Cell Phones

Our world has been transformed by these little communication devices, to the point that people think nothing of engaging in a cell phone conversation, whether in a bathroom, a bus, a movie, a date or a restaurant. . Let us not forget ringtones; the nail-scratches on a chalkboard of mobile technology. It seems the worse the song is, the louder and more prevalent it is too.

Alarm Clocks

Unless your alarm clock is ready to serve you bacon when you wake up (as the ingenious one shown above does), there really isn’t any fair reason for you to have to peel your eyes open and rise from the comforts of your warm and cozy bed.

Bluetooth Headsets

You’re standing in a grocery line when all of a sudden a shrill voice behind you shouts “Hey! What’s up? How are ya?” You nearly skyrocket through the ceiling, dropping all your items when you realize, the person behind you isn’t talking to you nor to themselves, in fact they are speaking into a contraption they insert into their ear that should only be used when driving.

Laptop Batteries

Techies have long known that official battery-life claims are pretty much worthless. After 12 months, that “full 8 hours of battery-life” lasts more like 3-4 hours, (if you’re lucky) and as a few more months go by, you may only have a few minutes before having to plug in. Rechargeable batteries aren’t much better, losing performance with every charge. Then there are the extreme cases of exploding laptops. There have been many reported cases of cells that have overheated and ruptured into flames.

Sealed Batteries

Why should the life of a product be tied to its internal sealed battery life? Products with sealed batteries (e.g. iPod, iTouch, iPhone) are frustrating in that you are not given the option to change your battery for a fresh one when your music dies.

TV

Perhaps more of a love/hate relationship, televisions provide us hours of distraction and entertainment but we are always the first to complain about its capacity to numb and obscure our humanity.

Remote controls

Even with universal controls, remotes are always getting lost, unless you are prepared to literally wear your remotes (as shown above).

http://blog.sherweb.com/technologies-we-hate-but-can%E2%80%99t-do-without/

http://megreatramakant.sulekha.com/blog/post/2008/10/jet-airways-what-not-to-do.htm

Mount Abu is declared closed area since 1965. Although, complete area of 328 sq. km. of Abu Hills is declared protected but officially 112.98 sq. km. is under unnotified sanctuary area (Anon., 2003). In shape, Mt. Abu Wildlife Sanctuary is long and narrow but the top spreads out into a picturesque plateau, which is about 19 km in length and 5-8 km in breadth. Once home to the meditating rishi and munis, the legend has it that Mount Abu is home to 33 crore Gods and Goddess. According to the legend the name Abu means son of Himalayas (or Ar-Booda, “the hill of wisdom”), deriving its name from Arbuada – the powerful serpent, which rescued Nandi the sacred bull of Lord Shiva. Mount Abu has been home, to many rishis and munis (sages and saints), including the famous Rishi Vashishtha, who is believed to have created four Agnikul Rajput clans, from a fire- pit, by performing a yagna or fire sacrifice, to protect the earth from the demons.

In historic times, Mount Abu was leased by the The East-India Company (British empire) from the Maharajah of Sirohi, Mount Abu was used as the headquarters for the resident of Rajputana until 1947, and as a sanatorium for troops.

http://researchcarinsurance.sulekha.com/blog/post/2008/09/mountabu-discover-your-holidayzz.htm

Somehow, we were able to thwart the designs of those interfering Fates this year and just about managed to visit Daman after only one cancellation.

I believe as we were going there for ‘Ganpati’, the ‘trouble-shooter’ God (Vighnaharta) removed all the obstacles from our path and made it happen.

Thus 2^nd September found us winging (no, this can’t be the correct word. It must be ‘tyring’) our way towards Daman.

Daman is just 193 Km from Mumbai and the 4-lane highway is quite good, apart from a few bad patches.

As we left the Mumbai suburbs behind, the scenery gradually changed from concrete jungle to real, tropical jungle of the coastal variety. The rice fields were interspersed with groves of mango, coconut and chikoo. The tall, dark Casuarinas, planted as a wind-break, laced the sea-shore.

