Thuraya, the United Arab Emirates-based world's largest provider of handheld mobile satellite services, is set to commercially launch its operations in the Asia-Pacific markets by January with the launch of its third satellite on Monday."The launch of Thuraya-3 is a significant milestone in the company's progress towards realising its strategic vision of becoming a dynamic, world leading, multi-regional mobile satellite operator," Thuraya Chief Executive Yousuf Al Sayed said.
Though the launch of Thuraya-3 was originally scheduled for 9.47 pm (IST) Sunday, it has been rescheduled for 7.47 pm on Monday, according to the Abu Dhabi-headquartered Thuraya website.Thuraya-3 is the third and latest geo-mobile satellite manufactured by Boeing for Thuraya, and will be launched by the US-based Sea Launch rocket from the Equator in the middle of the Pacific Ocean.
The first two satellites, Thuraya-1 and Thuraya-2, the largest commercial satellites ever in their times, were launched in 2000 and 2003 respectively.The Sea Launch rocket will place Thuraya-3 into geosynchronous transfer orbit. The satellite will then eventually approach its designated orbital slot at 98.5 degrees east longitude.
Once operational, the new satellite will commercially double Thuraya's current coverage to include all Asia-Pacific countries, enabling it to offer its handheld, fixed, broadband and maritime services in China, Japan, Australia, Korea, Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines.
Sunday, November 18, 2007
Thursday, November 15, 2007
Comprehensive Win for India-The Series Is Ours!
It was a comprehensive win over Pakistan with all-round performance by India. Initially the bowlers and then the batsmen made sure that Pakistan was not in competition any more.
Tendulkar batting today in the backdrop of 18 years of his illustrious Test Cricket career that he embarked upon on this very day against Pakistan. Tendulkar is bent upon making another record for himself that no one can break, that of getting out most times in the nineties. It is sixth time this year, second time in this series and 16 times overall for him. A world record!! Being Tendulkar, you of course deserve them all.
India have now attained the unassailable 3-1 lead before the last ODI. They then go into the Test Matches with their heads high and noses ahead!
Tendulkar batting today in the backdrop of 18 years of his illustrious Test Cricket career that he embarked upon on this very day against Pakistan. Tendulkar is bent upon making another record for himself that no one can break, that of getting out most times in the nineties. It is sixth time this year, second time in this series and 16 times overall for him. A world record!! Being Tendulkar, you of course deserve them all.
India have now attained the unassailable 3-1 lead before the last ODI. They then go into the Test Matches with their heads high and noses ahead!
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
Nirula's Ice Cream Museum
The melting ice cream has now got its first museum in India.
Housed in the country's oldest fast-food outlet, Nirula's Ice Cream Factory, New Delhi , India, the museum is all set to give scoops on the swirls' history and trivia.
A recent study done by Nirula's has revealed that those whose favourite flavour is chocolate are naughty, full of energy and usually smile through all their troubles. But if Vanilla - the highest-selling flavour in the world - gets your taste-buds tingling, then you are quiet and sincere.
The museum also shows how ice creams are made and visitors can even try and make one.
There is no entry fee because, for Nirula's, this venture is not about revenues but about brands.
For now, the the museum will throw its doors open only to children and that too, once a week. But as nearly half the ice cream produced in India is consumed by adults, it won't be long before Nirula's will give all ice cream addicts a chance to spoon in.
Housed in the country's oldest fast-food outlet, Nirula's Ice Cream Factory, New Delhi , India, the museum is all set to give scoops on the swirls' history and trivia.
A recent study done by Nirula's has revealed that those whose favourite flavour is chocolate are naughty, full of energy and usually smile through all their troubles. But if Vanilla - the highest-selling flavour in the world - gets your taste-buds tingling, then you are quiet and sincere.
The museum also shows how ice creams are made and visitors can even try and make one.
There is no entry fee because, for Nirula's, this venture is not about revenues but about brands.
For now, the the museum will throw its doors open only to children and that too, once a week. But as nearly half the ice cream produced in India is consumed by adults, it won't be long before Nirula's will give all ice cream addicts a chance to spoon in.
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
Reincarnation Odds -- Beat This If You Can!!
In an instant last May, Chris and Lori Coble lost their three young children in a horrific traffic accident not far from the family’s California, USA home.
The couple was devastated by the sudden and profound loss of their two daughters and a son, but knew even through their grief they were meant to be parents and would be again.
If all goes well, the Cobles told a US magagize reporter on Tuesday, they’ll have two new baby girls and a baby boy next spring.
The couple can’t help but think that it’s all connected-- Reincarnation angle.
“We both knew we wanted more kids,” Lori Coble said. “We’re parents right now without kids. The kids are what made us so happy in life. We knew that if we were still living that we wanted to have more kids.”
Chris Coble said he can’t help but think, from a spiritual perspective, that the children he lost somehow had a hand in his wife’s pregnancy. He believes firmly they are in a better place, and watching over their mom and dad.
“Your mind can’t even think otherwise. If you feel they’re somewhere watching over you, protecting you, and something like this happens, it’s hard to think that somehow they weren’t involved in crafting this,” he said.
The triplets Lori Coble is carrying — two girls and a boy — were conceived through in-vitro fertilization. In the procedure, 10 of Lori Coble’s eggs had been fertilized and three became viable embryos.
Chris Coble, 36, said there was just a 10 percent chance that three of the 10 eggs would be viable. The doctors wanted to implant just two of the embryos, but the couple had lost two girls and a boy and asked for all three embryos to be transferred to Lori Coble’s womb.
This certainly beats Om Shanti Om hands down!
The couple was devastated by the sudden and profound loss of their two daughters and a son, but knew even through their grief they were meant to be parents and would be again.
If all goes well, the Cobles told a US magagize reporter on Tuesday, they’ll have two new baby girls and a baby boy next spring.
The couple can’t help but think that it’s all connected-- Reincarnation angle.
