I was only 13. I brought a pup home after fighting with all my family. I called it Mickey. The dog died after a year. Everyone else in my family cried and I kept wondering why.
My father had a heart attack when I was 15. He loved me the most amongst all the siblings. No one told me about it, scared, that it would break me. Five days later they took me to the ICU. Tears rolled down my father's eyes on seeing me. I was cool. He got better and I kept wondering what the fuss was all about.
I did not do my homework and projects in school. My brother and my sister did it for me. I did not fill a single application form for admission to a college. My Father did it for me. I appeared for one interview, got selected and joined up. That happened to be the first and the last interview of my life. Till now, that is.
My work life was no different. I was just not concerned ( The Xomba user ‘notconcerned’ must be getting concerned). Nothing fazed me and somehow without much effort on my part, things kept falling into place, they still do.
I don’t get angry, unless someone wastes his or her entire life and soul trying to do that. Nothing affects me. At times I have to act to show people that I am angry.
I don’t get frustrated. I take it as God’s will and start planning about what to do next. No point wondering why and how? I know when to quit. Some people call it positive thinking, some, evasive action.
I don’t stop to wonder what is happening. I don’t analyze myself and nor do I try to critically look at my own actions. I don’t feel, anything. I am out of touch with my feelings or maybe I don’t want to be in touch.
I don’t show my emotions, presuming I have any. Some consider it macho, some cowardly.
I drink. I smoke. I overeat. I swear. I just couldn’t care less. I don’t exercise. I don’t have many friends. I don’t trust anyone, neither does anyone else, me. I don’t know where my life is heading and somehow it does not matter to me.
What is it with me? Am I mad, crazy or just too wise? Either that, or I must be living someone else’s life.
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Monday, December 28, 2009
Anger Management
Have you ever shouted at a cow or a dog who stepped in front of your car right out of nowhere and your prized possession barely escaped getting scratched or dented. What’s more, you narrowly escaped hurting or killing an animal, the guilt of which would have lingered in your subconscious for a long time to come. Chances are you cursed and you cussed but did not get out of your car to give a piece of your mind to the four-legged one. If anyone did, get out of the car, to explain the traffic rules to the animal, you really need help.
Has anyone shouted at God almighty when things don’t go your way? I did once but to no avail. He had too much patience and control over his anger and did not bother to respond to my threatening pleas.
How many times has it happened that you saw something wrong going on but did not react telling yourself that there is no reason to bother, since the incident did not affect you directly. A stranger driving too fast on the highway, a father, not known to you, hitting his son etc. Think seriously, how many times has your raving and ranting, helped get out something positive out of a situation, other than giving you the satisfaction that you did not take it lying down.
How many times did you get angry when you knew that somehow you were responsible, even though, partially, for whatever happened?
There are some important lessons about anger and it’s management in the above paragraphs. Three of them are:
(a) We don’t get angry when we know that the anger is not going to register with the one responsible for our misery or when we are certain any amount of anger is not going to result in anything.
(b) We don’t get angry when we are convinced that the anger generating act is not going to affect us in any way.
(c) We don’t get angry when we know that we are partly to be blamed for the situation.
Herein lies the secret to controlling your anger.
You must understand that when you are angry with anyone, more so when with the people known to you, they switch off and their senses take a flight. They do not understand the things you are saying. They become defensive and are already figuring out how to justify their act or how to get out of the situation or how to assuage your temper. They have stopped listening to your logic and whatever you say is falling on deaf ears. In short it is akin to shouting at an animal, whose tail caught you on the face when you passed by. If the other party is better at anger management than you and do not give it back to you at the very next instant, it just means that they care for you or are scared of you or just couldn’t care less. The last two situations are not very desirable and if it is the first one you ought to be ashamed of yourself. You will be much better to engage the other party in decent, civil discussion and put across your point of view to avoid a similar circumstance arising at a later day.
When I look back upon my life and that of my temperamentally ‘hot’ friends and relatives, nothing they ever got angry for, has affected their life for good. It was very temporary and in most cases the things resolved themselves leaving only a taste of bitterness in their relationships. They actually laugh about the things they did and I am sure feel a sense of shame. What I am saying is, Are the things that are making you angry really affecting you. 99% of the times no. This is evident from the fact that if the same thing happens to some other person you will probably think nothing of it. Then how does it matter so much when it happens to you. The trick, a difficult one to practice, is to detach yourself from the situation. Leave the body for some time and think that it is happening to someone else and how you would react when this thing happens to someone else. Chances are you will realize that it’s nothing. Most of what we consider to be PROBLEMS are actually minor inconveniences. Just think nothing of it. It is NOT a life changing or threatening situation and will pass.
Whatever the situation, give the other person the benefit of doubt and know that you were also in some responsible for the situation. You can’t clap with one hand, can you? If you think this way, you can not only avoid getting angry but also give yourself the time to think holistically about the situation and be more pragmatic while discussing it later. Stop being so certain of yourself and ‘knowing’ that grave injustice has been done to only you and letting fly at every occasion. You must pause, count up to ten or do whatever it takes you to let the moment pass and then consider what happened before you jump to conclusions.
To summarize, getting angry will only end up spoiling your relationships and your health. It also will create a feeling of bitterness in the other party, who I am sure will wait for the day when he/she can get back at you. So much more can be achieved if you can control your anger and sort out issues / give out lessons / preach when things are under control, emotions are not flying and the other party is willing to listen and engage.
One last thing, remember to give yourself and others a chance. Don’t get angry at the moment, you have your whole life to do so.
Has anyone shouted at God almighty when things don’t go your way? I did once but to no avail. He had too much patience and control over his anger and did not bother to respond to my threatening pleas.
How many times has it happened that you saw something wrong going on but did not react telling yourself that there is no reason to bother, since the incident did not affect you directly. A stranger driving too fast on the highway, a father, not known to you, hitting his son etc. Think seriously, how many times has your raving and ranting, helped get out something positive out of a situation, other than giving you the satisfaction that you did not take it lying down.
How many times did you get angry when you knew that somehow you were responsible, even though, partially, for whatever happened?
There are some important lessons about anger and it’s management in the above paragraphs. Three of them are:
(a) We don’t get angry when we know that the anger is not going to register with the one responsible for our misery or when we are certain any amount of anger is not going to result in anything.
(b) We don’t get angry when we are convinced that the anger generating act is not going to affect us in any way.
(c) We don’t get angry when we know that we are partly to be blamed for the situation.
Herein lies the secret to controlling your anger.
You must understand that when you are angry with anyone, more so when with the people known to you, they switch off and their senses take a flight. They do not understand the things you are saying. They become defensive and are already figuring out how to justify their act or how to get out of the situation or how to assuage your temper. They have stopped listening to your logic and whatever you say is falling on deaf ears. In short it is akin to shouting at an animal, whose tail caught you on the face when you passed by. If the other party is better at anger management than you and do not give it back to you at the very next instant, it just means that they care for you or are scared of you or just couldn’t care less. The last two situations are not very desirable and if it is the first one you ought to be ashamed of yourself. You will be much better to engage the other party in decent, civil discussion and put across your point of view to avoid a similar circumstance arising at a later day.
When I look back upon my life and that of my temperamentally ‘hot’ friends and relatives, nothing they ever got angry for, has affected their life for good. It was very temporary and in most cases the things resolved themselves leaving only a taste of bitterness in their relationships. They actually laugh about the things they did and I am sure feel a sense of shame. What I am saying is, Are the things that are making you angry really affecting you. 99% of the times no. This is evident from the fact that if the same thing happens to some other person you will probably think nothing of it. Then how does it matter so much when it happens to you. The trick, a difficult one to practice, is to detach yourself from the situation. Leave the body for some time and think that it is happening to someone else and how you would react when this thing happens to someone else. Chances are you will realize that it’s nothing. Most of what we consider to be PROBLEMS are actually minor inconveniences. Just think nothing of it. It is NOT a life changing or threatening situation and will pass.
Whatever the situation, give the other person the benefit of doubt and know that you were also in some responsible for the situation. You can’t clap with one hand, can you? If you think this way, you can not only avoid getting angry but also give yourself the time to think holistically about the situation and be more pragmatic while discussing it later. Stop being so certain of yourself and ‘knowing’ that grave injustice has been done to only you and letting fly at every occasion. You must pause, count up to ten or do whatever it takes you to let the moment pass and then consider what happened before you jump to conclusions.
To summarize, getting angry will only end up spoiling your relationships and your health. It also will create a feeling of bitterness in the other party, who I am sure will wait for the day when he/she can get back at you. So much more can be achieved if you can control your anger and sort out issues / give out lessons / preach when things are under control, emotions are not flying and the other party is willing to listen and engage.
One last thing, remember to give yourself and others a chance. Don’t get angry at the moment, you have your whole life to do so.
Friday, December 25, 2009
When Will We Ask The Women?
Jesus, Mohamed, Buddha, Mahavira, Gobind Singh? Enough proof that mythology was written or created by man?
It goes against human as well as divine nature that God, irrespective of his sex would give the honor of reproduction to a different sex, unless of course he/she was aware of the pain associated with the process of reproduction. Pain could not have been a reason for handing over the procreation part to women because God in our own eyes is strong and would not have bothered about the same sex not being able to handle it. God is also just and fair and therefore would not have put the burden of childbirth as well as rearing the children on the women just because it was inconvenient.
God was also very certain of the idea of putting the life cycle in a continuum and hence would have thought about it nicely and properly before he/she put it in motion and would have certainly thought about the capability of the two sexes to handle pressure and the pain associated with the process of procreation. Therefore logic has it that God must be a woman since she knew what she was capable of and also trusted her kind to take her idea forward.
How can one call God just and fair if he/she, till now has not chosen a woman to create a religion, (No, Madonna and Kabala do not qualify). All the religions have their genesis in men. That, all of them are seriously messed up, is a different matter altogether. Essentially what the men have done is nothing, but preached from their perched up lives all the time. Lazy bums, I would call them. Forever in conflict with the women and trying to suppress and subjugate them. None of our spiritual leaders or Gods, shall I say, ever respected the women enough or treated them at par with the men. How could they have been so partial to another human being? I guess the answer lies in the fact that they always knew who was better and tried their best to establish superiority by slander and fifth column. I can only presume that men have created all the religions and the idea essentially was to lay down guidelines for the women to follow. It so happened that it would have looked so churlish that the men who were creating religions also said some cock and bull about other aspects of human life, which I must say are totally open to debate. In any case no one is talking about the other aspects of religion, mostly it is about how women should behave.
All of us who have been associated with women (except a few unfortunate ones) do realize that women are much more spiritual beings and understand life much more than men do.
Ask a man a question and you will get a politically correct, to the point, extremely relevant and practical answer. Ask a woman the same question and you will get the entire perspective behind not only the question but also the situation that prompted you to ask the question in the first place.
How many women has one heard of leaving for the Himalayas to seek Niravana and answers to the questions life has thrown at them? Men do it constantly. And in most cases it is only after they have saddled the wives with a multitude of kids to look after. Is it not an escapist attitude? Women on the other hand handle all aspects of their existence with grace and dignity and still manage to have the maturity to look after and care for their husband after return with another failure up at the Himalayas, equally confused and lost about the meaning of life.
Most women never try to achieve Nirvana. I have never heard of one. Is it because they are already there? They experience it constantly through birth, childhood, love, marriage, childbirth and then death. They do not need to seek it. That is why I think God was a woman and the men are unfortunate, despite the ones that tried to give manhood glory, that we will always be seeking the meaning of life and never finding it.
It is high time that we asked the women to come front and take part in this madness and deliver us. We have given enough chances to the men to set things right, to get the meaning of life. When will we ask the women?
It goes against human as well as divine nature that God, irrespective of his sex would give the honor of reproduction to a different sex, unless of course he/she was aware of the pain associated with the process of reproduction. Pain could not have been a reason for handing over the procreation part to women because God in our own eyes is strong and would not have bothered about the same sex not being able to handle it. God is also just and fair and therefore would not have put the burden of childbirth as well as rearing the children on the women just because it was inconvenient.
God was also very certain of the idea of putting the life cycle in a continuum and hence would have thought about it nicely and properly before he/she put it in motion and would have certainly thought about the capability of the two sexes to handle pressure and the pain associated with the process of procreation. Therefore logic has it that God must be a woman since she knew what she was capable of and also trusted her kind to take her idea forward.
How can one call God just and fair if he/she, till now has not chosen a woman to create a religion, (No, Madonna and Kabala do not qualify). All the religions have their genesis in men. That, all of them are seriously messed up, is a different matter altogether. Essentially what the men have done is nothing, but preached from their perched up lives all the time. Lazy bums, I would call them. Forever in conflict with the women and trying to suppress and subjugate them. None of our spiritual leaders or Gods, shall I say, ever respected the women enough or treated them at par with the men. How could they have been so partial to another human being? I guess the answer lies in the fact that they always knew who was better and tried their best to establish superiority by slander and fifth column. I can only presume that men have created all the religions and the idea essentially was to lay down guidelines for the women to follow. It so happened that it would have looked so churlish that the men who were creating religions also said some cock and bull about other aspects of human life, which I must say are totally open to debate. In any case no one is talking about the other aspects of religion, mostly it is about how women should behave.
All of us who have been associated with women (except a few unfortunate ones) do realize that women are much more spiritual beings and understand life much more than men do.
Ask a man a question and you will get a politically correct, to the point, extremely relevant and practical answer. Ask a woman the same question and you will get the entire perspective behind not only the question but also the situation that prompted you to ask the question in the first place.
How many women has one heard of leaving for the Himalayas to seek Niravana and answers to the questions life has thrown at them? Men do it constantly. And in most cases it is only after they have saddled the wives with a multitude of kids to look after. Is it not an escapist attitude? Women on the other hand handle all aspects of their existence with grace and dignity and still manage to have the maturity to look after and care for their husband after return with another failure up at the Himalayas, equally confused and lost about the meaning of life.
Most women never try to achieve Nirvana. I have never heard of one. Is it because they are already there? They experience it constantly through birth, childhood, love, marriage, childbirth and then death. They do not need to seek it. That is why I think God was a woman and the men are unfortunate, despite the ones that tried to give manhood glory, that we will always be seeking the meaning of life and never finding it.
It is high time that we asked the women to come front and take part in this madness and deliver us. We have given enough chances to the men to set things right, to get the meaning of life. When will we ask the women?
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Breasts Are The Best
Now, there are all kinds of men. Men have different tastes, legs, thighs, neck etc. But me I am a breasts man. I just can’t get over breasts or have enough of breasts. There is something about them that keeps me hankering for more. And it’s not any one type, which I am especially bowled over by. I love all kinds, small breasts, big breasts, the meaty fleshy kind and the hard muscular type. They all have the same effect on me.
Show me a breast and I start salivating like crazy. My eyes pop out and then I am no longer in control and I just don’t care what people think about me thereafter. Anyone and everyone who has been with me says that they are embarrassed by my behavior. They just don’t understand that just seeing a breast is enough to put that delicious taste in my mouth and the entire nervous system then conspires to send the messages to my body parts to devour the object of my desires.
All my friends, women included, have told me that there is more and constantly advise me to shift my attention to other parts, there is the legs, the neck, thighs etc. I have tried but to no avail. Somehow the other parts of the anatomy just don’t do it for me.
Just last week, I decided, enough is enough, no more breasts for me. Anything else would do just fine. Two days later I am in the market. I stand in front of the glass counter. Legs, neck, thighs,… legs, neck, thighs.., I keep reminding myself. Then I spot them. The most meaty, shapely and luscious breasts. And there goes all my determination. I fell for them and blurted, “I will have breasts.”
The man, he knew me, next to the counter repeated what everyone has been telling me, “So much is not good for you. Why not try legs, something else.... You never order anything other than Chicken Breasts.”
