It was a beautiful Sunday morning. The cab came at the right time at 0530 hrs. Not used to such early rising, especially on a Sunday. Somehow, jumped out of the bed, dressed up and got ready. Is it drizzling?? No, wonderful !!! Some respite from the monsoon showers. One of our companions had a problem and missed the trip, later on regretted for missing it, but the team of ten was enough to have good fun on the trip.

Faces tensed up by constant work pressure, eased up and soon we were playing games in the cab. Antakshari with songs from Hindi, Tamil, and Malayalam did rounds and I thought I was the only one who knew so many songs. After a nice breakfast we continued travelling. The place of our resort was confusing and we were seen searching for the place ending up everywhere else. At last we had to depend on a guide to take us to the resort.

He took us through a place what appeared to be a footpath. Great …good natural feeling. Then came a vehicle ahead of us and we were stuck. Finally we decided to walk. After walking for fifteen minutes, we reached our destination. It was an exotic place perfectly blend with the surroundings. Initially I thought I was inside a ‘Nalu Kettu’ (a four layered ancestral house in Kerala) but the sight of a “Reception” confirmed that it was a resort indeed.

Traditional mouthwatering mango shake was the welcome drink and soon we knew we are at the right place to unwind. The ladies were more interested in photo shoots while the gents were busy playing games. Few landed in the swimming pool. After spending some ‘quality’ time in the games area we moved for lunch. Lunch was perfect. Last time I had ‘Karimeen Polichathu’ (fried fish) was about 11 years ago. Old memories fired up. Heavy lunch with traditional Keralite dishes made us feel sleepy. The best part was yet to come.

Very soon we got off to our boat trip. The hot afternoon made us go to the roof top .The cold breeze took the heat away, in fact we longed for a drizzle. Wow! Here we saw Kuttanad, the rice bowl of Kerala, alas no more. High wages and water logging has made farming non-profitable. Yet the determination in people to survive by dairy farming, small scale industries and fishing was very obvious.

We went through narrow stretches of water often crossing huge luxury boats. We saw boat stops akin to the bus stops. People were dependent on boating for all activities. Cars and bikes are foreign to them. A Church bell reminded me it was a Sunday. We took a halt in between. Tender coconut water acted as the coolant to the sumptuous lunch we had.

The return wasn’t all that exciting. We were thinking of our office duties the next day. Things eased as we stopped for a short break in between, at one of our colleague’s home for tea. The tiresome journey and the lunch made us decide against a dinner. By the time we reached home it was midnight. It was a day to remember, trying to recollect the days passed by.

Next day morning – Back to work!Similar Posts:

• The Marathon Men
• Drink Warm Water, Avoid Heart Attack
• Curd Rice-A Simple South Indian Delicacy
• Living Overseas
• Three simple tips to lead a healthy lifestyle

• The Fall From Grace!
• Idea Generation – Worthless If Not Implemented

What’s climatic change?

It’s the abnormal variations in the climate in earth’s atmosphere and it’s subsequent effects on other parts of earth.

What are the causes for it?

They are as follows;

1. Variations in glaciers.

2. Ocean variations- interaction between atmosphere and ocean.

3. Volcanic eruptions and Earthquakes.

4. Solar variations.

5. Orbital variations

6. Human Influence.

The other factors are beyond our control. The only one which is in our control is the human activities.

What are the human activities?

Burning fossil fuels:

Human consumption of fossil fuels has increased the levels of Carbon di oxide, nitrous oxide and methane in the atmosphere. This gases cause the green house effect which is the cause for global warming and climatic changes.

Land usage:

Indiscriminate deforestation, wildfires had taken away large quantities of trees, acting as balancers, from earth.

Industrial wastes:

Emissions from industries are another prime cause of concern. Cement manufacture contributes carbon di oxide to atmosphere.

What are the effects noticeable?

Well there are lot too many. I will touch upon the important few;

1. Changes in the sea level.

2. Changes in glaciers.

3. Changes in climate (uneven rains, very hot summer, disturbances in oceans, cyclones to name a few}.

The only way to reduce the greenhouse effect is through an international treaty on climatic pollution when global leaders come together and sit and take notice.

The Earth Hour initiative was started in Sydney in 2007 by World Wildlife Fund. In 2008 it spreader to 35 countries and now finally in 2009 film star Aamir Khan is the face for the same in India. This will surely be a positive step for a better future. A failure to come to terms with the realities will result in disaster for the human race.

