Freein My Mind

Book Review: Random House's Kama Kahani series

2011-04-02T03:26:00.000-07:00

Kama Kahani is a new series by Random house for Historical Romantic Fiction set in India. Growing up, I wasn't much of a Mills & Boon Reader - a phase most girls go through (for some the phase just lasts longer than others), but I did enjoy the Georgette Heyer novels. I now realise that I relished Heyer's books because they took me to another time and place. They helped me explore a different

Book Review : Enid Blyton's Faraway Tree Series

2011-03-30T11:29:00.000-07:00

I was recently invited for a little girls birthday and remembering the lovely time I had reading the Faraway Tree series as a child, I decided to get all 3 books for this little girl. By a strange set of circumstances, I could not make it to the party and the books were waiting to be gift wrapped, so I decided to quickly re-read them myself. Oh what fun it was, I was promptly transported back to

Book Review: Following Fish

2011-02-11T15:39:00.000-08:00

Following Fish: Travels around the Indian Coast is Samanth Subramanian's debut novel and what a debut! Samanth is a journalist by profession and he uses the narrative version of journalism to full efect in "Following Fish" India is a country with a long and diverse coastline and as the author says Fish inhabit the heart of many worlds - food of course, but also culture, commerce, sport, history

Book Review: The Cobra

2011-01-28T00:20:00.000-08:00

The latest novel from Frederick Forsyth, this one deals with the cocaine trade. An industry worth billions of dollars and which ruins millions of lives. Paul Devereux an ex-CIA special ops is called out of retirement by the American President himself, to stop the drug trade at any cost. The drug trade across the world, from suppliers in 3rd world countries to end users in developed nations

Book Review: Curses in Ivory

2010-12-06T07:28:00.000-08:00

Curses in Ivory traverses three generations of women as seen through the eyes and memories of Sreya. The 3 main characters are Sreya, her grandmother Hansabati and mother Regina. The minor but still important characters are her mothers sister Queenie, her Fathers brothers wife Brishti and her sister-in-law Nilima. The curse supposedly has its origin in the time of Hansabati's mother-in-law

Book Review: Disgraced by Saira Ahmed

2010-10-24T15:23:00.000-07:00

Picked this book up on a whim, as it seemed to be in the vein of Jean Sasson's books. It promised a glimpse into the life of a young British-Pakistani girl growing up in a traditional Muslim immigrant family in the 1980's. Was it a good book? Well, it won't win any awards for the writing, but the story did make me empathise with her. It created an emotional response in me and isn't that what

Book Review : Yajnaseni - the story of Draupadi

2010-05-20T05:15:00.000-07:00

This is a translation of the work of Oriya writer Pratibha Ray on the story of Draupadi. This tale portrays Draupadi in a completely different light from Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni's Draupadi, in Palace of Illusions I feel this book has lost a lot in the translation. The first half of the book was very diffcult to get through. The language is clunky and for someone unfamiliar with the multiple

Book Review : The Hadrian Enigma - A Forbidden History

2010-05-19T07:12:00.000-07:00

The Hadrian Enigma - is a story of love, intrigue, politics, and scandal set in pagan Rome and Egypt, about 130 years after Christ. The story is based on real characters and falls in the genre of speculative fiction. It starts with the discovery of the body of the Bythinian youth Antinous rumored to be Caesar Hadrian's lover or eromenos. While history says that his death was an accidental

Book Review The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ

2010-05-18T17:01:00.000-07:00

The latest book from the Philip Pullman stable, being called in certain quarters as the Gospel according to Philip. The plot is based on an innovative concept - that Mary gave birth to twins - Jesus and Christ. In Philips narrative Jesus starts out as the mischievous one, getting into trouble which his quiet, academically oriented brother Christ keeps getting him out of. But then Jesus goes into

Book Review : The Other Queen

2010-04-29T16:17:00.000-07:00

This is my first book by Philippa Gregory and I admit that it was the movie version of "The Other Boleyn Girl", that got me interested in her as an author. While I knew the basic outline of the fate of Mary, Queen of Scots, this novel still kept me engrossed. It brought to life characters from history in a way that only movies seemed to be able to do until a few years ago. It is wonderful the

Book Review : Wildwood Dancing

2010-04-27T16:16:00.000-07:00

This book by Juliet Marillier was left behind by an American friend who was visiting. Its teen female fiction. Fantasy and Romance all mixed into one. I found it way more interesting and the story telling style was far superior to Stephanie Meyer (I admit I read all 4 parts of the Twilight Saga in 2 days). Its a wonder that Juliet Marillier hasn't got more acclaim. Wildwood Dancing actually