“We both knew we wanted more kids,” Lori Coble said. “We’re parents right now without kids. The kids are what made us so happy in life. We knew that if we were still living that we wanted to have more kids.”
Chris Coble said he can’t help but think, from a spiritual perspective, that the children he lost somehow had a hand in his wife’s pregnancy. He believes firmly they are in a better place, and watching over their mom and dad.
“Your mind can’t even think otherwise. If you feel they’re somewhere watching over you, protecting you, and something like this happens, it’s hard to think that somehow they weren’t involved in crafting this,” he said.
The triplets Lori Coble is carrying — two girls and a boy — were conceived through in-vitro fertilization. In the procedure, 10 of Lori Coble’s eggs had been fertilized and three became viable embryos.
Chris Coble, 36, said there was just a 10 percent chance that three of the 10 eggs would be viable. The doctors wanted to implant just two of the embryos, but the couple had lost two girls and a boy and asked for all three embryos to be transferred to Lori Coble’s womb.
This certainly beats Om Shanti Om hands down!
Made In India -- Tata's SuperComp in Top 10
A supercomputer developed by the Tata Group has been adjudged the fastest in Asia and fourth fastest in the world.
The supercomputer, called EKA, has been built at Tata's Pune, India facility. It uses nearly 1,800 computing nodes and has a peak performance of 170 trillion floating-point operations per second.
"High performance computing solutions have an ever-increasing role in the scientific and new technological space the world over," Ratan Tata, chairman of Tata Group, said in a statement.
The rankings have been given by the Top500 Supercomputer Sites list announced at the prestigious SC07 Conference held in the US last night.
India made it to the top 10 for the first time.
Cheers India and Cheers Tata!!
The supercomputer, called EKA, has been built at Tata's Pune, India facility. It uses nearly 1,800 computing nodes and has a peak performance of 170 trillion floating-point operations per second.
"High performance computing solutions have an ever-increasing role in the scientific and new technological space the world over," Ratan Tata, chairman of Tata Group, said in a statement.
The rankings have been given by the Top500 Supercomputer Sites list announced at the prestigious SC07 Conference held in the US last night.
India made it to the top 10 for the first time.
Cheers India and Cheers Tata!!
Be Polite to the Dictator, Please !!
The offending word is ‘‘sonofabitch’’(sonovabit..... to be less offending).
Pakistan has expelled three British reporters after a British daily twice referred the country’s military dictator Pervez Musharraf as a ‘‘sonofabitch’’, sparking off a yet another fervent debate about language, stylebook, and the limits of editorial expression.
The comment, deemed offensive by the Pakistani government, appeared in a November 9 editorial in Daily Telegraph, innocuously headlined ‘‘Bankrupt Relationship’’. ‘‘In the old parlance, General Pervez Musharraf is our sonofabitch,’’ the paper wrote. ‘‘He has failed to stamp out extremist groups and close the madrassas that inspire them. He has allowed the tribal areas bordering Afghanistan to fall into the hands of assorted jihadis.’’ It then went on to add: ‘‘An alternative... seems neither imminent nor especially enticing. But that should not blind Britain and America to the fact that their sonofabitch in Pakistan is a spent force.’’ The ‘‘old parlance’’ the paper referred to appears to be an oft-quoted remark attributed to various American leaders about their preference for some dictators — ‘‘He’s a bastard, but he’s our bastard.’’ That quote has also been used by some columnists and bloggers to refer to Washington’s kidglove treatment of Musharraf compared with its hardline stand on leaders of Venezuela and Iran. The quote is variously attributed to US presidents FDR, Truman, Nixon, and even strategic guru Henry Kissinger, and is believed to have originated in the context of US support to Nicaragua’s Somoza line of dictatorship.
The use of the word “sonofabitch’’ to describe Pakistan’s president Pervez Musharraf by three British reporters has cooked up quite a storm. Some media style books and manuals allow words such as bastard, but “sonofabitch’’ falls in the grey zone, partly because it is composite of words and does not even make the cut in some dictionaries. The online Urban Dictionary lists four definitions for “sonofabitch’’, including one that reads: George W Bush, president of the USA.
In recent months, the media has struggled with words such as “f**k’’ and “s**t’’. Some American newspapers broke new ground by using the F-word when vice-president Cheney was heard telling a lawmaker to “go f*** yourself.’’ Pakistan, though, was in no doubt that “sonofabitch’’ breached the military regime’s style book. “The language used for the president of Pakistan in your leading article (“Bankrupt Relationship’’, November 9) is offensive and flouts the norms of decent journalism,’’ Imran Gardezi, minister (press), Pakistan high commission, wrote to the paper. “For a newspaper of the Daily Telegraph’s reputation to resort to such derogatory language is highly regrettable. This deserves an apology.’’ None was forthcoming.
Instead, bloggers unearthed other expletives Musharraf has been subjected to. He has been frequently called a “thug’’ by columnists and even by one lawmaker. At a hearing last week, New York Congressman Gary Ackerman called him a “thug’’ who did not deserve US support. Pakistani political discourse itself isn’t pretty. Nawaz Sharif in his book quotes Musharraf as saying (about him), “I will sort the bastard out.’’ But much more than personal abuse of Musharraf, Pakistan itself has also been shamed in the western press, variously described in recent months as “most dangerous place on earth’’, “a terrorist grand central’’, “a failed state’’ and “disaster waiting to happen’’.
“Whether rattling nuclear rockets at a much more powerful India or allowing terrorist networks to use Pakistani territory to mount plots against Afghan, US and British targets, the country’s leaders have raised political blackmail to a national and international art form,’’ Washington Post’s Jim Hoagland wrote in a column on Sunday, the latest in a series of withering commentary that has savaged Pakistan.
Pakistan has expelled three British reporters after a British daily twice referred the country’s military dictator Pervez Musharraf as a ‘‘sonofabitch’’, sparking off a yet another fervent debate about language, stylebook, and the limits of editorial expression.
