The Ultimate Super Hero

Superman Returns

If you had to pick one superhero to save your day... who would you pick? Sure, you may have gotten charmeded by Spiderman and his boy-ish qualities that make it easy to empathize with him. You may also idolize Batman given he's just a normal person who turned into a superhero with nothing else except his own will. You may even consider one of the various X-Men as they just seem cool. But who'd you really pick when it came down to savin' your ass!!!? That's right... you'd pick Superman!

He is the ultimate superhero... he's as fast as the speed of light, stronger than you could ever imagine, impenetrable, can fly, and comes equipped with x-ray vision, laser vision and super cool-breath. Hmm, did I miss anything...?

This is definitely a movie you want to go see at the theaters... I did! Twice! The second time in IMAX 3D and oh was it worth it! It is a very well thought-out movie as everything seems to continue from where it left-off back in the days of those 80s Superman flicks. It has a real-villain with a catastrophically devastating plan... a gripping love story, an awesome soundtrack that I can't wait to buy in SACD, a great cast all-around, and enough suspense and action to make the 2.5 hours just fly by, no pun intended. It even adds a little twist towards the end that should lead to a sequel. And you know I'll be there... first day, first show, for sure!

Go watch it!

How Sexy is Your Favorite Designer's Catalog...?

What sells clothes? Is it the material... the design... the manufacturer... the models... or just the lure of something we all want...? In these changing times, where competition is tougher than ever before and every company is trying to find its own niche, there seems to be NO LIMIT to the tactics employed just to stand apart from the rest of the crowd.

I have news for you if you think that the Victoria's Secret catalog is as sexy and seductive as it gets... Shai clothing has taken that leaps further. I don't even know if this is the best way to sell clothes, but it will definitely generate some noise... I for one couldn't even focus on their clothes... but maybe you can!

I will not describe their tactics much on my blog, but you can see for yourself at their site. Please, be fairly warned that this is not for the faint-hearted... ENTER AT YOUR OWN RISK! And please, DO NOT go to this site at work!!!! If you still want to check it out... here's the LINK!

NOTE: 'Catch up on Aman' and its affiliates do not support in any way shape or form the content of this website as developed by Shai Clothing. The purpose of this post, like most others, is just to inform our visitors of what's out there... keeping you in the KNOW!
Thanks to frisky for the link!

Finally Finished!!!

A Brief History of Time

Yes, it took me over a month... yes, it was only about 200 or so pages... and yes, it wasn't a boring book... but I'm just slow OK!!! I just can't sit and finish reading a book in one-go like some people... I need to read it chapter by chapter. Heck, the fastest read ever for me was the Da Vinci Code, and even that took 3 weeks, and that's a record! :) But I guess that's why I buy and keep books I read... for it takes me so damn long to read them that they almost become a part of me!

But anyways, lets get back to the book-review. This was overall a good read. It wasn't a great read because it didn't spark my imagination the way I wish it had. It was at times too factual and chronological, it never really did expand on the 'what-if' aspect regarding the mystery of space that to me is the most exciting part. But it was nevertheless a good read because it does a good job informing one about all the historical discoveries about space and our universe, and how we have come to define it as we do today. It's a good culmination of the progress some of the greatest-known-minds have made in this field, and it really does a good job of simplifying some of the greatest and most complicated theries we have derived. But again, what it doesn't do is spark the imagination to keep one wondering about what else is going on out there.

USA Basketball 2006 Final Team Announced

Ok, so we've finally picked the next USA Basketball Team. This team is to compete in the upcoming World Championships and also the 2008 Olympics. I'm certain that you too are both disgusted and dissappointed concerning the USA team's performance in the Olympics the last two times... I'm not trying to take anything away from the winners, but it was clear that the US team was more talented, but lacked drive, and team-work and team-cohesion... Granted, it's harder for the US team to have team-cohesion as they don't play together very often, but there is simply no excuse for lacking drive and team-work...

This is exactly what Coach K is intending to focus on during his training sessions... and team-chemistry was rated very high amongst the list of factors that eventually led to a players inclusion into the team. The final roster can be found here. The team looks great on paper... lets just see whether they're able to bring home what's rightl-fully ours, the World Basketball Championship.

