Happy New Year 2009 !!

http://www.freerice.com/



// Free Rice is a sister site of the world poverty site, Poverty.com.

Free Rice has two goals:

1. Provide English vocabulary to everyone for free.
2. Help end world hunger by providing rice to hungry people for free.

This is made possible by the sponsors who advertise on this site.

Whether you are CEO of a large corporation or a street child in a poor country, improving your vocabulary can improve your life. It is a great investment in yourself.

Perhaps even greater is the investment your donated rice makes in hungry human beings, enabling them to function and be productive. Somewhere in the world, a person is eating rice that you helped provide. Thank you. //

Let us do our part this new year and make the world a better place to live !!

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2009.

Christmas Discovery....

I was at work,listening to christmas carols and this particular song sounded so familiar to me !

Listen for yourself !



VS




Ah ! Our Harris Jeyaraj has lifted the tune from this carol for the tamil movie's song .

The news : BIG THREE BAILOUT

Now,the muse :

1.There's a buzz among few desis on purchasing a Saturn .The reason: They do not want to bring -even for namesake-"Shani" into their homes.

2.Asians prefer Asian made autos here in America. Asians buy either Japanese or Korean made cars.

3.I bought a Toyota 3 door lift-back in 2006 when the model was released. My colleagues at work were asking me why i chose to buy a small car when medium and large sizes are available.Talk about savings on the gas & mileage !! Now, a couple of my colleagues have sold their trucks and are driving around in a small car !! Thats the change they wanted !

4. Now THIS.

GO MIA !!

For a moment, i thought i was listening to a Tamil song on an American FM radio !!

500 !!

What is the value of 500 Rs for different people in today's world ?

Thanks to all our friends who had called to check on us or invited us to stay with them during the last weekend fires here in SoCal.

THANK YOU !!

Election Train !!

வருங்கால அதிபர்....சரி
வருங்கால முதல்வர்....??????

Gas price drop: Closing in on $3 CNN - OCT 12,2008.

The gas prices here in US has come down significantly in the past couple of months. The cost of gas/gallon averaged at $ 4.70 during july/august 2008 .Currently , the prices average around $3.25 here in Los Angeles area.

Here is my question :-
Why is that the gas/petrol price is always on an upward scale in India whereas the prices are decreasing in this part of the world ?

TIME TO EAT A BOWL OF STUPID !!!!

Actor Amitabh Bachchan hospitalised on birthday !!!!!

// Actor Amitabh Bachchan was taken to Mumbai's Nanavati Hospital on Saturday afternoon following complaints of stomach pain.The actor was celebrating his 66th birthday at his residence Pratiksha when he suddenly experienced severe pain, a family source said.He was rushed to Nanavati Hospital - barely a kilometre away from his residence - in an ambulance and was kept under observation.Less than an hour later, he was referred to Lilavati Hospital, located five km from there. He will stay in Lilavati for few days, sources say. //


DAMN THE INDIAN TVs...STFU NOW !!!!!!! [Thanks Manoj!]

I.B.P.S-HSI LAI TEMPLE,SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA.

 

 

 

 

DESI DESI DESI....DUH

From India Currents Magazine: Letters : Oct 01, 2008 :-


//CUSTOMER SERVICE AWOL

What’s the Hindi, Telugu, or Punjabi word for “customer service”? You have to think hard about it, right?
U.S. culture requires that we are peppered with greetings, some meaningless, when we enter a store. “Have a nice day” is a hackneyed phrase that seems to have lost sincerity and meaning, but nevertheless it’s reassuring to hear. But enter any Indian business establishment—restaurant, cinema, grocery store—and chances are you won’t even get a cursory “hello” or even “thank-you.” In fact, you often get the feeling upon entering an Indian establishment that you’re trespassing onto personal property like an uninvited guest.

Plastered behind the check-out counters are angry handwritten signs stating: “No Refunds Whatsoever” or “We Reserve the Right to Refuse Service to Anyone”—“anyone” bolded and double underlined.

