Ruthless Blood Suckers

I always want to write about these body shoppers who apply H1B for you. It is a good arrangement if market is good and you have so many opportunities. These companies pry on the ignorance of the H1B Visa laws and hence most of times fool people by paying them a fixed salary (Very minimal) where they take a bigger cut. You can ask that is what all Indian IT MNC's are doing, Let me write about it in my next blog.

If you are experienced, They will offer you a percentage on the billing rate. Normally it will be 80/20...

If you look at it, it looks cool and good, But catch is 1) You have to pay at the least 50% of H1B filing charges 2) You have to find the project and 3) You have to pay for the travel/accommodation expenses 4) You have to learn any new technology and above all 5) Even they split the 80/20 on Over time too.

So if you look at it, All they did was spent 1500 USD on you. Probably you might work with them for 6-8 years. Look at the profit which they get without adding any value to you or to the clients whom you will be working.

IPL and its format

I just saw a news that Chennai Super kings stopped their loosing streak. I am from Chennai and I am just wondering whether I should be happy for this. 10 out of 24 players are not from India and out of 14 only 7 are from Tamilnadu. I know in professional sports all around the world it is the case, People travel around their state and country boundaries and play on other leagues. Even English league cricket is played like that.

I could not accept it because of the way cricket was traditionally played in India. Ranji trophy is played among state teams and same is the case for One day trophies.

I know there are advantages to this new IPL approach, Spectators could see international players in action and players can learn by playing along with these international players and it will give an oppurtunity for players from geographic zones where the regional cricket teams are not that strong.

But I think it is going to take some time for me to accustom to this new approach as IPL has not yet created a big interest in me because of this reason....

Just a final addition, Why is top players like Sachin, Dravid, Kumble, Shewag playing for their home

team...???? :-)

Pathetic Condition of Indian Sports (Not Cricket) - Poort PT Usha

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/india/PT-Usha-breaks-down-after-denial-of-decent-accommodation/articleshow/5094787.cms

What the Heck? I am so angry (Would **** the Sports Minister) with the above news. PT-Usha was one of our Top Track and Field star, Talented than any of these new Cricketers who earn millions.

Do you think Gavaskar or Kirmani or Vengasarkar will be fine to stay in a 3 Star hotel? :-) I pity PT Usha and for that matter all other Indian Sports atheletes. Please choose some other profession. Take my advice, Do not try any other sports if you are in India?

P.S

We can just drop all other sports in India and play just cricket. Bull@@@@@####$$$$$
Is Cricket a Sport? :-) I started hating Cricket more as I see these kind of news.

Organic Food and Reusable Stuff

I was visiting the local grocery store and I saw a re-usable bag for 99 cents. Store ad says, Go Green and use re-usable bags.

My thoughts just went 10-20 years back in India where I used to take a re-usable bag made by my grandma using synthetic material (Koodai) to the local grocery store to buy vegatables.

Also, Grocery store uses old-used newspaper to pocket the goods like sugar, dal etc.

:-) Now Indians started using polyethylene plastic bags and western countries started going back to re-usable bags campaign.

I am wondering, Is it a change happening in the world from Industrial revolution in 1970 and invention of new chemicals and alloys to back before 1970's as these chemicals/alloys are spoling th world.

Itz the same case in Organic vegatables, Herbal/Natural products with less chemicals.....

I feel Indians and other eastern countries were living a good life, using re-usable bags (Eventhough it is plastic) & eating healthy, natural food and using herbal powder for hair wash and neem tree stem as tooth brush.

Big corporations are now spoiling their life my introducing their way of life which the western people itself are trying to change.

I dont think we will learn unless another GO GREEN corporation campaign comes around later after 5 years to introduce their new product.

Also about biking (Cycling) to reduce air-pollution and reduce green house gas emissions. :-) I love to see all Indians own a car, But as western countries build cycling lanes in new roads and campaigning to use public transits. 50% of Indians still use cycle and public transit to commute to work not because to reduce green house emissions, but because of economic situations. I want them to improve economically and buy a car, But choose to use when necessary and continue to use Bicyles and public transit.....

Kaveri Aarum Poompukar Kadalum & Elliots Beachum

I was just hearing "Kaveri Aarum" (Cavery River) song from Sivaji (Tamil Movie) and I thought I will write down things which I really enjoyed right from my child hood....

1) Mom's Sunday Bajji and Pakoda at the back drop of All India Radio's OliChitram (Drama) at 3.00 PM every Sunday.....

After Snacks on Sunday, An enjoyable Ride with my dad in his bicycle to a near by Durgai Amman temple crossing the Cauvery River.

P.S

She makes even simple sambhar with great taste and her Rasam is the best in the world. Her Idlys, Dosa's....I still have it....But not here in US....:-(

2) Obviously, My home is located within 1/2 km from Kaveri river and even though I have not enoyed swimming (As I do not know Swimming), I miss the River. It is not that big like what you all would have seen in Trichy or Karur. It is 20 Km from the sea and the river is just less than 50 metres in length. But I really miss watching water in this river.....

