Winning doesn’t matter…celebration of participation does…

SSRVM (Sri Sri Ravi Shankar Vidya Mandir) Vidyaranyapura, Bangalore North, celebrated its annual sports day on Saturday, November 7, 2009. All parents were invited to be a part of the event, and so I was there.

The Sports Day sought witness to Pujya Guruji Sri Sri Ravi Shankar’s message of ‘celebration,’ wherein all the students were encouraged to inculcate the spirit of being a real sportsman, without giving in too much of a heck to the actual results; of course, every child that participated is invariably a winner.

Gyan aside.....the school captain and vice captains dressed in respective house uniforms welcomed the Chief Guest, Ms. Hilda D Mellow, a sports journalist with Mumbai Times. She flew all the way to Bangalore to wish the SSRVM children. Amidst lot of energy and fervor given by band, the torch was lighted and after the motivating speech by the chief guest (who had an interesting background and reason to choose sports writing as her career), all the houses performed a round of march past and gave a deserving salute that the guest deserved.

Then the real excitement picked up.....there was some amazing display of aerodynamics and Taek-Won-do. The synchronized display of self defence moves followed by Taek-won-do dance and tile-breaking feats by children indeed did cast a magical spell on the entire audience.

All parents and teachers watched with abated breaths and children performed stunts at ease. The Taek-won-do display was followed by sizzling stars wherein the first to fifth graders performed some amazing formations and some aerobics holding beautiful properties in their little hands. They were all bublling with lots of energy and the energy infected everyone seated and watched them.

The event was further highlighted by group competitive events including relay, passing the ball, passing through hoop, filling the bottle and dressing the tree for all; from eighth to the first graders. I really appreciated the idea and philosophy behind organizing such group events; first thing they definitely did include participation from all children from the respective grades, then such events will implicitly teach them how cooperation and team spirit and respecting the otherwise less-abled or skilled peers becomes important in their day-to-day lives.

All of the competitions sought to keep up the spirit of Art of Living and parents watched these events with as much enthusiasm as the children exuded while performing. There was a different kind of musical-chairs competition held for all parents. The entire ground reverberated with feverish enthu as the tempo set in with the teachers and the children cheering parents, subtly voicing the spirit of oneness. It doesnt matter who won that, I had lot of fun in being eliminated at the first stop when bespectacled parents were asked to leave the place. The fun was unstoppable until the winner was picked.

And, did I tell about the different student houses at SSRVM? You guys need to know about it. They are Shakthi(might), Bhakthi(devotion), Yukti(astute), and shanthi(calm). I believe all these forces are very much interrelated and essential to make a balanced humanbeing.

So, as regards, the sports event I was talking, all 4 houses won prizes in various events and the prizes were distributed by the Chief Guest. It must have been a precious moment for all those parents of kids who received some recognition. The event came to a close after the Principal, SSRVM Vidyaranyapura, Ms. Mamta rendered her vote of thanks to all those who pooled in efforts to make it as brilliant as it turned out to be.


Not end of it....
There was dance by all students after the prize distribution for a song named 'Vasudaika Kutumbakam' which means world is one family, and it had been a visual treat to say the least to all the spectators.

The winners didn't jeer the losers here. Yes, quite the contrary, the losers took pride they have made the winners .....How nice?

No wonder the beat of the song and the children's dance have been so damn inviting that even the chief guest and the SSRVM trustee (Sri. Ravidra Prasad ji) and a many parents joined in tapping their feet and vocalling the peppy tune of Vasudaika Kutumbakam.

The event came to a close with our National Anthem. It may have ended in just 3 hours, but, I, as a proud parent of SSRVM student, had a great day out not only witnessing the 10th annual sports day at SSRVM, vidyaranyapura but taking something out of it.

I can loudly say that I'd seen a great force in every child there; that can take the future generation to path of peace as well as harmony. In all, I saw all kids celebrating for what they are and that had given some message to everyone of the parents.....I'll cherish these memories for a long time to come and sharing it with you all guys gives me a sense of satisfaction.

To reiterate that, my 6-year-old kid’s answer to 7 wonders of the world: To See, To Hear, To Talk, To Touch, To Feel To Share and To Love! When we don't realize these seven wonders we are blessed with and celebrate them every moment.......we are as good as anything that doesn't have life, ain't?

Friendship day greetings to all buddies!

The tradition of dedicating one day in the honor of friends began first in the United States in 1935and the first Sunday in August is celebrated as Friendship Day. There is a small story behind this day!

During 1935 in United States there lived two friends who loved each other so much that they believed they were born for each of them. The US government killed one of the friends on the first Saturday in August for some reason. His friend who heard that his death could not take the news and so committed suicide i.e., on Sunday. It is in their remembrance that a day has been dedicated for all good friends!

If you believe you have got such a friend, then I say you are blessed!
If you believe you can do such a thing for your buddy, I salute you!
If you dont have a friend at all.....you are as good as dead!

Listen to Rod Stewart's voice crying 'That's what friends are for' here and let me know if you have not related it to your own life or if you never had tears rolling down your eyes!


That's What Friends Are For - Click here for more free videos

The Lyrics here:

And I, never thought I'd feel this way
And as far as I am concerned
I'm glad I have got the chance to to say
That I do believe.... I love you

And if, I should ever go away
Well then close your eyes
and try... to feel the way we do......today
And then ..if you can remember
keep smiling
keep shining
Knowing you can always count on me
for sure...that's what friends are for
For good times
and bad times
I'll be on your side forever more
That's what friends are for......


Well you came and opened me
And now there's so much more I see
and so ...by the way I thank you...oh
And then... for the times when we're apart
Well then close your eyes and you love
That these words are coming from my heart
And then if you can remember

Keep smiling ...Keep shining
Knowing you can always count on me
for sure......That's what friends are for
in good times
and bad times
I'll be on your side forever more
That's what friends are for.......
Keep smiling ...Keep shining
Knowing you can always count on me
for sure
That's what friends are for....
For good times
and bad times
I'll be on your side forever more
That's what friends are for.............
Keep smiling ...Keep shining
Knowing you can always count on me
for sure...because I tell you
That's what friends are for
For good times
and those bad times
I'll be on your side forever more

That's what friends are for.............

I dont leave for sure...
I don't leave for sure...
I don't leave for sure...
That's what friends are for.....

Susan Boyle is not Britain’s Got Talent Winner….yet

Winner of Britain's Got Talent- not Susan Boyle. She had lost to the 10-member dance team. However it was Susan Boyle who came to the finals as odds-on favorite. The Scottish Singing Sensation Susan Boyle may have lost Britain’s Got Talent 2009, but she has won so much of fan following she will find hard to cope up with. The spinster singer Susan Boyle, who suddenly rose from nowhere to stardom, falters in handling the unbelievable pressure building on her ever since she started her journey in Britain’s Got Talent.

It was her audition song ‘I Dreamed a Dream’ that brought her so much of a fame and fan following. She had rendered the same song in the finals, unfortunately last two weeks had seen negative stories and blogs building up about the street performer (she remained a spinster to look after her ailing mother) and that must have affected her ratings and influenced people in a vote-deciding finale of the BGT. The 10-member dance troupe from Essex and East London, Diversity is Britain’s Got Talent winner and they have got about 25 per cent of the 4 million telephonic votes. Susan Boyle with 20% votes came a close second in the show.

Even after losing, Susan was smiling. "The best people won. They are very entertaining," the singer was quoted of saying.

Susan Boyle should not have repeated her opening song once again in the decider final, which might have been another reason for poor votes and her downfall.

No matter what, Susan Boyle is now a new brand and a sensation who will remain in our memories as an IDOL for some years to come. To challenge a team itself she shows that she’d gotten the talent to face a final of a reality show!

Susan will be reckoned an IDOL and a wonderful woman!

Cyclone Aila Bangla asche

West Bengal is under Cyclone Aila alert. According to Meteorological Department the cyclone that was generated in the east of Paradip, is expected to cross West Bengal coast this afternoon with a wind speed of 140 kilometer per hour.

The Meteorological Department forecasted heavy rains and gale winds to sweep over Bangladesh as well as West Bengal for the next 24 hours. The West Bengal government had declared a red alert and army put on alert as well. State is also gearing up for contingency relief operations.

Chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee took a stock of the situation. Meanwhile 2 people were killed in a tree collapse incident due to the gusty winds and the storm. The State capital Kolkata Police urged that the schools be closed today afternoon. Several private and public offices in Kolkata declared a holiday following the Cyclone Aila alert.

Caught in Zoozoomania with the ZooZooper Ads

The best thing that happened to the Indian advertisement amidst the DLF IPL 2009 is the latest IPL 2009 Vodafone TV ads.

The creativity behind the making of these zoo zoo ads deserves special mention. And, no, these ads don’t feature the pug or the girl. They have ZooZoos; indeed the zoozoo ads have been made in South Africa and they stood out at the end of the IPL 2009. I came to know that the Zoozoos have got a fan club on social networking sites with over 26,000 fans and the number is increasing everyday.

