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 Ramadhan Month

 Islamic Science

 Ya-hiya

Ya-Quaom

My Allah

Sounds of Silence

Silence is my best friend.

Being a Lone Star, the Sounds of Silence are my most trusted companion.

And when I heard this song - with the same title - I was instantly attracted to it.

Sung by the duo - Simon and Garfunkel - in the year 1965, it was an instant attraction. This song catapulted them to instant stardom. 

Catch the song which was sung by the duo way back in 1965.

The lyrics of the song are beautiful - check them out below.

And when the duo came back together in 2003 to sing this song, it was yet another standout performance.

Tennis - A Brand's Money Spinner

The Sport of Tennis is not unknown to anyone. 

It is widely followed across the world. The season extends long - starting a few days before the beginning of any new calender year and finishing right at the end of November in that year.

Spiced up with four Grand Slam tournaments - The Australian Open, The French Open, The Wimbledon, and The U.S. Open - the game draws huge eyeballs. And with the sport so popular among the masses, the sponsors also make a beeline to make their presence felt at the tournaments.

Needless to say, the players themselves are considered as models or brand ambassadors for various products. 

Top players are signed by multiple brands. The brands get a lot of visibility and the players rake in the money.

You have the sensational and talented men players like Roger Frederer and Rafael Nadal being ambassadors for top brands. 

Frederer, after his huge success at Wimbledon, is the representative for watch maker Rolex, among others. 

Nadal is the ambassador for various brands like Nike, Quely, Kia etc etc.

The ladies - with their attraction quotient - get a significant number of sponsorship deals.

Maria Sharapova, currently ranked 16th in the world, is the representative for top brands like Tag Heuer, Sony Ericsson, among others. As a goodwill gesture, she is also the ambassador for the UNDP. 

Ana Ivanovic, known for both her game and beauty, has a life time contract with Adidas. Plus she is also the National Ambassador for UNICEF in her native country Serbia.

The Williams sisters - Serena and Venus - promote Nike. And then you have Anna Kournikova, who has not won even a single tennis tournament, but yet manages to get millions in sponsorship deals. This is purely driven by her glam quotient - nothing else.

The sponsors get their brand logos embedded on the merchandise which is used by these icons - the caps, the racquet's, the tennis balls, the clothes, the shoes et all. 

All of this transform into increasing the level of exposure the brands have in the public domain - finally translating into extensive sales.

And then you have brands bringing in celebrities from other fields to rub shoulders with these sporting icons. Such joint events give a boost to the brand and its products.

Nike recently had super model Bar Rafaeli make a appearance with the almost namesake - Rafael Nadal - at the Nike Tennis Prime-time knockout event ahead of the upcoming U.S. Open 2010.

Needless to say, the event got the required attention. Although both Maria Sharapova and Roger Frederer were participating in the event, Team Rafa - Rafael and Rafaeli - were the winners, both on and off the court.

This made me think about one thing. 

I have always wondered whether these lady tennis players were actually sportswomen or super models. With their beauty and grace, they give the fashion models a run for their money.

But if stunner's like Bar Rafaeli join the game of tennis - it won't be long before the people forget about the Sharapova's and the  Ivanovic's. 

You wouldn't know who would win or who would lose. But one thing is certain - the brands would be definite winners.

Traffic Jams

Traffic Jams - These days, it is the most common things in cities and towns.

You must have experienced one on the way to the office. Or one on the way back home. Or one when you are on the way to do something urgent and important.

But these traffic jams give you a sense of hopelessness. When the vehicles in these jams don't move, you feel your life has stopped moving. Needless to say, it results in sheer frustration.

A strong explosion in the number of vehicles on the road - two wheelers, four wheelers et all - is one of the strong reasons for such common traffic jams. 

And with the current rainy season in India, the situation has already compounded. Add poor infrastructure to this position, then you are in a lose-lose situation.

Well, what can you do if you are caught in such a jam?

If you are a passenger, them possibly you can sleep, or read, or talk, or listen to music, or do similar such things. But if you are vehicle driver, you wouldn't have any such options. All you can do is focus on the road - and just hope that the traffic moves quickly.

