A World at War

In current world conflicts more civilians are victims. During World War I, civilians made up fewer than 5% of all casualties. Today, 75% or more of those killed or wounded in wars are non-combatants. Some end-of-year food for thought.

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Is Death a Cure?

While we are at the festive mood of the holidays, tragedy strikes in Nepal where the bridge collapsed in a remote village drowning unaccounted number of people. Ironically, such tragedy strikes usually when people set out on a pilgrimage, offering their thanks and sure enough to gather some blessings for the near and dear ones. Few years ago, if I recall correctly, similar was the case in India where hundreds of pilgrims were the victim of a stampede. Tsunami, happened during Christmas where tragedy struck in and around the coasts of Asia and Africa.

Is death a cure? Why did people have to die when they were actually offering or perhaps intended to offer their prayers to the supreme being? Is death a way of God to relieve us of our pain and sufferings? Is this his way of saying, “Come my child, come to me for it is much better here with me”?

Now as I write, I hear about the assassination of the former Prime Minister of Pakistan, Benazir Bhutto. After years in exile, she returned to her country, only to accept her death bed, just like her father and her brothers. Despite the corruption charges against her, she was in the campaign for the betterment of the country and to restore democracy that made the western countries smile. Alas, but all in vain! Her message for a good cause will once again remain unheard and undelivered!

The Mind Freak Freaks me out!

I was watching Chris Angel’s Mind Freak in A&E and his tricks simply astound me. I am aware that it’s not magic but a trick that keeps you awestruck for hours, that’s only if you’re trying to decipher it. Yesterday, he chain-sawed himself into half, in front of dozens of gaping audiences standing inches away from him. Another trick that gave me goose bumps was when he had two bystanders pull apart the body of another volunteer. When they did, the torso of the women crawled away from its lower half! You have to see it to get the creeps. There was one more trick where he had a bull dozer run over him while he laid belly flat over layers of glass pieces. He walks on water; he practices levitation, puts together dollar bills that was torn into pieces and many more. His tricks just put David Blain’s into the shadows!

Movies like ‘The Prestige’ and ‘The Illusionists’ give away a few tricks that magicians and mentalists use. Here I am just wondering, how he did it. How?

Unpleasant turned Pleasant!

My previous post about an unpleasant surprise that T-Mobile had to offer did not remain unpleasant after all! After a few recommendations made by some acquaintances, I had a complaint filed with BBB (Better Business Bureau). IT WORKED!! They helped me out! Below, is the negotiated letter to BBB from T-Mobile!

On December 05, 2007, the business provided the following information:
December 5, 2007

VIA E-MAIL
info@bbb.org

Bureau Services
Better Business Bureau of
Alaska, Oregon, and Western Washington
P.O. Box 1000
DuPont, WA 98327

Your Case No. 22140232
T-Mobile Account no.34803761


To Whom It May Concern:

T-Mobile USA, Inc (''T-Mobile'') is in receipt of your email dated December 3, 2007 regarding the above referenced account.

T-Mobile records indicate that the commitment end date for mobile numbers (mom’ number) and (my number) is July 6, 2008, and the commitment end date for T-Mobile number (girl friend’s number) is July 10, 2008. As such, it is T-Mobile's position that since (girlfriend) transferred the above mentioned mobile numbers to another carrier on November 10, 2007, effectively canceling her service on her T-Mobile account, the three $200.00 early termination fees billed on her November 2007 billing statements are valid and owed.

Nevertheless, as a gesture of good faith to (girlfriend) and in an effort to amicably resolve the issue, T-Mobile has placed a one time credit on her account in the amount of $600.00 for the disputed fees. The remaining balance on (girlfriend’s) account is $99.59 and she may remit payment by calling Customer Care.

Based upon the foregoing, we respectfully request that this complaint against T-Mobile be closed.

Thank you for bringing this matter to our attention. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me at the address listed below or toll free at (T-Mobile)
Very Truly Yours,

T-MOBILE USA, INC
Executive Customer Relations

So my dear bloggers, do not hesitate to fight it you think you’re right!

An unpleasant surprise!

Just like how I got ripped off by my health club, I got ripped off by my most loved phone service providers too. In my earlier posts I mentioned me getting an iPhone for my birthday and therefore switching to ATT from T-Mobile, the service I cherished for four years.

We had taken a family plan, sharing three lines between my mom, girlfriend and self, girlfriend being the primary account holder. Last year, she was away during the summer, vacationing away in Nepal for THREE whole months (How lucky was she?)!! My mother, then, while browsing around in the mall, chatting away in her cell phone, attracted a T-Mobile agent. They lured her into getting a new phone for which she would be rebated $50 each out of the total cost of $250! Seemed like a good deal for a brand new Samsung phone! She purchased three for all of us and strode away proud of herself.

Today I got a bill from T-mobile for $600!! The cancellation charge of $200 was applied to each phone. I thought our contract was over two years ago. However, the T-Mobile customer service informed me that whenever you get a new phone and claim a rebate, your contract is automatically renewed! We were not informed about it and more over, the primary account was not even in the country! They said it did not matter! If any of the members of the account claimed for a phone, it was a binding contract resulting in the automatically renewal of the services!! A nice way to suck your consumers of their funds with an unpleasant surprise!

