Friday, December 22, 2006

Hydropolis, The World's First Underwater Hotel in Dubai



Hydropolis will be the world's first luxury underwater hotel. Currently under construction in Dubai, it will include three elements: the land station, where guests will be welcomed, the connecting tunnel, which will transport people by train to the main area of the hotel, and the 220 suites within the submarine leisure complex. It is one of the largest contemporary construction projects in the world, covering an area of 260 hectares, about the size of London's Hyde Park. It is estimated to cost $550Million. Read More...



Thoughts on John Chow's Website

I stumbled upon a website called John Chow just a couple of months ago and I have fallen in love with it. John Chow lives in Vancouver, Canada a country I still have not been to. I live in Dubai, UAE the other side of the world! His site should be of interest to any one who has just started blogging, has adsense on his site, is thinking of SEO optimization or is interested in the latest dot come happenings. One of the things that he writes is how to make money with a blog. I think his site is aptly titled ‘The Miscellaneous Ramblings of a Dot Com Mogul’. Consider this: he is at the helm of The TechZone, TTZMedia and Digitalgrabber. The TechZone is one of the largest computer hardware review sites on the net, with over 600,000 unique visitors per month. He started most of these out of passion and nothing more. That explains for his success. When you do things with passion your odds of success are higher. His personal website Johnchow.com gets a whopping 200,000 unique visitors a month. His site has a technorati rating of 1529, not a mean task by any standard. However; according to a reviewer at www.desinotes.com for 200,000 visitors John Chow’s earnings should be higher than what it is now.

What I love about John Chow’s website is his own original thoughts and his straightforward and down to earth style of writing. His posts keep you abreast of the latest internet happenings. It is one thing to fill up a site with copied content and another to reach a stage where you come up with one new thought or idea every day. John Chow is able to do that today. I make it a point to visit his site once a day since I know there is something interesting or original. I also like the fact that John Chow shares his very personal life on his site. In my view it gives that personal touch which is necessary for a blog’s success. There is a lot that I have learnt from his site but have not as yet started implementing since my blog is new and I first want to build up good content. I love the way he reviews his monthly earnings. He writes about it and analyses the channels of his income. He is one of those elite bloggers who perhaps does not need another source of employment. I suppose he can make a living with his blog income. There was a payperpost request to do a review of his site, but I have not bothered to check it. I am doing this because I like his site more than anything else. I would have done a write-up of his site sooner or later because he deserves it.

The proof of his success and popularity can be gauged from the fact that he has already got close to 2,000 referral sign ups for the newly launched AGLOCO of which he is positive (just like me, but I have managed to get only referral so far, tips required here John!). I recently received a mail from AGLOCO which has given him the second rank in referrals. Amazing! When Alladvantage was launched a few years ago John made a killing.

I thought the hi-fi car on the header of his website is not the perfect representation of his site. But perhaps he is saying that he loves the good things of life like the sports car that he displays; doing what he loves which is blogging.

To summarize, what I like about his site:
1. Great original content and an elegant looking site without much clutter.
2. His easy thought flow and style of writing.
3. Up do date info about the latest geek or dotcom happenings, most of which I would'nt know if I did not check his site.
4. Great ideas about how to make money with a blog. Very useful tips and tricks for monetizing a blog.
5. Continuous interesting posts on a daily basis. Arouses curiosity and makes you want to go to his site and check.
6. Personal touch to his site where he shares his personal thoughts like charity, his family etc.

I have to tell John one thing though – His posts have a lucid style no doubt, but many a time there are a couple of grammatical errors in them. I could show at least one mistake in terms of grammar in most of his posts. Make a more thorough grammar check, John before you put your writings on the site. I am particular about grammar! Other than this there is nothing else I can complain about. Accept my compliments John. You are good at what you do. Good luck to you. Keep up the tempo. I am predicting more successful days for you on the World Wide Web.

Wednesday, December 20, 2006

Real Estate Scene in Dubai, UAE




Dubai Real estate is a booming industry; offering a treasure to investors, expatriates and locals in terms of residential, commercial, luxury, and premium property. Dubai offers a unique opportunity for investment, with the presence of free-trade zones, rising tourism (over 50 four and five star hotels) and a GDP that increases at an average of 7.5% per year.The reasons are countless for an entrepreneur or an investor to consider Dubai for solid investment. During last three years Dubai has emerged as the ultimate destination for international and local property investors. This boom was triggered by the ‘freehold property scheme’, unveiled in 2003 by Dubai government, allowing foreigners to own property for life, with the right to sell, lease or rent it at their own will. Along with this, the increase in population, flourishing tourism and readily available mortgage facilities from banks and financial institutions have given vent to an extraordinary real estate boom in Dubai.

