Smile....the curve that sets everything right !

Before you read this post, just ask when was it last that you have laughed your heart out? Did you smile today? Well, the answer in most cases is not spontaneous. You really need to think hard to recollect when is it that you really laughed with all your 32 teeth (if you still have them intact) out.

In today's modern pace of life, don't you think that we are just slaves of Time chasing a mirage to realize and achieve the Unknown ? Are we conscious enough to realize that in the process we might have stampede the little moments of life that nurtures a bond, a relation? Yet we move on and on adding to our worries and anxieties increasing the stress levels, thereby increasing the release of hormone called Cortisol. In extreme cases, it often lead to memory impairment. Stress also adds to hypertension, has a negative effect on your metabolism and reflect early signs of hair greying and hair falling.

So, why add to these worries to your otherwise hectic life ? Why foot medicine bills? Thus, one can avoid frequent visit to doctors by simply laughing and smiling for a better physical and mental well being.

Simply laugh your way to a better cardiovascular system, respiratory system and metabolic system. The word of advice is, please stop suffering from the syndrome of Seriousness! Life is short, so live it fully to relive each moment for a meaningful existence.

Do you know there is again a release of hormones when you laugh or smile?
Yes, it is the happy hormones called Endorphins that does the trick and tickle and giggle its way to fight stress hormones cortisol.

So, if you are not spontaneous and lacks humor bone, please develop it cautiously and genuinely. There are Laughing Clubs mushrooming in the neighborhood where people of all ages exercise with laughter to continue their day energetically. If you can join one, good enough or else, pass a smile to one and all as you meet and greet on your way to workplace or at home. If you can crack a smile, and strike a conversation, the battle is half won. It decreases your level of anxiety and helps put things things Straight by one Curved Line... yes a true genuine smile.

You can check for yourself... If you are too worried, just stand in-front of a mirror and see your smiling face for few seconds, you are bound to feel better and with continuous practice you master the art of healthy and perfect living. Look through each thing with smiling eyes, soon you will find multiple opportunities from a tiny spark. Look at the funny aspects of life and laugh watching a comedy film or read a funny joke.

So, just take a lil' effort... giggle, chuckle and laugh at work to lift your spirits to greater height!!!!

Big issue for Small car in West Bengal

It’s been long ... and I was out of blogging. But it’s a sudden freak of thought like a thunderbolt that I decided to keep it updated... read on

It was Tata's Nano launch that I wrote and it was Mr. Ratan Tata's promise to make the cheapest car in the world hit the road by November 2008...and being a strong Kolkatan felt proud that this world's popular auto project will be associated with Kolkata, to be precise with Singur.

Yes, it is in Singur, 40 kms from Kolkata that Tatas have invested worth Rs 1500 cr to build the automobile factory. The land acquired by the West Bengal Government was given in lease to the Tatas. The controversy spiraled with the West Bengal Government and the opposition party on this 1000 acres of land given as domestic investment to the Tata Group.

The opposition party proposes to ‘gherao the Singur Tata plant’ to protest against the injustice meted out to the farmers. They are of the opinion that out of 1000 acres of land, 400 acres need to be given back to the farmers. Thus the seed of industrialization sown in the soil of West Bengal met with strong protests from the opposition party members.

Who are at loss at this political crisis? The opposition leader will shout slogans saying through the blood of farmers industrialization of cultural Bengal cannot be achieved. But is this true? Is it not through investment in manufacturing industries that generation of employment is possible? Is it not through successful
implementation of this factory that we can attract further investments through channels of either domestic investment or foreign institutional investments ? Are we not closing doors for future growth of Bengal?

In the hands of opposition are the instruments of bandhs and strikes.. Be it upgradation of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose Airport or the growth of IT hub in Rajarhat, Kolkata. Are we conscious enough to know what lies behind this veil of controversies?

With project in Singur, which are the lands that they want back? Those that are meant for ancillary investment and moreover that 400 acres is not available together. These are pockets of lands spread all over.

