Sunday once again in this year.

I would appreciates your valuable feedback.

Hope to have a second trip in this year during seasonal time. Interested friends can contact us at the below mentioned email id. Probably my next trip to megam falls would fall in the month of October 2010

Thank you,

Regards,
P Karunagaran
pkgaran@gmail.com

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noreply@blogger.com (pkgaran) — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 07:37:00 +0000

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There is an events diary, task list and well thought out directory. I especially like the barcode scanner, and now cannot resist making a note of everything I pick up in the supermarket.

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BEGRAND (http://begrand.net/)

Begrand.net is a community website aimed at grandparents, which is stuffed full of great articles and online guides.

And it is not just about technology. You will also find features about food, money, relationships and safety, together with plenty of articles about how to be a better grandparent and deal with some of the intricacies of family life.

Like any community based website, it is the groups and discussion sections that are at the heart of this site.

Despite only being launched in February there is already a thriving group of grandparents supporting each other on these pages.

BBC COMEDY (www.bbc.co.uk/comedy/)

Bbc.co.uk/comedy is an impressive library of clips, guaranteed to bring a smile to your face. There are snippets from popular shows, stand-up routines and sketches, sitcoms, spoofs and satire - some of which are exclusive to the website.

The reality style clips are among my favourites, but there is loads of animations and plenty of classic clips from older shows too if you are a bit of a purist.

Another good place to browse is the collections section - where some comic geniuses have put together their own collections of recommended clips.

If you find something that makes you chuckle, you can jazz up your own website or blog by using the embed code provided for each clip.

Munnar - Monkey Falls - Azhiyar - Topslip Travelogue

noreply@blogger.com (pkgaran) — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 09:10:00 +0000

Munnar - Monkey Falls - Azhiyar - Topslip Travelogue - By pkgaran.

This occasion was completely different from my previous travel experience. Every year our company is arranging workmen tour as part of workmen welfare scheme. This year I have got an opportunity to lead 20 members as Team squad. So, it was a very special occasion for me which includes organizing everything right from wakeup to sleep. We have booked Swaraj Mazda—25 Seated capacity vehicle. Even though the vehicle was not new, seating capacity and performance of the vehicle was satisfactory.

Travel Date: 2nd , 3rd and 4th July 2010

Travel Plan: Pondicherry - Villupuram - Trichy - Vadamadurai - Palani - Udumalaipet - Pollachi - Aanaimalai - Topslip - Ahizyar - Monky Falls – Azhiyar Dam - Udumalaipet - Munnar - Udumalaipet - Palani - Dindigul - Trichy - Villupuram - Pondicherry.

2 July 2010, Friday : We have left 16:10hrs from factory. We had started tour with unlimited enjoyment, I wish to ensure and want to carry the momentum till last mile of journey. Our vehicle has took 50Min to reach Villupuram, first 17km due to school traffic. One of our colleagues was boarded at villupuram. A well laid 4 Lane - NH45 has taken us Pleasant journey and our vehicle has reached top speed - Always Speed is Thrill but our driver has taken extra care to ensure safe driving on every way. I have taken the following points to ensure happy moment till the end, Since it was a group tour.

1. Always address with smiley face.
2. To deliver great hospitality to each and every one.
3. To Ensure and put on safety - First.
4. Listen and value for each member of the team.
5. Fun with Team.

While crossing the Ulunderpet, I thought of knowing the best and shortest way to reach pollachi from Pondicherry

Our driver Mr.Boobalne has informed us that from Pondicherry - Villupuram - Trichy - Vadamadurai - Palani - Udumalaipet - Pollachi is the shortest way – 50Km lesser, compare with Pondicherry – Villupuram – Salem – Tirupur – Pollachi. So readers can note this point when you are planning a trip.

As everyone aware of that liquor cost is very much lesser than any other states, Our most of the team member had consumed enough which makes, first the two hours of journey plesant with dance, singing and unlimited fun. our Team members age range from 30 ~ 36. Even though they had drunken, they have behaved in notable manner. As Leader of the team, I ensured safety and given advise as and when it was needed.

After 3 hours travel, We have spend Rs. 155/- as Toll Fee for crossing 160Km. We have reached Trichy at 20:15hrs and took Dinner at decent hotel. After 50Minuts of dinner break, again we started to Pollachi. The driver has taken a turn at State High way at Vadamadurai which is 17km from Dinidgul informed me that this is shortest distance to reach pollachi, this road is connecting at palani Bypass. The road condition was good but witnessed many speed breakers and Traffic less. Night Tea Shops are always very special for night travelers, Louder old hits songs are ring tones for sleepy travelers boarded at vehicle. We took 15minutes break and had light refreshment and I didn’t have much interest to know the place, I don’t know why?. but normally I will always note the place.

2:30am; We had reached Pollachi and travelled towards Anaimalai which is bottomland of Top slip hill station. We took a small stay home and boarded. The overnight journey tiredness was completely gone.

3rd July 2010

Topslip: Topslip is a part of Anamalai Tiger Reserve Forest is located at about 37Km from Pollachi Town. It is separated from the Nilgiri Hills by the Palaghat Gap on the north, Parambikulam Wildlife Sanctuary to its west and to the Eravikulam National Park and Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary to its south. This visit was very special to me, compare to my pervious visit. This time I was the Organizer, Traveler and nature lover. The sethumadai check post is the entry point to the Topslip. We have paid to Forest check post to access Topslip. , Rs.15/Head, Rs.25/Camera, Rs. 25/Vehicle Pass. But if you plan to stay at Topslip, Please book accommodation in advance by confirming and sending a DD to the Wildlife Warden office – Phone Number: 04259 – 222535/238360. Last minutes accommodation is available for VIPs, Government officials and other foreigners, in most cases.

Nature scenery and beautiful hill station curved path has reminded us the importance of the green world. After an hour travel we have reached the topslip, Topslip has two checkpost one another one, one from Tamilnadu Government and another from Kerela Government. Topslip comes under Tamilnadu and Parambikulam is comes under Kerela Government which is 6km from topslip. Private vehicles will not be allowed after the parambikulam Kerala Government check post. But anyone can access the nature scenery and wild animal’s scenery sports through public transport buses from both governments. Both Governments has different plan for visitors to access deep forest wild/nature seneranry.

Tamilnadu Government: Rs.700/ for 25 seated capacity Van

Kerala Government : Rs.150/Head.

Parambikulam has more nature sanctuary and wild animals than Tamilnadu Topslip. I will suggest for travelers to plan for kerala Government plan even though the cost is more or Travelers can access parambikulam through public transport.

At Kerala Government check post I have met Mr.Sujit, Forest Guard who is very friendly and known to me from my pervious visit. He informed me that at least 3hours will take to access the Parambikulam forest since the day was crowded by travelers. We don’t want to waste the time and want to adhere the as per schedule which we had planned.

We booked a Van from Tamilnadu Forest Department for visiting deep Forest, Animal scenery and Elephant camp. Tamilnadu Forest is running a canteen and we booked for breakfast. A van has taken us to very deep forest, some areas only wheel path from both side. The guide has informed me that fallen trees will not be taken away and it should be as it is for life time. This deep forest has designed to enroute with great nature cure medicine trees, deep valley, sky scrapping trees, high feet grass and small water paths.

We have witnessed elephant’s foot in wet mud in many places. The Van has reached Elephant camp which is running by Tamilnadu government, there we have taken 30 Minutes. We were informed that more than 40 elephants at this camp, It has categories based on skill level, some may use of train other elephants, some for wood trees work, some for safari for travelers and some for specific forest department needs. Also informed that Every year January 15, Elephant parade will take place at Topslip which is similar to Kerala’s elephant Parde. We had an opportunity to take some snaps from male elephant, 30 year old. It was unlucky that we couldn’t see many living animals in topslip forest. While returning, We took another path to reach topslip. The way is more n more of scenaries and I and my team was enjoyed with ulimited sprits. When crossing one area, we witnessed King Cobra - Not less than 2 Meters long, crossed the road. We were informed us that the King Cobra will eat only snake as food – Snake is food for another Snake. This live monsoon session has makes more greenery from my earlier visit.

We had breakfast at Forest Canteen. Forest Department Museum has large scale of collections one must see those collection when visiting to Topslip. Our team has extended greetings and thanks to Forest officials and left towards Monkey Falls. We had witnessed Deer and Forest Birds towards down hill.

Distance Guide:
Pollachi to Topslip   : 39 Km
Coimbatore to Topslip  : 100 Km
Palakkad to Topslip      : 98 Km
Distance Between Topslip & Parambikulam office : 4 Km.

Bus Timings from Pollachi to Topslip & Parambikulam

From Pollachi to Parambikulam via Topslip: 6:15am. 10:15am & 3:15pm
Parambikulam to Pollachi Via Topslip : 8:45am, 12:00pm & 5:45pm
Pollachi to Topslip : 11:20am
Topslip to Pollachi : 1:00pm

12:00: Monkey Falls: Monkey Falls is located at the 29th KM junction on the Pollachi – Valparai road. An entry fee of INR 15/head must be paid at the check post located along Azhiyar – Monkey Falls route. Since this Monkey falls is coming under Anaimalai Forest range we have not paid again to access Monkey Falls. Readers should aware of this information if you plan to visit both Topslip and Monkey falls. 12:00PM, The climate Sunny & dazzling was simply amazing. We loved to have this climate, Water falling in Monkey falls is truly beautiful and enjoyable, Water force was notably above moderate, I found small child also can take bath in monkey falls. The force of water has resulted very good massage to everyone those who took bath. Out Team members has taken more than 2 hours and they don’t want to come back, resulting further delay in our planned schedule. Everyone has return back to van with half minded and want to enjoy with water. As per name of the falls, we were witnessed lot of monkeys everywhere and some of them stolen our belongings forcibly. Visitors should ensure to keep their belongings with more attention.

Distance : Pollachi to Monkey Falls : 29 Km
Transport : Public Transport is available every 30 Minutes from Pollachi to Valparai route.

Azhiyar Dam: 14: 15 We have reached Azhiyar dam, it is a reservoir located 27Km away from Pollachi on the foothills of Valaparai, in the Anamalai range of the Western Ghats. The dam offers osme ideal getways including a very big Park, an Aquaium and Mini Theme – Park maintained by Tamilandu Fisheries Corporation. It is a ideal Picnic Spot. Rs.4/head is Entrance Ticket. Most of the tamil filims were shooted at this location. The Park was occupied by many love pairs nuke and corner of the park. We found many of them were underage, School and College students. Here they are studying different curiculam. Where we are going ????.... It remembers me that parents should be constantly watch their children activity to lead more meaningful morel life to their childerns. Azhiyar park is a leisure place to enjoy the natural scenery of Azhiyar Dam and mountains of the Western Gahats.

Distance : Pollachi to Monkey Falls : 27 Km
Transport : Public Transport is available every 30 Minutes from Pollachi to Valparai route.

Always schedules are breakable during the tour. We took our lunch at 15:45hrs at Pollachi. We were not able to enjoy the food since it was delayed.

Munnar: 16:45hrs, we have started from pollachi to Munnar, enroute to Udumalaipet and Maraiyur. We were to divert again and again due to work progress at Udumalaipet, eat considerable amount of time to catch udumalaipet – Munnar road. Chinnar Check post – Tamilnadu Govetment has welcomed at starting of Eravikulam Wildlife Sanctuary & National Park Forest. Maraiyur is located at kerala and Tamilnadu border and it’s belongs to kerala state. There are 2 checkpost back to back, one from TN and another from Kerala Government. Eventhough all the records are clean, Each and every vehicles must to pay bribe money to cross the checkpost. I wish to quote how they are all survying only with bribe money. The deep forest doesn’t have any survilance and controlling office, from there they are taking advantages and taking bribe irrespective of poor and rich people. If you are the one of the concern officier to read this blog, I request you kindly take necessary action to control worst behaviour.

Munnar is located at the Idukki district of Kerala State in South India. Munnar's mesmerizing greenery, mountain scenery, calmness and cool refreshing air attracts honeymooners and tourists throughout the year.

Munnar is at the junction point of three rivers. In Tamil, the word 'munnu' means "three" and 'aar' means "river". Hence "Munnar" is a shortened version of 'Munnu Aar'. The 3 mountain streams joining together here are Madurapuzha, Nallathanni and Kundala.

Munnar is a commercial centre with one of the world's best tea estates. There are about 30 tea plantations in and around Munnar. Among these, majority of the plantations are owned by Tata Group's Kannan Devan Tea Estate. A visit to Munnar can tell us the nurturing of tea in plantation to the process of manufacturing and packing.

The tea estates, hills, lakes and forests inside Munnar area expose its beauty. The tea plants covered Munnar hills makes the feeling of seeing a wide green carpet. The session is rainy in Kerala and western Ghats; Drizzling rain has welcomed us entire stitch of the deep forest. Sandal wood forest has got both side mesh protection, its leading a path towards Munnar. The roads are good and wide, our experience driver has taken a lead and drove beautifully, and we enjoyed the journey. We reached, top of the Munnar town at 21:20hrs. Our team members has taken dinner at Saravanabhavan ( it’s not a branch of Chennai Saravanabhavan Hotel) Hotel, Meanwhile I went to Munnar Tourist Home for boarding and lodging. The Hotel Rooms and environment was neat, clean and pleasant Environment. This off - Season brought down the room rent from Rs.900 to 600/-. We booked the room before starting the tour, We have enjoyed the benefit otherwise we could have struggled with this kind of rainy environment. I returned to the Hotel Saravanabhavan and took parcel for me and carried our team member to Munnar Tourist Home. Overnight, We enjoyed chilled and rainy climate. Some of our team members had shown good entertainment with dance and loud shouting. I heard the sound till 2:00am in the early morning.

Next Day 4^th July 2010: The day was final day of our tour. As per our last night plan everyone was ready with more enthusiasm. We had finished our breakfast and headed towards Mettupati Dam. Munnar, This session is belongs to monsoon. Rain and Sunny climate came back to back approximately every 20 minutes. The climate was optimum level to the enjoyment. Tea Estate and Greenery valley has lead the path and took us to Mettupati Dam. It is full of scenery and makes pleasant environment. Nature’s beauty with enlighten girls given more attraction to our eye sight. More shops are there to make shopping but found expensive.