Real estate projects of almost $30 billion are currently under development in Dubai.These projects include some of the world’s most spectacular and awe-inspiring architectural wonders. The world’s tallest building; being developed by Emaar Properties and called ‘The Burj Dubai’ is scheduled for completion in December 2008. Although the final height is a secret but it is said that when complete it will be close to 800 meters tall (around 2600 feet). Based on this height, the total number of habitable floors is expected to be around 162. However it is rumored that the final height is now increased to 916 meters as of a posting on September 28th, 2006. Upon its completion in 2008 the Burj Dubai will likely become the tallest building in the world. It will beat out the current title holder, Taipei 101 in Taiwan, as well as numerous other proposals including the Freedom Tower at New York City's World Trade Center, the Shanghai World Financial Center and the Fordham Spire. In addition, it will assume the title of the world's tallest structure, surpassing the tallest freestanding structure (on land), Toronto's CN Tower, as well as the guyed KVLY-TV mast in North Dakota, the latter setting a minimum height for the tower at almost 630 m. The lead architect of Burj Dubai is Adrian Smith of the Chicago office of Skidmore, Owings and Merrill. The interior of the building will be decorated by Giorgio Armani. It will also feature the world's fastest elevator, at 18 m/s (65 km/h, 40 mph). The world's current fastest elevator is in the Taipei 101 office tower, Taipei, Taiwan, at 16.83 m/s (60.6 km/h, 37.5 mph). Burj Dubai is being constructed on Sheikh Zayed Road, just after the first interchange and it will be surrounded by a man-made lake. It will also be surrounded by a combination of residential, commercial, hotel, entertainment and leisure outlets, along with open green spaces, water features, and pedestrian boulevards.The world’s largest shopping mall which will be called the ‘Dubai Mall’ will cover a total of 12 million square feet. The biggest theme park and an indoor ski resort are also coming up. The mall is being built by Emaar Properties and was scheduled to be completed in 2006, claiming to be the size of 50 "international-sized soccer pitches". It is now expected to be completed in 2008. Currently, the largest mall in the world is believed to be the South China Mall in Dongguan, China, spreading over 9.6 million ft².Al Nakheel properties is developing the ‘The Palm’ and ‘The World’ which are two colossal man-made island projects, visible from space, and the most expensive square kilometer of real estate on the earth. Emaar Properties has developed several properties like the The Greens, The Meadows, The Springs, Dubai Marina, Arabian Ranches, Jumeirah Beach Residence, The New Dubai, International City, are other wonderful projects in the list of Dubai mega real estate projects.As a good long-term investment, investors are increasingly tending to view housing and real estate in Dubai. This interest has been prompted by some efficient and flexible factors, such as comparatively affordable real estate price options, excellent quality of life, an open and tax free society, ultra-modern infrastructure, political stability, cosmopolitan lifestyle, world-class entertainment events, international sporting events and above all an extreme sense of security (a virtually crime-free environment).And Dubai is still sailing towards further growth; the government is concentrating on creating job opportunities and bringing in skilled workers and professionals, as well as tourists to support its people-based economy. The current construction and real estate boom is expected to continue for years to come.No wonder, Dubai has become the synonym for comfort and extravagant living with a wide array of new properties flourishing in the region. Dubai is no more a parched dry land but luxuriant with many amazing parks, brilliantly landscaped lawns and lush greenery. Experience the most modern and debonair life style without compromising on the old traditions and customs of the Arab World. The new properties promise the most exhilarating and thrilling living experiences within an environment-friendly habitat.Living in Dubai within an eco-friendly ambiance and experiencing the absolute luxury life style is no more a dream. Life in Dubai is no more arid but wonderful and fascinating with all its new magnificent residential structures. You can live your life in style within the verdant foliage, amazing parks and the landscaped lawns.

Tuesday, December 19, 2006

Monday, December 18, 2006

When Fuel Prices Get Too High...




Marzipan Sugar Babies!


Amazing, it's SUGAR!!!

Folks: These might be made of cake frosting but who could take a bite?
You might appreciate these. Truly amazing and they are made of frosting!
THIS WOMAN IS DEFINITELY TALENTED.....

Marzipan Babies
Thought you'd be as fascinated with these as I.
These are made with marzipan....really unbelievable!
While some of the faces may look "crafted" rather than "real", every detail is amazing, and the rest looks VERY real. Be blessed and enjoy the talent given one person by God.