I remember this one particular incident with a colleague who was on the way to an airport on his way back to India. 

In-spite of starting for the airport a decent four and a half hours before the flight time, he was unable to reach the airport on time. He reached the airport just 10 minutes before the flight departure - but then it was too late to check in and board.

What must have compounded his frustration that day was the fact that he managed to return back to the hotel from the airport in just under 30 minutes.

This incident was in the city of Moscow, the capital of Russia, which also earns the tag of the traffic jam capital of the world.

The situation in India too isn't all that good too - with major cities across India facing similar problems. The issue is more prevalent during the hours when most people go to office and return from office.

A lack of effective mass rapid transit systems in most cities is a contributing factor for such traffic jams. 

But if these kinds of jams were tormenting, then my thoughts go out to those drivers in China who are now caught in a jam of their life.

It would stun you - vehicles have been caught in a traffic jam in China for more than 100 kilometers.

And for how much time? 

For 9 days.

Can you believe that??

Yes. For nine long days, these vehicles, these humble drivers have been caught in a traffic jam.

Check out this news article to read more.

Needless to say, the drivers have been exploited in this traffic jam. The infrastructure has been found lacking. 

And considering the fact that it is happening in the most populous country on earth shows you a sign of the coming times.

And if some news reports have to be beleived, this traffic jam has earned the tag of being the worst ever traffic jam.

All that we can do now is pray that the jam is resolved at the earliest. And the authorities in China take adequate steps to ensure that such a thing does not ever happen. 

And for the rest of the countries - somethings can be learned from this incident to prevent such an occurence in our own nations.

Succession

Succession is a tricky subject.

For a king from the centuries gone by, it meant choosing a heir who would be be the next mogul. For a politician from yesteryears and today, it means choosing a tutelage who would carry forward his or her legacy. For a corporate entrepreneur, it means choosing a successor who would carry forward the organization's vision.

There always comes a time when the king, or the politician, or the corporate leader, must pass on the baton. 

There are two critical points in this activity.

To whom?

And how?

The answer to the first question is - The Successor.

Who is a successor? 

Well, he is a person who is deemed fit to receive the baton. He is the person who is chosen, or elected, or selected, to hold the reins and drive the carriage forward.

But is choosing an successor an easy task?

No. The answer is a strong No.

Choosing a successor is an activity which is fraught with risk. 

A bad king can spoil all the good work done by his forerunner. A poor politician can undo all the benefits created by his predecessor. And an incapable corporate leader can spoil the reputation of the organization.

Choosing a successor is one of the most critical activities which is carried out by a leader.

The next thirty months would be one of the most followed ones for India Inc. 

Two of India's most cherished organizations - Infosys and Tata Group - are looking for successors.

Infosys is a company with a focus on Business Consulting, Information Technology(IT) Services and Outsourcing. It's an organization with revenues of approximately 5 Billion USD, employing more than a 100 thousand people.

Tata Group is India's largest private sector corporate group. It has a wide range of business' in its stable - Steel, Cars, IT and Consultancy, Hotels among others. With revenues of more than 78 Billion USD and employing more than 300 thousand people, it is one of the most respected organizations in India and around the world.

Infosys is a company founded in 1981 with just 250 USD. Under it's visionary leader - N. R. Narayana Murthy - fondly known as NRN - the companies revenues have grown to over 5 Billion USD.

NRN was the CEO of the company for 21 long years. Since then he has been the Chairman. There hasn't been a day in the life of Infosys without NRN.

But all of that will change on 20th Aug 2011 when Mr. Murthy will retire as the non-executive chairman at the age of 65.

For an organization who will be without it's founder for the first time in 30 years, choosing a successor for the post of a Chairman will be a important task - to say the least.

The company will look for someone who can carry forward the vision of the organization. Someone who can be a guiding light for the CEO. 

Someone who can help Infy strengthen its position as a IT bellwether. Someone who will help steer the organization into the league of IBM and Accenture, if not better.

Someone who can be that leading light who will uphold NRN's vision in difficult times. Someone who can be a face of the organization over the world.

