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Sunday, December 8, 2013

System is only good as we make it (AKA Conviction matters)


A truly inspiring story just played out in New Delhi…..Staying true to our convictions, questioning the system can lead to dramatic results.
Very happy for Arvind Kejriwal and the AAM AADMI PARTY’s super success in New Delhi. I am happy for the dude, but more so for the turbulence that this will create in the system - be an inspiration for the forthright next gen to jump in and help make a difference. Kahani abhi baaaki hain.

We will all hit pockets of resistance when we question the system - but it is the very basis for a progressive system. And drinking the kool-aid blindly, specially by those who have the ability to make progressive choices, is not the basis for progress; and even more dangerous when folks are pursuing a self-serving convoluted agenda.

Arvind has proven that an outsider, can jump in with the special energy, to help shake up the system just a tad, and make a huge difference.
Lesson learnt for all of us…..The system is only good as we make it.
Let us “Stay Hungry, Stay Foolish” and if I may add to what is already becoming Silicon Valley folklore quote "always ask the right questions towards a better world”. And if we see something “foolish”, lets step up and lead the charge; YES WE CAN.



NEW DELHI: Dismissed as a political greenhorn, engineer-turned-civil servant Arvind Kejriwal has cemented his place in politics with a stunning political debut for his nascent Aam Aadmi Party and emerged as a giant killer to sweep Sheila Dikshit out from not only office but also her constituency.

Belying all claims of being a "non-actor or no factor" in the Delhi assembly elections by Congress and BJP, Kejriwal was largely instrumental in snapping the 15-year rule of incumbent chief minister. Adding to her misery was the defeat in her own turf — New Delhi constituency — by a huge margin of 25,864 votes.

Often poked fun at by politicians, the 45-year-old former Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officer was challenged by none other than senior Congress leader Kapil Sibal in — not to criticize the political system as an outsider but join it to cleanse it from within.

In the past one year, if there was one person who sent the entire political spectrum into a tizzy it was undoubtedly Kejriwal, who attacked both BJP and Congress on the issues of corruption, exorbitant rise in power and water tariff, safety of women and had managed to make a dent in the vote banks of both the parties.

Soft-spoken but a man with strong conviction, the Ramon Magsaysay award winner came into prominence from the agitation by 75-year-old activist Anna Hazare in support of jan lokpal bill in 2011.

He was part of the Team Anna, along with first woman IPS officer Kiran Bedi, Prashant Bhushan and others. He was the civil society representative member of the committee constituted by the Government to draft the jan lokpal bill, following the campaign for introduction of such legislation.

After feeling "betrayed" by the government when it rejected their draft, Congress and other leaders challenged them to join politics, win elections and come to Parliament if they wanted to "fight system from within", root out corruption and get the Jan Lokpal Bill passed.

Known for taking on challenges, the indefatigable activist decided to take a plunge into politics and formed "Aam Aadmi Party" on November 26 last year, after a formal split of Team Anna.

The party name — Aam Aadmi Party — reflects the phrase Aam Aadmi or "common man", whose interests Kejriwal proposed to represent and got its poll symbol "broom" in July this year.

The party started its poll preparation way ahead in April with an emphasis to field only candidates with a "clean image" for all the 70 assembly constituencies.

For taking on seasoned politicians like three-time Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit and other BJP leaders, Kejriwal and his party tried different strategies like going on 15-day long hunger strike on the issue of power tariff in May.

And to inject some drama, the anti-corruption crusader even filed his papers on November 16 on the last date of filing of nominations, after Dikshit filed her nomination, just to ensure a straight fight with her.

To woo the electors, the party put up posters on auto-rickshaws against Dikshit flagging burning issues of women safety, corruption and high power and water tariffs.

Thousands of AAP volunteers, from Delhi and outside and even abroad, joined him in the hope that Kejriwal would do a miracle. They even took sabbaticals to join his movement.

The volunteers conducted street plays, put up banners hanging across flyovers to gain the attention of 1.19 crore Delhi voters.

Stressing on transparency, the party did which was unthinkable of putting their funds in public domain and making it accessible to all.

Among the other firsts, he and his party decided to come up with 70 assembly-based manifestos and a common one for Delhi, which was followed by the BJP but it failed to bring out more than one or two.

Known as meticulous planner, Kejriwal and his team planned every thing right down to the booth level to help swung votes in their favour.

Even selection of party symbol "broom" was part of their plans to strike a chord with the balmiki community, who mostly work as safaikaramcharis in the three BJP-led municipal corporations, which used to be perceived as a traditional Congress vote bank.

Born on August 16, 1968 in Hisar in Haryana to Gobind Ram Kejriwal and Gita Devi, Arvind is a Mechanical Engineering graduate of Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kharagpur.

After completing his engineering, he joined Tata Steel in 1989 and after working for three years, he resigned in 1992. He later joined Indian Revenue Service in 1995 after qualifying the civil services examination.

Being in government service, Kejriwal was active in taking up social cause and worked for implementation of Right to Information Act at grass root level.

His efforts in the enactment of the RTI Act to empower the poorest citizens of India won him the Ramon Magsaysay Award for Emergent Leadership in 2006.

