Dilzy World

Happy Putthari 2011

2011-12-09T11:14:00.000+05:30

Kodava Samaja Centenary Celebration : 12-11-11 : DAY 2

2011-11-20T10:25:00.004+05:30

Kodava Samaja Centenary Celebration - Day 2

White Petals, Palace Grounds

Day 2 Agenda : Honoring of Kodavas for service in different fields,

Food exhibition, Cultural events

Below are the pictures of the materials used by our Kodava ancestors during the earlier days at Coorg (Kodagu). They are well preserved and are displayed to the visitors at the exhibition.

" Proud to be a Kodava "

A typical Kodava Wedding Seating arrangements with Nellakki (God)

Nellaki (God) - Kodava Wedding arrangements

Kodava farmer's Nengi (Plough) 1

Kodava farmer's Nengi (Plough) 2

Kodava farmer's Kori Kodey, Potti, Nengi (Bamboo Umbrella, Case, Plough)

Kodava vessels, accessories

Kodava Accessories - Kadthale

Kodava Thoku (Guns)

Kodava Aayudha (Weapons)

Kodava Dhudi (Drums)

Kodavada Thoorey Kolu (Auspicious Bamboo sticks)

Batti (Bamboo Baskets)

Kodava Vessels

Kodava Bhoguni (Large brass vessel), Fishing device, Bow

Kodava Vessels

Kodava Storing Equipments

Kodava Vessels

Kodava Palya Katthi (Cutting/Chopping Equipments)

Kodava Noolputtu Vara (Vermicelli Makers)

Kodava Paddy Crusher

Kodava Mukkali (Three legged seater)

Kodava Mara Potti (Wooden Case)

Kodava Cow Bells

Kodava Rubbu Kallu (Grinding Stone)

Kodava Paadukas (Footwear / Sandals)

Kodava Samaja Centenary Celebrations : 11-11-11

2011-11-09T15:22:00.009+05:30

" Proud to be a Kodava "

This is one of the greatest moments in the histroy of Coorgs.
The Bangalore Kodava Samaja turns 100 and this signifies the ' Spirit of Coorg ' which reflects the rich and royal culture that has been shining like an armour for all these years. This indeed is a very proud moment for every Kodava and the celebration of the event is going to leave an impression on every one's mind.

Do not miss this ' Once in a lifetime opportunity ' - make sure you are there for the celebration that will make every Kodava feel great about himself and about his exquisite culture and tradition that he lives and shares.

11th, 12th and 13th November 2011 will be fun filled days and memorable one in everybody's life.

So let's make it happen. Be there.

Info : Kodagu Sangha was formed in 1911 at Bangalore. The Sangha was rechristened as Kodava Samaja in 1962.

Ways to get back an accidentally deleted file

2011-10-27T14:51:00.004+05:30

It only takes a moment of carelessness to permanently delete important data from your PC. But don't worry, you may still be able to recover most of it, if you stop using your-PC immediately and use data recovery software. When a file is deleted, even from inside the Recycle Bin, it doesn't actually vanish from the hard drive.

Instead, the computer merely changes the file's properties to make it invisible to the user. The file truly gets deleted only when the operating system over-writes fresh data to that space. You can try to recover the deleted files using free software.

MiniTool Power Data Recovery

This is a versatile software. It can not only recover the deleted files, but also help you save data from damaged partitions, pen drives, SD cards and CDs. MiniTool puts the retrieved files in folders, but you will have to go through several folders, lost files and desktop, for example, before you find the actual files you were looking for. Once you have found the files, just click "save files" to get your data back. www.powerdatarecovery.com

Recuva

This lacks the advanced features of Mini-Tool, but one advantage of using Recuva is that you can see a preview before saving the retrieved files. This is handy because the computer often changes the names of deleted files to something like $ABC.MP3. www.piriform.com/recuva

Glary Undelete

In our tests, this was the slowest of the three. But one good feature is its ability to home in on the full name of the deleted files. This makes finding the right files a lot easier. www.glarysoft.com/products/ utilities/glary-undelete/

The Google +

2011-09-14T20:00:00.000+05:30

Check this out, here comes the Google +

The Google + is on its way. Let's wait and watch for the magic this is going to create.

Some Google + Features :

Circles

The easiest way to share some things with college buddies, others with your parents and almost nothing with your boss.

Hangouts

Let friends know that you're free for a video hangout, any time, anywhere. Then catch up, watch YouTube or ... just hang out.

Sparks

A feed of only the things that you're really into, so when you're free, there's always something waiting to be watched, read or shared.

Ugadi Festival

2011-04-05T16:54:00.007+05:30

HAPPY UGADI

Ugadi is the New Year for Karnataka, Andra Pradesh. In Maharashtra it is celebrated as Gudi Padwa.

While the strong colors of Holi starts fading away, the freshness of spring lingers on with sprightliness all around. The flame of the forest (trees with bright red flowers that blossom during holi) are in full bloom signifying an affluent season.

It is believed that the creator of the Hindu pantheon Lord Brahma started creation on this day - Chaitra Suddha Padyami or the Ugadi day.

Also the great Indian Mathematician Bhaskaracharya's calculations proclaimed the Ugadi day from the sunrise on as the beginning of the New year, New month and New day.

The onset of spring also marks a beginning of new life with plants (barren until now) acquiring new life, shoots and leaves. Spring is considered the first season of the year hence also heralding a new year and a new beginning. The vibrancy of life and verdent fields, meadows full of colorful blossoms signifies growth, prosperity and well-being.

With the coming of Ugadi, the naturally perfumed jasmine (Malligey hoova) spread a sweet fragrance which is perhaps unmatched by any other in nature's own creation. While large garlands of jasmine are offered to Gods in homes and temples, jasmine flowers woven in clusters adorn the braids of women.

Predictions of the Year

Ugadi marks the beginning of a new Hindu lunar calendar with a change in the moon's orbit. It is a day when mantras are chanted and predictions made for the new year. Traditionally, the panchangasravanam or listening to the yearly calendar was done at the temples or at the Town square but with the onset of modern technology, one can get to hear the priest-scholar on television sets right in one's living room.

Ugadi is a season for raw Mangoes spreading its aroma in the air and the fully blossomed Neem tree that makes the air healthy. Also, Jaggery made with fresh crop of sugarcane adds a renewed flavor to the typical dishes associated with Ugadi. "Ugadi Pachchadi" is one such dish that has become synonymous with Ugadi. It is made of new jaggery, raw mango pieces and neem flowers and new tamarind which truly reflect life - a combination of sweet, sour and bitter tastes.

Preparing for the Occasion

Preparations for the festival begin a week ahead. Houses are thoroughly washed, people wear new clothes buy other items that are needed for the festival. There is a lot of excitement all over.

On Ugadi day, people wake up before the break of dawn, apply oil and take a head bath (shower) after which they decorate the entrance (threshold) of their houses with fresh mango leaves.

The significance of tying mango leaves relates to a legend. It is said that Kartik (or Subramanya or Kumara Swamy) and Ganesha, the two sons of Lord Siva and Parvathi were very fond of mangoes. As the legend goes Kartik exhorted people to tie green mango leaves to the doorway signifying a good crop and general well-being.

It is noteworthy that we use mango leaves and coconuts (as in a Kalasam, to initiate any pooja) only on auspicious occasions to propitiate gods. People also splash fresh cow dung water on the ground in front of their house and draw colorful floral designs. This is a common sight in every household. People perform the ritualistic worship to God invoking his blessings before they start off with the new year. They pray for their health, wealth and prosperity and success in business too. Ugadi is also the most auspicious time to start new ventures.

The celebration of Ugadi is marked by religious zeal and social merriment. Special dishes are prepared for the occasion. Special delicacies are prepared for the festival - Puliyogure and Holige (Obattu) are prepared in Karnataka. The Maharashtrians make Puran Poli or Sweet Rotis.

Season For Pickles

With the raw mango available in abundance only during the two months (of April/May), people in Andhra Pradesh make good use of mangoes to last them until the next season. They pickle the mangoes with salt, powdered mustard and powdered dry red chilli and a lot of oil to float over the mangoes. This preparation is called Avakai and lasts for a whole year.

Mangoes and summer season go hand in hand. Ugadi thus marks the beginning of the hot season which coincides with the school vacations. For the young ones, therefore, Ugadi is characterised by new clothes, sumptuous food and Newness. The air is filled with joy, enthusiasm and happiness. Some people participate in social community gatherings and enjoy a tranquil evening with devotional songs (Bhajans).

Kavi Sammelanam

Kavi Sammelanam (poetry recitation) is a typical Ugadi feature. Ugadi is also a time when people look forward to a literary feast in the form of Kavi Sammelanam. Many poets come up with new poems written on subjects ranging - from Ugadi - to politics - to modern trends and lifestyles.

Ugadi Kavi Sammelanam is also a launch pad for new and budding poets. It is generally carried live on All India Radio, Television Channels (Doordarshan), following Panchanga Sravanam (New year calendar) narrating the way the new year would shape up in the lives of people and the state in general. Kavi (poets) of many hues - political, comic, satirical reformist, literary and melancholic - make an appearance on the Ugadi stage.

Ugadi is thus a festival of many shades. It ushers in the New Year, brings a rich bounce of flora and fills the hearts of people with joy and contentment.

10 things to learn from Japan

2011-03-25T21:44:00.007+05:30

JAPAN

10 things to learn from Japan

1. THE CALM - Not a single visual of chest-beating or wild grief. Sorrow itself has been elevated.

2. THE DIGNITY - Disciplined queues for water and groceries. Not a rough word or a crude gesture.

3. THE ABILITY - The incredible architects, for instance. Buildings swayed but didn't fall.

4. THE GRACE - People bought only what they needed for the present, so everybody could get something.

5. THE ORDER - No looting in shops. No honking and no overtaking on the roads. Just understanding.

6. THE SACRIFICE - Fifty workers stayed back to pump sea water in the N-reactors. How will they ever be repaid?

7. THE TENDERNESS - Restaurants cut prices. An unguarded ATM is left alone. The strong cared for the weak.

8. THE TRAINING - The old and the children, everyone knew exactly what to do. And they did just that.

9. THE MEDIA - They showed magnificent restraint in the bulletins. No silly reporters. Only calm reportage.

10. THE CONSCIENCE - When the power went off in a store, people put things back on the shelves and left quietly

A good mobile to have - Samsung Galaxy Ace S5830

2011-03-25T12:37:00.003+05:30

Samsung Galaxy Ace S5830

Key Features

5 MP Camera With GeoTagging With Face And Smile Detection
Accelerometer Sensor For UI Auto-rotate
Touch-sensitive Controls
TouchWiz V3.0 UI
Swype Text Input Method
Wi-Fi & 3.5G Connectivity
GPS With AGPS Support
DNSe Sound Enhancement

GALAXY ACE takes a minimalist design approach, a sophisticated mobile with smooth rounded edges and slim, compact size. A comfortable fit in the hand and pocket, the 3.5 inches TFT HVGA screen is a delight to watch. Equipped with a strong 800MHz processor and Wi-Fi that supports Android OS, GALAXY ACE offers a fully integrated one-page layout of phone book, IM, Email, and SNS, for those who are socially virtual and like to surf the web, download apps quickly, and share content with friends. The task of typing is made easy; GALAXY ACE features Quicktype by SWYPE, an intelligent interface that figures out what you are trying to write. Samsung Galaxy Ace fulfills most of features of a smartphone like HSDPA (3G) connectivity up to 7.2 Mbps.

A product of the Android OS explosion in the mobile market, Galaxy Ace comes integrated with the Android 2.2 Froyo OS, with features like 3G, Wi-Fi and 5 MP camera. Galaxy Ace's 3.5 Inches TFT Touchscreen is perfect for viewing high resolution images and videos. With features like multi- format music player with DNSe sound enhancement and 3.5 mm jack, Wi-Fi access, FM Radio, high quality Video recording with multi-format video player, and over 100,000 apps on the Android Market, there?s no limit to what your mobile can do! The GPS navigation, Digital Compass and location based services with access to Google applications like Google Maps.

ACE has a 5 MP camera which hides cool features like Panorama shoot mode, and 2x Digital Zoom. With USB (micro USB), WiFi, SyncML and Kies PC Sync, content transfer is seamless and fast. The Virtually Social can stay connected via mobile social networking using GTalk , and the host of loadable Social networking tools applications that can connect you socially on the Net and share media online. Business is pleasurable too with tools like Thinkfree Document viewer and editor, Voice memo and voice mail. The powerful energetic 1350 mAh battery lasts longer, letting you use the Ace's full capabilities.

SAP Labs and REVA Green Initiative

2011-03-23T11:40:00.008+05:30

Appreciate SAP Labs India's interest and initiative towards the green revolution. The company is driving it's employees to go for a environmental friendly car for commuting and is also providing good benefits to own the vehicle.

It is real good if all the major companies at Bangalore takes this initiative as this will help reducing the pollution in the city and we can try to maintain some greenery around us.

Rare Photographs of INDIA - 100 Years Ago

2011-03-11T21:57:00.030+05:30

Genetic Origin of Coorgs

2009-11-02T17:05:00.010+05:30

Last month i.e, October 2009, while I visited Kodava Samaja at Bangalore to collect 'Tala Kaveri Theertha', two ladies approached me and asked if I could help them to speak to some one at Kodava Samaja. The mother and daughter had come from the United States, and they were here to find out the genetic origin of the Coorgs, as this clan is one of the "vanishing races" here in South India.

I took them to the Samaja and as the Youth Committee had gathered there for a meet, I asked their help to lend a hand to the mother and daughter who were doing their Phd research. They collected my saliva samples in a container for examination. There were other adult coorgs giving the samples as well.

