Trip to Dubai
Best and economical place to stay is at Sharjah the business headquarters for UAE.
We got a suite for only $80 which included a great breakfast and free parking. Note we got it so cheap as it was during Ramzan. See the hotel Al Maha hotel, King Faisal Street, P.O. Box 27776, Sharjah U.A.E. Live Life like Dubai Sultan another look at Al Maha Regency ( Just behind King Faisal Road and monument).
We booked the hotel via Kayak and car booking via car booking website in US, search car booking via Kayak. Got car for one day at $25.
It is only 12 miles from there to Dubai, but please rent a GPS, or load Dubai's GPS in one own GPS. Road in Dubai are hopelessly confusing. And the worst is asking a local for direction. There are too many construction and not really helpful direction. We started from our hotel at 5 pm and reached Dubai's Dubai Mall at 8 PM, took around 2 to 2.5 hours to reach back. :-)
Do see
Al Burj
Dubai Mall
In THe mall see the Jumerriah Beach and Burj Al Arab
Trip to Oman
If you really want to have areal arabian expereince visit Oman the land of enchantment and described in as a land of great natural beauty on the southeast corner of the Arabian Peninsula. See for more info
VISA information
FOr US Citizen get Oman visa for only 16$ for 30 days, See the US State Dept of Travel website here
For Indian Citizens again the same cost of 30 days. See here
Monday, December 21, 2009
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Altruism Indian IT and hidden architect Sam Pitroda
One person who made it and certainly all of IT and people like us who are deriving benefits from it, shoiuld know this guy with the naive but most helpful PM Rajiv Gandhi(with his grandfather Nehru) - Sam Pitorda
His biggest stuff (remember he came to impress Indira Gandhi maybe her death lead to Rajiv's coming)
1. Deregulation of IT Laws also C-Dot
2. Creation of first outsourcing to Infosys when he got GE a contract to India. See article
3. Cellular Regulation creation of the world's largest people connected.
Videos on Him
A nice documentary from SkochConsultancy Sam Pitorda a Dreamer
A small interview with him See here Innovation 100
Voice of America video on him
His thoughts and his life in a Harvard article
His biggest stuff (remember he came to impress Indira Gandhi maybe her death lead to Rajiv's coming)
1. Deregulation of IT Laws also C-Dot
2. Creation of first outsourcing to Infosys when he got GE a contract to India. See article
3. Cellular Regulation creation of the world's largest people connected.
Videos on Him
A nice documentary from SkochConsultancy Sam Pitorda a Dreamer
A small interview with him See here Innovation 100
Voice of America video on him
His thoughts and his life in a Harvard article
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
How Political Landspace transforms Historical Events
What is in a name even if it is a Historical event, many times depends upon from which side you are looking but more importantly who wins the battle. One of the example of groing in recently got independent poorer India or 70s is the word Indian Rebellion of 1857 or Sepoy mutiny (depending whether you are a British or Indian. A freedom fighter is someone's terrorist, example of Azad and Indian Kashmir).Interestingly the terms Indian Rebellion and Sepoy Mutiny and changing of the term in the last 30 odd years is another example of how history is dictated by Politics rather than reality. Sepoy Mutiny was still common when we were younger or reading 1950s or 60s Indain hsitory But after Britain's failing importance in World and India' re-emergence, Sepoy Mutiny is now just an addendum to historical British Britanica and the word does not even come in the democratic Wikipedia.
Friday, September 18, 2009
American Health Care
The American Health Care is at crossroads..
See some good article etc
A Radio show that discusses how US system compares with other counties
http://www.onpointradio.org/2009/06/obamas-health-care-push
Some Solutions
Cleveland Clinic Way
Data Based Stuff - Time Jun 23, 2009 How to Cut Health-Care Costs: Less Care, More Data
After Health Care Bill was put
Why the "a government-backed public option to compete with private insurers, instead proposes funds to set up nonprofit cooperatives" might not work.
Democracy Now article on it Read/Watch it here
Look at other country how they do it well
India how preventive and low technology diagnosis and non lobby based system is providing better health care See economist article
See some good article etc
A Radio show that discusses how US system compares with other counties
http://www.onpointradio.org/2009/06/obamas-health-care-push
Some Solutions
Cleveland Clinic Way
Data Based Stuff - Time Jun 23, 2009 How to Cut Health-Care Costs: Less Care, More Data
After Health Care Bill was put
Why the "a government-backed public option to compete with private insurers, instead proposes funds to set up nonprofit cooperatives" might not work.