The task of choosing the successor would have been simpler if Nandan Nilekeni, another co-founder and it's CEO for 5 years, had not left Infosys to join the Government of India in implementing its Unique Identification Program. 

Read this blog post to understand the risks which were visualized in the transition at Infosys. 

But Infosys is a company which thrives of challenges. And we strongly hope that a leader is chosen who would take forward the company to greater heights.

Tata Group is an organization with a history of more than 142 years. It was founded in the era when the Britisher's ruled India. It has been led by visionary leaders in its years of existence. 

Ratan Tata is it's current leader. He worked in the Tata Group of Companies for 29 long years (from 1962 to 1991) before taking over as the Chairman of the Tata Group.

Tata has been a visionary and the organization has flourished under him. Managing more than 12 leading companies is not an easy task. But Ratan Tata has made it seem simple. 

He recently awed the world by producing a car that costs only 2200 USD. Tata Group has gone for strong foreign acquisitions under his guidance - right from Jaguar Land Rover to the Corus Group of England.

And he is set to retire in December 2012 at the age of 75. 

For an organization who has seen a single leader, a charismatic leader for 20 long years - choosing a successor will not be simple.

Ratan Tata has a vision of transforming the group from a patriarchal concern to an institutional enterprise. 

Making things difficult is that fact that in its 142 year old history, only one non-Tata person has been the chairman of the Tata Group. Another critical point is that a Parsi has always headed the Tata Group. This makes the task of choosing a person from outside Tata Group as the Chairman a bit difficult.

Same is the case with Infosys - with many people favoring someone from within the Company to be it's next Chairman.

But then India Inc has changed its face in the recent years. Investors from across the globe have put in their money counting on the success of these organizations. 

And they would want the best people to succeed these icons. And take these organizations to more glorious heights. 

To a higher pedestal of success - so that they can become the beacons for other corporate organizations in modern India.

And someone out there will be the successor who will lead these organizations to further pinnacles.

Mood Boosters

There are moments of time when nothing seems to be going right for you. 

 

Or things seem to move slowly - so slow that it would even give a complex to the humble snail.

 

There are moments of time when you can't get yourself motivated enough to do the things you need to do - however pressing they are. 

 

These are the times when your mood is not upbeat. 

In such instances, you reach out to something which acts as a Mood Booster. 

 

It may be something which uplifts your spirit. It may be someone who cheers you up. It may be something which makes you feel good about yourself.

Here is a look at my list of Mood Boosters - the one's who increase my feel-good-factor.

At top of the list is a cup of hot coffee or strong tea. It never fails to do its job.

 

Add a small shot of hot chocolate, and you are back to being your normal self. 

My current favorite is a Hot Chocolate Latte - which claims to be "A perfect replacement for a warm tight hug". I wouldn't disagree!!

Coming a close second is a quick chat with a friend. A few moments of personal ramblings always helps.

 

 

With friends, you need not always do the talking. Be a patient listener, hear their thoughts, give them a patient ear, engage them in a small discussion. This has a reciprocal mood lifting effect on yourself - without fail.

Next comes music.

For a music aficionado, music and songs have a habit of pulling you out of your trance. 

A fast song, with dashing beats, can get you going. The wonderfully crafted words can make you feel better again. And the hope painted in the songs makes you realize that things will be better ahead.

And then you have sleep.

A nap for a few hours or a night's sleep is always refreshing.

 

This is the time when you are lost. When you stop thinking about your feelings. When you stop thinking about the world around you. 

Time is a great healer. 

 

Sleep, I think, is a good mood elevator. It helps you forget about the things which caused your mood to go down. 

 

Sleeping like a baby is always refreshing.

And the last one is Nature.

Be it the green grasslands which stretch for miles altogether. Or the blue seas which extend upto infinity. 

Nature has seen a million years or more. Yet, in her lap, everything seems peaceful. And it does have a mood enhancing effect on you.

There will be many more things which help me in such moments of needs. And I am thankful to God Almighty for providing them.

This was my list. What is yours?

Future

She was lost in her thoughts.

A small, broad smile crowned on her face. 