Book Review : Sister India

2010-04-27T14:05:00.000-07:00

Peggy Payne is a travel writer and her attention to the tiny details when traveling come through in this book, her fourth. My husband who has lived and worked in Varanasi for almost 5 years, found it suprising that a "foreigner" could grasp the essence of the city so well. Sister India is a work of fiction, which tells multiple stories of the guests at the Saraswati Guesthouse managed by the

Book Review : The Immortals of Meluha

2010-04-27T01:16:00.000-07:00

Part 1 of the Shiva Trilogy from Amish Tripathi. One of the first books by an Indian author to be introduced by a viral video on youtube The story of The Immortals of Meluha is set in 1900BC and operates on the premise that Shiva was a mortal, a simple man whom legend turned into God. Amish summarises his fundamental premises as: I believe that the Hindu gods were not mythical beings or a

Book Review : One Amazing Thing

2010-04-23T14:03:00.000-07:00

The latest offering from Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni - it is a set of short stories strung together with a common narrative much like Chaucer's Canterbury Tales that is referenced in this book. The basic setting of the book is that nine people are trapped in the basement of an Indian Consulate in the US during an earthquake. With limited supplies of food, oxygen and light and unable to get out

Book Review: The Indian Epics Retold

2010-04-16T12:59:00.000-07:00

I had been looking for a translation of Ramavataram - Kamban's Ramayan since I read In Search of Sita, when I came across this collection by R K Narayan. This book is a collection of 3 of his books - a translation of The Ramavataram, The Mahabharath and also his collection of short stories "Gods, Demons and Others" Looking at the size of the book, I should have realised that I would only be

Book Review : In Search of Sita

2010-04-14T23:32:00.000-07:00

In an introduction to this book at the Jaipur Literature Festival, Devdutt Pattanaik aptly summed up the dillemma facing authors who want to write about the Ramayan and its principal character - Shri Ram. "When in India, if you write about Ram, you will invariably be gagged by someone. If you say something positive about him, the left wing will get all upset and call you patriarchal. If you say

Book Review: Palace of Illusions

2010-03-26T13:19:00.000-07:00

For the first time, Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni writes about Indian mythology rather than just characters influenced by it or stories inspired by mythology. In the genre of speculative fiction, she retells the story of the Mahabharata from Draupadi's point of view. Draupadi plays an essential role in the epic. If not for her, perhaps the Pandavas might not have lusted for revenge against their

Book Review: Cuckold

2010-03-25T12:14:00.000-07:00

After Ravan and Eddie I was itching to read "Cuckold" as this is a book that Kiran Nagarkar himself considers his masterpiece. In the midst of packing and leaving, I did not have the time to buy or read the book. On subsequent visits to India, we bought up all the latest best sellers (Egypt takes time for new books to be relased due to censorship issues) but sadly the Cuckold lost out in the race

Book Review: First Family

2010-02-24T11:17:00.000-08:00

The main story was rather gripping, engrossing, unravelled well and was generally well put together, but I found the digression into the story of one of the Private Investigators on the case, completely extraneous. It did not explain any behavior relevant to the case, nor did it shed any light on the main plot or add to it. It was just a distraction from start to finish. In general, I do like

Choosing a TV package

2009-11-11T13:13:00.000-08:00

One of the decisions that needs to be made when moving houses is what TV package to choose?The number of channels on offer is further complicated by their bundling and sometimes the smae channel could be provided by different vendors or suppliers. How to take a decision? Sites like Direct TV help you find an answer to this dilemma easily.All you need to do is answer a basic questionnaire as to

In these times of Financial stress

2009-11-11T12:46:00.000-08:00

In these times of Financial meltdown and stress, it is so easy to get bad credit.Even in the best of times, it is is easy to have one payment get lost in a mail box or go missing somewhere which all contribute negatively to your credit rating. The whole situation is such that it leaves you wondering if you could fix credit.Is it remotely possible?Fortunately, there are now a number of companies

Beating the Online Gambling System

2009-11-04T13:06:00.000-08:00

We were looking for the rules for games played in casinos, in preparation for an upcoming trip, when I came across Online Casinos. Call me blind, but with software to block ads from my web pages in place, I seeme to have forgotten the existence of this concept.Anyway, this site offers Online Casino Reviews and also detailed analysis of all the games including history and strategy. The strategy