After collecting the samples, they would take it back to the US to continue their research. They told me that they would keep the Samaja officials informed about the progress of the research. We all indeed know that our clan is a 'vanishing race' and getting to know our origin is definitely very interesting. I must say, it is very very sad that a uniques and exclusive community like ours is diminishing day by day. I request all the Coorgs to help our community grow more and more in numbers everyday.

I am sure we don't want to see ourselves not existing here in this planet.

COORG - We belong here. - A Poem

2009-09-30T14:07:00.009+05:30

Coorg is so beautiful

Hearts of coorg divine,

Endless coffee estates and

Nice delicacies to dine;

Daring people all around

Amazingly look so good,

Nature is so exotic with the

Dazzling beauty of wood;

Alas !!! today we see in coorg

Danger days ahead for us all,

Its a heaven for others, as we

Lose ground, but coorgs don't fall;

All the coorgs, rise to say, we have

No fear; coorg is for coorgs we know, We belong here.

- Chendanda Dilan Uthappa

Dt:30Sep2009

This is a poem dedicated to every single Kodava, who loves his/her motherland.

Lets spread the message " COORG IS OURS - WE BELONG HERE "

The Moon Walker

2009-06-26T19:10:00.005+05:30

Today we have lost THE WORLD'S BEST TALENT and genius of the music industry.

He was PURE MAGIC. He may not be here with us any more . . . . . but,

he will walk on the moon and shine as a STAR, always.

He is the MOON WALKER, the one and only MICHEAL JACKSON.

May his soul Rest In Peace.

History of MJ - The King of Pop

2009-03-10T16:04:00.012+05:30

Micheal Jackson.

He has been my all time favorite dancer and pop star. There is none like him. His moves, talent, creative movies etc., has made him a historical figure. But the sad stories of his recent past has ruined him very badly. This is REAL SAD.

But for his sad stories, he is the one who will always remain in our hearts forever n ever.

Micheal, You are the Best.

Micheal, then . . . . and now ,

MJ in 1984

MJ in Bad

MJ in April 2007

MJ, recent close-up

MJ, very weak, gettin' outta his car

MJ, taken to court, in bad state

MJ near a book store, in a very bad state

MJ, in a very bad state, wheeled by his care taker

Holi - The colour of India

2009-03-09T14:34:00.003+05:30

Holi is a festival of colours. It is a popular Hindu festival observed in India, Guyana, Trinidad, the UK and Nepal. This very day our country gets colourful at its best.

In West Bengal, it is known as Dolyatra or Boshonto Utsav.On the first day, burning of the demoness Holika, Hiranyakashipu's sister, in huge bonfires at night. It is called Kama dahanam in Andhra Pradesh.On the second day, known as Dhulheti, people spend the day throwing coloured powder and water at each other.

The spring season, during which the weather changes, is believed to cause viral fever and cold. Thus, the playful throwing of the coloured powders has a medicinal significance: the colours are traditionally made of Neem, Kumkum, Haldi, Bilva, and other medicinal herbs prescribed by Āyurvedic doctors. A special drink called thandai is prepared, sometimes containing bhang.

Rangapanchami occurs a few days later on a Panchami (fifth day of the full moon), marking the end of festivities involving colours. Holi takes place over two days in the later part of February or March. As per the Hindu calendar, it falls on the Phalgun Purnima.

2009-03-09T13:54:00.007+05:30

Dr.Vijay Mallya, Indian businessman, Chairman of UB Group, Kingfisher Airlines has purchased the Mahathma Gandhi’s personal belongings which were sold in an Auction in New York.

Mahatma Gandhi's trademark leather sandals, steel-rimmed glasses, his watch, and vessels

Hopefully Dr. Mallya will donate these items to the Indian Government. He was represented by Tony Bedi, who quoted the highest price of US$1.8 million (INR 9 crores). The second highest bid was US$ 1.75 million which was quoted online.

Vijay Mallya of Bangalore has made our country proud again. This is the spirit of "Patriotism", that can be found in only few business man. Many of them are cash-rich, but patriotically poor.

This very man stands apart. He has also donated sixty kilos of gold for the construction of the very popular Ayyappa Swamy temple at Shabari Malay, Kerala.

Earlier in 2004 Dr.Vijay Mallya had rescued the sword of Tipu Sultan in an auction.

Dr. MALLYA, WE RESPECT YOUR PATRIOTISM FOR INDIA. THIS IS THE KIND OF FAITH WE ALL MUST HAVE FOR OUR MOTHER LAND. IF GANDHIJI WAS ALIVE, HE WOULD REALLY BE VERY HAPPY INDEED.

Fuel Cell Homes at Japan

2009-03-02T14:51:00.004+05:30

Japan has Fuel Cell homes now. What at way to go eco-friendly. Indeed, this is a major break-through in energy consumption and saving. I appreciate the initiative to save the planet and energy.

When introducing the residential fuel cell co-generation system, there are merits from the environmental and family budget standpoints.

Learn more about the merits here,

http://www.tokyo-gas.co.jp/pefc_e/dev-fc_21.html

Satyam Saga continues . . .

2009-02-25T16:45:00.010+05:30

Its quite some time now, ever since the Satyam's dooms day happenned. Things have taken many shapes at the organisation level, and yet some more crucial things have to unfold.

All are wondering waiting to see if the company will be acuired. But as of now, no one knows which company will be acquiring Satyam Computers.

Should Satyam be acquired ??

Can't the company continue to go ahead as "Satyam" ??

Won't the management be able to run the organisation with out mergers or acquisitions ??

Is there are finance hurdle to do this ??

I have a lots of questions running in my mind right now, but have not been able to figure it out as yet. But in any case, which ever may be the company that's going to acquire Satyam, I am very sure that the deal will not be a regret at all.

Satyam has a very solid strength and has a very mature and capable working force. The potential with in Satyam is unbelievable. The organisation has worked on some of the best of the projects in the industry and has delivered them exceptionally well. The learning and the training processes with in Satyam are intense and has quality. These factors help everyone at Satyam to develop and build on their strengths. The experience is put to work and it yields extra-ordinary results. Hence the strong work-force at Satyam has been moving on with confidence and positive mind-set with out losing the grip.

Its raining Oscars at India

2009-02-25T11:13:00.009+05:30

The 81st Academy Awards have been announced and its raining Oscars here at India. A very proud moment indeed.

Hearty Congratulations to,

1. Academy Award winner, A R Rahman (Music Composer) - Two award winner

Original name : A S Dileep Kumar

India the 'Super Nation', is shining and making its name in many areas in the world, was once longing for the Oscars. Many talented actors like Kamal Hassan, Aamir Khan etc., and many directors like Ashutosh Gowitrikar and many more have been trying to achive the Oscars.

And finally, here we have today, Oscars galore. A R Rahman is the first Indian to win two Oscars for the Best Original Score ‘Slumdog Millionaire’ and its foot-tapping song ‘Jai Ho’. The movie Slumdog Millionaire is directed by Danny Boyle.

A. R. Rahman was born to a Tamil Hindu family. His father R. K. Shekhar, was a composer and conductor for Malayalam-language films of Keralite cinema. He converted to Islam in 1989.

Rehman’s stint in Sandalwood

Source : http://www.deccanherald.com/Content/Feb242009/city20090224120400.asp

Bangalore, DHNS: Kannada film fraternity is thrilled with A R Rahman creating history by winning two Oscars. Rahman has his own contribution to Sandalwood. As a new entrant to the industry, he worked for 10 - 12 films in Kannada as a key-board player.

Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce (KFCC) has also invited Rahman for its platinum jubilee celebrations scheduled between March 1 and 3.

Rahman worked for Kannada movies between 1984 and 1988. He started his career in Kannada, with music director Vijayananda by playing key board for Indina Ramayana, produced by Dwarakish.

Rahman worked for Dance Raja Dance, Nee Thanda Kanike, Ravana Rajya, Krishna Nee Kunidaga - all produced by Dwarakish. Later he worked with Hamsalekha, noted music director of Kannada for two years.

2. Academy Award winner, Gulzar (Lyricist)

Original name : Sampooran Singh Kalra better known by his pen name, Gulzar Deenvi

3. Academy Award winner, Resul Pookutty (Sound Mixer)

Other Academy Award winner Indians,

Academy Honorary Award winner, Satyajit Ray (Filmmaker)

Ray with his Academy Award just days before his death.

This award was given to the likes of Charlie Chaplin, Walt Disney, Robert Redford, Warner Bros, Deborrah Kerr among others; so i guess that makes it really special.

Academy Award winner, Bhanu Athaiya Rajopadhye (Best Costume Designer)

She shared an Oscar with John Mollo for the movie "Gandhi" (1982) in Costume Design category. She won it, whereas Ray was awarded.

Pink Chaddi Vs Ram Sene

2009-02-13T14:00:00.010+05:30

I think there's nothing much to talk about anybody here since all of us are acting very primitive.

Hence, people . . . . . " Let us behave ", and look like PROUD INDIANS instead of being a laughing stock to the outer world.

Let us try to respect everybody's feelings and learn,

" How we need to behave and How we need to be ".

Tips to get smarter, better at work

2009-02-12T14:40:00.001+05:30

Here are some simple and effective tips that could enhance your career to a greater extent.

1. Effective communication forms the foundation for a positive work alliance. You need to be able to tell your potential ally what you need and listen deeply to what they need.

2. Treat your allies as equals. No matter their position within your organization, all people are equal; they just have different jobs. Believe this.

3. Exhibit total professionalism. Never participate in gossip or in discussing the business of coworkers behind their backs.

4. Make sure you are not forming an exclusive club that the rest of your organization will fear and resent. But, you must take the time to develop strong relationships with your allies.

5. When working on a project together, always put forth your best efforts. Be the person who is willing to do extra to strengthen the collaboration and the outcome or product.

6. Keep your promises. If you say you will do something, do it. People need to depend upon you and the deadlines to which you commit.

7. Resolve any conflicts or disputes at your earliest opportunity. Unresolved conflict festers just under the surface in organizations.

8. Be an ally. Support your colleague’s ability to accomplish his or her mission, too. Give credit for ideas and solutions.

9. Effective managers delegate and don’t micromanage. Prioritize your tasks to focus on the important ones.

10. Your workspace should keep you motivated, not provide hot spots for daydreaming. Dress up your desk with items that keep you focused.

11. Too much to do at work? Add another task to your list: take a vacation and relax. People can’t operate at full throttle on the job day after day.

12. It’s a fact that taking breaks will increase productivity. It’s been proven in studies. If you need to, find someone to help ensure you take a morning and afternoon break.

13. Establish a routine of planning your week and your day. This will allow you to have your most productive week all the time.

14. Delegate or delete the non-essential items from your to-do list. The best way to do this is to always do your most important things first.

15. Make sure you plan in enough time between activities and appointments, and find ways to fail proof being on time.

16. Choose to enjoy your time at work. Find others who are like this and spread good cheer. It’s contagious and it grows.

17. Deadlines, tough bosses, rude clients, slow computers. Don’t make them into large dramas. Don’t lament the challenges of the world.

18. Try doing something different. If you always go on a trip, try taking a more local vacation, and really get some good rest time.

19. When you complain or fight on everything, then your power to ask for things is diminished. Save it up for when you really need it.

20. Don’t wait for your company to tell you what to do. Think creatively about how you can work with others to generate a greater result than if you had each worked on this alone.

21. If you are asked a question that stumps you or surprises you, never feel like you have to answer it right away. Seek more time to think about or research your answer.

22. Don’t immediately reject critiques from others, even if you don’t like or respect them. Sometimes people you don’t like may be giving you more honest feedback.

23. Be open to change. Give it a chance. Adapt to new things while using your experience to guide you, and you will have great success.

24. Always be on the lookout for opportunities to learn and improve your skills. Look for good seminars and training.

25. Set up a routine for “busy days” - perhaps you work 2-4 extra hours, and stick to that schedule, working nothing beyond it.

26. Schedule things like “break”, “coffee”, or even “video games” into your calendar just like you would a conference call.

27. There is a time and a place for perfectionism - when things are busy, consciously choose the areas in which you are willing to slack.

28. Whether it be business or personal support, busy times call for a morale boost on a regular basis. Hire a temp virtual assistant or call a good friend.

29. Everyone has a few things that are guaranteed to bring your stress level down to normal. Know your ‘relax buttons’ and get them on your schedule now.

30. For many people, a computer is the central tool at work. Optimizing the energy settings for computers and other devices can be more than a modest energy saver.

Make your own Paper Cup Speakers

2009-02-12T14:06:00.009+05:30

Get Innovative, make your own 'cool eco-friendly speakers' from paper cups

This is one cool thing to make and have. Its pretty simple and easy. Try your hands on it and there you have a cool set of speakers to rock.
This was originally created by artist Dmitry Zagga.

The PaperCup speakers are based on the principle of a megaphone: Energy from sound waves from the earbuds would normally disperse in all directions. Instead, the cups focus the sound waves in a particular direction, making it louder for those in front.

All you need is:

A pair of earbud headphones.
Four paper drink cups, preferably large ones for better sound.
Two toothpicks
A small knife or scissors to cut a cross behind the cups to insert the headphones.
And a MP3 player, of course

Note : Adjust the equalizer settings manually as per your requirement for better sound and clarity.

Want to get more innovative, then check these, am sure all the ‘Coffee Addicts’ will love these Coffee cups turned Speakers

'Eco-friendly Starbucks' Coffee cup Speakers set connect to a computer

'Starbucks Coffee Cup Speakers' found at the popular coffee shop Starbucks.

The coffee cups turned speakers look nice. The speakers are functional and are easy to make. You can used a TDA1552Q amplifier chip and a couple or more coffee cups from Starbucks or from any cafe of your choice.

