Trials and Tribulations by Fire

Picture this: A new swanky Maruti Swift, shining in the moonlight. Sounds good, aint it? Well yeah. It has been designed well too. Swift's core contains a 4 cylinder 16 valve DOHC arrangement with a 75bhp performance. The new Maruti Swift VDi has a Common Rail Multi Injection fuel system to boast of. I dont know what this was. Wiki came to my rescue, now I know something. Let me give you gyan. In older diesel engines, a distributor-type injection pump, regulated by the engine, supplies bursts of fuel to injectors which are simply nozzles through which the diesel is sprayed into the engine's combustion chamber. In common rail systems like the engine in Swift, the distributor injection pump is eliminated. Instead an extremely high pressure pump stores a reservoir of fuel at high pressure – up to 2,000 bar (200 MPa, 29,000 psi)[1] – in a "common rail", basically a tube which in turn branches off to computer-controlled injector valves, each of which contains a precision...

I came across this article on a website. I found it rather amusing, so I am reproducing it here. :) Read and enjoy. The biggest problem with us Indians; is our big mouths. We talk too much. But when it comes to action, we're too tired from all that talking to really do anything about anything. Or, we come up with the most ridiculous suggestions. Like the brilliant suggestion our ministry* of (god knows whose) welfare has come up with to solve the burgeoning population and HIV crisis (we are number two and three in the world respectively). Apparently, the best way to fight the problem is to introduce - hold your breaths people (ha, ha) - paan-flavoured condoms. (*While the government is not directly involved - the condoms are being launched by a private body - any such product release will require government approval) Apparently, it's a preference for paan that has led to conclusive conclusions that paan-flavoured condoms will work where other condoms have not. By that logic, a...

Nature has a way of remembering everything. Mother Nature as we call her. It is the power of nature that is considered very potent, and that is worshipped by people who believe in New age religions. Paganism, or being different is simply to understand the flowers, trees, humans, animals around you and responding to their stimuli. This is the basis for pagan worshippers and the establishment for pagan goddesses. Well, did you notice I said goddesses; there are no gods. Err. Yes, nature is female. Not male. So pagan worshippers are also worshippers of the female form. Something like the followers of the Virgin Mary . Now, this was a base for what I wanted to write. I came across something that was shocking for me. I chanced upon a website that led me to a Yahoo group which, well, was for Witches. The list owner was claiming to be a neo-pagan follower and a practising witch, somewhere in Mumbai. Well, tll date, I had seen women who advertised themselves as witches and psychics and said th...

Strange it seems isnt it, the title. Well, I am so shocked and tortured at reading an article about female genital mutilation, this was the first thing that crossed my mind. For the uninitiated, here is a link to the most gruesome practice in the world. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Female_circumcision For people who don't have the patience to go through the entire piece, here is a shorter version. Female genital mutilation or female genital circumcision (FGC), is practised in the African subcontinent and the Middle East, among the Christians and the Muslims. (Well, this is rare in Indian Muslims and Christians! I wonder why.) The one and only reason given for this barbaric practice is that, it enhances the sexual pleasure of the husband! (Guess men, seriously need to grow up.) Here are four important reasons that this practice is still carried out by Muslims and Christians (Arabs and African-origin): The custom involves the "rite of passage" of the young girl child from ...

I received this e-mail from a friend, today. I want to share this with anybody who cares to read via my blog. I want to do this instead of sending 1000 e-mails to my contacts. Shame on Indian Media Dear Editors of HT, TOI, IndianExpress and The Hindu, I got the mail below from a friend of mine and following the unwritten code of conduct, I am forwarding it to my friends but all efforts of people who have been forwarding this mail would go waste if this mail doesn't reach YOU....... Something to think about..!! By the time u guys read this news, the body of Major Manish Pitambare, who was shot dead at Anantnag, would have been cremated with full military honors. On Tuesday, this news swept across all the news channels 'Sanjay Dutt relieved by court'. 'Sirf Munna not a bhai' '13 saal ka vanvaas khatam' 'although found guilty for possession of armory, Sanjay can breath sigh of relief as all the TADA charges against him are withdrawn' Then many personal...

