English Literature students too (who may have read the original plays), cannot claim familiarity. Most of them are caught up in famous critical interpretations of the work rather than the work itself!

A popular joke that used to do the rounds in our literature classes truly illustrates the state of Shakespeare studies in colleges in India and abroad. The joke was–if Shakespeare were to attend classes on Shakespeare, he would be the only one to fail the year end examination as he would be bewildered with the interpretations of his text!

Having said all this, what kind of introduction to Shakespeare is this post going to offer? Well, to use the cliched phrase, let us begin at the beginning and re-introducte/introduce (as the case may be) ourselves to the bard and his works in very general terms.  Perhaps with the next posts we can worm our way into the heart of the bard?

Shakespeare was a man who understood mankind. He understood the impulses of the people around him in near absolute terms. In fact, his plays underline the universal truth that “human nature never changes”.  Love, hate, anger, jealousy, lust, greed, betrayal (and all the shades of emotions in between) spring forth with the force and energy of yore in the hearts of men and women eternally. So, why should the characters in his plays be any different? He represented man (and woman) as he found him (her).

Therefore, it is not surprising that Shakespeare’s comedies are tragically comic and his tragedies are comically tragic! He laughs at the follies of men and is saddened by the consequences of their folly.  Antonio or Bassanio provoke tense laughter as the audience waits with bated breadth for the looming tragedy–consequent upon their “humanness”–to manifest and miraculously find a resolution.  A Lear or a Macbeth evoke sympathetic pain as their emotions carry them beyond reason and  they descend to the level of being comically tragic as their bizzare responses to the situation and their worldview borders on madness.

Has the foregoing commentary on the bard made you any wiser? I am sure it has not!  So what must be done?  Watch this page for further inputs!

–Dr.Vanitha Vaidialingam, Phd, IRS(retd)

Summer brides often choose bouquet of gardenias for their weddings. It has featured in Royal and celebrity weddings. The Princess of Wales Diana, choose a bouquet of gardenias for her wedding with Prince Charles. The exotic, spicy sweet fragrance of the gardenia flowers and the pale ivory color the petals contrasts with the dark glossy leaves to create an impression of beauty and grace as the bride walks down the aisle. It also complements white bridal wear and appropriately symbolizes the purity of the bride.

But, did you know the Gardenia really belongs to the coffee plant family? The white multi layered petals of this beautiful flower belies this fact, does it not? Yet it is true that the Gardenia belongs to Rubiaceae family and is native to tropical and sub tropical regions of Africa. There are more than 250 species of this genus. The flower is named after Dr.Alexander Garden a Scottish born American naturalist.

The gardenia plant is a small evergreen shrub or a small tree that grows to 1-15 meters in height. The leaves are set opposite each other or in whorls of three or four. They have a dark green glossy and leathery texture. The flowers bloom singly or in small clusters and can be white or pale yellow. The tubular-based corolla has 5-12 lobes and is often 5-12 centimeters in diameter.  These plants flower from mid spring to mid summer and may or may not have a strong scent.

Chinese farmers raise the gardenia for the dye that can be produced from its fruit. In East Indies this plant is nurtured for a gum that exudes from its bark. In South Africa the hard wood from the tree is considered valuable. In America the plant is grown for the waxy blossoms it produces.

The gardenia flower has also been used extensively in oriental perfumes and oils. It is known to be an aphrodisiac. It is also used for medicinal purposes as an anti inflammatory drug, anti bacterial medication and for its fungicidal properties. It adds an exotic flavor to tea.

Since the gardenia is a tropical or sub tropical plant, growing gardenias in other climates can be difficult. They are finicky houseplants and require the bright southern light. If you must grow gardenias at home grow lights must be used to supplement natural lighting in cold places and in winter. A timer must be used to ensure that the plants have 12 hours of light and 12 hours of darkness. They must be watered with distilled water kept at room temperature. Hard or cold water will stunt their growth. The soil used to grow these flowering plants must be moist and must not be too wet and slushy.

Collagen, a natural protein, may produce results that last up to four months.  Certain types of collagen may require preliminary allergy testing in some patients.  Results of six months or more may be achieved by hyaluronic acid, a natural substance found in our bodies.  This may be used to fill in creases or plump lips.