Image Credit: AussieGallSimilar Posts:

• Political Exploitation Of Innocent Children?
• Fear And Loathing In IT Land – Perspectives of An Insider!
• Ashutosh Gowariker, I Think You Have Erred…
• Go Green-The Way To Go!
• H1N1 – Are we really doing enough?

• Five Indian Ways of Going Green
• Level 5 Leadership-From Good to Great

Government immediately set up a committee to find out a solution. The committee had various proposals including arranging money through corporate world. The possessions of Gandhiji included his spectacles, sandals, pocket watch, simple brass bowl and plates. Gandhiji himself had given the articles to his attendant, his grand niece and a British Army Colonel on several occasions. Now through a series of successive sales the possessions had reached a private American collector, a documentary producer from Los Angeles named James Otis, and finally up for sale in New York.

Now the latest twist in this case is that an amicable settlement has been reached between Indian government and the auctioneers and the possessions are being given back to Indian Government through a separate deal.

We Indians respect Mahatma Gandhi who brought us freedom using his simple but powerful principles of non-violence, satyagraha and truth. We even celebrate October 2^nd as Gandhi Jayanthi. But are we, the present generation, really following his principles?

No we are not!

Instead we are fighting tooth and nail for his belongings . Had Gandhiji been alive, he would have told ”Don’t bother! I had given them away, myself. So please don’t bring up these issues time and again. Instead try to follow my principles and uplift the poor in India”.

It’s time that we worked towards the vision of Mahatma. Principles and vision of Gandhiji shouldn’t remain only in school text books, films and novels. Instead it should be followed by every Indian (at least to some extent).

When can we see an India without corruption, criminal politicians, jobless poor, slum dwellers ? When can we see an India without gender bias and communal riots? The day when India overcomes these, that is the time for owning up Gandhiji’s personal belongings.

Image Credit : Joja KemanSimilar Posts:

• The Maid In India Controversies
• Piracy – Audio, Video or Software, My Take!
• Mumbai Attacks–Is Only The Government Responsible?
• Level 5 Leadership-From Good to Great
• H1N1 – Are we really doing enough?

• The Tale Of Two Biddings
• We Only Have One Mallya!

The movie started with the slums clearly showing how our slums are and how bad it can be. It’s the truth but it was shown very unrealistically. The kid swimming the shitpool for the autograph of an actor is the first scene which was completely absurd and it clearly shocked me not because it doesn’t happen here but how it shows India in poor light. The film shows poverty and the very negative side of India. The accolades of the Oscar suddenly slipped my India and I was left stung by the complete apathy in projecting the movie as “the world taking note of India”. Is this what we wanted to show them?

Here I can only say we are sadly mistaken. We were the land of maharajas, bullock carts, magicians with the great Indian rope tricks and very poor, for our masters around 60 years ago. Now we have a new status. We are the slumdogs, shit swimmers, beggars, stealers and child racketeers.

Yes they are turning rich and the world is noticing it but they are doing it through the moneys of the westerners or through sheer luck like the winner of the quiz. So if a foreigner tomorrow asks me whether children swim in shit-ponds in India what can I say, for it is the image created in the western world.

In my article the third stimulus package I had written about the stimulus provided to the Indian market. But whom are they benefitting after all? We are not slum dogs just because we live in slums. If we are not, then what are we doing about these people? Elections have come and gone the slums still remains as it is. Government spends crores on election advertising and all tax sops which is sheer wastage of taxpayer’s money. Can’t we accommodate the poor in good houses?

If slumdog is not the image which we want to project the western world then what should it be? The buoyant Indian economy needs an image modification and we have to do just the right thing to eradicate the wrong image projected of India.

Surely we can take pride of Rahman who is extremely talented and Rasul too. But was this the right way to win an Oscar? Danny Boyle’s film had brought some cheers to the foreigners reeling under recession and wanting to blame India for all their worries.

It’s time we remind ourselves of this sorry saga and elect the right person to the chair at least the next time.Similar Posts:

• The Boyles And The Underdogs
• Driver License System In India – Let Experience Show You The Truth
• Political Exploitation Of Innocent Children?
• Give The New Party Some Breathing Space
• The Lost Spectacle Of Gandhiji

• Another Face Of Metro India Through ‘Slumdog Millionaire’
• Rahman Did It !!!

