How do you handle certain situations?

Life is full of trial and turbulance. It is never easy for anyone and every one of us has gone through many crises through out our life. Whether we suceed or fail in a certain situation depends on our perspective and our mental make up. Sometimes we end up succeeding in overcoming our problems and at other times we end up admitting defeat, throw our hands up in the air and saying I give up. It might be because each one of us have been ingrained with a certain types of attitude and mind set when it comes to dealing with certain types of situations. Some tend to give up the moment they see an unmanageable problem looming ahead while others dig in and find an appropriate solution.

I really do believe that almost every person who actually gave up trying to solve difficult situations in life always ended up in failure in life. A person is truly a winner if he or she never gives up in life and chases down each dream he has cherished in order to make it come true one day. Or else he will always have at the back of his mind the thoughts that would not allow him to be at peace with himself and he would be regretting his decision of refusing to get back up, stand tall and face every certain challenge ahead of him in a bold and assertive manner!! People who have the never say die attitude and are able to maintain this attitude in their life usually end up doing better in life than others.


Give it a little thought and tell me: Do you agree that falling down is not defeat and that the person who refuses to get back up and try again, is the one who has actually lost the battle? Have you ever tried doing something in life that you actually ended in giving up and not trying again to change what is not possible? Or have you slogged it out until you got yourself out of the mess?

Michael Jackson - The great entertainer

I won't speak ill of this man even though he was a bit strange odd ball one. He did very strange things in the last 15 to 20 years which kept me wondering "Why?” I must admit a bit hesitantly that I did grow up listening to his music and at one time I liked some of his songs before I moved on from this particular music genre to my current fav one which is now metal. Hopefully, my metal friends won't notice this post and start ribbing me about my choices of music in the past. I guess this is my so called skeleton in the closet. lol. What's yours?

Seriously, looking back he did manage to influence the music industry alot and changed the music industry's perspective of the world. When he started out he was very talented and seemed really dedicated to his field but it seems like he got side tracked at some point in time. One thing which I do remember was that the Thriller was the biggest selling album at that time and was the high point of his musical career and the Black or White album was also worth listening to.

Due to the later actions done by him, I kind of lost the respect I held for him and started wondering what would make a man do these things. Even though he was one of the great entertainers of this era, I think there was too much time and space which was devoted in the media to his death. I sometimes wonder if other big entertainer will be given the same treatment as this one when they finally pass into the other side. He had always been in the limelight for one reason or other ranging from cosmetic ones to the baby dangling from the hotel room railing and the media went crazy when they found out.

On an ending note, I hope wherever he is at this time he is content, happy and his mind has been put to ease from his troubled past. He did manage to entertain us and gave us something worthwhile to listen to on radio or watch on television when we turned these things on. Hopefully people remember that he has family members which are getting over this loss and hopefully people will remember this and respect their privacy when they need it the most.

Reading is my favourite pastime

What I really love doing on my spare time is reading. I like reading just about anything that catches my fancy at the moment. Currently I am hooked on books written by Stephen King. He is an exceptionally good writer, since he has an ability to bring words alive. You tend to get submerged in the story and it seems like you are actually part of the story itself. Once I start reading, it becomes simply difficult to put the books down. Some of the novels which I still like till this day are: Skeleton Crew, Different Seasons, Pet Cemetery, Salem’s Lot, Everything’s Eventual. The Dark Tower series are simply riveting. He has managed to keep the story thread line intact and alive thru so many volumes. It’s simply incredible. Just recently I picked up a novel by him called “Duma Key”. This novel is simply riveting. It’s a must read novel. He started thinking in this direction after his 1999 roadside accident that permanently altered his way of thinking about life. The most disturbing source of fear in his books comes from the gradual fading of health and sanity.
Even after all these years, he can still have the ability to scare the wits out of you. If you haven’t read it yet, I won’t reveal the story line to you. If you have then you’ll probably agree with me.

A few of life’s unsolved mysteries

A few thoughts have been floating around my head for some time. These thoughts really didn't take concrete shape until just recently. It seems like there is an unnatural trend among our society to become stick like skinny in order to become fashionable. It's like I can count your bones buddy. No offense meant but these days skinny people really irritate me! Especially when they say surprising things like...'You know sometimes I forget to eat!' .....Now I've forgotten my address, my mother's maiden name and my keys, but I have never forgotten to eat. You have to be a special kind of stupid to forget to eat!

It looks like every time I step on the scale, the numbers on the machine seem to get larger and larger. It's like hey...I was just 130lbs just a few days ago. It must be because the older you get, the tougher it is to lose weight because by then, your body and your fat are start to become really good friends. Lol. The other point which I just cannot figure out is how a 2-pound box of chocolates can make a person gain 5 lbs.
The other unsolved mystery which I have encountered is: missing clothes. I never really paid much attention to this before, but recently while organizing the drawers I noticed that many of the socks and other items seemed to be missing. When I usually go to the store, I end up buying at least a pair of socks and other basic items and then during the remaining part of the year I am left wondering where did all the socks go or where the other items which I just bought is. For me it extends to clothes also I have no clue where things end up half the time and I am left scratching my head. I really think that the washing machine is eating clothes, socks and underwear... Because no matter how much hunting I do I just can't find everything. I was starting to think that the washing machine monster gets them or is it that in time they turn into wire clothes hangers? The reason I said this was that I noticed that when I go to the cloths locker there is always more wire hangers than the previous visit. These hangers are multiplying like rabbits even though I don’t go to the dry cleaners at all.
So after much searching, I finally gave up, threw my hands up in the air and said “I give up. I can't find them”. Finally, I ask the other family members if they had seen such and such. I am told by one of them to look out our bedroom window. I was really left wondering what they meant. So I went and took a look and there is everything I could not find! Some time back I did laundry and put everything outside on the line to dry instead of using the dryer as it consumes too much electricity and ruins the clothes faster. I hardly ever use the line outside and had forgotten all about it! LOL so if you are missing some clothes take a look out your window. You never know what you'll find. I think the missing clothes mystery is an age old question. I think ever since the washing machines were invented, the people have wondered where their socks and other items have disappeared off to. I have never come across anyone who can answer this question to my complete satisfaction. It truly is a mystery and a funny one at that. People lose so many clothes on a regular basis and it’s really must be aggravating at times. At one time, I was the king of loosing clothes. I don’t know where they’re going is what I usually end up saying. Besides the skinny people, I guess these missing socks are also on the life’s greatest mysteries list I guess. Lol. So, what about you all? What are some of life’s greatest mysteries for you besides "How to set up and use the new version of your favorite site with ease".

Burn that flab away

It seems like I had gained quiet a few unwanted pounds during the course of time. this not only has made me look ungainly but it does not feel good huffing and puffing up and down the stairs when I am forced to use it.

It seems like the weather is turning warmer and warmer with each passing day and with each passing day I thoughts keep turning towards looking good once more again. So, I decided to visit one of the gyms which has opened up in my locality. What also pushed me into this health fitness mode was that quiet a few actors were showing off their six and eight packs and their well toned bodies.

It seems like gyms are opening in every nook and corner of our city. But choosing the right workout place is getting to be a bit of a hassle. So, I went gym hunting and narrowed down my list to just a few. These few from which I will make my final choice from seemed more or less complete than the regular run of the mill variety.

Before I went on my gym hunt, I had a talk with a fitness trainer to inquire about what things I should look for in a proper gym. He told me that one of the main things I should look for is that the fitness center should be divided into different sections. Each section works on a different section and is pretty much unique from the other. The sections which should be present in a complete gym are: Strength section, Cardio, Free weights and Spinning section.

The strength section should have a combo machine which helps to exercise legs, shoulder and chest areas. I wanted proper toned biceps, triceps and give my hamstrings a proper strength workouts. So, a Percher Curl, Prone Leg Curl and Seated Dip are a must for me.

In the Cardio section, I went looking for a treadmill along with the bike combo which I was told is a must. One must devote sometime in this section to burn up those calories and get the heart pumping.

The Free weights section consists of dumbbells, barbells. The Spinning section must have the Swiss Balls. This final part is where the abs comes in where one has to exercise on the Swiss balls, do crunches, leg raises, skipping and stretching.

The final two things which were on my mind as I was finalizing my choice were the price factor and whether they had an in house trainer. The right pricing of the gym package is an important consideration when choosing the gym as well having a trainer helping us out in choosing the right exercises and guiding us novices through the exercises.

