tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8654389849838487542024-02-20T13:56:05.893+05:30The Maitreya Blog<center>Why I blog</center>Maitreya Bhakalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14995317283182467753noreply@blogger.comBlogger14125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-865438984983848754.post-48742120379209240452014-10-18T09:30:00.000+05:302016-07-24T19:21:22.205+05:30Samples related to Cloud Computing, BYOD, and Technology<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Articles and Blog Posts:</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /><a href="http://blog.irmsecure.com/3-signs-your-organization-needs-irm/" target="_blank">3 Signs your Organization Needs IRM</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/article/20140906164613-52474581-how-jennifer-lawrence-could-ve-saved-her-nude-selfies-from-the-icloud-leak" target="_blank">How Jennifer Lawrence Could've Saved her Nude Photos From the iCloud Leak</a></span><br />
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<a href="http://blog.seclore.com/2014/09/04/business-losses-due-to-data-leaks-in-the-pharma-sector/" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;" target="_blank">Business Losses due to Data Leaks in the Pharma Sector</a><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/87645603/samples/technology/Samples_Maitreya/Nokia%20110%20Review.pdf" target="_blank">Nokia 110 Review</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://db.tt/V1M3zynu" target="_blank">HostPapa Canada Reseller Hosting Review</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>White Papers: </b></span><br />
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<a href="http://www.seclore.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Datasheet-Securing-BYOD-and-Mobile-Collaboration.pdf" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Securing BYOD and Mobile Collaboration</span></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://db.tt/lrJiATP3" target="_blank">RFP Guide to Enterprise Digital Rights Management (EDRM) Solutions</a><span id="goog_1400086156"></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /><a href="https://db.tt/uTOPG77x" target="_blank">Integrating EDRM with Enterprise Systems</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://db.tt/xagiljy4" target="_blank">FileSecure IRM for Telecommunications</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://db.tt/pzFgOTBf" target="_blank">FileSecure IRM for Banking</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://db.tt/oPkLmnYV" target="_blank">FileSecure IRM for Manufacturing</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://db.tt/3OiBEnzx" target="_blank">Complying with ITAR and EAR</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Data Sheets:</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.seclore.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Seclore_FileSecure_IRM_ds.pdf" target="_blank">Seclore FileSecure IRM Data Sheet</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://db.tt/u15xe8Up" target="_blank">FileSecure IRM for SAP</a></span></div>
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<a href="https://db.tt/ZILkAuE2" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">FileSecure IRM for SharePoint</span></a></div>
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Maitreya Bhakalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14995317283182467753noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-865438984983848754.post-25087002327069965642013-12-14T23:37:00.000+05:302019-10-01T15:32:56.870+05:306 Ways to Promote Your Internet Radio Station<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">So you've got your own brand-new radio station. Great. You can’t wait to get out there – play some cool music, and watch as your listeners multiply and advertisers pour in. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">But before you start basking in the glory of thousands hanging on to your every word – it's time for that all-important next step. The real reason why <i>The Avengers</i> made $1.5 billion while no one watched <i>The Informant</i>. Yes folks – we’re talking about marketing. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Wouldn't it just be wonderful if you just started a radio station, played some songs, talked whatever came to your mind and people would just tune in and listen? Unless you’re Kim Kardashian and willing to shoot a sex tape, that’s not the way the world works. Remember – telling people about your radio station is as important as having one. These days, success is to marketing what Charlie Sheen is to drugs, Lindsay Lohan is to rehab, and politicians are to lying - inseparable.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">So here are six of the best, tried-and-tested methods to get the word out. Although following them won’t make you an overnight success, they will certainly bring you one step (or five steps) closer to the Holy Grail:</span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">1. Decide the budget beforehand</span></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Deciding how much dough you want to fork out is one of the most important decisions you’ll ever make. First of all –the answer to this question is not the same for all radio stations. Don’t try to compare yourself to other stations and their marketing budgets – one size doesn’t always fit all. Instead, try to make a plan (ideally before launching the station) based on your own unique genre, requirements, direction and future strategy. Consider your target audience and niche and plan accordingly. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>2. Join the herd</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Submit your radio station to the many radio directories on the internet. Radio directories are sites where thousands of radio stations are classified according to specific criteria. Submitting your station in one of these sites can be the best way to get that traffic flowing in. Plus – you get dedicated traffic that is genuinely interested in radio stations – not some random user who popped in via a Google search. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">A few popular directories are iTunes Radio, Windows Media Guide, Radio Tuna, Comfm, Shoutcast etc. Most of them are free. Certain sites have certain criteria that your station would need to satisfy, while some are relatively easier to get into than others. Try to get yourself listed on as many such directories as you can. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>3. Organize contests: </b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Organize contests on your radio station with attractive prizes, and don’t forget to announce the name of the winner(s) on the air. Encourage viewers to call in by giving away a special prize for a lucky winner. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">And remember – the prizes (and the contest itself of course) should be related to your niche. For example, if your niche is heavy metal, you might want to give out a Metallica special edition CD as a prize. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The contests need not be limited to the radio station – you can have them on your website as well (You do have a website don’t you?). And speaking of websites… </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>4. Go social: Eat, Poke, Tweet</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Invest some time and resources in developing cool pages and accounts on Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and the like. Study the pages of other famous radio stations. Try to think of funny one-liners and anecdotes. Post news and current events (anniversaries of bands/artists etc.) relevant to your niche. Conduct promotional campaigns on social media to make them truly social. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">When someone follows you on Twitter or likes your Facebook page, send them a personal thank you message. This might seem cumbersome at first and not worth the trouble, it will pay off in the end. Visitors and fans like to know that you recognize their efforts, and that you are more than just another statistic to them. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Remember – social media can make or break your entire marketing campaign. Ignore it at your own peril. As a wise man once said - social media giveth and social media taketh away.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>5. Go old school</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Promote your station at local events. Get your own booth at fairs and other similar social gatherings. Put up banners in your city at strategic locations. These old school techniques matter more than you think. Moreover, they’ll help you get local traffic. If yours is the only radio station in your city in that niche, use the fact to your advantage. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>6. If you’ve got a higher budget…</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">There’s nothing like having more moolah to work with. There is really no end to the possibilities when you have enough money to spend. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Try to get some big names into your studio. You can start with a local celebrity and then move upwards. You can also sponsor concerts and other events in your niche to increase your popularity. One single tweet by a famous artist mentioning your station and you could be set for life.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">As you promote your station and get your hands dirty, you’ll yourself start noticing what works for your particular case and what doesn’t. Marketing and promotion is rather like education – it never ends. It is one of the most important (not to mention rewarding) things you’ll ever do. It’s rather like that philosophical anecdote – if no one knows about your radio station, does it really exist?</span><br />
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Maitreya Bhakalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14995317283182467753noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-865438984983848754.post-10386810263667243352012-12-26T15:21:00.002+05:302016-07-24T19:03:48.465+05:30Writing Samples<span style="font-family: "verdana";"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><u>General Writing Samples</u></b></span><br />
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<b style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><a href="http://maitreyabhakal.blogspot.in/2012/11/history-locking-dan-campbell.html" target="_blank">A Brief History of Locking: The Lock and Short of it</a></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><a href="http://maitreyabhakal.blogspot.in/2013/12/6-ways-to-promote-your-internet-radio-station.html" target="_blank">6 Ways to Promote Your Internet Radio Station</a></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="https://db.tt/fshL82Mq" target="_blank"><b>15 Rock-Solid Tips for Marketing Your Music On Facebook</b></a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><a href="http://maitreyabhakal.blogspot.in/2012/03/clouds-on-horizon-cloud-computing.html" target="_blank">Clouds on the horizon: Cloud computing opportunities in India</a></b></span><br />
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<a href="http://maitreyabhakal.blogspot.in/2012/11/8-reasons-you-should-drink-less-coffee-more-tea.html" target="_blank">8 Reasons why you Should Drink Less Coffee and More Tea</a></b></span><br />
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<b style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><a href="http://maitreyabhakal.blogspot.in/2012/02/iq-or-eq.html" target="_blank">IQ or EQ?</a></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: "georgia";"></span></b><br />Maitreya Bhakalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14995317283182467753noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-865438984983848754.post-26090737919021192652012-11-17T12:34:00.001+05:302012-12-26T15:19:06.721+05:30A Brief History of Locking: The Lock and Short of it<div style="text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Years ago, Dan Campbell made a mistake. The result was one of the most popular hip hop dance forms in the world today.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The Mocking that created Locking</span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span></b><br />One fateful day, somewhere around 1970, Don Campbell was performing the Funky Chicken (some say it was the Robot Shuffle) in front of an audience when he suddenly realized that he couldn’t remember his next move. He had reached a particularly intricate point in the dance when he realized that he had forgotten his next step. He furrowed his brow and scratched his head, but his brain would have none of it – it simply gave him the middle finger and refused to co-operate. He then did what most of used to do when a hot girl approached us in high school – he froze. And then a lady from the audience did what that hot girl probably did to you – she laughed. And then Campbell did something inspired by something that most of us never have - a flash of genius. Annoyed by his own failure, he simply showed her the finger – not the middle finger of course – he just pointed at her and that in turn caused everyone to look in her direction, giving them the impression that the pointing was actually a dance move.</span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zt57I8CxeQo/UKc2oL1nvMI/AAAAAAAABFs/bIL1nx9yFek/s1600/Campbell_pointing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zt57I8CxeQo/UKc2oL1nvMI/AAAAAAAABFs/bIL1nx9yFek/s400/Campbell_pointing.jpg" width="225" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Dan Campbell performing one of his signature moves. Who said it's bad manners to point fingers?