Her eyes were staring at something exceedingly alluring. 

Something extremely attractive had captured her entire attention. 

Now, what was that thing which was lucky enough to be the cynosure of her eyes? 

Well, it was her Future. 

I think she was dreaming about her future.

That had caught her in a spell. 

The spell was so binding that her eyes did not even flutter. The attention was unwavering. 

Future wasn't complaining either. After all, who would mind an attentive stare from a pretty girl. 

People crave for a casual glance. And here she was having a long thoughtful stare.

Like no one else, the future is always lucky enough to find herself at the center of attraction. 

People always think about her. And find her extremely beautiful. More pretty  than the past. More splendid than the present.

The wonderful thoughts of the future made her look more happy. This in turn made her look more ravishing.

The smile on her pretty face broadened as her thoughts progressed. 

And she lost herself further.

Small Savings

All of you must have heard about piggy banks. 

This is a small piece of toy which our parents gave to us to understand the concept of savings. 

Shaped like a small, beautiful pig - they had a small piece of opening at the top. If you would recollect, you could drop a a few coins, which you earned by selling old books or newspapers. Or a crisp new cash note, which you got as a gift on your birthday. 

And when you needed some money, say to buy a gift, your parents would help you open the piggy bank and get the money required to buy the stuff.

With this small piggy bank, millions of children across the world learned the concept of savings. They learned that a penny saved now would be a pound few days later. The excess money you have now can be used in a better way  at a time of need later.

As we are moving from an economy with focus on savings to an economy with a stress on spendings, modern day banks are playing the roles of a piggy bank.

Their customer are not children - but adults, like you and me. 

This small incident would highlight an incident reflecting this idea.

I was at a hair cutting saloon getting a hair cut. Midway though the cut, the guy stopped cutting the hair. A new man had come into the shop.

The shop owner proceeded to the drawer where he kept the day's earning. He took out two hundred rupees and gave it to the new man.

I thought the new man in the shop must be some representative of the local goon - who is collecting his daily or weekly bribe.

But I was left completely surprised when the guy printed a receipt - similar to what you get when you swipe a card at a shop - and handed it over the shop keeper. Now I was left impressed. Have the goons even started giving a receipt  for the bribe they collect?

After the new man left, I checked up with the shop keeper on what was this all about.

That's when he enlightened me by telling that the guy was a bank's agent.

The shop keeper had opened an account with a local bank. An agreement was drawn out to deposit a specific amount of money into the account every day. 

To make matters simpler for such shop keepers, a bank's agent did the rounds around the local shops every evening - collecting their daily deposits.

This way, after earning money every day, the shop keepers deposited a certain amount in the bank account. This ensured that a part of the earnings were always saved. 

No need to procrastinate and wait till the end of the month to deposit the money into the account. Every day, this small process ensured that certain amounts of saving were made - however small. 

And these small savings will go a long way in building a better future for these small shop keepers.

Also, a special credit needs to be given to the banks for providing such wonderful collection facility. Apart from encouraging small savings, they are also doing a huge service to the community.

All of this can be summarized in a single quote - Every drop in the ocean counts.

Fantasies

Everyone loves fantasies.

Why? 

As the name itself suggests, it is an imagination unrestricted by realities. Without any boundaries. Where nothing is impossible. Where logic defying things are the norm of the day.

It takes us far far away from this real world, into an imaginary existence which we think would not be possible to realize in our living times.

Six years back, a friend introduced me to the wonderful world of Harry Potter. 

Harry Potter was already global phenomenon. 

J.K. Rowling had already published five best seller books in the Harry Potter Series. All over the world, these books had set the imagination on fire in people belonging to all age groups - kids to elders.

Needless to say, I too was instantly attracted to the magical world of witches and wizards, muggles and death eaters. 

The fondness developed for the series was so intense that the I managed to read the entire set of five books (those were the set which were published when I joined Harry potter club) within a span of a month. And that was after working for twelve hours a day.

This translated into an anticipated wait for the next two books of the series - including the final one. 

From guessing the names of the books to decoding what the names meant, (when only the name of the book was released a few months before the books itself hit the bookshelves), it was a wonderful journey.

