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Googly Woogly Princess!

Ms. Ami Damani was crowned Pond?s Googly Woogly Princess by Pond?s Femina Miss India Universe 2005 ? Amrita Thapar. Amrita personally visited Ami in her home and crowned her amongst her loved ones. Ami received an exquisite gold crown from Amrita Thapar along with a hamper of Pond?s skincare products. Ami?s winning Googly Woogly Contest entry was her special moment when a stranger at the Dubai airport approached her, complimented her lovely face and stunning eyes and even offered her a role in a movie! Ami is a gorgeous young woman who wants to become an air hostess. Click here for the pic

Cricketing Woes!

Peak Day Blues remembers the Tsunami Victims

December 26, 2004 - Hundreds & thousands of people lost their lives. Let's take a moment to remember those who perished in the fury of Mother Earth Let?s pray for the people and nations effected by the Tsunami. Over the chaos of the waters Lord you spoke and there was light. God of creation, you acted to bring about this world we ask you to continue to act to bring about a new creation and new hope from the darkness of this tidal wave. Lord, who grieved over lost ones, be with those who grieve even now for their lost loved ones, come to them in their pain and loss with your healing and mercy. Holy Spirit, who brings good gifts, counsels and guides, direct and be with those who offer help at this time that light may be seen in the darkness. Heavenly Father, bless the work that is happening across nations, peoples, religions and politics for the sake of the poor and the lost.

Remembering Tsunami!

Last year, on the 26th December, an earthquake, and then a tsunami, killed, wounded, or impoverished hundreds of thousands of people in South Asia. During the course of the year, other disasters took their toll too. Most devastating of them: Hurricanes Katrina and Rita on the South-East coast of the USA; and another enormous earthquake near Pakistan's border with India. These disasters took their immediate toll, and, each time, the world tried to help. But as calamity piled upon calamity, there has been a certain amount of fatigue. Perhaps people's stock of goodwill has run low. Perhaps seeing too much suffering hardens us. But, the fact is, the suffering from those disasters has not ceased. Parts of South Asia have still not recovered from December 26th, 2004. In the USA, normalcy hasn't returned to New Orleans. In Pakistan, thousands are still homeless, and may not survive the harsh Himalayan winter. They need your help. Last December and this January, the

Merry X'mas!

Rajvilas adjudged the world's 3rd best hotel!

Two hotels of Indian hospitality chain Oberoi figure among the world's 25 finest hotels, which were ranked by readers of international magazine, Travel+Leisure . The Oberoi Rajvilas in Jaipur was adjudged the third best hotel, with an overall score of 94, finishing behind Four Seasons Resort, Bali, and Singita of South Africa, which cornered the first and the second slots respectively. The group's property in Agra, the Oberoi Amarvilas, was ranked 22nd by New York-based Travel+Leisure in its exclusive list of 500 finest hotels, a statement from Oberoi group said today. The hotels, rated on several criterion, including service, location, rooms, food and value, were chosen by readers of the publication in its annual 'World's Best Awards' survey. PS: I feel especially happy since I was brought up in Rajasthan and had the chance of checking out this great hotel :-)

Parking Ticket Santa!

A "Parking Ticket Santa Claus" has been spreading cash as well as Christmas cheer around the English city of Birmingham, a newspaper reported Wednesday. The mystery Santa has placed Christmas cards containing 30 pounds ($53) on the windscreens of drivers who have received parking tickets, the Daily Telegraph said. "Don't let this ticket spoil your Christmas," declares a note in each card. "Here's #30 to pay it off. Merry Christmas - Parking Ticket Santa." Fourteen drivers are believed to have received gifts from the unseen Father Christmas, who has given his profession an image boost after a string of stories about "Bad Santas." In recent days, men in Santa outfits have been accused of committing armed robbery in Germany, exposing themselves in southern England and going on a drunken rampage in New Zealand. Via: Caroline

Old Kid back in the block!

Remember Rajdeep Sardesai (the guy who hosted The Big Fight) of NDTV and his suddent exit from the Prannoy Roy empire?? Well, he is back in the limelight with a new News Channel titled IBN Live with collaboration from CNN and TV18 (the people who beam CNBC in India). Their website is well designed with a free videos section and a section to showcase blogs. What more? Rajdeep himself has written a blog about his new start-up. PS: Not to be left behind in the spycam work in which Aaj Tak is very famous for, IBN Live has come up with their own expose of a few MPs. Check out their website for more...

How much of a threat is Google to Microsoft?

Bill Gates to Business Today Magazine: What Google offers today in terms of products is quite interesting. They have the leading web search site and people are looking at whether we will be able to do things better and compete with them. And I think this is just a great example of how competitive this business is. Google did not even exist six or seven years ago and now they are a company worth over a $100 billion (Rs 4,50,000 crore) and they are darlings of the press in terms of doing new things (smiles). We are absolutely building our search capability that we think will be better than what Google will offer and the only clear winner in that competition are the consumers.

'Merry Christmas' virus!

With the detection of a 'Trojan' e-mail named 'TROJ_SAMX.A,' Net users have been advised to check whether their virus programme has been updated to prevent it from getting into their computers. The virus has been detected by TrendLabs of Trend Micro, a leader in network anti-virus. The virus contained an attachment named 'MERRY CHRISTMASI.rar' and had been spammed through e-mail, a Trend Micro release said on Thursday. TROJ_SAMX.A runs on Windows98, ME, NT, 2000 XP, and Server 2003 and it compromised system security by acting as a proxy server, 'which acts as an intermediary between a user' and a server.' This 'Trojan' is rated as a low risk threat, but because it compromised security of infected computers, the damage could be 'greater as the computer will be in the hands of the writer of this malicious piece of software,' it said. Users should, therefore, check that their virus programmes were updated to prevent this T

Where is India heading??