In February 2006, after resigning from the lucrative government job from the post of joint commissioner in the income tax department he become a full-time activist and started an NGO, Public Cause Research Foundation, with his award money as a corpus fund.

Kejriwal is married to Sunita, who is also an IRS officer and his batch mate from National Academy of Administration in Mussoorie. The couple have two children, a daughter and a son. He has a younger sister and brother.

But unlike, other political leaders, Kejriwal had to face several controversies related to funds and a sting by a webportal.

Opposition parties repeatedly termed AAP and Kejriwal as "back-stabber" and one who had stabbed at the back of Anna Hazare to fulfil his political ambitions.

They even questioned the party accepting funds from abroad from NRIs. A PIL was also filed in the Supreme Court, which directed the government to probe the matter.

During the last phase of election campaign, a sting operation carried out by a little known webportal, claimed to have exposed how AAP volunteers were ready to support anyone who offered to fund their party.

The party's political affairs committee themselves went through the unedited footage found that the sting was carried out to malign the AAP image and not the entire truth was aired.

Friday, December 6, 2013

Vegan celebrities - plant based lifestyle

Hollywood stalwarts and celebrities helping the cause of veganism…as JayZ calls its "spiritual and physical cleanse."

JayZ was spotted with wife Beyonce  in Los Angeles at Cafe Gratitude, a vegan restaurant in Larchmont Village, Cafe Gratitude is a must visit if you happen to be in LA

cafe gratitude

Photo of the "I Am Pure" kale salad.

Of course, Bey and Jay aren't the only celebrities who have given up animal products. Take a look at a few stars that have gone vegan for good.


