A to Z of World

Fake currency number series in India

chandu — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 18:53:00 -0700

I got the list of series currency note numbers for which the recent huge bulk of fake notes are in circulation. These notes are believed to have come from Pakistan through Nepal. I can not prove it though. One of the sources also told that it is becoming very harder even for the bank officials to identify the fakes as they are as good as the originals. The worst part is that people are complaining of ATMs dispersing fake notes. This is the last thing that could happen and if this is true we can not believe any one excep to gently telling your payers that you are not accepting any Rs.500 and Rs.1000 denomination notes from the following series.

This is the list of series you should be bothering about.

For Rs. 500

For Rs.1000

Disclaimer - I have got this information from a friend of mine and I am in no way liable and accountable to this information. My intentions are just to help the readers.

45 Lessons Life Taught To Regina Brett

chandu — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 20:10:00 -0700

Regina Brett wrote these 45 lessons that life taught her.

1. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.
2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.
3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.
4. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends and parents will. Stay in touch.
5. Pay off your credit cards every month.
6. You don't have to win every argument... Agree to disagree.
7. Cry with someone. It's more healing than crying alone.
8. Its OK to get angry with God. He can take it.
9. Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.
10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.
11. Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.
12. Its OK to let your children see you cry.
13. Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't be in it.
15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don't worry; God never blinks.
16. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind & soothes the soul
17. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.
18. Whatever doesn't kill you really does make you stronger.
19. It's never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else.
20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don't take NO for an answer.
21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don't save it for a special occasion. Today is special.
22. Over prepare, then go with the flow...
23. Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age to wear purple.
24. The most important sex organ is the brain.
25. No one is in charge of your happiness but you.
26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words 'In five years, will this matter?'
27. Always choose life.
28. Forgive everyone and everything.
29. What other people think of you is none of your business.
30. Time heals almost everything. Give time time.
31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
32. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
33. Believe in miracles.
34. God loves you because of who God is not because of anything you did or didn't do.
35. Don't audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.
36. Growing old beats the alternative - dying young.
37. Your children get only one childhood.
38. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.
39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.
40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's, we'd grab ours back.
41. Envy is a waste of time... You already have all you need.
42. The best is yet to come.
43. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
44. Listen, yield and share hugs and knowledge with abandon.
45. Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift."

Indian Toll free Numbers

chandu — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 20:05:00 -0700

Here are a few Tool free numbers you can use in India for different companies.

Do curse me and then please let me know if you find any of these not working so that I can update them.

Airlines
Indian Airlines - ( 1800 180 1407
Jet Airways - ( 1800 22 5522
Spice Jet - ( 1800 180 3333
Air India -- ( 1800 22 7722
Kingfisher - ( 1800 180 0101

Banks
ABN AMRO - ( 1800 11 2224
Canara Bank - ( 1800 44 6000
Citibank - ( 1800 44 2265
Corporation Bank - ( 1800 443 555
Development Credit Bank - ( 1800 22 5769
HDFC Bank - ( 1800 227 227
ICICI Bank - ( 1800 333 499
ICICI Bank NRI - ( 1800 22 4848
IDBI Bank - ( 1800 11 6999
Indian Bank - ( 1800 425 1400
ING Vysya - ( 1800 44 9900
Kotak Mahindra Bank - ( 1800 22 6022
Lord Krishna Bank - ( 1800 11 2300
Punjab National Bank - ( 1800 122 222
State Bank of India - ( 1800 44 1955
Syndicate Bank - ( 1800 44 6655

Automobiles
Mahindra Scorpio - ( 1800 22 6006
Maruti - ( 1800 111 515
Tata Motors - ( 1800 22 5552
Windshield Experts - ( 1800 11 3636

Computers/IT
Adrenalin - ( 1800 444 445
AMD - ( 1800 425 6664
Apple Computers - ( 1800 444 683
Canon - ( 1800 333 366
Cisco Systems - ( 1800 221 777
Compaq - HP - ( 1800 444 999
Data One Broadband - ( 1800 424 1800
Dell - ( 1800 444 026
Epson - ( 1800 44 0011
eSys - ( 3970 0011
Genesis Tally Academy - ( 1800 444 888
HCL - ( 1800 180 8080
IBM - ( 1800 443 333
Lexmark - ( 1800 22 4477
Marshal's Point - ( 1800 33 4488
Microsoft - ( 1800 111 100
Microsoft Virus Update - ( 1901 333 334
Seagate - ( 1800 180 1104
Symantec - ( 1800 44 5533
TVS Electronics - ( 1800 444 566
WeP Peripherals - ( 1800 44 6446
Wipro - ( 1800 333 312
Xerox - ( 1800 180 1225
Zenith - ( 1800 222 004

Indian Railway General Enquiry 131
Indian Railway Central Enquiry 131
Indian Railway Reservation 131
Indian Railway Railway Reservation Enquiry 1345,1335,1330
Indian Railway Centralised Railway Enquiry 1330/1/2/3/4/ 5/6/7/8/9

Couriers/Packers & Movers
ABT Courier - ( 1800 44 8585
AFL Wizz - ( 1800 22 9696
Agarwal Packers & Movers - ( 1800 11 4321
Associated Packers P Ltd - ( 1800 21 4560
DHL - ( 1800 111 345
FedEx - ( 1800 22 6161
Goel Packers & Movers - ( 1800 11 3456
UPS - ( 1800 22 7171

Home Appliances
Aiwa/Sony - ( 1800 11 1188
Anchor Switches - ( 1800 22 7979
Blue Star - ( 1800 22 2200
Bose Audio - ( 1800 11 2673
Bru Coffee Vending Machines - ( 1800 44 7171
Daikin Air Conditioners - ( 1800 444 222
DishTV - ( 1800 12 3474
Faber Chimneys - ( 1800 21 4595
Godrej - ( 1800 22 5511
Grundfos Pumps - ( 1800 33 4555
LG - ( 1901 180 9999
Philips - ( 1800 22 4422
Samsung - ( 1800 113 444
Sanyo - ( 1800 11 0101
Voltas - ( 1800 33 4546
WorldSpace Satellite Radio - ( 1800 44 5432

Investments/ Finance
CAMS - ( 1800 44 2267
Chola Mutual Fund - ( 1800 22 2300
Easy IPO's - ( 3030 5757
Fidelity Investments - ( 1800 180 8000
Franklin Templeton Fund - ( 1800 425 4255
J M Morgan Stanley - ( 1800 22 0004
Kotak Mutual Fund - ( 1800 222 626
LIC Housing Finance - ( 1800 44 0005
SBI Mutual Fund - ( 1800 22 3040
Sharekhan - ( 1800 22 7500
Tata Mutual Fund - ( 1800 22 0101