A Bomb Scare!

My mom called me today at work worried and startled. She got me vexed and anxious. What was the matter? Someone had come to deliver a flower bouquet along with a beautifully decorated vase! I saw no reason to worry and asked her why she was acting the way she was!

Her concern was that there was no reason for anyone to send us flowers as it was not anybody in the family’s birthday and neither was it any occasion to be celebrated. Her main concern was that as soon as the bouquet was delivered, the delivery man disappeared in a glance. He had left in haste and was one of those who seemed intellectually challenged. She thought it was a Bomb? A BOMB??

My mom travels a lot and perhaps she had taken the announcement in the airports advising passengers to avoid touching or accepting unidentified luggage too seriously. Her description of the scenario was so vivid that for an instance I began to imagine the worst. Why would anyone think about bombing us? I advised her to leave it outside the house until I got home. Needless to say, she had not even touched it and it remained where the man had left, all day, in the freezing cold.

When I got home, I slid the card off the flowers. It read, “To our wonderful brother, wishing you happiness always. Your loving cousins!” I brought in the half wilted flowers smiling to myself. It was a wonderful ‘Bomb Scare’ that kept us laughing and will do so for many more years to come!

Sensitive Issues!

We sure do have different ways to perceive things and when it comes to religion, we tend to get even more sensitive and particular. A British schoolteacher got the taste of this when she was put behind bars in an overcrowded Sudanese prison last night after being convicted of inciting religious hatred for letting her pupils name a teddy bear 'Mohammed' which happens to be a very common name in the Muslim world. I can actually count nine of my good friends named Mohammed!

Could it be that she had no intentions to insult the prophet but just went with the student’s request? After all it was the student’s idea not hers. Yes, she could have said no but who would have thought it was such a big deal? Gillian Gibbons, apologized and escaped the sentence of 40 lashes but she still served a 15-day sentence in a women’s prison considered extremely harsh by Western standards. We sure have to be cautious while addressing sensitive issues!

Criminal of the Moment!

I was driving down a bad neighborhood in Bridgeport Connecticut. I had the FM on and One Republic’s ‘Apologize’ was playing at the background. I was in my own world and was trying to decide whether my love for this particular song was still as fresh as the first time I heard it! The repetitive and continuous playing of the song was beginning to wear the novelty off! The darkness was beginning to set in and I was just mellow and exhausted.

At once three cop cars pulled around me, sirens on, lights setting the night aflame, guns drawn instructing (somebody?) to get out! I was dazed and baffled and taken aback! Before I gained control after my flight of fearful fantasy, the officers ran past me into a house, guns still drawn! Phew! I was relieved for sure. I hadn’t committed a crime but for a minute it kept me thinking, had I?

I slowly drove by the police car, awestruck and half shaken! The situation had made me feel like a criminal of the moment!

The Fear Lingers on!

Yet another friend of mine got married! Once we start approaching the age of thirty, I assume we have that constant urge to tie the knot! But is it important? Do we really have to get married? Isn’t marriage just a legal name for a relationship?

I am uncertain myself. Every time I hear of an acquaintance’s wedding, a hundred questions linger in my head and an uncertain fear halos above and around me. I was at the wedding ceremony of a friend yesterday. One of his jocular brother-in-law asked the bride to hold out her hand and then requested the groom to place his hand over hers. He then told him to enjoy the moment as this would be the last time he would ever have an upper hand. All the men in the room applauded trying to savor the bitter sweet truth about their own wedded life. Do women really control their men after marriage? “If men are the head of the family, women are the neck”, as said in the movie ‘My Big Fat Greek Wedding’ hold true to its words?

The Fear still lingers!

Luxury of Choice

I feel fortunate living here in the United States of America. Unconsciously we are blessed with so many things in life that we hardly pay heed to. We have the luxury of letting the water run for extended period of time whilst we brush our teeth, we have the luxury of wasting food, we have the lavishness of taking showers two times a day, facilities and natural resources are sumptuous and we sure have the luxury of choice! Yet we complain!

The recent cyclone in Bangladesh let thousands without food and water. Bangladesh being a third world country can barely do much. The people affected are going without water for days and some who are lucky enough to grab a bottle offered by the relief foundations have to share it with five other members of the family. The situation is tragic and compassionate. People are dying and the situation is giving rise to numerous diseases. They don’t have a choice but adhere to the circumstance and are unsure whether they will live another day to tell their survival stories to the future generation!

Yet we complain!

Thank You for Thanksgiving!

It’s that time of the year and Thanksgiving is finally here! I love this day, not because I get to gobble down the turkey or thrilled that I get to see friends and family.

However, this is the only day that I can sit home without having to worry about work. I run four Subway restaurants and this is the only day we put down the shutters! Yep, we are open for the other 364 days of the year, whether it’s New Years, Christmas, Labor Day, Hanukkah etc. No work related calls, no calling out of the employees at the last moment, no running around…..I can just relax, worry free, not bothered, unconcerned!

Thank you Captain John Woodleaf for holding the first service of thanksgiving!

The Hullabaloo over Barack Obama!