Note, Kobe is not included in the roster simply because he has recently undergone knee surgery and is undergoing therapy so that he can be ready in time for the starting of the Lakers season. I'm uncertain regarding his appearance in the 2008 Olympic games however... don't know the details of that. Kobe, you will truly be missed!

Crush of the Week Wednesdays

Laetitia Casta
Helpin' you get over the hump...

How Did You Beat the Heat this Past Weekend...?

Man, was it a scorcher!!! Sure, it might have been hotter in Delhi, in Phoenix, heck, even in LA, but man, it was HOT here in sunny-San Diego. It was up to 115F on Saturday and, thanks to some welcomed cloud-cover, slightly cooler at 100F on Sunday. Now that's not too hot, but it was hot enough to be the hottest weekend of the year for us in SD. And personally, it's not something us Diegans want to get used to or be proud of. We want to leave the 'Man it was hot' stories to people in Phoenix so that they have something to talk about.... we have plenty of other things going on in San Diego and so the heat is just not welcome here!

So, as you can imagine, since we aren't used to such hot days, many of the houses, especially the older ones like I live in, simply don't have ACs... so what's one to do!!!? Well, in times like these, you just have to beat the heat the best way you know how... and for us Capitalist Americans, we are forced to seek refuge in our typical habitats, which usually means either staying cool in shopping malls or going to spend some time in air-conditioned movie theaters... and the latter is just what I did in my attempt to try and stay cool this past weekend.

That brings me to a couple movie reviews to get you up-to-speed on what's out in theaters these days, just in case you try to keep cool next weekend in your neck of the woods...

Lady in the Water

This latest feat my M. Night was just another attempt by him to try and replicate his genius in the Sixth Sense. Personally, I feel his movies have only been getting worse ever since they reached that pinnacle, and this is his latest and lamest film to date! You know it's sad when he has to resort to comedy in this supposedly morbid tale. The irony of it is that the comedy was the only thing that managed to keep me tuned-in. I'd recommend you wait for it to come out on DVD if you really want to watch it... but then again, why would you really ever want to watch it?

My Super Ex-Girlfriend

Now this was a super-cool idea... I mean a girlfriend with superpowers... woo hoo! Talk about something to boast about the next time you go out with the guys! Now granted, this movie wasn't spectacular, and at times, it was simply down-right stupid! But you have to love the idea, and at times, even the execution. It certainly made me laugh more than just a few times. But I guess the best part of it was, it made me realize that all my ex-girlfriends have been angels in comparison to the one portrayed in this movie... Man, sometimes you just don't know how good you have it... ;)

Tailor-Made Infosession Fridays: Is eating Sushi really Healthy Eating?

In this day and age, Sushi is one of the most popular types of cuisines, if not THE most popular type. In fact, Sushi restaurants led all other types of restaurants in popularity in the ZAGAT 2006 survey. So, what could possibly be wrong with it...?

I mean sure, Indian food can be heavy, Chinese can have MSG, burgers and steaks can be under-cooked, fast-food is slow-acting poison, desserts are fattening, milk has hormones, fruit has insecticide spray leftovers, and the list goes on-and-on.

Well, now Sushi can now also be considered unhealthy when consumed in large-quantities due to the significant amount of Mercury it has found to contain. But before I start ranting and raving about how you should limit your sushi intake, let's just go over why Mercury is bad for you.

Firstly, Mercury is toxic. Large amounts of Mercury in anyone, men, women or children can be dangerous if not fatal. Here's what higher than FDA-approved amounts of Mercury consumption can mean to you:
Men may be pre-disposing themselves to diseases such as Heart disease as well as many other types of acute coronary problems. Check out this article for a start.
Both men and women will increase their risk of developing cardiovascular disease. Check out this article for a start.
Women who are pregnant or thinking of becoming pregnant are putting their un-born children at risk of developing a multitude of problems. Check out this article for a start.

Ok, so now that we know that Mercury can be bad for you... there are ways you can avoid it. Generally speaking, the bigger the fish, the more Mercury it will contain. So, you can expect Tuna and Swordfish to have much more Mercury content than you would expect Salmon to have. So, since Swordfish isn't very popular for sushi, let's put our focus on Tuna. Now, just in case you didn't know, Tuna goes by a host of different names, so don't think you're off the hook just cuz you have never ordered 'the Tuna Roll.'

