Burn Baby Burn....Kurkure Inferno...

Hello again readers.....
ReaderS ....in the plural ? Well I do like to think more than one person reads this crap that I spew forth, but really.

Anywho I'm sure all of you (There I go again pretending I have multiple readers) have received this chain mail or SMS reading "PLZ DONT EAT "KURKURE" because it contains high amount of "PLASTIC" if you don't believe then burn the "KURKURE" and see the "PLASTIC MELTING" and if you haven't yet received it, you must've been living under a rock and you surely need to get out and make more acquaintances.

First it was the Pepsi has Pesticides bullshit and now this, how stupid can we get. I even had patients asking me if Kurkure has been banned by FDA. Now Im the kind of guy who likes to have a pack of Kurkure with his Pepsi and a can of Pepsi with his pack of Kurkure. (Secret of my Health) And just couldn't have this foolishness flying round. So like the multitude of Kurkure lovers I did the inevitable - Burned a couple of 'em Kurkures to check for plastic (Bloody Waste of Good Food im telling you, but in the name of Science it had to be done.)

Here are my findings---

Yup sure as hell it burns, but I couldn't find any plastic melting nor was there any smell of burning Plastic. But it does burn..... so does it mean it has Plastic ?
Come on now people Kurkure is made of Rice meal, Corn meal, Gram meal (all full of starches) and edible Oil all of it mixed together, homogenized and dehydrated, perfect recipe to burn. Of course it gonna burn like kindling, I mean it would be a wonder if it doesn't catch flame.No ?

You don't need to be a scientist and you don't even need to see the HACCP (Hzard Analysis and Critical Control Point) Certificate which the Kurkure Processing plants in Channo(Punjab), Kolkata and Pune have to figure out that all the stuff thats, well.......inflamable..... burns... and need not have plastic in it.

Heaven only knows how this rumour originated, but the kurkure fire was sure fanned into a blazing inferno by these chain sms and mails.

I believe I have done enough Blah..Blah.. to make me look like a Kurkure salesman here. And let me clarify Kurkure (Frito Lay India ) is not paying me to promote it, though if they decide to.. it would surely be welcome.

So the next time this 'Rishi' heads off to the Himalayas he positively must pack Kurkure packs in the luggage. Its become doubley useful --- set it on fire to keep the cold off or Chomp it up to put the fire in the belly out.

'Cheers

Note -- May God grant peace to the poor kurkures burnt in the name of science.

Ganpati Bappa Morya....'Dr. A' Pudchya Varshi Tari Ya !!!

Visarjan day is here again as Mumbai bids adieu to the Bappa amid the usual "Dhan Dhan" of Pune dhol and Nashik dhol sounds, just a thought is there a Mumbai Dhol ? Well never heard of one.

Each year on this day I used to look forward to going to Chowpatty (FYI Morya it is 5-7 mins walk form my house)just to look at the Humongous Idols in procession. It used to be fun in those days, but with the exponential grown of crowds and Hum..Humm 'Funky ass DJs' and even the 5-7 mins walk to Chowpatty taking more and more time (navigating through the sea of devotees) combined with easy viewing of the same on T.V. Live, going to Chowpatty on this day just lost its appeal. Add to that the bomb scare that happens each year, and me begin out on my luck. I just sit on my lazy, fat ass in front of the TV folding my hands reverently each time a new Ganpati Idol is seen, praying like crazy.

From the year before last (Confirmed) a new routine has been associated with this day -- That of waiting for Dr. A (a.k.a Dhondiram) to show up.

Now though I do know Newtons Law of motion (About the object at rest not moving) but still I home the Procrastinator par excellence will for once show up (Its so much fun for Lazy people like me to call others Procrastinators.)

Each year it starts with his sincierest wishes to visit Chowpatty and go Camera-Happy amongst the Ganapatis.
All the Plan of Attack for the Operation 'Bappa Photo Op' is made ready. Watches are syncronised. Routes commited to memory. The Plans are made about what time to come, how to go about the Ganpati Photo session, what time to return and sleep, how to return home. Or the ETA, NAV points, Tiem to take 5, Egress route and the time to RTB is fixed.
On my part I get my room Ready for him to sleep, get a good menu on the table.
But Alas..................the plan's Visarjan Happens even before Bappa's.

Not that he doesn't want to come the poor fellow, but seems like Bappa wont let him LOL
All those idols posed in vain, Another Ganpati Visarjan Came and went sans a good photographer to snap their photos.

All I can really say is Ganpati Bappa Morya....'Dr. A' Pudchya Varshi Tari Ya !!!

