Speak from your mobile while sailing.

I was on the dot for my appointment with a BPO provider. I was there to inquire about the possibility of renewing a contract for my online contact. The original contract with a Swedish company was about to expire.

The BPO company is housed in a high rise building in a sprawling campus consisting of more than 15 giant towers.

I sat facing an imposing man who showed indifference to me. May be my diminutive stature didn’t seem to go well with him. But as the discussion progressed, he became more attentive to me. My in depth knowledge about the topic must have made him to look at me with some respect.

In between our meeting, he kept receiving intermittent calls on his mobile. Suddenly I realized that I am a witness to a technology that was new to me. I am aware that cell phones either go silent or they are reluctant to give uninterrupted signal in high rise buildings or wherever there is a concrete jungle.

I took up the courage to ask him how come he is able to talk freely on his mobile phone when sitting in his office on 7^th floor. He was suddenly pleased. With a look of pride, he informed me that cell phone repeaters are installed in all the buildings in the campus.

He explained that a cell phone repeater works like an amplifier that picks up the radio signal from the base tower and amplifies the signal in such a way that signal is clear even inside the building or deep underground.

“Does it mean that the battery power lasts longer because it need not have to strain itself to pick up the radio signal”?-I asked.

His face lit up with appreciation and affirmed my guess.

Wireless cell phone repeater

Image courtesy: Google Images.

I am hungry for a carrot cake.

I should blame Yahoo! for making me hungry for a carrot cake. That appetising and salivating picture of carrot cake made me hear the rumbles in my stomach.

This is the first time I am hearing about a cake made of carrot. We use carrot only in salad. Of course my son loves carrot juice.

This carrot cake picture is given below.













For the recipe of this carrot cake, you should read Yahoo! food. Oh, the recipe is all fine but the mention of egg in it makes me to have second thought. How can I eat a cake with egg as one of the ingredient?

No, I am going to compromise for once and prepare the cake. God, please pardon me once, just this once. If not, why else you made me look at this carrot cake?

Mom, did you read this?

When my son waved a news paper in his hand asking the question, I was in a sullen mood.

“Yes, I saw it too. The sensex slipped by 300 points, so what”? I retorted.

The US$ declined, a barrel of oil became more dearer, more engineering colleges are likely to be opened in our state, IT engineers recruitment is stopped- so what son?

We will continue to eat well, see tearials in the television (aptly coined word-eh? my invention) (Smile), watch international cricket players in the Chennai team play like Tamilnadu players in T20 competition-right?

When my son saw my ‘not so favorable’ mood, he left the paper he was waving at me on my bed and left. The issue was named “Scholar’, a supplementary issue on education brought by “The Hindu’-a leading news paper in India.

On it, I saw a man with the same ‘so what ‘question on his face and beside him, in

bold letters were these words, “Myth or reality?”.

I decided, “This must be a rare coincidence of moods” and let me in on the article that was about the availability of quality education in India. The man in picture was Dr. N. Ramasubramanyan, an academician.

Wait, the name rings a bell. Oh yes, now I recall. My friend Kasturirangan, a top advertisement executive in ‘The Hindu’, called me and asked me to read the ‘Scholar’ for which he said he contributed.

I knew (or I thought I knew) exactly what is going to be inside; one more concerned educationist is going to vent his views and opinions on the present education that is sure to be sarcastic at the bureaucracy.

Brushing away the inner protest, I read the article but after the first page, I decided that there is no more than statistical figures and I could not fathom what the author was driving at.

Again after a few hours, my son raised the topic. He said the article was of course full of statistics that few would be interested in but Dr. Ramasubramanyan took the pain to cite those statistics only to reveal that the availability of quality education is a myth.

So I read the article again after mentally apologizing to the educationist. Being an academician myself since 1987, I have some strong views on what is lacking in the present education system but I also have concrete ideas to remedy the malady.

