Sunday, September 6, 2009
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Treat UR taste buds: Onasadhya!
Onasadhya is the most delicious part of Kerala's very own Onam. It is considered to be the most elaborate and grand meal prepared by any civilisation or cultures in the world. It's a feast which if enjoyed once is relished for years.
Memories of treating my friends to a grand Onasadhya at my home...three years ago are still afresh! Thanks to my mother, who prepared the authentic dishes! Onam for the last two years have been at college, with fun, frolic and food!
However this time I am stranded in chennai, still looking for that eluding OnaSadhya! So, wats so special in it?
Onasadhya is prepared on the last day of Onam, called Thiruonam. People of Kerala wish to depict that they are happy and prosperous to their dear King Mahabali whose spirit is said to visit Kerala at the time of Onam.
FlashBack!
Legend goes that Mahabali who was so attached to his people that he requested Gods to allow him to visit Kerala every year. People of Kerala wish to convey that they are enjoying the same age of prosperity as was witnessed during the reign of King Mahabali by preparing a grand Onasadhya.
Rich and the poor, everybody prepares Onasadya in a grand fashion as people of Kerala are extremely devotional and passionate when it comes to Onasadya. So much so that, it has lead to saying, 'Kaanam Vittum Onam Unnanam'. Meaning - men go to the extend of selling all their possessions for one Onam Sathya.
The Meals
Rice is the essential ingredient of this Nine Course Strictly Vegetarian Meals. All together there are 11 essential dishes which have to prepared for Onasadya. Number of dishes may at times also go upto 13.
Hold on...Be a little patient....you need to wait a little before you start gorging the lip smacking meal. There are some rituals which need to be followed. First full course meal is served for Lord Ganapathi in front of a lighted oil lamp (Nila Vilakku). This is in accordance with the Malayalese trend of starting everything in the name and presence of God.
More About the Meal: The Exhaustive List of Dishes:
For a better understanding of the Onasadhya meal let us now go through all the dishes in a little more detail.
Erissery:Prepared from pumpkins/red beans or from yam and raw bananas cubes.
Kalan or Pulisseri: Prepared from buttermilk, ingredients consist of sliced plantains called nenthra-kaya and yams or chena. These are boiled in water with salt and chillies.
Olan: Olan is prepared from sliced cucumber and brinjal. Sometimes pulse is also added. They are boiled in water with salt and no chillies.
Aviyal
This is kind of a mixed vegetable as all sorts of available vegetables are added to it. All vegetables are first boiled in water with salt and chillies. Tamarind and well ground pulp are added at proper time. Aviyal is flavoured with coconut oil and Kariveppila.
Thoran Prepared by slicing beetroot and several other vegetables into very small pieces. These are then boiled in water with some salt and chillies till all the water dries up. Water can also be strained away. For seasoning, ground coconut pulp and mustard fried in coconut oil is used.
Mulakoshyam:Resembles olan. It is a special Onam delicacy from the state of Kerala and has been recently added to Onam Sadhya.
Koottukari: This is a curry consisting of a variety of vegetables and some Bengal gram. It differs from Aviyal as it does not contain tamarind.
Pachchati, Kichchati These are types of curry consisting chiefly of cucumber, mustard and sour butter milk or curds. In Kichchatim, young and tender cucumber is added
Prathaman
There is a whole variety of Prathamans such as ada, pazham, parippu and palata prathamans.
Beverages
A special drink is prepared for Onam in which water is boiled with a combination of cumin and dried ginger (chukku). This is beneficial from health point of view.
Upperi or Chips: Upperi is prepared from various things like raw bananas (kaaya), yam (chena), jack fruit (chakka), bitter gourd (pavayka) and egg plant fruit (vazhuthanga). Slices of the ingredient are fried in coconut oil to a crisp condition.
Pickles (Achaar), Pappads (Pappadam), Fruits
Chiefly plantain fruits of various kinds are served along with other articles of food at meals.
Searching for Onam dishes...I hit upon something...wierd!! called Non-veg SADHYA!! Take a look....
Hope Mahabali is fine with the mutations the festival and its dishes have undergone!
I would advise him to Google for the latest dishes before he finalises his travel plans(wud suggest him www.MAKEMYTRIP.com)and embarks on that annual trip to his very own KERALA!
Happy Onam!!!
-RP
Memories of treating my friends to a grand Onasadhya at my home...three years ago are still afresh! Thanks to my mother, who prepared the authentic dishes! Onam for the last two years have been at college, with fun, frolic and food!
However this time I am stranded in chennai, still looking for that eluding OnaSadhya! So, wats so special in it?
Onasadhya is prepared on the last day of Onam, called Thiruonam. People of Kerala wish to depict that they are happy and prosperous to their dear King Mahabali whose spirit is said to visit Kerala at the time of Onam.