IContact - for your email marketing needs

2009-11-03T12:55:00.000-08:00

iContact is the best option out there for anyone who wants to send out email newsletters. They have great inbox deliverability, an extremely easy to use interface, great prices that start at $9.95 per month, lots of templates, and also include surveying, autoresponder, and blogging capability from the same application at no additional charge.iContact starts at $9.95 per month and scales upward

Mailboxes

2009-09-15T16:29:00.000-07:00

The Stone Mailbox and the Regular Mailbox on on Facebook made me wonder about the designs available for real world mailboxes.The last 3 years, we have lived in countries that hardly deal in mail, if you want anything to reach, you are better of couriering it. Dubai does have Commercial Mailboxes, so most people just tend to give their office mailbox address to receive their personal mail. This

Japanese Paddy Art

2009-09-01T00:56:00.000-07:00

When I first received the mail, I thought it was another hoax doing the rounds, but seems that this is true. Villagers in Inakadate, Japan are creating art in their paddy fields. Hence this is art that is also edible. Art that disappears when the crop is ready to harvest and art that is renewed with each harvest.Love the concept. More on Japan Times Stunning crop art has sprung up across rice

Getting a laptop/computer to work

2009-08-19T14:05:00.000-07:00

Its very irritating to be working on your laptop/computer and you try to install something or download a file and a message pops up "Missing XYZ driver, please install and try again"Times like these, I could almost through the latop out the window in frustration. Where on Earth am I supposed to go searching for a driver? The hardware company whose brand laptop you use, then the software guys

Math and Tutoring

2009-08-11T09:08:00.000-07:00

As a Math Major in College, I am sometimes asked to provide Math Help to my friends children. If the kids are younger, then its a pretty easy proposition, but if they are in the senior grades, then I seem to have forgotten some of my old mathematical concepts in the race with Management Concepts.Hence I am then forced to relearn and re read mathematical concepts that I don't use on a daily basis

Telling Time

2009-08-01T14:51:00.000-07:00

Recent movies, like Land of The Lost have refreshed public interest in the concept of time travel. I for one, would be happy if people I make appointments with, here in Egypt would at least be on time for meetings in this dimension and space.Many years ago, when I worked in the manufacturing sector, we often gifted watches and alarm clocks to factory workers. While workers appreciated the gift,

The Indian Fascination for fans

2009-07-24T16:34:00.000-07:00

As an Indian who grew up in a simple Middle Class family, Air Conditioning was a luxury that no one that I knew could afford. Even if someone had an AC installed, they would barely run it once a year because of the high electricity costs associated with it.We all survived with Ceiling Fans to keep us cool. Some lucky classmates had Tablefans on their study tables to keep them cool during the

Buying tickets online

2009-07-24T16:07:00.000-07:00

A lot of us have been using online sites to buy airline tickets. I remember reading recently that more than 40% of airline tickets in India are now being bought online avoiding the need for a travel agent.While airline ticketing has taken off in a big way and railway ticketing to some extent, what about other kinds of tickets?Tickets for shows like say for example: David Copperfield Tickets for a

Movie Review : The Black Dahlia

2008-09-17T05:43:00.000-07:00

Interesting movie. A little confusing with all the back and forth and multiple cases.But some good acting, good performances and interesting story.Some may need to watch the movie twice to get the whole story because the plot lines are a little convoluted.But its worth a watch for those who enjoy crime mysteries. This one has a nice 40's vibe.

Book Review : Everyone Worth Knowing

2008-09-17T05:42:00.000-07:00

Picked this one up because I found the "Devil Wears Prada" good for a light read when traveling. The cover of Everyone Worth Knowing touted the fact that is was written by the same author in almost the same font size as the title. That should have warned me : Be wary when someone is trying too hard. The theme here is vaguely similar to the original bestseller, Bette the main protagonist is

Movie Reviews : Trade & Human Trafficking

2008-09-15T17:17:00.000-07:00

By coincidence, I happened to watch 2 movies dealing with the same subject in 2 days. One a video rental, the other a Lifetime miniseries on Hallmark.Both deal with the subject of women and young children being kidnapped and sold in a modern day form of slavery.Trade is a movie seen from the eyes of a Mexican teenager following the trail of his 13 year old sister and her kidnappers across the

