Good Bye - Kiruba Shankar

It is past midnight Wednesday night here at Atlanta.

I didn't want to blog this week due to my hectic training schedule. I thought I'll write about all my experiences in Atlanta when I got back home.

But, Kiruba made me change my mind and write this tonight.

I never imagined Kiruba would say good bye to the Blogger World.

I have to confess here that KIRUBA was the person who inspired me to start my blog.

I'll definitely miss WWW.KIRUBA.COM and I am pretty sure I am not the only one who'll miss Kiruba's Blogs.

As I go to bed tonight I am sure its all going to be www.kiruba.com in my dreams.

Good Bye Kiruba, 'Wish you the very best always.!'.

Out for one week

Ok Folks !

I'll be out on business beginning tomorrow

Training at Atlanta

Will be back on Monday, April-04-2005

I'll see you all after that

Take care

Narayanan

Dr. Ramadoss & Mr. Thirumavalavan warn PM

August-16-2020
Chennai
India

Prime Minister Mr. Chakkrapani, woke up to reality this morning when retired Politicians Dr. Ramadoss and Mr. Thirumavalavan warned that 'BLOG' is not a Tamil Word and infact not even a Hindi word.

They've requested the Prime Minister to change the name of his party from 'BEGIN' 'Bloggers Everywhere Group - India' to something else in Tamil....or atleast in HINDI.

Incidentally, the grand sons / grand daughters of both these retired politicians are all high level members of BEGIN. For those of our readers who don't know - these leaders were involved in a struggle in the early 2000's about Tamil film names. Some prominent films like Sandiyar, Chandramukhi and Bombay Express got caught up in this struggle and later became great hits.

The PM immediately called upon the President Mr. kiruba Shankar ( Who immediately offered snacks and tea) to discuss the issue and later released a statement that he'll respond tomorrow.

** Breaking News **

August – 15 - 2020

New Delhi

Prime Minister ‘Chakra’ sworn in. ‘Beginning of a New Generation’ his first words.


In a colorful ceremony here at the Rashtrapathi Bhavan, Mr. Chakkrapani aka. Chakra was formerly sworn in today as the Prime Minister of India.

He took the oath of confidence before the President. Mr. Kiruba Shankar.

As this goes to press, the list of Ministers is not known but here are some possible choices.

Mr. Sudharshan

His passion to work for the people came to light thanks to his blog titled ‘ Water ‘. Even though he has a Devil’s Workshop his blogs cover some important topics on India.

Mr. Kay

For his frequent missions with his friends J,K,L,M,N to address public issues..! . Mr.Kay said, that Vennai …his conscience played a big role in his decision to jump into Politics.

Mr. Freeyavedu

Strongly favored for Finance. He told reporters later that his name might be Freeyavedu, but he won’t give anything free. He says that in the next year India’s Budget Deficit will be 0.

Mr. Praveen

Favored for Minister for Cultural affairs, thanks to his good looks with dark glasses. ( He later went to dinner with a big group of Bollywood actresses )

Mr. Adeyengappa

For showing the world how surprised he can be for just about anything. He is favoured for Home Ministry for his affiliation to Tamil which is considered one of the oldest Languages in India.

Mr. Saranyan

For his interest in wide-ranging topics and for showing the world what white noise is. His interest in Global Warming etc. prove beyond doubt that he is fit to be the Minister of Science and Technology.

Mr. Jagan Lee

Favored for Minister of Sports and Martial Arts. He told reporters that his name suggests that he has the Martial arts blood running in him.

Mr. The Last Blogger

Strongly favored for Minister for Cultural Heritage – For living by example and showing to the world the various customs of Hindu Marriage via his Wedding Invitation.

Mr. Me

The crowd went ga..ga..over this man for his simplicity and for having all the the names of his colleagues in his forehead.

Mr. Twin Gemini

For telling the world that one is nothing two is something…and Twins are great.

Mr. Thennavan

For his links to Superstars and their ashram visits. Maybe made Minister of Religion.

Prime Minister Chakra spoke to reporters after his meeting and said that his decision to come back to India from UK was simple – To serve the Country of his Birth . He said that he used to be a big fan of Southern stars Gajendra fame Vijayakanth and Mr. Vijaya T. Rajendar. Ex-cricketer Kapil Dev was with the Prime Minister who later accompanied him for Dinner.

President Kiruba Shankar in his speech said that he’d like to organize just about anything to get the Politician world together. He said he would like to spend his own money in buying food and drinks for all those who came to his house in South Park. ( He had a big group of friends and prominent among them were some Ex-US-Consulate Officers ).

