Monday, September 28, 2009

A Mixed Day

It's been a mixed day today, with the festivities of Dussherra in full swing in my home and with the rising number of victims of "Ondoy" in Philippines.













I deeply feel for the forlorn Philippians. How can we celebrate and be merry when in another country people are struggling for their life. I feel hapless in such a situation. Is God being partial, who are we to decide?? We in India have experienced numerous natural hazards be it the Tsunami in 2004, Latur Earthquake in 1993, Orissa floods in 2008, Orissa droughts. Then the survival through the terror attacks in Mumbai, Kashmir, and the rest of India. When we are having a tough time back home we stand united. It’s touching to see how we pray for everyone to be safe; we extend our hands for help. But why do we lack the same spirit when another country is in a catastrophic state. It has taken years for us to be untied in tough times beyond caste, religion, state, language, rich and poor divide. I wish to see a world where everyone stands for each other. Beyond even the country, continent divides. No ocean should be able to distance the love for each other. Such a loving world I dream of.Such a world I hope world. Come lets try and make this come true. One world, One People, One Love.

Monday, September 14, 2009

Friend



Casually walking through life we meet some people who walk with us. Out of those we start liking someone. Walking together we share our troubles, our happiness, our dreams and our experiences. While sharing our thoughts we begin to think like each other. We get to know each other so well with time that we can understand what that person is feeling before they even talk about it. We comfort each other and support each other. In good times and in bad times we begin to walk hand in hand. We grow up together without realizing how time has passed. How many times has my sweet friend made me laugh when I was crying, but made me cry…….never!

Laughing, crying, talking and sometimes even sitting silently we’ve shared a beautiful bond of friendship. We weren’t silent because we had nothing to say, but because we were lost in our own beautiful world. The most beautiful thing was how we were a part of each other, how we believed in each other’s dreams and we were a part of it. We could do anything to make each other’s dreams come true.

Suddenly while walking one day my friend began to walk in another direction. I asked where are you going? My friend said my road has turned now; I’ve to go in this way. We hugged and my friend said long goodbyes. But the word bye never came out of my mouth. Guess I can never say it. It was tough to let go of my friend’s hand; it was the same situation on the other side. While I saw my friend walk away I’d tears filled in my eyes, my friend kept turning back and waving at me. Even I was waving till I could get the last glimpse of my sweetheart friend.

The only thought that lingered in my mind was hope that someday in the walk of life I meet my friend again. Hope someday our roads cross again. The time we spent together will always be carved in my memories, decorated with gold and diamonds actually. Just a hope that we get to live such moments again.

Sunday, May 24, 2009

Missing big B



Dont know why.. I'm missing my Big B so much today.. :)
God bless him with all the happiness...
It ain't about looks,not about time but just about love and care.
Whenever i needed and whenever i didn't,he was always there.
Best Big B in The whole world.... :)

IPL the Game that was...



Our entire nation and the world has been watching IPL since a year,like my friends at college say this has become the only form of entertainment at such boring times.We youngsters are at a certain time of our life bored of tv,internet,cell phones,movies and studies never interested us much (but we all took it as our duty),IPL did come to our rescue in such times.

Personally i was hoping Chennai Super kings or the Mumbai Indians team wins,because of my idol worshipping of Dhoni and the love for amchi Mumbai.But both the teams didn't see the light of the ay and didn't enter the finals.

RCB did enter the finals by fluke and had a pretty much roller coaster ride in the finals.Bangalore’s road to the finals could well be attributed to Anil Kumble’s leadership and performance with the ball.The first half was really well played,I almost hoped for a win but the last half an hour or 45 mins of the match seemed exhausting.The points table turned and so did the fortunes.


In a cracker of a match, Deccan Chargers outclassed and outplayed Royal Challengers Bangalore in the finals of the second edition of the DLF IPL in Johannesburg.Seeing wicket after wicket fall was no fun for a room full of hostel girls cheering the RCB team to win.Every 6 and four was accompanied by whistles and ear hurting screeches (hooting to be clear ).The First year girls have an exam tomorrow morning and the second years have an exam the day after,but they were happily sitting right in front of the tv enjoying the match as if they were a part of the RCB team itself.Uttapa was literally acting like a ball has never been tossed at him or he was confused whether he had to bat or go ahead and catch the ball.A few balls were wasted at this mighty Uttapa Dosa.As the match was progressing the hopes of winning the match were diminishing at a speed greater than light.But still we stood on till the last ball to salute our team for reaching the finals and giving it a good try.8 runs for 1 ball read the scoreboard and i had girls around me still expecting a miracle,they said "1 no ball,1 wide, and a six and another run would make us win!!! oh god please!!!". This is called as heights of optimism.The match over and lost I came back to my room to continue with my preparation for my final project demo tomorrow.