Especially at one place, the rain-clouds had cascaded down the valleys, and the hills showed dark bluish through the mist.

End of the Monsoon is the best period to traverse this road.

At a point we turned off the highway and crossed a railway-line on our way to Moti Daman.

Moti Daman is just ‘Large’ Daman as against Nani Daman (‘Small’ Daman). It has nothing to do with ‘moti’ i.e. Pearls. However, it used to be a haven for gold-smugglers in recent past.

However, a smuggling of alcoholic bottles still takes place across the Gujarat border because Gujarat is still a ‘dry’ state. Daman is a Union Territory and hence no restrictions on alcohol.

(I had written ‘liquor’ for ‘alcoholic’, but then the Messrs. Merriam and Webster came down heavily on me and informed me that it is ‘a liquid substance; a usually distilled rather than fermented alcoholic beverage’. Now, I am not at all sure that the bottles that cross the Gujarat border contain the distilled variety only, so I used the words ‘alcoholic bottles’. But I am not very happy about the choice of words as it invoked a vision of tipsy bottles drunkenly dancing a merry waltz.

Anyway, let it be.

Merriam and Webster also corrected the spelling of ‘Messrs.’ Which I had messed about as ‘Messers’. They are rather strict about such things.)

The proximity of the ‘dry’ state also explains why it is such a highly touristy place with resorts dotting the seashore of Devka beach. After all, the beaches of Daman are nothing to write home about, especially when you have seen the pristine white-sand beaches of South India. Actually, the black mud-flats of Daman exposed during the low time are an eyesore.

The Damanganga River separates the two Damans, Moti and Nani. A pedestrian bridge connects the two Damans.

We celebrated the ‘pratisthapana’ of the Ganpati with great pomp and élan and then we were free to roam about Daman.

The two Portuguese forts that dominate the two shores of Damanganga as it empties into the Arabian Sea strongly bring Goan ambience to mind. This is hardly surprising since all the erstwhile Portuguese colonies must have common architectural elements in their design.

The lighthouse still acts as a beacon to the fishing boats.

Many forts in India are crumbling due to negligence, but Daman forts are being maintained by Portuguese Government even after ‘liberation’.

A teenage memory has just floated to the surface of my mind with this word ‘liberation’.

I was going with my Dad to our estate at Sulge near Belgaum, my native place. At one point, the road to Sulge was barricaded and the police did not allow us to proceed to our own bungalow. I was young and could not understand how they could lawfully prevent us from going on that road.

My teenage angst vaporized when Dad explained to me that during military operations civilian rights are suspended and the Military can ‘commandeer’ any civilian’s property.

He also correctly surmised that Goa will be liberated in a matter of a few days, so when the news broke, it did not surprise us.

We were happy, but also sad that the Indian Military had practically ruined our bungalow by cooking indoors.

I suppose it was a small sacrifice to pay for the liberation of Goa.

Follow the links below if you want to know more about Daman.

http://www.daman.nic.in/

http://www.travelmadeeasy.in/daman.htm

There is an unintentional ‘trick’ photo of a flying object among the photos. Readers are invited to explain whether it is a helicopter or a mosquito and if the later, why it did not get enlarged out of all proportion.

http://charuavi.sulekha.com/blog/post/2008/09/our-daman-trip.htm

One of the most popular and suitable ways to explore scenic backwaters of the state is houseboat cruise. Houseboats in Kerala backwaters are the prime attractions of Kerala tourism. More than 400 house boats ply the scenic backwaters of the state and 120 of them in Alleppey (Alappuzha – a prime backwater destination of the state). Besides Alleppey there are several backwater destinations in the state, known for their exceptional nature abundant beauty and amazing sightseeing. Some of popular backwater destinations, known for houseboat cruise in the state, are Kumarakom, Fort Kochi, Kasargod, Kollam, Kottayam, Kozhikode, Kuttanad, Vembanad Lake, Thiruvallam, Trivandrum, etc. These backwater destinations are blessed with exceptional scenic beauty and well-known for Kerala houseboat tours among tourists from all over the world.