Here is a brief summary of a very thorough report done on Sushi with Tuna, just to give you an idea of how toxic your sushi can be:
- Typical restaurant tuna actually contains 136% more Mercury than what the FDA rates for tuna.
- Overall, 15% of the tuna tested in San Diego was at or near the 1.0ppm legal federal limit for Mercury established by the FDA. This was even higher for Los Angeles, 25% of the tuna tested there was at or near the 1.00ppm legal limit.
- One out of every 5 samples of tuna tested was higher than the average for King Mackerel, which typically rates at 0.730ppm of Mercury and is a type of fish the FDA says women and children should never eat.

So, what all this tells me is that technically-speaking, about 20% of the tuna you eat has a higher Mercury content than a type of fish the FDA says women and children should NEVER eat!!!

The catch of all this is that you never know exactly how much Mercury you are consuming when you order tuna, be it as sushi, sashimi or even ahi steak as the levels differ so much. But considering that this study was done in the most popular restaurants of both Los Angeles and San Diego, it's hard not to accept it as the truth, or at least very damn close to it.

Now, I don't expect you to stop eating Sushi because of what I've researched or written about. And if you did, then you are a gullible-fool. But like they say, 'ignorance is bliss' but 'knowledge is more precious than gold.' So, go out, eat your freakin' sushi , but just be a little more informed.

Here, let me help you!
Like eating Sushi, and live in San Diego, well, here is a list of top-restaurants that serve sushi, and the typical Mercury content in their tuna. And no, I'm not telling you what restaurants to avoid... all I'm telling you is that if you eat these kind of rolls at these places, well, then go less often, or at least try something else in the menu!

Also, if you're concerned about, or just want to keep tabs on how much Mercury you intake, be it including or not including sushi, then I found a wonderful tool just for you. Log on to www.gotmercury.org and check out their shnazzy mercury calculator... just tell it your weight (don't worry, nobody is watching), the type of fish, and how much you ate. It will automatically calculate for you how much mercury you probably consumed, and what it means for someone of your size. I can't wait to use it!!!
Also check out their espanol version, just in case that suits your preference, at www.gotmercury.org/espanol.


I want to thank www.gotmercury.org for all their valuable information on this topic, and I encourage all of you to check it out. They probabaly have the most detailed information on this topic I have found yet... including the nifty restaurant table I pasted above.

So next time you're out eating sushi, eat smarter... so you can live longer, and keep visititing your friend at 'Catch up on Aman.'

Again, I hope that even the experts of Sushi have learned something by this post!

Have a good weekend :)

Yes, they do speak fluent English in India!

One good thing the British left behind in India, besides the railroad and schooling systems, was the English language. Since it's independence, India has been one of the few nations in the world that has been teaching English in its schools along with the national or state languages. In fact... sometimes the only way two Indians can communicate is through English, since India has so many other native languages that two people may not speak the same one! In this case, English becomes a necessity, which I guess is one of the reasons why it is known as the second-official language of India, behind Hindi.

But, even though we may seem to have mastered the English language... we do make some hilarious grammatical mistakes every now and then...

Here are some comical notes from India in English:
Applying for a week's leave:
"Since I have to go to my village to sell my land along with my wife, please sanction me one-week leave."
Employee asking for leave to perform his daughter's wedding:
"As I am marrying my daughter, please grant a week's leave.."
Employee asking for a half-day off:
"Since I've to go to the cremation ground at 10 o-clock and I may not return, please grant me half day casual leave"
Asking for a sick-day:
"I am suffering from fever, please declare one-day holiday."
Asking for a day-off from school:
"As I am studying in this school I am suffering from headache. I request you to leave me today"
Asking for leave to take care of your wife:
"My wife is suffering from sickness and as I am her only husband at home I may be granted leave".
Being courteous in emails/letters:
"I am well here and hope you are also in the same well."
Applying for a job:
"This has reference to your advertisement calling for a ' Typist and an Accountant - Male or Female'... As I am both(!! )for the past several years and I can handle both with good experience, I am applying for the post.

So what... we're not perfect.... at least we're funny! Still proud to be Indian! :-P

Crush of the Week Wednesdays for the Ladies

Josie Maran
Helpin' you get over the hump...

My Nomadic Sis.....