I was told that there is no fixed time limit as to when a person will achieve their desired perfect abs, but a consistent and hard work will help you to achieve it within 18 to 24 months. Going to the gym and working out on a regular basis might actually help me to achieve my goal. Plus, there will be many other people like me who are just starting out in the exercise regime and I will not feel like an odd man out.

Conceal those imperfections

Have you ever had one of those days when you look in the mirror and you realize that you look so bad that you are hesitant to face the outside world? The truth is that no one looks their best at every moment in their life. Due to this fact sometimes we lose our self confidence in ourselves and our self esteem gets lowered to such extent that we are simply scared to step outside our homes. These imperfections can be due to a variety of factors like accidents or blemishes since birth, acne, scars, moles, redness, rough spots, and many other sorts of blemishes.

In order to hide these imperfections, one can consider using mens cosmetics item called The Men Pen cosmetic concealer stick. This is a product was developed 4 years ago for men to hide blemishes. It is essentially mens makeup. There are 17 different shades and it is made to help guys improve their confidence and to look better. It especially comes in handy during specific times like prom, meetings, clubbing, social gatherings, etc. Can you risk a big event by going there with a really big zit on your face? It comes in 17 different shades so I am sure you can find the right shade for yourself. This stick has helped thousands of men in over 30 countries enhance their image and improve their self-esteem.

If you are having a bad day and are not looking good or maybe you have some imperfection which you would like to hide then consider using The Men Pen. It is an amazing cosmetic concealer stick which can help you to reclaim that lost self confidence or low esteem. After reading all this, you must be thinking that these items are for women only. Why should men use it? If the male actors, models and businessmen can use in their everyday life then why can’t you? One must remember that everyone is entitled to good looks as it enhances your overall outlook in life.

What do you wear for work?

Since I work from home most of the time, I have the freedom to decide what to wear. What I wear really depends on what is available in my closet when I open it in the morning. When I have to go to the branch office for a meeting, then I wear something proper for it. I don't really have a uniform when I am working out from my home office, so for these kinds of days I just put on any kind of t-shirt, jeans, sweat pants and sneakers or even slippers.

At the corporate office there is a dress code and everyone is required to wear formal attire like dress shirts and pants or skirts. Sometimes I also wear a jacket if it’s cold when running off to the office for some meeting. We can wear all sorts of presentable shoes to match with our outfit, except slippers of course. During our hot, sweaty summer months, it becomes extremely unbearable to work in the formal suit and pants outfit unless the person is constantly sitting inside an air conditioned office. I truly HATE having to dress in formal clothes during this time when I am venturing out on office duties since I feel stiflingly hot and uncomfortable, so I choose the casual mode whenever possible.

When working from home or just bumming around the house, casual clothes are the best option to choose. These clothes are the most comfortable and one does not need to worry about color matching the clothe items. No more trying to hunt down the missing tie, socks nor trying to iron that stubborn wrinkle out of the dress shirt. Not every one has the option to work from home which offers greater flexibility in the dress code than regular office duties. So, what kind of clothes do you normally wear during the day? Do you get to choose your daily wear clothing or do you have to follow a dress code?

How much do you believe in being politically correct?

Back in the good old days when I was growing up, people were more or less free to speak their minds and hardly anyone was offended. With the passage of time, peoples attitude have changed drastically and something called political correctness has gained control of our lives.

These days it's like a minefield to be honest since some people can be so sensitive and I really hate all this politically correctness which is in vogue these days. At the end of the day, if you are not a sexist, prejudiced or racist, in any way then I just do not see why you should not be allowed to say what you want. While I was living in USA, I did experience a few racist remarks towards me and I didn’t get offended by it at that time because it was plain to see that the man who was spewing this garbage was a victim of the illegal Mexican infiltration which really did take away a lot of jobs in his area.

Usually I don’t get all worked up and offended by certain jokes since these are really just jokes and don’t mean any real harm at times. If certain people go out of their way to be malicious about somebody, then that is really unfair and the people at whom these jibes are aimed at are justified in getting offended. But if you are just joking with people about certain things or want to get something off your chest then I just simply do not see why you should not be allowed to do it.

If you to ask me for my honest and unbiased opinion on this subject, I would probably say that all this political correctness has gone simply too far. I am all for proper rules/ regulation and I am 100% against all types of bullying and discrimination but I can't help thinking that it has swung the wrong way and if you happen to say something which might offend anyone, you end up being heavily punished or even worst still sued for a slip of the tongue or just for speaking your mind. If someone is such a little coward and has their feelings hurt over a harmless comment then they should grow a backbone and learn not to be so easily offended.

In the end of the day, one comes to realize that these days the situation is really fluid. When you can freely speak your mind and when you have to hold your tongue really depends on the situation which you are confronted with. If I am amongst friends or people with whom I am comfortable with, I would speak out freely about whatever is on my mind knowing that we all think more or less on the same lines. If there are strangers or people whom I do not know well enough, I refrain from making any comments which might be taken the wrong way. I have learned the hard way that sometimes it is better to err on the safe side.

How old is your oldest friendship?

Time is a strange creature indeed. It flows by and we never realize how much time has flown by till many years have passed away. The mirrors confront us with images of own self but now with a few extra wrinkles and many new strands of grey hair. With the passage of time, many changes happen in the person life.

Many things in my own life have changed. I made many friends and travelled afar and back again. Through this journey in life I guess the only thing that has remained constant for me is the friendship of a few friends for almost 25 years. I have known a few friends from way back from my high school days. Some of the others I picked up along the way. Most of my friendship started due to some common interest and some were strong enough to weather the test of time. We stuck together because we never intruded into each others lives I guess and each one of us gave the other enough freedom and independence to grow within the friendship. It was a good time way back then I guess. We had tons of fun and didn’t have too many responsibilities as compared to now. Time flew by and we all went our ways. Yet, when we finally reconnected after many decades it seemed like hardly any time had passed by.

It feels really great to have a long-lasting friendship like that this which has gone through a few tough times and know that we still keep in regular contact like we did when we first met each other. We had our arguments and bad times and we have always managed to pull through. I guess that's a true friendship. Even though we are not able to keep regular contact with each other due to the great distance and the mind boggling time difference which separates us, we still consider ourselves good friends. I guess each one of you here have gone through something similar at some point in life and some of you must still be friends with buddies with whom this friendship bond goes long back. So, how long is your oldest friendship?

What scared you the most as a kid?

I remember while I was growing up, I was always scared of one thing or another. The first thing I remembered being terrified of was crossing a wooden bridge. I was very sure that there was a monster hidden underneath ready to grab me and start chomping on my leg like you would chomp on a chicken leg. I always used to walk to the side of the bridge and peek underneath to make sure that nothing was hiding underneath before crossing.

As I grew a bit older, the monsters shifted their hiding place from under the bridge to my basement and at times the closet in my room. Sometimes, I swore something was hiding under the bed just waiting till the lights were turned off and then crawl out and I’ll turn into a midnight snack. I used to check and double check under the bed, then the closet before going to sleep. I really dread going down to the basement as I was quiet sure that there was something hiding under the stairs. I was always terrified of the dark when I was a little kid. I always preferred to have a light on and every little noise would scare me.

I guess I watched just too much television and always thought that something was out to get me. It really influenced my mind to such a great extent that I actually believed the scary stuff which was shown on TV. As I grew older, these terrors gradually faded into oblivion as I realized that the movie/book monsters only existed in these mediums and the only true real monsters of this world were the mean, demented humans.

Relationships - How much control do we have?

We all have some sort of relationships with our fellow travelers in life. These people can be one or more of the following: our parents, brother, sister, husband or wife, etc. Some of these relationships are predetermined and we have no control over them while others we can choose. Relationships are so complex and so full of variables that no one is really happy and satisfied.

If someone was to ask me to list out a few of the good and bad points in a relationship, it would be difficult just to state just a few. After a little thought I narrowed them down to the following.

The things which I like in a relationship would be:

• You have someone to love and cherish and you feel the same about them.

• A person is always there supporting you and encouraging you through everything and vice versa.

• You have someone to hold on to, laugh and cry with and share all your dreams together.

• The close friendship in which both of you are comfortable.

• Never being lonely as you have someone to talk to.



The things which I consider as negative points in a relationship are:


• The headache of having to explain myself with every detail every so often.


• Having to clean up after this grown up constantly makes a mess.

• Having occasional arguments about nonsensical items. (Sometimes more than others).

• Not always having some private time you need to yourself just to relax and think.

