Anand Nataraj

Archive for June, 2009

Like any other citizen I’m eagerly following all buzz on Budget 2009 as my stakes are high individually and officially. One way I’m relieved that P.Chidambaram is no longer a Finance Minister as he is known for increasing tax slabs and for introducing new taxes. Fridge Benefit Tax and Services Tax are some of his brain child which got much criticism and added to people woes.

Current Finance Minister is a seasoned politician and he is not entirely new for this portfolio… Infact he will be presenting his 4^th budget… So these are my expectations from PranabJI… 

• Extend tax holiday for STPI…
• It would be better to abolish Fringe Benefit Tax…
• Tax exemption on Personal Income can be raised to 2 Lacks…
• Cess tax on Service / Sales tax can be removed…

These are some simple request I place in front of our Finance Minister…

This is interesting. After Reading this, you’ll never look at a banana in the same way again. Bananas. Containing three natural sugars – sucrose, fructose and glucose combined with fiber, a banana gives an instant, sustained and substantial boost of energy. Research has proven that just two bananas provide enough energy for a strenuous 90-minute workout. No wonder the banana is the number one fruit with the world’s leading athletes. But energy isn’t the only way a banana can help us keep fit. It can also help overcome or prevent a substantial number of illnesses and conditions, making it a must to add to our daily diet.

Depression: According to a recent survey undertaken by MIND amongst people suffering from depression, many felt much better after eating a banana. This is because bananas contain tryptophan, a type of protein that the body converts into serotonin, known to make you relax, improve your mood and generally make you feel happier.

PMS: Forget the pills – eat a banana. The vitamin B6 it contains regulates blood glucose levels, which can affect your mood.

Anemia: High in iron, bananas can stimulate the production of hemoglobin in the blood and so helps in cases of anemia.

Blood Pressure: This unique tropical fruit is extremely high in potassium yet low in salt, making it the perfect to beat blood pressure. So much so, the US Food and Drug Administration has just allowed the banana industry to make official claims for the fruit’s ability to reduce the risk of blood pressure and stroke.

Brain Power: 200 students at a Twickenham (Middlesex) school were helped through their exams this year by eating bananas at breakfast, break, and lunch in a bid to boost their brain power. Research has shown that the potassium-packed fruit can assist learning by making pupils more alert.

Constipation: High in fiber, including bananas in the diet can help restore normal bowel action, helping to overcome the problem without resorting to laxatives.

Hangovers: One of the quickest ways of curing a hangover is to make a banana milkshake, sweetened with honey. The banana calms the stomach and, with the help of the honey, builds up depleted blood sugar levels, while the milk soothes and re-hydrates your system.

Heartburn: Bananas have a natural antacid effect in the body, so if you suffer from heartburn, try eating a banana for soothing relief.

Morning Sickness: Snacking on bananas between meals helps to keep blood sugar levels up and avoid morning sickness.

Mosquito bites: Before reaching for the insect bite cream, try rubbing the affected area with the inside of a banana skin. Many people find it amazingly successful at reducing swelling and irritation.

Nerves: Bananas are high in B vitamins that help calm the nervous system. Overweight and at work? Studies at the Institute of Psychology in Austria found pressure at work leads to gorging on comfort food like chocolate and crisps. Looking at 5,000 hospital patients, researchers found the most obese were more likely to be in high-pressure jobs The report concluded that, to avoid panic-induced food cravings, we need to control our blood sugar levels by snacking on high carbohydrate foods every two hours to keep levels steady

Ulcers: The banana is used as the dietary food against intestinal disorders because of its soft texture and smoothness. It is the only raw fruit that can be eaten without distress in over-chronicler cases. It also neutralizes over-acidity and reduces irritation by coating the lining of the stomach.

Temperature control: Many other cultures see bananas as a “cooling” fruit that can lower both the physical and emotional temperature of expectant mothers. In Thailand , for example, pregnant women eat bananas to ensure their baby is born with a cool temperature.

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD): Bananas can help SAD sufferers because they contain the natural mood enhancer tryptophan.

