Weekend In Jhansi, India

My Lazy Weekend in Jhansi, India.

This weekend I visited the town of Jhansi in Madya Pradesh, central India. Jhansi was a quiet town - folks were polite and helpful (unlike Delhi). Quite a few tourists backpacking in Jhansi, India who arrived by the Bhopal Shatabdi train. Lots of ladies drove around on scooters and cycles, so I bet it was safe for women too. Auto rickshaws in Jhansi were six-seater and costed less than at Delhi. The food was downright cheap - I bought a plate of mutton biryani for Rs.10 and cutlets for Rs.2. I actually felt like I has gone back in time.

Jhansi is well known for the fire brand Queen of Jhansi - Rani Lakshmibai. Born in 1835 in Varanasi, she was trained by her father in horse riding, sword fighting and shooting a gun. She married Raja Gangadhar Rao of Jhansi at the age of 7 and was widowed when she was 18 years. When the Britishers did not accept her adopted son as the heir of Jhansi and ordered her to leave the fort, she assembled an army of warriors that included women. As the British army entered Jhansi in 1858, Rani of Jhansi rode on to the battlefeild dressed like a man and fought till she died in Gwalior. She was only 22. Today, Rani of Jhansi is recognized as a freedom figher and martyr who fought in the First War of Indian Independence of 1857.

I visited the Jhansi Fort from where many battles were fought. Here is a pic from my sister's Sony Ericcson mobile phone.


We picnicked on the lawns of the Jhansi Fort and were joined my a group of monkeys. That's when the French perfume my uncle had gifted me came handy. One spray and the monkeys took off at top speed. Lying on the grass with the blue sky overhead, listening to the birds singing from the wide branches of the tamarind trees, it seemed as it time had stopped. I fell asleep and woke up an hour later when my friend dragged the mat from under me and started packing up.


I also visited the Saint Jude Shrine Church in Jhansi which was crowded with many people on a pilgrimage and backpackers. This shrine is known to be very miraculous, as people can get the 'impossible'. I lit some candles and asked for some mannat's (prayer wishes). The church was very beautiful with arches, pillars and a dome. It was started by Maltese missionaries in Jhansi before Independence.

I had originally planned to visit all the backpacking tourist attractions like the Museum, Rani Mahal and Ganesh Mandir, but there was no time. Here is a pic of a Rani Jhansi statue on one of the roundabouts (gol chakkars) in Jhansi. Other roundabouts had a miniature version of the 'Gyarah Murti' statue located on Sardar Patel Marg in Delhi or Swami Vivekananda.

I travelled by the Bhopal Shatabdi Express which stops at travel destinations like Agra, Gwalior and Jhansi first. Unlike the usual trains it had a toilet where the 'naturals' don't fall onto the track but into a tank. I remember the last time I travelled by train, my watch fell down the toilet and onto the tracks somewhere near Ballarpur. The only thing that upset me on the trip was the behaviour of this guy with a pock marked face who complained that the on-train food was served late and created a huge ruckus shouting at the catering manger for almost an hour.

So, how was your weekend ?

HDFC Bank - Totally Sucks

HDFC Bank totally sucks - How HDFC Bank left me cashless during the Diwali Season !

This HDFC Bank saga started around four days before Diwali when I found a HDFC Bank letter on the stairs of my apartment building. Assuming it was a HDFC Bank credit card offer, I almost did'nt open it. It's good that I did though, and was totally shocked by what the HDFC Bank letter read regarding by salary account.

"We observe that there has been no salary credit in your account from July-September 2006.............we learn from your previous employer that you have since left the organization.........the captioned salary account would need to be closed..........visit our nearest branch during working hours within 30 days from the date of this letter along with your debit card and unutilized cheque leaves.......to continue a banking relationship with us , you will need to open a normal savings account...........treat this matter as urgent .......failing which we will be constrained to block operations in your account. " Srinivas Iyer, HDFC Bank.

This was like a bolt from the blue, considering I had left the company mentioned more than two years ago. Also, I had lakhs (hundred thousands) invested in HDFC Bank, plus term deposits and mutual funds. Thinking there had been a mistake, I called up the HDFC Bank customer care center and was in for a ruder shock !