• The bad habits which your friend/partner just cannot get rid off.

• Sometimes there is not enough trust between the two people and at other times there is a feeling of being trapped in a suffocating relationship.

Everything is bound to occur in a relationship and there is a lesson or message attached to everything and we have to learn that message. Only then I guess we can grow in a relationship and prosper. I guess it is really about what you want in life & relationship. It is also about how to go about things the right way and not getting all worked up about all the small, petty stuff I mention above and things should go smoothly. Every person should give the other some space to grow…some “elbow” room and some private time. How would you go around deciding what you want in life? How much control do you have? What are your likes and dislikes?

Are you a spender or saver?

Money is one thing which is extremely difficult to earn and it is one of the first things to disappear in most situations. It is a bit difficult at times to slot oneself into one particular category, since our tendencies to be either a saver or spender changes every so often over a period of time. Looking at my spending pattern over the last decade or so, I guess I would probably categorize myself as saver rather than a spender since I usually the term spender usually connotes using money to buy things all the time that are not really needed in order to lead a normal life decently.

There were times when I had to spend my hard earned money on a lot of different items during a short time frame. However, this spending activity when it can be classified as an investment either in purchasing/renovating a property or putting money into a business venture does not cancel out the category which I have slotted myself into. These activities I consider an investment where I expect to earn much more than what I have invested in return. Other times, it is for absolutely necessary items like a new fridge (yes it does have a door handle minus dirty smudge marks Danni…lol), an air conditioner (another harsh summer is upon us), a new car – Tata Nano (my old beat up car is just not worth the trouble anymore), few more ceiling fans, etc.

I learned the hard way that having money in times of need and emergency are important because we will never know what will happen next. One should save a certain percentage of your monthly earning and invest it in some safe investment avenue like government bonds, etc so that in case of an emergency I have something to fall back on. Especially in the times of recession it is more important to have decent amount of money stashed away. Not many people will come forward to help you out financially even if they belong in the extended family.

Being a responsible adult, a person should know what to buy and when not to buy. One must learn to purchase only those that are a necessity in life and these habits should be ingrained into the child’s thinking early in life. Never have "live for today, we'll think about tomorrow when tomorrow comes" attitude in life. This will lead to disastrous results. Give it a thought and in the end try to answer the following questions honestly: Will you consider yourself a saver or spender? Which category do you fit in? In which thing do you spend money the most money or where do you manage to save money most?

What’s the first impression you get when you meet total strangers?

It is said that "First Impression is the Last Impression." This may hold true at certain times and at certain situations, but I do not think that it is true at all the time. At times, how total strangers have perceived you may be different from the real you. Often times, how people perceived you is the person that you wanted to be perceived.

At times, initial reactions from others do not usually equate with how they perceive us as a person. It is only when we become more acquainted with them that others will be comfortable letting us know their first impression towards us. Be it the truth or not, often times, you might just want to shrug it off or laugh your heart out to learn that their initial impression on you is far different from your real you. Personally, I get lots of feedback from friends and colleagues telling me that they first thought of me as "Introvert." After they get to know me better, that's the only time that they knew the real me - everything but an introvert! Sometimes people say I should smile more but I tell them…hey that is how I look like. But on the inside I am actually quite happy and really friendly person.

First impression can be really deceiving. I think it might have something to do with our initial reaction when we meet people for the very first time. For example, I am not used to smiling a lot, at least for first time meeting. I am only able to open myself a little more as I become more comfortable talking to people, but not for the first time meeting. Never judge a book by its cover. We simply cannot get an accurate impression just by meeting a person for the first time and that too for a real short time. Always try to be a bit open minded and be ready to change your opinions of a person no matter how charming or not so charming they might have appeared in the first meeting.

How environmentally friendly person are you?

Over a period of time, we have done a great deal of harm to our planet. Forest are being chopped down to make way for commercial complexes and residential colonies. other areas are being dug up for making landfills or some other industrial activity. Have you ever stopped to give a thought to how you can help nature heal itself from all the degradation we have subjected it to? How pro-active are you? Being environmentally conscious is very difficult at times. But every little steps do count. I like to segregate my trash into different types of categories. For example, we segregate the items according to the following categories: paper products, glass, plastic, rubber, and metal. For the bio-degradable items like kitchen rubbish(ie. - vegetable peels, etc) we bury it in our back yard. It turns into excellent fertilizer over a period of time. Plant a tree every year, and use technology which is environmentally friendly like solar energy, or products which are certified to release less harmful gases or consume less electricity.

Join BeeWellMiles and that spring back into your step

Breast cancer is a silent killer and it affects many people across all strata and all societies. Worldwide, breast cancer is the second most common type of cancer after lung cancer and the fifth most common cause of cancer death. Breast cancer is about 100 times as frequent among women as among men, but survival rates are equal in both sexes. Women in the United States have the highest incidence rates of breast cancer in the world.

Some things which have a direct effect on your breast health are the foods you eat, water you drink, air you breathe, genetic makeup and the medicines that you take. The impact of other, indirect factors, such as air quality, amount of exercise, meditation, and spending time with friends, is less well understood.

Anything that increases your chance of developing breast cancer is called a risk factor while anything that reduces your risk of developing breast cancer is called a protective factor. The good news is that if you are aware of the choices you can make, then you can control some risk factors. For example, if you are overweight, you can seek to lose excess pounds, which may reduce your risk of breast cancer. You can also make informed choices about the medicines you take which will reduce the chances of being affected by breast cancer to some extent.

When you finally decide to walk on the path of a healthy lifestyle, BeeWell Miles will give you all the resources you need to make the most of it. You will be able to interact with healthy living experts, log your miles and discover the calories you burn. Calculate your route's mileage and share your favorite walking/running route with others so that they can try out your favourite route and enjoy the sceanry as much as you do. You can even enter your meals to understand their caloric values, then see how your activity and nutrition offset each other. Interact with other guests and share ideas and tips on getting healthy and staying their. Plus, each day you log miles or game codes from pink Bumble Bee cans you could instantly win one of 15,000 prizes!!

So, please do your bit to help raise money for the Breast Cancer Network of Strength utilizing BeeWellMiles and try to enlist as many of your friends to participate so that people can lead a more active and healthy lifestyle. Bumble Bee Foods is doing their part to help others by spreading awareness and helping people by helping them in making better and well informed choices. Plus, they will donate $0.15/mile for every mile logged at BeeWellMiles.com (up to $200,000) from 4/1/09-10/31/09 to help Breast Cancer Network of Strength provide emotional support to those who can't wait for tomorrow's cure. People who are affected need your support in a variety of ways. You might also learn many new things which might help you to change your lifestyle by making wiser more well informed choices.

Why is it so easy to love others and not yourself?

I'm have always been told, "In order to be loved and accepted by others, you must first love and accept yourself." This is easier said than done and I must ask why is it so difficult to just accept and love yourself as you are?

I guess we are just always extremely critical when it comes to judging ourselves. I think it is similar to how a butterfly doesn't see the color of its own wings and beauty when we do and we find it really beautiful and fascinating? That's pretty much the same thing only we have the ability to see in ourselves if we choose to do so. When we are in this negative mode, we tend to mentally discourage ourselves off by putting ourselves down. Then we dwell on how we could have done things better and end up giving ourselves a much harder time than we do other people would have given. While other people tend to get the benefit of the doubt and we often find it easy to make excuses for their behavior, we know that we are responsible for our own behavior and tend to worry needlessly that we might have done things in a different way.

I think it is really important to love and accept yourself. That being said, we live in a world where humility is taught to be a virtue and anyone who raises themselves up is immediately torn down by people who think they are big-headed and annoying. We set up a double standard for people. People who accept themselves as they are and are comfortable with their attitudes will be more energetic, able to accomplish more, be able to handle whatever life throws at me with minimum stress and tension and lead a happier life. If everything seems dark, gray, full of negative thoughts and gloomy thinking, you won't be able to notice the bountiful beauty, positive energy, etc. If you have set yourself to be sad and full of worries then this attitude will drag you down and you will not be able to give optimal performance. An attitude change will go a long way in changing a person’s outlook in life.

Will you place a home delivery order even if it’s raining outside?

I guess this incident happened about six to seven months back yet I still remember it like it was yesterday. We were in the midst of the monsoon season and we were experiencing the usual power cuts. It was pouring cats and dogs outside yet we didn't care. We were really enjoying this sudden downpour on a Sunday afternoon. I was sitting comfortably in the reclining chair beneath my blanket, enjoying the feeling of cool monsoon winds blowing through my hair. It was raining but the extra chill and booming thunder only added to the coziness.

