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Book Review 9: The Winner Stands Alone

2011-09-11T18:13:00.001+05:30

‘The Winner Stands Alone’ by Paulho Cohelo describes a story which basically revolves around three main characters namely-Igor who is a Russian business tycoon, Ewa who is Igor’s wife and Hamid Hussein who is a fashion designer from Middle East.

Igor is into Telecom business and he is quite engrossed in it. He loves his wife Ewa very much but could not spend time with her because of his busy schedule and business commitments. As time goes Ewa’s discontent grows and finally decides to give Igor divorce. At the same time Ewa comes in contact with Hamid Hussein who is a big name in fashion industry and they get married.

However, Igor still loves his wife and desperately wants her back in his life. To win her back he makes a journey to Cannes where his former wife and Hamid Hussein are also there. He is even prepared to kill people to win back his love. He thinks that killing for love is justified. There are other characters in the story like Gabriella, Jasmine,Maureen,etc.who come in the scene as the story progresses. All these characters are directly involved in fashion or film industry.

On his way of winning back his ex-wife he goes on killing one person after the other. Gradually he develops a feeling of hatred towards his ex-wife and at the end kills Ewa and Hamid Hussein. Quite a depressing end,isn’t it?

The story lacks thrill which can keep a reader from getting bored. There are a lot of unnecessary details given in this book about the Cannes film festival and the film and fashion industry which is quite boring. Still a good book to read on a weekend.

Book Review 8: The Monk who sold his Ferrari

2011-07-24T11:35:00.005+05:30

‘The Monk who sold his Ferrari’ by Robin Sharma is one of the most inspiring books that I have come across. This book speaks about changing your lifestyle in order to attain your goals and objectives in life. The author has presented his ideas about leading a simple and balanced life in the form of a fable. The presentation of the fable is immaculate and it had a mesmerizing effect on me when I was reading this book.

This book presents a story about a highly successful lawyer Julian Mantle who visits India in search of spirituality. In the process he gives up his legal profession. On his odyssey to India he comes across Monks residing in a village named Sivana in the foothills of Himalayas. From the Monks he learns time tested method regarding time management, discipline, developing a strong will power, personal introspection and overcoming fear. The Monks teach all this ageless principles and in return expect Julian to return back to his native country and teach the same principles to all the ones who require it the most. Julian Mantle then returns to his native place and meets his friend and fellow lawyer John and teaches him all the ageless principles and this is how the story goes.

I liked the manner in which the various ideas are presented in this book. This book has left a permanent impression on my mind.

Following are some of my favourite lines from the book:

“I am more than I appear to be , all the world’s strength and power rests inside me.”

“We are all here for some special reason. Stop being a prisoner of the past. Become a architect of the future.”

India's way to World Cup glory !

2011-04-03T10:05:00.000+05:30

Wining the World Cup Trophy is what every Indian Cricket fan dreams about. Finally, the dream of a billion people came true when India trounced Sri Lanka in the World Cup final to lift the coveted trophy after 28 years of long wait. The glorious moment will be cherished by all the fans of Indian Cricket team for a long time to come. This World Cup win is also significant as it has ended 12 years of domination by the Australian Cricket team over World Cricket.

Indian Cricket team went through various ups and downs throughout the World Cup and has emerged victorious on most of the occasions. Team India was dubbed as a weak bowling and fielding unit before and during the tournament, but the team has proved its detractors wrong. Indian team lifted it's bowling and fielding remarkably during the knockout stage of the tournament and looked a formidable side with their lethal batting line up.

India's victory over the defending champions Australia and arch rivals Pakistan were the highlights of the tournament. India also did well against the West Indies, Netherlands, Ireland and Bangladesh in the league stage to book a place in the knockout stage. India's only defeat in the World Cup came in the hands of South Africa (who later chocked out in the knockout stage). Most importantly Indian team learnt the important lessons from the defeat and lifted their game remarkably well.

This was the last World Cup for legends like Sachin Tendulkar, Ricky Ponting and Muttiah Muralitharan. Sachin played last World Cup of his career and couldn't have asked for a better farewell than winning the Cup for the nation.

At the end of the day Indian Cricket team is now the new guardian of the World Cup trophy. Bleed Blue !!!!

India as Republic in present context

2011-01-26T16:37:00.002+05:30

   India celebrated its 62nd Republic Day with great pomp and show and displayed its military might to the world. And I take this occasion to to raise several unanswered questions with which my fellow countrymen are grappling. There are questions related to corruption, price rise, terrorism , accountability and good governance which the so called popularly elected government needs to answer. I have used the words 'so called popularly elected government' , because this is the government which has been elected by less than half the population of the country.