Democracy Now article on it Read/Watch it here
Look at other country how they do it well
India how preventive and low technology diagnosis and non lobby based system is providing better health care See economist article
Tuesday, September 01, 2009
Pujo Assche
It all started with a small IM from an old Bong (Bengali college friend)
" Puja Assche ...:-) Phone Korris .. "
These words have some very deep seated meaning... Especially if you lived your most important part of your life in Calcutta or nearby.
And even the single phrase "Puja Assche" actually almost made my eyes moist.
Old memories just dwarfed in to my mind. Memories of childhood days and early youth. of Calcutta and Pujas....
Memories of the part of the year months in which Puja is set. The weather starting to cool the receding Monsoons and most important "PANDALS being erected"...
It all meant holiday and a cultural immersion like nothing I have seen, even with my vagabound years.
Durga Puja has some elements that can bring people from any background. That is the biggest charm to it and that is what makes is so special. The origin like any festival anywhere has an a religious element to it, but especially how how it originated (origin of Puja) , especially "Sarbajanin Durga Puja" which most Bengali identify Durga Puja now with is more a cultural event than religious. A event which is iconically Calcuttan and now the symbolic embodiment of Bengalis or even the "Bhadrolok" culture of 1800s and early to mid 1900s. And in it we can see why this small state has produced so many cultural behemoths and earlier the most important financial capital of British crown India and its capital Calcutta. Again why Calcutta to this day is still called the cultural capital of India.
But after being Probabsi for so long there is more to it than just the event and its symbolism. At a personal level I miss the social melange and phenomenon called Puja... Where you need not be Bengali or Hindu or even religious to enjoy it. Another reason why it still flourished in under 25 years of the only Rad state atheist.
This universal appeal of might because of how I would say un-religious abberation Durga Puja is. The Durga's killing Mahisasur which is the hallmark of Durga Puja has a lot of abberations. The date of the killing is not even mentioned in Durga Chalisa. Actually the religious significance of the last few days of Durga Puja (which most of us remember standing in front of pratima of Durga in a cultural edifice ie.e pandal) is not about Durga Mahisasura Bodhan but killing of Ravana by Ram. Ram worshiped Durga and by doing puja with 108 lotus symbolic of her 108 names to get powers to kill the most powerful king of Asura (Daemon), the powerful Ravana. Again why it is also called "Akal Bodhan" (A-Kal in Sanskrit is Untimely). Even the name Durga is not completely correct as though she killed Mahisasura the avatar was when the Bodhan ( killing) was done is actually Mahishasuramardini. Actually the the only thing which is authentic about Durga Puja is Mahalaya the first day of Durga Festivity and the Birendra Krishna Bhadra's AIR tranmission at 4 AM.
This is certainly one of the biggest anamoly one can see in any prominent religious festival besides Christmas. It makes even more puzzling as its origin were done by a more literate Zaminadars unlike origins of Christmas in which trying to "increase the folk" the Christian church sort of followed the pagan festivity of Saturnalia during the end of year for locals of Europe. I think the reason why this anomaly was done was the timing and the Goddess chosen. Durga Puja marks the end of Monsoon. And for an agrarian Zamindar (landlord) it meant it is time for summer harvest. A time when fields are filled with Kharif crop (monsoon season crops). The reason for origin of the first 'Baro-Yaari'Pujo( from Baro ie twelve or the twelve friends of Guptipara in Hoogly, West Bengal, who collaborated and collected contributions from local residents to conduct the first community puja) or even the earliest recording of Durga Puja by the zamindar of the Sharadiya(Autumn)Durgotsab in Bengal in c 1606.
The freedom Swadeshi movement and bringing people across the religious aspect was the rationale behind Sarbojanin Durgotsav. We see that in the aspect coming in and the first Sarbojanin of Bagbazar. The freedon stuggle element of the cultural festival is very similar to the origin of the the other festival of similar kinds i.e. Ganesha Chaturthy. It was also started around the same time by Lokmanya Tilak, when he tried to bridge the gap between Brahmins and 'non-Brahmins'. The requirement of the time to coalesce the people of British dominion into a more single form and creation of an nationalistic entity which we now call India. On a side track this trying to appeal to the melange of India with its different languages and religion and singular focus starting from the early Swadeshi movement and the later Indian National Congress was the big reason of success them compared to the non-singular goal orientation of the Indian Rebellion of 1857 or Sepoy mutiny ( See my blog explaining how Political landscape decides historical events). Again all these elements have made the cultural phenomenon which Durga Puja has now become. A sort of religious festival celebrated in an Atheist Maoist Leninist state, ruled by these atheist who certainly encourage the festival for last 30 years!!.