About 10 men armed with pistols looted passengers of a train shortly after it left Bhopal and raped a woman after dragging her into the toilet in a brazen display of lawlessness. The shocking incident took place in a general compartment of the Mumbai-Lucknow Pushpak Express Wednesday night. The train reached Bhopal an hour behind schedule at 10.20 p.m. Wednesday. The criminals boarded the train then, and the nightmare started as soon as the train departed for Lucknow. The men first whipped out locally made pistols and took control of the compartment, frightening the passengers into submission. 'They were eight to 10 in number and each was having three to four pistols,' recalled Abdul Wahab, a passenger. The men thrashed and looted the passengers of their valuables. Three young men were thrown out of the train when they resisted the gang. The criminals then dragged a 22-year-old woman into a toilet and raped her. The victim was travelling with her mother-in-law

Achu Mama's days counted?

Senior Kerala minister M.V. Raghavan Thursday said the days of Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) politburo member and leader of the opposition V.S. Achuthanandan are numbered in the party. 'Soon after the forthcoming assembly polls here, Achuthanandan would be thrown out of the CPI-M. If the same yardstick that was applied to me when I was ousted from the CPI-M was followed, Achuthanandan would not have remained in the party till now,' he told reporters here. 'The CPI-M is waiting for the polls to be over before an action against Achuthanandan.' Achuthanandan has been waging a battle against state secretary Pinarayi Vijayan. His biggest setback came in 1996 when he was billed as the chief minister but lost the assembly election from Mararikulam in Alappuzha district. This loss enabled E.K. Nayanar, who did not even contest the polls then, become the chief minister of Kerala for a third time. 'Today Vijayan has emerged as the clear leader and so Ac

TV's new avatar shot off to space

India has launched a three-tonne satellite from French Guiana that promises to revolutionise television services in the country. The Insat-4A satellite was constructed by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). It is carrying 12 Ku band transponders for Direct-to-Home or DTH service and 12 C band transponders that will be used to augment telecom services. Isro chairman Madhavan Nair says the launch is a "milestone". "India spreads across 3,000km (1,875 miles) and to reach each and every village, satellite technology is the only possible way," Mr Nair said in a post-launch address. Mr Nair hailed the spacecraft as the "most advanced, heaviest and powerful satellite" built by Isro so far. It was carried into space on a European Ariane-5 rocket, which also delivered a satellite for the meteorological agency, Eumetsat. This is the first satellite in the Insat-4 series. Although Isro has its own launch vehicle, it does not have the te

American Ramayana!

A young second generation Indian in the US was asked by his mother to explain the significance of "Diwali" to his younger brother, this is how he went about it... " So, like this dude had, like, a big cool kingdom and people liked him. But, like, his step-mom, or something, was kind of a bitch, and she forced her husband to, like, send this cool-dude, he was Ram, to some national forest or something...Since he was going, for like, something like more than 10 years or so.. he decided to get his wife and his bro along...you know...so that they could all chill out together. But Dude, the forest was reeeeal scary shit... really man... they had monkeys and devils and shit like that. But this dude, Ram, kicked ass with darts and bows and arrows... so it was fine. But then some bad gangsta boys, some jerk called Ravan, picks up his babe (Sita) and lures her away to his hood. And boy, was our man, and also his bro, Laxman, pissed...And you don't piss this son-of-a-gun cu

Confessions!

Little Bobby came into the kitchen where his mother was making dinner. His birthday was coming up and he thought this was a good time to tell his mother what he wanted. "Mom, I want a bike for my birthday." Little Bobby was a bit of a troublemaker. He had gotten into trouble at school and at home. Bobby's mother asked him if he thought he deserved to get a bike for his birthday. Little Bobby, of course, thought he did. Bobby's mother wanted Bobby to reflect on his behavior over the last year. "Go to your room, Bobby, and think about how you have behaved this year. Then write a letter to God and tell him why you deserve a bike for your birthday." Little Bobby stomped up the steps to his room and sat down to write God a letter. Letter 1 Dear God, I have been a very good boy this year and I would like a bike for my birthday. I want a red one. Your friend, Bobby Bobby knew that this wasn't true. He had not been a very good boy this year, so he tore up the le

Recognizing a stroke!

During an outdoor dinner at a seaside resort near Chennai, a friend stumbled and took a little fall - she assured everyone that she was fine and just tripped over a brick because of her new shoes. They got her cleaned up and got her a new plate of food - while she appeared a bit shaken up, she went about enjoying herself the rest of the evening. Her husband called later telling everyone that his wife had been taken to the hospital - (at 6:00 pm, she passed away). She had suffered a stroke at the dinner- had they known how to identify the signs of a stroke Perhaps she would be alive today. A neurologist says that if he can get to a stroke victim within 3 hours he can totally reverse the effects of a stroke...totally. He said the trick was getting a stroke recognized, diagnosed and getting to the patient within 3 hours which is tough. There is nothing more life saving than getting the patient to the hospital in the FIRST ONE HOUR! The Golden Hour it is now

A mobile virus?

I got a strange message from Airtel folks in my mobile today... It read.. "Welcome.Account Activated. Pls dial 123 & select language. Your account will automatically get credited with Talk Time. No need to use coupon in pack.".... The message had "AirTel" as its name. Now am not sure if this is a prank or a virus or a real message. Couldn't make out what they were trying to say. Anyone got similar messages or has an explanation??

Biggest party of 'em all!!

[click pic for bigger image] Source: DNA E-paper

Importance of having Breakfast

Breakfast can help prevent strokes, heart attack and sudden death. For those who always skip breakfast, you should start kicking that habit now!! You've heard many times that "Breakfast is the most important meal of the day." Now, recent research confirms that one of the worst practices you can develop may be is avoiding breakfast. Why? Because the frequency of heart attack, sudden death, and stroke peaks between 6:00a.m. and noon, with the highest incidence being between 8:00a.m. and 10:00a.m. What mechanism within the body could account for this significant jump in sudden death in the early morning hours? We may have an answer. Platelet, tiny elements in the blood that keep us from bleeding to Death if we get a cut, can clump together inside our arteries due to cholesterol or laque buildup in the artery lining. It is in the morning hours that platelets become the most activated and tend to form these internal blood clots at the greatest frequency. H

Gates visit - a recap!