FlashBack!
Legend goes that Mahabali who was so attached to his people that he requested Gods to allow him to visit Kerala every year. People of Kerala wish to convey that they are enjoying the same age of prosperity as was witnessed during the reign of King Mahabali by preparing a grand Onasadhya.
Rich and the poor, everybody prepares Onasadya in a grand fashion as people of Kerala are extremely devotional and passionate when it comes to Onasadya. So much so that, it has lead to saying, 'Kaanam Vittum Onam Unnanam'. Meaning - men go to the extend of selling all their possessions for one Onam Sathya.
The Meals
Rice is the essential ingredient of this Nine Course Strictly Vegetarian Meals. All together there are 11 essential dishes which have to prepared for Onasadya. Number of dishes may at times also go upto 13.
Hold on...Be a little patient....you need to wait a little before you start gorging the lip smacking meal. There are some rituals which need to be followed. First full course meal is served for Lord Ganapathi in front of a lighted oil lamp (Nila Vilakku). This is in accordance with the Malayalese trend of starting everything in the name and presence of God.
More About the Meal: The Exhaustive List of Dishes:
For a better understanding of the Onasadhya meal let us now go through all the dishes in a little more detail.
Erissery:Prepared from pumpkins/red beans or from yam and raw bananas cubes.
Kalan or Pulisseri: Prepared from buttermilk, ingredients consist of sliced plantains called nenthra-kaya and yams or chena. These are boiled in water with salt and chillies.
Olan: Olan is prepared from sliced cucumber and brinjal. Sometimes pulse is also added. They are boiled in water with salt and no chillies.
Aviyal
This is kind of a mixed vegetable as all sorts of available vegetables are added to it. All vegetables are first boiled in water with salt and chillies. Tamarind and well ground pulp are added at proper time. Aviyal is flavoured with coconut oil and Kariveppila.
Thoran Prepared by slicing beetroot and several other vegetables into very small pieces. These are then boiled in water with some salt and chillies till all the water dries up. Water can also be strained away. For seasoning, ground coconut pulp and mustard fried in coconut oil is used.
Mulakoshyam:Resembles olan. It is a special Onam delicacy from the state of Kerala and has been recently added to Onam Sadhya.
Koottukari: This is a curry consisting of a variety of vegetables and some Bengal gram. It differs from Aviyal as it does not contain tamarind.
Pachchati, Kichchati These are types of curry consisting chiefly of cucumber, mustard and sour butter milk or curds. In Kichchatim, young and tender cucumber is added
Prathaman
There is a whole variety of Prathamans such as ada, pazham, parippu and palata prathamans.
Beverages
A special drink is prepared for Onam in which water is boiled with a combination of cumin and dried ginger (chukku). This is beneficial from health point of view.
Upperi or Chips: Upperi is prepared from various things like raw bananas (kaaya), yam (chena), jack fruit (chakka), bitter gourd (pavayka) and egg plant fruit (vazhuthanga). Slices of the ingredient are fried in coconut oil to a crisp condition.
Pickles (Achaar), Pappads (Pappadam), Fruits
Chiefly plantain fruits of various kinds are served along with other articles of food at meals.
Searching for Onam dishes...I hit upon something...wierd!! called Non-veg SADHYA!! Take a look....
Hope Mahabali is fine with the mutations the festival and its dishes have undergone!
I would advise him to Google for the latest dishes before he finalises his travel plans(wud suggest him www.MAKEMYTRIP.com)and embarks on that annual trip to his very own KERALA!
Happy Onam!!!
-RP
Thursday, August 27, 2009
INSTANT CLICK -- Tuitions
Clicked @ West Mambalam, Chennai
Hope English isn't one of the subjects taught hear... oops... here!
Friday, June 5, 2009
SUDDENLY SOMETHING - Comparison of OFFSHORE Vs ONSITE LIFESTYLE!
Source : Sukumar @ User comments in rediff.com!
This was a user comment posted under an IT related topic in Rediff.com. I felt the comparison sooo amusing that I decided to post it here!!
TCS Offshore and Onsite Life style
Offshore Lifestyle:
Role : Project Lead
Project Type : Support Mission Critical
Life Style :
*Call at 7 AM Status meeting conducted by US client. Silent spectator and most of the times scapegoat.
*Reaches Office at 9 AM. Jump into TCS internal politics and coordinating with all freshers, personal work, project work.
*Leave office by 6.30 PM. Late night call for a critical support issue
*The routine goes on..