And even besides these slight Religious abberation of Durga Puja at a personal level has the aspects that touches people in many a way. The timing is perfect. The long hard summer month is past and also the mercurian monsoon is gone. The brutal summers and downpours have now been metamorphosed into the cooler weather and bounty of harvest. The green paddy field with the wild Kash phool (actually Kash grass gives credence to the Sonar Sabuj Bangla (the prosperity of the Bengal including Bangladesh coming from the two huge rivers Ganga Jamuna and the result of it during the Karif harvest months). And before the fields become barren and money from this harvest disintegrate to the wait for the next monsoon the timing of the festival could not have been better. It sort of exudes the the optimism of the people and land. I suppose the biggest reason of the huge acceptance of the festivity.
It is a time of the year when people come out and see one of the finest cultural aspect of not only Bengal but India's melting pot. A cultural that has as much as aspect of Indianess as is the British influence. Be it the Swadeshi movement or the cultural elements that make up the cultural enlightenment of the Bhadrolok Bengali. A very interesting love and hate relationship of British by Indian, and no where was it more poignant than Bengal and no where you see the dichotomy more than especially Sarbojoni Durga Puja and its Swadeshi movement. A festival that was started by British supported Zamindar as sort of show-off but saw its crystallization in the freedom movement coalizing of normal people of different backgrounds.
The SMS message that started it all
Friend's new status message - online on blackberry 9:24 AM
me: But anyway how are you and how are things with you... Puja Assche ...:-) Phone Korris ..
I always prefer phone.. amar number ta change hote paare keep my google voice number 661-505-8009
Friend: yeah i know a bunch of em too but i guess i am still in the iron age:-) i like my full size qwerty...nischoi phone korbo..i have heard SF bay area pujo is by far the best in the US...have you ever been there?
Sent at 9:26 AM on Tuesday
me: unfortunately I hav not gone to any pUja in US...
sonehow always missed it or there was no puja near me..
but this year will go to one in LA, heard it is also big...
Sent at 9:28 AM on Tuesday
Friend: i want to pause for a moment and reflect on the sentence you said "Pujo Asche"...it's just two words but it means a lot to Benaglis....and it continues to amaze me that inspite of your roots not being bengali...the way you said it had all the essence and emotions that i can associate with those two words:-) makes me happy..and probably made my day...
Sent at 9:32 AM on Tuesday
me: It is true... that few lines you replied actually almost made my eyes moist, jsut brought back memories of days of childhood and youth, of Calcutta and Pujas.... And months ago the weather started cooling and Pandals used to start... and after being Probabsi for so long.. jsut miss the social melangee and phenomenon called Puja...
Will get an email which will capture it in a better way
Another short IM
Another friend: well i have just gone through your blog and it is indeed a very well researched piece of work
me: oh thanks
Sent at 2:13 PM on Tuesday
me: well sort of wanted to write a bit of stuff of what I make of the festival and especially after i moved out of Calcutta and India, it was a sort of trying to understand why I was so still moved by all of it. So basically what is it in it that still captivates me and emotionally moves me.
" Puja Assche ...:-) Phone Korris .. "
These words have some very deep seated meaning... Especially if you lived your most important part of your life in Calcutta or nearby.
And even the single phrase "Puja Assche" actually almost made my eyes moist.
Old memories just dwarfed in to my mind. Memories of childhood days and early youth. of Calcutta and Pujas....
Memories of the part of the year months in which Puja is set. The weather starting to cool the receding Monsoons and most important "PANDALS being erected"...
It all meant holiday and a cultural immersion like nothing I have seen, even with my vagabound years.
Durga Puja has some elements that can bring people from any background. That is the biggest charm to it and that is what makes is so special. The origin like any festival anywhere has an a religious element to it, but especially how how it originated (origin of Puja) , especially "Sarbajanin Durga Puja" which most Bengali identify Durga Puja now with is more a cultural event than religious. A event which is iconically Calcuttan and now the symbolic embodiment of Bengalis or even the "Bhadrolok" culture of 1800s and early to mid 1900s. And in it we can see why this small state has produced so many cultural behemoths and earlier the most important financial capital of British crown India and its capital Calcutta. Again why Calcutta to this day is still called the cultural capital of India.