   On Economic front, the government needs to answer when and how price rise and inflation be brought under control. What steps have been taken by the government to ensure food security.We Indians demand answers from the government whether the black money stashed in foreign banks be ever brought back to the country.

   The government also needs to answer questions about the widespread corruption on social front. On billion Indians are still baffling with the question whether the government officials and the ministers involved in 2G scam, CWG scam, food scam and Adarsh scam escape unpunished?

   Another important question that needs to be answered on Political front is whether patriotism is prohibited in our country. Whether we Indian have the right to hoist our National Flag or not? If yes, then why have the Jammu ans Kashmir government and the Central government prohibited members and leaders of the main opposition party from hoisting the National Flag in Srinagar. Is the government afraid of the separatists and the hostile neighbors?

   Coming back to good governance which I have mentioned in the first paragraph. What steps have the government taken to curb Naxalism? What steps have the government taken to eliminate poverty and backwardness in tribal regions which is the root cause of naxalism?

   It should be noted that I am not against the government or any particular individual. But I am definitely against the policies of the government.

जय हिंद !!
वन्दे मातरम !!

My voice on corruption echoed by majority of Indians

2010-12-11T20:20:00.000+05:30

   In my previous blog dated November 29, I tried to highlight how corruption has crippled bureaucracy and social structure of our country. And now my views have been echoed by majority of Indians according to the survey published by Times of India on December 11.

   According to the survey, the most talked-about topic this year among the Indians was 'Corruption'. About a third of Indians reportedly talked about corruptions with friends, co-workers and family. And, no prize for guessing what Indians thought was the most serious global problem-corruption again.

   This shows the gravity of problem that corruption poses.

Corruption-A Curse to the Nation

2010-11-29T22:01:00.000+05:30

Corruption has now become a buzzword. Everyday we can see the newspapers and news channels feeding us with the news related to corruption. Corruption has now shaken the very foundation of bureaucracy. Corruption has crippled our top politicians, top bureaucrats, police officials and employees of various organizations. The popular saying,'Corruption of the best is the worst' ; has now become self evident. Time has now come to deal with this menace with iron hands.

Our great nation has recently witnessed a series of corruption related scams. Strating with the CommonWealth Games scam and gradually followed by 2G scam and the Adarsh Society scam has brought disrepute to the nation.More and more skeletons are coming out of the cupboard, the latest example being the Karnataka land scam. Many committees have been formed to look after this scams but in vain. Even the country's premiere investigating agency, C.B.I., seems to have become the puppets in the hands of Central Government and is protecting a few elite and influential persons involved in the scams.

We the free citizens of India must denounce corruption in all forms.Government on other hand must show some will power and bring stricter laws punishing the corrupt. We the citizens of India must realize that the ultimate power of government resides in our hands. We must vote for only those candidates who have a clean record and we must show the corrupt politicians the exit door. The people of the poorest state i.e. Bihar have shown us the way by voting out Lalu-Rabri in the Assemble elections of 2010. We must learn from the people of Bihar and vote out this blood sucking CORRUPT POLITICIANS.

Book Review 7- Trust me

2010-11-26T22:13:00.001+05:30

       This novel portrays the best of western culture and the worst of Indian culture. On one hand it tries to portray the dignity of woman through the main character Parvati (Paro), on the other hand it deals a severe blow to the dignity of woman by citing examples of actresses and other artists who are willing to act as prostitutes in order to get work. The main character of this novel Parvati on one hand believes in the tradition of trust and marriage, on the other hand she has been portrayed as an ultra modern woman smoking and drinking and having affair to come out of the trauma that she suffered earlier. This is completely preposterous.All the male characters in the novel have been depicted as craving for lust and exploiting woman. This is completely ridiculous.

In the earlier part of the review I have written that it depicts the worst of Indian culture and I have reasons to say so. This novel on many times described pre-marital sex which is against the Indian culture and values and an adoption of western culture. It has also depicted woman as over ambitious, leaving their native places and freaking out. Woman with high ambitions are good for the society and country but the rebellious manner in which has been depicted is highly objectionable. It also depicts woman as drinkers and smokers.

      Now, coming to the main story. The character of Parvati (Paro) has a pre-marital affair with a man named Karan. Paro gets pregnant and she has to undergo abortion. Her boyfriend Karan ditches her. Taking advantage of the situation her boss at an Ad agency tries to exploit her but in vain. All these incidents make her loose all respect and trust for man. In the course of time a struggling actor Rahul Kapoor enter her life. This Rahul guy falls in love with Paro but she wouldn't trust him because of her previous experiences. Honestly, the character of Rahul is very unmanly. Everything that Paro does is acceptable to him. On many occasions Paro insults him but still he is after Paro.(Even a dog which is known for its faithfulness will run away after receiving so much of whacking....just joking !! ) And at the last Paro agrees to marry him and that is the only positive thing in the entire book. And that's it !!