While I was lying there and wondering if I should force myself to get out of the comfy chair to wrap up a few pending bills on this rainy day, my stomach started to growl and howl like a wild cat. I suddenly felt like eating pizza. Let's see... shall I order one from Pizza Hut? Or maybe Domino Pizza? Or maybe on of the local restaurants...? Yet it struck me then that it would be quite wrong of me to satisfy my cravings that way at this time.

You see, it was raining quiet heavily outside and most of the roads must be flooded with knee high water by now. I wanted a pizza and somebody had to deliver it. Over here, all delivery boys for home delivery ride motorcycles with the delivery box strapped on the back seat and there is no delivery van/car system. How safe is it to ride a bike in the rain? How comfortable is it for them to get into their raincoats to brave the inclement weather to send me a piping hot pizza? I was starting to feel guilty just thinking about that and so, I got up and went to the kitchen to see what I can whip up for myself in a jiffy. With no electricity it was difficult to see what I was doing. Then it struck me that at one time I had asked them this question about delivering in bad rainy weather and they had answered in the positive and within 30 minutes or else the pizza is free. So, I booted the guilt out of my mind and ordered an extra large pizza with garlic bread and cheese and a 2 liter bottle of Pepsi. No use feeling guilty about it since they do it all the time.

Even though the delivery boy would have to exercise a bit of caution on the road to the front door of my house in the pouring rain I presume he would have an umbrella and be wearing proper rain clothes. I also presume he would rather do the delivery even in the torrential downpour than not deliver at all, especially the way things are at the moment in our area and jobs few and far between and consequently fewer people ordering any take out items.
So here's the question I like would like to ask you all. Having read my post above, will you order pizza in the rain and put the kid through the trouble or feel a little hesitant and not order?

Kissimmee - A great vacation spot

It is that time of the year again when people simply want to get away from the daily grind and go on a vacation. Life is just too demanding and stressful these days and it seems like everyone just wants to go to a place which is something different than the rest and yet offers the best deal in town. It is difficult to find such places at the last minute when you are frantically searching for that something different spot.

I had been thinking off to someplace different this year and luckily I discovered a great vacation destination at Kissimmee, Florida. It is a fantastic place that is in the middle of everything that is Central Florida and just minutes south of Orlando itself. What I really liked about this place was that puts all different kinds of fun within easy reach of everyone. The exhilaration of a rollercoaster ride and the really beautiful view of a lakefront sunset sit just moments away from one another, offering a clear indication that there's something unique and special about being here. Kissimmee in Central Florida offers some great choices to the visitors, and that alone creates the endless possibilities that make memories.

For a person who has an opportunity to start his/her day that in Kissimmee can become anything you want it to be. It offers so many unlimited possibilities. The part which really attracted me was that the greater Orlando area features a unique combination of authentic small-town charm, theme park thrills, outdoor adventures, challenging golf; tranquil beach landscapes and other vacation ideas are all within reach. I guess when I finally reach there, my itinerary might include visit to a theme park, taking in a dinner show, a quiet romantic dinner for two or maybe watching the fantastic sunset. There are so many mind boggling unlimited choices and I am sure that I won’t get bored.

What really made my day was the news that Kissimmee is giving away three (3) weekend getaways (3 days/2 nights) for two (2); and two (2) weeklong vacations for four (4). Drawings will be held on or around 4/1/09, 5/1/09 and 6/1/09. The best vacations are free! So I am going to enter the sweepstakes and try my luck. Visit their site and give it your best shot and maybe you might win a free holiday. Like everyone says and is true, the best things in life really are free. If you are a nature lover then you might want to check out the wilderness preserves or maybe you are a history buff and love historic downtown areas or little eclectic shops and boutiques. Maybe it’s a picnic at the park when you discover the right spot. Go ahead and have the time of your life.

One of those days

Have you ever had one of those days when nothing seems to work right at all? I guess everyone has them. You know what I am talking about. I have had days when everything just goes wrong no matter what I do. These bad days start of bad and just keep going from bad to worse, like a car going downhill without brakes until you are scared to do anything at all for the rest of the day, and you just want to hide until the day is over. I guess when these days do happen, it is good to take a break, go on a vacation and just unwind. Things usually fall into place automatically and things turn out right. Someone did mention to me something called "Murphy's Law." That is the law that says that, "Anything that can go wrong will go wrong." That law it seems is now a perpetual part of my life now and I just cannot seem to shake it off no matter how hard I try. It kicks in at the most inappropriate moment. It manifests itself to me the first time I misplace something, anything, then everything goes down hill after that in high speed.

For example, yesterday I had to go out to some office for some financial work. Everything started out ok when I left the house. But after a short while, I got a flat tire and I was already running late. Luckily I had a spare tire in the trunk and managed to change the tire quickly. But it seems like my day was getting from bad to worse. No sooner had I gone down the street and crossed an intersection, my car ran out of gas. I was speechless initially since I didn’t know what was happening. After peeking under the hood, it dawned upon me that my car’s tank was completely empty, and not a single gas station around for miles. I tried flagging down cars trying to hitch a ride, but no luck. No luck with taxis either. It seemed like my day was completely ruined. It was almost closing time at all offices and it seemed like I won’t be able to complete my work. But it seems like miracles do happen at times. Just when I had given up all hope, a friend of mine who was passing thru spotted me. I told him that it’s a long story and I’ll explain later. I asked him to please drop me off at the office and miraculously I was able to complete all my work before closing time.
Bad moments do occur, but these are just passing moments. I guess, it is best to take what life dishes out in stride and not be bothered too much about it. I learned not to be bothered about the rough patches that I sometimes run into. They have happened and will happen in the future. One just has to keep on moving forward, look at the bright side of things and not be too much bothered about the past.

Movies – Alone or with someone

My week last week was extremely stressful. All of us had worked some very long hours, and not getting enough time off. So it seemed that I was overloaded with work all week and was going out of my mind from stress. So we all decided to just give ourselves a much needed break. So we all hopped in the car and just took off and started driving. We really did not have any particular thing in mind. It was like we just wanted to get away from the madding crowd for a bit. Along the way I said to others that it would be great to go see a movie because they are great stress busters. Movies if properly made have the ability to take you to other worlds and you will be able to forget about your problems at least for the time being. It would be a great change for us considering that we have not gone out together in ages. So we drove to the mall and decided to see the new movie being shown at the multiplex near our house. It was a great movie, and it felt really good to be able to do that for myself. Of course the prices of all items including the ticket itself are ridiculous. It costs a lot of money to just to purchase even a bottle of water!

I don't often see movies in theaters due to the high cost and the fact is that I'd much rather go with the family than watch it alone... because movies are meant to be enjoyed with someone. Going to the movies with someone is more enjoyable for me, since it seems like we have gone on some picnic. We all can relax and have fun. I don't go to the movies at the movie hall alone myself and for that matter. I prefer the company of others there with me. But on the same note, I would like to say that there is absolutely nothing wrong with going to the movies alone, especially if you are stressed out and need some time away from everyone. In such a case, you will find it relaxing to go out on your own, enjoy the activity by yourself and really concentrate on what you are watching. It is important that we get out and in order to keep our sanity. It is crucial to do this otherwise the stress is just going to build and it will ruin our relationship with each other.

What Is Your Most Attractive Facial Feature?

What really got me thinking about this particular topic are all those irritating beauty advertisements that we all run into either on television or the print media. I really detest these ads since they claim that you will look better after you apply certain creams or undergo certain facial treatments, etc all the while trying to divert people’s attention from the fact that everyone looks good up to a certain extent….even with certain imperfections. I usually tend to ignore these ads and usually surf to the next channel/station or flip to the next page of the magazine without paying much attention.

But I guess it had to happen. It was one of the dull slow days and I ended up staring at myself while I was trying to quickly run past the full length mirror without looking at myself. I've never claimed to be a raging beauty, but neither do I think that I am an ugly duckling either. I know that I am not a very photogenic person since I just do not have a “good” side. I really do not know which the most attractive feature in my face is. But I have been told that my best features are my eyes, eye brows and smile. I consider my nose just too big. On some days it’s more prominent and I really hate those days. Actually, when I look at myself I do not see those things, but if other people are saying it, I must take it with a grain of salt and believe it. But the thing which I simply love about myself is my personality. I think it is my most valuable feature! I really do believe that true beauty lies within. What do you think is your most attractive facial feature?