The comment, deemed offensive by the Pakistani government, appeared in a November 9 editorial in Daily Telegraph, innocuously headlined ‘‘Bankrupt Relationship’’. ‘‘In the old parlance, General Pervez Musharraf is our sonofabitch,’’ the paper wrote. ‘‘He has failed to stamp out extremist groups and close the madrassas that inspire them. He has allowed the tribal areas bordering Afghanistan to fall into the hands of assorted jihadis.’’ It then went on to add: ‘‘An alternative... seems neither imminent nor especially enticing. But that should not blind Britain and America to the fact that their sonofabitch in Pakistan is a spent force.’’ The ‘‘old parlance’’ the paper referred to appears to be an oft-quoted remark attributed to various American leaders about their preference for some dictators — ‘‘He’s a bastard, but he’s our bastard.’’ That quote has also been used by some columnists and bloggers to refer to Washington’s kidglove treatment of Musharraf compared with its hardline stand on leaders of Venezuela and Iran. The quote is variously attributed to US presidents FDR, Truman, Nixon, and even strategic guru Henry Kissinger, and is believed to have originated in the context of US support to Nicaragua’s Somoza line of dictatorship.
The use of the word “sonofabitch’’ to describe Pakistan’s president Pervez Musharraf by three British reporters has cooked up quite a storm. Some media style books and manuals allow words such as bastard, but “sonofabitch’’ falls in the grey zone, partly because it is composite of words and does not even make the cut in some dictionaries. The online Urban Dictionary lists four definitions for “sonofabitch’’, including one that reads: George W Bush, president of the USA.
In recent months, the media has struggled with words such as “f**k’’ and “s**t’’. Some American newspapers broke new ground by using the F-word when vice-president Cheney was heard telling a lawmaker to “go f*** yourself.’’ Pakistan, though, was in no doubt that “sonofabitch’’ breached the military regime’s style book. “The language used for the president of Pakistan in your leading article (“Bankrupt Relationship’’, November 9) is offensive and flouts the norms of decent journalism,’’ Imran Gardezi, minister (press), Pakistan high commission, wrote to the paper. “For a newspaper of the Daily Telegraph’s reputation to resort to such derogatory language is highly regrettable. This deserves an apology.’’ None was forthcoming.
Instead, bloggers unearthed other expletives Musharraf has been subjected to. He has been frequently called a “thug’’ by columnists and even by one lawmaker. At a hearing last week, New York Congressman Gary Ackerman called him a “thug’’ who did not deserve US support. Pakistani political discourse itself isn’t pretty. Nawaz Sharif in his book quotes Musharraf as saying (about him), “I will sort the bastard out.’’ But much more than personal abuse of Musharraf, Pakistan itself has also been shamed in the western press, variously described in recent months as “most dangerous place on earth’’, “a terrorist grand central’’, “a failed state’’ and “disaster waiting to happen’’.
“Whether rattling nuclear rockets at a much more powerful India or allowing terrorist networks to use Pakistani territory to mount plots against Afghan, US and British targets, the country’s leaders have raised political blackmail to a national and international art form,’’ Washington Post’s Jim Hoagland wrote in a column on Sunday, the latest in a series of withering commentary that has savaged Pakistan.
Monday, November 12, 2007
LOVE
"I love the way you hold me in your arms when I am drifting asleep. I love the way you gently tuck my hair when you think I do not notice. I love the way you give me butterfly kisses so that it wouldn't disturb my sleep. Most of all, I love the way I feel secure and loved in your arms."
Sunday, November 11, 2007
Writers Guild of America Strike Enters Second Week
Members of the Writers Guild of America have been striking in Los Angeles and New York this past week over details of a basic contract between writers and producers - one of the biggest sticking points is the amount of residuals writers get from DVD and new media distribution.
The strike means that late night talk shows are likely to continue their airing of re-runs (since Jay Leno has refused to cross the picket line, some workers have been told they will be laid off soon; the Tonight Show is also toying with the idea of guest hosts) while the networks may get pilot shows ready. The actors have been showing their support of striking writers here in the city. The likes of Holly Hunter, Robin Williams, and Julianne Moore and actors who are also writers - Roseanne Barr, Tim Robbins and David Duchovny are very much supporting the writers guild demands.
Let's wait and watch what happens to the daily talk shows..either they fail or the strike does
The strike means that late night talk shows are likely to continue their airing of re-runs (since Jay Leno has refused to cross the picket line, some workers have been told they will be laid off soon; the Tonight Show is also toying with the idea of guest hosts) while the networks may get pilot shows ready. The actors have been showing their support of striking writers here in the city. The likes of Holly Hunter, Robin Williams, and Julianne Moore and actors who are also writers - Roseanne Barr, Tim Robbins and David Duchovny are very much supporting the writers guild demands.
Let's wait and watch what happens to the daily talk shows..either they fail or the strike does
Google Analytics- Site Search
Google has released first of the many new features for its Google analytics suite. All Google Analytics accounts now have access to Site Search. It's currently only available if your language preference is set to English and shall be available in all languages soon.
Google Analytics has always shown webmasters how people use search engines to find their site. With Site Search, the webmasters can now see how people search within their site once they are already on it.
This is a goldmine of information because every time visitors search, they literally tell you in their own words what they are looking for. You'll not only see their initial searches, but how they attempted to refine searches when they didn't find what they were looking for. You'll see which pages they searched from and where they ended up. And you'll see how site search co-relates to conversions and sales.
However, to be able to use Site Search, you need to have a search box on your web site.
We have always been appreciative of Google's products but it is becoming too much to handle for the webmasters ;-)
Google Analytics has always shown webmasters how people use search engines to find their site. With Site Search, the webmasters can now see how people search within their site once they are already on it.