Cyberkitty : I recieved this letter from HDFC Bank......blah blah
HDFC Bank : It's your fault, you should have informed the bank whenever you switch jobs. Now you have to open a new account.
Cyberkitty: Haven't you heard 'customer is king', is this the way you treat a valued customer who has invested so much in HDFC bank ? I have given this bank account number for direct credit of divident from mutual funds and stocks. Think of the inconvinience ?
HDFC Bank : It's your mistake, there is nothing that can be done, come to the office and close your account.
Cyberkitty: I can easily transfer my 'huge' balance to my ICICI Bank Account. In these days of intense competition in the banking sector, do you really want to lose a customer. I can also tell lots of folks about the lack of service at HDFC Bank.
HDFC Bank: It's your mistake. If you want to go to ICICI Bank then go ! Submit your debit card and cheque book at our office to close your account or we will disable it.

Shit scared of losing my cash, I cut a cheque and transferred every drop of money to my ICICI Account by depositing the HDFC Bank Cheque in the ICICI automatic cheque machine. I asked at ICICI if they forced customers to close an account on quitting a job and the answer was no, they just change the salary account to a regular one. Since, I did not have much cash in my ICICI account, I could not do the Diwali shopping that I had planned for as I had to wait for the HDFC Bank check to be cleared. HDFC Bank took nearly a week to clear my check.

HDFC Bank has always been tardy when it comes to dealing with customers. The ATM's never seem to be stocked with cash. I have never recieved my internet banking password despite many reminders neither has my friend recieved her ATM Card pin code. I have not visited HDFC Bank with my debit card and cheque book to close the account as I don't want to face more rude service. Anyway I heard they automatically close the account if the balance falls below Rs.10, so good riddance to them !

Dear Mr. Aditya Puri, (CEO, HDFC Bank) these policies won't take your bank very far, you know. Closing accounts of folks who don't earn you fat profits by applying for credit cards, home loans, education or car loans make seem cost effective, but in the long run you will lose out on the very funds that enable you to give out these loans .

I should have closed my HDFC Account, the day I heard top executives were involved in the demat account and IPO scam, but it's better late than never, i suppose.

Did any blogger face a similar problem with HDFC Bank ?

Jaan-e-Mann Movie Review

Jaan-e-Mann Movie Review

I watched Jaan-e-mann - Let's Fall In Love Again today at Chanakya, 11.30 am show and this is my Jaan-e-mann movie review.

Jaan-e-Mann (beloved) - 8/10 - Romantic comedy. Jaan-e-mann is a fabulous movie, with an excellent script, storyline, dialogue and character development. I specially liked the editing special effects which I have never seen in a Bollywood flick before. Shirish Kunder has done a marvelous job, infact, I am shocked to hear that Jaan-e-mann is his first film. Jaan-e-mann is narrated by Akhay Kumar's character Agastya in an interesting flashback - flashforward mode.

Salman Khan plays Suhaan a cool dude who is a struggling actor. Akshay Kumar is Agastya a college nerd who grows up to be an astronaut while Preity Zinta is Piya, Suhaan's college friend and estranged wife. Suhaan cannot afford to pay Piya alimony, so he cons Agastya, who has a crush on Piya since college to woo her. If Piya remarries then Suhaan saves a lot of cash. Suhaan almost succeeds but then sees that Piya has a daughter (his) and falls in love with her again. Jaan-e-mann has a happy ending with Suhaan being reunited with his family and Agastya getting a blonde version of Piya. (Preity Zinta in double role)

I simply loved the music of Jaan-e-mann - the songs like Humko Maloom Hain, Dard Hai, Ajnabi Shehar kept playing in my ears long after I left the hall. Choreography rocked too. Costumes were colorful and funny, especially Salman Khan's various disguises as a cop, zorro, cowboy, elvis, sardar etc. My favourite scene in Jaan-e-mann was the one where Salman Khan dresses like a girl and beats up toughies in New York.

The cinema theatre was quite empty though, but Chanakya is quite a large theatre with a giant xenon screen. The crowd was mostly gay looking guy couples (As Salman Khan and Akshay Kumar were in the movie together...wink) who kept whistling whenever Salman Khan came on screen. Salman Khan took off his shirt around seven times ( I was counting :D).