How aware are you about the environmental problems?

If you have looked around, you must have noticed how much change our planet has gone through in the last century. Looking back, I realized how much damage mankind has done to this planet which we call our home. Looking at all the mess which we are in and yes it is getting worse and worse with each passing year, I am getting very worried about not only our surroundings, but also our climate. With each passing year our planet is getting warmer. This global warming is due to many factors. Some of the reasons are avoidable and other unavoidable.

Someone mentioned to me why our government doesn’t do something to stop the manufacturers which make plastics and other harmful products and chemicals that destroy our environment especially the ozone layer. Also, the slash and burn method should be stopped immediately which destroys vast forest lands.

After giving it some thought, I think we should not be too dependent on our government to stop climate change as they take too much time to come to any environmentally friendly solution and there are just too many influential industrial lobbies pressurizing our government. I think the best place we can actually start is within our own homes. If at least every home would start doing their own part in conserving energy and recycling and segregating the waste products and help educate other people in their locality, we can actually make a difference. Here are a few tips:

1. Turn of lights when not in use, TV, radio, computer and other appliances
2. Conserve water while taking a bath or washing dishes.
3. Plant as many trees in your backyard or around your property as possible.
4. Try to reuse plastics and paper products.
5. Segregate trash before putting it out for the pick up by the municipality.
6. Take your own bags when doing your grocery.
7. Do not litter when you go someplace,
8. Do not get damage the environment when going on a sightseeing tour.


If you have been listening to the news or reading the print materials you must have noticed that sometimes we are told that the earth climate is getting warmer because of greenhouse effect and at other times we are told that the earth is going to enter into another ice age and it will probably be the end of life as we know it. Which theory to believe? As an individual, sometimes I feel powerless and frustrated. Can mankind be less selfish and care about the earth more? What can we possibly do so that we can save our planet from going hotter and hotter in the future? Do you have any suggestions to stop all these menace so that we can have a healthy planet? How can we limit the damage that we are doing to our planet?

Win a MacBook Air with 1 Tweet

I just discovered a fantastic site today and I wanted to tell you all about it. How would you like to get a chance to win a Free MacBook Air? I know I would. It is a fantastic piece of machine loaded with features and every owners pride and neighbors envy. It seems ben behrouzi who is an entrepreneur is giving away a brand new MacBook Air to one cool Twitter follower. Free! This one lucky follower will be selected on March 31st 2009, but you have to be in it to win it! So, if you are not on there now, it’s not too late to join. He will be announcing the winner on Twitter and on his blog at the end of March. Good luck!

So, you must be wondering how it all works. Well, all you have to do is just send him a simple Tweet with message "Twitter Giveaway - Win A MacBook Air From Me" or something like it in your own words to let ben behrouzi know to count you in. There is no requirement to follow him, only if you choose to get his updates. This giveaway got to be the easiest giveaway to enter. If you would like to receive his updates, then all you got to do is follow @BenBehrouzi and let him know you want to win. What are you waiting for? Drop by his site now and give this contest a try. Who knows, you might end up walking away with a fantastic product absolutely free of cost.

Good news or bad, which do you prefer first?

I guess everyone has their own preference when deciding which type of news they prefer to listen to first and which one they prefer to listen to later. After some thinking, I think I would prefer to get the bad news first. I have had a tendency in life to want to get the bad over with really fast, so I can move on to the good in life. It kind of drives me crazy when I tell someone that I have good news and bad news for them, and they want the good news first... then I give the bad news and they don't really like the bad news too much since it puts their mind in great turmoil and then they want to go over the bad news over and over and over again. I just don't respond to that type of stuff very well and usually exit real quick. I just think to myself, you should have asked for the bad news first! I guess it all depends on the person’s personality and how they are able to handle the news which is dished out to them.

Reasoning can be sought for either way. If you choose to receive the good news first you will be happy and later on in a foul mood for the bad news that will come later .Then if you get the bad news first you will be sad and then the happiness will come after and be the last emotion you have. Some people claim that it is better to hear the good news first than the bad news later as the good news fills our heart with happiness and joy. After hearing the good news, if we listen to the bad news, the bad news will have some impact on the bad news, and it won’t hurt us much at the heart so much as the good news will lessen the impact of the bad news. While others claim that it is better to hear the bad news first because then they have something to look forward to, being the good news. Like I said a little while ago, I would rather hear the bad news first, be upset for a minute and know I have good news to hear also than be in a good mood and then to have that mood crushed due to the bad news. So which do you prefer first Good or Bad news?

Why are people afraid to help others?

Lately I have come to conclusion after a lot of thinking that it is easier too find people who need help than trying to locate people who are willing to help others in one way or other. Just look around you and you will see what I mean. Many people say they want to help others because of some ulterior motive like: they want other people to think highly of them or they want to look good in the eyes of other people. But dig a little deeper and you will notice that they really don't make an effort to help other people. There are probably as many different reasons for not doing social service as there are people. In today's society work comes first and there is no time for volunteer work it seems.

Some way which I believe that people can help other are:

Those who feel they don't have time to help out can always donate money instead of volunteering help. Usually, I do that as well, even though money is tight in these really tough times since I know the other party is dead broke and needs it more desperately than I do. I am helping someone else and I always hope that when this person is in a better position he/she will be able to stand on his/her own feet and make a positive contribution to the society someday.

A person could easily volunteer to serve food in one of those food kitchens that are usually set up by some social welfare group or religious group, but people shrink away from this duty by saying, "It's in a bad neighborhood, I'm not going down there."

You could donate a small percentage of your paycheck to some government recognized charity or some other charity of your own preference. Even a small amount would go a long way in helping someone out.

You could do something as simple as making extra food at dinner and giving it to a needy person or just to be plain nice.

Many people are selfish by nature and just like to hear themselves talk about helping others but are just too lazy to put in the actual work to help out. They tend to think they are needy and people should be helping them even though there are others more needier than them. They need to be taught to extend that helping hand to the needy. God does watch over us all and he does reward those who do good towards others selflessly. One should do what he/she can. One should always be willing to help others out whenever possible not because you will gain something out of it but because it might make a world of a difference to the other person(s). Needy people do need help and it is our duty to extend the helping hand. Why are people so afraid to help other people and afraid to extend the helping hand towards others?

Do people have the sense to know when not to use cell phones?

It is common knowledge that cell phones have become an important part of our life. I consider it the ultimate time-saving device--it allows you to save time by multi-tasking in ways you never before dreamed possible. It is an important part of life, yet it has also turned into a nuisance at times. They are a good communication tool and it has helped us all out under certain situations especially when we are stuck on the road and no genuine help is in site. At other times, it should not be used at all at certain places.

Besides the irritating marketing calls, one thing which still baffles me is and absurd is why is that children are given cell-phones at an early age? We managed without them for such a long time and without so many other so-called useful 'necessities'. Why should children need phones at school as surely they are there to be educated? By letting them have the cell phones with them while they are attending classes seems a little silly. Many children misuse the phone facility instead of using it for its basic contact purpose.

The other thing about cell phones is that some people do not have the common sense to know when and where not to use them. I had gone to this really important company meeting sometime back. The branch manager was making his usual company performance speech. It was so quiet that you could hear a pin drop. In the middle of the meeting, someone's cell phone began ringing loudly. After the person dug it out of their pocket or holder or wherever they had kept it, they shut it off. At this point you could hear several people there quickly shutting their phones off also after realizing how many stares it drew. People are just so accustomed to having them that they don't even think about where to put it in a silent/vibrate mode or simply turning it off. Cell phones don't belong in office meetings, weddings, places of worship, funerals, courtrooms, clinics, hospitals, driving a vehicle and there are many more places they should not be used as certain management rules prohibit its use. In addition to the above mentioned inappropriate moments, there are times when I just don't want to be reached.


A person’s life will not end if they shut off their cell phones. One must remember that we have lived without these modern conveniences for hundreds of years and a short denial of use will not hurt us. Tell me, is it really that much of an inconvenience to turn your phone off and let your phone take it as a missed call in certain situations? Maybe I'm old-fashioned, but I usually shut off my cell phone when it is not use. When I have to leave it on, I put it in the silent mode and at other times vibrate mode only. The cell phone is meant for emergencies. If I am not able to answer the phone right away due to circumstances beyond my control, I usually call back when possible. If it is a true emergency they will call back or leave a message. Sometimes I wonder if people have become so rude or are they simply not thinking.