To fill in deeper folds near the nose, frown lines, or to enhance fullness of the cheeks, hydroxylapatite may be used.  This is a compound found in human bones that is suspended in gel form and has mineral-like qualities.

Human fat harvesting and injection requires more extensive procedure because it uses liposuction to do the harvesting before the filler injection may be done.  This can fill in creases and contours to enhance fullness of the face.

FDA-approved PMMA is recommended to correct facial wrinkles such as smile lines.  PMMA is 20% polymethylacrylate and 80% purified collagen gel.

Though there is wide variance in results, patients may expect results to last up to a year in some instances.  Preserved fat injection results are more favorable if the fat is used at time of harvest.  Some filler may be FDA approved on a basis not specified to a particular application.

Patients may expect almost immediate improvement in appearance with some potential for bruising or swelling that will resolve.  There may be redness, sensitivity or itching briefly after the procedure.  Complications are rare and will vary depending on the type of filler used.  Rarely, filler may migrate to an unintended area producing temporary paralysis or there may be skin necrosis. There may be overcorrection. Milder symptoms from some fillers should resolve in just a few days, while the fat injections may produce symptoms that endure for a few weeks.   For the most part, fillers produce marked improvement in appearance and are safe and effective.  Choosing someone who is trained specifically in administering fillers and other types of rejuvenation is important.

Patients may experience anxiety about the procedure and are encouraged to have realistic expectations and ask questions.  Many variables affect results of fillers, and the results are not permanent though the substance is.  Issues such as continued aging and the way that the body absorbs the material will affect duration of results.  Without repeated treatment, issues such as thin lips or wrinkles and scars will reappear over time. With aging, fillers may shift or clump and surgical removal may be required to avoid unwanted changes in texture of soft tissue.  Consultation is required prior to treatment, but follow up visits take only moments.  Costs vary greatly, but many surgeons have financing available. Patients should inquire about their surgeon’s board certification and membership, years of experience, accreditation, the procedure and recovery period, and the way in which complications might be handled.

Pioneer has announced a 16 layer read only optical disc with a mega storage capacity of 400 GB.  What is so interesting about this device? This storage device has been hailed as one of the most important breakthroughs in storage technology. Earlier versions of optical discs were riddled with problems. They were unable to relay signals clearly from the different layers and cross talk rendered the device useless.  Pioneer has solved the problem of cross talk from adjacent layers by using a disc production technology that was first introduced into the DVD arena. The prediction is that future optical discs will provide much denser storage per layer and will continue to evolve as the science of optics is studied.

Ultra Density Optical (UDO) discs are third generation optical discs designed for very high-density storage of video data. Currently available Ultra Density Optical discs have an estimated shelf life of 50 years. They have been introduced into the market and found to be reliable and durable for short-term use. Currently the UDO is used by banks, health care facilities, and financial corporations.

Pioneer said in a recent statement released from Japan that the growing storage needs of many corporations is expected to drive the demand for higher capacity discs. The company also mentions that buying just one high capacity optical disc is equal to buying numerous other commercially available discs. This way, resources can be conserved and put to better use.

The experts meanwhile are not impressed. David Hill, an analyst at Mesabi Group argues that such technology may be more “suitable for storing video and archiving at the consumer level”.

Likewise, Greg Schulz an analyst with Storage IO mentions that for years there has been talk about holographic storage but, “if you are holding your breath for that, you had better get a scuba tank”. So far the optical disc storages have not proven to be worthy in a commercial market and there are many kinks that have to be sorted out.

However, most experts do agree that the Blu ray at both ends of the market and in specialized verticals such as video is improving data storage and preservation. Despite the great advances in hardware capabilities, the dinosaurs of data storage, the disk and tape, that were long ago acknowledged to be dead, continue to be pertinent because they are constantly being improved, cost a lot less and are durable.

The Future?  Most experts predict that future data storage will be achieved by a hybrid of RAM based or sometime of flash based solid state memory, perhaps even a touch of holographic technology.

