Hello all,
Wishing you a very happy 2013!! Now that the Apocalyptic year is behind us, we can relax and go on with our lives 
With new years comes a hope of new beginnings!! And it is the perfect time to introduce to you all an incredibly talented Ekta Agrawal who has recently started her own venture!! Check out the beautiful paintings and encourage the budding new talent
You can buy her paintings at: http://www.etsy.com/shop/EktaArts
Hello all,
My sister is doing a Market Research project on Sports Merchandising. Please help her out by filling up this survery. Should not take more than 5 mins
https://qtrial.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_0AKkvBh2SL0Elhy
Thanks
Ever since the super duper success of iPads, all the big names are coming up with their own version of tablet computers. One of the better ones in the market these days is Kindle Fire.
You can find a more detailed analysis of different features below but first things first… As an end user on this side of the world, I look for VFM (Value For Money) in every product I buy. If 90% of the features can be found in a product which is 70% cheaper, I will take it! Thats how the Indian mindset works, we are a breed that is very price conscious.
Keeping that in mind, Kindle Fire is a no-brainer! Simply because it is not only half the price of an iPad, you can practically access amazon’s store from anywhere in the world, without having to pay for the internet. To add to the charm, Fire is so much smaller than the iPad, this making it convenient to carry when traveling. Did I mention Fire runs on Android? That kind of seals the deal, doesnt it?
| Amazon Kindle Fire | Apple iPad 2 | |
| Price | $199 | $499-829 |
| Content Source | Amazon | iTunes |
| App Store | Amazon App Store & Android Apps | iOS App Store |
| Apps Available | 15,000+ | 90,000+ for iPad |
| Screen Size (inches) | 7 | 9.7 |
| Screen Resolution | 1,024×600 | 1,024×768 |
| Screen Pixels Per Inch | 169 | 132 |
| Size (inches) | 7.5 x 4.7 x .45 | 9.5 x 7.31 x .34 |
| Weight | 14.6 ounces | 21.28 ounces |
| OS | Custom Android | iOS |
| Capacity | 8GB | 16-64GB |
| Expandable Storage | No | No |
| 3G | No | Optional |
| Wi-Fi | 802.11 b/g/n | 802.11 b/g/n |
| Processor | Dual-core TI OMAP 4 | Dual-core A5 |
| Camera | No | Front and Rear |
| GPS | No | On 3G Models |
| Browser | Amazon Silk | Mobile Safari |
| Battery Life | 8 hours | 7.5 hours |
We have a clear winner here: Amazon Kindle Fire
More reviews on Fire coming up as and when I get the hang of using it.
When leaving Chennai for good, I knew there would be some things that I would perenially miss – Some chosen and rare gems of people, whom I will remain indebted for life, for the kind of love and affection they showered on me… Besant Nagar beach and last but not the least Murugan Idli’s idlis!!
Even now Murugan Idli makes me drool… for they make the softest and the best idlis in the whole wide world!! 
When I left Chennai, I knew it was leaving for good… and I knew I would remain in touch with all of my friends. The only thing I thought I would never find was Murugan Idli’s idlis… And I did!! Yes, I did!!
I found Murugan Idlis here in Singapore and I fell in love with it all over again!
The most coveted golden lady knight (Thanks to Reema for pointing it out) is being given out now!! Yes, I am watching 81st Annual Academy Awards live right now!!
And boy! Indians are on a roll!!
It started with the live coverage of the Red Carpet on E!. It was a splendid delight watching the kids from the movie Slumdog Millionaire adorn the red carpet in their little tuxedos! Oh! they all looked like little angels!! Anil Kapoor, Irfan Khan, Dev Patel and Freida Pinto looked at ease! I liked Irfan Khan’s calm and composed conduct, while Anil totally went over the top! 
Now, here is a list of the wins so far
Best Documentary Short Film: Smile Pinki
This movie is about Pinki, a girl in rural India whose cleft lip has made her a social outcast, has a chance for a new life when she meets a dedicated social worker.
