Aaha... Life is fun..!!!

New product in Market - Solar Caps :)

2012-02-05T03:13:00.000-08:00

I got this as an email forward today, since it was aninteresting information thought of sharing it with you all :)

Firsttime in India a cap with a fan powered by solar energy

Helps to beat the heat! The innovative Solar Cap use thesun's energy to keep you cool and fresh on hot days.

Wear these caps when you are going out and enjoy the coolgentle breeze, the solar Fan Cap offers you a pleasant cool world to accompanyyou in your outdoor activities.

SolarFan Cap Working:

Wear the cap and go in sunlight the solar panels on the capwill drive the fan

The fan on the cap cools your face and forehead. Solar fancap needs no charging

Use suns energy to keep you cool. Solar Fan cap works inall seasons when under sunlight

A cap for you to seta Colorful & Trendy Look

Guess these caps are available for 400 bucks and the colorsavailable are Black,Blue,Red,White

Pressreports on solar fan cap:

GulfNews -http://gulfnews.com/news/world/india/cooling-cap-becomes-a-hot-item-1.891925

Prokerelanews -

http://www.prokerala.com/news/photos/vivek-bhatia-s-solar-cap-with-a-fan-to-keep-you-26956.html

Theweekendleader-http://www.theweekendleader.com/Innovation/751/Cool-deal.html

Sifynews - http://www.sify.com/news/if-the-cool-cap-fits-wear-it-news-features-lkomyFedchc.html

Rediff- http://qna.rediff.com/questions-and-answers/vivek-bhatia-s-thinking-cap-has-the-right-fit-and/20938110/answers

Indianexpress - http://solarfancap.validemailcollector.com/media1.pdf

Timesof India - http://solarfancap.validemailcollector.com/media2.pdf

DNA - http://solarfancap.validemailcollector.com/media3.pdf

ImportantInformation about solar energy:

The energy that reaches the Earth from the sun is enormous.

The total reserves of energy that is stored in all ofEarths reserves of fossil fuels like coal, petroleum, and natural gas arematched by only 20 days of sunshine.

Interesting!!!

What's your DISC Profile?

2012-01-26T09:41:00.000-08:00

Recently, I attended a FTL (First Time Leader)workshop/Training session in my organization. A very Interesting information Ilearned from the session was about a personal/profile assessment tool calledDISC.

What is DISC?

DISC is a personal assessment tool used to improvework productivity, teamwork, and communication. DISC is non-judgmental andhelps people discuss their behavioral differences.

DISC is an acronym for:

Ø Dominance– relating to control, power and assertiveness

Ø Influence– relating to social situations and communication

Ø Steadiness(submission) – relating to patience, persistence, and thoughtfulness

Ø Compliance(or caution, compliance) – relating to structure and organization

Dominance: People who score high in the intensityof the "D" styles factor are very active in dealing with problems andchallenges, while low "D" scores are people who want to do moreresearch before committing to a decision. High "D" people aredescribed as demanding, forceful, egocentric, strong willed, driving,determined, ambitious, aggressive, and pioneering. Low D scores describe thosewho are conservative, low keyed, cooperative, calculating, undemanding,cautious, mild, agreeable, modest and peaceful.

Influence: People with high "I" scoresinfluence others through talking and activity and tend to be emotional. Theyare described as convincing, magnetic, political, enthusiastic, persuasive,warm, demonstrative, trusting, and optimistic. Those with low "I"scores influence more by data and facts, and not with feelings. They aredescribed as reflective, factual, calculating, skeptical, logical, suspicious,matter of fact, pessimistic, and critical.

Steadiness: People with high "S" stylesscores want a steady pace, security, and do not like sudden change. High"S" individuals are calm, relaxed, patient, possessive, predictable,deliberate, stable, consistent, and tend to be unemotional and poker faced. Low"S" intensity scores are those who like change and variety. Peoplewith low "S" scores are described as restless, demonstrative,impatient, eager, or even impulsive.

Compliance: People with high "C" stylesadhere to rules, regulations, and structure. They like to do quality work anddo it right the first time. High "C" people are careful, cautious,exacting, neat, systematic, diplomatic, accurate, and tactful. Those with low"C" scores challenge the rules and want independence and aredescribed as self-willed, stubborn, opinionated, unsystematic, arbitrary, andunconcerned with details.

We were asked to fill a questionnaire, which hadfour set of words and we need to choose one word that describes us most and oneword in the four that describes us the least!

A graph based on the most, least and the differencewould be drawn and that graph would determine our DISC profile!

