Drishtikone
Here is a trailer from Jodha-Akbar, the movie by Ashutosh Gowarikar. I saw it at Ravi's site. I must say that the movie looks extremely promising! Read more
Here is a trailer from Jodha-Akbar, the movie by Ashutosh Gowarikar. I saw it at Ravi's site. I must say that the movie looks extremely promising! Read more
Here is a beautiful picture taken by my friend, Gurinder. Suryakiran jets fly in formation as they leave a smoke trail in the colors of the Indian flag, during the Air Force Day parade 2007 at the Air Force Station Hindan, on the outskirts of New Delhi, India, Monday, Oct. 8, 2007. Indian Airforce is celebrating it's 75th year in 2007. (AP Photo/Gurinder Osan) Read more
I have been wondering for the last few months as to which way the economy of the world is going towards? It affects - at a personal level - decisions of investments and money management and at a broader level - involving industrial shifts - the shape of work and jobs to come. I am reading "Revolutionary Wealth" by Alvin Toffler... and it has some interesting thoughts and analysis. However, I think each one of us needs to do that same kind of analysis as we go on, based on our experiences. I will try and put here the various economic-oriented happenings that are happening in the world today.. and based on them we may do some analysis on how the world may settle. Its just an exploratory discussion and analysis. The major issues that I see (and which I intend to discuss later in more detail are) in no particular order as of now (I will keep expanding this list as well): US Economy: Large US deficit China Economy: Trade imbalance of US and Europe in favor of China China Economy: China's great growth and manufacturing base India economy: Rise of services sector India economy: Unequal growth European Economy: Socialist agendas Russian Economy: Oil power and Soviet Deja vu Middle East Politics: Islam discord with Western policies Read more
I got this in an email from a friend..... it is just hillarious!! This is so priceless, and so easy to see happening, customer service being what it is today. A lady died this past January, and Citibank billed her for February &March for their annual service charges on her credit card, & added late fees and interest on the monthly charge. The balance had been $0,now somewhere around $60. A family member placed a call to Citibank. Here's the exchange:Family Member: "I am calling to tell you she died in January."Citibank: "The account was never closed, and the late fees & chargesstill apply." Family Member: "Maybe you should turn it over to collections."Citibank: "Since it is 2 months past due, it already has been."Family Member: So, what will they do when they find out she is dead?"Citibank: "Either report her account to frauds division or report herto the credit bureau. Maybe both!" Read more
The Internet is a telephone system that's gotten uppity. Clifford Stoll Read more
For pleasures come and go.How often I have watched their inconstancy! But I have forsaken good and bad,And now I am happy. -Ashtavakra Gita 13:7 Read more
Here is a story I got in the mail.. rather interesting... and very touching... As the dream of most parents I had acquired a degree in SoftwareEngineering and joined a company based in USA , the land of braves and opportunity. When I arrived in USA , it was as if a dream had come true . Here at last I was in the place where I want to be. I decided I would bestaying in this country for about Five years in which time I would have earned enough money to settle down in India . My father was a government employee and after his retirement, the only asset he could acquire was a decent one bedroom flat.I wanted to do some thing more than him. I started feeling homesick and lonely as the time passed. I used to call home and speak to my parents every week using cheap international phone cards. Two years passed, two years of Burgers at McDonald's and pizzas and discos and 2 years watching the foreign exchange rate getting happy whenever the Rupeevalue went down.Finally I decided to get married. Told my parents that I have only 10 days of holidays and everything must be done within these 10 days. I got my ticket booked in the cheapest flight. Was jubilant and was actually enjoying hopping for gifts for all my friends back home. If I miss anyone then there will be talks. After reaching home I spent home oneweek going through all the photographs of girls and as the time wasgetting shorter I was forced to select one candidate. In-laws told me, to my surprise, that I would have to get married in 2-3 days, as I will not get anymore holidays. After the marriage, it was time to return to USA , after giving some money to my parents and telling the neighbors to look after them, we returned to USA .My wife enjoyed this country for about two months and then she started feeling lonely. The frequency of calling India increased to twice in aweek sometimes 3 times a week. Our savings started diminishing. After two more years we started to have kids. Read more
Health standards in India are going down. More people are obese these days. It is the offshoot of prosperity. It is happening in China as well. Worst still the obesity in women is significantly higher than in men! Take a look at this graph from Mint. Read more
This is Arshad - 8 years old - who died at Ajmer Shareef. A poem from another angle of this entire terrorism game.... but the sentiments seem equally true here as well! Death Poem By Jumah al-Dossari Take my blood.Take my death shroud andThe remnants of my body.Take photographs of my corpse at the grave, lonely. Send them to the world,To the judges andTo the people of conscience,Send them to the principled men and the fair-minded. Read more
Languages change in strange manners. There are words in Indo-European languages that are still very similar - like the pronunciation of the word for numeral 2 - Dos (Spanish), Do (Hindi), Dva (Russian). Yet, there are many words, obviously that are very different! How do the languages evolve? It is really Survival of the Fittest! Languages change in every generation. One generation starts pronouncing words in ways different from the earlier generation. And these differences compound over the generations to create changes that are pronounced indeed! The most used words remain very similar, yet the less used change. As the research cited in the journal "Nature" of more than 200 words in English over the ages have changed. Helped, for example, was once upon a time Holp! Researchers led by Mark Pagel of the University of Reading, southern England, looked at how 200 basic words diverged over thousands of years among English Russian, Greek and Spanish. Read more
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