This is a goldmine of information because every time visitors search, they literally tell you in their own words what they are looking for. You'll not only see their initial searches, but how they attempted to refine searches when they didn't find what they were looking for. You'll see which pages they searched from and where they ended up. And you'll see how site search co-relates to conversions and sales.
However, to be able to use Site Search, you need to have a search box on your web site.
We have always been appreciative of Google's products but it is becoming too much to handle for the webmasters ;-)
Video Resumes -- Over to India
After Monster India, the international job portal, launched video resumes service on its job portal in India this July, we now have another job portal, http://www.eyemany.com that has come out specifically targeting employees to upload their video resumes. It then provides a platform to the employers to interview the candidate via the video conferencing as well.
Video Resumes are the latest fad amongst the new job seekers. It gives them a platform to showcase their skills to the potential employer. The job seeker can easily upload a home made video to this job portal and the recruiters can then search for the skills through the regular text resumes and can further use the video resume to shortlist the candidate.
It gives recruiters a chance to do primary screening, for which they probably had to earlier call the candidate and then interview him. Video resumes give the recruiters a peek at the energy, the communication and other skills of the job seeker.
Let's see how this fad catches on..
Video Resumes are the latest fad amongst the new job seekers. It gives them a platform to showcase their skills to the potential employer. The job seeker can easily upload a home made video to this job portal and the recruiters can then search for the skills through the regular text resumes and can further use the video resume to shortlist the candidate.
It gives recruiters a chance to do primary screening, for which they probably had to earlier call the candidate and then interview him. Video resumes give the recruiters a peek at the energy, the communication and other skills of the job seeker.
Let's see how this fad catches on..
Facebook's strategy: Word of Mouth Marketing
Don't compare Facebook's new ad system to anything you've seen on Google, television, or any other advertising medium you can think of. That's because, while advertising as we know it today may very well be a good profit engine for the social networking company, its new Facebook Ads program is also about e-commerce -- that is, selling.
Take the user reviews on Amazon. They're often useful when making a purchase, yet we don't know much, if anything, about the people recommending a product. Facebook aims to fix this by adding what it calls its "social graph" on top of such a rating system. In effect, your friends -- not strangers -- will be giving you the thumbs up or down on products you might buy.
According to David Kirkpatrick of the Fortune: "Facebook's strategy is based on a relatively new concept known as word-of-mouth marketing." But isn't it the oldest of all the selling concepts, the word-of-mouth publicity. Ironical that we are turning to the oldest means of advertising and selling.
It makes sense, however. And now Facebook is automating that process -- combining e-commerce with word-of-mouth marketing. When a Facebook user buys something, the seller will ask for permission to promote that fact to his or her social network and may pay a fee as well.
The flip side to all this: social networking grows more than 50, you do not know that person personally. It is just that he is a open-social networker like you are and it hardly makes a difference than as to who is adding whom. How will a person know that the person actually publicising a product or giving thumbs-up to the product is not a company-sponsored shopper. The reality is that after your network on any
How many of us actually know each person in their social network by name or how many can swear they know the occupation of the other person??
The social networking companies need to refine their data and make sure that the person being added and the credentials that he is adding are vetted.
Till then it is just data..not something that I would trust on!!
Take the user reviews on Amazon. They're often useful when making a purchase, yet we don't know much, if anything, about the people recommending a product. Facebook aims to fix this by adding what it calls its "social graph" on top of such a rating system. In effect, your friends -- not strangers -- will be giving you the thumbs up or down on products you might buy.
According to David Kirkpatrick of the Fortune: "Facebook's strategy is based on a relatively new concept known as word-of-mouth marketing." But isn't it the oldest of all the selling concepts, the word-of-mouth publicity. Ironical that we are turning to the oldest means of advertising and selling.
It makes sense, however. And now Facebook is automating that process -- combining e-commerce with word-of-mouth marketing. When a Facebook user buys something, the seller will ask for permission to promote that fact to his or her social network and may pay a fee as well.
The flip side to all this: social networking grows more than 50, you do not know that person personally. It is just that he is a open-social networker like you are and it hardly makes a difference than as to who is adding whom. How will a person know that the person actually publicising a product or giving thumbs-up to the product is not a company-sponsored shopper. The reality is that after your network on any
How many of us actually know each person in their social network by name or how many can swear they know the occupation of the other person??
The social networking companies need to refine their data and make sure that the person being added and the credentials that he is adding are vetted.
Till then it is just data..not something that I would trust on!!
3rd ODI-The Result
And India has won the match by 46-run with Yuvraj being declared the Man of the Match for his quickfire 77 run which took India to a competitive score of 294 which ultimately turned out to be a winning proposition for India.
India now leads the series 2-1 with 4th ODI scheduled for Nov 15, 2007.
Let's hope for best. Way to go Men in Blue!
India now leads the series 2-1 with 4th ODI scheduled for Nov 15, 2007.
Let's hope for best. Way to go Men in Blue!
India vs Pakistan - Third ODI Cricket Match - In Progress
The third in the series of 5 is currently on... India got to a flyer of a start than gave in on the advantage and then it was up to MY(Mahendra and Yuvraj) to steer India clear of any danger. India stands pretty at 294 and Pakistan is yet to start with its run chase.
The best Indian opening pair ever, gave a good start once again and then the onus was onto the younger players to carry the momentum, which they did with elan.
Mahi and Yuvi did well to take India to a very competitive score, tough nothing is out of reach on the Green Park pitch.
Let's hope for the best... Cheers Men In Blue
The best Indian opening pair ever, gave a good start once again and then the onus was onto the younger players to carry the momentum, which they did with elan.
Mahi and Yuvi did well to take India to a very competitive score, tough nothing is out of reach on the Green Park pitch.
Let's hope for the best... Cheers Men In Blue
Email- Marketing Tool or Spamming
It's 8:30 AM.. you have just reached your work place and have connected to your email server when ..viola..as a genie out of a lamp...here comes your daily supply of Viagras and Cialis, that too in bundles of 100's. On a serious note spam mails!!