Saturday, national holiday support coverage
Pay : Based on the experience 6 - 10 lakhs
Onsite Lifestyle:
Role : Project Lead
Project Type : Support Mission Critical
Life style:
*Living in a small 1 bed room apartment near Indian Street in USA
*Afraid of black americans all the time. No car
*Call at 7 AM EST status meeting , cover all the offshore folks, take the blame and again scapegoat.
*Reaches office by 7 AM. Client politics, TCS politics, Project,Personal work.
*Leave office by 6 PM. coordinate with offshore and delegate work from 9 PM - 11 PM EST.
*The routine goes on
Saturday and sunday - Releases, Maintenance etc.national holiday support coverage.
Further he goes on to say.....
In the both scenarios you will be given 3 or 4 rating(appraisal). Sometimes 2 as per the curve fitting. Pay : 65k after tax 48 K. visit to India 10k gone. No savings, no luxory etc.
The person who sits next to you having H1 B will work for 7.5 hrs and earn 140k / annum. our TCS guy will work for 10-12 hrs and earn 48k after tax!
Well that was straight from the heart of a not-so-happy Indian software guy!
Wat's ur take now??? Offshore or Onsite??
Tail piece: Assessing the economic situation, be happy if you are ashore regardless of workin offshore/onsite!
Cheerzz!
This was a user comment posted under an IT related topic in Rediff.com. I felt the comparison sooo amusing that I decided to post it here!!
TCS Offshore and Onsite Life style
Offshore Lifestyle:
Role : Project Lead
Project Type : Support Mission Critical
Life Style :
*Call at 7 AM Status meeting conducted by US client. Silent spectator and most of the times scapegoat.
*Reaches Office at 9 AM. Jump into TCS internal politics and coordinating with all freshers, personal work, project work.
*Leave office by 6.30 PM. Late night call for a critical support issue
*The routine goes on..
Saturday, national holiday support coverage
Pay : Based on the experience 6 - 10 lakhs
Onsite Lifestyle:
Role : Project Lead
Project Type : Support Mission Critical
Life style:
*Living in a small 1 bed room apartment near Indian Street in USA
*Afraid of black americans all the time. No car
*Call at 7 AM EST status meeting , cover all the offshore folks, take the blame and again scapegoat.
*Reaches office by 7 AM. Client politics, TCS politics, Project,Personal work.
*Leave office by 6 PM. coordinate with offshore and delegate work from 9 PM - 11 PM EST.
*The routine goes on
Saturday and sunday - Releases, Maintenance etc.national holiday support coverage.
Further he goes on to say.....
In the both scenarios you will be given 3 or 4 rating(appraisal). Sometimes 2 as per the curve fitting. Pay : 65k after tax 48 K. visit to India 10k gone. No savings, no luxory etc.
The person who sits next to you having H1 B will work for 7.5 hrs and earn 140k / annum. our TCS guy will work for 10-12 hrs and earn 48k after tax!
Well that was straight from the heart of a not-so-happy Indian software guy!
Wat's ur take now??? Offshore or Onsite??
Tail piece: Assessing the economic situation, be happy if you are ashore regardless of workin offshore/onsite!
Cheerzz!
Sunday, May 31, 2009
MEDIA MATTERZ!
I often visit rediff.com. May be you can call that the most frequented site nxt only to the ubiquotous Google by yours truly! I love it just for its content and the good coverage that is often pan-indian! yeah... PAN-INDIAN! I mean every bit of the word!
Often, I feel that southern content dont get much of space in other general content websites. Why is it so???
*Politics is by default New Delhi and other northern states (The content might get as dumb as chasing the Gandhi family wherever they are or as hilarious as the activities of Lalu or Mayawati... hey.. we do have some comedians down here!)
*Movies by default mean Bollywood!
*Songs(Most of such sites allow you to hear songs online!) are often is some Himesh reshmaiyya Crap (with due respect for his nasal talent!!)
*Sports fortunately for some reason is covered across the length and breadth of the country... and so seems pretty O.K!
I even felt the same with News channels on TV! NDTV went to the extent of lauching a half-hour show called 'Southern Edition' thus validating the fact that southern states werent given their due! TV 18 went a step ahead - they introduced a show called "UP SOUTH"(felt lik it was a dig at the often used phrase - DOWN SOUTH!)
Recently though that's changing! The reason behind that is the stark fact that more than 50-60% of the viewers of such news channels are from the 4 southern states(TN, KER, AP & KAR)! So these media houses are forced to provide southern content!
The fact remains that India is a pluralist nation and so you need to give a wide range of content that can please everyone (may sound utopian....but strive for it!)
Tail Piece :
Because of its pan-indian content rediff user comments section often has heated argument over issues discussed often with a regional bias! Though it sometimes is thought provoking.. it ends up nasty most of the time!
Often, I feel that southern content dont get much of space in other general content websites. Why is it so???
