What's Your Opinion?

Your Views On Cosmetics?

2008-09-25T10:01:00.000-07:00

The fact that the mankind is stung by the quench for beauty, has been supported by the pouring of more and more cosmetics into the market by the day. Almost everyday, something or the other cosmetic product are endorsed by big celebs. A lot of time is spent not only in using these cosmetics, but also selecting them. In short, billions of dollars are spent to show the survival of not the fittest but that of the most beautiful is taking place.

Cosmetics have been in use since 4000 BC. The Egyptians used them for embalming the dead. In the Americas and Africa, natural pastes and creams were used either to decorate the body or cure wounds. In India, Henna was used as a hair conditioner. Some of them even use it today. The parts of juicy vegetables and fruits were used as cosmetics. I still remember my grandma using the skins of fruits and vegetables for revitalizing the facial appearance, sometimes even for acne. But these days, products like acnexus are used to treat acne.

Today, a lady's purse is incomplete without a makeup kit. Before an interview, a date, and the mirror and the lipstick will be found in a female's hands. The third generation girls have become self conscious these days and as Suburbqueen's post goes, they are too much bothered up about the works that are quite evident on their faces. Let me be a bit frank. I've seen many girls, women to be precise, applying too much of makeup, look absolutely terrible. In fact, I know a girl who puts so much of eyeliner that I get scared when I look at her eyes(protruding and dark!).

The market here in India mostly is above $6 billion annually, and a result, many companies have started fluttering wings over here. Especially the deodorant industry is prospering healthily. Earlier, getting things like deodorants, eyeliners, to mention a few was really difficult and sometimes we had to ask our acquantances abroad to get it. But now, all of them are avialable freely, and that too for a highly reasonable price.

Some say the sale of cosmetics has decreased marginally due to awareness about the the health hazards they pose. It is said that phthalates, which is widely used in cosmetics poses a fatal health hazard, and activists are working hard to ban their use in cosmetics. Although it has been banned in Europe, the rest haven't taken any step against its use. Cosmetics also are tried and tested on animals, which can be taken as going against bio-ethics.

To wrap up, I can say cosmetics have become a trend, but I hope it doesn't become a fad. Their use should be limited, excessive use can not only harm our body, but the sweet and cool nature around us too. In short, cosmetics are beauty thirst quenchers, but they can also be beauty stenchers!

The Kashmir Issue : What Can The Probable Solution?

2008-08-26T05:58:00.000-07:00

Jammu and Kashmir, often called as the 'Paradise of the Earth', also houses the world's highest battlefield. Thousands articles have been written, many accusations have been made, wars have broken out, yet after sixty one years of independence, the fate of the Kashmir valley remains the major part of Indo-Pak disputes. Here's a highly condensed article based on this issue and a probable solution for the same.

The history

As history goes, Jammu and Kashmir was an independent princely state in British controlled India. It was ruled by Maharaja Hari Singh. When India and Pakistan were granted independence, the princely states had the options of merging their states into either India or Pakistan, or remain independent. Maharaja Hari Singh chose to be independent at first. But the Pakistani government began sending armed militia into the state and creating chaos everywhere. Many places were looted, many women kidnapped and raped. Later the Pakistani army began invading the region. So, The Maharaja fled the valley and decided to merge Kashmir with India. After the merger, the Indian armed forces were flown to Kashmir where they recaptured a big chunk of this invaded region, after which a ceasefire,thanks to the UN, was declared.

Article 370 of the Indian Constitution

According to the Article 370 of the Indian Constitution, the state of Jammu and Kashmir has special a separate set of laws, unlike the other states in India, except for some fields such as defence and foreign affairs, which makes it more or less autonomous. It's like a country inside another country. Any amendment in the laws would be made after the consultation of the state government. This article can still be removed from the constitution by the President of India, but it hasn't been done yet. The reason? Even I don't know. Maybe it's just politics.

What India has done for Jammu and Kashmir?

Apart from Article 370, India has taken immense efforts in undertaking development in this region. The Indian government has set up many schools, state-of-the-art institutes in various fields like engineering, medical sciences and management. Elsewhere in central India, there are seats reserved for Kashmiri migrants in various educational institutes and other corporations. Roads were constructed, railway lines were laid, thereby connecting the rest of the country to this region. In fact, the world's highest railway bridge is being built to connect Srinagar by rail to the rest of India. And the best part is, India is a terribly huge market for Kashmir's goods like fruits, textiles and art products, apart from tourism. But I feel, the freedom which the Kashmiris get in India which they may not(read never) get in Pakistan, is the most special thing in the platter.

The cost of independence...

Under the name of independence, thousands of people have been killed and seriously wounded in various incidences. It all started in 1989, when the Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front(JKLF) was established. Although the group gave up violence, many other groups sponsored by Pakistan's Inter Services Intelligence(ISI) sprouted. Violence increased, and the government had to deploy the Indian Army in this region due to the region's volatility and the continuous threat from the Pakistani forces. Yet, the Pakistani troops manage to infiltrate several terrorists, who not only create havoc, but also expand their ring of terror by recruitment of innocent, illiterate, unemployed youth from this region. Every year, about twenty thousand people including civilians are killed. The number has fallen recently, which seems to be breather for the government.

What the people of Jammu and Kashmir say...

The people of this state themselves have varied opinions. Some want to stay with India, while some want Pakistan. And there are many who want an independent Kashmir. Those who want India justify their feelings by saying they'll get better facilities, better education and a better future. Says a businessman,"Where else can you get a market of a billion plus people?". The people who vie for a Pakistani rule say they'll get a country full of Muslims, and won't be prejudiced, as they are allegedly subjected to in India. And those who ask for independence claim there will finally be peace in the valley.