Now, go ahead and make your own Paper Cup Speakers, it’s simple.

Save Tax without investing a penny (Tax at India)

2009-02-12T13:37:00.007+05:30

Tax planning often brings to mind the need to shell out funds for investment, but how about saving taxes without investing? Not a single penny goes out of your pocket and you still save taxes! Many of these options would be expenses that you would anyway incur, and yet allow you to save tax. We cover the range of options of saving tax without investing.

Exemptions

Exemptions can go a long way in enabling you to save taxes, often one fails to take adequate advantage of these. We take a quick trip across various exemptions that one can claim to reduce taxes significantly. Many of the exemptions do not have a value limit, but are limited indirectly through a set of conditions as seen in Table 1.

Tax Free Perquisites

Company Car EMI arrangement : The EMI paid towards your car will be directly reduced, thereby reducing your tax liability. Food coupons, petrol/telephone re-imbursements are all items that will reduce your taxability.

Many of these are tax-free in the hands of the employee but are taxable in the hands of the company through Fringe Benefit Tax (FBT). Many companies recover the FBT from the employee. This is still a better option, because the FBT tax rate is much lower than the normal tax rate that an employee pays.

Housing Loan Benefits

Home loans provide significant tax breaks. Housing loan Equated Monthly Installments (EMIs) have two components — Interest Payment and Principal Repayment. The interest paid towards such loan can be claimed under section 24 under the head ‘Loss from House Property’.

For a self-occupied property, the overall limit is Rs 1.5 lakh towards Interest. There is no limit for the let out property and is computed based on the Net Annual Value which is Rent — Municipal Taxes.

There is a 30 per cent deduction towards Maintenance from the Net Annual Value. Interest on home loan can be set off from this, irrespective of limit. Apart from the Interest benefit above, the principal is eligible for benefit Under Section 80C. One must keep in mind that under Section 80C there are other tax saving investment options.

Section 80C

Provident Fund (PF) : There is a mandatory component set aside from your salary, 12 per cent of your basic, which will qualify for deduction under section 80C. The employee’s contribution will qualify for this deduction.

Interest from National Savings Certificate : If you have invested in NSC, then the interest accrued thereof will qualify as deduction under section 80C. However, such interest is also taxed under head ‘Income from other sources,’ thereby effectively striking off the benefit.

Children Education Tuition Fee : The inclusion of Children’s Tuition Fees under Section 80C is a welcome move for parents as education costs have spiraled. However, keep in mind that the benefit is only available for tuition fees and not under any other head.

It is common practice for schools to give multiple receipts. Only the portion marked as Tuition fees will be eligible.

There are definitely many ways to save tax apart from the tax-saving investments. Use them to increase your take-home and create wealth.

Sourced article.

(The author of this article is the founder and CEO, Right Horizons, a wealth management firm.)

Some interesting thoughts . . .

2009-02-12T13:22:00.004+05:30

Hard work : All hard work brings a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty.

Laziness : A sleeping lobster is carried away by the water current.

Earnings : Never depend on a single source of income. [ At least make your Investments get you a second earning ]

Spending : If you buy things you don't need, you'll soon sell things you need.

Savings : Don't save what is left after spending; Spend what is left after saving.

Borrowings : The borrower becomes the lender's slave.

Accounting : It's no use carrying an umbrella, if your shoes are leaking.

Auditing : Beware of little expenses; A small leak can sink a large ship.

Risk : Never test the depth of the river with both feet. [ Have an alternate plan ready ]

Investment : Don’t put all your eggs in one basket.

Satyam Saga continues . . .

2009-02-03T15:57:00.006+05:30

The employees at Satyam Computers are eagerly waiting for the forth coming decesions. Every one is looking forward to new happennings and are whishing, things will fall back to normal and the company comes completely on track.

On the development track, it looks like the company is getting the grip back, in a slow and step by step phase. This definitely looks like a good sign, but the company's base needs to get more steady and strong. This will be a good assurance to all the Satyam employees out there.

We have to still be in the 'wait and watch' mode to find out about the latest upcomings. Hope to see the dark clouds moving and the sun shining bright again soon. The employees are still very strong mentally awaiting for brighter days in future.

How Money flows ( Cash flow ) ?

2009-01-29T15:58:00.003+05:30

Cash flow statements throw light on the cash generating ability of a company.

Besides the balance-sheet and profit and loss account, the statement of cash flows is also a key disclosure forming part of a company’s annual report. It is a summary of receipts and payments disclosing the movement of cash during the period under consideration.

The CFS assumes significance as it reflects the liquidity and solvency position of a company. It throws light on the ability of the company to generate cash from its core operations, and where from it sources funds for expansion. Also, unlike the profit and loss account, which is based on the accrual method of accounting, the CFS discloses the actual movement of cash. Hence, it is also a useful tool to gauge a company’s ability to effectively manage cash. For example, while profit figures by itself may not help the company plan for repayment of debt and replacement of assets, an analysis of the cash flows will provide information on the funds available for the same.

Operating activities

Cash flows are classified under three heads — operating, investing and financing activities. Operating activities are defined as ‘the principal revenue-producing activities of an enterprise’. Cash sales, receipts from debtors, payment to suppliers, payment of salaries, selling and distribution of expenses, all fall under this head.

Actual cash flows differ from profits. A company may be low on cash but reported good earnings and vice-versa. The CFS explains the reason for this divergence. Consider this case. A company that has sold its goods on credit (captured as debtors) may take time or have trouble realising the cash. This may elongate the company’s working capital cycle and force it to resort to other funding options to keep the production cycle moving. Similarly, a company may have produced goods but piled them up as inventory without quickly converting them into revenues.

Here again the cost of holding such inventory instead of converting it into cash would affect operations. Both these may also be indicators of a slowing demand (in case of inventory build up) or higher risk of debtors becoming bad. Thus, a study of operating cash flows may be a key indicator of a company’s health or provide cues for any impending trouble in its business or financial position.

Investing and financing

While purchase and sale of fixed assets, investments, interest income/dividend received are examples of cash flows from investing activities, receipts from the issue of shares and debentures, repayment of loans, payment of dividends fall under financial activities. These are disclosed under separate heads in the CFS. Investing activities indicate the extent to which a company has spent on resources that generate future income and cash flows. Flows from financing activities indicate the various avenues from which a company’s funds are sourced and the debt servicing and repayments made to such sources.

Negative cash flows

Theoretically, positive operating cash flows are considered an indicator of efficiency. But does that mean that operating cash flows should not be negative? Take the case of GMR infrastructure: In its annual report for 2007-08, the company reports a negative cash flow of about Rs 56.5 crore in its stand alone operations. At the same time, cash inflow from financing activities was a whopping Rs 4,095 crore as the company raisedfunds through issue of shares.This is typical of companies in the growth phase which raise money to expand operations and generate future cash flows (after a lag) whether directly or through subsidiaries.

Negative cash flow in one year should not be immediately misconstrued for trouble. An analysis of cash flows from one period to another may provide a better indicator of performance.

Negative cash flows from investing could suggest that the company is incurring capital expenditure, which would generate income in future. When a company is repaying debt or buying back shares or paying dividends, cash from financing operations tends to be negative. However, in this case, there is often sufficient cash generated from operations to make the above-stated payments.

Cash-rich companies

Sometimes, we read about companies sitting on several crores of surplus cash. This may be used for investing in new assets, expanding capacities, repaying debt or pay hefty dividends. It may also be used to fund inorganic growth plans (acquisitions). Some cash-rich companies also actively scout for short term investing opportunities and generate substantial treasury income.

Judging a stock’s value

2009-01-21T16:51:00.003+05:30

A look at valuation metrics.

The thought of buying stocks may seem daunting, especially if you have read through textbooks that say that stocks should be bought when they trade below their intrinsic value. But how can you arrive at this intrinsic value? Well, that’s where valuation metrics come in. Read on to learn about some of these metrics and the stories they tell.

Price-earnings (PE) ratio: A key value indicator, the PE ratio measures the price that the stock market is willing to pay for every rupee of net profits (earnings) generated by the company per share.

When the ratio is on the high side, it means that investors are willing to pay more for that stock, because they expect its earnings to grow at a faster rate than its peers. Normally, a stock with a low PE ratio is cheap, if that isn’t reflecting high growth expectations. For example, a good part of last year saw real estate stocks command quite a premium over other sectors.

Price-to-book value: This is another ratio used to value stocks. It is arrived at by dividing the market price per share by the book value of each share. But what, in the first place, is book value? In essence, it is the assets of the company (such as land, plant and machinery etc) after deducting liabilities. In other words, it shows how much would be left for shareholders if the company folded immediately.

Dividend yield: This ratio is a measure of the dividend paid out by the company relative to its share price. If, as an investor, you give higher weightage to earning steady cash flows rather than capital gains, stocks with high dividend yields may be what you should look at.

Market capitalization: Simply put the price per share multiplied by the total number of outstanding shares. The market capitalization is often used to gauge what the market is willing to pay for an entire company. Apart from being used in takeover situations, ratios such as market cap-to-sales are used to value companies, especially so when they are yet to generate book profits.

A more evolved metric is the enterprise value (EV) or the sum of the market cap and debt of the company reduced by its cash balance. The EV reflects the market value of the company or the amount you might have to pay if you bought out the company. EV is used in relation to parameters such as sales. This metric is often used when analyzing cement companies.

A stock is said to be overvalued, if it enjoys a higher PE ratio or a higher price-to-book value relative to its peers in the sector or its growth prospects. Undervalued stocks are those that trade at low ratios, but have strong prospects which have been overlooked by investors.

What to apply

Ratios such as price-to-earnings or price-to-book can be calculated on a historic basis (past earnings) or expected future earnings (estimated). However, price and earnings ratios may be used only where the company has been around for some time and has logged revenues and profits.

For loss-making companies, ratios based on market capitalization to sales or enterprise value may provide a better assessment of their businesses’ worth. While the ratios discussed above are universally used, some may be more suitable to a specific sector than others.

For example, when looking at banking stocks, book value shows a better picture of assets and liabilities (since they indicate future earning capacity) than a simple earnings ratio.

Source: Hindu

Remarkable Reunion Day - 18-Jan-2009, Sunday

2009-01-21T16:08:00.010+05:30

18-Jan-2009, Sunday - This was a remarkable day indeed for me and my 4 friends from college days. We had a Reunion after a very very long time indeed, may be after 12 years or so.

We were a group of 5 friends back in the college days.

1. Dilan (Myself)

2. Madhu

3. Manjunath (Razor)

4. Manjunath (Koli)

5. Balu

All were glad to see each other well settled now in life though we were pranksters in the college then.

Dilan works as Project Manager in a major IT company, Madhu works as Manager - Systems at a major news paper media company, Manjunath (Razor) works as a Sales Manager for a electronics company, Manjunath (Koli) owns a well settled business set-up, and Balu works as a Testing Manager for Dell.

We once had one helluva time while in college and we cherished those moments when we met each other at Three Quarter Chinese restaurant at Brigade Road, Bangalore. We had some nice grub and enjoyed the day.

Here is our picture clicked at the restaurant.

From right : Balu, Manja (Razor), Madhu, Manja (Koli), Dilan.

Satyam Saga continues . . .

2009-01-09T14:12:00.010+05:30

Today it looked like things are very gradually developing in a better way. It looks like there is a positive light some where beaming through the difficult time. Personally I feel that things will get better soon and Satyam Computer Services Ltd., will quickly be able to ride the IT wave once again like before. (I don't know what makes me so positive, but I am...)

But its real sad and pathetic that in the IT (Information Technology) fraternity there are some key players like Infosys and Wipro who are getting some cheap thrills by talking ill about Satyam. I guess they have forgotten that they too are birds of same feather. Instead of degrading or condemning Satyam, it would look much better and matured if they talk like leaders as Infosys is quoted as a respected IT organization in the IT fraternity in India and across the globe. After all the fact of the matter is that all the top Indian IT companies are like the fishes of the same sea, i.e., IT. Grow up people . . . .

All are eagerly waiting for the further developments of the Satyam Saga. The employees of Satyam are demonstrating their strength and are displaying complete maturity at this hour of distress. They are standing by the company and are completely dedicated towards their every day work and delivering results and are mentally very stable.

All the very best to all the Satyam employees who are doing their best to keep the spirits high at this bad time.

Satyam's Shock of the Day

2009-01-07T14:39:00.017+05:30

This is indeed is a very sad news about Satyam that has sent shock waves all over.

One of the Indian IT majors - Satyam Computer Services Ltd., was hammered so bad due to some financial irregularities related issues. This took the country (and the IT world) by a storm and the feeling in the air is so very uncomfortable. The facts are so indigestible that an organisation so strong in every aspect could come under the dark cold black cloud. This news created a serious intense uncomfort in the organisation's employees' minds and is traumatic and chaotic.

The world has witnessed similar traumatic situations and scenarios in various other industry segments but this is kinda of first time in the IT world at this scale. The impact was so hard on Satyam as it was one THE BEST IT companies around. It had such huge credibility in the market.

Today Satyam is facing its worst of the nightmares and is currently facing the challenge in the IT industry. We have seen enough ups and downs of different industires in this global market, and now we have to wait and watch out for the new turns and bends in the upcoming events.

Satyam is an organisation that can be on track soon with a strong, concrete decesion making and effective plans to be a credible lead player again. Its real sad, this happened to Satyam, lets wait and watch positively.

New Year Resolution for 2009

2009-01-05T16:44:00.002+05:30

Have you already made a New Year Resolution for 2009 ??

If so, please make or add this “Environmental friendly” resolution into your New Year Resolutions list.

~ Say NO to PLASTIC CARRY BAGS.