The monopoly that Indian business establishments enjoy, coupled with increased consumer demand and historic lack of choice, means they can get away with shoddy service and quite frankly unclean, unhygienic, and disorganized stores. Some stores look like their shelves and merchandise haven’t been dusted since the dot.com bubble burst.

We go to Indian stores out of either necessity or because they are cheap, certainly not for the ambience or the experience. Take away the former two factors, and they’d be out of business. Today, with more options available to consumers on the internet as well as western supermarkets stocking more Indian groceries, let’s hope that Indian businesses are forced to focus less on their profits and more on customers.

M. Chinna, San Jose, Calif.//

I totally agree with M. Chinna, San Jose, Calif. ,who wrote this letter. DON'T YOU TOO ??

I have limited my visits to desi establishments ever since this incidence happened to me. Here are few alternatives that i follow :

1.Shopping for vegetables/greens at Oriental stores/local farmers market. They do carry "Indian" vegetables. The vegetables are fresh and worth the price you pay.

2.Rice : From wholesale clubs [BJs/Costco /Sams Club]. They do carry rice varieties imported from India.LOT cheaper than Indian stores.

3.For dhal ,mustard and other condiments,look for nearest Mexican/Latino/Caribbean stores. They do have wider varieties of spices of much better quality.

4 .Indian Restaurants : A BIG NO NO ! SAVE YOUR HEALTH !Treat your taste buds to other cuisines. Vegan/Vegetarian foods are available everywhere.

5.Indian Jewels : These jewelers in Desi areas have a nasty attitude.Few won't even talk to you or show you the jewels until you convince them that you are a potential customer. I prefer middle eastern stores in downtown, Much purer gold and new designs.

6. Indian Doctors : My Indian PCP turned me away for carrying HMO even though he is a part of the medical group.Told me that he prefers PPO. I get better care elsewhere !!

7. Movie theatres : Nasty ! [Worn out chairs/bugs/stinky toilets !] .Also talk about the ticket prices of newly released Indian/Tamil movies compared to Hollywood movies ! I'd rather prefer watching a movie at home via........:-)

8.Indian/Hindu temples :Going to temple on an auspicious day ? Be prepared to be pushed around and jostled by the crowd inside the shrine. I can't understand how our people can stand in line /Queue for at busstop with others but can not maintain the same standards within own community. Also, at a temple,look out for the priest attending phone call to talk to ambi while performing pooja and special dakshina to the priest for performing car pooja. The asking rate now at Malibu temple is atleast 3x$20 which was $20 couple of years ago. I believe HOME IS TEMPLE and if you believe GOD IS ONE,plan a visit to nearest church,buddhist temple or other places of worship.

WHAT ELSE ? Talk about a visit to Indian Embassy,SBI-USA,AIR INDIA...the list goes on and on..... IT IS TIME THAT OUR PEOPLE'S ATTITUDE CHANGE FOR BETTER.
IT IS ALL ABOUT TEACHING A LESSON TO GREEDY INDIAN GROCERS AND BUSINESSES.WILL YOU LISTEN ?

Election cups !

Now that the economic crisis is hitting hard on me [?!], i could no longer afford my morning cup of


So, i entered 7-eleven store this morning for my coffee and to my surprise ,i saw these interesting election cups !!


The notion is that general public would grab their candidates cup for coffee and their vote gets counted until the election day. I just picked a regular cup for my coffee !

Well, as a legal alien , all that i could do is to follow the election news via these blogs/sites and via television election coverages and ads.

1.MSNBC-FIRSTREAD
2.CNN-POLITICAL TICKER
3.POLITICO
4.HUFFINGTON POST

Guess whats the difference between American politicians and Indian politicians ? COAT -SUIT !

MAHATMA GANDHI.......

......and modern day "Fast unto death" protest.


I was LMAO this morning as i listened to this news story while driving to work !!


Alright, today is OCTOBER 2...What did you do that reflect or has anything to do with Gandhian principle ?

How about watching AAYUDHAM SEIVOM movie ?