Mattupetty (13 km from Munnar)

Situated at a height of 1700 Mts , Mattupetty is famous for its highly specialised dairy farm, the Indo-swiss live stock project. Over 100 varietes of high yielding cattle are reared here. Visitors are allowed into three of the eleven cattle sheds at the farm

Visit Time : 0900 - 1100 hrs and 1400 - 1530 hrs.
Rate : Rs. 5/- per head. (Liable to change)

The Mattupetty Lake and dam, just a short distance from the farm, is a very beautiful picnic spot. The sprawling Kundala tea plantations and the Kundala Lake are other attractions in the vicinity. DTPC Idukki provides boating facilities on the Mattupetty Dam. Speed Launch and slow speed motor boats are available on hire.

This hill station was once the summer resort of the erstwhile british government in south india. Sprawling tea plantations, picturebook towns, winding lanes and holiday facilities make this a popular resort town. Among the exotic flora found in the forests and grasslands here is the neelakurinji. This flower which bathes the hills in blue every twelve years

Pothamedu (6 km from Munnar)

Pothamedu offers an excellent view of the tea, coffee and cardamom plantations in Munnar. The rolling hills, the lush mountain and the breathtaking scenery here is ideal for trekking and long mountain walks.

Devikulam (7 km from Munnar)

This idyllic hill station with its velvet lawns, exotic flora and fauna and the cool mountain air is a rare experience. The Sita Devi Lake with its mineral waters and picturesque surroundings is a good picnic spot. The lake is also ideal for trout fishing.

Pallivasal (8 km from Munnar)

This is the venue of the first Hydro Electric Project in Kerala and a place of immence scenic beauty.

Attukal (9 km from Munnar)

A panorama of waterfalls and rolling hills, Attukal, located between Munnar and Pallivasal, is a feast for the eyes. The place is also ideal for long treks.

Nyayamakad (10 km from Munnar)

Located between Munnar and Rajamala, Nyayamakad is a land of breathtaking waterfalls. The waters cascade down a hill from a height of about 1600 meters. The enchanting surroundings makes an excellent picnic spot and trekking point.

Chithirapuram (10 km from Munnar)

With its sleepy little cottages, bungalows, old playgrounds and courts, Chithirapuram still exudes an old world charm. Home of the Pallivasal Hydel Power Project, this hill town is also famous for its picturesque tea plantations.

Lock Heart Gap (13 km from Munnar)

This is an ideal place for adventure tourism and trekking. The fresh mountain air, the mist-clad hills and panoramic view make it worthy of a visit.

Rajamala (15 km from Munnar)

The natural habitat of the Niligiri tahr , Rajamala is 2695 Mts above sea level. Half the world's population of the rare mountain goat or tahr which is fast becoming extinct, is now found here.The Niligiri tahr in Rajamala are now to be found in small herds found in Eravikulam-Rajamala region. The total number of Niligiri Tahrs in Rajamala is estimated to be over 1300.

Visiting Time : 0700 - 1800 hrs.
Visitors are not allowed during the monsoon.
Entry Pass : Rs. 10 for adults, Rs. 5 for children below 12 years, Rs. 50 for foreigners.( liable to change)
Permitting Authority : Wild Life DFO, Munnar.

Eravikulam National Park (15 km from Munnar)

The 97 sq. km. park is situated in the Devikulam Taluk and is home to the Nilgiri Tahr. The Anamudi peak (2695 Mts) is located in the Southern region of the park.

Originally established to protect the Nilgiri tahr (Nilgiri Ibex), the Eravikulam National Park is situated in the Devikulam Taluk of the Idukki District. It was declared as a sanctuary in 1975. Considering the ecological, faunal, floral, geo-morphological and zoological significance, it was declared as a National park in 1978. It covers an area of 97 sq kms of rolling grasslands and high level shoals (evergreen forests). The park is breathtakingly beautiful and is easily comparable to the best mountain ranges found anywhere in the world. .

Due to time factory we went only Mattupetty lake, Mattupetty Dam and Pothamedu. Then returned to Munnar town and did shopping and lunch. The Time was up for us to make next destination, we were in the situation to reach before early morning to Pondicherry due to next day All India Bharat Bandth. As a team we all absolutely enjoyed with maximum level of fun and enjoyment.

We started to return back to udumalaipet from munnat at 14:45hrs. Out Eye’s enjoyed with large slope vally, tea estate and greenery spots. The monsoon session has created more small falls everywhere, such a small falls had created beautiful sounds within it.

Lakkam Falls: 25km From Munnar, We witnessed Lakkam falls had more water with heavy force came down to the hill, We were advised not to take a bath due to force of water course, some stones also coming along with water from hill. Water was very chilled where one can not take a bath within it.

Sandalwood forest is nice scenery to our eye sights. Near to the Maraiyur check post, we found 4 wild Elephants were roaming near to the forest road. We stopped the van and get down from it and spent some time to saw. Meanwhile one guard came to us and warned not to do such activity. We knew that it was not a right exercise to stop the van in thick forest and get down. We excuse to the guard and moved forward to down hill. Since the time is short, our driver has taken maximum care and did wonderful driving. We reached Palani at 7:45pm.

Distance Chart from Munnar :

Udumalaipet    : 88 Km
Coimbatore    : 180 Km
Palani     : 140 Km
Kodaikannal    : 185 Km
Pondicherry   : 499 Km
Trichy    : 570 Km
Chennai     : 614 Km
Bangalore    : 492 Km

Buses are available every 1 hour from Udumalaipet / Palani

Palani: As soon as reached palani, we rushed and did dharshan at Lord Murugan Temple sicne the time was running to close the temple. Our team member has taken 2 hours time for Shopping. Finally 10:30pm, we have started to Pondicherry. We finished dinner at Ottanchatram which is a small town between Palani – Dindigul. 5th July 2010 was a Bharat Bandth for Fuel Price hike. Driver has rushed the van toward pondicherry at it’s maximum speed. We came to pondicherry through Planai – Dindigul – Trichy – Villupuram – Pondicherry.

5th July 2010

5:35am, We reached our factory and thanked driver for his wonderful job, I should register my thanks to him for his safe driving, throughout this journey we never ever found fear driving from him – We found only safe and sound driving. I thanked each and every one for success of the tour and wishing forward to have more like this in coming years. I would like to congratulate to Mr.Ramesh babu and Mr.Kumaravelu has contributed and extended their support as on when it was needed for smooth journey. A Special congratulation to each member of the team associated with me.

I wish to register a very special thanks to Mr.Karthik for his wonderful association and co-ordination with me, as well as Mr.Srinivasan and Mr.Parikumar for their kind assistance throughout the journey.

Also not the last and not the least, I wish to register my thanks to the management as well as my bosses Mr.N Gopinathan and Mr.Javid.

Have a Great Day.

Thank you,

P Karunagaran
pkgaran@gmail.com

2010 FIFA World Cup Live Telecast in INDIA - FTA

noreply@blogger.com (pkgaran) — Sat, 12 Jun 2010 09:20:00 +0000

2010 FIFA World Cup Live Telecast Free To Air - INDIA

AsiaSat 3S at 105.5°E

Noor TV Live telecasting 2010 FIFA WORLD CUP.

LNB Freq: 10600

Tras Freq: 12465

Sy. Rate : 3100

POL : V

22K : ON

VPID : 256

APID : 258

PCR : 256

Travelogue - Valparai - Topslip Travel Guide

noreply@blogger.com (pkgaran) — Thu, 20 May 2010 14:17:00 +0000

Travelogue - Valparai - Topslip Travel Guide

I was planning to take a break from this summer. But even after many weeks, tight schedules at work and personal work kept me from doing it. There was only one reason that I wanted to go to valparai is, It has been tempted me many years on its nature and articles around me on the web portal, Now I had selected to explore the same to its maximum.

Saturday May 15 turned out and started from Pondicherry along with my childhood friend Mr.Arunagiri. He had scheduled marriage event at Coimbatore for his friend, so we both had decided to merge our tour scheduled with the event. We had scripted the tour plan - Start from Saturday afternoon after completion of work directly from office to go the Coimbatore via - Villupuram - Salem - Coimbatore - Pollachi - Valparai - Pollachi - Topslip - coimbatore - Marudamalai - coimbatore - Villupuram - Pondicherry. Saturday afternoon 13:00hrs we had started, reached Villupuram by 14.00hrs. Since this day was week end, We were unable to get any buses till 20 minutes, Finally by luck, We got a seat one row before the last row of the bus, came from chennai to salem. Eventhough we have got the window seat, We have felt the summer heat at it's maximum level. Non-Stop travel without any break, the bus has reached the salem bus terminal at 18:35 hrs.

While traveling in the bus , I have decided to catch the Intercity coimbatore express from salem at 19:20hrs. We took a local bus and reached Salem Junction at 18:50hrs. We want to take some tea since summer heat has dehydrated our body completley. Sine the time is too short, we took a train ticket from counter quickly. We both had nice coffee at junction shop and took a food parcel. I would like to place a complimentary note to Salem Junction officials that the station has kept neat and clean.

As usual the train was bit late and reached the Salem Junction at 19:30hrs, with open ticket, we are unable to find the sitting, my friend was totally tired and badly wanted for a rest, and summer has beaten him. We were told by one of the co-passenger that will get a seat at erode junction, that after 45minutes of travel, We both have got seat at erode junction, and completed our dinner at train itself. Due to the signal problem, train has reached at Coimbatore at 22:35hrs, behind 20minutes on its.

The Railway junction was busy, by the time left from junction, the dark cloudy sky came up with lightning and thunder as its maximum. The Wind has brought cold wave air which made us very much comfortable from summer wave journey. Stayed at a decent lodge, which was booked from Mr.Arunagiri's friend.

May 16, we woke up early, attended friend's marriage and conveyed our heartful wishes to the married couples; we had a nice food over there. The marriage arrangements and receptions were good. At 9:30am left from marriage hall, reached Ukkadam Bus Terminal. We boarded Pollachi bus at 10:20am I estimated 1hr travel time. Ukkadam is one of the main bus terminals of Coimbatore, from this origin Pollachi, Palani, Udumalai and Palakad buses are running. We sat comfortably in the middle and slept till the end of the journey.

The Junk pollachi bus terminal was over crowded when we arrived at 11:30am. I hope the travelers are not happy the way the local authorities are keeping the junction. We want to catch the Valaprai bus and waited....Waited for 20 Minutes, We had planned to go to Monkeyfalls which is on the way to Valparai. We were told that valapari bus will reach faster than any other bus to Monkeyfalls. We have witnessed that over crowded passengers were trying to reach Valparai and we scared and thinking how to get the seat if bus arrived. In the course of our thinking, One bus has arrived incidentally and the conductor has informed that this will go to monkyfalls. While coming to pollachi, the co-passenger has informed me that monkyfalls has enough water and nice place to enjoy.

Monkey falls: 12:15pm we were reached the Monkey falls and unable to perform further since it has no water. It has well situated on the way to Valparai, We were simply spent some time with natures silence and beauty.

We had decided to go to valparai without any second thought. As the day was Sunday and that too middle of summer holidays makes all public transport vehicles fully packed without entering any air. Hence it took 30minutes for us to get the next bus, which was at 13:30 and we got the bus towards valparai.

The mini bus was also took 3 times over it's capacity, We traveled travel with standing, surrounded by jam packed passengers, It was a bit difficult travel since we were unable to turn and move our leg/body over 2 hours. Afternoon traffic was considerably light, this road was very good without any dig, and traffic lines are laid in good manner almost the entire stretch. 40 highly dangerous hairpins curves and bordered by huge old tamarind trees took us to reach Valapari. The travel scenery was very nice my words are not enough to express.

Valaparai: 40 hairpins bend up, and we were in Valparai 15:30hrs, we didn't feel hungry since we took nice food at morning at marriage, but we want to have and some sip of nice tea. The Valaparai city has kept us with pleasant with its nature and climate. We both have felt good, as on its conditions. The holiday - Sunday was made it fully crowded to bus terminal. We understood that local tea estates workers will come from their places to main junction to purchase on their weekly needs, only on Sunday. We want to go to Balaji Temple which is located 10KM from Valparai main bus terminal.

Balaji Temple: We were told to catch Akkamalai Bus to reach Balaji Temple, which was constructed and maintaining by Tea estate industries at top of the hill. Waited....Waited..... and Waited till to we get leg pain to moderate. Finally at 17:00 hrs, We boarded the bus and reached the Balaji temple by 45minutes travel. Road path way surrounded by landslide tea plants and sky scrapper trees brings more joy and beautiful to eye's of travelers. We put off our luggage in the baggage room in a shop, and with Free hand - 500mts we walk through and reached the Balaji Temple. This temple is constructed and managed by Private Tea Estate firm, No money have been collected from public so far. The variety of Colorful flowers and greenery plants are added more attraction to the temple. The way they are maintaining the temple and its atmosphere are simply amazing. We had dharshan to Lord Balaji, we were amazed the way of it's architectures, location and maintenance by the firm. We took a time and would like to place a notable hat off to the organizers and its firm. After spending 30minuts, while return we were surrounded by mists and the lovely atoshmospire took me into the new world. I simply loved the nature and its creations..... While returning from temple, 2 buses one by one were crossed within a minutes towards down hills at our eye sight. We were unable to trace those buses. The Bus stop, shop owner has informed us that next bus will be available at 20.00hrs only, now time is 18:45hrs. We don't want to waste the time and want reach to pollachi as soon as possible.

Further the shop owner itself told us that the alternative travel availability. We had walked almost 800 meters though dark and surrounded by think tea garden plantations and land fall. We had luck; one villager has helped us to find the direction to short cut to reach another bus terminal where we can get the mini auto/traveler van. We diverted to land slide tea plantation path instead of road way, since the dark and misted sky makes us more interesting while walking towards down hill. I must quote, I think we had borrowed lucky time with Loard Balaji, One Maruthi Omini has crossed, I just singled to raise my right hand for lift. The Omini Driver has stopped and we boarded the van. The Van driver seems to have hand sum of experience by the way he drew. We reached sooner to the bus terminal before time.

