Seasons Greetings And Happy Holidays to All

Tweet

Well, what do you know? It's December 2012, the year ending already, with Christmas eve just round the corner. It's truly amazing how time just flies by. So let me begin by wishing all my readers season's greetings and happy holidays in the next week. As the year ends, we get the perfect opportunity to spend time with our family and friends to spread cheer and joy. And yes, don't forget the gifts for all your near and dear ones!!

Seasons Greetings and Happy Holidays 2012

The year 2012, for me, started on a good note with promises for good things to come, and has ended fulfilling that promise. I feel very positive at the end of the year and am sure that the year 2013 will be much better. I should have many aspects of my life sorted out in the coming year, which will help in making me stronger - emotionally, mentally and physically. 

Reading Cafe will continue to be my main blog in the year to come and I hope to be able to post articles or blogs on a more regular basis. Unfortunately, I was unable to maintain my blog in the last year, due to several personal reasons. It will be my endeavor to bring my blog back up to the level of readership that it had enjoyed earlier.

Like I said, I am happy that the year 2012 is ending on a positive note for me, as my story of weight loss is going to be mentioned in an upcoming issue of Prevention Magazine (India Today Group), which is quite an achievement for me, as the freelance writer who took my interview for the story came to me after reading my blogs here on Reading Cafe.

And the icing on the cake is the fact that I am going to attend a family function next week where I am going to meet all my family members together after a gap of many years. Can there be any better way than this to end a year?

So here's wishing all of you a "Merry Christmas", "Seasons Greetings" and "Happy Holidays"!!  

Be back in 2013....!!

Facebook Arrests Sparks Protests and Spreads Fear

Tweet

The death of Shiv Sena Supremo Bal Thakre on Sunday, 18th of November 2012 was an event that was handled with extreme care and precautions by the authorities of Mumbai, namely the police, politicians and the Thakre family to ensure that peace and order remained in the city. His death happened at a very delicate time when the country and the city was busy with the festivities of Diwali and Bhai-duj etc. Not to mention, that November is the month that everyone remembers for the 26/11 attacks. So keeping the law and order was a huge task for the police of Mumbai during this time.

Here, I would like to quote Bhavin Jankharia who wrote this in a column for the Mumbai Mirror today, "Our leaders, the police and the ruling bodies did a phenomenon job over the last weekend with virtually complete control over the situation....something that must be commended giving the rarity of such an occurrence....all of which was then instantly ruined by the arrest of the Palghar girls, an act so completely ridiculous that it belies any attempt at rational thinking."

Reenu Srinivasan and Shaheen Dhada arrested in Palghar

Yes, the same day that Bal Thakre died and the whole city came to a standstill due to a complete bandh, two girls from Palghar, Reenu Srinivasan and Shaheen Dhada were arrested for posting a seemingly innocuous comment that questioned the need for the bandh and her friend simply "liked" the comment. In just a few hours of posting the comment, the police knocked on her door with an arrest warrant. The girls were subsequently taken to the police station and charged with offenses under section 295 A of the Indian Penal Code and section 66 A of the Information Technology Act (ITA). Apparently her comments "hurt" the sentiments of religious communities. 

The police apparently acted with great speed in response to a complaint filed by the Shiv Sena activists. Later, when they were questioned for their actions, they admitted that they did what they did out of fear for what would happen if they did not act upon the wishes of the Shiv Sainiks who probably had threatened them with much more dire consequences to follow if they did not act immediately. The girls too were scared out of their wits as soon as they were arrested as they immediately had to post an apology on their Facebook status and soon went on to deactivate their accounts. The arrest of the girls by the police was not only wrong from the "law" point of view but also wrong as they trampled on the right to free speech of the two girls.

This arrest has sparked a huge controversy in the land of the social media, including twitter, which was flooded with messages from all over the country as people questioned the move and the arrest. The girls, after apologizing, said that they were "scared" for their own lives. It should be noted that the Shiv Sainiks had reportedly vandalized an Orthopedic Clinic that belonged to the uncle of the girl who was arrested. So, we can understand where the "fear" is coming from. But to learn that the police too were acting out of "fear" of the Shiv Sainiks sends a different message altogether. "Fear is more contagious than dengue." Quoting Ajit Ranade from the Mumbai Mirror today, "Remember August 11 riots at Azad Maidan? There too the police restrained themselves, "fearing" much worse religious riots if they had enforced the law vigorously. In both Palghar and Azad Maidan, the police acted contrary to conventional wisdom on law enforcement, out of "fear" of a worse consequence, if they had simply upheld the law."

This whole debacle brings forth the question of whether we should be living in fear and letting this "fear" rule our lives.....and much worse still....rule the "law"?