I was an “I” J

Over all DISC profiles help you and your team,

• To increase self knowledge: how you respond toconflict, what motivates you, what causes you stress, and how you solveproblems

• To learn how to adapt your own style to get alongbetter with others

• To foster constructive and creative groupinteractions

• To facilitate better teamwork and minimize teamconflict

• To develop stronger sales skills by identifyingand responding to customer styles

• To manage more effectively by understanding thedispositions and priorities of employees and team members

As part of the training we were asked build miniature houses and this what we came up with in 45 minutes J

Have you guys ever taken up this DISC profilingtest? If so what’s your DISC profile J

My Love Adventure and a Miracle!

2012-01-08T06:50:00.000-08:00

My Love Adventure and a Miracle!

Gadgets had always been part of my life! No matterwhere I was and what I did, there was a gadget that stayed with me all thetime! I always think that gadgets have life, they understand our feeling andeven reciprocate JI know it’s an absurd thought but trust me if you had ever been in love with agadget, you will definitely agree with me!

A few words on my Love and more on the adventureand a little more on the miracle!

The love,

Back in 2007, on a beautiful day, I got an email which,I never thought at that time, would change my life forever!

Yes it was the day I fell in love! Here is what Isaw in email that day… My Love… My iPhone!

I was at Nashville that time and had been there ona business visa for an official trip! Ihad no credit card, no SSN, no car and no idea on how to own my love!!

A miracle with an adventure!

IPhone when launched was initially available onlyvia AT&T and a contract (for a year or more) had to be signed in order to buyone! Signing a contract was not that easy, well at least not for me! I didn't haveeven a single supporting document (SSN, Bank statement, Driver’s license etc)they had asked for!

So all I had was love, dream and yeah a little hope,that I may one day find my true love!!

Did I say that it was Christmas time back then, andI had plans to visit my cousin who lived in California; since I was leaving toIndia the following week, I had very less time and I was almost done with allmy shopping and packing and had very less money left to spend!

Travelling from coast to coast was quite expensive andI wanted to save some money but there was this weird feeling that told me notto cancel the plan and go ahead with my trip! The tickets would cost a fortuneif not booked in advance! That was when one of my colleague told me that he wasnot well and he asked me if I want to use his tickets, We called up theairlines and checked if we can do so and explained them our problem and luckilythey agreed J So after a lotof struggle I finally got to meet my cousin! – Miracle 1 of 2

The trip was better than what I had expected! I hada good time at my cousin’s place!

It was a gloomy day, the last day of my 4 day trip, wewere killing our time gossiping on film stars and old friends, I still rememberthat moment, the moment we saw that advertisement on the front page of a newspaper!

“Holiday Sale Alert - Buying an iPhone made easy! –

No contract required”

We could not believe what we saw – No contract!! - So that's when I told to myself! “Girl, buyingan iPhone is still a possibility!!” - Miracle 2 of 2

It was 11 am and we still had time, we rushed tothe store, there was a big fat line outside and we joined the crowd and we waited…waited and waited…

After 2 hours of strenuous wait, we finally entered the storeand to our shock, the sales assistant told us that for some weird security reasons, the phone can be bought onlythrough a valid credit card! I didn't have oneand my cousin did not bring hers and we were standing there helpless regrettingourselves for missing the wonderful opportunity!

We still had 5 hours and that's when I asked my cousin “whatabout an adventure! Go back home, bring the card, stand in the queue again, buythe phone and rush to airport directly to catch my flight at 7!!”

The very thought sounded insane! To both of us!! Whatif we don’t make it to the airport! What if they don’t accept the credit card! Whatif I don’t buy the phone… oh no! wait! That cannot happen! I can’t let go thisopportunity! I badly wanted to buy the phone and I know all this happened tillnow had happened for a reason! The very reason being my love for the phone, so Icannot miss this opportunity; At least I need to try! – Then and there started ouradventure!

We came out, quickly planned our course of action. This was our plan, Iwill be standing in the queue again and my cousin would drive back home andbring her credit card along with my baggage and would join me! Then we will buythe phone and then head back to airport, catch the flight and go back home happily!!Well as a plan, it sounded great!

So I was standing there in the queue again and mycousin, she joined me exactly after 40 minutes with her credit card and mybaggage and this time the crowd was pretty less and we managed to get insidethe shop in less than 1.30 hrs! Yes, we finally made it J

My 3 plus year old iPhone :)

Now I have my love, my phone! What next! I need tocatch my flight and it was 4.30 pm and looking at the traffic flow, my cousintold me that the drive to airport would take at least 2 hours!