It wasn't long ago, when I couldn't stand her, and she could tolerate me even less. I used to run around the house irritating her, simply because that was fun for me... and she used to scream and yell the second I even got close to her. She wouldn't ever let me into her room and would constantly try to distance herself from me, and so, in retaliation, I always tried to sneak in just to invade her space and further instigate her. She always knew exactly how to tick me off... and as far as siblings go, we probabaly had one of the best love-hate relationships you can have!

All I can say is, its great having a sister. Sure, we had our problems... times when we hated eachother more than we thought we could hate anyone, but the love was as strong as the hate! She might have made fun of me and teased me at home, but I knew she always had my back outside of the house... I even remember her talking down a bully once... just to back me up. Thanks sis, though, I could've handled him ;)

But now, that little nerdy girl who was afraid to use escalators for the longest time.. has finally grown up. She's now known to the world not as Rinki, or Rinku, or Nannette, or even Rinks... she simply now goes by Harpreet. She's evolved into a beautiful, wonderful, intelligent, caring, loving, generous and fun-loving young woman. She's left the little house we grew up in and has travelled around the world to her heart's content. Some people just aren't meant to stay put... and if I ever knew a free-spirit, then it is her. In fact, the only time she ever gets irritated or cranky, is when her freedom is limited and is out of her control... just a fair warning to any man brave enough to try and conquer her... though he better be very brave, cuz he'd eventually have to face me!

But this blog posting is not meant to be a biography, a bio-data for marriage, nor a praise for the person that is my sis, but rather, a praise for her photography, which I have showcased. (Click on the 'My Nomadic Sis' linky at the left!) We both have the same passion and interest when it comes to photography, but with very different perspectives... which is I guess to be expected from any normal brother and sister pair. But I guess her photography is special to me, because this is one of the few times that we can actually claim to share an interest... and so it's simply just fun for me to share this hobby with her as we both have an opportunity to share our work with eachtother, and our respective friends.

So, join me, as I post the pics of her travels on my blog, slowly and gradually. At the least, I can promise you a perspective on photography that is very different from mine, but I can also promise you a journey to distant and less-travelled parts of the world from a very imaginative and creative perspective.

Way to go Rinks! ;)

You've Been Catching Up on Aman for Over a Month!

First post: June 16th, 2006: "Intro to the Blog"
Today's date: July 16th, 2006
Time elapsed: 1 month!!! :)

Is this a one-month anniversary blog post...? Well, technically, no, it isn't. That's because an anniversary only happens once a year! Don't blame me, this is what the Romans decided on when they created the word anniversarius, which is the Latin word from which 'anniversary' is derived. So, though I would love to make a big deal of my one-full month... I really can't call it an anniversary.

Anyhow, overall, it's been a great first month. Believe it or not, it's not easy keeping up a blog, especially when it's a hobby... Keeping up with posts, adding new topics, discussions and innovations can all take a heavy toll on your time... I'd guess it to be about an hour a day... at least... Mabye it's taking me so long because I'm not very proficient at it yet, but hey, I'm not complaining a bit.

But before I pat myself on the back about reaching this mini-milestone, I need to give my thanks to all of you for only you have made this possible. I get burnt-out at times and might have a hard time focusing on what else I could add..., but every hit I get from someone makes me want to continue adding to the blog.. and every comment someone adds makes me realize that people really are actually taking time out to read my crap. And at the end of the day... that is what really keeps me going.

People often ask me about how much spare time I have, or, how could I waste my time on working on a blog instead of something more productive... I often ponder on the same questions... but honestly, working on this blog has been one of the most rewarding experiences for me ever... and I guess that's what really matters.

So, here's to thanking you for your patronage, your comments, your critiques and your support! Also, don't forget to continue catching up on Aman!

Progress Report: First month's Unique Hits (# of different cpus logging on each day):

Tailor-Made Infosession Fridays: The Layman's Guide to Enjoying Wine

Wine is one of those things that most people really don't know a crap about, but are afraid to admit it... Sure, I know you might have finally learned how to pronounce 'Cabernet Sauvignon' and may have also learned the names of other less common types of grapes such as 'Shiraz' or'Sangiovese...' if only just to sound 'cool.' But's lets face it, you really don't know jack about picking good wine!

So, go ahead and do yourself and the rest of us a favor... just learn these simple facts about wine so that you can actually claim to know something. That way, not only will you enjoy your wine more... but you may also score some additional points on that date!

