The IPL’s (Indian Premier League’s) trophy SUCKS big time!

Flavor of the season; a million dollar never-before-seen mega scale cricket tournament; a dream come true for cricket fans due to various superstars from different teams playing as a part of one team; amazing show… in the end, everything is absolutely scintillating save the great nauseating trophy design of the IPL tournament. To be precise, it sucks. IPL has everything wonderful in it leaving the absolutely vomit-igniting trophy design.

Have a look:

IPL Trophy - Looks 'rich' indeed

Why do big things suck big time sometimes? Why do people over look some of the most precious things in life? Are they really that stupid or do they really like what they are doing?

I was literally shaken when I saw this trophy for the first time. Never in my wildest dreams did I ever think that a tournament of a gigantic magnitude would be adopting this worst-trophy-design ever. Yuck! It looks like some grade 5 child’s artwork. Really. Even the letters IPL on the trophy are not properly aligned, they aren’t straight. And look at the gold gold batsman… aww man, this thing just sucks big time, damn! What was Lalit Modi thinking? I wonder…

I seriously feel that Rajasthan Royals and Deccan Chargers would have at least felt once that they deserved a better looking trophy for their hard work and determination.

I still wonder – why this vomiting design? Why?

Well that’s for my mind and opinion. What do you guys and gals think about this ‘great,rich looking’ trophy?

4 simple steps to prevent/avoid swine flu

Necessary precautions can put you off highly infectious Swine Flue

4 simple steps that you could follow to prevent contacting swine flu:

1. Wash your hands with warm water and soap very often
2. Wear a N99 mask
3. Avoid contact with sick people
4. Eat foods which are high in Vitamin D

A daily intake of 2,000 IU daily should be taken at minimum, by most.  A  dose of up to 10,000 IU of vitamin D  daily for a few days may also be helpful.

Take necessary precautions and please take maximum care. That would ensure that you are minimizing the chances of acquiring swine flu.

My Entry for the Indian Rupee Symbol Design Competition

Below are my entries for the Indian Rupee Symbol design competition. I felt that it would be very appropriate to incorporate the spirit and principles of Gandhi in the symbol. Do review, and give me feedback. I have also attached the concept after the designs.. its pretty long but I feel its highly prominent.

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Symbol – 1

Symbol - 1

Symbol – 2

Alternate Symbol (symbol - 2)

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Design Concept:

Design Concept and Explanation for the Symbols 1 & 2

Why this symbol, and how it radiates the ethos of Indian culture and history?

This symbol primarily epitomizes Mahatma Gandhi (the letter Ga, as in Gandhi), his role in India’s independence and other vital principles which reformed minds of people worldwide in clarity of strong thought and action:

This symbol epitomizes Mahatma Gandhi, the Father of the Indian nation. A very influential, political and spiritual leader of India and the reigning powerhouse of the Indian Independence Movement, Gandhi was a pioneer and frontrunner of the revolutionary creation of Satyagraha – resistance to tyranny through mass civil disobedience, relying strongly on complete non violence which led India to its independence and inspired movements for civil rights and freedom the world over, brought down colonialism and strengthened sovereignty.

Historically, India’s achievement of independence can undoubtedly be supposed as the most crucial occurrence in Indian history, and apart from other revolutionary personas responsible for India’s independence, Gandhi can, owing to his powerful and widely accepted immensely influential non violent methodologies, indubitably be regarded as the utmost significant partaker in the struggle for freedom in India as he eventually succeeded in driving India towards attaining independence.

The rupee symbol ought to represent Gandhi as he was the main catalyst in the Indian Independence movement, and brought reforming changes in the minds of people worldwide towards Religion, God, Unity, Non violence, Peace and Tolerance all of which, are the primary factors for any nation to ripen and speed up its progress held together by strong bonds of unity among  its citizens and guided belief.

Language from which the symbol has been taken: Sanskrit

We know that Sanskrit is the one of the most paramount languages of civilization, and one of the greatest classical languages, with its origin traced to India. It is a classical language par excellence in not only India, but in a prominent part of Asia as well. Very ornately, Sanskrit has enriched the histories, religions, cultures and societies of India/Asia, and is still doing so. It was primarily the language of science, knowledge and culture in the Indian subcontinent for over a millennium. Sanskrit formed the basis of several prominent religions including Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism.