Show me a breast and I start salivating like crazy. My eyes pop out and then I am no longer in control and I just don’t care what people think about me thereafter. Anyone and everyone who has been with me says that they are embarrassed by my behavior. They just don’t understand that just seeing a breast is enough to put that delicious taste in my mouth and the entire nervous system then conspires to send the messages to my body parts to devour the object of my desires.
All my friends, women included, have told me that there is more and constantly advise me to shift my attention to other parts, there is the legs, the neck, thighs etc. I have tried but to no avail. Somehow the other parts of the anatomy just don’t do it for me.
Just last week, I decided, enough is enough, no more breasts for me. Anything else would do just fine. Two days later I am in the market. I stand in front of the glass counter. Legs, neck, thighs,… legs, neck, thighs.., I keep reminding myself. Then I spot them. The most meaty, shapely and luscious breasts. And there goes all my determination. I fell for them and blurted, “I will have breasts.”
The man, he knew me, next to the counter repeated what everyone has been telling me, “So much is not good for you. Why not try legs, something else.... You never order anything other than Chicken Breasts.”
Monday, December 21, 2009
Tiger Woods - 18 Till I Die
The long list of Tiger Woods' exploits has reached 18. One for each hole, maybe it was some kind of a target he had set for himself. Being a Golfer would have automatically brought the number 18 to his mind for setting a target. What remains to be seen is if he goes beyond that magic figure.
1. Rachel Uchitel
2. Reality star Jamie Grubbs.
3. Single mum and ex model Cori Rist.
4. Brunette Kalika Moquin, Vegas hostess.
5. MGM party favourite Jamie Jungers.
6. Diner waitress Mindy Lawton.
7. Former VIP cocktail waitress Julie Postle
8. Sexy married British TV presenter who was single at the time.
9. Blonde former cocktail waitress from Orlando, now also represented by lawyer.
10. Porn starlet Holly Sampson, who bedded him at his birthday party.
11. Blonde "cougar" Theresa Rogers, 49, now represented by lawyer Gloria Allred.
12. Ex Playboy cybergirl and Hawaiian Tropic model Loredana Jolie.
13. XXX porn star Joselyn James, whose family confirm their fling.
14. Movie star Jessica Simpson named by US magazine as a close "sextexter" of Tiger.
15. Twenty-something Atlanta party planner.
16. Sexy Illinois student who loves partying in Vegas.
17. Blonde party planner from Orlando, who had links to the UK.
18. Single mum San Diego dancer called Star.
So is Tiger singing "18 Till I die" to his wife Erin convincing her that he would be faithful now and the number would not exceed 18. Fat chance of that. Once a cheater, always a cheater. Frankly his wife has no reason to either trust him or continuing to stay with him. Again why would Tiger Woods himself be interested in staying with her, now that the cat is out of the bag. When everyone knows about it and with his wife never going trust him again why would he not like to be free and independent. Maybe even renew his contacts with all the 18.
If any of them or both decide to stay together, it will mostly be because of media pressure. Erin deciding to put up a brave and mature face, la Hillary Clinton and Tiger to prove that he is not a bad man after all and is repentant. In either case it will be a facade since both know exactly what the other person thinks of him/her.
The loss to Golf will be immense if Tiger gives it all up for a woman. So will be the loss to so many more women, Tiger must be thinking.
1. Rachel Uchitel
2. Reality star Jamie Grubbs.
3. Single mum and ex model Cori Rist.
4. Brunette Kalika Moquin, Vegas hostess.
5. MGM party favourite Jamie Jungers.
6. Diner waitress Mindy Lawton.
7. Former VIP cocktail waitress Julie Postle
8. Sexy married British TV presenter who was single at the time.
9. Blonde former cocktail waitress from Orlando, now also represented by lawyer.
10. Porn starlet Holly Sampson, who bedded him at his birthday party.
11. Blonde "cougar" Theresa Rogers, 49, now represented by lawyer Gloria Allred.
12. Ex Playboy cybergirl and Hawaiian Tropic model Loredana Jolie.
13. XXX porn star Joselyn James, whose family confirm their fling.
14. Movie star Jessica Simpson named by US magazine as a close "sextexter" of Tiger.
15. Twenty-something Atlanta party planner.
16. Sexy Illinois student who loves partying in Vegas.
17. Blonde party planner from Orlando, who had links to the UK.
18. Single mum San Diego dancer called Star.
So is Tiger singing "18 Till I die" to his wife Erin convincing her that he would be faithful now and the number would not exceed 18. Fat chance of that. Once a cheater, always a cheater. Frankly his wife has no reason to either trust him or continuing to stay with him. Again why would Tiger Woods himself be interested in staying with her, now that the cat is out of the bag. When everyone knows about it and with his wife never going trust him again why would he not like to be free and independent. Maybe even renew his contacts with all the 18.
If any of them or both decide to stay together, it will mostly be because of media pressure. Erin deciding to put up a brave and mature face, la Hillary Clinton and Tiger to prove that he is not a bad man after all and is repentant. In either case it will be a facade since both know exactly what the other person thinks of him/her.
The loss to Golf will be immense if Tiger gives it all up for a woman. So will be the loss to so many more women, Tiger must be thinking.
Saturday, December 19, 2009
Why and How To Buy LCD Monitor - Advantages over CRT Monitor and Specifications
Some of us refuse to keep in pace with technology. Reason, if we could do with or without something, we can continue to do so. There are many who still refuse to use computers to their advantage, leave alone using the Internet. An LCD monitor is one of these upgrades in technology which doesn't, in the eyes of these people, offer any advantages besides looking good on the table. They couldn't be far from wrong.
An LCD monitor offers many advantages over the good old CRT monitor. Let's see why one should buy or upgrade to LCD monitor.
First the obvious ones and then the larger issues.
(a) LCD monitors look good on the table.
(b) It occupies much lesser space and also increases the distance between the eyes and the screen.
(c) It is much lighter and easy to shift and transport.
(d) It consumes much less power than the CRT monitor of the same size. The power consuption of LCD monitors is as less as one-third of the same size CRT monitor.
(e) CRT monitors generate much more heat than LCD monitors.
(f) CRT monitors are susceptible to magnetic interference. LCD monitors are not.
(g) CRT monitors are known to emit VLF radiation, which may be damaging to health. The debate on this was prolonged and the jury is still out. Probably because there was no option earlier. Now that LCD monitors are replacing the CRT, maybe we will get to know the truth once the world is ready to phase out the CRT.
(h) LCD monitors don't have the flicker effect, a constant problem with CRT monitors due to lower refresh rates causing headaches and strain on the eyes.
(i) LCD monitors typically have a life of 30 - 50 thousand hours compared to 10 - 20 thousand hours for a CRT monitor.
(j) LCD monitors are brighter and reflect lesser ambient light than the CRT monitor.
(k) Sharper image quality, higher contrasts and higher resolutions are offered by LCD monitors
(l) LCD monitors are greener and produce less hazardous waste compared to CRT monitors which generate lead, cadmium, phosphor, barium and mercury.
I suppose the above advantages are sufficient for one to throw the CRT monitor out of the window. Don't actually throw it out, you can sell it back to the vendors and get some money back to part finance your LCD monitor.
Now that you have decide to buy an LCD monitor, let's see what are the things to look out for, be way of specifications, to get more bang for your buck?
Size: The bigger is not always better, you have to consider your own requirements for deciding this like if you are going to be watching movies on computer, a bigger size is better, but for normal working a standard 17-19 inches is better. However what you do need to notice and ask for is the viewable size, there are some 19 inch monitors which have a viewable size of 18.5 inches. That is surely not what you want to take home.
Aspect Ratio: This is the ratio of the horizontal and vertical measurement of the screen. Traditionally 4:3 was the AR of choice but now 16:9 AR monitors are in the market which are suitable for gaming and movies. These monitors are generally identified by the word "wide".
Resolution: LCD monitors have, what is called a native resolution. This means that the LCD monitor will function at its best at the native resolution. Yes, you will be able to adjust the resolution just like in a CRT monitor but be ready to sacrifice the picture and performance, you also may not then use the full screen of the monitor. It is best to decide beforehand and go for the desired native resolution.
Viewing angle: Most LCD monitors are now coming with a viewing angle of 160 degrees, which is far more than what is required for working on the computer. Unless you are palnning to screen a movie for the entire neighbourhood in a small room, but do make sure that you are not getting something like a 110 degree angle.
Contrast: The ratio of the brightness of white to black pixel is the contrast. The higher the number the better it is if you want blacker blacks and whiter whites.
Dynamic Contrast ratio: This is certainly different from the contrast ration and is the lowering of the backlight brightness to achieve better contrasts. This number is usually much higher than the contrast ratio, so don't get taken in by the DCR, though it does improve the picture and the higher it is the better.
Response Time: The minimum ime required to change the color of a pixel is called the response time. Obviously the lower it is the better. Anything less than 12 ms is sufficient for even gaming. Most displays now come with 5ms response time. A high response time might mean ghosting and motion blur during gaming.
Brightness: Measured in nits, candelas per meter square, it signifies who much light is being produced by the panel. The higher it is the better.
Connectors: Earlier all the monitors used to come with the analog connectivity using the DSub, 15 pin connector. Now the digital interfaces are available, like the DVI and even HDMI. However make sure that your video card supports these interfaces before you pay more for this type of connectivity.
Color depth: The number means the number of colors the monitor can display. The higher it is the better the picture is.
Pixel pitch: The distance between two pixels is the pixel pitch. The lesser the distance the shraper is the picture.
Adjustable height stand: Though most stands have the swivel and tilt feature if the kids are going to use the computer along with the adults it is better to ask for a stand with an adjustable height feature.
If you take care of these aspects while taking a decision on which LCD monitor to buy, that would be sufficient and you ought to get the best deal.
It is not that LCD monitors do not have any disadvantages, they do but rest assured that the advantages far outweigh the disadvantages.
Happy shopping.
An LCD monitor offers many advantages over the good old CRT monitor. Let's see why one should buy or upgrade to LCD monitor.
First the obvious ones and then the larger issues.
(a) LCD monitors look good on the table.
(b) It occupies much lesser space and also increases the distance between the eyes and the screen.
(c) It is much lighter and easy to shift and transport.
(d) It consumes much less power than the CRT monitor of the same size. The power consuption of LCD monitors is as less as one-third of the same size CRT monitor.
(e) CRT monitors generate much more heat than LCD monitors.
(f) CRT monitors are susceptible to magnetic interference. LCD monitors are not.
(g) CRT monitors are known to emit VLF radiation, which may be damaging to health. The debate on this was prolonged and the jury is still out. Probably because there was no option earlier. Now that LCD monitors are replacing the CRT, maybe we will get to know the truth once the world is ready to phase out the CRT.
(h) LCD monitors don't have the flicker effect, a constant problem with CRT monitors due to lower refresh rates causing headaches and strain on the eyes.
(i) LCD monitors typically have a life of 30 - 50 thousand hours compared to 10 - 20 thousand hours for a CRT monitor.
(j) LCD monitors are brighter and reflect lesser ambient light than the CRT monitor.
(k) Sharper image quality, higher contrasts and higher resolutions are offered by LCD monitors
(l) LCD monitors are greener and produce less hazardous waste compared to CRT monitors which generate lead, cadmium, phosphor, barium and mercury.
I suppose the above advantages are sufficient for one to throw the CRT monitor out of the window. Don't actually throw it out, you can sell it back to the vendors and get some money back to part finance your LCD monitor.
Now that you have decide to buy an LCD monitor, let's see what are the things to look out for, be way of specifications, to get more bang for your buck?
Size: The bigger is not always better, you have to consider your own requirements for deciding this like if you are going to be watching movies on computer, a bigger size is better, but for normal working a standard 17-19 inches is better. However what you do need to notice and ask for is the viewable size, there are some 19 inch monitors which have a viewable size of 18.5 inches. That is surely not what you want to take home.
Aspect Ratio: This is the ratio of the horizontal and vertical measurement of the screen. Traditionally 4:3 was the AR of choice but now 16:9 AR monitors are in the market which are suitable for gaming and movies. These monitors are generally identified by the word "wide".
Resolution: LCD monitors have, what is called a native resolution. This means that the LCD monitor will function at its best at the native resolution. Yes, you will be able to adjust the resolution just like in a CRT monitor but be ready to sacrifice the picture and performance, you also may not then use the full screen of the monitor. It is best to decide beforehand and go for the desired native resolution.
Viewing angle: Most LCD monitors are now coming with a viewing angle of 160 degrees, which is far more than what is required for working on the computer. Unless you are palnning to screen a movie for the entire neighbourhood in a small room, but do make sure that you are not getting something like a 110 degree angle.
Contrast: The ratio of the brightness of white to black pixel is the contrast. The higher the number the better it is if you want blacker blacks and whiter whites.
Dynamic Contrast ratio: This is certainly different from the contrast ration and is the lowering of the backlight brightness to achieve better contrasts. This number is usually much higher than the contrast ratio, so don't get taken in by the DCR, though it does improve the picture and the higher it is the better.
Response Time: The minimum ime required to change the color of a pixel is called the response time. Obviously the lower it is the better. Anything less than 12 ms is sufficient for even gaming. Most displays now come with 5ms response time. A high response time might mean ghosting and motion blur during gaming.
Brightness: Measured in nits, candelas per meter square, it signifies who much light is being produced by the panel. The higher it is the better.
Connectors: Earlier all the monitors used to come with the analog connectivity using the DSub, 15 pin connector. Now the digital interfaces are available, like the DVI and even HDMI. However make sure that your video card supports these interfaces before you pay more for this type of connectivity.
Color depth: The number means the number of colors the monitor can display. The higher it is the better the picture is.
Pixel pitch: The distance between two pixels is the pixel pitch. The lesser the distance the shraper is the picture.
Adjustable height stand: Though most stands have the swivel and tilt feature if the kids are going to use the computer along with the adults it is better to ask for a stand with an adjustable height feature.
If you take care of these aspects while taking a decision on which LCD monitor to buy, that would be sufficient and you ought to get the best deal.
It is not that LCD monitors do not have any disadvantages, they do but rest assured that the advantages far outweigh the disadvantages.
Happy shopping.
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Who is Helping David Coleman Headley?
An excerpt from my book Enemy in the Ranks:
Rajen asked the man, “Were you in the office during the time
this application came?”
“Yes, but I was not the OS at that time. Someone else handled
the file.”
“Can you tell me what his name is now, the new one,
I mean?”
“Of course, it should be in here,” Mr Mahtre opened the file
and flipped the pages. After some time, he became frantic and
said, “Goodness gracious. The papers are missing.”
Remarkably similar to what has happened with the Headley papers missing from the Indian consulate in Chicago.
But then this is what usually happens when the insiders are colluding with the miscreants. They render all the help, put all the paperwork in order and when something goes wrong the papers or the files go missing. It doesn't really take a Sherlock Holmes to figure this out. So instead of looking for the file in the Headley case, the Indian government ought to be looking at who was the insider who sold the country away.
And if they are expecting any help from the US or the FBI, the Indian side is behaving in a real amateur fashion. History tells us that more often than not, it is the US which is playing games with other countries for their own selfish interests. There is talk about Headley being a rogue agent. Whether he is rogue or an agent who was very close to being caught and hence declared rogue, we will probably never know now.
India should be wary of all the players in this field, not knowing who is the enemy and who the friend is. We don't know for sure whether what is being played out is a part of drama being orchestrated by the US. We don't know whether US is helping India or Headley or just Pakistan by diverting attention from the constant blame for 26/11 that India is striving to put on Pakistan. But with the Headley papers missing from the Chicago consulate, one thing is sure that there is an Enemy in the Ranks, our ranks, who is helping terrorists to inflict mayhem in the country.
Rajen asked the man, “Were you in the office during the time
this application came?”
“Yes, but I was not the OS at that time. Someone else handled
the file.”
“Can you tell me what his name is now, the new one,
I mean?”
“Of course, it should be in here,” Mr Mahtre opened the file
and flipped the pages. After some time, he became frantic and
said, “Goodness gracious. The papers are missing.”