Commenting on Chakra, Sri. Kichami mentioned that the Vibrations in Mr. Chakkrapani’s name did the Magic and quoted Cheiro and his works on Numerology.

Narayanan immediately spoke up and mentioned that there was nothing in the Name and it important that the Prime Minister look into eradicating the Superstitious beliefs of India.

Conspicuously absent were Thinker Amrita and Capriciously Me , who took off due to Health reasons and sent their wishes via email.

Our reporter ran out of time couldn't catch up with the other bright prospects before they went to a nearby South Indian restaurant for Dinner.

Party Members of the 'Bloggers Everywhere Group - India' aka BEGIN were seen everywhere in their colorful costumes.

Obesity in India

I had mixed emotions when I read this Column in The Week Magazine.

a) Who would expect these problems in India. The world thinks India is a Third World country ! How would they know that there is a big divide !

b) I am happy that people are writing and talking about all this and that magazines are covering it as a result.

The general thought until now was that 'We'll stay fit if we eat right' and 'We don't eat as much meat/fat etc..like the Western world!' But alas..We fell prey to Obesity, thanks to the Modern day lifestyle and our misconceptions about our food habits.

Add to this The Stress of Modern days, the lack of Playgrounds, walk-areas ( can anyone go for a walk..Where is the place to walk in Most cities) and the content pressure on kids to perform academically. Net result is quite clear. A Bulging waistline in the late teens..!! Diabetes..! Heart Problems in early 40's..! And all kinds of chronic diseases unheard of, a decade back.

India has to get out of the shackles and learn to mix its ancient culture with the Modern life style people are following these days. The result will produce a 'Shining Star' in South Asia 'A Healthy Modern India'.

If we miss the bus on this, it will be a tough path of recovery later.

Afterall India is the country which gave the world YOGA.

Friday photo - Friends

This Photograph is from THE HINDU newspaper from Chennai, India.

Thankyou 'THE HINDU'.

Our Belief system

It happened at the Livermore Temple the other day. I saw a lady doing reverse rounds around the Planet gods. Umm...I thought.

Now, why do we do all this ?

If God were to exist and bless you... then IMHO:

a) Praying should be enough.
b) Ok...Going to temple should be enough.
c) Ok...Praying at the temple should be enough.
d) Ok...going around the Gods for one round should be enough.
e) Ok...11 Rounds to Hanuman and 9 rounds to the Planet gods ( 1 per head I think) should be enough.

Why...Reverse rounds? Somebody explain please...I won't mind doing reverse rounds Upside down.

My Uncle 'Vadhoolan'

'Vadhoolan' is the Pen name of my Uncle Lakshmanan. For those of you who read Tamil magazines, you might have read short stories written by 'Vadhoolan'.

Lakshmana Mama is my mother's first cousin. From the time I've known him, he has always been writing stories / columns in leading Tamil magazines. One of his favorite writers is Sujatha. Thanks to Mama, I got interested in reading and writing as well. Mama had a good collection of English / Tamil books. He was working in Canara Bank and would get tranferred to different cities. On one such transfers he left his book collection in my house and I had the opportunity to read a few books.

Mama would get as compliments or buy almost all Tamil magazines. He would read with interest all the magazines cover to cover and would painstakingly take out the weekly chapters of Large Novels and would later bind them and get them signed by the authors. I've seen all of Kalki's Novels, collected and bound by Mama and have read with a lot of interest ' Sivakamiyin Sabadham'.


Uncle Vadhoolan and I

My mother mentioned a few weeks back that one of Mama's latest books on Investment in stocks is selling like hot cakes. She didn't tell me the title. I wanted to congratulate Mama for writing the book.

Voila ! Today while I was browsing one of my favorite sites I saw this Column on his book.

Mama, in case you read this blog, "Hats off to you". Congratulations and keep up the good work.!!

First years in America

Though still a CDLA (Confused Desi Living in America) these thoughts bring back a laugh in my heart..and sometimes also in my lips and eyes.!

Thought I'll share it. Remember folks, these happened in 1993/1994, when awareness wasn't as much as today (IMHO).

1. Landing in JFK NewYork , ordering a Veggie-soup ( not sure what else to eat / couldn't understand the English ) only to realize that Fish is considered Vegetarian. Yuk..!!

2. Going to a restaurant to order food and when asked ' For here or to Go ?' thinking/Blinking and saying ....'I'll eat here and Go'.