Yes, Dr. Ramasubramanyan, I am with you so far on your conclusion but then…

Oh well, that’s alright. Who is John Galt after all?

Acknowledgement: ‘The Hindu’, S.K. Kasturirangan and Dr. Ramasubramanyan

Image courtesy: Google Images

The times are changing.

I just could not comprehend the need for a perpetual calendar watch that my son is demanding. He is literally demanding me to get him an IWC watch with a perpetual calendar.

The youth of today will design their own logic for wanting certain things. I know and am fully aware that an IWC watch is the only think that anyone calls it a watch.

No, I have no offense intended. I respect and like other watches too but from the point of present generation, they justify their vote for IWC watches on various features.

I know definitely no means to buy him what he wants. I just convinced him that he will get an IWC watch from other sources if he let go of his impatience.

I am already for my class. BTW, what time it is now?

Going by the book or beyond?

In an interesting article that I read in the 'Scholar', a supplementary special published by 'The Hindu' dated May 24th 2008, several educationists opined that children prefer other teaching aids such as computers, CD ROMs, etc.

I could sense their concern for children (their's too) as being burdened to carry the books to schools but I feel books are still the basic reading material for all ages. Computers can only help make the children understand the subjects in a different manner but computers and CD ROMs cannot yet replace the books.

Well, I am not going to debate on an issue that will lead to nowhere.

Apart from the home page article, I was attracted by various other contents of the 'Scholar', not to mention the nice design. Even some of the ads they managed to procure will be useful to parents and teachers.

There is another piece of information that I liked; its about a list of special schools in and around Madras. There are so many schools that target special children like deaf, blind, mentally retarded that many parents may not be aware; they also have no means to look for such special education. I mean they are people who are not resourceful enough to gather information.

Schools that teach fine arts also have advertised their services. Fine arts teaching is one area that I think is on the decline. May be such schools can use a little bit of free promotion by "The Hindu' who are know patrons of fine arts.

I think the next issue on education will hit the streets only during next academic year. I wonder how it will be!

I would like to see interviews of parents, teachers and even students. If possible, the editor of the 'Scholar' should publish unedited version of such interviews as they are sure to contain true appreciation as well as criticism.

Thank you 'The Hindu' for the 'Scholar'.

Where can you get leather lingerie?

What? Lingerie made of leather? I have not heard of so far! Why would women choose to wear inner garments made of leather? I thought inner garments like lingerie are supposed to give you comfort. Would leather lingerie do that?

Actually, I happen to read the question in the title in a fashion forum. But none had replied the question. I thought I will reply the question and so searched for leather lingerie.

I was astonished to find a lot of websites that sell leather lingerie along with hundreds of cheap lingerie, bridal lingerie (this is also new to me) and more.

Out of the hundreds of websites, I liked Lingeriediva.com because of myriad inner garments and the spread is really vast. There are eye catching negligees, swim wear, lingerie and so on.

I think lingeriediva.com attracts more men who would like buy something to his wife that is for his eyes only.

Lingeriediva.com ranks third in Google’s search for ‘Leather Lingerie’.

Top Directories database.

For the past one month, I have been submitting my blogs and directories in various directories. The experience of submitting to directories has not changed a bit; it is a monotonous and boring task but it is to be done however.

I have a list of more than 1000 good directories that I have compiled from various resources. As usual, over a period of time, some directories drop off.

Today, I have stumbled onto a great resource of top directories. Each directory listed is described in short about the free listing requirements along with its Google PR.

Also, there is a provision to include your own directory for free. This is a wonderful opportunity to get listed in one of the highly visited database of web directories.

Last drop of alcohol is removed.

The story goes like this: “Listen mate, I am sober like a stone and let me tell you why I am in an alcohol rehab and you will agree with me fully that…”

No, I don’t want to complete the story because I am sure we have all heard them before; all alcoholics, whether they are in the rehab already or waiting to be admitted in an alcohol rehab, tell different excuses but they all agree on one thing and that is, their alcoholism is justified.