Situated in the nature blessed Vembanad Lake, Kumarakom is one of the most sought after backwaters destinations of the state. It is paradise on the earth. It is famous for scenic backwaters, beautiful landscapes, and the bird sanctuary. It is also very popular destination for houseboat cruise. There are number of houseboats sailing over the beautiful Vembanad Lake and scenic backwaters of Kumarakom. Kumarakom is also very popular among honeymoon couples. Honeymoon couples from all over India and also across the country visit Kumarakom and explore its scenic landscapes, breathtaking backwaters and enjoy Kumarakom houseboat cruise over the picturesque Vembanad Lake and scenic backwaters. The houseboat cruise over the scenic and tranquil waterways of Kumarakom provides honeymoon couples a serene and truly romantic ambiance. The experience of houseboat cruise in the scenic waterways of Kumarakom is definitely an experience of life time.

Apart form Kerala houseboat tours Kumarakom is also known for several other attractions such as Kumarakom Bird Sanctuary, several delightful tourist resorts, ayurvedic massage centers, ayurvedic treatment resorts, scenic landscapes, etc. Really Kumarakom is a paradise for tourists.

Well if you too want to enjoy the charm of Kerala tourism and backwaters, visit Kumarakom. Enjoy fascinating Kumarakom houseboat holidays, visit several species of birdlife at Kumarakom Bird Sanctuary, explore scenic landscapes, rejuvenate yourselves at Ayurvedic massage & treatment resorts, and see the enthrallingly beautiful reflection of azure sky in the blue backwaters and the picturesque Vembanad Lake. Explore the country side, lush paddy fields, and palm coconut groves on your Alleppey houseboats cruise. Definitely tours and travels in Kumarakom will be a delightful experience that will last forever.

http://micheal34.sulekha.com/blog/post/2008/09/houseboat-tour-on-kerala-s-backwaters.htm

http://angelagonsalves.sulekha.com/blog/post/2008/09/shimla-not-a-hill-station-anymore.htm

Beaches of the state are also known for Ayurveda and Yoga. There are several spa, yoga and ayurvedic treatment centers on the beaches of the state. Ayurvedic treatment resorts on the beaches are considered as the prime attractions of the Kerala tours and travel. Ayurvedic resorts of the state provide refreshing and mind relaxing holiday option. Today Kerala is globally name for its ayurvedic beach resorts among those tourists who want to get rejuvenated and revitalized as well as sightseeing and memorable holiday. Today Ayurveda – the Indian ancient treatment system – is at its boom. And people willing to get refreshed their mind and blow embark on ayurveda tours in Kerala from all over the world. There are several hotels and resorts that are widely acclaimed for ayurvedic treatment and massage therapy as well as wonderful stay & holiday options. They are also known for excellent accommodation.

Beaches of the state are also known to host several activities. Playing with gentle surf, swimming, sunset watching, playing with golden sands, lazily relaxing under the palm coconut trees, nature walk, sightseeing, river cruise, enjoying beach volley ball, etc are some of popular beach activities. You will too love to enjoy these thrilling activities on our beach tours in Kerala, India. You will also love to enjoy delicious sea food while exploring Kerala’s exquisite beaches. There are several food joints serving mouth watering sea foods, and traditional cuisine of the state. Some of popular beaches of the state are Kovalam, Alleppey, Bekal Beach, Fort Kochi, Varkala, Beypore, Kappad, etc. Well, you are looking for a beach destination to celebrate your holiday in memorable holiday Kerala’s beaches are just right for your. Explore Kerala’s exquisite beaches that are known for great scenic beauty and serenity.

Apart from beaches, backwaters of the state have also widely acclamation. Backwaters are breathtakingly beautiful and worth exploring. They are excellent example of ecosystem. They are naturally blessed and their shorelines are dotted with palm coconut trees, traditional village, ancient temples, modern cities, and rich flora and fauna. Backwaters of the state have a prime positing in every tour package in Kerala, India.