The B-2 bomber named the B2 Spirit, commonly known as stealth bomber, is an aircraft nearly invisible to enemy sensors and could carry bombs across the globe in few hours unrefueled for nearly 11000 Kms. It is capable of all altitude attack missions. It has a unique flying wing design which avoids the normal stabilizers and wings of the planes. Further the fuselage portion is not in the wings.

The aircraft is powered by four turbofan jet engines. It has elevons (up and down movement) & rudders (horizontal movement) which control the plane’s rotational movements. Computer in the aircraft works independent of pilot’s input. Air turbulence and corrections are automatically controlled by special systems in the plane. It’s a two seater air plane with provisions for the third if required. Minimal exhaust, narrow shape and black colour make it difficult to identify even during day times.

The bomber has got an aerodynamic efficient design. The engines are inside the plane and hence the noises are muffled. Further all exhausts pass through cooling tubes to avoid infrared sensors used by heat seeking missiles.

One beauty in the plane is the radar absorbent surface. B 2’s stealth comes from the reduced acoustic, visual, infrared and radar signatures. Radio energy is absorbed by certain materials and hence it absorbs radar signals. Further the curved surfaces deflect the radio waves. All reflective parts are inside the bomber. Rotary launchers in the plane can launch any type of bombs both conventional and nuclear. It carries JDAM bombs with internal guidance system coupled with GPS guidance.

It’s an amazing machine. But the cost is very high with each costing $2 billion and weather factors of the machine clearly not known. It requires air-conditioned hangars for maintaining the stealth technologies. However, transportable hangars are being developed. Anyway one can say it is the latest technology available in military aircrafts.

Image Credit: StriaticSimilar Posts:

• A Layman’s Guide To Podcasting
• Second Life-Is it taking over our first life?
• Next Up, Reach For The Stars!
• Ubuntu gets better with 8.10
• HP Releases its TouchSmart Desktop in India for Rs.87990

• Is Indian Navy the New Naval Superpower?
• Ubuntu gets better with 8.10

The proposals in the budget were;

1. Service tax cut by 2% from 12 to 10 which can help not only establishments but also individuals. Service tax introduced in 1994 for telephone, stock, insurance now extends to approx 100 items as per the latest budget. A reduction in 2% is a welcome relief for all telephone users.

2. Excise tax reduction by 2% which was earlier at 10%.This reduces the prices of IT products other than computers. Further it reduces the price of cement by Rs 60 per metric tonne.

Both the cuts come with a price tag of Rs 30,000 crores. This will further widen the fiscal deficit (when government’s total expenditures exceed the revenue it generates) which is approx around 10% of GDP at present. This throws tantrums on Government’s actual plans to reduce the deficit(accumulated fiscal deficit) in the next financial year. The three packages has cost the exchequer a whopping 70,000 crores. But the net effect is that it stimulates demand in the country which is the right thing during a recession.

Further the FICCI(Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry),established in 1927 and headquartered in New Delhi having 1500 corporates and 500 chambers of commerce and business associations, voiced its demand to reduce ;

1. Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR)- It is the amount of funds that the banks have to keep with RBI And used as a tool to drain out excess money from bank. In case CRR comes down money will be available with banks.

2. Repo rates (rates at which banks borrow money from RBI. Reduction in same will allow banks to get cheaper money).

3. Reverse repo rates (rates at which money is transferred from banks to RBI. It can cause reduction of money with banks).

The Government is planning for a common Goods and Service Tax by 2010 uniting all the taxes and avoiding dual taxation.

Will there be another stimulus package? That depends on the government. But the present move will surely provide greater relief for India.

Image Credit: Cell105Similar Posts:

• The Other Side Of Indian Democracy
• Neel Kashkari–A Shining Indian In The Middle Of A Global Crisis
• 2008: The Year That Was
• Reputational Damage!
• (A)Satyam, Fraud Episode – Will Foreign Investors Shy Away from Indian IT Companies?

• Funds In A Fix ?
• Recession And Its Toll On Indian Economy

The book has been divided into eleven chapters and the flow in the book is natural.It keeps one hooked till the very end and the pleasant feeling lingering in the mind is something wonderful. The story tells about Julian Mantle a very high profile lawyer who had all the goodies in his life and how a massive heart attack brings him back down to earth and connect to his mortality.