The wait for the last two books was amazingly intense. By God's grace, the books were read within two days of its publishing. Thanks to the internet and PDF.

Such was the love for Harry Potter, Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley. Such was the desire to know more about the Dark Lord. Such was the need to see and read the victory of good over evil. 

One thing that stood out about the Harry Potter series was the author's narration. The story line was astonishingly descriptive. The imagination was beyond comparison. From games to battles, from detesting relatives to loving friends and lovers, the story had everything. And this made it a best seller.

Moving on, the next fantasy story which caught my attention was - The Chronicles of Narnia.

This was a movie which I missed seeing. And this is a book which I am yet to read.

But I am so intrigued by the name, that every-time I visit a bookstore, I always decide that this is one book I should read. 

However, I have never managed to read this story till date. But certainly I hope that I get an oppurtunity to read this book. And transfer myself into another world of fantasies.

And finally, coming onto the rage of the day - the Twilight series.

Until recently, I was an outsider in the world of Twilight. My knowledge was limited to the name of the book's author and its the lead stars of the movie adaption of the book - Kirsten Stewart and Robert Pattinson.

I has also read a few articles - describing how a book meant for kids was becoming a huge attraction among middle-aged ladies.

This is not something new to fantasy stories. They have a habit of attracting one and all.

My mind started contemplating between two options - reading the book and  watching the movie. The first option was holding more weight.

But things took turn for the better recently, when a friend insisted that I would never ever be able to find time to read the book. It would have been foolish of me not to agree with her. And that's when I decided to check out the movies of the Twilight series.

Two nights - four hours. That's my knowledge of the series. But I am already a big fan of Twilight.

The story had more of a human interface than Harry Potter. But it is equally intriguing, if not better.

If Dracula made vampires a rage, Twilight has made them into a cult. 

If the movie "Wolf" made werewolves a furor, Twilight has made them into a fad.

The story showcases several important facets of life like - love among unlikely people to hatred among similar people.

The story is fast, the relationships are complex. The hatred is continuously brimming and the Love is never ending . Its a perfect mix of fantasy and romance. 

And in the age of reality shows, this fantasy series - with its wonderful storyline, realistic characters which you can identify with, smart and beautiful vampires you would like to associate with and love you would like to take and give, has become an instant hit.  

I have one more movie to go - to ensure that I am upto date. I hope that it is quick.

And thank God for bringing such wonderful writers into our world. Thanks to them, we can escape reality into the realms of fantasies.

Maslow's Hierarchy of Internet Needs

The internet, since its inception in 1969, has been a trend, an utility, which has influenced our life.

For some, like those in Africa, it is a privilege. And for others, like those in America, it is a necessity. 

The penetration of the internet has been steadily increasing. This is definitely for the good, as the vast amount of knowledge, and information, contributed by the internet, among other factors, would go onto improve the lifestyle of people.

If we consider the current internet statistics, as on 30th June 2010, Asia leads the continents in terms of absolute volume of internet penetration.

But if you consider relative percentages, in terms of the population of the respective continents, America leads the pack.

This goes onto show that the penetration of the internet in a particular continent is closely linked to the lifestyle of its people, to their wealth and abundance.

We strongly look forward to the day when each and every thinking individual in this world would have basic access to the internet. This would be the day when everyone would be considered as empowered and can have equal access to the information and opportunities created by the internet.

But then, why do we need the internet for?

This can be illustrated by Maslow's Hierarchy of Internet Needs.

So what does Maslow propose?

At the very base of the pyramid, stand the "Cats". He says that internet users come looking for funny pictures of cats. 

This may have been the case a few years back. But even today, searching for photographs and pictures is one of the primary usages of internet.

Next comes social networking. 

Man is a social animal. In the old age, meeting up socially was considered to be a norm for keeping in touch with acquaintances. 

In this fast forward age of the internet, networking socially is considered to be the order of the day. Needless to say, you have a host of social networking sites to assist you in this - including the current rage, Facebook.

Next comes something whose popularity need not even be mentioned. 