3. Asking my Lady Boss for 'Rubber' ( meaning eraser ) .....shocking / surprising her.

4. Going to a bar and asking for veggie-snacks. The waitress asked ' So you are a Vegetarian....You don't eat Pussy'...and I replied...'No...No....we don't eat CATS in India.!'

5. Complimenting a lady as 'YOU TOO', when she looked at my daughter and said 'She looks Pretty'.

6. Asking a lady for her name...and commenting..'No..No..I am asking your name..!' .when she said 'Miss. Thin'. ( Actually she was a fat lady).

Phases of Life

Life - When you are 15 years old


Life - When you are 40+ years old

Bhopal Tragedy - After effects

I happened to read Sudarshan this evening.

I thought the post on Water was a wonderful post.

Please visit and show your support.

Its a great cause.

When Ramayana cannot be Applied

I read somewhere to 'Think Different'. I did that and see what happened. Read below.

==========================================================

This Report bothers me a lot:

In India, where millions of couples still hanker for a male child, the overall sex ratio is 927 females to 1,000 males.It has one of the lowest female-to-male ratios in the world.

Ironically this is happening in a country where 'Ramayana' is considered sacred and the Kids are advised to grow up as 'Ramas' and 'Sitas'.

Yeah, Ramayana preaches MONOGAMY. Rama is considered sacred for living a 'EK PATHNI VIRATHAN' which in English roughly means 'A man with one wife'.

Same with Sita. Inspite of promise of wealth, happiness etc. she chose not to marry Ravana the king of Sri Lanka. Ramayana says she remained devoted to Rama and only Rama.

Now, after reading this report I am worried that this ( If not now) is going to affect relationships and the culture of India.

Wonder how..? Just look at the numbers and the definitions.

'EK PATHNI' means 1 woman for 1 man. Mathematically the ratio should be 1:1. Now look at the numbers in the report . It says the ratio is 927 for 1000. It is 0.927 : 1 isn't it. So pretty soon Monogamy, is going to go away in India !

Now extend it further. 73 Men out of 1000 are going to end up without a female partner. What are they going to do? Turn to Gays ? Yes..the Gay population in India is going to increase.

Extending it further 927 girls get to choose from 1000 men. Simple demand supply ratio. Women will have the opportunity to have multiple partners.

This is a clear example of changing times and India getting Westernized.

Have a Nice day.!

Time will Roll By....!!!

Reality struck me hard the other day when I got a comment from a fellow blogger who had addressed me 'Anna'. Yeah, I am growing old, and my photograph tells you that. I don't feel bad about it but wonder how fast time has rolled by !

The next generation boys and girls in my family have finished their studies. My cousin's son Balaji has got a Master's from Oklahoma and joined Intel. I fondly remember the days when Balaji's mom and I used to play as we were growing up. Looks weird when he calls me 'MAMA'. Time has rolled by.

It is just like yesterday, when Uma and I got married. It was 1993, 11 years together now. Time has rolled by.

It is just like yesterday, I held a newborn Adhithi in my arms and carefully laid her next to my wife.. It was March-22-1994. Time has rolled by.

If is just like yesterday. Adhithi and me were thrilled to see Preethi (Name chosen by Adhithi who liked actress Preity Zinta a lot) who was brought into the Hospital room by the nurse, It was August-19-1999. Time has rolled by.

Yeah...time will roll by. My daughters will get married and I'll hold my grand children in my arms.! Wonder how I'll feel when I get called ' Grand Pa '.

Today is March-22nd. Adhithi's Birthday. She is my darling, my Dr.Phil, my friend...my world.! She reads my blog everyday and does pass her comments.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ADHITHI DARLING !

Tamil Film song - Thoughts

My wife and my daughter call me Old school when I listen to Slow / Sentimental songs.

I have to agree to that but, sorry... I would prefer to listen to slow / Sentimental songs anyday, rather than the fast numbers.

Now to the point:

I was listening to the Magic voice of Hariharan from a new Tamil film "ADAIKKALAM", Music by Sabesh-Murali.

The song starts like this - " Vilakku onnu anayum podhu - Veedu Mattum Irulgiradhu ". ( Transalates roughly to - If the light goes off your home becomes dark" ).

Its a song about the mother / woman. I love Hari's voice, tune and the lyrics, but was a little surprised at the following line.