Attacks on Churches and Christians in India

2008-09-14T10:00:00.000-07:00

Section 144 has just been clamped on Mangalore city.Police resorted to lathi charge and throwing tear gas grenades at peaceful protesters where a number of nuns and women were injured and had to be taken to hospital.What the hell is wrong with our country and its people? (I would not normally use such strong language in print, but it doesn't even begin to demonstrate how strongly I feel)Today

Book Review : The Appeal

2008-09-09T18:26:00.000-07:00

The latest bestseller from John Grisham after - The Innocent Man. Given that the Innocent Man was a work of non-fiction, makes this book all the more frightening. Grisham himself was very excited about his first real legal thriller in years. In this book (I wouldn't call it a novel) Grisham exposes the nexus between big business, politics and the law. While these have always been recurring

Book Review : A Prisoner of Birth

2008-09-08T10:52:00.000-07:00

Lord Jeffrey Archer is back with a bang! Doing what he does best. Writing fiction with revenge and justice as the major themes of his novel.I have not been as lucky as IdeaSmith as to meet this Lord in person. But I'm sure it would be an amazing experience just to hear him speak on any topic on this earth. He has an astounding insight on what seems to be almost everything.Lord Archer has proved

Movie Review : Jab We Met

2008-08-24T12:36:00.001-07:00

Light fun movie of Shahid and Kareena Kapoors in the pre-split-up days.Excellent performance by both. One of the rare movies where Kareena played a believable role.Light hearted movie, worth it when you are in a time pass mood.

Book Review : Diplomatic Baggage: The Adventures of a Trailing Spouse

2008-07-27T06:49:00.001-07:00

As a Trailing Spouse to Egypt, this was a book recommended at an Inter-cultural training session that I attended.I am glad I waited 2 years to read this book (I might have been terrified of the move) although I'm kicking myself for spending money on it, even though I got it at a discounted price on Amazon.I got carried away by William Dalrymple's (an author I greatly admire) review of it: "Brigid

Book Review : Cherry Bomb

2008-06-29T16:15:00.000-07:00

The entire title Reads - Cherry Bomb : The Ultimate Guide to becoming a Better Flirt, a Tougher Chick and a Hotter Girlfriend, And to Living Life like a RockstarI don't read "how-to" books, but the title for this one by Carrie Borzillo-Vrenna had me intrigued and itching to get my hands on it, to read more.Carrie Borzillo-Vrenna has been a music and entertainment journalist since the last 20

Relocation Stress Syndrome

2008-05-19T09:17:00.000-07:00

Similar to Culture Shock.Relocation Stress Syndrome (RSS) is defined as the physiologic and psychosocial disturbances that result from transfer from one environment to another. The stress associated with relocation is so extreme that experts evaluate it as being on par with the stress of divorce or of a death in the family. After a move, RSS can last for several months, often persisting a

How Wikipedia Conquered my Reality Soap/TV Addiction

2008-04-26T17:03:00.000-07:00

I was typing a comment on Uma's post A Bad Habit Called A Reality Soap and realised I had written a comment long enough to be a post :)Most of the reality shows that I used to watch - I realised I was watching them because I liked seeing who would get eliminated next.I was lucky, because most of the reality shows I watch are the American ones which come to India a couple of months after they are

Book Review: The Innocent Man - John Grisham

2008-04-20T14:15:00.000-07:00

Also published at desicritics.orgAfter lying unread on my bookshelf for over 9 months, I finally got around to reading John Grisham's latest offering and first work of non-fiction - "The Innocent Man".Growing up on a steady diet of Erle Stanley Gardner and in love with Perry Mason, it was but natural that I become a fan of John Grisham's legal works of fiction. But other than "Skipping Christmas"

India's Game, U.S. Spice

2008-04-18T11:03:00.000-07:00

I was just watching the start of the IPL today and looking at the cheerleaders in Chinnaswamy stadium, I commented to my husband "I wonder how long it will take for the nari sanghas and so called moral guardians of Indian culture to start protesting against these cheerleaders."Apart from Brendan McKellums amazing performance and Shah Rukhs exuberance on the side lines, the cheerleaders and how

Child Artists - Prodigies or fodder for Pedophiles ?