Mr.V vs Mr.V

//இப்ப சொல்றேன் கேட்டுக்குங்க... கட்சி ஆரம்பிக்கிறேனோ இல்லையோ... அவர் தேர்தலில் எங்கே போட்டியிட்டாலும் அங்கே அவருக்கு நான்தான் சரியான எதிர் போட்டி. பார்த்துப்புடுவம்ணே! மக்கள் செல்வாக்கு யாருக்கு ஜாஸ்தினு பார்த்துப்புடுவம். கலைத் துறையே போதும்னு இருக்கிறவனைத் தேவையில்லாம சீண்டி அரசியலுக்கு இழுக்குறாங்க.

(வேறு திசையில் வெறித்துப் பார்த்து, குரலை ஏகத்துக்கும் உயர்த்தி) ஏதோ உங்க பின்னாடி கொஞ்சம் கூட்டம் வருதுன்னா இஷ்டத்துக்கு என்ன வேணும்னாலும் செய்வீங்களா! உங்க படத்துக்கு ஹீரோயின் கால்ஷீட் தரலைன்னா, அவங்களையும் இப்படித்தான் ஆள்வெச்சு அடிப்பீங்களா! வர்றேன் எலெக்ஷன் கிரவுண்டுக்கு. நான் சுயேச்சை வேட்பாளரா, எல்லா கட்சி ஆதரவோடும் நின்னு... யாருன்னு காட்டறேன்............... வடிவேலு..... //


POLITICS = PUBLIC SERVICE IS A MISNOMER ! TO CONTEST IN AN ELECTION TO SQUARE OFF PERSONAL VENGEANCE IS TOTALLY UNWELCOME !

GOD SAVE PEOPLE OF TAMIL NADU !

Another 355 !!

A couple of years ago, I wrote about receiving a monthly wireless bill for USD 307 ! .

Now again, i received a monthly bill for USD 355 as charges for calls that i didnot place. How would it feel to be on call with a customer care representative on a busy work day to have the error[!] rectified ?

 

See for yourself !!





Finally, after talking to the supervisor ,i got my bill down to the regular amount !
No wonder **&* SUCKS

சொர்கமே என்றாலும்....seriously ?!

!!

// Tripti Patil took a trip to Nordstrom at the International Mall Tuesday and found some panties, bras, workout pants, workout tops, a waist shaper and other clothes she liked. A total of $1,271.99 worth of merchandise, police say. // -Tampa Bay Online ;09/03/2008.


When i read the news,i was wondering as how these individuals who come to USA on work visa have guts to commit a crime without even thinking of the consequences.
Surely, there would be a legal process after which this lady would get deported to her home country. And if you thought this was a sporadic incident , you are wrong. This forum specifically discuss the criminal offenses committed by legal aliens !!


கொசுறு : HERE AND HERE



வந்த இடத்துல வேலைய பார்த்தோமா,இருப்போமானு இல்லாம..இப்படியா ??

!!

NEWS : PDS to supply rice at Re. 1 a kg


I do not know whether the scheme to supply rice at one rupee a kilogram is an appreciable welfare measure by TN govt or yet another political gimmick. All that i know of those urban ration card holders,is that they procure the rice for purposes other than consumption. The rice grains are used to feed crows,sparrows,pigeons, and cooked rice as dog/cat feed and also as arisi kola podi/kola maavu.

Now, here are my questions:-
If the government can afford to ration rice at Re 1 /KG ,why are the other rice varieties cost more at annachi stores and supermarkets ?
Is this rice devoid of any caloric value and other rice has rich nutritional quality ?
Are there any politicians,including our CM use this rice for consumption at their homes?

Here in USA, the cost of rice has increased triple fold in recent months, and a twenty pound bag of rice costs about twenty dollars. Also,Most Indian grocery stores here in CA ran out of sona masoori,ponni varieties and desis are purchasing other brands. The stores report about the ban on rice exports from India.

நம்ம தமிழின தலைவர் ,கடல் கடந்து வாழும் தமிழ் மக்களின் துயர் துடைப்பாரோ ?