The zoozooper ads have achieved a talk value that is so envious and an example of how creativity can create abuzz for a brand. There have been reports that even hi-profile digital addicts too coming to talk about the ZooZoo ads.


These are real faces behind the cute and adorable zoo zoos!

Now that’s what is the potential of these squeaky creatures, they have overpowered people with zoozoomania, apart from winning PETA Glitterbox award. Let’s talk more about the ZooZoos. Vodafone has been generous enough; it is now giving back cool stuff including Zoozoo screensavers, zoozoo wallpapers, zoozoo sounds (including the zoozoo laughter and zoozoo music) zoozoo ringtones, along with other IPL related stuff. But it’s not enough and there is actually room for more.

There is room to create more of the zoozooism and stories. Vodafone has been creative to brand consolidation through zoozoo quizzes. With the viewers mind evolving in the internet time, ad creation agencies must think out of box to create lasting impressions. I don’t demean the pug ad or the girl ad of vodafone. They do have a high cuteness quotient, but the zoozoo ads have not only high just cuteness quotient, but also high creative quotient. In fact, they have added brand value quotient to Vodafone.

It’s now in the hands of ad agency and the zoozooper team to keep the zoozoomania going and make the best use of it. Cool and not-to-get bored inspiring ads from Ogilvy and Mather, the creatives behind the zoozooper ads.

Momma's moments

At times.....
I still can’t believe that you’re my own
At times.....
I keep pondering as to what good I’ve done at all to be blessed with a girl like you
At times.....
Even as you are asleep I would be gazing at you with all my admiratiom
At times......
I keep smiling and grinning long at what you have said or done ....and gone
At times......
You make me wonder with those no-answer questions and difficult-to-unravel doubts you shoot with so much wisdom
At times.....
I long to have your arms hugging me tight
At times......
I believe that it’s you and you alone that can get me going
At times......
When you listen to momma's stories with deep concentration I wonder nothing else matter to me
At times......
When you are at school I feel so emptied and alone I see there is no place I really belong to without you
At times.....
I wonder at the protector in you for me, a chuddy buddy counselor in you for me and the punisher in you for me of course
And .....At times....
Just at times once in a year like this I get a chance to wish you an Eventful Birthday and Godspeed!

For my darling daughter Sravanthi who turned 6 on the 10th May-You mean more than the world to me!

New Zealand hunts for couple who became accidental millionaires

In what is supposed to be a costly error by New Zealand's Westpac Bank, a person accidentally became a millionaire after inappropriately withdrawing millions in a day in Wellington.

A customer asked his Westpac Bank to give him an overdraft for 10,000 New Zealand dollars and in an admitted blunder, the Westpac Bank gave him overdraft facility for 10 million dollars.

The customer tried to pocket in 6.7 million dollars but Westpac Bank could recover 2.8 million dollars that makes him swindle away 3.9 million New Zealand dollars out of the country. Both bank and New Zealand police are clueless about the identity of the customer.

However, according to police sources, the customer was believed to have fled with his girlfriend to Hong Kong.

The Interpol has been put on alert and the New Zealand police are inquiring the Hong Kong and Beijing police of any emigration suspects. According to Detective although they have some doubt on one Leo Gao who owns auto servicing station in Rotorua which is now in receivership with a woman who is supposedly the man’s girlfriend, one Kara Young, as the couple who must have fled out of the country with the money.

Westpac Bank is pursuing on taking a serious criminal and civil action to recover all the inappropriately withdrawn money.

IPL 2009 Vodafone TV Commercials with ZooZoos Win PETA 2009 Glitterbox Award

IPL 2009 Vodafone TV Commercials have not only won hearts of millions of viewers (these are certainly programskip worthy and channelskip worthy commercials that we have seen in the recent times), but the crew behind the making of these commercials won the first PETA (People for Ethical Treatment for Animals) 2009 Glitterbox Award.

The Glitterbox Award is presented to the Vodafone IPL 2009 TV ad makers for using humans instead of real animals in promoting a brand. We know that the current Vodafone TV commercials are ZooZoos based!

It should be remembered in this context that PETA had raised objections to earlier Vodafone TVCs that used a PUG and a parakeet.

The Vodafone Pug commercial became so popular that it had surprisingly increased people's love for the pugs and each pug pup was selling at even 50,000 rupees by the breeders.

The current ZooZoos ads are not only a welcome change by the PETA but they are taken so refreshing by the viewers. A message conveyed candidly without having to use an animal. The creativity of these ads is appreciated by many competitors as well.

In fact, my 6-year-old daughter started loving these zoozoos lately that she was asking me if ZooZoos are available as soft toys. I was pondering after she had asked me that ZooZoo soft toys will be great hit to further consolidate Vodafone's market share or take the brand further!

Anyways, Congratulations to the creative team behind the Vodafone IPL 2009 TV commercials that won the PETA 2009 Glitterbox Award.

Alfie Patten discovers he was not the father of Chantelle Stedman's baby

Alfie Patten discovers he was not the father of his 15-year-old girl friend Chantelle Stedman.

The 13-year-old baby-faced Briton boy Alfie Patten who took pride and thought to have become father of his girlfriend 15-year-old Chantelle Stedman’s baby, had a shock of his life when the paternity test voted him out!.

According to reports it’s another boy, one 15-year-old Tyler Barker, who lives in the same neighborhood as Chantelle Stedman in the Eastbourne, is the father of baby Maisie Roxxane.

Tyler Barker told that he had lost his virginity to 15-year-old Chantelle on a night during last May after drinking together at her home.

Tyler Barker told Daily Mirror that he hadn’t used any forms of contraception and that Chantelle told she would use an after pill later in the morning. Had the tests proved Alfie’s paternity true, he would have bee father at as young as 13 years of age.

The entire episode of Alfie Patten and Chantelle Stedman whips the educationists in England calling for better sex education in England. England holds the distinction of having highest rate of teen pregnancies in the Western Europe.

Aamir Khan and Kate Winslet In an Indian movie

Imagine 2 acting aces like Aamir Khan and Kate Winslet playing leads together?

As an Aamir’s fan I am just thrilled if not more by the combination. Yes! And should everything go well and industry sources to be taken serious, then the maverick director Pan Nalin (remember his Sansara film that received rave reviews while grossing $20 m at the box office?) is full throttle to rope in superstar Aamir Khan and British actress Kate Winslet for his next film. The film name is not decided as yet, but the director Pan Nalin has two names in his mind. The film will be based on Saadat Hasan Manto’s (Pakistani story writer and playwright) short story Toba Tek Singh. It's believed that Aamir Khan loved the script when Pan Nalin narrated but the actor’s spokesperson hasn’t confirmed anything as yet.

Aamir Khan will have Kate Winslet pairing him should dates be not a problem for both. People appreciate Aamir Khan’s on screen chemistry with any of his female protagonists and his fans will be eager to see him pair with the British beautiful actress Kate Winslet

Pan Nalin is currently in Cannes for screening his short story films and oncehe comes back we will get more news on Toba Tek Singh. The film will be shot from August and if Aamir Khan and Kate Winslet doesn’t confirm on dates, the director Pan Nalin is thinking to rope Saif Ali Khan and Rachel Weisz for the same lead pair.

The plot of the film will be run in the backdrop of a satirical comedy and goes like this: Aamir Khan as Bishen Singh plays a lunatic and Kate Winslet as Dr. Sophie plays a doctor in an asylum where lunatics are housed. After independence it’s the exchange of lunatics between the two countries, India and Pakistan that form the story.

Aamir Khan and Kate Winslet fans will be all eyes to see them together for Toba Tek Singh on the bigscreen!

Farrah's Story- The chronicles of Farrah's cancer treatment

People will now love Farrah Fawcett more than ever. The NBC brought a special named 'Farrah's Story' which is based on Farrah Fawcett abd ger daily chronicles with cancer.

Farrah's Story is a thoroughly transparent show dedicated to all cancer struck people and, needless to say, it's an inspiration to all sufferers.

Its not easy to live with spirit when cancer intrudes into a person's life, but the Charlie's Angels' Star Farrah Fawcett defies all and had shown how a woman can be so strong to endure pains of endless surgeries and treatments. It is her faith coupled with strength and optimism that has taken her to this far. Farrah Fawcett is fortunate to have a bunch of buddies and the love she got from her friends, son, father and Ryan O'Neal, her romantic partner, gave her all the comfort she needed when she was in hell of a pain.

Farrah was diagnosed of anal cancer way back in 2006 and she is undergoing treatment. The woman did not opt for chemotherapy but went ahead with surgeries and radiation. The hope she had in living with cancer, Farrah Fawcett called in camera to picturize her chronicling fight with the cancer. Her romantic partner Ryan O'Neal had been by her side and Alana Stewart her close buddy was behind the camera and produced it in the name of 'Farrah's Story' It was aired by NBC last Friday 9 p.m. EDT.

In case you missed it view some part of it here. You will be surrounded by a special Farrah spirit and that is HOPE! I love you Farrah for the woman you are!