Sanskrit is the storehouse of the entire spiritual wisdom and science. This is realized in the modern times via a concentrated and critical study of Sanskrit’s stimulus and its appreciation by world renowned personalities and societies alike. Indian civilization, since its formation in the Vedic Period, has found its utterance through the language of Sanskrit for over a mammoth number of years.

Our official name “Bhārat” is derived from Sanskrit (Bhāratam), the National Motto of India is a Sanskrit quotation – Satyam eva jayate (”Truth alone triumphs”), the National Anthem of India – Jana Gana Mana is also predominantly Sanskrit. Bankim Chandra Chatterji composed our National Song – Vande Mataram in Sanskrit. The Vedas, among the oldest sacred texts, were also formed from the layer of Sanskrit.

Sanskrit holds high level national importance in India owing to its rich history, and dependence and radiance of Indian culture and traditions from the language.

The Indian rupee symbol ought to be derived from Sanskrit, as Sanskrit is the vital, ancient language that has been in the life, culture and tradition of India since the very beginning of Indian civilization.

From a cultural and historical perspective, the symbols 1 and 2 signify:

1. Humanity    2. Tolerance    3. Secularism    4. Unity    5. Spirituality

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Humanity

The symbols 1 and 2 embody Gandhi and his main principles which were more inner will oriented rather than usage of weaponry or any other means of destruction. Humanity was Gandhi’s religion, and he believed that non-violence is the weapon to be used, not war to attain independence.

Historically portraying, regardless of remote fierce conquerors in India, our country, hitherto, still maintains its clemency. For this, Indians are noted for their calmness and their benevolent nature, devoid of any unkindness or insensitivity.

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Tolerance

India obtained international recognition and acclaim for its adaptation of Satyagraha or Ahimsa which was Gandhi’s primary principle of being non-violent in efforts to gain freedom for India, without taking a drop of blood. This principle was hugely successful and was the major authoritative catalyst in the Indian Independence Movement. It was this principle of Satyagraha that converted mad rioters into committed practitioners of non-violence. The significance of Satyagraha or Ahimsa is recognized worldwide.

The symbols 1 and 2 also signify this triumph which was so powerful, that India obtained its independence with the control and influence of Satyagraha or Ahimsa.

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Secularism

India is a secular state, which implies the running of governmental practice of apathy towards religion. Secularism is another principle that we Indians abide by. This principle was reinforced by Gandhi in his times, via his preaching of the same. Across the whole country, Gandhi preached secularism and religious tolerance in his efforts to re-imbibe the secular state of the Indian subcontinent. He exhibited his alliance with the Muslim leaders by way of the support that congress extended assistance to the Khilafat movement. However, the British’s ‘divide and rule’ policy had its influence, and adversely affected Gandhi’s efforts. Even on the eve of our independence day, Gandhi was on roads to unite communal conflicts. His death can be related to his life long commitment to radiate secularism and maximize its adaptation.

The symbols 1 and 2 honor this sincere effort of Gandhi to reinforce secularism and religious tolerance in people of India. The current state of affairs proves that Gandhi was indeed successful, although much later after his death. The symbols 1 and 2 celebrate the achievement of secularism and religious tolerance in sincere spirits, and suggest to the world that India is a secular and religiously tolerant state. This in turn speaks about our tradition of being non-hostile, friendly, and co operative in joint efforts to grow and develop.

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Unity

Unity and tolerance co-exist in India. This is well understood by the occurrence of the same, after Gandhi’s death. Gandhi’s efforts to unite Hindus and Muslims in India later speeded up social progress and harmony in the country. Though Gandhi was not alive to witness the triumph of his unity efforts, his contribution is considered to be very significant in shaping up the brotherhood and social harmony in India. It has made it possible for people of various castes and faiths live together in peace, and abide by unity. Speaking of the older times, there has always been a basic unity in Indian culture despite bothering diversities such as social, regional and linguistic diversities.

