The Hoaxes and What people will believe  

Posted by Shailesh Mishra

Sometimes it is so irritating what people will put on the net and others believe! I've been literally spammed with emails about these two revolutionary expose that should put rest of the world to shame. Let's listen to the hoax first and then let's list down the facts.

But before I'm alleged for plagarism, let me put my credits in line. Thanks to Sufi S. who've put the information on the net and debunking these claims.

Hoax of Mr. G Vaidyaraj and his Diamonds
"Shock for the Nation !!! (Believe it or not) Do you know that India is the richest country in the world! (They don't even get their Grammer right!)

Right now, India is the richest country in the world! Wondering how? It's
really amazing.

It's due to Mr. G Vaidyaraj, who donated all his wealth, about which he
actually did not know. He is a descendent of Raja Krishnadev Raya from Mysore district.

For the last 300 years or so, three stones were worshipped in his house.But nobody tried to see what it was, except this person, who is a lawyer by profession. One day, when there was nobody in his house, he took the stone out to see what it was that they worship.
Due to the dust deposited on it, from many many years, it looked only like a simple stone. But when he touched it, some portion of the stone was cleansed. And he saw a bright ray of light.
He saw something which attracted his attention. And he was amazed when he cleaned all of them.The whole room was filled with light. He discovered they were diamonds of about 4600 carats each.

He informed the Govt. of India and the news is censored with its security (Did These Guys ever leanr English?). It's now deposited in a Swiss Bank. (Why? Indian Banks are not safe Enough?) The cost of single diamond exceeds the GDP of USA + UK. India can buy
virtually 7 developing nations. Even World Bank does not have enough money to buy it. One diamond costs thrice the debt of World Bank over India. One such diamond can buy 10 Bill Gates to you. And the World Bank has proposed the Indian Govt. that it can pay India in Installment if it wishes to do so.
  1. India's GDP is 34.25 billion dollars.
  2. Bill Gates property is 95 billion dollars approximate so that is the way 'nature changes' (Huh?).
Our Prime Minister has refused to sell it. He said it will be sold or mortgaged for credit when we need it. Otherwise right now we have no problems.

You can go through Times of India with a small column on it a week ago (Give me the date if you've really read it!). Star TV presented a 115 min documentary on it about 15 days ago.
The Hindu with its half page article in it. After that it was censored as classified."

Now the Facts:
someone decided to do a little bit of search in internet to find out more about this and typed in "proud to be indian". They found out that this is a mantra that is chanted again and again, as if it took some repetition before you could believe it?

Google said "proud to be indian" has been indexed 14, 300 times.

Not happy with that, they did some cybersearching on G Vaidyaraj and his diamonds. Vaidraj + diamonds yeilded only 976 results. But its amazing to take a look at what they are. Click on the previous link to see the results. While the whole email was pasted virtually everwhere, no one had either proved or disproved the claims mentioned in it.

Now Dig This:
"The cost of single diamond exceeds the GDP of USA + UK"
Well now, here's the thing. The GDP of the USA is $11.75 trilllion. The GDP of the UK is $1.174 trillion. Adding those together you get $12.984 trillion. Now if you devide that by the diamonds weight of 4,600 carats, you get a cost of $2.8 billion PER CARAT. Some time ago someone brought his wife a half carat diamond, and it did not cost him $1.4 billion for it!

Now for some simple arithmatic:

"India can buy virtually 7 developing nations."
Meaningless statement. which developing nations? Tuvalu? Viet Nam?

"Even World Bank does not have enough money to buy it."
Why would they want to? What would be the point?

"One diamond costs thrice the debt of World Bank over India."
Make your mind up! First you say that it's worth $12 trillion, now you are saying they are worth 3 X $42 billion = $126 billion. Way less than $12 trillion we think you'll agree!

"One such diamond can buy 10 Bill Gates to you."
Here you go changing your mind again. Bill Gates is currently worth $43 billion (ish). Which now makes your diamond worth $430 billion.

"And the World Bank has proposed the Indian Govt. that it can pay India in Installment if it wishes to do so."
But why would it want to? What would be the point?

"India's GDP is 34.25 billion dollars."
No it isn't. India's GDP is $568 Billion.