Presidential candidates always seem to get into controversy. It’s the position they hold that people find little things to talk about! Today Barack Obama said he drank and tried drugs in his teen days. Oh well, big deal! In this era, who doesn’t? As long as its not done to the extreme to jeopardize one’s existence, his confession should just be ignored.

Now we have all the major news channels talking about him and his experiments as a teenager. They say he wouldn’t be a good example to the current youngsters, they fear that the kids will now ‘think’ that even they could drink and run for the President of the USA and blah blah blah!

At least Obama did not deprive himself of the fun and pleasure as a youngster. He can actually relate to his experiences and advise the future generation about damages drugs can cause or consequences one would have to face due to alcoholism!

I’m not campaigning for him! May the best candidate become the President! However, such petty details should not be the main reason to judge his presidential capability!

Mike Tyson, The Baddest Man in the Planet?

“Life comes at you Fast”! But Nationwide is on your side!

Now this is the commercial that should be based on Mike Tyson, someone who I once, as a kid looked up to. Haloed with accusations ranging from rape of a beauty queen, drug possession, reckless driving, he is referred to as the most controversial sports personality ever!

Once the undisputed champion and one of the best fighters that the world had seen, is a symbol of sheer mockery now. Having collected approximately $30 million for some of his bouts and career earnings averaging about $350 million, Mike Tyson had file for bankruptcy few years ago. He is now behind bars for driving under the influence!

Some people just don’t give up. I wished, the zeal and enthusiasm he has to get arrested was channelized into the right direction to win his title bouts fairly without having to leave the ring with a piece of Evander Holyfield in him.

Life sure came fast at Iron Mike, the baddest man on the planet!

Writers Guild of America Labor Strike

With the Writers Guild of America labor strike, here I am stuck watching all the reruns of almost all the episodes. Not that I spend too many long hours watching television; approximately and hour or so! Any more time spent gets me a fit of restlessness.

I think it should be fair for me to say that there are millions of Americans or even people around the world suffering due to the strike. People who have mistakenly chosen watching television as their full time job and the virtual salaries derived may appear miniscule and people who have chosen to exist as couch potatoes, simply as a burden and an occupant of space to the ones around them suffering from their mere existence.

But my sincere sympathies are with the victims! I just think there are simply two solutions to this ongoing labor strike!

1. Meet their demands paying them the diminutive share that they demand for. After all Broadway itself is a billion dollar industry OR
2. Apply the Ronald Reagan Theory! Just like he fired all the air traffic controllers, all the writers should be fired and rehire the aspiring authors. Perhaps we get to see some twists and creativity in writing and I am sure there are millions of them around! How many quality TV shows do we have anyway?

Take the poll friends!

Sexy Back Behind Bars!

My brother was in court to prove his innocence about some driving tickets he was issued. It's never a good experience being in the court specially if you are the guilty defendant. However, this time he was amused!

A courtroom, where pin drop silence is demanded except when asked to speak, any disturbance would violate the terms and conditions set forward. In this particular courtroom, filled with men and women of various age ranges including infants accompanied by their parents had some entertainment in store in the expense of someone else.

There was a middle aged defendant who was sentenced even before his crime was disclosed. While the court was in session, his phone sang the tune of 'Sexy Back' by Justin Timberlake setting the whole court room into laughter! The sad part is that he was sent to six months in prison for the violation of the courtroom and playing inappropriate music in front of minors!

This is true but is it allowed??

Islamic Car?

I read in BBC today that the Malaysian carmaker Proton has announced plans to develop an "Islamic car", designed especially for Muslim motorists!

Now how is this car Islamic? Sure enough it does not have to undergo religious ceremonies or convert itself into Islam from its own religion of 'machinery and mechanism'. Instead they call it the 'Islamic car' because the car is going to be boasting features such as the compass pointing to Mecca and a dedicated space to keep a copy of the Koran and a headscarf! Sure enough there are other ways to sell a car but they think vehicles designed specifically for Muslims across the world represent a huge gap in the market! The idea just sounds weird to me! Imagine going to the dealership and asking for an 'Islamic car' or perhaps in future: a Christian car, Hindu car, Buddhist car, Jewish car etc.!!

If only candidate's wife had taken the time to vote he wouldn't have lost!

Bill Monroe lost by one vote in his bid to return to the Winchester City Council. And here's the clincher to the squeaker of a race:His wife didn't vote.

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The iPhone Surprise!

So today was my birthday! My girlfriend decided to surprise me by buying me an iPhone but the surprise did not remain a surprise when the AT&T customer service called me and disclosed everything.

This is how it happened! Usually I go to pick my girl up from the train station (She works in Morgan Stanley NY) but yesterday my mom and brother decided to go pick her up. They landed up in the mall and it sure was preplanned. My mom, my girl and I have T-mobile family plan service. Now since she was getting me an iPhone, we had to switch to AT&T. She managed to switch our service to AT&T’s family plan while we kept the old numbers.

Perhaps with a little mix up, AT&T noted my number as my girl’s and then called me before my ‘shopping family’ was back. They asked for my girl. I said she wasn’t home and if I could take a message. She told me that she had to explain the disclosures of the service that she purchased and about the purchase of an iPhone……

iPhone?? I was excited and couldn’t wait for them to get back home! They got back at 10pm and now I had to wait two more hours for the clock to strike 12 am. I kept asking for the gifts as its obvious but did not give out the hint that I knew.