Emails have emerged as one of the largest and least expensive way marketing. It does not uses paper, no printing costs, no envelopes to send it into and certainly no postage. At a simple click of a button, an email can be sent over to thousands of people worldwide. The ease of sending makes it one of the most potent tools of invading unsuspecting people's lives.
Many companies use email marketing to communicate with existing customers, but many other companies send unsolicited bulk email, also known as spam. In certain cases they use an opt-out option, wherein if the recipient does not want to receive the future emails, he will have to opt-out by clicking on a certain link. However, to clear past the legal hurdles, good companies use the opt-in option wherein emails are only sent to people who have opted beforehand to receive such emails.
The problem still continues despite the anti-spamming legislation in US. Stricter measures are required to identify and then control these spammers in order to reap the benefits of well-targeted emails.
India lags far behind in an effective anti-spamming legislation. In spite of the Internet proliferation in large parts of India and IT knowledge, the legislators do not seem to have been awakened to the need of such a legislation.
Wake up legislators..now is the right time to get a law in place before the situation gets out of hand as in some other parts of the world.
Emails have emerged as one of the largest and least expensive way marketing. It does not uses paper, no printing costs, no envelopes to send it into and certainly no postage. At a simple click of a button, an email can be sent over to thousands of people worldwide. The ease of sending makes it one of the most potent tools of invading unsuspecting people's lives.
Many companies use email marketing to communicate with existing customers, but many other companies send unsolicited bulk email, also known as spam. In certain cases they use an opt-out option, wherein if the recipient does not want to receive the future emails, he will have to opt-out by clicking on a certain link. However, to clear past the legal hurdles, good companies use the opt-in option wherein emails are only sent to people who have opted beforehand to receive such emails.
The problem still continues despite the anti-spamming legislation in US. Stricter measures are required to identify and then control these spammers in order to reap the benefits of well-targeted emails.
India lags far behind in an effective anti-spamming legislation. In spite of the Internet proliferation in large parts of India and IT knowledge, the legislators do not seem to have been awakened to the need of such a legislation.
Wake up legislators..now is the right time to get a law in place before the situation gets out of hand as in some other parts of the world.
Kumble, a new innings
Finally, after so many years of hard work and toil on and off the field, the selectors for the Indian national cricket team have realized the importance of a man named Anil Kumble. Whether or not it is a stop-gap arrangement might be a point of debate, but nonetheless, it does nothing to undermine the important place this Karnataka leg-spinner has in Indian cricket.
Anil Kumble is a legend in his own right. He is only the second player besides legendary Jim Laker to have taken 10-wickets in a single test match innings. Furthermore, he achieved this feat against the arch-rivals Pakistan.
Many people who watch and follow Indian cricket understand what it is like to have Kumble at the helm of 'The Team'. The cricket analysts, including Gundappa Viswanath, the former India captain, who had backed Mahendra Singh Dhoni aka MSD for the job, said Kumble should have got the position earlier. "I have been watching Anil for a long time and he is a shrewd thinker of the game," Viswanath told the Hindu. "This is an honour that could have been bestowed on him earlier. He deserves it and I always thought that he had it in him to lead the Indian side, but yes to be honest I never thought he would get the honour so late in his career."
Anil has been around in Indian cricket for the past 17 years now and his statistics speak for himself. Being the third highest test wicket taker, he is one of the most experienced in the world in this format of the game.
Well, the national cricket team selectors have done their bit, albeit quite late, but now is a chance to see Kumble and his cerebral approach to the game.
Bravo Kumble---Lead the team!! We wish you all the best.
Anil Kumble is a legend in his own right. He is only the second player besides legendary Jim Laker to have taken 10-wickets in a single test match innings. Furthermore, he achieved this feat against the arch-rivals Pakistan.
Many people who watch and follow Indian cricket understand what it is like to have Kumble at the helm of 'The Team'. The cricket analysts, including Gundappa Viswanath, the former India captain, who had backed Mahendra Singh Dhoni aka MSD for the job, said Kumble should have got the position earlier. "I have been watching Anil for a long time and he is a shrewd thinker of the game," Viswanath told the Hindu. "This is an honour that could have been bestowed on him earlier. He deserves it and I always thought that he had it in him to lead the Indian side, but yes to be honest I never thought he would get the honour so late in his career."
Anil has been around in Indian cricket for the past 17 years now and his statistics speak for himself. Being the third highest test wicket taker, he is one of the most experienced in the world in this format of the game.
Well, the national cricket team selectors have done their bit, albeit quite late, but now is a chance to see Kumble and his cerebral approach to the game.
Bravo Kumble---Lead the team!! We wish you all the best.
Saturday, November 10, 2007
Slow Dance!
This is a sweet little poem forwarded to me by a good friend. It takes you back to the days when people had time to share their thoughts with each other in person, not the way I am doing at the moment, over the Internet... This is nostalgic..I like it.You must have read it ..but then who said there was ever any harm in reading a good thing..twice, thrice, umpteen times!
Have you ever watched kids
On a merry-go-round?
Or listened to the rainSlapping on the ground?
Ever followed a butterfly's erratic flight?
Or gazed at the sun into the fading night?
You better slow down.
Don't dance so fast.
Time is short.
The music won't last.
Do you run through each day
On the fly?
When you ask
How are you?
Do you hear the reply?
When the day is done
Do you lie in your bed
With the next hundred chores
Running through your head?
You better slow down.
Don't dance so fast.
Time is short.
The music won't last.
Don't dance so fast.
Time is short.
The music won't last.
Ever told your child,We'll do it tomorrow?
And in your haste, Not see his sorrow?
Ever lost touch,
Let a good friendship die
Cause you never had time
To call and say,"Hi"
You'd better slow down.
Don't dance so fast.
Time is short.
The music won't last.
