Indian Mothers: Secret Ingredient in the Spicy Indian Economy

Frequently upset with the "irregular bowels syndrome" like condition, here I was, again; depressed and hopeless without any ambition. The feeling was so similar to how a car would feel "without any good quality gas" in its tummy (tank) and a yet having a long way to go (in its life!), if it were alive. Lucky auto-mobiles, they can stick to their only purpose; transport! They will either transport the passengers/driver or when it breaks down transport the "feelings of depression" on to the driver/passengers.

I'm obviously referring to the "food for human tummy" and "the human tongue". "Reeeally?? I thought to myself.

Suddenly, while waiting for the "yellow rice topped with some brown beans and some salsa" dish, my condition transported me from the "now" and real state to "self-reflection" state; I said to myself - "Look around, you are in a food-court with so many options. Hell, I'm in the land of the dreams and with enough greenback to burn then on anything I could easily afford the most expensive food in and around the city!"  

Before this and all the while I have been in the US of A I have been spending greenback so lavishly on food where ever I went trying many intercontinental cuisines (No-fish, No Egg, vegetarian options) like Thai/variety of Indian/Italian/Chinese/Middle eastern/ Mexican/Somilian (cuisine named after myself). 

"But what am I sad about"? Hell I have been spending $20 to $40 sometimes on a meal. That amount could buy me a meal pretty much anywhere except the super high-class "richtaurants" where some clowns go for anything but food. So why am I sad and why do I feel I'm suffering from the IBS like condition? I gave up this thought for a sec. There was another thought! Hell, I have been so lousy all this while. I tried to date this back when I was at the peak of my capability and performance. I thought - When was the last time I was the "go-getter" with a "killer instinct" or "the man on fire". Suddenly, the lady at the restaurant counter hinted that my dish was ready for pick-up and gobbling. 

I quickly got the tray and started at the yellow-rice. I had a bite. While my jaws were crushing the rice in between them, the thought appeared again; when was I at my peak level of performance. I felt that moment.

Made me the most nostalgic ever. These were so many moments that rushed in front of my eyes (virtually).

Moms hand made food. Yes, I'm talking about the sweet feeling of a "full tank of gas" combined with the sound of burps!  The sweet feeling of calmness, relaxedness, want-to-hit-the-bed, sleep in the eye after gobbling all he "delightious" food cooked and served by our Mums. Those were the days when all I wanted 

after a long day of work or the semesters assignments or cramming for exams was "Moms handmade food"; it relaxed me and buried my worries in the "black hole of nowhere" leaving me charged and motivated and supplied me all the energy to get through the next big thing. She supplied the food that you most liked (which multiplied your energy-levels). That was my fuel and subsequently the food for my thought process!

Back to the "now" moment. I said to myself whatever I eat, how much ever I gobble, which ever places I go, 

I am missing that "feeling of eternal bliss" in all of me (mind, body and soul). I felt deprived. That is my happiness and its oceans away! At this moment it would not make a single difference to me even if I could afford to build my own palace on the moon or hire the best chef of all times for all my life. What I realize is that there were 23 years in to my making with that food, how could I miss the point? ...and here I was looking for substitutes!!!

Okay, so you've reached this point. May be you would have had one or 2 or may be more images of your moms hand made food and recounting those "bliss-periences" from the past. If not then may be like, now!

But some of you may wondered whats "mom-made food" got to do with the Indian economy????

Mom-made food is not just mom-made food. Its what you are built with. You have been shaped up with that, nourished with that, grown up with that! The most essential ingredient that I am going to spell out is the "moms love" that goes into making that food and folks you know what I'm referring to...exactly, inexpressible! 

Well, mom-made food is the most often missed and unspoken action and is the most essential foundation of the youth of India who are the luckiest people I believe who are blessed with it, if not with fancy homes/fancy cars/ etc.

I felt stronger then. It was my fuel then! If I had nothing I would not worry but if I was deprived of that food back then I would be! They youth of India is the engine of the Indian economy and their Moms are servicing them meal by meal from breakfast to dinner along with their specialty treats! I would not be surprised if you are thinking of your favorite mom-made dish right now! 

Indian Moms are really the inspiration to the Indian youth. That is the action that goes unnoticed and unspoken while we have all the economic mumbo-jumbo release every so often ...GDP, EPS..blah blah..blah blah! 

Indian moms have had the greatest hand in the development of our economy up until atleast my generation. They have kept the Indian youth engines "all guns blazing" and on fire all the time be it recession or otherwise.

I don't know if this moms act will sustain with the coming generations since we think we are so dead right and justified to ourselves that copying the ways of the west is the best. The future youths building block is in great danger as we  copy the ways of the west in feeding style, at the least!

My only wish - To be Indian moms of the future please keep this wonderful act of yours always alive!