Remarkably similar to what has happened with the Headley papers missing from the Indian consulate in Chicago.
But then this is what usually happens when the insiders are colluding with the miscreants. They render all the help, put all the paperwork in order and when something goes wrong the papers or the files go missing. It doesn't really take a Sherlock Holmes to figure this out. So instead of looking for the file in the Headley case, the Indian government ought to be looking at who was the insider who sold the country away.
And if they are expecting any help from the US or the FBI, the Indian side is behaving in a real amateur fashion. History tells us that more often than not, it is the US which is playing games with other countries for their own selfish interests. There is talk about Headley being a rogue agent. Whether he is rogue or an agent who was very close to being caught and hence declared rogue, we will probably never know now.
India should be wary of all the players in this field, not knowing who is the enemy and who the friend is. We don't know for sure whether what is being played out is a part of drama being orchestrated by the US. We don't know whether US is helping India or Headley or just Pakistan by diverting attention from the constant blame for 26/11 that India is striving to put on Pakistan. But with the Headley papers missing from the Chicago consulate, one thing is sure that there is an Enemy in the Ranks, our ranks, who is helping terrorists to inflict mayhem in the country.
Monday, December 14, 2009
Enemy in the Ranks is Now Available in the USA
Good news for my friends and readers in the USA. "Enemy in the Ranks", my action thriller novel is now available in the USA. It is not in the brick and mortar stores yet but it is available online at printsasia.com, a website which specializes in stocking south asian books. The online store is based in New York and hence the shipping costs are not high as against shipping from India which makes the shipping costs higher than the product cost. Check out the link below to buy "Enemy in the Ranks" by Varinder Taprial.
http://www.printsasia.com/BookDetails.aspx?Id=142324512
http://www.printsasia.com/BookDetails.aspx?Id=142324512
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Climate Change - Copenhagen Climate Summit
In following the Copenhagen climate summit so much is being talked about the climate change all over the Internet and the newspapers that it would seem that Climate change was the only problem afflicting this earth. In the process people seem to have to have forgotten the other problems like food shortage, poverty, water problems, illiteracy, AIDS etc. Do I hear someone say that the climate change is responsible for all this? Very convenient for someone who does not have other problems to think of.
Do we really think someone in Somalia is bothered about the emissions when he does not have any food to eat? Is some poor beggar on the Indian roads bothered about how much pollution a rich man's car is causing, as long as he gets some money from him? Is a poor child trying to study under a street light bothered about how much coal is being burnt to provide him that light? Not really.
I really do not understand what the motive of the Industrialized countries is to insist upon the less fortunate ones to follow their diktats or example. It almost seems like the developed nations are saying, "If you do not stop polluting, I will also not do so." That is a funny logic. If some country can achieve some kind of reduced emissions status and can do so conveniently, why do they just not go ahead and do it? It will surely help. Why then are they insisting on others also to follow suit?
It has something to do with control, I guess. I remember on earth day people want everyone to switch off their lights for one hour. Fat lot of difference it made to any one. Better would be to insist on people to switch off lights when they are not required. Similarly people should control emissions to the extent they can without insisting on everyone else to do the same.
The only comprehensible logic I can see to this "follow the leaders" kind of attitude is that the developed nations want to sell their advanced technology to the poorer nations and to that end snatch away the use of cheaper natural resources from them. If that was not the case the proponents of Climate change would silently be reducing their emissions and setting an example for the other countries to follow by the incontrovertible proof of a better life for their citizens. Didn't the various inventions over the history of mankind find their own followers? Why do the developed nations think that the other countries will not follow suit if they succeed in making a difference by preaching what they are trying to teach?
Under these circumstances what is the Copenhagen summit or any other summit going to achieve?
Do we really think someone in Somalia is bothered about the emissions when he does not have any food to eat? Is some poor beggar on the Indian roads bothered about how much pollution a rich man's car is causing, as long as he gets some money from him? Is a poor child trying to study under a street light bothered about how much coal is being burnt to provide him that light? Not really.
I really do not understand what the motive of the Industrialized countries is to insist upon the less fortunate ones to follow their diktats or example. It almost seems like the developed nations are saying, "If you do not stop polluting, I will also not do so." That is a funny logic. If some country can achieve some kind of reduced emissions status and can do so conveniently, why do they just not go ahead and do it? It will surely help. Why then are they insisting on others also to follow suit?
It has something to do with control, I guess. I remember on earth day people want everyone to switch off their lights for one hour. Fat lot of difference it made to any one. Better would be to insist on people to switch off lights when they are not required. Similarly people should control emissions to the extent they can without insisting on everyone else to do the same.
The only comprehensible logic I can see to this "follow the leaders" kind of attitude is that the developed nations want to sell their advanced technology to the poorer nations and to that end snatch away the use of cheaper natural resources from them. If that was not the case the proponents of Climate change would silently be reducing their emissions and setting an example for the other countries to follow by the incontrovertible proof of a better life for their citizens. Didn't the various inventions over the history of mankind find their own followers? Why do the developed nations think that the other countries will not follow suit if they succeed in making a difference by preaching what they are trying to teach?
Under these circumstances what is the Copenhagen summit or any other summit going to achieve?
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
America Cosying Upto China - Where Does That Leave India?
The media may be talking about Obama bending backwards to accommodate China by bending forward, but what we are missing is that in China the US has probably her biggest ally. And even if the general population does not seem to understand the importance of China to the United States, the fact is that it is China which is funding, in a major part, the seemingly good health of the American Economy.
Consider this, the Chinese are carrying an American debt of $ 800 Billion. Do the American people know that America pays about $5o billion to China every year as interest? It is a different matter altogether that the interest also may be on paper. What happens when China decides to cash in on the bonds that it has collected over so many years? If any American knows the answer he will understand why Obama "stooped" to wish the Chinese premier.
Anyway the more important issue for India is, "What the hell is America doing?" On one side is Pakistan, whom America is kind of sheltering from India under the pretext of Pakistan's, most suspect, effort towards the War against Terror, knowing fully well that the terror in the sub-continent is originates in Pakistan. Time and again Pakistan has got away with it mostly due to the US support and they continue to harbor terrorists of all kinds.
America extended the olive branch to India by offering the civilian use nuclear agreement. That, it is not going to stick to it's end of bargain, is a foregone conclusion. However now by playing hooky with China, America is further isolating India in her own backyard. India has steadfastly refused a third party mediation in resolving her border row with Pakistan. Now Obama is asking the Chinese to play a role in stabilizing the region i.e. Indo-Pak relations. Didn't any one tell the President that China is also party to a border dispute with India or that Pakistan has let go of certain regions of PoK to China.
The President also acknowledged that China should play a bigger role in Pakistan and Afghanistan, signs that America is ready to move out of Afghanistan. Essentially what Obama has given to China is the unilateral right to be the Big Boss in the region, even while maintaining that India is an important ally.
Where does that leave India? The Chinese premier was vehement about the requirement of India signing the NPT, which is something America will have to try, to get in the favorable books of China. Not only that if America indeed wants the Iran and North Korean Nuclear dreams to be curtailed, it needs China. So if China asks for something, US will comply.
India thought so far that America was a friend. Whether America really is a friend or not, only time will tell. History reveals that America is nobody's friend and that is the reason they are where they are. That leaves India with very few friends, most of whom are pretty worthless when it comes to standing up to the might of the countries like America and China. How long before the arm-twisting begins. Oh! USSR, where are You?
Consider this, the Chinese are carrying an American debt of $ 800 Billion. Do the American people know that America pays about $5o billion to China every year as interest? It is a different matter altogether that the interest also may be on paper. What happens when China decides to cash in on the bonds that it has collected over so many years? If any American knows the answer he will understand why Obama "stooped" to wish the Chinese premier.
Anyway the more important issue for India is, "What the hell is America doing?" On one side is Pakistan, whom America is kind of sheltering from India under the pretext of Pakistan's, most suspect, effort towards the War against Terror, knowing fully well that the terror in the sub-continent is originates in Pakistan. Time and again Pakistan has got away with it mostly due to the US support and they continue to harbor terrorists of all kinds.
America extended the olive branch to India by offering the civilian use nuclear agreement. That, it is not going to stick to it's end of bargain, is a foregone conclusion. However now by playing hooky with China, America is further isolating India in her own backyard. India has steadfastly refused a third party mediation in resolving her border row with Pakistan. Now Obama is asking the Chinese to play a role in stabilizing the region i.e. Indo-Pak relations. Didn't any one tell the President that China is also party to a border dispute with India or that Pakistan has let go of certain regions of PoK to China.
The President also acknowledged that China should play a bigger role in Pakistan and Afghanistan, signs that America is ready to move out of Afghanistan. Essentially what Obama has given to China is the unilateral right to be the Big Boss in the region, even while maintaining that India is an important ally.
Where does that leave India? The Chinese premier was vehement about the requirement of India signing the NPT, which is something America will have to try, to get in the favorable books of China. Not only that if America indeed wants the Iran and North Korean Nuclear dreams to be curtailed, it needs China. So if China asks for something, US will comply.
India thought so far that America was a friend. Whether America really is a friend or not, only time will tell. History reveals that America is nobody's friend and that is the reason they are where they are. That leaves India with very few friends, most of whom are pretty worthless when it comes to standing up to the might of the countries like America and China. How long before the arm-twisting begins. Oh! USSR, where are You?
Monday, November 16, 2009
Terror Recruitment - Rana And Headley - Media to Blame
The news doing the rounds now is that Tahawwur Rana and David Coleman Headley were actually on a terror recruitment drive across India and that the duo was using the advertising mechanism to liaise with their other operatives. Guess who is shouting from the rooftops about these new developments. The media itself which carried those ads without any verifications.
This issue is the most important and the least discussed in the media, for obvious reasons. No one in their sane minds bites the hands which feed them.
The media gets away by making a simple disclaimer statement about not having to do anything with the ads that they run. They do take the money but won't take the responsibility of the veracity and the genuineness of the advertisement they are carrying. They put that responsibility on the reader. Now what do you do if terrorists are using those very ads to communicate with their ilk or to recruit more people into their clan. The media will not take any responsibility still. After all they do have the disclaimer clause. Even now no one seems to be bothered. The money-hungry mafia.. ooops, media will continue to carry the ads.
In this case for a few hundred Rupees the media has provided a channel of communication to terrorists and I wonder why no one is holding them responsible for terror links or as accomplices.
There are so many people who are reading the newspapers and using the ads they display to make informed decisions considering, by default, that the ads are authentic. So many people must be wasting money on those stupid, "Make money from home" ads. If that was not enough to get eyeballs rolling, now comes this case where terrorists have used the media for their nefarious activities. What will it take for some one to wake up and put in some kind of regulatory mechanism by which such things can be stopped?
The media Print as well as electronic should verify the ads before they print or air them. The whole idea of advertisement is to allow people to make informed decisions. Unfortunately the unscrupulous as well as some of the esteemed lot makes use of the media to mislead people. Even the recent case of a doctor/quack/scientist, Munir Khan, who claimed to treat cancer, heart blockages etc has not prompted any action. The man was actually using celebrities to endorse his product and the media was happily carrying it. He has been arrested and will probably be convicted. But what of the media and the celebrities who promoted his products. Oh No! They only take money for providing subsidized news.
But again these and all those massage parlor ads are minor issues compared to being used as a medium for anti-national activities. High time the sector got organized where issues can be prevented rather than only being covered as breaking news.
Visit my website to read more of my articles and to buy my fiction novel on Infiltration.
This issue is the most important and the least discussed in the media, for obvious reasons. No one in their sane minds bites the hands which feed them.
The media gets away by making a simple disclaimer statement about not having to do anything with the ads that they run. They do take the money but won't take the responsibility of the veracity and the genuineness of the advertisement they are carrying. They put that responsibility on the reader. Now what do you do if terrorists are using those very ads to communicate with their ilk or to recruit more people into their clan. The media will not take any responsibility still. After all they do have the disclaimer clause. Even now no one seems to be bothered. The money-hungry mafia.. ooops, media will continue to carry the ads.
In this case for a few hundred Rupees the media has provided a channel of communication to terrorists and I wonder why no one is holding them responsible for terror links or as accomplices.
There are so many people who are reading the newspapers and using the ads they display to make informed decisions considering, by default, that the ads are authentic. So many people must be wasting money on those stupid, "Make money from home" ads. If that was not enough to get eyeballs rolling, now comes this case where terrorists have used the media for their nefarious activities. What will it take for some one to wake up and put in some kind of regulatory mechanism by which such things can be stopped?
The media Print as well as electronic should verify the ads before they print or air them. The whole idea of advertisement is to allow people to make informed decisions. Unfortunately the unscrupulous as well as some of the esteemed lot makes use of the media to mislead people. Even the recent case of a doctor/quack/scientist, Munir Khan, who claimed to treat cancer, heart blockages etc has not prompted any action. The man was actually using celebrities to endorse his product and the media was happily carrying it. He has been arrested and will probably be convicted. But what of the media and the celebrities who promoted his products. Oh No! They only take money for providing subsidized news.
But again these and all those massage parlor ads are minor issues compared to being used as a medium for anti-national activities. High time the sector got organized where issues can be prevented rather than only being covered as breaking news.
Visit my website to read more of my articles and to buy my fiction novel on Infiltration.
Saturday, November 14, 2009
Voter's I Card? Expected Something Better From Mumbai and Election Commissioner
I received my Voter's I card a few days back and finally understood why and how the election process is never upto the mark. If my Voter's I card is anything to go by, the esteemed offices of our Election Commission are full of incompetent or overworked people with no resources at their disposal or someone making a hell lot of money.
To start with my name is wrong. That is an understatement actually. My first name is spelled wrongly, I do not use a patronymic name which the commission has forcibly introduced into my name and my surname is also spelled wrongly. My father's surname has been spelled the same as mine and hence wrongly. So much for my name.
Next my date of birth is also wrong. Let me correct that, the year of my birth is mentioned wrongly. The date and month are reflected with two crosses each and God alone knows what hides behind the crosses in the computer which is holding this data.
My address on the reverse side is mentioned wrongly, unless it is normal to mention any address in the vicinity of my actual address. I really don't know where this place is but I do recognize the Homibhabha Road which is about two kilometers from my pace of residence, maybe 1.5 as the crow flies.
The paper used is normal xerox paper printed on the same side and then folded once to give an appearance of being printed on both sides. Unfortunately I guess the folding was being done by some tired hands which could not care whether the fold was proper or not. The printer also seems to be running out of ink as some words are lighter than others. The lamination is like it was done by a worn out machine not heating up to the desired temperature or by someone whose primary duty was to get tea and Samosas for the staff.
Fortunately the sex is right and the Waterloo man did not right often instead of male. Have a look:
I do not think the card will serve the basic purpose of identifying me for the election. Forget that, it will not even serve as an identification document for any other purpose. Should I even bother to get it corrected, I wonder. And this from one of the most advanced cities of Mumbai in the 21st century. I just hope the UID project is not also heading in the same direction.
To start with my name is wrong. That is an understatement actually. My first name is spelled wrongly, I do not use a patronymic name which the commission has forcibly introduced into my name and my surname is also spelled wrongly. My father's surname has been spelled the same as mine and hence wrongly. So much for my name.
Next my date of birth is also wrong. Let me correct that, the year of my birth is mentioned wrongly. The date and month are reflected with two crosses each and God alone knows what hides behind the crosses in the computer which is holding this data.
My address on the reverse side is mentioned wrongly, unless it is normal to mention any address in the vicinity of my actual address. I really don't know where this place is but I do recognize the Homibhabha Road which is about two kilometers from my pace of residence, maybe 1.5 as the crow flies.
The paper used is normal xerox paper printed on the same side and then folded once to give an appearance of being printed on both sides. Unfortunately I guess the folding was being done by some tired hands which could not care whether the fold was proper or not. The printer also seems to be running out of ink as some words are lighter than others. The lamination is like it was done by a worn out machine not heating up to the desired temperature or by someone whose primary duty was to get tea and Samosas for the staff.