Don't dance so fast.
Time is short.
The music won't last.
When you run so fast to get somewhere
You miss half the fun of getting there.
When you worry and hurry through your day,
It is like an unopened gift....Thrown away.
Life is not a race.
Do take it slower
Hear the music
Before the song is over
Metacafe and Youtube --- Tools for Advertising?
The video upload sites like Metacafe, youtube and Google video have, no doubt, revolutionized the way Internet works. People can now actually upload their home videos or anything else without any problem. It's as easy as 1-2-3: shoot video, upload it and share with the world.
However, the basic concern is whether these video sharing sites are not a part of spreading and sharing porn as well!!
The porn web site developers are using Youtube and like to increase traffic to their web sites by giving out their web site promos on these mediums. Well how does this operate:
The porn web site owners have their web site ready with all to dish out but they do not have traffic. So they put some of their stuff on video sharing portals and thereby advertise themselves without ever spending anything and thus in a way, these video sharing portals are becoming a medium to spreading porn activities!!
Anyone with a different view is welcome.
However, the basic concern is whether these video sharing sites are not a part of spreading and sharing porn as well!!
The porn web site developers are using Youtube and like to increase traffic to their web sites by giving out their web site promos on these mediums. Well how does this operate:
The porn web site owners have their web site ready with all to dish out but they do not have traffic. So they put some of their stuff on video sharing portals and thereby advertise themselves without ever spending anything and thus in a way, these video sharing portals are becoming a medium to spreading porn activities!!
Anyone with a different view is welcome.
Social Networking - The truth behind
There is a lot of hullabaloo surrounding the social networking sites like Orkut and Facebook. This interest in them has of course sent the stock prices of these companies soaring North but how much is it really justified.
Let's look at the scenario: these sites were originally developed with the idea of bringing together people, either from the same society to share their thoughts, more specifically, people who were the part of an association or an education or a research group. It was conceived as a platform to give people an easy access to each other and their thoughts.
Over time, these sites left these puritan purposes behind them and instead starting looking at what the registrants to their web sites can do to their stock prices, and hence started the great social networking revolution.
What is the purpose behind all this? Why are the big players like Google, Microsoft and Yahoo madly running to get a slice of these social networking sites? Here are the simplest reasons:
Google, Yahoo and now Microsoft earn a large quantum of their revenue through their search engine and ultimately the online advertising. To provide users with the appropriate advertising, these search engines need to know the profile of their users. When I say profile, I mean everything from your gender, to your age, to your marital status, to the kind of friends you have, to your phone service provider to the music you like to everything else....sighhhhhh.
Once they get such a profile, the advertisements better target the users and hence are more effective. These companies are, thus, on a look out for their users demographic profile to be able to work up their revenues.
Now rather than convincing their users to register, and thus in turn provide interesting demographic data, these companies thought why not piggyback on one of the most viral fads going around: a social network site and thus came the Orkut revolution and it is for the same reason that Microsoft paid so much to acquire Facebook.
So while we thought that we are just enjoying these sites for free, we are actually providing ALL the data in the world to the very companies, that would in turn flood us with the advertising. So actually that is a symbiotic relationship.
So enjoy the social networking!
Let's look at the scenario: these sites were originally developed with the idea of bringing together people, either from the same society to share their thoughts, more specifically, people who were the part of an association or an education or a research group. It was conceived as a platform to give people an easy access to each other and their thoughts.
Over time, these sites left these puritan purposes behind them and instead starting looking at what the registrants to their web sites can do to their stock prices, and hence started the great social networking revolution.
What is the purpose behind all this? Why are the big players like Google, Microsoft and Yahoo madly running to get a slice of these social networking sites? Here are the simplest reasons:
Google, Yahoo and now Microsoft earn a large quantum of their revenue through their search engine and ultimately the online advertising. To provide users with the appropriate advertising, these search engines need to know the profile of their users. When I say profile, I mean everything from your gender, to your age, to your marital status, to the kind of friends you have, to your phone service provider to the music you like to everything else....sighhhhhh.
Once they get such a profile, the advertisements better target the users and hence are more effective. These companies are, thus, on a look out for their users demographic profile to be able to work up their revenues.
Now rather than convincing their users to register, and thus in turn provide interesting demographic data, these companies thought why not piggyback on one of the most viral fads going around: a social network site and thus came the Orkut revolution and it is for the same reason that Microsoft paid so much to acquire Facebook.
So while we thought that we are just enjoying these sites for free, we are actually providing ALL the data in the world to the very companies, that would in turn flood us with the advertising. So actually that is a symbiotic relationship.
So enjoy the social networking!
Absurd UK Laws--Funny
Here are a few obsolete and absurd UK laws:
1. It is illegal to die in the Houses of Parliament....wow
2. It is an act of treason to place a postage stamp bearing the British monarch upside-down.
3. In Liverpool, its illegal for a woman to be topless except as a clerk in a fish store.
4. Mince pies cannot be eaten on Christmas Day.
5. In Scotland, if someone knocks on your door and requires the use of your toilet, you must let them enter ....how nice
1. It is illegal to die in the Houses of Parliament....wow
2. It is an act of treason to place a postage stamp bearing the British monarch upside-down.
3. In Liverpool, its illegal for a woman to be topless except as a clerk in a fish store.
4. Mince pies cannot be eaten on Christmas Day.
5. In Scotland, if someone knocks on your door and requires the use of your toilet, you must let them enter ....how nice
Friday, November 09, 2007
Om Shanti Om - Who Rules the masses?
Om Shanti Om - Same wine new bottle or do you call it vintage wine. Sharukh Khan has once again managed to use his charm on all his fans. The movie, as was obvious, opened to full houses all across India.
The theme of reincarnation worked its magic. So was it just Sharukh or the reincarnation thing that managed this?
I would say both. Sharukh is such a part of Indian cinema as reincarnation is of India's religious beliefs and mythology. It works!!