We had limited our dinner at Valparai bus stand and forward to down - Pollachi. We reached the bus terminal at 20:15hrs, found together in large number of passengers standing at bus terminal. Bus Tempo and Terminal both are next to the one. One of the waiting passengers has said that he has been waiting since 17:00hrs with family. All the buses were loaded 3 times of its capacity. The fears were caught up to us. The hill station has limited number of stay rooms and difficult to put up. The only possibility is to go down or wait entire full night at bus terminal with red caught chillness. We were decided to go down. With the Mop, I too joined to fight to the Govt. Transport Manger at his service station and demanding to operate additional buses. Approximately 150+ more passengers were standing up in front of the bus station gate and we agitated and demanded for additional buses. The police officials also came up to help, but the frustrated passenger like me has given equally tough fight to address the issues. After the very long conversation with passengers, Police officials and Transport authorities, They were decided to run 2 additional buses to pollachi to mange the crowed passengers. By the time, we had decided not to wait for seat and even standing also enough, to continue the travel. Valaparai to Pollachi travel time approximately 2:30hrs to 3:00hrs.

We got the bus, but unable to got the seat for sit. We decided to continue travel by 3hrs standing. The bus was fully loaded 3times of its capacity. After 10Minutes of travel, the driver found that headlight was not working and unable to rectify on his own. The bus again came back to square one - starting point. Bus Shed Technician has verified and unable to rectify the same. The Transport officials has arranged alternate bus at 10:30PM, Again this time also we were not able to perform our body/leg/hand moment, Stand Still as on when boarded, we reached Pollachi at 00:45hrs on 17th May 2010. My both leg knee were little swelled and felt the pain at some extend. Tomorrow is final day of our tour and Topslip was our scheduled and bus will start from 06:10hrs from pollachi bus terminal. After the 2nd attempt, we got the room at below average lodge @ Rs.250/day,

Topslip: Went to bed late on May 17 - around 1.00 AM and managed to sleep till 5.20 AM only - cause the excitement of Topslip Travel. I was keeping me to motivate my self and ready within 15minuts. But My friend Mr.Arunagiri was more slippy and tired of over night journey. He want to take a rest, but I wanted to travel and I stick on my plan, irrespective of the situation. I remembered and exercised, the way, how mother can treat the school going children from the bed...... Finally succeeded. He woke up and ready by 5:55am. We checked out the room and waiting at bus terminal for TOPSLIP Bus which is scheduled at 06:10am. This time the passengers were limited and we comfortably got the seat at front of the bus which is a good place to see the natures and its animals. The Bus has started from 6:25am from terminal, after 30 minutes travel, stopped at Tea Shop to have a break. This bus will en-route topslip to Parambikulam Topslip is not a height, but it has variety of animals on it's own. At 7:30, we reached Topslip, Govt of Tamilnadu forest office is working with cottages, canteen, tourist center and other operations. We were informed that 25 seated Van - Rs.700/trip will take into the forest which includes the Elephant training and living area maintained by TN forest. Trekking also available Rs.500 / 5 people for 2 hours programme. But only 4 people are behind with them for arranging the tour, Meanwhile they have been informed us to take the food from canteen which is running by forest management. We too a food from there and while interacting with forest guard, came to know that by luck only we can see the animals and it's not worth to move this time ( 9:30). Further they added that early morning hours only we can have time to see the animals. Govt of Tamilandu is arranging Elephant safari, which is starting at 11:00am in topslip.

Topslip has 2 check post, one from Tamilnadu and another from Kerala Government. Parambikulam is located at top of the topslip which is coming under Kerala Government. Topslip is under tamilnadu Government. Two Governments forest officials are working towards protect and maintaining the forest greenery and wild animals. Parambikulam has more nature scenery and more wiled animals then topslip. Those who need to travel and enjoy, they must get the travel pass from Kerala Govt. Forest officials at entrance of the topslip. Kerala government is running separate wild animals tour Rs.140/head at parambikulam for that Tickets has to be collected from topslip Kerala checkpost.

We both walked about 30 minutes and visited Medical Plantation museum. Read some useful tips and saw some plantation which was never seen before. Meanwhile we enquired that Kerala Govt has running the bus sevice to Perambikulam from Palakad via Pollachi, which cross topslip by 11:15am towards Perambikulam. Since we have not taken side scenery tour, we want to explore the place through the route transport vehicles. The Bus has reached on time; we boarded the bus and took the ticket for last stop of the bus, Paid Rs.25/- for both. We both were sat comfortably front seat of the bus to explore more from our eye view point.

Nature scenery is amazing and really felt happy; my friend Arunagiri's body language shows quit excitements from morning session. The bus path has routed through sharp curve and riverside which added more interesting in our travel. on the way to the perambikulam we have witnessed some wild animals like Dawn, Deer, Elephants, Peacock, birds ( not known the name). Appropriate Sign boards are cautions and information to the drivers and travelers place to place where it's necessary. We have seen many bamboo trees as a group complete stretch of the forest as we traveled.

The travel not only given the pleasant mind to us, also educated necessary and needs of the greenery and wild animals for our world. The Bus finally reached at Parambikulam Village, It comes under Kerala region. We took a sip of style tea, and waited 15 minutes to return back along with the same bus at 12:45hrs. The drivers and conductors are friendly to possible extend, to help the passengers and villagers. they are the main messengers to isolated forest villages. Three nature scenery view points also we have seen while traveling.

The Bus has passed through topslip at 13:15hrs, we have seen some tourists were traveled Elephant safari. One small dear has luckily escaped from our bus and it disappeared at lightning speed. The bus has finally reached the down - Pollachi bus terminal at 14:45hrs. As usual I thanked driver for his wonderful job with smiley.

We took lunch; we have booked Puducherry Express at 00:15hrs at pothanur Junction. Since we have lot of time we simply moved with relax mind to Coimbatore to visit Marudamalai, Temple for Murugan located at top to the small hill. At 18:00 hours, we reached Marudamali through Ukkadam - Gandhi busstand - Marudamalai, through local bus service.

Marudamalai: At 18:15hrs, we reached temple through local bus service ran by Temple authorities. Darshan at the temple was hassle free as it was working day 60 minutes we took to complete the dharshan with relax mood.

We reached the Pothanur Railway Junction by 20:45hrs, As soon as we got down from the bus, drizzle has started. We wait for a while and took small dinner, We were at junction at 21:30hrs. Since we had enough time, We sat and hit mosquito's, unable to do so when times up. We purchased Mosquito Coil 2 numbers and created smoke from that to hit mosquito. At this point I must say to you, Your travel bag must have mosquito's cream to avoid it's bite, It's a wise and wider decision to manage the show.

Finally boarded the train at 00:30hrs - 18th May 2010. The starting and middle of the journey was bit difficult, but our return journey went pleasantly. One fair girl smiled over good gestures, I acknowledged, opposite to my birth seat and so on........... :) :) :)

I enjoyed each and every moment of the journey and one must take a time to visit and explore the greenery world yearly once. We reached pondichery at 08:15hrs on 18th May 2010.

I did not feel any fatigue at all - in fact I was supercharged by the time I reached office.

Thanks,

P Karuangaran.

pkgaran@gmail.com

Page Hits Since 21st May 2010

About Me

noreply@blogger.com (pkgaran) — Tue, 04 May 2010 07:22:00 +0000

Hi,

I am Karunagaran Pandarinathane from Pondicherry, India.
I love greenery in the world, Hunger to explore places like Forest, Hills, Valley, Falls, wild animals and so on....By default my search starts with adventures !. I love to have many adventures in my life.

Writing is not my cup of Tea, But I wish to share all memorable and ever green events which I crossed during my journey. I started just like that without any thoughts, but later I found it was very useful to peoples around the globe. The responds from the globe was simply amazing and want to continue the journey of my adventures with great pride and forward to next level.

As for as I'm concern this word is truly meaningful for me.
“Every Travel Gains Me New Good Friends ” Yes, I am getting bond with unknown peoples and making friendship with them which is indeed a great pleasure to me all the times.

Thanks for visiting my portal and your time.

Best wishes to you all.

Yours,
P Karunagaran

Contact Me

noreply@blogger.com (pkgaran) — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 12:29:00 +0000

+91 98943 02117

pkgaran@gmail.com

Downloads

noreply@blogger.com (pkgaran) — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 10:38:00 +0000

Downloads and Links

Downloads

1. Trekking Training Guide
2.

PIXUFFLE (www.pixuffle.net)

Pixuffle.net allows users to upload a picture and get creative by shuffling its pixels.

Save your creation as a jpeg image to adorn a desktop or a blog. The size of the image is important if it's being published on a site - Punypng.com optimises jpegs, pngs and gif formats with no loss of quality.

Developers can tweak the settings of this image compressor, but the app is still in beta so do not be surprised at uncovering the odd bug.

BEFUNKY (www.befunky.com)

This smart looking site helps make over ordinary photos with a variety of funky effects.

All sections of Befunky.com have at least one free version, and there is the option of upgrading for a small subscription.

22 Reasons to go VEGETARIAN

noreply@blogger.com (pkgaran) — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 03:17:00 +0000

22 Reasons to go VEGETARIAN !

Vegetarian food is easy to digest

Consider making this healthy choice as one of your new year's resolutions. ..

Stacks of studies confirm that a diet full of fresh fruits and vegetables and grains is your best bet for living a longer, healthier and more enjoyable life. There are literally hundreds of great reasons to switch to a plant-based diet; here are 22 of the best:

1 You'll live a lot longer.

Vegetarians live about seven years longer, and vegans (who eat no animal products) about 15 years longer than meat eaters, according to a study from Loma Linda University. These findings are backed up by the China Health Project (the largest population study on diet and health to date), which found that Chinese people who eat the least amount of fat and animal products have the lowest risks of cancer, heart attack and other chronic degenerative diseases.

2 You'll save your heart. Cardiovascular disease is still the

number one killer in the United States, and the standard American diet (SAD) that's laden with saturated fat and cholesterol from meat and dairy is largely to blame. Plus, produce contains no saturated fat or cholesterol. Incidentally, cholesterol levels for vegetarians are 14 percent lower than meat eaters.

3 You can put more money in your mutual fund.

Replacing meat, chicken and fish with vegetables and fruits is estimated to cut food bills.

4 You'll reduce your risk of cancer.

Studies done at the German Cancer Research Center in Heidelberg suggest that this is because vegetarians' immune systems are more effective in killing off tumour cells than meat eaters'. Studies have also found a plantbased diet helps protect against prostate, colon and skin cancers.

5 You'll add color to your plate.

Meat, chicken and fish tend to come in boring shades of brown and beige, but fruits and vegetables come in all colours of the rainbow. Diseasefighting phytochemicals are responsible for giving produce their rich, varied hues. So cooking by colour is a good way to ensure you re eating a variety of naturally occurring substances that boost immunity and prevent a range of illnesses.

6 You'll fit into your old jeans.

On average, vegetarians are slimmer than meat eaters, and when we diet, we keep the weight off up to seven years longer. That's because diets that are higher in vegetable proteins are much lower in fat and calories than the SAD. Vegetarians are also less likely to fall victim to weight-related disorders like heart disease, stroke and diabetes.

7 You'll give your body a spring cleaning.

Giving up meat helps purge the body of toxins (pesticides, environmental pollutants, preservatives) that overload our systems and cause illness. When people begin formal detoxification programs, their first step is to replace meats and dairy products with fruits and vegetables and juices.

8 You'll make a strong political statement.

It's a wonderful thing to be able to finish a delicious meal, knowing that no beings have suffered to make it..

9 Your meals will taste delicious.

Vegetables are endlessly interesting to cook and a joy to eat. It's an ever-changing parade of flavours and colors and textures and tastes.

10 You'll help reduce waste and air pollution.

Livestock farms creates phenomenal amounts of waste. The tons of manure, a substance that's rated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as a top pollutants. And that's not even counting the methane gas released by goats, pigs and poultry (which contributes to the greenhouse effect); the ammonia gases from urine; poison gases that emanate from manure lagoons; toxic chemicals from pesticides; and exhaust from farm equipment used to raise feed for animals.

11 Your bones will last longer.

The average bone loss for a vegetarian woman at age 65 is 18 percent; for non-vegetarian women, it's double that. Researchers attribute this to the consumption of excess protein. Excess protein interferes with the absorption and retention of calcium and actually prompts the body to excrete calcium, laying the ground for the brittle bone disease osteoporosis. Animal proteins, including milk, make the blood acidic, and to balance that condition, the body pulls calcium from bones. So rather than rely on milk for calcium, vegetarians turn to dark green leafy vegetables, such as broccoli and legumes, which, calorie for calorie, are superior sources.

12 You'll help reduce famine.

It takes 15 pounds of feed to get one pound of meat. But if the grain were given directly to people, there'd be enough food to feed the entire planet. In addition, using land for animal agriculture is inefficient in terms of maximizing food production. According to the journal Soil and Water, one acre of land could produce 50,000 pounds of tomatoes, 40,000 pounds of potatoes, 30,000 pounds of carrots or just 250 pounds of beef.

13 You'll avoid toxic chemicals.

The EPA estimates that nearly 95 per cent of pesticide residue in our diet comes from meat, fish and dairy products. Fish, in particular, contain carcinogens (PCBs, DDT) and heavy metals (mercury, arsenic; lead, cadmium) that cannot be removed through cooking or freezing. Meat and dairy products are also laced with steroids and hormones.

14 You'll protect yourself from foodborne illnesses.

According to the Center for Science in the Public Interest in the US, which has stringent food standards, 25 per cent of all chicken sold in the United States carries salmonella bacteria and, the CDC estimates, 70 percent to 90 percent of chickens contain the bacteria campy-lobacter (some strains of which are antibiotic-resistan t), approximately 5 percent of cows carry the lethal strain of E. coli O157:H7 (which causes virulent diseases and death), and 30 percent of pigs slaughtered each year for food are infected with toxoplasmosis (caused by parasites).