Should I be afraid to write this blog? To wonder if I may get arrested for simply putting forth my views on the subject? Don't I, as the citizen of India, have the right to question the actions of our leaders or politicians? 

Ajmal Kasab Hanged to Death In Extreme Secrecy by Indian Government

Tweet

In the early morning hours of 21st November 2012, Wednesday (7:30 am) the lone surviving terrorist of the 26/11 attacks in Mumbai, Ajmal Kasab was hanged to death in the Yerwada Jail of Pune. The whole operation (Codenamed 'X') was extremely hush-hush as nobody came to know of the execution till it was all over. 

The recently appointed President of India, Mr. Pranab Mukherjee, soon after taking office,  wasted no time in rejecting the mercy petition that had been filed by Kasab. He has also similarly rejected 12 other petitions that were lying pending of other terrorists that are languishing in Indian prisons. The hanging of Kasab brought a sense of relief and some sort of closure to the people and victims of the 26/11 attacks. 

Read the whole story of how this whole operation was carried out and why the Indian government chose to keep it all hush-hush. The Pakistan government has been informed about the execution and given the chance to claim the body. 

Asked for his last wish, the 25-year-old terrorist from Faridkot village in Pakistan's Punjab province said: "Gharwalon ko milna hai (I want to meet my family members)." He was told the Islamabad government had been informed about his hanging but had failed to respond. As his hands and legs were tied, his last words, according to officials who witnessed the hanging, were: "Allah kasam maaf karna. Aisi galati dobara nahi hogi...(Allah, please forgive me, this mistake won't happen again)." 

How Kasab came to be hanged as most of India slept is as dramatic a tale as the unfortunate cycle of terror he and his nine other terrorists unleashed across Mumbai landmarks on November 26, 2008.

"Maha" Grief - Balasaheb Thakre No More

Tweet

The state of Maharashtra was deep in grief mourning the death of their iconic leader of the Shiv Sena for the past 45 years, Balasaheb Thakre. He suffered from natural ailments and passed away on Saturday afternoon, soon after the festivities of Diwali and Bhai-duj.  

There was a state-wide bandh as a result of his death on saturday and sunday. All the streets were deserted and all shops and businesses shut down due to the bandh. This included all the wholesalers and retailers as well, leaving people to wait for two days before they could get any groceries or vegetables. The people of Mumbai who wished to pay their last respects to their great leader were given the chance to do so on sunday before the body was taken in a procession to Shivaji Park for the final cremation ceremony before all the fans and followers who waited there patiently the whole day. The park was filled to the brim as the people crowded in to see their leader for the last time. 

Shiv Sena Chief Balasaheb Thakre

Shivaji Park apparently was a fitting place for the final cremation ceremony for Balasaheb Thakre as this is where he had addressed a crowd of people, giving a moving and impacting speech for the first time when he was young. All the people who remembered him and his speech were overwhelmed emotionally by this last tribute to the great leader and could not help but shed tears.

All the great big-wigs and important people, politicians and Bollywood stars came to pay their last respects to Balasaheb Thakre. The entire police squad of Mumbai were busy with the bandobast of his last rites and to make sure that the city maintained peace and quiet during the weekend. Earlier, there had been rumors of his death on the day of Diwali, but the news channels reported otherwise saying that though his condition was critical, he was stabilized. 

Lately, two young women from Palghar were arrested for simply posting a comment on Facebook regarding the bandh on Saturday.

The 21-year-old who posted, "Respect is earned, not given and definitely not forced. Today Mumbai shuts down due to fear and not due to respect", says she "will never post on Facebook again." She also says, in a low voice, a blue and green dupatta pulled tight across her face, that, "I would like to apologise. He (Bal Thackeray) was a great man."

The other girl was arrested for merely "liking" the status. 

The prompt action of the police for arresting these girls due to pressure from the Shiv Sainiks received a lot of furore from the public and social networking sites like Twitter, where people posted their ire.

The action of the police questions our basic democratic rights and freedom of expression. And a basic question remains unanswered - Why were any of the Sainiks who vandalized the orthopaedic clinic that belonged to the young woman's uncle, not arrested?

Updated news today states that nine people were arrested today morning for the vandalism and an inquiry will be held led by a senior cop into the arrests of the young women. Sources say there is consternation in the police headquarters in Mumbai over the action of the Palghar police. "We have ordered an inquiry... if any further action needs to be taken the probe team will decide and send a report. On this report we will act," Deven Bharti, IG (Law and Order), Maharashtra Police said.