The symbols 1 and 2 reminiscence the efforts of Gandhi to unite people in India and create social harmony. And this speaks for Indians that they are united and bound in beliefs when it comes to common brotherhood and agreement; and that unity is preached by us to preserve and maintain the old, golden culture of ours. India is the only country where core culture is still intact since the very beginning of its civilization, and this unbroken continuity through the ages is only due to co-existence of our religion, language and strong unity in common thought.

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Spirituality: the nucleus of Indian Culture

Indians have been realizing the supreme spirit or God since the very beginning stages routing back to Vedic Period, and they continue to do so hitherto. Belief in God and religion has always been the epitome of common belief of people in India. We can say that our culture has taken the shape as it is of now, from the strong spiritual foundations, which got laid in the ancient times.

The symbols 1 and 2 radiate the importance that spirituality holds in our country, aiding the practice and work of Gandhi (who was a religious reformer as well), in his efforts to make people realize that different ways to worship God cannot be oriented on a common ground; but all religions are equal; spirituality is the vehicle which will transform the human soul and support us, in our journey to the divine being.

Therefore, the symbol represents five themes: Humanity, Tolerance, Secularism, Unity and Spirituality that India has been abiding by ever since the beginning of its civilization. In these times of recession and economic instability, this symbol can be a new symbol of hope and optimism, confidence and belief in combating difficulties with unity and appreciable correspondence in the years to come.

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Nice Diwali Wallpaper

Hey guys, I have designed this diwali wallpaper in like, less than 2 minutes and I know that this could be a lot more better, but I ain’t got no time coz ma college didnt allow me to be free . Homework, lots of it I got. Anyway below is the wallpaper..you have to click upon the small image below, and then you will get a full sized picture. Thanks!

Duchene Muscular Dystrophy–bringing the community together!!

Remember your 9th grade teacher who changed your perspective on how you looked at the world or your 11th grade teacher who everyone in your school loved!!!! Well, Mr.Leffler is one of those teachers. He is a teacher who is willing to go through anything to make sure his students are successful. He is a teacher who will always participate in the assemblies to entertain students. He is a teacher that everyone respects. His son, Aidan Leffler,4, is suffering from Duchene Muscular Dystrophy.

Duchene Muscular Dystrophy is a disease that decreases the muscle mass in the body as years go by. It is one of the leading diseases that is a cause for death in many children. Duchene is caused by a mutation within the X chromosome. It occurs mostly in infant boys than girls. Girls can be carriers of the disease but not show any symptoms. With each happy birthday, parents start worrying about the kid’s health and lifespan. When the child is about 10, he is most likely going to be in a wheelchair. And, the disease degenerates from there.

No one wants to believe that their child has a disease that could kill them. The Lefflers are dealing with this in their everyday life. Finally, we are close to finding a cure for Muscular Dystrophy. But, there are not enough federal funds for it. The Lefflers have to pay $10,000 every year just for an experimental drug; but, unfortunately, medical insurance doesn’t pay for experimental drugs. For all the Lefflers have done, Sammamish High School in Bellevue, WA is organizing its 2nd student-run Walk for Aidan. This student run event is a fundraiser that includes a lot of activities, a car wash, fun activities for kids, raffle giveaways and a lot more!!!!

Sammamish High School’s ASB team has proved itself once again that the school cares about the community. The donations from Walk for Aidan go into Aidan’s medical expense fund and Charley’s Fund, a fund that is a part of finding cure for Duchene Muscular Dystrophy.

20 years later, when you think about a teacher that could have used your help, you don’t want to regret it then. For a person who helps you find your career, for a person who moulds you into who you are, it doesn’t hurt at all to help them when they really need it. School is not just about learning, it is about growing into a responsible and caring person. Sammamish High School has proved that it is a place that teaches students not only Math and Science but also compassion and responsibility.

“”Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has. ” ~Margaret Meed”~SHS Walk For Aidan Promo Video

WALK FOR AIDAN, Saturday, May 17th, 08…Sammamish High School, Bellevue, WA..Be there to lend a helping hand to the community!!!