</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">So Campbell did what most of us would give our right nut to be able to do – he converted his failure into a success – and the audience’s mocking created Locking – one of the most popular hip hop dance forms in the world today.<br /><br />What began as just a simple mistake in a fad dance became a whole phenomenon that swept the streets of LA and the world. Don Campbell became the don of street dancing and created an almost other-worldly sequence of moves and patterns that ensured his pace in the history books. I guess we know who had the last laugh that night.<br /><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b><br />Campbelling the cat</b></span><br /><br />For many hip hop dance enthusiasts, the name Don Campbell certainly does rings a bell. But that’s where the familiarity ends, especially for the young ‘virgin’ dancers. They’ve heard of him somewhere, but they’re not sure exactly where. They clasp their fists and clench their teeth, “Just give me a sec, I’ve got it…..”<br /><br />Everyone sees dancers simply pointing or locking movements with their hands, but not many know how it all started. Campbell was the original dancer who used to “lock up” the fluidity of the moves and “freeze” his arms in place. He then went on to create a pattern of such moves and institutionalized Locking. It was his clumsy signature freezing move that is the precursor to the lockings, freezings and pointings that we see today.<br /><br />In 1972, Campbell released his song “The Campbellock” to accompany his high-flying dancing style. Campbell was one of the original dancing high-flyers, unlike many dancing experts today, who are really low flyers supported by occasional strong winds.<br /><br />This campaign of 'Campbellocking', as it was originally called, gave rise to a number of dance groups specializing in the style, with the most notable among them being The Lockers, Campbell’s own dance group that he formed with the legendary Toni Basil, Greg "Campbell Junior" Pope and others.<br /><br />They are considered the single most important group that “changed the face of dance”. If The Lockers didn't exist, it would have been necessary to invent them. Which is exactly what Campbell did. They then went on to tour with Frank Sinatra, including being featured with him at Carnegie Hall, and made a humongous number of television appearances, including the second ever Saturday Night Live show, Soul Train, Carol Burnett, and The Tonight Show starring Johnny Carson. All shows that were very popular during their time, but now alas - forgotten. Except Saturday Night Live of course, which is the only one we really wish was forgotten.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>The true lesson of Locking</b></span><br /><br />Campbell and his mates have left behind a legacy that has made him something of a legend. The entire world has now been locked in to the phenomenon of Locking. But there is something else about what Locking teaches us (apart from the fact that it is a sure shot way of impressing girls, or as the more florid among us like to put it – “a chick magnet”) - how a simple mistake can be converted into something that leaves the whole world captivated. After all, everyone makes mistakes. But what have we ever done about it? Except of course, make it again.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>Maitreya Bhakalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14995317283182467753noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-865438984983848754.post-76677471225478435492012-11-17T12:19:00.002+05:302019-10-01T15:31:05.020+05:308 Reasons why you Should Drink Less Coffee and More Tea <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br />Much ink has been spilled regarding the health benefits of tea. Studies are divided: few proclaim tea to have almost magical healing properties, while cast doubt on its actual health benefits. <br /> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Tea is without doubt safer than most other beverages – think coffee (the daily culprit), soft drinks (duh) and alcohol (double duh). Tea will do your body less harm than any other beverage you’re likely to drink. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br />If you are one of those people who have been at the receiving end of some coffee-induced indigestion or a desire to lie awake at night - and in bed in the morning (and let’s face it, who hasn’t?), consider switching to tea. It combines the benefits of coffee with none of the harm.<br /> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Let's drink to a few ways in which this simple beverage can help your health:</span><br />
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<a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>1. It’s completely natural</b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> </span></b><br />Tea is as natural as your own body. It is part of nature. Moreover, a hot cup of tea doesn't contain the unholy trifecta of Preservatives, Flavoring, or Coloring - a natural beverage at its best.<br /><br /><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>2. Less metabolism, less fat</b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> </span></b><br />Ever wondered why you get fat after a week of Christmas binging, while your cousin stays the same while gorging more than you? The answer might lie in that strange concept called Metabolism – something that explains why someone who eats from McDonalds every day might not increase his stomach lining by an inch, but you might increase it by two if you have an ice-cream sundae once a month. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br />Green tea is known to increase your metabolism rate, which essentially means that you burn fat faster. <br /><br /><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>3. Look ma, no calories!</b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b> </b><br />Tea contains absolutely no calories. Need we say anything more?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>4. Stay young: You’re worth it</b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b> </b><br />Tea contains antioxidants, which help control the effects of aging. While not exactly an elixir of youth, tea is almost certainly a better friend of your skin (and your anti-aging cream) than coffee. <br /><br /><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>5. Make no bones about it</b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b> </b><br />Tea is also said to strengthen the bones. And if you prefer milk in your tea, your bones are in for a double treat – for milk contains calcium that is also beneficial to the bones.<br /><br /><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>6. Service with a smile: Keep plaque off your plate</b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b> </b><br />You can start your day with a smile when you drink tea. For tea contains tannins and fluoride that help prevent plaque and are good for your teeth.