Backwaters of the state can be best explored by hiring a traditional rice boat or modern luxury packed houseboat. One can hire a houseboat for short period or long period with several houseboat curies operators dotted on the backwater destinations of the state. Kerala house boat tour over the tranquil and scenic backwaters is also very popular among honeymoon tours. Enjoying houseboat stay is the ideal way to enjoy Kerala honeymoon tour. Not only backwaters or houseboats, in fact, entire Kerala is an ideal destination of honeymoon holidays and honeymoon couples from all over the world prefer Kerala as their honeymoon holidays. Celebrating honeymoon in Kerala is simply unforgettable.

There are several Kerala tour packages available in the market making enable you to explore Kerala beaches and backwaters in more and more convenient ways. Apart from beaches and backwaters; verdant hill stations, wildlife sanctuaries, various plantations, temples, forts, palaces etc are also very popular attractions of Kerala package tours. When you will travel to Kerala you will know why the state is known as “God’s Own Country”.

http://micheal34.sulekha.com/blog/post/2008/09/kerala-beaches-and-backwaters-tours.htm

Though the main part of my journey was finished, I still had to cover another few miles, by a mini mountain vehicle, which was not due till about two hours hence, as this kind of service, was sparse, due to lack of regular passengers. I decided to walk through the coach station and then on to the town, to pass away those tedious waiting hours in observation of fellow passengers and the throng of the tourists who come in droves, every summer to sample outstanding scenic beauty of the region.

People were milling around and some were doing window-shopping. The high street was crammed with souvenir shops displaying arts and crafts of the region and especially of the Lakeside town. It is a common urge among the tourist to pick some tangible memento of their stay, to take back home and thus savour the pleasant sensations and memories associated with their sojourns in the district as to while away those dark winters evenings at home.

When they come over here there is always an air of expectancy among the visitors. Every body is looking for a scene, a beauty spot which will send perhaps shivers of unknown sensations along their spines and would remain with them perhaps rest of their lives. Sometimes the unexpected coincided with their secret desires and when this happened, it took a semi permanence place among fleeting moments of their fleeting lives.

It may be a romantic notion but even romantic notions have their place in our lives. The normal routines of life do not allow any multidimensional sensations to intrude into our pragmatic views. We are so accustomed to follow our preconceived ideas in day-to-day life and in our practical attachments to mundane ensue. These drive away any strong emotions dealing with uncommon aspects of human existence. We are apt to live our lives in a very disciplined way dictated by needs of our habits.

Back to the bus station where more tourists had arrived with their multiple cameras hanging around their necks, men with walking sticks and shoes. Small statured females with big rucksacks at their backs looked as if they would be toppled over any time by their loads. My attention was drawn to a man with three different cameras; a metallic case and a heavy stand folded under his arms. I introduced myself

and we began to chat. He was called Alan and was going past my intended hostel, to his destined locality. He intended to walk all the way to his destination. The evening light was fading and I reasoned with him to stay overnight in the town and travel the following morning, as it is always dangerous to walk those narrow hills under the cloak of darkness. I did not know whether he took my advice. Soon my bus arrived and I was on my way to my destination.

2

My ride in the small van was very bumpy due to zigzagging mountain paths and as I reached the final stop there was just fading light of evening still lingering on, which was a good thing as I had to climb a steep hill to reach the top where my hostel was situated.

At last I reached my hostel and after unpacking, I rested a while until I felt pangs of hunger. I went into the kitchen area to prepare myself a meal. I warmed the cooked vegetables, which I have brought with me, and then toasted some slices of bread and it all smelled good. I also made a hot cup of tea and took the things to a table by the window to eat my food in comfort.

Through the window you could see the range of mountains outlined against the twilighted skies. Those seemed to usher in a vastness of space beyond their silhouetted forms. One could loose into that vastness there was an outer and inner silence, which took away one’s trivial concerns for life, momentarily.

As I was eating two young girls came and sat on the nearby table and we started a conversation. They were about seventeen. One was brunette and the other a blonde. The brunette was called Janet while the other was named Amelia. There was something extraordinary about their presence. They were gentle creatures and an airy tenderness exuded from them and which enveloped me in its fold. I felt in touch with inner dimensions of life, in a sort of poetical musings. We talked about different things until it was time to go to bed and I bade goodbye to them as they were leaving for their onward journey very early in the morning.