Travel
Club Mahindra Holidays - ( 1800 33 4539
Cox & Kings - ( 1800 22 1235
God TV Tours - ( 1800 442 777
Kerala Tourism - ( 1800 444 747
Kumarakom Lake Resort - ( 1800 44 5030
Raj Travels & Tours - ( 1800 22 9900
Sita Tours - ( 1800 111 911
SOTC Tours - ( 1800 22 3344
Healthcare
Best on Health - ( 1800 11 8899
Dr Batras - ( 1800 11 6767
GlaxoSmithKline - ( 1800 22 8797
Johnson & Johnson - ( 1800 22 8111
Kaya Skin Clinic - ( 1800 22 5292
LifeCell - ( 1800 44 5323
Manmar Technologies - ( 1800 33 4420
Pfizer - ( 1800 442 442
Roche Accu-Chek - ( 1800 11 45 46
Rudraksha - ( 1800 21 4708
Varilux Lenses - ( 1800 44 8383
VLCC - ( 1800 33 1262

Insurance
AMP Sanmar - ( 1800 44 2200
Aviva - ( 1800 33 2244
Bajaj Allianz - ( 1800 22 5858
Chola MS General Insurance - ( 1800 44 5544
HDFC Standard Life - ( 1800 227 227
LIC - ( 1800 33 4433
Max New York Life - ( 1800 33 5577
Royal Sundaram - ( 1800 33 8899
SBI Life Insurance - ( 1800 22 9090

Hotel Reservations
GRT Grand - ( 1800 44 5500
InterContinental Hotels Group - ( 1800 111 000
Marriott - ( 1800 22 0044
Sarovar Park Plaza - ( 1800 111 222
Taj Holidays - ( 1800 111 825

Teleshopping
Asian Sky Shop - ( 1800 22 1800
Jaipan Teleshoppe - ( 1800 11 5225
Tele Brands - ( 1800 11 8000
VMI Teleshopping - ( 1800 447 777
WWS Teleshopping - ( 1800 220 777

Others
Domino's Pizza - ( 1800 111 123

Cell Phones
BenQ - ( 1800 22 08 08
Bird CellPhones - ( 1800 11 7700
Motorola MotoAssist - ( 1800 11 1211
Nokia - ( 3030 3838
Sony Ericsson - ( 3901 1111

SiliconIndia Startup City, 2009

chandu — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 20:35:00 -0700

SiliconIndia Startup City is an exciting event happening in Mumbai on September 12th, 2009 at Hotel Rangsharda.

From early-stage entrepreneurs and recent start-ups to well-established and fast growth technology companies, you can find them all at the Siliconindia Startup City.

There will be 30 most promising technology startups showcasing their products. You can meet these entrepreneurs and also over 30 investors.

The largest and most exciting event of its kind - offering more than ever in 2009, with 50 exhibitors, an outstanding range of speakers, 40 investors, 500 entrepreneurs and more than 4000 attendees.

Over there, you'll hear companies you have probably not heard. You can find out what do they do and the promise they hold.

And for those of you who are thinking of starting a business, or already in business and looking to network, you will be going to the right place.

You can -

Watch live product demonstrations
Get a peek into cutting edge technologies
Lay hands on the best-of-breed solutions
Meet young, energetic, passionate geeks
Experience the culture of innovation

This can be your chance to know the building of companies like Rediff.com, Syntel, Netmagic, Sulekha, Microworld and many more as their founders come and share their journey:

Venki Nishtala, Founder & CEO, Rediff.com
Keshav R. Murugesh, CEO, Syntel
Sharad Sanghi, Founder & CEO, Netmagic
Govind Rammurthy, Founder, CEO & MD, MicroWorld Technologies
Satya Prabhakar, Founder & CEO, Sulekha.com

To attend this event you can register FREE at http://www.siliconindia.com/startupcity_mumbai/index.php

8 Places to create Flow charts and Workflow online

chandu — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 17:42:00 -0700

There are several free, and quite powerful diagramming solutions available as online tools. The following solutions can be used to help diagram software development steps, processes, sitemaps and more. Online applications such as these, make it much easier for people to collaborate when compared with offline software such as Microsoft Visio or OpenOffice Draw. The cost and limited licensing of Microsoft’s product can be a deterrent right from the start. The applications below will address your need to create visually-appealing, easy-to-understand, and cost effective wireframes, flowcharts, sitemaps, and other types of organization charts.

1. Lovely Charts

2. LucidChart Beta

3. Project // DRAW

4. gliffy (30 Days trial period)

5. Flowchart.com

6. Draw Anywhere

7. Creately

8. yUML beta!

Google Docs too is now providing better shapes to draw nice flow diagrams.

Baby's protruding heart tucked inside body

chandu — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 05:22:00 -0700

Ever wondered how big miracles can haapen with the advancement in clinical science? A 10 day old baby's protruding heart was tucked inside body by making some space by displacing the lungs and the liver.

In a critical surgery performed at New Delhi's All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Indian government doctors Thursday eased the protruding heart of a 10-day-old baby boy back into his body in what they called a critical but successful surgery.

A.K. Bisoi, cardiothoracic surgeon at New Delhi's All India Institute of Medical Sciences, told that his 13-member team did not stop the child's heartbeat as they performed the 3½-hour operation. The dangling organ has been successfully placed in a space surgically created between the chest and the abdomen, he said and he added that the baby is stable and may not require any other surgery.

Bisoi explained that surgeons had to displace organs including the lungs and the liver as they created a space for the heart. "We will have to keep a watch on how those organs respond," he said.

The baby was born August 25 in a remote village in India's eastern state of Bihar along the border with Nepal.

He was admitted to the hospital the next day with acute dehydration and infection that doctors say he probably caught during a 683-mile (1,100-kilometer) journey in a rickety train compartment. Specialists replaced the baby's infected blood and covered his heart with a synthetic membrane.

Bisoi described the case -- called ectopia cordis, which only affects five to eight cases in 1 million live births -- as a "lifetime opportunity" that might shed light on how to deal with similar conditions in the future.

"You are daring to correct a defect of Mother Nature," Bisoi told a day ahead of the surgery.

All India Institute of Medical Sciences, carried out the operation free of cost.

The child's 24-year-old father, Chander Majhi, is a laborer in Bihar, one of India's most impoverished states.

He said he felt indebted to the doctor in his home state as well as the hospital specialists. The Bihar doctor had not only referred the baby to the hospital but also financed the trip.

Source: CNN.com

Nice anagrams (rearranging letters)

chandu — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 03:15:00 -0700

An anagram is a type of word play, the result of rearranging the letters of a word or phrase to produce a new word or phrase, using all the original letters exactly once; Someone who creates anagrams is called an anagrammatist. The original word or phrase is known as the subject of the anagram.

Here are a few nice anagrams.