Software KING KONG of the World, " Sir William Gates III ", is tapping India in the search for more development partners. Speaking to more than 5,000 engineers at India's largest developer event, King Bill said that India has been very important to the Volish Empire. He said Microsoft would invest more than $1.7 billion in the country in four years to deepen its presence in the country. This is what Intel wants to pour into India too. Gates said that the drive will not just be outsourcing, but will look at the country as a developing market. Microsoft has already launched software in local Indian languages. It plans to bring out software in more Indian languages since only 5% of the population knows much English.

Who's the billionaire?

Forbes is doing a poll titled "Long term, which industry will create the most Indian billionaires?"... Click here to participate... As of now, Software industry stands first and I also casted my vote for "Software industry"

Belated 35 wishes!

Sachin cuts a cake with family to celebrate his 35th Test century on Wednesday at home in Bandra.

The Boss is here....

Rajinikanth's much-expected Sivaji hit the floors today (Dec 14) at Hyderabad. The movie, being produced by AVM, is their 168th venture, and brings titans of the industry Shankar and Rajinikanth together. It will be Rajini's ninth film with AVM banner and Shankar's ninth film as a director over all. The film is also important as it is Rajini's next film after the stupendous success of Chandramukhi and Shankar's next project after that record breaking Anniyan. While Shreya plays Rajini's heroine, the movie has Vivek besides rumors that Malayalam hero Mohanlal will be acting in an important role. A R Rehman scores the music while K V Anand cranks the camera. The shooting commenced at a huge set erected at Ramoji Rao Studio in Hyderabad and a song sequence was being shot. The movie is expected for Deepavali release next year.

Gross Injustice!

After getting up from the bed in the evening, I tuned into some news channels to find a report on India's astounding victory over Lankans in the 2nd Test at Kotla... But to my dismay, the news that grabbed the headlines was the outster of Sourav Ganguly from the team for the 3rd test in Ahmedabad... The selectors decision to axe him and replace him with a little known Wasim Jaffer defies all logic! Kiran More, the selection commitee head had himself in previous occassion said that they wont' disturb the winning combination and cited it as a reason for Ganguly's non-inclusion in the One Day team... What do you have to say now Mr. More? An AajTak/HeadlinesToday poll on whether Ganguly's expulsion was right or wong clearly showed the nation's shock & dismay as 75% of the "janta" was against his expulsion... This probably will be the last time we will be seeing Dada in an international match if the selectors have their way. Being a citizen of India who lov

Poking fun @ Rajnikanth

Rajnikanth just celebrated his 56th B'day yesterday... And rightly or wrongly, Times Of India has come up with this Quickie which is rather an insult to the many millions of Rajni fans out there... Or is it actually a comical relief... Read and tell me... :-)

Broadband prices to go down...

SEA-ME-WE-4, an undersea cable system linking India with the West, which is jointly owned and developed by 16 partners across the world including Bharti and Videsh Sanchar Nigam Ltd (VSNL), was commissioned on Tuesday. Bharti Tele-Ventures president (Infotel) Badri Agarwal made the announcement at a select media briefing in the capital. Although pricing is a function of the market, the launch of the cable system may see bandwidth rates falling further... Read more

Flash News!

New Delhi experienced tremors as earthquake shaked north India in the early hours of Tuesday morning . The quake jolted Jammu and Kashmir and Chandigarh.alongwith Delhi and NCR. The loss of life and property has not been known yet, according to a private news channel. The earthquake hit Jammu and Kashmir at around 3:17 a.m.

Bengaluru-ed!

Bangalored is passe, it should be Bengaluru-ed if the chief minister of Karnataka has his ways.... Yes, Bangalore is to be renamed Bengaluru!! Aghast! If Bombay can become Mumbai, Madras to Chennai, Calcutta to Kolkatta, so too Bangalore dude! PS: What next?!

Operation Duryodhana!

Kudos to Aniruddha Bahal (yes, the man behind Tehelka) and his team at Cobrapost for unearthing the misdeeds of 11 MPs of Parliament.... If you are unaware of this sensational story that was aired in Aaj Tak, read this article in TOI. Cobrapost was created by Aniruddha Bahal after he quit Tehelka and this was in the works for the past 8 months. Click here to read a personal account of Aniruddha Bahal in uncovering this scandal.

Ideas that clicked!

It was when Sony Corporation's founder, Akio Morito missed listening to his favourite music while playing golf, that the need for portable music was felt. And Sony introduced the walkman. Via: Renju

Bill Gates Vs. General Motors

At a recent Computer Expo (COMDEX), Bill Gates reportedly compared the computer industry with the auto industry and stated, "If GM had kept up with technology like the computer industry has, we would all be driving $25.00 cars that got 1,000 miles to the gallon". In response to Bill's comments, General Motors issued a press release stating: If GM had developed technology like Microsoft, we would all be driving cars with the following characteristics: 1. For no reason whatsoever, your car would crash twice a day. 2. Every time they repainted the lines in the road, you would have to buy a new car. 3. Occasionally your car would die on the freeway for no reason. You would have to pull to the side of the road, close all of the windows, shut off the car, restart it, and reopen the windows before you could continue. For some reason you would simply accept this. 4. Occasionally, executing a maneuver such as a left turn would cause your car to shut down and refuse to restart, in

Hum Tum - 3

Hum & Tum walking together.... Hum sees a petite gal and starts ogling at her... Tum: (hits Hum in his head) WHAT ARE YOU DOING?? Hum: Ouch, that hurts. What did I do? I ain't did anything. Tum: Don't lie to me. I know you were ogling at that gal. Hum: Oh, come on. You expect me to blind-fold myself and walk? Tum: Don't talk to me. How dare you look at her! Hum: (curses himself for oggling) Tum: You don't love me at all... Hum: Now, come on. What has love got to do with this. Tum: (acts as if she is crying) I know, I know. You guys are always like this... Hum: (here she starts again, crocodile tears)!! Tum: What are you thinking? Hum: Ahem...Ahem... nothing... nothing. Tum: Dishum Dishum... Dishum Dishum... Dishum Dishum... Hum: (tired of hearing....wishes he had ear buds) Suddenly, an idea sparks in Hum's head... Hum: So, you want to know the truth? Tum: YES! Hum: Well, she reminded me of my sister! (master-stroke) Tum: But you don't have any sisters. Hum:

Pappu Pass Ho Gaya!!