   A very ordinary story with no real twists and turns and thrill. Not a completely romantic novel as well. Thumbs down from my side !!

Book Details:
Title: Trust Me
Author: Rajashree
Publisher: Rupa Publications
My Rating: 1.5/5

A hero has risen -Somdev Devvarman

2010-11-24T19:06:00.001+05:30

       Tennis is not a very popular game in India and traditionally India has not done well either. But this is all changing now. Changing because India has now got a new sporting hero in the form of Somdev Devvarman. He has in it to be a role model for all the Indians who wish to pursue Tennis as a career. And he has rightly dedicated his success to 'every child with a dream'.

   Somdev has achieved some astonishing success in recent past. He won a gold medal in Delhi Common Wealth Games and now has won a gold medal at the Asian Games in Guanzhou in the singles event. He has also won a gold medal in doubles event as well. Thus he has won a hatrick of gold medals in two months and becoming the only Indian player ever to achieve this feat.

   We are proud of you Somdev !!

Book Review 6- Ignited Minds

2010-11-15T20:06:00.003+05:30

        Mesmerizing and inspiring !! These are the words that come to my mind while describing this book. Dr. Kalam has certainly evaluated the pulse of the nation. It will certainly inspire the younger generation of India to strive for converting India into a developed nation.

Dr. Kalam has discussed the power of dreams and the importance of converting dreams into thoughts and thoughts into action. He has also discussed the role of teachers and parents in nation building.

Dr. Kalam has identified 5 fields for obtaining sustainable economic growth for the nation. The 5 fields are agriculture and food processing, power, education and health care, information technology and strategic sector which includes space, defense, nuclear industry, etc. Dr. Kalam also underlines the fact that a developed India won't just consist of developed cities but a chain of developed villages interconnected with each other.

         I am of the view that this book should be introduced in the curriculum of every school. If it happens then it will inspire tens of thousands of young Indians to strive for nation's progress.

         Hats off to Dr. Kalam !!
Book Details:
Title: Ignited Minds
Author: Dr.A.P.J.Abdul Kalam
Publisher: Penguin Books
My Rating: 4/5

Book Review 5- Tuesdays with Morrie

2010-11-14T17:53:00.003+05:30

    Tuesdays with Morrie is basically a memoir giving accounts about the lives of the writer (Mitch Albom) and his beloved professor Morrie Schwartz. Over the years the writer lost the track of his old professor who taught him nearly twenty years before.The writer gets to meet his old professor again only to find his professor dying due to a neurological disorder called Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). Both of them decide to meet on Tuesdays to discuss various issues related to life.

   Both the professor and the writer met on consecutive Tuesdays till the death of the old professor. They discussed topics which makes an average person wary. They discussed topics like regrets in life, death, family, emotions, money, marriage, fear of aging, culture, forgiveness and a host of similar related topics.

      There are several books in the market which teaches you how to be successful. But this is one book which teaches you humanity. This book fills you with optimism. A must read book for one and all.

Book Details:
Title: Tuesdays with Morrie
Author: Mitch Albom
Publisher: Sphere
My Rating: 3.5/5

Reasons justifying permanent seat for India at UNSC

2010-11-10T11:21:00.001+05:30

It's a known fact that India aspires to be one of the permanent members of United Nations Security Council (UNSC). In its quest, India has gained support from some of the major powers like Russia, France, United Kingdom (UK) and now United States of America (USA). I now present you the the facts that justifies India's position:

1) India is the second most populous country in the world, with a population of more than 1.2 billion. Country with such a huge number of citizens deserves a representation at UNSC.

2) India is one of the largest contributors of UN peace keeping forces.

3)Indian economy is one of the largest in the world (4th in terms of GDP). Indian economy is projected to grow at the rate of 8% to 9%. It's economy has shown resilience against recession and recent slow down. India is the future economic power.

4) Like other 5 permanent UNSC member, India has got nuclear arsenal. I am mentioning this fact because 'Strength respects Strength.' Unlike other countries, India has 'No first use' stand on nuclear weapons.Moreover India's record is clean when it comes to proliferation.

5) India has never waged war on other countries. The defense deals undertaken by the country is for its own defense and not for waging war on other countries.

6) India is a peace loving nation. In spite of various terrorist attacks, it has maintained restraint and not went for all out wars.