<br /><br /><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>7. Less Caffeine</b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b> </b><br />Tea contains 2-3 times less caffeine than the same quantity of coffee. Think about that the next time you’re at Starbucks. <br /><br /><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>8. Tea is not addictive</b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b> </b><br />At least not as addictive as coffee. After all, when was the last time you heard a little voice in your head that ordered you to go and get that 13th cup of tea for the day?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Have your tea and drink it too</span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br />Research about the broader health benefits of tea – its anti-cancer properties for example – is still ongoing and the matter remains in active debate in the medical community. However, what is certain is that tea, when consumed in a limited (read: non-addictive non-coffee-type) fashion, can have great advantages for the human body compared to most other drinks. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br />On the other hand, as with every other eatable (and drinkable) in the world, over-consumption of tea will harm your body, although it will be nowhere near the amount of harm that over-consuming coffee will inflict. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br />So the next time you order your 4th cup of coffee, stop and think for a minute– coffee might give you a momentary phase of alertness and might be “cool” to drink, but tea is better, more beneficial, more natural, and your body loves it. Which one would you choose?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>Maitreya Bhakalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14995317283182467753noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-865438984983848754.post-18565562800324812602012-03-07T17:57:00.003+05:302013-01-12T20:30:07.048+05:30Clouds on the horizon: Cloud computing opportunities in India<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br />“Cloud computing” is one of those catch phrases that seems to have taken the internet by storm. But what exactly does it mean? In a nutshell, cloud computing is the concept of providing resources as a utility over the internet. Instead of storing data in your hard drive, you can store it in an online repository, known as the Cloud. Applications or software that you use can also be accessed and executed directly from the Cloud. Hence, you would be spared of the burden of storing something locally – rather similar to a bank account. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br />This is particularly appealing to startups and SMEs (Small and Medium Enterprises), since they can save significant amounts of money and resources in maintaining their data and applications. According to a study undertaken by IBM across 22 countries, businesses plan to invest more in Cloud Computing than in any other area.<br />
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<a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The climate in India</span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br />Compared to western countries, where Cloud Computing has conjured up a storm, the climate in India is rather chilled. Nevertheless, the Cloud Computing market in the country has touched $400 million and is expected to reach $4.5 billion by 2015. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br />SMEs constitute the backbone of the Indian economy, and Cloud Computing is an extremely attractive option as it can significantly reduce costs and risks. However, as with all technological advancements in the west, the initial adoption and penetration of the concept in India continues to remain relatively low. Companies already save tons of money by outsourcing and taking advantage of cheap labor costs in India, and there is some hesitation in the air about switching to a new technology. This results in Indian companies that do use the cloud using it only for secondary applications and data, and not for primary purposes or mission-critical applications. SMEs just seem to be experimenting and familiarizing themselves with Cloud Computing at this stage. Compared to developed countries, where the technology has stirred up a storm, the climate in India is relatively mild. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br />But there is a silver lining in the cloud. Slowly but surely, Indian companies are realizing its immense potential and the opportunities it brings. A recent survey found that 70% of Indian firms aim to enable virtualization and improve redundancy with cloud-based solutions. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br />And as for the consumer, it took Apple to really popularize Cloud Computing – the term as well as the concept – among American consumers with the release of iCloud, even though Amazon had been using it commercially since the turn of the century. Silicon Valley startups such as Dropbox have also emerged to take advantage of the phenomenon of Cloud Computing, a sector previously dominated by RapidShare or Megaupload (that was recently shut down due to copyright violations). It seems inevitable that Indian equivalents will soon spring up. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br />Cloud computing is something that the Indian IT sector cannot afford to ignore. It is but a matter of time before it gains a strong foothold in India, a country often referred to as an IT superpower. With high-speed broadband penetration on the rise, not to mention over 121 million internet users, the cloud revolution in India is just over the horizon. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>Maitreya Bhakalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14995317283182467753noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-865438984983848754.post-20181396556687960572012-02-17T22:16:00.004+05:302012-12-26T15:17:26.259+05:30IQ or EQ?<div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">“Marks don’t matter; what matters is the intelligence”, we tell ourselves every time we get a low score in our exams. IQ (Intelligence Quotient) and aptitude are considered far more important than marks. Ever since companies have started taking aptitude tests for short listing candidates for recruitment, the whole facet of IQ and aptitude has risen to an entirely new level, with mock aptitude tests being conducted and students learning the meanings of thousands of difficult words by rote.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">However, there is another ‘intelligence’ to be considered which has a broader impact on our future – Emotional Intelligence (EI), measured by Emotional Quotient (EQ).