India gives its verdict- Votes Congress back to power, but here are some surprising losers!

So, the verdict is clear and India gave a clear mandate to the Congress-led UPA. In fact it has been Congress party’s best performances in the recent times. Performance of Left parties had been pretty pathetic especially in West Bengal. Thanks to youthful Rahul Gandhi whose speeches had influence on the youth of the country, and Congress comes back to power!

Still, there are some shockers in the General Elections 2009. There have been results that came as shocks to many. Although, Finance Minister Chidambaram retains his Shivaganga seat, it was a nail biter and he wins it by a small margin. About 6 of the UPA’s ministers lost their Lok Sabha seats. Who they are?


The Panchayati Raj Minister and Congress Spokesperson Mani Shanker Aiyar lost from Tamil Nadu, Heavy Industries Minister Santosh Mohan Deb loses from Assam, the Minority Affairs Minister AR Antulay loses from Maharashtra, Textiles Minister Shanker Singh Vaghela and Minister of State for Railways Naranbhai Rathwa both lost from Gujarat. Renuka Chowdhary, the women minister of State with Independent charge for Women and Child Development lost from Andhra Pradesh. The Railways Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav of Rashtriya Janata Dal also loses one of his two contested seats.

There is another shocker for former minister Ram Vilas Paswan of Lok Janshakti. The Lok Janshakti party chief lost his Hajipur seat in Bihar. If you remember Ram Vilas Paswan has record in his name to have won with highest majority.

Victoria Gotti’s home foreclosed by JP Morgan Chase

Remember Victoria Gotti? The mafia princess and the former reality TV star?

Gotti's now gotta go homeless! Yes! JP Morgan Chase finally, and yes FINALLY foreclosed Victoria Gotti’s house after 2 years of falling behind. The palatial mansion on Long Island that featured in Growing up Gotti Reality television show is now foreclosed by JP Morgan after her longstanding dues mounted to whopping high of $650k.

The money lender JP Morgan Chase remarks that the daughter of John Gotti took the money in September 2006 and fell behind to repay back.

According to court record, the former reality star became the sole owner in 2005, according to court records. The mafia princess owed $25,000 every month to the bank and according to the lender she never paid in full.

While the 46-year-old mafia princess is not readily available for any comments, her mother Victoria blamed the entire thing on Gotti’s former husband, Carmine Agnello whom her daughter divorced in 2003.

Splitsville now has Katie Price Jordan and Peter Andre as new additions

Splitsville looks crowded, the latest addition being tabloid darlings Katie Price and Peter Andre.

The couple had to announce a break up barely after they had announced that they are trying for a third child. The couple who were married in 2004 have 2 children; Junior and Princess Tiamii. While Katie Price has another child, 6-year-old Harvey from her previous relationship with footballer Dwight Yorke. As soon as the separation news was made public by her musician husband Peter Andre, Katie Price Jordan fled the country with her two kids to an unknown place leaving behind Harvey with a governess, in a bid to avoid social embarrassment. She remarked that the news devastated her.

According to her, the decision was made all of sudden giving her no chance to mend things.

When Stars come in support? Titanic Stars, Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio pour in help to the Titanic Ship's last survivor

The stars of the movie Titanic Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet pledged to financially bail out the last survivor of the sunken ship and ocean liner Titanic.

The stars along with Titanic director, James Cameron contributed about $30,000 to The Millvina Fund which was launched in aide of the ailing Millvina Dean. The fund will subsidize the Millvina Dean (the 97-year-old last survivor of the ship) nursing home fees.

It should be noted that Millvina Dean was just 9 weeks old when on the ill fated night of April 14, 1912 she was survived along with her mother and brother. She lost her father in the tragedy. She has been a resident of Southampton for the past 3 years eversince she broke her hip. The ailing survivor had been struggling to pay her nursing home fees and had to sell away several Titanic souvenirs to meet her daily expenses.

The stars with a big heart then launched The Millvina Fund in Belfast, in support of the woman and said she should be able to rest at ease with some fund taking care of her nursing home bills.

IPL 2009 Vodafone TV Commercials

Vodafone ZooZoos!

Friends! Did you see the new Vodafone TVCs that are coming in between IPL matches? Have you enjoyed the white clothed big-headed toons shown in these commercials? They made us all laugh and wonder and simply enjoy the commercials. But let me tell ya one thing. These are not toons or animations, instead humans! Eek is it? Yes, shocker maybe, but these are humans that are made to look like animations. According to the executive creative director of O&M, Rajiv Rao, who takes credit of making Vodafone commercials, they are called ZooZoos. The agency behind Vodafone TVCs is Bangalore-based Ogilvy & Mather India Ltd but execution of the new IPL 2009 special Vodafone commercials is done by the Nirvana Films and all credits to director Prakash Varma of Nirvana films.

The director roped in some young girls and in skinny white clothese resembling toons. Actually, Prakash tried to impress us with the idea of using living beings that looked like lifeless figurines.

Nirvana Films have made about 29 ads using ZooZoos with one new ad featuring after every 5 days interval of IPL 2009. The expressions on face are created using rubber like material and they are made to resemble like extra-terrestrial beings talking gibberish.

Needless to say Vodafone ZooZoos have become as much endearing as the sweet pug or the little girl! Way to go Prakash Varma!

DNA tests to confirm Alfie Patten's paternity

The latest developments in the case of Alfie Patten who hit the headlines last week by becoming father at 13 years age is that two other teenagers claimed that they could be father of Maisie Roxanne, the week-old infant baby Alfie Patten and Chantelle Steadman. However, Chantelle rubbished away the claims of the other boys saying Alfie is the only boyfriend she shared bed with. Chantelle was also reported of saying, "cruel things have been said but I am just trying to look after my baby and ignore them."

Penny Steadman, mother of Chantelle, said that she had never seen her 15yo so upset and dismissed the claims that she is intimate with several boys. Obviously, Pattens’ are disturbed with claims of paternity about Maisie Roxanne, and the only resolve for the issue is DNA test and Nicola Patten agrees for the DNA tests to confirm Alfie’s paternity

Amidst rumors that the two British tabloids The Sun and The People paid huge 5-figure money to the Pattens' The Press Complaints Commission announced that its on a mission to set up a commission which will enquire about the entire issue and check if the two newspapers have violated the industry code. The Press Complaints Commission does allow violation of code for certain issues of public interest.

The issue though has raised so many worrying questions about the modern society, in particular, its repurcussions on growing kids.

Should the DNA tests confirm paternity of Alfie Patten, the boy will become youngest father in Britain, but mankind in its entirety will hang their heads down in shame!

Sami Labs Utsav 2009: My V Day dayout!

When the organizers of Sami Labs Ltd Utsav 2009, approached me with a request to be one of the judges for their inter-unit competitions, I had one more reason to smile. Beating recession during turbulent weather like this and celebrating company day is something amazing, and to be a part of such an event will be great I thought. I gladly obliged to be one.

The Sami Labs Utsav 2009 marked with several sports and cultural competitions among their different units. The sports competitions culminated last week though, and I had been part of the one-day cultural fest which they rightly named Sami Labs Utsav 2009. The event fell on the 14th day of February 2009.

Traffic jams at multiple places took the car that picked all 3 of us (all 3 from our DOS Housing colony went as competition and event judges) a little late to the venue and as soon as we occupied the three distinguished seats, the Sami Labs Utsav 2009 began.

Sami Labs Ltd., should take pride in the wonderful and spontaneous MC they had in Mr. Jayaraman (I guess I recall his name right). He started the day’s event with an invocation. He rendered it so well, let me honestly confess, he surely invoked The Almighty, and I could feel presence of The Divine for a while at least inside the auditorium (Its the Bunt’s Sangha on the Vijayanagar Road). After invoking God/s the event kick started with lighting the lamp and Sami Labs Ltd., Board of Directors helped with the proceedings.

The first event we watched had been the Group Song. The participation had been quite enthusiastic with several teams (as I recall Organica, Corporate, Corporate R&D, Edkal, Kunigal, Hyderabad…..so on so forth) group rendering folklores to some spirited patriotic songs. I earnestly waited for the Hyderabad unit’s group singing, but they’d disappointed me. After this event, there had been a small kitkat break (and kitkats were not served but yes we were served some hot coffee and cookies). I looked around the inside of the auditorium, and it’s a huge one jam packed with the staff and is generous enough accommodating about at least 500 members. What impressed me the most is the wonderful acoustics inside.

After the coffee break, it was the solo song and the solo dance events, and there had been a mixture of good and bad performances. What I liked again is that the MCs (and believe me, they are no other than the company's own personnel who looked adept at MCing as well) were so spontaneous and they never allowed monotony to break inside the auditorium, they threw some quiz questions every now and then and the spirit was all the time with the crowd. The solo dance ended with Sami Labs Ltd own MJ performing some cool number. Boy Oh! Boy, he tried to bend every bone( although his costume looked slightly mismatching).

