English is a punny language

It's morning time, 8:28AM, in Mumbai. Ive reached office, and now am going through my mail box. Following is the joke someone felt would make me laugh...

A man enters the plane and shouts: HIJACK!!
People all around are really stunned to hear this.
Great panic follows...
People are really scared and nervous...
Then a guy from rare end says: HI JOHN!

Laugh, I did, but for another reason: I found it funny that Jack spoke HI JOHN from his rare end! Amazingly punny, isn't it!

Yummy Rawa Idlis!

Having lived in Mumbai, I had never tasted Rawa Idlis which is a very popular breakfast/snack item in Bangalore. It was only in the canteen at my workplace in Bangalore that I got to taste Rawa idlis for the first time. I must admit that I did not really love it the first time I had it. After marriage, we started preparing Rawa idlis quite regularly and now I love eating them. The credit goes to my hubby:)

You can prepare Rawa Idlis from the instant packs (MTR or Priya brand) and they come out very well. But ever since we've started preparing them from scratch ourselves, we've never bought the instant packs again. Here's the recipe for yummy Rawa idlis...

Ingredients:

1. 2 cups fine rawa (sooji/semolina).


2. 4 cups yogurt


3. 2 tsp chana dal


4. 1 tsp mustard seeds


5. 4-5 Curry leaves


6. 2" piece of ginger finely chopped


7. 1-2 finely chopped green chillies


8. lots of of finely chopped cilantro


9. 1/4 cup cashew halves


10. 1/2 tsp baking soda


11. 1 cup freshly grated carrot


12. salt to taste


13. 2 tsps oil or ghee

Method:

1. Take oil/ghee in a vessel.


2. Add the mustard seeds and once they start spluttering add chana dal, curry leaves, chopped ginger, chillies and cashew halves.


3. Now add the rawa and roast on low to medium heat for around 10-15 minutes until the rawa starts smelling good and isn't raw anymore.


4. Now add the baking soda and salt and roast for 5 more minutes.


5. Turn off the gas and empty this mixture into a deep bowl.


6. Add yogurt to the roasted rawa mixture.


7. Mix it thoroughly with a whisk.


8. If the mixture is too thick, you may add little water till you get a batter-like consistency.


9. Now add the cilantro and mix well.


10. Grease the idli moulds with oil/ghee.


11. Put some grated carrot into each mould.


12. Now pour the idli batter into the moulds and steam for 15-20 minutes.


13. Serve hot with plain chutney!

Chutney recipe:

1. Grind 1/2 cup grated coconut, 1"piece of ginger, 1-2 green chillies and pinch of asafoetida into a fine paste.


2. This chutney need not be seasoned and tastes excellent with the idlis.

Numbers....we got to deal with!

This is the third time in last couple of years....and, it happened again.
Its my good old Visa credit card, and the "surprise dollars" which gets charged once in a while --numbers are small and very deceiving!! I don't know where the mystery charges appear from, once it said "MCAweb.com from Russia" -- for 11.99 dollars-- Russian sites...Hmm... and then couple of years back, it was a "fish company" from Alabama for 38.69... "mama's shack" in New Orleans for 29.99.

I am sure some of us have gone through this experience...which is not quite so fun, Trick is to catch them early.. Well, Security aspect apart, which is a topic in itself, other interesting thing that caught my attention is the 16 number on the credit card, Do we know how they generate it, Is there a rule they follow?

This blog is specifically targeted to understand the magic behind the long numbers we see on our card. Hey, I got to warn you... there is some serious "math" involved, so, have fun!!

Typical credit card anatomy

Before we understand how credit card numbers are generated, here is a brief explanation of what a typical credit card number means.

• Out of the 16 numbers on a typical credit card, the set of first 6 digits is known as the issuer identifier number, and the last digit is known as the “check digit” which is generated in such a way as to satisfy a certain condition (the Luhn or Mod 10 check). “Luhn check” is explained later in this post. The term sounds intimidating, but it’s really a very simple (and elegant) concept.
• Taking away the 6 identifier digits and 1 check digit leaves us with 9 digits in the middle that form the “account number”.
• Now, there are 10 possible numbers (from 0 to 9) that can be arranged in these 9 places.

Different Card Samples

What is the “Luhn” or “Mod 10″ check?

In 1954, Luhn of IBM proposed an algorithm to be used as a validity criterion for a given set of numbers. Almost all credit card numbers are generated following this validity criterion…

1. Starting with the check digit, double the value of every second digit (never double the check digit). For example, in a 16 digit credit card number, double the 15th, 13th, 11th, 9th…digits (digits in odd places). In all, you will need to double eight digits.
2. If doubling of a number results in a two digit number, add up the digits to get a single digit number. This will result in eight single digit numbers.
3. Now, replace the digits in the odd places (in the original credit card number) with these new single digit numbers to get a new 16 digit number.
4. Add up all the digits in this new number. If the final total is perfectly divisible by 10, then the credit card number is valid (Luhn check is satisfied), else it is invalid.