And what do the others say?

People from all over the world have varied opinions on this issue. Some say that the UN should try and solve this issue. But if the UN is given the cue, it will insist for a plebiscite, whose outcome would obviously be Kashmir's independence. And if that happens, there may be a repetition of the 1947 invasion by Pakistan. Some people think the entire state should be given independence to the valley, so that there's peace in the region. General Pervez Musharraf, the former Pakistani prez had offered a four-point solution which was, a self-governance plan in the valley, which would be jointly supervised by India and Pakistan, withdrawal of the armed forces, and no changes in the state's present borders. (To me, it sounds totally absurd, as such a thing won't be practically possible, with a lot of friction between the two countries.) The West, always known for its interference, has done almost nothing to settle the spate.

My take on this issue...

I feel only peaceful methods can solve this issue. But a strong political will is necessary from both sides. Plebiscite can be waste of time and resources. Maybe Pakistan should accept the LoC as the international border and keep the northern part of Kashmir. Although Pakistan stakes its claim over Kashmir on the basis of Jinnah's principles that Hindus and Muslims can't live together, it cannot ignore the fact that India is the only country in the world which has the highest number of Muslims, who are living happily with not only Hindus, but also many others from various beliefs. Except for a few minor clashes, Hindus and Muslims have lived peacefully. If Pakistan ever gives up its claim, then perhaps there are hopes of complete demilitarisation, which may eventually bring some stability. In addition to this, India and Pakistan should negotiate and open up the trade and transit routes, which would prove to be cake's icing.

External Links

I've tried my best to keep this post as short as possible. But there's more to this. I went through many articles that have lots of matter regarding this issue. I would suggest you go through these articles...

The entire J&K factfile

Wkipedia entry on Jammu and Kashmir

Wikipedia entry on Azad Jammu and Kashmir

The entire timelime of the Kashmir conflict

Human Rights report on the Kashmir conflict(Summary)

An article by indianchild.com on the turmoil in Kashmir

A blog post on the Kashmir crisis

Are Diet Pills An Answer To Obesity?

2008-07-19T12:24:00.000-07:00

One of the major health problems these days seems to be obesity. It has become a problem not only in the US, but also in many other countries like Australia, and even some developing countries. It's one of the leading cause for cardiac arrests and high blood pressure. Although people are becoming aware of this fact, many still take it lightly and take less or no precautionary measures. And those who take, slug it out to burn hundreds of calories. But today, people are inclining towards medication, that is, diet pills and surgeries.

Diet pills are becoming more and more popular these days. My friend, who once used to frequent the gym everyday, suddenly stopped going. Yet, even after discontinuing his course, he maintained his body. When I asked him about it, his answer was diet pills. They were a bit costly, but saved his lot of time everyday. Yeah, these pills can definitely help in saving a lot of time. But what are they?

As the name suggests, these pills help in burning the excessive fat in the body. Different types of pills act differently. Some affect the endocrine system, that is, secretion of some particular hormones that help in using up the stored fat very fast. While some affect the heartbeat rate. But their efficiency is still being questioned around the world. Many of them have prolonged effects. Since many people are turning towards these medicines, many frauds have come up, usurping billions of dollars.

I'm quite sceptical in the use of these drugs. What I feel is, if you really want to lose weight, you need to do it naturally. What these diet pills do is alter our internal body system, which is in a way, going against the nature. Agreed that they may help in saving time and energy, but one cannot overlook their side-effects. Who knows, sometimes they may also prove to be fatal to our lives. I would rather prefer running five kilometers than risking my life.

What do you think?

An Attack On Iran - What Can Be The Aftermath?

2008-07-18T12:15:00.000-07:00

Iran - A country of over seventy five million people. A country, which ranks second and third in the world for its gas and oil reserves respectively. And a country which is suspected to possess nukes. Considered to be 'semi-developed' by the UN, Iran is a country rich in cultural heritage, many civilizations and cultures arose in this region. However, Iran is one of the countries that oppose Judaism and the Jews. In fact, the current president of Iran, Mehmoud Ahmedinejad, doesn't believe in the holocaust, and openly opposes the existence of Israel. The war of words, has led to a sort of instability in the region with Iran and Israel warning each other of military strikes.

It all started with the Iranian president Mehmoud Ahmedinejad announcing that the country will be going nuclear in terms of electricity generation. This is when the IAEA experts found traces of enriched uranium and plutonium which were unaccounted for. This was enough to start a series of negotiations, with Ahmedinejad remaining adamant regarding Iran's position, even when several economic incentives were offered by the European Union.

After all the hoopla, everything has boiled down, with Israel preparing for a possible air strike on Iran's nuclear facilities. The US has backed this move, however, it won't provide Israel with any logistical support. But have they given this a second thought? With the economies crumbling slowly, the move may prove to be disastrous. Here's how :

Oil Prices : As, I mentioned earlier, Iran is one of the leading exporters of crude oil and natural gas. It aims to generate nuclear power in order to reduce the dependency on fossil fuels, so that it can export more of it. Following such an attack, the current price rise of crude oil notwithstanding, the prices of crude oil will shoot still further, and maybe even touch the $200 mark. The price rise took place due to tensions of a possible military strike on iran. Then one can imagine scenario once Iran is attacked.

Iran's Retaliation : Will Iran simply keep staring at this? Absolutely not. It has already tested three missiles, capable of carrying nuclear warheads and striking Israel. We can all expect full retaliation from all fronts, including sending in armed militia like Hezbollah and other minor groups, which can be too dangerous for the Israelis. Who knows, Iran may probably attack American military bases in the middle east, especially, Iraq.