The Hoax of the Indian boy in his 12th standard who disproved Einstein's "Theory of Relativity".

The Story goes as: "Shocked? Read on... Sudarshan Reddy has theoretically proven the existence of a sub-atomic particle, which can travel at speed greater than that of light, thereby challenging one of the fundamental postulates of the 'Theory of Relativity'. In his recent research paper submitted to the Institute of Advanced Physics (IAP) at Trieste (Italy), Sudarshan has proved the existence of a class of sub-atomic particles called leptons', which can travel faster
than light. The international physics community is shocked by this discovery.

Dr.Massimo Martelli, President of the IAP has this to say about the paper submitted by Sudarshan. 'After long, careful and critical analysis, I can confidently say that Sudarshan's re search papers show tremendous leap in our understanding of physics. His investigation mounts up on 'leptons'.

His work builds substantially on the work of Einstein and others in the field of relativity.' When physicists from Princeton University tried to measure Sudarshan's IQ with an IQ-meter (at the American Embassy in Delhi), the meter broke down. Sudarshan, incidentally, is the brother of
Madhu Reddy, the Indian whiz kid who developed an operating system superior to Microsoft Windows. We should all be very proud of these boys."

  1. There is no such thing as the Institute of Advanced Physics in Trieste.
  2. Dr. Massimo Martelli is a Cardiologist, not a Physicist.
  3. There is no such thing as an I.Q. meter.
  4. Sudarshan doesn't exist. Neither does his supposed brother, Madhu.
  5. Anyone who thinks making a superior OS to MS windows is a Wizz, doesn't really know what he's talking about! Hasn't he heard of MAC - OS.
Burst you Bubble? Ces't la Vie!

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Blinding Love  

Posted by Shailesh Mishra

If love had a taste what would it be?
If it had a color what would I see?
My days are dark without the spark
And painted grey in the shades of clay.

What do you feel when it rains outside
To me it's the same without my pride.
I gave it all nothing in return
Feel within the fire burn.
It's not of love, passion or desire
To such a fate how can I retire?

Being someone and no one at all
To such a state when did I fall?
With faltering steps and the empty feeling
With all this time where's the healing?

Being together yet junctions apart
Love is a scythe in my bleeding heart.
I feel not pain the wound is numb
It goes unnoticed with people some.

My smile or tears it did not matter
Vulnerable as glass it had to shatter.
For love is weak but desires strong
Hate befits in the matter long.

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Farewell cynics, welcome Valentines  

Posted by Shailesh Mishra

(Advisory Note: Again -I'm not trying to be an MCP or proving superiority, or blaming the fairer sex. Last year, I read an article from a Girl on Merinews which Pissed me off bad! So I submitted this article too which got published. I thought it all ended there - until someone (surprisingly happens to be a female again) popped up on the grid sharing similar cynical thoughts. Now I am not one of those 'Creative' writers who'll write a new article as a reactive response. So I'm just re-stating what I said the last time. And why not, It was well said then - holds true today too).

Visit the link below to read the original post on Merinews.

IT IS THE season of love with lovers cooing lovey dovey in each other’s ears on Valentine’s Day. And as they say one can feel ‘love is in the air!’ But hey, wait, I hear someone shout... they exclaim, “love? There’s no loving in Valentine’s Day! It’s all about sex, sleaze and seduction! Its materialism incarnated.” Well, of all other words, the word I expect to hear last was - materialism. Alas! Another black spot on the pink color of Valentine! Sure, there’s a lot of sex and sleaze and one-night stands associated with this wonderful day (and to which some would say, making it all the more wonderful), but materialism?
 
Maybe yes. But then I wonder which part of our life is not affected by it? Doesn’t the whole world seem to be running behind the American Dollar? People take up jobs more on the basis of pay rather than the content, girls marry guys because “...Oh so what he’s fat and bald? Everyone’s got flaws. But see, he’s an NRI too...”
 
Open up your eyes people - materialism is everywhere. And no festival, society or place remains unscathed by it. But isolating Valentine’s Day by marking it as a celebration of materialism isn’t the right thing to do.
 