~Snow

May 12th..6:40pm

 

US education!!

As you all know, United States is one of the leading countries that receives applicants from around the world for college education. A college education in the United States is definetely advantageous in that your degree is valid everywhere in the world. You dont have to go through a 3 hr test that determines whether or not you need to go through your 4 years of college again. Another advantage is that students have a wide range of options for a major. There are some majors you see in the United States colleges that you cannot find anywhere else in the world..This is convenient for students that want to go into a field that they are passionate about but cannot find it in their countries.

 But, something that disappoints me about the millions of students trying to apply to universities in the United States is the level of education compared to other countries. I am from India, I have friends that have studied in parts of Europe, Africa and even Australia. All of them find the education in the US a lot easier and feel that they are being taught something that they have already learnt. Yes, the education in the US a lot more interactive than just memorizing 100 chemical formulas in the chemistry text book. But, as students go forward in their education, they are lagging behind compared to the rest of the world. US universities and colleges are on the top of the charts in the world-Harvard, Stanford, Princeton-but, is the education really worth the money? Seems like the top SAT scores come from international students and the top GRE scores come from international students..Then, what are the international students really attracted by the US education?? Is it the variety of choices; is it the place that United States has in the world?

Another very disappointing concept in the university admissions is the statement: “We do not discriminate against race, color, age, gender and disability” but they do!!! Every year there seems to be two people that have the exact same application, same family experiences, same GPA,SAT scores and activities, but they are from different ethnicities. The student who is a minority always seems to get into a college when both of them deserve it just as much. Is this a good thing or a bad thing? As a melting pot, US has always tried to welcome more ethnicities into its culture and as a part of doing that, they seem to be forgetting what their culture was based on. As a part of a non-white ethnicity, I know what it is to be a part of the society and work hard for certain things that others get easily. Inspite of that, I do not believe it is fair to favor certain people based on their disadvantages, turning them into advantages. When applying to colleges, I have heard some people say–”I am white, I am never going to get in.” That might not be always true, but it is true that there is something happening behind closed doors of universities that gives certain people an advantage or a disadvantage based on race or ethnicity.

All factors taken into consideration, it is somewhat evident that some people come to the US for education in order to make more money, some people come to experience a different lifestyle and culture, some people come to take the education with them and apply it somewhere that it is needed, some people come to grow, they come to grow from a wild teenager to a responsible adult. Some people just come for the sake of it.

As the US education expands and brings in more people, it turns out to be a dead end for some of them and a new beginning for others.

~Snow

May 11th, 08-11:45

 

Comeback to Blogging

Oh my God! I do not have a clue as to how long it has been since I wrote my last post – approx. 12 – 13 days. Although the time I had been off blogging is measurable, I am still quite disappointed that I was off blogging for this long. I have a reason though: a 104 degree fever. It was all that stopped me from blogging all the while. Anyways, I am back now so I guess I will post with some more energy, and of course, some more quality content as well.

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10:42 A.M

United States vs the EU

Dollar has been the leading currency for quite a time..Not anymore..Now, the Euro is dominating the world with its high value.United States had a strong economy that didnt make anyone think that another country could overtake it. However, it is not just one country that is competing with the United States now; it is a coalition of 27 countries–the European Union. As United States’ economy and dollar is getting weaker, the EU is getting stronger in both its economy and forming alliances.

The NAFTA allows the North American countries to compromise in trading and expand the employment opportunities between the countries. However, there are many selfish acts within this idea. A lot of companies from the United States are setting up their companies on Mexico’s turf and paying Mexican citizens a cheaper minimum wage than anyone in the United States. Is NAFTA really allowing the North American countries to work together? I think not…It is giving the United States more power to exert power over other countries’ economy and policies.

The European Union, however establishes an equal ground for everyone in the EU countries. There is free-maket trade between the EU countries. There is understanding about who has power and who makes decisions. Even though the EU looks up to its founding members for first opinions, it allows all the countries to have a say on issues. It is more about understanding than about power.