TEACHER : What is the chemical formula for water? PAPPU : "HIJKLMNO! "!! TEACHER : What are you talking about? PAPPU : Yesterday you said it's H to O ! TEACHER : PAPPU, go to the map and find North America. PAPPU : Here it is! TEACHER : Correct. Now, class, who discovered America? CLASS : PAPPU! TEACHER : PAPPU, how do you spell "crocodile"? PAPPU : "K-R-O-K-O-D-A-I-L" TEACHER : No, that's wrong PAPPU : Maybe it's wrong, but you asked me how I spell it! TEACHER : PAPPU, give me a sentence starting with "I". PAPPU : I is... TEACHER : No, PAPPU. Always say, "I am." PAPPU : All right... "I am the ninth letter of the alphabet." TEACHER : "Can anybody give an example of "COINCIDENCE?" PAPPU : "Sir, my Mother and Father got married on the same day, same time." TEACHER : "George Washington not only chopped down his father's Cherry tree, but also admitted doing

Past & Present!

Ghazni's Somnath Connection!

Somnath is about 5km from Veraval and had a checkered history. It is believed that the Somnath temple here was originally built by Somraj, the Moon God himself, out of gold, and then rebuilt by Ravana in silver and then by Krishna in Wood, then by Bhimdev in stone. Somnath is also known by several other names -- Deo pattan, Prabhas Pattan or Pattan Somnath, which it acquired during its long and eventful history. Somnath was once the most revered shrine in the country, for it had one of the twelve pre-eminent Jyotirlingas (the glowing Lingas), which held a special significance for the Hindus. Somnath's glory and fame are legendary. It is said that people from the remotest parts of the country came to worship at the shrine; revenues collected from ten thousand villages was spent on the maintenance of the temple. Two thousand Brahmins (priests) served the idol and a golden chain attached to a huge bell plate announced the commencement of prayers. Somnath rose and fell many a t

Say Cheese!

Pic taken when I attended Subodh's brothers marriage... For those with poor memory, starting from left is Subodh, his sis-in-law, his Big Brother, and the guy who looks like a WWE wrestler is yours very own! :-)

Is Indian business ready?

Demands have long been heard for greater transparency in the way Indian companies do business. Now, matters are about to come to a head. Ready or not, India's public companies must meet a January 1, 2006, deadline to comply with sweeping new corporate governance standards inspired by the Sarbanes-Oxley Act in the U.S. Are Indian companies ready? According to experts at Wharton and Egon Zehnder, the international executive search firm, the rewards for companies that implement sound corporate governance practices can be large. Read more

Hum Tum - 2

Hum & Tum in a restaurant... Hum: What you want to have? Tum: Anything, except foods that are spicey or too sweet. Hum: (eye brows raised) I see, then I think you can order a glass of water. Tum: Grrrrrrrr. Hum: Let's order Rumali Roti & Tandoori Chicken (yummy) Tum: Nope. I will decide what's good for you and me. Hum: Okay. :-( Go ahead (hands over the menu). Tum: I think we should go for...hmmm.... let me see... Hum: Fast yaar, am feeling damn hungry. Tum: Okay, then we will go ahead with what you ordered. Hum: (Sigh)!! Food arrives and Tum goes to wash hands... Hum couldn't resist the smell of Chicken and invariably takes a piece and eats.... Tum comes back seeing this... Tum: How dare you eat before I joined you on the table. Don't you know manners. Hum: Arre yaar, what manners and all between us. Tum: You don't love me at all. how many times have I waited for you without eating. Hum: (remembers the last time Tum ate without w

Wedding bells for Aamir Khan!

Bollywood actor Aamir Khan is all set to marry his friend and an assistant director of 'Lagaan', Kiran Rao. The marriage would take place at the hill station of Panchgani, about 250 km from here, on January one, sources said. The star has booked en entire hotel at Panchgani for the event, which would be attended by who's who of film industry, the sources said. Aamir recently got a divorce from his wife of over a decade, Reena. The actor has two children from her. The actor was seen in Rao's company at several high-profile functions in the city recently.

IRUKKU AANA ILLAI!

In a riveting article by AMY WALDMAN of New York Times titled " On India's Roads, Cargo and a Deadly Passenger ", one realizes to the extent to which HIV has spread in India. "India has at least 5.1 million people living with H.I.V., the second highest number after South Africa. It is, by all accounts, at a critical stage: it can either prevent the further spread of infection, or watch a more generalized epidemic take hold. Global experts worry that India is both underspending on AIDS and undercounting its H.I.V. cases." Click here to read the full story

Hum Tum!

Hum calls up Tum Hum: Hey howdie, what's up? Tum: Haachee!! Not feeling well, having cold & fever. Hum: Acho! All coz of this bad weather! Tum: And coz of the ice cream that you insisted I should have last week. Hum: But that was a week before! Tum: Whatever... hacheee... coz of that only. Hum: How bad it is? Tum: If I go thru like this, I will die soon! Hum: (sighs in his mind) Come on, nothing will happen. Let's go to a doctor. Tum: Doctor? No way, not for such silly things. Hum: (sighs happily looking at his wallet) Oh, okay! Tum: What okay! You don't care for me. Am so sick and you are not even bothered to take me to a hsptl. Hum: But.. but.. Tum: What but... but.. I know all these guys are selfish. Hum: Hey, I asked you whether you need to go to a hospital na. Tum: So, what. As a patient, I will say no only. You will have to convince me. Hum: Okay! Cut to the hospital... Dr. checks up Tum and gives a big list of anti-biotics and paracetamol

Welcome to India Mr. Gates!