Q. Do I have to shell out some major cash to get a decent bottle of wine?
A. No, not all good wines are pricey... in fact you can get steals by picking the right wines from less popular wineries. Here is a list to get you started. Also remember that once you've found a wine you like, you can save more buy buying it in bulk (by the case or six-pack) when it goes on sale.

Q. What's the best way to pick a good wine at the store without knowing too much....?
A. Well, if you think you can go to the store, and pick the wine that has the biggest price-drop (best sale price) and expect to find a good wine, then you've got another thing coming... in fact, this is just how supermarkets try to get rid of their popular but poor wines.
What you should do is read the label on the back of wine bottles... Just pick up a wine that suits your budget and read the label about how it was made. Here's your guide to the most common one's:

Estate-Bottled or Grown, Produced and Bottled By: This is the best-case. It means that the grapes were grown, crushed, fermented and bottled by the vineyard. Wines from winery's like these are probably your best bet... and definately worth a try if you can find one in your budget.

Produced and Bottled By: This is also good, but not great. Means that the winery crushed and fermented the grapes, but did not grow them. So, this isn't necessarily bad, but then again, you can expect it not to be the best as any vineyard would keep the best grapes for its own personal winery and sell the others off.

Vinted and Bottled By: Buyer-beware. Sure you'll see a lot of these in your budget, cheapo, but this means that the winery simply bought the wine, cellared and/or mixed it, and then bottled it. Sheeyat, I can do that! I've never had a good experience with this kind of wine!

Q. Does wine need to be served chilled or at room-temp?
A. White wine is not supposed to be served chilled, and red wine is not supposed to be sereved at room temperature. White wines that are too warm will taste alcoholic, while those that are too cold will be refreshing but nearly tasteless. As for reds, if they're too warm they will taste alcoholic and even vinegary, while those that are too cold will have much less flavor.
In fact, white wine tastes best when it is slightly warmer than being chilled (55F) and red wines taste better when its slightly cooler than room temperature (65F).
Here is a good rule by Ursula Hermacinski to abide by: “Twenty minutes before dinner, you take the white wine out of the fridge, and put the red wine in.”

Anyhow... these few facts should hopefully tell you something about wine that you didn't know before. If you'd like to know more, check out sites like wine.com and others... where you can buy wine in bulk!

Have a good weekend... see you all next week :)

By the way, my recommendation for the best wine under $20 is by Frei Brothers. Check them out!
Also, if you're looking for a good deal on wine, check out Woot!

If I was a character on South Park

Curious what you'd look like....? Go try it out!
Thanks to frisky for the link!

Crush of the Week Wednesdays

Kate Bosworth
Helpin' you get over the hump...Go watch Superman Returns!!!

Doesn't it make you wonder...?

It seems like nowadays... not even a few weeks go by before you hear of another terrorist attack taking place somewhere around our world. These attacks constantly remind us of the forever-changed political landscape nowadays in which no one anywhere is safe and free of terrorism... No matter if you live in Mumbai, New Delhi, Kashmir, or even London or New York City.

I can repeat the news, and repeat the numbers... but then again, the details sometimes seem to lose importance in matters of loss. At the end of the day... someone's mother, or daughter, or son, or father, or maybe even an entire family have been wiped out because of no fault of their own.

Is this just a case of being at the wrong place at the wrong time..., or is this much deeper than that?

The sad thing is that I don't see acts of terrorism like these ever stopping. As of late, terrorism has mainly consisted of Islamic extremists... but I can remember that this was not always the case... so you really cannot solely pin terrorism on Islam.

I guess the only thing you really can pin terrorism on is on fanatics of any kind... be they based on religion like Al-Queda, based on racism like the KKK, or based on land-disputes like Israel or Kashmir.

The underlying question for me in all of this is how could anyone succumb to such cowardice that they are forced to commit acts such as these. How much of a fanatic do you really have to be? How hurt, upset and angry do you have to be to carry out such tasks? And most importantly, how do you ever come to think that committing such acts is the only way in which you will ever seek your vengence?

I had to write this post because things always hurt more when they hit home. I'm sure you will do your part in keeping up with the news... here's an interesting article by a friend on the same topic.

My heart goes out to all the victims in the Mumbai and Kashmir attacks in India earlier today.

Peace out...

Staying ahead of the Blogger Curb...!