2008-03-22T10:23:00.000-07:00

Also posted at desicritics.orgThere are a surfeit of reality programs/contests geared for kids on TV these days. There are also a number of kids who act/dance in TV serials and movies.I have a few basic issues with child performers and their overall development as human beings, after being thrust into the limelight at a young age. But at the end of the day, their parents are their custodians and

2008 : Africa Cup of Nations

2008-02-09T16:33:00.000-08:00

As I confessed last time, I'm not an avid sports person at all. Not even a spectator.But with Egypt's recent win against Ghana in the semi finals of the 2008 Africa Cup and the celebrations that erupted all over the city 2 nights ago. I could remain ignorant no longer and had to brush up before the finals tomorrow. Because Football is all that this country is talking about right now.Football is

Book Review Cairo Maps - The Practical Guide

2007-10-22T16:19:00.000-07:00

Published by The American University in Cairo Press It used to cost 30LE, but if my information is right, the price has now increased to 45LE if you buy it in Egypt.If you plan to use only one map in Cairo, then this is the one to buy. It may not be as detailed as some other maps that you have used in other countries or Google maps, but it's the best and most detailed that is available for Cairo

Sociology Prof in Canada wears Niqab

2007-10-21T10:11:00.000-07:00

From CBC News Carleton professor's lesson veiled in delivery Last Updated: Saturday, October 20, 2007 | 12:36 PM ET CBC News Students at Carleton University in Ottawa were given the chance to learn a lesson in culture and cultural assumptions this semester when their non-Muslim sociology professor hid her face by wearing a veil. For the first

The Latest in Indulgence - A $22,000 Pet Cat

2007-10-10T05:57:00.001-07:00

After Uma's post on Vodka with a dash of Diamonds I was left wondering what the next flagrantly expensive "in" thing would be.I seem to have found an answer of sorts. But this time, its Alive. Its the latest - Lifestyle Pets. Although its not as expensive as the vodka and it lasts longer!These aren't your run of the mill pet cats.Its the ASHERA (please note the name is trade-marked) The worlds

Twenty20 - Reactions From a Non-cricket Watching Indian

2007-09-24T16:42:00.000-07:00

Nothing personal against cricket, but I don't watch sports ! (This is my first post where I've chosen "Sports" as the Section) Except gymnastics, ice skating and synchronized swimming.Equally crazily, I am married to the ultimate cricket fanatic, who watches matches, repeats, highlights and replays on the news (that's all of them - not an either/or choice). Who remembers statistics from games I

The "Animal" Attraction

2007-09-24T15:58:00.000-07:00

My personal love affair with pets began before the moment I was even conceived.My nana (maternal grandmother, not grandpa in our part of the country) loves animals. In her younger days she nursed peacocks, deer and sundry other birds & animals back to health. The family household always comprised of a couple of cats, dogs, cows, goats, pigeons and various other species including a monkey at one

Book Review : Cairo - The Family Guide

2007-09-23T14:13:00.000-07:00

In a previous article, "Bookshops in Cairo" I heavily recommended this book, but I never mentioned why.The current issue of the Cairo Family Guide is the 4th edition (the first edition was in 2001). It has been revised each time to update the data and make it more current & relevant.Its written by Lesley Lababidi in collaboration with Dr Lisa Sabbahy and printed by the AUC PressIts one book any

Diary of a cat

2007-09-23T05:16:00.000-07:00

Sent to me by my friend and fellow cat lover - Alison.Diary of a Cat * DAY 752: My captors continue to taunt me with bizarre little dangling objects. They dine lavishly on fresh meat, while I am forced to eat dry cereal. The only thing that keeps me going is the hope of escape, and the mild satisfaction I get from ruining the occasional piece of furniture.Tomorrow I may eat another

How to Bathe a cat !

2007-09-22T20:29:00.000-07:00

Bacardi is driving me nuts at times and is completely adorable at times.today morning she went straight from the bathroom sink (where I was washing her face-she had been scratching her face incessantly since last night) to the kitty litter & stuck her head right into it !!!!!!!!She then proceeded to drive me crazy throughout the day, I had workmen come over to fix the ac.. With the front

Book Review : The Other Side of Me - Sidney Sheldon

2007-08-28T14:29:00.000-07:00

The winner of an Oscar, a Tony, and an Edgar Allan Poe Award, Sidney Sheldon has over 200 television scripts, twenty-five major motion pictures, six Broadway plays, eighteen novels (which have sold over 300 million copies) and one memoir to his credit, ranking him as one of the world's most prolific writers.The style of this autobiography is uniquely Sheldon and completely engrossing. As he