ORCHESTRA - CART HORSE
GEORGE BUSH - HE BUGS GORE
MADONNA LOUSE CICCONE - OCCASIONAL NUDE INCOME
WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE - I AM A WEAKISH SPELLERspeller
ROGER MEDDOWS-TAYLOR - GREAT WORDS OR MELODY
MARY - ARMY
AUGUSTUS DE MORGAN - GREAT GUN, DO US A SUM!
SMAISMRMILMEPOETALEUMIBUNENUGTTAUIRAS - ALTISSIMUM PLANETAM TERGEMINUM OBSERVAVI (Galileo used smaismrmilmepoetaleumibunenugttauiras for Altissimum planetam tergeminum observavi ("I have observed the most distant planet to have a triple form") for discovering the Rings of Saturn in 1610)
DILIP VENGSARKAR(Former Indian cricketer) - SPARKLING DRIVE
PRINCESS DIANA - END IS A CAR SPIN
MONICA LEWINSKY - NICE SILKY WOMAN
DORMITORY - DIRTY ROOM
ASTRONOMER - MOON STARER
DESPERATION - A ROPE ENDS IT
THE EYES - THEY SEE
A DECIMAL POINT - IM A DOT IN PLACE
MOTHER-IN-LAW - WOMAN HITLER :)
INTERNET ANAGRAM SERVER - I, REARRANGEMENT SERVANT (http://www.wordsmith.org/anagram/)

A few time tracking tools

chandu — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 01:29:00 -0700

We always seem to 'waste use' our time on different things at work or at home. Though we know tend to do this again and again. We do decide and say to ourselves that we will use time productively. At least I do all this. But almost all the times I had to take the same decision again and again. I think the reason is that I do not have a formidable way of measuring how much time I'm using for different things. If I know that I would definitely reduce the unproductive time phase by phase.

Different types of Time Tracking tools come handy for this.

A good short list and review of the tools available is posted at pocketmacblog

5 things to learn from toddlers

chandu — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 23:15:00 -0700

Ever wondered why a kid is always so happy...it's because of the following 5 things observed and learned from a toddler by a mother.

1. I Will Try, Try Again.

Kids fall down on a regular basis. My son falls 400 times a day. And, he gets up 400 times a day. He never gives himself a hard time for falling. He doesn't feel guilty about past falls. He just gets up and tries again. Life is about getting up again after falling. So is your career.

2. I Know It All Works Out.

In kid's shows, characters find themselves in sticky situations. They ask themselves, "What do I do now?" Then, they find the answer. They don't go backwards, ever. They go forward, and because they go forward, they build their confidence and self-esteem. The pathway forward may not also be in a straight line, or it might take a little longer, but they find their way out because they know they will.

3. I Will Ask For Help.

Kids are not afraid to ask for help. It's a way of life for them. They do so regularly and naturally and that's how they are able to reach their goals successfully. Kids don't expect to work out their difficulties alone. They know that alone they are not as effective.

4. I Will Have A Good Attitude.

No matter what happens, no matter how grim a situation looks, kids look at the bright side. If the bridge they need to cross falls down, they take another bridge. If the road is blocked, they find another road. They keep doing different things (with a smile) until something works. If they get afraid, it's short-lived, and they are on their way again.

5. I'm Growing And Learning.

Kids don't give themselves a hard time when they make a mistake. They know they can't do everything. Frequently their limitations are frustrating, but they keep learning because they understand that success happens over time with hard work and practice.

Let's try to practice these things, which we used to do some years back and let's observe the difference they bring in us.

Top Ten Tips for Good Interpersonal Communication Skills

chandu — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 17:21:00 -0700

In day-to-day life every person has to communicate either with the person himself (through self talk) or with others. One needs good interpersonal communication skills to have an effective outcome of the communication.

Following are the top ten tips, which are very easy to follow and which should be followed by every one not just in job and business communications but in every aspect of life.

Listen first. Communication is a two-way process; getting your message across depends on understanding the other person.
Be interested in the people you are communicating with. Remember people are more attracted to those who are interested in them, and will pay more attention to what they are saying.
Be relaxed. Bad body language such as hunched shoulders, fidgeting, toe-tapping or hair-twiddling all give the game away.
Smile and use eye contact. It’s the most positive signal you can give.
Ask questions. Its a great way to show people that you are really interested in them.
If the other person has a different point of view to yourself find out more about why they have that point of view. The more you understand the reasons behind their thinking the more you can understand their point of view or help them to better understand your point of view.
Be assertive. By this we mean try to value their input as much as your own. Dont be pushy and dont be a pushover. Try for the right balance.
When you are speaking try to be enthousiastic when appropriate. Use your voice and body language to emphasis this.
Do not immediately try to latch onto something someone has just said ... "oh yes that happened to me" and then immediately go on and tell your story. Make sure you ask enough questions of them first and be careful when / if you give your story so as not just to sound like its a competition.
Learn from your interactions. If you had a really good conversation with someone try and think why it went well and remember the key points for next time. If it didnt go so well - again try and learn somethign from it.

Source: Linkedin Group

Is Recession Ended?

chandu — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 23:23:00 -0700

This is the news of the day that French and German have climbed up from their dipping economies exiting recession.

BBC reports that both the economies grew by 0.3% between April and June, bringing to an end year-long recessions in Europe's largest economies. But economic activity in the eurozone fell by 0.1%, showing the region as a whole is still in recession.

UK markets responded positively to the news.

Hope the rest of the world follows.

Source: BBC

Chevy Volt 230 mpg

chandu — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 23:06:00 -0700

General Motors Corp. said Tuesday its Chevrolet Volt rechargeable electric car should get 230 miles per gallon (98 kilometers per liter) of gasoline in city driving, more than four times the current champion, the Toyota Prius.

The Volt is powered by an electric motor and a battery pack with a 40-mile (65-kilometer) range. After that, a small internal combustion engine kicks in to generate electricity for a total range of 300 miles (480 kilometers). The battery pack can be recharged from a standard home outlet.

GM came up with the 230-mile (370-kilometer) figure in early tests using draft guidelines from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for calculating the mileage of extended range electric vehicles.

If the figure is confirmed by the EPA, which does the tests for the mileage posted on new car door stickers, the Volt would be the first car to exceed triple-digit gas mileage.

GM has produced about 30 Volts so far and is making 10 a week, CEO Fritz Henderson said during a presentation of the vehicle at the company's technical center in the Detroit suburb of Warren.

Most automakers are working similar plug-in designs, but GM could be the leader with the Volt, which is due in showrooms late in 2010.

Toyota's Prius, the most efficient car now sold in the U.S., gets 48 miles per gallon (20 kilometers per liter) of gas. It is a gas-electric hybrid that runs on a small internal combustion engine assisted by a battery-powered electric motor to save gasoline.

The first-generation Volt is expected to cost near $40,000, making it cost-prohibitive to many people even if gasoline returns to $4 per gallon. The price is expected to drop with future generations of the Volt, but GM has said government tax credits and the savings on fuel could make it cost-effective, especially at 230 miles per gallon (98 kilometers per liter).