~ Do NOT use PAPER BAGS, as this causes deforestation

~ Use a cloth / fabric bags instead. This is bio-degradable.

Save your environment and Love your environment, This is the ONLY place where we can live.

Please visit this site to learn more about “less plastic”

http://lessplasticmorelife.org/

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year 2009

2008-12-24T18:10:00.019+05:30

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year 2009

Peace n' love always . . .

One awesome Google Gmail Tip.

2008-12-19T11:49:00.006+05:30

Just about when I thought I got everything out of Gmail, I discovered my top favorite feature.

Let’s say that your email address is ‘GeorgeBush@gmail.com’, basically everything sent to any of the following email addresses will be forwarded to your primary email....

- GeorgeBush@gmail.com

- G.eorgeBush@gmail.com

- Ge.orgeBush@gmail.com

- GeorgeBus.h@gmail.com

- GeorgeBush@googlemail.com

- G.eorgeBush@googlemail.com

- Ge.orgeBush@googlemail.com

And that’s not all, you can place as many dots as you want, it can be even something like ‘G.e.o.r.g.e.B.u.s.h@gmail.com’ and you’ll still get it on ‘GeorgeBush@gmail.com’.

Additionally, I just also found out that you can embed random text to your email ID using ‘+’ sign. That is to say ‘GeorgeBush+anythingyouwant@gmail.com’ can be used as your email address, as well.

Ok I got it. Now what ?

1. One email for every purpose

Instead of using different email addresses for various purposes (work, school, friends, etc.) you can use different variations of your Gmail and filter incoming mails by ’sent to’ address. For instance, all incoming mail sent to ‘Name.Surname@gmail.com’ can be put to folder ‘work’, messages sent to ‘NameSurname@gmail.com’ can be put to ‘friends’, ‘N.ameSurname@gmail.com’ can be used for newsletters, and so on.

2. Track/Block spammers

When signing up for some website, say thatwebsite.com, you can add thatwebsite to your Gmail user ID (e.g. GeorgeBush+thatwebsite@gmail.com).

This way you can block your subscription whenever you want and even identify those websites that distribute your email address to spammers.

India’s first ever AC bus shelter in Bangalore

2008-12-17T16:24:00.003+05:30

Bus passengers in Bengaluru can now look forward to a pleasant experience while waiting for buses. Bharti Airtel has launched India’s first ever air-conditioned bus shelter in Bengaluru city in association with BIG Street, a subsidiary of Reliance BIG Entertainment Limited. B.E. Govindaraju, joint commissioner (advertisement and markets), Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), inaugurated the bus shelter.

Airtel air conditioned bus shelter is situated on the pavement diagonally opposite to Sree Kanteerava Indoor Stadium and is adjacent to the pavement near Cubbon Park entrance (Kasturba road). With dimensions of approximately 25x8 feet, it can accommodate 20 people at a time and will be manned by a uniformed guard.

This project is a quantum leap in the kind of technological and design prowess utilized by BIG Street so far.With India’s first ever AC bus shelter coming up in the city, Bangalore underlines its cosmopolitan image by offering world class facilities to citizens.

Introducing - The New XO-1 Laptop Computer

2008-12-13T15:07:00.008+05:30

The One Laptop Per Child Association, Inc. (OLPC) is a U.S. non-profit organization set up to oversee the creation of an affordable educational device for use in the developing world. Its current focus is on the development, construction and deployment of the XO-1 laptop. OLPC has generated a great deal of interest in the Information and Communication Technologies for Development (ICT4D) and One to one computing fields of research. OLPC is a 501(c)(3) organization registered in Delaware, USA.

OLPC is funded by member organizations, including AMD, Brightstar Corporation, eBay, Google, Marvell, News Corporation, SES, Nortel Networks, and Red Hat.

Each company has donated two million dollars.

The organization is chaired by Nicholas Negroponte. Other principals of the company include Jim Gettys, Vice-President of Software Engineering and Charles Kane, President and Chief Operating Officer.

Check the product here, http://www.laptop.org/en/laptop/index.shtml

The $100 Laptop

The XO will be available in the US starting November 17

Hardware

To make the laptop the energy efficient and usable throughout the world, the XO-1 has incorporated some ingenious ideas.

· 802.11b/g/s Wireless LAN connects children with other XO-1 users and share a internet connection amongst themselves. That was children from remote communities needn't be near a wireless transmitter, just near other classmates.
· To save on energy and make it more durable, it has a 1 GB Flash Drive instead of a Hard-Drive.

· The Operating System is an easy to use but programmable Fedora-Core Based OP (Linux).
· The XO-1 uses a AMD Geode LX700@0.8W + 5536. This might seem slow but it was designed to operate efficiently without the use of a cooling fan.
· For memory it has a 256 MB DRAM.
· Its LCD monitor gives off a two way resolution so that you never realise you are looking at a LCD screen.

Most Laptops use from 10 to 45 Watts of power, the XO-1 is designed to operate at only 2 W. Making it less than a computer left on standby.

Software

Many companies have come forward and developed software for the XO-1 to be free of charge.

 The system will use a version of Fedora Core Linux as the operating system.

 A simple web browser that is based on the Gecko engine used by Mozilla Firefox.

 A word processor based on AbiWord.

 Email through the web-based Gmail service.

 Online chat and VoIP programs.

 Several interpreted programming languages, including Forth, Logo, JavaScript, Python, Csound, and the eToys version of Squeak.
 A music sequencer with digital instruments: Jean Piché's TamTam

 Audio and video player software: Mplayer or Helix.

How Microsoft Surface Touch Screen Computer Works

2008-12-13T12:15:00.004+05:30

Microsoft Surface: Behind-the-Scenes First Look

The software giant has built a new touchscreen computer—a coffee table that will change the world. Go inside its top-secret development with PopularMechanics.com, then forget the keyboard and mouse: The next generation of computer interfaces will be hands-on.

Diagram by Intoaroute

(1) Screen: A diffuser turns the Surface's acrylic tabletop into a large horizontal "multitouch" screen, capable of processing multiple inputs from multiple users. The Surface can also recognize objects by their shapes or by reading coded "domino" tags.

(2) Infrared: Surface's "machine vision" operates in the near-infrared spectrum, using an 850-nanometer-wavelength LED light source aimed at the screen. When objects touch the tabletop, the light reflects back and is picked up by multiple infrared cameras with a net resolution of 1280 x 960.

(3) CPU: Surface uses many of the same components found in everyday desktop computers — a Core 2 Duo processor, 2GB of RAM and a 256MB graphics card. Wireless communication with devices on the surface is handled using WiFi and Bluetooth antennas (future versions may incorporate RFID or Near Field Communications). The underlying operating system is a modified version of Microsoft Vista.

(4) Projector: Microsoft's Surface uses the same DLP light engine found in many rear-projection HDTVs. The footprint of the visible light screen, at 1024 x 768 pixels, is actually smaller than the invisible overlapping infrared projection to allow for better recognition at the edges of the screen.

The Anti-PC

The name Surface comes from "surface computing," and Microsoft envisions the coffee-table machine as the first of many such devices. Surface computing uses a blend of wireless protocols, special machine-readable tags and shape recognition to seamlessly merge the real and the virtual world — an idea the Milan team refers to as "blended reality." The table can be built with a variety of wireless transceivers, including Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and (eventually) radio frequency identification (RFID) and is designed to sync instantly with any device that touches its surface.

One of the key components of surface computing is a "multitouch" screen. It is an idea that has been floating around the research community since the 1980s and is swiftly becoming a hip new product interface — Apple's new iPhone has multitouch scrolling and picture manipulation. Multitouch devices accept input from multiple fingers and multiple users simultaneously, allowing for complex gestures, including grabbing, stretching, swiveling and sliding virtual objects across the table. And the Surface has the added advantage of a horizontal screen, so several people can gather around and use it together. Its interface is the exact opposite of the personal computer: cooperative, hands-on, and designed for public spaces.

If it seems as though the Surface machine sprang up out of nowhere, that's only because Microsoft has been unusually secretive about it. Early designs of the table were displayed around the room as evidence of the product's long development cycle; rejected shapes included "squashed white egg" and "podium." Steven Bathiche, research manager for the project, has been involved since the beginning (in 2001) when he and fellow researcher Andy Wilson first dreamed up the idea of a tabletop computer. Bathiche spoke about the Milan project's evolution with the evident excitement of a man who's had to keep the most important thing he's ever done a secret for six years. "We've gone through several generations of this machine," he said. "The first was a proof-of-concept called T1, and we just hacked it into an IKEA table."

And there it was, partially disassembled, behind me. It looked as if they had attacked the prefab particleboard furniture from the Swedish superstore with a Sawzall, then stuffed in off-the-shelf computer parts, cameras, projectors and mirrors until it all worked. The idea went straight to the top: Once Bill Gates okayed it, surface computing moved from a heady research project to the nuts-and-bolts planning of product development.

Source : www.popularmechanics.com

Puttari namme (Huttari festival) - Coorg

2008-12-11T11:41:00.017+05:30

"Wish you all a Happy Puttari Namme"

Today we celebrate Puttari at Coorg (Kodagu).

Puttari ( Huttari ) is the traditional harvest festival known for a variety of folk songs and dances being displayed. It is observed in November / December. Each village presents it own set of discipline and dances during the annual fairs at its temple, which is the main center of cultural activities.

When the Paddy crop is ready for harvest, the villagers chant "Poli Poli Deva" and a little crop is cut, bound in small bunches and is handed out to all those present during the occasion. The bunch of Paddy crop will be taken home by the folks and is preserved as a sign of prosperity.

More about "Puttari"

Puttari means new rice, and is the rice harvest festival (also called huttari in adjacent Kannada-speaking country). This takes place in late November or early December. Celebrations and preparations for this festival start a week in advance.

On the Puttari day, the whole family assemble in their ain mane (the common family house) which is decorated with flowers and green mango and banana leaves. Specific foods are prepared: thambuttu, puttari, kari, and poli poli. Then the eldest member of the family hands a sickle to the head of the family, and one of the women leads a procession to the paddy fields, with a lit lamp in her hands. The path leading to the field is decorated. A gunshot is fired to mark the beginning of the harvest, with chanting of "Poli Poli Deva" (prosperity) by all the people present there. Then the symbolic harvesting of the crop begins. The rice is cut and stacked and tied in odd numbers, and is then carried home, to be offered to the gods there.

The younger people then burst firecrackers and revel, symbolizing prosperity. Groups of youngsters then visit the neighboring houses and show off their dancing skills, and are given monetary gifts. A week later, this money is pooled and a community dinner of the entire village) is celebrated. All the family members gather for this meal. Dinner normally consists of meat dishes such as pork and fish curry. Alcoholic drinks are also served at such feasts.

A Good Leader knows the Team's Colors

2008-12-10T16:57:00.008+05:30

Leadership can be a very challenging task.

As leaders we don't always get to choose who is on our team. In fact very often a leader inherits a team, of which most of the members have been there far longer than the leader, and may even know more about the work than the leader. Whatever the situation, one of the responsibilities of a leader is to motivate the team to all work together towards the common goal. This can be a daunting challenge. So often the team is comprised of very diverse members, each with their own strengths, weaknesses, and work styles. The team dynamics are also often complicated by internal disagreements and personal conflicts. The leader, not only has work with this group of people, but also needs to achieve the results expected by their superiors.

Leaders can great benefit by being able to identify the types of personality characteristics of team members.

By understanding the basic personality types, the leader can use individual strengths of members for the good of the team, as well as assign tasks that individual team members naturally excel in. A leader can also learn to communicate in a way that is motivating, by taking into account the needs, values and working preferences of different team members. A good leader will see the greatest results by working and utilizing the strengths and working style characteristics of the personalities on the team. By correctly positioning the individual member strengths and compensating for weaknesses, the leader can bring the team into a productive balance and harmony.

A brief overview of the different values and working styles of the four main personality types demonstrates the importance of this knowledge being part of the successful leadership toolbox. The four types of personality will be described using the colours Gold, Blue, Green and Orange .

The strong Gold employee takes work and responsibility very seriously. Gold personalities want to contribute, be part of the team, and to be successful and productive. They respond well to recognition, rewards and incentives. However Gold team members need well defined responsibilities and structure, firm expectations and timelines as well as being reassured from authority that they are on the right track.

The strong Blue personality needs an open, social atmosphere to be able work well. Relationships are very important for them, and they need the freedom to be able to nurture relationships with coworkers, customers and employers.. Conflict and intense competition are painful for a strong Blue, but they will thrive in a positive, creative, service orientated atmosphere.

A strong Green personality is more noted for expertise rather than people skills. They are excellent working with facts, data, research and analytical projects. Greens shine in their ability for designing, understanding complex systems and strategy. Facts are of utmost importance for the Green, but they have a weakness for routine follow through and are somewhat insensitive in social interactions.

Orange team members are noticeable by their energy, skill and creativity. A key factor for an Orange is the freedom to be able to use their skills and abilities. If there is too much structure, or their boss is very authoritarian, the orange personality feels blocked and does not function well. Orange personalities like people and work well in a spirit of teamwork, competition and camaraderie. They are action orientated, though and become impatient with prolonged talking and detailed administrative tasks.

A leader, by knowing the colors of his team, can use this knowledge to blend the team members into a unified, well coordinated picture poised for success. By facilitating each team member to function in their areas of natural strength and motivating them by communicating in a way that inspires harmony and team work, the leader is well on the way to achieving extraordinary results.

Yamaha FZ16 - The Beast

2008-12-10T13:52:00.010+05:30

Websites:

http://www.yamaha-motor-india.com/fz16/index.html

http://www.yamaha-motor-india.com/product/fz16/index.html

Specs here :

http://www.yamaha-motor-india.com/product/fz16/specs.html

How would a bike look that could come from the FERRARI stable ??