This was followed by a lunch break and we were taken care of very well by the staff there (Did I thank them individually?). Sravanthi, my 5yo told me she’d been having a nice time (she indeed had been trying hard to bias me saying, “Amma! 5 marks for this person and 3 marks to those she felt not all that nice....and of course with her own reasoning).

After lunch, the competitions continued with event being group dance (I liked maza kali choreography, where three people danced or rather mimicked as birds, but god knows why they had to accessorize themselves with flowers around their necks and also they seemed to dance with consciousness) I love to see people dancing to losing…err did you get what I meant?…Losing themselves in the world of dance, enjoying their dance rather than consciously move around.

The group dance was followed by fashion show. I was so apprehensive about this event for obvious reason. I have brought my 5yo kid with me. But it was kind of refreshing and a lovely event that I thoroughly enjoyed having not seen in live ever in my life.

Let me appreciate through this post, the enthusiasm sported by Kunigal team whose theme is simplicity. They all walked the ramp with so much of guts, but other teams were too good for them. Inner light theme did lack clarity, but their costumes and presentation outclassed others. Our obvious choice was the team that represented that theme.

End of the day, my feeling was that Sami Labs personnel are not just research scientists and operators of factory equipment. Nah! These are not mere nerds; they have loads of talent and given an opportunity they might become musicians, and dancers and wonderful event organizers at least Utsav 2009 proves to me so!

Before we left we saw people cheering to the results, and it had been a satisfying and purposeful day out for me and my kid with people of Sami Labs Ltd. I wish and pray that the company grows big generating more and more employment to Indians as well as making a big name for itself in the field of cosmoceuticals and nutraceuticals as well as research. And ah! I ignored to mention that we three judges were sent off with some lovely Sami Labs Ltd Utsav 2009 momentos. We came home with those momentos as well as some good memories!

If you happen to be a Sami Labs Ltd., employee who is reading this post, accept my hi :-)and you people rocked really!

13-year-old Briton, Alfie Patten becomes father

Alfie Patten and Chantelle Steadman with their newborn
(Looks to me like elder brother feeding his younger brother)

Today morning, I woke up to some disturbing news on Times Of India daily. A 13 year old becomes father, said the news. The news piece that featured a picture of the 13yo boy with his girlfriend who is 15 years of age, sent me to tizzy. I know that kids these days are stepping into maturity way sooner than earlier generations. I’ve long discussions with my friends quite often and we almost believe that it’s due to over exposure by media and sadly by over nutrition and chemicals pumped by cheeseburgers and those fried chicken kind of stuff, that children, these days are losing innocence way sooner and started experiencing basic instincts of life sooner than supposed to be(deep sigh).

It became very hard on my part to believe the story. Because the boy, Alfie Patten, in particular looked darn so cute maybe like a 7-8 year-old, so innocent with not even a single pimple popping out on his lovely cheeks. But, yes this 13-year-old whose name is Alfie Patten reported of saying that he will be a good dad and does care to be one. Acting way too big for his age. His girlfriend, Chantelle Steadman, who is just 15 is in a birth suite struggling to breast-feed her baby, Maisie Roxanne, while her peers are enjoying in school playground. What to wish these two father and mother duo Alfie and Chantelle, who left their childhood and embraced parenthood this early in their lives?


Alfie Patten whose face is still baby like holding his baby, Maisie Roxanne

I think Homo sapiens became a sick species by now and looks like mutating to something horrible (we have seen enough of paedophilics and enough of perverts but this is something indigestible). Isn’t this high time for parents, governments and media to take a pledge so we don’t see happening of such disturbing things in future?

Birthday Wishes For My Dearest Friend!

What do I wish you on your birthday?
Do I wish for realization of
your fondest dreams? or
piling up experiences big and small
that can enrich you all in all?

Maybe I cant contain in words what I wanted to wish you! To sum it up I wish that

Every candle put on your cake
galore you with gifts slake
everything you’ve wanted most in your life
may come to you in rife,

I hope and wish that you derive as much pleasure
from the friendship we share as I derive.
I always wished we were born as sisters,
that would have given me chance to know you from the beginning

never mind I’m now looking forward to cherishing the relationship we share
not just for today but for many more birthdays you are going to celebrate!
I'm ever glad that you were born, because you’ve brightened my life in more ways than you know and your contagious smile fill my life with joy than I ever experienced!

Many million happy returns of the day dear!

PS:
I thank Google for it gave me a chance to express my love this way!

Billu: Movie Review

Film: Billu (earlier it had been Billu Barber but now changed to Billu)
Genre: Drama
Cast: Irrfan Khan, Lara Dutta, Shah Rukh Khan, Kareena Kapoor, Deepika Padukone, Priyanka Chopra, Ompuri, Asrani, etc
Director: Priyadarshan
Producer: Shahrukh Khan
Writers: Manisha Korde
Mushtaq Sheikh
Sreenivasan
Duration: 2 hours and 20 minutes
Reviewer's rating: 2.5/5

The film, Billu (Barber is no more in the title) is a scene-to-scene rather frame-to-frame copy of (err…remake) of the original, Kadha Parayambol which is a story of Krishna and Sudama in the modern setting. This was remade as Kuselan in Tamil and it had been a disastrous failure. But that didn’t move Priyadarshan. The man who earlier filmed some memorable flicks such as Virasat had courageously attempted to remake the movie in Hindi which doesn't impress audience for sure.

Irrfan Khan played as Billu Barber in the film and it feels like he is apt for the role. It is learnt that Irrfan learnt the art of haircutting from a street barber and not a hairstylist. No wonder he looked more than natural as Billu the Barber in the film, and the more he commits to his roles the more adorable this guy becomes. The storyline of Billu goes like this: Bilas Rao Pardesi (Irrfan Khan) is a village barber and is called by his villagers as Billu Barber. It’s not all that picture perfect life for Billu, who is married and has two kids. He with his wife Bindiya (played by Lara Dutta) and two kids struggle in day to day life to meet daily necessities. His measly income as fulltime village barber seems just not enough, yet he remains a man of self respect.

Things are not the same forever for Billu. Super Star Sahir Khan (Shah Rukh Khan) comes to his village for a film shoot and Billoo realizes that the super star is none other than his childhood buddy Sahir. This fact changes the image of Billu Barber in the village and he attains popularity overnight. The rich of the village, his kids school headmaster and all of Sahir Khan’s fans want to use Billu to catch a glimpse of the super star, some even willing to help Billu the monetary way and entire village threatening to boycott him from the village as well.

The modern Sudama aka Billu doesn’t use his childhood friendship with Sahir Khan to tide away the financial difficulties, and the modern Krishna aka Sahir Khan is no different either, he being modest and generous to his childhood friend. Priyadarshan doesn’t deviate from the folklore, and we all know it anyway. The narration of the story appears flat with no twists. The emotion-loaded climax is the only respite.

By accepting the role of Bindiya, I thought Lara Dutta started evolving into some serious acting. I’ve also read too much about her de-glamorized natural makeup. I seriously thought she would be perfect Billu’s wife, only to my disappointment. She miserably fails to impress as wife of Billu the barber. Irrfan Khan steals away the show. OMG! He charms a lot by acting with such ease! His body language syncs so perfectly with any role he plays, and you are never bored by a stereotype from him. Maybe, he should not be accepting every other offer and take his talents serious. Roles like Billu can make him a laughing stock sadly. SRK adds glamour quotient to the Billu movie with three sexy babes and item numbers. Its Kareena Kapoor, Deepika Padukone and Priyanka Chopra that add the femme fatale quotient and they are seen in just the item numbers. I liked the song Mar Jaani which features SRK and Kareena. Rest of the songs fail to impress and you keep wondering if it is the same Pritam. In fact, I liked the re-recording more than the songs.

Overall, I sum up Billu movie as an average movie, and if you go to the theaters without too much of expectations you can sit for 140 minutes without too many huhs and ouhs!

Valentine's Day-Celebrate it Lord Krishna Way

This post intends to say one thing to the protestors of Valentine’s Day, members of Sri Rama Sena group. Sari for chaddi will not stop anyone from enjoying a party. There is no harm celebrating love. What is our own vasanthotsav meant for? It’s a celebration of love and didn’t you know about Lord Krishna who advocated only LOVE and its celebration?

Didn’t you see Krishna celebrating love with radha and 16,000 gopikas. Its well depicted in our own temples. Their love is elevated so much so that we’ve been admiring Krishna, the lover.

Krishna’s style of celebrating love is by far the greatest if you know Hinduism in depth, and Hinduism certainly gets a promotion from Lord Krishna’s policy on love. Anyone to discount that? And FYI Krishna and Rama are only incarnations of Lord Vishnu and its only now that Sri Rama Sena group is trying to deface the otherwise peaceful Hinduism per se.

So my dear Sri Rama Sena friends do not over react! This is just not the way to treat pub culture. Learn that if you suppress the desire (going to pubs) it only gets magnified and people will find routes to satiate the same.

Jai Krishna! Just celebrate the Valentines Day and Spread the message of love Lord Krishna style. Have a great time!