15 You may get rid of your back problems.

Back pain appears to begin, not in the back, but in the arteries. The degeneration of discs, for instance, which leads to nerves being pinched, starts with the arteries leading to the back. Eating a plant-based diet keeps these arteries clear of cholesterol- causing blockages to help maintain a healthy back.

16 You'll be more 'regular.'

Eating a lot of vegetables necessarily means consuming fiber, which pushes waste out of the body. Meat contains no fibre. Studies done at Harvard and Brigham Women's Hospital found that people who ate a high-fiber diet had a 42 percent lower risk of diverticulitis. People who eat lower on the food chain also tend to have fewer incidences of constipation, hemorrhoids and spastic colon.

17 You'll cool those hot flashes.

Plants, grains and legumes contain phytoestrogens that are believed to balance fluctuating hormones, so vegetarian women tend to go through menopause with fewer complaints of sleep problems, hot flashes, fatigue, mood swings, weight gain, depression and a diminished sex drive.

18 You'll help to bring down the national debt.

We spend large amounts annually to treat the heart disease, cancer, obesity, and food poisoning that are byproducts of a diet heavy on animal products.

19 You'll preserve our fish population.

Because of our voracious appetite for fish, 39 per cent of the oceans' fish species are overharvested, and the Food & Agriculture Organization reports that 11 of 15 of the world's major fishing grounds have become depleted.

20 You'll help protect the purity of water.

It takes 2,500 gallons of water to produce one pound of mutton, but just 25 gallons of water to produce a pound of wheat. Not only is this wasteful, but it contributes to rampant water pollution.

21 You'll provide a great role model for your kids.

If you set a good example and feed your children good food, chances are they'll live a longer and healthier life. You're also providing a market for vegetarian products and making it more likely that they'll be available for the children.

22 Going vegetarian is easy!

Vegetarian cooking has never been so simple. We live in a country that has been vegetarian by default. Our traditional dishes are loaded with the goodness of vegetarian food. Switching over it very simple indeed.

How to Self-Diagnose Your Financial Health

noreply@blogger.com (pkgaran) — Sat, 10 Apr 2010 09:20:00 +0000

How to Self-Diagnose Your Financial Health

By TARA SIEGEL BERNARD

YOU probably get an annual physical. Your doctor will ask about your concerns, take your blood pressure and 30 minutes later you’re out of the paper gown and off to work — maybe with a new prescription for Lipitor.

A similar annual checkup takes place in another type of practitioner’s office: financial planners. But instead of analyzing your good and bad cholesterol levels, a planner may evaluate your good debts (mortgage) and bad debts (credit card). And instead of testing your reflexes, they may look at your savings and assess your ability to respond to a financial emergency.

“A lot can happen in a year,” said Andrew V. Tignanelli, president of the Financial Consulate in Hunt Valley, Md. “Markets change, phone numbers change, beneficiaries change, tax laws change and your life changes.”

With that notion in mind, we asked planners what they ask their clients during their annual financial physicals. Their questions can help you diagnose your financial situation:

Is your net worth growing?

Your net worth is one of the best barometers for measuring financial health, and it provides an easy way to detect whether a longer-term problem may be emerging, several planners said. To make the calculation, you simply subtract what you owe (your liabilities) from what you own (your assets). So even if your assets are not growing, your net worth will improve if you are paying down debts. There are tools andcalculators on the Web that can serve as a guide, like one at Mint.com, which can be linked to most of your accounts and provide real-time updates. (Not that you want to obsess over this number. You just want to measure your progress each year).

“One of the quickest ways to take the financial temperature of a client is to track their balance sheet from year to year,” said Walt Mozdzer, a financial planner in West Des Moines, Iowa. “If you track the client’s net worth progression, you can quickly tell if they are saving money, living within their means and/or more likely be on track to reaching their financial goals.”

A decline in net worth isn’t always a bad thing, but you want to understand why it has dropped, explained Cheryl Krueger, a financial planner in Chicago. “Are your assets lower because you’re spending more than you’re earning or because of an external factor like a market downturn? Are your debts increasing or decreasing?”

Increasing debts may be O.K. if you are advancing your education or starting a business, she added, but obviously not if you are simply spending to keep up with the Joneses.

How are your ratios?

Several experts also recommend looking at a few crucial numbers, or ratios: your debt-to-income ratio, your savings rate and emergency funds.

“It begins to give us a good snapshot and longer-term trend of what is happening in their financial lives and whether changes need to be implemented,” said Patrick Collins of Greenspring Wealth Management in Towson, Md. “We set a target for each one of them.”

The targets will vary depending on where one is in life. Younger people should dedicate no more than 30 percent of gross income to pay for all debt (car payments, mortgage, student loans, revolving debts), he said, and that should gradually decline to zero by the time they are ready to retire. As for savings, he said, everyone should aim to save 15 percent of their salaries, while empty-nesters preparing forretirement should rev up their savings to 20 to 25 percent. Understandably, you may miss these targets when you are struggling to pay for your children’s college or saving for a home (especially on the coasts). Meanwhile, your emergency fund should contain about six months of expenses in cash, Mr. Collins said, while retirees should set aside one year’s worth of fixed expenses.

Are you spending more than you earn?

Using an automated service is probably the easiest way to track spending. Many experts recommend using one of the popular programs like Quicken or online services like Mint.com, Wesabe.com or YouNeedABudget.com. Obviously, if you are living on a fixed income, this becomes even more important — establishing monthly spending targets makes it easier to track.

“The problem with most people’s finances is that they talk about it, but they never consolidate and organize their financial data in an easily manageable way so that they can know at any given time exactly where they stand,” said Bedda D’Angelo, president of Fiduciary Solutionsin Durham, N.C.

What has changed in your life in the last year?

Big life events can disrupt even the best strategies. Getting married, having a child or even becoming eligible for Social Security or Medicarewill require that you make many financial decisions.

“The main question here is really, ‘What has changed in my life that may change items in my financial plan?’ ” said Rick Kahler, a financial planner in Rapid City, S.D. “A person may need more or less insurance, update their estate planning, switch investment philosophy, save more or less for retirement.”

Are you still adequately insured?

Evaluating the costs and amounts of your homeowners’, renters’ and auto insurance policies should be an annual or biannual exercise. Consider raising your deductibles because that can lower your premiums. You might be able to lower your costs further by picking up an umbrella policy, which provides additional liability coverage, said Steve Podnos, a financial planner in Merritt Island, Fla. To do this, you would lower your liability coverage on all of your other policies to the minimum required by the umbrella policy, and then use the umbrella policy to pick up the difference, he said. This is especially important for families with teenagers.

“As kids turn 16 and begin driving, the family liability skyrockets,” Mr. Podnos said. “Anybody of any means should probably have an umbrella policy. It’s the cheapest coverage you can get in terms of millions of dollars of coverage per premium dollar.”

Next, turn your attention to disability and life insurance coverage. Do you have enough? Too much? A good rule of thumb: about 20 times salary for life insurance (for one or both spouses) minus any other resources you may have. If you are approaching retirement, you mightconsider dropping some or all of your disability or life insurance coverage if you have it (and maybe swapping it for a long-term care policy).

“Once you hit your 60s, disability insurance is expensive,” Mr. Podnos said. You are paying a premium for what will amount to only a few years of coverage, since most policies stop paying at age 65 or shortly thereafter.

Do you need to make any changes to your estate plan?

Start by making sure the beneficiaries you have named — on things like your retirement accounts or your life insurance policies — are up to date. You also want to review the people you have named as guardians for your children, executors, trustees and those with powers of attorney.

“Are they still the best choice for the job?” asks Jon P. Beyrer, a financial planner in Solana Beach, Calif.

Estate planning documents like wills and trusts also need to be reviewed and possibly updated. (Did you buy anything this year that needs to be transferred to your revocable living trust?) And given the uncertainty surrounding the estate tax, families with taxable estates need to make sure their documents are written to account for that uncertainty.

“If it’s more than five years old, it needs to be looked over by an attorney,” Mr. Podnos added. Also make sure your advance health care directives and health care proxies or medical powers of attorney are in place.

How are you sleeping? Does your portfolio require any maintenance?

The economic collapse reminded many investors that they tend to overestimate their tolerance for risk and volatility. That is why several planners suggest asking whether you can meet your goals with fewer risky investments like stocks. This is also the time to see whether your portfolio requires rebalancing to your target asset allocations, which many planners recommend doing at least annually. As you get closer to retirement, financial planners also begin to project whether your portfolio and other sources of income can sustain your current lifestyle. If you are off track, you need to consider incorporating potential solutions to make up for the shortfall.

Have your outlook or goals changed? Are you happy?

At its core, financial planning is not simply about money. It is about finding the best way to finance what you want out of life, whether that is spending more time with family and friends or traveling. And planners use their annual checkups to help clients make sure they are doing that.

“We encourage people to ask themselves what they can do to be happier and better off a year from now, whether that is saving more money, paying off debt, changing careers or doing more charitable work,” said Dan Serra, a financial planner in Plano, Tex. “It’s a mix of evaluating life and money.”

Twenty-two fat-loss tips that work

noreply@blogger.com (pkgaran) — Fri, 02 Apr 2010 10:46:00 +0000

Twenty-two fat-loss tips that work

1: Eat several, smaller meals

Eating smaller meals more frequently not only reduces the chances of fat storage but also helps you recognise when you really are hungry. Spreading your meals more evenly through the day, as four to six small meals rather than two or three big ones, helps avoid blood sugar highs and lows and the resulting insulin surges. Insulin is a powerful anabolic hormone that drives glucose from the bloodstream into muscle cells and when theres too much glucose into your fat cells. Your aim should be to keep your blood glucose and insulin levels stable, so your body can manage them more easily. Eat regular snacks of fruit, nuts or seeds to give you slow-release energy throughout the day.

2: Limit your food choices

Research carried out at Tufts University in Massachusetts,

United States

, found that when people are presented with a wider variety of foods they eat considerably more. Also, when eating a single food, the individuals eating rate slows down, he or she is satiated more quickly and, therefore, he or she will eat less. The pleasure of eating a food increases up to the third or fourth bite then drops off. If you have lots of different foods on your plate you prolong the sensory pleasure, which stops you feeling full. The message here is to simplify your diet: place fewer types of food on your plate.

3: Practice portion control

It may sound obvious but larger portions make you eat more. Researchers at Cornell University, New York, found that people ate 33 per cent more food when given a large portion even when they disliked the food. Try putting smaller portions of foods with a high-energy density (such as meat, cheese and pizza) on your plate and larger portions of low-energy density foods such as vegetables on your plate. Check your portion sizes against those suggested in the Fitness Food Pyramid

4: Dont ban your favourite foods

Including your favourite foods in moderation will make your weight loss plan easier to stick to, if not pleasurable. If you know that you can eat a little of your favourite indulgence every day, youll stop thinking of it as a

forbidden food and then wont want to binge on it. So go ahead and include chocolate or ice cream in your nutrition

plan but make sure its only a little.

5: Dont skip breakfast

Starting the day with a healthy, filling breakfast dramatically increases your chances of eating healthily throughout the day. It also provides your body with

fuel and kick-starts your metabolism, so you have the rest of the day to burn up those calories. The carbohydrates you eat at breakfast will be used to fuel your daily activities and workouts, instead of being stored as body fat (as they are if eaten in the evening). If you dont eat breakfast, you are more likely to snack during the morning and overeat at lunch. Studies have shown that dieters who ate a high-fibre breakfast lost more weight than their breakfast-skipping counterparts and consumed 100150 fewer calories for breakfast and lunch.

6: Start with salad

According to a 2004 study at Pennsylvania State University,

United States

, eating a large portion of low-energy density foods, such as salad or fruit, as a starter can cut the number of calories eaten during the main meal by 12 per cent. The fibre and water in the salad/ fruit takes the edge off the appetite, causing you to eat less of the higher calorie foods. (Take care not to add too much salad dressing.)

7: Sleep more

Sleeping an extra hour or so may help you lose weight, according to a study published in the journal Sleep in 2004. The study found that those who slept nine hours or more had, on average, a significantly lower body mass index than those who slept five hours or less. This is because lack of sleep boosts levels of the hormone ghrelin, which makes you feel hungry, while lowering levels of the hormone leptin, which makes you feel full. This hormonal imbalance sends a signal to the brain that more food is needed when, in fact, enough has been eaten. Research at the University of Chicago, United States, also shows that sleeping for four hours or less increases levels of another hormone, cortisol, which makes you feel hungry in the evening rather than sleepy.

8: Fill up with soup

Starting your meal with a bowl of chunky soup can cut your calorie intake by 20 per cent, according to a study by the University of Pennsylvania,

United States

. The idea is that fibre in soup fills you up so youll eat less of the higher-calorie foods that follow. Avoid creamy soups, though: stick to vegetable varieties.

9: Switch off the TV

Dont eat in front of the television nor while you are working or reading you are less likely to notice what you are eating. Studies have shown that the distraction of TVpostpones the point at which people stop eating, with TV watchers eating approximately 12 to 15percent more than those who do not eat in front of the television. In addition, people who watch TV for more than four hours a day consume one-third more calories because they have more opportunity to nibble and less opportunity to exercise. An other study found that those who eat with family or friends consume upto 70percent more on average than those who eat alone. Social company, it seems, overrides satiety.

10: Distinguish between hunger and appetite

Unfortunately, it is easy to confuse hunger and appetite. Appetite is produced by external stimuli, such as the sight or smell of food or simply feeling bored. Real feelings of hunger are produced when blood sugar begins to fall. The difference is that appetite goes away when you distract yourself with another activity. Next time you feel the urge to eat, distract yourself by going for a walk, taking a bath or doing your nails. If you're still hungry then you know you need to eat.

11: Play music while you eat

Listening to music while you eat can help you lose weight. Studies have found that listening to relaxing music while eating makes you chew more slowly and eat less than when listening to frantic tunes.

12: Don't be fat phobic

While cutting out high-fat foods will help you lose weight, don't completely cut fat out from your diet. This would be unhealthy and hinder your progress. Including foods rich in essential fats oily fish, avocados, nuts, olives and seeds (see page 34) in moderation can help burn body fat more efficiently, improve aerobic capacity and boost immunity. Fat also helps to give foods taste, so including it in moderation will help you stick to your eating plan. If 77 you're eating 1,500 calories a day, aim to consume 3342 go of healthy fats daily.