The EPA guidelines, developed with input from automakers, figure that cars like the Volt will travel more on straight electricity in the city than on the highway. If a person drives the Volt less than 40 miles (65 kilometers), in theory they could go without using gasoline.

The mileage figure could vary as the guidelines are refined and the Volt gets further along in the manufacturing process. GM is nearly halfway through building about 80 Volts that will look and behave like the production model, and testing is running on schedule. Two critical areas, battery life and the electronic switching between battery and engine power, are still being refined, but the car is on schedule to reach showrooms late in 2010.

GM also is finishing work on the power cord, which will be durable enough that it can survive being run over by the car. The Volt will have software on board so it can be programmed to begin and end charging during off-peak electrical use hours.

Chrysler LLC, Ford Motor Co. and Daimler AG are all developing plug-ins and electric cars, and Toyota Motor Corp. is working on a plug-in version of its gas-electric hybrid system. Nissan Motor Co. announced last month that it would begin selling an electric vehicle in Japan and the U.S. next year.

Source: AOL Autos

All the new, upcoming and to be launched cars list

chandu — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 23:01:00 -0700

AOL Autos consists of list of all the new, upcoming and to be launched list of cars. This list provides different options to check the new cars by make, by style, by type and by price. You can also search the new cars by providing the criteria.

What is Swine Flu and How to protect yourself from getting infected?

chandu — Thu, 07 May 2009 17:33:00 -0700

Different species harbour different strains of the flu virus, for example Bird Flu, Swine Flu and Human Flu.

What is swine flu?

Swine flu is a respiratory disease, caused by influenza type A which infects pigs.

There are many types, and the infection is constantly changing.

Until now it has not normally infected humans, but the latest form clearly does, and can be spread from person to person - probably through coughing and sneezing.

What is new about this type of swine flu?

The World Health Organization has confirmed that at least some of the human cases are a never-before-seen version of the H1N1 strain of influenza type A.

H1N1 is the same strain which causes seasonal outbreaks of flu in humans on a regular basis.

But this latest version of H1N1 is different: it contains genetic material that is typically found in strains of the virus that affect humans, birds and swine.

Flu viruses have the ability to swap genetic components with each other, and it seems likely that the new version of H1N1 resulted from a mixing of different versions of the virus, which may usually affect different species, in the same animal host.

Pigs provide an excellent 'melting pot' for these viruses to mix and match with each other.

How dangerous is Swine Flu?

Symptoms of swine flu in humans appear to be similar to those produced by standard, seasonal flu.

These include fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, chills and fatigue.

Most cases so far reported around the world appear to be mild, but in Mexico lives have been lost.

How worried should people be?

When any new strain of flu emerges that acquires the ability to pass from person to person, it is monitored very closely in case it has the potential to spark a global epidemic, or pandemic.

The World Health Organization has warned that taken together the Mexican and US cases could potentially trigger a global pandemic, and stress that the situation is serious.

However, experts say it is still too early to accurately assess the situation fully.

Currently, they say the world is closer to a flu pandemic than at any point since 1968 - upgrading the threat from three to four on a six-point scale following an emergency meeting on Monday.

Nobody knows the full potential impact of a pandemic, but experts have warned that it could cost millions of lives worldwide. The Spanish flu pandemic, which began in 1918, and was also caused by an H1N1 strain, killed millions of people.

The fact that all the cases in the US and elsewhere have so far produced mild symptoms is encouraging. It suggests that the severity of the Mexican outbreak may be due to an unusual geographically-specific factor - possibly a second unrelated virus circulating in the community - which would be unlikely to come into play in the rest of the world.

Alternatively, people infected in Mexico may have sought treatment at a much later stage than those in other countries.

It may also be the case that the form of the virus circulating in Mexico is subtly different to that elsewhere - although that will only be confirmed by laboratory analysis.

There is also hope that, as humans are often exposed to forms of H1N1 through seasonal flu, our immune systems may have something of a head start in fighting infection.

However, the fact that many of the victims are young does point to something unusual. Normal, seasonal flu tends to affect the elderly disproportionately.

Can the Swine Flu virus be contained?

The virus appears already to have started to spread around the world, and most experts believe that containment of the virus in the era of readily available air travel will be extremely difficult.

Can Swine Flu be treated?

The US authorities say that two drugs commonly used to treat flu, Tamiflu and Relenza, seem to be effective at treating cases that have occurred there so far. However, the drugs must be administered at an early stage to be effective.

Use of these drugs may also make it less likely that infected people will pass the virus on to others.

The UK Government already has a stockpile of Tamiflu, ordered as a precaution against a pandemic.

It is unclear how effective currently available flu vaccines would be at offering protection against the new strain, as it is genetically distinct from other flu strains.

US scientists are already developing a bespoke new vaccine, but it may take some time to perfect it, and manufacture enough supplies to meet what could be huge demand.

A vaccine was used to protect humans from a version of swine flu in the US in 1976.

However, it caused serious side effects, including an estimated 500 cases of Guillain-Barré syndrome. There were more deaths from the vaccine than the outbreak.

What should I do to stay safe to avoid Swine Flu Spread?

Anyone with flu-like symptoms who might have been in contact with the swine virus - such as those living or travelling in the areas of Mexico that have been affected - should seek medical advice.

But patients are being asked not to go into GP surgeries in order to minimise the risk of spreading the disease to others. Instead, they should stay at home and call their healthcare provider for advice.

After the WHO raised its alert level over swine flu, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office began advising against all but essential travel to Mexico.

What measures can I take to prevent Swine Flu infection?

Avoid close contact with people who appear unwell and who have fever and cough.

General infection control practices and good hygiene can help to reduce transmission of all viruses, including the human swine influenza. This includes covering your nose and mouth when coughing or sneezing, using a tissue when possible and disposing of it promptly.

It is also important to wash your hands frequently with soap and water to reduce the spread of the virus from your hands to face or to other people and cleaning hard surfaces like door handles frequently using a normal cleaning product.

If caring for someone with a flu-like illness, a mask can be worn to cover the nose and mouth to reduce the risk of transmission. The UK is looking at increasing its stockpile of masks for healthcare workers for this reason.

But experts say there is no scientific evidence to support more general wearing of masks to guard against infections.

Is it safe to eat pig meat?

Yes. There is no evidence that swine flu can be transmitted through eating meat from infected animals.

However, it is essential to cook meat properly. A temperature of 70C (158F) would be sure to kill the virus.

What about bird flu?

The strain of bird flu which has caused scores of human deaths in South East Asia in recent years is a different strain to that responsible for the current outbreak of swine flu.

The latest form of swine flu is a new type of the H1N1 strain, while bird, or avian flu, is H5N1.

Experts fear H5N1 hold the potential to trigger a pandemic because of its ability to mutate rapidly.

However, up until now it has remained very much a disease of birds.

Those humans who have been infected have, without exception, worked closely with birds, and cases of human-to-human transmission are extremely rare - there is no suggestion that H5N1 has gained the ability to pass easily from person to person.