As for sex, sleaze and seduction – they too are just around the corner. They don’t just burst out revolving on the day of Valentine’s. It’s only on that day the cynics (who probably don’t have a date) decide to notice how appallingly pathetic the world is. Some one mentioned somewhere about the Valentine cards being an invitation for date who fits our definition of attractive. Well first, we don’t date unattractive people. Accept it ladies. And second, it’s a start and you never know to whom a simple date may lead you to – perhaps, your soul mate for life?
 
Just because people spend hundreds and thousands of dollars (or rupees in our case) doesn’t make it a materialistic issue or having a causal relationship makes the whole society scandalous. The world is changing and so are our lives. Long gone are the days when there used to be just candies in the stockings on Christmas and a birthday cake (only) on your birthdays. Children of the rich now expect PS-2 or XBOX or maybe even the latest model of a cell phone on the shelf. But then again, it’s only a matter of perception that you chose.
 
Practically thinking, when did a rich kid wait for Christmas for laying his hands on their spoils, even when we look back in time? And the lesser privileged don’t dream of them even on a Christmas. And so holds true for a Valentine’s Day too. It’s about capacity and the capability to which you feel comfortable to spend for the one you love. Period. You cannot persuade Brad Pitt to celebrate Valentine’s Day with just flowers nor can you convince a mere peasant to celebrate Valentine’s Day with anything but flowers. There are still (and trust me, many) who still say it with flowers. And yes, they pay for it (rather be blamed for being materialistic than to be blamed for stealing flowers and ruining your neighbour’s garden). I know what you’re going to say... “Flowers ain’t that bad, it’s the expensive diamonds and the extravagant candle light dinner we’re talking about!” But then listen people; it’s not a choice we guys make. We know that mere flowers and a good sense of humor won’t get us a date.
It’s our lovely ladies who will have to lower their standards and look into our well, ‘un-materialistic’ charming qualities and settle down for flowers. And thanks to Valentine’s Day, our poor farmers in Pune aren’t that poor anymore.
 
As for those who cry upon our lost cause and drifting away from our culture (aping the West to be more correct) – I have news! Thanks to globalization and our fast adaptation of the West today, we’re what we are becoming a more prosperous India! And if it makes you feel better, you have a choice to look towards and East (Japan, Korea Taiwan, Indonesia, New Zealand, Australia…) where they celebrate Valentine’s Day too and say “Hey, we’re successfully aping the East now (pun intended here)!” Or perhaps, you like the conservative countries where Burka is still on vogue and Valentine Day a Taboo?
 
Have a Lovely, Romantic, Happy and Extravagant Valentine’s Day!

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Season of Love  

Posted by Shailesh Mishra

So St. Valentine's Day is just around the corner - roses and chocolates selling at atrocious prices and still running out of stock, people turning cheesy and buying from a new perfume to entire new wardrobe just for this special occasion. And why not? This is the time to celebrate love. And don't tell me that you don't need a special day to celebrate love - because the likes who've told me this have spent the most for valentine's day already.

But just to be in the spirit, I've decided to act cheesy myself. Being cheesy works - trust me. I've got out of tough spots with my girlfriend by being delicate along with being a romantic idiot at the appropriate time. Key phrase here is Appropriate time. 

But enough of this banter - here's my first dedication to this Romantic Festivity:

No matter how cloudy be the night 
Or hardy storms the beasts of might, 
there is always comfort and solace 
within her arms embrace.

Deceit and tricks or the world in vain
longer may be the darkest lane,
With time i have learned to trust
warmth of love and patience just.

The off time hell of moody swings
along with the chaos it brings,
Is just a color or a shade
of this loving angelic maid

with all its glory, it has its downs
But on love - how can I frown?
she stands by you in pain and pleasure
among moments of joy you always treasure.
forsake the sins that I've done - Heaven on Earth I have one.

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What's with the vampires?  

Posted by Shailesh Mishra

I wonder if the Vampires ever considered using Sun screen lotions with SPF 30+ which blocks harmful UV rays, both UV-A and UV-B? Or is it just incorrect advertisement on the part of Cosmetic manufacturers. In fact, here's an idea for a Sun Protection product - "A lotion so effective that even Vampires use it"! And then they could have Endorsements from Vampires like, Edward Cullen, "I first started using this amazing Sun Screen lotion when I got it as a birthday present on my 40th Birthday..." 