Anupam Kher (double role) as a midget reminded me a bit of John Leguizamo's character in Moulin Rouge. Preity 'pregnant' Zinta's face was too lumpy and she looked too 'strict' for Salman Khan. Akshay Kumar did a decent job playing a nerd who cannot speak to girls. Aman Verma can now only get roles of a molester. Salman Khan is the only bollywood hero who looks cool and normal when talking to firangs. Most other actors look 'bewakoof' (foolish), out of place and make me cringe or switch channels. I liked the part where Salman Khan becomes the brand ambassador for Boo Boo diapers - he looked real sweet and adorable.

This is the first Salman Khan movie I am seeing in the theatre, as I have never been a crazy fan of his, though I liked his movies. I usually don't watch Hindi films in the cinema but usually wait for the pirated DVD to be shown on cable, but I made an exception for Jaan-e-mann as it was Diwali and I have been having dreams of Salman Khan regularly for the past few weeks.

Wishing all my blogger friends and their families a very happy and prosperous Diwali !

Pink Carnations

Pink Carnations - My Favourite Flower !

"If we could see the miracle of a single flower clearly, our whole life would change." Gautama Buddha



Yesterday, my Dad brought home a bouquet of 20 pink carnations which a client had gifted him for Diwali. I simply love carnations especially if they are pink and was really overjoyed to see the flowers.

I checked up on the flower at wikipedia and I found out that pink carnations are a symbol of a mother's eternal love. According to Christian legend, carnations first appeared on Earth as Jesus carried the Cross. The Virgin Mary shed tears at Jesus' plight, and carnations sprang up from where her tears fell.

"Flowers... are a proud assertion that a ray of beauty outvalues all the utilities of the world. " ~Ralph Waldo Emerson, 1844.

So, do you have a favourite flower ?

Salman Khan Janampatri Match

A Suitable Match For Salman Khan

Ok, this is what happened when I ran out of stuff to blog about. I ran a marriage horoscope compatiblity test on Shaadikaro.com for Salman Khan and me - and this is how the result turned up -

Varan Match Analysis (1 out of 1) - The boy and the girl both comes under Vaishya varan. This is a good combination in all respects. The boy would able to plan out the domestic affairs nicely.In turn, the girl can look after the house beautifully. Both the boy and the girl will have very good understanding. Together, they can achieve success in their aspirations. Both are faithful, loyal and will take their domestic duties seriously. Both are idealistic also and have the some humanitarian interests.

Vaishya Match Analysis (1 out of 2) - The boy's vashya is Jalchar, while the girl belongs to Chatushpad vashya. This is a good combination. The natives encourage each other towards expension and progress in ventures, family etc. The boy will help the girl to bring out her best in all fields. In turn, the girl will provide him a base for his work or operations.They both will have mutual understanding at most of the cases. Family happiness is also indicated. Both are matched well as far as vashya guna is concerned.

Tara Match Analysis (1.5 out of 3) - The boy's tara is Mitra and the girl comes under Vipat tara. This is a good combination. In this relationship, the boy will turnout to more sensible and matured. She will put his best efforts to maintained very good relations.In turn, the girl may play a subdued role and at times, find herself confused to take the right decisions. She is advised to be more practical in her approach.However, both tara's matched well. They will also develop liking for each other in a due course of time.

Yoni Match Analysis (2 out of 4) - The boy's yoni is Simha and the girl comes under Nakul yoni. She needs his strength and daring while he relies on his competence and companionship. He is forceful and out spoken, she will manage an artistic and restful home for him.She is adaptable but moody and defenceless. She serves as her warior and protector. On the physical plane, they will be quite compatible and enjoy the sensual bliss.

Griha Match Analysis (5 out of 5) - The boy and the girl both comes under Saturn's lordship. The natives have compatible attitudes toward handling business, financial, educational and professional affairs. The natives will bring out each other's qualities of patience, hard work prudence and fore thought. The native adherence to principle and mutual responsibility will make them stead fast and loyal friends. The natives can further each other's determination and resolve to achieve social and professional goals and status through their careful and systematic planning.