' Petha thayaval Sethu Ponal - Motha Ulagamum Irulgiradhu '. ( Transalates roughly, to " Your world becomes dark when your Mother passes away " )

I am not sure if I know of any other song where the word 'Sethu pohdhal ( as in dying)" is used. Wonder why the lyricist preferred to use this word rather than 'Erandhu' or 'Maraindhu' ( though this word is used in a later stanza in the same song').

If you get a chance listen to the song .

By the way some of my favorite songs:

Country Music

One boy , One girl - By Collin Raye.

I miss you a little - By John Michael Montgomery.

Hindi

Mere Naina Savan Bhado - Kishore Kumar.
Manzile apni Jehan Pe - Kishore Kumar.
Tu Mile Dhil khile - Hariharan.

Malayalam

Kaliveedurangi alloh - Yesudoss - Film - Deshadanam.
Paadam Namukku Padam - Yesudoss - film - Unknown.

Telugu

Sagara Sangamam - Mouna Maita neram?? SPB.

Tamil

Pogudhae Pogudhae - Kadal Ora kavidaigal - SPB.
Nilavae Ennidam - (Ramu) - PB Srinivas.
Pirakkum podhum azhugindarai - Chandra Babu.
Amma endrazhaikkadha - Yesudoss.

Thousands in this list - I'll stop here.

Saudi Arabia vs. Los Angeles

Its well past midnight Sunday night here.!

I can't sleep without posting this.

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SAUDI ARABIA & LOS ANGELES ?

Answer is in the comment section.!

Wonder Kid - Selvabharathi

It is heart warming to read about such wonder kids like Selvabharathi.

On the one hand it is amazing, how she can do this and and on the other, it is amazing to see the girl's interest in 'Tamil' which is a rare commodity these days.

"God bless Selvabharathi".

Living in Old Glory ?

What are some of the things we as people from India are/can be proud about ?

Here are mine:

Giving the world "The Number zero" ( there is a debate about who gave this - Not sure)
AryaBhatta, Varahamihra etc. etc. ( Do today's youth know who these people are?)
Indus Valley civilization
Our great kings (dynasties) and all their contributions
Taj Mahal
The Mahatma
Hinduism (Bhagavad Gita)
Gauthama Buddha
The Kama Sutra

Anything in the present we can be proud about ? I have a few:

Indian Postal system
Indian Railways

How about what we need not be proud about?

Our ever growing population
Lack of Infrastructure
Illiteracy
Corruption
Pollution
Superstitions
Communal clashes
Our caste system
Poverty

In my humble opinion ( correct me if I am wrong ) Its high time we stopped living in old glory and live in the Present and look forward to a good future.

India should focus on Mental Health

This post is an impact of some columns where I read about the social stigma attached to Mental health and the lack of Mental Health facilities in India.

I've lost good friends and family in my personal life due to negligence of Mental health care as well as Amazing successes thanks to the same care.

India is changing and evolving as we speak. While Indians and the Indian politicians talk about the '2020 Vision for India' I feel it is very important that they address this issue of Mental health.

Here is a quote from an article I read, which tells us the story:

In India, for example, there are 50 organizations working to support an estimated 10 million people with mental illness. And only two of these are community-based services, the rest are hospitals and halfway houses is also a shortage of treatment beds in the hospitals and too few mental health professionals. It is estimated that in India no more than 10 per cent of those who require urgent mental health care receive it and those in rural areas are far less able to access any support at all.

Peeping Toms

A picture speaks several times better than words. Beginning this week, every friday, I'll try and post a picture that makes us think a little. Idea is not to Slam anybody, but to let our brain do some work.

The picture posted today is taken by my friend Andy Wetmore, while he was in India on vacation last year.

Andy's Caption for this Picture:

Not only do we have the odd JALOPY, but the relative aggression of Indians for passing is nicely illustrated. The Tata can't manage enough speed over the Jalopy and so rides his bumper ( if there is one on the back of that thing), the bus is getting ready to take the Tata, and a passenger car is ready to take the bus.

Seeking a (Life) Partner - There Vs. Here

Looking for Bridegroom / Women looking for Men

India:

IYER VADAMA Kousikam Kettai fair 24/161 BE(Hons) Bits Pilani Software professional MNC Chennai Musically talented seeks Vadama/Brahacharanam groom upto 29 yrs. professionally qualified well placed working in Chennai with clean habits from cultured family supportive of girl's Musical Taste.