AdSense: Optimize and Maximize Your Profits Doing Nothing

AdSense has become a fantastic advertising idea that was conceptualized by Google, the specialist in search engine technology, a few years back. There may be a lot of general advertising ideas inferred later on, but this can be given credit to be something unlikely in nature. The program presents itself with an income opportunity by allowing Google to post text- or image-based advertisement on the websites. It even extends to new website publishers or inexperienced internet marketers the chance to make money.

For Google AdSense publishers, website owners and advertisers, new and old, the click-through-rate or CTR is one of the most important components to make money. The ads are served based on a website’s content that it becomes the advertisers’ effective medium to advertise their products. Your benefit in return is getting paid for each click on the AdSense advertisement; and as this rate increases, the more revenue. It may sound simple, though; but to those who have already screened and sorted out the AdSense “waters,” they will be able to prove that it takes energetic attempt - producing the contents, setting up AdSense, getting the clicks - to be able to bag the dollars into their bank account.

Another important component is optimization, if you really intend to make the best results out of AdSense and to keep visitors coming back to your websites and blogs, make your AdSense link units incorporated perfectly within the overall layout and design of your website. The earnings you gain from the program are entirely contingent on you and your best abilities as AdSense serves targeted ads on the website. So, once it is set up, the flow of revenue is automatic without having to do anything or, perhaps, a little performance analysis and tracking can also raise your profits.

Here are some optimization ideas to properly integrate the AdSense ad blocks more into your website's pages that work wonders:

1. AdSense ad blocks should be strategically located on prominent parts of every page for higher visibility to make them easy for visitors to get to. To make more money, place at least three ad blocks above the fold of the website, some within the web content, or in parts where visitors are used to seeing links.

2. Make the AdSense color palette easier to alter to fit the website’s color outline. It is also important to try on different color combinations and make the links and the text color within the AdSense block the same as the website to make it look as part of the content, and not perceived as a different advertisement.

3. Update your website’s content regularly. AdSense advertisements are mostly likely targeted if the website content is aimed at one specific topic. On top of tweaking the website design, the more interesting the topics are within the AdSense block, the more clicks users would intend to do.

4. Recognize specific keywords and phrases to optimize your website content. Always go for the most sought-after keyword groups.

The rapid rise in popularity of the Internet and the bigger number of visitors received by different websites, online advertising was born. It is the most efficient and economical way of advertising, and AdSense found its perfect hub in the Internet advertising world, and that’s through your websites.

Tata Nano will roll out in March

Tata Nano has not yet rolled out on the Indian roads, but much before it has found a place in the Guinness Book of World Records as the world’s cheapest car.

According to the company sources, this 1 lakh car is expected to roll out during March 2009, most probably March 03 2009 which is the birth date of Jamshedji Tata, the founder of Tata Group. Initially, Nano car will roll out from the Pantnagar plant. It is also believed that the bookings for the Nano car will start from February end. Pre-booking for Nano car asks you 70% upfront payment. Even with a whopping Rs. 70,000 as upfront the company still expects more than a lakh orders within a weeks’ time. So this is the hype surrounding the small car Nano, in India despite economic slow down, recession, job losses or whatever.

World’s cheapest laptop, the $10 laptop for sure disappointed the netizens, but thankfully Tata Nano lived up to expectations of people. Ask me how Tata Nano will revolutionize India, here are my thoughts:

Tata Nano will soon replace most two wheelers on the roads.

Nano will likely replace even auto rickshaws (as small cab choice).

More and more Nano cars on the road also mean more traffic congestion (meaning we can expect more flyovers and more infrastructure projects…so lot of employment generation and a reason to cheer).

More Nano cars also mean, that even teens will get hands on 4-wheeler driving experience (even if they become patients of attention disorder, co’mon the positivism is that they are able to drive a 4 wheeler despite their education-induced stress...time will say if they run the car on roads or on people).

More Nano cars will also replace public transport buses.

In the long run we will see increasing cases of anxiety sufferers....again our doctors are busy.

Nano cars might also lead to a condition where traffic cops will give up their jobs, but we can see machines controlling traffic. Ah!

All of the Indian cities will find place in Guinness Book of World Records for most road accidents.

Yes, we as Indians, are anyway proud of this metal piece called Tata Nano, the boon (or a bane?) to aam aadmi.

Underage Drinking Awareness Week Kicks off in Delhi by Delhi University and CADD

No drunken driving for over a week, and this is the pledge taken by the students of Delhi University for this Valentine Day. Their pledge is a part of another wonderful initiative by the students and an NGO named Underage Drinking Awareness Week, which is being observed currently (February 8th to 14th) throughout Delhi

The combined initiative between Delhi University and CADD (Campaign Against Drunken Driving) assumes so much significance considering the fact early teen kids have embracing the habit of alcohol consumption and there is abundant research saying the earlier a person starts taking it the longer they continue with the habit.

Assuming the importance of V-Day in our Indian calendar, of late, to celebrate the Valentine Day true to its meaning while staying away from alcohol and pledging against the drunken driving by the students of Delhi University is more than a wonderful gesture.

Several thousands of Delhi youth supported the campaign and CADD hopes to see more youth supporting the movement by the weekend. As part of the campaign students are conducting several activities and programs including signature campaign, drunken driving awareness through street skits, distributing campaign stickers and literature to youth. Hopefully, the Underage Drinking Awareness Week does a world of good to awaken the youth and with law enforcement initiative wanting from the government side, campaigns like CADD and Underage Drinking Awareness Week are good and followable by other universities and even schools throughout India. It's then that we can hope to see the young Indian brigade embracing the message of St. Valentine in the truest sense.

Khadi Saree for every Pink Chaddi-the war between Sri Rama Sena and secularist groups continues..

Last week had been a battering time for Sri Rama Sena group and its chief Pramod Mutalik who bore grunt from all over; the secular groups across India and Karnataka in particular, women groups and even social networking folks online.

Still unperturbed, Sri Rama Sena Chief Mutalik came out public with his plans to disturb the Valentine’s Day 2009 celebrations here. He said his men will spring into action if they find a man and a woman in obscene scenes in public will be forced to marry. He said that his moral cops would carry Mangal Sutras on the big day.

Much to the disappointment, there had been over pour of anger from all sections of the society including senior citizens. And a new campaign called pinkchaddi campaign was launched against moral policing, especially against the Sri Rama Sena who warned people against celebration of Valentine’s Day.

In what is supposedly a hilarious move by the “consortium of pub-going, loose and forward women” a pinkchaddi campaign was launched wherein pink undergarments from all over will be collected and sent as Valentine's Day gift to Pramod Mutalik saab. The consortium remarks that the movement is to show their annoyance for moral policing by Rama Sena and pink under garment will be a symbol of woman’s anger. The movement although kicked off online last Thursday, has now picked up fast on the streets as well.

Obviously, the pinkchaddi campaign irked Pramod Mutalik and his moral hectoring antics continues along the same lines.

In an answer to the pinkchaddi campaign started by a social networking group the Sri Rama Sena Chief said he would return a saree for chaddi as because saree is regarded as symbol of sanskruti and chaddi a symbol of vikruti.

Reiterating on change that is to be brought with the perverted people, Pramod Mutalik says that he is annoyed to see youth being played in the hands of pseudo secularists. As regards to pink chaddi campaign he says that a return of saree for chaddi is perfect to shut the mouths of campaigners. He also said that Sri Rama Sena has no intentions of contesting in the elections and that their motive is to spread word of Hindu culture and its greatness.

$10 laptop launched

So much of media hype about $10 laptop and people and scientific communities have had lot of expectations. Although, the $10 laptop prototype became a laughing stock when it was inaugurated at the abode of Lord Balaji, Tirupathi.

VIT, IISc, IIT, UGC and MHRD are involved in conception and design of the $10 laptop project. The entire world eagerly waited for what is dubbed as the Nano laptop or nanotop, and at the inauguration MHRD disclosed that the price of the laptop came around 20 clams but reassured that it could be brought down to $10 with mass scale manufacturing. But the laptop-like computing device with a 2GB memory did disappoint the so-called netizens.

The nano laptop measured 10 inches by length and 5 inches by width and comes with a hard disk and relevant eBooks and eJournals. People including media were taken aback when a computing device was unveiled saying it’s the $10 laptop. Other details such as screen, storage and processor are kept still a secret by MHRD. However, I still appreciate the efforts. Did you know that this computing device consumes just about 2 watts of energy? Considering the fact that villages are encountered with frequent power cuts, isn’t this an amazing work?

The $10 laptop or nanotop will be one that would bridge the rural and the urban divide at least after a few more tweaks. What makes me feel bad is we have been under utilizing so many resources. In fact, under the government scheme Sarva Siksha Abhiyan all government schools are equipped with computers as well as Internet connectivity. The misery is that there is no knowledgeable staff to educate the kids and so the computers have become as good as junkies. I didn’t want to spew this in ridicule, but our government does poor management of so many resources. The existent equipments itself is enough should they be utilized by sharing and cooperation to bridge the gap between rural and urban divide.