  • Bill Clinton
    Getty Images
    After undergoing quadruple bypass surgery in 2004 and a later stent surgery, the 42nd president adopted a vegan diet in 2010. He's since lost 20 pounds, and has become an advocate for vegan and meatless diets.
    "I like the vegetables, the fruits, the beans, the stuff I eat now," Clinton told a CNN reporter. "All my blood tests are good, and my vital signs are good, and I feel good, and I also have, believe it or not, more energy."
    (Photo By Michael Reynolds-Pool/Getty Images)
  • Carrie Underwood
    Getty Images
    Growing up on a farm, Carrie Underwood says she became a vegetarian at age 13 after witnessing animal killings first-hand. Slightly lactose intolerant, PETA's Sexiest Vegetarian Celebrity of 2005 and 2007 jumped to being a vegan in 2011.
    It's not a completely strict meatless and dairy-free diet for this country star, though: She'll slip up for cultural or social reasons if need be. "I am a vegan but I consider myself to be a practical vegan," she told Entertainment Wise. "If I order something on a menu and it has a sprinkling of cheese on top I'm not going to send it back."
    (Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)
  • Al Gore
    Getty Images
    Al Gore is the latest celebrity to hop on the animal and dairy free diet. Forbes broke the news last weekend, saying he's a "newly turned vegan." It's unclear why the former vice president made the swap, but in doing so, he joins the 42nd president he once served in this dietary endeavor.
    (Photo by LUIS ACOSTA/AFP/Getty Images)
  • Natalie Portman
    Getty Images
    Long-time vegetarian Natalie Portman went vegan in 2009 after reading Jonathan Safran Foer's Eating Animals. She even went on to blog about it on The Huffington Post. "The human cost of factory farming -- both the compromised welfare of slaughterhouse workers and, even more, the environmental effects of the mass production of animals -- is staggering," she wrote.
    The actress reverted to vegetarianism during her 2011 pregnancy, US Weekly reports, citing that her body was craving foods made with eggs and cheese. Post-pregnancy, Portman readopted the animal-free lifestyle. Her 2012 wedding was actually catered with an all-vegan menu.
    (Photo by Andrew Cowie/AFP/Getty Images)
  • Mike Tyson
    Getty Images
    Former heavyweight boxing champion Mike Tyson turned vegan in 2010, and has since loss 100 pounds. "Becoming a vegan gave me another opportunity to live a healthy life. I was so congested from all the drugs and bad cocaine, I could hardly breathe, [I had] high blood pressure, [was] almost dying [and had] arthritis. And once I became a vegan all that stuff diminished," said Tyson earlier this year on "Oprah: Where Are They now?".
    (Photo by Jason Merritt/Getty Images)
  • Ellen DeGeneres
    Getty Images
    Similar to Natalie Portman, comedian and talk-show host Ellen DeGeneres switched to a vegan diet in 2008 after reading several books on animal rights and diets. "I do it because I love animals," DeGeneres told Katie Couric. "And I saw the reality and I just couldn't ignore it anymore." Degeneres' wife, Portia de Rossi, shares the same diet, and their 2008 wedding featured a vegan menu.
    Perhaps one of the more vocal celebrities on this diet, she even has her own vegan blog, "Going Vegan With Ellen," and she and de Rossi are slated to open their own vegan restaurant, though its opening date is unknown.
    (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images)
  • Alicia Silverstone
    Getty Images
    This "Clueless" star went vegan more than 15 years ago at age 21, according to Health Magazine. Prior to the dietary switch, Silverstone told Oprah that she had puffy eyes, asthma, acne and insomnia and constipation.
    The New York Times reports that this lifelong animal lover made the switch after watching documentaries on the food industry. Silverstone authored The Kind Diet, a book on vegan cuisine in 2009, and offers other diet pointers and green tips on her website, The Kind Life.
    (Photo by Toby Canham/Getty Images)
  • Usher
    Getty Images
    This singer-songwriter-dancer went vegan in 2012, according to Mother Nature Network. His dad died of a heart attack in 2008, and RadarOnline reports that Usher is determined to take charge of his fate with this healthier diet.
    Usher apparently tried to get his protégé, Justin Bieber, aboard the vegan train too, but he hasn't stuck with it.
    (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images)
  • Joaquin Phoenix
    Getty Images
    This award-winning actor has likely had the longest bout at veganism of any celebrity. "I was 3 years old. To this day it is a vivid memory," Phoenix told the New York Daily News. "My family and I were on a boat, catching fish … The animal went from a living, vibrant creature fighting for life to a violent death. I recognized it, as did my brothers and sisters."
    This past February, he simulated the concept of a drowning fish in a controversial video for PETA's "Go Vegan" campaign. PETA wanted to run the ad as a commercial during the Academy Awards, but ABC refused to air it, reports Business Insider.
    (Photo by Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images)
  • Carl Lewis
    Getty Images
    World-famous track runner and Olympic gold medalist Carl Lewis says he had the best race of his life at the 1991 World Championships, after he turned vegan to prepare for the race, Mother Nature Network reports. It was that year that he won ABC's Wide World of Sports Athlete of the Year and set a world record.
    In the introduction to Very Vegetarian by Jannequin Bennett, Lewis explains that he went vegan after meeting two people, a doctor and a nutritionist, that inspired him to switch his diet. Though he acknowledges there were hurdles to cross, such as cravings for meat and salt, he found other substances like lemon juice and lentils to make his diet enjoyable.
    (Photo by Popperfoto/Getty Images)
  • Woody Harrelson
    Getty Images
    This Hunger Games star is hungry for all things dairy and animal free, and has been so for over 25 years, according to a previous Huffington Post article. "I was on a bus and some girl sees me blowing my nose," Harrelson is saying of his early years trying to make it as an actor in New York. "I had acne all over my face, which I'd had for years and years. And she's like: 'Hey, you're lactose intolerant. If you quit dairy, all these symptoms you got will be gone in three days.' I was like twenty-four. And I was like, No way. But three days later: gone," he told Esquire.
    Harrelson isn't just a vegan, but also environmentally conscious. He resides on on a working organic farm in Maui with his family, refuses to talk on a cellphone because of electromagnetic waves, and prefers to drive energy efficient cars, the Esquire article explains. According to Mother Nature Network, he's a co-owner of Sage, a vegan restaurant and the world's first organic beer garden that opened this past fall.
    (Photo by Charley Gallay/Getty Images for Audi)
  • Thom Yorke
    Getty Images
    The song "Meat is Murder" by The Smiths is said to have inspired Radiohead's founder and lead singer to adopt a vegan diet, according to Yahoo. He told GQ that meat consumption was tearing up his diet.
    (Photo by Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images)
  • Alanis Morissette
    Getty Images
    After reading Eat to Live by Dr. Joel Furhman and feeling unhealthy from weight gain and processed food, the singer-songwriter became vegan in 2009. On why she made the diet swap, she told OK magazine: "Longevity. I realized I want to live till I'm 120. There's a lifestyle that I am now happily creating that can, as best as is possible, prevent most forms of cancer and other diseases." She also says in the interview that she lost 20 pounds within months of becoming vegan and feels more energetic. Morissette does note, however, that she is 80 percent vegan. "The other 20% is following what my body needs," according to the Guardian.
    (Photo by Mark Davis/Getty Images)
  • Russell Brand
    Getty Images
    After watching "Forks Over Knives," a documentary on rejecting processed food to control common diseases, Russell Brand converted from longtime vegetarian to vegan in 2011, according to Mother Nature Network. Once he made the switch, PETA's 2011 Sexiest Vegetarian Celebrity tweeted, "I'm now vegan, goodbye eggs, hello Ellen."
    (FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP/Getty Images)
  • Morrissey
    Getty Images
    This long-time vegetarian and vegan made headlines this year for his outspoken views on veganism and animal rights. Most recently, he called the White House's annual turkey pardon "Thankskilling" and wrote on a fan website, "Please ignore the abysmal example set by President Obama who, in the name of Thanksgiving, supports torture as 45 million birds are horrifically abused; dragged through electrified stun baths, and then have their throats slit. And President Obama laughs. Haha, so funny!" according to Rolling Stone. The "Meat is Murder" songwriter also cancelled an appearance on "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" this year when he found out he'd be sharing the spotlight with the "Duck Dynasty" cast, telling Kimmel that they essentially "amount to animal serial killers."
    (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images)

Thursday, December 5, 2013

You only live twice?...NOPE (How about 11)

You only live twice?...NOPE (How about 11)

If you think that you only live once, maybe you have to think again. What if you have many lives? How will you live your life differently?

All it takes is one shining moment…how about discovering that?

life comic

It's never too late to realize what to do next in your life! Don't waste your life chances!

Tuesday, December 3, 2013

Amazon - half hour delivery via drones?

