Hair extension

No, I was not looking for it myself since I still have enough on my head to satisfy my ego, unlike my Hubby, who is forever threatening that he will be taking the service of one of those hair fixers like Gulf Gate etc. Have also noticed that he is very quick in spotting those who have them too :).  Maybe, we shall both take their service together someday!

Anyway, it was the weekend and the children having gone to India to give company to their grandmother, I had nothing much to do and was switching channels. It is when I saw a short documentary on Luxe.tv about hair extensions in expensive saloons in Europe.

Watched many beautiful ladies getting their hair fixed but what got my attention was when the scene shifted to India. Rows of people are sitting down to shear their heads and hearing this lady with her shorn head say that she has offered her hair to Lord Murugan, I assumed the temple is that of South India.

So have you always known where all this hair is going? There were bundles and bundles of hair stacked in the corner.

I knew it was being used in India too, since I remember seeing those small buns of hair that some ladies tucked inside their hair and also hair extensions too, but not until I watched this programme on TV did I realize that hair mostly offered to God for various reasons in India is the main source (China is also another source) in expensive saloons across the world.

This discarded hair becomes very expensive once it has been treated and sorted out into different length, color, texture etc.



To know the extent of it, you can have a look at the snap shot of the same. The hair can be of length from 5 to 80 inches and the color can be black, brown, grey and also white.

But, towards the end of the programme, this business guy from India did admit that business is not going to be good in the near future since the current generation does not believe in these kinds of offerings to God.

Yes, they may soon run out of hair and I wonder what these ladies shall do then?

Hair salons regularly charge anywhere from $500 to $3000 and quality clip-in human hair extensions range from $200 to $400. Last year alone the human hair extension market was worth over 300 million dollars.

Source:
http://www.rajimpex.com/product-selector-tool.htm
http://www.hairextensions.com/home.php?cat=5

The cost of being the richest...

“The real measure of your wealth is how much you’d be worth if you lost all your money.”


Have always thought that the following building was ugly.

It may be the world’s priciest private residence owned by the world’s fifth richest man and it may have started when Mrs. Nita Ambani was relaxing at a spa at the Mandarin Hotel, New York, and when the Asian interiors struck her, she inquired about the designer.
Source:therichtimes.com


But now we know for sure that this building shall stand as the ugliest image of corruption in India. It was indeed at the cost of millions of Indians who have been enduring the vagaries and the blatant disregard of a few, who managed to be at the helm of this business of corruption.

Source: www.panoramio.com by joelnewell

And sadly, those who suffer shall continue to do so for many more years to come.

The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India has come down hard on Mukesh Ambani-controlled Reliance Industries Limited (RIL), suggesting the company grossly overstated its development costs in India's largest gas field, possibly causing "significant" financial losses to the exchequer.

As the production-sharing contract involves profit-sharing with the government, a higher capital expenditure results in the profit being lower for the government than it would be otherwise, which the CAG has explained in its 200-page June 7 report to the petroleum ministry.

The CAG report has revealed severe irregularities and violations on part of private operators and government departments and ministries.

Source: Hindustantimes.com

And while reading certain news, one is made to believe that these super rich are magnanimous/benevolent since they are investing their “hard earned” money in India.

Ambani Invests $16.9 Billion In The Heart Of India

But then life shall go on and one should only wait for the next increase in fuel price. One can also wait for the other brother to come up with his idea of a home.

Barely weeks after Mukesh Ambani moved out of Sea Wind, the family’s joint home, into his own 27-story tower that has been billed as the world’s most expensive private residence, comes the news that younger brother Anil is planning to construct his own palace in the sky.

Source: Forbes.com

Jyotirmoy Dey

India has been ranked 13th by CPJ or the Committee to Protect Journalists.

CPJ’s Impunity Index calculates the number of unsolved journalist murders as a percentage of each country's population. For this index, CPJ examined journalist murders that occurred between January 1, 2001 through December 31, 2010, and that remain unsolved. Only those nations with five or more unsolved cases are included on this index.