*Politics is by default New Delhi and other northern states (The content might get as dumb as chasing the Gandhi family wherever they are or as hilarious as the activities of Lalu or Mayawati... hey.. we do have some comedians down here!)
*Movies by default mean Bollywood!
*Songs(Most of such sites allow you to hear songs online!) are often is some Himesh reshmaiyya Crap (with due respect for his nasal talent!!)
*Sports fortunately for some reason is covered across the length and breadth of the country... and so seems pretty O.K!
I even felt the same with News channels on TV! NDTV went to the extent of lauching a half-hour show called 'Southern Edition' thus validating the fact that southern states werent given their due! TV 18 went a step ahead - they introduced a show called "UP SOUTH"(felt lik it was a dig at the often used phrase - DOWN SOUTH!)
Recently though that's changing! The reason behind that is the stark fact that more than 50-60% of the viewers of such news channels are from the 4 southern states(TN, KER, AP & KAR)! So these media houses are forced to provide southern content!
The fact remains that India is a pluralist nation and so you need to give a wide range of content that can please everyone (may sound utopian....but strive for it!)
Tail Piece :
Because of its pan-indian content rediff user comments section often has heated argument over issues discussed often with a regional bias! Though it sometimes is thought provoking.. it ends up nasty most of the time!
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Vodafone ZOO-ZOO'S: FACTS N FIGURES!
Tail Piece : ZOO-ZOO Factzz
They aren't Animations! They are human beings wearing body suits!
Body Part : stuffed with foam in some places
Head : To make it look bigger than a human head, a harder material called Perspex was used, which in turn was stuffed with foam (with scope for ventilation)
*Cast: includes children, women(leaner hands & legs required it that way)!
*Fan page at Facebook: 5600 members already!
Friday, May 22, 2009
VIDEO OF THE VEEK! - WHISTLE PODU- CSK FAN VIDEO!
IPL2009 is hotting up!
Deccan has booked their berth in the finals while Bangalore is to take on Chennai in the second semi-final today!
Look the beauty of the tournament... and how things have panned out..!!
If Banglore is thro to the finals,, then we have the two bottom most teams of the first edition of the tournament facing each other in the finals of the second edition!!! I would love that as a sport enthusiast! I am always behind dark horses you see...
But the ardent Chennai fan in me... refuses to budge down!!! It's the turn of Super Kings to lay their fingerprints on the not-so-good looking (Studded with diamond and gold thou!) IPL Trophy this time!
TAKE A LOOK AT THE PROMO FAN VIDEO OF CSK : WHISTLE PODU!!!
Cheers!
Tailpeace: Whatever happens... its gonna be an All-south Indian IPL Final!!!lol!
Could turn out to be Hyd Biryani Vs Chennai Saambaar Idlis!!!
Deccan has booked their berth in the finals while Bangalore is to take on Chennai in the second semi-final today!
Look the beauty of the tournament... and how things have panned out..!!
If Banglore is thro to the finals,, then we have the two bottom most teams of the first edition of the tournament facing each other in the finals of the second edition!!! I would love that as a sport enthusiast! I am always behind dark horses you see...
But the ardent Chennai fan in me... refuses to budge down!!! It's the turn of Super Kings to lay their fingerprints on the not-so-good looking (Studded with diamond and gold thou!) IPL Trophy this time!
TAKE A LOOK AT THE PROMO FAN VIDEO OF CSK : WHISTLE PODU!!!
Cheers!
Tailpeace: Whatever happens... its gonna be an All-south Indian IPL Final!!!lol!
Could turn out to be Hyd Biryani Vs Chennai Saambaar Idlis!!!
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
THE BIKE'Y DILEMMA?!!
It's time to buy myself a bike! I remember telling one of my dad's friend on how I would like my first vehicle to be...a car rather than a bike! Ofcourse, immature statements...Unaware of the real fun that's associated with biking! It should be okay as i was jus 10 then!
Years have rolled by... and now I am here looking out for a bike that would become my first vehicle. It's so important u knw! I mean... it's the first time in your life... you are gonna choose somethin on which you wil be riding a lot! Ofcourse it drives you crazy as well! (Double-entendre un-intended!)
Let me cut it short! This i how I have planned my bike to be...
- 125 or 135ccShould weigh ok...(I shd be able to handle it with ease!)
- Comfort!(can't take back pain plzzzz!)
- Mileage(ideal - 70???)
Well these are the parameters and specifications i m lookin out for!
Initial research which includes word-of-mouth suggestions from friends and forum discussions in websites have led me to the folllowing models:
Honda Shine & Bajaj Discover 135!
Though both of it don fit my crieteria perfectly... they seem to be the closest ones!