7) India is a democratic country. It is the worlds largest democracy. Every decision at the highest government level is taken democratically.

8) India is the founding member of South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) which promotes peace and mutual co-operation among the countries of South Asia.

9) India is one of the founding members of Non-Aligned Movement.

Green Living Tips -2

2010-11-08T19:32:00.000+05:30

continued from last post ...

6) Use water coolers instead of air conditioners. Air conditioners not only consume lot of electric power but also release Chlorofluorocarbons (Cf Cs) which are harmful for the ozone layer.

7) Avoid vehicles for traveling short distance. This will save fuel and prevent air pollution.

8) Turn off your vehicles while waiting on the signals.

9) Avoid perfumes and deodorants. They release Chlorofluorocarbons (Cf Cs) which is again harmful for the ozone layer. Use talcum powder instead.

10) Avoid use of plastic bags. Use paper bags instead. Plastics are hazardous to ecology.

Diwali- the festival of lights

2010-11-05T19:28:00.001+05:30

   Diwali or Deepavali is celebration of victory of good over evil. It is the biggest and brightest of all the Hindu festivals and is celebrated all over the world.

   Diwali is celebrated to commemorate the return of Lord Ram from his fourteen years of exile and vanquishing the demon king-Ravana. In joyous celebration of the return of their king, the people of Ayodhya, the capital of Ram, illuminated the kingdom with earthen diyas(oil lamps) and busted crackers. Thus Diwali is festival of lights (deep=light and avali=row of light). it is also symbolic of return of good times;as the saying goes, 'Let this Diwali burn all your bad times and enter you in good times.' The worship of Devi Laxmi- Godess of wealth also takes place during Diwali.

   Diwali is a platform which brings people together. People share greetings, gifts,sweets and well wishes during this occasion.

   Diwali is an occasion to pledge to illuminate our souls with good deeds, bring peace and harmony in the society and celebrate victory of good over evil.

Green Living Tips- 1

2010-11-05T16:40:00.001+05:30

Following are the things which I have been doing since past few years. I would recommend the following tips to all those who are concerned about environment and about conserving energy.

1) Have a beautiful garden in your house. Beautiful flowering plants are not only candy to your eyes but they also provide oxygen. If your house doesn't have a place for the gardens(for people living in residential flats) use flower pots to plant flowering plants
.
2) This advice is for those who have personal computers in their homes and love to download stuffs like movies, games, softwares, etc. While you are downloading data from the internet switch off the monitors. Monitors consume about 80% of the total power consumed by the entire computer( including CPU, keyboard, mouse, ups,etc). I have been doing this and believe me it works.

3) Replace old CRT monitors with LCD screens. CRT monitors consume a lot of power as compared to LCD's. Also radiations from the CRT screen are harmful for the eyes.

4) Use power saver lamps. I have replaced all the traditional; bulbs in my house with with energy saving lamps. Again these power saver lamps save a lot of electricity as compared to the traditional lamps.

5) Don't use shower while bathing; instead use buckets and mugs. This advice may seem unsophisticated, uncivilized and unorthodox but it is true that using buckets and mugs saves a lot of water.

My Hobby - Philately

2010-11-02T19:24:00.003+05:30

          Stamps are something which has always amazed me. I have been collecting stamps since the age of 7 and my passion for the stamps is still going strong. It was my Mother who introduced me to the wonderful world of stamps. She gave me a number of India belonging to the pre-independence period and post independence period. And now over the years I have added hundreds of stamps to the collection.

           I believe that stamps are a great source of information. They get us acquainted with flora and fauna, great leader of the nation, places of historic and cultural importance, culture and traditions, sports and games,etc. of the nation.

   Stamps are the heritage of the nation which needs to be conserved. Moreover usage of stamps provides livelihood to thousand of postal employees.

The above picture is that of the latest stamps added to my collection.
For more information about Indian stamps visit my new blog:
http://philately-kingofhobbies.blogspot.com

Commonwealth Games, Delhi-2010

2010-10-15T20:00:00.004+05:30

India for the first time hosted the Commonwealth games. According to the Business Today magazine India spent about US$ 6.8 billion on hosting the Commonwealth Games. With this it was the costliest Commonwealth Games ever. When such a huge amount of money is spent, it is natural to expect spectacular display of games and the athletes getting world class amenities. And India stood up to the expectations. All the events were conducted very smoothly. The opening and closing ceremony were spectacular. Overall the games were stupendous success.At the closing ceremony, the president of the Commonwealth Games Federation Mike Fennel declared that Delhi had hosted a "truly exceptional Games"

More than 7000 athletes and supporting staff from 71 participated in the various events. Close to 70 Commonwealth games records were broken and 2 new world records were created during this event. The games Village provided the athletes with world class facilities.