Definition of Marzipan
Almond paste: a sweet paste made of ground almonds and sugar, often with egg whites or yolks, used as a layer in cakes or molded into ornamental shapes

UNBELIEVABLE!





Some Facts about Bangalore... Did You Know This?

As a person hailing from karnataka any news about Bangalore naturally arouses my curiosity. I came across this and found it interesting...
  1. Bangalore has the impeccable record of highest growth in 20 years.(as of 2005)
  2. Bangalore has highest number of Pubs in Asia.
  3. Bangalore has highest number of cigarette smokers in India.
  4. Bangalore has the highest number of software companies in India 242, followed by Hyderabad -178, Pune - 127. Hence called the Silicon Valley of India.
  5. Bangalore has 21 engineering colleges, which is highest in the world in any given city.
  6. Bangalore University has 57 Engineering Colleges affiliated to it, which is highest in the world.
  7. Bangalore is the only city in the world to have commercial and defence airport operating from the same strip.
  8. Bangalore was the first city in India to receive electricity.
  9. Bangalore has highest number of Public sectors and Government organizations in India.
  10. Bangalore University has highest number of students going Abroad for higher studies taking the first place from IIT-Kanpur.
  11. Bangalore has only 41% of local population(i.e.Kannadigas). Hence a true cosmopolitan with around 21% Tamilians, 15% Telugites, 11% Keralites, 6% Europeans, 6% a mixture of all races.
  12. Bangalore Police has the reputation of being the second best in India after New Delhi Police.
  13. Bangalore has the highest density of traffic in India.
  14. Bangalore has the highest number of 2-wheelers in the world and also the dubious reputation for the highest 2-wheeler thefts.
  15. Bangalore is considered the Fashion Capital of East.
  16. Bangalore is rated one of the Cleanest cities in India.
  17. Bangalore has produced the maximum International Sports persons in India for all sports ahead of even Mumbai and Delhi.
  18. Bangalore has the richest people in India. The line of poverty is the least of all cities of the world.
  19. Bangalore's Lalbagh botanical gardens is credited to have one of the most diverse man made collection of flora.
  20. Bangalore has produced the highest number of professionals in USA almost 60% of the Indian population abroad is from Bangalore (except Gulf).

Sunday, December 17, 2006

Bill Gates Speech At An American School

Bill Gates recently gave a speech at a High School about 11 things they did not and will not learn in school. He talks about how feel-good, politically correct teachings created a generation of kids with no concept of reality and how this concept set them up for failure in the real world.

Fact1: Life is not fair - get used to it!
Fact 2: The world won’t care about your self-esteem. The world will expect you to accomplish something BEFORE you feel good about yourself.
Fact 3: You will NOT make $60, 000 a year right out of high school. You won’t be a vice-president with a car phone until you earn both.
Fact4: If you think your teacher is tough, wait till you get a boss.
Fact 5: Flipping burgers is not beneath your dignity. Your Grandparents had a different word for burger flipping: they called it opportunity.
Fact 6: If you mess up, it’s not your parents’ fault, so don’t whine about your mistakes, learn from them.
Fact 7: Before you were born, your parents weren’t as boring as they are now. They got that way from paying your bills, cleaning your clothes and listening to you talk about how cool you thought you were. So before you save the rain forest from the parasites of your parent’s generation, try delousing the closet in your own room.
Fact8: Your school may have done away with winners and losers, but life HAS NOT. In some schools, they have abolished failing grades and they’ll give you as MANY TIMES as you want to get the right answer. This doesn’t bear the slightest resemblance to ANYTHING in real life.
Fact 9: Life is not divided into semesters. You don’t get summers off and very few employers are interested in helping you FIND YOURSELF. Do that on your own time.
Fact 10: Television is NOT real life. In real life, people actually have to leave the coffee shop and go to jobs.
Fact 11: Be nice to nerds. Chances are you’ll end up working for one

Nice Moral: The Wooden Spoon

I guarantee you will remember the tale of the Wooden Bowl tomorrow, a week from now, a month from now, a year from now.

A frail old man went to live with his son, daughter-in-law, and four-year old grandson. The old man’s hands trembled, his eyesight was blurred, and his step faltered. The family ate together at the table.

But the elderly grandfather’s shaky hands and failing sight made eating difficult. Peas rolled off his spoon onto the floor. When he grasped the glass, milk spilled on the tablecloth.

The son and daughter-in-law became irritated with the mess. “We must do something about father,” said the son. “I’ve had enough of his spilled milk, noisy eating, and food on the floor.”