Heard that Honda shine gives a around 55-60kmpl in city limits! I have driven it twice or thrice... It was pretty comfortable! To top it all... its HONDA ENGINE u knw! Point taken!
Coming to Bajaj's Discover... well... my family..somehow has been Bajaj loyalists! Bajaj kawasakis & bajaj calibers... and bajaj XYZ...BAjaj @##%.. it has always been a BAJAJ! I have rode Discover a lot many times... courtesy : my room mate! However I might break out from the Bajaj loyality club! lol!
Let's c! Wil keep you posted on which one I end up buyin! Watever it may be... It's gonna be really special to me!
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
SUDDENLY SOMETHING - ATMs!!!
Hi ppl!
I was browsing through Businessline and suddenly this news item struck me! Hope you all are aware of the regulation(that came into effect frm Apr1) by RBI to connect all ATMs(irrespective of the banks) and thus ensure seamless transactions that can be carried out in any of the ATMs by all customers regardless of whichever bank they hold accounts in. Prior to this regulation, a customer was often charged for using an another bank's ATM!
Hey but do you know that banks still have to pay each other, the cost of its customers using the other bank's ATM. Thus, it is as simple as this....
For eg....If you happen to be SBI's customer and you happen to swipe your ATM card in a Canara Bank ATM, then SBI pays a transaction charge to Canara just because you happened to use it! Now what can be expected because of this?
Very logical! Banks will be forced to ramp up their ATM infrastructure (More ATM's... Lesser is the probability of you using an another bank's ATM and thus with it lesser is the need to pay other banks for ATM use!)
Now to the interesting part of this post!
Have you ever wondered what does it cost your bank if you carry out a transaction in an ATM!??According to a study by Indian Bank, a transaction made in an ATM costs the bank Rs.16!And if the same transaction was carried out through the bank's counter, the cost of the transaction almost doubles to Rs.35!
And the reason behind banks pushing for online banking is this fun-da! It costs the bank only a mere Rs.6 for every transaction made online! So, the next time you do some fund transfer online..feel happy that you are actually helping your bank cut the cost of the transaction by almost 85%!
Cheers!
Tailpiece: Interesting facts abt ATMs!!! (Thank you WIKI!)
Worlds First ATM: Barclays bank @ Enfield in 1967!
Major ATM Manufacturers : Diebold, IBM and NCR
World's most northerly installed ATM: Longyearbyen, Svalbard, Norway
The world's most southerly installed ATM: McMurdo Station, Antarctica
ATMs are common in cruise ships n US navy ships!
I was browsing through Businessline and suddenly this news item struck me! Hope you all are aware of the regulation(that came into effect frm Apr1) by RBI to connect all ATMs(irrespective of the banks) and thus ensure seamless transactions that can be carried out in any of the ATMs by all customers regardless of whichever bank they hold accounts in. Prior to this regulation, a customer was often charged for using an another bank's ATM!
Hey but do you know that banks still have to pay each other, the cost of its customers using the other bank's ATM. Thus, it is as simple as this....
For eg....If you happen to be SBI's customer and you happen to swipe your ATM card in a Canara Bank ATM, then SBI pays a transaction charge to Canara just because you happened to use it! Now what can be expected because of this?
Very logical! Banks will be forced to ramp up their ATM infrastructure (More ATM's... Lesser is the probability of you using an another bank's ATM and thus with it lesser is the need to pay other banks for ATM use!)
Now to the interesting part of this post!
Have you ever wondered what does it cost your bank if you carry out a transaction in an ATM!??According to a study by Indian Bank, a transaction made in an ATM costs the bank Rs.16!And if the same transaction was carried out through the bank's counter, the cost of the transaction almost doubles to Rs.35!
And the reason behind banks pushing for online banking is this fun-da! It costs the bank only a mere Rs.6 for every transaction made online! So, the next time you do some fund transfer online..feel happy that you are actually helping your bank cut the cost of the transaction by almost 85%!
Cheers!
Tailpiece: Interesting facts abt ATMs!!! (Thank you WIKI!)
Worlds First ATM: Barclays bank @ Enfield in 1967!
Major ATM Manufacturers : Diebold, IBM and NCR
World's most northerly installed ATM: Longyearbyen, Svalbard, Norway
The world's most southerly installed ATM: McMurdo Station, Antarctica
ATMs are common in cruise ships n US navy ships!
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
The Funny Side: Check out Chennai Super Muthus @ VIRGIN MOBILE's Indian Hatke League
Virgin Mobile's version of IPL is here!!! The brand has launched a website - IndianHatkeLeague.com to cash on the IPL frenzy!
Chennai Super Kings is called Chennai Super Muthus! Kolkatta Knight Raiders is Kolkatta Tram Riders... and even players are not left aside! Mathew hayden is Matt Shadyden... Ricky Ponting becomes Dickie Pointing!!! It's fun! Check it out!