Gan Match Analysis (0 out of 6) - The boy's gan is Rakshasha and the girl comes under Manushya gan. This combination indicates relationships that could lead to rash impulsive and costly acts.The natives are likely to make unreasonable and considerate demands on each other. The girl will try to exercise a restraining influence on the boy, which, he will resent. The girl, in turn, resent the boy's aggressive attempts to initiate what she considers rash and impulsive actions and will regard these actions as a threat to status and security. However, this alliance may be taken into consideration, if other guans are matched well.

Bhakoot Match Analysis (7 out of 7) - The boy and the girl both comes under Makar bhakoot rasi. This combination indicates that the natives will have the similar needs for security, stability, status and professional advancement. They will take a similar approach to handling important responsibilities and will have similar concepts of justic and fair play. They tend to bring out each other's ambitious, cautious and conservative tendencies. They will also develop a very good rapport and understanding with each other.

Nadi Match Analysis (8 out of 8) - The boy's nadi is Madhya and the girl comes under Antya nadi. This is an excellent combination. The natives share may intellectual, spiritual and philosophical interests. They will also improve each other's capacity for hard headed, practical thinking, especially in such areas as science, writing and organizational activities. They will have lot of respect and love for each other. This combination strengthen the over all compatibility of the charts.

If you are wondering why 'Salman Khan' ? It's because I had a dream about Salman Khan a few nights ago where he was giving me a beautiful diamond bracelet and talking to me nicely. I also ran a match of Salman Khan with Aishwarya Rai and Katrina Kaif and I still turned out to be a better match ? So what do you say ?

How To Get Out Of Debt

How to Get Out of Debt

It is almost impossible to get out of debt for folks trapped in the debt web. My day job involves writing articles and promotional material for credit card, debt consolidation loan and payday loan companies that encourages Americans to apply for these services which only leads them into more debt. I have always felt quite guilty about having to write this because I know for sure that these services are real harmful and can only lead to a person getting further caught up in the debt trap. This is why I have written this blog post on 'how to get out of debt' - to advise folks on how to get out of debt and to clear my conscience.


1. The first way to get out of debt is to pay back more than the minimum amount on your credit card. The faster you repay the amount, the less interest you pay and the more you save. Start with paying off the highest interest credit cards first and then move on to the lower ones. If you have a credit card for a long time you can call up the company call center and ask them to lower your interest rate and other charges. Everything is negotiable - you can also threaten you may have to declare bankruptcy and get them to lower your charges, after all it is better for them to get something rather than nothing. ( this is what debt consolidation firms do) . Save as much money as you can by giving up on luxuries and find the money to make the payments.

2. Another way to get out of debt is to pay back all your outstanding balances ASAP - cash out all your savings, investments in mutual funds, stocks and other investments and use the money to pay the outstanding debts. This is because the debts usually eat up more interest than your investments pay you. It is best to get rid of the debt first and then save up some more which you can invest later.

3. Don't be ashamed to borrow from family and friends - you'll get the money just because you share the same genes or for love. The borrowed money is usually interest free and there are no late charges if you fail to pay it back on time as promised. But remember to get out of debt, you may have to do other stuff to help them out like babysitting, picking up kids etc. which is not that bad considering your debts are paid off.

4. Get rid of your credit cards - as soon as you finish paying back the debt of a credit card, cut it up and destroy it so you are not tempted to use it again. Soon you will have just one credit card remaining, lock that up in a box and open it only in case of an accident or death. A good way to get out of debt is to stop credit card companies from calling you with new offers by dialing 1-888-5-OPTOUT. Here you will get the neccessary information to stop your contact information from being sold. For all other purchases use a debit card - this is to make sure you only spend what you have and only buy what you need.

5. The best way to get out of debt is to Save money - Don't buy things you don't need. Live way below your means till your debts are paid off. Things you can save a lot on are -

(a) Food - skip eating out at restaurants or ordering takeaway. Cook and eat home food only, it's healthier. Miss a meal or skip dessert - you can even lose a lot of weight this way. Stop buying coffee, tea, smokes or alcoholic drinks - they cost quite a lot per month and only leads to bad health, for which you would have to pay for later at the doctor's. Drink plenty of water instead of coke or other soft drinks, you'll get a healthy glowing complexion and also save a lot of cash.