But after being Probabsi for so long there is more to it than just the event and its symbolism. At a personal level I miss the social melange and phenomenon called Puja... Where you need not be Bengali or Hindu or even religious to enjoy it. Another reason why it still flourished in under 25 years of the only Rad state atheist.
This universal appeal of might because of how I would say un-religious abberation Durga Puja is. The Durga's killing Mahisasur which is the hallmark of Durga Puja has a lot of abberations. The date of the killing is not even mentioned in Durga Chalisa. Actually the religious significance of the last few days of Durga Puja (which most of us remember standing in front of pratima of Durga in a cultural edifice ie.e pandal) is not about Durga Mahisasura Bodhan but killing of Ravana by Ram. Ram worshiped Durga and by doing puja with 108 lotus symbolic of her 108 names to get powers to kill the most powerful king of Asura (Daemon), the powerful Ravana. Again why it is also called "Akal Bodhan" (A-Kal in Sanskrit is Untimely). Even the name Durga is not completely correct as though she killed Mahisasura the avatar was when the Bodhan ( killing) was done is actually Mahishasuramardini. Actually the the only thing which is authentic about Durga Puja is Mahalaya the first day of Durga Festivity and the Birendra Krishna Bhadra's AIR tranmission at 4 AM.
This is certainly one of the biggest anamoly one can see in any prominent religious festival besides Christmas. It makes even more puzzling as its origin were done by a more literate Zaminadars unlike origins of Christmas in which trying to "increase the folk" the Christian church sort of followed the pagan festivity of Saturnalia during the end of year for locals of Europe. I think the reason why this anomaly was done was the timing and the Goddess chosen. Durga Puja marks the end of Monsoon. And for an agrarian Zamindar (landlord) it meant it is time for summer harvest. A time when fields are filled with Kharif crop (monsoon season crops). The reason for origin of the first 'Baro-Yaari'Pujo( from Baro ie twelve or the twelve friends of Guptipara in Hoogly, West Bengal, who collaborated and collected contributions from local residents to conduct the first community puja) or even the earliest recording of Durga Puja by the zamindar of the Sharadiya(Autumn)Durgotsab in Bengal in c 1606.
The freedom Swadeshi movement and bringing people across the religious aspect was the rationale behind Sarbojanin Durgotsav. We see that in the aspect coming in and the first Sarbojanin of Bagbazar. The freedon stuggle element of the cultural festival is very similar to the origin of the the other festival of similar kinds i.e. Ganesha Chaturthy. It was also started around the same time by Lokmanya Tilak, when he tried to bridge the gap between Brahmins and 'non-Brahmins'. The requirement of the time to coalesce the people of British dominion into a more single form and creation of an nationalistic entity which we now call India. On a side track this trying to appeal to the melange of India with its different languages and religion and singular focus starting from the early Swadeshi movement and the later Indian National Congress was the big reason of success them compared to the non-singular goal orientation of the Indian Rebellion of 1857 or Sepoy mutiny ( See my blog explaining how Political landscape decides historical events). Again all these elements have made the cultural phenomenon which Durga Puja has now become. A sort of religious festival celebrated in an Atheist Maoist Leninist state, ruled by these atheist who certainly encourage the festival for last 30 years!!.
And even besides these slight Religious abberation of Durga Puja at a personal level has the aspects that touches people in many a way. The timing is perfect. The long hard summer month is past and also the mercurian monsoon is gone. The brutal summers and downpours have now been metamorphosed into the cooler weather and bounty of harvest. The green paddy field with the wild Kash phool (actually Kash grass gives credence to the Sonar Sabuj Bangla (the prosperity of the Bengal including Bangladesh coming from the two huge rivers Ganga Jamuna and the result of it during the Karif harvest months). And before the fields become barren and money from this harvest disintegrate to the wait for the next monsoon the timing of the festival could not have been better. It sort of exudes the the optimism of the people and land. I suppose the biggest reason of the huge acceptance of the festivity.