I, now a believer in miracles was quite confidentthat we would make it to the airport on time and I was not wrong!! I reached theairport just in time and I was the last one to board the flight!!

With a sigh of relief, I told myself the famousalchemist quote!

“When you want something, the entire universeconspires in helping you to achieve it!”

True isn’t it J

Take care and Thanks for reading!

With Love, Miracle and Adventure...

Rekha

This entry is a part of BlogAdda contests in association with Zapstore.com

An Evening Walk!!

2011-12-30T10:28:00.000-08:00

Office Christmas decor!

2011-12-24T06:50:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas!!

The Milkman of India! Happy Birthday :)

2011-11-26T08:19:00.000-08:00

Dr, Verghese Kurien, the man behind the success of Amul Brand is celebrating his 90th birthday today :)

Happy Birthday Sir :)

He is credited with being the architect of Operation Flood – the largest dairy development program in the world.

Kurien helped modernise the Anand model of cooperative dairy development and thus engineered the White Revolution in India, and made India the largest milk producer in the world.

Everyone loves Amul, don't we :) I love Amul's creative ads.

Here are some of my 2011 recent favorites :)

An Elixir for craft junkies!

2011-05-27T18:26:00.000-07:00

Well yeah you got it right! It’s for me or rather for people like me! Who are otherwise termed by the society as "Shopaholics" and "spendthrifts"!

It all started like this!

I found this very interesting website on facebook (one good thing happened to me on fb!) when I was dozing around playing my farmville! The tempting pictures lead me to an awesome website called "CRAFTSVILLA.COM"!

And then started my blissful journey of shopping in the world of crafts!

The idea is as simple as any shopping website, First of you have to register yourself on craftvilla.com, there have variety of items in different categories (with pics of a girl (at first I thought she was a mannequin!) for accessories/apparels and a stand for bags :P). You got to choose one/many and add them to your cart. Confirm your shipping address and pay for it (COD, Credit/debit cards, Net banking, Bank transfer and Paypal) and voila! you are done!

Believe me you will not regret your purchase! This will be your "money-well-spent" type! The packing is neat! products neatly wrapped! and the best part is the freebies you get along with your every purchase (You hear me.. "every" purchase!) and a hand made personal thank you note from the co-founder of the website! What more could you ask for!

Customer care! hands down, the awosomest people you would ever interact with! You have a problem in your transaction! you mail them, you get your response in less than 24 hours (Believe me I have done it many times :)

You can ‘like’ them at facebook or simply “follow” them on twitter! Isn’t that simple. Also you would get emails from them on new products and offers quite frequently!

So what are you shop maniacs waiting for! Log on to

www.craftsvilla.com and enjoy your blissful journey!!!!

I Miss you... Netflix!!

2010-05-22T13:29:00.000-07:00

Seriously.. Its time I realized how much I miss Netflix... I am a super movie freak and a huge fan of Netflix, not just because it was my once-upon-a-time savior!! Well, by once-upon-a-time I mean the lonely times I spent in US not knowing what to do on weekends... Since then every time I open their perfectly packed DVD sleeve I would wonder how this stuff works...This is what happens at my end..

I choose a movie and order it online and next day I would get an email from Netflix with the DVD delivery date (which would most likely be the next working day.. believe me I was never disappointed) and then when I go check my mail box on that day.. There I will see my movie neatly packed and happily waiting for me… Then I see the movie, pack it back in the return envelope which comes with the DVD and drop it in my mailbox and the next working day I would get an email thanking me for sending back the movie… Man.. There got to be some amazing work behind this excellent quality of work… so now since I miss them badly I was curious to find out what happens behind the main

scene.. Well I should say… my search was worth it!

Here we go… Sharing with you all some interesting facts on Netflix shipping and delivery process... Click here to know how they do this amazing work!! And click here for some of their flickr pics…

I miss you Netflix! Wish I had you in my country!!

:: On a positive note... ::

2009-09-27T09:51:00.000-07:00

There comes a time when you must stand alone...

You must feel confident enough within yourself to follow your own dreams....

You must be willing to make sacrifices....

You must be capable of changing and rearranging your priorities so that your final goal can be achieved....

Sometimes, familiarity and comfort need to be challenged....

There are times when you must take a few extra chances and create your own realities....

Be strong enough to at least try to make your life better.Be confident enough that you won't settle for a compromise just to get by....