Book Review Ice Candy Man

2007-07-28T01:21:00.000-07:00

In 2000, one of the few films that moved me to tears was Deepa Mehta's "1947 : Earth" Coming from the South of the Vindhya's, the Partition was something mentioned in passing in text books. We did not know any affected families and hardly anyone down South spoke about this bloody episode in India and Pakistan's shared past.According to Richard Symonds 1950, The Making of Pakistan, London,

When the US media starts to lose track

2007-06-24T12:19:00.000-07:00

ACCORDING TO CNN, AFGHANISTAN IS LOCATED IN SYRIA! Many in the US have a difficult time differentiating between Arabs and Iranians. President Bush has been caught many times being confused between Iraq and Iran. Some even went as far as suspecting that his poor knowledge of the area was behind the mix-up that led to the involvement of the US in Iraqi quagmire. Apparently, the leader of

Displacing farmers: India Will Have 400 million Agricultural Refugees

2007-06-22T12:06:00.000-07:00

http://www.stwr.net/content/view/1999/3722nd June 07 - Devinder Sharma ~ STWR Contributing WriterIt was on the cards. With Prime Minister Manmohan Singh announcing the formation of a new rehabilitation policy for farmers displaced from land acquisitions, it is now official -- farmers have to quit agriculture. Ever since the Congress-led UPA Coalition assumed power after an angry rural

Article in The Times: The Indian Tourist

2007-05-30T12:17:00.000-07:00

Delhi Times Oh bother, it's an Indian tourist!30 May, 2007 l 0000 hrs ISTlNIKHILA PANT, JAYA DRONA & PALLAVI PASRICHA /TIMES NEWS NETWORKGoing by a recent survey, the ugly Indian tourist is loud, untidy and doesn't believe in tipping the waiters. DT on why the cash-rich Indians fail to score on the etiquette meter . Indians are travelling abroad like never before. Far East, Europe, Australia -

Book Review : National Geographic Series - Holidays Around the World: Celebrating Diwali and Ramadan

2007-02-14T12:31:00.000-08:00

Author Deborah Heiligman has embarked on an ambitious "Holidays Around the World Series" with National Geographic Aimed at 6-9 year old children the series is rich in photographs from around the world and lower on textual explanations, letting the pictures speak for themselves. Celebrate Ramadan & Eid Al-Fitr with Praying, Fasting and Charity and Celebrate Diwali with Sweets, Lights, and

M T R Foods Sold for $100 Million

2007-02-14T12:30:00.000-08:00

MTR Foods has taken a Scandinavian turn. It's not US spice king McCormick that will buy MTR Foods as speculated earlier, but the Norwegian foods-to-metals group Orkla. Shock/dismay/sadness/happiness.... a series of feelings ran through me when I read these headlines in Finance Asia & the Times of India. Shock since I did not have any idea that MTR was up for sale, being in this faraway land.

Al Jazeera being beamed in English - Is the News Good or Bad ?

2006-12-21T13:16:00.000-08:00

"The latest weapon in the Middle East is neither a missile nor a bomb. It is a Television Station" - I read this the other day in an editorial in Business Monthly - a journal brought out by the American Chamber of Commerce in Egypt.The editor who is talking about Al Jazeera English going live, goes on to say that - By all reckoning the slickly produced news broadcast is more powerful than the

What is your Salary per Minute?

2006-10-26T15:28:00.000-07:00

Shah Rukh KhanWhat: ActorHow much: Rs 247 per minuteThe King Khan, who started off modestly as a 'Fauji', made about Rs 13 crore last year. This included his endorsement deals for Pepsi, Hyundai Santro - and of course, wetting himself in a bathtub, surrounded by women for HLL's Lux. How much per minute?Brij Mohan Lall MunjalWhat: Chief of Hero GroupHow much: Rs 255 per minuteThe patriarch of

Setting Up Your Fish Tank

2006-10-11T17:38:00.000-07:00

Setting Up Your Fish Tank Is your family thinking of adding a fish tank to your home? Fish tanks are a wonderful place to observe a habitat on a smaller scale. It’s like having your very own window into a fresh water riverbed or saltwater ocean. But setting up a fish tank is not as simple as buying a tank and filling it with water and fish. Fish are not “easy” pets to care for. Their

Tropical Fish Tank Tips

2006-10-10T15:17:00.000-07:00

Tropical Fish Tank Tips A tank full of fish offers a window where you can observe nature in miniature. But fish are not “easy” pets to care for. You’ll need to spend time, money, and energy to keep them alive and healthy. Unfortunately, since fish are cheap to replace, millions die prematurely every year from improper care and negligence. But that doesn’t have to be the case. You can

Made to Break: Are We Sinking under the Weight of Our Disposable Society?