Farah Khan once more managed to use SRK to her advantage, though it does not mean to SRK's disadvantage. This is the way the friendship pays.
But then still it is Amitabh who rules the masses of this vast country. Every region has its own heroes but Amitabh is hero to the whole of India. Even down south where they treat Rajnikanth or Chiru no less than a God, Amitabh still is their hero.
Amitabh is still the oldest wine in The Bottle, that is, Bollywood.
The theme of reincarnation worked its magic. So was it just Sharukh or the reincarnation thing that managed this?
I would say both. Sharukh is such a part of Indian cinema as reincarnation is of India's religious beliefs and mythology. It works!!
Farah Khan once more managed to use SRK to her advantage, though it does not mean to SRK's disadvantage. This is the way the friendship pays.
But then still it is Amitabh who rules the masses of this vast country. Every region has its own heroes but Amitabh is hero to the whole of India. Even down south where they treat Rajnikanth or Chiru no less than a God, Amitabh still is their hero.
Amitabh is still the oldest wine in The Bottle, that is, Bollywood.
The Dilemma
Have you ever faced a dilemma over whether to tell something to someone for their benefit but at the cost of your friendship with them?
Here's a short story, to which I do not have an answer at the moment:
Disclaimer: It can be false for all I know.
I - yes this story will be told in the first person as it was actually told to me - have a friend who lives in Australia as of now. We have been very good friends and still continue to be in touch via mails, however, as with every other thing in life, out of sight- out of mind, also applies to the case in question. My friend has been to Australia for over 3 years now, first for studies and now a permanent resident and well settled there. Now when you are good friends to someone, you actually get to know very many things about them. An year after she had left for Australia, just out of curiosity, I thought of hacking her email account. By all means, it was just meant to be a joke of sorts so that she could be surprised at a later time.
The email accounts, for all that they claim to be hack-proof, are actually easy to break if you know a person well. This also proved to be one heck of an easy job, with me getting into the account without much problem.
And once I was there, it was like opening a Pandora's box. People live half their lives out of emails, so once you get to someone's emails, you see them stark naked.
For all I knew, she was going around with a guy while in India however, I was kept off the name of that guy and I never met him. I was told that I will see him at an appropriate time. And was it the appropriate time now???
She loved a guy who is currently out on bail for the dowry-death of his wife. I know this as he lives in the same city as I. He got married while my friend was in Australia and she is not even aware of what conspired in India while she was away. Through the emails, I came to know that this guy has not told her anything about his marriage and then the death of his wife!! He was still pretending to be her lover and she has also sent money to him India and was planning to get him to Australia by sponsoring him.
The dilemma that I confront: to tell her about this or not.
Any comments and suggestions welcome.
Here's a short story, to which I do not have an answer at the moment:
Disclaimer: It can be false for all I know.
I - yes this story will be told in the first person as it was actually told to me - have a friend who lives in Australia as of now. We have been very good friends and still continue to be in touch via mails, however, as with every other thing in life, out of sight- out of mind, also applies to the case in question. My friend has been to Australia for over 3 years now, first for studies and now a permanent resident and well settled there. Now when you are good friends to someone, you actually get to know very many things about them. An year after she had left for Australia, just out of curiosity, I thought of hacking her email account. By all means, it was just meant to be a joke of sorts so that she could be surprised at a later time.
The email accounts, for all that they claim to be hack-proof, are actually easy to break if you know a person well. This also proved to be one heck of an easy job, with me getting into the account without much problem.
And once I was there, it was like opening a Pandora's box. People live half their lives out of emails, so once you get to someone's emails, you see them stark naked.
For all I knew, she was going around with a guy while in India however, I was kept off the name of that guy and I never met him. I was told that I will see him at an appropriate time. And was it the appropriate time now???
She loved a guy who is currently out on bail for the dowry-death of his wife. I know this as he lives in the same city as I. He got married while my friend was in Australia and she is not even aware of what conspired in India while she was away. Through the emails, I came to know that this guy has not told her anything about his marriage and then the death of his wife!! He was still pretending to be her lover and she has also sent money to him India and was planning to get him to Australia by sponsoring him.
The dilemma that I confront: to tell her about this or not.
Any comments and suggestions welcome.
Use Credit Cards--Let Power be mine
I have often seen people cribbing about having credit cards and what they do to your spending habits and how you get into the clutches of debts raised via credit ;-)
So is it the fault of the credit cards or that of the card holders? Is it the credit card that springs out itself at the mention of shopping or is it the card holder who goes out shopping just on the strength of the plastic money.
I have been using credit cards now for over seven years and am an ardent believer in the power of credit cards. I have 10 credit cards from different banks and to date I have never ever paid any interest charge, and have been successfully using my credit cards for all my needs, from the smallest to the expensive-most. And enjoying them thoroughly.
There is no secret to using credit cards, it is only the common sense that you need to apply for this. Listed below are a few points that can be of potential help to anybody using the power of the plastic money. Here are the "Let Power be mine" rules:
1. If you have more than one credit card, have them preferably from different banks.
2. Be very sure, how much disposable income you have every month.
3. Put that disposable income in a separate account.
4. Use your credit card for all your needs during the month, limited by your disposable income.
5. At the end of the month, put all the disposable income into the credit card account [Payments]
6. Perform step (5) before waiting for credit card bill to arrive.
7. If in a month, you have to definitely go above your disposable income, plan accordingly.
8. Be aware that you are spending more than what you have.
9. If you can make payment of the over-spent amount in the following month, it's fine as you will then only be paying interest for a month.
10. If you cannot make credit card payment the following month, ponder upon balance transfer to the other credit card you have, if applicable.
For all the above to work, you need to be aware of your billing cycle. Through the use of above, you will find yourself in a very healthy financial position, not to mention all the freebies that you get thorugh use of credit cards. Try getting a cash-back card or a card that suit your specific needs; there are too many out there in the market.