Hey guys.. It's late.. just a bit past 1am, and I have to be at the gym early... but here I am, working for YOU... I've noticed that you guys have been commenting my blogs... and I do appreciate that... its just funny to me, as I started to blog not because I thought people would ever read my crap... but because they would like my pics... but ironically enough... I don't even have one comment on any of my pics.

Oh well.. I guess they're just mediocre. However, I have updated 'My Foto Show' and am more pleased with it, not the photos, just the formating of the website ;) Just click on the photos to go to the next one... and you get a better/larger pic from the start. Also the pic titles appear when you scroll over the pic with our mouse. I thought these techniques would come in handy just in case my photography ever gets any better! So, check it out! (Linky on the left)

I personally think this is the best picture-sharing technique used anywhere on Blogspot, and therefore, I'm sure my work will get copied soon by other Bloggers.. but I will take solace in the fact that I brought it to my friends first! So, enjoy :)

My 2cents on the World Cup

All I can say is Wow... from the commotion, the excitement, the PKs... and even to the now infamous head-butt from Zidane. I'm very happy for Italy.. they played well, throughout the Cup, and deserved to win... France too deserved to win, but after the way Zidane behaved, I think they lost all due credit, at least in my mind.

Zidane, what the heck were you thinking...? It's not only the most important game ever... but it's also your last game. Is this really how you wanted to be remembered? A leader who lost his cool in the final minutes of the World Cup Final on his last game...!??? What kind of moron are you! You had a chance to go out the way real champs do, at the peak of their careers, winning the World Cup! Heck, even if you didn't win it, you'd be remembered for fighting till the end and losing to Italy on PKs...

But no, now you're going to solely be remembered as a glorified fool... I'm being a bit harsh... but if first impressions make an impact... then the last impressions make a lasting impact!

One note for all the losing teams... thaks for bringing World Cup Fever around the World... and sports fans everywhere give you much credit for your hard fought games that have kept us glued to our television sets for this past month and a half...

Oh, and even if you didn't get to take home the trophy... at least your trophy wives are still waiting for you!!! You lucky punks! ;)

Tailor-Made Infosession Fridays: How do you like your Video IPod...?

You get a car, so you can drive it... You get a shirt, so you can wear it... You get an IPOD, so you can listen to music on it... You get a Video IPOD, so you can listen to music AND watch videos on it... right...? But the answer is usually NO.

You'd be surprised... but most of us 'gotta have my gadget freaks' dont even know where to get videos for their IPods from, let alone be able to transfer them and actually watch them on there. For example, I didn't know how to do this until I wrote this post!! Well, fear no more... after reading this post, you should know exactly how you can do this... leaving only your own inertia in between you and your watching video on your Video IPod!

Q. Where can I get material to play on my Video Ipod?
A. Almost any source of video can be played on your video Ipod. You can go the basic route and just use i-Tunes to obtain music videos, short movies, or videos of popluar tv shows. You can also use various other types of software to transfer dvds, or digital videos from your personal collection so that they can be played on your ipod.

Q. How do I get content from the i-Tunes site, is it free, what's the catch?
A. i-Tune delivers to you video material that you will 'own' at the end. Hence, they charge $1.99 for every video you download and buy from their site. You can treat this videos as you would treat songs had you downloaded them from i-Tunes. This is a simple, a bit costly, but an effective solution.

Q. I'm cheap, and I don't want to pay for music videos or tv shows. How can I put full-lenght DVDs on my Video IPod?
A. Well, the good news is, you can bypass i-Tunes all-together, however, you will need to use another type of software that can convert various different formats (DVD, Tivo, DivX Video, MPEG, WMV, AVI, RealMedia, etc) into IPod video. Some of these softwares are free, and some you have to buy. You basically pay for what you get. Here is a great step-by-step article from C-NET about doing this. I couldn't have explained it any better myself. It also describes how to use the best software for this type of application, the AVS Video Converter.

Q. Ok, that's all good, but what if I don't really want to put movies on my IPod.. what if I just want to transfer video clips from my cpu to my Ipod?
A. In this case, if you videos are in MOV, MPEG or MP4 format, all you have to do is use the free conversion tool on the i-Tune site. Yes, its free!

Any more questions.... send 'em my way using the 'comments' field.

By the way, if you didn't like CNet's explanation using AVS for some reason, here are six other popular video conversion tools you can invest in.