The Gulf Blockade : Iran controls the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz, which are one of the most important trade routes for oil export. In the event of an attack, Iran may attempt to block the route completely or impose sanctions. This may totally blow the prices of fossil fuels, and a real shortage of fuel.

Total instability in the Middle East : With Iran declaring a war on Israel, the momentum will spread throughout the middle east region. Lebanon, Jordan, all those who are just waiting for some disturbance, may get the bait and a full scale civil war would erupt against the respective governments backed by the US. There is also a strong possibility of this momentum spreading into the north African countries like Libya and Nigeria, due to which the prices of crude oil may shoot even further.

Fears of a full scale World War : Other countries(read Russia) may interfere, and with one country, a list of countries may follow suit. This could further escalate the crisis and, God forbid, lead to a deadly World War. And if a World War erupts, it may be enough to annihilate the entire human race(sounds scary, doesn't it?).

I think, there is only solution - diplomatic negotiations. Somehow, everyone has to persuade Iran to stop the further enrichment of uranium. One more solution would be to install IAEA safeguards and monitor all the enrichment facilities throughout Iran. If any suspicious activity is detected, then Iran must be informed immediately, and the rest should be handled by the UN.

Do you think there's a way to stop all this? Or a possible consequence of an attack on Iran? Please elaborate in the comments section...

Will You Attend The 2008 Olympic Games In Beijing?

2008-06-19T11:16:00.000-07:00

It seems to me, people have almost forgotten about the Olympics in Beijing. Newspapers, discussion boards and the television, all of them have ceased to report anything from China. In the last few months we have seen China trying very hard to maintain its good position, amidst tragic events that unfolded one by one. And hence, I'm curious how many people are really going to make it there.

In 2001, Beijing beats Toronto to bag the rights to host Olympic Games in 2008. This brought about mixed reactions throughout the world. Some said, it would a give boost to the repression of human rights, while some said, China may change its policy to show a good face to everyone.

A lot of things have happened since then. For instance, noted film maker Stephen Spielberg withdrew as the artistic adviser as, according to him, China wasn't putting the right amount of pressure on Sudan to curb its atrocities in the Darfur region in Africa. According to several reports, hundreds of thousands have died in the conflict in this region. China, being Sudan's major oil importer, has played an active role in politics of this region. As a matter of fact, Sudan imports arms and ammunition mostly from China.

China also seemed to have foiled terror attacks, against the Olympics, by separatist insurgents from the north. They were planning to crash a plane in Beijing. But not much details have been given by the government.

Just recently, the Tibetans started their protests against China's aggressive policies, hoping they would get adequate media attention. Initially, the Chinese government took it lightly, but when the protests turned violent, they were forced to deploy tanks and personnel in the Tibet Autonomous Region. Following this development, protests against China started in many countries, including European countries like France. Some were even considering boycotting the Olympics. And eventually, China was let down yet again.

Later, it was nature's turn to unleash its fury. A major earthquake, measuring 7.9 on the Richter scale, struck Sichuan, in western China. The aftershocks were felt even in Beijing, which is about 800 miles away from Chengdu, where the earthquake took place. About seventy thousand people were killed, out of which many were feared dead. And what's more, the residents of this region were ethnic Tibetans. Although the Chinese government took serious efforts, including the deployment of over fifty thousand troops, it was all in vain. This, sort of, exposed China's inability to handle emergency crisis.

Following all these catastrophic events, the people of China remain undeterred in the preparations for the Olympics. In fact, it has brought about more vigour in them so that they can impress the world community. In fact. the Chinese media has always been elaborating that the government has always managed to keep the Chinese politics and Olympics separate.

The Chinese government has made some significant changes in order to keep the surroundings West-friendly. Its first step was to change the eerie names of most of the dishes. For example, the dish named 'Chicken without sexual life' was changed to 'Steamed pullet'. One of the other changes include the restrictions on construction activity in Beijing and other co-host cities in order to curb pollution. The rates of hotel accomodation in co-host cities like Hong Kong, Shengyao, Qinhuangdao, Shanghai and Tianjin have been lowered drastically in order to make it affordable for all. It also seems that the government has spent about 3 billion dollars to improve the basic infrastructure.

So, this is just the snippet on how China is coping up with time to make the Olympics a fun filled event in its real sense. But looking at the media, it seems, the people have almost forgotten about it. And so, I would like to ask you whether you will be attending the mother of all sporting events - the Olympic Games, or not......

The Crude Oil Crisis : Who Is To Blame?

2008-05-31T09:54:00.000-07:00

The latest chain of events that has shaken the economies of the world is the rising price of crude oil. Just recently it touched the $135 mark. Who knows, it may even cross the $200 mark by the end of the year, if this trend continues. Various questions have been raised about the same all over the world, and as usual, the blame game starts. The oil corps blame the Middle East, and the Middle East blames the rising dollar. But the questions is, the common man blames whom?

The Scenario

Crude oil prices suddenly accelerated their upward journey and within no time touched the 135 dollar mark. Suddenly, the prises of commodities and services that depend on fossil fuels rose sharply. For instance, air travel became costlier owing to high prices of ATF. All this in turn triggered a rise in inflation.

How Did It Happen?

Frankly, even I don't know what went wrong, as I'm no business analyst. Some people say, the rise of the dollar, some say the oil companies are upto their old tricks, while some say, this is the handiwork of the US. But no one has a convincing answer for this question.

What's Going On In India?

Thankfully, the prices of petrol or diesel haven't increased, thanks to Union Oil Ministry. But this has had a huge negative impact on the oil companies. For instance, the Indian Oil Corporation reported around Rs.414 crores in losses. Just recently, the Finance Minister was planning to include a fuel cess on the income taxes, but since the general elections will be there next year, the government is unwilling to take any chances(I think the elections should be held every year then).