And that is why they require complete rehabilitation. Not only should every drop of alcohol be removed from their blood but also from their mind totally. Isn’t that called ‘rehabilitation’?

I know of a man who required intensive alcohol rehab some years ago. He is fully rehabilitated now. He sent me an email that was eloquent on the facilities and treatment of Sunset Malibu, a fully equipped residential alcohol rehab and drug treatment center located in Malibu with magnificent 180 degree whitewater ocean views just outside the sunny confines of Los Angeles, California.

Amazon's storage services.

I use flash drive. Every single byte of information related to my work or fun is stored in my pen drive. I do not store anything in my hard drive.

Though this gives me a sense of relief from the fear of hard disc crash, I am still afraid the same might happen to pen drives too. Does anyone know a pen drive hat can last 10 years or more?

The alternative storage solution is online storage facilities. When I read about Amazon's S3 web service, I was elated because the service will be dependable as it is provided by Amazon.

"Amazon S3 provides a simple web services interface that can be used to store and retrieve any amount of data, at any time, from anywhere on the web."-Amazon S3

When I opened it in my browser, I saw that this service is made available only to those living in the U.S. and the Europe.

Too bad!

Great cheap hotels in Italy.

The story of the twins that founded the city of Rome is still fascinating to read. I don’t know how many times I read it but I always felt the awe that I felt when I read it for the first time in my 5^th standard class.

Since then, I volunteered to participate in all the essay competitions in my school and I used to win several times for my writing skill. All the essays that I wrote were about Rome, its magnificent architecture, its hotels, their food and the warriors of great Roman Empire.

Now I am 48; I still long to visit Rome. I love their pizzas and pastas. The only thing that stands in my procrastination is their Madras like weather.

I intend to find websites for booking cheap hotels in Italy. Have you ever dealt with ShermansTravel.com, the popular hotel reservation portal?

Apart from hotel bookings, I read some useful tips to remember when visiting Italy.

Example:
“Service in Italy:
Get used to surly and slow waiters, ticket sellers, hotel clerks, etc. Rather than get aggravated, adjust to the pace of life, slow down, and take your time.”

Tips and tips. Where are they?

In the year 2000, when I first got entangled in the web, I frequently bumped onto websites that offer tips that are very useful in my day to day life.

Some examples are, how to keep the soap dry always, where to locate home repair services, how to detect a Trojan and remove it from my PC etc etc.

That is how I got so hooked to the Internet. The information I gathered was enormous and it also made me the center of attraction at family gatherings, staff room in the college I worked and in the parties of course.

Now, I don't seem to stumble onto such great tips. May be because my focus is elsewhere. I know I can find the life tips if I search for but I simply want to bump into them like before.

Wireless home security system.

She failed to keep her appointment with me on another excuse. This is not the first time that she had cancelled the appointment. It seems she gets intruded always on the appointment hour.

Only the next day I came to know that her excuse was genuine at last. It seems she had unidentified visitors to her house two days before and she was quite scared of the experience. She somehow thwarted of the attempt to gain access inside her house.

She immediately had a talk with her neighbors and she was advised to install the wireless ademco home security system without any further delay. She ordered one from the reliable Safemart.com, the one and only online shop exclusively for all types of security measures and gadgets.

She had to supervise the installation of ademco and that kept her busy.

I forgive you Florence.

What can I eat in China?

Chinese staple diet is rice and for me too. But the preparation is altogether different.

In Madras, Chinese food is available widely and I too like their fried rice, Schezwan noodles etc.
But the same food if eaten in China might contain other ingredients apart from vegetables.

In various travelogues, I read about visitors' experience on the nature of Chinese food. Chinese eat a lot of meat varieties and it is believed that one can find meat pieces even in vegetarian food-is that so?

My husband wants to see the great China wall and news about food bothers him. He is also a vegetarian like me.

I am aware that all the Indian vegetables are available in China but we are still hesitant to go there.

Solar bra.