Bill Gates will be on a four day visit to India starting today.... Will he be fourth time lucky in trying to attract the Indian government from going the Linux way?? Last time around, he through some billions through his Melinda-Gates foundation to try and woo the Indians... Click here to see a detailed itinerary of his visit... by the way, he is also planning to visit Chennai , danks to Mr. Maran...

KOLLYWOOD GOES GLOBAL!!!!

All of you who want to sing the FAMOUS "AUTO KARAN"(auto man) song! Here is the LYRICS! Have fun! [ Esp. non tamilians!! ;)] now u have a song to sing along at the next regional fest! I AM AUTOFELLOW I am autofellow autofellow Four knowing route fellow Justice having rate fellow Good people mix fellow Nice singing song fellow Gandhi borning country fellow Stick take means hunter fellow Big people's relation fellow Mercy having mind fellow da I am all poor's relative fellow da I am always poor people's relative fellow da Achak means achak only; Gumuk means gumuk only Achak means achak only; Gumuk means gumuk only Town become big, population become big Bus expecting, half age over Life become hectic in time, exist in corner of street Ada eye beat means love coming they telling You hand clap means auto coming I telling Front coming look, this three-wheel chariot Good come and arrive, you trust and climb up Mercy having mind fellow da I am always poor people's rel

Firefox 1.5

The Mozilla Foundation yesterday released Firefox 1.5, the latest version of its popular Web browser.... For more info and download, check the left panel of this blog...

1 2 ka 4!

MALAYALEES One Malayalee is a narial-pani shop. Two Malayalees is a boat race. Three Malayalees is a Gulf job racket. Four Malayalees is an oil slick. TAMILIANS One Tamilian is a fugitive sandalwood smuggler. Two Tamilians is a suicide-bomb squad. Three Tamilians is a classical music school. Four Tamilians is a Jayalalitha fan club. ANDHRAITES One Andhraite is a cycle-rickshaw driver. Two Andhraites is a spice shop. Three Andhraites is a Naxalite outfit. Four Andhraites is the Telugu film industry. BENGALIS One Bengali is a rosagulla shop. Two Bengalis is a black-and-white movie. Three Bengalis is a Mohun Bagan support group. Four Bengalis is a Marxist movement. RAJASTHANIS One Rajasthani is a cattle-seller. Two Rajasthanis is a mason. Three Rajasthanis is a puppet show. Four Rajasthanis is a folk dance-drama. PUNJABIS/SARDARJI One Punjabi is a truck driver. Two Punjabis is one bottle of whisky in one night. Three Punjabis is a public fist-fight.

ITES Boom in Tamil Nadu!

G. Balachandar of Business Standard has written an in-depth article on the impact the BPO/ITeS industry had on the state of Tamil Nadu in 2005.... Excerpts from the article: "Tamil Nadu is today among the most preferred destinations for global sourcing in India. The year 2005 has turned out to be a watershed for the information technology (IT) and informatic technology enabled services (ITES) sectors in the state. The two segments are witnessing unprecedented boom in the state. The state capital, Chennai, now houses all of the top 10 Indian IT companies’ either one or multiple production centers. A major encouraging feature of this boom is that medium-sized companies are also witnessing higher growth. Industry experts feel that unveiling of the state’s ‘IT Enabled Services (ITES) policy’ and offering a slew of incentives with the intention of making Tamil Nadu the global outsourcing capital will provide major thrust to the IT and outsourcing sector. Many agree that quality of

When Armstrong landed in Moon....

Fardeen's Marriage pics

Bollywood heart-throb Fardeen Khan got married to Natasha a few months back, the daughter of a big-shot businessman from London... here are some xclusiv pics...

Crying Mary!

Red stains are seen running from the left eye of a statue of the Virgin Mary at the Vietnamese Catholic Martyrs Church in Sacramento, Calif., Tuesday, Nov. 22, 2005. According to Anthony Nguyen, a deacon at the Church, the stains first appeared more than a week ago, but they were wiped away. The stains reappeared a week later. Visitors have been flocking to the church to see what many call 'a miracle.'

World's Ugliest Dog passed away!

Sam, crowned the 'World's Ugliest Dog' for three years in a row at the Sonoma-Marin Fair, died last Friday. The pooch with the hairless body, crooked teeth and sparse tuft of hair atop his knobby head died just short of his 15th birthday, according to his owner, Susie Lockheed.

Akshardham

After 5 years of non-stop, round-the-clock construction, the massive and awesome Akshardham Temple Monument to World Peace was inaugurated. The Akshardham Temple in New Delhi, India, constructed by the BAPS foundation -- the builders of the various Swaminaryan Temples across the world, is truely a modern day Wonder of the World. It is one of the biggest and most intricate religious places of worship ever constructed. Combining several completely different and contrasting architectural styles of Hindu temple architecture of northern India -- Rajasthani, Orrisan, Gujarati, Mughal and Jain -- the Akshardham Monument is entirely constructed of marble and the red-sandstone that Delhi is famous for, and that so many of her monuments are constructed of. It was completed in only 5 years a world record of sorts. So after years of waiting, the Temple was opened to the public -- and to photographers. At its inaguration, it is widely being heralded as one of the greatest monuments India has ever p

25 Simple Ways to Reduce Stress

Sometimes it seems as if we're on a collision course with insanity. The pace of life, the endless demands and incessant contact through email, cell phones, and other "electronic leashes" seem to keep us in a constant state of alert. I'm convinced that stress management is as much about the little ways we decompress daily as it is the big annual "week at the beach" vacation. Here is a list of 25 simple ways to reduce stress...most of which I've used regularly. Many of them may be a "blinding flash of the obvious" but if you practice one, several or allof them on a regular basis, I predict your life will become more peaceful, less stressful, and more joyful to live. 1) Spend some time everyday just sitting...watch clouds float by or listen to the birds; 2) Savor a cup of tea or other soothing beverage; 3) Give time to someone who cannot repay you; 4) Pray or meditate; 5) Spend one day a week resting (it's called "the Sabba

Chappell my foot!!