I was very tired myself and soon went into a pleasant deep sleep. I woke up at about six in the as the rain was pattering the roof tiles. I decided to stay in the bed till the breakfast time.

I had my breakfast later and the rain has stopped and sun was shinning in all its glory. I went out to explore the surroundings. There was a rivulet beside the hostel full of white gushing waters and hurrying downhill with all the music of its hastened tunes. It had branched itself into various arms as to hug numerous pieces of strewn rocks. Polished pebbles smoothed by its touches were scattered all around its path.

The rivulet invited me to listen to its symphony for a while and so I sat on a boulder to listen to its watery music and soon realized that it had so many tonalities within its musical compositions. One had to listen carefully to appreciate that variety of tones unlike the man’s stereotyped mind, which only can appreciate a single tonality.

I went down the hill into the valley. Suddenly I felt a burst of sunshine filling the valley and enveloping it into a sort of celestial grandeur which reminded me of certain paintings of old masters with their breadth of subtle beauty. I was enjoying that breathtaking panorama.

Beyond the valley there was a rocky precipice where light played its dark symphony of silence. The cries of the birds filtered through, arousing strange emotions within one’s heart. The valley was strewn with many boulders with whimsically carved rocky shapes just like an open art gallery. I started viewing one by one, those interesting exhibits.

These ancient monuments of withered faces were creating in me wonder, solace and inspiration like some high art. Grey and faint yellow boulders against the green background of hills were fascinating. Those looked like some early cubist paintings with their tight geometry.

The sun began to create in me dreamy sensations and I decided to lie down on the grass to savour those. A flock of sheep were grazing on the slopes and soon came down to examine me, sniffing around as to make sure that I was not a hidden danger to them. I slept for sometime under the warm sun and then got up to explore other beauties of the valley. The tops of hills looked inviting and I decided to do some physical exertions by climbing those and thus spent pleasant time till it was time to return to the hostel.

3

As I returned, I found something unexpected. Amelia and Janet had returned and were in tears. As I approached them, they nearly fell into my arms crying. Somehow I comforted them and asked them to relate as to what had happened.

Amelia and Janet had started early in the morning when it was still dark and cloudy. It has been raining all night and the ground was wet and slippery. They had to cover a few miles to reach the adjacent hostel where they were spending another night. They were hurrying as to reach that destination before lunchtime.

Amelia was walking in the front and suddenly she heard a scream behind her and to her horror found that Janet has slipped from the edge to sloping ground beneath stretched over a precipice. Her feet were dangling over the precipice and she was just holding onto to a stump of a tree. Amelia suffered a shock to her system and became hysterical and started screaming too.

Janet was holding on with all her strength and told Amelia to cry for help. Suddenly time stopped and only thing she could hear was her scream. Somehow she took control of herself and shouted for help.

Like a miracle someone shouted back and told her to hold on. Suddenly a man appeared with a coil of rope around his shoulder and slowly calmed down the girls. He instructed Janet to hold on to the rope and eventually pulled her over, beyond the imminent danger. It later expired that he knew me from his meeting with me at the Lakeside bus depot when I persuaded him not to start on his walking journey that evening. He must have taken my advice and delayed his departure the following morning. His name happened to be Alan.

I marvelled at the coincidences of chances of in our lives directing our fates. If I have not started by chance a conversation with him, Janet might have slipped down the ravine to her death. Hearing this my eyes became moistened; I reckoned it to be moistures of joy. The girls were sitting snugly out of danger. I looked through the window and the hills and lakes waved at me. I thanked them. It was indeed a gift from the lakes.

http://durlabh-singh.sulekha.com/blog/post/2008/08/a-gift-from-lakes.htm

With personal account deposit bank of $1500 billion in foreign reserve which have been misappropriated, an amount 13 times larger than the country’s foreign debt, one needs to rethink if India is a poor country?.DISHONEST INDUSTRIALISTS, scandalous politicians and corrupt IAS, IRS, IPS officers have deposited in foreign banks in their illegal personal accounts a sum of about $ 1500 billion, which have been misappropriated by them. This amount is about 13 times larger than the country’s foreign debt. With this amount 45 crore poor people can get Rs 1,00,000 each. This huge amount has been appropriated from the people of India by exploiting and betraying them.