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Emotional Intelligence</span></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">The term Emotional Intelligence was coined by Salovey and Mayer in 1990. Daniel Goleman, author of the ground-breaking book Emotional Intelligence says “The capacity to recognize our own feelings and those of others for motivating ourselves and managing emotions well in ourselves and in our relationships is called Emotional Intelligence. In Emotions: The Science of Sentiment, Dylan Evans writes, “Intelligent action stems from a harmonious blend of emotion and reason…Knowing when to follow our feelings and when to ignore them is a valuable talent that some have called ‘Emotional Intelligence’”.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">EI is the way we perceive things emotionally, how we react to stressful situations, how we control our impulses, how sensitive we are to others’ feelings and emotions – in other words, how we manage our emotions. Emotions impact relationships, creativity, productivity and achievements.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>How did the concept evolve?</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Why is it that often people with high IQ end up nowhere, while seemingly ‘moderate’ people move high up the ladder? Why is it that a person with less knowledge reaches the top, while more learned people often fall out? Gradually it was felt that there are a host of other factors which determine success, including our ability to interact with people or our ability to handle stress, in other words – EQ. Daniel Goleman goes as far as to say that IQ contributes only 20% to our successes, while EQ contributes 80%!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Psychological research has shown that IQ is a reliable measure of cognitive capacity, and is more or less constant over time. However, EQ is more dynamic and evolving; it is more flexible, unlike the rigid and monolithic concept of IQ. EQ can be nurtured at an early age to ensure a better emotionally managed life in the future.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">In today’s increasingly stressful world, even companies are realizing the importance of having emotionally intelligent employees. Companies spend huge amounts of money to manage their finances, now they are starting to spend at least a small fraction of that to ‘manage’ their employee’s emotions. Seminars are being conducted and circulars issued to help employees cooperate as a team and decrease friction among team members.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>IQ or EQ?</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">The importance of having a high EQ along with a good IQ can hardly be over-emphasized. Unlike IQ, EQ is not something that we are born and die with – It can be improved. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">After all, it’s not the aptitude that counts, it’s the attitude. A high IQ may help you score well in aptitude tests and in your studies; but a high EQ will help you lead a better life. Which one would you choose? </span><br />
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Maitreya Bhakalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14995317283182467753noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-865438984983848754.post-17240382944512886402011-04-03T16:52:00.002+05:302011-04-05T19:35:18.471+05:30Seth Godin, and the NYT on Charlie Trotter<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Seth Godin, in signature subtle manner, <a href="http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2011/04/dancing-faster-then-ever-but-why.html">rips apart</a> a <i>New York Times</i> <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/30/dining/30trotter.html">profile</a> of chef Charlie Trotter.</div>Maitreya Bhakalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14995317283182467753noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-865438984983848754.post-14164187558243436462011-04-01T13:15:00.001+05:302011-04-05T19:34:53.305+05:30Long live Elizabeth Taylor?<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">An interesting take on Elizabeth Taylor's death:</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="http://exiledonline.com/ding-dong-elizabeth-taylors-dead/">Ding, Dong, Elizabeth Taylor’s Dead</a><br />
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</div>Maitreya Bhakalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14995317283182467753noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-865438984983848754.post-47361779866450559842011-03-23T23:13:00.015+05:302011-03-26T20:13:22.903+05:30Who says Charlie Sheen is dumb?<div style="text-align: center;"><br />
<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">"Duh! Winning!"</span></i></div></div><div style="text-align: right;"> - Guess Who?</div><div style="text-align: right;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-qnpFwkcSEXs/TYo5Jcm3x2I/AAAAAAAAAfg/NcGO64lzVg4/s1600/cs.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-qnpFwkcSEXs/TYo5Jcm3x2I/AAAAAAAAAfg/NcGO64lzVg4/s200/cs.JPG" width="147" /></a></div><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Ladies and gentlemen, and all those who think Charlie Sheen is one drug and sex-addicted over-confident limelight-hogging excuse for an actor (which most of them are), think again:</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><i style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">If the universe if 14 billion years old, does that mean that the edge of the universe is 14 billion light years away?</i></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Yes Sir - that was the question that Charlie Sheen asked in a discussion with</span></span><span style="font-size: small;"> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neil_deGrasse_Tyson">Neil deGrasse Tyson</a><i>, </i>a reputed astrophysicist,<i> </i>which prompted the latter to declare that Charlie Sheen was "more scientifically literate than most":</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><br />
</i></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-ouzdbJC4R4I/TYotCgiCvxI/AAAAAAAAAfc/cq7oqTYE-SA/s1600/untitled2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="90" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-ouzdbJC4R4I/TYotCgiCvxI/AAAAAAAAAfc/cq7oqTYE-SA/s320/untitled2.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Jeffrey Toney over at <a href="http://scienceblogs.com/">Scienceblogs</a> <a href="http://scienceblogs.com/deanscorner/2011/03/charlie_sheens_big_bang_and_ne.php">blogged</a> about this universe-shattering phenomenon, in which, although he did express doubts about whether the commenter who commented on his post under the name Neil deGrasse Tyson was indeed Neil deGrasse Tyson, the text of the <a href="http://scienceblogs.com/deanscorner/2011/03/charlie_sheen_more_scientifica.php#c3428985">comment</a> is actually worth reproducing:</div><br />