Also, if you just want to give this a try before you buy, or you simply don't want to spend any money, here is a free video conversion software you can try.

Though this isn't a complete and technical discussion on how to get video on your Ipod, this should give you the basics, and set you on the right path.

Hope this helps! Have a good weekend! :)

Q. Aman, why can't your blog be more useful...?

Well! The nerve!!! Talk about direct-criticism!

No, really, that is a good question. I mean, there are a bunch of blogs already out there full of people's feelings... and that, can often be dry... NO? So, therefore I have thus far tried my best to make this blog void of most of my philosophical feelings, and have approached it as a sort of an entertainment portal. However... I think a good friend made a wise comment in that it wouldn't hurt if my blog could also be a bit more useful... like for example... provide driving directions...

Now, though it would be great to take over Mapquest and Google Maps... I don't think I have that much time! However, keeping this comment in mind, I will try and add postings that can serve as more than just pure entertainment... and actually teach you something!

But that may prove to be quite the daunting task... as it will require me to learn! So, lets just see how long this lasts... I just hope I know what I'm getting myself into. My first attempt will be in Friday's post!

Thanks 'friend' for your 'useful' advice! In fact, I think that I will take this advice one step further and deem every Friday's post as a sort of infosession on useful topics. I'll call it 'Tailor-Made Infosession Fridays' and I urge frequent visitors of my blog to suggest topics that they would like to learn about on here...

So, here is your chance to ask me questions that you're too lazy to look up and investgate for yourself... All you have to do now, is wait for Friday!

Crush of the Week Wednesdays

Anna Kournikova
Helpin' you get over the hump...Wimbledon Style!

Top 10 things you didn't know about your cell phone

Now, many of you may just think of me as a typical Indian boy who's worried about his own self-interests and no one elses... Well, here is my chance to prove you wrong yet once again...
Here is a list of what I deem to be the top ten things you can do with your celly that you probabaly didn't know about, and hence help you be more effective:

10) Want to get off a call but can't come up with an excuse..? This service will let you introduces noises you specify into your calls so that you can get off the phone without seeming rude! Just don't use it too often... (my-symbian.com)

9) Does your friend keep calling you and nagging you about his EX..? Well, screen his voicemail before you pick up, similar to regular answering machines... and avoid all those topics you don't want to discuss.(callwave.com)

8) Want to prove to everyone that you can read without actually ever learning how!? Get this service from Audible.com and you can digitally receive books on your phone that you can listen to, yes listen to, on your phone at your own leisure.(Audible.com)

7) Running out of pick-up lines at the bar...? Use one of these phone based dating services to exchange texts/pics/digits of available girls... the best part is, only she will know how desparate you really are... and its ok... cuz she would be quite the loser too... you guys would be perfect for eachother!(bedd.com, sixsense.com, proxidating.com)

6) So you bought an awesome cell phone... but you had no money left over to upgrade your beat-up wallet... so what, ditch it! Now, you can pay using your cell phone... and avoid having to carry your used and abused piece of crap.(mobilelime.com, mbo.com, paypal.com)

5) "Where the f*$% is my cell phone!!?" Well, stop fretting and get this cool gadget from Loc8tor. It tracks your cell phone, keys, etc, and will point you to their exact location as long as you're within 600 feet!(http://www.loc8tor.com/)

4) Tired of answering the same missed calls from people you need to stay in touch with, but really don't want to...? Then use this service from Boo Interactive and it will automatically text message them with a personalized greeting... so you can get them off your back... if even just for a little while.(www.boointeractive.com)

3) Don't need one of those fancy shmancy PDAs but you still don't want to be forced to enter all your contacts into your phone everytime you change it... or better yet, just want to keep track of your contacts in a safe place? Then use this tool to back up your addy book and never lose a digit again!(www.sparktech.com)

2) Keep forgetting to pick up toilet paper on the way home..? Then you need to utilize this free reminder service that texts you exactly what you wanted to remember when you need to remember it! (www.tothecell.com)

1) Did you know that 35% of cell phones users can't receive good signal at home... Well, if you have that problem, then this cool gadget is exactly what you need! Now that's one less excuse girls can use when they're trying to avoid answering your phone calls! (www.wirelessextenders.com)

That ends my list of the Top Ten things you didn't know about your cell phone. Hope you can find at least one or two that would be useful to you... I can already guess which one of you will use which service! ha! Cheers!