13: Eat slowly

You'll eat 15 per cent fewer calories if you sit down and take time to eat your meal rather than eating on the go. Studies have shows that people eat up to 15 per cent more calories when they rush at mealtimes. Scoffing your meal means that your hypothalamus the part of the brain that senses when you are full doesn't receive the right signals, which explains why you may feel hungrier sooner if you rush a meal.

14: Keep an eye on your alcohol consumption

Alcohol calories count too: if you enjoy several alcoholic drinks in an evening, they can sabotage your fat-loss plan. Alcohol calories cant be stored and have to be used as they are consumed this means that calories excess to requirements from other foods get stored as fat instead. One small glass of red wine contains 85 calories and a bottle of lager contains 130 calories. If you have a drink, make sure you include it in your daily calorie allowance.

15: Drink water

Many people confuse thirst with hunger. Both thirst and hunger sensations are generated at the same time to indicate the brains needs. If you don't recognize the sensation of thirst, you may assume that you are hungry and eat instead of drinking water. Next time you're feeling puckish, drink a glass of water and wait ten minutes to see if you are still hungry.

16: Eat fruit instead of drinking juice

Eating fruit is one of the best things you can do for your health; aim for 24 portions daily. However, you should only count a maximum of one portion of fruit juice towards your daily target. A glass of juice provides 120 calories but if you eat an orange instead (60 calories) you'll save 60 calories, consume more fiber and still get your daily vitamin C quota. Both fruit juice and dried fruit contain much higher concentrations of (natural) sugar than the fresh fruit they

came from and are less satiating.

17: Beware of reduced-fat labels

Eating foods labeled reduced-fat may make you feel virtuous but it can trick your brain into letting you overeat. Many lower-fat versions of biscuits, ice cream, cakes and yoghurt contain extra sugar or modified starch in place of the fat, making their calorie count just as high. Unfortunately, the body is not very good at regulating the intake of high-calorie food, whether the calories come from fat or carbohydrate. You may keep eating, thinking you're being good, while actually you're being overloaded with calories. You would be better off eating the occasional biscuit or cake rather than regularly eating the reduced-fat versions.

18: Don't go shopping when you're hungry

If you go shopping when you're hungry you will be tempted to fill up your trolley with high calorie foods. Make a shopping list before you hit the supermarket that way you'll avoid unplanned supermarket splurges in unhealthy foods. If you shop with a list you will be less likely to make impulsive food choices.

19: Replace half your carbohydrates with veggies

Try replacing half of your usual portion of carbohydrates (bread, pasta, potatoes) with vegetables such as carrots, broccoli, green beans or cauliflower. That way you wont feel like you're eating less.

20: Match every excuse to a solution

Do you snack on high-calorie foods during the day because you're always in a rush? The solution is to prepare meals in advance or, perhaps, to take a supply of healthy snacks with you to eat between meals. Do you always snack on high-calorie foods in front of the television? Eat an apple instead or, better still, think of an activity to take you away from the television.

21: Carry healthy snacks

Always carry healthy snacks, such as apples, Satsuma's, with you so you don't end up at the chocolate vend counter when you feel hungry.

22: Stock up with healthy foods

Keep a well-stocked supply of healthy foods that you love to make your fat-loss programmed easy. Decide which new foods you are going to substitute for high-fat or sugary foods. This way, you'll keep yourself on track and avoid the temptation of slipping back in to old eating habits. Remember, fruit, vegetables, pulses and wholegrain cereals give the best filling power for the minimum calories. They contain lots of water and fibre, which fill you up, slow down your eating speed and give best meal satisfaction. Choose the ones you like and stock up on those.

The Ten Biggest Stock Market Crashes of All Time

noreply@blogger.com (pkgaran) — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 13:19:00 +0000

The Ten Biggest Stock Market Crashes of All Time

Some investors might think they have had a rough ride on the stock market over the past seven or eight months. But the recent share price gyrations pale into insignificance when compared with the biggest stock market falls of all time.

10) Wall Street 1901-03: -46%
The market was spooked by the assassination of President McKinley in 1901, coupled with a severe drought later the same year.

9) Wall Street 1919-21: -46%
There were fears that the new automobile sector was becoming overheated and that car ownership had reached saturation point.

8) Wall Street 1906-07: -48%
Markets took fright after President Theodore Roosevelt had threatened to rein in the monopolies that flourished in various industrial sectors, notably railways.

7) Wall Street 1937-38: -49%
This share price fall was triggerd by an economic recession and doubts about the effectiveness of Franklin D Roosevelt's New Deal policy.

6) London 2000-2003: -52%
The UK took sixth place in the table with a 52 per cent market fall between 2000 and 2003 as investors suffered the consequences of the collapse of the technoogy bubble

5) Hong Kong 1997-98: -64%
The Hong Kong stock market’s heavy fall in 1997-1998 came as investors deserted emerging Asian shares, including a very overheated Hong Kong stock market

4) London 1973-74: -73%Next came the UK stock market’s 73 per cent drop in 1973 and 1974. set against the backdrop of a dramatic rise in oil prices, the miners’ strike and the downfall of the Heath government.

3) Japan 1990-2003: -79%In third place, with a 79 per cent decline, was the Japanese stock market, which suffered a protracted slide in price from 1990 to 2003 as a share and property price bubble burst and turned into a deflationary nightmare.

2) US Nasdaq 2000-2002: -82%The second biggest collapse came from the technology-rich US Nasdaq index, which fell by 82 per cent following the bursting of the dot.com bubble in 2000

1) Wall Street 1929-32: -89%
The Wall Street Crash heads the list, with the US stock market falling by 89 per cent between 1929 and 1932. The bursting of the speculative bubble led to further selling as people who had borrowed money to buy shares had to cash them in in a hurry when their loans wre called in.

David Shwartz, the stock market historian, says: “The very big stock market crashes are invariably triggered by a series of different events which unfold one after the other. For example the biggest UK stock market slump in 1973-74 was started by the fear of stagflation, but was then fuelled by the dramatic rise in oil prices of late 1973, followed by the Miners’ strike and the downfall of the Heath government. One heavy blow is not enough to produce a market crash. It requires several different blows to bring a market to its knees.”

(This list only includes stock market crashes in industrialised economies.)

50 Ways You Can Create a Better Day

noreply@blogger.com (pkgaran) — Sun, 21 Mar 2010 05:29:00 +0000

50 Ways You Can Create a Better Day

Every now and then I wake up in a crappy mood, feeling totally unmotivated and not wanting to do anything or see anyone. It could be due to something bad happening the previous day, or it could be due to nothing at all. I just feel crabby for no reason. Weird, I know. But, I'm sure you know what I mean. Everyone has experienced dreadful waking moments in the past.

In fact, it is not really surprising that a lot of people nowadays feel bad the moment they wake up. If you are bombarded with negative news like the recent airplane crotch-bomb threat and the Haiti earthquake, it is little wonder that you'd feel the world is all doom and gloom.

However, it is worth noting that you can actually make your day better no matter what situation you have in life. So, in order to overcome that awful feeling to make my day a rich and beautiful one, I apply a few or more of the following tips throughout the day.

Here are 50 tips to set you on your way to a better day. Do yourself a favor and don't try more than a handful of these in a single day. In fact, put these ideas in a hat and pick one randomly the next time you get in a funk.

Think Positive Thoughts Before You Sleep
The quality of sleep you get the night before can affect your mood the next day. Thus, if you want to create a better day tomorrow, you have to make sure that you think only positive things before you go to bed at night. Do not fret about your mortgage problems or dwell on the bad things that happened to you during the day. You need a good night's rest in order to prepare your mind and body for the busy day ahead.
Tell yourself That Today is a Better Day
The first thing that you should say to yourself the moment you wake up is that today will be great and marvelous. Know that you have control of what kind of day you will have. Telling yourself that today is going to be a great day will give you a positive attitude and a winner's outlook. The power of the mind is strong so feed your mind with positive things.
Wake Up a Few Minutes Earlier
If you want to get out of bed at 6AM, set the alarm for 5:45 and then allow 15 minutes for your body and mind to adjust and wake up. At 6, hop out of bed! Waking up late and rushing through things will increase your heart rate and simply stress you out. On top of that, you'll inevitably forget to do something and then stress about that too!
Take It Easy
Take things easy. Breathe deeply and slowly. If you are feeling rushed, take a deep breath and remind yourself that in the big scheme of life, being a minute late is pretty small.
Keep a Mental Note of the Things You Need to Do
It is always a good thing to try to keep a list of the things that you ought to do or accomplish for the day. If you are forgetful, you should write these things down. Aside from the things that you need to do at the office, you also need to remember those that you need to do for your family or friends. Write them all down so that you can manage your time wisely throughout the day.
Get Some Inspiration
Do not expect manna to come down from heaven. If you want to create a better day, you have to make a conscious effort to achieve things. Give yourself a boost with some inspiration. Be sure to read, listen or watch something that can perk your day up. Sometimes, just seeing your child laugh is enough to make your heart smile.
Eat a Healthy Breakfast
Your mood for the day can actually be affected by the things that you do and eat. In order to jump start your day and prepare your mind and body for the busy day ahead, you need to have a power breakfast. Make sure that you eat something healthy. Whole grains, protein, and fruits can surely give you the nutrients that you need to do the things that you need to accomplish for the day.
Some Stretching Will Do You Good
Stretching and exercising your muscles will also help in jumpstarting your system. If you wake up sluggish, you need some exercise and stretching to perk up your day. Besides, stretching and exercising can also prevent muscle cramps and other aches that can ruin your mood for the day.
Pay Attention to your Hygiene and Appearance
One of the things that people are conscious about is their appearance. To ensure you won't feel insecure, make sure to take a bath, wear clean clothes and pay attention to your face and grooming. If you know that you look presentable, you will feel empowered and confident.
Compliment Yourself
Say good things about yourself. Do not be afraid to compliment yourself once in a while. However, be careful not to be conceited because people hate narcissistic individuals.
Adopt a Positive Attitude
Before you step out of the house, make it a conscious effort to be positive in all things you do. Tell yourself that you will stay positive throughout the day.
Exert Some Effort to Smile
Studies show that smiling, even if there is no reason to do it, can lift up your mood. Besides, a smile can make you look even more attractive.
Try Not To Be Reactive
There is a tendency for men to react to everything negatively, especially on the road. Thus, you should try not to be reactive, especially when you are driving. If somebody cuts you on the road, just let it pass and think that the other guy may be having a bad day. Or just be please that you are not as rude as that individual.
Count to Ten to Keep You from Exploding
If you think that you are going to get mad, count to ten to calm your nerves. This will let some steam out.
Think before You Act
Many people end up feeling remorse after they have done nasty things without thinking. To prevent feeling guilty and remorseful, think first before you do something.
Don't Take Things Too Seriously
Not everything that you hear people say about you should be taken seriously. Some people just like being nasty so you should not get affected with what they are saying.
Be More Attentive to People
In order to minimize altercations or misunderstandings, it would really be a good thing to listen attentively to what others are saying. Being attentive will also help you come across as being sincere, thus making you more likable. Of course, don't do it for the sake of being likable. Be genuine in it.

Look at People and Situations in a Positive Light
You really can't prevent bad things from happening. Sometimes shit does happen. In order not to let these things ruin your day, try to look for the silver lining in everything.

Give Compliments to Other People
Make a conscious effort to compliment other people. This will help build better relationships. Just make sure that you are complimenting them genuinely.

Manage Your Time Wisely
A good day can turn bad if you feel stressed out. Thus, manage your time wisely to ensure that everything that you need to do can be accomplished with time to spare.
Take a Break
To prevent being burned out, you should take a break once in a while. Try walking around the office or doing some stretching while you are in your desk every time you are feeling a bit drained.

Deal with Things the Mature Way
Do not be petty and do not act like a child. You are an adult so try to do things maturely.
Laugh a Lot
Laughter can pick up your mood. Just do not laugh at other people's mistakes.
Consider Inputs from Other People
Take time listening to the suggestions and inputs of other people. Even if you are the manager or head of your department, you need other people's contributions too.

Grab Fruit Instead of a Bar of Chocolate
Fruits can surely wake you up in the middle of the day, whereas a bar of chocolate will just give you energy spike for a few minutes. So, you will end up feeling even more tired and sleepy.

Always Do Your Best
You will not have regrets if you know that you have given your all in everything that you do.

Don't Wallow in Sorrow and Defeat
Nobody is perfect and sometimes you need to experience losses and defeats to learn. Instead of wallowing in self-pity, use these negative things to make you a better person.

Stay Away From Negative People
Negative people can just pull you down so there is really no point in spending your time with them. Stay away from them whenever possible. If they happen to be your mates, seek to inspire them. If that won't do, perhaps it's time to find yourself new mates.
Be Courteous and Kind
Doing other people some good will give you a warm and fuzzy feeling. And also make you more likable.
Build Bridges and Develop Friendships
Having enemies can surely drain your energy, whereas building friendships can make your support team bigger and stronger.
Be Careful with What You Say
It is often hard to take back the bad things that you say, so you need to be careful with your words.

Take Time to Stop and Smell the Flowers
You can enhance your mood by counting your blessings and seeing the good in other people, things or situations.

Learn to Pace Your Energy
You need to be careful with energy bursts and crashes. Try not to exhaust yourself in the morning because you will surely have a nasty and tiring afternoon if you do.
Incorporate Exercise Throughout the Day
Exercise can give you a “high” because endorphins are released after a good workout.
Wear Comfortable Shoes
It is very hard to stay positive if your feet are hurting. I've seen too many of my female friends wear heels that hurt their feet just because they look good.

Drink Plenty of Water
Dehydration can cause lethargy. So avoid it at all costs.

Pay Attention to What You Eat
Eating junk food can contribute to mood swings. So eat moderately.

Go Easy on the Coffee
Too much coffee can make you nervous and fidgety.