Where can I get further advice?

Further information and advice on swine flu can be found at websites of leading health and research organisations around the world. The World Health Organisation gives background information on the Swine Flu virus. The UK's Health Protection Agency advises the public about what to do if returning from a Swine Flu affected area. The US government's Centre for Disease Control is counting the number of cases in the US.

You can also track the spread of swine flu reports using unofficial sources. Healthmaps maps viruses using news reports. Social media guide Mashable lists some ways to track the virus . Links to useful websites are being shared on Twitter , the micro-blogging service.

Don't Let the Economy Get You Down

chandu — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 23:36:00 -0700

I found this good article by Michael Wood suggesting the needed attitude and the steps to be taken in this time of economic crisis especially by the employers.

So, here we are, in the midst of perhaps the worst recession in U.S. history. And although originally fueled by bad lending practices in the housing market, the new fuel is the fear, uncertainty and doubt engulfing consumers. Yes, the great U.S. consumption engine that the world relies on is coming to an abrupt halt just as unemployment numbers are soaring.

For those who have jobs, there lingers a nagging fear that those jobs are not secure, as fellow workers and friends get laid off, retirement accounts get ravaged and cost controls eclipse opportunities for growth. It isn’t surprising that issues related to declining morale and productivity has become commonplace in the workplace. IT is not immune to this situation, and finding ways to stabilize and improve morale within the IT ranks has become increasingly difficult.

Leaders need to understand that in recessionary times, it is anything but business as usual. They need to introduce counter-measures to break the cycle of fear that emotionally and physically grips employees. The conventional wisdom points to frequent and honest communication and increased employee recognition programs as ways to improve morale. Consider the following from “Impact of the Recession on Employee Morale” from www.managingconflict.com:
“Instead of deliberately and consistently communicating with employees, employers will go into 'shut down' mode. The result will be increased fear among employees and mistrust of management.

Communicate constantly to minimize uncertainty. Uncertainty arouses the fear circuits in the brain and is an absolute killer to employee productivity. When people are unsure about the stability of their organization, their standing with their boss or supervisor, or a clear understanding of what’s expected of them, most assume the worst. The ensuing stress decreases the amount of a chemical called dopamine in the brain, a chemical that is critical for clear thinking and reasoning by the prefrontal cortex. Continuous uncertainty can also increase the levels of Cortisol in the body, too much of which can permanently damage both the brain and the circulatory system.”

So it appears that continuous doses of fear create physically debilitating effects. But is the conventional wisdom enough to remedy the situation? Today, employees need more than empty reassurances and pats on the back. They need to see evidence that management has a workable approach to regrouping and returning to a stable and predictable work environment. Here is an approach that might help management move in that direction.

Develop a formal set of downsizing rules and scenarios that consciously quantify the trade-offs and impact on customer retention, employee service levels and owner value. Each scenario would be event-triggered, objective and fair. For example an organization that wants to keep reductions in the workforce as a last resort might choose the following sequence of events if downsizing is required:

Elimination of all bonuses and discretionary perks for upper and middle management – to demonstrate sacrifices will be top down.
Reduction in executive pay to the previous 3 to 5 year levels – to demonstrate sacrifices will be top down.
Monetization of non-performing passive investments (land, buildings, etc.)
Reduction in Inventory (more frequent replenishment) to preserve cash flow
Aggressive accounts receivable collection efforts to accelerate cash flow
Hiring freeze – without rehire using attrition to achieve FTE goals
Early retirement incentives – without rehire using attrition to achieve FTE goals
Elimination of matching 401k contributions with pledge to resume once business improves.
Reduction in subsidized medical insurance costs with pledge to resume once business improves.
Reduced work week options such as 4 day / 32 hour week, unpaid leave with benefits, etc.
Reductions in pay geared to wage brackets (i.e. 100k and up employees take 15% where under 40k employees take 3%)
Reductions in force based on performance ratings and tailored to the value each organizational unit delivers and balanced with service level support requirements.

While this is just an example, it illustrates the kind of proactive planning that once communicated to employees fosters trust and allows them to monitor events that could lead up to their release.

More than ever, employees need to be able to communicate to their families the current state of financial risk they are facing in a way that minimizes surprises. IT can provide management with the monitoring metrics to assist it in forecasting the impact of scenario triggering events. This information can be shared openly with the workforce helping to forge a connection that conveys “we are all in this together."

What are your organizations doing to foster positive morale during this recession? How is it working? What would you change? Share your stories with fellow gantthead members. Start a discussion group thread or a GIG

Source:http://www.gantthead.com/content/articles/248861.cfm

Chevrolet UVA servicing experience (problems) at Orange Auto Hyderabad

chandu — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 22:40:00 -0700

I bought a used Chevrolet UVA LS 2007 modal 6 months back and decided to give it for servicing since I felt the difference in performance and fuel efficiency. Since, this is the first time that I'm giving car for service and since I was not much aware of the car terminology I took the help of carwale.com forums. When I got to learn the names of a few terms that I can use at the time of service I went to Orange auto Pvt. Ltd., Sanathnagar, Hyderabad.

I thought my experience there at the service station would help some one. So, posting this review.

When I entered the compound, the security guard showed me the place to park. I parked the vehicle and waited out side the car for nearly 7 minutes looking at the group of people chit chatting wearing sky blue shirts. When I felt that no one is interested to come forward to attend me I took a proactive step to approach the group then one of the guys walked towards me then crossed me and started writing the car number on the job card. I said 'Hi' and that guy looked at my face and said .....nothing.

Okkkay! typical Hyderabadi.

From here onwards every thing is proactive no initiative from the guy. I started telling him the problems, which I had already written on a paper(just in case if I forget the terminology). The guy (service Advisor), didn't get the terms Rattling and ORVM. So, I said noise in the door and he started slamming the door and I told him that we need to go for a test ride to listen to the noises. He called up a mechanic and we went for a test run and the mechanic smartly told what to write in the job card and showed the origination of the rattle in the door and in the dashboard to the service Advisor.

After the test run, we went into the office and there the service Adviosr opened the service history of my car (which showed 1 major and 1 minor accidental jobs, which the previous owner of the car kept secret from me) and the shocking thing is that the previous service was done at 15,000 KMs. No service at 20k and 25k (By the time I bought the car it ran 27k). Now it is 31,200KM. So, had to replace air and fuel filters, and the spark plug. The service advisor was sure that if I do not go for the replacement of these the car will break down in between. Okay....people in Hyderabad are not so friendly to push the car to atleast side of the road. So, I said change them.

I gave the car at 11:15AM on Saturday and they said it will be ready by Sunday afternoon 1PM.