Mr. Greg *Chappall* (means footwear in indian language), for your kind information, showing Indian cricket fans your "middle finger" and thinking you might escape our ire is just your imagination.... God save Indian cricket!!

Kamal Haasan's daughters pics!

Ain't she beautiful??

Jobs Aplenty!

C'mon, hit me!

This is one of the most famous incidents in Cricketing history... can anyone tell me what the incident was and who are featured here??

Phew, never knew I was a competition for Mr. Trump!!

Your Birthdate: July 8 Watch out Donald Trump! You've got a head for business and money. You'll make it rich some day, even if you haven't figured out how yet. A supreme individualist, you shouldn't get stuck in a corporate job. Instead, make your own way - so that you can be the boss. Your strength: Your undying determination Your weakness: You require an opulent lifestyle Your power color: Plum Your power symbol: Dollar sign Your power month: August What Does Your Birth Date Mean?

Imagine This!!

Yeah, imagine this... One day Coimbatore is renamed as Peak Day Blues... Well, that's exactly what's happening in the US... a town in Idaho has renamed itself as Secretsanta.com... Read more PS: Anyone vouching for renaming Coimbatore? Link via: Sangeetha

Eye Test!

Count every "F" in the following text: FINISHED FILES ARE THE RE SULT OF YEARS OF SCIENTI FIC STUDY COMBINED WITH THE EXPERIENCE OF YEARS... HOW MANY? ..................... 3? WRONG, THERE ARE 6 -- no joke. READ IT AGAIN ! The brain cannot process "OF". Incredible or what? Go back and look again!! Anyone who counts all 6 "F's" on the first go is a genius. Three is normal, four is quite rare. Via: Nitish

Cigarettes and Kisses

When it eerily dawns the rooster sings his tune- a tune sang a thousandth time, My bed wearily beckons. Flashes of the recent past, zips by in a vicious haste, while a spent mass of cells wages a war that his face never tells - a war built on a rueful saga - of disastrous transitions and ethical decay. of changes replete with sick choices. Are they just some strange voices or the answers to my vices? And now as the day crawls towards dusk I stir and wake to ask Cigarettes for breakfast and kisses to last. Written by: Sony

Fear!

I fear the wilderness of this concrete jungle. The deafening silence is heard no more while blood and sweat now mingle oozing cheap energy and ruthless power. I fear the hostility of sophistication and vanity I fear the suddeness of misfortunes and surprises. I fear for my numbness for while great griefs are mute silence is consenting. I fear for peace for war will then be lurking. I fear for reunions, partings feed on lesser courage. I fear for my victory 'tis but the advent of another gory story. I fear for my whims of brief wonder and eternal curse. I fear for my sacrifices for I had never banked on them. Need is a weakness that drives the wheel of madness. I fear for my knowledge for ignorance is my best protection, but innocence is no defense. Written by: Sony

Mission Mars!

NASA was interviewing professionals they were thinking of sending to Mars. The touchy part was that only one guy could go and it would be a one-way trip, the guy not ever returning to Earth. The interviewer asked the first applicant, an American engineer, how much he wanted to be paid for going. “One million dollars,” the engineer answered. “And I want to donate it all to my alma mater–Rice University.” The next applicant was a Russian doctor, and the interviewer asked him the same question. “Two millions dollars,” the doctor said. “I want to give a million to my family and leave the other million for the advancement of medical research.” The last applicant was an Indian Politician. When asked how much money he wanted, he whispered in the interviewer’s ear, “Three million dollars.” “Why so much more than the others?” the interviewer asked. The Indian Politician replied, “You give me three million, I’ll give you one million, I’ll keep a million, and we’ll send the American engineer.”

The Nice Guy Who Finished First

Castrol India Limited today unveiled a biography on Rahul Dravid, at the hands of Greg Chappell, coach of the Indian cricket team. Authored by Devendra Prabhudesai, the biography reconstructs the incidents and events that have contributed to making Rahul Dravid one of the greatest cricketers to have played the game. The book which is titled “The Nice Guy Who Finished First - A biography of Rahul Dravid”, is a tribute to a role model who refuses to rest on his laurels, and remains as intense in his quest for perfection as he was when he started his cricketing career. “This biography holds a special place for me as it succinctly captures some of the most passionate and intense cricketing moments of my life and career till date. I am sure cricket lovers will relish these anecdotes from my life”, said Rahul Dravid, who is also Castrol’s Brand Ambassador. The book outlines Rahul David’s moments of triumph as also his trials and tribulations. The book narrates the epic battle, one that he ev

The Speech!

Not too long ago, a large seminar was held for ministers and reverends in training. Among the facilitators were many well-known motivational speakers. One such speaker boldly approached the pulpit and, gathering the entire crowd's attention, said, "'The best years of my life were spent in the arms of a woman who wasn't my wife" The crowd was shocked! He followed up by saying, "That woman was my mother" The crowd burst into laughter and he gave his speech, which was well received. About a week later, one of the ministers who had attended the seminar decided to use that joke in his sermon. As he shyly approached the pulpit one sunny Sunday, he tried to rehearse the joke in his head. It was a bit foggy to him. Getting to the microphone he said loudly, "The greatest years of my life were spent in the arms of a woman who was not my wife! His congregation sat shocked, murmuring. After standing there for almost 10 seconds trying to recall the second half o

Empowerment, Not Slavery!

"At the stroke of midnight, when the world sleeps, Indian youth slog for freedom from unemployment." Organized slavery ended decades ago, but to go by the criticism of some leftist commentators in India, one would imagine that it is alive and flourishing in the world’s largest democracy. Recently it has become especially fashionable to hit out at call centers, or business processing outsourcing (BPO) units as they are officially known. A study published by an institute that comes under India’s Labor Ministry compared conditions in Indian BPO outfits with those of “Roman slave ships.” Chetan Bhagat, the author of a new book set in one such unit, “One Night @ The Call Center,” recently claimed that call centers are “corroding a generation.” It is common, almost clichéd, to hear call-center workers referred to as “cyber-coolies.” All this criticism is terribly misguided. Contrary to being a form of economic imperialism, as its critics claim, India’s BPO industry is an indication

Sania Mirza turns 19!