Chennai Super Muthus : Team Profile :
Team Owner : Bogus Cements!!!
Team Captain: M.S.Drooni!
Aiyee Yo! Don’t mess with yus. We come from the land of the great Rajni and like him, we are unbeatable. We have great batsmen and terrific bowlers and once we take the field, we crush the opposition, mix them with masala and make them into fine sambhar chutney. Mind It! We are always prepared-yenitime, yeniwhere. We are from the South and here to play and how!! We are Chennai Super Muthus!
Link: http://tellafriend.socialtwist.com/web/redirect.jsp?47554305416945545411
Happy Laughin UR lungs Out!
Chennai Super Kings is called Chennai Super Muthus! Kolkatta Knight Raiders is Kolkatta Tram Riders... and even players are not left aside! Mathew hayden is Matt Shadyden... Ricky Ponting becomes Dickie Pointing!!! It's fun! Check it out!
Chennai Super Muthus : Team Profile :
Team Owner : Bogus Cements!!!
Team Captain: M.S.Drooni!
Aiyee Yo! Don’t mess with yus. We come from the land of the great Rajni and like him, we are unbeatable. We have great batsmen and terrific bowlers and once we take the field, we crush the opposition, mix them with masala and make them into fine sambhar chutney. Mind It! We are always prepared-yenitime, yeniwhere. We are from the South and here to play and how!! We are Chennai Super Muthus!
Link: http://tellafriend.socialtwist.com/web/redirect.jsp?47554305416945545411
Happy Laughin UR lungs Out!
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
The Funny Side: Recession?@!$#?
Hi all...
Here are a few jokes/quotes that take a dig @ Mr. Mighthy - THE RECESSION! Most of them appeared in the Latest Late night shows in US TV channels - Courtesy Jay Leno, David Letterman, Conan O'Brien & co... N'joy!
Here are a few jokes/quotes that take a dig @ Mr. Mighthy - THE RECESSION! Most of them appeared in the Latest Late night shows in US TV channels - Courtesy Jay Leno, David Letterman, Conan O'Brien & co... N'joy!
- Yesterday was "Take Your Kid to Work Day."
Thanks to the economy, there's a new special day for parents and kids: "Take Your Kid to Where You Used to Work Day." - GM is pulling the plug on its Pontiac Division.
That's like amputating the foot of a patient who is having a heart attack.
- Exxon has earned the top spot in the new Fortune 500 list. Last year, Exxon took in almost $443 billion in revenue and made a profit of $45 billion.
Here's my question: Why not have Exxon bailout the car companies? I mean, one can't live without the other, right?(This one courtesy: Jay Leno)
- Barack Obama will appear shirtless in a magazine this month.
I think many Americans will identify with him - most have lost their shirts(jobless!).
- About 400 laid off finance professionals are expected to attend a government job fair in Manhattan today.
But experts believe the former Wall Street traders are still too inexperienced at failure to work in the government.
- According to the U.S. Labor Department, because of the recession, the number of unemployed lawyers in this country has hit a ten-year high.
So, there is a silver lining in all of this.
- Newsweek magazine reports that shipping companies believe it's cheaper just to pay a ransom than to change the shipping route to sail out of the pirates' way. So even though these are evil crooks, we give them the money anyway.
It's the same way the bank bailout works.
- (Jay Leno)I tell you, the economy is bad...
The economy is so bad, a friend of mine started a Ponzi scheme - and lost money!!! LOL!
For the best of the Humour from US Late Night Shows... Click here - It's a google initiative!!!
Happy "Laughin UR lungs Out"!!!
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Suddenly Something - ECLAIRS!!!
As children & even grown-ups, people love to taste chocolates. It is the best thing that a 3 year old can pray for.... loads & loads of chocolates! And Eclairs is the one that i always liked... and so do many.
I became curious whether "Eclairs" is a brand name(viz Cadbury Eclairs) or a generic name of a pastry... I took it up to trace the origin of the word and as always wiki came in handy!
So here it is....
An éclair is a long, thin pastry made with choux(Puff filled with cream or custard) pastry filled with a cream and topped with icing. 
So Eclairs is a generic name - Name of a pastry!
However, in some parts of the United States, Long johns (A rectangular doughnut!) are marketed under the name éclairs, though the two are not identical.
It was only later that the Cadburys confectionery company started selling a chocolate-filled candy by the same name in certain parts of the world. The candy is markedly different to the pastry, being a hard dairy-toffee filled with chocolate.