2013 will be remembered as the year online went mobile

Mobility (and Cloud) : the focus areas in 2014…
Online shoppers spent record amounts of money on Cyber Monday and did much of their shopping on mobile phones and tablets.
Cyber Monday is well on its way to being the biggest online shopping day in history,
Overall, 29.4% of online traffic was mobile, according to data from IBM Digital Analytics Benchmark. Shoppers used smartphones to browse but were more likely to make purchases on a tablet, the data show.

From here 



Thursday, November 21, 2013

Career = when to quit and move on (from linkedin)

Time is your most valuable asset. Use it wisely.
There could be more risk in staying put.
You'll be a stronger, more confident person if you're successful.
Labor churn is good for the economy.

Friday, November 15, 2013

The one that spurned $3Billion

Who is Snapchat CEO Evan Spiegel.....flameout happening …??
That is TBD
But here is why
in the mobile world, a new technology is not dependent upon a strong platform to grow; snapchat does not need Facebook.
Facebook is no longer "cool" to young teens, with moms, dads, and even grandparents on Facebook –Snapchat aint ubiquitous like FB.
If Snapchat is associated with FB, likely the "cool" teens will jump out faster than you can say ORKUT
Orkut is one prime example of a social media platform being deserted like a marooned ship in a nano second.
Is Facebook next?
From here

Tuesday, November 5, 2013

Supplanting thoughts in the real world...INCEPTION style


Article from here
Inception might have been unethical, but once you get around it...here are some relevant learnings, specifically for folks running around trying to sell their own brand, a product or anything else for that matter


Reverse psychology has become an enormous cliché. I think this peaked in 1995 with the release of the film Jumanji. (If you've seen it and remember it, you know what I'm talking about.) The problem is that most people look at reverse psychology in a very simple way. For example, you'd say "I don't care if you want to go risk your life jumping out of a plane" to try and convince someone not to go skydiving. This isn't reverse psychology—it's passive-aggressive. So let's leave that all behind and start from scratch.

If you're going to use logic reversals in your favor, you need to be subtle. Let's say you want your roommate to do the dishes because it's his or her turn. There's always this approach:
"Hey, would you mind doing the dishes? It's your turn."
But in this example we're assuming your roommate is lazy and the nice approach isn't going to get the job done. So what do you do? Something like this:
"Hey, I've decided I don't want to do the dishes anymore and am just going to start buying disposable stuff. Is that cool with you? If you want to give me some money, I can pick up extras for you, too."
What this does is present the crappy alternative to not doing the dishes without placing any blame. Rather than being preoccupied with an accusation, your roommate is left to only consider the alternative. This is how reverse psychology can be effective, so long as you say it like you mean it.

Never Talk About the Idea — Talk Around It

Underselling is probably one of the easiest and most effective ways to plant an idea in someone's mind. This is another version of reverse psychology but at a less aggressive level. Let's say you're trying to sell someone a hard drive. They could buy a 250GB, 500GB, or 1TB hard drive. You want to sell the largest hard drive possible because those cost more and mean more money for you. Your buyer is coming in with the idea that they want to spend the least money possible. You're not going to get very far by telling them they should spend more money when you know they don't want to. Instead, you need to cater to what they want: the cheap option. Here's a sample dialogue:
Buyer: Can you tell me about this 250GB hard drive? I want to make sure it will work for me.
You: What kind of computer do you have and what do you want to use it for?
Buyer: I have a 2-year old Windows laptop and I need it to store my photos. I have about 30GB of photos.
You: 250GB is definitely more than enough for just storing your photos, so as long as you don't have many more files you might want to put onto the drive it should be just fine for your needs.
This last sentence instills doubt in the buyer. You could even add "you'd only need a larger drive if you wanted to be absolutely sure you'll have enough space in the future" but that might be pushing it a little bit. The point is, if you appear to have their best interests at heart it can be easy to make them think they want to buy more from you.

Again, I'd like to take this opportunity to remind everyone that planting ideas in the minds of others is not necessarily a nice thing to do. Use this information to detect when someone's doing it to you and not necessarily as a guide to do it to somebody else.

A simple comparison - Mac Air and Mac Pro


Thursday, October 17, 2013

SDN Adoption Puts DevOps Pros in High Demand

The shift toward network automation and virtualization offered by Software Defined Networks will increase demand for DevOps professionals. If you have both technical expertise and business acumen, you may soon have new IT career options.

From here

Monday, October 14, 2013

Electric car...so done! We are back to gasoline with the flying cars




Early adopters.... beware
The fastest draw in the west...who is going for the credit card?
Reminds me of the http://smartransportation.blogspot.com/ flying car project for the LEGO ROBOTICS competition from a few years ago.
Carl Dietrich giving Elon Musk a run for his money...


The first flying cars are set to go on sale to the public as early as 2015. Terrafugia, based in Massachusetts, has announced its Transition design, which is part sedan, part private jet with two seats, four wheels and wings that fold up so it can be driven like a car, will be on sale in less than two years.

“We do want to create a flying car that can be used by a much broader segment of the population than just the pilot communities today,” said Terrafugia CEO Carl Dietrich.
If the project pushes through, the TF-X model by Terrafugia will have a range of 500 miles and a cruising speed of 200 miles per hour if the concept does push through.
 