You can understand the mass of people looking for this information when you will find out that there are approximately 193 million results for this query in Google. 

And the results are bound to grow going ahead. Unless all people decide to practice celibacy.

People also look for answers for addressing their shortcomings on the internet. 

All of us have certain shortcomings. Self Introspection can provide answers to resolve them. But many a times, we have little faith in what our mind says to us. 

Thankfully, we have someone to answer of queries, and to resolve the intricate questions of our mind. It is the internet.

Next comes knowledge search.

People across all age groups, right from students, professionals, adolescents  come looking for something which will increase their knowledge base. 

This might help students do better in their studies, or help professionals do nicely at their jobs, or help adolescents to improve their lifestyle. This is one of the strongest benefits of the internet.

At the summit of Maslow's pyramid is Productivity.

Once the other lower level needs are satisfied, the man will aim for realization of this need - the need of self actualization.

Frankly, I did not understand how this need relates to the internet. Have to end this blog post on an incomplete note. :-( :-(.

But leaving things incomplete is not a good thing. So I need to make a resolve to complete this last part once I understand this better. And I strongly hope that it is soon.

Why Do We Love?

Love is a complex emotion.

Not that I have a Ph.D. in the science of Love to explain its fundamentals.

Every person can possess several traits.

But many a times, you would find yourself loving someone in spite of that individual lacking some or many of these traits.

This is usually easy to feel, but difficult to explain.

Until someone told this to me, recently.

We love not because but despite...

Need I say more??

Distracting Billboards

Any city across the world is dotted with billboards. Products consider them as simple ways of reaching their target audience.

In big cities, the billboards get bigger, more bolder and dashing. And sometimes distracting.

I came across two news articles last week, where such billboards - from London to Los Angeles - are set to distract drivers.

The first one is an advertisement for the shoe major - Reebok. The British supermodel - Kelly Brook - is posing in nothing but a pair of Reebok shoes.

Needless to say, the advertisement is bound to garner attention. But the sad fact is that drivers of vehicles - like the bicycle rider in the picture above - are  bound to get distracted from what they are supposed to do - drive!!.

The product is bound to get attention - courtesy Miss Brook, and see its sales sky rocketing. 

God forbid, if an unfortunate accident occurs, and is later attributed to this billboard, it would negatively impact the product. It can also have an damaging impact on future sales.

Previous research by Canadian scientists found that accident rates rise by up to 50% after advertising hoardings were erected at busy junctions, highlighting the dangers of roadside distractions.

But maybe its the short term benefits which make the products take up such sizzling and risky advertisements.

Moving to Los Angeles. 

The Israeli model, Bar Refaeli, is supposed to have shot an advertisement for the swim wear range Agua Bendita.

The pictures of the photo-shoot are out. The billboards are not yet in place.

But then, when these billboards will dot the LA skyline, they are bound to deflect the driver attention from their primary job - driving!! And result in bumper to bumper traffic jams.

At one end of the spectrum, you have the Government agencies banning usage of cellphones while driving.  Why? Because they are found to have distracting effects on the drivers.

But then why cant these same agencies ban these distracting advertisements dotting the skyline?

Well, the reason is that we live in a highly commercialized age.

Products invest huge bucks in their development. And to get back the money and make a decent profit, they need to sell. Advertisements are a must to make the people aware of the product. And such advertisements are considered to be a sure fire way of gaining the required attention.

Here is a look at some of such billboards which have had an distracting effect on the drivers across the world.

First one is a Megan Fox ad for Emporio Armani in LA.

Now, Armani is a brand which has a name and a reputation. But yet it had to rely on such sultry advertisements to sell. Was it needed?

Maybe, Yes. Maybe, No.

Next is an advertisement for a lingerie brand.

The brand probably decided to sell it's product with an attractive advertisement, but later realized that its advertisement could have some detrimental effects on the drivers.

They came up with a pair of attractive billboards.

Although the last billboard had a few words of caution, those words wouldn't have had the required impact. How can you keep your eyes on the road when the words of caution are on the billboard itself?

After all, have the number of smokers in the world reduced even though the tobacco companies have been displaying words of caution prominently on their products?