I know the $10 nano laptop is only the start of a big dream and that we can realize it in the real sense to every student with Internet connectivity.

People who are ridiculing (they must be obviously using the high-street laptops and using it for otherwise purposes like games) this $10 laptop endeavor must remember one thing. The main objective of the project is to bring forth an educative laptop that could be afforded by every Indian student, and the laptop is solely for education and not for entertainment and it doesn’t require an AMD or an Intel processors or even a duo core or multi core technology. The project may not have met the expectations, but is definitely one to go in the right direction (after all laptop didn’t come all of a sudden, it came after so many years of desktop) to erase digital ignorance and illiteracy amongst the rural masses. Media should join hands in commending the efforts not pooling ridicule.

I appreciate and applaude the efforts of students who are involved in the project aimed to bring down digital illiteracy in just Rs. 500.

Delinquent kids are not born, they are made by us!

It is sad to know that some schools and teachers still do away with corporal punishment. A news headline in today’s paper says that a boy is beaten to bled by teacher and it is learnt that some teachers and schools are still averse to the idea of giving away with punishment to kids. I am only trying to say that children should be disciplined, but its possible through love and affection and not this kind of treatment.

It came as a shock to me when I heard from a friend of mine that a parent (who also worked as a teacher) disciplines her two kids (one aged 11 years and the other 4) through unimaginable ways. She puts ‘soodu’ (heat a steel ladle and transferring the heat to her child’s skin by touch) and it seems she beats on the tender knuckles of their fingers. And call it coincidence or her fortune; her kids are so disciplined and behave so well. I was answering to some question on a forum recently for a question if it were right to mix girls with boys in a school. How can one think of not mixing girls and boys I wonder?

Do you think delinquent kids are born? They aren’t for sure. They are a result of a malfunctioning home and a society. I see this 12-year-old boy in our colony who is always mistaken for his misbehaving. His parents are in white-collar jobs and he is looked after by himself once he is back from school. The mother locks all rooms but one (god knows for what reasons). He was remarking other day, how it hurts if one’s own mother doesn’t trust one. How true? Why should she lock all of the rooms? She doesn’t get time to educate him on the good and bad, instead spanks when she gets little time.

People in our colony by now came to conclusion that he is a neglected child and I wonder when the parents will realize this. The boy is a kleptomaniac and steals money from people, writes graffiti inside lift, does all crap one can’t imagine a boy of that age could do in fact. He can’t be blamed but only his parents for what he is today. I can only wish that he didn’t become one anti social and threat to society.

Punishment is never a solution to discipline a child.

Brain Damage- Just for laughs

In the hospital, where their family member lay gravely ill, the relatives gathered in the waiting room.

Finally, the doctor came in looking tired and sombre.

'I'm afraid I'm the bearer of bad news,' he said as he surveyed the worried faces. 'The only hope left for your loved one at this time is a brain transplant. It's an experimental procedure, very risky but it is the only hope.

Insurance will cover the procedure, but you will have to pay for the brain yourselves.'
The family members sat silent as they absorbed the news. After a great length of time, someone asked, 'Well, how much does a brain cost?'

The doctor quickly responded, '$5,000 for a male brain, and $200 for a female brain.'

The moment turned awkward. Men in the room tried not to smile, avoiding eye contact with the women, but some actually smirked.

A man unable to control his curiosity, blurted out the question everyone wanted to ask,
'Why is the male brain so much more?'

The doctor smiled at the childish innocence and explained to the entire group, 'It's just standard pricing procedure. We have to mark down the price of the female brains, because they've actually been used.'

Courtesy: Email received one!

We will now see a Millionaire Slumdog

If the industry gossips are to be taken seriously, here’s some news. Danny Boyle (you got him right, the director of Slumdog Millionaire) approached Satyam’s former CEO, B Ramalinga Raju and asked him to play the lead role in his next endeavor titled ‘Millionaire Slumdog’ (for whatever reasons he named it so). And, yes, rumors are that it's about real life story of a Slumdog Millionaire...ah!....What did I say, nah nah...real life story of B Ramalinga Raju.

So, will it be a reverse of what we saw in the storyline of Slumdog Millionaire…a rich jerk ending up behind bars after acting somewhere stupid? Well we need to wait. But their is already so much of a hullabaloo about the term slumdog and wonder if they approve of a title like this with an anti-hero element in the story!

But Ramalinga Raju himself enacting as Ramalinga Raju will be great to watch. I would exclaim a WOW for the chance this man had got inspite of being behind bars! We saw Anil Kapoor quoting “I am delighted that Slumdog Millionaire, which has me in a major role has my own story.”

Back to the former CEO and our own rich jerk Ramalinga Raju, he will strive to win the hearts of women audience, especially in his home state Andhra, and with the sympathy ground who knows he will dare float a political party to have ONLY his community Rajus as party convenors and this and that. Unfortunaltely, Sanjay Dutt wasn’t that smart enough to float something on his own and is seen flirting with 'some ajwadi' party. But yes this man is smarter and he must be dreaming of the same from behind bars.

Childhood and books

Growing up, I as a kid, loved to read everything I found. When I am asked to clean (literally sweep the house with a broom) the front and the backyards, my mother knew that I would take a minimum of 2 hours for the job. I used to sit with every print paper (torn) I found on my way and I used to long for a weekend that’s because I could read more. There was a library close to my home, I would say, just about 200 feet and me and my brother used to wait for a weekend to be there in the library and spend almost the entire evening there (4 pm–7 pm), and even get back few magazines on hire (there used to be membership card for which we needed to pay 2 rupees for an entire year).

In spite of some financial limitations my dad still subscribed to a few good magazines. I thank him in this post for being so kind because he doesn’t know how many memories I have associated with those magazines.

Chandamama used to be one of my favorites with so many stories. I used to get it in my mother tongue and I loved the big serial (princess salvaging kind usually) and I also recall stories from Vikram and Betal series.

Tinkle! Ah! And this had been (to date remains) one of my favorites. I wonder how old the Suppandi must be and wonder how it be if Suppandi becomes wise at all. And how can I forget Shikari Shambu. His picture still remains the same, how sweet? Shambu’s hair never grows bigger or shorter to reveal his eyes. I remember buying the tinkles especially at the Railway Station. My father used to get these for us and some Tamil mags for my mother. Still, we’ve made a big collection of Tinkles and again mom got them all bound into one. I remember enacting a Suppandi story for school annual day and we receivd good applause.

How can I forget the Pancha Tantra stories? I remember when I finished my 6th standard annual exams my parents got me a pile of panchatantra tales. My mother took the books to her office and she had the small booklets bound to one huge big book. I remember counting the left over booklet number once I was done with one. Strangely always used to feel that the book should be read but with still lot left (did you get what I meant?)

Then, I remember subscribing to Bommarillu. Unlike Chandamama Bommarillu is big with a lot more pages, so that used to be quite good and BIG enough for me.

And, then we’ve read so many books of Wisdom. My sister-in-law buys it even now. It’s still the same you know to enrich your wisdom. Makes children and adults awe with its facts. I did notice that Wisdom is on some weight loss recipe, seems like it has cut down a lot of its weight. Again, Wisdom also was bought in Railway Station and we mostly read in during traveling times. Wisdom quotes used to be favorites. I used to get by heart one nice catchy quote and give it as an autograph to friends end of every academic year (makes me smile now!).

Missing all those good ol’ days, today, I’m still a reading buff. I buy Magic Pot to my kid and it’s a fortnightly magazine with wonderful activities to involve small kids and lovely stories. Luttappi is a lively character in MP. I also get Little Words (but guess this is not so abundantly available as Magic Pot). I didn’t subscribe for it but I told the shop wala to keep one aside for me. But if he remembers we would be lucky to get one for the month. It’s again a lovely book for the under 8 age kids. Guess Little Words people should take more care to print it error free. I see a lot of typos and mistakes. There is Mogambiko in this mag which is a lively character. I vote for the activities and stories Little Words has got. The stories in this book are more trendier and you know matches today’s children’s’ imagination. Then, my sil subscribed a magazine named My School. It’s a monthly magazine and priced 20 rupees, but I feel there are hardly any stories (just about 2 of them and they are not quite old moral stories).

Books are such a company in a person’s life, that I love my kid becoming another book lover. If you could afford buy or subscribe one for your kids, they are all worth instead of hitting a mall or sitting in the system with a video game!

Johanna Sigurdardottir becomes first woman PM of Iceland

Iceland selects its former Social Affairs Minister Johanna Sigurdardottir as its new Prime Minister. So what you might wonder. The 66-year-old Johanna Sigurdardottir is also the first woman Prime Minister of the country and also probably first lesbian PM in the modern times at least in Europe.

Johanna Sigurdardottir's sexual orientation is truly a surprise to the so-called conservative European and Asian nations because homosexuals are looked at as demons in few countries and killed in some Arab nations. In fact, the fact doesn't quite stirr so much of excitement in her home country Iceland, like it is doing here in Asia.