It is a time of the year when people come out and see one of the finest cultural aspect of not only Bengal but India's melting pot. A cultural that has as much as aspect of Indianess as is the British influence. Be it the Swadeshi movement or the cultural elements that make up the cultural enlightenment of the Bhadrolok Bengali. A very interesting love and hate relationship of British by Indian, and no where was it more poignant than Bengal and no where you see the dichotomy more than especially Sarbojoni Durga Puja and its Swadeshi movement. A festival that was started by British supported Zamindar as sort of show-off but saw its crystallization in the freedom movement coalizing of normal people of different backgrounds.
The SMS message that started it all
Friend's new status message - online on blackberry 9:24 AM
me: But anyway how are you and how are things with you... Puja Assche ...:-) Phone Korris ..
I always prefer phone.. amar number ta change hote paare keep my google voice number 661-505-8009
Friend: yeah i know a bunch of em too but i guess i am still in the iron age:-) i like my full size qwerty...nischoi phone korbo..i have heard SF bay area pujo is by far the best in the US...have you ever been there?
Sent at 9:26 AM on Tuesday
me: unfortunately I hav not gone to any pUja in US...
sonehow always missed it or there was no puja near me..
but this year will go to one in LA, heard it is also big...
Sent at 9:28 AM on Tuesday
Friend: i want to pause for a moment and reflect on the sentence you said "Pujo Asche"...it's just two words but it means a lot to Benaglis....and it continues to amaze me that inspite of your roots not being bengali...the way you said it had all the essence and emotions that i can associate with those two words:-) makes me happy..and probably made my day...
Sent at 9:32 AM on Tuesday
me: It is true... that few lines you replied actually almost made my eyes moist, jsut brought back memories of days of childhood and youth, of Calcutta and Pujas.... And months ago the weather started cooling and Pandals used to start... and after being Probabsi for so long.. jsut miss the social melangee and phenomenon called Puja...
Will get an email which will capture it in a better way
Another short IM
Another friend: well i have just gone through your blog and it is indeed a very well researched piece of work
me: oh thanks
Sent at 2:13 PM on Tuesday
me: well sort of wanted to write a bit of stuff of what I make of the festival and especially after i moved out of Calcutta and India, it was a sort of trying to understand why I was so still moved by all of it. So basically what is it in it that still captivates me and emotionally moves me.
Saturday, August 29, 2009
The great Books and Documentaries I have watched
Documentaries
Evolutionary Biology and the Intelligent Design
Start of the Evolutionay Biology
Evolutionary Biology - A must read for any biologist
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Selfish_Gene
Atheism and how atheism is fighting the war on science
By Richard Attenborough War on Science
http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=war+on+science+duration%3Along&num=20#
By Richard Dawkins - (Top 100 greatest living genius by Telegraph)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_God_Delusion
http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=god+delusion++duration%3Along&num=20#
By Bill Maher Religulous
http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=Religulous+duration%3Along&num=20#
How Computer Industry was born
Triumph of Nerds
http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=triumph+of+nerds+duration%3Along&num=20#
How Protestant though and philosophy has transformed world
Protestant revolution BBC Documentary
http://exchristian.net/exchristian/2009/03/protestant-revolution.html
How Protestant Religion and its impact
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Protestant_Reformation
How one single family lead to Renaissance be it Arts Michelangelo or Science Galilieo. See what Wall Street of middle world gave to world
The Medici:Godfathers of the Renaissance: PBS Dynasty series
http://www.joost.com/2370002/t/The-Medici-Godfathers-of-the-Renaissance-Birth-of-a-Dynasty#id=2370002
A documentary on /non western civilization like Eastern Civilization especailly in context of first 1991 Iraq war. When Sumerian Babylon civilization and it then continues to Chinese and Indian civilization. A good comparision of western thought of life as vital counter point to western way of thinking.
Some series on Some Great Conquests
Alexander
In the Footsteps of Alexander the Great BBC Series with Michael Woods. The best is the last paortion of how Alexander dead before his humility seeing himself not as Zeus (son og God) but as human.