3) I miss the whole gang and whole athletic work out (On Season and Off season, Preferably Off Season during summer vacation). It starts from 4.00 AM and ends at 7.00 AM & 5.00 PM and ends at 7.30 PM

I have to mention my athletic coach Balambal (Railways Coach) who found this athletic club in this small town. She gave lots of insight to athletics workout and have produced lot of athletes from this small town Mayiladuthurai. Thanks Mam.

This helped me develop lots of discipline in my life and spend my valuable teenage time's useful, instead of hanging around with friends around the town....

4) Movies in Chennai Mount Road during my college time. Night show movies in Devi/Shanthi and Sathyam theatres and a ride back in Sand Trucks back from Mount Road to Chinna malai and a walk through Governor's Bungalow to my hostel after midnight.

During my senior years, Got a bicycle and a motorcycle and hence the whole ride back in Sand trucks are gone...:-(

5) Basketball play every day of my first 3 years of my college. In my first year's (Even now), I do not know how to play basketball. So I just take the ball and treble and run towards the basket and yells at senior players who comes from outside the campus if they comes in my way to shoot. :-)

TKS is another classmate who comes with me for the entire period.

6) One Pitch catch cricket in V block hostel of my CEG campus. Ponns and Thangadurai were my rivals and all the commotion which we cause

I miss this whole thing.......

Media Fasting

Media Fasting for one week. No TV, No News.

I was watching CNN Last night. They were talking about Facebook and Twitter usage for Iran protests and MJ death. I am browsing Internet for last 9 years (From 2000). What I have learnt one thing is, Never trust any information Internet unless you could verify the authenticity of the source. There are millions and millions of people in Facebook and Twitter and they are providing information on Iran protests, claims CNN.
They read lots of information from it as CNN does not have a good presence in Iran. I am wondering how they are verifying this authenticity of the information and how can they televise it too.
It is not just CNN, It is applicable to FOX NEWS, MSNBC and all other US NEWS channels.

I am not wishing that there are not that a big protest going in Iran. Its Iran's revolution and protest, But Media has become so bad now, They will go to any extent to increase their viewer-ship or Page views of a website. They sensationalize everything. Its happening in India too (All English channels), In India it is worse as most of the political parties are opening one nowadays.

They are News channels or News website, They are supposed to report news as-is from the ground. I used to read THE HINDU which is a South Indian News paper. Editorial column is the only column through which they express their opinions, Reaming columns will be just news and we have to interpret it in whichever you want. Now I think either people have become lazier or media/news paper has gone to the next step, Interpret the news for us... :-)

I used to hear NPR (www.npr.org) when I was working in LA. After so many years, I have heard a real news in that radio channel. Good work.

Hope others will catch up to it and increase their bottom line by reporting real news. To do that we should stop listening to these media crap..... People let us start this media revolution.

I have decided to do Media fasting for a week..... (Except Watching Wimbledon.. :-) )

Srilankan Conflict

LTTE is formed around late 1970's to protect tamil minority population from Srilankan Sinhalase people. I am not sure whether these tamilians have migrated from India or natives of ceylon or srilanka itself. But tensions between Sinhalese and Tamil started when British provided Freedom to Ceylon in 1948 and it got escalated over the period.

Problem with LTTE is, Indian and Tamilnadu governments trained these organization (Like US trained Taliban to retaliate Russians from Afghan) in 1980's till Rajiv Gandhi decided to stop it.
Main reason for training them is to protect the tamil population. India should have taken a bigger role in resolving the crisis at that time, instead chose a shorter more violent route.

Rajiv Gandhi, the then PM in 1987 sent IPKF - Indian Military (Indian Peace keeping force) to keep peace in srilanka between Srilankan military and LTTE.

LTTE claims, IPKF started acting arrogantly and there were lots of Human rights issues. What I heard from news papers and other sources, they raped tamil kids and women and the atrocities of IPKF were worse than Sinhala Military.
So LTTE decided to attack IPKF and all broke loose.
Even some justifies the assasination of Rajiv because of this issue.

Any ways, past is past. After 60 years of ethnic conflicts, now is the time for Srilanka to accept diversity and take Ceylon Tamils as part of their country and treat them equally. Now, LTTE is gone, But another XYZ organization might get formed (Violent or Non Violent) if people are not treated as human beings and race/colour/religion/caste are given more importance.

I am asking all the human being to think for a second and see what you are learning from Religion/Group/Caste etc. and use it for the constructive development of human being and not destruction.

Learn discipline from your religion, Learn Mutual respect to Human beings, Learn to agree others disagreement, Learn to love the world. After life in this world is so short, Fighting these conflicts and making it shorter. Is it worth it?

Also, Do not try to impose things on people, Make them embrace it. Do not marginalize people, Include them.

I am not here to Justifty LTTE or any other organization. These are formed with the help of some government or government polciies. I am from India, where Gandhi got us Independence through non violence and not Sardhar vallabhai Patel, and I am for Non Violence principals of getting things done. Let us try to get it done with Non violence...