I got a call from the floor incharge saying that I need to change the brake pads otherwise the drum/disk's life time will be reduced drastically. I said okay, the pads cost around 1500/-

Pity me I was expecting a call from them when the vehicle is ready instead I had to call them at 3:30PM on Sunday. Some one picked up and took my number saying that he would call to let me know the status. I had to call after 30mins and this time a lady picks up and again asks for my number so that should would call and let me know the status. Okay, I gave the number again and this time I did get the call saying that they are addressing the noise in the door and the vehicle would be ready by 5:30 PM.

I was at the service station at 5:20PM. I could hardly find a person in the office. All the front desk seats are empty. I had to look around for more than 10 mins and found a service advisor. I told him the vehicle number. He took the job card and glanced at it and just went off without uttering a single word. From the office I could see my vehicle being taken for water wash by a kid...like a toy...with sudden brakes...making lots of sounds...scaring the other cars parked around.

Water wash??? after the customer is there at the correct time you told him to pickup the vehicle??? The service Advisor who took the job card came to me after 20mins and returned the...nono..I was not so lucky that day...he just returned the job card not the car and again he is so calm as if I told him "you have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a....". I had asked him whether the car is ready. He said that they have taken it for water wash. ok.

He came to me again after 15mins with a bunch of papers and handed them over to me and said "pay the Bill, Sir". Awesome, I should not expect the bill to be explained. ok again.

I went through the bill and asked him where did they use Fevikwik. Guess his answer..."they used it to stick some thing sir..". Perfect answer. Ok...nope Not okay this time.

I had to en route my words to come from a filter less tongue (which is the only way to get things done most of the times in this part of the Earth). After a couple of minutes of talk with that guy he is straight and went through the whole bill once and then explained me everything and Fevikwik is used to stick ORVM.

I said I would like to go for a test run before paying the money, so we went in to the garage where the washers are doing last minute touch ups to the tires(I believe polish). When they are done with the front 2 tyres, service advisor said 'enough' and those guys stopped the work. ok.

Now, that guy wants to sit in the driver seat and drive. The dumbest act I've ever experienced. I told him that I will drive and he came out of the car and the moment I sat in the car I could see the undone things. All the dust on the dashboard is as it is and on the mats they kept a cover that said (thanks you...welcome again...) when I lifted the cover and saw the mats were dirtier than they were when I gave for servicing. ok.

We left the compound, and the first revolution of the tyre on the road made all the rattling in 'n' number of places. It used to be n =2. Now, n = n.

Came back to the service station and showed him the job card that clearly says 'noise in the dash board and left door' and the bill shows a labor charge of 187/- for LHS door rattle. Service advisor started to convince me to visit some other time to fix the problem.

What to do now, took out the tongue filter again, this time a driver of 'Captiva' joined the voice (he had some billing problem).

I forced the service advisor to call the floor incharge and we went for a test drive again. After coming back from the test drive floor incharge assigned the work to a mechanic. I could make it out that the mechanic who was working on the problem is not a regular guy and he is finding it difficult to open the door screws. He could some how tighten the part producing the rattle but he couldn't put the opened door parts together. In the process he broke a plastic lever. The stores guy was already done with his accounts for the day and closed the store so he rejected the request for the new lever.

At last the floor incharge told me to come on the next day at 10:30AM, so that he can fix all the problems. I got a call from the service station that my vehicle is ready. So, I went there at around 11:45AM and went for a test run again and I could still hear the rattle from dashboard (The Door is not making any sound). Floor incharge told me that some A/C tubes are vibrating and that is what causing the sound and he said that it will take a lot of time to open the whole dash board and then investigate further. I said 'ok not this time'.

The dust on the dashboard is still there as it is. So, the car went again for a complete vacuum clean and water wash and then the billing took 30 mins.

The over all rating out of 10 that I gave in the feed back form is around 3.5 for the service.

The whole service costed me Rs.4800/-(including VAT). Right side ORVM costed Rs.366/- + Rs.80/-(labour charge). Just the glass. Chevy parts are indeed costly :).

The final verdict - I'm very very unsatisfied with the way they have finished things. My car looks so ugly now, with all the unevenly fit black color beading around the door glasses and couple of clearly visible (but small) scratches (must be by the screw driver slippage) on the left side door.

For my next service I will not visit this service station.

WHY THE AMERICAN ECONOMY FELL OFF THE CLIFF

chandu — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 17:14:00 -0700

A Man started the day early having set his alarm clock

(MADE IN JAPAN ) for 6 am.

While his coffeepot

(MADE IN CHINA )

was perking, he shaved with his

electric razor

(MADE IN HONG KONG )

He put on a

dress shirt

(MADE IN SRI LANKA ),

designer jeans

(MADE IN SINGAPORE )

and

tennis shoes

(MADE IN KOREA )

After cooking his breakfast in his new

electric skillet

(MADE IN INDIA )

he sat down with his

calculator

(MADE IN MEXICO )

to see how much he could spend today. After setting his

watch

(MADE IN TAIWAN )

to the radio

(MADE IN INDIA )

he got in his car

(MADE IN GERMANY )

filled it with GAS

(from Saudi Arabia )

and continued his search

for a good paying AMERICAN JOB.

At the end of yet another discouraging

and fruitless day

checking his

Computer

(made in MALAYSIA ),

John decided to relax for a while.

He put on his sandals

(MADE IN BRAZIL ),

poured himself a glass of

wine

(MADE IN FRANCE )

and turned on his

(MADE IN INDONESIA ),

and then wondered why he can't

find a good paying job

in AMERICA

AND NOW HE HOPES THAT HE CAN GET HELP FROM A PRESIDENT BORN IN KENYA

Major Stock Market falls in 2008

chandu — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 20:48:00 -0800

Global markets saw record falls in 2008 as the financial turmoil and economic slowdown ended the stock market boom. The start of the year showed real promising growth but as the year progressed the markets sat on the floor.

Following is a list of Major market falls in 2008.

New York - down 34%

London - down 30%

Paris - down 42%

Frankfurt - down 40.4%

Mumbai - down 51.9%

Singapore - down 49.2%

Sydney - down 41.3%

Hong Kong - down 48.3%

Shanghai - down 65.2%

Tokyo - down 42.1%

Thrilling Final of World Darts Championship -2008

chandu — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 20:30:00 -0800

It was real fun watching the much tensed final of World Darts Championship.

Phil Taylor of England, won the match in a sudden-death leg against Michael van Gerwen of the Netherlands. I really thought Gerwen is going away with the championship when he got the Bulls-eye to throw first in the sudden-death leg. But he threw the chance away and handed over the championship to Taylor, the legend, 13 time world champion.

Hyderabad Metro

chandu — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 17:05:00 -0800

Following are the key points in this prestigious project for Hyderabad Metro Rail.

With good inter- modal connectivity between the Metro Rail stations and MMTS stations, major railway stations of Secunderabad, Nampally, Begumpet & all the bus terminals, “seamless travel facility” will be created in the city.
All stations will have air conditioned “Merry go round” mini-bus services, connecting nearby colonies, business establishments and other popular places.
Terminals and junctions will be connected with BRTS routes.
Smart card based Automatic ticketing & gate systems for passenger convenience and seamless travel.