USA:

Looking for a vegan bicyclist - 25 or someone with that musculature... between 23 and 28... you love music and a good cup of tea. i have very little time, but would like to meet someone smart and cool whom i could be attracted to. it's NOT ok to contact this poster with services or other commercial interests


Looking for a Bride / Men looking for Women

India:

Vadamal, Srivathsam,Krithigai, 6.4.73 5'10" Mcom Business Rs.12000/- pm at Chennai seeks fair employed/unemployed girl - No dowry subsect nobar.

USA:

I'm looking to meet a young, attractive, sophisticated, and fit woman, someone comfortable in world class areas such as Pacific Heights. I'm a San Francisco professional, well educated, world traveled, without children, and not currently in a relationship. I'm very intelligent, good looking, sophisticated, socially and politically very liberal and not religious. I prefer women between 23 and 35, but also those older, upscale, and sophisticated. I'm adventurous, love jazz and enjoy trying new things with the right person.

Microwave Idlis for dinner today?

I am a big fan of "Idli" the traditional South Indian Breakfast/Last/dinner, whenever you want food. Here are some details on IDLIS.

For those of you who don't know what I am talking about, these are also known as "Steamed rice cakes". You can see them in the menu of most Indian Restaurants.

Wondering how to make idlis ? Checkout the tons of recipes here.

The dough making and the steaming process are a little difficult. You can avoid making the dough by buying it from Indian Grocery Stores. But, what about steaming? You'll need a special vessel to do it.

But..Wait!..don't panic. Look at this picture.!




Yes, This is a Microwavable Idli maker. Looks like you have to just pour the dough in the slots, close it, microwave it and wait for a few minutes for those Yummy Hot idlis. Cleaning should be easy too, just drop it in the dishwasher. Wondering if anyone of you has already used it?

I saw this IDLI maker while I went out to VIK's for Lunch. Sells for 9.99$ here.

Check it out.!!

Astrology - Palmistry - Numerology and other Jokes!!

Things I don't believe in : Astrology, palmistry, Numerology, Vaastu Shasta, Superstitions.

Things I do believe in: God, hard work.

Once you believe in God..How can you believe the rest? Isn't it an oxymoron.

On Numerology: I find it ridiculous to see names like Rahjan (for Rajan), Raaman for Raman, etc..etc. all in the name of Numerology. All of a sudden my friend krishnan became krishnane...but he is still the same old stupid guy..!! ( krishna munchukoe pa..!)

We see more and more of these things these days. This says two things: Either the old generation were fools or the new generation are supersmart, by just changing their names to achieve something.!

I think it doesn't make a difference if your name is spelled Rajhan or Rajan.! ( only adds confusion).

You achievement or successes in life depends on God and your hard work.

On Horoscopes: Just after we got married, my wife and I took our horoscopes to one of the best astrologers in Madras. His prediction that we'll have 2 sons..was 100% wrong. We have 2 beautiful daughters.

On Vastu Shastra: Today almost all the builders in Madras follow Vaastu and make a ton of money advertising it. There are specialists in Vaastu..who'll come home and tell you that your bedroom stinks because you have an attached bathroom.! Again, we didn't have all this until a few years back.! Did we all end up having problems! in our homes or life living in such homes?

On Superstitions: This is a great topic debated everywhere. In one sentence - Superstitions were created by a bunch of idiots who didn't have anything worthwile to do in their life.!

On Palmistry: Falls under the Horoscope category...Just lines in your hands...They can reveal nothing other than...telling you if you washed your hands this morning.!

I feel, its High time People from all over the world come out all these spells that are cast around them.

IMHO, forget everything else. Work hard and leave the rest to God.

Kids in a world of abundance

One of my recent purchases is a Sony PS2 ( Playstation 2). Paid around 200 US Dollars. This is for my older daughter.

My younger one wants a digital camera ! A few months back we got her a set of musical instruments ( which is in the garage now) from the Discovery Channel store.

I have to agree that this could be blamed on us, the parents who pamper ( is that the right word) their kids.

But the peer pressue ( he has a Nintendo, she has a keyboard..so please...me too) also plays a roll.

Another attitude is, Let my kids enjoy....when I was a kid..I didn't get to play with these wonderful toys.

I feel that the kids are losing the value of money.

Think about it, in the 70's and 80's what kinds of toys did we get as presents? What kinds of toys did we play with?

Didn't we grow up happily playing in the garden, running around playing 'I spy'. How much TV ( if at all) did we watch? How many movies did we go to? ( Now at any time atleast 1 or 2 kids movies are playing ).

What is going to happen to these kids who grow up in this world of abundance.? I am not sure ...only time will tell.

India's Population

India's current population is well over 1 billion.