Ever wondered how Aishwarya Rai keeps a hold on all her love handles and handles Abhi baby's love as well! No? well, neither have I. Lets wonder together, and do research. I have found out from a li'l research that the food that you eat is not only connected to the tubeless tires around your hips and waist, but is also connected to your mood swings. Moreso if you are a woman. Welcome to the irritated women club! Some background : Most women secrete hormones called Serotonin . (See image) This is a mood-enhancing hormone. This causes them to be happy, chirpy, and very pleasant. If you exercise during this time, it raises the level of dopamine in your blood stream and gives you a good 'high.' (The effect of lower serotonin levels are evident during your monthly cycle - PMS!). This also explains why we feel slightly elated when we binge on dark chocolates, and food during depression. Voila! Well, for men, it is Dopamine . (See image.) Dopamine is produced in ample quantity...

The building itself is so big that you will get lost in its hugeness. Its like a human mind. The more you try to explore, the more you get lost within its vast confines. The vastness scares us and we run back to familiar ground, to safety. We rarely want to be adventorous, try out new things. The Bank also embodies such stuff. It has a strong habit of sticking to its culture. A culture of rampant promiscuity, jealousy, nepotism, and rage. Aggresiveness is a way of life. Jargons fly like the night flies, without conveying anything that means any sane thing to a human. People live on like there is no tomorrow, in a time wrap. They act as if there brains have been put into a mixer and their minds have been caught in a giant spider web. Time stands still here. Life is scared to rear its head and creativity is a slave to the jargon-throwing giants. The Bank stifles and kills average men and women. Tread at your own risk.

I am going to try this out from tomorrow. Err. Technically from today. Since it is 1:15 a.m, as I write this post, I shall start my resolution from today. But the real test of my mental strength will come in the morning, when I wake up and look at my mobile. Will i be able to withstand the assault? Will I be able to carry out my wishes? Will I do it? Even for a day? I feel I can. Maybe I can. I have displayed a resolute self in the past when I have brushed past nastier things and moved ahead in life. Cant I fight this small urge? But my heart has run away from me. I cant live without my heart, but still my brain has forced my heart to return and reside in my body. The question rises again. How long will it take for my heart to run away again? A minute maybe? Tomorrow I will know. Maybe I am born to be a loser. Aargh. A loser at the hands of my heart. My stupid emotional heart with lots of bad bad LDL in it. I will purge you tomorrow. Am sorry; From tomorrow, you will rise and shine aga...

Look at the picture on the left. Imagine how long it would take any of us to reach this stage. Some of us, with very very unhealthy eating habits, maybe reaching this 'goal' sooner. Many of us hide our fat under layers of clothes. What would you do if you are saddled with tonnes of fat like this. The best option is to opt for liposuction. But this is an option that can be used for extreme cases. Normally, people are overweight or obese, with loads of fat tucked into the thighs, hips, and abdomen. But hardly is any fat visible, and we tend to ignore fat until it disrupts our daily lives. Today, lets see how we can fight this monster called Fat. Most people think it is normal to have loads of fat under the belt or over it. Two-thirds of Americans are either overweight or obese. This gives raise to serious health risks. The location of the fat also plays an important role in health issues. For example, if the excess fat is in the abdomen, slimming down may be the only option to a...

80....79.....78........77......76. This is the number range that scares me to death. I never ever want to cross this range and go the other side. I want to be on the thinner side. The side of lightness, the side of slim-ness, the side where people dont ogle at me if I walk with all my friends around my thigh, hips, and abdomen. People dont like my friends. But I have taken care to make my friends grow bigger and healthier. They are now so big and round. I have given them a staple diet of ghee, sweets, and fried rice. I am blessed with a frame that can easily carry 80 kgs and not show a thing. Unless I undress no "mai ka lal" can make out that I am carrying oodles of fat around me all the time. But recently I had a fight with my friends. We have decided to separate. They are leaving me, one by one. I have some left, but I know they too will leave me. But yes, I am also happy to see them go. They have been making my life miserable. Making me look like 35. I told them so. They u...