I read about this product of this century-a solar bra. It is developed as a means to recharge a cell phone or iPod.

This news story appeared in today’s Time of India. But alas, there was no mention about its price and where it is available.

I immediately went to Shopwiki.com, my favorite online shopping mall and searched for it. No, it was not available there. While searching there, I also stopped at their home and garden section to see if there is anything new.

My son wanted an all-in-one kind of tool kit. He has been contributing on various issues related to home maintenance and gadgets repair. He has a natural ability to fix things.

Last week, my computer table needed fixing of one of its wheels. My son could not locate a correct size spanner but managed to fix it with a kitchen tongs.

I bought this Black Box LAN Tool Kit - FT178A. But I felt it was costly at around $500. Oh well, we will be able to recover its cost over a period of time by not engaging professional help.

I am still on the look out for that solar bra.

Don't eat! Don't eat!

As if on a war footing, hotels in India are reprinting their menu cards after modifying the food price.

Modify-in the sense, they are increasing the price because, the prices of essential commodities have sky rocketed in India.

The Government is a mute witness to the alarming inflation factor. All they do assure through hyped media that everything is under control and people are asked not to believe the rumors.

Rumors? How indignant? I know the increased prices of pulses and edible oils. Who are they trying to fool?

All the politicians are interested now is to watch the multi billion dollar cricket festival and invite international shopping brands to India so that they find one more avenue to spend their wealth in India itself.

And Bush is accusing Indians of their increased food intake and that is the reason for the high prices.

Ha, ha!

Your enviable fashion statements.

I am a firm believer of this age old proverb: “Beauty is ten, nine of which is dressing.”

Whether you work from your home, or just a home maker, you need not be immaculately dressed but at least neatly dressed. That alone can give you lot of confidence.

Even if you happen to cook badly, that will go unnoticed when others notice your dress. Oh, I should make a point here; well dressed doesn’t mean the costume alone. Whatever you wear, counts. Jewels, watch, sun glass and above all the smile-everything matters.

I belong to the era of modern fashion statements such as sun glasses, sleek cell phones and platinum jewels. But I also grew up watching and admiring aristocrats that wore heavy gold bracelets, jaeger lecoultre watches and natural perfumed oils.

My father used to be visited by a foreign educated lawyer and he wore one of those gorgeous pieces. They considered jaeger lecoultre watches as jewels and they were always bequeathed to the eldest son or daughter of the family.

But now the time is changed totally. Youth hardly wear watch; they look at their mobile phone for time. Hmmm…I am sure they lack aesthetics to appreciate such antique beauties.

Millions would have been fed.

Sometime back I wrote a blog post on the water crisis in an African nation. Children are said to be dying by drinking filthy water.

Such news though rare, make me think that the UN is becoming inert. The UN is all the time have to grapple with the U.S.'s unpopular foreign policy.

Well, I am not here to discuss the whims of Bush; I am drawing your attention to the world's biggest money game-the IPL T20 cricket. If one cares to read the amount of money involved in the money hungry circus, one would like to know where all the money was?

Millions of dollars kept poring in from industrialists, corporate houses and film actors. I dare not make an estimate of the approximate amount they have put in. But even a quarter of it could have solved that water crisis of the African nation.

I am not saying that the T20 itself should not have been organized but such an energy from all the levels could have done wonders otherwise.

Bush accuses Indians for food shortage.

I have been contemplating to write my musing on Bush's comment that Indians' eating habits is one of the causes for world food shortage.

Even he should be amused to read again what he said. He obviously is not backed well informed staff.

His contention is that since the Indian middle class has started earning well, they started eating well and it is a good sign for America to see more of its goods in India. Come on sir, no one is fooled by your pseudo compliments!

Indian media quickly retorted by quoting authentic statistics that an American eats five times more than any Indian.

Mr. Bush, are you reading?