Our very own Slumdog Millionaire was nominated ten times and has already won 4 5 6 7 oscars so far
Music (Score)
Sound (Mixing)
Cinematography
Writing (Adapted Screenplay)
Update 1: Best Song (Jai Ho won the award)
Update 3: Best Director (Danny Boyle)
Update 4: Best film
It includes two Indians (AR Rahman, The one for sound mixing)
AR Rahman has won 2 oscars already And Gulzar for lyrics!!
Update 2: The Indian troupe led by AR Rahman performed on the songs “Jai Ho” and “O Saya”. It was grandeur at its best!
I will be updating this blog as we go forward!
[Courtesy: http://www.oscar.com]
Hey ya me back again! And this time again m thinking out loud so please dont hit me if you find this post grossly inadequate in terms of content!!
I was another one of those people who thought birthdays were meant to be special until this one!!
I mean what is there to cheer about? If you are 10, ok maybe yes, u put on a nice little joker hat and entertain fellow kids at a birthday bash fondly thrown by your parents… Parents are happy coz their cute little brat is growing up… and you are happy… maybe coz u r nearer to turning into a teen!
When you are teen and facing all those teen problems, birthdays still make you happy… why? Coz there is always that sweet sixteen to look forward to
And at sixteen when you neither a teen nor an adult, you just cant wait to grow up… coz u want to be taken seriously by everyone!! So again, you are happy on your birthdays!!
But is there a reason to celebrate when you are on the wrong side of 20s??? Naaaahhh!! Dont think so! There is only thing that should be done on getting a day older and that is to sulk, precisely what I am doing right now!
So, PLEASE do not wish me a happy birthday!!!!
Heylloooooo junta,
Nova aka Missus Noobie is back…
I have been back for over 3 days now, but couldnt think of what to write… There is too much to be said maybe, or nothing at all…
For starters, I am now in the land of no birds (Yeah, this is what this place is… Can you guess what place this is?)… On leave, so not working at the moment…
Been to Bali post wedding… an amazing place!! Both Noobie and I are in love with that place… think will make it our annual vacation spot!!
So, how have u guys been? Will start reading your posts, which have gone into thousands!!
Ciao!
My Airtel Broadband bill need to be paid. As usual, the bill got lost in mail and I had to call up the customer care to ask them for the bill amount to be paid. After a series of verifications, he finally told me the amount XYZ. I went to the Koramangala Airtel center (which is quite huge and houses around 7 employees to take “care” of the customers)
I stood in the line for 45 mins after which he told me an amount double that of the actual amount told to me by the guy on the phone. I asked him to show me the bill. He said, “Mam, I can only tell u the amount. I can not show you the bill. For that you have to go to the enquiry counter (which againt had around 20 people already in the line). They will tell you bill details.”
This would mean I stand in another line for 45 mins to know the details and then back in the first line for another 45 mins to pay the bill!!!!!!
So much for the service!!!
Here is another one:
I lost my cell phone today morning 
I called up Airtel guys to block my sim. They refused. Yeah! ThEY REFUSED!!! There is no reason for this insanity. All they could tell me is that you need to go to the airtel outlet to fill a form and then it will be blocked. Yeah! Right! Like the guy who stole my phone is gonna wait all that long. For all I know, I would have lost all the money!! Does that make sense at all? Airtel’s service is anyways bad. Now their call center people have also started misbehaving! The girl i was talking to today said in a rude and impudent voice
Its your problem madam that you lost your phone. You should now pay for it.
I was shocked at this response! And I wonder if Airtel should stop paying Vidya Balan, Madhavan and Shahrukh Khan crores of rupees and maybe invest some of that amount into developing better processes and training better customer service people!
This is what is going to sell their product, not fancy stars!!!
I withdrew money from XYZ bank to pay my rent today. The landlord being a much smarter guy could make out that 2 500-rupee notes were FAKE! Yes, the same notes that the ATM machines dispensed…
How to identify a fake note
Watermarks
Hold the note to bright light. In the watermark window (the enclosure right above the Ashoka Pillar emblem), a Gandhi portrait will zoom into focus. Look closely at the finely-etched multi-directional lines, and at the expression on Gandhi’s face… In a fake note, because there are no lines and no shading, it will look like a caricature.