The Shiv Sena leader's death on Saturday afternoon had brought Mumbai to a virtual standstill on Sunday, with shops and other establishments shutting and taxis going off the roads, amid fears of violence by Mr Thackeray's supporters. There was, however, no untoward incident in Mumbai over the weekend.  

Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray(86), who died on Saturday, was cremated with full state honors in Mumbai on Sunday.

Thackeray whose climb to fame was due to his championing the cause of the marginalised 'Marathi manoos' saw a sea of humanity coming to his funeral from not just all parts of the state but also from the country.  

 

J.K. Rowling's New Novel - "The Casual Vacancy" is Fastest Selling Best Seller of the Year

Tweet

J K Rowling's latest book "The Casual Vacancy" has swept the charts again to become the fastest selling hardback novel since 2009. After her successful "Harry Potter" series that was written for children, she has now attempted an "adult" fiction. The book is now out for sales and people are giving mixed reviews, although the book is fast selling out of the shelves, even though it's just the first week since the release of her first fiction novel in the adult category.
 

In the story, the girl "Sukhvinder Jawanda" is dyslexic student who is being bullied by this character called Fats and starts having suicidal thoughts. The Casual Vacancy has hit a raw cord with the Sikh Community in India as the story revolves around a sikh girl "Sukhvinder Jawanda" who is a rowing champion but has been described as "the Great Hermaphrodite" by a classmate ironically named Fats. The Shiromani Gurudwara Prabandhak Committee (SGPC) has sought removal of all "objectionable" text in the book along with an apology from the author, J K Rowling. The Chief of the SGPC described Rowling's words in the book as " a slur on the Sikh Community and Provocative" by calling into question the gender of the girl. 

This book has already achieved the status of being the number one best selling hardback fiction book of the year since Dan Brown's 'The Lost Symbol', which sold more than 550,000 in its first week of sale in 2009. 

If you are a die-hard fan of J.K Rowling and would like to buy the book to add to your collection, you can BUY the book in hardcover from the amazon stores at a reasonable price of just $20 and it will be shipped to you in 24 hrs. 

Product Description: 

When Barry Fairbrother dies unexpectedly in his early forties, the little town of Pagford is left in shock. Pagford is, seemingly, an English idyll, with a cobbled market square and an ancient abbey, but what lies behind the pretty façade is a town at war. Rich at war with poor, teenagers at war with their parents, wives at war with their husbands, teachers at war with their pupils…. Pagford is not what it first seems. And the empty seat left by Barry on the town’s council soon becomes the catalyst for the biggest war the town has yet seen. Who will triumph in an election fraught with passion, duplicity and unexpected revelations? Blackly comic, thought-provoking and constantly surprising, The Casual Vacancy is J.K. Rowling’s first novel for adults. 

Social Media For Business - The Engagement Blues

Tweet

Many businesses are quite confused about social media. Most are reluctant to use it for reasons best known to them, some are treating it like a website i.e. they open their fan page or profiles on various networks and that’s it. Still others are treating it like a one way broadcast to those who care to listen; they are not really engaging with the followers.

From a customer point of view the first two categories are acceptable; they are as good as not being there. It is the third category the customers have expectations from and perhaps the one which lets them down.

Social media provides for a two way communication and that is what users of the social media expect from the other users/businesses. If one continues to use it for marketing his products, services or himself without paying any attention to what others have to say, you can rest assured that soon you won’t have anyone listening to you either.

Conversation is an art and not everyone can handle it well. Therefore it is important that the person responsible for social media is not only good at producing engaging content but also be able to continue the conversation when someone responds. For this the person should understand the business lest you want him to run to the concerned department every time there is a comment.

Every business owner will tell you that Customer is the King, but somehow on the social media the kings are reduced to just another number. That is the surest way to loose a customer. If your purpose of getting on to the social media is to attract new audiences and retain the existing ones you must follow the basic rules of engagement.

When a customer likes your page or starts following you, consider it as a customer walking into your showroom or shop. Welcome him with open arms and thank him for following or liking you.

When a person comments on an update or your blog post, think about it as a direct dialogue with your business. If it is a question, answer his concern by providing the requisite information. If it is a compliment thank him, if it is a statement think of it like a feedback and thank him. If it is a complaint, try to resolve it or guide him to the requisite department. Understand that the person has taken the time and effort to comment on your page/wall and it needs to be acknowledged, to say the least.

Doing this much will at least not put off the person and will probably encourage him to come back or continue following you. Conversely, if you do not respond, the person ends up thinking that he is not important enough for you and we all know what his next step would be.

Respect your followers/fans and do not let your ego take over. Unless it is spam, which can be deleted straightaway, it does not matter whether the person has not understood your update, the language is incorrect, or he does not seem as an important lead. You have to respond. That, is the beginning of engagement.