Times of India !

Here is a chat transcript between me and my friend in Chennai,India !

11:42 AM K: machi, have you been tracking gustav?
11:43 AM me: Ya..but its over louisiana coast
nothing here in SoCal
ok tell me
Who is the gov of louisiana ??
11:44 AM K: bobby jindal?
me: ya and Mayor ?
K: Nagin - sounds like a bad 80s movie
me: Ray Nagin..yeah..good
K: lol
me: Have u been reading about floods in Bihar ?
K: ya, sad man :-(
11:45 AM there is more coverage of gustav than bihar..pathetic
even in indian media!!
11:46 AM me: Now tell me whoz the gov of bihar ?
K: who? i dont know
me: and mayor ?
11:47 AM K: no idea!!
me: Whoa..dei..Its India..
K: looks like there will be bihari mayor of mumbai soon...
11:48 AM me: As much as u keep urself updated on american politics..
you should be equally knowledgeable about India !
Huh...idhu thaan TIMES OF INDIA !
GOD BLESS U AND BIHAR AND INDIA
K: thats bihar, ask me abt tamil nadu
its like asking a german who the fucking mayor of paris is...
11:49 AM i dont know and i dont care...as long as i get a free vacation ther ;-)
me: Whos ur thoguthi MLA or ur councillor ?
11:50 AM K: hmm... good questions
me: dei..Its good to keep track of world events, but at the same time it would not hurt to know about what's happening in your own backyard...
K: You are right ....

அடேங்கப்பா !!

ஒரு நிருபர் கேட்ட கேள்விக்கு நம்ம தங்க தமிழன் T R இவ்வளவு டென்சன் ஆயிருக்க வேண்டாம்...நல்ல மனுசனுக்கு BP எகிறி போச்சு !!

...Totally you are trying to suppress and depress and oppress the views of a Tamilian ....

பார்க்க ரசிக்க....

Malangal Leaf !!

Guess what's on the label ?!


[Click on the picture for enlarged view]

This green variety is not so commonly available in stores but when i purchased it, i seriously lost appetite of eating this keerai just 'coz of it's name !

Anyways, the botanical name for Murungai maram is Moringa Oleifera

TASTE OF INDIA :-)

eMail FwD:-)

Currently listening to.....:-)

Independence Day Greetings !!

Would you consider this video as
CREATIVITY UNLIMITED or INSANITY UNLIMITED ??

!!

CONGRATS Abhinav Bindra for winning Gold medal in years for India.

Now what ? Upon his return,he will be the HERO for a while in Indian sports arena [??], and he would receive cash incentives and "prestigious & honorary" awards by the government for his feat in Olympic games 2008.

But,i find it hard to understand as why Indian sportsmen were never encouraged or provided with enough opportunities for training and exposure PRIOR to achieving a remarkable feat in an international event. Here is an example of a wasted talent. .Its a pity that a country with a population of a billion cannot even produce handful of quality sportsmen !

WAY TO GO,CHINA !

DOLAYAM........

.........HERE......





AND AT OUR HOME !!

Guess What ?

As seen on a Desi's car plate :-) !

Adengappa news !!

Heard about this International one price calling plan from Time Warner Cable ? You get 3000 minutes[About 50 hours] worth talk time per month for only 20 USD. This service can be added to your existing digital phone service from TWC. The call quality is good and is cheaper when compared to Airtel/Reliance India call home services.

Give it a try !!

!$#%@$^#%&^&^**&^^

Recently, i had a billing dispute regarding a purchase and i called my credit card service which ,obviously had a call center in our desiland.It was 2200 hrs PST when i placed the call.
The CSR sally aka shanmugasundari was so irritating and kept on reading some printed stuff and never listened to my side of argument.So, i ended up having a heated conversation with the CSR until i contested my claim and made the CSR understand my situation.

After about 30 minutes, as i was about to hang up, i heard this ending salutation from our CSR:

Thank You, have a great day ,bye bye , good night !


So much for BPO work shifts and training !!