Let me know all your questions..I think myself to be a very good user of credit cards.
So is it the fault of the credit cards or that of the card holders? Is it the credit card that springs out itself at the mention of shopping or is it the card holder who goes out shopping just on the strength of the plastic money.
I have been using credit cards now for over seven years and am an ardent believer in the power of credit cards. I have 10 credit cards from different banks and to date I have never ever paid any interest charge, and have been successfully using my credit cards for all my needs, from the smallest to the expensive-most. And enjoying them thoroughly.
There is no secret to using credit cards, it is only the common sense that you need to apply for this. Listed below are a few points that can be of potential help to anybody using the power of the plastic money. Here are the "Let Power be mine" rules:
1. If you have more than one credit card, have them preferably from different banks.
2. Be very sure, how much disposable income you have every month.
3. Put that disposable income in a separate account.
4. Use your credit card for all your needs during the month, limited by your disposable income.
5. At the end of the month, put all the disposable income into the credit card account [Payments]
6. Perform step (5) before waiting for credit card bill to arrive.
7. If in a month, you have to definitely go above your disposable income, plan accordingly.
8. Be aware that you are spending more than what you have.
9. If you can make payment of the over-spent amount in the following month, it's fine as you will then only be paying interest for a month.
10. If you cannot make credit card payment the following month, ponder upon balance transfer to the other credit card you have, if applicable.
For all the above to work, you need to be aware of your billing cycle. Through the use of above, you will find yourself in a very healthy financial position, not to mention all the freebies that you get thorugh use of credit cards. Try getting a cash-back card or a card that suit your specific needs; there are too many out there in the market.
Let me know all your questions..I think myself to be a very good user of credit cards.
The Train to Pakistan
Someone once asked me, why in India, Hindus and Muslims can't live peacefully? I countered him with why in US there is still racism against the blacks. When I asked him the question, it was to thwart his question thrown to me. Although I did succeed in getting away at that time, but then this is the question that still haunts me?
Why in India, with cultures going back to the times of Harrappa and Mohenjodaro civilizations. India being the birth-place to the Indus Valley Civilization, we cannot live in peace? Why is it that we are always living in the constant fear of riots? Why is it that Godhra's still haunt us and their memories do not subside, rather threaten to ignite at a single flash of fire?
Is it the people who are against each other or is it really the politicians and the dirty game of politics that has the two religions pitted against each other?
Who wants the riots anyways? It is of course not the daily wage earner whose life, and that of his family, depends on what he is able to earn daily. No it is not the average person whose life only revolves around his family, to even think of riots. He cannot have his family in any danger.
If we leave the average man out of this, then who is into it? Of course, someone who is not that average, for whom it is not the daily routine but a much larger goal, the goal of running a country and having all the people under him. It is undoubtedly the politician. He, who to acheive his larger ends, does not even thinks once before putting others in the line of fire.
All the wars that have been fought have been fought at the behest of the emperors, not that of the soldiers. For the soldiers, it is just about earning the daily bread, for the emperors, it is a chance to enter the hallowed chambers of History as the greatest emperor.
Who suffers out of all this..It is indeed the common man; not the emperor and obviously not the politician but the simple common man.
What is the use of conquering the outer space, moon or the Mars, when we cannot or do not want to work towards, either the removal of racism or the intolerance towards people who are different from us, either in terms of religion or color or creed?
The politicians are not going to work towards this as their larger purpose will be sacrificed. It is the common man who has to work towards it.
All or any ideas of comments invited.
Why in India, with cultures going back to the times of Harrappa and Mohenjodaro civilizations. India being the birth-place to the Indus Valley Civilization, we cannot live in peace? Why is it that we are always living in the constant fear of riots? Why is it that Godhra's still haunt us and their memories do not subside, rather threaten to ignite at a single flash of fire?
Is it the people who are against each other or is it really the politicians and the dirty game of politics that has the two religions pitted against each other?
Who wants the riots anyways? It is of course not the daily wage earner whose life, and that of his family, depends on what he is able to earn daily. No it is not the average person whose life only revolves around his family, to even think of riots. He cannot have his family in any danger.
If we leave the average man out of this, then who is into it? Of course, someone who is not that average, for whom it is not the daily routine but a much larger goal, the goal of running a country and having all the people under him. It is undoubtedly the politician. He, who to acheive his larger ends, does not even thinks once before putting others in the line of fire.
All the wars that have been fought have been fought at the behest of the emperors, not that of the soldiers. For the soldiers, it is just about earning the daily bread, for the emperors, it is a chance to enter the hallowed chambers of History as the greatest emperor.
Who suffers out of all this..It is indeed the common man; not the emperor and obviously not the politician but the simple common man.
What is the use of conquering the outer space, moon or the Mars, when we cannot or do not want to work towards, either the removal of racism or the intolerance towards people who are different from us, either in terms of religion or color or creed?
The politicians are not going to work towards this as their larger purpose will be sacrificed. It is the common man who has to work towards it.
All or any ideas of comments invited.
What a diary thinks?
I put all my thoughts in my diary but what if my diary wants to share its thoughts. What will the diary do? Will the diary get another diary to share its thoughts, or will the diary add up on my original thoughts? Or will the diary get a "second life" all of its own.
For a while now I have been thinking of giving my diary a virtual space all of its own and then 'Second life' comes my way. A place where you can give your diary a name and a life..all of its own. A place where even your diary can get to keep a diary of its own.
A nice thought..that I just jotted down in my diary..now what does my diary think of it??
Any ideas and comments on this idea are appreciated!
For a while now I have been thinking of giving my diary a virtual space all of its own and then 'Second life' comes my way. A place where you can give your diary a name and a life..all of its own. A place where even your diary can get to keep a diary of its own.
A nice thought..that I just jotted down in my diary..now what does my diary think of it??
Any ideas and comments on this idea are appreciated!
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