Sunday, September 15, 2013

MUSIC HEALS - A MUST WATCH


It is the attitude that ultimately matters.
The right thoughts implanted into the mind can do wonders.

Watch a 13-Year-Old Country Singer Bring Even Simon Cowell to His Feet

Rion Paige may have a different way of spelling her name, but it’s probably one you should get used to. That’s because the spunky 13-year-old country singer brought the “X Factor” judges to their feet Wednesday with her rendition of a Carrie Underwood song.
Besides a solid voice and a special name, Paige is unique for another reason: She has a rare disease that has left her wrist joints deformed and she’s almost completely blind in her right eye. But you’d never know it from her attitude.
“I have arthrogryposis multiplex congenita, which is basically a whole bunch of words to describe something simple,” she said with about as much energy as an F-5 tornado.
X Factor judges give Rion Paige standing ovation | 13 year old girls amazing X Factor performance
Rion Paige (Source: YouTube screen shot)
“Ever since I was little I would just sort of find a way to get to a microphone,” she explained to producers. “I would put it in between my knees, and try to get it into my foot, and put it in my mouth.”
Still, she admitted she does get frustrated at times, but music helps her “explain her feelings.”
But don’t think she wants any pity for having physical struggles.
“I just don’t want the judges to take pity or think of me as different,” she said.
Then she let it rip:
The judges loved it.
“Rion, I’m just so impressed with you right now and I cannot believe the struggles you have had and how positive you are,” judge Demi Lovato said after her, her counterparts, and the audience couldn’t help but giver her a standing ovation. “I think everybody in this room can learn something from you today.”
X Factor judges give Rion Paige standing ovation | 13 year old girls amazing X Factor performance
(Source: YouTube screen shot)
X Factor judges give Rion Paige standing ovation | 13 year old girls amazing X Factor performance
(Source: YouTube screen shot)
And yes, even Simon Cowell was moved.
“I think you’re literally extraordinary,” he said. “I really do.”
Paige is a bit of a local celebrity in her hometown of Jacksonville, Florida. In fact, there’s even a YouTube video from 2012 showing her belting out Adelle on the local news:

Wednesday, August 28, 2013

Truth or Fiction? Fictionwala?

While most surnames in India reflect caste and lineage, the Parsis had a
delightfully modern streak - having landed without caste, history and
context, they created identities through professions and urban streets.

Our family moved to Bombay (now Mumbai) from Rawalpindi in 1947. We came as
refugees but the family soon settled and by 1953 my father had restarted
playing golf at the Willingdon Club. I was eight years old and would walk 18
holes with him every Saturday and Sunday. The three Parsi gentlemen who made
up his regular four-ball were uncles Poonawala, Coorlawala and Colabawala.
Very soon they had rechristened my father
Pindiwala, though he is a Sardar. Uncle Colabawala did not live in Colaba
but in a penthouse on Malabar Hill. May be his ancestors had lived in
Colaba. I used to spend hours searching the telephone directory to find
Parsi surnames and building up stories around their families.

There was prohibition in Bombay those days. So to get liquor you had to find
Mr. Dalal, who would introduce you to Mr. Daruwala, who in turn would get
bottles delivered to your home by Mr. Batliwala who would be accompanied by
Mr. Sodawaterbottleopenerwalla (the longest Parsi surname I have come
across).

Other surnames whose ancestors were in the beverages trade were
Mr.Fountainwala, Mr. Ginwala, Mr Rumwala, Mr. Sodawala and Mr. Jhunjhunwala.

We used to have two delightful Siamese kittens in our flat and these were
gifted to my mother by her friend Mrs. Billimoria. My mother spent hours
knitting cardigans for them, with wool she bought from the Unwala family.

My uncle ran the air force canteen in Cotton Green and his partner, yes you
guessed it, was Mr. Canteenwala. They had this fantastic cook, Mr.
Bhajiwala. Their mild and meek manager, Mr. Jeejeebhoy, nodded his head and
agreed with everything everybody said.

My grandfather was the Sheriff of Bombay. I think the first and only Sikh to
hold this position. Being Sheriff it was only natural that he had Mr.
Bandookwala and Mr. Golimarwala as his constant companions.

Grandfather had many Parsi friends who were in politics. There was this
squeaky clean khadi-clad Mr. Ghandy, and the not so clean Mr. Kalaghandy -
who was invariably being hounded by Mr Kotwal. But he never left home
without his friends Mr. Barrister, Mr. Vakil, Mr. Lawyer and their > munshi
Mr. Mehnty.

My grandfather built Hotel Waldorf on Arthur Bunder Road in Colaba. So for
this he naturally used the services of Mr. Contactor and Mr. Mistry. He
never went to the conservative moneylenders when short of money, but
borrowed it from his Parsi friend Mr. Readymoney.

Our neighbour and family physician was Dr. Adi Doctor - he was only half a
doctor. He lived with his in laws Mr and Mrs. Pochkhanawala. My sister
swears they ate only poached eggs for breakfast.

I remember going to Dr. Doctor’s sister’s wedding. She married Mr. Screwala.
What he did for a living, I do not know to this day. If you are in Mumbai
maybe you can track him down in the yellow or pink pages.