<blockquote style="background-color: white;"><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><i>Thanks for everyone's interest in my Charlie Sheen tweet. I am impressed by the level of skepticism regarding my ability to judge whether someone is scientifically literate. To clarify, I measure science literacy not simply by a person's body of knowledge but **primarily** on how the brain of a person is wired for thought. This reveals itself instantly in conversation, manifested by what questions get asked up front and what follow-up questions get asked based on the newly acquired information. Here are three actual examples:</i></div></blockquote><div style="background-color: white;"></div><blockquote style="background-color: white;"><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>1a) Where is Pluto?</i><br />
<i>1b) Is Pluto in our galaxy?</i></div></blockquote><div style="background-color: white;"></div><blockquote style="background-color: white;"><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>2a) What are the clouds made of in the Hubble photos?</i><br />
<i>2b) If they are gas, and if stars are composed of gas, could new stars be made inside of these gas clouds?</i></div></blockquote><div style="background-color: white;"></div><blockquote style="background-color: white;"><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>3a) When was the big bang?</i><br />
<i>3b) If the universe if 14 billion years old, does that mean that the edge of the universe is 14 billion light years away?</i></div></blockquote><div style="background-color: white;"></div><blockquote><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>Questions 1 were asked by a college educated person who I judge to be in need of improved science literacy.</i></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>Questions 2 were asked by a janitor at my Museum who has clearly done some thinking on the subject between broom-sweeps. If you want to read more on this, see:</i><br />
<i>http://www.haydenplanetarium.org/tyson/read/2006/08/01/blue-collar-intellectuals-the-janitor</i></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>Questions 3 were asked by Charlie Sheen. Based on these and our</i><br />
<i>overall conversation, I judge Sheen to be in the 90th percentile of the general population, hence my tweet that Sheen is: "...more scientifically literate than most"</i></div></blockquote><br />
Moral of the story - Take drugs, drink lots of alcohol.....Maitreya Bhakalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14995317283182467753noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-865438984983848754.post-24647573826276927922011-03-23T22:28:00.005+05:302011-03-24T12:34:21.651+05:30Californication and Li Bo - the poem at the last shot of the opening sequence<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
For those of you who are wondering what on earth is that poem that appears at the last shot of the opening sequence of Californication season 4 - it appears that it is a poem written 1300 years ago by a Chinese poet named <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Li_Bai">Li Bo</a> or Li Bai. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-YLLENXDWaI8/TYohk2UzbSI/AAAAAAAAAfU/VFQoUzMTi38/s1600/libo.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-YLLENXDWaI8/TYohk2UzbSI/AAAAAAAAAfU/VFQoUzMTi38/s400/libo.png" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Facing Wine</b></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><b>by Li Bo </b></div><br />
<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Never refuse wine. I'm telling you, </i></span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>people come smiling in spring winds: </i></span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><i>peach and plum like old friends, </i></span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>their open blossoms scattering toward me, </i></span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><i>singing orioles in jade-green trees, </i></span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>and moonlight probing gold winejars. </i></span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><i>Yesterday we were flush with youth, </i></span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>and today, white hair's an onslaught. </i></span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><i>Bramble's overgrown Shih-hu Temple, </i></span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>and deer roam Ku-su Terrace ruins: </i></span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><i>it's always been like this, yellow dust </i></span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>choking even imperial gates closed </i></span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><i>in the end. If you don't drink wine, </i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">where are those ancient people now? </span> </i></span><span class="hint" id="Tp1" style="display: none; left: 109px; top: 605px;"> overgrown<br />
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said of a part that has not been kept trimmed.<br />
<hr align="left" class="hmshort" /><br />
<b>overgrown hoof</b><br />
overgrown hooves put unusual stresses on bones and tendons and allow for distortion of the wall and sole. <br />
<b>.....</b> <span class="flw">Click the link for more information.</span></span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The juxtaposition of the last chime of the opening sequence and reading</span> "<i>where are those ancient people now?</i>" <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">is absolutely priceless:</span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span id="goog_1344863501"></span><span id="goog_1344863502"></span></div><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: center;"></div>Maitreya Bhakalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14995317283182467753noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-865438984983848754.post-68000877334747574762010-11-20T16:46:00.003+05:302010-11-20T21:03:16.912+05:30100 years since Leo Tolstoy<div style="text-align: center;"><b style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> Remembering the greatest novelist of all time </b></div><br />
On this day, exactly a 100 years ago, one of the greatest novelists and thinkers of all time breathed his last.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_vA-vZ7A30vw/TOepe1nqI8I/AAAAAAAAAdQ/Qqg4Y-TfxY0/s1600/Tolstoy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_vA-vZ7A30vw/TOepe1nqI8I/AAAAAAAAAdQ/Qqg4Y-TfxY0/s320/Tolstoy.jpg" width="225" /></a></div><br />
I came to know Tolstoy, like almost everyone else, through <i>War and Peace. </i>I've always believed that that masterpiece - which is too great to be called a mere 'novel' - should be made compulsory reading for everyone, and I still vividly recall the thrill of the Battle of Burodino or Bagration with his arched and concentrated eyebrows - or the fateful, warm, dark autumn night when Dokhturov dispatched Bolkhovitinov to Kutozov.<br />
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I think that can safely say that when one reads <i>War and Peace</i>, one's life gets divided into two <i>distinct</i> parts, before and after reading it.<br />