I do understand that most people's lives are kind of hectic these days and a lot of things do happen in their life, but people should learn to slow down every once in awhile! Show some respect for others in situations where it is due and it is just not appropriate for your phone to be going off under certain situations. Not only will your life not end if you shut your phone off for a few hours, but the world will still be there when you get back to it. Like when someone is calling someone me while they are sitting on the toilet? Eeeeew. There are some things I just don't need to know.


On an ending note, I would like to mention once more that even though cell phones have their benefits, yet they also have several drawbacks some of which I mentioned above. Finally, remember not to walk through stores isles while using Bluetooth headphones. You will just look like a crazy person talking to yourself and probably the security people will end up following you around. Remember to use the vibrate mode in your cell phone. You’ll just love it and probably become addicted to it.

Expecting mothers can also look good

I guess everyone desires to look as beautiful as possible. I guess it is one of our inner desires to look the very best all the time. But this is not always possible. Sometimes for expecting mothers it simply becomes very difficult to look good and have that fresh look when they step out of the house to go someplace. Plus, one never knows if the beauty product will actually suit them during this transition time.

One must remember that for women who are pregnant, finding beauty products that are safe for both mother and fetus is essential. Beaute de Maman is a unique line of health and beauty products developed by a board-certified obstetrician to treat problems specifically related to the physiological and hormonal changes experienced by women during pregnancy. In fact, Beaute de Maman products are so good and have such a good reputation that they have made it into the hands of such Hollywood celebrity moms-to-be including actresses Penelope Ann Miller, Salli Richardson-Whitfield (“Eureka”), Chyler Leigh (“Grey’s Anatomy”) and Jennifer Blanc. Brooke Mueller Sheen, wife of actor Charlie Sheen, as well as Jane Hajduk, who is married to actor Tim Allen, and The Insider’s celebrity correspondent Victoria Recano, can also be counted among expectant Hollywood moms who have been seen and heard referencing various products in the Beauté de Maman line.

Buying a product that is not only safe for the expecting mother but also for the unborn child should be the first priority of any person. This way the person who is using these beauty products will be assured that not only will they look good when they want to, but also that the baby that they are carrying is safe from all the harmful chemicals, etc. So, if you are an expecting mother or know someone who is one what are you waiting for? order now.

Cooking from scratch

By now you all must have guessed that food is one of the things in life which I am simply crazy about. Most of the stuff we eat at home is home cooked stuff. It is so much healthier, cheaper and yummier! It does take more time to prepare, but in the end, all the hard work is worth it! When I read the food labels on the food products, I realized that there are so many preservatives in the already prepared food and meals that I was really worried about what is going into my body. I like knowing exactly what goes into my food and how much preservatives and sodium is in there.

The stuff we eat at my place is usually extremely easy to cook up in a jiffy and economical. We have become really health conscious also recently. As in all Indian cooking, we use a lot of spices to make the food as tasty as possible. We have minimized the amount of salt and oil to bare minimum and we constantly experiment with different spices to see which combination we like best. When I am in a rush and want something on the plate quick I usually end up eating boiled potatoes and yogurt with a pinch of salt and black pepper. Otherwise, it is a full meal.

Sometimes when I am in the mood I like to whip up a few time consuming dishes, but this leads to a total chaos in the kitchen. The kitchen ends up looking like a war zone and I end up thinking thoughts like maybe the army’s elite forces should be called in to help me clear out this mess which I have gotten myself into. But, I end up saving loads of money which I usually end up using for some household expenditure or when the movie mania hits me, and then I am off to the movies.

Home made dosas; aloo parathas with yogurt and aachar (pickles), and Aloo puri with yogurt and aachar (pickles) are a few of my favorites. I eat these items very rarely since they are a bit on the oily side. I try to avoid outside food as much as possible since I am able to make most simple items at home at half the price and it is much healthier. I usually end up adding a lot of salad items to make it as nutritious as possible. Sure, it might not taste as delicious as the restaurant stuff, but I am satisfied with the end result and the food digest quickly. Under certain circumstances outside food just simply cannot be avoided. But, these are rare occasions and on these occasions we usually have tons of fun. So, how often do you all cook from scratch and is it too much of a hassle?

Web designing for idiots

Have you ever been in such a situation when you needed help but did not know who to ask? Well, I have been in such a situation not very long back. Sometime back when I got my computer, I was eager to get on the net and start exploring the world wide web. It seems for one reason or other, I was not fully satisfied with what the sites offered and I wanted to give making my own site a try. But where should I start? I asked all my friends but no help was coming. They were all clueless. Then one day just when I had all but given up hope, I found out About Web Design for Idiots . This site was a real help for a beginner like me.

web design for idiots main page website tutorials is for people who are very new to the world of web design. The author writes posts that are fun to read but also newbie friendly. The site includes a lot of links, graphics, and other resources to help people better grasp the concepts in such a way that is extremely easy to comprehend.

This fantastic site is a new blog, and the content is always seems to be growing at a extremely fast rate. This blog is set up in such a interactive way that everyone should find extremely practical and useful. Do you have a question? Well, get your web design questions answered by web design for idiots now. The site owner is constantly online replying to questions and comments, and if a person can not find an answer to their question, they can e-mail their questions and someone will respond in a post to help everyone. I found this option really useful since the new guys like us will always be full of questions and be needing a lot of support initially.


With a little bit of the sites help you can teach yourself oscommerce for newbies oscommerce file structure with ease. I simply loved this site and would ask all newbies out there to take a look at this site when starting of on their net journey. The tutorials are well written, concise and easy to understand. So, drop by the site and become a computer pro now instead of feeling like an idiot.

difference of opinion

With the passage of time I have noticed that the older generations (parents and grandparents) will invariably have much different opinion of most things then we do. Whenever a discussion arises there will always be some sort of differences in the opinions. But some how my parents’ and grandparents’ opinions will be some what same most of the times, but the younger generation (like mine) will be entirely different at times. Because of this I noticed that our elders are not ready to take advice from the younger ones even though we are usually correct most of the times but instead they argue with their opinions though it’s wrong in some cases.

After giving it some thought I think it’s very natural that there will always be some generation gap will exist. The older generation tends to speak out of their personal experiences gathered over a period of time while the younger lot will speak of new things and new ways and this tends to disorient their thinking. There should be understanding between the two and also there should be acceptance to some extent between the both generations. The youngsters should think that what elders are saying, and accept the information if its right and also elders should not think that they are always right, they should also accept some changes that always occur with the passage of time, as nothing is forever in life, it keeps changing and we should have that spirit, that makes life easy and compatible.

I think that what is called a 'generation gap' should not mean that one generation is right while the other is wrong. What really matters here is that though times do change over a period of time, previous ideas and thinking cannot apply to today's set of problems. But, this previous knowledge can be used as a foundation stone to build up newer knowledge data base to solve the current set of problems. Age indeed gives us more knowledge. However, because of the contrast of things right now from how they were back then, I think the older ones 'miss' the things they've had in their yesteryears while the new generation now can't appreciate how things were before because they haven't actually lived it.

In the end, I think generation gap only exists if a person stops learning and absorbing in new ideas and insists on sticking to his/her generation in terms of ideas and thinking. This is why there are arguments. Nothing in life is static and life constantly provides new opportunities to learn and adapt out thinking no matter how old we are. One must also remember that the brain is like a sponge which is constantly trying to find new data to process and once we stop learning we tend to stagnate and stop growing mentally. Once this happens differences will start cropping up leading to tensions between different groups of people. I think one solution to lessen the generation gap would be to talk out the problem areas with the elders and if possible have them interact more with the outside world. This might change their thinking once they adapt to newer ideas.

Is it a blessing or a curse?

I have had my own laptop computer now for almost two years now. Prior to that I had to rely on the public computers at the cyber cafe where one would get extremely fast broadband internet access speed (extreme sarcasm there) or if I knew I absolutely positively needed more time to do everything that same day would opt to go to my buddy’s house all the way across town where he had a really fast net connection, but that would require too much travel time and usually turned out to much of a hassle.

Thinking back to my pre-computer days it just seems I got more done than these days. I guess since I knew my time was limited I had to focus on usually one big major project for the day...then I went home and maybe did my cleaning, other "things". Also, by not having a computer, it forced me to get out of the house everyday, no matter what the weather or how I felt.