Social Media – The Target Audience

Tweet

A few days back, I saw a job vacancy for a social media executive on one of the portals. The job responsibility read something like this: Weekly increase of followers: FB 150 fans, Twitter 150 followers, LinkedIn – 150 followers….. Sounded like a shopping list of a big hotel.

It is amazing how the business even thought of such ludicrous objectives. Getting followers or fans is not a difficult thing to do, but whatever happened to the concept of inbound marketing. I don’t know what the business is selling, but unless it is a global business selling the elixir of youth, getting followers in this manner is going to be an absolute waste of time and effort, never mind the clutter they are going to create on the business’s walls or streams. With fans or followers acquired in this manner, your Facebook wall is going to become just that, a wall.

The social media manager’s quick fix to such objectives presented itself to me on the website of a major league (?) social media company. The company had integrated their Twitter feed on the home page of the website and the last couple of tweets were about requesting (pleading?) their followers to like the Facebook business page of a particular client.

Agreed, that in the longer run, the whole world is a market and everyone a customer, but then be prepared to wait an eternity for the impact of social media on your business. What use is a follower or fan acquired in this manner? The business does not gain anything from them. They are not interested in your products, they are not listening to what you have to say and they may not even be in your country/city of operation. What they are is just a number in your list.

This brings us to an important facet of social media, a targeted audience. That is what differentiates the social media from the traditional communications. On social media, people follow businesses because they are interested in some part of the business, be it products, processes, services or technology. These are the people one can engage in a two way communication, to understand them, their needs and to inform or educate. These are also the people who will contribute to enhancing your business by sharing and spreading the word about your business, by taking part in the discussions and by being your loyal customers.

It is important for businesses to realize that just numbers are not going to get them anywhere. The old age adage, “A bird in hand is worth two in the bush” holds good with the difference that on social media a single genuine fan is worth hundreds, if not more, of indifferent followers.

The social media strategy of a company needs to define what their target audience is. Thereafter one can effectively go about reaching out to them rather than mindlessly getting followers as if they were going out of stock.

If you have some thoughts about this, for or against, I would be glad if you could share them with me.

Why Businesses Need Social Media Strategy

Tweet

Most businesses and companies do not have a clear strategic picture of their social media endeavors or campaigns. They make the mistake of building their strategy around the various social media platforms rather than focusing on their own business objectives and goals. Developing a good social media strategy right at the beginning will go a long way for any business in terms of ROI and bringing value to it. The questions that need to be answered are: how much are you willing to invest or can invest in the social media activities (both in terms of money as well as time) and how does that relate to the business value? How best does the social media strategy align with your business and other marketing strategies?

Its very important to get the answers to these questions and understand the objectives and goals of the business or company before starting off any social media activity like opening a Facebook or a Twitter account without any concrete plans or strategy in place to measure success or understand what you want to achieve from it. 

Having a social media strategy in place is the need of the hour for any business today, helping to build a foundation towards better handling of the social media platforms in the right manner to suit the individual business and its values, and also helps to achieve the unique objectives and ensure maximum ROI.

In order to create a comprehensive and successful social media strategy, the business should first establish who their demographic audience is that they are trying to reach and to identify a clear way to measure the success. Understand the objectives of the social media strategy and be prepared for a long term commitment, as it takes consistent effort and time to get results from online campaigns.

Think clearly what your business wants to use social media for - brand awareness, drive more leads, drive sales, promote products, improve customer relations or customer services. All these can be achieved by careful planning, expertise and experience.

The different social media have their own unique and specific tools or metrics that can be used to measure the results or level of interaction that takes place on that platform. For example, the number of "likes" on Facebook, or number of followers on Twitter or percentage of females versus males in your community can be tracked over time to measure your progress and the impact of your social media campaign on your bottom line. 

The different social media platforms should be analyzed and conversations tracked so that you can identify business relevant topics as well as potential crises and issues. The end result should put your brand in a position to establish who your audience are, where they are online and define your objectives to maximize engagement with them. 

In order to find and identify the most relevant platform to your business, monitor the different sites to see where your brand name is being mentioned, where your competitors are, use specific keywords to identify and understand what your target audience is using and which will offer you the greatest opportunities for your business. The sites can include anything from Facebook to blogs or forums. So be prepared to go anywhere. 

Once a business has identified and chosen the relevant platforms to further its social media activities, it will have to then define how to manage engagement with the customers on the different channels. Each platform will require different content or means and ways to engage the customer in an effective manner. Therefore, a careful strategy needs to be developed around content creation in all sites or platforms along with its frequency of posting. The content should be the voice of the business, should reflect brand values and guidelines, which takes time, effort and resources but is crucial to build an active and engaged community.