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If I may be so bold to take a leaf out of Voltaire's book (not Tolstoy's favourite by the way) - <i>If Leo Tolstoy didn't exist, it would have been necessary to invent him</i>!Maitreya Bhakalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14995317283182467753noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-865438984983848754.post-31415427101783187182010-11-15T14:44:00.001+05:302010-11-15T14:45:20.693+05:30I'm BAAAAAAAAACK!!!!<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I've always wanted to have a personal blog. Not like <a href="http://indiaschinablog.blogspot.com/">this one</a>, but one in which I just post random thoughts about day to day life and general musings and ramblings about everything I see around me. (Re)Enter <i>The Maitreya Blog - </i>an endeavor that was my <a href="http://maitreyabhakal.blogspot.com/2010/01/sashi-tharoor-and-nehru-foreign-policy.html">first attempt</a> at blogging. </span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">So....Welcome to <i>The Maitreya Blog</i>. You can subscribe to my RSS <a href="http://maitreyabhakal.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default">here</a> and the comments feed <a href="http://maitreyabhakal.blogspot.com/feeds/comments/default">here</a>. </span></div>Maitreya Bhakalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14995317283182467753noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-865438984983848754.post-28628121149823581202010-01-11T03:26:00.000+05:302010-01-14T11:51:01.351+05:30Shashi Tharoor and the Truth about Nehru's Foreign Policy<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Shashi Tharoor's latest statements may have aroused some controversy, but the question worth examining is - is India ready to discuss its forefathers' mistakes or just sweep them under the carpet?</b></span><br />
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<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"> It seems that Shashi Tharoor is in the <a href="http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Tharoor-questions-Nehruvian-line/articleshow/5428641.cms">spotlight</a> again for allegedly making politically incorrect statements. However, I believe the larger question is – is he right? Foreign Policy is a complex business; but I don’t think anyone is more qualified to comment on Foreign affairs than Shashi Tharoor. However, in this whole controversy, we are in fact losing sight of the larger issue – is it wrong to question the actions and policies of Nehru, who most Indians treat as a demigod? (Abhishek Singhvi, in his response said, “Nehru is a giant about whom no one can be dismissive in a one-liner”) And that too in a democratic country which guarantees freedom of speech? </span><br />
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<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;"> Tharoor was in fact speaking about British MP Lord Bhikhu Parekh’s speech on ‘India's Place in the World’ organized by the Indian Council of World Affairs. What he actually said was,</span><br />
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</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><blockquote><blockquote><span style="font-size: small;"><i style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">"That Indian foreign policy drew from our sense of civilisation, and the extraordinary contribution by Mahatma Gandhi and Nehruji’s articulation of our civilisational heritage, both enhanced India’s standing in the world but also earned us the negative reputation of running a moralistic commentary on world affairs......."</i><i><br />
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</blockquote></blockquote></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">So Tharoor in fact said that Nehru's Foreign Policy had some pros and cons. Sadly, the media skipped the former and focused only on the latter. They deliberately missed the fact that he had also praised Nehru's Foreign Policy.</span><br />
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">Tharoor was only quoted in the newspaper as saying, "It was more like a moralistic running commentary". Predictably, the media emphasized his negative remarks and wrongly attributed this quote to him without printing the whole sentence verbatim.</span><br />
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<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">India had gained independence on the basis of non-violence, and had gathered much international support. The British even left with good cheer. Nehru considered India the leader of the Third World.</span><br />
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<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Pakistan</b></span><br />
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">After Partition, the British Indian Army was divided between India and Pakistan in the ratio 2:1. Thus during the 1947 war we were militarily superior to Pakistan</span><span style="font-size: small;">, yet Nehru did not push the Pakistanis back and allowed them to keep about a third of Kashmir. Nehru invited the UN to intervene, declared a ceasefire, possibly under British (Mountbatten’s) influence. Thus Nehru might have actually played into the British’s hands, whose obvious interest lay in keeping some part of Kashmir illegally occupied by Pakistan in order to create further hostility between these two newly formed countries.</span><br />
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<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>China</b></span><br />
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"> This concept of non-violence and avoidance of conflict even at the costs of a country's sovereignty, soon spilled over to India’s Foreign Policy – which resulted in the Indian government paying much less attention to increasing its military prowess. As a result, India was ill-prepared and much less powerful militarily than China in the 1962 war. The Indian Army was in fact, so <a href="http://www.centurychina.com/plaboard/uploads/1962war.htm">unprepared</a> that it didn’t have enough rations and warm clothes to survive the harsh winter climate in the border regions. Nehru did not listen to the advice of his senior army officers, appointed his favoured cronies at top posts regardless of merit; and, as a final straw, pursued a 'Forward Policy' which severely tested the limits of China’s patience and was the final nail in the coffin for the Indian Army. </span><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">The Director of Military operations during that time, Brigadier D. K. Palit makes some insightful statements in an interview <a href="http://www.indianexpress.com/storyOld.php?storyId=12026">here</a> (better format <a href="http://www.hvk.org/articles/1002/215.html">here</a>)</span><br />