Take a look ...

Coffee Day Resorts to buy ...

2008-12-09T18:22:00.005+05:30

Coffee Day Resorts to buy... Cicada Brand wildlife hotels

THE HIGH-END luxury-resort chain Coffee Day Resorts & Hotels is buying Tiger Ramesh’s Cicada Brand of wildlife resorts in the game sanctuaries of Kabini and Bandipur for about Rs 35 crore. Coffee Day Resorts is a part of Coffee Day Holdings which also runs India’s largest chain of 700 fine coffee cafes and which ventured into the hospitality sector a year ago when it opened the first of the Serai chain of five-star resorts in the country’s coffee-growing heartland of Chikmagalur, where its property of 30 independent cottages with dedicated swimming pools has been operational for the last seven months.

Sources close to the deal told ET that the deal would be signed within the next few days and that there were plans to upgrade Cicada’s two wildlife resorts to Serai standards. Within 18 months, Serain would be opening two more highend sea-facing villa resorts at Mangalore and at Varkala near Trivandrum. These sources added that after the expansion and the acquisition of the Cicada Brand of wildlife resorts, the Serai chain would become the leading player in Karnataka’s high-end luxury-resort segment.

Tiger Ramesh’s Cicada Brand has been active in the hospitality sector for the last two years, with the likes of Wipro chairman Azim Premji’s investment company recently investing in it. Coffee Day Resorts’ 100% acquisition of the Cicada Brand is perceived as part of a process of consolidation in the high-end luxury-resort segment at a time of slowdown in the global and Indian market, with the effects being felt across all sectors.

Source : Economic Times

Website of Kodava Student Association of Mangalore

2008-12-08T13:22:00.003+05:30

Check the new website of Kodava Student Association of Mangalore.

http://www.kodavastudentsmlr.co.in/

Rally De Coorg

2008-12-08T12:51:00.004+05:30

Vikram Mathias and Murthy of Bangalore won first place in the Rally de Coorg.

Rally the Coorg was organised by Tata Coffee Ltd and Motors Sports amidts coffee estates. The duo covered 110 km in 1 hour 41 minutes 41 seconds.

Chikmagalur’s Girija Shankar Joshi-Prajwal Pai won second place (1:48:10), Sujay-Bharath (III, 1:51:03) , Den Thimmaiah -M S Ravindra of Kodagu (IV, 1:51:39) and Majda -Vinayak (V). In gypsy category, Agarwal-Iliaz (I), Aravind-Arun (II), Venkatesh Babu -Lakshmikanth (III). In 1600 CC category Girija Shankar Joshi -Prjwal Pai (I); 1,400 CC category Sujay-Bharath (I), Majda -Vinayak (II) and Manju -Jeeva (III). In Rally start cup category Den Thimmaiah - M S Ravindra (I), Shefeeq-George (II), Raghuram-Balram (III), Jairam-Anjay (IV) and Hari-Ashwin (V). As many as 25 competitors had taken part in the rally. The rally passed through Palibetta, Emmegundi, Hosalli. The sixth stage rally will be held in Nasik on January 20.

The Concept of Bankruptcy

2008-11-13T16:30:00.008+05:30

If you could read patiently and understand, it’s great knowledge!

Once there was a little island country. The land of this country was the tiny island itself. The total money in circulation was 2 dollars as there were only two pieces of 1 dollar coins circulating around.

1) There were 3 citizens living on this island country. A owned the land. B and C each owned 1 dollar.

2) B decided to purchase the land from A for 1 dollar. So, now A and C own 1 dollar each while B owned a piece of land that is worth 1 dollar.

* The net asset of the country now = 3 dollars.

3) Now C thought that since there is only one piece of land in the country, and land is non producible asset, its value must definitely go up. So, he borrowed 1 dollar from A, and together with his own 1 dollar, he bought the land from B for 2 dollars.

*A has a loan to C of 1 dollar, so his net asset is 1 dollar.

* B sold his land and got 2 dollars, so his net asset is 2 dollars.

* C owned the piece of land worth 2 dollars but with his 1 dollar debt to A, his net residual asset is 1 dollar.

* Thus, the net asset of the country = 4 dollars.

4) A saw that the land he once owned has risen in value. He regretted having sold it. Luckily, he has a 1 dollar loan to C. He then borrowed 2 dollars from B and acquired the land back from C for 3 dollars. The payment is by 2 dollars cash (which he borrowed) and cancellation of the 1 dollar loan to C. As a result, A now owned a piece of land that is worth 3 dollars. But since he owed B 2 dollars, his net asset is 1 dollar.

* B loaned 2 dollars to A. So his net asset is 2 dollars.

* C now has the 2 coins. His net asset is also 2 dollars.

* The net asset of the country = 5 dollars. A bubble is building up. (5) B saw that the value of land kept rising. He also wanted to own the land. So he bought the land from A for 4 dollars. The payment is by borrowing 2 dollars from C, and cancellation of his 2 dollars loan to A.

* As a result, A has got his debt cleared and he got the 2 coins. His net asset is 2 dollars.

* B owned a piece of land that is worth 4 dollars, but since he has a debt of 2 dollars with C, his net Asset is 2 dollars.

* C loaned 2 dollars to B, so his net asset is 2 dollars.

* The net asset of the country = 6 dollars; even though, the country has only one piece of land and 2 Dollars in circulation.

(6) Everybody has made money and everybody felt happy and prosperous.

(7) One day an evil wind blew, and an evil thought came to C's mind. "Hey, what if the land price stop going up, how could B repay my loan. There is only 2 dollars in circulation, and, I think after all the land that B owns is worth at most only 1 dollar, and no more."

(8) A also thought the same way.

(9) Nobody wanted to buy land anymore.

* So, in the end, A owns the 2 dollar coins, his net asset is 2 dollars.

* B owed C 2 dollars and the land he owned which he thought worth 4 dollars is now 1 dollar. So his net asset is only 1 dollar.

* C has a loan of 2 dollars to B. But it is a bad debt. Although his net asset is still 2 dollars, his Heart is palpitating.

* The net asset of the country = 3 dollars again.

(10) So, who has stolen the 3 dollars from the country ? Of course, before the bubble burst B thought his land was worth 4 dollars. Actually, right before the collapse, the net asset of the country was 6 dollars on paper. B's net asset is still 2 dollars, his heart is palpitating.

(11) B had no choice but to declare bankruptcy. C as to relinquish his 2 dollars bad debt to B, but in return he acquired the land which is worth 1 dollar now.

* A owns the 2 coins, his net asset is 2 dollars.

* B is bankrupt, his net asset is 0 dollar. ( he lost everything )

* C got no choice but end up with a land worth only 1 dollar * The net asset of the country = 3 dollars.

******** --- End of the story, BUT, --- ********

There is however a redistribution of wealth.

A is the winner, B is the loser, C is lucky that he is spared.

A few points worth noting -

(1) when a bubble is building up, the debt of individuals to one another in a country is also building up.

(2) This story of the island is a closed system whereby there is no other country and hence no foreign debt. The worth of the asset can only be calculated using the island's own currency. Hence, there is no net loss.

(3) An over-damped system is assumed when the bubble burst, meaning the land's value did not go down to below 1 dollar.

(4) When the bubble burst, the fellow with cash is the winner. The fellows having the land or extending loan to others are the losers. The asset could shrink or in worst case, they go bankrupt.

(5) If there is another citizen D either holding a dollar or another piece of land but refrains from taking part in the game, he will neither win nor lose. But he will see the value of his money or land go up and down like a see saw.

(6) When the bubble was in the growing phase, everybody made money.

(7) If you are smart and know that you are living in a growing bubble, it is worthwhile to borrow money (like A) and take part in the game. But you must know when you should change everything back to cash.

(8) As in the case of land, the above phenomenon applies to stocks as well.

(9) The actual worth of land or stocks depend largely on psychology.

Logistics in India

2008-11-05T18:35:00.010+05:30

Despite its favorable location between Asia and Europe and a population of more than 1 billion people, India has hardly been able to position itself on the economic market. It has only been in recent years that the country has been able to increasingly flex its economic muscle. But, India has much catching-up to do in logistics terms before it can reach the same level as the world’s leading industrial nations.

Transport hubs in India - Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Jawaharlal Nehru, Tuticorin

Geographic challenges in India

India is bordered on the north by the Himalaya Mountains. For this reason, creating road and rail connections from this direction is a major undertaking. In the south, though, the Indian peninsula is well suited for sea harbors. India is indeed the country with the world’s second-largest population. But the population is unequally distributed, creating a major challenge for logistics service providers.

Core countries for trade

The most important export countries for Indian products are the United States, the United Arab Emirates, China, Singapore and Great Britain. The biggest import trading partners are China, the United States, Switzerland, the United Arab Emirates and Belgium.

Indian infrastructure

A vital step in India’s further development is expanding the road and rail networks, and modernizing harbors and airports. In the process of globalization, which is expanding India’s position in world trade, transport volume has climbed rapidly in recent years. The expansion of the logistics infrastructure has been unable to keep up with this pace. For this reason, transport capacities have already reached their limits.

The transshipping times for ships in Indian harbors are three to four times longer than the average time in the West. Logistics costs are also very high in international comparison because of the poor infrastructure. For this reason, India will have difficulties positioning itself as a global logistics hub in years ahead.

Road transport is especially important for India’s transport system. After all, India has one of the world’s largest road networks, with a total length of 3.3 million kilometers. But much of this network does not meet Western standards. For instance, a truck takes five to six days to cover the 2,061-kilometer-long route between Bangalore and Delhi. The government is indeed trying to introduce counter-measures and shift freight transports from the roads to the rails. But, first, the rail infrastructure must be expanded and the connections to harbors and airports improved.
Many sub-areas of the 63,000-kilometer-long rail network still use the technology of 1947, the year that British colonialists left. Only about one-quarter of the routes are electrified. One other challenge is the four gauge widths used in the rail network.

Logistics requirements and service areas

Road transports are characterized by small forwarders who frequently use antiquated technology. In addition, the splintered political structure requires an excellent understanding of local conditions.

As national highways in India are built and road transports Road transport are increasingly liberalized, the productivity of road shipping will rise in years ahead. The network business with LTL [Less than truck load] in India has excellent potential. The Indian road-transport market is forecast to rise to $40 billion by 2012 - it is currently $28 billion.

The CEP market Courier, express and parcel services on the subcontinent is growing rapidly. In the last five years, revenue has experienced double-digit growth, climbing to about $650 million. Its share of the entire logistics market totals only about 3 percent. International service providers are working to set up or acquire domestic networks in India.

Logistics service providers have been focusing more extensively on traditional storage functions and distribution. But the number of high-bay warehouses that meet European standards is extremely small. Typical added-value services that meet Western standards also are hardly offered. For this reason, the contract logistics market in India has a share of only about 6 percent of the entire logistics market.

Logistics centers in India

In terms of logistics, India remains a developing country in many areas. For instance, it has hardly any multimodal logistics centers. Despite its good geographic position, India has also been unable to evolve into a hub for international freight transports, like Dubai.

In regional terms, India lags behind logistics centers like Singapore, Thailand and Hong Kong. Currently, India is moving forward with a plan to turn the country’s 12 main harbors into integrated freight hubs. Many of these harbors do not have the rail and road connections needed to handle the transport volume of ships. Containers frequently sit for weeks in the harbor before they can be transported.

Important logistics service providers

The largest Indian logistics service providers are Shipping Corporation of India, Container Corporation of India, Great Eastern Shipping, Reliance Ports / Terminals, Essar Shipping, Transport Corporation of India, Reliance Logistics, Blue Dart Express, Varun Shipping Company and BLR India.

International service providers are Schenker, DHL, Arvato, Kühne & Nagel and TNT.

Source : DHL

Diabetes and Kidney Disease

2008-10-31T13:39:00.006+05:30

http://www.kidney.org/

Diabetes mellitus, usually called diabetes, is a disease in which your body does not make enough insulin or cannot use normal amounts of insulin properly. Insulin is a hormone that regulates the amount of sugar in your blood. A high blood sugar level can cause problems in many parts of your body.

Are there different types of diabetes?
The most common ones are Type 1 and Type 2. Type 1 diabetes usually occurs in children. It is also called juvenile onset diabetes mellitus or insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. In this type, your pancreas does not make enough insulin and you have to take insulin injections for the rest of your life.

Type 2 diabetes, which is more common, usually occurs in people over 40 and is called adult onset diabetes mellitus. It is also called non insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. In Type 2, your pancreas makes insulin, but your body does not use it properly. The high blood sugar level often can be controlled by following a diet and/or taking medication, although some patients must take insulin. Type 2 diabetes is particularly prevalent among African Americans, American Indians, Latin Americans and Asian Americans.

What does diabetes do to the kidneys?
With diabetes, the small blood vessels in the body are injured. When the blood vessels in the kidneys are injured, your kidneys cannot clean your blood properly. Your body will retain more water and salt than it should, which can result in weight gain and ankle swelling. You may have protein in your urine. Also, waste materials will build up in your blood.

Diabetes also may cause damage to nerves in your body. This can cause difficulty in emptying your bladder. The pressure resulting from your full bladder can back up and injure the kidneys. Also, if urine remains in your bladder for a long time, you can develop an infection from the rapid growth of bacteria in urine that has a high sugar level.

How many diabetic patients will develop kidney disease?
About 30 percent of patients with Type 1 (juvenile onset) diabetes and 10 to 40 percent of those with Type 2 (adult onset) diabetes eventually will suffer from kidney failure.