A continuous open communication between the business and its customers has become very vital for any business today. Therefore plan, engage, listen and manage any negative comments/feedback or criticism in a timely and effective manner so as to maintain your credibility and reputation online. Social media provides many tools to accurately track and monitor the performance of your business online. Therefore, its wise to use these findings to optimize the program and ensure that your social media activity is performing as effectively as it possibly can. This not only leads to social media success but is also vital in contributing to the overall objectives of your business.

What is Social Media?

Tweet

All web based applications which allow for creation / exchange of user generated content and enable interaction between the users can be classified as Social Media. These could be in the form of Social Networking Sites, Blogs, Internet forums, online community sites, Q & A sites etc.

The social media has some inherent properties which make it much more powerful than the traditional media.

Accessibility: The social media is easily accessible and takes minimal or no costs to use. Social media is easy to use and does not require any special skills, knowledge to use. It is absolutely simple to connect with others and be a part of communities. Therefore anyone with online access can use the Social Media to initiate or participate in the conversations. In a sense, everyone is now empowered to speak up.

Speed: The content that you create on the Social Media is available to everyone in your network/forum/community as soon as you publish it. You can communicate with your audience without any external factor affecting the delivery of your message. The responses are also near instantaneous and thus you can have a dialogue which is almost in real-time.

Interactivity: Social media affords a two way or multiple communication channels. Users can interact with each other; ask questions, discuss products / services, share opinions and anything else they might be interested in doing.

Longevity / volatility – Social media content remains accessible for a long time, maybe forever, because of the nature of the medium. In addition to this the content can be edited / updated anytime. So, if a user likes a particular product and says so in the social media, it is not a permanent positive vote for the product; the user can always go back and change his opinion anytime.

Reach: The internet offers an unlimited reach to all content available. Anyone can access it from anywhere and anyone can reach, potentially, everyone. Social media offers the same facility to all the users who can share anything with anyone they like.

Social media has opened up new avenues for people to engage with each other and with the content available on the internet. The social interaction of the yore, severely restricted by various boundaries, has now been taken online, opening up a world of new possibilities.

People are using the social media to stay connected with friends/family, find people with similar interests, discuss issues with others, share opinions, asking and answering questions, reading user reviews etc. We can surmise that, in addition to staying connected, the users want to acquire/enhance knowledge and gain insights into specific subjects to help them make better decisions. It is this consideration that makes social media an enticing opportunity for businesses, celebrities, politicians etc. Opportunities to help them gauge consumer sentiments, acquire new customers/fans, interact with the customers, enhance their brand and manage their online reputation.

"Satyamev Jayate" - Dil Pe Lagi Ya Nahi

Tweet

I just watched the much advertised and anticipated show in the history of Indian TV, "Satyamev Jayate" hosted by Aamir Khan on StarPlus. After seeing the promos and knowing that it was Aamir Khan who was going to host the show, I must say that I was confident we would finally have a show that would indeed be hard hitting with the truth - "Dil Pe Lagegi, Tabhi Baat Banegi"!

The show made its debut today at 11:00 am and I was ready in time to watch the first episode that was on the topic of "Female Foeticide". This topic has always been close to my heart and in spite of being from the medical field, I must admit that this show proved to be a complete eye-opener for me. I was truly shocked and appalled by the stories narrated by the women on the show, and also by the facts and figures that showed the spread and severity of the problem that our country faces today. What shocked me the most was that apparently it was the government that paved the way, in the 70's, to kill the female fetus as measures to curb the population of India.

"In this episode, Aamir talks about the killing of unborn girls or female foeticide. An alarming reality, it involves the collusion of families, some unscrupulous doctors and a social structure that encourages the desire for a boy child – at any cost. The result has been the death of over 3 crore unborn girls since independence and a generation of young men, many amongst whom will find it very tough to get a life partner."

The show was put together in a very heartwarming and an appealing manner that touched every chord and Aamir Khan managed to show just the right kind of emotions with his personal touch that I can say this for sure, Aamirji "Dil Pe Jaroor Lagi" aur Zor se Lagi. (It did hit hard)!