This is for you Mom- you and your hand made food is the best! 

After marriage!

Bill introduced by US senators to create 'startup visa' for entrepreneurs

New legislation, if enacted, will make obtaining a work visa in the US much easier for immigrant entrepreneurs.
The StartUp Visa Act of 2011 would allow an immigrant entrepreneur to receive a two year visa as long as he or she can show that a qualified U.S. investor is willing to invest in the immigrant's venture or can show that the business has generated at least $100,000 in annual sales from the US.
The new legislation expands on an earlier bill by allowing H-1B visa holders and entrepreneurs living outside the United States with a market presence in the country to take advantage of the startup visa.

"Every job-creating American business started as an idea in the mind of an entrepreneur. We need to keep and bring more of those ideas to our shores where they can put Americans to work. Global competition for talent and investment grows more intense daily and the United States must step up or be left behind," said Senator John Kerry, co-author of the bill.
"Creating a new magnet for innovations and innovators to come to the United States and create jobs here will offer our economy a double shot in the arm – robust job creation at home and reaffirmation that we're the world's best place to do business," he added.
The startup visa would grant three options to people looking to enter the United States or lengthen their stay. Below is the text directly from the Senator John Kerry's press release:
Option One: Immigrant entrepreneurs living outside the U.S. would be eligible to apply for a StartUp Visa if a qualified U.S. investor agrees to financially sponsor their entrepreneurial venture with a minimum investment of $100,000. After two years, their business must have created 5 new jobs and raised not less than $500,000 in additional capital investment or generate not less than $500,000 in revenue.
Option Two: Immigrant entrepreneurs currently in the U.S. on an unexpired H-1B visa; OR immigrant entrepreneurs currently in the U.S. who have completed a graduate level degree in science, technology, engineering, math, computer science, or other relevant academic discipline from an accredited United States college, university, or other institution of higher education would be eligible for a StartUp Visa if;
They demonstrate annual income of not less than roughly $30,000 or the possession of assets of not less than roughly $60,000; and
Have proven that a qualified U.S. investor agrees to financially back their entrepreneurial venture with a minimum investment of $20,000.
After two years, their business must have created 3 new jobs and raised not less than $100,000 in additional capital investment or generate not less than $100,000 in revenue.
Option Three: Immigrant entrepreneurs living outside the U.S. would be eligible to apply for a StartUp Visa if they have controlling interest of a company in a foreign country that has generated, during the most recent 12-month period, not less than $100,000 in revenue from sales in the U.S.
After two years, their business must have created 3 new jobs and raised not less than $100,000 in additional capital investment or generate not less than $100,000 in revenue.

Read More : http://www.workpermit.com/news/2010-05-26/us/us-immigration-issues-new-green-card.htm

Nuclear power is dirty power, period | GoDanRiver.com

Following the Japanese nuclear plant catastrophe, there has been a plethora of American newspaper editorials cautioning citizens not to turn against nuclear power because, the editorials claim, it is the only clean energy source available.

Among these was an editorial in a neighboring newspaper, The News & Advance of Lynchburg. Two of the largest employers in the Lynchburg area, Areva and Babcock & Wilcox, are nuclear industries. Losing these companies, I am sure, would impact the Lynchburg economy as did the loss of Dan River Inc. in Danville.

A fact not mentioned about nuclear energy by those advocating its use is there has been a growing volume of comments about the capital cost of nuclear-powered electric plants becoming prohibitively expensive.

For example, Duke Energy, in neighboring North Carolina, announced in January its purchase of Progress Energy, a Florida company, subject to regulatory approval, resulting in what was stated to be the largest electric company in the United States and the third largest nationwide in nuclear generation capacity. The new company had a market value of $36 billion.

Duke wants to build two nuclear reactors in Cherokee County, S.C., and Progress wants to build two in Levy County, Fla., and two in North Carolina. The projected cost of the Florida project has already passed $20 billion and the South Carolina project is currently projected at $11 billion. So the total $36 billion market value of the company would not be enough money to cover the projected cost of the three new nuclear installations!

Imagine the electricity rate to consumers for a plant that cost in excess of $11 billion or $20 billion! Already there have been references to ”the wallets of captive ratepayers” as a source for financing new nuclear plants (Congressional Record, Vol 149, Part II, page 14178).

In France and China, the nuclear-powered electric plants are government-owned, and China currently has under construction more than 25 new nuclear plants, according to the World Nuclear Association. The important words are “under construction.” Most other nuclear plants mentioned in public sources seem to be in the planning stage and can take some years in actual construction. Duke Energy is projecting a 2021 completion date for the Cherokee County, N.C., plant that is in the planning stage, having already spent over $100 million in planning activities.