I read an interesting column in The Week Magazine
about the recent changes to the Two-child Norm.

Here are some statistics about our leaders:

Railway Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav (Nine children)

Ex-Prime Minister P.V. Narasimha Rao (Nine)
Ex-Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda (Seven)
Ex-health minister B. Shankaranand (Eight)

What's in a Name ?

I never thought about the confusions of First / Last names until I moved to the USA.

Many people over here in the United States are confused how to call me. Most call me Venkitu..and some who know me call me Narayanan. So, when I am in a group of known and unknown people...it is all confusion!

Now, about my name........Following the customary naming conventions..peculiar to where I was born in India, ....Tamil Nadu ( I think most parts of India have a last name concept ) I was named Venkitu Narayanan.

Venkitu is actually my father's first name. Venkitu Narayanan got carried on to my school certificates, passport, Visa and my Social Security card as well.

I am wondering how this custom started. Why is it not common all over India ?

Do we have the same custom anywhere else in the world?

I was talking to an American friend of mine last week about this. His last name is "Wetmore". Just by using his last name, he was able to trace out ( with a little difficulty) his family tree.

With a name confusion like what I have, it won't be easy to build a family tree to trace back my family.

VOC Pillai Photos - Date unknown

I am proud and honoured to post the photographs of Sri. VOC Pillai, one of our great Freedom Fighters from South India. Most of us probably wouldn't have seen photos of Sri. VOC Pillai.

Until yesterday, It was Sivaji Ganesan..in my mind, whenever I thought about Sri. VOC Pillai......thanks to his Wonder role in the movie "Kappal Ohttiya Tamizhar".

These photos are courtesy of my good friend Chidambaram ( VOC's grand son ). Thanks Chidambaram !


VOC Pillai ( Kappal Ohttiya Tamilar)


VOC Pillai - Look at those eyes



VOC Pillai with Meenakshi Ammal, his wife.

Cholesterol , Triglycerides etc.

Tryglicerides, High levels of Bad Cholesterol, Low levels of Good cholesterol, Blood pressure.

These are some of the common problems I hear when I meet with people from India these days.

That includes me as well. I have done quite a bit of research ( being a Virgo ) and come up with some ideas ( which I try to follow ) that I thought I'd share with you.

Check your Blood levels periodically.
Ensure that the HDL / LDL ratio is good.
Ensure that the TGL level is around 100 ( used to be 150 until sometime back).
Check the sugar levels as well. I read that Diabetes cases are on the rise.
Check the Uric acid level in the Blood ( This is a common problem now among Asian Indians - If the level goes higher than the limit, you'll get joint pains ( a condition called GOUT - I suffer from occasional attacks of GOUT).

Here are some tips to maintain healthy Cholesterol levels:

1. Get out of that couch..and do some form of exercise everyday. Atleast 45 minutes. I walk 30 minutes, Stationary bike 20 mins ( meditating - I do TM). Sauna 15 minutes.
2. Increase your fiber intake. Fenugreek is an excellent soluble fiber. Take one spoon (powder) with water at night.
3. Avoid White rice ( especially you S.Indians). Substitute brown rice...or atleast 50-50 white and brown.
4. Try Quinoa, it tastes good ( mix 75% with 25% Rava and try making Upma with Veggies).
5. Try Bulgar Wheat Upma ( Like above but 50-50 with Rava).
6. Try to eat Salads before each meal.
7. Avoid / limit fried items, sweets, oils.
8. Use Low fat varieties of Milk / Milk products.
9. Try to incorporate grains like Spelt, Millet etc. into your diet. Check out recipies in the net.
10. Cut down on red meat and limit white meat as well.
11. Drink lots of water.

12 Avoid / limit alcohol consumption.

As usual here is some info from The trusted source


You only live once. Live healthy, stay fit.

Soon to be Parents - This is for you

Cord Blood Banking

I read an interesting column today about The First stem cell bank in India .

I didn't know about umblical cord blood banking until recently. I feel sad that I missed out on banking my chidren's cord blood.

For all of you who plan to have a baby, I think it would be very wise idea to store the Cord blood considering the potential benefits.

I am sure there would be tons of links on this subject in the Net. Here is some information on this topic from The source I trust and here is a touching success story.

Handwriting no, Microsoft Word...Yes..!

My daughter goes to primary school grade-5 here in the US. I like the school, the education standards, the teaching techniques etc.

I was working with my daughter on her Project yesterday ( She gathered info about Alabama State, from the NET and had some display boards. She also printed about 10 pages of information in the Printer).