There will be a total of 3 Corridors.
Following is a list of corridors and the stations that belong to them and Length they cover.

Corridor	No.of Stations	Length (km)
Corridor I	27	29.87
Corridor II	16	14.78
Corridor III	23	26.51
Total	66	71.16

Following are the Stations in Each Corridor of Hyderabad Metro.

S. No	Corridor I (Miyapur to L.B. Nagar)
1	Miyapur
2	JNTU College
3	Housing Board Colony
4	Kukatpally
5	Balanagar
6	Moosapet
7	Bharatnagar
8	Erragadda
9	ESI Hospital
10	S R Nagar
11	Ameerpet (Interchange Corridor 1, Corridor 3)
12	Punjagutta
13	Erra Manzil
14	Khairatabad
15	Secretariat
16	Assembly
17	Nampally
18	Gandhi Bhawan
19	Osmania Medical College
20	MG Bus Station (Imlibun) (Interchange L-1, L-2)
21	Malakpet
22	New Market
23	Musarambagh
24	Dilsukhnagar
25	Chaitanyapuri
26	Victoria Memorial
27	L B Nagar

S. No	Corridor II (J.B.S. to Falaknuma)
1	JBS
2	Parade Grounds
3	Secunderabad R.S
4	Gandhi Hospital
5	Ram Nagar Junction
6	RTC ' X' Roads
7	Chikkadpally
8	Narayanguda
9	Sultan Bazaar
10	M.G.Bus Station, (Imliban)
11	Salarjung Museum
12	Charminar
13	Shalibanda
14	Shamsheergunj
15	Jangammet
16	Falaknuma

S. No	Corridor III (Nagole to Shilparamam)
1	Nagole
2	Uppal
3	NGRI
4	Habsiguda
5	Tarnaka
6	Lalaguda
7	Mettuguda
8	Secunderabad
9	Parade Ground, (Interchange L-3, L-2)
10	Paradise
11	Rasoolpura
12	Prakash Nagar
13	Begumpet
14	Ameerpet (Interchange L-3,L-1)
15	Madhura Nagar
16	Yusufguda
17	Jubilee Hills Road No.5
18	Jubilee Hills Check Post
19	Peddamma Temple
20	Madhapur PS
21	COD
22	Hitech City
23	Shilparamam

Nut Diet during pregnancy increases asthma in the baby

chandu — Sun, 20 Jul 2008 18:16:00 -0700

Consuming nuts during pregnancy may increase the risk of developing childhood asthma among newborns.

To investigate the influence of mother’s food consumption during pregnancy on childhood asthma outcomes from 1 to 8 years of age, researchers in America followed 4,146 pregnant women (1,327 with a history of allergy or asthma and 2,819 with no such history). These women were asked about their frequency of consumption of fruit, vegetables, fish, egg, milk, milk products, nuts, and nut products during the last month of pregnancy. Their children were followed until 8 years of age.

It was found that daily consumption of nut products increased the risk of wheezing in a child by 42 percent, shortness of breath by 58 percent and steroid use to ease asthma symptoms by 62 percent, compared to children born to mothers who rarely consumed nuts. Overall, the odds of developing asthma symptoms for a child whose mother ate nuts daily were 47 percent higher. No association was found between vegetable, milk, and fish consumption during pregnancy and risk of childhood asthma.

The findings caution pregnant women to reduce nut consumption during pregnancy, specially those women who have a family history of food allergy. However, further studies need to be done before dietary advice can be given to pregnant women.

American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine
July 2008

Source: http://doctorndtv.com/news/news.asp?id=3292

Problematic Stupid Sify Broad Band - For Those Who Love To Wait For Ever

chandu — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 17:55:00 -0700

This is what I lost by taking a Sify broad band connection.

2,000(installation charges) + 567(Package) + (41,000 * 2)(2 months salary) + Lots of uncomforts + Increased Mobile Bills + Bad words from operators + Peace of Mind + Waiting For Ever

My Locality is Kumaraswamy Layout, 2nd Stage, Bangalore. My Life was never the same since the day I thought of taking Sify Broad Band. Here is a short...very short story of the problems I've faced and the problems any one can face if they go for Sify broad band.

I have applied for Sify Broad Band believing on their promise that the connection will be given within 3 days where as others like Reliance Wi-Fi said it will take 10 working days (to my unfortune there is no touchtel(airtel) network in my locality).

I paid 2000/- to Sudhir, Sify business executive for installation and 567/- for package money(in cash not cheque) on March 30th, 2008.

No one turned up for 3 days. Then I've called the executive...he said that he will send a technician the next day. Technician(Shiv) had come indeed. He did give the connection but instead of giving me my login details, he used some other names loggedin and showed me that internet is working and took 150/- as one time service charge. I was very happy that I got internet as I badly needed to work from home as I was recovering from a serious slip disk/disk prolapse. But when I saw the validity of account it was showing only 14hrs and terms explained there are no where related to the package that I'v taken. When I asked him the same thing he assured me that he will call and give me my userid and default password. I again believed in him and gave him 150/-.

The next day as expected the dummy account had expired. No one called up. I've called Shiv. He did not pick up the phone. I've called Sudhir. He said he will call Shiv and tell him to generate my username.

Another day gone by...didnt get call from either Shiv or Sudhir. Again called both of them...this time niether of them pickup the phone. I've kept on calling them the whole day thinking that they are busy...all of a sudden the word "cheaters" came to mind and tried from my wife's mobile. Shiv picked up and when I said my name he kept on saying "hello...hello...hello..hello..." and then cut the call. Sudhir too picked up. He spoke to me and said that he is returning from his native and just got mobile network signal(some bullshit). He said he will give the username as soon as possible and he did give me the username the next day. I was on top of the mountain...very very happy.

Next Two days...every thing is perfect...the speed of internet was good...I could download my files and upload in relatively less waiting times. Third day morning...Problems started...when I switched on my PC and tried to connect using sify client it gave me a famouse Sify BB101 error. I tried pinging the gateway. It was not pinging. Kept on pinging till evening but of no use. Then in the evening called up the customer care and launched a complaint. They said it will be rectified within 12 working hours. That blew my mind...12 working days means another working day. Remember...I was working from home and each day of leave will show a loss of 1367/- in my salary.

I was patiently waiting for the connection looking at my command prompt by issuing the command 'ping -t GATEWAYIP'. At last at 9PM...no...the connectivity did not return. I recalled the customer care. They said that the status is in progress and said it may take another 12 working hours.