(b) Transport - try and use public transport. Get out of debt by walking or riding a bicycle, if your office/mall is nearby. You'll save a lot on fuel and get a free workout that will lead to a shapely, healthy body. Maintain your car well so that you can get a good price when you sell it later and use it only for long distance travel which is absolutely neccessary.

(c) Shopping - make a shopping list and stick to it. Don't bother about commercials or brand names, choose the cheaper item off the shelf. You may be thinking, ' Oh ! what if Mr. Smith sees me', trust me, people are too bothered about their own problems and nobody cares a damn. Save coupons and buy in bulk cause it costs less and can get you out of debt real fast. Don't buy unneccessary things that are currently considered the cool 'in' thing to have - you'll see that after some time it will serve no purpose. Don't buy a new television or sofa set if you have one that is in a ok condition. NEVER BUY ANYTHING ON CREDIT. If you can't afford it, skip it and think about buying the newest model at a cheaper rate at a later date when you have the money.

(d) Utilty Bills - save gas, water and electricity. Use lights and heat only if you are in the room, don't keep them on in every room or on during the day. Use only one phone, call less.

(e) Other things - forget about donating money to charity, you need it the most. Anyway most of the money just goes into the pockets of social workers and hardly ever reach the folks they are meant for. Another way to get out off debt is to stop splurging on clothes, cosmetics, spa's, hairdressers and fitness centres. Also avoid going to amusement parks, vacation, holding parties etc. until the debts have been paid off and you have some savings. If a wedding is neccessary, have a real low budget one and invite a few friends only - take a few photos and you'll have great memories.


6. The worst thing you could do is to take another loan to pay off your debts or transfer credit card balances to a new card with a lower interest rate. Don't borrow against life insurance policies, 401 k retirement plans or take home equity loans. This may seem ok in the short run, but remember that this is just another loan and comes with an additional interest rate and extra charges too. Many are just introductory offers, and charge a higher rate after some time and can take ages to get you out of debt.


7. Filing for bankruptcy should be the last resort to get out of debt - It should not happen if you follow the above points. Filing for bankruptcy may seem the easy way out but there are many disadvantages to this. You could go to jail, have to pay through your nose for a lawyer and court fees, your relationships could breakdown and a lot of stress. What's more your credit score will decline and you may never get a loan again in your life. Plus you lose quite a lot of property to pay some of the debt. Some payments still have to be made even after filing for bankruptcy like alimony, child support, taxes, unlisted loans and student loans.

So instead of wasting time searching online for cheap credit cards, debt consolidation or payday loan sites, why don't you make a list of your debts and call the companies to reduce your interest rates. This will go a long way in reducing your burden and you can get out of debt real quick. Take this from someone who actually sells these services !

I hope this helps you in your quest to get out of debt. If you need any more information email me at cyberkitty123@gmail.com or post a comment at my blog.

Diwali - Gold Shopping

Buying Gold Jewellery in India

As the marriage season and festivals like Diwali and Id come nearer, the streets are filled with folks shopping for gold or people like me who go around viewing the displays of gold jewellery in shop windows.

Gold is measured by grams. The value changes everyday according to the price in the market so it can be a good investment to make an easy profilt on. The term carat or karat is used to indicate the amount of gold present, when it is mixed with other metals. Pure gold is very soft so other metals have to be mixed so that designs can be carved and precious stones can be stuck in it. 24-carat gold is pure gold (99.99%), 18-carat gold has 75% purity while 12-carat gold is only 50% pure. There are also 20,16, 14,10 and 9 carat gold. Gold filled or gold plated jewellery is cheaper while white gold jewellery which is made with a mixture of nickle can cause allergies to some people.