Well the constant cajoling did not work and I had to wait. I did not give out the mishap or should I call it a misunderstanding of the AT&T customer service to my girl as I’m just too engrossed enjoying my new iPhone enjoying technology and innovation. BTW, it took me about half and hour to type this blog from my iPhone, but I enjoyed it!!

In pictures: Nepal dogs honoured

Nepal is celebrating the festival of Tihar, its equivalent of Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights. In Nepal, on the second day of the feast, special honour is bestowed on dogs.

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Stripper Visits School Classroom in 'mix-up'

It seems like a 16 year old had the time of his life when he got a strip dance amidst his stunned classmates and a teacher during a drama class!

Apparently the British boy’s mother had booked a gorillagram as a surprise to her son in his classroom. Instead due to the booking error, the stripper entered and performed for a classroom full of British teenagers, spanked a birthday boy and asked him to rub cream all over her.

The funny thing about this is that the teenager's mother had told the teacher beforehand that a “birthday surprise” would walk in during the class and requested that it be filmed.

“The teacher suddenly announced: ‘Something is about to happen’,” the student said.

“Then a woman in a very short skirt walked in dressed as a copper. She asked the lad to stand up, which he did, and told him he had been a very naughty boy because he hadn’t been doing his homework.”

The newspaper quoted the student as saying that it was when the stripper pulled some cream out of her bag that the teacher took action.

“To be fair to the teacher, you could tell she was just stunned, and when the cream came out she told the stripper: ‘That’s it. That’s enough’.”

The student said the birthday boy ran out of the classroom while the stripper packed her bag.

Sweet Sixteen Indeed!

Blind Wine Tastings Aren’t Always the Best Tastings

Wine critics should get a break when they pan a wine during a blind tasting that they normally praise to the skies, says Slate wine columnist Mike Steinberger. Few things give satisfaction like catching a wine snob preferring the bottle of swill over a storied chateau in a blind tasting, concedes Mr. Steinberger. And in […]

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How to Spot a Rich Person

I was talking to a Jaguar salesman last week and asked him what the hardest part of his job was.“You can’t tell who’s rich anymore,” he said. “It used to be if someone walked in with jeans and a T-shirt I could ignore them or ask them to leave. Now that guy could be a […]

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Swiss Study Finds Marijuana Use Alone May Benefit Some Teens

Teens that use cannabis may function better than teen tobacco-users, and appear to be more socially driven and have fewer psychosocial problems than those who do not use either substance, according to a Swiss survey.

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The Dollar is Dead, Next the Country ... Yes it Can Get Worse alot Worse

The euro, worth 83 cents in the early George W. Bush years, is at $1.45. The British pound is back up over $2, the highest level since the Carter era. The Canadian dollar, which used to be worth 65 cents, is worth more than the U.S. dollar for the first time in half a century. Oil is over $90 a barrel. Gold, was $260/ounce not long ago, now $800

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King Tutankhamun!

Just when I was stretching to grab the remote control, the news anchor mentioned the revelation of King Tut’s face for the first time in 3000 years. It sounded interesting so I waited and watched all the commercials in order not to miss the disclosure of the Golden King. But I was disappointed to see the decaying face of a mummy! What was I expecting to see?

"The face of the golden boy is amazing. It has magic and it has mystery," Egypt's antiquities chief Zahi Hawass added. In contrast, I thought the mystery and magic was there when he had the mask on. There was something enigmatic about the mask that kept me wondering and now every time I see the golden mask of King Tutankhamun's, the moldering and wilting face is what I’ll remember.

Welcome to the world of Future!

This is quite interesting! A friend of mine forwarded this to me and I was quite amazed, simply admiring the advancement of technology! Here are a few pictures and I want you to decide for yourself.

Do you think what those things are in front of that man?




I'm sure you thought they were pens. Need a closer look??




Here they are---------->












Ah! You probably think these are pens with cameras huh? Well, here's another picture to keep you guessing!

Any guesses yet? Well, you are looking into the future! The future that will soon replace our PCs and Laptops!

Here is how it works!

In the revolution of miniature computers, scientists have made great developments with bluetooth technology.


This is the forthcoming computers that you can carry within your pockets.

This "Pen" instrument creates both the monitor and the keyboard on any flat surfaces functioning just as your PCs and laptops! This is the world we live in!! A very advanced world indeed!

Chris Angel the Phenomenon!

Finally there's a good show in television that keeps me glued to my couch. I watched the second episode of the Phenomenon; a reality show where illusionist, mentalists and others from the similar category compete to become the ultimate "Phenomenon". The tricks they perform is intriguing and I can't help but wonder, "How the hell do they do that?"

The show took a little turn yesterday when Chris Angel, the Mind Freak, freaked out when one of the contestant's act, in which he demonstrates his relationship with the paranormal to guide him on his quest to discover what would be inside a certain box that no one had tampered with. The "Ghost" gave him the right answer but Chris Angel, unwilling to buy the comical performance, bet him a million dollars of his own personal money if he could guess the content of Angel's envelop that he was holding in his pocket!! The show nearly turned in a live Jerry Springer show while I sat there enjoying every bit of it!