Thus before the Tata really bid Ta-Ta to Bengal, its high time that we delve deep into this crisis to find an amicable solution through negotiation, re-negotiation and dialogues for a prosperous Bengal.

IPL-The New Face of Gentleman Sport-Can It Entice The Gentleman Fans of The Game?

Life in this 21st century has been changing a lot and we have started to run with time. Change in pace changed the ways and means of entertainment as well and these have undergone a drastic makeover. Gone are the 8-ball over in a cricket game that we saw as children and the 6-ball overs took them over with 60-over games. Later came the 50-over matches and people seem to be not satisfied with it, rather have no patience to sit for 100-long overs of a match. Now came the 20-over innings and the 40-over matches in what are called as league matches, probably someone who watched soccer and hockey matches a lot would have conceived this shorter version of cricket match. Lets give the credit to him and jet set to watch these dwarfened matches? Are they interesting at all?

Amidst heated arguments on controversy and hype this gentleman’s game, has transformed to a new bonsai version at Bangalore in the form of IPL or Indian Premier League. Along the same lines of county cricket, the Indian Premier League was split into several teams, which are then auctioned. Each team has players from different cricket playing nations. Business behemoths such as the Ambanis and the Mallyas and celebrity personalities including King Khan and Preity Zinta sweated out to own the teams. Then the respective team managements selected players from all over the world forming a great Asianafrican and Australian-English mixture. Leave the fact whether they teamed together well or not……the T20 season of cricket started raising cricket fever and fervor across the world.

8 teams are sweating out for the past 30 days under the floodlights for the coveted title of T20 IPL champs. IPL prompted Cricket Australia to start similar league and it pronounced that by next summer they are there with a similar one. But we will have to wait if people would entice this version of cricket. After all they are just an evening affair and so far people are enjoying the cricket and sidelights of it as well. The cheerleaders with their twisting abs are taking a center of attraction at the grounds and people going crazy as and when they start their way of cheering their team members.

Teams too are getting extra kicks by way of jaadoo ki jhappis and IPL brought women into the dressing rooms as well (Preity Zinta paid a surprise visit to the dressing room of Punjab XI Kings). Slaps and bans are the adverse effects if we can say any of the IPL. Best part is that there is no waste of a casual leave to watch a match. Instead of a whole day affair, IPL has made it an evening affair where one can enjoy the game after a day’s hectic daily chores.

Having said that IPL no doubt involved BIG MONEY... from the vaults of biggies and a turn of game can make them mad; whether Vijay Mallya lamenting on Dravid or firing Charu Sharma for the team’s poor performance or SRK’s continuous frowns (not made at a cosmetic clinic for sure. They seem to be manifestation of his reaction to Kolkata Knight Riders performance) or pretty Preity Zinta’s never ending hugs to her team are just examples. For a commoner though it is no doubt a game that always gives thrill of an edge-of-seat and he can enjoy the game to the hilt but time can only say whether this game will enthrall the gentleman fans.

Ode to World's Earth Day

Everyone is reeling under the blazing sun, trying to catch a glimpse of the weather report in the news channel, an upsurge in the sale of air-conditioners and even the anorexic women cannot resist a sip of carbonated drinks to quench thirst... yes...it is the SUMMERS...on most part of the Indian subcontinent. The headlines of our morning newspaper speak on how to beat this heat as the mercury is soaring higher and higher. There are cool tips on almost everything, from food that one should eat and the perfect sun-screen lotion with the correct SPF number to be put on, from colored camisoles to spaghetti tops that should adorn the closets and various options to spend the summer evening such as sipping a mug of beer at the poolside or dancing to the tune of soft music in a cool air-conditioned ambience with twinkles of dim light all around.

We do all, taking a tip from here and there. But do we ever question as to why this heat on every summer is rising at an increasing rate. Did we ever delve into the reason for this increase in temperature?