This part is a bit confusing and takes some time to understand. However, don’t get stuck here…continue reading through the examples below and you will figure out what this is all about.

Credit card numbers valid or invalid?

Have you ever wondered if those numbers on the fake plastic or cardboard credit cards that come with the “preapproved” offers are real or imaginary? If they are not valid, how do you know it?…Just apply the Luhn check and all the those fake credit cards will invariably fail.Here is an example of a VISA credit card (look at the expiry date - 01/09 ..it’s still valid !

Note that the credit card number starts with “4″…so it is indeed a VISA issued credit card (VISA cards start with “4″ and MasterCard/Maestro cards start with “5″). Now, let us apply the Luhn algorithm to this card.

• In this case, when we sum up the total, it comes to 61 which is not perfectly divisible by 10, and hence this credit card number is invalid.
• If such a credit card number is ever generated, the value of the check digit would be adjusted in such a way as to satisfy the Luhn condition. In this case, the only value of the check digit, that will create a valid credit card number, is 7. Choosing 7 as the check digit will bring the total to 60 (which is perfectly divisible by 10) and the Luhn condition will be satisfied. So the valid credit card number will be 4552 7204 1234 5677.

  Closing remarks

  The Luhn formula validates only the credit card number; it does not validate the expiry date and/or card security code (CVV, CVC). Plus, as discussed before, the 9 digit account number will yield 1 billion combinations; so the chances of getting a working credit card number are very remote. It should also be noted that, this validation is usually employed at the transaction end; which means that numbers that do not satisfy the Luhn check are not forwarded to the card issuer and the transaction is terminated. If you have a fake credit card which satisfies the Luhn check, it will go through at the transaction end, but the card issuer will most likely catch the mischief. So don’t go about trying to use these numbers to buy stuff.

Lost & Found

How would you react if you notice a recognizable face from yesteryears in one of the least preferred spots --the public restroom? It was the Men's Restroom at Spice Hut (an Indian Fast Food Joint) at Fremont where I once again met my ex-college mate after so many years. Of course, it didn't happen like in the movies, when you are knocking on the neighboring stall asking for more tissue paper. But still, that's not the place you are supposed to have a Lost & Found. I, of course, ensured that we shook hands only after following CA Dept of Health's protocol on hand hygiene, and there were strictly no hugs in the land of Brokeback Mountain.

If this reminds you of your chance meeting with someone at such an unholy place as the restroom, do post a comment with your experience.

Chicken Biryani

Biryani is a dish made from a mixture of spices, basmati rice, vegetables/meat and yogurt. Its a very simple and a straight forward recipe but a little time consuming. Its one of our most favorite dishes :). I tried making it as simple as possible, and it tasted heavenly. To read more about Biryani, refer to this link.


Ingredients:

1. Chicken - 1 lbs(preferably thigh fillets)
2. Basmati Rice - 2 cups
3. Cinnamon - 2 inches
4. Cloves - 4 to 5
5. Green cardamom - 2 to 3
6. Turmeric - 1/4 tsp
7. Bay leaves - 1 or 2
8. Onions - 3 medium sized ( 1 julienned and fried till browned , 2 finely chopped)
9. Ginger-garlic paste - 2 tsps
10. Green chillies - 6 (slit)
11. Yogurt - 3 tbsps
12. Tomatoes - 3 medium sized (finely chopped)
13. Chilly powder - 1 tsp
14. Coriander powder - 2 tsps
15. Garam masala powder - 1 tsp
16. Cumin powder - 2 tsps
17. Mint leaves - 1 bunch (keep aside few leaves for garnishing)
18. Coriander leaves - 1 bunch (keep aside few leaves for garnishing)
19. Few saffron strands soaked in 1 tsp milk.
20. Salt


Method:

1. Marinade the chicken with little yogurt, lemon juice, little salt and some spice powders of your choice. Marinating is optional. You can add the chicken even without marinating. Completely your choice. Then wash the rice and saute it in some ghee along with few of the whole spices and a pinch of turmeric. Then boil the rice until it is half cooked and strain the remaining water. If cooked fully, the biryani will become very soggy.

2. Once the rice is cooked, spread it on a plate and allow it to cool.

3. Then heat oil in a deep non-stick pan ( i used a dutch oven), and add the remaining whole spices along with the finely chopped onions. Keep frying till the onions turn golden brown. To this, add the ginger-garlic paste and slit green chillies and fry for 3-4 minutes. Then add (one at a time) the tomatoes, yogurt, chilly powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder, garam masala powder, cumin powder and salt. Keep frying till the tomatoes turn mushy.

4. Then add the chicken pieces and let it boil completely. Do not add water, since the chicken sheds a lot of water. Once the chicken is boiled, turn the flame to high, so that all the water evaporates and a thick gravy is formed. Add the coriander leaves and mint leaves and stir for 2 more minutes. Put this chicken curry onto another plate.