Many actors and models are demanding to be paid in Euros for its high value in the world. The United States is in a state of entering a recession, which will make Euro’s value even higher as time goes on. Has the United States just given up or does the EU really deserve to be on the top? United States had always crushed its competition, increasing its standards. But, United States seems to be falling apart in terms of keeping the country together and gaining the support.

Well, competition like this is always good for the United States. It will either increase its standards or allow some other country, in this case, the EU, to be the global power.

~ Snow
09:42 A.M

Importance of being self sufficient in life

Alright. This post of myn is about being the king of your life – importantly by being self-sufficient in life. In my opinion, being self sufficient to an extra ordinary degree would eventually make you the king of your life. You can do anything you want without depending on others. I think that is the most important requisite for a sound and enjoyable life.

My past experiences suggest me the fact that self sufficiency is very vital. You should never depend wholly on others or their actions. That would make you their puppet! Life is yours, my friend, why leave it in the hands of others? Its just like you have a Play Station 2, and others keep using and deriving pleasure out of it! Isn’t that just very vice? Give it a thought…I am trying to explain things to my loyal readers on a light note, so that their thinking is dilutely done and things softly understood. As I always do, this time too let me present to you some cases where you would not hesitate to understand the importance of self sufficiency, besides an other important moral.

Raj was a lazy guy. He never felt the need to work. He always was dependent on his mother’s service. Anything and everything would be assigned to his mom right from cleaning the house and washing clothes to maintenance of audio systems and well being of the house. Relatives attended Raj’s house very often and all work had to be done by his mother only! He never gave a second thought to his negligence. On a certain day, Raj’s mom suddenly fell ill, and as a matter of fact, none of the relatives turned up to lend in a helping hand. Nature assigned a tough ordeal for Raj to go through. Its like, he was unprepared all the while and suddenly, he’s landed up inside a ring to succumb to a professional boxing fight. Now, how hard would that hit him physically and mentally? Obviously, Raj was shaken and all his inability to manage things was manifested via his depressed feelings and other pessimistic thoughts he began to experience. He had no choice but to settle things out now. Here, we learn two things: one is that we should always take responsibilities on our shoulders and respect our elders and people who love us, and the second is that we should be self sufficient i.e., we should learn some things which are important such as responsibilities and never be negligent towards learning the same. Now just give it a thought – only if Raj would get accustomed to working things out like washing his own clothes and looking after the house, he’d have managed things very well in tough situations like the ill health of his mom. Since he did not do that, he definitely has to face a rather unexperienced series of discouraging occasions.

Next, there was this guy called Aryan whose father had a jewelry business. Aryan again, is very similar to Raj: he was least bothered about what his dad was doing, and the same for even thinking about offering some useful service to his dad. He didn’t even study; at least, if we can spare the former; he didn’t even indulge in any activity that would yield some experience that could make him achieve things. He was the only son to his father and his mother passed away a few years back, unfortunately. Despite his father’s repeated scoldings and assertions, Aryan did not pay heed to his fathers words. Burdened by his son’s behavior and the stress that business offers, Aryan’s father suffered a heart attack. As said by doctors, he didn’t have enough time…Aryan was crestfallen and ofcourse, shaken by the incident.

“Son, at least, I hope that my death will change your…” were the last words that Aryan received from his dad, on his dad’s deathbed. Aryan reduced to discomforting tears and finally, he seemed to have realized the meaning of his dad’s words. Again, we learn two things: pay heed to parents’ advices, and be self sufficient. Had Aryan been self sufficient and a responsible human being, Aryan would have acquired adequate skills; his father wouldn’t have worried much about him and he’d have gained enough confidence to handle the business’ stress comfortably. But look at what happened!

Hence, the message is: be self sufficient in life because you never know what life offers to you the very next minute! It might be good and it might be bad as well. Be prepared for both. And take up responsibilities. They are vitally important. They shape you and your character. Laziness should be your enemy. I am talking about laziness which is fatal. You are the maker of your own future – Swami Vivekananda once said. Pay heed to that. Its time you start acting on your ills, and rectify them very often.

I’d sincerely advice my loyal readers to pay heed to my words, as they are formed as a result of true experiences and they are targeted at opening the eyes of many Aryans and Rajs. I do not want my readers to experience similar occurrences ( similar to Aryan’s and Raj’s ); me being their loyal well wisher.