Possible Solution For India

India has plenty of options to curb the rising prices of petrol and diesel. One of the options is to cut the heavy import duty levied on crude oil. Consider this: Petrol is priced at Rs.27 a litre in Pakistan, while in New Delhi, where the fuel price is lowest in India, hovers around Rs.45. So, a reduction in the import duty plus the state octroi charges can bring down, or atleast stabilise the fuel costs. Other options include rationalising supply, subsidised supply of fuel, or to stick on to CNG or LPG.

The Blame Game

As usual, the blame begins. Some oil companies claimed that a 'break' between the supply and demand is one of the reasons for the price rise. While others claim that the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries(OPEC) maybe behind the crisis. And what's more, some even point an accusing finger towards the Bush administration for its stance against Iran.

What I Feel...

As I said earlier, I'm not any sort of an analyst. So what I believe may or may not correct. Anyway, I feel this may be the work of OPEC and the oil companies as well to milk the consumers. Who knows, the oil traders may also be reacting to the 'war' going on in Iraq. Whatever the reason, I think it's time realise the importance of alternate eco-friendly energy sources for not only their eco-friendliness, but also their cost efficiency and abundant presence.

But, What's Your Opinion?

So what do you feel about all this? Who do you think is the culprit, or what's the possible solution? Please leave your comments below...

Now It's This Blog's Turn !

2008-04-02T13:07:00.000-07:00

Damn! Whenever I visit this blog, my heart sinks. Ask me why? And the answer will be, I feel it's too dull, with no colours, less comments, many cross browser bugs, and almost zero interactivity. And to add to the discontent, the PageRank dropped to zero, thanks to the sponsored posts.

I completed the revamp of my James Bond blog. You can check that out. I've also finished creating two templates for the Blogger platform, which I hope to launch very soon. So you see, I've been quite busy.

But now it's time for me start the conversion. I'm confused over the style which I need to give, I mean a magazine styled template or a simple just-another-Blogger-blog styled template. And I prefer styling it my way, and not using any external readymade templates. Secondly, I need to integrate some of the scripts I worked on, popularly known in the Blogosphere as 'hacks'.

And maybe the most important of all, I have to revive the pagerank. Huh, now I have to make a search on how to revive a lost PR.

So please bear with me if you find any twists or turns in the layout.......

My Plans and Forthcoming Works

2008-03-14T07:35:00.000-07:00

Hi people, I'm back after some looong study vacation. Although I won't be free for the whole time, but I'm trying to do a few more revamps and some rejuvenation.

First of all, I really want to change the appearance of this blog, and make it more interactive and appealling. I need to decrease the loading time too. Also, I really want to add a few more posts and polls. You might have seen a sudden spurt in the number of sponsored posts. Well, I had to do it as I need to switch to a new domain.

Secondly, I'm starting a few blogs, two to be more precise. One will be my personal blog and the second one, a blog on some blogger tweaks and some good templates. Else, I'll be merging the second one with the blog reviews.

Although this seems to be easy, it's going to be difficult to manage all the posting and the maintaining the blogs.And yes, my blog on James Bond also needs to 'restarted'. Currently, I'm brushing up some Photoshop basics, so that I can create some header designs and some banners for my upcoming works. I'm also considering buying some new domains to give a pro look altogether.

Let's hope this works out in the next few months...........All I need is your support and some suggestions. You can leave a comment here or contact me.

How The Insurance Companies Bully People...........

2008-03-12T12:13:00.000-07:00

The other day, as I watched the ad of an insurance company boasting its services, I was wondering as to how these companies react when the real calamities befall. In some way or the other, these companies accept the premiums with both hands while at the time of claims, people literally have to spread both their hands. Then whether it is life insurance cover, car insurance, or medical insurance, these people literally make you run on your toes.

How can one forget how the companies reacted after the July 26th 2005 deluge in Mumbai? As it is, lakhs of people suffered immense losses in the form of property, vehicles, grains, and even lives. Godowns were filled with water, cars were submerged, yet the insurance people, instead of lending a helping hand, they added salt to their wounds by giving them only a percentage of the actual insured amount. And later, flood affected vehicles did not get anything!

Now let's talk about medical insurance. People diagnosed with problems of high blood pressure, diabetes and other obesity and heart related problems are never insured. Now check out some stats : one out of every seventeen Indians is diabetic. And three out of five suffer from high blood pressure and hypertension. And I need not say anything about obesity. That's the way the cookie crumbles....

Oh, I missed the most important part - the documentation. Damn, the number of documents and proofs you require to show your existence are simply terrorizing! If I want want to get a life insurance cover, I need to show my PAN(Permanent Account Number) card, ration card, a proof of my residence, my birth certificate, a document showing my existence!

All this reminds of Maddux, the fictional character in most James Hadley Chase's marvellous novels. He seems to smell frauds and scamsters even before they become one. He is the one who always avoids the payment of dues by proving something or the other. It is said that, for him, paying the dues, is like giving a pound of flesh.

Well, time for me to sign off, I'll be back with some more 'How blahblah folks fool you.....' stuff.

Is Northern Rock The Luckiest Bank Ever?

2008-02-23T22:27:00.000-08:00

I was just going through the newspaper(Mumbai Mirror) yesterday, when I came across this article in the editorial section. The heading was 'A bank is nationalised'. The first para highlighted the plight of the depositors when a bank drowns. At the first place, I thought it would be a story about an Indian bank. But later I realised it was a rock solid bank from UK........