Thursday, August 22, 2013

Silent abrasion of the arteries...the silent killer

World Renowned Heart Surgeon Speaks Out On What Really Causes Heart Disease

We physicians with all our training, knowledge and authority often acquire a rather large ego that tends to make it difficult to admit we are wrong. So, here it is. I freely admit to being wrong.. As a heart surgeon with 25 years experience, having performed over 5,000 open-heart surgeries,today is my day to right the wrong with medical and scientific fact.

I trained for many years with other prominent physicians labelled “opinion makers.”  Bombarded with scientific literature, continually attending education seminars, we opinion makers insisted heart disease resulted from the simple fact of elevated blood cholesterol.
The only accepted therapy was prescribing medications to lower cholesterol and a diet that severely restricted fat intake. The latter of course we insisted would lower cholesterol and heart disease. Deviations from these recommendations were considered heresy and could quite possibly result in malpractice.

These recommendations are no longer scientifically or morally defensible. The discovery a few years ago that inflammation in the artery wall is the real cause of heart disease is slowly leading to a paradigm shift in how heart disease and other chronic ailments will be treated.
The long-established dietary recommendations have created epidemics of obesity and diabetes, the consequences of which dwarf any historical plague in terms of mortality, human suffering and dire economic consequences.
Despite the fact that 25% of the population takes expensive statin medications and despite the fact we have reduced the fat content of our diets, more Americans will die this year of heart disease than ever before.
Statistics from the American Heart Association show that 75 million Americans currently suffer from heart disease, 20 million have diabetes and 57 million have pre-diabetes. These disorders are affecting younger and younger people in greater numbers every year.
Simply stated, without inflammation being present in the body, there is no way that cholesterol would accumulate in the wall of the blood vessel and cause heart disease and strokes. Without inflammation, cholesterol would move freely throughout the body as nature intended. It is inflammation that causes cholesterol to become trapped.
Inflammation is not complicated — it is quite simply your body’s natural defence to a foreign invader such as a bacteria, toxin or virus. The cycle of inflammation is perfect in how it protects your body from these bacterial and viral invaders. However, if we chronically expose the body to injury by toxins or foods the human body was never designed to process,a condition occurs called chronic inflammation. Chronic inflammation is just as harmful as acute inflammation is beneficial.
What thoughtful person would willfully expose himself repeatedly to foods or other substances that are known to cause injury to the body?  Well,smokers perhaps, but at least they made that choice willfully.
The rest of us have simply followed the recommended mainstream dietthat is low in fat and high in polyunsaturated fats and carbohydrates, not knowing we were causing repeated injury to our blood vessels. Thisrepeated injury creates chronic inflammation leading to heart diseasestroke, diabetes and obesity.
Let me repeat that: The injury and inflammation in our blood vessels is caused by the low fat diet recommended for years by mainstream medicine.

What are the biggest culprits of chronic inflammation? Quite simply, they are the overload of simple, highly processed carbohydrates (sugar, flourand all the products made from them) and the excess consumption of omega-6 vegetable oils like soybean, corn and sunflower that are found in many processed foods.
Take a moment to visualize rubbing a stiff brush repeatedly over soft skin until it becomes quite red and nearly bleeding. you kept this up several times a day, every day for five years. If you could tolerate this painful brushing, you would have a bleeding, swollen infected area that became worse with each repeated injury. This is a good way to visualize the inflammatory process that could be going on in your body right now.
Regardless of where the inflammatory process occurs, externally or internally, it is the same. I have peered inside thousands upon thousands of arteries. A diseased artery looks as if someone took a brush and scrubbed repeatedly against its wall. Several times a day, every day, the foods we eat create small injuries compounding into more injuries, causing the body to respond continuously and appropriately with inflammation.
While we savor the tantalizing taste of a sweet roll, our bodies respond alarmingly as if a foreign invader arrived declaring war. Foods loaded with sugars and simple carbohydrates, or processed withomega-6 oils for long shelf life have been the mainstay of the American diet for six decades. These foods have been slowly poisoning everyone.
How does eating a simple sweet roll create a cascade of inflammation to make you sick?
Imagine spilling syrup on your keyboard and you have a visual of what occurs inside the cell. When we consume simple carbohydrates such as sugar, blood sugar rises rapidly. In response, your pancreas secretes insulin whose primary purpose is to drive sugar into each cell where it is stored for energy. If the cell is full and does not need glucose, it is rejected to avoid extra sugar gumming up the works.
When your full cells reject the extra glucose, blood sugar rises producing more insulin and the glucose converts to stored fat.
What does all this have to do with inflammation? Blood sugar is controlled in a very narrow range. Extra sugar molecules attach to a variety of proteins that in turn injure the blood vessel wall. This repeated injury to the blood vessel wall sets off inflammation. When you spike your blood sugar level several times a day, every day, it is exactly like taking sandpaper to the inside of your delicate blood vessels.
While you may not be able to see it, rest assured it is there. I saw it in over 5,000 surgical patients spanning 25 years who all shared one common denominator — inflammation in their arteries.
Let’s get back to the sweet roll. That innocent looking goody not only contains sugars, it is baked in one of many omega-6 oils such as soybean. Chips and fries are soaked in soybean oil; processed foods are manufactured with omega-6 oils for longer shelf life. While omega-6’s are essential -they are part of every cell membrane controlling what goes in and out of the cell – they must be in the correct balance with omega-3’s.
If the balance shifts by consuming excessive omega-6, the cell membrane produces chemicals called cytokines that directly cause inflammation.
Today’s mainstream American diet has produced an extreme imbalance of these two fats. The ratio of imbalance ranges from 15:1 to as high as 30:1 in favor of omega-6. That’s a tremendous amount of cytokines causing inflammation. In today’s food environment, a 3:1 ratio would be optimal and healthy.
To make matters worse, the excess weight you are carrying from eating these foods creates overloaded fat cells that pour out large quantities of pro-inflammatory chemicals that add to the injury caused by having high blood sugar. The process that began with a sweet roll turns into a vicious cycle over time that creates heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetesand finally, Alzheimer’s disease, as the inflammatory process continues unabated.