Happy B'day Sania!!

Yahoo, Google to Launch Cellphone Services

Internet powerhouses Yahoo Inc. and Google Inc. are set to roll out new wireless services, taking advantage of advanced networks and cellphones to provide features similar to those available on computers. Yahoo, Sunnyvale, Calif., soon will introduce a cellphone that it will sell through a partnership with SBC Communications Inc., according to SBC executives. The cellphone will take a step closer to linking wirelessly such cellphone services as music, photos and email with consumers' existing Yahoo accounts, address books and preferences. Meantime, Google, Mountain View, Calif., is tailoring some popular Internet services for use on wireless devices. Starting today, for example, consumers using some types of cellphones will be able to access satellite maps wirelessly and scroll through them as they can on the Google Maps service. The moves will mark a further step in the evolution of cellphones from communications devices to minicomputers that can be used for email, Web br

WSJ for free!

Yeah, you read it right! Wall Street Journal's online version at www.wsj.com will be completely free for this whole week for unregistered users!! Make the max out of it folks!

Tiger Vs. the Dragon!

It was inevitable... the two most growing economies in the world, India & China, after conquring the west are now starting to take on each other head on, especially in Information Technology & Outsourcing... New York Times has come up with a brilliant report , in which Infosys is taken as an example. Infosys recently announced plans to invest $65 million to expand its business in China. Infosys plans to hire 2,000 computer specialists over the next two years and to construct corporate campuses in Shanghai and Hangzhou to accommodate even more workers. Infosys has not previously made an investment in China of that size and scope and, experts say, it presages similar moves by other Indian technology companies. Infosys's plans to expand in China have been mirrored by those of several other big Indian companies that also specialize in computer services and outsourcing, like Tata Consulting, Wipro and Satyam Computer Services. This year, Satyam announced its plans to build a m

Syntel @ Coimbatore!

Syntel, the US-based software services provider with India-centric outsourcing model, would be looking at setting up development centres in Tier 2 cities to drive down costs and leverage the advantages of being among the first movers to these cities. The Nasdaq-listed company, through its Indian subsidiary Syntel (India), has three development centers in Pune, Mumbai and Chennai. Currently, its global headcount is about 5,500 and the company is planning to take this to around 10,000 by the end of 2006. Addressing a press conference, Keshav R Murugesh, chief operating officer, Syntel, said that the company was looking at Tier 2 cities like Coimbatore and Madurai in Tamil Nadu, a couple of locations in Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra to set up its own campuses. The company has done study on educational institutions, availability of talents and other incentives in these cities. On the sidelines of the press conference, Murugesh said that he would be making a presentation

How to make a balloon dog?

Children all around the world just love balloons, and some in the adult age group also like it (read: ME)... and some even like bursting the balloons rather than playing with it... Here's a how to guide on making a balloon dog... click here

Chotta Recharge!

Hutch has again done it!! After pioneering in bringing up creative advertisements to catch the imagination of the youth, it has come up with another master stroke in the way of "Chota Recharge", a prepaid voucher that starts as low as Rs. 10. It has happened to me and am sure it has happened to others also... By the end of the month, I run out of talktime and hence will be out of touch with friends till the next salary day comes....apparently because I have to pay 500 bucks to again get it recharged!! Well, Hutch's honchos has just understood this aspect of the consumer behaviour and have come up with recharge coupons with small denominations. I am sure everyone would have seen the ad in the TV! I did some digging as to the reasons behind this strategy and here's what I found. Apparently, industry research shows customers hesitate to renew because of the high processing fee and in this scheme, there is no processing fee if the service is renewed within th

Stars & Advertisements!!

While watching today's cricket match between India & Sri Lanka (in which India lost unfortunately), one of the most glaring things that I noticed was that Sharukh Khan's face appeared on screen every other over, obviously in advertisements of different brands. I believe I saw Shahrukh's face more than the cricketers in the big box!! Celebrity endorsements used to be few in the early 90s and a consumer like me was able to connect to the brand and its star value immediately. Today if you look at celebrity endorsements, it has kind of become a headache with stars putting up their faces for anything and everything. One thing that stars and advertisement managers should understand is that even excess "Amrut" is poisonous. And the companies advertising their brands should also understand that having a "star value" alone doesn't mean their sales are going to increase. I kind of get irritated whenever I see a star promoting a brand/brands in ev

Salaam Namaste!

Time: 04:00 AM Date: Sunday - November 6, 2005 As I am writing this, that's what my digital clock shows in its screen. One might be wondering what this fellow' is doing at this time of the night when the whole "world is sleeping".... Well, that's what I've been doing for the past 4 years of my life! Yes, come November 7, I would have completed 4 years of my professional life. As I take a trip down the memory lane, the most amazing thing to me is that the so called "night shift" has never bothered me. People ask me in amazement how the hell were you able to work in the "night" for 4 years. The answer is simple. Look what I am doing on a Saturday night. The root cause for all night shift related problems is that no one realizes that one needs to take extra care in your daily routine to get adjusted to the "graveyard shift". I've always made it a point to sleep for 7 hours daily and have at least 2 meals a day proper

Ghajini - Review

A very strong script, superb actions sequences, brilliant acting by Asin, and with all the right ingredients of a sci-fi thriller makes Ghajini a sure shot commercial success. Surely Surya is the next superhero in making. Though am not a regular Tamil moviegoer, the reviews I heard from friends and from MSM (mainstream media) made me go watch the movie. A.R. Murugadoss' brilliant piece of direction is seen throughout the movie, without a single hitch in the storyline. The story is about a multi-billionaire named Sanjay Ramaswamy (Surya) who has a successful mobile phone company in Chennai (Air Wave Cellular or something). Asin (don't remember her screen name) is a small-time model who acts in advertisements for a living. A small lie made by Asin to get a boost in her career sets the tone of the movie, where Surya and Asin meets. The rest is an off-the-mill love story. But when Asin saves a bunch of teenaged girls from local goondas, all hell breaks lose. Asin is kille

SMS - TV Connection!!