The reasons are far too many and people are divided into different groups debating on the causes, concerns and solutions to salvage the extreme weather conditions. The obvious reason which often keeps coming back on our thoughts is the drastic effect of global warming. India is one of the most worst effected country by global warming. A much talked about topic, discussed in forums, actions points jotted in board room meetings to tackle issues concerning global warming but actions are still a far cry.

The soaring temperature of today has an inevitable correlation with the greenhouse gases present in the atmosphere. It is this excess of gases in the atmosphere that includes carbon dioxide, water vapour, methane, nitrous oxide and ozone gases that increases the temperature of the planet. We as humans, instead of marauding the ecosystem, need to take conscious measures to prevent emission of these harmful gases into the atmosphere or else we need to be prepared for the doomsday.

Yes, I say it a doomsday, which might read as a horror story, when the Himalayan glacier will melt causing unprecedented flood, rivers will get dried up causing desert like surroundings coupled with shortage of water and mercury will soar higher killing thousands of people. So, to avoid this horrific end, can we not join hands to check the emission of the greenhouse gases?
To combat the adverse effects on every sphere of life from national security to economy as a result of global warming, a strong environment policy need not to be only formulated in black and white but requires implementation under strict supervision and adherence to laid down rules.
Or otherwise the World Earth’s Day of 22nd April will one day transform into doomsday.

Hillary Clinton - in the race to Whitehouse

As the sun shone on the eastern horizon on October 26, in the year 1947, the year of Indian Independence, that a lil’ girl born in the state of Illinois in US, is today the most favoured Democratic candidature for the Presidential post in the US General Election 2008-- Hillary Diana Rodham Clinton.Since her childhood her participation in public welfare activities and various social issues was noteworthy. She had mental keenness in various sport activities too. During her college days, her mettle as a leader was well proved. Her academic excellence coupled with ability to work for the school government made her a unique persona.

Armed with the Law degree from the Yale School in 1973, she went into wedlock in 1975 with the 42nd President of the United States Bill William Clinton. As the Nation’s first lady she exhibited remarkable strength and confidence in balancing the private, public and social life. She has also served as the Arkansas First Lady for 12 long years. Her contribution in the field of education, child health and legal services of Arkansas has been immense. As the US first lady she continued to be a leading advocate with the Health Insurance plans, she did extensive coverage and work on child immunization and creating awareness on health issues.

One cannot deny her existence as a writer too. She had been a regular columnist with Talking it over on which she wrote on various aspects that she saw and experienced as US First Lady. She did also pen a book in 1996 titled It Takes a Village and Other Lessons Children Teach Us and she did receive a Grammy Award for the same.

It was in 2000 that the lady was elected as a Senator for New York State in 2000. As a senator her role had been immense. She felt and understood the needs of the New Yorkers and strived to address majority of the growing concerns. Her role in protecting communities, investing in education, strengthening the children health-care system and improving public health has been quite remarkable contribution in the progress of the state. Rodham Clinton fighting her way with the other Democratic Senator from the state of Illinois named Barack Obama. This community organiser, university lecturer and a civil rights lawyer, son of a Kenyan father and American mother, Barack Obama poses several daunting debates on the way of the democrat Clinton’s race to the Presidential seat in the upcoming US elections 2008.

However, Hillary Clinton felt the optimism and strength within to debate all odds and work more and more to bring about the American Revolution, which is much needed in this time of slowdown in the American History. The US General Elections of 2008, need to provide the leader who would face an array of challenges plaguing the Nation today. The next President of US will inherit the qualms of two wars, a long campaign to curb the global terrorism, a resurgent Russia, growth of China as an international power, the unpredictable political conditions of the oil-rich Middle East countries along with the global issues of environment and health hazards.To achieve all, America needs a leader who would blend all strategies with immense motivation, diplomacy and persuasion. As the race begins, we know not who will hold the mantle....the Republicans or the Democrats for the US General Election 2008. We need to hold on to our views and reviews to know if Hillary Clinton can fight out Barack Obama to contest for the Presidential Post to reintroduce America in the 21st century with much more than just Vision.