Smoking: Bananas can also help people trying to give up smoking. The B6,B12 they contain, as well as the potassium and magnesium found in them, help the body recover from the effects of nicotine withdrawal.

Stress: Potassium is a vital mineral, which helps normalize the heartbeat, sends oxygen to the brain and regulates your body’s water balance. When we are stressed, our metabolic rate rises, thereby reducing our potassium levels. These can be balanced with the help of a high-potassium banana snack.

Strokes: According to research in “The New England Journal of Medicine,” eating bananas as part of a regular diet can cut the risk of death by strokes by as much as 40%!

Warts: Those keen on natural alternatives swear that if you want to kill off a wart, take a piece of banana skin and place it on the wart, with the yellow side out. Carefully hold the skin in place with a plaster or surgical tape!

So, a banana really is a natural remedy for many ills. When you compare it to an apple, it has four times the protein, twice the carbohydrate, three times the phosphorus, five times the vitamin A and iron, and twice the other vitamins and minerals. It is also rich in potassium and is one of the best value foods around. So maybe its time to change that well-known phrase so that we say, “A banana a day keeps the doctor away!”

I’ve reached a stage in life that almost all my friends are married / engaged / committed. They no longer have time for me as friendship has taken a backseat. Now-a-days I find a lot of time during weekends than before and I think I must spend them wisely. So I’ve developed couple of hobbies to spend my time wisely. So these are some activities which I’ve engaged myself at present; 

• Blogging
• Travelling and
• Photography

But I don’t think those activities are sufficient because they don’t keep me engaged during weekdays. Yes I still find some time during weekdays and I think can learn cooking so that I can specialize in some recipe…

So you might wonder why this sudden interest?

There is couple of reasons. 

• I’ve been a foodie for long since I drive a lot during weekends and will try our in different restaurants.
• When I slowed down my driving for last one year that got compensated thru travelling where in I tried different eat outs at different places.
• Then in Madurai I normally I eat out at different places and got excited by seeing different family joints specializing in different recipe.
• Then next inspiration came after reading how Colonel Harland Sanders evolved his friend chicken recipe.

After this I thought why not I learn some recipe and specialize that. Now after considering these cases I’ve zeroed on a recipe which I can specialize. 

• Egmore Alsa Mall Sandwitch
• Taj Coromandel Ghilee Briyani
• Ambur Khaja Restaurant Briyani
• Madurai Amma Mess Briyani
• Madurai Chapathi Park Chapatti’s
• Madurai Ayyapan Kadai’s Dosa’s
• Sindhi’s Dhinsha
• KFC Chicken

So being a Vegetarian my options are limited but I didn’t want to restrict my options and I thought Briyani would be my choice and I’m planning to buy all kitchen kits and start cooking once I reach Madurai.

Let me mark this blog today and see when I evolve my cooking skills and come out with a unique recipe and carve a niche for myself.

Until then wish me best LUCK!!!!

 As a quick recap, filling the funnel is about capturing leads. It’s about acquiring and saving contact information so you can market to those leads later. But the questions I’m always asked are:  

• “How do I convince someone to give me their information?” and
• “How much information do I need to collect?

These questions go hand in hand. You see, people don’t WANT to be marketed to. They’re busy and they don’t have time for you and your promotions. So, to part with their contact information, your prospect is going to expect something in return.

And… The more you give them, the more they’ll give you.

For example, if you offer a free report or whitepaper on your website, you might get a name and email address. Don’t expect the prospect to send you their address, phone number or any other critical information. The whitepaper is not worth anymore than that to them.

However…if you were to hold a drawing for a free car, you might get name, email, phone, and address. And suddenly your marketing is even more powerful and targeted than it was before.

Now, I’m not saying you need to give away a car to get contact information. Simply understand that asking for too much information may cause a prospect to run screaming in the other direction. Ask only for what you know you’ll get, and then start collecting those leads!

