ctrl.altered.mind

rs6 pointed out that its been a month since I posted something on my blog. I had to amend that situation pronto, given that rs6 is probably the one RSS feed subscriber I have.

A lot has happened in the past month, actually. I’ve moved, gifted myself a new car, and so much more; so naturally the blog took the back seat on my daily to-do list. Hopefully not any more.

I spent my Sunday evening at a coffee shop near my house, and noticed a guy reading a book titled ‘Why the World Hates America‘; which made me think - is this an essay of substance or mere diatribe? Hostility towards America is not new at all, but I wondered if a book scripted post 9/11 might have differed in its take on answering the question. A quick check for reviews on Amazon returned some long but quite interesting rants and raves about the book. I’ll let you check those out for yourself, should you be interested.

I’ll add my own review once I get the chance to read the book myself.

Paul Dolton promises the most exotic carwash in the world, which will run up a tab to the tune of $10,000. Small change, if you’ve just bought yourself a new set of wheels from this list. The materials for the wash don’t come cheap either, with a tub of carnauba car wax costing about $12,000 (there are just two of these in Britain).

Link to Google Video

.. and to think I have to keep myself from running out of quarters for my carwash.

(via Autoblog)

It was interesting to chance upon my enterprising pal Kaushal’s new blog about Outdoor destinations in India, which talks about the lesser known but breathtakingly beautiful locales in the country. Kaushal is part of a larger group of travel enthusiasts, and his blog mostly talks about personal experiences - which are as diverse as mountain biking in the Garhwal and Kumaon hills, to trekking in the Sahyadris. His posts are peppered with pictures, links, valuable tips, hints, and suggestions that would prove most useful to the foreign traveler journeying across the country, as much as it would to any desi bitten by the travel bug.

From Kaushal’s blog:

Western ghats is a paradise if you are a hardcore rock climber. Rock nurseries at Mumbra, Manori rocks and Kaneri caves near Mumbai and Dudha near Pune have provided good place for learning rock climbs. Sahyadri mountains provide various grades of difficulties for natural rock climber. A number of pinacles and cracks provide ample opportunities. Rock climbs with climbs more than 1000 feet are ample in this region.

The BBC reports that there are more overweight people across the globe today than the malnourished ones. The ratio stands today at 1.25:1, with about 1bn obese individuals compared to about 800m hungry people.

It is interesting to note that the biggest increases are being seen in parts of Asia - a continent whose people are not generally envisioned as being obese. In India, for example, fitness and weight loss is on more resolution lists than it is on schedules. This is probably true in the West as well, but to a lesser extent. The findings in the article suggest cheaper foods in the US as a dominant factor contributing to obesity, which is widely accepted as a lifestyle related disease. This also reminds me of Dr. Nikhil Dhurandhar’s studies that strongly suggest that obesity may be caused by a virus.

I saved the BBC article caption because of a typographical error, that made me wonder what the ratios might be, in terms of collective weight in pounds.

My dear friend Maria is participating in a 150-mile MS bike tour (July 8 - 9) in order to help raise funds for the National MS Society (Colorado Chapter). MS, or Multiple Sclerosis, is a chronic degenerative disease that affects the central nervous system and currently has no cure. With enough effort, a preventive solution or cure can be found. You can also read Maria’s page (excerpt below). The MS Society also accepts e-pledges to sponsor participants, and any contribution is welcome. Good luck Maria!

Multiple sclerosis affects lives every moment of every year. At any time, someone with MS may suddenly be unable to stand up, hug their child or see a friend across the room.

This year, I’ll be participating in the National MS Society’s annual MS Bike Tour to help raise funds for research and local programs. It’s a small thing for me to do for people who face the devastating and relentless effects of MS every day. With each mile I ride, I hope to bring the National MS Society closer to a cure.

Will you help by sponsoring me in this year’s MS Bike Tour? With your generous support, we can end the devastating effects of MS, sooner rather than later.

Thank you!

- Maria Toscano

(Click here to sponsor Maria for the MS Bike Tour)