Appreciate yourself by allowing yourself the opportunities to grow, develop, and find your true sense of purpose in this life....

Don't stand in someone else's shadow when it's your sunlight that should lead the way!!

:: Navarathri Celebrations and My Golu 2008 ::

2008-10-11T07:22:00.000-07:00

Navarathri - the nine sacred nights is one of the most celebrated festivals of India.

And its one of my favourite too :)

This begins from the first day (Pradhamai) after Amavasya in the month of Purattasi as it is known in Tamil. This nine days festival is essentially celebrated to worship Devi and to commemorate the victory of good over evil, i.e bringing to an end the atrocities of Asuras like Mahishasuran, Shumban, Nishumban, Madhukaidapan, Thumralochanan and Rakthabheejan.

During Navrathri Devi is worshipped in the form of Sri Durga for the first three days, as Sri Lakshmi for the second three days and as Sri Saraswati for the next three days.

The best part of navarathri is Kolu/Golu.

Golu is basically adorned with dolls - predominantly with that of the Gods and Goddesses depicting mythology.

This year the Navarathri beginned at Mahalaya (sept 30th) and ended at Vijayadasmi (Oct 08th)

So here is the kolu at our home :)

:: Belated Bday Wishes ::

2008-10-11T07:00:00.000-07:00

My Blog has completed a year successfully - Its one year old now :)

In this one year it has got many new friends and has grown quite intelligent smart and cute.

Thanks to each one of them for all da love and support..!!!

:: Thot 4 da we(e/a)k ::

2008-07-20T02:05:00.000-07:00

If you want something you never had, you have to do something you have never done…!!!

:: BigFlix... No popcorn pleasure...!!!! ::

2008-07-12T06:35:00.000-07:00

I was extremely happy when Reliance started BigFlix in india coz im a great movie freak...

i subscribed to Bigflix.com 2 months ago.. with Plan 1 DVD at a time , The service has been good for the entire first month, just until last week...

when i put a request to pickup DVD i was expecting the delivery guy to come on the same day (thats how it was working for the past one month) but there was no response...

i waited for more than a week.. called them over phone n finally decided to send a complaint mail stating that if the issue is not addressed within 24 hrs i would cancel my subscription... to my surprise the bigflix guys came within 2 hrs for picking up my DVD not once but twice :)

but again i thot i would get some DVD... But what happened was the delivery guy told me that “ we don’t have any delivery for you coz there are no titles available in your queue so its just pick up today”

so again i had to send a mail.. to which the guys appeared in the same usual manner.. in 2 hrs.. bringing a DVD which was the last title in my queue of 28 DVD's (according to BigFlix they claim that the first 5 titles in your queue will be delivered first based on your plan) its highly unlikely that out of 28 movies in my Queue all would be unavailable at the same Time...!!! This is very bad and highly unprofessional, if i have 28 movies in my queue i expect prompt delivery of any one of those DVD's... its something BigFlix have to look into as they have just started their business.... they shud understand that customer satisfaction is very important....

The following appeared in Indian Express on Sunday, June 29, 2008 under the name.

NO POPCORN PLEASURE...

Renting movies from Big Fli has its good and bad moments. THERE was a time when DVD players were expensive and not all of us had them in our homes. But the mass production factories in South Korea have brought down the prices. My first DVD Player in 2000 cost me Rs 23,000, and now I can buy a branded player for under Rs 3,000. So the problem isn’t the player now, the DVDs are. The movies you want to watch are still cost Rs 299+ and this makes the movie rental business interesting. Seventymm took the lead, then came in guys like Moviemart, and now big brother Reliance has entered the business with Big Flix.

Big Flix is spending millions on advertising, and it appeared a bargain to be able to rent movies unlimited for unlimited time at just Rs 299 a month. A month ago, I took the bait. It took me less than two minutes to sign up on http:\\www.bigflix.com\. I was surprised to see that contrary to their ads, they had a limited number of regional language films, but for those whose basic choices will be English and Hindi films, they have enough. They offer the option of renting out 1, 2 or 3 discs at a time.

In the FAQ section, I learnt I needed a wishlist of at least 25 titles to ensure timely delivery. I opted for some 30-odd titles and waited for my movies to arrive. I had registered on a Saturday and presumed I wouldn’t hear from anybody till Monday. But Sunday brought a surprise visitor who came armed with two titles from my selection. However, he demanded that I hand over two movies I had borrowed. I informed him I was a new member and that I did not have any Big Flix items in my possesion, but he would have none of it. A ring to their call center on Monday (no responses on Sunday) ironed things out, and I was told this would not recur.