Fortunately the sex is right and the Waterloo man did not right often instead of male. Have a look:
I do not think the card will serve the basic purpose of identifying me for the election. Forget that, it will not even serve as an identification document for any other purpose. Should I even bother to get it corrected, I wonder. And this from one of the most advanced cities of Mumbai in the 21st century. I just hope the UID project is not also heading in the same direction.
Friday, November 13, 2009
Facebook Privacy Concerns - Ignorance Is A Bliss
There has been a lot of talk about the Facebook Privacy concerns. Most of it is ignorance on part of the users. You can't blame Facebook for that.
Two issues which I came across on the net amongst my peers and otherwise while browsing were:
(a) Photos of the user are visible to non-mutual friends of user's friends.
(b) Third Party applications extracting data of users when a friend was allowing access to a third party.
(c) Use of your Profile and photo in Social ads by Faceboo as well as third party applications.
Here is the fact. Facebook has got measures in place to avoid both scenarios. However people are just not aware of them or are too lazy to do anything about protecting their own privacy. If you are really concerned here is what you need to do
Issue 1: Photos of the user are visible to non-mutual friends of user's friends Go to the settings menu and select Privacy settings. In the basic settings select Friends only in all the options. This flaw existed because there is an option of selecting friends of friends in the drop down box.
Issue 2: Third Party applications extracting data of users when a friend was allowing access to a third party Under the privacy tab select Applications and then settings on the Application pages. This is the place where you can select what information should be visible to third party applications when one of your friends allows the application to extract his information. Make your selections and save the settings. Your Privacy is now as good as any thing else. There is also a choice, "Do not share any information about me through the Facebook API" but you can select it only when you remove all applications which are built on the platform. Rest assured you can't do that unless you want to give up the entire meaning of the Facebook experience.
Issue 3: Use of your Profile and photo in Social ads by Faceboo as well as third party applications In the Privacy settings select News Feed and Wall. On the new page select "Facebook Ads". You will see that it is mentioned on the page that Facebook does not give third party applications or ad networks the right to use your name or picture in ads. If this is allowed in the future, this setting will govern the usage of your information. However to be sure that you are not caught unawares select No one against the setting "Allow ads on platform pages to show my information to" and save your settings. The next setting on the same page is the "Ads shown by Facebook" This is generally harmless because the Social Action Ads are just used for promoting some content like Pages etc for intimating your friends about your actions like becaoming a fan, joining a group etc.
The question that arises now is that why is Facebook not clarifying this option openly. The reason is simple. If all users hid their information from third party applications, the third party application developers and promoters/advertisers will have no reason to continue to offer the free applications on Facebook. After all it is all about money, honey.
Visit my website at http://www.taprial.in
Two issues which I came across on the net amongst my peers and otherwise while browsing were:
(a) Photos of the user are visible to non-mutual friends of user's friends.
(b) Third Party applications extracting data of users when a friend was allowing access to a third party.
(c) Use of your Profile and photo in Social ads by Faceboo as well as third party applications.
Here is the fact. Facebook has got measures in place to avoid both scenarios. However people are just not aware of them or are too lazy to do anything about protecting their own privacy. If you are really concerned here is what you need to do
Issue 1: Photos of the user are visible to non-mutual friends of user's friends Go to the settings menu and select Privacy settings. In the basic settings select Friends only in all the options. This flaw existed because there is an option of selecting friends of friends in the drop down box.
Issue 2: Third Party applications extracting data of users when a friend was allowing access to a third party Under the privacy tab select Applications and then settings on the Application pages. This is the place where you can select what information should be visible to third party applications when one of your friends allows the application to extract his information. Make your selections and save the settings. Your Privacy is now as good as any thing else. There is also a choice, "Do not share any information about me through the Facebook API" but you can select it only when you remove all applications which are built on the platform. Rest assured you can't do that unless you want to give up the entire meaning of the Facebook experience.
Issue 3: Use of your Profile and photo in Social ads by Faceboo as well as third party applications In the Privacy settings select News Feed and Wall. On the new page select "Facebook Ads". You will see that it is mentioned on the page that Facebook does not give third party applications or ad networks the right to use your name or picture in ads. If this is allowed in the future, this setting will govern the usage of your information. However to be sure that you are not caught unawares select No one against the setting "Allow ads on platform pages to show my information to" and save your settings. The next setting on the same page is the "Ads shown by Facebook" This is generally harmless because the Social Action Ads are just used for promoting some content like Pages etc for intimating your friends about your actions like becaoming a fan, joining a group etc.
The question that arises now is that why is Facebook not clarifying this option openly. The reason is simple. If all users hid their information from third party applications, the third party application developers and promoters/advertisers will have no reason to continue to offer the free applications on Facebook. After all it is all about money, honey.
Visit my website at http://www.taprial.in
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
26/11 Mumbai Terror Attacks Anniversary - Ready For Another One?
26/11, the date when Mumbai terror attacks took place. The date which changed the perspective of the people of this country about terror. The date when Mumbai was shaken out of it's slumber and shown how vulnerable she was. The date when the collective responsibility of various organizations was put to test and most came out failures. Did I hear someone say they succeeded? I am sorry, but it is like saying that since the ultimate aim of life is death, everyone succeeds. Had we left the terrorists to themselves, they would have probably run out of ammo and starved themselves to death. Would that also be treated as success? I mean, who takes three days to take charge of and decimate 4 terrorists?
I am by no means trying to belittle the efforts of individuals, but as organizations, none of our esteemed ones succeeded.
One year later things seem to be the same. Congress - NCP combine the incumbent government during the terror attacks continues to be in power. Vilasrao Deshmukh the Chief Minister at the time of Mumbai attacks is now enjoying being a cabinet minister and is the Minister of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises.
Shivraj Patil, the home minister of India who had resigned taking "moral responsibilty" for the incident continues to be a member of the Rajya Sabha and a respected functionary of his party. In fact Ashok Chavan, the current Chief Minister of the state called upon Shivraj Patil which is an indication of the clout Shivraj Patil enjoys in the state and the party. If luck has it, Shivraj Patil might even become Governor of Punjab (According to some news reports.)
The NSG which was ultimately responsible for ending the 26/11 impasse, has been given land at Marol and is restricted to only 23 Acres as compared to Force One (What's that? Vijay Mallaya's Formula one team!) who have been allotted 98 Acres in Aarey colony, Goregaon. The police force of Mumbai were largely spectators during the Mumbai attacks relative to what NSG was doing and now something tells the state government that the Mumbai Police will be able to counter any future threats and thereby relegating the NSG to a lower status. This in spite of the fact that Force One is a new force and yet to prove that it is a force to reckon with. Therefore, it is back to Mumbai Police.
RR Patil, the home minister who had resigned from his post in the aftermath of the Mumbai attacks, has been reinstated as the home minister.
The Maharashtra DGP at the time of Mumbai terror attacks was AN Roy. By a quirk of fate coupled with some politics, he was removed by the High Court and is again currently holding additional charge of the State DGP and is likely to be appointed DGP soon since he is the senior most IPS officer in the state, a rule that was not followed during his earlier appointment.
So we have all the people back doing their jobs they were doing back in Nov 2008. I guess we are fully ready for another 26/11. The only difference is that the fisher-folks colony near Badhwar Park, where the terrorists landed last year, is manned by Police. Maybe that will be enough deterrent for the terrorists to land elsewhere along the more than 700 kilometers of Maharashtra coastline.
I am by no means trying to belittle the efforts of individuals, but as organizations, none of our esteemed ones succeeded.
One year later things seem to be the same. Congress - NCP combine the incumbent government during the terror attacks continues to be in power. Vilasrao Deshmukh the Chief Minister at the time of Mumbai attacks is now enjoying being a cabinet minister and is the Minister of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises.
Shivraj Patil, the home minister of India who had resigned taking "moral responsibilty" for the incident continues to be a member of the Rajya Sabha and a respected functionary of his party. In fact Ashok Chavan, the current Chief Minister of the state called upon Shivraj Patil which is an indication of the clout Shivraj Patil enjoys in the state and the party. If luck has it, Shivraj Patil might even become Governor of Punjab (According to some news reports.)
The NSG which was ultimately responsible for ending the 26/11 impasse, has been given land at Marol and is restricted to only 23 Acres as compared to Force One (What's that? Vijay Mallaya's Formula one team!) who have been allotted 98 Acres in Aarey colony, Goregaon. The police force of Mumbai were largely spectators during the Mumbai attacks relative to what NSG was doing and now something tells the state government that the Mumbai Police will be able to counter any future threats and thereby relegating the NSG to a lower status. This in spite of the fact that Force One is a new force and yet to prove that it is a force to reckon with. Therefore, it is back to Mumbai Police.
RR Patil, the home minister who had resigned from his post in the aftermath of the Mumbai attacks, has been reinstated as the home minister.
The Maharashtra DGP at the time of Mumbai terror attacks was AN Roy. By a quirk of fate coupled with some politics, he was removed by the High Court and is again currently holding additional charge of the State DGP and is likely to be appointed DGP soon since he is the senior most IPS officer in the state, a rule that was not followed during his earlier appointment.
So we have all the people back doing their jobs they were doing back in Nov 2008. I guess we are fully ready for another 26/11. The only difference is that the fisher-folks colony near Badhwar Park, where the terrorists landed last year, is manned by Police. Maybe that will be enough deterrent for the terrorists to land elsewhere along the more than 700 kilometers of Maharashtra coastline.
Sunday, November 8, 2009
Fort Hood Shooting - Major Nidal Malik Hasan - Enemy in the Ranks
They say fiction is a precursor of things to happen. What happened in the Major Nidal Malik Hasan shooting case at Fort Hood, is what my novel, Enemy in the Ranks, talks about, Infiltration of anti-national elements in the important establishments of the country. It is yet to be seen whether Major Nidal Malik Hasan was connected with any of the extremist groups. However if indeed he was, imagine the damage he could have caused earlier while being a part of the Army, without actually being blamed for it. Sabotage, espionage anything is possible.
Sooner or later, the terrorists are going to realize, they might even have already, that they can't be going loggerheads with an adversary who is much stronger than them. So the way out for them is to inflict damage while they are a part of the system. I am just thinking aloud, Why would Major Nidal Malik Hasan, if he was indeed an Enemy in the ranks resort to such an open shooting while he could have continued to achieve his aims silently? Maybe his cover was blown. What does a committed man, who knows his life was going to be miserable if he was ever caught alive, do in such circumstances? Well he takes down with him, as many as possible.
Maybe it did not happen that way. Maybe Major Nidal Malik Hasan was just a regular psychiatrist and a patriot who just lost it after counseling so many over the edge people. But the angle whether he was associated with any of the terror groups needs to be investigated for the simple reason that there might be others who are already there. An Enemy in the Ranks is a distinct possibility and we need to guard against it. This is a lesson all countries need to learn and take precaution against. An Enemy in the Ranks is the worst that can happen.
Chuck Norris also has the same opinion. Read this Enemies Within
Sooner or later, the terrorists are going to realize, they might even have already, that they can't be going loggerheads with an adversary who is much stronger than them. So the way out for them is to inflict damage while they are a part of the system. I am just thinking aloud, Why would Major Nidal Malik Hasan, if he was indeed an Enemy in the ranks resort to such an open shooting while he could have continued to achieve his aims silently? Maybe his cover was blown. What does a committed man, who knows his life was going to be miserable if he was ever caught alive, do in such circumstances? Well he takes down with him, as many as possible.
Maybe it did not happen that way. Maybe Major Nidal Malik Hasan was just a regular psychiatrist and a patriot who just lost it after counseling so many over the edge people. But the angle whether he was associated with any of the terror groups needs to be investigated for the simple reason that there might be others who are already there. An Enemy in the Ranks is a distinct possibility and we need to guard against it. This is a lesson all countries need to learn and take precaution against. An Enemy in the Ranks is the worst that can happen.
Chuck Norris also has the same opinion. Read this Enemies Within
Saturday, November 7, 2009
My Dream Job - Bestselling Author
All of us have dreams. All of us have some of them realized, some shattered. But the capacity to dream is everlasting. The wishes and desires are a pot that never gets filled. Dream jobs are those which provide you monetary, emotional, professional and social satisfaction.
Have you ever seen the look on the face of a man who is in a dream job. The brilliance of the face, the happiness, the positive energy, it all seems like another place. A dream job will remain a dream if we do not work towards it.
My dream job has always been to be a bestselling author. One who can rely on his writing alone to have the good life. Never having to work for someone else ever after again in my life. I always picture myself, in my dream, sitting on a beach sipping beer, having a choice of snacks on the table and typing away to glory on the laptop. There are times I think about writing while being on a world tour onboard a luxury liner. You see, writing is something you can do anywhere, be it a beach, mountains, jungles, or even in your car. There is total freedom. No time constraints, you write when you want to , where you want to, and how you want to. The inputs along with your imagination come from real life and research if and when required is fun.
Writing by itself is a very satisfying job. Essentially what you do is get an outlet for your thoughts. People write diaries because they find it to be soothing to themselves. Writing can take care of all your emotions. Whether it is anger, sadness, frustration, desperation, happiness, just sit on your table and write it down and you will feel better and if not better, at least grounded to the reality. Being a bestselling author is an icing on the cake.
One more advantage of being a bestselling author is that besides providing full on entertainment/knowledge to people, you are someone that everyone relates to. Everyone who has ever read anything in his life has dreamt of or at least thought of being a writer himself. When you achieve your aim of writing, people look at you with respect and think, wow! He did it. That, it gives motivation to others is an added benefit.
So, consider this, You sit at the best locales in the world, meeting beautiful people, sipping the best wines, munching on the best snacks, writing your thoughts, which you know will be read by millions, who would gain from it, thank you from the bottom of their hearts for making them forget life for a while, and you earn money for doing this. This is my dream job. I have already achieved the author part of it with my novel “Enemy in the Ranks”, the bestselling part can’t be too far from here.
Don't despair if you are not yet there, for you are not the only one. Listen to this song Piano Man" by Billy Joel which talks about unfulfilled dreams, aspirations, ambitions all affected by the usual culprit, circumstances!
Billy Joel - Piano Man (Official Music Video) - The most popular videos are a click away
Have you ever seen the look on the face of a man who is in a dream job. The brilliance of the face, the happiness, the positive energy, it all seems like another place. A dream job will remain a dream if we do not work towards it.
My dream job has always been to be a bestselling author. One who can rely on his writing alone to have the good life. Never having to work for someone else ever after again in my life. I always picture myself, in my dream, sitting on a beach sipping beer, having a choice of snacks on the table and typing away to glory on the laptop. There are times I think about writing while being on a world tour onboard a luxury liner. You see, writing is something you can do anywhere, be it a beach, mountains, jungles, or even in your car. There is total freedom. No time constraints, you write when you want to , where you want to, and how you want to. The inputs along with your imagination come from real life and research if and when required is fun.
Writing by itself is a very satisfying job. Essentially what you do is get an outlet for your thoughts. People write diaries because they find it to be soothing to themselves. Writing can take care of all your emotions. Whether it is anger, sadness, frustration, desperation, happiness, just sit on your table and write it down and you will feel better and if not better, at least grounded to the reality. Being a bestselling author is an icing on the cake.
One more advantage of being a bestselling author is that besides providing full on entertainment/knowledge to people, you are someone that everyone relates to. Everyone who has ever read anything in his life has dreamt of or at least thought of being a writer himself. When you achieve your aim of writing, people look at you with respect and think, wow! He did it. That, it gives motivation to others is an added benefit.
So, consider this, You sit at the best locales in the world, meeting beautiful people, sipping the best wines, munching on the best snacks, writing your thoughts, which you know will be read by millions, who would gain from it, thank you from the bottom of their hearts for making them forget life for a while, and you earn money for doing this. This is my dream job. I have already achieved the author part of it with my novel “Enemy in the Ranks”, the bestselling part can’t be too far from here.