Many Thanks!

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23: 40 P.M

Why Google Rules

Briefing

Google is the baap (dad) of the Internet. No arguments on that. Established in 1998, it immediately rose to fame owing to its well developed mechanism and simple design which people admired wholeheartedly. And of course, the quality of the search results it produces is something which makes Google “stand out”. Innovation is also something that’s given vital importance by the Google makers, Larry Page and Sergey Brin. Owing to a diversity in web applications by Google such as Orkut (social networking), Blogger (blogging), Google Talk (messenger), GMail (mail service), Google Video (video sharing), and other office productivity related applications, Google reaches out to comparatively the largest group of prospective customers, and hence the No.1 rank in reaping as well as providing benefit.

Simple, yet very efficient

Google Search Engine is, as we know, a very simple yet efficient application that we love for the results it derives. They have to be better. I am also aware of the list of other good applications in search engine space that includes Ask.com, and Yahoo.com too. But comparatively, Google’s much ahead because its results simply…work! Much credit goes to its popular PageRanking algorithm:

“Google’s algorithm uses a patented system called PageRank to help rank web pages that match a given search string. The PageRank algorithm computes a recursive score for web pages, based on the weighted sum of the PageRanks of the pages linking to them. The PageRank derives from human-generated links, and correlates well with human concepts of importance.

The exact percentage of the total of web pages that Google indexes are not known, as it is very hard to actually calculate it. Previous keyword-based methods of ranking search results, used by many search engines that were once more popular than Google, would rank pages by how often the search terms occurred in the page, or how strongly associated the search terms were within each resulting page. In addition to Page Rank, Google also uses other secret criteria for determining the ranking of pages on result lists, reported to number over 150.”

So, there’s nothing but a powerful combination of simplicity and efficiency that Google implements to reside in ‘a cut above’ place, relatively.

Familiarity with the customers

Trust is definitely a matter of prestige for Google as it has earned the latter among a large group of its customers. Over a period of time, Google has built such a strong relationship with its customers promising and delivering benefit to them perpetually, that its reign remains unchallenged till date and continues to remain popular with the world wide users. What more, even small grade children are being taught the usage of this mega popular search engine entity for the making of their projects. Way to go Google!

I suppose that my loyal readers would have expected a highly concentrated complex discussion as to the rule of Google. I instead chose to keep it simple: Trust and Efficiency in performance, are the two primary tools of Google in sustaining its stupendous growth.

I have noticed many entities which seemed to challenge Google; however, were comparatively less effective such as we have alibaba.com and the famed live.com, a search engine provided by Microsoft. I honestly advice them on one thing: Innovation. You might suppose me to be an inadequate owner of advices on multi billion web entities, but take my word for it: innovation. If you want to beat Google, possess innovation. That’s the key tool to challenge Google. Of course, innovation should be accompanied with trust and performance as well, but innovation is something that should take birth in a future competition to Google. Hence, I’d be really glad to watch Microsoft innovate and compete rather than repeat the same procedure of Google and compete with the “baap” itself.

I know, it isn’t simple to innovate. But then, development wants innovation. A homo sapien is sitting under a tree and is observing other homo sapiens carry loads of weight, to a particular destination. They think that the more weight they carry, the more will they benefit and more faster will be their approach to the destination. The homo sapien sitting under the tree is quite weak, let us suppose. Then, in that sense, he should be thinking about becoming stronger to lift heavy weights, and carry on in the same way as the other homo sapiens did. Wrong. Instead, the homo sapien was clever. He invented the wheel. He kept the loads twice that of what other homo sapiens were carrying, on a certain platform supported by the wheels he invented. Eventually of course, devoid of doubt, the homo sapien using the wheel was the winner. What say? If he had followed other homo sapiens’ approach, he’d probably take longer time to achieve things or probably not do that too: that is the power of innovation. It makes you stand out. It makes you a winner.

So, people who are looking forward to defeat Google, a simple message for them: Invent the wheel.

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09:16 A.M