But things went wrong after that with confusion over titles delivered, about the number of discs I was entitled to borrow at a time and other hassles that left me aghast at the ineptness of the whole operation. Even after sending an email to customer care (an automatic ticket number was allocated and I was assured my complaint would be looked into), two weeks down the line, the discs don’t arrive on time, no one from customer care answers and movies automatically go into a pick up request.

I kept a movie for more than five days to see if I could hang on to it for as long as I wanted. I got a courteous SMS reminder reminding me of my misdemeanour and asking me to arrange a pick up.

Here is the score sheet

Customer Service: Worst possible

Movie listing: Good. Claims 15,000 titles.

Staff: Courteous generally, but most of them are ex-courier boys so some can be off-putting.

Presentation: The movies come packed in their original boxes. Some discs never played on my players due to a lot of scratches.

Delivery: No guarantees, erratic.

Pros: Big Flix has stores across the country, so you can always go there and pick up movies or return them easily. Online site could have been better, but it is improving.

Cons: If you want to watch a specific movie on a specific day, you are good either buying it or watching it on Video on Demand on DTH or renting it from the local DVD fellow. Cost: Attractive

:: The 3 mistakes of my life.... ::

2008-07-06T05:00:00.000-07:00

One more excellent work by CB... a very gud book... worth reading...

for a gist of it click here....

:: Expect less n Smile more... ::

2008-06-15T18:38:00.000-07:00

A good point to be noted... Expect less n smile more...
here we go...

Ground rule 1:
Never think that others are born to help you... Actually its the other way...
Exceptions: of course a few (with little demands :))

Ground rule 2:
Never waste time trying to understand others... believe me... u can do so many better things at that time...

Ground rule 3:
If ur dissapointed by something/one... don worry... jes keep going... watch a movie.... eat popcorn.... n of course thank God dat u din lose much :)

More to come....

:: $Mn thought:) ::

2008-06-02T10:20:00.000-07:00

Life is too short to wake up in the morning with regrets. So love the people who treat you right. Forget about the ones who don't, and believe that everything happens for a reason. Know a good thing when you see it, and don't let it slip away. If you get a chance, take it. If it changes your life, let it. Nobody said it would be easy, they just said it would be worth it.

''Life may not be the party we expected but we might as well dance while we are here''

:: vOdAfOnE cReAtIvItY:) ::

2008-05-25T05:59:00.000-07:00

This is supposed to be a Vodafone SIM card holder.. which i got it from Bharathi after a long time kenjals.. chumma tried something different with that.. i was actually impressed by that gal/guy (??) rounding dat globe.. so here we go...

VODAFONE ON TOP OF THE DOG :)

:: The Day...!!! Mind blowing :) ::

2008-01-21T05:49:00.000-08:00

For my 2 plus years in the company, i felt the best part of it 2day...!!

Kalam's speech..!!! how thoughtful it was... i have heard n read about him in papers, but u know seeing is always different.. such a simplicity, humbleness, energy, determination, confidence..
Hats off... he was there for an hour visiting our ACE centre, then came the interesting part, his speech..

The best part was... when he read out this short para for us...

Inventors – inventions and discoverers – discoveries

Let us study important inventors and their inventions.
* The Wright brothers and the plane.
* George Eastman and film
* Thomas Edison and the light bulb
* Alexandra Graham bell and the telephone.

Let us study a few Discoverers and their discoveries.
* Albert Einstein and the energy equation E=MC2
* Srinivas Ramanujan and number theory
* Chandrasekhar Subramaniyam and Chandrasekhar Limit
* Sir CV Raman and Raman Effect

"Inventions and discoveries have emanated from creative minds that have been constantly working and imaging the outcome in the mind. With imaging and constant effort, all the forces of the universe work for that inspired mind, thereby leading to inventions or discoveries. Higher the number of creative minds in an organization, the best results of innovation will emerge"

His words were so powerful... thought provoking.. and simple...!!!

Just refer his site...

http://abdulkalam.com/kalam/index.jsp

Ask him anything and everything.. u will get a reply 24/7...

These are not my words... this was his promise to us before he left...!!!

Amazing man...!!!

:: Today's resolution..!!! ::

2008-01-20T19:10:00.000-08:00

Say 'NO' for shopping...!!!

i have been doing a lottt of shopping these days.. buying anything and everything.
Is it really worth.. for some 'Yes' and for many 'No'..