Treat Yourself
Be sure to give yourself small rewards every time you did well. We all need to give ourselves a nice pat on the shoulders to give ourselves a little encouragement.

Plan the Next Day before Going Home
Before you head home, make a list of the things that you need to accomplish in the office the following day.
Spend Quality Time with the People You Love
Don't take anyone for granted. Sustain your relationships. Spending quality time together is the best way to keep and improve relationships.
Keep in Touch With Friends and Family
If you live alone, calling your loved ones or just dropping by to say 'hi' can lift your spirit as well as theirs.
Have a Hobby
To keep your mind off your work, do something that you love outside your office work.

Have No Regrets
You cannot go back in time so you cannot undo the things that you have done. Instead, make a conscious effort to make things better in the future.
Keep a Journal
Writing things and ideas down can help you to keep track of your goals and remember things you've learned and observations you've made. And it can also help you figure out new directions for your life and then guide you as you go.

Take a Relaxing Bath
After a stressful day, a relaxing bath can help you go to sleep comfortably.

Prepare the Things You Need Before You Go to Sleep
This will help make tomorrow less stressful because you won't feel at a lost of what to do. Being prepared always help you to stay focused and assured.
Get in the Mood to Sleep
Do the things that can help you go to sleep early because a restful sleep can help you improve your mood for the next day. Reading a book before bed or listening to soft music helps me to sleep better.
Make Love
Making love can also release endorphins and help you have a good night's sleep. Plus, it helps to improve your relationship. Of course, I don't expect you to do it every day.
Go to Bed Early
Try to go to bed early and get enough sleep to prepare yourself for the day ahead tomorrow. You don't want to wake up the next day feeling like a zombie.

Office Exercises: Stretches That Can be Done at Work

noreply@blogger.com (pkgaran) — Sat, 20 Mar 2010 11:40:00 +0000

Medical research has proven that people who sit in a sedentary position all day long at work are in for serious medical problems. In addition to muscle pain, stiff neck and carpal tunnel syndrome, there are new problems coming to light. The solution to all of these issues is performing simple stretching exercises at the work station.

Why is it Important to Stretch at Work?

It does not matter if a person is overweight or thin, sitting all day long at a desk can cause muscle strain and other types of pain and serious medical complications. It is important to get up and stretch during the day to alleviate back strain, muscle tension, neck stiffness and a variety of other aches and pains. Getting up and stretching during the day can help a person improve circulation and result in decreasing the chances of developing a work-related injury.

Stretching Exercises that can be Performed at Work

The following list contains simple stretching exercises which can help a person alleviate the aches and pains that come from sitting at a desk all day:

Shrug the shoulders to release the neck and back.

While inhaling slowly and deeply, shrug the shoulders, lift them up to reach the ears, hold for count of five and then release. Release shoulders and drop. Repeat the exercise three times.
Shake the head slowly as if nodding yes or no. Move the head up and down and side to side. Do this until your neck and head feel relaxed.

Substitute exercising for sitting: while working do the following exercises.

Replace a work chair with an exercise ball. All day long you will be using the muscles of the thighs, buttocks, legs and back, while staying balanced.
If you have a private office you might consider moving in an elliptical trainer or treadmill.

Stand up and sit down, without using the hands.

Stand up and sit down over and over again without using the hands.

Point and flex the fingers, it is good for the hands, wrist and forearms.

Stretch left hand out in front of the body, point fingers towards the floor. Use the right hand to increase the stretch and push the fingers down and inward gently.
Repeat with the other hand.
Stretch the left hand out in front of the body, keep the wrist bent and using fingers pull up gently. Use the right hand to increase the stretching and pull the fingers backward gently toward the body.
Repeat on the other hand.

Do air circles by clenching both fists and stretching hands in front of the body. Make circles in the air, backwards and forwards doing a repetition of ten. Reverse the circles and then shake out the hands.
Do leg extensions which works the abdominals and leg muscles.

Grab the seat of a chair and brace the body and extend the legs straight out in front until parallel with the floor.
Flex and point toes five times and then release.
Repeat.

Release tension in the upper body by doing a torso twist.

Inhale and when exhaling turn to the right side and grab the back of a chair with the right hand. Grab the arm chair with the left hand.
Grasp the chair to help twist the torso around as far as possible. Hold the twist position, and slowly come back to the forward facing position.
Repeat on the other side of the body.

Stretch out the back by doing the “big hug” exercise.

Hug the body; place the right hand on the left shoulder and the left hand on the right shoulder.
Inhale and exhale, release the area between the shoulder blades.

Walk instead of email and never eat at your desk!

Rather than emailing a college, walk over to the person to deliver a message.
Instead of hibernating during lunch at your workstation, get out and take a walk and breathe in some fresh air.

Look up to release tension in the upper body.

Sit tall in chair or stand up. Stretch arms overhead and interlock the fingers.
Turn palms of hands to the ceiling and lift chin, tilt head back and gaze at the ceiling.
Breathe in, breathe out and release.

Stretch arms, back and shoulders with a “leg hug.”

Sitting at the edge of a chair, put feet together and place flat on the floor.
Leaning over, with chest to knees, allow arms to dangle loosely to the floor and release the neck.
Bring hands behind the legs, right hand grasping left wrist or forearm, left hand grasping the right. Feel the stretching in the back, neck, arms and shoulders. Hold for ten counts.
Release hands and repeat exercise three times or more if desired.

When on the job, it is important for a person to take a few moments during the day to tend to sore, achy, stiff muscles. Always bear in mind that when performing work-place stretching exercises to never exert the body to the point of pain.

Overview

Stretching out tired, stressed muscles takes only a few minutes each day and keeps a person feeling fresh and invigorated. Performing regular stretching exercises also enhances blood circulation, warms up muscles, helps prevent injuries, reduces tension and calms the mind. It is important to remember that while all the stretching exercises in this article are safe, a person should always consult with a healthcare professional before starting any type of exercise routine.

Stress: Ten easy ways to ease the pressure

noreply@blogger.com (pkgaran) — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 03:32:00 +0000

Stress: Ten easy ways to ease the pressure

Dr Sarah Brewer

1: Don’t be afraid of ‘to-do’ lists

Are you prioritising tasks appropriately?

If you find yourself juggling several half-finished tasks, try doing only one thing at a time and completing it before moving on to the next. A “to-do” list focuses your mind on oustanding tasks, allowing you to prioritise each activity and to set a deadline for its completion. It also offers you the satisfaction of crossing out each task as it’s completed. Add new tasks to the list as they arise. At the end of each day review your list and prioritise what you need to do the day after.

2: Combat stress at work

Hand over appropriate tasks to someone who is under less pressure than you are and try not to add to your stress by micro-managing them. Many stressed people find it difficult to say no. Become comfortable with saying no calmly and firmly, so that you don’t take on more than you can cope with. If your boss is stressing you out, remember that no one can make you feel inferior without you letting them. How you respond to negative remarks is up to you.

3: How to avoid status anxiety

Comparing yourself unfavourably with others is a powerful source of internal stress. Overcome this by writing down at least ten qualities that you like about yourself, then put the list in your wallet or purse and read it the next time you feel someone is better than you.

4: How to breathe

When you feel stress taking over, concentrate on breathing slowly and deeply. The average rate of breathing is 10 to 12 breaths a minute, but someone who is panicking may take 30 breaths a minute or more. If you are feeling light-headed or panicky from a bout of overbreathing, cup your hands over your nose and mouth so that you can breathe back some of the excess carbon dioxide gas that you have exhaled. This will calmly and efficiently help to reduce any sense of panic.

When stressed, you tend to breathe shallowly, using movements that involve only the upper part of your rib cage. Your shoulders tend to rise up towards your ears, with little expansion of your abdomen. To improve your breathing technique:

? Breathe into your diaphragm (“belly” breathing), rather than using shallow “chest” breathing.

? Test that you are doing “chest” breathing. Sit comfortably and let your shoulders drop. Place one hand on your abdomen and one on your upper chest.

As you breathe in and out, check that your lower hand rises first. Concentrate on the rise and fall of your abdomen rather than your chest.

? Inhale through your nose.

? Exhale through your mouth.

? Take longer to exhale than to inhale.

? Don’t hold your breath between inhaling and exhaling.

? Slow your breathing down so that you take fewer breaths every minute.

? Practise until this method of breathing becomes your natural pattern.

5: How to have a constructive family row

Discuss emotions rather than bottling them up. When dealing with something that upsets you, use this simple formula: state what the problem is (“You didn’t do X this morning”); state how this affects you (“I was late for work as I had to do X for you”); state how this makes you feel (“I feel annoyed and upset”); and state how you would like the issue resolved (“Please do X yourself in future”). There will be less tension if you designate at least one evening a week as “me” time to do exactly what you like when you like — whether it’s meeting friends, reading a book or watching a good film.

6: Consciously take ‘time out’

When feeling stressed, sit back comfortably in a chair or lie down. Close your eyes and breathe calmly and slowly. Let your attention roam over your body, consciously relaxing the muscles in your neck, hands, arms, shoulders, back, abdomen, bottom and legs. Sit or lie limply until you feel ready to face the world again.

7: Take your pulse

If you’re serious about monitoring your anxiety levels, check your pulse. Take your resting pulse rate and blood pressure, using a home blood pressure monitor (you can buy one from a chemist). Now close your eyes and focus on bringing down your pulse rate. The average resting heart rate is between 60 and 100 beats per minute. Visualise your heart beating in your chest and send it mental signals to go slowly. After 10-15 minutes, take your pulse rate and blood pressure again.

8: Learn to meditate

Try to meditate for at least 15 minutes a day. Or try mindfulness meditation as you go about your tasks.

9: Stop watching the clock

Avoid unnecessary time pressure by taking the clock off the wall and not wearing a watch. Experiment with missing a few of your less important deadlines, just to prove that the world doesn’t come to a grinding halt.

10: Don’t be a perfectionist

If you believe your performance is poor, are you being too critical? Where is the evidence? Ask other people what they think and use their feedback in a positive, constructive manner.

Webscape on Net Counter and picturing Twitter

noreply@blogger.com (pkgaran) — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 03:04:00 +0000

NETCOUNTER (www.jaqpot.net/netcounter)

NetCounter

NetCounter is a free application to help Android phone users to stay in control of how much data they use.

It is a simple network traffic counter which shows data usage through a cell connection and on wi-fi - users can also set a data limit alert.

TWITPIC (www.twitpic.com)

Twitpic

Twitpic.com enables you to share pictures quickly and easily on Twitter while still out and about.

Just sign in with your Twitter account and you get a dedicated e-mail address to use for your uploads.

TWEETPHOTO (http://tweetphoto.com)

tweetPhoto

TweetPhoto.com works in a similar way to Twitpic with some nice features such as stats, geotagging, adding to favourites and Facebook integration.

Pikchur.com also stands out from the crowd for its allowing users to automatically post pictures to multiple clients, including Twitter, Facebook, Friendfeed, Tumblr and Flickr.

PROFILEWIZ (www.profilewiz.com)

ProfileWiz

Profilewiz.com takes the pain out of filling out blank profile boxes when signing up for online dating sites.

For about $5, the site comes up with an elegant introduction for you so you just have to select a few pictures.

You do get a headline and the first few lines for free.

The 10 Most Expensive Films of all time

noreply@blogger.com (pkgaran) — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 11:29:00 +0000

10 most expensive films of all time

The strongest contenders at the 82nd Academy Awards, taking place this Sunday, are James Cameron's Avatar, and The Hurt Locker, directed by Cameron's ex-wife Kathryn Bigelow. Both films have nine Oscar nominations, including Best Picture. The fight pits Cameron's sci-fi epic, which cost half a billion dollars to produce, against Bigelow's tense Iraq war drama, which cost only $11 million. With this in mind, Times Money has put together a list of the most expensive films of all time and listed how many Oscars each film earned. With the exception of Titanic, it seems that spending hundreds of millions of dollars on special effects is not always enough to secure Oscar glory.

1. Avatar - $500 million (£332 million)

Released in the UK last December, the 3D epic from director James Cameron has broken box office records to become the highest grossing film of all time, taking over $2 billion (£1.3 billion) at the box office worldwide. It has grossed £87 million in the UK. The storyline, which has drawn comparisons with the War on Terror and the US-led invasion of Iraq, charts the attempt by humans to exploit the resources of an alien planet populated by a species known as Na'vi. Humans from a large mining company interact with the Na'Vi using genetically engineered "avatar" bodies.

Avatar has been nominated for nine Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director.

2. Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End - $300 million (£199 million)

The third film in the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, based on a theme park ride at Walt Disney World Resort in Florida, was the most successful film at the box office in 2007. It grossed $960 million at the box office worldwide. A fourth film in the long-running franchise, which has grossed a total of $2.79 billion (£1.8 billion) worldwide, is called Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides. It is scheduled to be released next year. The films star Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow.

The film was nominated for two Academy Awards for make-up and visual effects.

3. Titanic - $285 million (£189 million)

At the time of its release, Titanic was the most expensive film ever made, and went on to become the highest grossing of all time, a title it held until Avatar was released. The romantic/disaster movie, directed and produced by James Cameron, cost $200 million (£132 million) to make and earned $1.8 billion (£1.2 billion) worldwide. The film is due to be re-released next year in 3D.

It was nominated for 14 Academy Awards and won 11, including Best Picture and Best Director.

4. Spider-Man 3 - $258 million (£171 million)

Tobey Maguire returned as Marvel character Peter Parker and his alter-ego Spider-man in the third film in the franchise, directed by Sam Rami. The film, released in 2007 set a box office record of $59 million (£39 million) on its opening day in the US and went on to gross $890 million (£589 million) worldwide.

5. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince - $250 million (£165 million)

Based on the J.K. Rowling novel of the same name and released in 2009, the sixth film in the Harry Potter series was considerably darker than previous instalments. It was also the most expensive. However, it went on to take $934 million (£618 million) at the box office to become one of the highest grossing films of all time. The franchise stars Daniel Radcliffe as Harry Potter, the young wizard returning to Hogwarts for his sixth year. It co-stars Emma Watson as Hermione Granger.

The film was nominated for an Academy Award for its cinematography.

6. Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest - $225 million (£148 million)

The second film in the hugely successful pirates series starring Johnny Depp and Orlando Bloom became only the third film ever to gross $1 billion (£666 million) worldwide at the box office. Co-starring Keira Knightley and Bill Nighy, the film was released in 2006 to mixed reviews about its convoluted plot and lengthy two and a half hour running time.

It was nominated for four Academy Awards and won an Oscar for Best Visual Effects.

7. King Kong - $207 million (£136 million)

King Kong, directed by Peter Jackson and starring Naomi Watts, was a remake of the classic 1933 Hollywood movie of the same name. It was released in 2006 and grossed $550 million (£363 million) worldwide.

It won three Academy Awards for sound editing, sound mixing and visual effects.

8. The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian - $200 million (£132 million)

The second in the series of Narnia films based on the C.S.Lewis novels, Prince Caspian grossed $419 million worldwide at the box office (£279 million). It was released in 2008 and starred Ben Barnes in the title role, who went on to appear in Dorian Gray. Disney spent a reported $175 million (£115 million) promoting the film worldwide.

No nominations.

9. Quantum of Solace - $200 million (£132 million)

The latest Bond film, released in 2008, was directed by Marc Foster and starred Daniel Craig as James Bond. The 22nd film in the 007 series grossed $586 million (£387 million) worldwide.

No nominations.

10. Superman Returns - $200 million (£132 million)

The man of steel returned with Brandon Routh as Superman in this film, directed by Bryan Singer. It grossed $391 million (£258 million) worldwide.

The film was nominated for an Academy Award for visual effects.

20+ Tips for More Efficient Google Searches

noreply@blogger.com (pkgaran) — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 04:39:00 +0000

For millions of people Google is an indispensable search tool that they use every day, in all facets of their lives. From work or school, research, to looking up movies and celebrities to news and gossip, Google is the go-to search engine.

But instead of just typing in a phrase and wading through page after page of results, there are a number of ways to make your searches more efficient.

Some of these are obvious ones, that you probably know about. But others are lesser-known, and others are known but not often used. Use this guide to learn more about, or be reminded of, some of the best ways to get exactly what you're looking for, and quickly.

Either/or
Google normally searches for pages that contain all the words you type in the search box, but if you want pages that have one term or another (or both), use the OR operator -- or use the "|" symbol (pipe symbol) to save you a keystroke. [dumb | little | man]
Quotes
If you want to search for an exact phrase, use quotes. ["dumb little man"] will only find that exact phrase. [dumb "little man"] will find pages that contain the word dumb and the exact phrase "little man".
Not
If you don't want a term or phrase, use the "-" symbol. [-dumb little man] will return pages that contain "little" and "man" but that don't contain "dumb".
Similar terms
Use the "~" symbol to return similar terms. [~dumb little man -dumb] will get you pages that contain "funny little man" and "stupid little man" but not "dumb little man".
Wildcard
The "*" symbol is a wildcard. This is useful if you're trying to find the lyrics to a song, but can't remember the exact lyrics. [can't * me love lyrics] will return the Beatles song you're looking for. It's also useful for finding stuff only in certain domains, such as
educational information: ["dumb little man" research *.edu].
Advanced search
If you can't remember any of these operators, you can always use Google's advanced search.
Definitions
Use the "define:" operator to get a quick definition. [define:dumb] will give you a whole host of definitions from different sources, with links.
Calculator
One of the handiest uses of Google, type in a quick calculation in the search box and get an answer. It's faster than calling up your computer's calculator in most cases. Use the +, -, *, / symbols and parentheses to do a simple equation.
Numrange
This little-known feature searches for a range of numbers. For example, ["best books 2002..2007] will return lists of best books for each of the years from 2002 to 2007 (note the two periods between the two numbers).
Site-specific
Use the "site:" operator to search only within a certain website. [site:dumblittleman.com leo] will search for the term "leo" only within this blog.
Backlinks
The "link:" operator will find pages that link to a specific URL. You can use this not only for a main URL but even to a specific page. Not all links to an URL are listed, however.
Vertical search
Instead of searching for a term across all pages on the web, search within a specialized field. Google has a number of specific searches, allowing you to search within blogs, news, books, and much more:
- Blog Search
- Book Search
- Scholar
- Catalogs
- Code Search
- Directory
- Finance
- Images
- Local/Maps
- News
- Patent Search
- Product Search
- Video
Movies
Use the "movie:" operator to search for a movie title along with either a zip code or U.S. city and state to get a list of movie theaters in the area and show times.
Music
The "music:" operator returns content related to music only.
Unit converter
Use Google for a quick conversion, from yards to meters for example, or different currency: [12 meters in yards]
Types of numbers
Google algorithms can recognize patterns in numbers you enter, so you can search for:
- Telephone area codes
- Vehicle ID number (US only)
- Federal Communications Commission (FCC) equipment numbers (US only)
- UPC codes
- Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) airplane registration number (US only)
- Patent numbers (US only)
- Even stock quotes (using the stock symbol) or a weather forecast regarding the next five days
File types
If you just want to search for .PDF files, or Word documents, or Excel spreadsheets, for example, use the "filetype:" operator.
Location of term
By default, Google searches for your term throughout a web page. But if you just want it to search certain locations, you can use operators such as "inurl:", "intitle:", "intext:", and "inanchor:". Those search for a term only within the URL, the title,
the body text, and the anchor text (the text used to describe a link).
Cached pages
Looking for a version of a page the Google stores on its own servers? This can help with outdated or update pages. Use the "cached:" operator.
Answer to life, the universe, and everything
Search for that phrase, in lower case, and Google will give you the answer.

For more on Google's search syntax, see this guide, and this one.

ExpressGate Pre-Boot OS

noreply@blogger.com (pkgaran) — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 11:20:00 +0000

ExpressGate Pre-Boot OS - Comes with ASUS Mainboard

We recently reviewed Asus' P5Q Deluxe motherboard, a very high-end board based off of Intel's new P45 Express chipset and we decided to do a separate review of the ExpressGate software featured on that motherboard as well as the full range of P45 Express motherboards from Asus as well as numerous other products. Let's take a look and deeper at what it has to offer and also run what tests we can to measure performance and power consumption.

To begin if you are as yet unaware of Asus' Express Gate it is a new application that loads immediately on startup of a system based off of Splashtop. To quote from Splashtop's website it is a, "proprietary pre-boot environment, developed by DeviceVM, which allows you to rapidly access certain applications without the need to boot your main operating system. Splashtop boots out of the BIOS on your PC motherboard, and launches a lightweight Linux stack capable of running certain applications like the Splashtop web browser, and the Skype VOIP program. The Splashtop environment allow you to open a web browser, check email, watch videos, instant message, and place VOIP calls within seconds instead of minutes." Pretty cool, eh? ExpressGate is contained within onboard NAND flash memory chip pictured here in between the a PCI slot and the second PCI-Express 16x slot.

This is what greets you as boot the Asus P5Q Deluxe though you can disable it and change the time until it boots into the main OS easily within the BIOS. A very clean and friendly interface giving the user of launching the Splashtop OS and immediately launching one of the four applications: web browsing through a modified Firefox 2.0, photo browsing, chat via Pidgin, and Skype. The buttons at the bottom allow you to enter your main OS, enter the BIOS, or shut down the system. Your mouse will work fine here without a problem making it easy to move through the GUI.

Before we get into the review though we do want to address one of the best things and worse things about Express Gate. I'm willing to place bets that the odds are more often than not when booting their main PC most people are going to want to go immediately to their main operating system 90% or more of the time. Although the pre-configured time to boot into your OS is ten seconds, which can be lowered in the BIOS, and you can move your mouse to the "Enter OS" button and give it a click in a matter of seconds it does of course add to your boot time and require an additional step to boot if you use your mouse to click to enter your main OS even if only seconds. On most people's main machines there will though come those times now and then where they quickly need to check their e-mail, reach someone on AIM, make a VOIP call, or browse the web to get information. Hopefully this doesn't seem to be bashing at the beginning of our investigation but one of the features we think Asus or DeviceVM should look into is some option say at the normal Asus' splash screen when one has booted the computer for a command such as CTRL-E to instead load the ExpressGate OS for when those moments do come up. When you really can't wait those extra 35 seconds for Windows to load to check your e-mail or browse the web for what you need. Is this an engineering possibility? That we don't have an answer to but if ExpressGate is to become popular and be accepted, and we do believe it is a very cool and unique feature worth exploiting, when booting on your main PC there should be a command from system startup to instead load the ExpressGate OS. Otherwise we do find it likely that after some of the novelty wears off people will more than likely disable ExpressGate from loading rather than have it start every single time they boot their computer as even though it is only mere seconds it is still adding to the boot time. People go to deep measures to save seconds off their Windows OS boot time so adding even two or three seconds and requiring an extra step every time they turn on their PC we believe will eventually cause them to disable it as ExpressGate's use, at least in regards to your main PC, will more than likely only be now and then and in emergency situations where you're running late say for work or to catch a movie. I haven't done a survey of users but odds are this is much less often than more often at least in my case and I assume your average person. Some command at the normal Asus splash screen to load this would do wonders I believe for ExpressGate's acceptance.

Upon further investigation we did find somewhat of a solution to this problem though it wasn't obvious to us and more than likely the newer users who could benefit from something user friendly, we're leaving the above paragraph untouched as we still feel this is a problem. Putting the timer for "1 second" in the BIOS for ExpressGate it seems that the ExpressGate OS either didn't even load or loaded and left so quickly that it was not even viewable by the time we had video output. Moving the mouse around though after immediately powering on the computer though allowed us to enter ExpressGate as needed as we assume the mouse movement was detected by ExpressGate and the OS loaded. That did find a solution to one of our main grievances but again it isn't an obvious one. Perhaps this could be included for a hint for those who want to lower their start time or not require another step to enter their main operating system. I'd say without some solution to this or a work around you again might find more users disabling this feature once the novelty wears off which would be a shame.

With that out of the way let's move onto our experience using Express Gate. We'll start things off with web browsing portion of Splashtop. The web browser in Splashtop is based on Firefox 2 and looks nearly to the beloved browser. Tabs work great, although most of the options are cut out of the program. Bookmarks are there and it closes pop ups well in addition to privacy settings but extensions look like a no go. That said we had no problems checking out numerous sites for e-mail, news, YouTube and other Flash videos worked without a charm. Trying to load a QuickTime movie trailer did not work but otherwise it is good for a quick web experience. Only one window was able to be open but the number of tabs we had open seem to have limits. Here is a picture of the Asus homepage.

And here is a screenshot of YouTube.

Files can also be saved and some limited management off of USB flash drives including copy, delete, and also downloading files from Firefox onto a flash drive if you need to get something quickly off the net but not run it in Windows, here's an example of that.

We did ask about a possible update of the software to Firefox 3 since it is a much faster browser and with better memory management but we didn't hear back on that but we assume that would be in the works as an update to Splashtop. One of the most important things we wanted to test was of course boot time and how much could really be saved by using Splashtop instead of booting your OS.

Here is our test system.

Mother Board	Asus P5Q Deluxe
CPU	Intel E6420 overclocked at 2.7GHz
Video Card	Visiontek 4850
Memory	Corsair XMS Dominator 2GB DDR2 800
Hard Drive	Western Digital Caviar SE16 750GB
Display	Samsung 20" LCD Westinghouse W4207

We tested with a stop watch from the bootup. Our time to ExpressGate is the time it took to load the main OS not the splash screen which was instant. Our OS start time was to Windows Vista desktop the time to Firefox included how long it took me to click on the Firefox shortcut at the bottom and for the browser to load. Firefox 3.01 was used on the desktop as again this is one of the benefits of your main PC and of course one of the drawbacks of Splashtop.

	OS Start Up Time	Time to Firefox
Express Gate	5.5 seconds	9.5 seconds
Windows Vista Ultimate SP1 32-bit	38	40

Asus promotes a 5 second start up time for ExpressGate and we found that to basically be true. Or time to Vista Ultimate SP1 32-bit was 32.5 seconds later so a little over a half a minute. Still it took a little longer to load to Firefox even though we clicked on web browser on the Express Gate start up screen immediately with the time to that at 9.5 seconds which would save you a total of 30.5 seconds from Splashtop. 30.5 seconds isn't an amazing savings but then again less than ten seconds to the Firefox web browser is quite good. This however does bring us back to the point made earlier that more often than not people won't use ExpressGate but in those situations where they need to check their e-mail, or contact someone through IM more than quickly but almost immediately to really find ExpressGate useful at least when it is used on their desktop PC. Of course there is more than just web browsing you can do so let's move onto other programs.

The main IM client of Splashtop is the very well made Pidgin which has support for almost every IM client you can think of. Adding and configuring all your clients is a snap and doesn't take much effort. The GUI is identical to the one shipped in Pidgin.

Skype is also included allowing for VOIP communication and messaging as well and worked perfectly and loaded quickly.

Finally the last of the main applications in ExpressGate is a picture browsing program that allows you to browse pictures off your hard drive or flash drive. It does the job well allowing you to quickview all the pictures, zoom, and rotate so all the basics are covered but of course don't look for much more here. Here's an example.

The user interface is so simple it's almost fool proof and newbie proof for anyone to use. The main applications are centered in the bottom middle of the screen and your more advanced options sit to the right. Here's a close up of main bar in Splashtop.

Here is the main configuration panel of ExpressGate with all your options and I also loaded Asus' drive Xpert RAID drive and back-up utility that is included in ExpressGate.

Selecting resolution is simple though you are limited to maximum resolution of 1440x1050 we didn't fine this to be a problem.

There are volume controls for the main sound output and also for a mic output.

Here are your launch bar settings.

And network configuration whicah can connect to networks over WiFi, LAN, xDSL, and cable. WEP, WPA, and WPA2 wireless security standards are supported.

One of the key things we wanted to tested was if ExpressGate might have less power consumption so we gave it a test sitting idle at the OS compared to the Vista's and also browsing the web in Vista and in ExpressGate.