1. Traditional Gold Shops - you'll find them in local specialised gold markets like Karol Bagh or Lajpat Nagar in Delhi and Zaveri Bazar or Chira Bazar in Mumbai. They sell gold jewellery in traditional patterns and you would normally find other women wearing the same designs of gold jewellery at weddings or parties. You have to buy the gold at the market rate plus making charges. You can also sell the gold at the market rate when you need cash in the future. Most gold that is sold here are 22K. Gold jewellery with lots of precious stones like diamonds, rubies, emeralds etc. are usually of 18 carat - 9 carat.


2. Modern Jewellery Shops - like Tanishq, Gili, DTC, D'Damas, Nakshatra, Oyzter Bay. Most of these shops have a fixed price attatched to the gold jewellery. The gold is usually of 18 karat or less and does not have much resale value. Designs though are unique and you won't find the same type of jewellery on other women.


3. Buying Gold from ICICI Bank or HDFC Bank Branches - Gold is available at select branches as a small square in 2.5 gm, , 5gm, 8 gm, 10gm, 20 gm and 50 gm amounts. The gold is 24 carat - 99.99 percent pure gold as it does not need to be durable to be made into jewellery. This is easily resellable, only problem is you can't wear it. So, it is useful only as an investment and is usually bought by guys.

4. Buying gold online - some gold shops like totaram.com sell 22 ct gold jewellery online. It can be delivered gift wrapped anywhere in India. Other websites sell other gold jewellery of 18 carat and lower.


So, what are you shopping for this Diwali ?

Ahista Ahista and Yun Hota Toh Kya Hota -Movie Reviews

Ahista Ahista and Yun Hota Toh Kya Hota - Movie Reviews

This weekend I caught two movies - Ahista Ahista and Yun Hota Toh Kya Hota. This is how I rated them -

Ahista Ahista (slowly slowly) - 6/10 - starring Abhay Deol (Dharmendra's brother's son), Soha Ali Khan and Shayan Munshi (of Jessica Lal murder case fame). This movie based in Delhi is a good, original love story of a paid witness in a marriage registration office. Abhay Deol shows some promise and I simply loved his collection of shirts. The director of Ahista Ahista has worked hard to make Soha Ali Khan look pretty, but his tricks have mostly gone in vain plus her acting sucks. I liked the acting of the guy who plays Abhay's friend who betrays him by telling Soha the truth about his lies.

Yun Hota Toh Kya Hota (What would be different if it had happened this way ?) - 7/10 - starring Jimmy Shergill, Konkona Sen, Ayesha Takia, Paresh Rawal and some new well cast faces. Good story and screenplay with real life characters. A very well made film on Indians running after an american visa and the 9/11 terrorist attack in New York/Washington DC. If the Indian film industry was serious about winning an Oscar - they should have sent Yun Hota Toh Kya Hota as the official entry for the' Best Foreign Film' and not Rang De Basanti which was pure trash !


Ahista Ahista Yun Hota Toh Kya Hota Movie Reviews

Dussehra in New Delhi

Dussehra in New Delhi

Yesterday was the festival of Dussehra and I spent the evening watching the 'Ramlila' performance at a stage put up by neighbourhood folks in the car park. The name of the theatre troupe was 'Diamond Artistes' and they enacted a Ramayana story which included the different avatars of Lord Shiva through song and dance. I liked the acting of the guy who played 'Sudama' - he made all sorts of funny faces, stuffed a banana in Ravan's mouth, danced with a mobile phone and kissed all the folks who came up on stage to give him cash.

Things went well, until the CD playing the Ramlila music to which the actors were lip syncing went awry. The narrator tried to save the day by asking and answering questions on religious geography like - Who discovered Vaishno Devi shrine ? Which country has no rivers - Saudi Arabia etc. The kids who were playing Ram, Lakshman and Ravana kept giggling on stage while enacting the fight scene with sword and bow/arrows. A few sardars jumped on stage and mobbed 'Ravana' who chased them off with a wave of his sword.

Later on, was the much awaited Dussehra fireworks display and the burning of the effigies of Ravana and his brothers Meghanath and Kumbhkaran. Best part of the evening, it happened quite late at 9.00pm cause the play took too long. Wolf whistles and cheers went up as the deafening sound of fireworks stuffed in the 'putli's' went off in a ball of fire.