Many things i buy, i hardly use it or in fact don't even use it. i wish there is something like a 'shopometer' similar to thermometer (with an alarm option!!) which can warn me when i start shopping those fit for nothing stuff or even give me a punch if i ignore that warning and continue my nonsense.. hmmm... sounds funny isn't it..

It is getting worse these days.. am i da only person.. lemme google a bit...

ahhhh... look at this...

http://me.essortment.com/shopaholic_rxfm.htm

he he :) im not that bad...!!!

but anyway its alarming... stop it now or u can never come of it alive...!!!!

"shopaholic"..... btw this title is not meant for me...!!!

:: Kalam's visit to satyam...!!! ::

2008-01-08T07:27:00.000-08:00

Dream is not what you see in sleep... Dream is the thing which does not let you sleep...!!!

quote from 'Wings of fire' by Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam...

Kalam...the most distinguished scientists of India, author of "Wings of Fire", "India 2020 - A Vision for the New Millennium", "My journey" and "Ignited Minds - Unleashing the power within India", a strong man with the unique honour of receiving honorary doctorates from 30 universities and institutions, who has been awarded the coveted civilian awards - Padma Bhushan (1981) and Padma Vibhushan (1990) and the highest civilian award Bharat Ratna (1997) and of course he has the honour of being the 11th president of India, This great man of great respect and dignity is visiting my company on 21st (monday)..

Eagerly waiting for the wonderful moment to see him...

:: Everything happens for a reason... ::

2008-01-05T09:38:00.000-08:00

Sometimes people come in to ur life & u know right away that they were meant 2 b there 2 serve some part of purpose, teach u a lesson or help u to figure out who u r or whom u want 2 b.. U never know who these ppl may b but when U look at them U know tht very moment tht they'll affect ur life in some profound way & sometimes things happen 2 u at da time tht may seem horrible, painful & unfair, but in reflection u realize tht without overcoming those obstacles u w'd never realize ur potential strength, will power or heart. Everything happens 4 a reason, nothing happens by chance or by means of luck. Illness, love lost moments of true greatness & sheer stupidity all occur to test limits of ur soul, Without these small tests life w'd b like a smooth paved, straight, flat road nowhere safe & uncomfortable but dull & utterly pointless. da ppl u meet affect ur life. da successes & downfalls tht u experience can create whom u r & da bad experiences can b learned from. believe in yrself, Create ur own life & then go out & live it...

:: What the hell is happening... IE7..??? ::

2007-08-05T07:46:00.000-07:00

ARGGGHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!! It crashes whenever i try to multi task or click on the close icon.

* Can't have the menu bar on top (after restoring it)
* Can't Restore the original tool bar buttons
* Can't remove search bar
* Can't access Mail/Newsgroups in one click
* Empty tab is a funny idea
* Tabs Row filled with buttons at the end

Finally What Rocks...

* Multiple tabs
* Better Security (Phishing, ActiveX, Protected Mode)

Complaints Galore!

Just check the Microsoft Internet Explorer newsgroup. Google gives it a High Activity rating.

IE7 is a joke, I am not sure what MS is thinking these days.. This is probably just another case like Vista....!!!!

:: Lingering on..!! ::

2007-08-05T07:17:00.000-07:00

So I was just listening to an excellent song...

It was Annie's Song by John Denver... One of the best singers ever.

Listen to him here... You can't find anyone like that these days. Such a pure voice.

Here goes the song....

You fill up me senses like a night in a forest
Like the mountains in springtime, like a walk in the rain
Like a storm in the desert, like a sleepy blue ocean
You fill up my senses come fill me again.

Come let me love you, let me give my life to you
Let me drown in your laughter, let me die in your arms
Let me lay down beside you, let me always be with you
Come let me love you, come love me again.

Let me give my life to you
Come let me love you, come love me again.

You fill up my senses like a night in a forest
Like the mountains in springtime, like a walk in the rain
Like a storm in the desert, like a sleepy blue ocean
You fill up my senses, come fill me again.

:: Blackle - The Energy Saver...??? ::

2007-08-04T11:26:00.000-07:00

The So called Energy saver Blackle has come up with a energy saving plan (???) while surfing through the internet....

Here goes... let's here what they say about their new concept...
From the blackle pages....

"How is Blackle saving energy?

Blackle was created by Heap Media to remind us all of the need to take small steps in our everyday lives to save energy. Blackle searches are powered by Google Custom Search.