Don't despair if you are not yet there, for you are not the only one. Listen to this song Piano Man" by Billy Joel which talks about unfulfilled dreams, aspirations, ambitions all affected by the usual culprit, circumstances!
Billy Joel - Piano Man (Official Music Video) - The most popular videos are a click away
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Rave Reviews And Journey So Far - Enemy in the Ranks
It's been a month since the fiction novel Enemy in the Ranks was released and despatched for distribution. The book got immediate exposure after being featured in the books section of the Mumbai Daily DNA. Check out the snapshot of the page below
It has still not reached any of the bestsellers list but it has got some rave reviews from readers. You can read them all on my webiste http://www.taprial.in
Here are a few of them
So engrossing, that I got late for office two days in a row!
Racy, fast paced and action packed. Reminded me of Alistair Mclean
Racy and pulsating - and great flow for a first novel!! Lucky that this is all fiction (hope so :-) - the end would definitely give some food for thought. Liked the subtle romance and the bollywood style 'coincidences' /incidental events to push the action ahead!! A thriller definitely!!
I got the book finally. Had little time since Diwali celebrations and kids/wife dragging me around , but whatever little I could read was spell binding , pacy and surely an indicative that your writing skills are top notch. Whatever I read so far , I see a great potential in you .. If I felt that Chetan Bhagat could round of all his narrations , your writing style is no less , in times to come , if you pursue writing , I see a parallel and equally worthy writer in you. Chetan Bhagat watch out !!! Strongly recommended.
Your novel is a different kind of a thriller - an indigenous one, set in the Indian navy -- and i am sure it will do well in the market and find its own readership - This one is from a journalist working with a leading newspaper of Mumbai.
Friends and relatives have also been largely impressed with the book and and say that they loved it and it has been one of the best they have read in a long time. However the veracity of these statements can not be verified, them being friends and relatives. However my biggest and the best critic, my wife, who had not read the book till the time we got the author copies, couldn't put the book down and finished it in one straight reading in about eight hours.
The book is now available in bookstores and many online stores. The online stores where it is available are as follows
http://shop.in.com/fiction/enemy-in-the-ranks-id-206814-catid-1345.htm
http://www.infibeam.com/Books/info/varinder-taprial/enemy-ranks/9788122310870.html
http://www.booksandlotsmore.com/books/main/BookDetails.aspx?bookid=18273
http://www.a1books.co.in/itemdetail/8122310877/ENEMY-RANKS/
http://books.rediff.com/bookshop/bkproductdisplay.jsp?Enemy-in-the-Ranks-Books&prrfnbr=83143349&multiple=&frompg=_
http://www.pustakmahal.com/book/book/bid,,9519C/index.html
The book is competing against the books by the likes of Dan Brown, Hilary Mantel, Jeffery Archer, David Baladacci and Chetan Bhagat but I am sure it will stand up to the big names. Wish me luck!
It has still not reached any of the bestsellers list but it has got some rave reviews from readers. You can read them all on my webiste http://www.taprial.in
Here are a few of them
So engrossing, that I got late for office two days in a row!
Racy, fast paced and action packed. Reminded me of Alistair Mclean
Racy and pulsating - and great flow for a first novel!! Lucky that this is all fiction (hope so :-) - the end would definitely give some food for thought. Liked the subtle romance and the bollywood style 'coincidences' /incidental events to push the action ahead!! A thriller definitely!!
I got the book finally. Had little time since Diwali celebrations and kids/wife dragging me around , but whatever little I could read was spell binding , pacy and surely an indicative that your writing skills are top notch. Whatever I read so far , I see a great potential in you .. If I felt that Chetan Bhagat could round of all his narrations , your writing style is no less , in times to come , if you pursue writing , I see a parallel and equally worthy writer in you. Chetan Bhagat watch out !!! Strongly recommended.
Your novel is a different kind of a thriller - an indigenous one, set in the Indian navy -- and i am sure it will do well in the market and find its own readership - This one is from a journalist working with a leading newspaper of Mumbai.
Friends and relatives have also been largely impressed with the book and and say that they loved it and it has been one of the best they have read in a long time. However the veracity of these statements can not be verified, them being friends and relatives. However my biggest and the best critic, my wife, who had not read the book till the time we got the author copies, couldn't put the book down and finished it in one straight reading in about eight hours.
The book is now available in bookstores and many online stores. The online stores where it is available are as follows
http://shop.in.com/fiction/enemy-in-the-ranks-id-206814-catid-1345.htm
http://www.infibeam.com/Books/info/varinder-taprial/enemy-ranks/9788122310870.html
http://www.booksandlotsmore.com/books/main/BookDetails.aspx?bookid=18273
http://www.a1books.co.in/itemdetail/8122310877/ENEMY-RANKS/
http://books.rediff.com/bookshop/bkproductdisplay.jsp?Enemy-in-the-Ranks-Books&prrfnbr=83143349&multiple=&frompg=_
http://www.pustakmahal.com/book/book/bid,,9519C/index.html
The book is competing against the books by the likes of Dan Brown, Hilary Mantel, Jeffery Archer, David Baladacci and Chetan Bhagat but I am sure it will stand up to the big names. Wish me luck!
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Buy Action Thriller Novel Enemy in the Ranks Online
The long awaited action thriller novel Enemy in the Ranks by Varinder Taprial is available for buying online. It is currently available on two websites. And I will keep updating more links as they appear on the web
The Publisher's website
http://www.pustakmahal.com/book/book/bid,,9519C/index.html
and the Rediff books website
http://books.rediff.com/bookshop/bkproductdisplay.jsp?Enemy-in-the-Ranks-Books&prrfnbr=83143349&multiple=&frompg=_
Both the websites are known ones and the transactions are safe and secure.
The Publisher's website
http://www.pustakmahal.com/book/book/bid,,9519C/index.html
and the Rediff books website
http://books.rediff.com/bookshop/bkproductdisplay.jsp?Enemy-in-the-Ranks-Books&prrfnbr=83143349&multiple=&frompg=_
Both the websites are known ones and the transactions are safe and secure.
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Enemy in the Ranks - Official Website
My book, Enemy in the Ranks, has an official website now. And guess what I created it myself. I first created the website on a free hosting website called webs.com and later realized that it was not being indexed by Google. Not only that it wouldn't allow me to put Google adsense also. So after a bit of research, I homed in to Google sites.
So why should one visit my book website? For starters, it is the first place you can find an excerpt from my book Enemy in the Ranks. I have put some details regarding the book also on the website.
Check out the full article on
http://www.xomba.com/enemy_ranks_official_website
So why should one visit my book website? For starters, it is the first place you can find an excerpt from my book Enemy in the Ranks. I have put some details regarding the book also on the website.
Check out the full article on
http://www.xomba.com/enemy_ranks_official_website
Watch NCAA Live scores Online - Top 25 teams
The NCAA football madness began last week in right earnest. You can watch the live scores online in respect of the top 25 teams at http://www.ncaa.com/teams/m-footbl/scoreboards/top25/top25-d-fbs-scoreboard-week-main.html and http://msn.foxsports.com/cfb/scores
If you so desire you can watch the live scores of other teams also on the same links. You just have to navigate from this page to another using the selection menu.
The game previews, and game trackers are also available.
If you so desire you can watch the live scores of other teams also on the same links. You just have to navigate from this page to another using the selection menu.
The game previews, and game trackers are also available.
Watch NFL Live scores online Live commentary
NFL preseason week 4 games are being held on Sep 3 and Sep 4. There are 16 games in all. watch live scores of all the NFL games online at http://www.nfl.com/scores
you can also watch the NFL live scores online at http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/scores and http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/scoreboard
You can also take a field pass at NFL and listen to live commentary ( radio broadcast ) of all the NFL games for as little as $29.99.
You can also watch the games of NFL live online for free at this link
Games on Sep 3 and Sep 4 are
Detroit Lions vs Buffalo Bills
Philadelphia Eagles vs NY Jets
NY Giants vs New England Patriots
Washington Redskins vs Jacksonville Jaguars
Baltimore Ravens vs Atlanta Falcons
Indianpolis Colts vs Cincinnati Bengals
Pittsburgh Steelers vs Carolina Panthers
Miami Dolphis vs New Orleans Saints
Cleveland Browns vs Chicago Bears
Green Bay Packers vs Tennessee Titans
Kansas cit Chiefs vs St Louis Rams
Arizona Cardinals vs Denver Broncos
Oakland raiders vs Seattle Seahawks
Houston Texans vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Dallas Cowboys vs Minnesota Vikings
San Fransisco 49ers vs San Diego Chargers
you can also watch the NFL live scores online at http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/scores and http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/scoreboard
You can also take a field pass at NFL and listen to live commentary ( radio broadcast ) of all the NFL games for as little as $29.99.
You can also watch the games of NFL live online for free at this link
Games on Sep 3 and Sep 4 are
Detroit Lions vs Buffalo Bills
Philadelphia Eagles vs NY Jets
NY Giants vs New England Patriots
Washington Redskins vs Jacksonville Jaguars
Baltimore Ravens vs Atlanta Falcons
Indianpolis Colts vs Cincinnati Bengals
Pittsburgh Steelers vs Carolina Panthers
Miami Dolphis vs New Orleans Saints
Cleveland Browns vs Chicago Bears
Green Bay Packers vs Tennessee Titans
Kansas cit Chiefs vs St Louis Rams
Arizona Cardinals vs Denver Broncos
Oakland raiders vs Seattle Seahawks
Houston Texans vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Dallas Cowboys vs Minnesota Vikings
San Fransisco 49ers vs San Diego Chargers
Sunday, August 30, 2009
NFL Season 2009 - Watch All Games Live Online
Now you can watch all the NFL season 2009 games live online for free. What's more, the video streaming is in HD quality. In addition you can also get full access to the NFL network. Check it out here
http://www.xomba.com/nfl_season_2009_watch_all_games_live_online
http://www.xomba.com/nfl_season_2009_watch_all_games_live_online
Friday, August 28, 2009
Enemy In The Ranks by Varinder Taprial
It feels so great, that when my publisher told me that it has gone to print today, I was, like ecstatic. It is still some days before it is available in the book stores and online.
The title of the novel is self-explanatory so I guess that is it as far as explaining the story goes. Yes, it is about infiltration.
I have made a book trailer for my book and am embedding it below. May I request you all to copy the embed code and put it in your websites and blogs to give it the exposure it deserves. Thanks a lot and I will write another byte to let you all know when and where the book is available in brick and mortar stores as well as online. Enjoy!!!!
The title of the novel is self-explanatory so I guess that is it as far as explaining the story goes. Yes, it is about infiltration.
I have made a book trailer for my book and am embedding it below. May I request you all to copy the embed code and put it in your websites and blogs to give it the exposure it deserves. Thanks a lot and I will write another byte to let you all know when and where the book is available in brick and mortar stores as well as online. Enjoy!!!!
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Student Loans - Student Loan Available For All
Student Loans are the loans available for students to pursue their professional education. Also known as education loans, student loans are generally offered by the governments of the various countries and are available at lower interest rates than most other loans.
Read more at http://www.xomba.com/student_loans_student_loan_available_all
Read more at http://www.xomba.com/student_loans_student_loan_available_all
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Watch live online Miss Universe 2009 Free Streaming Video
Watch live online Miss Universe 2009 Free Streaming Video on 23 Aug at 9:00 PM ET. For live links go to
http://www.xomba.com/miss_universe_2009_online_watch_live_nbc
http://www.xomba.com/miss_universe_2009_online_watch_live_nbc
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Indiawriters.ning.com - A Social Network For Indian Writers
Indiawriters.ning.com is a social network for Indian Writers. There are not many resources on the web for Indian writers / authors. There are many amongst us who aspire to write but do not know how to go about it. India writers aims to be a platform for budding writers as well as the well established ones to interact about the nuances of the art of writing as well as that of the Publishing world. All are welcome to join. Click on this link to join http://indiawriters.ning.com/
Saturday, July 4, 2009
Watch Live Online Michael Jackson Memorial Service - Staples Center
The Michael Jackson Memorial Service has been scheduled on Tuesday, July 7, 2009 at 10:00 a.m. at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, California. Watch Live Online Michael Jackson Memorial Service - Staples Center for free. Read more at http://www.xomba.com/watch_live_michael_jackson_memorial_service_staples_center
The Michael Jackson Memorial Service has been scheduled on Tuesday, July 7, 2009 at 10:00 a.m. at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, California. A simulcast at Nokia Theatre L.A. LIVE across the street has also been planned. 11,000 tickets are for the live attendance and 6500 for the simulcast at Nokia theatre. The staples center is also offering a limited numbers of tickets for the memorial service free. To register for the chance to get free tickets for Michael Jackson memorial service visit http://www.staplescenter.com/memorial.php
The tickets will not be issued on a first come first service but rather by a draw of lots. Each registrant thus selected will be entitled to two free tickets. The registration begins at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time on Friday, July 3, 2009 and ends at 6:00 p.m. Pacific Time on Saturday, July 4, 2009.
A video of the last rehearsal for the London show has been leaked/released and is available on the net. You can watch it online at http://michaeljacksonfuneral.org/last-rehearsal-video/
The event will also be telecast live and the internet feed will also be available. Therefore we can all watch the event live online for free at the links below
http://edition.cnn.com/live/
http://www.ustream.tv/channel/CBS-News
http://myspace.com/michaeljacksonmemorial
http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/livenow?id=6896649
http://news.bbc.co.uk/
http://skynews.com/
It is confirmed that E! TV will telecast the Michael Jackson memorial service live worldwide and will also have a streaming video for those who want to watch the event live online. Check out SKY Digital channel 11, and at http://www.Eonline.com
The event will be streamed live online at http://www.livestream.com/usa_today1
The link is presently broadcasting all related events as well as rebroadcast of earlier events
Also get full coverage of the Michael Jackson's death at http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/06/25/in_depth_showbiz/main5114292.shtml
Michael Jackson: Live in Bucharest: The Dangerous Tour
Michael Jackson - Dangerous: The Short Films
Michael Jackson - A Remarkable Life
The Michael Jackson Memorial Service has been scheduled on Tuesday, July 7, 2009 at 10:00 a.m. at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, California. A simulcast at Nokia Theatre L.A. LIVE across the street has also been planned. 11,000 tickets are for the live attendance and 6500 for the simulcast at Nokia theatre. The staples center is also offering a limited numbers of tickets for the memorial service free. To register for the chance to get free tickets for Michael Jackson memorial service visit http://www.staplescenter.com/memorial.php
The tickets will not be issued on a first come first service but rather by a draw of lots. Each registrant thus selected will be entitled to two free tickets. The registration begins at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time on Friday, July 3, 2009 and ends at 6:00 p.m. Pacific Time on Saturday, July 4, 2009.
A video of the last rehearsal for the London show has been leaked/released and is available on the net. You can watch it online at http://michaeljacksonfuneral.org/last-rehearsal-video/
The event will also be telecast live and the internet feed will also be available. Therefore we can all watch the event live online for free at the links below
http://edition.cnn.com/live/
http://www.ustream.tv/channel/CBS-News
http://myspace.com/michaeljacksonmemorial
http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/livenow?id=6896649
http://news.bbc.co.uk/
http://skynews.com/
It is confirmed that E! TV will telecast the Michael Jackson memorial service live worldwide and will also have a streaming video for those who want to watch the event live online. Check out SKY Digital channel 11, and at http://www.Eonline.com
The event will be streamed live online at http://www.livestream.com/usa_today1
The link is presently broadcasting all related events as well as rebroadcast of earlier events
Also get full coverage of the Michael Jackson's death at http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/06/25/in_depth_showbiz/main5114292.shtml
Michael Jackson: Live in Bucharest: The Dangerous Tour
Michael Jackson - Dangerous: The Short Films
Michael Jackson - A Remarkable Life
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Literary Agents In India
Update:Please visit the website http://www.litagency.com/ for your publishing needs.