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Looking out of the window one is awed into silence as the landscape changes with every mile. Mountains, rivers, dry fallow lands, jungles of thorn bushes, small villages that totter on the verge of collapse, cities where the train tracks are considered open toilets, glimpses of towering luxury apartments, silent heritage buildings in the horizon, churches, mosques, wayside temples and what not…. You turn your eyes away from the scene and you would find a dozen  curious eyes fixed on you expectantly–humans who know that they have to share the next 18-36 hours with you and would like to know what makes you tick. They will not hesitate to ask you the most embarrassing personal questions.

The interrogation begins innocuously enough:

Are you a native of x or y? No? Are you going all the way? No? Where will you get off? Why are you going there? Where will you go from there? and so on…

Then would come the next level of questioning. Are you married? How many children? what are they doing? Do you work? Does you spouse work? Do you have in-laws staying with you? How many brothers and sisters you have?  …

Deeper still. Was your’s an arranged marriage? No? Wow, love marriage? Tell me all about it!  You were divorced? Your fault or your spouse’s? …….

Of course, this is interspersed with a lot of information about themselves–it does not matter that you do not ask questions. If they have a right to know about you, you have a right to know about them!!  Logical eh?

While this exercise lasts  for a good two or three hours( –there are generally six passengers per unit and this makes it a fertile ground for investigation), the “confidantes” feed each other with whatever eatables they have brought with them for the journey or buy from the vendors passing to and fro.  Once everyone has been “throughly” introduced to everyone else, matters of general interest are permitted to take over. Someone holds forth on politics; another holds forth on music.  It does not matter that either of these people have nothing to do with the subject in their daily lives and would not dare to speak about it in other forums! Who is to question their authority?  The shaking coaches have shaken their reticence about unknown subjects and they feel that it is ok to pretend authority for the tenure of the journey.  Arguments, contradictions and even categorial assertions on impossibles, are wholly possible. No one cares. It helps bear the tedium of the journey and everything is OK in this confined world. After all, journeys end will diperse the companions and memories are short. Unimportant discussions drain out of the mind as the journey ends and one is free to move forward in life…..

Horrified? If you are pure British you would be. If you are American, you are expected to be friendly. If you are Indian, you are expected to be a bosom companion–irrespective of the fact that you may have lost your roots and are a British Indian or an Indian American. The Desis will have their tools ready to dig into you and turn your out…After all train gains are spiritual experiences that should not be missed…..Indian Railways is an effective platform!

So, if you are planning a trip to India for appreciating India as it lives in the masses or to gain some spiritual insights, take a train journey…. You will not regret it?

I am talking about the process of learning to relate, collate, attract and in a sense organize actions and reactions to things and events around us.  For instance, we watch  our parents  intently to understand what they smile upon and what they frown upon. We learn what is acceptable behavior.  We know they are tracking us for this “acceptable behavior” and frowning on “unacceptable behavior”. Our tools are their expressions and reactions. We learn how to track them using this tool. Thereafter we behave in ways that would appease the trackers and make them smile more than frown.  We do the same in school, college and at work.  The tracked trackers teach you how to track them and we creating tracking conditions that make sure they track us the right way!

Search Engine Optimization is nothing but an online version of track the trackers.  We have a product we wish to promote. We track user behavior by searching for frequently searched keywords that are associated with our business. We use tracking tools that are available online to track this behavior. Once we have tracked it, we use the keywords to make sure that search engines track us and place us where trackers(browsers) of the keywords see us and visit our sites!

We use the same tools to track the competition and to check where they are placed vis-a-vis our website.  We examine what kind of traffic flows to their site and use tracking strategies to divert the traffic to our own site. Here we are tracking the competition.

We again track websites that may be interested in using what we have to offer or which sell a complementary product or service. We use this tracking information to find out if these websites could partner with us and link back to us reciprocally or one way to promote our products. We find partners and affiliates in this manner.

Therefore, if you are in the business of creating websites or are contemplating creating websites, you need to just consciously play the game you always played instinctively! Use the innumerable tools that are available for free or at a price on the Internet and track the trackers so that they track you correctly. Alternately, you could hire the investigators called web consultants and SEO experts to do the investigation and play the game for you.  Tracking the trackers is challenging and may even be profitable! So why wait? Start now! Get the mastery you seek!

Well, creativity and innovation can be a natural outcome of associating with all that is beautiful and attractive.  Being creative about the unattractive is the challenge. Do you agree?  Being creative about a dustbin is a challenge that I decided to take head on.  So, join me in lovingly dwelling on the dustbin!