The Lycans can also endorse the product saying that how soft and silky their fur has become in just seven days that it glows in the moon.

And then the commercial could end with an Offer like "... first 500 hundred callers will also get a free pair of anti- Radiation Sun-glasses from Ray-Ban. Beware of Imitators - It could be hazardous to your er, health"

Of course, Blade won't profit from such commercials since he's already a "Daywalker". 

Hasn't the world already has enough theories about mythological creatures like vampires and werewolves that we need authors to come up with new ones every now and then? I mean if I am to be an Avid follower of the Vampire's coven and lover of Dark literature - How do I know which theory to follow. They don't really have an “All you need to know about Vampires” Encyclopedia, and since the volturi clan is being so secretive about protecting the secret, I doubt they would list a visiting centre's address in the phone book.

Like recently I was reading the Twilight saga and here it is - A brand new theory about Vampires. According to author Stephenie Meyer: "Vampires in the Twilight series, possesses superhuman beauty, strength, speed, endurance, and agility. Their scent and voice are enormously seductive". 
So much is common with all other vampires from other books. But instead of being burnt in the Sunlight the Vampires here shine like Diamonds when exposed to it. They have Bullet proof skin and they're immune to Silver, Holy Water and don't shrink at the sight of a Cross.

So how do you kill them (Twilight series Vampires)? 
The only sure way of doing it is by tearing them into pieces and burning every part of theirs. Which essentially can be done by other fellow creatures, children of the moon a.k.a. werewolves and shape shifting wolves, since humans don't have the strength nor the tools to do it. (Yet, Edward Cullen was able to inject himself with a syringe and take out some of his venom and pump Bella with it). Interesting.

So much for Blade coming around and slicing and dicing them with his impressively sharp sword, silver stakes and ammunition made out of silver nitrate or which emits UV light upon impact. In fact, this puts the very existence of blade in question - Blade is Half human, Half Vampire. But so is Bella Swan's daughter from the book The New Moon. And they're entirely different.

And what's with the Silver nitrate? I mean of all available salts of silver why silver Nitrate always? Why can't we use Silver Oxide instead? The bullets will be virtually maintenance free.

Then the question comes about UV light. Well Sun isn't the only source of UV light - Half of the vampires would be dead the moment they step into a Night club (And they love to visit night clubs). Neon lights and fluorescent tubes are supposed to have the same luminosity as Sun light and it they aren't already cringing away from all the sign boards on the streets, is it Vitamin D then to which they're fatally allergic to?

And how does this Vampire Venom/virus work exactly especially on the physically beautifying part? Every Vampire turns out to be Attractive as hell. Imagine them coming up with another Commercial like "New Anti-ageing treatment - You just don't look young, you stay young!" 
Or maybe like "No matter who your parents were and how ugly you were in high School, with this new improved Vampire Formula you'll dazzle in the Sun - literally!!"

So if I am fat and balding, being bitten by a Vampire gives me a well toned body and good long hair? Which again raises the question - Do Vampires need a hair cut?

I still feel sorry for Blade...

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Square Root of Three  

Posted by Shailesh Mishra



This definitely would come under the lame poems category if you sing it to your valentine. But for some reason, I found the poem very interesting and good. Maybe, that's the geek inside me speak (and perhaps the poem was meant to be for geeks only) but then again, it's a well thought - of poem 'arithmatically' if not romantically. Read on... 

I’m sure that I will always be
A lonely number like root three

The three is all that’s good and right,
Why must my three keep out of sight
Beneath the vicious square root sign,
I wish instead I were a nine

For nine could thwart this evil trick,
with just some quick arithmetic

I know I’ll never see the sun, as 1.7321
Such is my reality, a sad irrationality

When hark! What is this I see,
Another square root of a three

As quietly co-waltzing by,
Together now we multiply
To form a number we prefer,
Rejoicing as an integer