Well, you know the answer.

One thing is sure. Such advertisements are not going to stop. If you are a driver, beware of taking off your eyes from the road to have a look at the advertisements.

But maybe a stop at the red signal can be a good alternative to check out the attractive advertisements. But then, don't let these billboards distract your attention for long. After all, it is nothing but visual delight.

Environmental Fury

Over the past few months, one environmental flash point after another has garnered attention. And has shaken the world.

The attention isn't unwarranted. It has made an impact, usually bad to worse, on the people living in the region where it occurred.

It just goes onto show that we are living in extremely fragile environmental conditions.

The year 2010 started with a serious and damaging earthquake in the American nation of Haiti. The quake - measuring 7.0 on the Richter scale - struck Haiti on 12th January, 2010 - killing 230000 people. It injured another 300000 and left several thousand people homeless.

Haiti in itself is a very poor nation :-(. And this was a back breaking quake. It compounded the misery of her people. 

The situation hasn't changed 6 months down the line. In July 2010, CNN news anchors travelled to Port-au-Prince, the Haitian capital, only to report - "It looks like the quake just happened yesterday".

God save and help the Haitians.

Fast forward to Moscow, Russia. Circa Feb 2010.

Russia is a nation which is used to cold weather and snow.

But on 23rd Feb 2010, Moscow witnessed record snowfall -  approx. 67 centimeters or 25 inches in a single day. By some comparisons, it was twice the snowfall received by Washington D.C. this winter.

It beat the previous record - which was set 40 years earlier.

People just asked one question  - "Global Warming? Where is Global Warming?".

You would think, Russia is getting colder. Nope. That's not the case. You would have to rethink as you read further.

Shifting focus to United States of America, the richest nation in the world.

Some things are out of control of humans. But then you have some, like the BP oil spill, which are created by men.

On 20th April 2010, there was a spill from the sea floor oil gusher in a BP oil well in the Gulf of Mexico. It killed 11 people at that very moment and injured 17 others.

But it caused real destruction by spilling about 4.9 million barrels of oil. This was a major environmental disaster. It caused severe damage to marine and wild life. It destroyed the tourism and fishing industry.

You can sense the gravity of the disaster with this picture - taken by a NASA satellite.

Several endangered species living in the Gulf are considered to be at risk, even today.

It was just 20 days earlier that the oil spill was plugged, thereby avoiding further damage.

It's not that kind of disaster wherein you can clear off the damage easily. This is one which is bound to have a significant and detrimental  effect on the entire economy and lifestyle for years to come.

Going back to Moscow again.

It's July 2010. Just five months after the record shattering snowfall.

Can you imagine yourself sweating in cold Moscow??

Well, that was the case in July 2010 as a huge heat wave swept across the Russian capital.

The temperatures hovered across 35-40 degrees centigrade.

That is a complete 65 degree shift from the -25 degree centigrade temperature in winter, just a few months back. I think it is a very difficult thing to get adjusted to for the Muscovites.

This heat wave beat the previous record set 60 years back.

But this set of another crisis in terms of wild bush fires. The worst wildfires have resulted in the death of 52 people and has left several thousands of people homeless as entire villages becked with wooden homes burned down.

Air pollution has surged to five times the normal level. Smog has blanketed the Moscow skyline.

The wildfires have even threatened Russia military sites. The missiles have been moved to safe places. There is also a risk of the fire reactivating contamination in the area affected by the 1986 Chernobyl disaster.

Moving onto the Indian sub continent.

The monsoon season is in full swing in the Indian sub continent.

Pakistan has had to bear the fury of the monsoon with the floods. The worst floods in 80 years have killed 1600 people and have affected millions.

The destruction has been massive. With limited resources at the disposal of the Government to aid the people, the misery of her people has been compounded.

And on 6th August 2010, a cloudburst in Leh, India has resulted in death of 130 people. Another 600 people are considered to be missing and are feared to have been washed away.

The cloudburst resulted in heavy rains and flash floods. This has resulted in massive destruction of one of the most scenic places in India.

Hope our wonderful earth is spared of such environmental furies going ahead.