My speculations were false indeed. It was the Northern Rock Bank from the Uk, with assets of over Rs.904000,00,00,000 , or 113 billion pounds. But suddenly, the Northern Rock plunged southwards, thanks to the new mortgage crisis. The scandal was discovered long back, in 2007. The bank still struggles due to high borrowing costs. But what exactly happened? People rushed to the bank to withdraw all their money amidst speculations that the bank may collapse. The result? The bank ran out of cash, and asked England's Reserve Bank for help. And what's the best part? The government nationalised the bank! Now, the bank's website says that the depositors' money is safe and all branches, call centres and other operations remain open for business as usual.

So why is the bank lucky? Or the luckiest? Usually, when such an event takes place, big banks jump to takeover such banks and all the shares are transferred. And the biggest advantage for these big banks is manpower. But take the case of Northern Rock. The Bank of England nationalised it straight away, just because it was one of the top five lenders of Mortgages UK. By doing this, the bank has not only restored its services, but also recieved the extra cash which it required.

So what do you have to say on this?

Muralitharan's Mouth-Opening Spins (Pictures)

2008-02-19T13:15:00.000-08:00

Muttiah Muralitharan is the name which terrifies world class batsmen, thanks to his lethal spins. But now, allow me show its funny side........

I got this idea, as I was reading an article about him in today's newspaper. These photos are not to insult him, and are published with due respect. Hope you enjoyed them..........

The Best Credit Services For the Bad Credited

2008-02-16T05:11:00.000-08:00

The internet is jammed these days with loads of credit offers, loans and other related stuff. And there are people with damaged credit. For such people, Bad Credit Loans is the place to be. These guys are proffesionals and give you free guidance on recuperating your ruined credit, and build a good income.

They offer you with links to websites offering credit card reports as to how efficiently your card is being used, or whether it is being used fraudulently. The information gained thus is vital and very useful in monitoring the use of your credit card.

Home loans are these days very common, with everyone wanting to live in a luxurious house, a place they can call home. But bad credit history becomes a hurdle. These guys provide you with lists of all those home loan services that not only specialize in approving bad credit, but also offer lower interest and processing fees.

In recent times, unfortunately, geting an auto loan may be quite tedious, as you need to furnish details on your income, your capability in returning the loan, and also your income tax details. But some organizations offer loans to people who are unable to show these details, in short, have bad credit. And these organizations are all listed there.

Apart from all this, this site lists the best websites offering all kinds of loans, including home loans, credit card services and other finance related matters. All those listed there are aptly categorized, ranked and appraised. And what's the catch? It's for people with bad credits!

Does The Indian Army Need Conscription?

2008-02-06T13:36:00.000-08:00

That's the last thing the Indian Army would resort to, but the Army Chief seems to be desperate about draft or conscription. Till now, India has the largest army on the basis of voluntary services, the military draft has never been imposed on its citizens. But thanks to the tech and economic boom, most of the individuals are being lost to corporate giants. In the last three to four years, there has been a steady decline in number of candidates appearing for the NDA or IMA exams.

One of the most important factors which still bugs the indian soldier is the salary. Although the government has provided lots of other goodies, like free ration(foodgrains), Rs.20 lakh security cover, separate living quarters, and many such crunchies, the payscales are too low. As a result, it fails to attract the youth.

But, a career in the armed forces fulfills one wish - job security. Since it's a government job, your job is highly secured. Apart from increasing the number of employed officials, draft has other advantages too. For instance, it has helped China in checking it's rapid population growth. Perhaps, it may also inculcate some discipline amongst youngsters, who, these days are brimming with arrogance and over-confidence. And yes, fitness can be very well taken care of. But I would suggest, that the cadres should serve for a maximum period of 2 years, beyond which they should be given the option of discontinuing or continuing their services.

If at all draft is really introduced, the government would face a tough task of training lakhs of youngsters as there would be an infrastructure crunch. Moreover, the quality which is usually maintained would dip by leaps and bounds. And again comes one of India's major problems - corruption. All big-shots can very well bribe officials to exempt their children from conscription. And what's more, the entire system(education and political) would need a revamp.

So, you can see that draft can be beneficial, but sometimes may get foul as well. What do think? Should conscription be introduce in the Indian Armed Forces? You can also vote in the sidebar on the top in the poll section.........

We Have Got Our Chunk Of Climate Change, Have You?

2008-02-04T22:47:00.000-08:00

So it's not just the talk, after all. After all these days of fancying the dreadful climate change, we have, or atleast I have, realised that climate and weather have certainly changed, thanks to our computers, those intoxicating fumes emanating from those industries hoping to make it big, and our attitudes, of course. Let me tell you about Mumbai. The temperature during Christmas was around 28-32C. The normal temperature? 23-26 degrees. The temperature in January was below 15 degrees! And for a coastal place like Mumbai, which has high humidity, this is the most unusual. The lowest temperature recorded was 10.2 degrees! Even now, as I'm writing this post, I feeling chills down my spine.

So that was about Mumbai. It's hard to imagine what north India might be undergoing, with the temperature in the capital, New Delhi, falling to 0 degrees. I doubt whether the temperature may rise further in the coming weeks. Although most of northern India is near the Tropic of Cancer, the temperatures haven't yet soared. Hundreds of people have died owing to severe cold and even snow. Mostly, this time around(February), spring sets in. But I can still feel the cold biting into my body. The only good thing winter has brought in is, lots of alphonso mangoes. It seems the number of mangoes grown has increased considerably owing to this cold climate.

The climate change has brought about mixed feelings. Yet, there is no such commotion over the same. Actually, I had expected some uproar from the political opposition parties as well as the media. Although, no one has realised the volatilty of this issue, maybe it's time we buckle up and change our lifestyle to keep the nature calm.......