There are many positive tweets flooding twitter after the show was aired. It is quite obvious that Aamir Khan is very passionate about all the issues that concern our nation, and I consider him to be a true patriot. This is a show that promises to bring out the truth in a manner that will not only open our eyes to the problems or issues that demand our attention but also give you hope, and encourage you to find a solution to bring about a change so that we can have a better future. So that the country can have a better future and also garner the respect that is so essential from the global world. A hard hitting program is definitely the need of the hour and I am sure that if any person can bring about a change in perceptions or attitudes, a revolutionary way of thinking, then that man is none other than Aamir Khan. The movie "Rang de Basanti" had managed to strike a patriotic chord in the hearts of all the youth to prod them awake from their slumber and realize that they could make a difference. It forced the youth to think in a revolutionary manner, that they could indeed be the next "Bhagat Singh" or "Chandrashekhar Azad". 

By airing the show "Satyamev Jayate" on a Sunday at 11:00 am, Aamir Khan has made sure that many more people will be sure to tune in to the program, including the late risers. And after watching this first episode, I am sure that the subsequent episodes will be watched in great anticipation and expectations. Because, deep in our hearts we all want a change; we want to make a difference; we want a safer and securer environment to live in; and we want a shining India that we can be truly proud of.

The show brought out the bitter and shocking truth about female foeticide in India and what I liked best was the fact that the show also gave one hope and encouragement and an opportunity to one and all to make a difference to save the girl child and protect the male-female sex ratio. How can we help? This is what you can do -

At the end of the show, Aamir Khan has asked a question:

"Snehalaya is a charitable organization that works to eradicate female foeticide, and provides shelter for abandoned children. Their ‘Cradle In Every Village’ campaign aims to wipe out the practice, by encouraging the adoption of girls. You can help the organization further by writing them a cheque, and depositing it at your nearest Axis Bank branch. You can also transfer your money to Snehalaya online at their website (www.snehalaya.org). For every rupee you donate, the Reliance Foundation, the philanthropy partner of Satyamev Jayate will donate the same amount."  

So this is your golden opportunity to make a change, to make a difference and bring about the change that we desire. SAVE THE GIRL CHILD. Say NO to sex determination tests and accept a child as a God's gift - Girl or Boy. Raise your voice against female foeticide today.

Satyamev Jayate - The Truth Shall Prevail.

Health, Fitness and Weight loss in Women

Tweet

Health, fitness and weight loss is the new mantra for women of all age groups in this new era of a world obsessed with a good body and good looks that they are willing to go to any lengths to feel "good" about themselves. Of course, in a way, it is also a very healthy trend to shift towards a healthy way of living life, provided one is realistic about their own fitness levels. Well, to come to the point, I am one of those women who have been constantly battling with my weight, health issues and fitness levels since the time I got married and converted to a sedentary way of life as a housewife. 

If you have been following my blogs judiciously, you will be able to appreciate the struggles and the obstacles that I have had to face in this battle of the bulge. In the previous blog, I wrote about how I had successfully managed to lose 10 Kgs without any help from external weight loss programs or tablets/pills etc. Well, I would like to update the readers that since then I have managed to lose another 5 Kgs entirely on my own and am also maintaining my weight steadily so that I do not start gaining weight again.

I managed to do all this by just a few adjustments to my diet and fitness regimes. That is, I started exercising at home with the help of the latest interactive Fitness Training Programs available for the gaming consoles like PS3, namely EA Sports Active 2, which became my personal fitness trainer. I started drinking herbal tea every day in the morning and evenings and went for a walk in the evenings. In addition, I started having lots of fruits, specially for dinner, instead of a regular meal. My meal would consist of a bowl of mixed fruits, mostly apples/papaya/watermelons or other melons. I also tried to incorporate fruit juices like a glass of orange juice or sweetlime juice in the mornings. Other than that, my afternoon meal consisted of pretty much anything that I liked to eat. Of course, it goes without saying that one has to keep away from sweets and desserts completely.

Well, I have to admit that the battle of the bulge is a constant one and one cannot get complacent at any point of time. It is a struggle that one has to undergo to avoid temptations and stay on the course of health at all times consciously. I do give in to my temptations a little, now and then, but the only difference now is that I am maintaining a constant watch on my weight. Yes, I judiciously step on the scale every morning to check my weight, so that I am then mentally prepared to either forgo all temptations or pledge to exercise harder during the day or eat lesser. It is a great motivator, I can assure you.

I have to also admit, rather guiltily, that for the past 6-7 months I haven't been able to continue with my exercise regime and had instead resorted to just walks in the mornings and evenings. As a result, I haven't been able to lose more weight, but have managed to maintain my weight where it was. Women, like me,  always have a lot of external pressures like family and holidays that come in the way of trying to maintain a routine for self. Women mostly tend to sacrifice their personal time and routine to place others needs ahead of hers, thinking that they could always get back to theirs anytime later. Hmm..I know that sounds like a pathetic excuse, maybe, but it's a fact that we need to acknowledge and address, if we can help it.