I appreciate the liberal thinking of the Iceland voters, they didn't attach too much of an importance to her sexual orientation. It will take hell of a time for countries of Asia and even some parts of Europe to reach to that level of tolerance.

It was about a week back the French parliamentary relations minister came out of his closet and made public about his sexual orientation. He admitted himself to be gay. A political veteran Johanna Sigurdardottir started her life as a flight attendant with the then Icelandair. She; while serving the airlines as stewardess, became an active union organizer and that's where she got her political roots.

She divorced her husband but had 2 sons with him. Johanna Sigurdardottir is having an openly admitted civic relationship with another divorced mother, a playwright, journalist and author Jonina Leosdottir for the past 6 years, from 2002.

Soon after taking in the realms of the Government Johanna Sigurdardottir she promised to try for debt relief for deserving Icelanders and promises to alleviate the housing and the unemployment problems. The country's leading banks nationalized following almost a collapse after million dollar debts and , the country's currency value dipping in with increase in unemployment problem and fall in housing prices drew lot of global attention. Thanks to IMF that stepped in with a $10 billion to salvage every inhabitant of Iceland.

For the 320,000 Icelanders there are many serious problems, and their new PM, Johanna Sigurdardottir's sexual orientation is not worth thinking at all at this point in time.

Australian Open 2009 Men's Singles Winner is Rafael Nadal

It’s always a treat to watch the great tennis warriors Swiss Roger Federer and Spaniard Rafael Nadal fight for supremacy. It was no less than a great Finals match today when the two top seeds sweated out at the Rod Laver Arena to win the Australian Open Men’s Singles trophy. I see that Rafa grew far from any one’s imagination to dethrone Roger Federer from the No.1 position. He is deservedly the numero uno player in Men's Tennis circuit today.

Although beginning of the tournament I had great expectations on some fresh talent including Andy Murray, Tsonga none of them lived to my expectations. I, in fact, had hopes of seeing Monfils somewhere in the top 4 (don’t take me mad, but I believe that this boy will go a long way in Men’s tennis).

While I watched Rafa play fellow Spaniard Verdasco, I almost thought he lost the match to Verdasco. It was mere luck on part of Nadal that he went on to Australian Open finals. Roger Federer entered finals with a hope to win 14th grand slam title and it is their seventh encounter in a final and I was glued to the television saw the 2 tennis rivalries fight out, it was worth every second. The first set was Nadal's (7-5) followed by Federer even out with one set (6-3). Third set was a real feast to my eyes and it was an outstanding play by both fighters never willing to give up. It went to Nadal in a tie breaker (7-6) and the fourth set was a cake walk for Nadal with (6-3) and fifth set saw Federer fight up again, but it was cool nerves of Nadal that help him win the set (6-2)and title. Rafa also becomes first Spaniard ever to win Australian Open.

PS:
To see Roger break down saying 'God! It's killing me' made me cry along for this tennis hero. The fantastic sportsman settled down fast and took mic saying speaking last words in the tournament deservedly belongs to Rafa and he thanked all of those who've been there supporting him. Roger is a true ambassador of tennis and love to see him come to #1 again!

Mahesh Bhupathi and Sania Mirza win the Australian Open Mixed Doubles Finals 2009

One more reason for Indian tennis fans to cheer as the Indian duo, Mahesh Bhupathi and Sania Mirza becomes first Indian duo to become Australian Open 2009 mixed doubles winners.

An hour back the Rod Laver Arena cheered the two Indians lift the Australian Open 2009 Mixed Doubles Trophy. The unseeded duo drubbed the Israeli-French pair Andy Ram and Nathalie Dechy in straight sets 6-3 and 6-1 to lift the coveted title. Bhupathi and Mirza pair entered the tournament through a wild card and never shown signs of fumble throughout the turnament and this match in particular. They Indian duo have dominated the Israeli-French duo from the beginning and displayed an enviously fiery form. I especially loved the way Sania played in the net almost checking on every ball. No wonder the match did not even last for an hour and the duo clinched the title.

For Mahesh Bhupathi, who missed Australian doubles finals yesterday with partner Mark Knowles, this win must be great relief as it will make him one Indian to have won all four Grand Slams, a record in rarity and will pump up confidence into both of them, especially Sania Mirza who had come to mainstream tennis after string of injuries. This win indeed is the first doubles Grand Slam win for Sania Mirza.

Year 2009 started off very well and Indians have all reasons to cheer. While the Indian cricket team is dominating lankans in Sri Lanka, the Australian Open 2009 sees Yuki Bhambri and Sania-Mahesh pair clinch respective titles. Chak de India

Yuki Bhambri First Indian To Win Australian Open Boys Title

Born on 4th July 1992, into a family that is obsessed by tennis, Yuki Bhambri, the 16-year-old lad from Delhi wins the Australian Open 2009 Boys' title beating German Alexandros-Ferdinandos Georgoudas in straight sets of 6-3 and 6-1. By winning the Junior Grand Slam title, Yuki Bhambri joins the band of Indian Tennis heroes Ramanathan Krishnan, Ramesh Krishnan and also Leander Paes. Top seed Yuki Bhambri won the final match in less than an hour against the unseeded German.

However, Yuki is very fortunate to have it won at 16 years of age, and hopefully if he can continue the form he is in now, he can win for himself one or a couple of more Grand Slam titles this year. He his honing his playing skills at the Nick Bolletieri Tennis Academy, Florida, US. Thanks to his ever encouraging family and the accomplished tennis players Anita Bhambri and Sanaa Bhambri and also his coach Aditya Sachdeva, Yuki got his basics from home from the two sisters and coach. And, to be born into a family that loves and knows about Tennis is a great blessing, acknowledges Yuki.

The right handed player started playing Tennis as young as 6 years of age and he admits he is a big fan of Rafael Nadal. The best part is that Yuki plays much better when he is playing singles. It is also evident from his doubles result at the Australian Open. He, with Taipei partner lost in their Semi Finals match.

After the win, Yuki Bhambri is envisioning to see himself in the men's tennis circuit, but guess he needs to exercise caution as to the matches he will choose to play. He needs to slowly transition to the men's tennis and does need to improve his physique besides honing his tennis skills and will be another Tennis great from India. For now, Yuki Bhambri definitely done us all proud by creating history.

Indian Advertising concepts: Good, bad and the ugly

Yes! We know of some ads that are made to stay long in our minds while popularizing the brand so much. We know how much of an impact did this new Fiat Linea Song as well as ad has created. Kids and adults alike appreciated the concept and making of this ad so much so that there have been so many requests piled up for the new Fiat Linea test drive. The Fiat Linea India ad is just about 3 weeks old but the impact it has already created reiterates how a great concept that can emotionally connect to the viewers, will synergize in brand promotion.

I can't imagine anyone skipping the Indian Linea advertisement on any channel. Indeed its no exaggeration if I say that a program will be skipped for this song and ad :)

I also loved the Vodafone ads, they always pump in something creative and their 'happy to help' ad concepts are incredible and try and evoke some sweet emotions, I would say. The Amaron batteries ads are also made very creative with some alien creatures and so are the Fevicol ads with great creativity. But if I am not sounding rude, I get a strong feeling that Fevicol ad makers seem to pour same old wine into new bottles. Don't you get a feeling that they should come out of their old school to make people watch their ads or buy Fevicol if any?

That apart, I want to know if you think along same line like me in writing off of some ads; I hate all of the Fair and Lovely and Fair and Handsome commercials. Miserable themes and lousy scripts altogether. I also can't stand the Zatak ads and some of the Axe deo ads. They are even branded and banned as obscene by various Asian governments. But Axe body wash ad theme is somewhat a good effort although it still kind of assaults women folk in general.

Special Bonding

As I come out in the evenings with my kid for an evening stroll, I see this cute little girl just near the staircase - Ankita by name, she is seen holding her young mother's hand. The mother would be talking to her friends and when she is let down I see her bubbling with energy, and she runs around (not disappearing from mother's vicinity) with kids of her age.

The girl shows some kind of shyness when I call to her or see her. Still lovely thing is that she does'nt shy away to the extent she doesn't like to see me. I call her 'Ankita' and the sweet girl with that shy smile (I still love that) pops her head out, sees me with a smile and again digs her face into her mother's. But then she every now and then makes sure if I am there. I doubt she doesn't want me to leave that place.

That was the story of past......of late....
Without my own knowledge or intent, a secret rapport has developed between me and the small kid, Ankita. I believe this is not being noticed by any other people, including her mom - Only my daughter noticed this.

I call her and she as usual reciprocates with that shy-rich smile. She would still be burying her face in her mother's lap or shoulders but then slowly looks up and checks if I'm gone. If I am there, she tries to convey something in her own language (we dont share a common mother tongue). I wonder she now that I am indeed her friend. There is some trust and some kind of a what can be said, a speechless bonding that only we two share. I see her stretching her cute tiny fingers and she points out some things to me that maybe I would not have observed myself - that could be to another girl who would be jumping or dancing that she enjoys or at a small sparrow hopping here and there on the ground, or a small squirrel wagging her bushy tail while struggling to climb the tree or even at a millepede walking gorgeously along the aisle. Following her little fingers, I know I would see something ever so beautiful whenever I meet her.