The story is told from the perspective of his friend John who adored him and wanted to be like him in all perspectives. Julian decided to give up his law practice and heads to India where his restless soul was pacified and he was transformed into a smiling youthful personality with abundant vitality. He relates his experience with the great Indian Yogi Raman who in turn reveals the techniques of mastering one’s mind.

One quotation which deeply influenced me was

“When your mind is inspired by some great purpose it transcends all limitations and your consciousness expands in all directions. Dormant forces become alive and you discover yourself in a new great wonderful world that you dreamed yourself to be”.

His five step method to make desires come true is very practical;

Step 1 : Having a clear vision of outcome

Step 2 : Create positive pressure to keep oneself inspired.

Step 3 : Never set a goal without attaching a deadline.

Step 4 : Follow a new habit religiously for 21 days makes it a permanent habit.

Step 5 : Enjoy the whole process with a passion that fuels your dreams.

Julian explains the fundamental truth that the only limits in life are that we set ourselves.John explains to Julian how he in his fast moving life was unable to find time for himself. Julian reciprocates with a simple example of a fast moving car not stopping  for fuel or conditioning. At last lack of fuel or un-serviced parts catches up with the car and it breaks down. Life is like the same car where we have to take our pit-stops of meditation,exercise and good food to reclaim the engine of our body.This he brings out in his ten rituals of radiant living:

Ritual 1: Solitude – Daily mandatory silent period for half to one hour.

Ritual 2: Physicality – Daily mandatory physical exercise period for half to one hour .

Ritual 3: Live Nourishment – Eating vegetables and avoiding red meat ,junk food.

Ritual 4: Abundant Knowledge – Life long learning.

Ritual 5: Personal Reflection- Take some time for daily introspection of the day’s acts.

Ritual 6: Early Awakening – Wake up daily at 5.

Ritual 7: Music – Listen to good music when you are down and out.

Ritual 8: Spoken word – Daily utter some mantras to free the mind. Man-mind,tra-free.

Ritual 9: Congruent Character – Daily incremental action to build your character.

Ritual 10: Simplicity – Do not complicate. Focus on priorities.

Julian then emphasizes on discipline which can be attained by consistently performing small acts of courage and then tells John that by the time most people figure out what they really want and how to go about it it’s too late stressing the importance of time.

It summarizes with the words

The quality of your life will come down to the quality of your contribution.

Overall a book of wisdom to all those who are in the rat-race for money,power and prestige.Similar Posts:

• The Alchemy Of Desire by Tarun Tejpal
• Romancing With Life By Dev Anand
• Maturity-The Responsibility Of Being Oneself by Osho
• The New Age Of Innovation By CK Prahlad, MS Krishnan
• Chetan Bhagat And The Three Mistakes Of My Life..

• The Alchemy Of Desire by Tarun Tejpal
• Romancing With Life By Dev Anand

Increasing demand leads to an increase in the production thereby increased supply which in turn results in increased labour ,materials and overall increase in price.Now the general feeling is good. You want to make investments and consequently the stock markets go up.

Consequently this leads to overproduction and the supply exceeds consumption.Now the attitude of the people changes to saving mentality and this can lead to a contracting economy.People spotting a negative trend on one area fears the same to happen in other areas and suddenly RECESSION is on.

In a market economy the market is determined by demand and competition putting it beyond any control.A government has the fiscal and monetary policies in controlling the recession.While the former is on collecting and spending money and latter on manipulating the available money. Both can either improve the situation or worsen it.

According to the Halfway Rule past recessions lasted only for 13 months. So continuing with the trends the present recession is predicted to last till 2010.

A recession in US should worry India as it has major outsourcing deals.The strengthening rupee is another cause of concern.Oil prices coming down is at present keeping inflation down.The way out of the present crisis is only through a massive fiscal stimulus either by monetizing or by tax cuts.Indian Government is relying on private investments and resurrection in agriculture.

But the stress should be on public spending as advocated by Keynes who argued that the solution to recession is through reduced interest rates and increased public spending.

Image Credit: AzrainmanSimilar Posts:

• The R Word
• A Level Playing Field
• Why Are Crude Prices Falling?
• Lead Us From Darkness To Light
• Is the Special Package for Builders or Borrowers?

• The Third Indian Stimulus Package
• Why Are Crude Prices Falling?