Title: Dustbins that make a fashion statement

Body: Beautifully decorative and specatacularly clean interiors are exquisite examples of meticulous planning.  If you are decorating, forget the loud colored plastic configurations we use for dustbins and consider the discreet wooden waste disposal systems that blend with the decor and are available at hand for those who seek to throw away their rubbish. Cigarette butts,  lipstick stained tissues or even the efforts at poetic erudition that end up as screws of paper must find their way into handily located wooden dustbins that are fashionable and discreet.

Modern dustbin manufacturers are conscious of the importance of this little piece of furniture and go that extra mile to create them with mahogany, oak, rosewood or any other kind of wood that complement the decor.  Dustbins today make a fashion statement.  Premium grade wood hand rubbed to wearable grain densities could enhance your decor. Tambour design wooden wastebaskets made from natural oak, mahogany, stained walnut, genuine walnut, natural cherry or dark cherry could add meaning to the corners of your room.

Place your dustbin right next to your office desk or nestle it amidst the flora and fauna in your room! The shapes and sizes of these wastebaskets can be tailored to match the varied needs of the allocated space. A 24 quart square basket or a round basket that has a 16 inch diameter or a 13 inch one can add the right touch to the furnishings.

Make your fashion statement even with the dustbin you use for the rubbish!

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Voila! Was that creative enough? If I have succeeded in making you want to buy a little wooden waste basket to blend with the paneled decor of your room, I have been creative!

I am sure that it is not because everyone agrees with everything I say!

So, here is my New Year Wish and I hope it will be fulfilled: I pray that my visitors will leave their comments and initiate active discussion (hotter the better!) on the blog posts!

Wow! getting that off my chest feels real nice. I so wish the new year will continue on this note of hope.

Getting back on track with the topic “Journeys on Record”,  here is an account of my journey into the historic city of Jaipur.   I have been in the North of India for six years now and had not set foot out of New Delhi to visit the beautiful cities of Rajasthan. I was persuaded to rectify the error of my ways this Christmas.  I set out to visit the wonderful Pink city of Jaipur, take a detour to Ajmer to visit the shire of Salim Chisti and also the ancient temple dedicated to the Hindu Creator Bhrama at Pushkar. Now, back home, I am trying to put together information that will interest my readers and persuade them to consider making a tour of the places that I visited. After all, travel content is a method of persuading the audience and making them patronize the tours that others have enjoyed?  So here goes!

Jaipur is about five hours leisurely drive  by road from New Delhi. We started at around One P.M and reached Jaipur at 6 P.M precisely.  After a quick refreshing wash at the Guest house we were booked into, we proceeded to visit Chok ke dani. Chok ke dani is a cultural village that showcases the cultural mores of Rajasthan. Model houses of Rajasthan, the food of the people, the dress of the region, the music and dance, the snake charmers, the magicians and the elephants and the camels dominate the scene. We spent wonderful four hours, roaming around and immersing ourselves into the mood and rhythm of the state.

The next day we started our journey back into the past.  Our first steps led us to the historic Amber Fort. This fort was constructed by Man Singh I and II and it is a sprawling complex with many secret tunnels and escape routes. It is build over a number of adjoining hills and is truly awesome.  We spent a good three hours walking around the fort and exploring every nook and corner. The most beautiful building in the fort was the sheesh mahal. The highlight of the fort was the elephant ride. There were several tens of elephants carrying tourists round the fort.  The scene was very picturesque to say the least!

Our footsteps next led us to the Jaigard fort which is actually linked to the Amber fort by a secret tunnel. This fort is much smaller, but extremely beautiful. The view from the different towers and walls are breath taking. The different army inspection courtyards and the inner chambers are artistic but not very exciting.  The huge canon at the top of the fort was a tourist attraction.

We then moved on to see the Jal Mahal, Hava mahal, the Jantar mantar and the other sights in Jaipur. The Jal Mahal has to be viewed from the road as it is out of bound for tourists.   As we were running out of time and most of the other places close between 4 and 5 p.m,  we had to rush through them.

We had excellent food during the day at LMB restruant. This is a fairly clean vegetarian restruant that provides standard Punjabi and Rajasthani food to its patrons. The food was tasty and not too oily. The service was excellent.