How Consquistdors conquered the Americas.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conquistadors_(TV_Series)
Indian Diaspora
http://www.sscnet.ucla.edu/southasia/Diaspora/diaspora.html
Indian Coolies (Porters) or slaves that went to West Indies, Fiji , etc
http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcfour/documentaries/features/coolies.shtml
Indian Diaspora in Uganda - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indians_in_Uganda
Some statistics of Indians in other countries
Google Book on Indian Diaspora : The Indian diaspora: dynamics of migration
Good Indian Site about Indian Diapsora. http://www.indiandiaspora.nic.in/diasporapdf/chapter15.pdf
Immigration to North America including USA
A really good book detailing with respect to Hinduism
A place at the multicultural table: the development of an American Hinduism
History of India
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_India
Documentary on Indian History
The Story of India read about it here
See the video here
Watch it on Google Video
One done Jawaharlal Nehru's book Discovery of India - See some fo the Doordarshan Serial Bharat Ek Khoj here
Good books on Indian History
Freedom at Midnight by Dominique Lapierre and Larry Collins. Dominique Lapierre is a great story writer who writes on history. His best book is certainly O Jerusalem!
Discovery of India by Jawaharlal Nehru read aout it here
American Society
How American woman in workforce and its effect on Family
Two different takes on it funnily both were done in 2003. :-)
Looking into post WWII and how Feminist Movement was born or better why it was born.
Mona Lisa Smile
A Beautiful movie: Which really reminded of Indian young women in India when we were growing up, especially of why girls should get educated, to get a better match.
A Completely take on it after 40 years after Feminism movement.
A Great book:The Two Income Trap: Why Middle-Class Mothers and Fathers Are Going Broke
MSNBC Article On it
CBS: The Early Show
Amazon: Customer Review on the Book
Obesity Epidemic
BBC: The Men Who Made Us Fat http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01k0fs0BBC: The
Men Who Made Us Thin http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b038913v
How the American
Epidemic is now ebcoming a problem all around - Globesity
- Fat's New Frontier
Hiostry of Science
Evolutionary Biology and the Intelligent Design
Start of the Evolutionay Biology
Evolutionary Biology - A must read for any biologist
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Selfish_Gene
Atheism and how atheism is fighting the war on science
By Richard Attenborough War on Science
http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=war+on+science+duration%3Along&num=20#
By Richard Dawkins - (Top 100 greatest living genius by Telegraph)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_God_Delusion
http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=god+delusion++duration%3Along&num=20#
By Bill Maher Religulous
http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=Religulous+duration%3Along&num=20#
How Computer Industry was born
Triumph of Nerds
http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=triumph+of+nerds+duration%3Along&num=20#
How Protestant though and philosophy has transformed world
Protestant revolution BBC Documentary
http://exchristian.net/exchristian/2009/03/protestant-revolution.html
How Protestant Religion and its impact
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Protestant_Reformation
How one single family lead to Renaissance be it Arts Michelangelo or Science Galilieo. See what Wall Street of middle world gave to world
The Medici:Godfathers of the Renaissance: PBS Dynasty series
http://www.joost.com/2370002/t/The-Medici-Godfathers-of-the-Renaissance-Birth-of-a-Dynasty#id=2370002
A documentary on /non western civilization like Eastern Civilization especailly in context of first 1991 Iraq war. When Sumerian Babylon civilization and it then continues to Chinese and Indian civilization. A good comparision of western thought of life as vital counter point to western way of thinking.
Legacy - The Origins of Civilization BBC with Michael Woods.
See all of them here http://topdocumentaryfilms.com/legacy-the-origins-of-civilization/
Some series on Some Great Conquests
Alexander
In the Footsteps of Alexander the Great BBC Series with Michael Woods. The best is the last paortion of how Alexander dead before his humility seeing himself not as Zeus (son og God) but as human.
How Consquistdors conquered the Americas.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conquistadors_(TV_Series)
Episode list
- The Fall of the Aztecs
- The Conquest of the Incas
- The Search for El Dorado
- All World is Human
Indian Diaspora
http://www.sscnet.ucla.edu/southasia/Diaspora/diaspora.html
Indian Coolies (Porters) or slaves that went to West Indies, Fiji , etc
http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcfour/documentaries/features/coolies.shtml
Indian Diaspora in Uganda - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indians_in_Uganda
Some statistics of Indians in other countries
Google Book on Indian Diaspora : The Indian diaspora: dynamics of migration
Good Indian Site about Indian Diapsora. http://www.indiandiaspora.nic.in/diasporapdf/chapter15.pdf
Immigration to North America including USA
A really good book detailing with respect to Hinduism
A place at the multicultural table: the development of an American Hinduism
History of India
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_India
Documentary on Indian History
The Story of India read about it here
See the video here
Watch it on Google Video
One done Jawaharlal Nehru's book Discovery of India - See some fo the Doordarshan Serial Bharat Ek Khoj here
Good books on Indian History
Freedom at Midnight by Dominique Lapierre and Larry Collins. Dominique Lapierre is a great story writer who writes on history. His best book is certainly O Jerusalem!