Source: Almost all news papers in India

Silvery plans for old age.

lead their life after retirement. Come on; don’t say that you won’t retire. Everything needs to stop sometime; we can’t go on working for ever.

Yes, there is a choice for all of us to stop chasing money and start spending in a relaxed way. But for that, we have to plan at least 10 to 15 years before we reach the grand 60.

It is true that investing on land might fetch a better return than investing on silver and gold but it is not easy to liquidate your immovable assets. It takes time to realize the sale proceeds of a land.

To my mind, it is prudent to invest small sums of money in precious metals periodically. Over a period of years, you will be astonished at your precious metals accumulation and its appreciated value.

Through Monex Deposit Company (MDC) you can purchase silver or other precious metals for immediate personal delivery or arrange for convenient and safe storage at an independent bank or depository.

Excume me, I am mad.

"Excuse me please, I am mad about my religion"- this thought came to me when I read about a vaishnavaite group that initiated a legal proceedings against Kamal's yet to be released movie 'Dasavatharam".

Do you know their line argument? " Untold hardship and irreparable loss" is what they felt when they saw a few scenes in the movie trailer.

See the extent they go to publicise themselves! Religion is the number one excuse in India and one can commit anything or say anything under the religious pretext and stay immune to law.

Using religion, an individual or a group can do any amount of harm to anybody.

It is very sad that this vaishnavite group has not studied the basic principles of Bhagvat Gita which is the most sacred teaching for the vaishnavites.

What is their untold hardship and what they have lost? To me they have lost their mind and soul. They are just mad.

News source: Times of India

New credit repair method.

I remember this very well and it is displayed in my office:

“If money is lost, nothing is lost; if health is lost, something is lost; if character is lost, everything is last.”

Hmm… something to consider seriously!

May be the last part should be changed to match the expectations of the modern era of finance, finance and finance.

“If credit worthiness is lost, everything is lost”.

I am sure you understand and realize the implications of losing the creditworthiness. It is almost like death. Nothing could be purchased, not even the essential items such as milk and groceries.

I have seen people get themselves locked up in their house because they just could not move out without a valid credit card.

But, don’t worry; here is a solution to repair credit and your previous credit status revived.

The first thing you must do if your credit needs repairing is to approach a professional credit repair service company like RMCN credit services, INC who evaluate your creditworthiness and sends you a detailed report based on the true information you provide.

The use a process called ‘V’ phase process and they know their job because they have been recognized by the SMU Cox School of Business.

Credit repair can take time but it is an action that has to be taken by those who need to get back their lost creditworthiness.

Shopping cart software for non-techies too.

If even after 10 years of being online, one can’t decide the correct shopping cart, then it is better not to start the online business.

There need not be any confusion at all in selecting the shopping cart software if you are a novice in e-commerce based web maintenance. Ashopcommerce.com has designed a shopping cart software exclusively for non-techies like me.

A shopping cart software is a program that enables one to start an online business selling physical products or digital information and accept payments through various payment gateways.

From the buyer’s point of view the software allows the consumer to select the product that he wants to buy, add more products or modify his shopping cart and exit to make the payment after giving his shipping address.

Ashopcommerce.com offers a simple turn key e-commerce solution irrespective of the size of the business.

Just click on the link above once and browse through the features of the shopping cart and you will understand what I am saying.

When is the next art exhibition?

I won't say the God is cruel because he is always kind. Whoever asked me the question, "when is the next art exhibition' is also not cruel but only the time. I was at the wrong place at the wrong time.

So, here I am, trying to find the answer, I found out a web site where UK based art listings and opinions using maps, and more can be found.

For example, the "Zombie Surfers" exhibition at the Cell Project Space is going to end in 30 days from today. You can suggest a venue, such an event and leave your feedback on an exhibition you have attended.

The picture you see here belongs to a photography exhibition that is to end in 44 days time.

ArtRabbit is the online tool for everyone interested in the UK's vibrant contemporary art scene – connecting hundreds of venues with thousands of daily visitors and their opinions.