Blackle saves energy because the screen is predominantly black. "Image displayed is primarily a function of the user's color settings and desktop graphics, as well as the color and size of open application windows; a given monitor requires more power to display a white (or light) screen than a black (or dark) screen." Roberson et al, 2002

In January 2007 a blog post titled Black Google Would Save 750 Megawatt-hours a Year proposed the theory that a black version of the Google search engine would save a fair bit of energy due to the popularity of the search engine. Since then there has been skepticism about the significance of the energy savings that can be achieved and the cost in terms of readability of black web pages."

They say that...."We believe that there is value in the concept because even if the energy savings are small, they all add up. Secondly we feel that seeing Blackle every time we load our web browser reminds us that we need to keep taking small steps to save energy"...

Courtesy: http://www.blackle.com/about/

"Blackle.com - Saving energy one search at a time".

:: Windows Live Folders Available...!!! ::

2007-08-04T07:58:00.000-07:00

Windows Live Folders which was launched recently was available only in selected regions previously. Microsoft is expanding the beta for Windows Live Folders. I was able to access Live folders today morning. This is available only for a limited time as they are not ready to expand to additional markets.

The folders are available in three categories- Personal Folders, Shared Folders and Public Folders. The size of folders is 500MB at present. This may be small when compared to other services, but hopefully Microsoft will increase it as soon as it comes out of beta.

If you are Windows Live products fan like me, then you should be definitely trying out the live folders. Click here to sign up for Live Folders.

More details on the Windows Live Folders Blog.

:: NIHONGO..!!!! ::

2007-07-15T05:28:00.001-07:00

I think what I fell in love with the language is by the way it sounds - it is a very musical language. Like most Asian languages (and unlike most Western languages), Japanese does not use emphasis (stress) to mark accent. This gives the language its distinctive, rather "flat" sound-- even long words do not have a stressed syllable. However, Japanese does use pitch-- high and low-- to distinguish words.

Japanese is literally a unique language. Linguistics scholars have classified all modern languages into huge "families" that are related through their grammars and vocabularies. For instance, English and other familiar European languages such as French and Spanish are in the Indo-European family (English is in the Germanic branch, while French and Spanish are in the
Italic branch). However, despite the breadth of modern linguistics categories, there are several holdout languages that simply do not have cognates in any other currently spoken language. These include Basque, Ainu, and Japanese.

I always had a passion to learn about other cultures and help those cultures interact with and understand each other better. Learning a foreign language can reconceptualize your view of your own native language. This is a specific example of the general principle that true understanding of anything requires viewing it from an outside perspective. You don't understand India until you have traveled in other parts of the world. You don't understand science until you have studied art, religion, and literature (and vice versa). Once you begin studying Japanese, you will see quirks of your native language that were hidden from you before. That in itself is an end, whether you end up mastering Japanese or not.

For people learning Japanese for the first time, I'd say that whether you plan to learn the language just for a couple of years or whether you're prepared to make the committment to learn it over the many, many years that are required to attain fluency, you have to be ready to realize early on that learning Japanese takes daily discipline and an extraordinary amount of time and a lot more commitment. But I have to also say that it is an incredibly rewarding experience.

Come on... let's learn a few basic words in japanese..

Ohayou gozaimasu --> Good Morning.

Konnichiwa ---> Good Afternoon.

Konbanwa ---> Good Evening.

Sayounara ---> Farewell.
(Don't over use sayounara. It is normally only used when you will not be seeing the person you're departing from for a long period of time. It is even used when seeing someone for the last time. But it should not be used when you will be right back.)

Jaa mata atode ---> See you again.

Doumo arigatou ---> Thank you. These are very standard ways to say "thank you". Arigatou is similar to saying "thanks".

Arigatou gozaimasu ---> Thank you.
This version of "thank you" is much more polite than just plain arigatou.

Doumo arigatou gozaimasu ---> Thank you very much.
This is the most polite version of "thank you".

Dou itashimashite ---> You are welcome.

Shibaraku desu ne ---> Long time no see.

Ohisashiburi desu ---> It's been a long time.

Tanjoubi omedetou ---> Happy Birthday.

Akemashite omedetou ---> Happy New Years.

Ogenki desu ka ---> How are you?

Hajimemashite ---> Nice to meet you.
literally means meeting you for the first time.

Onamae wa nan desu ka ---> What is your name?

huuhhh... Quite Easy isn't it..??

Well if you find the above stuff interesting, check out the following link for more information...

http://www.freejapaneselessons.com/

Happy Learning..!!!!

:: Google Video on your Video iPod..!! ::

2007-07-11T11:29:00.000-07:00

Look no further! Google Video has an iPod option for most of their videos.