Discovery of India by Jawaharlal Nehru read aout it here
American Society
How American woman in workforce and its effect on Family
Two different takes on it funnily both were done in 2003. :-)
Looking into post WWII and how Feminist Movement was born or better why it was born.
Mona Lisa Smile
A Beautiful movie: Which really reminded of Indian young women in India when we were growing up, especially of why girls should get educated, to get a better match.
A Completely take on it after 40 years after Feminism movement.
A Great book:The Two Income Trap: Why Middle-Class Mothers and Fathers Are Going Broke
MSNBC Article On it
CBS: The Early Show
Amazon: Customer Review on the Book
Birth of Neo-Conservatism and how
How Car Culture has changed American Soceity
THE END OF SUBURBIA: Oil Depletion and the Collapse of The American Dream
The Military Industrial Complex
Why we Fight
Michaeil Moore's: Fahrenheit 9/11
No End in Sight
A really good documentary on why the Initial Days of Iraq war lead to many of problems are facing now, including sectarian violence and complete break of law and order and simple basic social amenities
Sunday, August 16, 2009
The Internet Phenomenon
Well it all began by describing how internet works and then it took me to realise how the simple act by Tim Berness Lee lead of HTML tag and HTTP protocol so that people could share docs across the physics fraternity changes the whole world.
Also the difference of the Science vs Engineer ( Tim Bernes Lee vs Marc Andreessen of Mosaic/Netscape ), one is father of Internet and other a richer man. Life of Academics vs Industry
Also the difference of the Science vs Engineer ( Tim Bernes Lee vs Marc Andreessen of Mosaic/Netscape ), one is father of Internet and other a richer man. Life of Academics vs Industry
Monday, June 22, 2009
Self Moving FAQ
Well one of my friend wanted to move and the only choice meant that she had to drive across Fl and still would have to pay over $600 and $800 if she gets movers for a bed a dresser and few more stuff.
So I thought let me do research of it and then found what are options if a person wants to go self moving and moving besides the ubitquous UHaul
So here goes the options as of today, and as David Letterman said PODS has revolutionized moving, see the options
If you want to rent something and move yourself
Rent truck- A Simpel Kayak Search
Rent Trailers - Read this for what you need to do before you rent a truck
1. Off course U Haul
2. BudgetTruck
3. Penske Truck
4. http://www.ryder.com/
PODS idea of container given to your place you pack and they come and pick up your container after few days
1. The Original creator PODS
3. Companies like PODs of different Size and other benefits
1. UPACK.com
2. Door to Door
3. Units Storage
If you want even larger you can use the full rental Truck the full Daddy of 50 feet
http://www.helpumove.com/compare.htm
Well it seems these days besides offcourse the costly UHaul- though it is the easiest you have many options. So I think though without planning and research maybe UHaul is the easiest but maybe not the best if you want to plan and do a bit of research :-)
So I thought let me do research of it and then found what are options if a person wants to go self moving and moving besides the ubitquous UHaul
So here goes the options as of today, and as David Letterman said PODS has revolutionized moving, see the options
If you want to rent something and move yourself
Rent truck- A Simpel Kayak Search
Rent Trailers - Read this for what you need to do before you rent a truck
1. Off course U Haul
2. BudgetTruck
3. Penske Truck
4. http://www.ryder.com/
PODS idea of container given to your place you pack and they come and pick up your container after few days
1. The Original creator PODS
3. Companies like PODs of different Size and other benefits
1. UPACK.com
2. Door to Door
3. Units Storage
If you want even larger you can use the full rental Truck the full Daddy of 50 feet
http://www.helpumove.com/compare.htm
Well it seems these days besides offcourse the costly UHaul- though it is the easiest you have many options. So I think though without planning and research maybe UHaul is the easiest but maybe not the best if you want to plan and do a bit of research :-)
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Things to do if going on Vacation
Things to take when by plane
1. GPS - to find where you are on the plane to find out what is that great stuff that you look down
2. Sleeping utilities - Airbag ear buds
1. GPS - to find where you are on the plane to find out what is that great stuff that you look down
2. Sleeping utilities - Airbag ear buds
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