The concept of literary agents in India has not really taken off so far even though there are now some well known agencies whose presence cannot be ignored. But frankly if the number of agencies is lesser than the number of publishing houses, it can be surmised that the slush pile at the literary agencies will be much bigger than that at the publishing houses.
WritersNet gives a list of 50 Literary agents/agencies in India. However be informed that the list is created by self-submission and is not validated, therefore if you are going to pick from the list, you do it at your own risk. I am not saying that they are not legitimate, I am just cautioning that there may be scam artists in that list. As a general guideline, anyone who is charging a reading fee should best be ignored. Agents are not supposed to be charging money, they take a commission out of your royalties after they sell the book. But otherwise, try to google the name of the proclaimed agents/agencies on the list and see if you can find any references on the net.
Beyond that amongst the literary agencies which have their own website and have some work to show for are as follows:
Jacaranda at Bengaluru.
Red Ink Literary Agency at New Delhi
Siyahi at jaipur
Osian's Literary Agency at New Delhi
Of the above four only the Red Ink literary Agency accepts synopsis online. Siyahi wants a query letter before you send any submissions, Jacaranda and Osians want the proposals by snail mail in hard copy. They also indicate a time of between 8-10 weeks for reviewing the proposal and if your proposal is liked you may be asked to send the entire manuscript, which in no way means that your work has been accepted, which will again take a similar period for the decision to be made. So you can safely assume a period of about 20 weeks before you are accepted or rejected. Wow! In this day and age of fast communication 20 weeks seem like years.
So then comes the question, Do you really need a literary agent? After all the agent/agency is going to take about 15-20% of the deal and irrespective of the modalities the money ultimately is going to come through the author dues. There are certain advantages to having an agent, one is that the first round of editing is done by the agent and they make your manuscript look more presentable. They also know the norms of the industry and of course the right people and hence know what your manuscript is worth and will hopefully get you a good deal. The publishers also, for obvious reasons, look more optimistically towards the manuscript which has come through an agent and the chances of your manuscript picked up faster are definitely there. The biggest advantage of having an agent yet is that the agent takes care of the formalities leaving the author to do what he does best i.e. write.
There are pitfalls of looking for an agent. As stated previously the time taken by the agents is just too long. Almost the same as that taken by publishing houses. And considering that there are limited agents available the situation is not going to improve in a hurry. Most agents or the people working for the agencies do have a past with the publishing world, so the chances of the author being short-changed can not be ruled out. Jacaranda has got into the publishing businees themselves, Red ink is an offshoot of Bahrisons, or India research press and Osians already has a publishing division, so you can imagine who gets the first look for your manuscript.
In spite of the benefits of working with an agent as portrayed in the media, don't waste time looking for an agent. The way out is, sending your proposal to multiple entities including publishers as well as agents. The time taken to respond by both being similar, if the publishing house accepts your manuscript, you save on paying the agent. Any good lawyer worth his salt will be able to advice you on the legalities of a contract. If an agent accepts your book you can save yourself a lot of hard work.
If you are a first time author, which I presume you are since otherwise you wouldn't be reading this, grab at anything which comes your way. The money, the terms and conditions, the contract etc is all secondary. Get this fact straight; It is difficult, near impossible, to get into publishing, especially fiction, so if you are getting a toehold, throw yourself in.
First published at http://enemyintheranks.blogspot.com/2009/06/literary-agents-in-india.html
The concept of literary agents in India has not really taken off so far even though there are now some well known agencies whose presence cannot be ignored. But frankly if the number of agencies is lesser than the number of publishing houses, it can be surmised that the slush pile at the literary agencies will be much bigger than that at the publishing houses.
WritersNet gives a list of 50 Literary agents/agencies in India. However be informed that the list is created by self-submission and is not validated, therefore if you are going to pick from the list, you do it at your own risk. I am not saying that they are not legitimate, I am just cautioning that there may be scam artists in that list. As a general guideline, anyone who is charging a reading fee should best be ignored. Agents are not supposed to be charging money, they take a commission out of your royalties after they sell the book. But otherwise, try to google the name of the proclaimed agents/agencies on the list and see if you can find any references on the net.
Beyond that amongst the literary agencies which have their own website and have some work to show for are as follows:
Jacaranda at Bengaluru.
Red Ink Literary Agency at New Delhi
Siyahi at jaipur
Osian's Literary Agency at New Delhi
Of the above four only the Red Ink literary Agency accepts synopsis online. Siyahi wants a query letter before you send any submissions, Jacaranda and Osians want the proposals by snail mail in hard copy. They also indicate a time of between 8-10 weeks for reviewing the proposal and if your proposal is liked you may be asked to send the entire manuscript, which in no way means that your work has been accepted, which will again take a similar period for the decision to be made. So you can safely assume a period of about 20 weeks before you are accepted or rejected. Wow! In this day and age of fast communication 20 weeks seem like years.
So then comes the question, Do you really need a literary agent? After all the agent/agency is going to take about 15-20% of the deal and irrespective of the modalities the money ultimately is going to come through the author dues. There are certain advantages to having an agent, one is that the first round of editing is done by the agent and they make your manuscript look more presentable. They also know the norms of the industry and of course the right people and hence know what your manuscript is worth and will hopefully get you a good deal. The publishers also, for obvious reasons, look more optimistically towards the manuscript which has come through an agent and the chances of your manuscript picked up faster are definitely there. The biggest advantage of having an agent yet is that the agent takes care of the formalities leaving the author to do what he does best i.e. write.
There are pitfalls of looking for an agent. As stated previously the time taken by the agents is just too long. Almost the same as that taken by publishing houses. And considering that there are limited agents available the situation is not going to improve in a hurry. Most agents or the people working for the agencies do have a past with the publishing world, so the chances of the author being short-changed can not be ruled out. Jacaranda has got into the publishing businees themselves, Red ink is an offshoot of Bahrisons, or India research press and Osians already has a publishing division, so you can imagine who gets the first look for your manuscript.
In spite of the benefits of working with an agent as portrayed in the media, don't waste time looking for an agent. The way out is, sending your proposal to multiple entities including publishers as well as agents. The time taken to respond by both being similar, if the publishing house accepts your manuscript, you save on paying the agent. Any good lawyer worth his salt will be able to advice you on the legalities of a contract. If an agent accepts your book you can save yourself a lot of hard work.
If you are a first time author, which I presume you are since otherwise you wouldn't be reading this, grab at anything which comes your way. The money, the terms and conditions, the contract etc is all secondary. Get this fact straight; It is difficult, near impossible, to get into publishing, especially fiction, so if you are getting a toehold, throw yourself in.
First published at http://enemyintheranks.blogspot.com/2009/06/literary-agents-in-india.html
First Time Author From India
It was in 2005 that I started writing a book, fiction, every living person's desire. Everyone has a story or two to tell and if the want is there he/she can definitely pen a book out of the story, but more often than not the story remains untold because of their own mental blocks and sometimes because writing a book or a novel becomes an overwhelming task after the first ten pages. It requires a great deal of motivation, perseverence and hard work to write a book.
Anyway, I, for one, had too many stories floating in my head and there was only one way to free up the memory, get it out of my system. In 2005 I took the plunge and two years later I had finished my masterpiece. I think everyone who writes his/ her first book thinks that it is a masterpiece.
During the process of writing and then subsequently after finishing it I was always scouring the Internet for resources for the first time author. There are hoards of websites for the first time author to take cues from but somehow there are none from India. No author experiences, no trends, no tips/advice, no elaboration on the procedure and the almost nothing on the publishing market. I wonder why Indian authors hesitate to talk about the travails of getting their first book published. Everyone here has behaved in a manner as if they were God's gift to the literary world and did not have to face any difficulties having their first book published. Read any Interview and you get the Impression that the man or the woman was always meant to be successful.
No wonder the new authors or the first time authors aere totally clueless about the publishing world and don't know the first step towards entering the world of publishing. The competition has become pretty hot here in India with all the major publishing houses establishing shop in the country with Hatchette, harper collins and Penguin leading the way. Add to that the Indian players like Rupa etc the market is open and one would presume that it would be easy to get published, but it is not. None want the first timers unless the book is good enough. So how does one make the good enough if he does not have any one to help and without any experience. All the publishers are looking for a fail safe option. So the chances of someone finding a publisher are next to bleak.
There are many forums and blogs where Indians are putting there creativity to test and I must say there is a huge talent. But this talent will keep languishing in the dark unless someone shows it the way. Not our successful authors. I get the feeling they do not want any competition in the market and hence they keep shut. Not the literary agents in India, who are so few that they themselves do not have time for any more work load than they already have. Not the publishers, oh!!! they got enough stuff coming their way already and as long as the non fiction category is selling and meeting their targets who wants stories.
Originally published at http://enemyintheranks.blogspot.com/2009/06/first-time-author-from-india.html
Anyway, I, for one, had too many stories floating in my head and there was only one way to free up the memory, get it out of my system. In 2005 I took the plunge and two years later I had finished my masterpiece. I think everyone who writes his/ her first book thinks that it is a masterpiece.
During the process of writing and then subsequently after finishing it I was always scouring the Internet for resources for the first time author. There are hoards of websites for the first time author to take cues from but somehow there are none from India. No author experiences, no trends, no tips/advice, no elaboration on the procedure and the almost nothing on the publishing market. I wonder why Indian authors hesitate to talk about the travails of getting their first book published. Everyone here has behaved in a manner as if they were God's gift to the literary world and did not have to face any difficulties having their first book published. Read any Interview and you get the Impression that the man or the woman was always meant to be successful.
No wonder the new authors or the first time authors aere totally clueless about the publishing world and don't know the first step towards entering the world of publishing. The competition has become pretty hot here in India with all the major publishing houses establishing shop in the country with Hatchette, harper collins and Penguin leading the way. Add to that the Indian players like Rupa etc the market is open and one would presume that it would be easy to get published, but it is not. None want the first timers unless the book is good enough. So how does one make the good enough if he does not have any one to help and without any experience. All the publishers are looking for a fail safe option. So the chances of someone finding a publisher are next to bleak.
There are many forums and blogs where Indians are putting there creativity to test and I must say there is a huge talent. But this talent will keep languishing in the dark unless someone shows it the way. Not our successful authors. I get the feeling they do not want any competition in the market and hence they keep shut. Not the literary agents in India, who are so few that they themselves do not have time for any more work load than they already have. Not the publishers, oh!!! they got enough stuff coming their way already and as long as the non fiction category is selling and meeting their targets who wants stories.
Originally published at http://enemyintheranks.blogspot.com/2009/06/first-time-author-from-india.html
Selling A Book - Pre-requisites
Okay, You have written your masterpiece. Now, how do you go about selling it to a publisher? There are some pre-requisites that are must-haves before you start even approaching the publishers. They are Cover letter, Synopsis, Sample chapters and Chapter outline.
Every publisher will ask you for at least two or more of the above, and it's best if you prepare these in advance to avoid wasting time later.
A cover letter is self-explanatory. It should be short, crisp and to the point. Introduce yourself, introduce your book by way of a blurb on what it is about and pleasantly ask them to consider it for publication.
Next comes the Synopsis. This is the most important marketing tool you have as an author when it comes to selling the book. The synopsis is what is the face of your book and will either the close or open the doors of the publishing house to you. Therefore pay utmost attention to the Synopsis. It is no easy task by any means. Especially for the author since he has done the painstaking work of writing the novel and more often than not thinks that it is just impossible to fit the entire story in such a short space. But that is what you have to do precisely. Don't bother about the nitty-gritties, put all the major plots and subplots and please don't make it a teaser. The entire story should unfold in the Synopsis including the ending. The publishers usually have submission guidelines for everything including the synopsis. Follow them. In short even though it is cliched I would like to say that make it like a skirt, short enough to maintain interest and long enough to cover all the details.
Next is the Sample chapters. The publishers or their editors want to see your writing style and for this reason they ask for sample chapters. Therefore pick up a couple of chapters and polish them like you were going to print straightaway and keep them ready. These along with the synopsis will ultimately help the publisher decide whether your book is good enough for them.
Lastly some publishers will also ask for chapter outline. This is to see if your work flows in a rational manner or not. This is also a complicated task because each chapter needs to be condensed into three or four lines without really losing the plot and the flow of the story.
There are many resources online which give tips on how to go about producing the above pre-requisites of selling your book. Go through as many as possible and then take a call about how you want to go about it. If you are a first time author be very particular about these things because this is what will decide if you are ever going to be a published author.
Originally published at http://enemyintheranks.blogspot.com/2009/06/selling-book-pre-requisites.html
Every publisher will ask you for at least two or more of the above, and it's best if you prepare these in advance to avoid wasting time later.
A cover letter is self-explanatory. It should be short, crisp and to the point. Introduce yourself, introduce your book by way of a blurb on what it is about and pleasantly ask them to consider it for publication.
Next comes the Synopsis. This is the most important marketing tool you have as an author when it comes to selling the book. The synopsis is what is the face of your book and will either the close or open the doors of the publishing house to you. Therefore pay utmost attention to the Synopsis. It is no easy task by any means. Especially for the author since he has done the painstaking work of writing the novel and more often than not thinks that it is just impossible to fit the entire story in such a short space. But that is what you have to do precisely. Don't bother about the nitty-gritties, put all the major plots and subplots and please don't make it a teaser. The entire story should unfold in the Synopsis including the ending. The publishers usually have submission guidelines for everything including the synopsis. Follow them. In short even though it is cliched I would like to say that make it like a skirt, short enough to maintain interest and long enough to cover all the details.
Next is the Sample chapters. The publishers or their editors want to see your writing style and for this reason they ask for sample chapters. Therefore pick up a couple of chapters and polish them like you were going to print straightaway and keep them ready. These along with the synopsis will ultimately help the publisher decide whether your book is good enough for them.
Lastly some publishers will also ask for chapter outline. This is to see if your work flows in a rational manner or not. This is also a complicated task because each chapter needs to be condensed into three or four lines without really losing the plot and the flow of the story.
There are many resources online which give tips on how to go about producing the above pre-requisites of selling your book. Go through as many as possible and then take a call about how you want to go about it. If you are a first time author be very particular about these things because this is what will decide if you are ever going to be a published author.
Originally published at http://enemyintheranks.blogspot.com/2009/06/selling-book-pre-requisites.html
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
First Time Author From India
It was in 2005 that I started writing a book, fiction, every living person's desire. Everyone has a story or two to tell and if the want is there he/she can definitely pen a book out of the story, but more often than not the story remains untold because of their own mental blocks and sometimes because writing a book or a novel becomes an overwhelming task after the first ten pages. It requires a great deal of motivation, perseverence and hard work to write a book.
Post shifted to new blog and rest of the post can be accessed at http://enemyintheranks.blogspot.com/2009/06/first-time-author-from-india.html
Post shifted to new blog and rest of the post can be accessed at http://enemyintheranks.blogspot.com/2009/06/first-time-author-from-india.html
Sunday, April 19, 2009
Power Of Mind - Dreamy Reality
It was broad daylight. Now on the pavement, I was calling out to my friend's son in the crowd. I couldn't see him anywhere. Neither could my son, who was standing next to me, throw any light on it.
If losing your son or daughter is not enough, losing someone else's is a nightmare. With my son's hand in mine I started moving through the crowd calling out to the other boy.
Then I saw him, through the moving crowd across the road about eighty meters from where I was. Two men were walking along with him one of them pulling, almost dragging him along.
"Stay right here," I shouted at my son and ran towards the men with my friend's boy. By the time I reached the spot the two guys had gotten into the car and the car had started moving. I chased the car as hard as I could, weaving my way through the traffic.