Once this huge amount of black money and property comes back to India, the entire foreign debt can be repaid in 24 hours. After paying the entire foreign debt, we will have surplus amount, almost 12 times larger than the foreign debt. If this surplus amount is invested in earning interest, the amount of interest will be more than the annual budget of the Central government. So even if all the taxes are abolished, then also the Central government will be able to maintain the country very comfortably.

Some 80,000 people travel to Switzerland every year, of whom 25,000 travel very frequently. “Obviously, these people won’t be tourists. They must be travelling there for some other reason,” believes an official involved in tracking illegal money. And, clearly, he isn’t referring to the commerce ministry bureaucrats who’ve been flitting in and out of Geneva ever since the World Trade Organisation (WTO) negotiations went into a tailspin!

Just read the following details and note how these dishonest industrialists, scandalous politicians, corrupt officers, cricketers, film actors, illegal sex trade and protected wildlife operators, to name just a few, sucked this country’s wealth and prosperity. This may be the picture of deposits in Swiss banks only. What about other international banks?

Black money in Swiss banks — Swiss Banking Association report, 2006 details bank deposits in the territory of Switzerland by nationals of following countries:

Top five
India—- $1456 billion
Russia—$ 470 billion
UK——-$390 billion
Ukraine- $100 billion
China—–$ 96 billion

Now do the maths – India with $1456 billion or $1.4 trillion has more money in Swiss banks than rest of the world combined. Public loot since 1947: Can we bring back our money? It is one of the biggest loots witnessed by mankind — the loot of the Aam Aadmi (common man) since 1947, by his brethren occupying public office. It has been orchestrated by politicians, bureaucrats and some businessmen. The list is almost all-encompassing. No wonder, everyone in India loots with impunity and without any fear.

What is even more depressing in that this ill-gotten wealth of ours has been stashed away abroad into secret bank accounts located in some of the world’s best known tax havens. And to that extent the Indian economy has been stripped of its wealth. Ordinary Indians may not be exactly aware of how such secret accounts operate and what are the rules and regulations that go on to govern such tax havens. However, one may well be aware of ’Swiss bank accounts,’ the shorthand for murky dealings, secrecy and of course pilferage from developing countries into rich developed ones.

In fact, some finance experts and economists believe tax havens to be a conspiracy of the western world against the poor countries. By allowing the proliferation of tax havens in the twentieth century, the western world explicitly encourages the movement of scarce capital from the developing countries to the rich.

In March 2005, the Tax Justice Network (TJN) published a research finding demonstrating that $11.5 trillion of personal wealth was held offshore by rich individuals across the globe. The findings estimated that a large proportion of this wealth was managed from some 70 tax havens.

Further, augmenting these studies of TJN, Raymond Baker — in his widely celebrated book titled ’Capitalism’s Achilles Heel: Dirty Money and How to Renew the Free Market System’ — estimates that at least $5 trillion have been shifted out of poorer countries to the West since the mid-1970.

It is further estimated by experts that one per cent of the world’s population holds more than 57 per cent of total global wealth, routing it invariably through these tax havens. How much of this is from India is anybody’s guess.

What is to be noted here is that most of the wealth of Indians parked in these tax havens is illegitimate money acquired through corrupt means. Naturally, the secrecy associated with the bank accounts in such places is central to the issue, not their low tax rates as the term ’tax havens’ suggests. Remember Bofors and how India could not trace the ultimate beneficiary of those transactions because of the secrecy associated with these bank accounts? IS THERE ANY ONE WHO WOULD SAVE INDIA ?God… No No No, even he can’t……….!!

http://www.merinews.com/catFull.jsp?articleID=137213&catID=10&category=Reviews