It's raining reality shows in all the TV channels these days... From Sony's just concluded Fame Gurukul, Zee's Sa Re Ga Ma Challenge, Star One's Nach Baliye, Star Plus' KBC, Vijay TV's Tamil version of KBC, Vijay's soon to be introduced comedy challenge featuring Chinni Jayanth, a take off from the hit Star One series which featured Shekar Suman and Navjot Singh Siddhu and many many more.... Well, probably one important attribute that made all these reality shows a hit was the audience participation through SMS. When Star's KBC-2 was launched in June this year, it received 700,000 messages from people who wanted to be on the show (including me). And all these messages were routed through Airtel (which partnered with KBC) and it cost me 6 Rs. per message. The whole Indian telecom air is crowded with messages these days, rather than talk time. A guy forwarding a funny message to all his friends, boys/girls chatting via SMS, banking transactions, news

"like.no.other"

That's Sony's latest tagline and I think it fits like a T to its brand image. I have always perceived Sony's products as the best-in-class, but highly costly kind. Their products were always away from the not-so-filthy-rich kind of people. But some brilliant EMI schemes introduced by them to boost sales have people flocking to buy all the latest gizmos on offer. You can virtually buy an Sony product these days with an EMI (equated monthly installments) and the “good” thing is, you will never realize through these EMI’s that you are making a hole in your pocket. Imagine this! One only needs to pay 1000 bucks per month to get a costly handycam, or 600 bucks for a "latest" 3.2 mega pixel digital cam - mouth watering indeed. Through it's easy to pay back, 0% EMI schemes, Sony has hit the right chord with the customers and more and more people are willing to shell out their hard earned money to this new found materialistic possession. PS: The writer is s

Wood Cellphone!

Coming soon to a shop near you, a cellphone made of wood! :-)

Over & Out!

BPO Unplugged!

Neeraj Bhargava, the CEO of WNS Global Services, a major BPO player in India has written a piece in the DNA newspaper about BPO employees being underrated by other industries, especially the old brick-and-mortar kind... Here's what he had to say... The Indian BPO industry employs around 4,00,000 people. About one out of ten of the BPO professionals manage other people, i.e. there are 40,000 managers in the industry. The BPO jobs pay well, people employed work in a globally savvy environment and learn to meet or exceed expectations of very demanding customers. Yet, BPO industry careers are often criticised and BPO jobs are referred to as boring and dead-end. These views are myopic and misguided. Lets consider some basics. Good careers do not just (or sometimes necessarily) require a good degree or the most perfect opportunity from Day 1 out of college. You need to be a part of a growth industry which stretches people and creates opportunities for young and less experienced people to

BPO Zindabad!!

A funny take on what will happen if BPO/IT sectors are unionized! Source: DNA

Mercedes Factory Snaps!

Wonder if all cars were made in such a clean factory!! Fore more pictures, click here

India's Most Wanted!

Delhi Police have released sketches of a man they want to question in connection with Saturday's explosions that killed 62 people. They say the man is in his early 20s and was seen leaving a bag on a bus. The bag exploded soon after he got off.

Flood Alert!

A flood warning has been issued in 11 districts, downstream from the Stanley reservoir at Mettur, of Tamil Nadu following heavy discharge from reservoirs in Karnataka due to good rain.

Who let the dogs out!! Bow bow bow!!

A new Internet radio station for pets aims to keep the loneliness at bay while owners are out - DogCatRadio.com!

Windows Live

Microsoft unveiled new Internet initiatives, including an online version of its Office suite and a service called Windows Live that will incorporate email, blogging and instant-messaging tools. Read more

Take note ladies...

Life is full of beautiful moments that make you feel special. These are moments of appreciation and admiration for your beauty, by your loved ones. These are the moments that you will never forget and could make you the Pond’s Googly Woogly Queen . Send the best compliment you have ever received on your beauty from a loved one and participate in the Pond’s Googly Woogly Queen contest, which is on till December 15th 2005, and share the spotlight and crown with none other than the reigning Pond’s Femina Miss India’s. Participating in the Pond’s Googly Woogly contest is extremely simple. If you are a lady above 18 years of age, all you need to do is write in the best compliment you have ever received to P.O. Bag No. 18, Kalkaji Post Office, New Delhi – 110 019 or email it to googlycontest@pondsindia.com. Don’t forget to fill in your name, address, phone number & date of birth. Rush in your entries as the first 2000 early birds stand to win a stunning silver Tulip Pendant!

The Wall

ESPN STAR Sports will telecast a 13 episode series, ‘The Wall’, saluting Rahul Dravid - the India Cricket team captain. The series, hosted by star commentator Harsha Bhogle, features some of the best innings played by Dravid outside India that have established him as a cricketer par excellence. The series aptly titled ‘The Wall’, depicting the manner in which Dravid bats, will showcase innings such as his debut test at Lord’s against England where he missed century by five runs, Rahul’s extraordinary performance against Australia in 2003/04 when he single handedly helped India chase a 200 plus target in the fourth innings among other remarkable innings. The episodes will also feature excerpts of Rahul Dravid’s interviews taken on the day of showcased innings. "The Wall" will be aired on ESPN every Tuesday at 7:30 PM starting November 1, 2005. PS: Unfortunately, there's no ESPN Star in Coimbatore!

The Indian Car Review

Is a car key to impressing a first date?? What's the next generation Mercedes car?? Who's the world's top car maker?? Will Mercs copying of Toyota Innova work?? To know the answers for all these questions, check out The Indian Car Review

Is Philippines the next BPO destination?

Philippines has been long touted as the next big BPO destination with a much better cost advantage and cheaper labor force. According to this report in Business Standard, the paper claims that Filipinos are playing hard to catch up to India. Philippines is preparing eight other Filipino cities besides Manila to foster this growth in the country. In India, centres like Gurgaon, Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad and Pune have been developed and now firms are being urged to branch out into second tier cities like Mysore, Mangalore and Coimbatore. The Phillipines seems to be adopting the same route.