CPJ defines murder as a deliberate attack against a specific journalist in relation to the victim’s work. Murders make up more than 70 percent of work-related deaths among journalists, according to CPJ research. This index does not include cases of journalists killed in combat or while carrying out dangerous assignments such as coverage of street protests.

Source: cpj.org

While it is understandable when Iraq tops the list, should India be in the list at all?

If we take a look at the countries that have taken a place in this list, it is imperative that we ask ourselves why India is in this list. Except for Brazil, all the rest of the countries are/were facing turmoil due to various reasons.

Statistical Table
Unsolved journalist murders per 1 million inhabitants for 2001-2010. Only nations with five or more unsolved cases are included. Cases are considered unsolved when no convictions have been obtained.

Source: cpj.org

Yet again it shows how government after government has indulged in corruption. We also saw the 4th pillar of democracy (Media) being drawn into the vortex of corruption.

But now with the latest killing of senior Mumbai journalist Jyotirmoy Dey, should one wonder if majority of them are playing it safe?

This killing shocked the nation but will his killers be brought to justice?

Source: www.dailypioneer.com


Today I read that the journalists have begun a fast for CBI probe and I pray they persist until the culprits are arrested.This deserves the utmost support from every citizen too. The 4th pillar may have had lapses but when our nation does get journalists who put their life in danger just so as to expose the corrupt forces, then every citizen ought to join this fight. It deserves the same support that Anna Hazare is being given.

Dey had also met home minister R R Patil in May and submitted the state Anti-Corruption Bureau's adverse report on Mahabole. The officer was investigated after allegations that he helped Dawood's sister Haseena Parkar in an extortion case registered against her. This happened after Akela was booked under the Official Secrets Act for his story on the poor condition of the armoury where the Railways' weapons are stored. It was alleged that Mahabole had instigated the arrest.

Without a strong media, we shall never be able to root out the menace of corruption that is strangling the nation’s growth and threatening its stability.

A letter...

A Beautiful letter written by a father to his daughter says the forwarded email.

Following is a letter to his daughter from a renowned Hong Kong TV broadcaster and Child Psychologist. The words are actually applicable to all of us, young or old, children or parents.!

I am writing this to you because of 3 reasons.

1. Life, fortune and mishaps are unpredictable, nobody knows how long it lives. Some words are better said early.

2. I am your father, and if I don't tell you these, no one else will.

3. What is written is my own personal bitter experiences that perhaps could save you a lot of unnecessary heartaches.

Remember the following as you go through life.

1. Do not bear grudge towards those who are not good to you. No one has the responsibility of treating you well, except your mother and I. To those  who are good to you, you have to treasure it and be thankful, and ALSO you have to be cautious, because, everyone has a motive for every move. When  a person is good to you, it does not mean he really likes you. You have to be careful, don't hastily regard him as a real friend.

2. No one is indispensable, nothing in the world that you must possess. Once you understand this idea, it would be easier for you to go through  life when people around you don't want you anymore, or when you lose what/who you love most.

3. Life is short. When you waste your life today, tomorrow you would find that life is leaving you. The earlier you treasure your life, the better you enjoy life.

4. Love is but a transient feeling, and this feeling would fade with time and with one's mood. If your so called loved one leaves you, be patient, time will wash away your aches and sadness. Don't over exaggerate the beauty and sweetness of love, and don't over exaggerate the sadness of falling out of love.

5. A lot of successful people did not receive a good education, that does not mean that you cannot be successful by not studying hard! Whatever knowledge you gain is your weapon in life. One can go from rags to riches, but one has to start from some rags!

6. I do not expect you to financially support me when I am old, neither would I financially support your whole life. My responsibility as a supporter ends when you are grown up. After that, you decide whether you want to travel in a public transport or in your limousine, whether rich or poor.

7. You honour your words, but don't expect others to be so. You can be good to people, but don't expect people to be good to you. If you don't understand this, you would end up with unnecessary troubles.

8. I have bought lotteries for umpteen years, but I never strike any prize. That shows if you want to be rich, you have to work hard..! There is no free lunch..!

9. No matter how little time I have with you, let's treasure the time we have together. We do not know if we would meet again in our next life.