The argument in favor of nuclear-generated electricity is that it is clean and nonpolluting. What about the spent fuel rods at the Japanese plants in the storage ponds from which the water was lost and which were reported to be spewing radiation into the environment? And what about those pesky radiation-spewing accidents/natural disasters at the nuclear plants the public is assured will never happen when the plants are under construction … yet regularly seem to happen anyway?

Remember the United States has no permanent disposal method nor site for the spent fuel rods — now in storage — at the various U. S. nuclear plants.

Some developments in coal as an energy source are interesting. The Polk plant unit 6 at Tampa, Fla., is considered a demonstration site for an integrated gasification combined-cycle electrical plant using coal and biomass as fuel.

The IGCC electric plant does not burn the coal. Rather it uses a thermo-chemical process to produce the gas stage from the coal. The resulting gas is stated to be virtually free of fuel-bound nitrogen. Pollutants, such as sulfur (98 percent removed), particulates and trace minerals, are removed in IGCC processing and sold as by-products for other industrial uses. IGCC results in a small stream of carbon dioxide, which can be captured. The slag is sold for use in building roads or manufacturing wallboard and the plant has “zero process water discharge.” A second such unit, producing twice the electricity, has been considered, at a projected cost of $2 billion. (Sources: U. S. Department of Energy and Tampa Electric)

“Natural gas is the fastest growing fuel for generating electricity. More than 90 percent of the power plants to be built in the next 20 years likely will be fueled by natural gas. Natural gas is also likely to be a primary fuel for distributed power generators — mini-power plants that would be sited close to where the electricity is needed.” (Quoted from Internet site of U. S. Department of Energy.)

Read More: Nuclear power is dirty power, period | GoDanRiver.com

Ideas+Risk Taking Ability and Guts to challenge the existing social/cultural establishment + Absolute devotion through eternity are the key ingredients of these great leaders

Kept listening to the sound of music in the background for a couple hours while I surfed the web reading about these great people and many more of the likes of Dhirubhai Ambani, Mark Zuckerberg, Mukesh Ambani, Anil Ambani, Carlos Slim, Bill Gates, Warren Buffet and more. All of these people had some things in common.

To start with they had an idea; a simple idea, a crazy idea. Next they were risk takers.

They had the guts to defy the current establishment of the social and the cultural context

in which they lived.

Next they always always thought that "what they thought" must be done!

In other words, they all were absolute devotees serving their idea through eternity!

To sum it up all, what makes them what they are is : their ideas + risk takers and guts to challenge the existing + absolute devotion to their ideas always considering what they thought of as an "Idea" must be done.

Don't Mess With India

This morning I get up and try to recover from the so-called "hung over" feeling just like every morning and I see my big screen laptop, just lying by my side on the study table just a foot away from the bed and I kind a wonder where am I??? and I see a facebook page open...I see a friend shared a link to this video...

I struggled....I rubbed my eyes to get rid of the "morning blur" and then I struggled again to find the play button...I hit it...

Oh boy!...I dint realize when this video finished..was totally taken by this one..This one reminded be of the old times so bad...

It's kinds revived the cricket feeling in me. I suddenly felt that "religious aggression" , that "F**k You World, I don't care attitude"..

It simply revived some of the "old me" in the current "lousy me"...Man I'm totally for cricket !!!!! I think I missed out on it big time....

I'm so waiting and up for the impending "epic match" ...India Vs Pakistan!!! -

This is a good warm-up video before the India-Pak match!

Go killers!

Nightline on Netflix

Ever wondered how Netflix works under the hood...get a peek!

$300 million postage bill, 45 million DVD catalog at the time of this video shooting (abt 2-3 years ago) in a single warehouse...automation..thousands of hi-speed human hands working at warehouse..from 3-7 am....

Its simply awesome!

US Troops join Al Qaeda, Rebels in Libya - Atlas Shrugs

US TROOPS JOIN AL QAEDA, REBELS IN LIBYA

Our boys fighting alongside Al Qaeda jihadists and Libyan rebels. Are they forced to pray too? You know, Obama demands that we show respect. Just how far, O?

I called this it -- last week. I said this is what was happening. Drudge has it today, a week after Geller.

WTF are we doing in Libya, and why is the media aiding and abetting a military invasion to install Islamic fundamentalism, destroyer and annihilationist of the West? March 19th, Atlas wrote: President Hussein Backs Al Qaeda in Libya

Obama: Consistently Anti-American

The only revolution that was a genuine fight for life, liberty, and freedom was Iran, and Obama ignored it. Hussein sat back and watched Neda and thousands of others slaughtered. He backed the mullocracy. He will always be remembered for that, especially after the coming catastrophe.