Tuna is Fish for God's sake!

Its probable that I spend too much time in restaurants and fast food joints, that I get to see the weirdest characters imaginable.

I was at a Subway restaurant in Trumbull during the lunch rush. The employees were moving as fast as they could to get the line rollin but the line did not seem to move. There were some commotion going on at the check out point. Apparently, a customer had bought a Tuna sandwich and had not liked it. When the clerk asked her as to what the problem was, her answer was that it tasted like "Fish" and that she wanted her money back. Everyone in the line looked puzzled and looked sympathetically towards the clerk who looked even more baffled.

In one of my earlier blog, I mentioned a similar experience but I can assure you it wasn't the same customer. I just wonder if people are aware that TUNA is actually FISH and for their information FISH does taste like FISH!! Didn't Jessica Simpson have a similar issue?

Directions on your phone!

This is pretty neat! If you are ever lost on the road, get directions free (In the US) , by text messaging on your cell. Just dial DIR-ECT_IONS and say your destination at the voice prompt. I tried it today and think it's pretty cool. They do not provide services to certain cities but most of the major parts of the United States is covered. You receive the directions as a series text message in about a couple of minutes! Further information at: http://dialdirections.com/default.html

Blonde Jokes!

Guys its Monday and its been a hectic day at work. Here's some jokes for you! Hope you enjoy them!

Why did 18 Blondes go to a movie?

Because under 18 was not allowed.

* * * * * *

What do you do when a Blonde throws a hand grenade at you?

Pull the pin and throw it back.

* * * * * *

What do you do when a Blonde throws a pin at you?

Run like crazy....she's got a hand grenade in her mouth.

* * * * *

How do you confuse a Blonde?

Ask her to find the four corners of a round table.

* * * * *

How do Blondes confuse us?

By finding out the six corners of that round table.

* * * * *

How do you make a Blonde laugh on Saturday?

Tell them a joke on Wednesday.

* * * * * *

Why do Blondes work seven days a week?

So you don't have to re-train them on Monday.

**********

Why can't a Blondes dial 911?

They cannot find the eleven on the phone

* * * * * *

What do smart Blondes and UFOs have in common?

You always hear about them but you never see them.

Success!!

Success, a simple word, but requiring much effort to achieve and is nothing more than a few simple disciplines, practiced every day. Success is not easy. It is not easily acquired and requires a lot of hard work, quick thinking, desire and persistence. Every individual has a different opinion of its definition but as far as I’m concerned, it is merely the contentment of the heart by performing the chores and having the mind at ease. I came across various definitions of it from a few people I managed to talk to. Few of the business people that I asked said that, “Success was knowing your business provides a needed benefit to your customers” and that it “is knowing you are running your business; it isn't running you”. Some others mentioned that, “Success was knowing you controlled the wise use of your resources”. According to a father success was the smile on the child's face when he kissed his wife. Some mentioned that success was a peaceful sleep, knowing you have been fair and honest.

So what is your definition of success??

Cut throat make-up

Halloween being right around the corner, here's and interesting video I came across. Thought you guys would like it too.....

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Health Club Rip-Off

Fitness Edge, now called The Edge, is the local health club here in CT. I'd been a member since the year 2000. I started my membership with approx. $55/month. I liked the club so much that even had my family enroll and about seven of my friends.

Since I moved to a different city and due to my busy work schedule, I hadn't been to the gym for about three months. I called to cancel my membership in June 2006. They told me to write them a letter, which I did. I find out, that they canceled all the other accounts (my family's) but mine. Well, I called them again. They made me write another letter, which I did! During this time, due to competition with Planet Fitness, a much better club, The Edge reduced its fees to $9.99/month. And again, during this period, they still charged me $55 plus $30 (for God knows what) making it a total of $85 despite my regular plea to get me out of the membership!!!

I wrote a final letter this year in July, a certified mail so they could make no excuse that they hadn't heard from me. Everything was set. The automatic disappearance of $85 stopped from my account! I was relieved!

Well three months down the road, I get a bill from a collection agency stating that I still owed them $252, despite the fact that I had stayed current with my payment!! When questioned, they said I was still liable for 30 to 90 days of payment even after they received the letter! how ridiculous was that? According to them, it was all mentioned in the contract printed in fonts barely visible to human eye!

I joined the gym to lose a few pounds. But not attending the gym and dealing with the stress they bestow when you want to get out seemed a better remedy. I'm much leaner than when I joined The Edge! Despite the trouble, Id line to thank THE EDGE!

Illegitimate Offspring: The 10 Most Tenuously Connected Movie Sequels

So, you have to make a sequel, but the original cast wants no part of it. Also, the plot of the first film makes a sequel logically impossible. Are you going to let that stop you? Of course not!

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Love is Blind and Old

I read in the news (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7056672.stm) today that a man, 24 years of age had lost his wife aged 84 due to heart complications. They had just returned from their honeymoon in Brazil.

The women, Ms Volpes had rejected criticism over the age difference with the groom, who is the son of one of her best friend.