We break free from our mortal bonds
With the wave of magic wands

Our square root signs become unglued
Your love for me has been renewed

--- Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay

4 comments

Welcome To Pittsburgh  

Posted by Shailesh Mishra



Pittsburgh is the second largest city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania with a population of 312,819. The population of the eight-county metropolitan area is 2,462,571. The city's downtown retains substantial economic influence, ranking at 25th in the nation for jobs within the urban core (and is sixth in job density).
The characteristic shape of downtown is a triangular tract carved by the confluence of the Allegheny and Monongahela Rivers, where the Ohio River forms. The skyline features 151 high-rise buildings, 446 bridges, two inclined railways, and a pre-revolutionary fortification. Pittsburgh is known colloquially as "The City of Bridges" and "The Steel City" for its many bridges and former steel manufacturing base.
While the city is historically known for its steel industry, today it is largely based on healthcare, education, technology, robotics, fashion, and financial services. The city has made great strides in redeveloping abandonded industrial sites with new housing, shopping and offices, such as the SouthSide Works. While Pittsburgh faced economic troubles in the mid 1970s as the steel industry waned, modern Pittsburgh is economically strong. The housing market is relatively stable despite a national subprime mortgage crisis, and Pittsburgh has added jobs in 2008 even as the national economy is in a significant jobs recession. This positive economic news is in contrast to 30 years ago when Pittsburgh lost its manufacturing base as those jobs moved offshore.
In 2007, Forbes Magazine named Pittsburgh the 10th cleanest city, and in 2008 Forbes listed Pittsburgh as the 13th best city for young professionals to live. The city is consistently ranked high in livability surveys. In 2007, Pittsburgh was named "America's Most Livable City" by Places Rated Almanac.

3 comments

44th President of the USA  

Posted by Shailesh Mishra

So finally, after months of campaigns, speeches, speculations, polls, skepticism it came to an end last night - Democrat Barack Obama wrote his name indelibly into the pages of American history on Tuesday, engineering an upheaval to become the country's first Afro-American President-elect in a runaway victory over John McCain. The 72-year-old McCain quickly called his opponent to concede defeat and congratulate his rival in the longest and most costly Presidential campaign in American history.

And since the speculations come to an end - autopsies begin. My News feed is flooded with articles like Why McCain lost or End to the Palin - McCain relationship, 10 reasons why Obama had to win....

C'mon, wasn't the pre-election exciting enough? Can we all now rather worrying about why Obama won and McCain lost, be concerned about how our new president is planning to steer the most powerful democracy in the world out of the troubled times? Stop spamming my inbox with news articles of poll results I already know. Everybody is sharing the same article again and again. My Google reader alone has the article "The US elections--World parties as Obama wins" sent to me by 52 peers as article I should read!

Congratulations Obama for being the 44th President of the USA. We're expecting a lot from you. I do hope you will be able to cap the inflation, stabilize the stock market and get us out of this credit crunch. And the global economy depends on it.

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Fallingwater  

Posted by Shailesh Mishra


Fallingwater is the name of a very special house that is built over a waterfall. Frank Lloyd Wright, America’s most famous architect, designed the house for his clients, the Kaufmann family. Fallingwater was built between 1936 and 1939. It instantly became famous, and today it is a National Historic Landmark.

Why is it so famous? Think about it! A house that doesn’t even appear to stand on solid ground, but instead stretches out over a 30’ waterfall. It captured everyone’s imagination when it was on the cover of Time magazine in 1938.

Fallingwater was entrusted to The Western Pennsylvania Conservancy in 1963 by Edgar Kaufmann, jr. who said, upon its dedication: “As the waterfall of Bear Run needed the house to enter the realm of art, so the joint work of art, Fallingwater in its setting, needed the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy to enter a new life of public service…. I believe the Conservancy will give nature, the source, full due, and art, the human response to nature, full respect.”

If you're interested in conserving the place then you can become a Friend of Fallingwater at the level that is most comfortable for you. Beginning at the $100 level, you’ll enjoy a suite of privileges and benefits at Fallingwater and through the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy as well.

You can also make Donations otherwise or you can even sign up as a volunteer if you're passionate about Fallingwater.

And if nothing else, you should make it a point to visit this place at least once. It presents itself beautifully and very differently in every season. With Frozen creek and snow covered landscape in the Winter to the lush green landscape and cool flowing water in the Summers. The Western Pennsylvania Conservancy really care about the natural environment and use recyclable products which in a way even moves you to do the same.

Go trek, hike, sketch, paint, click pictures. If you're an outdoor loving person then mark visiting this place in your "... Things to do before I die" list.

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