See-through register
There is a small floral design on the front (hollow) and back (filled-up) of the note. You will find it bang in the middle of the vertical band to the left of the watermark. When held up against light, it should appear as one design. In a fake note, the design distorts since the printing machine can only print one side at a time. So, you will see two designs instead of one.
Tactile Clues
In a Rs 500 note, a circle-shaped mark in intaglio on the left of the watermark window helps the visually impaired identify the denomination. The shape varies with the denomination: Rs 20, vertical rectangle; Rs 50, square; Rs 100, triangle; Rs 1000, diamond. This feature can be imitated, but in a poor fake, the shape of the mark could be wrong.
Intaglio Painting
Mahatma Gandhi’s portrait, the RBI seal, the guarantee and promise clause, the Ashoka Pillar Emblem on the left and the RBI Governor’s signature are all printed in intaglio, that is, raised print. If you gently run your fingers over a genuine note, you can feel the raised print. Since intaglio printing is prohibitively costly, counterfeiters have not been able to reproduce it.
Security thread
A readable security thread lies to the left of the Mahatma’s portrait. On the obverse, it’s discontinuous with the inscriptions ‘Bharat’ (in Hindi), and ‘RBI’. On the reverse, it’s fully embedded with the two inscriptions appearing alternately. A real note should have a security thread that is silver and woven. In a fake, the thread stands out unevenly on the obverse and on the reverse, the colour is blackish.
Optically variable ink
The numeral 500 on the obverse is in colour-shifting ink. Much like disco lights, the numeral appears green when the note is held flat but changes to blue when the note is tilted. Notes issued before November 2000 don’t have this feature. In fake notes, the numeral’s colour will be pale and uniform.
Fluorescence
Place the note under an ultra-violet lamp and you will see optical fibres and fluorescent number panels. The security thread too fluoresces (in blue) on the visible portion from obverse and as a continuous line from reverse. A fake note will glow blue uniformly; in an original, only the number panels and silver security line will glow. Reason: genuine notes are made of cotton pulp; fakes, made of wood pulp or paper, don’t lend themselves to differential fluorescence.
Microlettering
Best seen under a magnifying glass, this feature appears between the vertical band and Mahatma Gandhi portrait. It contains the words ‘RBI’ and ‘500’ in microletters. Rule of thumb: check for ‘500 RBI’ just behind Gandhiji’s ears. If it’s not there, the note is surely a fake.
Latent image
The vertical band on the right side of the Mahatma Gandhi portrait contains a latent image of the denomination in numeral. The image is visible when the note is held up at eye level and horizontally against light. In a real note, the numeral will show up clearly against the light. In a fake, it will appear as a shadow, diffused and vague.
Hope this helps the next time you are trade in large amounts.
Beware of fake notes!
[PS Btw any suggestions on what I can do with the fake notes I have?]
Its true that the camera doesnt capture everything. The best of the cameras in the world, do not show your true self some times, or maybe they do. There are only two ways for a person to find out how he looks – through the eyes of his own, or through the eyes of the camera! And what if there is a conflict between these two?
Conflict could be either ways – either the camera makes you look great (no one complains about that m sure ) or it just makes you look worse!
Now, the question arises!! Why the conflict? Does the camera lie or do your eyes? Does it depend on the light, the angle, the precision, the works that may make a photograph look good? Why are some photographers known for doing wonders with people’s photographs, while not-so-good ones just not tolerated?
It is a very frequent observation that people make “My photographs come really bad”. Most people are just not happy with the way they look in the photographs… What is to blame for it?
Is photography a talent? I am sure it is… Because I have seen some really bad photographs of flowers, which i thought was impossible!! I mean who can make flowers look bad!??? But, yeah… well… photography is tricky in that sense…
However, camera loves some people so much that they look great in every angle and pose?
Does this happen to you as well? Does your camera hate you or love you???
A movie certainly awaited by many…. Eklavya, directed by Vidhu Vinod Chopra, stars Vidya Balan, Raima Sen, Jackie Shroff, Sanjay Dutt, Saif Ali Khan and apna Big B! The stills look good… With Vidya looking as gorgeous as ever…
Source: http://www.indiafm.com