There is no escaping the fact that the more we consume prepared and processed foods, the more we trip the inflammation switch little by little each day. The human body cannot process, nor was it designed to consume, foods packed with sugars and soaked in omega-6 oils.

There is but one answer to quieting inflammation, and that is returning to foods closer to their natural state. To build muscle, eat more protein. Choose carbohydrates that are very complex such as colorful fruits and vegetables. Cut down on or eliminate inflammation- causing omega-6 fats like corn and soybean oil and the processed foods that are made from them.
One tablespoon of corn oil contains 7,280 mg of omega-6; soybean contains 6,940 mg. Instead, use olive oil or butter from grass-fed beef. 
Animal fats contain less than 20% omega-6 and are much less likely to cause inflammation than the supposedly healthy oils labelled polyunsaturated. Forget the “science” that has been drummed into your head for decades. The science that saturated fat alone causes heart disease is non-existent. The science that saturated fat raises blood cholesterol is also very weak. Since we now know that cholesterol is not the cause of heart disease, the concern about saturated fat is even more absurd today.
The cholesterol theory led to the no-fat, low-fat recommendations that in turn created the very foods now causing an epidemic of inflammation. Mainstream medicine made a terrible mistake when it advised people to avoid saturated fat in favor of foods high in omega-6 fats. We now have an epidemic of arterial inflammation leading to heart disease and other silent killers.
What you can do is choose whole foods your grandmother served and not those your mom turned to as grocery store aisles filled with manufactured foods. By eliminating inflammatory foods and adding essential nutrients from fresh unprocessed food, you will reverse years of damage in your arteries and throughout your body from consuming the typical American diet.
Dr. Dwight Lundell is the past Chief of Staff and Chief of Surgery at Banner Heart Hospital , Mesa , AZ. His private practice, Cardiac Care Center was in Mesa, AZ. Recently Dr. Lundell left surgery to focus on the nutritional treatment of heart disease. He is the founder of Healthy Humans Foundation that promotes human health with a focus on helping large corporations promote wellness. He is also the author of The Cure for Heart Disease and The Great Cholesterol Lie.

Thursday, August 8, 2013

OnLine Shopping - Instant Gratification

Amazon, Costco, eBay, Walmart going head to head.
Amazon is constantly innovating, coming up with their version of virtual coins, a 3D smartphone.
Amazon $61B
Ebay $14B (Income $2.88B)
COSTCO $99B

From Forbes here


In the case of Walmart Vs. Amazon, it’s about to get interesting.
Let’s put aside the much discussed news leak that Walmart is considering using its own shoppers as delivery people, providing some kind of incentive to drop off online orders on their way home from the store.
It’s not likely to happen, there are far too many unattractive variables. But it shows the retailer is thinking outside of the box when it comes to competing with its online competition, Amazon.
Walmart already offers in-store pick up and just expanded its test of a locker system where shoppers can order online and pick-up in the store without waiting in line. It’s similar to Amazon’s recent deal with Staples and 7-Eleven to do the same.
The big box behemoth may not be a start-up, but it does try to think like one with its Walmart Labs division. That group is developing Pangaea, a global technology platform, scan and go apps that let shoppers buy in store via a smartphone, and online operations in growing markets outside the U.S. such as Brazil and China.
Wal-Mart is still testing same-day delivery in four cities. The program uses stores as fulfillment centers and if expanded, could turn 4,000 stores into bases for same day delivery.
According to Internet Retailer, Walmart is the fourth largest e-commerce retailer and expects to generate $9 billion in global e-commerce revenue in its current fiscal year, ending Jan. 31, 2014.
Compared to Amazon, that $9 billion is pocket money. Amazon’s sales for the fourth quarter alone were $21.27 billion.
But take a look at the profits and some other key indicators. Income is slowing, expenditures are up and there’s an Marketplace Fairness Act on its way to force the collection of state sales tax. Sooner or later, people will start to notice the lack of earnings.
Amazon is building out a physical infrastructure to provide same day delivery, it doesn’t have Walmart’s existing store base to work from.
It’s too early to call a winner in the retail race. Maybe there’s room for both, although they don’t think so. In the case of Walmart Vs. Amazon, it’s about to get interesting.

Believe it or NOT!