I got a wake up call recently from my rather long slumber, in the form of an interview by a freelance journalist. She had apparently gone through my weight loss articles and decided that I was a good candidate to write about. Her call gave me the much needed stimulus to start afresh with my weight loss goals and I decided to get back to my fitness training exercises again, with a goal to lose at least 5 Kgs more to come down to 65 Kgs. I am now at 70.5, having lost a total of 15 Kgs so far.

I will provide the link to the article as and when it gets published, which is the May-June issue. So do keep a lookout.

That's all I have for now. Will keep you updated with more blogs on this issue. In the meantime, you may want to read my earlier related articles:

Related articles:

1.     Weight Loss Programs - A Personal Review
2.     Weight Loss - How to Prepare Yourself - Part 1   & 2
3.     Weight Loss Programs - Are they really successful?
4.     Hormonal Imbalance and Weight Gain
5.     How I Lost Weight - Weight Loss Secrets Revealed 

Random Bytes in March

Tweet

Dear Readers,

A lot of rapid changes in the internet and networking world has forced online writers and bloggers like myself to take a step back and reflect upon the changes. The Panda update in the beginning of the year 2011 caused a serious setback to the writers who were solely depended upon the Google adsense for their earnings via content sharing sites. I was affected too and due to several changes that took place as a result in the rules and regulations of the posting policies of these content sharing sites, I decided to stop writing for a while to watch how things would unfold.

My personal life too went through a lot of rough patches and nothing seemed to be going right in the year 2011. I started the year on a bad note with health issues, followed by family issues and to top it all my husband was forced to quit his job as the company that he was working for couldn't afford to pay his salary anymore. It took him six months and thousands of job applications before he got another good offer. 

The world too had a bad start in the year 2011 with the Japan earthquakes and Tsunami that devastated and destroyed thousands of families and homes. The year followed through with many more natural disasters and a supermoon to top it all. We lost the most romantic legend of Bollywood "Dev Anand" just before the year ended. All in all it was a "tragic" year as far as I am concerned. It was probably the worst year of my life. Everything came to a standstill, including my writing and my earnings from Adsense. 

But the year 2012 dawned with a new promise of hope, faith and good tidings. I have decided to continue with my blogs. So do keep visiting for fresh updates of what's happening around the globe.

The social networking scenario is changing rapidly, not to say that I am very comfortable with all the changes. The way people are communicating with each other today has changed drastically from what it used to be when we were teenagers. Being a bit old-fashioned, I must say that things are a wee bit too fast paced and "intrusive" than what it was in our time. There seems to be less and less of privacy these days, in fact people seem to not mind airing their views or thoughts or a glimpse into their private lives online, in the form of minute-by-minute status updates and personal pictures. Everybody seems to know what everybody else is upto...the latest form of gossip (firsthand).

Also it is a little disturbing to see the effects that a social networking site has on the behavior patterns of individuals. This would definitely make an interesting topic for research for a student of sociology. It goes without saying that social networking is affecting the psyche of individuals in more ways than one, which can prove to be disastrous or good depending on the way it is being used. Most people seem to be getting addicted to it and are becoming voyeurs. But, in the end...where will this social networking take us all as a society and what effects it will have upon our civilization and culture, I guess only time can tell. But somebody somewhere needs to give this a serious thought, most definitely.

Looking forward to a happening year ahead and lots of good things to come....

"Understanding Social Media" eBook for Free Download

Tweet

"By now, nobody can imagine the online world without social networking sites such as Facebook, LinkedIn & Co. But do you know when exactly this idea of connecting people was born? No! It wasn’t in 2003 when Facebook was introduced, it was a bit earlier. Let’s take a look!"

Social Media is the buzz about town. Almost everyone with internet access is using social media in some form or the other. It is changing the way individuals and organizations communicate or interact with others. However, despite its popularity, most people have a very limited understanding of the scope and utility of Social Media in its entirety.

"Understanding Social Media" is an eBook written by Varinder Taprial and Priya Kanwar that is available for FREE Download from Bookboon.com. This ebook delves into the evolution of Social Media, its benefits for individuals/ businesses and social media management.

EXCERPT 


Contrary to the general perception of social media being restricted to networking websites like Facebook & Twitter, the social media encompasses all the services that facilitate creation, sharing and exchange of user-generated content. These include but are not restricted to Internet forums, groups, blogs, micro blogs, networking sites, social bookmarking sites, wikis, podcasts, content communities for articles, video/photo sharing sites, Q & A sites, review sites etc. Each type of social media has its own benefits and there is something for everyone. Unfortunately people tend to partake in the most popular websites and expect them to fulfil all their needs instead of settling for a service that best serves their needs. If one has focused objectives and knows exactly what he wants, s/he would certainly find a social media platform that will meet his/her particular needs.