The Organizing Committee.Government of India and the Government of Delhi took a lot of pain for the success of the event. India also takes pride for conducting the first ever 'Green Games'. The organisers signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the United Nations Environment Programme to show the intention to host a "sustainable games" and to take the environment into consideration when constructing and renovating venues.

The official song of the Delhi Commonwealth games was composed by the famous A.R.Rahman. The official mascot for the games was 'Shera'.

The most standout performance in the games was from the India athletes. India for the first time finished second in the medal tally with 101 medals. India won 38 gold medals during the event. This is truly a remarkable achievement by the Indian athletes. The Indian stars from the games were Gagan Narang, Saina Nehwal, Abhinav Bindra, Krishna Poonia, Omkar Singh, Alka Tomar,Sushil Kumar, Somdev Burman, Annu Raj Singh, Heena Sidhu,A.C. Ashwini, Manjeet Kaur, Mandeep Kaur Sini Jose,Paramjeet Samota, Suranjoy Mayengbam Singh, Jwala Gutta , Ashwini Ponappa, Rahul Banerjee,Harpreet Singh and many more.

I salute the Great Country called India !!

One and only Sachin Tendulkar ..

2010-10-12T22:36:00.002+05:30

Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar-the Mount Everest of Cricket. His Test and One Day International records are unmatched and unparalleled. His image in the Cricket World is like that of Mount Everest- tallest in the world.

He has got highest runs under his belt in both Test and One Day Cricket. He also has the highest number of centuries in both the versions of the game.

He was born on 24th April 1973. He was named after the music genius Sacjin Dev Burman. He learnt Cricket from Ramakant Achrekar. He made his debut in International Cricket arena against Pakistan in 1989. Since then he has never looked back.

It won't be wrong to call him the savior of Indian Cricket. He has won victory from the jaws of defeat on many occasions for India. The most remarkable of them that I remember is his innings against Pakistan in 2003 World Cup in South Africa where he opened the innings and played a gem of an inning of 98 runs. This inning won the match for India. In the same match he thrashed the Pakistani speed battery consisting of Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis, Shoaib Akhtar and Abdur Razzaq.

Hope he continues to play for India and bring glory to the motherland. My best wishes to the Little Master !! :)

Remarkable day for Indian Test Cricket

2010-10-07T09:42:00.001+05:30

5th October 2010 will be written in Golden letters in the history of Indian Test Cricket. This day India snatched away victory from the jaws of defeat by defeating Australia in the Mohali Test.With this victory India has shrugged off the chokers tag thrust on them.

When India entered the field on fifth and final day of the Test matchnobody expected India to win the match. Even a draw seemed a distant dream. But due the heroics of VVS Laxman, India pulled up a miraculous victory. Chasing 216 to win, India reached the score with one wicket in hand.

Following is the summary of the match:
Australia 1st innings - 428(All out)
India 1st innings- 405(All out)
Australia 2nd innings-192 (All out)
India 2nd innings- 216-9
Result: India win by 1 wicket.
Man of the Match: Zaheer Khan

Grand Common Wealth Games-2010 opening ceremony

2010-10-06T11:04:00.001+05:30

Brushing aside all the negative publicity that India got even before the start of Commonwealth games, India pulled up a spectacular display at the opening ceremony. This also proved why India deserved to host the CWG. The opening ceremony showcased India's culture and history and it was spiced up by some Bollywood masala. Overall it was one of the most spectacular, colourful and eye catching ceremony ever witnessed.

Some 7000 artists performed at the opening ceremony.A child prodigy Keshav played Tabla and matched the beats of some 1000 drummers. Some 1200 moving lights and 25 stacks of speakers producing 500,000 Watts of sound were used. 2700 shots of fireworks spread over 88 locations on the roof of the stadium created a spectacular display of fireworks.

Prince Charles received the Queen's Baton from Indian wrestler Sushil Kumar and said,"I have much pleasure in declaring the games open." Later President of India Pratibha Patil said,:Let the games begin."

International media highly praised the manner in which the opening ceremony was conducted. Following were the comments that appeared in International Media:
"India has arrived: Spectacular ceremony opens Commonwealth Games."-The Guardian

"Commonwealth Games make spectacular start."-Herald Sun

"An ancient land opens its hearts to the World."-The Sydney Morning Herald.

Lessons learnt from the epic Mahabharat

2010-06-07T17:28:00.000+05:30

A brief summary of Mahabharat:

It is a Sanskrit epic of ancient India which narrates the Kurukshetra war between the Kaurvas and Pandavas. It describes the life op people in ancient India and preaches the four 'goals of life' or purusharthas. The latter are enumerated as dharma(right action), artha (purpose), karma(duty) and moksha (liberation). This epic was written by the sage Vyasa. The central theme of the epic is that 'good triumphs over evil'.