Did you experience any such weather change? Please share your thoughts......

Is The SMS Voting System Knocking Off Good Competitions?

2008-01-31T13:29:00.000-08:00

These days, you'll see a spurt of competitions which includes singing, dancing and other talent hunts. These guys call judges who are fully settled in their respective fields. Yet, the results are based on people's votes through those SMSes and telephone lines.

One of such talent hunts is the "Sa Re Ga Ma Pa L'il Champs" which features little kids aged 10-12 singing really very nicely and showing their matured behaviour on the stage. After each performance, the participants are rated and complimented by the judges. The people are then asked to vote through SMS and other media, on the basis of which the participants are eliminated one by one.

This type of system exists in almost all talent hunts and is really frustrating. Sometimes, even the finest performers are eliminated, and even the judges express their grief indirectly(mostly) or indirectly. As Arshad Warsi said, 95% of the people don't understand the tune or the sur, as they call it. The song which sounds the best is applauded. Sometimes, I don't understand the necessity of calling the judges. If they want the people to vote, why don't they just keep live shows so that all get the proper entertainment!

What do you think about this?

Kevin's Spectacular Discovery

2008-01-29T13:04:00.000-08:00

Kevin went to an ophthalmologist and was shocked to hear that his vision needed correction. And then again, the problem of spectacles nagged him all the time. As he walked down the lane, he saw a shop having a banner saying "Zenni Optical: Sell Rx Glasses $8 with case!". He rubbed his eyes with awe. He ventured inside.....

Inside, he found a huge collection of frames and lenses. Kevin walked around the showroom to select a frame or two. It took a long time for him to select a frame from such a huge collection. And then he had to select the type of lens. They were all there - single vision lenses, sun sensor lenses, tinted sunglasses lenses, bifocal lenses and progressive lenses. He selected the type and went straight to the billing centre. He expected the bill amounting to more than $8. But, to his surprise, it included no extra charges! "But how?", asked Kevin, to which he got the answer as, "The secret to Zenni’s low prices is that we sell only our own manufactured frames direct to the customers, with no middlemen. Usually, it's the middlemen who are responsible for the higher price, as they need to have their share of profits."

Kevin left happily with a smile on his face........

*This is a sponsored post.

Disclosure

2008-01-29T12:46:00.001-08:00

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Denmark and Iceland - Europe's Hidden Jewels

2008-01-24T14:14:00.000-08:00

Did you know, Denmark has the highest rate of income tax, with citizens paying over 65% of their earnings? Yet, Copenhagen is rated as one of the world's best cities to live in, despite the high cost of living. Accommodation is quite affordable for the average person compared to London and Paris. Copenhagen hotels and other Denmark hotels, in that respect have comparatively lower rates. Danish people love music – from open air concerts and festivals to small places playing all types of music. Anything from jazz, blues, folk, pop to rock . If you are looking to discover Danish night life, the chances are you will be listening to live music. Other great options for taking in some live music are at the new bars, which often have a kind of club culture or disco in them. Modes of transport include trains and buses.Apart from a metro system, Copenhagen has a good suburban rail network that is electrified. Just recently, significant investment has been made in the country's roads. Many inter-city links have been built. The Danish cuisine includes meat, potatoes and fish. If you ever go there, don't forget to relish some frikadeller, which is fried meatballs, often served with potatoes and different types of gravy.

Another country in Europe which tends to win your hearts, yet isn't much discovered is Iceland. In my childhood, we use to kid around saying it's full of ice. But, Reykjavík is often dubbed "the nightlife capital of the north". Surprising, isn't it? It is famous for its nightlife during the weekends. Reykjavík hotels and other Iceland hotels are generally very reasonable and provide you with great services. Icelanders tend to go out late so bars that look rather quiet can fill up suddenly, usually around midnight on a weekend. One of the main causes for this is that alcohol is very expensive at bars, so people tend to drink at home before going out. Beer was banned in Iceland until 1 March 1989, but has since become Icelanders' drink of choice. However, like other alcoholic beverages, it is still quite expensive; a pint (actually a half litre) of beer in an Icelandic bar can cost between 500 and 800 krónur, or from 5,50 to 9 euro. To this end, some people show up late and are already drunk when they arrive at the bars downtown.There are over 100 different bars and clubs in Reykjavík; most of them are located on Laugavegur and its side streets. It is very common for an establishment that is a café before dinner to turn into a bar in the evening. Closing time is usually around 6AM on weekends and 1AM during the week. The staple food there is mostly fish, meat and dairy products. Overall, one must make it a point to visit atleast any one of these countries in case you visit Europe.

I've made up my mind to go there during my vacations. Have you?

Zero Worries For Valentine's Day

2008-01-18T13:07:00.000-08:00

Yeah, Christmas is now over and Valentine's Day is arriving speedily. It's just a few weeks away! It's time to celebrate, it's time to spread the love, and it's time to buy goodies for your loved ones. Can't find a good place to buy? Try CouponChief for a change.

CouponChief a subsidiary of CouponChief Inc. which provides online coupon deals and huge discounts on various products. The site features many other merchant sites which include Old Navy, OfficeMax, etc. These merchant sites provide you with the actual products and discounts. All you need to do is search for the product and get the coupon code. You will be then redirected to that merchant site where you enter the code and buy the product. It's that simple! A good thing about CouponChief is that, you'll find great customer support, which according to me is a plus point for e-commerce services. And they provide you with coupons and discounts, that are unmatched indeed.

So what are you waiting for? Visit the site and celebrate Valentine's Day with love and gifts....