They were engaged for several years before they decided to tie the knot! Their love is said to have blossomed when the to be groom went to live with his future bride after his mother's death, when he was 15.

In this case, what do you think? Is love truly blind or it’s just some lovers who are?

Twisted Words!

This is weird, but interesting! This is a cool thing check it out.

fi yuo cna raed tihs, yuo hvae a sgtrane mnid too
Cna yuo raed tihs? Olny 55 plepoe out of 100 can.
i cdnuolt blveiee taht I cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrd waht I was rdanieg. The phaonmneal pweor of the hmuan mnid, aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it dseno't mtaetr in waht oerdr the ltteres in a wrod are, the olny iproamtnt tihng is taht the frsit and lsat ltteer be in the rghit pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can sitll raed it whotuit a pboerlm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. Azanmig huh? yaeh and I awlyas tghuhot slpeling was ipmorantt!

They say only great minds can read this but everyone I met seem to be able to read this!

Facade of sheer pretense!

I was at a party at a friends’ place. It is customary for us, for a selected good friends: so they say, to have this gathering every once a year during this season, the time to celebrate “Dasain” to remind ourselves of our cultural heritage and a chance for the women to drop themselves into their traditional attire which always makes them look classy and gorgeous than ever.

According to the Evite, a popular online invitation growing ever more popular among us, my calculation was about fifty people whom I knew and hopefully vice versa. But I was dumbfounded to witness so many new faces but of course it’s always good to acquaint ourselves to new people especially at occasions as such. I tried getting introduced to as many people and there was one who kept me thinking. A fellow with a strong made up accent, unwilling to converse in his own native language and seemed to have distanced himself totally from his heritage as soon as he had set his foot in the American soil!

Don’t you despise people wearing the façade of sheer pretense, trying to emulate the western world with neither doing justice to each other. Something natural does wonders to the sense of hearing or seeing. But this was how things worked for him. Western world always seemed serene to us coming from the third world. Being able to speak English veiled with the sweet accent seemed even more appealing to the ears that was only accustomed to way of hearing that was always judgmental. But then, maybe, its just the way I think!

Beautiful Sunset!

I'm not a photographer but I take pride in this picture that I took some years ago in Chitwan, Nepal: the only vacation that I savor until today.

The serenity of the sunset was simply mind-boggling and had me sitting there until the sun simply vanished over the hill tops welcoming the blanket of pitch darkness that engulfed us into its arms. Nature Oh Nature!

What am I doing wrong?

Folks THIS APPEARED ON CRAIG'S LIST. I thought it would be interesting to share it with fellow bloggers. Mind you this isn't me....

What am I doing wrong?

Okay, I'm tired of beating around the bush. I'm a beautiful (spectacularly beautiful) 25 year old girl. I'm articulate and classy.
I'm not from New York. I'm looking to get married to a guy who makes at least half a million a year. I know how that sounds, but keep in mind that a million a year is middle class in New York City, so I don't think I'm overreaching at all.

Are there any guys who make 500K or more on this board? Any wives? Could you send me some tips? I dated a business man who makes average around 200 - 250. But that's where I seem to hit a roadblock. 250,000 won't get me to central park west. I know a woman in my yoga class who was married to an investment banker and lives in Tribeca, and she's not as pretty as I am, nor is she a great genius. So what is she doing right? How do I get to her level?

Here are my questions specifically:

- Where do you single rich men hang out? Give me specifics- bars, restaurants, gyms

-What are you looking for in a mate? Be honest guys, you won't hurt my feelings

-Is there an age range I should be targeting (I'm 25)?

- Why are some of the women living lavish lifestyles on the upper east side so plain? I've seen really 'plain jane' boring types who have nothing to offer married to incredibly wealthy guys. I've seen drop dead gorgeous girls in singles bars in the east village. What's the story there?

- Jobs I should look out for? Everyone knows - lawyer, investment banker, doctor. How much do those guys really make? And where do they hang out? Where do the hedge fund guys hang out?

- How you decide marriage vs. just a girlfriend? I am looking for MARRIAGE ONLY

Please hold your insults - I'm putting myself out there in an honest way. Most beautiful women are superficial; at least I'm being up front about it. I wouldn't be searching for these kind of guys if I wasn't able to match them - in looks, culture, sophistication, and keeping a nice home and hearth.

* it's NOT ok to contact this poster with services or
other commercial interests

PostingID: 432279810

THE ANSWER
Dear Pers-431649184:
I read your posting with great interest and have thought meaningfully about your dilemma. I offer the following analysis of your predicament.
Firstly, I'm not wasting your time, I qualify as a guy who fits your bill; that is I make more than $500K per year. That said here's how I see it.

Your offer, from the prospective of a guy like me, is plain and simple a crappy business deal. Here's why. Cutting through all the B.S., what you suggest is a simple trade: you bring your looks to the party and I bring my money. Fine, simple. But here's the rub, your looks will fade and my money will likely continue into perpetuity...in fact, it is very likely that my income increases but it is an absolute certainty that you won't be getting any more beautiful!