(By way of Kris Legleiter) THE YEAR 1909 What a difference a century makes! Here are some statistics for the Year 1909 : More importantly - food for thought; how will the world of 2109 look like? ************ ********* ********* ****** The average life expectancy was 47years. Only 14 percent of the homes had a bathtub. Only 8 percent of the homes had a telephone. There were only 8,000 cars and only 144 miles Of paved roads. The maximum speed limit in most cities was 10 mph. The tallest structure in the world was the Eiffel Tower! The average wage in 1909 was 22 cents per hour. The average worker made between $200 and $400 per year .. A competent accountant could expect to earn $2000 per year, A dentist $2,500 per year, a veterinarian between $1,500 and $4,000 per year, and a mechanical engineer about $5,000 per year. More than 95 percent of all births took place at HOME. Ninety percent of all doctors had NO COLLEGE EDUCATION! Instead, they attended so-called medical schools, many of which Were condemned in the press AND the government as 'substandard. ' Sugar cost four cents a pound. Eggs were fourteen cents a dozen. Coffee was fifteen cents a pound. Most women only washed their hair once a month, and used Borax or egg yolks for shampoo. Canada passed a law that prohibited poor people from Entering into their country for any reason. Five leading causes of death were: 1. Pneumonia and influenza 2. Tuberculosis 3. Diarrhea 4. Heart disease 5. Stroke The American flag had 45 stars. The population of Las Vegas, Nevada, was only 30!!!! Crossword puzzles, canned beer, and ice tea Hadn't been invented yet. There was no Mother's Day or Father's Day. Two out of every 10 adults couldn't read or write. Only 6 percent of all Americans had graduated from high school... Marijuana, heroin, and morphine were all available over the counter at the local corner drugstores. Back then pharmacists said,'Heroin clears the complexion, gives buoyancy to the mind, regulates the stomach and bowels, and is, in fact, a perfect guardian of health' ( Shocking? DUH! ) Eighteen percent of households had at least One full-time servant or domestic help. There were about 230 reported murders in the ENTIRE !U.S.A. !

Ratan Tata's Radical Transformations





Tuesday, August 6, 2013

SUN'S POLARITY REVERSAL ....




The sun's magnetic field changes polarity approximately every 11 years. It happens at the peak of each solar cycle as the sun's inner magnetic dynamo re-organizes itself. The coming reversal will mark the midpoint of Solar Cycle 24. Half of 'Solar Max' will be behind us, with half yet to come

Thursday, August 1, 2013

Avoid Brain damage....what NOT to do!


10 Things That Have a Damaging Effect on the Brain
1. Not getting enough sleep
This phenomenon, familiar to anyone, is becoming a global problem. According to the WHO, over the past 100 years, people began to sleep an average of 20% less. Severe lack of sleep creates the risk that different parts of the brain move into a phase of slow wave sleep in the state of wakefulness. As a result, a person can’t concentrate and his fine motor skills deteriorate. The regular lack of sleep leads to brain cell death.
2. Lack of breakfast
Skipping the morning meal affects the performance and energy of the person during the day. It seems obvious, but the point here is not so much the consumption of energy necessary for the body, but the fact that lack of breakfast lowers the level of sugar in the blood. This in turn reduces and hinders the flow of nutrients to the brain.
3. Sugar
The preceding paragraph explains why it is recommended to eat sweets, especially dark chocolate, to have a good brain performance. However, excessive amounts of sugar cause problems with the assimilation of protein and nutrients. It leads to the same result as the low level of blood sugar: the brain does not receive enough nutrients.
4. Stress
Severe emotional stress weakens the connections between neurons and thus complicates the understanding of cause-effect relationships and sequence of events. Strong nervous excitement, poor memory and the feeling that everything goes wrong are also linked to stress.
5. Tranquilizers and sleeping pills
The use of sleeping pills and popular tranquilizers such as Xanax can impair memory up to amnesia, cause dementia and obsessive suicidal thoughts.
6. Smoking
Speaking about the negative effects of smoking on the body, the image of black lung and damaged teeth first comes to mind. At the same time, it is not said much about how cigarettes affect the brain: nicotine narrows its vessels. Besides the problems associated with lack of nutrients in the brain, this greatly increases the risk of Alzheimer’s disease.
7. Lack of sun
Lack of sufficient sunlight directly affects cognitive abilities. First, ultraviolet light produced from sunlight regulates blood circulation, that is, the flow of oxygen and nutrients. Second, sunlight helps produce serotonin – the hormone that affects a person’s mood.
8. Lack of water
Lack of water causes a decrease in brain volume, which considerably reduces its efficiency and leads to almost zero ability to memorize information. It is recommended to drink an average of 1,5-2 liters of water per day.
9. Too much information
Year after year, the amount of information to digest increases enormously. This would seem quite useful for the brain exercise and the maintenance of its performance. However, brain responds to such an information excess with resistance. It is expressed in the fact that at a certain moment the information is no longer absorbed causing up to memory lapses.
10. Multitasking
Another anomaly of the information world: people simultaneously process multiple streams of information. As a consequence, none of them is absorbed properly, and the mind gets used to this way of working. Information is perceived superficially, while being focused and doing only one thing without frequent change of activity is becoming more difficult.

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