Courtesy: Ram

I couldn’t resist from admiring the creativity of this person…

Madras Week, built around Madras Day, August 22nd, will, as already announced in these columns, be celebrated from August 16th to 23rd. The coordinators of the programme have been in touch with several organisations and individuals and a host of events is being planned. Watch these columns for programme announcements. First off the mark was the call for participants to design a logo for a T-shirt. Now the coordinators announce a competition for young docu-film-makers.

If you are passionate about making documentaries, you must join this project. A project which is about producing films on Madras that is Chennai. About its people and places, its landmarks and its institutions, its lifetrends and its communities.

We produce films through the year and screen the best at a festival during the Madras Week celebrations in August.

The project for 2009 is open to students of Vis Comm and Media, Film and Botany and History, to young film-makers, artists and writers and journalists… to anyone who loves Chennai and is capable of making small films.

First comes the Selection. If you are selected, then you will be invited to a full day workshop to be conducted by well-known film-maker, Ms Soudhamini, who also teaches at the Film Institute, Pune.

To qualify for this, you can submit any form of creative material that proves your interest in the city (film/documen­tation/media). You can send us rough cut film material or just photos or articles. You must also tell us in 100 words the kind of subjects on Chennai you would like to document on film. You should submit your application by June 25, 2009.

Bonus – Those who qualify can then submit a film plan, and will also get a stipend of
Rs. 2000. This year, we propose to select eight people.

Extra Bonus – After the shooting of your film, Soudha­mini will guide you on how best to use the ‘rushes’ at the second meeting we will hold in July 2009.

Note: Only one person who plans to produce/direct the documentary should apply and he/she will be trained and guided. He/she in turn can employ others for shooting / editing / sound design, etc.

Contact – Vincent D’ Souza at 98410 49155

Email – madrasday@yahoo.com

Today it may be among the busiest shopping areas of the city, with just a few stately homes remaining in it to narrate its past glory as a well-planned district. And what little history there is in the place is rapidly vanishing. It is at a time like this that the book, Thyagaraya Nagar, Andrum Indrum, written by well-known businessman and long-term resident of T’Nagar, Nalli Kup­pu­­swami Chetty, has come out. And it makes for a very interesting read.

Did you know that many Chief Ministers of Tamil Nadu, including M. Karunanidhi and J. Jayalalithaa, were once residents of this area? M.G. Rama­chandran had his office on Arcot Road and K. Kamaraj and Rajaji both resided here. If this be the track record, it may not be surprising if, soon, all ­aspirants to the CM’s post ­decide to acquire a home in T’Nagar believing it to be the harbinger of good luck.

If J. Venkatanarayana Nai­du, who was once Commissioner of the Madras Corporation, gave his name to a thoroughfare in this area, who were Govindu and Nathamuni after whom also streets are named? They were labourers who died in a landslide while digging in T’Nagar for the construction of drains over 80 years ago. The Corporation decided to honour them this way. Besides, the area has roads named after several members of the Justice Party. Indeed, the T in T’Nagar stands for Thyagaraya, in memory of Sir Pitti Thyagaraya Chetty, one of the Justice Party founders.

T’Nagar was once known as East Mambalam, which is why, rather like West Bengal, we have a West Mambalam with no sign of an East Mambalam. In earlier days when land was cheap, the entire area was owned by one Subra­mania Iyer, who was a station master. A hundred acres was in his possession. What he did not own was a large lake where Valluvar Kottam stands today. Worried over poor returns on his land, the station master sold it all off at throwaway prices! And today land is impossible to get in the area.

Why Pondy Bazaar? The first shopping complex in the area had ten shops in it. This building was put up on Sir Thyaga­raya Chetty Road close to Geetha Café. This was done by Chokkalinga Mudaliar, a realtor from Pondicherry, which is why the area became Pondy Bazaar.

This and several other fascinating details dot the book. ­Besides this, there are brief life sketches of famous actors, doctors, publishers, businessmen and writers who lived in
T’ Nagar. The histories of ­famous schools, music sabhas, business establishments, eateries and shops are given.