	Idle	Browsing Web in Firefox, Multiple Tabs
Windows Vista Ultimate 32-bit SP1	92	100-115
ExpressGate	110	115-125

As you can see it is actually about 20 watts higher in Express Gate at idle and about ten watts higher while browsing the web. This is definitely disappointing as the idea of using it instead of Windows overnight or if they were to add more applications such as a built in media or music player, UTorrent, etc with a lower power overhead would be quite nice. We're not sure if perhaps Intel's SpeedStep is not working in the ExpressGate OS or there's some power saving features in Vista as to why it's not idle or simply somehow Vista idling has less of a power overhead. We doubt it can all be attributed to the onboard flash memory being activated.

Over 250 Free Microsoft Office Templates & Documents

noreply@blogger.com (pkgaran) — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 03:23:00 +0000

Courtesy of Microsoft, these category headings basically contain over 250 free Microsoft Office Templates that you can use

Have fun, save time...

Address books Notes
Analysis worksheets OneNote notebooks
Advertisements OneNote pages
Announcements OneNote sections
Applications Outlines
Banners Paper folding projects
Balance sheets Papers
Bills of sale Petitions
Binder inserts Posters
Bookmarks Press releases
Books Programs
Bylaws, policies, and rules Proposals
Calculators Quizzes and tests
Case inserts Quotes
Catalogs Recipes
Charts Records
Coupons Reply cards
Dividers Scorecards
E-mails Sign-in and sign-up sheets
Estimates Signs
Evaluations Stickers
Forecasts Surveys
Games Tags
Identification cards Tickets
Instructions Tournament brackets
Itineraries Trackers
Job descriptions Wills
Journals With compliments cards
Ledgers Other templates
Logs
Menus
Maps
Name and place cards
Note cards

Webscape on Muzu and Inizziativa

noreply@blogger.com (pkgaran) — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 11:13:00 +0000

MUZU (www.muzu.tv)

Muzu

Muzu has high quality music videos for free thanks to deals with some of the biggest record labels.

Registered users can select videos, which contain adverts, and create their own custom channels.

Music lovers can also upload their creations, and share playlists with others on social networking sites such as MySpace, Facebook or Twitter.

INIZZIATIVA (www.inizziativa.com)

Inizziativa

This mobile phone app is packed with features to help you get an uninterrupted night's sleep.

Tell this free app your bedtime and what time you get up, and its activation filters will make sure you do not get disturbed.

You can also adjust your location which is useful for travellers.

CAN YOU RUN IT (www.canyourunit.com)

Can You Run It

Canyourunit.com is a simple online tool which tells you whether your computer will be able to cope with specific PC games.

You need to install a bit of Java script to analyse your machine for your games of choice.

CRISISCOMMONS(www.crisiscommons.org)

CrisisCommons

CrisisCommons allows people to offer their help to disasters such as Haiti.

The site uses online crowd sourcing to gather information about the places that need help.

7 Ways to Make a Good Impressions

noreply@blogger.com (pkgaran) — Sat, 20 Feb 2010 09:18:00 +0000

7 Ways to Make a Good Impressions

Impressions are important: They leave an initial taste in people's mouths that can remain prevalent for the entire relationship. If you are paranoid about what kind of impression you make, run through these seven list items and see if you are consistent with them; if you are, then you will probably expose the best of yourself. If not, then work to meet these standards.

1. Dress: The absolute first impression you will make on someone will be through your clothing, because that is what is seen from a distance, and cannot change throughout your meeting. Make sure to dress according to the situation-don' t over or under dress-and maintain within the limits of good taste. If you aren't sure if what you're wearing looks good, ask people for an honest opinion. One last thought: always, and I mean always, pull up your pants
2. Hygiene: Take a shower! Shave! Brush your teeth! You must be fully bathed and groomed before you meet with someone for the first time, because scruffy looking people generally don't seem as neat and mature. Pay attention to the little elements like breath: keep a pack of mint gum with you wherever you go, and periodically check to make sure you aren't killing bugs every time you breathe out. If you sweat heavily, keep a small stick of deodorant/anti- perspirant close, and if you notice you're stinking you can freshen up. People notice the minutiae!

3. Manners: At the table and with other people be civilized, polite and respectful: keep your elbows off of the table, open doors for people and address everyone-initially, at least-by their formal title. This will make an especially good impression on senior citizens, because you will prove that you aren't one of those "new fangled punks."

4. Speech: Have clean, clear diction and speak sans "like" or "you know." It is important to be articulate because that inspires a feeling of intelligence and education in the person you are meeting with. Always leave out profanity, and whatever you do, make sure to speak loud enough for all to hear, because conversationalists are easily agitated if you force them say "excuse me?" more than a few times.

5. Discretion: Choose what to share about yourself: forget to tell everyone about that time you went camping and ruptured your appendix, then fell face first into a pile of bug infested leaves-it is rude and will alienate you from the group. Try to withhold from conversations on personal subjects like religion or more disgusting topics like personal medical care. Before you speak, think about the possible impact of what you might say, then imagine its implications in the long run.

6. Humor: Humor can be your most powerful tool or your doom, because everyone has a slightly different sense of humor. What might be hilarious to you might seem disgusting to another, or vice versa. Try to withhold from any jokes that aren't family or dinner table friendly; you can tell those later.

7. Start and End with a Bang: Whoever you are meeting with will remember how you greet them, and then in what manner you left them. If you feel you have trouble with this, practice a few different phrases in the mirror, and introduce elements like: "pleased to meet you," or "honored to make your acquaintance. " Ignore the antiquity of these phrases; it often makes them more memorable.

Making a good impression will set any relationship off on a good foot. If you are in a situation where you need to be judged at face value-such as a job interview or date-then make sure to go through this list and make sure you are within bounds of reason and good taste on all of your decisions.

The 10 best fitness websites

noreply@blogger.com (pkgaran) — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 17:27:00 +0000

If you want to get fit, you’ll find there’s more to exercise and electronics than simply working out with Wii Fit. You can go online to help you to count your carbs, plan a training schedule and compete with friends. But how to tell the supergyms from the charlatans? Start with our hand-picked top 10.

1 www.nikeplus.com

Nike+ is a sensor that fits inside Nike trainers and wirelessly sends running data to a paired Apple iPod Nano, Touch or iPhone 3GS. Smart. Even smarter is the fact that your times and distances can then be uploaded to this site, on which you can view goals, share running routes with friends and challenge them to beat your time. The long-distance runner doesn’t have to be lonely any more.

2 www.bikely.com

Bored of slogging down the local canal towpath? Just type in the area where you’d like to ride and Bikely tracks down a wealth of maps posted by fellow pedallers to help get your cycle fitness regime back on track.

3 www.menshealth.co.uk

The website of Britain’s top-selling men’s magazine is easy to get into and features training tips for everyone — not just the buff types who adorn its cover month after month. The 15-minute workouts are especially good.

4 www.djsteveboy.com/podrunner.html

For any fitness fanatic who has yet to assemble a decent workout playlist, this Californian DJ offers free, downloadable dance mixes at everything from 130 to a furious 180 beats-per-minute.

5 www.gimme20.com

A networking site for healthy, active types that lets you blog, form groups and more. Sharing your fitness woes and triumphs proves surprisingly motivating.

6 www.dailyburn.com

DailyBurn claims that, on average, its 300,000 members lose 6.2lb of fat. Download its app for the iPhone, and nutritional data for 200,000 products are at your fingertips.

7 www.fitness.tv

The satellite TV channel is upbeat and fun, and is streamed live on its website. There is also a searchable archive of programmes, but you’ll have to register to watch them.

8 www.mapmyrun.com

A brilliantly simple website that loads a map of where you intend to run, then lets you use a mouse to draw your route and see how far it is. Then, once you’ve done the run — or any of the 12,000 routes already uploaded — key in some timing details and it will tell you your speed, pace and calories burnt.

9 www.wildswimming.co.uk

Spun off from the eponymous book, Wild Swimming allows you to add your favourite stretches of water, complete with photos, to maps of rivers and beaches. Regional Facebook groups bring in a community feel to the whole enterprise.

10 www.gymtechnik.com

If your gym has wi-fi, Gymtechnik lets you use your BlackBerry, iPhone or Android handset as a workout journal. Access pre-planned workouts; keep track of progress; phone for a doctor when you’ve overdone it.

"Have Breakfast... or...Be Breakfast!"

noreply@blogger.com (pkgaran) — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 11:05:00 +0000

Really quite interesting and truth indeed!!!!

Circulating with Must read Tag

"Have Breakfast... or...Be Breakfast!"

Y. L. R. MOORTHI

[Management Views from IIMB is an exclusive column written every two weeks for

india.wsj.com by faculty members of the Indian Institute of Management 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 above. The winner is Nokia whose main line of business in India is not cameras but cell phones.

Reason being cameras bundled with cellphones are outselling stand alone cameras. Now, what prevents the cellphone from replacing the camera outright? Nothing at all. One can only hope the Sonys and Canons are taking note.

Try this. Who is the biggest in music business in India ? You think it is HMV Sa-Re-Ga-Ma? Sorry. The answer is Airtel. By selling caller tunes (that play for 30 seconds) Airtel makes more than what music companies make by selling music albums (that run for hours).

Incidentally Airtel is not in music business. It is the mobile service provider with the largest subscriber base in India . That sort of competitor is difficult to detect, even more difficult to beat (by the time you have identified him he has already gone past you). But if you imagine that Nokia and Bharti (Airtel's parent) are breathing easy you can't be farther from truth.

Nokia confessed that they all but missed the smartphone bus. They admit that Apple's Iphone and Google's Android can make life difficult in future. But you never thought Google was a mobile company, did you? If these illustrations mean anything, there is a bigger game unfolding. It is not so much about mobile or music or camera or emails?

The "Mahabharat" (the great Indian epic battle) is about "what is tomorrow's personal digital device"? Will it be a souped up mobile or a palmtop with a telephone? All these are little wars that add up to that big battle. Hiding behind all these wars is a gem of a question - "who is my competitor?"

Once in a while, to intrigue my students I toss a question at them. It says "What Apple did to Sony, Sony did to Kodak, explain?" The smart ones get the answer almost immediately. Sony defined its market as audio (music from the walkman). They never expected an IT company like Apple to encroach into their audio domain. Come to think of it, is it really surprising? Apple as a computer maker has both audio and video capabilities. So what made Sony think he won't compete on pure audio? "Elementary Watson". So also Kodak defined its business as film cameras, Sony defines its businesses as "digital."

In digital camera the two markets perfectly meshed. Kodak was torn between going digital and sacrificing money on camera film or staying with films and getting left behind in digital technology. Left undecided it lost in both. It had to. It did not ask the question "who is my competitor for tomorrow?" The same was true for IBM whose mainframe revenue prevented it from seeing the PC. The same was true of Bill Gates who declared "internet is a fad!" and then turned around to bundle the browser with windows to bury Netscape. The point is not who is today's competitor. Today's competitor is obvious. Tomorrow's is not.

In 2008, who was the toughest competitor to British Airways in India ? Singapore airlines? Better still, Indian airlines? Maybe, but there are better answers. There are competitors that can hurt all these airlines and others not mentioned. The answer is videoconferencing and telepresence services of HP and Cisco. Travel dropped due to recession. Senior IT executives in India and abroad were compelled by their head quarters to use videoconferencing to shrink travel budget. So much so, that the mad scramble for American visas from Indian techies was nowhere in sight in 2008. ( India has a quota of something like 65,000 visas to the U.S. They were going a-begging. Blame it on recession!). So far so good. But to think that the airlines will be back in business post recession is something I would not bet on. In short term yes. In long term a resounding no. Remember, if there is one place where Newton 's law of gravity is applicable besides physics it is in electronic hardware. Between 1977 and 1991 the prices of the now dead VCR (parent of Blue-Ray disc player) crashed to one-third of its original level in India . PC's price dropped from hundreds of thousands of rupees to tens of thousands. If this trend repeats then telepresence prices will also crash. Imagine the fate of airlines then. As it is not many are making money. Then it will surely be RIP!

India has two passions. Films and cricket. The two markets were distinctly different. So were the icons. The cricket gods were Sachin and Sehwag. The filmi gods were the Khans (Aamir Khan, Shah Rukh Khan and the other Khans who followed suit). That was, when cricket was fundamentally test cricket or at best 50 over cricket. Then came IPL and the two markets collapsed into one. IPL brought cricket down to 20 overs. Suddenly an IPL match was reduced to the length of a 3 hour movie. Cricket became film's competitor. On the eve of IPL matches movie halls ran empty. Desperate multiplex owners requisitioned the rights for screening IPL matches at movie halls to hang on to the audience. If IPL were to become the mainstay of cricket, as it is likely to be, films have to sequence their releases so as not clash with IPL matches. As far as the audience is concerned both are what in India are called 3 hour "tamasha" (entertainment) . Cricket season might push films out of the market.

Look at the products that vanished from India in the last 20 years. When did you last see a black and white movie? When did you last use a fountain pen? When did you last type on a typewriter? The answer for all the above is "I don't remember!" For some time there was a mild substitute for the typewriter called electronic typewriter that had limited memory. Then came the computer and mowed them all. Today most technologically challenged guys like me use the computer as an upgraded typewriter. Typewriters per se are nowhere to be seen.

One last illustration. 20 years back what were Indians using to wake them up in the morning? The answer is "alarm clock." The alarm clock was a monster made of mechanical springs. It had to be physically keyed every day to keep it running. It made so much noise by way of alarm, that it woke you up and the rest of the colony. Then came quartz clocks which were sleeker. They were much more gentle though still quaintly called "alarms." What do we use today for waking up in the morning? Cellphone! An entire industry of clocks disappeared without warning thanks to cell phones. Big watch companies like Titan were the losers. You never know in which bush your competitor is hiding!

On a lighter vein, who are the competitors for authors? Joke spewing machines? (Steve Wozniak, the co-founder of Apple, himself a Pole, tagged a Polish joke telling machine to a telephone much to the mirth of Silicon Valley ). Or will the competition be story telling robots? Future is scary! The boss of an IT company once said something interesting about the animal called competition. He said "Have breakfast ...or.... be breakfast"! That sums it up rather neatly.

---- 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