Select”Video iPod/Sony PSP” and click Download. It will send you to a MP4 file that you can easily add to your iPod.

Also, if you haven’t checked out Apple’s Multi Touch screen movie, I’d highly recommend it...!!!

Check out this link...

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/03/16/AR2006031600192.html?nav=hcmodule

Quite interesting...!!!!!

:: Speed thrills...!!! but Kills...!!!!! ::

2007-07-11T10:46:00.000-07:00

I feel compelled to comment on the tragic incident that happened today morning. i was on my way to office, the driver of my cab was driving at a very high speed (in spite of our repeated warnings..!!)... It all happened in a fraction of second... An accident.... A poor dog was killed under the wheels... I saw the dog fraction of a second before it hit the car; I didn't see the hit but I heard it and I felt it.. All of us were completely helpless.. Dogs are part of homes; legally there's probably no "hit and run" penalty for hitting a pet... despite the diligent work of shelters and canine adoption agencies, three to five million dogs are put to death across the world every year...

I felt very sorry for it.. Up to the minute the dog had died, it would have had a good life, with people surrounded, who cared for it; never abused or hurt. It would have known happiness; love. This was a dog whose life would have been good until the moment it died. For a dog, you can't ask for much more. You can't ask for much more if you're a human, either..

Don’t Kill the Dogs. Respect its nature. Shape its character. Love it for life....

:: Why Am I in Such a Bad Mood? ::

2007-07-07T23:30:00.000-07:00

Nowadays I find myself getting really irritable for almost no reason? Or suddenly feeling down without knowing why? Going from sadness to anger to joy in a matter of minutes..?? Dealing with constant change and pressure may be one reason. It might feel as though there just isn't enough time to do everything.
I feel that I want to be on my own and make my own decisions, but it can also seem overwhelming and even a bit lonely at times. I think I'm under depression...!!!!

Many people think of depression as feeling sad, but depression can also bring feelings of moodiness, impatience, anger, or even just not caring. When depression gets in the way of enjoying life or dealing with others, that's a sign when one needs to do something about it, like talking to a counselor or therapist who can help us deal with it.
Here are some things I do (which I've learnt !!) that might make those bad moods a bit easier to handle:

Recognize that I'm not alone.
Catch my breath. Or count to 10. Or do something that lets me settle down for a few moments, especially if I'm feeling angry or irritable.
Talk to people I trust Keeping feelings inside can make me feel much worse..!!
Exercise. I try to get enough sleep Being tired can lead to more sadness and irritability.
Create. Put my feelings into my artwork.
Cry. There's nothing wrong with crying; in fact, it often makes a person feel better..!!
Wait. Just as you can get into a bad mood for what seems like no reason at times, that mood can also pass.

Above all Understanding that almost everyone goes through mood swings during their life time makes my life easier to handle these situations... in a better way...!!!!

:: NO Expectations, NO Disappointments ::

2007-07-07T22:26:00.000-07:00

What we anticipate seldom occurs what we least expected generally happens...!!!

If you paint in your mind a picture of bright and happy expectations, you put yourself into a condition conducive to your goal.... but in reality.. most of the time... 'We expect everything and are prepared for nothing..!!!'

Expectations lead to dissapointments... however when one has NO expectation, everything is a surprise.... Everyone likes surprises... and ofcourse you won't feel the pain when things are not in favour to you... No disappointment, beyond satisfaction, a surprise.... On the contrary you can even expect the worst always, and you will never be disappointed.....

Expect the best, plan for the worst, and prepare to be surprised....

:: Worth reading: In the wonderland of Indian managers by Sharu Rangnekar ::

2007-06-15T05:55:00.000-07:00

In the wonderland of indian managers, Rangnekar spots the inbuilt idiocies and idiosyncracies of our managerial systems and traditions, and blasts them sardonically.

A brilliant analysis of the Indian managerial scene, this book is for managers at all levels -- from trainees to directors.

Common problems and their solutions have been described in his characteristic style -- which is delightfully complemented by R.K. Laxman's inimitable cartoons.

Its worth reading this book...!!!

:: Don't take life too serious. You'll never get out alive..!! ::

2007-06-15T05:15:00.000-07:00

Sometimes it is the smallest decisions that can change your life forever.. have you ever given a thought about this... Sometimes we take decisions without knowing the consequences.. We regret for that at a later point of time... by then things would have gone out of our hands... So think twice or thrice or even more if necessary before taking any decision... because who knows.. even the smallest decisions may change our lives forever...