The car was much faster. It took a left up ahead. I knew the area and stepped into a by-lane with the intention of cutting off the car. I came out on the main road and I was right. I saw the car coming towards me. I stepped onto the road right in the path and waved my hands. The car didn't show any signs of slowing down. It was too late by the time I moved and the car's fender caught me hard on the leg and I was thrown away towards the payment. I lay there for sometime. Soon afterwards I felt someone tapping on my knee. It was my son.
I opened my eyes and found my son standing there. I looked around. I was in my bedroom, my wife sleeping next to me. It was a dream.
"The match has started," my son announced. I remembered that I had only told him to wake me up. I smiled and told him that I would join him soon.
You see what had happened. My dream, I don't know how long it lasted, definitely started much before my son came to wake me up. But my mind somehow knew exactly how my son was going to wake me up and the dream progressed in such a manner so as to create a situation where my son, in the dream, would come and tap me up at exactly the same spot where my son, in the real world, would come and tap me. It's quite amazing - the power of mind.
It can't be a coincidence since I have experienced similar things in the past, but never gave it a thought. Is the mind so powerful so as to create situations matching the dreams or create dreams matching the situations? The scary part is that it seems to be somehow controlling or knows about the future.
I hope it is not just me.
If losing your son or daughter is not enough, losing someone else's is a nightmare. With my son's hand in mine I started moving through the crowd calling out to the other boy.
Then I saw him, through the moving crowd across the road about eighty meters from where I was. Two men were walking along with him one of them pulling, almost dragging him along.
"Stay right here," I shouted at my son and ran towards the men with my friend's boy. By the time I reached the spot the two guys had gotten into the car and the car had started moving. I chased the car as hard as I could, weaving my way through the traffic.
The car was much faster. It took a left up ahead. I knew the area and stepped into a by-lane with the intention of cutting off the car. I came out on the main road and I was right. I saw the car coming towards me. I stepped onto the road right in the path and waved my hands. The car didn't show any signs of slowing down. It was too late by the time I moved and the car's fender caught me hard on the leg and I was thrown away towards the payment. I lay there for sometime. Soon afterwards I felt someone tapping on my knee. It was my son.
I opened my eyes and found my son standing there. I looked around. I was in my bedroom, my wife sleeping next to me. It was a dream.
"The match has started," my son announced. I remembered that I had only told him to wake me up. I smiled and told him that I would join him soon.
You see what had happened. My dream, I don't know how long it lasted, definitely started much before my son came to wake me up. But my mind somehow knew exactly how my son was going to wake me up and the dream progressed in such a manner so as to create a situation where my son, in the dream, would come and tap me up at exactly the same spot where my son, in the real world, would come and tap me. It's quite amazing - the power of mind.
It can't be a coincidence since I have experienced similar things in the past, but never gave it a thought. Is the mind so powerful so as to create situations matching the dreams or create dreams matching the situations? The scary part is that it seems to be somehow controlling or knows about the future.
I hope it is not just me.
Friday, April 17, 2009
Lok Sabha Elections - Voter Turnout
Every time there is an election in India, there is a lot of speculation and anxiety amidst the media and the of course the politicians about the voter turnout. This time there was more concern and expectations in view of the Mumbai attacks last year. However the first phase of the 2009 Lok Sabha elections kicked off yesterday with the same old story. Ultimately a voter turnout between 58 - 62% was recorded.
At the very outset of democracy in India, 45% voters turned up in 1952 which increased to 48% in 1957 and then 55% in 1962. Thereafter the voter turnout has hovered between 55-65%. Indian electorate i.e. the eligible voters above the age of 18, is 714 million. So a 60% turnout actually means that 285 million people do not vote and surprisingly no one is concerned.
The 40% people who do not participate in the electoral process are not lazy or incapable of walking to the nearest polling booth, but are people who have lost faith in the system. They are either not happy with the candidates who are fielded in the electoral battle or have been disappointed by successive "leaders" not delivering on issues which matter the most. These 40% people take the word politician as an adjective and that too in a negative manner. No wonder they do not vote.
The politicians do not want to tackle the issue of non-participation of the electorate in the process because they are pretty happy with the current system. If they do talk about it, someone might just start talking about the eligibility, responsibilty, method of election, form of government etc which they do not want.
People, read politicians, blame the electorate for not participating in the process but the truth is exactly the opposite. It is the politicians who do not participate with the electorate besides of course during the campaigning period. Once the elections are over, the electorate can forget the politicians elected and otherwise for a period of the next five years, the usual term for the government. How does one really expect peoiple to participate in the election process.
It is like a friend who meets one, once in five years and only when he/she is in need. Does one really care about such a friend? So, why should one care about a process which does not have anything in it for the him/her?
Another reason for the electorate to get disillusioned pretty fast may be the kind of Governance system we have. It is largely party oriented. Blame it on the politicians again for "educating" their electorate in such a manner over a period of sixty years. Here the contestant is not important, what is important is the party which he/she belongs to. As a result we have criminals, illiterates and generally useless people elected to office. Political parties market themselves as such and people think that putting a particular party in power will solve their woes. This never happens. It is the elected leaders who make the government and it is the elected leaders who take decisions. The party by itself is quite useless.
It is high time we started thinking locally about who we are electing for our constituency to work for us. The electorate should not even be thinking about what happens at the national level and which party forms the Government. They should elect a leader who is capable, professional in his job and who is passionate about doing something for his constituency. If we do this that would be enough for that particular constituency to develop and progress the way it should. If all constituencies elect their leader with the same logic, the Government at the Centre and the development and progress at the national level will take care of itself.
At the very outset of democracy in India, 45% voters turned up in 1952 which increased to 48% in 1957 and then 55% in 1962. Thereafter the voter turnout has hovered between 55-65%. Indian electorate i.e. the eligible voters above the age of 18, is 714 million. So a 60% turnout actually means that 285 million people do not vote and surprisingly no one is concerned.
The 40% people who do not participate in the electoral process are not lazy or incapable of walking to the nearest polling booth, but are people who have lost faith in the system. They are either not happy with the candidates who are fielded in the electoral battle or have been disappointed by successive "leaders" not delivering on issues which matter the most. These 40% people take the word politician as an adjective and that too in a negative manner. No wonder they do not vote.
The politicians do not want to tackle the issue of non-participation of the electorate in the process because they are pretty happy with the current system. If they do talk about it, someone might just start talking about the eligibility, responsibilty, method of election, form of government etc which they do not want.
People, read politicians, blame the electorate for not participating in the process but the truth is exactly the opposite. It is the politicians who do not participate with the electorate besides of course during the campaigning period. Once the elections are over, the electorate can forget the politicians elected and otherwise for a period of the next five years, the usual term for the government. How does one really expect peoiple to participate in the election process.
It is like a friend who meets one, once in five years and only when he/she is in need. Does one really care about such a friend? So, why should one care about a process which does not have anything in it for the him/her?
Another reason for the electorate to get disillusioned pretty fast may be the kind of Governance system we have. It is largely party oriented. Blame it on the politicians again for "educating" their electorate in such a manner over a period of sixty years. Here the contestant is not important, what is important is the party which he/she belongs to. As a result we have criminals, illiterates and generally useless people elected to office. Political parties market themselves as such and people think that putting a particular party in power will solve their woes. This never happens. It is the elected leaders who make the government and it is the elected leaders who take decisions. The party by itself is quite useless.
It is high time we started thinking locally about who we are electing for our constituency to work for us. The electorate should not even be thinking about what happens at the national level and which party forms the Government. They should elect a leader who is capable, professional in his job and who is passionate about doing something for his constituency. If we do this that would be enough for that particular constituency to develop and progress the way it should. If all constituencies elect their leader with the same logic, the Government at the Centre and the development and progress at the national level will take care of itself.
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
A Random Man
I was lying on my bed staring at nothing, wondering about the vagaries of the world. Very soon a movement in the emptiness in front of me shook me out of the reverie. It was a mosquito which had flown into my sacred airspace. Now it was still, hanging in mid air. No movement at all.
Many thoughts crossed my mind. First I thought, maybe it was not a mosquito and that I had discovered a new species of spiders, which looked like mosquitoes. I strained my eyes to look for a tell tale piece of gossamer by which it was probably hanging. Couldn't see anything. Then I thought it was a mosquito with an identity crisis and then that maybe I was dreaming.
Normally a stationary mosquito is an inviting prospect to clap your hands. But this one intrigued me and I waited for it to make a move as it probably contemplated which part of my anatomy to feast on.
"Well, aren't you going to do something?" I heard. That was it I was surely dreaming, I thought, a mosquito with spidery habits and talking, English that too, though it wouldn't have mattered much even if it was speaking Spanish or French.
"Like what?" I asked, just to keep it in good humor.
"Like try to kill me."
"Why would I do that?" I lied, in a very questionable manner.
"Because if you don't, then I might bite you."
"Would you do that? Why would you do that?" I asked.
"Because I need to, I have to lay eggs."
"Oh! So you are a female. You might just survive then, since I don't raise my hands on females."
"How dumb? All the mosquitoes which bite you or any other human being are females."
"Really?" I was disappointed at such a sudden jolt to my sense of chivalry as well as genius.
"You really don't know much about mosquitoes, do You? We need blood to lay eggs. The proteins and iron in the blood is essential for the development of our offspings. That is why male mosquitoes do not bite humans, because they don't need your blood to survive."
"Not even just to have fun or for taste?"
"No. Males do not have the proboscis so they can't really draw blood. Even we don't need the blood to survive. It is only for procreation."
"Thank God, the human females are not made like that."
"Very funny."
"Why me?" I asked.
"Why not? We are not very choosy. Your blood is as good as any one else's. Do you think it really matters, Who we take it from?"
"You don't even know me."
"This is definitely the height of social living. I mean you expect a mosquito to introduce itself and then develop a rapport with you before it can draw blood."
"No, I mean don't you want to know about me before you take my blood into your body."
"No, would it matter to you which mosquito takes blood from you."
"As a matter of fact, yes. Are you Anopheles?"
"No. By the way, Don't you have anything better to do than talk to a mosquito. I am leaving."
"Don't you have something to do, like blood and all."
"You have taken all the fun out of it by asking so many questions. I mean it is just a simple activity in the process of reproduction. I can imagine what human females must be going through. So, No. I am going to give it a pass."
"The others will think you are crazy."
"I doubt it. You are the one talking to a mosquito dude"
The mosquito moved away from me and joined another one. As they were flying away, the other one asked, "Who was he?"
"Just a random man." My friend replied.
Many thoughts crossed my mind. First I thought, maybe it was not a mosquito and that I had discovered a new species of spiders, which looked like mosquitoes. I strained my eyes to look for a tell tale piece of gossamer by which it was probably hanging. Couldn't see anything. Then I thought it was a mosquito with an identity crisis and then that maybe I was dreaming.
Normally a stationary mosquito is an inviting prospect to clap your hands. But this one intrigued me and I waited for it to make a move as it probably contemplated which part of my anatomy to feast on.
"Well, aren't you going to do something?" I heard. That was it I was surely dreaming, I thought, a mosquito with spidery habits and talking, English that too, though it wouldn't have mattered much even if it was speaking Spanish or French.
"Like what?" I asked, just to keep it in good humor.
"Like try to kill me."
"Why would I do that?" I lied, in a very questionable manner.
"Because if you don't, then I might bite you."
"Would you do that? Why would you do that?" I asked.
"Because I need to, I have to lay eggs."
"Oh! So you are a female. You might just survive then, since I don't raise my hands on females."
"How dumb? All the mosquitoes which bite you or any other human being are females."
"Really?" I was disappointed at such a sudden jolt to my sense of chivalry as well as genius.
"You really don't know much about mosquitoes, do You? We need blood to lay eggs. The proteins and iron in the blood is essential for the development of our offspings. That is why male mosquitoes do not bite humans, because they don't need your blood to survive."
"Not even just to have fun or for taste?"
"No. Males do not have the proboscis so they can't really draw blood. Even we don't need the blood to survive. It is only for procreation."
"Thank God, the human females are not made like that."
"Very funny."
"Why me?" I asked.
"Why not? We are not very choosy. Your blood is as good as any one else's. Do you think it really matters, Who we take it from?"
"You don't even know me."
"This is definitely the height of social living. I mean you expect a mosquito to introduce itself and then develop a rapport with you before it can draw blood."
"No, I mean don't you want to know about me before you take my blood into your body."
"No, would it matter to you which mosquito takes blood from you."
"As a matter of fact, yes. Are you Anopheles?"
"No. By the way, Don't you have anything better to do than talk to a mosquito. I am leaving."
"Don't you have something to do, like blood and all."
"You have taken all the fun out of it by asking so many questions. I mean it is just a simple activity in the process of reproduction. I can imagine what human females must be going through. So, No. I am going to give it a pass."
"The others will think you are crazy."
"I doubt it. You are the one talking to a mosquito dude"
The mosquito moved away from me and joined another one. As they were flying away, the other one asked, "Who was he?"
"Just a random man." My friend replied.
Waiting For A Miracle
Many a times in life one gets into a situation where he / she realizes that he / she is utterly helpless and there is nothing that can be done except wait, wait for something to happen or wait for something to stop happening, wait for a twist of fate, wait for a divine intervention, wait for a miracle.
Where do you go when,
in an open field it starts raining?
How do you see, on a dark night,
light at the end of the tunnel?
How far can you swim
in the middle of the ocean?
How do you fight with
both arms tied behind your back?
Who do you think will stop when
you are going down?
Whose hand do you hold when
everyone’s gone?
How long do you hope after
you have been pushed off a steep cliff?
How do you pick yourself up,
on you, the burden of entire world?
How do you smile when
your heart is full of sorrow?
What do you do when the one
you love, loves someone else?
How long do you wait, indeed,
Waiting for a Miracle?
Where do you go when,
in an open field it starts raining?
How do you see, on a dark night,
light at the end of the tunnel?
How far can you swim
in the middle of the ocean?
How do you fight with
both arms tied behind your back?
Who do you think will stop when
you are going down?
Whose hand do you hold when
everyone’s gone?
How long do you hope after
you have been pushed off a steep cliff?
How do you pick yourself up,
on you, the burden of entire world?
How do you smile when
your heart is full of sorrow?
What do you do when the one
you love, loves someone else?
How long do you wait, indeed,
Waiting for a Miracle?
How Full Is Your HDTV?
Recently we, my family, in a never ending quest to make the idiot box less idiotic, decided to upgrade our TV. We had already reached the humongous size 29” in the conventional series and knew it was time to embrace newer technology. Over the years, as with all the other families, the TV size was growing and the room size getting smaller. LCD or Plasma TVs seemed to fit the requirement of the shrinking room size without being too intrusive in the already limited space.
Just like the last time when I had to buy Potatoes for the house, I started research on the Internet and guess what, learning how to buy potatoes was much simpler than how to buy an LCD TV, though equally nerve racking.
After spending a lot of time on the Internet one thing was clear that it was the cost which was going to decide which brand, and which size I was going to buy, even though I knew that, that would be the last thing I was going to let others on.. So I went on to one of those huge swanky looking Electronics stores and stood in front of the wall adorning about forty television sets of various brands and sizes. Very soon I had a salesman with a smile plastered on to his face in front of me.
“Are you looking for a TV, Sir?” He asked in a manner as if I had just lost my dear one in a crowd. I couldn’t really blame him, since many people just go to the stores to watch a cricket match if there is one on. I realized that I couldn’t really fool him for long since I wouldn’t be able to differentiate one from the other in the plethora of choices available and moreover it was indeed a shop so I decided to let him on the secret.
“Err.. Yes!”
“What is your budget Sir?”
A*^%^$#@, “Never mind that!” So funny that being part of the middle class actually makes you look like one.
“Any particular brand you are interested in? We have Sony, LG, Samsung, Akai, Panasonic, Videocon, Sharp, TCL, …..” I was short on time and it seemed like the whole world was manufacturing only LCD TVs, so I interrupted him.
“Sony, LG and Samsung would do, and keep it above 29 inch,” I responded.