It is apt that Nalli has ­written this book. The famed business began in this area in 1928 when Nalli Chinna­swami Chetty set up shop here. Later his son Narayanaswami Chetty and grandson Kuppu­swami Chetty have run the business. Kuppuswami Chetty or simply Nalli as he is known has of course made a larger name for himself than merely as a businessman. He is also a patron of arts and culture. The Nalli residence above the shop on Nages­waran Road, facing Panagal Park, has remained unchanged. Its art deco façade, always gleaming white, is a landmark and has been witness to the changes in T’Nagar, among the most dynamic areas of the city.

Courtesy: MadrasMusings.Com
By: Sriram V

Attended TwitterCamp last Sunday at Photon InfoTech. I think The Knowledge Foundation is doing a lot for Brand Chennai. They have started to generate lots of sponsors. But for some reasons I found the topics were boring and there was nothing special about it.

To my surprise nearly 50% of the participants didn’t know what a twitter and there was a session explaining how to create an account, how to make tweets, how to retweet, what is a hashtag etc. So for someone who is familiar with Twitter such topics would be of no use… But as usual caught up with some friends and returned early.

I think I’m fortunate to be covered in their photo shoots twice.

Last Saturday has been one of the best day as I was travelled to many places and do lot of work in a day. The day started half-way when I was watching a movie and after the movie I returned to office in Madurai. It was 2 AM when I returned to office and thought I can stay in office as I can’t wake up early. I made some blog post that night and then I went home by 4.30 I cleaned my house took shower and left to Mattuthavani Bus Stop and boarded a bus to Trichy.

Cricket in my mobile came handy as I played cricket which helped me to pass time. Then by half way met once of my father’s colleague’s daughter who was also travelling to Trichy with her husband and the remaining time I engaged in a conversation with the couples I reached Trichy. Since I was engaged in playing cricket and conversing with the couple and also the climate was good since I started early I didn’t find any difficulty in travelling.

Then I reached Trichy Bus Stand by 10 o clock and boarded a local bus to Thillai Nagar to my uncle’s house and reached his house by 10.25 AM. Then I had my breakfast and soon we started for my uncle’s marriage. En route we purchased some shirt and pants for the Groom.

Then we left to Groom’s house which is my grandmother’s ancestral home. My uncle showed the house architecture and how they (uncle’s, aunty & mom spent their summer holiday in that home. My grand mother was the last of 8 siblings and you can imagine hoe many first cousins mu mom would have had. They said there would be around 40 kids. It was always to know the cherishing moments of people and my uncle took me almost 30 – 40 years back.

Then I went to Kaveri River which I frequent whenever I goto my granny’s village. Then I took some nap and we started to marriage hall in a place called SwamiMalai which was 65 KM from that village. Since I didn’t sleep my uncle took the responsibility to drive. Six KM from my granny’s village is the old heritage Grand Anaicut Kallanai built by King Karikala Cholan. I’ve visited my granny’s village several times but I’ve never been to this spot which is a big tourist attraction and on seeing the DAM I was really startled to see the architecture and quality of the DAM. This DAM takes has its history way back to Before Christ period.

Then we reached the marriage hall in another 45 min and them I spent some time there and came to hotel and did some browsing. Then I spent some quality time with my cousin which was like a get-2-gether. Then many my uncle introduced me to several elders telling that I could be a nice groom to their daughter or grand daughter. I’ve never been thru such situations and I was not that comfortable in handling such situations.

Then I have to come to Chennai the next day to Buzz 140 unconference and I left to Kumbakonnam which is the next big town near to the marriage hall. Then I boarded a bus to Chennai and started to sleep to end a very hectic and happy day.

Roger Bannister is a (athlete) motivating personality who has proved every thing is a Mental Block and nothing is unachieved if there is a Will. He was a man with mental toughness & perseverance. So what is most special about this man?

There are two things.

1.)   When there was a medical theory going rounds that a person (human being) cannot run a mile within 4 minutes as human body can’t support such an act. He proved those medical theories as wrong.
2.)   He failed on many attempts and with lots of determination he has achieved his feat finally.

Today his record was broken by many but he has to be credited for breaking the theory and did something that every thought was not possible.