When I asked her why she printed the details, she handed me a note from the teacher. It said that if she typed the report out in the computer she would get 5 extra points. I thought, they should give 5 points if they wrote neatly in hand.

That said, I feel that they really don't care about handwriting in the US schools. My friends say, it used to be different during the 70's and 80's.

I am not sure how it is in other parts of the World, but the NET has a lot of impact starting from the primary school education in the US.

I am not sure if this is good or bad.. but I remember the days in Corley High School Tambaram, when I used to get beatings on my knuckles if my handwriting wasn't good...!

Indian Cricket Team - Old is Gold ?

We've seen this happen all along in Indian cricket

Middle aged men, sitting squat in the Indian cricket team spoiling the chances of an aspiring youngster. Once recent example: Ananthapadmanaban, the Kerala Leg spinner who just retired a few months back.

Its ironic to see such things happen all the time in Indian cricket. Look at the people who lost their chances thanks to Prasanna, Bedi, Chandra and Venkat.

Rajinder Goel, Shivalkar, Raghuram Bhat, Naushir Mehta, VV Kumar to name a few. I feel sorry to about these cricketers and their bad luck.

Look at the stats of AnanthaPadmanabhan who was shutoff thanks to Kumble a 35 year old veteran who has been playing for India since 1989 ( a whopping 16 years!).

Remember, Kumble plays for Karnataka and Anantha played for Kerala. Please have in mind, the batting and bowling strengths of both the teams when you read the stats

First Class O R W Ave BBI 5 10 SR Econ
Anantha Bowling 3594.3 9474 344 27.54 8-57 25 5 62.6 2.63
Kumble Bowling 8761.2 22132 907 24.40 10-74 62 16 57.9 2.52
Limited Overs
Anantha Bowling 405.5 680 87 19.31 5-38 4 2 27.9 4.13
Kumble Bowling 3248.2 13597 496 27.41 6-12 14 3 39.2 4.18

The same thing applies to bastmen as well. In my opinion, (I know many of you won't like this),Tendulkar, Ganguly, VVS Laxman have to go.

I feel that the youngsters should be given more chances. Think about it, How did Irfan Pathan and Balaji get into the Indian team? It was thanks, to Venkatesh Prasad and Srinath.

Maybe we should have a rule in cricket, that a cricketer has to retire at 30 years of age however well he plays.

Driving License Application form - Bihar

Sorry my friends from Bihar.
==============================================
DRIVING LICENSE APPLIKASON PHOROM
-----------------------------------------------------------------
NOTE: Please do not soot the person at the applikason kounter.
He will give you the licen.
For phurthar instructions, see bottom applikason.
1. Last name:
(_) Yadav (_) Sinha (_) Pandey (_) Misra (_) Dot no
(Check karet box)
2. First name:
(_) Ramprasad (_) Lakhan (_) Sivprasad (_) Jamnaprasad (_) Dot
no
(Check karet box)
3. Age:
(_) Less than phipty (_) Greater than phipty (_) Dot no
(Check karet box)
4. Sex: ____ M _____ P(F) _____ not sure _____not applicable
5. Chappal Size: ____ Lepht ____ Right
6.Occupason:
(_) Politison (_) Doodhwala (_) Pehelwaan (_) House wife (_)
Un-employed
(Check karet box)
7. Number of children libing in the household: ___
8. Number that are yours: ___
9. Mather name: _______________________
10. Phather Name: ____________________ (If not no,leave blank)
11. Ejjucason: 1 2 3 4 (Circle highest grade completed)
12. Dental rekard:
(_) Ellow (_) Berownish-ellow (_) Berown (_) Belack (_) Other
-__________ Give egjhakt color
(Check karet box)
13.Your thumb imparesson :
____________________________
(If you are copying from another applikason pharom, please do
not copy thumb impression also. Please
provide your own thumb impression.)
PELEASE DO NOT USE PHINGERS OF YOUR LEGS
Use thumb on your lepht hand only. If you dont have lepht hand,
use your thumb on right hand. If you do not have right hand,
use thumb on lepht hand.
NOTE : IF YOU DONT HAVE BOTH HANDS, YOU CANNOT DRIVE.
WE ARE VARY ISTRICT ABOUT THIS

Forgotten Freedom Fighters

Chidambaram Subramaniam - Guess who he is?

He is the grandson ( son's son) of VOC Pillai the great freedom fighter from South India. Chidambaram is a great friend of mine . We worked together for about 15 years. He lives in Madras now with his wife and daughter.