Ever since I had my own computer and I really discovered the freedom my own computer offers. I can do what I want and when I want to do it. If I get some sudden "inspiration" to something I can do it any old time I please, even if it is in the night when the clock strikes midnight .I don't have to wait until the next day to go out and use a computer at a public place like I once did anymore and be at the mercy of others.

As great as all this is sounds, my problem now suddenly is I don't have the time to do everything on the computer I would like to do after I come back home from work. Even though the night before I make a listing of things to do which I want to do on the computer, like write articles for one of the paid sites which I belong to, paid reviews for another site, etc. I sometimes feel really stretched out...and frustrated at this sudden inexplicable shortage of time. Also, since I do have my own computer, I'm plain not going out as much as I used to, at least not everyday...it was like when I didn't have a computer it was a good excuse if anything to get out of the house....now it's like I to alternate my outdoor and indoor thing a lot nowadays.....one day out to do shopping, next day stay home and finally the weekends for the mall excursions. My working hours have definitely changed...if I thought I was a night owl before now I'm a REAL night owl. Hoot Hoot. I have some major house reconstruction things pending for some time which I would like to do, but keep putting them off to work in front of the computer instead...I no longer read the same way I used to previously since the last thing I want to do after long hours of doing online work for my articles is read some more stuff in the form of newspapers and magazines. And it seems like at times I am not able to call my friends as often as I used to since I am most of the time stuck in front of the computer working.

Computers are definitely a good thing, but at the same time I think for a lot of us, they are a bad thing if people let get control of their lives. It seems like I did fine for several years without a computer in my house and never really thought about it much. However, when I was introduced to computers well let's just say it got a lot harder to get some things done. Lol. It seems like people tend to spend a lot of time on the computer and aren't too interested in spending time doing those other tasks that we need to get done. I find it a lot harder to tear myself away from the computer when I don't have limited access to a computer. I'm trying to work harder at budgeting my time on the computer and sometimes I do succeed and at other times I don’t.

On an ending note, I would like to say that since I work from home and also do a lot of online stuff I really don’t have much of a choice. But proper time management might be the solution which I am looking for. Looking over your daily schedule and life in general how would you answer the following questions: How has your life changed by having your own computer at home? How have you influenced by it? Has it made your life easier now than before it entered your life? Do you let chores go by since you rather be in front of the computer?

Strange experience

I went for a walk yesterday evening and returned very late since I stopped at a grocery store to buy a few veggies. Nothing exciting happened while returning home and I was in a rush to reach home. It was almost 8:00 PM by the time I finally reached home. I was unlocking the gate when I heard some mighty strange sounds coming from across the street. It was kinda dark there and I couldn’t clearly make out what was happening there. The only thing I could see was a car shaking back and forth. I was a bit curious and wanted to go there and take a look. But first, I went inside and put all the grocery items away and came back outside. Locked the door once more and went for a lookee.

The car was still there shaking like crazy. All types of thoughts were racing through my mind. I swear I could hear moaning, groaning, cursing and swearing non stop. All types of thoughts were floating through my mind. I ran over not knowing what to expect. Darn. It was just two guys trying to push and shove a car out of a ditch. And I was expecting something else. Lol. The two guys were as startled to see me as I was seeing them.

It seems like they were trying to avoid some stray animal and lost control of the car and it went into a ditch located next to the road. Half of the car of in the ditch and they were not able to push it back out. I told them to stop all this activity since it was doing no good and I’ll try to get some help if they could wait a bit. After a short while I managed to call over a bunch of people and everyone managed to push the car out with a bit of effort. All of us got treated to a soft drink for our effort and it felt mighty good helping someone out. When they were finally ready to leave, I asked them not to make so many weird noises while shaking the car in the dark or else people might get all types of strange ideas.

It was a fun experience and I did have a laugh when I realized it was only two guys trying to push a stuck car out of the ditch. One thing I learned out of this experience is never to assume anything until fully confirmed.

Education or money: Which is more important?

Life is extremely complicated and full of never ending decisions. But the two questions which keeps popping up every so are the ones about money and education. People are always debating on these two points wondering which one is more important.

A great education is valuable since it acts like a stepping stone in life to fulfill many of our ambitions in life. A person who has a career that makes him/her happy is likely to be fairly well off also, since they will put in more effort in their daily job duties. Studying hard and graduating from a college/university with good qualifications can usually give a person a great career that will earn them money without much hard work.

Some people claim that a proper education is not necessary in order to be successful in life. These people are claiming that a lot of people around the world don’t have any higher degree, yet they are making lot of money. True, many people in certain areas or industries might be earning higher wages than others, but this is due to the fact they have to put in a lot of hard work of many years to reach this level, have less chance of promotion than college graduates and usually be the first ones to be asked to leave when the company downsizes. These people will usually be stuck in the same level for a long time, since they are not qualified to level up to the next post.

I think that a certain amount of money is necessary in life in order to take care of our basic needs like food, clothing, shelter etc. A student needs it for accommodation, college fees, purchasing study material, besides the other essential items but wealth does not always equal happiness and mental satisfaction. It is also needed to maintain a certain standard of living. Otherwise we will not be any different than the beggars on the street forever asking for alms


In the end, even though both things tend to complement each other, I feel education is more important as it makes us a more complete person and separates from us from the other creatures in the animal kingdom. It is better to be well educated than very rich person who has no education and is a total fool. With good education qualifications more opportunities open up and more employers are willing to hire a person. A large helping of good fortune, good health and happiness are also equally important things in life as these help us in successfully completing our goals, tasks and ambitions in life.

Where do you prefer to use your computer?

There are so many places where one can use the computer. Not every place is appropriate. Out of all the different places where I can choose from, I prefer to keep my computer in my own room. I have placed it on a desk near a window so that I can look outside while doing my work. The outside view is really great. I feel really comfortable there and can work on it as long as I wish. When the weather is pleasant outside especially after the rains, I like to take it outside and sit on the porch while surfing the net. I guess I made the right decision when I bought a laptop instead of a desktop. Desktops are just too bulky and take up too much space. Laptops on the other hand require very little space, give similar performance, and added benefit that you can take them anywhere. Ever since I got my Laptop, it has given me more flexibility in choosing where I can work, and now I am a happier person.

Are You Procrastinator?

I guess for the most part, I try doing things right away but I do tend to procrastinate on things that are not as important though. For example, I am always prompt in paying the bills the day I get them and I never put off anything and I am always early for any type of an appointment no matter how far it is located. Don't want to mess with the important stuff! But, if I need to make a phone call that can wait a day or two, I will put it off a lot of times. If I have to go someplace really important, I will go to the place and get it over with pretty quick.

I guess when the mood sets in then I am the king of procrastination! I might have all day to get things done, yet I lounge around the house in my sweatpants and t-shirt doing absolutely nothing at all. Then hours fly by and I realize the dirty pile of clothes and the dishes need done, the house needs a good brooming, etc. If I could make myself wake up a bit earlier, grab a quick shower and make a nice breakfast I might feel more motivated for the day ahead and actually get something done. The housework always seems to come last and sometimes not at all. I always put off those things that need done but that I really don't want to do.

On the other hand, my office desk (I work from home) is far from tidy! I do tend to put things into order though. My desk may be a total mess, but it is an organized mess. I know where everything is and would probably even locate it in total darkness. When I am working outside the home, I do not have a desk, but I do have a set routine each place I go. One thing that really helps me gain clients is that I do not procrastinate at work. I go, get my job done quickly, efficiently, and thoroughly.

I guess in life I have procrastinated a lot of times when I should not have. Sometimes I have been lucky and other times unlucky. In high school and college, I remember that sometimes we were given projects to do. I would usually wait till last minute and rush through the project the night before and the morning itself. Sometimes I got lucky and got a good grade and at other times just barely passing. Finally, I must ask are you the type of person who puts things off until the last possible minute, or do you do things as soon as you can?

Size does matter, but how big is enough?

Times have changed and so has the technology. When I first got this laptop two years ago it had a much larger hard drive than my desk top computer and I was confident that it wouldn't fill up very quickly. But, alas, it is getting too full rather quickly and that makes it slower than it should be. I haven’t been to successful in portioning my hard disk drive, as there really much free space to allocate to the areas that need it. I believe it is finally time to be thinking about a new hard drive and I am unsure as to which one I should get.

I remember the first computer which I had bought was an assembled pc with only a 10 GB hard disk drive. I kept upgrading my system as newer technologies came out and the situation demanded that I needed more hard disk drive space. These days, I have a 120GB hard disk drive system and this to seems just to small.