The social media also drove a social change. Social media empowered the people to express their thoughts and opinions and share them with others. To add to this newfound power, people realized that they were not speaking in a vacuum; a highly responsive audience, who took part in the conversation and put across their points of view, heard their voices. This started a social shift towards power coming back to the masses. Now one didn’t have to suffer at the hands of the powerful, or be thrust upon with unacceptable quality of products or services or spend his life waiting for justice or for resolution of issues. One had the choice to come on to the social media, and give his side of the story and demand what he rightfully deserved.

As time passed by, people realized that it was not only their petty issues which the social media could sort out, but by working together they could also influence decision-making. In their own right, each individual was turning into an influencer within his network, some more than the others. They now made a difference whether it was a simple recommendation on a product or something bigger like enlistment of support for a public cause. They are now being recognized and known as “Social Influencers”.

Social media has a character of its own; there is nothing that can be assumed or taken for granted. There is no “one hat fits all” kind of a solution. Yes, there are certain aspects of handling social media that apply to everyone, but they can at best be termed as guidelines or best practices. Otherwise, social media management is a learning process. Ultimately it all boils down to understanding the social media, gathering relevant information and then analysing it to tweak your activity, be it online or offline.

In this book, we will discover how the social media has transformed over the years, what benefits it brings to individuals and businesses and why social media management is important. We will also discuss some tools, which are useful to manage your social media activities.

"Business Blogs - The Best Social Media Tool For Businesses" E-Book For Free Download

Tweet

The e-book "Business Blogs - The Best Social Media Tool For Businesses" authored by Varinder Taprial and Priya Kanwar has been published by Bookboon.com and is now available on the site for Free Download. This book discusses the scope of blogs and how they can be used effectively as an important business tool by adding value to any business in terms of branding, credibility, achieving goals for the business or company, driving targeted traffic to generate inbound leads and getting conversions in a very cheap and effective manner.

Read the blog "Ingredients for an unforgettable blog post" by Bookboon.com to know more about what this book has to offer. "Nowadays almost everybody – regardless of whether for a business or private purpose – is running or using a blog. This is because blog posts give you the opportunity to promote yourself, get linked, share experiences, build relationships and much more. But what exactly makes a blog post a fantastic blog post? Let us take a look at some general ingredients for a great blog post." The article is an excerpt from the book..

Business Blogs - The Best Social Media Tool For Businesses  

© 2011 Varinder Taprial, Priya Kanwar & Ventus Publishing ApS

ISBN: 978-87-7681-944-6 

 

Excerpt:

The Power of Blogs

In the early days, the blogs were nothing but a form of a personal diary or journal that was easy to maintain and log daily. This was made possible due to the fact that the blogging platforms were freely available with free hosting and domain facilities, creating a blog was easy, and did not require any special technical skill or knowledge to post content. Therefore, anyone could open as many blogs as they wished, using the free templates provided, and maintain them very easily. It was a breeze to post content of any kind without too many hassles.

As the Internet evolved, so did the blog; making it a very powerful medium through which you could get your voice heard. Any individual could express strong opinions, suggestions and even provide useful up-to-date information through blogs. Even more attractive feature of a blog was the fact that one could interact directly with its readers in the form of comments that could be posted below the posts.

Blogs were an easy way to target specific audiences and also could be optimized, by virtue of the content posted, for it to be found on search engines. Another advantage of the blogs was that it was a comprehensive service, which offered a variety of tools and gadgets that made it versatile and user friendly.

Obviously, it did not take long for businesses to appreciate the full potential of a blog in attracting customers to its site and also providing a great platform to communicate with them directly. Some of the big business companies like Google realised this power, importance and effectiveness of the blog and incorporated it into their business strategy very effectively. These companies have shown how a blog can be used for different purposes like marketing, educating, community building, public relations, customer feedback and announcements etc.

Thus evolved the strategy of blogging for business, or using blogs effectively as a business tool. If the company website is thought of as a “store front” then the blog can be thought of as the “salesperson, customer care, evangelist and a public relations officer” all rolled into one. Why wouldn’t anyone want that? Statistics show that the businesses that have blogs as an integral part of their social media strategy have shown more sales growth than the businesses that use social media without blogs.

In this book, it shall be our endeavor to discuss why blogs are an important business tool and how blogs can add value to any business in terms of branding, credibility, achieving goals for the business or company, driving targeted traffic to generate inbound leads and getting conversions in a very cheap and effective manner. We will also discuss the tools, which can help in measuring the performance of the blog and analyzing the information effectively.