Start Your Own Online Shop Using Ashop

2008-01-14T12:36:00.000-08:00

Sam wanted to start a store to sell his products, ranging from clothes to used electronics. But he did not have enough market in his area. One day, he decided to go global, by going online. But the problem was, he was a computer illiterate. Although he knew just the basics, he had zero knowledge of web designing or scripting. This how he found Ashop.

Ashop is a sort of software for creating an online store very easily. It's a one-of-a-kind site that offers to manage almost everything, from design to traffic handling. It's features include a rich What You See Is What You Get(WYSIWYG) editor, comprehensive text and video tutorials, a customisable template system and much more. And one of the most things that are the best here, is the customer support. If you ever require any kind of help, there are many ways and means by which you will get help here. The site is well built and makes a fine impression on the mind of a budding online seller.

What I like the most is the web optimization the provide. For instance, your Page titles will be embedded with tags to get a better page ranking. They would also provide you with free SEO tools and services. The page URLs would be search engine spider friendly.

Of course, the most crucial thing is the pricing. Ashop provides a great value for money with apt services for an amount which is the most reasonable and most competitive in their field. They take care of everything, absolutely everything, you just have to supply the products.

Now Sam can certainly relax and make money by selling his products online. He just has to supply his goods and make good deals online. Isn't it a fair deal? So, go, have a look at the ecommerce software

Tata Finally Unveils 'Nano' The Swanky Rs.1 Lakh Car

2008-01-10T12:46:00.000-08:00

At last, after five years of speculations, Tata Motors finally unveiled the world's cheapest car, named 'Nano' in the Indian Auto Expo 2008 in New Delhi. The car costs $2000 or Rs.1 lakh. The car is all set to target the middle class, and who knows, it may be the largest selling car in India after Maruti 800. The mini-car is sure to put Indians in the driver's seat. Ratan Tata, chairman of the second largest, and one of the oldest companies of India wants every Indian to drive, just as Capt.G.R Gopinath, the founder of Air Deccan, want every Indian to fly.

Well, now let's look at its dimensions. Its 3 metres long, 1.5 metres wide and 1.5 metres high and has four seats. Unfortunately, there is very little boot space. The car is a rear mounted, 33 horsepower, MPFi engine, which boasts a mileage of 20 kilometres a litre. Moreover, it is in accordance with Euro IV standards, which makes it less polluting than other vehicles. The car actually reminded me of the Small car used by Inspector Klauseau(Steve Martin) in the movie Pink Panther

The production of the car may start this year in Singur, Orissa. There was quite a controversy on this issue as the farmers there weren't willing to give up their lands for the factory construction. Or perhaps, the Tatas did not provide enough compensation. But as history goes, the Tatas are well known philanthropists. Or maybe, it's just good old politics. Even during the launch, protesters gathered at the venue as the media coverage was very large and the protesters hoped to get some exposure.

With the launch of this car, Tata Motors has has started a new era, which will see many competitors slugging it out to make the cheapest car. For example, Bajaj, the two wheeler major and the pioneer of the autorickshaws, plans to tie with Renault and develop a $3000 dollar car. Even Hero Honda plans to produce a similar car, but maybe it's electric version. But, the best part is, thanks to this competition, millions of Indians and others will be benefited from this launch. For instance, Maruti Suzuki is expected to slash the rates of the small segment cars. Now it's time to hope for an electric version so that it is cost, user and environmental friendly.

I Want To Know What You Did For The Environment Last Year...

2008-01-06T00:52:00.000-08:00

The year 2007 was full of anti-nature events. Indian and Chinese economies continued to boom which could be a natural disaster. And America was still adamant and hasn't yet signed the Kyoto Protocol as its economy will decline! We all saw people protesting in various parts of world for many causes related to the environment and global warming. All were busy cursing the their respective governments for doing nothing. But I must ask, what did WE do? I mean what did you do? Did you curse the government? Or you did something which could make the earth a cleaner place?

Let me tell you what I did. I saved some electricity by switching on the computer only after 10 pm and used it for not more than 1 hour. I mostly travelled by public transport and used my vehicle less often. Sometimes, along with my friends, I managed to organize some electrcity-free hours in our area. And one of the most important thing was stopped the use of polyethene bags and switched to cloth bags. Also, an article on what pro-nature-measures are to be taken was posted in this blog. You can view it here.

So,what did YOU did last year for the environment?

How The Mumbai Dabbawallahs Show Accuracy Without Technology

2008-01-01T09:27:00.000-08:00

Mumbai is considered to a city of dreams. The only difficulty faced here is time. It's really difficult to cope up with time. And so Mumbaikars are very well known for their swiftness. The heart of businesses in Mumbai is its southern part. You must see the influx of people in the mornings into this region. And the biggest problem for the working people is food. They all prefer food which is homemade and hygienic. And this is how the Dabbawallahs come into picture. Many have heard of them. But have you ever thought how they work? Well, here's an insight.....

To get a better understanding, we'll mark a place here in Mumbai. Let this place be Mulund. You can see it here in the map in the right top corner. Mr.Batliwala(a fictitious name) has his office in Fort(the lower dot). His wife prepares food at around 8 am. And it should reach him before 10:30 am. As she packs the tiffin, the dabbawallah arrives, sharp at 8. The dabbawallah first takes it, along with many dabbas or tiffins to a central area in Mulund which is decided by them. The second dabbawallah takes several such packs of dabbas from other dabbawallahs and takes it to the Mulund railway station.