There was supposed to be a 'Dandiya Dance' after this, but I did'nt stick around cause I was too hungry. Not many Delhi-ites know how to do the 'Dandiya' dance anyway - a Gujarati dance, it has just not taken off here. Anyway, lots of local toughs gather and gawk while the DJ's play film songs, which is real uncomfortable and weird.

How was your Dussehra ?

Dussehra Ramlila Dandiya New Delhi India

Michael Schumacher Wins - Alonso Drops Bottle

Michael Schumacher Wins In China To Equal Fernando Alonso's Score

I finally got over my post- Schumacher retirement depression as Michael Schumacher won another race. You see, I'd always wanted to watch Michael Schumacher racing live at a race track. The only three race track venues nearby are at Bahrain, Malaysia, China and Japan. All the races are already over except the Japanese Grand Prix which is on next week. Though I have some money saved up, I just don't know how I'd go about on foreign trip alone.

Michael Schumacher also looks happier. I remember at the last post-race press conference at Monza his face looked thin and gaunt but this time he had the same chubby, glowing complexion he had when he first started out in 1994.

I know Michael Schumacher made the right decision by retiring. In a dangerous job like Formula One it is best not to push your luck too far. Look what happened to Steve Irwin ! A perfect family, all the money you could wish for - and he is dead. Even, younger drivers may subconciously start wishing that something bad happens to Michael Schumacher so that may have a chance of winning, so it is best to quit and avoid those bad vibes. Maybe he can do something better, like own a winning formula team.

Michael Schumacher did good to retire while he is still winning instead of fading off like Andre Agassi or Damon Hill or Eddie Ervine. I have no doubt he will win this year's championship too. Like always Michael Schumacher came from behind to equal Fernando Alonso's tally of 116 points. Since Alonso is having a lot of bad luck - wrong tire changes, long pitstops, yesterday his champagne bottle fell and crashed (very bad omen)......there is a good chance of Michael Schumacher taking this year's Driver's Championship.

Results of China Grand Prix - Fernando Alonso was second, Giancarlo Fiscichella was third, Jenson Button secured fourth place, McLaren's Pedro de la Rosa was fifth. Rubens Barrichello was sixth in the second Honda, followed by Nick Heidfeld in a BMW-Sauber and the Williams of Mark Webber. Next Race on 8th October in Japan followed by the Brazilian Grand Prix.


Michael Schumacher Formula One Fernando Alonso

Does Google Adsense Really Work

Does Google Adsense really work - A review of Google Adsense.

Around six months ago, I heard about 'Google Adsense' and thought I'd give it a try. It seemed simple enough - just add some javascript ad code which puts up relevant ads to your website. When folks click on the ads - you get paid. I signed up and added the script to a few websites and my blog to check out if 'it really worked' and this is what I found out -

A Monthly Review of Google Adsense

1. April - Initially in the first two months I earned around 50c for every click. The clicks were few and far between, but I hoped they'd increase in the future.

2. May - a few clicks

3. June - a few more clicks

4. July - found out that the total money earned was slowly decreasing. eg. If it was $5.00 on one day, it would reduce to $4.39 after maybe a week. I sent them an email to which i recieved no reply.

5. August - realised there was a problem with the Google Adsense totalling system. The value of the adclicks did not add up properly to the amount which they should have.

6. September - Heard on the internet that Google is giving less money per click. Found out it was true after I checked my Google Adsense Earnings account. Instead of earning 30-70 cents per click I now earn around 1-5 cents per two clicks.

The Google Adsense earnings have decreased even though visitors and clicks have increased by more than 300 percent. Maybe the adsense earnings decrease is due to a large amount of new members joining in leading to advertisers paying less per click or maybe Google is paying less cause they suspect fraud clicks. Whatever the reason, Google Adsense does not really work !

Analysis - Maybe Google Adsense was a good bet to earn some extra cash a few months ago, but today the 'Google Adsense' bubble seems to have burst. There may be a few folks earning in thousands but that's what they are - a FEW.

I am now leaving the ads on as a test till October to see if there are any new developments, after which I will remove them and give my final review....Unless, of course, Google bans me from Adsense for writing this post !

Google Adsense Internet Blogging Making Money Online