2006-09-11T01:48:00.000-07:00

Made to Break: Are We Sinking under the Weight of Our Disposable Society? Published: August 09, 2006 in Knowledge@Wharton Canadian writer Giles Slade was checking out a touring exhibit called "Eternal Egypt" with his 10-year-old son a few years ago when he had an epiphany. The Egyptians, he realized, designed great monuments to endure for countless generations, while here in North

History of Carnival

2006-08-28T02:01:00.000-07:00

History of CarnivalCarnival means a complete holiday dedicated to fun and enjoying as a break from the daily routine and stress of the every-day life. The word 'carnival' is originated from a Latin word 'carnelevarium' meaning 'removing the flesh' or 'raising a gala storm'. The first country to play host to the carnival was Brazil, from where the tradition spread out to all the countries

A Primer on Digital Music

2006-08-07T06:48:00.000-07:00

Digital Music: A Primer By Walter S. Mossberg and Katherine Boehret Over 50 million Apple iPods, and lots of competing digital music players, have been sold by now -- as well as over a billion songs and tens of millions of videos, since legal media sales took off a few years ago. But many folks -- even some who own iPods and other players -- are still confused over how legal digital music works.

New Preamble to the US Constitution

2006-07-22T11:20:00.000-07:00

got this in an email today :Somebody said this was probably the best e-mail he'd seen in a long, long time. The following has been attributed to State Rep Mitchell Aye from GA. This guy should run for President one day... "We the sensible people of the United States , in an attempt to help everyone get along, restore some semblance of justice, avoid more riots, keep our nation safe,

Blogspot blocked by ISP's in India ????

2006-07-17T14:55:00.000-07:00

I was trying to check on my blogs since Friday morning, but somehow I wasn't getting through. Initially thought it was a temporary glitch, but by Saturday morning there was no improvement. Was travelling that day & the next and today whole day, I still couldn't connect. I had written to the powers that be at the blogspot help on saturday itself, but have still not got a response from them.Spoke

Ramadoss Running Amok ?

2006-07-08T03:03:00.000-07:00

In a shocking Development, Dr. P Venugopal, leading Cardiologist and Director of the prestigious AIIMS, Delhi was unilaterally sacked on July 5th. This seems like a predestined conclusion to the long running feud between the "Honorable" Union Minister for Health & Family Welfare, Dr. Anbumani (sometimes spelt Ambumani) Ramadoss and Dr. Venugopal.The Delhi High Court, stayed the Dismissal on

Poetic Resignation

2006-07-05T13:49:00.000-07:00

Received it in an emailPoetic Resignation The name is good, the brand is big But the work I do is that of a pig The work or the brand; what is my way? I don't know if I should stay. To work, they have set their own way Nobody will care to hear what I say My will be NULL, they wont change their way I don't know if I should stay. The project is in a critical stage But to do good work, this is

Big Five Value Proposition

2006-06-30T07:23:00.000-07:00

Big Five Value Proposition Explained People often ask about the "value proposition" which a Big Five consulting firm brings to a client's project. Well, let's examine a regular engagement where we have a Big Five team implementing an ERP package called Orasap, all of it involving new technology. Let's take a look at a TYPICAL team member from each job level. This is what they might be doing

Tax Cuts - A simple lesson in Economics....

2006-06-30T04:40:00.000-07:00

Let's put tax cuts in terms everyone can understand. Suppose that every day, ten men go out for dinner. The bill for all ten comes to $100.If they paid their bill the way we pay our taxes, it would go something like this: -The first four men (the poorest) would pay nothing -The fifth would pay $1-The sixth would pay $3 -The seventh $7 -The eighth $12 -The ninth $18 -The tenth man (the richest)

Dastangoi - The Lost Art of Story Telling

2006-06-29T16:48:00.000-07:00

Photo credit: Mumbai MirrorMahmood Farooqui (right) and Danish Husain performed the Dastangoi at the NCPA last Friday, 23rd June. I initially read about "Dastangoi" in Time Out Mumbai, my source of knowledge for events in Mumbai. Then Dan Hussain posted an invite on the Caferati message board.