Origin of the éclair
éclair probably originated in France during the nineteenth century. The word is first attested both in English and in French in the 1860s. Some food historians speculate that éclairs were first made by Antonin Carême (1784-1833), the famous French chef. The first known English-language recipe for éclairs appears in the Boston Cooking School Cook Book by Mrs. D.A. Lincoln, published in 1884.
By the way..."Éclair" is French for "lightning," though the connection is obscure. Now you know more abt eclairs than flipping a coin to buy it!
Cheers!
Monday, April 20, 2009
THE BEST PIK ONLINE!!!
This is where you get to see some of the best picks from the articles online!!!
It's the IPL week and so we have the interview of HARBAJAN SINGH! Interviewed by Nagraj Gollapudi for cricinfo.com on April 20, 2009
Is it true that you have 20,000-plus songs on your iPod?Yes, it is true.
Which song do you listen to the most?The one am hooked on to these days is "O Saathi Re, Tere Bina Bhi Kyan Jeena" [What's the point of living without you].
Who is your saathi (partner)?I'm trying to find one.
Tell a secret about yourself.For what?
There must be something we don't know.I take a shower every day.
What was the most naughty thing you did as a kid?I was very naughty. I'm still like that. Once, at school, I shot at a beehive, after which there was complete chaos. When they found I was the culprit, the teachers gave me a lot of stick.
What's one mistake you try never to repeat on the field?I don't want to give loose balls. I don't want to drop a catch, especially off my own bowling. And I don't want to get out by giving a direct catch.
You are supposed to be a specialist at giving your team-mates nicknames. Give us some examples. And which was your best?Viru's [Virender Sehwag] is good - "Lala". Yuvi's [Yuvraj Singh] is "Buggi", [Suresh] Raina's is "Bhabhi".
What's the one ball you've bowled that you will always treasure?My best ball in Test cricket is the one that got Michael Hussey in Bangalore last year. He left the ball and it turned in to him like a legspinner. I don't know how it happened and it was like a mystery ball even to me. I was shocked when I saw it again later, because it turned in big time.
One sledge you won't forget?Actually a lot of people are scared to sledge me, because if they do so they know they will have to hear a lot of crap from me later.
Batsman you most enjoyed beating?Brian Lara. Toughest.
What's the best thing about playing cricket for a living?God has been kind that I can actually do something I love.
One compliment you won't forget?I'm still waiting for it. Perhaps I will get it when I pick up my 500th Test wicket.
What do hotel rooms need to make them more enjoyable?I don't want to say. You will land me in trouble.
Which ground has the most hostile crowds?Sydney.
And the most amusing crowds?Kolkata and Mumbai.
Which tour do you look most forward to?Going home. That is a very short tour, but the one I enjoy the most.
What do you like to drink to celebrate a victory?I enjoy a glass champagne or wine with my team-mates after a victory.
How often do your friends ask you for free tickets to matches?All the time. Once someone asked, "Can you get 70 tickets please?" Seventy! Mera ghar ka thodi hain stadium, yaar! [I don't own the stadium]. People feel we get tickets easily, but we only get three each. It's hard to explain to friends. They think we are lying. That is not the case.
If you could have one thing from the likes of Anil Kumble or Sachin Tendulkar, what would it be?The only thing I would like from them is the way they handle things: they are very calm. Of course, apart from that, I would try to be like them - they are champions. And I hope people remember the day I leave cricket.
If you were to design a t-shirt, what five words you would put on it that describe you best?Emotional, straightforward, prankster, fighter, no-nonsense.
If your house was on fire what would you grab first?I will grab the guy who burned my house and make sure I burn him first.
COURTESY : cricinfo.com
It's the IPL week and so we have the interview of HARBAJAN SINGH! Interviewed by Nagraj Gollapudi for cricinfo.com on April 20, 2009
Is it true that you have 20,000-plus songs on your iPod?Yes, it is true.
Which song do you listen to the most?The one am hooked on to these days is "O Saathi Re, Tere Bina Bhi Kyan Jeena" [What's the point of living without you].
Who is your saathi (partner)?I'm trying to find one.
Tell a secret about yourself.For what?
There must be something we don't know.I take a shower every day.
What was the most naughty thing you did as a kid?I was very naughty. I'm still like that. Once, at school, I shot at a beehive, after which there was complete chaos. When they found I was the culprit, the teachers gave me a lot of stick.
What's one mistake you try never to repeat on the field?I don't want to give loose balls. I don't want to drop a catch, especially off my own bowling. And I don't want to get out by giving a direct catch.
You are supposed to be a specialist at giving your team-mates nicknames. Give us some examples. And which was your best?Viru's [Virender Sehwag] is good - "Lala". Yuvi's [Yuvraj Singh] is "Buggi", [Suresh] Raina's is "Bhabhi".