So, in economic terms you are a depreciating asset and I am an earning asset. Not only are you a depreciating asset, your depreciation accelerates! Let me explain, you're 25 now and will likely stay pretty hot for the next 5 years, but less so each year. Then the fade begins in earnest. By 35 stick a fork in you!

So in Wall Street terms, we would call you a trading position, not a buy and hold...hence the rub...marriage. It doesn't make good business sense to "buy you" (which is what you're asking) so I'd rather lease. In case you think I'm being cruel, I would say the following. If my money were to go away, so would you, so when your beauty fades I need an out. It's as simple as that. So a deal that makes sense is dating, not marriage.

Separately, I was taught early in my career about efficient markets. So, I wonder why a girl as "articulate, classy and spectacularly beautiful"
as you has been unable to find your sugar daddy. I find it hard to believe that if you are as gorgeous as you say you are that the $500K hasn't found you, if not only for a tryout.

By the way, you could always find a way to make your own money and then we wouldn't need to have this difficult conversation.

With all that said, I must say you're going about it the right way.
Classic "pump and dump."
I hope this is helpful, and if you want to enter into some sort of lease, let me know.

Stupidity!

Just read the news today, that a man on a holiday to meet his parents here in Greenwich , CT was hit by a train, whilst his wife and daughter watched him get smashed! The story is sad but the reason he died was for a stupid cause!

His wife later explained that the man had jumped into the tracks to show her and his little daughter as to how crushed a penny would get once the train passed over it!! Why would you do such a thing? Why would you want to show your kids stupid life threatening tricks??

The wife told the media that while jumping into the tracks, he told her not to worry as he always did it as a kid!!

So my friends, BEWARE! As stupid as you might wanna get with friends, keep the kids out of it! Teach them the right thing!

Pet Lovers

I bought my girlfriend a Shih Tzu on her last birthday. It was more like buying me a gift using her birthday as an excuse! We both love dogs and we’ve enjoyed every moment of him being with us. It’s just a wonderful feeling to come home to unconditional love waiting for you. Even before I enter the house he knows I’m there. I can hear his excitement and feel his joy. Research shows that there’s a lot of benefit on owning a pet. Here are a few:

- Pets improve your mood
- Pets control Blood pressure better than dogs
- Pets encourage you to get out and exercise
- Pets Stave off loneliness and provide unconditional love
- Pets can reduce stress, sometimes more than people! [about.com]

Interesting facts indeed!

My Cousin Vinny

Of all the movies that I’ve watched, nothing makes me cracking like My Cousin Vinny!

Joe Pesci plays Vincent Gambini, an inexperienced lawyer of his cousin and has never been in a trial. Vinny goes out of his way to defend his clients and to add to his already ongoing problems, he is faced with a hardnosed judge and his motor mouth fiancée.

It’s quite probable that I’ve watched this movie a hundred times or more not missing out on any reruns and it’s hard for me not to say the dialogues out loud.

Shawshank Redemption, American History X, The Aviator and the Pursuit of Happiness and Jim Carey’s Ace Ventura are few other movies that just can’t resist watching.

If you haven’t watched these movies, I recommend you should and also share your favorite movies with me so I may not miss out on the masterpieces!

Fussy Customers

"Praise does wonders to the sense of hearing!"

Ever heard this saying? Well today I saw it happening.

I was at a restaurant with some friends enjoying our usual weekend dinner. Across our table sat two elderly couples who did not seem too happy with the food as well as with the service of the wait staff, whom I'm sure, was trying her best to please these fussy customers. Nothing seemed to work. They made an issue about the salmon they'd ordered which they said tasted too "fishy"!! The lettuce seemed too brown and not fresh in their salad. The coffee was too.....

The wait staff, Amanda, interrupted and told the fussy woman as to how lovely her earrings were!! To my amazement, the woman's tone and attitude changed abruptly. Apparently, those were the earrings that she had acquired in Kenya while on her honeymoon with her first husband and had always loved it. And at once, everything tasted good, the salmon wasn't fishy anymore, the salad was the best salad she had in years etc etc. She was even too generous with the tips!

Curious as we were asked Amanda whether she had really like the earrings!

"Hell No!" was her answer!

Well at least she had the situation under control!

Hats off to you girl!

Dentist-Phobia

Even while spending all those sleepless nights with all those excruciating pain, I was still reluctant to visit my dentist to get my wisdom tooth extracted. Was I worried that I wouldn’t be wise anymore? Of course not! I had heard stories that the pain after the extraction was even more agonizing. I knew, eventually, I had to get it out but I still waited, procrastinated, made excuse for one whole year!

Well this time the pain took its toll! The throbbing in my lower jaw rhymed harmoniously with my heartbeat unconsciously producing a melody to hurt me even more. I gave in and this time I had to have it out!

I took an appointment for Friday so as to bury myself in medication during the weekend if the pain got the better of me. Friday came and reluctant as I was, entered the dentist’s office. After the X-ray was taken, he informed me that there were too many infections. “God help me,” I told myself and was already thinking of taking the whole week off.

After injecting my gums with anesthesia, he had me wait a few minutes while letting me read the aftermath of wisdom tooth extractions: bleeding for 24 hours, swelling, extreme pain, damage to existing dental work, painful inflammation called dry socket, fractured jaw, numbness of the mouth that would not go away etc. Everything made me even more miserable!