After what seemed like hours and having gone through the X, W, Z, T, S series of Sony, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 series of Samsung and the 30, 53, 70 , Jazz, Scarlet series of LG and negotiating, with some difficulty, through technical jargon like aspect ratio, dynamic contrast ratio, resolution, etc, I homed in on a 37-inch Samsung and negotiated the price. Just when I thought that I had finalized the deal, our friendly salesman, who actually was nobody’s friend, decided to put my convictions to test.
“Sir if you are spending so much money, why don’t you look at just one more model and get same size, same contrast ratio, aspect ratio plus a full HD TV?”
“What do you mean, the TV I selected is not HDTV?”
“It is HDTV sir but it is not full HD,” he replied with a sense of complete satisfaction.
“And pray, what is the difference.”
“The resolution, Sir.” Great! Just when I thought, I had everything figured out.
“Go on.”
“What you are buying can show 720 vertical lines whereas the full HD TV can show 1080 lines. Much better picture, Sir.”
“How many TV channels are being broadcast on full HD?” I asked.
“Right now, in India? None Sir. But it is the future of TV. Sooner or later it will come.”
This was my fourth TV in 14 years. The chances of even the H reaching India before I changed again were very bleak. Just to keep up with the conversation, I asked the salesman what the price was.
He replied and I smiled for the first time during the entire conversation. A full Rs 2000/- cheaper than the stupid, not even full, HDTV I had selected. That sealed the deal and I bought and brought it home.
Just the presence of the full HD feature, which is not being used, is lending a tremendous quality to the TV viewing experience. When I miss my old TV, the LCD TV has a feature of shifting the aspect ratio back to 4:3 and the picture looks like it used to in my old TV. The TV has saved a lot of space in our living room. Living room, because what’s the point of buying something so expensive if it can’t be shown off, especially when the full HD feature, as such, is not being used.
I went back on the Internet and tried to understand more about the feature, which I was probably never going to use, my newest TV had, and what I read disappointed me. The TV industry has already thought of a fuller HD format, fuller than the current full HD. The 2160p. It will have eight megapixels compared to the current 2 megapixels. Thankfully the format will not come into being till 2015. Till that time my TV will remain full HD and then one fine day suddenly it will become “not so full”.
I am afraid, that the fullness of the HDTV may just become a status symbol. "Tell me, How full is your HDTV?"
Just like the last time when I had to buy Potatoes for the house, I started research on the Internet and guess what, learning how to buy potatoes was much simpler than how to buy an LCD TV, though equally nerve racking.
After spending a lot of time on the Internet one thing was clear that it was the cost which was going to decide which brand, and which size I was going to buy, even though I knew that, that would be the last thing I was going to let others on.. So I went on to one of those huge swanky looking Electronics stores and stood in front of the wall adorning about forty television sets of various brands and sizes. Very soon I had a salesman with a smile plastered on to his face in front of me.
“Are you looking for a TV, Sir?” He asked in a manner as if I had just lost my dear one in a crowd. I couldn’t really blame him, since many people just go to the stores to watch a cricket match if there is one on. I realized that I couldn’t really fool him for long since I wouldn’t be able to differentiate one from the other in the plethora of choices available and moreover it was indeed a shop so I decided to let him on the secret.
“Err.. Yes!”
“What is your budget Sir?”
A*^%^$#@, “Never mind that!” So funny that being part of the middle class actually makes you look like one.
“Any particular brand you are interested in? We have Sony, LG, Samsung, Akai, Panasonic, Videocon, Sharp, TCL, …..” I was short on time and it seemed like the whole world was manufacturing only LCD TVs, so I interrupted him.
“Sony, LG and Samsung would do, and keep it above 29 inch,” I responded.
After what seemed like hours and having gone through the X, W, Z, T, S series of Sony, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 series of Samsung and the 30, 53, 70 , Jazz, Scarlet series of LG and negotiating, with some difficulty, through technical jargon like aspect ratio, dynamic contrast ratio, resolution, etc, I homed in on a 37-inch Samsung and negotiated the price. Just when I thought that I had finalized the deal, our friendly salesman, who actually was nobody’s friend, decided to put my convictions to test.
“Sir if you are spending so much money, why don’t you look at just one more model and get same size, same contrast ratio, aspect ratio plus a full HD TV?”
“What do you mean, the TV I selected is not HDTV?”
“It is HDTV sir but it is not full HD,” he replied with a sense of complete satisfaction.
“And pray, what is the difference.”
“The resolution, Sir.” Great! Just when I thought, I had everything figured out.
“Go on.”
“What you are buying can show 720 vertical lines whereas the full HD TV can show 1080 lines. Much better picture, Sir.”
“How many TV channels are being broadcast on full HD?” I asked.
“Right now, in India? None Sir. But it is the future of TV. Sooner or later it will come.”
This was my fourth TV in 14 years. The chances of even the H reaching India before I changed again were very bleak. Just to keep up with the conversation, I asked the salesman what the price was.
He replied and I smiled for the first time during the entire conversation. A full Rs 2000/- cheaper than the stupid, not even full, HDTV I had selected. That sealed the deal and I bought and brought it home.
Just the presence of the full HD feature, which is not being used, is lending a tremendous quality to the TV viewing experience. When I miss my old TV, the LCD TV has a feature of shifting the aspect ratio back to 4:3 and the picture looks like it used to in my old TV. The TV has saved a lot of space in our living room. Living room, because what’s the point of buying something so expensive if it can’t be shown off, especially when the full HD feature, as such, is not being used.
I went back on the Internet and tried to understand more about the feature, which I was probably never going to use, my newest TV had, and what I read disappointed me. The TV industry has already thought of a fuller HD format, fuller than the current full HD. The 2160p. It will have eight megapixels compared to the current 2 megapixels. Thankfully the format will not come into being till 2015. Till that time my TV will remain full HD and then one fine day suddenly it will become “not so full”.
I am afraid, that the fullness of the HDTV may just become a status symbol. "Tell me, How full is your HDTV?"
Monday, March 30, 2009
New Cigarette Tax Will Kill Before The Cigarette Does
Come wednesday and the biggest ever tax increase on tobacco products takes place. The tax in the US has been increased from 39 cents to $1.01 for cigarettes and from 19.5 cents per pound to 50 cents for chewing tobacco.
Dubbed as a public health move one can see through the effort as being the only soul saver in the dwindling economy. The retail sales in other industries have gone down substantially in the last one year and consequently so has the tax collection. Therefore the government has targeted the ever reliable, 'smokin' hot' industry for increasing the tax collections so as to fund the bailouts.
Even though the anti-smoking advocates say that increasing the prices of cigarettes reduces consumption, not many people have quit smoking solely because of the price of the cigarettes.
If the government was really bothered about the public health they would have shut down the tobacco industry long time back. The fact that they don't says a lot about the motives. Sometimes I start doubting if the cigarettes really affect the human body. Maybe it is just a marketing gimmick to keep the product alive in the public memory.
The deaths directly attributable to tobacco will definitely come down since at this rate the cigarette tax will probably kill a person before the cigarette does. But will someone tell the powers that might be, that the cause of death will still remain cigarettes.
Someone, somewhere, has to consider the adverse social impact the ever increasing prices of cigarettes will have. It is a given that cigarettes are addictive and difficult to give up. Considering that a lot of people in the lower economic strata also smoke, the increased expenses on smoking are directly going to impact the spending power of the family on other essentials. Or does the government think that all men and women will always be morally conscious of putting their families before their habit?
Dubbed as a public health move one can see through the effort as being the only soul saver in the dwindling economy. The retail sales in other industries have gone down substantially in the last one year and consequently so has the tax collection. Therefore the government has targeted the ever reliable, 'smokin' hot' industry for increasing the tax collections so as to fund the bailouts.
Even though the anti-smoking advocates say that increasing the prices of cigarettes reduces consumption, not many people have quit smoking solely because of the price of the cigarettes.
If the government was really bothered about the public health they would have shut down the tobacco industry long time back. The fact that they don't says a lot about the motives. Sometimes I start doubting if the cigarettes really affect the human body. Maybe it is just a marketing gimmick to keep the product alive in the public memory.
The deaths directly attributable to tobacco will definitely come down since at this rate the cigarette tax will probably kill a person before the cigarette does. But will someone tell the powers that might be, that the cause of death will still remain cigarettes.
Someone, somewhere, has to consider the adverse social impact the ever increasing prices of cigarettes will have. It is a given that cigarettes are addictive and difficult to give up. Considering that a lot of people in the lower economic strata also smoke, the increased expenses on smoking are directly going to impact the spending power of the family on other essentials. Or does the government think that all men and women will always be morally conscious of putting their families before their habit?
Giving Up!
Many people feel that giving up is failure. One can blame King Robert the Bruce of Scotland for this behavior. Fortunately for them, both the spider as well as the King Robert the Bruce of Scotland succeeded in their seventh attempt. Unfortunately for all of us, King Robert the Bruce of Scotland, the loudmouth that he was, told the story to everyone who cared to listen.
It wasn’t long before the story became folklore, notwithstanding the possibility that maybe the spider was just having a nice swing in the cave and King Robert the Bruce of Scotland thought that he was trying to go to the other side of the cave to spin a web. The spider saw this man staring at him and was probably pissed off at the intrusion into its privacy and decided to go to work.
Right from childhood people are being taught that they ought to try, try and try again. Don’t give up, they say. But everyone conveniently forgets to teach people about judging the necessity of the task as also to understand their own limitations. It is important to be focused and determined, but in the process one should not lose touch with the reality.
First, the necessity of the task. One has to decide whether he/she really wants what they are trying to do. Okay, at work it might be something that has been ordered and one has to follow it up. In that case, it is the responsibility of your immediate boss, who has assigned you the work and all the effort you are putting and the time you are wasting is at your boss’ or company’s expense. So let’s not get that into the discussion. But otherwise, in your personal matters, it is you who has to judge whether what you are trying to do is rational, whether you really want that thing more than anything else, whether the benefits of carrying out the task and achieving the objectives include something more than mere satisfaction. The internal debate on the acceptance of the necessity should always be the first step and will generally give you a clear perspective of the issue. If you are convinced, then go ahead otherwise give up the idea.
After you have accepted the necessity of the task, the second step is to undertake a SWOT (Strengths Weaknesses Opportunities and Threats) analysis. This will give you a crystal clear idea about the chances of succeeding at the task and the aftermath. Suppose you decide to ‘teach a lesson’ to your spouse or child, there is the weakness element of you loving them and chances are that you will first give in and then give up. There is also the threat of messing up the relationship for ever. Similarly if you are 40 and still dreaming of becoming Miss or Mr World, you are not going to get the opportunity to achieve it. In both cases you are setting yourself up for failure in the short as well as the long run. I wouldn’t even think of wasting my time and energy on such things. If such wild thoughts are running in your mind, give them up now.
Once you have decided that the task is necessary and achievable, there is one more little thing that you need to do before you embark upon the task. Define boundaries, in terms of time, space, effort, energy, money, results etc. How much are you willing to put in and how much are you going to be happy with. If you are planning to learn playing the guitar, how much time have you at your hands, how much money are you willing to spend and how much learning are you going to be happy with. Will it stop at being able to pick up other people’s tunes or do you want to compose your own? If you have clearly defined goals and an idea of resources available you will know when to stop and give up.
Introspection and self appraisals throughout the activity are very important. Keep your mind free of pre-conceived notions and convictions. You don’t have to finish everything you start. If you are not getting anywhere, give up. Something better will come along. If you have learnt the Guitar for three months and then realized that you like the piano better or maybe that you’d like spending more time with your family, give up the Guitar.
It’s not meant to be. They say that if you want something bad enough, the entire universe conspires to help you get that. So how difficult can it be for the universe to deny you something that you are not destined to get. There are times when this is the case and irrespective of your efforts you just wouldn’t get anywhere near your objectives. Don’t waste your life chasing something that is not meant to be yours. Give up.
Amitabh Bachchan auditioned for All India Radio and was rejected. Had he followed the advice of King Robert the Bruce of Scotland, he would have succeeded and probably spent his life reading sordid news stories. He gave up and look where he is now.
Giving up does not necessarily mean failure. At times it means the understanding of situations and what one can do without. At times it means entirely justified changing of priorities. Giving up, at times, opens new horizons, presents new opportunities and releases one from an awful amount of burden of expectations. The best part about giving up is you can do it anytime. Give up something today and be happier.
Here, I give up writing any further on this topic.
It wasn’t long before the story became folklore, notwithstanding the possibility that maybe the spider was just having a nice swing in the cave and King Robert the Bruce of Scotland thought that he was trying to go to the other side of the cave to spin a web. The spider saw this man staring at him and was probably pissed off at the intrusion into its privacy and decided to go to work.
Right from childhood people are being taught that they ought to try, try and try again. Don’t give up, they say. But everyone conveniently forgets to teach people about judging the necessity of the task as also to understand their own limitations. It is important to be focused and determined, but in the process one should not lose touch with the reality.
First, the necessity of the task. One has to decide whether he/she really wants what they are trying to do. Okay, at work it might be something that has been ordered and one has to follow it up. In that case, it is the responsibility of your immediate boss, who has assigned you the work and all the effort you are putting and the time you are wasting is at your boss’ or company’s expense. So let’s not get that into the discussion. But otherwise, in your personal matters, it is you who has to judge whether what you are trying to do is rational, whether you really want that thing more than anything else, whether the benefits of carrying out the task and achieving the objectives include something more than mere satisfaction. The internal debate on the acceptance of the necessity should always be the first step and will generally give you a clear perspective of the issue. If you are convinced, then go ahead otherwise give up the idea.
After you have accepted the necessity of the task, the second step is to undertake a SWOT (Strengths Weaknesses Opportunities and Threats) analysis. This will give you a crystal clear idea about the chances of succeeding at the task and the aftermath. Suppose you decide to ‘teach a lesson’ to your spouse or child, there is the weakness element of you loving them and chances are that you will first give in and then give up. There is also the threat of messing up the relationship for ever. Similarly if you are 40 and still dreaming of becoming Miss or Mr World, you are not going to get the opportunity to achieve it. In both cases you are setting yourself up for failure in the short as well as the long run. I wouldn’t even think of wasting my time and energy on such things. If such wild thoughts are running in your mind, give them up now.
Once you have decided that the task is necessary and achievable, there is one more little thing that you need to do before you embark upon the task. Define boundaries, in terms of time, space, effort, energy, money, results etc. How much are you willing to put in and how much are you going to be happy with. If you are planning to learn playing the guitar, how much time have you at your hands, how much money are you willing to spend and how much learning are you going to be happy with. Will it stop at being able to pick up other people’s tunes or do you want to compose your own? If you have clearly defined goals and an idea of resources available you will know when to stop and give up.
Introspection and self appraisals throughout the activity are very important. Keep your mind free of pre-conceived notions and convictions. You don’t have to finish everything you start. If you are not getting anywhere, give up. Something better will come along. If you have learnt the Guitar for three months and then realized that you like the piano better or maybe that you’d like spending more time with your family, give up the Guitar.
It’s not meant to be. They say that if you want something bad enough, the entire universe conspires to help you get that. So how difficult can it be for the universe to deny you something that you are not destined to get. There are times when this is the case and irrespective of your efforts you just wouldn’t get anywhere near your objectives. Don’t waste your life chasing something that is not meant to be yours. Give up.
Amitabh Bachchan auditioned for All India Radio and was rejected. Had he followed the advice of King Robert the Bruce of Scotland, he would have succeeded and probably spent his life reading sordid news stories. He gave up and look where he is now.
Giving up does not necessarily mean failure. At times it means the understanding of situations and what one can do without. At times it means entirely justified changing of priorities. Giving up, at times, opens new horizons, presents new opportunities and releases one from an awful amount of burden of expectations. The best part about giving up is you can do it anytime. Give up something today and be happier.
Here, I give up writing any further on this topic.
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