Its the next day afternoon....the connection did not return...but I got a call from my Project Manager asking for the status of the work...I told him the thing going on with internet connection. He said to call him once the connectivity is established. The connectivity is back that day evening. I'm happy again and sad that I had work hard the whole night to make up the lost days with unbearable back ache. I was not supposed to sit for longer times but I had to work and I took 2 pain killers that night and applied almost half tube of Volitra ointment(Muscle relaxant). Worked almost till 3:30AM in night and couldnt bear the pain after that...so slept. Woke up at 8AM in the morning...there was no connectivity again. Called up the customer care....launched a fresh compliant and this time told them harshly that I need the connection that day itself.

The next day...next 2 days...next 5 days..next 7 days...next 10 days...next 15 days...next 20 days...next 23 days...no connectivity....meanwhile I've called all the people I could...hopeless customer care people, arrogant unworthy technicians, the business executive....no one came for the help...no I'l term it as rescue. Because I wasnt in a situation to go to office and my PM lost the patience and told me that he can no more accept me fit for work from home too as there was no productivty for almost 1 month and said will talk about my continution as employee once I return to the office.

I was living on my credit card the whole month as my previous month's salary and little savings were consumed by the hospitalization expenditures for my slip disk's ailment. I did not get the connectivity for a month but I got my post paid mobile bill increased by 700/- compared to previous average monthly bills.

With these frustrations I lost my emotional controls and had a huge argument with my wife and my doctor did tell me to have a relaxed mind for speedy recovery from back ache but the situation was getting worse day by day as I was loosing my emotional balance.

After a couple of days we have decided to leave the town as there was no hope that the connectivity will be back and hardly any money to survive in Bangalore. I had put my self on heavy pain killars and did an adventure to travel in train to my home city Vijayawada with help of my dad. The whole month of May I was in Vijayawada and I recovered as if it was a miracle.

Came back to Bangalore on 30th May. Started my fight again. Called up the customer care, they said..my account is inactive and then active and then expired. I told them that I wasnt even in the city from last one month. Then the lady asked my IP address after I gave my IP address to my astonishment she said that some one else was using my account. So another fresh complaint was launched.

This time I've started scolding them...the customer care, the executive, techinicains all of them....a week back I got a call from Sify Bangalore office and the lady told me to talk to the operator to get the money back and she also said that Sify can not do anything in this regard. I spoke to the operator and he said the money is not refundable. Ofcourse the money is not refundable but only when they are able to provide inertnet. But how come they take the money and dont provide service even atleast for a month and say that the money is not refundable.

I've called the customer care again and they said to call the operator again. But that day evening a technician came to my house and did some thing...the gateway was pinging. I tried to login with my username and password to renew but it was saying "wrong username/password". The technician gave some other password and then it got logged in. I've asked him how come they change my password...he didnt utter a single word and instead told me that I can not renew now using credit card and asked me to pay the package money to him so that he can arrange for renewal.

I told him straight away that I will not believe him. Then he said he will give a dummy account to have a check for 5 days and if it works fine then I can decide on renewal. I said okay...but even after 3 days he did not give any dummy account and this time when I called him he picked up the phone and told "Veeresh is not in town he will come after a week". I could findout that the voice is Veeresh's. I've called up from my wife's mobile and he said..."veeresh speaking..."...I've blasted him on the phone...atlast he said "do what ever you want...you will not get the money back...and we will not give you the connection too".

When I told the same thing to Sify...they again said..they can not do anything in this regard...and added that I did not pay money to Sify but paid to the operator so I need to settle the matter with the operator.

Long story short...do not take Sify broad band connection. They cheat you by taking the money. This is what they do. They will put the cable. They use a single working switch for a single day and show you that internet works and take money from you and after you pay the money they will take the switch back to fool some other person. Atleast this is what happened in my case. And their topology is so worst, they install an adoptor in a near by house to you and expect them to switch on all the times. If they switch it off, you will loose the connectivity and if they do not have any ports available to give a new connection they will take out the one used by the old customers and use that port to give a new connection.

Important notice for your health

chandu — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 14:45:00 -0800

It is proved that if one considers the following points as important notes, one's health will be in tact for ages.

Reduce volume of tea intake
Do not eat bread which has JUST been toasted
Stay a distance from your charger
Drink more water in the morning, less at night
Do not drink coffee twice a day
Reduce your volume of oily food
Best sleeping time is from 10 at night to 6 at the morning
Do not have HUGE meals after 5pm
Do not take alcohol more than a cup daily
Do not take capsules with cold water
Do not lie down immediately after taking medicine before sleeping
Have 8 hours sleep. Lack of it will make a person stupid
People who get used to napping will not get old easily
If you can't get on early morning runs, 5-8 in the afternoon is a great time for jogging
When battery left last grid, do not answer the phone. The radiation is 1000 times
Answer the phone with your left ear. It'll spoil your brain directly if you use your right ear
Do not use earphone for long time. Rest your ear a while after 1 hour

Act with Vision to SAVE WATER

chandu — Sun, 02 Dec 2007 14:41:00 -0800

A few days ago,there was an announcement in papers that there will be no water supply for 3 days.At home, on knowing this, all we inmates plunged into action to store and save water for 3 days and then imposed a higher level of ration on water usage – we resorted to turn the tap to very minimal while using, bathing water quantity reduced by 50% and strict instruction to the maid to conserve water and so on.

Well, when the normal water supply was restored, all the ration and austerity measures went out of the home like Yuvi’s sixer!

The above is a good reflection of our weakness. We act only when a crisis is forced upon us. Pity that we know that drinking water level all over is ‘sinking’ at a much faster rate than what is was 10-20 years ago. we do not seem to be alarmed by this. Predicted that we will soon (after say 50 yrs.) start feeling the heat on water scarcity, first effected will be the city inhabitant, no need to say the Bruhat Bangalore (I mean Bengalooru) is one of the front runners in the (hit)list! ‘I may not live that long’, one may say, but what is that I am leaving for our next gen?

No corporation/municipality or civic body can help much on this unless I, you, he and she start saving (ie., using water just as needed and ensuring that we do not waste un-necessarily.)this natural resource.

Let’s act and do something with vision.

Problems with Reliance Money Easy Trade

chandu — Thu, 11 Oct 2007 17:10:00 -0700

I have been using Reliance Money For the last 3 to 4 months and it has been a bad experience till now with the over all performance of their site (except brokerage, which is just 1 paisa for whatever the volume you do.

The site reliancemoney.com gives a lot of headaches especially for people like me who are part time traders. I can not spend much time waiting for the page to load.

The portfolio section is never working fine and now it says "we are upgrading portfolio section, please bear with us". Though it is not a big issue to maintain my portfolio in other sites, why should I waste time??

Now the current issue is in the buy and sell page when I try to get the price it says "No details available". Funny and the most important part is that I got this message for a most happening scrip RNRL and that too in trading hours. If it is for a short span of time, then it is okay. But if it for all the scrips thorough out the day....imagine...if you wanted to buy or sell something important on that particular day.

Have a look at the picture in this post.

So, the final word is "If it is not for 1 paisa brokerage, I would have closed my troubling trading account with reliance money by this time".