This was the time I remembered, I haven't seen the blog of the Fake IPL Player in a while,wonder what he must've posted after the IPL has seen its end.I came across this http://fakeiplplayer.blogspot.com/2009/05/awards-night-and-farewell.html


He is as entertaining as ever,considering the popularity of the blog,he cannot be left out whenever anything has been written about IPL.He has a sense of humour,a writing style, and a passion for various things cricket,writing and being in the limelight.His fan following is crazy people who compete on being the first one to comment,"yippeee... i'm the 6th to comment", "I am 7th......WOw!" "hEY I AM IN TOP 10 COMMENTS".Oh the craze and the people.


One thing I would like to point out.
Lalit Modi has donated millions to South African Schools and Charity organizations from the IPL money and they were showing this good work on screen also.
I want to ask how much has he donated to Indian Schools and Indian Charity organizations from the IPL money. I haven't seen any donations in last year of IPL tournament.
Isn't this a double standard of BCCI.

SRK was embarrassed,Pretty Preity was in for a rude shock and so were we witnessing her breakup in between the IPL proceedings and her team didn't make it anywhere great this year around.AmbaniThe last half an hour of today's match saw Vijay Mallya:King of Good times being depressed and speechless during the final downfall of his cherished team.Good Luck to everyone next year.Who stood last in the first edition of the IPL have emerged victorious in the latest edition. Congratulations to Deccan Chargers for this spectacular victory.



Three cheers to Cricket,to IPL,to all the teams and its owners,to our dear Rahul Dravid,Anil Kumble,Pandey and Mallya Uncle and three cheers to the winners Gilli,R.P Singh,owners Deccan Chronicle and the entire Hyderabad Deccan Chargers team.Keep Raging.

Saturday, May 9, 2009

Wolfram|Alpha a brand new life to web search


I have always been a huge fan of Google.I belong to the group 'A day will come when i search my keys in Gooogle. With all the defects google had it was loved deeply from many.Our life literally depended on it. My newly married sister in-law is awarded as a good cook. Recently while speaking to her i found out about her much appreciated talent,well u can guess it,the complete credit goes to our good old Google.She being a software engineer working in samsung,googles out the recipes,gets d print out home n cooks like a pro.Google did have a few drawback,irritating at times when we wouldn't find what we were looking for in the first 10 or 20 webpages.But being a final year computer science engineering student we are aware that creating a better search engine is a tough job,close to impossible.We had taken up web search as our final year project with our professor Dastikoppa sir being very encouraging and supportive,who is immensely interested and knowledgeable in the topic related to web,web search, and everything in between.His knowledge has no bound,can dedicate another blog to our favorite sir. :) But this project wasn't well received by other lecturers,as they said it is almost impossible to do.

Now come Wolfram|Alpha,a completely new concept which is set to launch in about a week — likely on May 18.. It cannot be called a search engine as it merely doesn't search the query through index in the pages,but it actually calculates and processes the data you require.Though the looks of it resemble Google or Ask me but the similarity ends here.Wolfram|Alpha has a unique technique,it takes your query,processes it in such a way that the data you require is calculated from various sources,this data may not be available on a single web page at all.What Wolfram|Alpha does has never been done before.It can produce the exact data you require....

The service is built on four pillars: a massive amount of data, that the company has collected from various sources; a computational engine built on top of Mathematica, one of Mr. Wolfram’s prior inventions; a system for understanding queries; and technology to display results in interesting ways.
Mathematica is a webpage of theirs which is already widely used in institutes and research. The link to it is here

http://www.wolfram.com/products/mathematica/index.html

In a talk at Harvard Law School, Stephen Wolfram, a well-known mathematician, scientist and entrepreneur, gave a demonstration of his soon-to-be released Web service which promises to answer all sorts of questions.
It can actually solve any mathematical equations and even display the steps it followed to solve it.This can be very useful for school and college students studying maths and also to research mathematicians.
If you want to check out the tides in your near by sea before you go for a swim or surf,you can query as "tides in______".You can easily avail the tides.
If you are a investor in the stock market,you want to compare the two companies Wipro and Infosys. Wolfram|Alpha can come to your help now.It can collect data of the two companies from different websites,merge them and display the result including stats,graphs to give you the perfect info you wanted.The sources for this data will be displayed below.With Google this is impossible.
Wolfram|Alpha isn't a search engine.
Many bloggers are crazy talking about this and many are excited aboutWolfram|Alpha beacause the plan seems so lofty.In a press-release video,Wolfram says the site aims to “compute whatever can be computed about the world.”