The time is now 8:30. Here with the help of another dabbawallah, he puts all such packages on a cart, and boards it in the next local train towards Mumbai CST. Now, other dabbawallahs already on board receive this cart. As the train moves towards the southern part, the number of such carts increases enormously. And as the train reaches the southern region, the carts reduce one by one as most of the offices are in the south. The train now reaches CST, its final stop. The time is now 9:45. The carts are quickly removed and the packages are sorted according to the areas. The next dabbawallah takes his package and delivers it to that particular area, from where the tiffins are sorted on the basis of their final destination and many other dabbawallahs deliver the tiffins to their respective destinations. And thus, by 10:30 am, Mr.Batliwalla gets his tiffin.

On an average, a tiffin is handled by around eight to ten dabbawallahs on its way. All this sounds really simple, but it's quite difficult considering the transport system and the time. Yet, all this is done everyday without any delay. Based on the location the customers are charged somewhere around Rs.250-300 a month. That is around 7 dollars a month! Be it bright sunlight or a rainy day, dabbawallahs are never deterred.

But did you notice the most important thing? Nothing at all is written, only the tiffin are marked according to their destination. The only so called technology used here is the local train. These dabbawallahs, around 1-2 thousand in number, deliver more than 200,000 tiffins in a day! And that too without any paperwork or the use of computers or mobiles or any damn thing, for that matter. These people illustrate the fact that humans can still be ahead without machines..........

What do you think about this? Do you know any other organisation working with such precision without the use of technology? Please leave your comments......

A futuristic and impartial search engine is finally here!

2007-12-27T11:20:00.000-08:00

Yes, you heard that right. Google seems to be growing old and partial day after day, making webmasters sick of so the called 'PageRank'. Today, the biggest headache for administrators is to customize their websites according to the search engines, which employ complex algorithms for indexing the websites on the basis of links. So, even if a person writes something that deserves the real publicity, he is devoid of the same, and the reason is - poor links. Such a pathetic scenario literally begs for a change.

Well, for now, there is no need to worry, as Earthfrisk.org has come to the rescue. It is an out-of-the-box search engine which has the capability to rule the Internet. It is based on an entirely different concept which may prove to be useful for people to get apt results.

This Search Engine displays combined results from premier search engines which include Google, Yahoo!, MSN, Ask, Clusty and many others. But the best part is, people can rate and comment the sites themselves to improve the results. All this forms that concept which is termed as Color Value(CV), which is analogous to pagerank.

And to add to the fun, they have started their toolbar, currently for Internet Explorer and Firefox(Hope they extend it to Opera and Safari). Bloggers can also add their own logo and make a custom toolbar which can be placed in their blogs, thereby increasing traffic to their blogs. They can also promote their posts using this toolbar.

On the whole, I can say Earthfrisk has the scope to rule the Internet search industry, with revolutionary concept, which will not only benefit webmasters, but also people who need apt content to go through.

*This is a sponsored post.

Poll : Who's the Indian of the year 2007?

2007-12-24T19:45:00.000-08:00

The year 2007 was a year full of events for India - good as well as bad. Many Indians/Indian Organisations made their marks in the form of good business men, or sportsmen, or actors. Maybe, 2007 is the luckiest year for Indians, who are on their way to conquer the world. But who is the best? Please cast your votes on the right. If you think someone else deserved the credit, you can add your opinion in the opinions page....

Dr.R Pachauri
He won the Noble Peace prize for for his notable work on policies dealing with climate change and global warming. He shared the nobel prize with former US Vice-president Al Gore. Born in Nainital, India, he completed his Industrial Engineering from North Carolina University. He headed many big companies before being elected as the chief of IPCC.

Ratan Tata
He catapaulted Tata Steel to the 5th position from 56th! He achieved this by the takeover of Anglo-Dutch steel manifacturer Corus for around USD 11 billion. Tata is the chairman of Tata group, which consists of many companies ranging from manifacture of fertilizers to manifacture of automobiles. And yes, he will be launching the much awaited Rs. 1 lakh car in January,2008.

Team India
They stunned the whole cricket world after clinching the the first Twenty20 World Cup, after defeating Pakistan in the final match. But the most important thing is, they did this without a coach and amidst criticism from all sides after their humiliating exit from the ICC Cricket World Cup. ALso, the good thing is, all players contributed equally in this victory, which is unlikely most of the times.

Vikram Pandit
He stunned the world after being elected as the chief of CitiGroup, the international conglomerate which includes banking and other financial services. Born in Nagpur, India, he was the former board member of Nasdaq. He also was the president investment and banking section of of Morgan Stanley. CitiGroup ranks 6th in the Fortune 500 list and market capitalization of more than 250 billion dollars.

BSE Sensex
The Bombay Stock Exchange continued its upward trend which started in mid 2006. It closed above twenty thousand points, which is double than last year's ten thousand. Many so called 'analysts' said that the Sensex would undergo severe losses due to corrections and government policies. But BSE proved them wrong and bulled theough the 20000 mark. The index is also the world's biggest index with over 800 companies listed.

The Ambani Brothers
After splitting their empire last year after their father's, Dhirubhai Ambani's death, Mukesh and Anil Ambani,have literally doubled their wealth. Maybe, they split their empire just to double it and also gain some media attention. Now, their shares have doubled, their services have improved, and at one point, Mukesh was the world's richest man surpassing even Bill Gates! Now, the brothers are the world's richest.

Amitabh Bachchan
The Star of the Millenium is even more ambitious now. He is still India's favourite. The 65 year old's stunning performances include Black, which was specially made for the Oscars. but unfortunately, it wasn't nominated. Even at this age, he continues to maintain his charm. You'll find him in most of the films, and advertisements. He restarted his career after his company ABCL incurred severe losses. ANd from then on, there was no looking back.

These were some of the most influential Indians. If you have anyone else on your mind, you are free to post your opinion.....