Do you know what happened to VOC Pillai during his last years?

He did not even have the money to take a train to go back to Tirunelveli. He was broke. The people of Perambur ( near Chennai ) bought him a train ticket.

Isn't that a pity? From owning a ship to going to such a state of poverty.

Do you know of the current generation of freedom fighters, where they are? what they do?

Here are some names, please add other people if you are aware of

1. Bharathiyar ( we know a little bit)
2. Bharathi dasan
3. Subramaniya Siva
4. Kodi katha Kumaran
5. Vanchi nathan

6. Katta Bomman

Chidambaram and I are planning to start a website about the 'Forgotten Freedom Fighters'. It doesn't matter where they are from. All your inputs will help.

Investing - For today's Youth

Live like you are going to die today. Save like you are going to live forever. Its a great quote.

When I grew up, there were very few colleges ( Professional / Non-Professional). Entering was purely on merit and the money wasn't high. Today, there are tons of Institutions..but then, the fees to get in and complete studies has also sky rocketed. Even schooling has become expensive.

Imagine how much money you'll need to send your kids to school / college when they grow up? Why not invest ? Banks ? Stocks? What to do?

With the interest rates the way they are today, my opinion would be to invest in stocks.

Here are some tips for you:

• Go to a good broker ( online / brick and mortar).
• Go by references ( Word-of-mouth , Websites).
• Find out the fees (commissions) etc.
• Start by investing around 100-200 every month. ( Come on - you can attempt - Cut down a little bit on other expenses)
• Buy small denominations (Small lots) of good stocks ( Big established profit making companies).
• Accumulate / buy new companies.
• Don't get greedy. Objective here is to beat the banks by a few points.
• Sell if that objective is achieved.
• Recycle the money.

Greed will take over unless you take care. So be careful. Take care of your future.

Vik's - My home for lunch

VIK'S, in Berkeley California is my home for lunch. My first lunch at Viks was 5 years back. These days, I go there atleast 2/3 days a week. Its about 10 minutes drive from work (Richmond, California).

It is a simple restaurant. No table cloth, no candle lights, no silverware nothing fancy. They've cut down costs by being simple, which many of us like. It is the quality of food that brings people over and over again. I've been there with my colleagues of all nationalities and all of them love the food.

They open around 11.30 and close at 6.00. Monday is a holiday. ( God...where do I go ).

The Lunch menu is simple, usually 3 items. There are tons of chat items. I usually have the Veggie item with an occasional Samosa / Aloo tikki and a Mango Lassi (Yummy). On weekends the lines are very long. The menu is slightly different and you can get Idlis / Dosas.

For me...without Viks I don't know where I'll go for Lunch.! I like the food, the people and the atmosphere.

Enough of my thoughts... page down... for some photographs, which I shot on Friday when I went for lunch

Run Inside...to Viks

The Menu

Order Here Please

Yummy Lunch

Enjoying Lunch at Viks

Aggressive Men and their finger

Interesting research.

Listened to this on Radio today and checked it out in my office.
Interestingly...The research looks quite accurate.

Me - Looks like I am a little too aggressive. How about You.?

Check it out here.

Two Great Websites for Reference

Two great websites. I use them all the time as a reference.

www.answers.com
www.howstuffworks.com

Check them out.

Massage and Relaxation

In many parts of the world, 'Massage' and 'Massage Parlor's ' are Taboos. But for me it is a great stress reliever and relaxant.

My first experience was last year, when my wife got me an appointment and made me go. I was very nervous the first time. But then, let me tell you...It was great.

These days, my wife and I go for massages regularly and enjoy them a lot. Infact I had my last massage on Tuesday at the National Holistic Institute.

I prefer the Swedish Massage compared to Shiatsu.

Please try getting yourself a good massage, in case you haven't. Here is a link, a trusted source, Dr.Weil. He talks here about 10 ways to reduce stress.

Enjoy your massages and stay stressfree and healthy

Sun Signs - Do you Believe in them?

Do you Believe in Sun Signs?

Have you read the Book 'Sun Signs' by Linda Goodman.

I am a Virgo and when I read the book I was amazed about how accurate she was in describing Virgos. Just this morning, I was working with a Sales Manager in my office. She works offsite. After reading her requests, speaking to her and sending her the reports she wanted... I asked her 'Are you a Virgo.?'. To my amazement she said 'YES'. Wow..!! I thought.

Now go ahead...and read the book....You'll be truly surprised.!!