What's the one ball you've bowled that you will always treasure?My best ball in Test cricket is the one that got Michael Hussey in Bangalore last year. He left the ball and it turned in to him like a legspinner. I don't know how it happened and it was like a mystery ball even to me. I was shocked when I saw it again later, because it turned in big time.
One sledge you won't forget?Actually a lot of people are scared to sledge me, because if they do so they know they will have to hear a lot of crap from me later.
Batsman you most enjoyed beating?Brian Lara. Toughest.
What's the best thing about playing cricket for a living?God has been kind that I can actually do something I love.
One compliment you won't forget?I'm still waiting for it. Perhaps I will get it when I pick up my 500th Test wicket.
What do hotel rooms need to make them more enjoyable?I don't want to say. You will land me in trouble.
Which ground has the most hostile crowds?Sydney.
And the most amusing crowds?Kolkata and Mumbai.
Which tour do you look most forward to?Going home. That is a very short tour, but the one I enjoy the most.
What do you like to drink to celebrate a victory?I enjoy a glass champagne or wine with my team-mates after a victory.
How often do your friends ask you for free tickets to matches?All the time. Once someone asked, "Can you get 70 tickets please?" Seventy! Mera ghar ka thodi hain stadium, yaar! [I don't own the stadium]. People feel we get tickets easily, but we only get three each. It's hard to explain to friends. They think we are lying. That is not the case.
If you could have one thing from the likes of Anil Kumble or Sachin Tendulkar, what would it be?The only thing I would like from them is the way they handle things: they are very calm. Of course, apart from that, I would try to be like them - they are champions. And I hope people remember the day I leave cricket.
If you were to design a t-shirt, what five words you would put on it that describe you best?Emotional, straightforward, prankster, fighter, no-nonsense.
If your house was on fire what would you grab first?I will grab the guy who burned my house and make sure I burn him first.
COURTESY : cricinfo.com
Sunday, March 15, 2009
THE GREEN DEBATE!
I thought of writing something in line with the green efforts that a lot of organisations, institutions & communities have started up! Suddenly, it seems there is a spurt of activity in this space. Though the initiatives are many, the theme is one - They want everyone to be "Consciously Green", so as to save the planet before it might be late to save ourselves!
A Few of the Green Initiatives:
BLACKLE.COM
Check out : http://www.blackle.com/about
Check out : http://www.blackle.com/about
There has been a lot of heated debate on the rationale and the research behind - BLACKLE.com - the initiative by Heap Media which is based on the research by Roberson et al, 2002 - "Image displayed is primarily a function of the user's color settings and desktop graphics, as well as the color and size of open application windows; a given monitor requires more power to display a white (or light) screen than a black (or dark) screen."
Blacke : Toby Heap Of Heap Media
While this post is being written, blackle claims to have saved 1,134,338.804 Watt hours till date!!!
This tells us to be green in whatever small ways possible. However, a few technology reviewers have tested the site on LCD monitors and have found that it requires more power!!!
More Energy tips from Blackle : http://www.blackle.com/tips/
NDTV's GREENATHON!
I guess NDTV 24*7 did a great job by telecasting 24hours of live programming under its GREENATHON campaign which also was a fund raiser for the TERI'S "LIGHT A BILLION LIVES" campaign. But, it became more of a publicity stunt for the Rich&Famous as a lot of bollywood biggies and other political & corporate honchos declaring that they are ready to sponsor a no. of villages for their solar laterns for the TERI's campaign (One solar lantern costs around 3000Rs!). But who cares?... At the end of the day, it would be fine if these lanterns can bring light to dispel darkeness & poverty!But, there is one man who has taken a lot of initiatives for the planet's cause!
Well, this harvard educated guy might have lost it to Mr.Bush in the US presidential Elections in 2000! He won 48.4% of the total votes compared to Bush's 47.9%! And that was another reason why he wasn't the president of US!!! Strange world of elections & politics!!!
So, Who am I talking about??? It's the Ex-Vice President of US - Mr.AL GORE! He would have made more sense to the job than Bush and that could be anyone's or er..... should I say everyone's guess!
This guy has made an impact! Not that of some small proportion but rather with a big bang with his Documentary - An Inconvenient Truth which won an Academy award!
He has been relentless in his campaign against global warming! However, the fun-da is that he is one of directors on the board of APPLE Inc which often comes under immense scrutiny by Greenpeace which rates all the electronic products according to their level of toxicity!
Whatever it may be! He has been there to show us some really shocking statistics that are the result of Nonchalant living all these years... Isn't it?!
Though there has been a mixed review for such initiatives, I feel all is fine even if it goes on to create a blip of a hope for future! A future with better/cleaner technlogies, Zero waste or atleast one with no leaking taps!!!
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