What are the early signs of kidney disease in patients with diabetes?
The earliest sign of diabetic kidney disease is an increased excretion of albumin in the urine. This is present long before the usual tests done in your doctor's office show evidence of kidney disease, so it is important for you to have this test on a yearly basis. Weight gain and ankle swelling may occur. You will use the bathroom more at night. Your blood pressure may get too high. As a person with diabetes, you should have your blood, urine and blood pressure checked at least once a year. This will lead to better control of your disease and early treatment of high blood pressure and kidney disease. Maintaining control of your diabetes can lower your risk of developing severe kidney disease.

What are the late signs of kidney disease in patients with diabetes?
As your kidneys fail, your blood urea nitrogen (BUN) levels will rise as well as the level of creatinine in your blood. You may also experience nausea, vomiting, a loss of appetite, weakness, increasing fatigue, itching, muscle cramps (especially in your legs) and anemia (a low blood count). You may find you need less insulin. This is because diseased kidneys cause less breakdown of insulin. If you develop any of these signs, call your doctor.

TABLE 1
Signs of Kidney Disease in Patients with Diabetes

Albumin/protein in the urine
High blood pressure
Ankle and leg swelling, leg cramps
Going to the bathroom more often at night
High levels of BUN and creatinine in blood
Less need for insulin or antidiabetic medications
Morning sickness, nausea and vomiting
Weakness, paleness and anemia
Itching

What will happen if my kidneys have been damaged?
First, the doctor needs to find out if your diabetes has caused the injury. Other diseases can cause kidney damage. Your kidneys will work better and last longer if you:

Control your diabetes
Control high blood pressure
Get treatment for urinary tract infections
Correct any problems in your urinary system
Avoid any medicines that may damage the kidneys (especially over-the-counter pain medications)

If no other problems are found, your doctor will try to keep your kidneys working as long as possible. The use of high blood pressure medicines called angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors has been shown to help slow the loss of kidney function.

How are the kidneys kept working as long as possible?
The kidney doctor, called a nephrologist, will plan your treatment with you, your family and your dietitian. Two things to keep in mind for keeping your kidneys healthy are controlling high blood pressure in conjunction with an ACE inhibitor and following your renal diabetic diet. Restricting protein in your diet also might be helpful. You and your dietitian can plan your diet together.

What is end stage renal failure in patients with diabetes?
End stage renal failure, or kidney failure, occurs when your kidneys are no longer able to support you in a reasonably healthy state, and dialysis or transplantation is needed. This happens when your kidneys function at only 10 to 15 percent. The usual span of time between the onset of diabetic kidney injury and kidney failure is about five to seven years.

How is kidney failure treated in diabetic patients?
Three types of treatment can be used once your kidneys have failed: kidney transplantation, hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis.

Can a patient with diabetes have a kidney transplant?
Yes. Once you get a new kidney, you may need a higher dose of insulin. Your appetite will improve so your new kidney will break down insulin better than your injured one. You will use steroids to keep your body from rejecting your new kidney. If your new kidney fails, dialysis treatment can be started while you wait for another kidney.

What about pancreas transplants?
Sometimes it is possible to perform a pancreas transplant along with a kidney transplant. Your doctor can advise you about this possibility.

What about a low-protein diet?
Research suggests that a low-protein diet can slow the advance of kidney damage.

What is the future outlook for patients with diabetes?
Today, more and more research dollars are spent on diabetes research. Hopefully, the prevention and cure of diabetes is in our future. In the meantime, you can manage your diabetes better with:

home monitoring of your blood glucose levels
maintaining an awareness of controlling your blood pressure, and possibly monitoring your pressure at home
following your special diet.

Source : http://www.kidney.org/ATOZ/atozItem.cfm?id=37

Very Good "Energy Saving" initiative by BMW

2008-10-30T17:15:00.016+05:30

I was browsing thro' the BMW's website and was real happy to see the initiatives they are taking in Saving Energy.

The webpages after a while (if not active) automatically turns to black and goes in to Energy Saving Mode (BMW EfficientDynamics energy-saving mode).

BMW EfficientDynamics ('ed') has theme - Less consumption. More driving pleasure.

Check the Energy Saving mode screen shot below :

Insight of the Energy Saving mode screen shot :
Check BMW's EfficientDynamics technologies here,
http://www.bmw.com/com/en/insights/technology/efficient_dynamics/phase_2/introduction.html

The idea helps in saving energy consumption and is a very good initiative indeed, like Google Black.

World's first production-ready Hydrogen vehicle

2008-10-30T16:17:00.021+05:30

BMW Hydrogen 7

The world's first production-ready

Hydrogen vehicle

The BMW Hydrogen 7 is the world's first production-ready hydrogen vehicle. It's already proving itself in the real world too: we're putting 100 of them to the test as loan cars for leading figures from the worlds of culture, politics, business and the media, including Oscar-winning film director Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck and Erich Sixt, chairman of rental car company Sixt AG. Real-world experience shows that switching to hydrogen can go hand in hand with the comfort, dynamics and safety you'd expect from a BMW.

What is the future of mobility? To start with, we'll be able to generate energy from hydrogen and driving will be emission-free. And with the BMW Hydrogen 7, the future starts now. This is because it's the first production-ready vehicle to be powered by hydrogen. The combustion engine delivers high performance but almost no emissions to make it a true pioneer of future mobility.

The future is closer than you think.

BMW Hydrogen 7 website:

http://www.bmw.com/com/en/insights/technology/efficient_dynamics/phase_2/clean_energy/bmw_hydrogen_7.html

Diwali - The Festival of Lights

2008-10-24T19:00:00.008+05:30

Happy Deepavali

Diwali (Deepavali) is here to spread the light and joy in every Indians life. This exquistie festival is celebrated here in India which spreads feeling of happiness and crackers a are lit to spread the light of joy.

Many legends are associated with Diwali. Today it is celebrated by Hindus, Jains and Sikhs across the globe as the "Festival of Lights," where the lights or lamps signify victory of good over the evil within every human being . The festival is also celebrated by Buddhists of Nepal.

According to one theory Diwali may have originated as a harvest festival, marking the last harvest of the year before winter. In an agrarian society this results in businessmen closing accounts, and beginning a new accounting year. The deity of wealth in Hinduism, Goddess Lakshmi is therefore thanked on this day and everyone prays for a good year ahead. This is the common factor in Diwali celebrations all over the Indian subcontinent.

In many parts of India , it is the homecoming of King Rama of Ayodhya after a 14-year exile in the forest.

The people of Ayodhya (the capital of his kingdom) welcomed Rama by lighting rows (avali) of lamps (deepa), thus its name, Deepavali.

Southern India marks it as the day Lord Krishna defeated the demon Narakasura.

Diwali is celebrated on the first day of the lunar Karthika month, which comes in the month of October or November.

In Jainish it marks the Nirvana of Lord Mahavira, which occurred on October 15, 527 BCE.

The Sikhs celebrate Diwali for a different reason; on this day, the Sixth Guru, Guru Hargobind Ji, was freed from imprisonment along with 52 Hindu Kings (political prisoners) whom he had arranged to be released as well. After his release he went to Darbar Sahib (golden temple) in the holy city of Amritsar. There, he was greeted by Sikhs and many other people. In happiness they lit candles and diyas to greet the Guru.

In India, Diwali is now considered to be a national festival, and the aesthetic aspect of the festival is enjoyed by most Indians regardless of faith.

Beware of Cheating at HPCL Petrol (Gas) Stations

2008-10-24T17:46:00.011+05:30

Today I had been to the Gas (Petrol) station mentioned below, to fill fuel into my car. I have been visiting this pump quite often and am on of the regular customers to this HPCL Retail Petrol Pump :

B N PUTTALINGA RAJU & COMPANY
46TH CROSS, 18TH MAIN, 4TH T BLOCK
JAYANAGAR, BANGALORE-560011

Phone 080-6654620

---

(Issue #1)

The attendants here have swiped my ICICI Club HP Debit card twice and this looks likes it was done deliberately. I filled Petrol for Rs.500 only, but since the attendant had swiped the card twice, Rs. 1,000 has been debited from my ICICI a/c. While I checked with the concerned authorities at the petrol pump, they refused to give me the money (Rs.500) back even after showing the proof of the ICICI bank statement the same evening. They are telling that they are not responsible for it.

(Issue #2)

The attendants here deliberately DO NOT swipe the ICIC Club HP Card on the ICICI swiping machine from which we can get the benefit of surcharge etc. They swipe it on other machines and I am charged extra money (Rs.12 to 15) for every transaction.

ARE THEY CHEATING THE IGNORANT CUSTOMERS, AND I AM NOT SURE IF HP (Hindusthan Petroleum) KNOWS ABOUT IT AND IS TURNING A BLIND EYE & KEEPING QUITE ABOUT THESE ISSUES.

Hindustan Petroleum must HELP your customers, DONT LET US LOSE TRUST ON YOU.

Hindustan Petrolem - Compaint / Feedback URL :

http://retailcms.hpcl.co.in/retailcms/registeruserissue.aspx

INDIA'S first mission to moon

2008-10-22T14:41:00.016+05:30

CHANDRAYAAN - 1

PSLV-C11 Successfully Launches Chandrayaan-1

Oh boy !!! This is a real amazing acheivement and a GREAT HONOUR for our country and to all INDIANS.

"A feather in the cap indeed".

WHAT : An unmanned Lunar Exploration mission

WHERE : INDIA

BY WHOM : Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), India's National Space Agency

TRAVEL FROM : Satish Dhawan Space Centre(SDSC) in Sriahri-kota island

TRAVEL TO : MOON (of course ; )

WHEN : 22 October 2008, at 6:22 AM Indian Standard Time (00:52 UTC)

THE VEHICLE : PSLV(Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle) built by ISRO, India

TRAVEL TIME : After the spacecraft reaches its lunar transfer orbit, it will take 5.5 days to reach the Moon.

COST ESTIMATES : Cost to be Rs. 3.86 billion (US$ 80 million).

Chandrayaan's Network

Chandrayaan I - Official website
http://www.isro.org/chandrayaan/htmls/home.htm

Other Sites
http://www.isro.gov.in/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chandrayaan

Next What ?????

Chandrayaan II

The ISRO is also planning a second version of Chandrayaan named: Chandrayaan II. According to ISRO Chairman G. Madhavan Nair, "The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) hopes to land a motorised rover on the Moon in 2010 or 2011, as a part of its second Chandrayaan mission. The rover will be designed to move on wheels on the lunar surface, pick up samples of soil or rocks, do in situ chemical analysis and send the data to the mother-spacecraft Chandrayaan II, which will be orbiting above. Chandrayaan II will transmit the data to Earth."

Organization : Indian Space Research Organization

Mission type : Orbiter, Rover

Satellite of : Moon

Launch date : 2010/2011

Mission duration : 1 month (rover)

Mass : 30 to 100 kg (rover)

Keep watching, India Rocks.

Innerbody.com - Human Anotomy Online

2008-10-21T17:00:00.007+05:30

http://www.innerbody.com/

Hello folks,

I urge you to have a look at this website, http://www.innerbody.com/

This site is rated as One in a Billion by Google.

This educational website is excellent and you can learn and explore the human anotomy supported with lot of graphics and animation. It's worth a visit.

Each topic has animations, 100’s of graphics, and thousands of descriptive links. Study the anatomy of the human body. It’s fun, interactive, and an ideal reference site for students or those who just want to know more about the medical descriptions used by doctors and nurses.

Have a look at this website.

Oracle Database 11g: The Top New Features for DBAs and Developers

2008-10-21T16:03:00.008+05:30

Check the below URL for features in detail,

http://www.oracle.com/technology/pub/articles/oracle-database-11g-top-features/index.html
by Arup Nanda

In this multipart series, learn how important new features such as Database Replay, Flashback Data Archive, and SecureFiles work via simple, actionable how-to's and sample code.

Change, although constantly present, is seldom risk-free. Even if the change is relatively minor (creating an index for example), your goal is probably to predict its precise impact as accurately as possible and then take appropriate action

Many new change assurance (or "Real Application Testing," as Oracle calls it) features in Oracle Database 11g bring that dream closer to reality. The Database Replay tool, for example, allows you to capture production database workload and replay it in a test (or even the same) database to assess the impact of change. Or consider SQL Performance Analyzer, which predicts the performance impact of changes to SQL before they are made. In my opinion, this Real Application Testing functionality alone justifies the upgrade.

Overall, Oracle Database 11g makes database infrastructure far more efficient, resilient, and manageable. For example, very compelling new features in the realm of partitioning ease the design and management of partitioned tables immensely.

In this series (as in the previous series focusing on Oracle Database 10g), you will learn how these new features work via simple, actionable how-to's and sample code.
Enjoy the series, and the release!

Database Replay
Explore Database Replay, the new tool that captures SQL statements and lets you replay them at will.

Partitioning
Learn about Referential, Internal, and Virtual Column partitioning; new sub-partitioning options; and more.

Transaction Management
Get an introduction to Flashback Data Archive and explore Enterprise Manager's LogMiner interface.

Schema Management
Add columns with a default value easily and explore invisible indexes, virtual columns, and read only tables.

SQL Plan Management
Use bind variables that pick the right plan every time and ensure a new execution plan is perfect before it's used.

SQL Performance Analyzer
Accurately assess the impact of rewriting of SQL statements and get suggested improvements.

SQL Access Advisor
Get advice about optimal table design based on actual use of the table, not just data.

PL/SQL: Efficient Coding
Triggers that fire several times at different events and ability to force triggers of the same type to follow a sequence are some new gems.

RMAN
Explore Data Recovery Advisor, do parallel backup of the same file, and create and manage virtual catalogs.

Security
Learn about Tablespace Encryption, case-sensitive passwords, data masking, and other features.

Automatic Storage Management
Learn about new SYSASM role, variable extent sizes, and other ASM improvements.