5. Now the chicken curry and the rice is to be layered. First, spread half of the boiled rice in the dutch oven. Then spread the chicken curry, and on top of it, the remaining rice.





6. Garnish this with few mint leaves, coriander leaves, fried onions and saffron.


7. Then close the lid and cook on a low flame for 10 minutes. Later, mix it carefully starting from the sides. See to it that the rice grains dont break. Hot and Spicy Chicken Biryani is ready to serve!

United Miles - Take charge, don't let them expire.

United Airlines recently made a major change to their frequent flier miles program, also called, 'Mileage Plus' policy. With this, all the miles in your account will automatically expire if the account has been inactive for 18 months. While this 18 months period seems long enough and reasonable for most, but for "Not-So-Frequent-Fliers" does this mean giving up the elusive dream of being able to fly one round-trip for free? Just give up all those earned miles easily?.

I have seen many of my "Not-So-Frequent-Flier" friends either letting their miles expire or use those miles to buy newspaper subscription to newspapers that they would never read or buy those restaurant coupons where they never want to dine. For most, being able to gather those 25,000+ miles needed for a round-trip ticket seems like a distant dream that will never be fullfilled.

My miles are due to expire in July'08 and hence I did some quick research and found that there many easy ways to keep my account active. I would like to share my thoughts on what you could best do to save your hard earned miles.

United's policy states that "Any activity on your account, whether you earn or redeem miles, keeps your mileage balance intact for the next 18 months".

Buying or transferring miles between friends and family members (or an outsider) qualifies as an activity that most people do to keep the account active ; but this is expensive (35$ per transaction plus a % fee for every mile transferred).

Instead you could do the following and keep your account active. If you have any better ideas please add comments to this posting.

1. Make online purchases of regular household or daily consumables from stores like Amazon, Target, Barnes&Noble, Buy.com, Macys, Sears, Kohls, Home Depot, Office Max, Office Depot, Dell, Staples, HP, Apple, TigerDirect, Shutterfly, Snapfish, CircuitCity, Netflix, Bose, JC Penny, GAP Kids, OldNavy etc. Go to http://mponlinemall.com/ and use your Milage Plus account number before transfering out to the website of these stores.

2. Simply dine at one of the restaurants listed here http://mpdining.rewardsnetwork.com/advanceddiningsearch.jsp. You can eat a burger at Carls Jr or a samosa at Wah-Jee-Wah, each time simply pay using any credit card that you have registered in the program. You will earn a mile or more for every dollar you spend. Those miles will appear in your account and your account will remain active for another 18 months. So go and register your mileage plus number and your credit card here http://mpdining.rewardsnetwork.com/

3. Shop grocery at your local Safeway store. You will earn 125 miles once you have spent 250$ over any period of time. Next time you visit Safeway find out (using the Safeway club card) how much $ purchases you have made so far.

3. Open a Non-Retirement brokerage account with Fidelity or TD Ameritrade and earn 5k to 25k miles.

4. You could either use your miles to buy a subscription to Wall Street Journal or San Francisco Chronicle or pay to subscribe to these and earn miles at http://www.newspaper-miles.com/. Either way your account will switch to active status for next 18 months.

5. Buy cell phone services, handsets from Verizon, Sprint, ATT or TV programming from Dish or Directv. http://www.mileagepluswireless.com/

6. Other activity like flying, staying, renting with one of the United's partner airlines, hotels or car will also earn miles into your mileage account.

Finally, if you apply for United Airways Visa Credit card you might not only earn enough miles to qualify for a free round-trip travel, in addition, your miles will never expire since you will be earning 1 mile for every $ you spend on that card.

Whatever approach you take just make sure your miles remain active forever till you accumulate enough to fly free and at the time you want. Don't ignore and let them go waste. You earned them and they should be yours to keep.

- B Kamath.

Attitude !!! -- TAKE 2

Author known. It's a fresh new take on this post.

There once was a man who woke up one morning, looked at his partner sleeping besides him, and noticed she had only three hairs on her head. “Well,” he said, “I think she’ll braid her hair today!”

So she did and he had a wonderful day.

The next day he woke up, looked at his bedside and saw that she had only two hairs on her head.

“H-M-M,” he said, “I think she’ll part her hair down the middle today!”

So she did and he had a grand day.

The next day he woke up, looked the other side and noticed that she had only one hair on her head.

“Well,” he said, “today she's going to wear her hair in a pony tail.”

So she did and he had a fun, fun day.

The next day he woke up, looked at her and noticed that there wasn’t a single hair on her head.

“YEA!” he exclaimed, “Finally, I have reached the end of the cycle! Tomorrow, I shall spend my night with the lady with long locks of hair!”

Attitude is everything.

Everything in life runs in cycles... Your day will come... again!