Well the time came, the dentist leaned over my face along with his assistant, did something and the said, “We’re DONE”. That was it? Well I wasn’t expecting the extraction to be painful, what I was worried was the after effects. He wrote me the prescriptions and I zoomed out to the nearest pharmacy before the swelling started.

I drove home and dived into my sofa. It’d been an hour but there was still no pain. The tingly feeling in my lips was beginning to fade but still no pain!

Hey, it’s been a week now and still no pain! Guess I was lucky but those of you, who have the same dentist-phobia like I do, believe me, they’re worth a visit. I feel better than ever!

Horoscopes!

I'm a Scorpio and this is what popped up when I opened my customized iGoogle page!!

"You are quite careful about what you do with your time today, for you don't want to fritter it away on social activities that distract you from your true desires. Unfortunately, you might not want to hurt someone's feelings, which can incline you to just go along with the group. Try to gracefully let others know what you need, so you don't end up resenting them."
By Rick Levine
Wednesday, October 10, 2007

Surprisingly this is the exact circumstance that I underwent today! I wonder, perhaps or in fact there are millions of Scorpios in the world and so are people from different zodiacs, do we go through the same incidences every once in a while? I just wonder!

McDonalds - I'm hating it!

Having to take a flight to Kansas City from JFK really early in the morning, too early I would say: usually the time of the day when my eyes refuse to take a glimpse of the awakening sun and the time of day when my nose is unwilling to savor the aromatic magic of the leaves and grasses, my stomach hinted with a growl and what did it want? MacDonalds Breakfast Sandwich!!

I ordered a Sausage McMuffin and waited for about 15 minutes for my food to arrive. It was my longest anxious waits ever, ironically for a "Fast Food". Well, the girl walked up to me in her very slow strides as if for a second she forgot that her job was located within an airport and that people needed to catch a flight. Finally she got to me with her "no sense of urgency" walk of fame, with constant fiddling of the hair with her oh so long nails. Frustrated as I was, she leaned over and handed me my sandwich and said, "Sir, we are our of Sausage McMuffin so I got you a Bacon, Egg and Cheese Biscuit!!

Was she kiddin' me?? Was she telepathic to know whether the food that she brought me was digestible my picky appetite? What ever happened to employees asking their customers, "I'm sorry Sir, we're out of so and so. Would you like something else?" She had fifteen minutes to ................oh well.

I grabbed the bag out her hands and walked away fuming!

Foxy O'Reilley

Now let me know if you and I fall in the same page!

Its 8:21pm and here I am sitting in front of my computer. The TV's on in the other room and even though Bill O'Reilly's voice and his tone annoys me, I just cant help but pay attention to some baseless debates he involves other people into. I don't disagree that sometimes he comes up with hot interesting topics but while there are so many things going on in the world, is it necessary to talk about Britney Spears or even Paris Hilton and actually have people discuss it and share their opinions?

Fox News believes that the world news can be covered within 80 seconds covering news such as mayhem caused by monkeys in India or even the twin festival in China while not forgetting Anna Nicole Smith, whose name was mentioned, perhaps, with a little exaggeration, more than the entire population of the hungry and starving people in Africa and other third world countries.Fox news covers so less about the outside world focusing more on that one "hot topic" of the day that some day, I too would forget to locate the Americas and the other continents in the WORLD map!

But again its me!

Judging a book by its cover

One of my subordinates requested on having his friend hired. I don't mind referrals but when he mentioned that the friend had already served prison term for illegal firearm possession my hesitation grew with every minute of the conversation. No matter how hard I tried to put him off, persuasion got the better of me. I gave in and agreed to give him a shot!

I was surprised at myself. I always believed in giving people second chances and here I was as reluctant as I could ever be. I was concerned about my employees. Would they feel safe? Would they be able to work with a person with a criminal background? The thoughts lingered within me and just could not savor the thought of me conspiring on not wanting to give someone a second chance in life!

Well, it has been three months now that he has been at work and I sure am glad on giving him this opportunity to better himself. He’s appreciated every day at work and has constantly worked on making the best of the chance I decided to give him. I sure would have regretted not having him working for me!

He was just at the wrong place at the wrong time!

Prashant: The Indian Idol

Just yesterday Prashant Tamang, a Nepalese from Darjeeling India won the Indian Idol.
Boy, was I overwhelmed with joy! Not that I had followed the show with core enthusiam but just a thought about a Gorkhali managing to emerge victorious in a land overshadowed by a billion natives got me ecstatic. Nepalese all over the world celebrated his accomplishment and so did I.

I am thousands of miles away from home and there is not a minute that I dont miss it. Here I am celebrating Prashant's victory, someone I dont even know. Yet, why is it that sometimes I see a fellow countrymen right here in the US, I tend to turn the other cheek? Nine years ago, I went about asking, Indians, Mexicans, South Americans, Cambodians, Vietnamese etc etc if they were Nepalese and how I fail to acknowledge them now.

All my friends in Connecticut: Post your opinions and your feelings, share your thoughts and lets see if we are in the same page. Let us work on getting to know each other and work on establishing our very own community! Peace!