The next day we proceeded to Ajmer and Pushkar.  Unusual rains marred our day. The narrow streets leading up to the Dargah of Salim Chisti were wet and slimy and we had to walk almost for a km or two to reach it. We were also harungued by beggars on the way and harrassed by persons who would have us perform a number of rituals at the Dargah for our “greater good”.  After navigating our way through the streets and avoiding all overtures we managed to visit the shrine and return intact. Not a very happy experience.

Pushkar was a good one hour drive from Ajmer and the rains again played spoilsport. We also arrived with just a few minutes before closing time. Handbags and mobiles were not permitted in the shrine and we were forced to sacrifice the pleasure of one of our members for the “greater good” of the group. So, we all visited the shrine while the chosen “sacrifice” stood below holding our bags and mobiles. The visit however, was not pleasurable. Slippery mud that caked the marble stairs leading to the shrine made walking hazardous. The narrow passage leading up to the shiva sanctum was dark and extremely crowded. We navigated our way, fearful that a stampede might break out any moment. However, we returned whole.

After lunch we decided to visit the holy sorovar(lake) at Pushkar. Well, not much can be said about it. The lake itself had dried up and there was a small collection of stagnant water that was stored in a small storage area at the bottom of the steps leading up to the lake. We were not tempted to wet our feet or rid ourselves of our sins by stepping into the water.

Since we had a 8 hour drive back to New Delhi, we decided to leave immediately. It was 3 P.M.  We reached Delhi at 11 P.M with a short break of 20 minutes for tea and snacks.

Perhaps the characters in the novel would be amazed if they were to encounter the techies and consultants of today who are struggling to guess the “true name” of websites!  Is this a game for better control of business or……… what?

It is clear that the players of the game “Web Presence” begin with a well defined  set of rules. The rules fall into neat categories–Search Engine optimization, Search engine marketing, Keyword optimized content, link building, Page ranks, site scores, Partnering, affiliating and so on.  Each rule based evaluation produces a tally. The tally and subsequent rank, marks the extent of control or lack of control.

The contest–as usual–is with the opponent–your competition (such fierce competition at that!) to grab positions (page ranks, incoming links etc) and seize assets (keywords, traffic) and wage cyber wars for a variety of reasons–sometimes based on rules and sometimes lawlessly (if you consider the hackers, virus producers etc). The “web presence” or “true name” will also be determined by how effectively and efficiently you win the cyber wars and stand terrorizing the attackers.

On the stands are the hordes of spectators who watch the game and influence it. These are the poeople who blog, twitter, forum or socialize and create the traffic to the site and also discuss among themselves about the merits of the site (with or without reference to the tally). These are people who have something to say about what intersts them and what the “true name” should be.

Ultimately, getting at the “true name” may well prove to be too much to “bite off” and chew….

So, what is your take on that?

It is the testimony of psychologists  that language is a powerful tool that can be exploited to create a cult, brainwash an audience and prompt them to behave in predictable ways. This power of language stems from its ability to communicate, inform, incite, prompt, attract, fascinate and capture the attention of the recipient. In fact, a whole new industry has grown up around this concept of communication through language–it’s referred to as social media consulting. There are  professionals in this industry who make it their business to tell you how you can exploit the power of language in social media sites to reach out to a vast audience and brainwash them into using your product.

In order to make the most effective use of language you need to first develop a customer base that consists of your actual target group. Having done this, you can then use language tools to build content that attracts, informs, prompts and brainwashes your customer base into behavorial modes that bring a business advantage to you! Working with the assistance of content developers, social media consultants and advertisers you will then be able to determine the best ways to exploit the power of communication that is inherent in language and other auditory and visual modes in order to facilitate the maximum recognition and notice for your product. You can also opt for other mediums of mass linguistic communication such as  blogs, microblogs, social networks  and consumer groups in order to reach out to your select audience. In this way you will be able to draw a greater mass into the thrall of your language – in essence creating your own cult!

Sadly, despite its all powerful role, language is often the most underexploited tool! Making language work for you could very well prove to be your greatest advantage yet! Get on the bus now, and you can watch as your erratic customer base transforms itself into an organized, vast, cult-like, mass of loyal  believers!