So the husband and wife set a small table in the corner. There, Grandfather ate alone while the rest of the family enjoyed dinner. Since Grandfather had broken a dish or two, his food was served in a wooden bowl!

When the family glanced in Grandfather’s direction, sometime he had a tear in his eye as he sat alone. Still, the only words the couple had for him were sharp admonitions when he dropped a fork or spilled food.

The four-year-old watched it all in silence.

One evening before supper, the father noticed his son playing with wood scraps on the floor. He asked the child sweetly, “What are you making?” Just as sweetly, the boy responded, “Oh, I am making a little bowl for you and Mama to eat your food in when I grow up.” The four-year-old smiled and went back to work.

The words so struck the parents so that they were speechless. Then tears started to stream down their cheeks. Though no word was spoken, both knew what must be done.

That evening the husband took Grandfather’s hand and gently led him back to the family table. For the remainder of his days he ate every meal with the family. And for some reason, neither the husband nor the wife seemed to care any longer when a fork was dropped, milk spilled, or the tablecloth soiled.

On a positive note, let’s realize that, no matter what happens, how bad it seems today, life does go on, and it will be a better tomorrow.

You learn that you can tell a lot about a person by the way he/she handles three things: a rainy day, lost luggage, and tangled Christmas tree lights.

You learn that, regardless of your relationship with your parents, you’ll miss them when they’re gone from your life.

You learn that making a “living” is not the same thing as making a “life.”

You learn that life sometimes gives you a second chance.

You learn that you shouldn’t go through life with a catcher’s mitt on both hands. You need to be able to throw something back.

You learn that if you pursue happiness, it will elude you. But, if you focus on your family, your friends, the needs of others, your work and doing the very best you can, happiness will find you.

You learn that whenever you decide to do something with an open heart, you usually make the right decision.

You learn that even when you have pains, you don’t have to be one.

You learn that every day, you should reach out and touch someone.

People love that human touch — holding hands, a warm hug, or just a friendly pat on the back.

You learn that you still have a lot to learn!

Pass this on to everyone you care about ……I just did.

You are An Indian When...

Some Humor...Received via email...see how many of these describe you!

1. Everything you eat is savored in garlic, onion and tomatoes.

2. You try and reuse gift wrappers, gift boxes, and of course aluminum foil.

3. You are standing next to the two largest size suitcases at the Airport.

4. You arrive one or two hours late to a party - and think it’s normal.

5. You peel the stamps off letters that the Postal Service missed to mark up.

6. You recycle Wedding Gifts.

7. You name your children in rhythms (example, Sita & Gita, Ram & Shyam)

8. All your children have pet names, which sound nowhere close to their real names.

9. You take Indian snacks anywhere it says “No Food Allowed”

10. You talk for an hour at the front door when leaving someone’s house.

11. You load up the family car with as many people as possible.

12. You use plastic to cover anything new in your house whether it’s the remote control, VCR, carpet or new couch.

13. Your parents tell you not to care what your friends think, but they won’t let you do certain things because of what the other “Uncles and Aunties” will think.

14. You buy and display crockery, which is for special occasions, which never happen.

15. You have a vinyl tablecloth on your kitchen table.

16. You use grocery bags to hold garbage.

17. You keep leftover food in your fridge in as many numbers of bowls as possible.

18. Your kitchen shelf is full of jam jars, varieties of bowls and plastic utensils (got free with some household items).

19. You carry a stash of your own food whenever you travel (and travel means any car ride longer than 15 minutes).

20. You own a rice cooker or a pressure cooker.

21. You fight over who pays the dinner bill.

22. You live with your parents and you are 40 years old.(And they prefer it that way).

23. You don’t use measuring cups when cooking.

24. You never learnt how to stand in a queue.

25. You can only travel if there are 5 persons at least to see you off or receive you whether you are travelling by bus, train aeroplane.

26. You only make long distance calls after 11 p.m.

27. If you don’t live at home, when your parents call, they ask if you’ve eaten, even if it’s midnight.

28. You call an older person you never met before “uncle.”

29. When your parents meet strangers and talk for a few minutes, you discover you’re talking to a distant cousin.

30. Your parents don’t realize phone connections to foreign countries have improved in the last two decades, and still scream at the top of their lungs when making foreign calls.

31. You have bed sheets on your sofas so as to keep them from getting dirty.

32. It is embarrassing if your wedding has less than 600 people.

33. All your Tupperware is stained with food color.

34. You have drinking glasses made of steel.

35. You have mastered the art of bargaining in shopping.