The Post-American Presidency: The Obama Administration's War on America

AL QAEDA FIGHTERS JOIN LIBYAN REBELS Telegraph

Libyan rebel commander admits his fighters have al-Qaeda links Abdel-Hakim al-Hasidi, the Libyan rebel leader, has said jihadists who fought against allied troops in Iraq are on the front lines of the battle against Muammar Gaddafi's regime.
By Praveen Swami, Nick Squires and Duncan Gardham 5:00PM GMT 25 Mar 2011
In an interview with the Italian newspaper Il Sole 24 Ore, Mr al-Hasidi admitted that he had recruited "around 25" men from the Derna area in eastern Libya to fight against coalition troops in Iraq. Some of them, he said, are "today are on the front lines in Adjabiya".

Continue Reading....US Troops join Al Qaeda, Rebels in Libya - Atlas Shrugs

...the quarter-life Crisis

It is when you stop going along with the crowd and start realizing that there are a lot of things about yourself that you didn't know and may or may not like. You start feeling insecure and wonder where you will be in a year or two, but then get scared because you barely know where you are now.

You start realizing that people are selfish and that, maybe, those friends that you thought you were so close to aren't exactly the greatest people you have ever met and the people you have lost touch with are some of the most important ones. What you do not realize is that they are realizing that too and are not really cold or catty or mean or insincere, but that they are as confused as you.

You look at your job. It is not even close to what you thought you would be doing or maybe you are looking for one and realizing that you are going to have to start at the bottom and are scared.

You miss the comforts of college, of groups, of socializing with the same people on a constant basis. But then you realize that maybe they weren't so great after all.


Read More : the quarter-life crisis

Warren Buffet on India.

Warren Buffet and India: Optimist on the US

Who will win the ICC 2011 Cricket world cup??.

I once inspired to become a cricketer by profession..(at any level ..dint matter) ..I was crazy for it...I played all day.. all night..anywhere ...everywhere.....I don't even rem when I lost touch with it...years ago...I haven't watched a single cricket match ever since..My workplace organized a "who will win the world cup" competition..I was so dumbfounded...I thought I'll try to make a silly guess..which happens to be "New Zealand"...Co-workers said this is a very distant possibility (considering my other guess Pakistan in the finals)...I purposely left India out..because it more often gets caught up in emotional act rather than sensible (recounting from past experience)....


Here is the list of who I chose would get across the quarter, semifinals and the finals done on March 21.

ATT and Tmobile Deal by the numbers -- Interesting and 'unthinkable'

AT&T and T-Mobile rocked the United States this morning with merger plans that would make T-Mobile USA part of AT&T's empire. (That's assuming the buyout receives regulatory approval; until then, it's business as usual at T-Mobile for now.)

Both T-Mobile and AT&T have a claim to fame in recent smartphone history. AT&T was first to get the Apple iPhone, in an exclusive two-year deal no less, but it was T-Mobile that first got the Android ball rolling with the T-Mobile G1.

CNET will have much more news and analysis coming up. In the meantime, here's a look at the two companies by some key stats, including current coverage maps for voice and 3G data.

	AT&T Wireless	T-Mobile USA
Number of wireless subscribers	95.5 million	33 million
2010 revenue	$58 billion*	$21 billion**
Employees (parent company-wide)	266,500	24,700
International coverage (voice)	More than 200 countries	More than 200 countries
3G technology	UMTS	AWS
4G technology***	HSPA+; LTE	HSPA+
Flagship phones	Apple iPhone 4, Motorola Atrix 4G, HTC Inspire 4G	T-Mobile My Touch 4G, Samsung Galaxy S 4G, T-Mobile G2

*AT&T 2010 Annual Report, pp. 27, 32 (PDF)
**T-Mobile 2010 Annual Report pp. 9 (PDF)
***Though HSPA+ is not an official 4G technology, both carriers bill it as such. AT&T is moving to LTE, but T-Mobile has yet to announce plans for network development beyond HSPA+.

Read more: http://www.cnet.com/8301-17918_1-20045216-85.html#ixzz1HCW5Rw6d

AT&T Buying T-Mobile USA In $39 Billion Deal

AT&T just announced a deal to buy T-Mobile USA from Deutsche Telekom in a cash and stock deal worth $39 billion.

The deal would make AT&T the nation's largest wireless carrier by a wide margin, so it will probably face significant government scrutiny, and AT&T could have to make some big concessions.

Or the deal could be blocked completely -- last year was the first year that the FCC did not conclude the U.S. wireless industry was "competitive." The companies expect the deal to close in "approximately 12 months" -- a long time.

Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/att-buying-t-mobile-usa-in-39-billion-deal-2011-3#ixzz1HCKp1IMv

My first blog from android phone

TGIF and time to head home....

Japan 8.9 Earthquake Cause and Effect and Learnings for USA