There are some hard drives out there that are so large they almost boggle the brain. I just don’t know if I should really upgrade my hard disk drive. It’s only two years old and I was thinking maybe I should either buy an external drive or get another internal one if I have the facility built in for it. But, I wonder how fast and dependable these extremely large drives are. So, I ask you this: How big is your hard drive? Have you ever had one of those 200GB hard drives monsters and did it work well?

Take control of your emotions.

A lot of things which we have done in our past can be attributed up to inexperience, youth, pure chance and at times unavoidable circumstances. A lot of time has flown by and now you are a grown adult. With the passage of time, a certain amount of maturity usually makes a person wiser and more experienced. As an adult, you must make own your choices and accept the consequences of your decision as your own.

A person who has negative attitudes is usually affected by cynicism, a pessimistic outlook, often a lack of confidence and at times inferiority complex. We should always take some accountability for the way we look at things and our actions. The world around us has affected each of us in a different way while we were growing up and we need to grow up to be mature adults and handle things in a grown up manner. I have learned time and time again that experience is the best teacher. I really should know that now that I am getting older and older. There are many things that have happened in my life that have taught me a lot of things and these things at times have provided me with an opportunity to renew and refresh my inner self. One should learn to lessen the mental baggage which we carry and lighten our load. Just letting it all go brings so much relief and eases the coiled up tension which had built up inside.

One must remember that as adults we have to be in charge and take control of our emotions keeping in mind who we are and what we want to become in order to become someone better in our life as well. I have seen that in so many instances that the members of the younger generation who didn’t to control their emotions ended up with a truck loads of problems as they were growing up and still are. Growing up basically means being in control of your own emotions and attitude in everything you do. One must strive to always try to control your own emotions and attitude as I believe that no one is in control of that but only yourself. Out of in built habit we tend to blame everything on others, but that will not accomplish anything at all. Change can only come from accepting ones fault and changing oneself. A person can strive to set the tone for their own experiences, moods, etc. everyday of their adult life. There are many outside influences that we do not have control over, but recognizing that and knowing that it is nothing you can change is half the battle. Emotions are important of life or else we are no different than machines. Being expressive is important instead of locking it all up inside which will drive a person mad. We have to let it all out in order to get the much needed mental relief but we should do it in a responsible and controlled manner.

One must try to take note of the ways you are escaping responsibility for your attitude, actions and try to correct them. Ask yourself the following questions: Do you continually blame situations, friends and family, or life in general for your poor mindset? Are you able to see your faults and try to find a solution to them? The world has influence, without a doubt, but growing into a mature person means taking control of your emotions and attitude. One must learn from the hardships we had overcome and the problems that just gone and from the words of God. Adapt to the situations and try to be a role model for others. Be their guiding light and their pillar of strength.

My encounters with the Santa kind

It's been ages since I got anything in the Christmas stocking besides the usual lump of coal which it seems had more or less become a regular feature. I guess I must have offended Santa's sensibilities somewhere along my journey in life. Lol. Oh, I tried to be good and kind, but still the lump of coal showed up at Christmas time. Bahh Humbug. So, I had quit waiting for a maricale to happen which I thought might never happen.

So, what happened yesterday took me by surprise and in the end I had tons of fun. All of us went to the mall for some fun since it was Christmas Eve and all of us were in the festive mood. The mall was fully decorated for the festive season and it looked really nice. We did not enter from the malls main entrance but chose instead to enter from one of the big retail shop entrances. Besides the usual staff, guess who else was standing near the entrance to greet the people who were entering the store. It was none other except Santa himself. All little kids who entered the store were treated to a lollipop and a sitting on his lap while he patiently listened to their whispered requests and he ended it with a belly shaking laugh and Ho Ho Ho. It was some sight watching the little kids at times very hesitantly approach him and go through the ritual since most kids are not familiar with the Santa figure. Some little children who are familiar with the Santa folklore went right up confidently and demanded their pound of flesh. This one little girl in particular was some sight. The moment the 4 year old girl entered the store with her parents, she hollered on top of her voice, "SANTA'S HERE" and ran towards him with as much speed as her tiny legs could propel her. She hopped right up to his lap, grabbed his white beard and whispered her demands into his ears quiet conspiractly. When he looked back at her with a bemused smile on his face, she gave him a stern look, yanked his beard just hard enough to make him squeal and told him "I want my presents or else I am coming back next year". Santa was totally floored and had a real belly shaking laugh. In the end, every kid got what they wanted in case the store stocks the item plus the lollipop, otherwise they got a lollipop only. This system seemed to work and all kids went away satisfied and happy. But I was feeling mighty grumpy at this time. I think all Santa have good hearing, since this store Santa must have overheard me when I whispered to my fellow shoppers "I wish I was a kid again so that I could have my photo taken with Santa, sit on his lap and get a lollipop". He called me right over, looked me up and down with a bemused smile on his face. I growled "Wassup up Santa or else I'll do the same to your beard which the little girl did". You are mighty big for a lollipop, my son as he handed over not just one, but 2 lollipops. You see, around the same time I got my lollipop, a bunch of fully grown college kids had wandered over and had captured Santa and asking for a lollipop. I was afraid to sit on his lap, since this Santa was a mighty skinny chap with hardly any meat on his body. I guess the long journey from the North Pole must have really worn him out. Lol. It was a sight to see all right. Not the skinny Santa, but us grown guys sucking on lollipops and looking as satisfied as little babies.

I left Santa behind, exited the store and entered the mall. It was fully decked up inside also and there seemed to be some activity at every corner. There was the usual holiday crowd and everyone seemed to be in a merry joyous mood irrespective of what religion the people were. After wandering around for sometime, we went to the top floor where all the food stalls are located. It's been ages since the whole family had ventured out together and we really enjoyed ourselves. We seemed to there for what seemed many hours and finally decided to take a leave when we realized how dark it had become outside. We had a good time and really enjoyed ourselves. As we were leaving the mall, we saw that Santa was also making an exit since his duty was over. He did look mighty sore, tired and worn out. As, he was fumbling with his car keys, I walked up to him and said "Hi Santa". He was a bit startled as he wasn't expecting any repeat customers I guess. I offered him a big cup of hot coffee from a coffee stall located nearby. I really hate to see a tired sleepy man driving home. Plus, he had really made my day a few hours back not just by offering me 2 free lollipops, but also by making me laugh by going through all his silly antics. I guess the only thing that saddens me was the heightened security at all public places like malls which attract huge volumes of people. These militants and terrorists won't let us live in peace and they are always looking for opportunities for destroying the communal harmony, killing people and looking for ways to overthrow the law of the land. The constant frisking is really irritating but necessary it seems during these troubled times. The funny part is the security guards look extremely puny. A little puff of wind might blow them away. Lol...But it seems like the mall management has got a little wiser. Nowadays, they have reinforced these puny guards with mean looking, well built, tall, broad sullen looking bouncers. I really don't think these guys know how to smile. Lol. Even though these security guys are lax in some areas while performing their security checks and we did mention it to them a few times, it was a fun experience and we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. Hope you did also.

Pigging out after a long gap

I just love eating. Just a few days ago I was at a massive party and I just pigged out. There was so many different varieties of dishes that I just could not control myself. But guess what happened. I woke up feeling all bloated and I was looking just awful. I had inadvertently managed to gain a lot of unwanted excess pounds. I was really feeling depressed and did not know what to do. I tried just about everything, but nothing seemed to work. I think I’ll go and check out a few exercise joints near my area and see which package is best suited for me. Over the years, I have managed to gain weight and lost this unwanted baggage without much effort. So, while I am giving this a serious thought let me grab another bite to eat and hopefully it will help me out of the mess I am in.
By the time I reached this laptop and finished writing this post, a lot of time had flown by and I lost track of how many sandwiches and burgers I had gobbled down. I have to make up for the lost time. Haa haa. Some burgers were damn fantastic especially the mustard and onion and green chillie ones…..while the others were good. Overall, the random eating session which I participated today was fun and I have rediscovered my culinary skills after a long gap. Oh well, tomorrow is another day. I must admit that food is one of main weak point and I try to enjoy the vast variety of dishes which are offered. Over the years, I have more or less been able to maintain my average sized body without much effort so in the end….a few pounds here and there won’t really make much of a difference. I’ll either hit the gym after the holidays if I can find the right package or maybe just do a lot of walking.