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</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">Nehru, after becoming Prime Minister, envisioned a World where India and China were good friends, giving rise to the slogan “<i>Hindi Chini Bhai Bhai</i>”. China responded accordingly but kept its options open. India under Nehru was one of the first countries to recognize communist China. Nehru turned down a permanent UNSC seat in 1955, saying that China deserved it more. However, the facts on the ground were just the opposite. During the run up to the 1962 war, Nehru assumed and in fact was convinced that the Indian Army was superior to the Chinese in every way and that the Chinese would not attack even when Indian posts were established on territory that even India admitted to be Chinese! And thus was born the controversial <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Events_leading_to_the_Sino-Indian_War#The_Forward_Policy">Forward Policy</a>, for which Nehru, the then Defense Minister Krishna Menon and Chief of General Staff, Lt. General B.M. Kaul, have all taken early credit and later disavowed responsibility. This policy gained further momentum by the fact that the Chinese forces withdrew when Indian outposts advanced towards them. Nehru blatantly ignored Chinese diplomatic protests. India's 'invasion' of Goa in 1961 further alarmed the Chinese.<br />
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In fact, the Chinese leaders were <a href="http://www.foia.cia.gov/CPE/POLO/polo-09.pdf">surprised</a> at the feeble response to their attack. What is surprising is that in that war, not a single Chinese soldier was taken prisoner; while the Chinese took 3,968 Indian prisoners, which were returned the following year. (Much later it <a href="http://www.indianexpress.com/ie/daily/20000801/ina01003.html">emerged</a> that the Indian Army had actually taken two Chinese prisoners and were held as foreign spies in India. In 2003, during Vajpayee’s visit to China, they were <a href="http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2003/jul/27/20030727-104257-8893r/">returned</a>)</span><br />
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<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Tibet</b></span><br />
</div><span style="font-size: small;"> India had enjoyed certain privileges with regard to Tibet under the controversial <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simla_Accord_%281914%29">Simla Agreement</a>, which was negotiated between Britain and Tibet in 1914. If the Simla agreement is legal, then it serves India's cause; and if it is illegal, China's. However, when China annexed Tibet in 1951, India under Nehru recognized it as Chinese territory, thus giving up those privileges and undermining Tibet’s sovereignty (which it had momentarily enjoyed during the time of the Simla agreement). Thus in a sense the Indian government tacitly admitted that the Simla agreement was effectively illegal, which to this day remains China's official position. In doing so, we weakened our own legal position with respect to the border dispute. This was furthered by the fact that even the current British government in <a href="http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/news/latest-news/?view=PressS&id=8299838">discarded</a> the Simla agreement as an anachronism and a colonial legacy - a "position [the British] took based on the geo-politics of the time". The British <a href="http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/UK-stand-on-McMahon-Line-bolstering-Beijings-claims/articleshow/5426009.cms">pulled away</a> the only leg India had to stand on.</span><br />
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<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Hiding Nehru's Folly</b></span><br />
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">And then there is the official review of the 1962 war, known as the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henderson_Brooks%E2%80%93Bhagat_Report">Henderson Brooks Report</a>, which,<a href="http://www.claudearpi.net/maintenance/uploaded_pics/AnIntroductiontotheHendersonBrooks.pdf"> according</a> to British journalist Neville Maxwell, puts the blame squarely on Nehru and the politicization of the army. This report, which Maxwell claims to have seen (it is rumoured that a senior minister showed it to him) is still classified by the Indian Government, presumably in order to save Nehru’s face. Many Defence Ministers, form Y.B.Chavan to A.K.Anthony have responded to requests about releasing the report in Parliament by politely refusing in the name of “national interest”. Even <a href="http://cic.gov.in/CIC-Orders/WB-19032009-04.pdf">RTI applications</a> have been brushed aside. Clearly, the Indian Government has something to hide.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">After 1962, Menon and Kaul took the fall for Nehru, in a sense, and resigned. Nehru's government and the media succeeded in portraying India as the innocent 'victim' of Chinese 'aggression' and 'betrayal'. Even today, a look at media reports and even MP's speeches clearly proves that this fiction is still maintained in the Indian mindset.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">After Nehru’s visit to the US in 1961, Kennedy described it as “the worst head of state visit ever” and that his conversations with Nehru as "like trying to grab something in your hand only to have it turn out to be just fog."</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">And therein lies the relevance of Shashi Tharoor's comments. He just reiterated what had been said many times before. The 'civilisational heritage' which he talks about was exemplified by the Gandhian concept of non-violence which increased India's standing in the world and also heavily contributed to India's Soft Power. But it also left India with a false and misplaced sense of moral superiority and even complacency - As if India could teach the (violent) world a lesson in non-violence and morality.</span><br />
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India would never be the same again after 1962. After losing to China, the government started a complete overhaul and modernization of the army. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"> One cannot help but feel sorry for Nehru. He had to learn the hard way that an obnoxious and sometimes passive attitude in foreign policy can have disastrous consequences. Later, in 1963, admittedly releasing his mistakes, no one put it more bluntly than Nehru himself,</span><br />
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</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><blockquote><blockquote><blockquote><span style="font-size: small;"><i>"……what India has learnt...i</i><i>s that in the world of today there is no place for weak nations... We have been living in an unreal world of our own creation"</i>.</span><br />
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</div></div></div></div></div></div>Maitreya Bhakalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14995317283182467753noreply@blogger.com0