Lessons learnt:
   1. Bhagvad Gita was preached to Arjuna on the battlefields of Kurukshetra. This preaching is of excellent value even today. It preaches man to perform his duties without worrying about the results.
        2. Lord Krishna and Arjuna were very good friends. Lord Krishna stood by Arjuna on many difficult occassions and also saved his life many times. This teaches us to value our friends.
        3. Devavratha got his nickname Bhishma (terrible vow) because of his vow to never get married in his lifetime. This vow ultimately leads to his downfall. This teaches us to 'look before leap'. Before promising anything we must consider consequences.
       4. Karna also known as 'Danveer' because of his quality to donate anything and everything that was asked to him is also an important character of this epic. Because of his habit of donating he lost all of his precious things including his golden armor which ultimately lead to his downfall. This teaches us that while giving we must consider the necessity of the receiver.
       5. Arjuna was a great archer of his time and he was very proud of his skills which made him arrogant. Lord Krishna played various tricks on him to expose his hollowness and break his overconfidence. This teaches us not to be proud of what we have never be over confident. Same thing can be learnt from the story of Bhima.
        6. Duryodhana and Dussassana insulted Draupadi- wife of Pandavas which ultimately lead to their annihilation. This teaches us never to insult a woman.
        7. Dhrutrashtra was taught good advices by Lord Krishna, Vidura, etc. but he ignored them because of his mad love for his sons. This teaches us that ignoring good advices can cause harm and destruction. This also shows how mad love of parents can spoil their children.

Truth behind artificially ripened fruits

2010-06-02T16:30:00.001+05:30

Ripening agent like calcium carbide is being used to speed up the ripening process. They allow many fruits like mangoes and bananas to be picked prior to full ripening. This method is generally useful for the traders since ripened fruits cannot be transported properly over long distances. However, this method is harmful for the consumers, because artificially ripened fruits are tasteless and toxic.

Calcium carbide which is generally used as an artificial ripening agent, once dissolved with water produces acetylene. Acetylene is believed to affect the nervous system by reducing the oxygen supply to the brain. Ethylene which is a byproduct is also known to damage the neurological system.

Artificially ripened fruits differ from the natural ones since they are uniformly well colored and black patches may appear on them in 2 or 3 days.

In India the practice of artificially ripening is banned under the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act and violators are liable to undergo six month imprisonment and pay a fine of Rs. 1,000. But there are hardly any cases where traders or retailers are booked under this act.

It is necessary that we look before eating. While eating mangoes and apples, cut them into pieces rather than consuming directly. Fruits which have uniform color, for example a bunch of bananas having a uniform color is more likely to be ripened artificially. And lastly wash them before consuming.

Indian Cricket team: Kings on the cards

2010-05-17T15:24:00.000+05:30

The recent debacle of the Indian Cricket team at the T20 World Cup in West Indies has exposed its hollowness. The weakness of Indian team against short pitched deliveries was banked handsomely by their opponents. It is ridiculous to see Indian players playing at the highest level struggle against quality fast bowling and something is really wrong with the Cricketing structure in India.

The excuse presented by the Indian skipper MS Dhoni that the late night IPL parties were a cause of defeat does not justify Indian teams abysmal performance. Last year too the Indian Cricket team had blamed the IPL for the last years fiasco in defending the World Cup championship. BCCI should have also learned from the last years experience and could have made changes in the IPL schedule keeping in mind the World Cup. But the truth is that the greedy nature of both the Board and the Players led to the downfall.

Indian players also need to have a change of attitude. Indian coach Gary Kirsten raising questions about the commitment of Indian players is not a good sign. Fitness level of the players was also under the scanner during this World Cup. The words quoted by the coach that at 42 he is fitter than some of the players in the Indian Cricket team is really embarassing for the players.

My advise to the Indian team in this situation would be, play for your country and not for money. Stop blaming the IPL for the fiasco. There were players in the Australian and English team as well who participated in IPL but they never complained. The performance of such players has even got better while playing for the country. Take the case of Kevin Pietersen, he also participated in the IPL and also became a father for the first time during the tournament but still his commitment his unquestionable. He played match winning innings in the semifinal and the final and was judged Man of the Tournament. Same commitment from the Indian players is expected. Finally, Dhoni & Co. don't be a BADMAASH COMPANY chasing money. You are our heroes and real heroes are defined by their deeds. Don't be kings on the cards...be kings in our hearts !!