Her face lights up to the extent you know I feel that the day will be brighter to me!

What is this 'this site may harm your computer' bug?

Yes, I am wondering if the biggest search engine Google.com is hacked? Ask me why? I was unable to open any site and its showing a message
This site may harm your computer
And When I dared to click open the link I saw a page like this:

Suggestions:
Return to the previous page and pick another result.
Try another search to find what you're looking for.Or you can continue to http://fans.wwe.com/alloutwrestlingnews/blog/2009/01/29/no_way_out_poll at your own risk. For detailed information about the problems we found, visit Google's Safe Browsing diagnostic page for this site.For more information about how to protect yourself from harmful software online, you can visit StopBadware.org.If you are the owner of this web site, you can request a review of your site using Google's Webmaster Tools. More information about the review process is available in Google's Webmaster Help Center.

In my browsing history I have never seen a warning like this (for all sites and links). I first thought its the work of some virus program that my PC caught. But a few of my friends are complaining of the same.

I checked with two browsers the Internet Explorer and Mozilla Firefox to make sure its the same status with both.

The joke is even when I searched for Google.com the result had the same message. I also searched surfing through other search engines such as Yahoo, msn and Dogpile and found even they had the same.

So started wondering if the Internet as such taken in control by a nasty HACKER or if its a bug that could be easily fixed? To this point, I am writing this post, the bug is still there !
I only wish its fixed asap and we all have safe surfing experience like before again. Did at any time such a thing happened at all? I dont recall one. Do you?

If you have got two hens...

Got 2 hens?
Check how various corporates deal with the two hens:
Conventional Corporate:
Sells one hen and buys a cock
The brood multiplies and so the economy improves
Sell the brood and then retire on income obtained.

American Incorporate:
You have two hens
You sell one and still force the other to produce eggs
You are aghast when the hen is dead

Incorporate:
You have two hens
You go on a strike because you wanted 3 hens

Japanese Incorporate:
You have two hens
Redesign the hens to nano size of an original hen but still lays 30 eggs at a time
The make cartoon images, name ‘Henimon’ and trade them across the world

German Incorporate:
You have two hens
You will engineer them so they can live for 25 years, eat little, and lay once in a day

British Incorporate:
You have two hens
You assume both are useless

Italian Incorporate:
You have two hens
you don’t know where they are and you take a break

Swiss Incorporate:
You have 5,000 cows and none of which belong to you
You charge others for storing them.

Chinese Incorporate:
You have two hens
You will have 200 people taking care of the two
You will still claim full employment and high hen productivity
You will have the media reporter who disclosed the numbers arrested

The 20th day of January 200 witnessed a history with Barack Hussein Obama’s inauguration. The first African-American became 44th US President and I was all my eyes and followed the event of Barrack Obama’s inauguration with the First Lady Michelle Obama and their two kids Malia Obama and Sasha Obama.

The Harvard-educated First Lady walked gracefully in a gold-yellow shift that had a matching overcoat. The lady of substance and style carried a lot of poise and grace when she walked with Barrack Obama. Her gold-yellow brocade shift looked classy and the neutral color did reflect her state of mind and complemented the mood of the event too. I did like her teal shoes and the green gloves that matched her suit.

She didn’t over accessorize herself and a diamond brooche and studs suited perfect for her yellow shift and also the event. Isabel Toledo, the New York designer deserves all praises for designing the First Lady’s costumes for inauguration ball. To hire a native American for her costume shows the love and confidence Michelle Obama has in the American designers.

If you have not missed to see, Malia Obama came in outfits having BIV colors and Sasha Obama came in RO colors and Michelle Obama in YG. And you have the full spectrum of colors (VIBGYOR) worn by The First Lady and the First Girls, and you can’t ask for a better statement given to build the confidence and change the country needs especially when its facing worst ever economic slump.

Shilpa Shetty to appear without her tresses in The Desire

Beautiful Shilpa Shetty is all ready to do a Shabana Azmi in her forthcoming R Sharath's venture 'The Desire'. By doing Shabana Azmi I meant she will tonsure her head and will be without her beautiful tresses. But Shilpa Shetty unlike Shabana Azmi will not receive a fatwa for her daring act. Shilpa was found commenting about her in role in 'The Desire' to be the most challenging one in her career.

It is learnt that Shilpa Shetty who is a trained Bharatanatyam dancer is going to Shri Ratikant Mohapatra an Odissi exponent and guru for Odissi dance classes. Shilpa is playing an Odissi dancer in 'The Desire' and she proves her committment yet again. Way to go Shilpa!

But what for she had to forgo her thick and lustruous tresses? Is she donning a monk....keep running your imaginations wild!

Courtesy: Mail sent by a buddy!

Surf Excel Ad: Dirt is good

How adding a little emotion and sentiment in ad making get viewers emotionally connect:

It’s an old Surf Excel ad and we have seen it over and over on almost every Indian television channel but I just wanted to tell you how an emotional ad gives long lasting impact!

The storyline is this: Two cute kids; a brother and sister going to school. Sister reciting numbers, as to how bigger number 2 is over number 1 and suddenly she falls in a puddle. She starts crying and points her fingers to the puddle. The annoyed brother goes and literally hits the puddle asking it not to repeat to his sister (the result is so many stains on his and his sister’s clothes). He then says (after obviously tired beating the water) to his sister that the puddle is saying sorry. The sibling says okaay fine leave it. This fella turns back says …."never repeat this to her."

Overall, the ad conveys wonderful message Dirt is good. There are no big heads and big just a voice over still spreading the message that if something good prevails with stains, then stains are good.

And the tagline of the ad obviously goes like this: ‘Daag achhe hain’ or 'dirt is good.'

And, I would say that this innovative ad gave wings to my nostalgic childhood memories; how I spent those happy go lucky days and my parents gave me that freedom to spend such a childhood. I would say that the creative Love's team who made the ad hit the nail through head and probably educates even parents how to bring up kids than cutting through the brand alone. What say?

As product evolves advertizing of the same improves. And no better example than Surf detergent powder! We can expect more from surf excel as product and its ads! Great work!

What is the reaction of a school of sharks to the Titanic Movie ending?

I thought I will tickle your funnybone with this one. Its a mail sent one!

Just for laughs

Contemplating on buying An iPhone? Check This Out

When Apple first announced that they would be releasing a cellular phone that would work as a multimedia device, the electronic industry began to salivate. Already the company revolutionized the mp3 player by creating and distributing the iPod. In fact, much in the way that Kleenex and Coke are commonly used identifiers of tissues and soft drinks, the iPod has become a reference for any mp3 player. Now, it seemed, Apple was posed to retool the ways in which we view and discuss cellular telephones in everyday life. Are we just a few short years away from referring to every cell phone as an iPhone? If this is the case, then what are the pros and cons of purchasing such an innovative device?

First off, let’s go over some of the reasons why buying an Apple iPhone would be a wise investment. To start, it should not be discounted, although it has already been written off by some, that the iPhone houses within its parts an iPod. The iPod is the name in music on the go. Even if someone already owns an iPod or other mp3 player, the iPhone possesses the most technologically advanced (next to the almost identical iPod Touch—the iPhone without the phone capabilities) music player on the market.

Secondly, the Apple iPhone serves as a cell phone. In this day and age, it is hard to even survive without the ability to call up someone on the road or away from home. Of course, this also means that most people already have cell phones, but few possess the quality of the iPhone. Already, this item not only doubles as a phone and an mp3 player, but it doubles as the best phone and the best mp3 player; a two-in-one cellphone.

Finally, the iPhone has the most productive handheld web browser around. Not only can you purchase songs for your iPod portably now, but also you can replace most needs for a laptop computer. Save the ability to type large documents comfortably, the iPhone’s Internet browser offers the same online experience as any laptop or desktop computer. No other device on the market combines portable music, cell phone use, and Internet browsing into one, easy-to-use gadget.

Now, what are the cons of purchasing an Apple iPhone? To start, it should not be forgotten that the iPhone carries a steep price tag. And while the price maybe due to the fact that the device is the most technologically advanced thing on the market, the more frugal of customers might not be so impressed by it.

The answer to whether or not you should buy an Apple iPhone boils down to this. If you already own an iPod, already have a cell phone, and either had an internet-ready laptop or lack the desire for web browsing on the go, the iPhone is JUST NOT FOR YOU GUYS. But if you are a sucker for the newest in technology, would like to combine two or three of your gadgets into one—in a high end package no less, or simply have money to throw around, then the iPhone from Apple would be a wise investment and you can just freak on it and it has loads to offer you guys!

Those of you who didn't my earlier post on iPhone, check this out to know what an iPhone is http://liv2rite.blogspot.com/2008/08/iphone-coming-to-india.html