Manageability
Explore automatic memory management, multicolumn statistics, online patching, and more features.

Caching and Pooling
Explore SQL Result Cache, PL/SQL Function Cache, and Database Resident Connection Pooling.

SQL Operations: Pivot and Unpivot
Present information in a spreadsheet-type crosstab report from any relational table using simple SQL, and store any data from a crosstab table to a relational table.

SecureFiles
Explore next-generation LOBs: LOB encryption, compression, deduplication, and asynchronicity.

Resiliency
Explore Automatic Health Monitor, Automatic Diagnostic Repository, and other new resiliency features.

Data Guard
Query the physical standby database in real time without shutting down recovery, just for starters.

PL/SQL Performance
Explore in-lining of code, "real" native compilation, PLS timer, use of simple integer, and more.

Data Warehousing and OLAP
Get a tour of new features in these areas, including Cube Organized MVs.

And Don't Forget...
COPY command, Export/Imports, Data Pump improvements, and more.

Road Sense - Social Service by an elderly man

2008-10-20T19:34:00.013+05:30

Since couple of weeks, I have been noticing an elderly man who is doing the possible bit to help the people / society at the area where I live.

Early morning everyone is out on the streets with their bikes and cars and the roads at my area are "jam-packed" (is not the word) and flooded with traffic. People with out any road-sense barge-in from all the possible places and create a traffic jam and due to this all the vehicles comes to a stand still.

Surprisingly I find an elderly man, wearing a track suit, white hand gloves, a whistle around his neck is busily mangaging and controlling the traffic like a traffic police man.

I was so very surprised and glad seeing the elderly man performing social service to help people travel smoothly in their vehicles with out much trouble. I saw him and thanked for his service while i was driving from home to office. I also thought that we call can and must contribute ourselves to the society and help. There are plenty of tasks that we can do to the society.

This elderly man indeed has taught me a lesson in my life. My due respects to him.

Bicycling to save the planet

2008-10-10T18:01:00.016+05:30

Here at my oraganisation, techies have started the bicycling trend and are doing their best to protect our nature and planet. A few of them ride their bicycles from home-to-office and back. My collegue Praneet Upadhyaya, is one among them. These guys sparingly use the fossil fuel vehicles which causes and favors pollution and Global Warming and mostly use the bicycles to commute.

This is one of the 'real good' intiatives to protect and show caring towards our planet Earth.

At Bangalore, several people including techies have abondoned the fossil fuel motors and have cycles as their means of transportation.

We hope to see more people converting them as 'cyclists' and help protecting our nature.

Kudos to all the cyclists of Bangalore and rest of the world. Let's fight Global Warming.

Dussehra - Vijayadasahmi

2008-10-10T17:05:00.008+05:30

It's a festive month here at India. 'Dussehra' is festival which comes with long holidays and is celebrated at all parts of the country. People worship 'Godess Durga' and the festival is celebrated with great pomp and show at Mysore since the kingly rules. It has the same charm more or less even now. The festival runs for nine days and the tenth day is 'Vijayadashami'. This is a not-to-be-missed festival here in India.

In Southern India, Eastern India and Western India, the festival of Navaratri which culminates with Vijayadashami commemorates the legend in which the Goddess Durga, also known as Chamundeshwari or Mahishasura Mardini, vanquishes the demon Mahishasura, an event that is said to have taken place in the vicinity of the present day city of Mysore in Karnataka.

In Northern India, the same 10-day festival commemorates the victory of Rama, prince of Ayodhya in present-day Uttar Pradesh, over Ravana, the ruler of Lanka.

Madikeri (Coorg / Kodagu)

In Madikeri Dasara is celebrated in a different style. Madikeri Dasara has a history of over 100 years. Here Dasara starts of with Kargas from four Mariamma Temples. There will be a procession of 10 Mantapas from 10 Temples on the night of Vijayadashami.

At night, effigies of Ravana, Kumbhakarna and Meghanada are stuffed with firecrackers and set alight. Children especially enjoy seeing this because of the beautiful fireworks on the ground. The festival, which is thought of as the "Victory of Good over Evil" and "Return of Rama from Exile" is celebrated in grand style. Because the day is auspicious, people inaugurate new vehicles, machines, books, weapons and tools by ceremonially asking god to bless the new items.

My ailing father

2008-10-03T16:15:00.012+05:30

I have been very busy since few weeks as my father is hospitalised. He is diebatic and has undergone Angioplasty recently. He has grown weak and tired during this period of tests and surgery.

I have been going to the hospital along with my mother everytime, to be see him and be with him. I really felt the importance of parents a lot during this time. Parents give up everything to rear their kids in the best possible way and now its my turn to take care of my ailing father. I wish i could fix everything and he would be normal. There is no alternative to our parents. They are the people who care for us all through their lives. Eventually all they need is a little care from us, which we MUST give.

G1-Google Phone: First Impressions

2008-09-24T14:01:00.013+05:30

Open Source Operating System : Google Android
Hardware : HTC
Service : T-Mobile

Alright folks so I got a decent amount of time to “play around” with the G1 and I’m sure people are eager to know what the overall take is on the phone. Whats good? What’s bad? What do you like? What don’t you like? So… don’t hold me to any of these opinions as they could change in even the next few hours (I’m going back to play again after I write this post) but here are my initial thoughts/views:

The Looks
On PICTURES that I’ve seen online, the G1 looks kind of goofy. When you actually have the phone in your hand or are looking at it in front of you, its actually quite attractive. I’m sure all of you can relate… its not immediately photogenic but in person, this thing really does look quite good.
Part of the reason everyone was “hating” on the look of the phone was that little tail chunk at the bottom. I happen to like it…

The Tail Chunk At The Bottom
That little “chunk” serves a couple purposes that I don’t think you could fully appreciate unless it wasn’t there at all. First of all, it makes opening the QWERTY a little more easier and comfortable. Secondly, the trackball that is on the “chunk” is incredibly easily accessible in that position and makes browsing through options and scrolling through links VERY easy.
While perhaps they could have “hidden” the chunk a little better, overall I think it serves a pretty functional purpose. It works.

The Colors
To me there are only 2 colors… Black and White. I would consider myself slightly colorblind… I have trouble telling the difference between dark blues and black, dark blues and dark green, etc… But if that is the definition of colorblind I think most people are colorblind to some degree.
The brown just isn’t “different” enough to warrant its own color in my opinion. It looks very similar to the black… even the T-Mobile people had a hard time telling them apart. I was expecting a chocolaty brown and while I might not have LIKED a chocolate brown, at least it offered a good bit of variety. If you’re going to do a 3rd color, my thing is, why not make it completely unique?

The Feel/Build
Overall the phone seemed to be pretty solid and of good quality. I need to look at the weight compared to other phones with similar features/specs when I get a chance, but it seemed pretty light weight which I enjoyed. It felt really good in my hands.

The Keyboard
To be honest it was a little bit cramped - not as spaced out as my Voyager - but still MUCH better for me than using a touch screen QWERTY or typing. If the little “chunk” at the bottom weren’t there the Keyboard could be more spread out which I think would be hugely attractive for most people.
I heard someone complaining about the enter and delete key being right next to each other which, although wasn’t an issue for me, could be an issue for some people. Overall I thought the keyboard had a pretty nice feel, but definitely not the best keyboard on the market.

The Screen
The resolution and quality on the screen seemed pretty amazing. From the default G1home screens to web browsing, the screen was very crisp and clear… a HUGE plus. This will be even more important when you’re using games, maps and applications on a daily basis. But my first experience with the screen was that it ROCKED.

The Applications
I’ll have more information about the applications tonight/tomorrow but the Android Market seemed integrated pretty beautifully. Selecting an app was easy, downloading was easy, launching apps was easy… it was a really nice integration. It will be interesting to see how they manage the Android Market when it expands and there are TONS of apps. I asked if there would be a web/online component and they had no response… but seemed to hint that eventually there would be.
I played with a couple of the applications listed and… I’m happy to say… they were A LOT of fun and I’m excited for apps more than anything.

The Touch Screen
I feel like some of the touch screen features COULD be more intuitive. They try some new things and perhaps they just take getting use to. I’m wondering if 3rd party developers could alter the way the TouchScreen UI works/looks by default. I think more than anything, it just seems like it’ll take some time getting used to the various features/options since the G1 is very “different” than most phones.

One Pretty Cool Feature
One thing that I REALLY liked was the dedicated search key. Regardless of if you’re surfing the web, in your contact book, in your calendar, in an application or WHEREVER you are, you can press the “search” button on the QWERTY and it will open up a search box that will search the specific area you’re in. Pretty cool and very useful… are there other phones that do this?

Overall
Alright, I’m headed back to HTC! I want to play with this thing one last time. Who knows when the next chance I’ll get to play with one… so I’m out of here! I’ll be back online in a few hours with more updates.

The First Google Phone G1 is here

2008-09-24T12:15:00.019+05:30

After months of speculation, TechCrunch reports that the first Android powered phone, the HTC Dream is set to be released in the US by T-Mobile on October 20th. T-Mobile did not return my calls to confirm or deny this rumor, but one thing is certain, the iPhone is no longer the only player on the block and this will increase interest in T-Mobile for the first time maybe ever. Android is the open source cell phone operating system that has been developed by Google over the last year or so.

Rob Jackson, has been writing Phandroid.com, an Android news blog, since the very day Google announced Android. Jackson is a self-described "mobile nut" and when he couldn't find any Android resources, he created a site himself. After creating the blog, Jackson started AndroidForums.com as a place to share his enthusiasm about Android with like-minded individuals and as a place to eventually answer the inevitable questions about Android phones, applications, pricing, and capabilities and so on.

Large Hadron Collider (LHC) = Dooms Day ?

2008-09-11T13:03:00.013+05:30

The most exciting scientific adventure of the next decade and is for anyone interested in how we might answer some of the fundamental questions we have about the Universe we live in.

The Large Hadron Collider, or LHC, is the largest and most complex machine ever made and is expected to revamp modern physics by smashing together particles in a bid to recreate the conditions of the Big Bang.

The LHC is an international research project based at CERN in Geneva, Switzerland, where scientists, engineers and support staff from 111 nations are combining state-of-the-art science and engineering in one of the largest scientific experiments ever conducted. The LHC is the latest and most powerful in a series of particle accelerators that, over the last 70 years, have allowed us to penetrate deeper and deeper into the heart of matter and further and further back in time. The next steps in the journey will bring new knowledge about the beginning of our Universe and how it works, as the LHC recreates, on a microscale, conditions that existed billionths of a second after the birth of our Universe.

For more in pictures, check,

http://lhc-machine-outreach.web.cern.ch/lhc-machine-outreach/lhc_in_pictures.htm

For more, on this, check these sites,

http://lhc.web.cern.ch/lhc/

www.lhc.ac.uk/

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/main.jhtml?xml=/earth/2008/09/10/scicern110.xml

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/main.jhtml?xml=/earth/exclusions/CERN_large_hadron_collider.xml

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/main.jhtml?xml=/earth/2008/09/09/scicern209.xml

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/2650665/Legal-bid-to-stop-CERN-atom-smasher-from-destroying-the-world.html

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Large_Hadron_Collider

What is ANGIOGRAM / ANGIOPLASTY ?

2008-09-11T12:04:00.011+05:30

What is an angiogram ?
Preparation for the angiogram
During the angiogram
After the angiogram
When do I know the angiogram result ?
What is an Angioplasty ?
During the angioplasty
After the angioplasty
What are the possible side effects/complications ?
Can I do anything to help myself ?
How effective is angioplasty ?

ANGIOGRAM

What is an angiogram ?

The picture below is an angiogram of the blood vessels around the hip joint. An angiogram is a special form of x-ray that permits the diagnosis of blockages (occlusions) or narrowings (stenosis) in the arteries of the body. During the test, a tube (catheter) is inserted into an artery at the groin. A special radio-opaque dye (contrast medium) is injected down the tube and x-ray pictures are taken as the solution passes along the blood vessels. The whole procedure usually lasts approximately one hour. The arteries take blood from the heart to supply oxygen to muscles and organs and the angiogram will tell your doctor if the supply of blood is being affected. The procedure is performed by a specialist interventional radiologist or a vascular surgeon.

Preparation for the angiogram

You will normally be admitted to the ward for a few hours beforehand to check out your general health and to prepare you for the angiogram. On the day of the test you may eat and drink as normal although this may vary between hospitals. If you take regular medications you should take your usual morning doses. The only exception to this might be if you are taking warfarin, in which case you should follow instructions provided for you. Frequently warfarin is stopped before an angiogram, but not always. If you have diabetes and inject insulin you should have your normal food and insulin dose, unless instructed not to. On arrival, you will be seen briefly by the doctor, the test will be explained to you and you will be asked to sign a consent form. This is to ensure you understand the test and its implications. Please tell the doctor if you have had any allergies or bad reactions to drugs or other tests. It would also be helpful to mention to the doctor if you have asthma, hay fever, diabetes, or any heart or kidney problems. Kidney problems can be particularly important.

This is because the dye used to outline the arteries can damage the kidneys if special precautions are not taken. If you have any worries or queries at this stage don't be afraid to ask. The staff will want you to be as relaxed as possible for the test and will not mind answering your queries. You will be asked to put on a hospital gown. The test will take place in the x-ray department, a nurse will escort you and stay with you during the test. A small drip will be placed into a vein in the arm or hand during the procedure. This may be used to give intravenous fluids. It may be necessary to trim some of the hair from the groin area before the test to help skin cleaning.