Book Review 4: Digital Fortress and Deception Point

2010-05-08T09:13:00.003+05:30

      Both these books by Dan Brown have remarkable similarities. This is the reason why I am writing the combined reviews of both these books. The above photo was clicked immediately after I finished reading both these books.

       Digital Fortress is about an organization named National Security Agency (NSA) while Deception Point is about National Reconnaissance Office (NRO). Both these organizations are US based and have a significant role in the security of that country.

       Digital Fortress revolves around Susan Fletcher- a brilliant, beautiful Cryptographer and an employee at NSA. This book describes how she is able to save the NSA from a conspiracy hatched by the Director of NSA. In this process she gets help from David Becker, a professor at Georgetown University and a brilliant foreign language specialist.

Deception Point revolves around Rachel Sexton-daughter of a politician and an employee at NRO. This book describes how she is able to unmask the NRO director who tries to deceive the whole world by manipulating with the scientific evidence about extraterrestrial life. In this process she gets help from Michael Tolland - an oceanographer and a T.V. presenter.

Book Review 3- Angels and Demons

2010-05-03T17:48:00.003+05:30

         I read this novel after watching the movie but I found that the book is more interesting than the movie. This is because the book has got more twists and turns and is thrilling till the end.

   The book describes how Robert Langdon, Professor of symbology at Harvard and the main character of this book, with the help of Vettoria Vetra(an Italian scientiest and the other main character of the book) are able to save Vatican from a deadly conspiracy. Robert Langdon uses his knowledge of symbology to prevent Vatican from a certain annihilation.

   In this novel I particularly liked the description of the medieval age monuments of Rome and Vatican.

This book is a must read for suspense lovers. :)

Book Review 2: Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown

2010-05-02T16:36:00.002+05:30

         Dan Brown novels are my favorite. That is the reason I am writing reviews of the novels. I am going to write a series of reviews of all the Dan Brown books. This is first of the series.

   Dan Brown has blended the historical facts along with his observations with immaculate perfection. It is a highly riveting and interesting story which keeps you turning pages.

This book describes how Robert Langdon,Professor of Religious Symbology at Harvard University solves a series of puzzles to unravel the mystery behind the murder of curator Jacques Saunière of the Louvre Museum in Paris.The ultimate solution is found to be connected with the possible location of the Holy Grail and to a mysterious society called the Priory of Sion, as well as to the Knights Templar. The story also involves the Roman Catholic organization Opus Dei.

            The pains he might have taken to write this book is highly commendable. A fantastic novel !!

Labour Day

2010-05-01T15:51:00.000+05:30

"There is power, there is power in a band of working men, when they stand, hand in hand. That's is a power, that's a power that must rule every land."-Joe Hill.
As the above saying goes, it is the power of labour which is behind every nations success and economic progress. To acknowledge this fact, Labour Day is celebrated all over the world on May1. This day is also known as 'May Day' or 'Workers Day'.

The origin of May Day has its origins in the Eight Hour Day movement, which advocated eight hours of work, eight hours of recreation and eight hours of rest.

I am the of the opinion that this day can also be taken as a day to remember the contribution of farmers and soldiers of our country. Farmers on one hand provide us with food-grains, vegetables and fruits necessary foe life. On the other hand, soldiers protect our land from the enemy. Our ex- Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shashtri rightly quoted, "Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan." It mean hail the soldier and hail the farmer.

Fortune favors the Brave

2010-04-30T16:42:00.000+05:30

Fortune favors the brave- The saying goes like this, success belong to those who are willing to take risks. Success belongs only to the brave and courageous. History is full of mention of people who have rewritten history through their courage and valor- Alexander the Great, Napoleon Bonaparte, Julius Caesar, Chhatrapati Shivaji and so on.

A popular saying goes, "Attitude defines Altitude." It is the attitude, passion and motivation that determines the extent of success which a person can achieve. A person must develop a winning and optimistic attitude which is indispensable for success. It is the attitude that motivates a person to work hard in the right direction.

Another popular saying goes, "Victory is not just crossing the goal line; rather it is the process of crossing the opposition and then reaching the goal line. What it means is that success is not an abrupt phenomenon, it is as culmination of process marked by long and relentless struggle. Take the example of Abraham Lincoln. After facing a series of failures and defeats he went on to hold the most prestigious office that of the President of the United States.

I would like to conclude with the words quoted by William Jennings Bryan, "Destiny is no matter of chance, it a matter of choice; it is not a thing to be waited for, it is a thing to be achieved."