This is an eMail Fwd : I found this to be too true !

Joost !

I have always wanted to watch my favorite episodes shown on National Geographic Channel [NGC] at my leisure. It is not possible for me to watch them during workweek and the weekends too get busy with other chores.

Few months ago,i stumbled upon this article on CNET ,and upon reading that i have opted to watch my favorite shows on my big screen PC for free !!. There are many P2P TV networks ,but i particularly liked JOOST because they carry a variety of full length episodes that were shown on NGC. There are also other channels of interest including few Hindi programs on Joost !.

SO go ahead and download JOOST player , and enjoy watching the TV shows on your PC !

UPDATE :  WATCH FULL EPISODES ON 

1. VEOH CHANNEL

2.DISCOVERY VIDEOS

3.HULU-NGC

4.HISTORY CHANNEL

Why can't you write- Madras ?

I had been to an USPS post office here to mail a package to Chennai , India and here are the conversations that i had with the postal clerk [PC].

PC: How may i help you ?
I : I need to send this package to India.. How many days would it take for international delivery ?
PC :India...Must take about 15 days or so....depends on which town or village there...you know..
I :Its a major city in India..Chennai
PC :[ she scrolls the Indian city names and could not find Chennai]
PC: I can't find this city..
I: [Puzzled...] Try Madras
PC: Oh..here it is...Why can't you write Madras in your mail instead of this city..
I: The name of this city had been changed a decade ago...Both are same...
PC: Oh.. [then she checks the postage cost for my package-Completed the transaction]
I: Am just curious..can you scroll for Bangalore /Bombay..?
PC: Yes...[I get to see the computer screen]
I :Thank You...

I could not find Chennai ,Bengaluru ,Mumbai or Kolkata in the list...The cities were still listed as Madras, Bangalore,Bombay, Calcutta.

Here is my question :-
I understand that the names of these cites has been changed by our honorable politicians to reflect their historical and linguistic relevance. But, when they propose such a name change, do they ever bother about the international effects on such name change? Aren't there international conventions based on which city names are referred to and has our government made efforts to notify the international countries of such a change ?
Chennai airport is still MAA and Mumbai airport-BOM. IS this a false sense of pride that we Indians carry to the international community ? Please share your thoughts !

Nude Mission ?

I work with this nice Punjabi lady in her 50's,who speaks with a strong Punjabi Indian accent...Oye Oye...Balle Balle..She does not seem to wither her hard accent even though she had lived in this country little over a quarter century !![Truly Adengappa!]

The other day, as i walked into my rehab facility , she told me.."Parbu..there is a nude mission waiting for you...."

I was shocked..So were the other staffs at the station !

Guess what she wanted to say ?

Go BARACK !!

I found this MSN blogpost to be very interesting !

//I’m curious: Will anyone else out there cop to picking up change when you see it on the street, in a hallway, or wherever? If so, do you have a standard for this, e.g. you’ll pick up a quarter but not a penny, or you’ll only pick up that quarter if no one can see you doing it?
I’m actually superannuated enough to remember penny candy. It was cause for celebration to find a coin, because we could go to the store and get Smarties, Squirrel Nut Zippers, Pixy Stix or a host of other treats.
These days, I save the coins I find in a vase my daughter gave me when she was 8 or 9 years old. (She got the vase from the “free” box at a yard sale.) Each year at Christmastime I donate my finds to a charity.
I’ve found anywhere from about $9 to more than $16 per year. Maybe that will make some of the rest of you take notice...? Or would picking up pennies be totally embarrassing to you?
Hint: A good place to look for change is in the Coinstar machine. Sometimes the machine spits a coin out because it’s foreign, or damaged; sometimes it’s simply overwhelmed and lets some perfectly good specie fall through.
And FYI: so far this year I’ve found $5.24.
Come on, who else is brave enough to admit doing this???//

Upon reading such a post, even am too curious to hear from fellow (desi) bloggers on their " paisa picking " experiences ! Do share them in my comments section !! Thanks !!

Wow !

Republic Day Greetings !!