Footnote-- If you are wondering who 'Dr. A' is you need your 'Ears' Checked, or may be You can use your 'Nose' to sniff him out, or just try to use your 'Throat' to call out his name. (Wink.....Wink)


Do Check Out this Cool Video on Ganpati Visarjan

GOOGLE CHROME

When Google released its new (and first) browser a few days ago (Chrome), many praised that move or welcomed this new player into the arena, but many others simply were a bit surprised and wondered if a new browser was really needed when this market already features IE, Firefox, Opera, Safari, Konqueror and a plethora of smaller ones. While IE is still leader, those who aren't satisfied with it have a good choice of alternatives, especially in Firefox and Opera.

Being essentially 'underground' these last few weeks I really missed the Initial Hoopla about Google Chrome. Finally Google with its characteristic word of mouth publicity reached me today, via Dr. A or Dhondiram as he has named himself.
Now being a Anti-IE Firefoxee that I am, I was very curious and just had to try it first hand. And being the 'avid' blogger had to review it.
Got it and Installed and typing this through the Chrome window.

The download and install is quite simple, just download the Google Chrome installer (474 KB).Run it….. Wait for some moments, and you will be prompted to the next installation steps. The installation process was really straight forward. Everyone should be able to do it without problems. Anyway, Google Chrome is only available for Windows XP/Vista right now.

After you have it installed, you are able to download some history, bookmarks and settings from other browser installed. Right now, only Mozilla Firefox and Internet Explorer detected. If you do not want to import any bookmarks/settings, you can skip this step, and start running your newly installed Google Chrome.

Cool and Clean Looks

Where is the window title? Well, this is the first thing I notice when I fired up Google Chrome. The bluish color and the window tabs got my attention after that. And, I like how the tabs are displayed! The window icons look so Vista. There are only some icons in the toolbar, and I think they’re easy to be recognized. By having only some icons and small area in the toolbar, we can have a wider space to browse the websites.

Features

• In this initial release, there are some features offered.
• New Tab
• Application shortcuts
• Dynamic tabs
• Crash control
• Incognito mode
• Safe browsing
• Instant bookmarks
• Importing settings
• Simpler downloads

Go to Google Chrome features page for more details and screencasts. I just hope that they will release more features to make our life happier. :)

Why I won’t use it

Now, coming to the most important part of it all.

Why I’ll never use it ?? It’s because Chrome’s EULA wishes to take anything that I type into my browser window (which would include, ahem, this blog entry, any email I access through the Web and just about anything else involving the Internet) and give it to Google for them to use for any purpose.

From the EULA:

11.1 You retain copyright and any other rights you already hold in Content which you submit, post or display on or through, the Services.

Which earlier read

11.1 You retain copyright and any other rights you already hold in Content which you submit, post or display on or through, the Services. By submitting, posting or displaying the content you give Google a perpetual, irrevocable, worldwide, royalty-free, and non-exclusive license to reproduce, adapt, modify, translate, publish, publicly perform, publicly display and distribute any Content which you submit, post or display on or through, the Services. This license is for the sole purpose of enabling Google to display, distribute and promote the Services and may be revoked for certain Services as defined in the Additional Terms of those Services.

I should note that “Services” is defined as “your use of Google’s products, software, services, and web sites,” but this is, to say the least, disingenuous. Anyone who uses Chrome will technically own the copyright, but who needs copyright when the Chrome user effectively gives up her right to distribute this content in all perpetuity and without royalties?

So if Mr. Pandu is using Chrome and types an email to someone, he “owns” the copyright. But Google has the right to use anything that Ms. Oates types into Chrome for any purpose. And if someone reveals highly personal information through Chrome — like, say, the details of one’s sex life, or some very embarrassing incident — Google has the right to reprint this anywhere. And not only do they get to reprint this content, but they can likewise generate revenue from it. Revenue that should, by all rights, go to the person who authored the content in the first place.

There is no Home Button

Cannot use windows to cascade, or arrange vertically the windows (By clicking taskbar and cascade windows or arrange vertically or arrange horizontally.) Its like Chrome window is not a part of windows at all.

In Conclusion

I know, I haven’t explored Google Chrome deeper, but for the first impression it looks good for internet surfing activity. For basic use, it just works. But, since there are other things that can be done from browsers, bloggers might need more than this. Using Mozilla Firefox, we can extend it by installing some add-ons. I might talk too soon about this since Google Chrome has just released few days ago. If you want to try Google Chrome, just download it right away, and feel the different browsing experience.

I just don’t think I’ll be shifting to Chrome so soon, It’s still ‘JAI FIREFOX’ for me at least.