Book Review 1- Godfather by Mario Puzo

2010-04-23T20:04:00.002+05:30

This book by Mario Puzo is work of genius. It has got everything-all the ingredients of a blockbuster novel- suspense, thrill and drama. Once you start this book, you cannot put it down.

The story given in this book is very riveting and keeps you interested till the very last page.It speaks about Don Corleone- a honorable, just and reasonable man and his mafia in New York. It speaks about the cunning ways by which he runs his mafia and manages the various people. It also speaks about his family.

This book is divided into nine parts and I particularly liked the first and the eighth part, although the other parts are also very good and interesting.

My favorite line from the book:

' Let your friends underestimate your abilities and let your opponents overestimate your your faults , that's the greatest blessing you can have.'

3 Generation (3G) : A new dimension to the telecom boom

2010-04-19T20:20:00.000+05:30

                India which is the fastest growing mobile phone market is on its way to a major transformation. The 3G auction will add a new dimension to the telecom sector. First day, first show saw 12 percent higher bids than the fixed base price of Rs. 3,500 crore. Nine bidders put on the table a total of Rs.12,000 crore and that's already one third of the officially projected revenue haul of around Rs.35,000 crore. Cash inflow from the auction is expected to exceed the government's estimation. The 3G auction and the revenue generated from it will reduce the fiscal deficit substantially. It is expected that the fiscal deficit will be trimmed to 5.5 percent of GDP in 2010-11.

                For consumers, use of 3G technology will take their mobile experience to the next level. 3G allows various features like high speed internet, video streaming , calling and conferencing, TV viewing , online movies and games, content download, data sharing and transfer.

On their part, the telecom companies may expect good returns on the environment, Going by Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) report that 150 million cellphone users had subscribed to data and internet services by end of 2009. India is also expected to overtake US to become the second largest mobile phone market. Right now US and India has approximately 260.5 and 250.9 million wireless users. It will be good foe everybody, if competition among operators ensures affordability.

IPL 3 Extravaganza

2010-03-16T19:01:00.000+05:30

Wow! It's IPL season ! This years IPL promises to be more extravagant than ever. IPL now ranks 6th among the top sports properties of the world. It's popularity can be estimated from the fact that it has got over 100 brands sponsoring the 8 teams. The brand value of IPL is now $ 4.1 billion. These facts speak about the popularity of the IPL.

This years IPL has got over 8 teams, 60 matches and over 12 venues where these matches will be played. If that's not all , this years IPL has got over 55 fashion shows and 55 parties to lighten up the nights. The TRP ratings of IPL has gone up to 5.2. All the Bollywood movies and television serials have already taken the back seat.

It's a pleasure to witness this extravagant Cricket festival. :D

Carbon emissions: An invitation to disaster

2009-12-14T19:24:00.000+05:30

Man has strived to prove his supremacy over nature and other animals.Although man has proved his supremacy in the Animal kingdom,there still lies a major difference between man and animal.The difference is that animals never go against nature while man has a tendency to challenge nature's law.Man has undertaken many developmental activities in this quest and these activities need fuels.Need of fuel means polluting the atmosphere.Now is the time that we must realize that too much meddling with nature will result in a muddle.

Studies have shown that half of the fuel required to bring about catastrophic rise of 2 degree centigrade has already been burnt.While carbon dioxide is responsible for 40% of the earth's warming,black carbon is responsible to an extent of 12%.Carbon dioxide and black carbon has an ability to trap the heat radiations which fall on earth.In absence of carbon dioxide these radiations reflect back to the space.Chloro fluro carbon (CFC)has already caused a ozone hole.

Carbon emissions have resulted in global warming.Glaciers in various parts of the world are melting which is causing the sea level to rise.Many coastal countries face the threat of getting submerged.President of Maldives recently conducted an under water Cabinet meeting to attract the attention of the world in this regard.Global warming has also resulted in irregularities in climatic behavior.Droughts and floods are being experienced all over the world.

Alternatives to plastic is a necessity

2009-12-13T20:53:00.001+05:30

Plastic Bags are ubiquitous in most of the cities and hill stations.Plastic bags are easy to use and are also very durable.But we must also see that they disturb the ecology.Polythene from which plastics are made are non-biodegradable.Plastic bags choke the drainage lines and cause overflow of the drains.Plastics also cause deaths of millions of cows and birds all over the world because they cannot digest it.Polythene also releases harmful chemicals in the soil which contaminates underground water.

steps must be taken to curb the menace of plastic bags.The solution to this problem is recycling and reusing of plastic.The use of plastic with thickness less than 40 microns should be discouraged.Plastic tax must be imposed on the use of plastic bags to discourage its use.Alternatives to plastic must be found out,for example plastic bags made of starch is biodegradable.