During the angiogram

The radiologist (x-ray doctor) will inject a local anaesthetic into the skin at the groin "freezing" the area. After this injection the procedure should be fairly painless. The long fine tube (catheter) is then inserted into the artery at the groin (common femoral artery), and using x-rays to help, the radiologist manipulates the catheter into the correct position. You will not feel the catheter being moved around your body. X-ray pictures are taken whilst the dye is injected down the catheter into the blood vessels. To be able to take pictures along a length of arteries, the radiologist will move the bed so that different portions of the arteries can be examined.

Some injections may cause hot flushing for a few seconds, and an occasional feeling of wanting to pass urine. When the test is completed the catheter is removed and pressure will be applied to the groin for approximately ten minutes to minimise any bruising.

After the angiogram

You will be taken back to the ward to rest for a few hours. It is important that you lie quietly so that the groin does not bleed again. The nursing staff will check the groin, and foot pulses at regular intervals. If no pulses are present the colour and temperature of the foot is important. Providing all is well, you will be allowed home, but you need someone with transport to take you home, or to accompany you in a taxi. It is important that you rest completely until the next day to ensure that the puncture site in the groin heals up. If after you get home you notice any swelling or bleeding at the puncture site, you should press on this and call your GP's surgery for advice.

When do I know the angiogram result ?

The radiologist and vascular surgeon will look at the x-ray pictures and discuss their findings. They will decide the best form of treatment for you and then write to you, or see you again in the outpatient clinic. The treatment can then be discussed and as always it is the patient who decides whether to proceed with treatment or not.

ANGIOPLASTY

What is an Angioplasty ?

An angioplasty is a procedure where a balloon is passed into your artery on the end of a tube (catheter) and is inflated (blown up) to treat a narrowed or blocked artery. This technique means that surgery may be avoided in many cases. There are two techniques for performing angioplasty - transluminal and subintimal. In the transluminal technique the balloon is placed in the centre of the artery (in the lumen) where blood would normally flow. In subintimal angioplasty the balloon is intentionally placed within the layers of the arterial wall. As far as the patient is concerned, angioplasty is very similar to an angiogram except that a slightly bigger catheter is used and therefore the risks of bleeding are slightly greater. For this reason, in most cases, you will be asked to stay overnight. You will usually be asked to start taking aspirin before you are admitted as this makes the blood less sticky. A common dose is 75 mg per day. If you have a stomach ulcer or are allergic to aspirin, please tell your doctor. The angiogram opposite shows the artery on the left before angioplasty and on the right following angioplasty.

During the angioplasty

Angioplasty takes a little longer than simple angiography and you may feel the doctor changing, and pushing, catheters in and out of your groin artery. Although this is occasionally a little uncomfortable, it is not usually too painful. Sometimes, it will be necessary to insert a special device called a stent to keep the artery open. This is just a small metal tube that expands in your artery to keep the area open and allow more blood to flow through. Stents appear to be especially useful in larger arteries above the level of the hip joints. They can be used in arteries in the thigh but results are mixed. A recent trial (RESILIENT) compared a newer stent (the LifeStent) against angioplasty alone in the arteries in the thigh. Early results indicate that the stent maintains patency of the artery in the thigh at least for the first 12 months, despite nine stents fracturing. Only longer term published results will tell us whether this translates into longer term clinical benefit.

After the angioplasty

In some cases Heparin injections (anticoagulation) will be given for 24 hours to prevent the blood clotting at the site of the angioplasty. Rarely you may require warfarin tablets to thin the blood for a few months. You will normally be allowed home the following day. If you are given heparin or warfarin this may delay your departure by a few days. You will be seen again in the clinic by your surgeon to assess the success of the angioplasty and to decide upon any further treatments. Unfortunately, in about 10% of cases, angioplasty is not successful and other treatments will need to be considered. In addition, even where successful angioplasty has been performed, there is a risk that the area in the artery will narrow down again. After one year, about 20-30% of arteries will have re-narrowed. In some cases, it may be possible to repeat the angioplasty at that time although in others this may not be possible. Very rarely, if angioplasty does not work, the circulation may actually worsen. If this is a particular risk in your case, your surgeon and /or radiologist will discuss the risks with you.

What are the possible side effects/complications ?

Bleeding – a small amount of bleeding sometimes occurs when the catheter is removed. Before the procedure is finished, the radiologist will ensure, by pressing on the artery that all bleeding has completely stopped. Occasionally this bleeding can cause a small lump around the groin and commonly causes some bruising in the skin for a few days after the procedure. This is normal and will clear up on its own. Serious bleeding is very uncommon.

False aneurysm - rarely a pulsating lump develops in the groin at the site where the catheter was inserted into the artery. This is because bleeding took place after the catheter was removed. The clot produced forms a small sac with liquid blood in the centre. This blood pulses because it is connected to the artery through the hole made by the catheter. The sac with blood in the centre is called a false aneurysm. These days this problem can usually be treated by a simple injection into the sac to make the liquid blood in the centre form a clot and block the small hole in the artery.

Pain/Discomfort – local anaesthetic is injected into the skin just before the catheter is placed into the artery. This should take away any severe pain, but it is likely you may feel some gentle pushing and pulling during the procedure. The blood vessels themselves do not feel the guiding wire or catheter. Injecting the dye sometimes causes a sensation of warmth, but this usually lasts only a few seconds. Reactions to the dye – Reactions to modern dyes apart from the sensation of warmth are very uncommon. Various reactions and allergies can still occur and the staffs are fully trained and equipped to deal with any reaction which may occur. Reactions may include skin rashes, vomiting, asthma, low blood pressure and disturbances of heart beat and kidney damage. Damage to blood vessels – this can occur during angioplasty especially if the artery is already badly diseased. The catheter may make a hole in the blood vessel or strip the lining from the blood vessel.

Usually these problems can be dealt with by the radiologist at the time of the procedure. If it is not possible to deal with the problem in radiology then an operation may be required. Nerve effects– sometimes the local anaesthetic can numb main nerves in the front of the thigh, causing numbness going down the leg and weakness. This will wear off after an hour or so. Equipment failure – it is theoretically possible for the catheter or its guiding wire to break and leave a fragment inside the body. Procedures are available to deal with this eventuality in the radiology department but occasionally surgery may be required. Failure of technique – occasionally it is not possible to perform the angioplasty. This may be because the artery is too diseased. Sometimes inserting a metal stent to hold the artery open can be helpful, especially for larger arteries in the pelvis. Blood clots – blood clots can form at the angioplasty site within the artery. These can usually be dealt with by using enzymes that dissolve the lot, but can sometimes be a problem which can cause the circulation to deteriorate.

Kidney damage - Damage can occur to cells in the kidney during an angiogram. This can lead to a deterioration in kidney function if your kidneys are already diseased. The cause of the damage is the special radio-opaque dye that is injected into the arteries so that they can be seen with X-rays. Although other dyes are available (gadolinium) they are probably no safer than conventional dyes. If the doctors know your kidneys may be at risk during an angiogram, they can reduce the risks of damage by giving extra fluids in an intravenous drip before during and after your angiogram.

Can I do anything to help myself?
You cannot do anything to relieve the actual narrowing in your arteries. However, you can improve your general health by taking regular exercise, stopping smoking and reducing the fat in your diet. Your blood pressure should also be measured and kept under control. These actions will help slow down the hardening of the arteries which caused the problem in the first place, and may avoid the need for further treatment in the future.

How effective is angioplasty?
The effectiveness of angioplasty depends on exactly which type of angioplasty is performed. In general if the artery is only narrowed, and has not totally blocked, then angioplasty is more likely to be successful and any improvement is likely to last longer. If the length of artery to be treated is short (less than 5cms), then angioplasty is likely to be more successful than if a much longer length of artery is diseased and requires treatment. Angioplasty is more likely to be successful in a large artery (iliac arteries in pelvis) versus a small artery (tibial arteries in calf). A 1 cm long narrowing in a large iliac artery (in the pelvis) supplying the leg, treated by angioplasty is likely to produce a very good result. In contrast a 10cms blockage in a tibial artery in the calf may be very tricky to treat by angioplasty.

Overall angioplasty is technically successful in 90-100% of patients, but the late results can be less impressive. For short arterial occlusions in the thigh the angioplasty site can remain open in 60-80% of patients, but the effect on symptoms is frequently poorly investigated. In less suitable arterial disease the benefits of angioplasty may be considerably less. In a study reporting the results of subintimal angioplasty for severe arterial disease in the legs only 25% (25 in 100) of the arteries were still open at 12 months and results were poorer when segments of artery greater than 10cms long were treated (Smith BM et al, 2005).A recent study (BASIL, 2005) has compared angioplasty with bypass surgery in patients with severe limb ischaemia (see bypass surgery).

In patients who are suitable for both angioplasty and bypass surgery, an angioplasty first strategy had broadly similar outcomes to surgery. Unfortunately, the majority of patients presenting with severe disease (approximately 80%) are not suitable for both strategies and are more likely to require surgery. In general vascular specialists will attempt angioplasty first in place of surgery if there is a reasonable chance of a good outcome. If this fails bypass surgery is still likely to be an option. In the USA, since 1996, there has been a 40% increase in the use of angioplasty in the leg arteries and a 30% decline in open bypass surgery (Nowygrod, 2006).

Source: http://www.vascular.co.nz/angiogram.htm

Cool website for Healthy Living

2008-09-08T13:17:00.012+05:30

Here is a very nice website for Healthy Living, you can find loatza info and health tips here,
http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/healthyliving

Cardiovascular risk in Diabetes

2008-09-08T11:55:00.017+05:30

Exercise can reduce your risk of stroke and heart disease.

What is cardiovascular disease?

Exercise can reduce your risk of stroke and heart disease.
‘Cardio’ means to do with the heart and ‘vascular’ to do with the blood vessels. ‘Cardiovascular’ means the heart and circulation. Diseases of the circulation are caused by hardening of the arteries, and are common in Western society.

They are:

angina (chest pains)
heart disease
heart attacks (when blood supply is cut to the heart)
stroke (when blood supply is cut to the brain)
poor circulation to the legs.

Atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries)

Atherosclerosis is the underlying process that leads to cardiovascular disease. Arteries are the blood vessels that lead away from the heart and which deliver oxygen-rich blood to the tissues of the body.They are essentially tubes of muscle with a special interior lining of cells that ensures blood flows along smoothly.When affected by atherosclerosis, diseased arteries become substantially narrowed by thickening of the muscle layer and in particular by a fatty deposit (plaque) that builds up under the lining.

Plaque in arteries is a mixture of:

fats, particularly cholesterol
a build up of cells from the body’s immune system
proteins like those that form in a scar.

A plaque starts off small but with time it gets bigger, steadily narrowing the artery at this point.

As well as obstructing blood flow, a plaque is also a weak point in an artery. The thin covering of the plaque can rupture, exposing it and the underlying muscular layer of the artery.

This can trigger a sequence of reactions that results in the blood clotting at the site of the plaque rupture. Suddenly what had been a narrowed artery can turn into a completely blocked one.

This is very often what happens in a stroke - or a heart attack if it occurs inside one of the heart’s arteries rather than the brain.

What are the risk factors for cardiovascular disease?

The UK has one of the worst records in the world for cardiovascular disease because of factors such as:

high fat diet
a tendency to eat lots of salt which raises blood pressure
low levels of exercise
the effect of smoking.

Diabetes and cardiovascular risk

Diabetes increases the risk of cardiovascular disease by as much as four times.
While blood sugar control is still important, you also need to tackle the other risk factors such as obesity.

The most important risk factors that affect your chances of getting a cardiovascular disease are:

diabetes
smoking
high blood pressure (hypertension)
raised blood fat (lipid) levels - mainly cholesterol and triglyceride
excess body weight

Calculating risk

A great deal of information has been built up about what effects the various cardiovascular risk factors such as age, smoking, high blood pressure etc have on an individual’s long-term health.

This has led to the concept of quantifying risk. Most of these calculators attempt to put a figure against your eventual likelihood of having a major cardiovascular event (heart attack, stroke).

This is usually stated as a percentage likelihood of an event occurring within a certain time span.

Doctors divide risk into:

low: less than 15 per cent chance of an event in the next 10 years
medium: 15-30 per cent chance in the next 10 years
high: more than 30 per cent chance in the next 10 years.

What are the pros and cons of risk calculators?

On the positive side they can allow people at the highest risk to receive the most medical attention that will improve their health.In recent years this has resulted in prescribing guidance for doctors that states which risk group of patients can receive certain types of drugs.On the downside, many doctors feel that categorising people this way is too simple.Many people within the ‘lower risk’ categories would still benefit from receiving certain types of treatment. This has been well shown in the case of statin statin treatment to lower cholesterol levels in diabetes.

How can they help me?

You can use risk calculators to help you see the impact of making changes.

Risk calculation shouldn't be taken as fact. Many of the ways we currently assess risk will probably be shown to be inaccurate in the future, but they are the best we presently have.

As always, the important actions we can all take are those that follow the lines of healthy living.

Source: http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/diabetes/index.shtml

Lord Ganesha - God of all things

2008-09-02T13:13:00.009+05:30

THE SCIENCE OF GANESHA

Everything in Hinduism begins with the worship of Lord Ganesh, who is installed as the main Deity in Sri Maha Vallabha Ganapathi Devasthanam Ganesh Temple). With an elephant head and human form, he represents universality of creation. All creation is said to begin with Sound, and He is that first Sound OM or pranava in which mantras are born. When Shakti (Energy) meets Shiva (Matter) both Ganesh (Sound) and Lord Skanda (Light) are born. This is the scientific basis of this part of Hinduism.(Hindu Temple Society of America.

MOUSE INTERACTION

Lord Ganesha may ride on a mouse, but you can make instant contact with him through your own mouse - just click below URL to get to the following site and actually participate in a puja of Lord Ganesha, with pealing bells, flowers and incense.

http://ganapati.club.fr/ganesh-md630x460.htm