The homepage can be found here..

http://www.wolframalpha.com/index.html

Will it change our lives.I hope it will.....

Sunday, April 19, 2009

Beautiful evening.....


I had such a beautiful evening.I'd gone out for a walk as i badly needed some exercise after the read-a-thon.The weather was awesome with with wind blowing as if I'd blow away with it.It was almost time for sunset.I'd a long walk and while i was on the way back it started raining. I enjoyed the moment.Got drenched in the rain.Passers by were wondering why am i getting drenched and not standing under some shelter till the rain stops.I love to get wet in the rain.But this year I'd forgotten what was happiness,even rain would not interest me.I was always the person who would enjoy watching the rains for hours together,dance in the rain,get drenched till even the rain was the rain was tired.there were days when i had stood on the edge of the terrace,the highest place possible and stretch my arms as if i was giving a big hug to the rain and the hail stones kept hitting on me..
Wonder where those days were gone.I'd forgotten all that lost in the gloominess of this world.Today rain reminded me thaat life is still beautiful.I still have reasons to be happy.Though i am not the childish,happy,cheerfull person i used to be.
But today made a difference to me..

The Grand Finale


I did it... completed the read-a-thon.. Congrats to the readers,cheerleaders,winners and organizers..
Will wait for the next read-a-thon.. :)
I will go for a long walk now,and enjoy the beautiful weather..
The sun will set in some time.. The perfect time to be out..

Hour 24.... the end is near.. the end is here..

End of Event Meme

1. Which hour was most daunting for you?
Hour 11..As it was 5am here at that time...With everyone sleeping i had to struggle a lot to be awake.

2. Could you list a few high-interest books that you think could keep a Reader engaged for next year?
Books like Bird,Alchemist,Who moved my cheese all would be a good choice.. sadly i'd read them before and the book Bird wasn't available here..

3. Do you have any suggestions for how to improve the Read-a-thon next year?
Yeah,just a small suggestion,it would be nice if you give prizes to freshers more often.
There are expert readers here,obviously they are veery deserving but the new bees should be given a chance to win atleast to encourage them.
Also i found that my posts were not being ed sometimes.I'd written a lovely letter as one of the mini challenges.
It just didn't turn up on your blog.Such a thing happened more than once and i hadn't written anything which ccan't be published for sure!!

4. What do you think worked really well in this year’s Read-a-thon?
All the challenges and cheer leading worked well.

5. How many books did you read?
I read 6 books
6. What were the names of the books you read?

Mahatma Gandhi the pioneer of Indian freedom struggle
Veer Hanuman
A kiss before dying

Swami vivekananda
Dear Enemy
The book of mysterious tales
and i've read half of :One for the money

7. Which book did you enjoy most?
I enjoyed reading about Hanuman in the book "Veer Hanuman".
even enjoyed A kiss before dying and Dear enemy.

8. Which did you enjoy least?
none

9. If you were a Cheerleader, do you have any advice for next year’s Cheerleaders?
I was just a reader,but the cheerleaders did a great job.

10. How likely are you to participate in the Read-a-thon again? What role would you be likely to take next time?
I will keep a set of interesting short books ready in advance for the next read-a-thon.
I will probably sleep for half the day before i begin the run-a-thon.
And tell evryone around me to just shut up and leave me alone!!! he he..
Keep foodies ready for the 24 hrs...

Hour 23....






At this hour I'm reminded of the cozy little beach side shack in goa.My last visit there was in feb'08.(i have lived in goa almost all my life untill 5yrs back)
This shack had a library too.What more Do u need??The beach,a swim suit,a breezer,sea food and a nice book to read in between all the water sports and swimming you enjoy.In the pics I'm asking dad i want a cranberry breezer..You can see the book shelf behind me.. In the other pic I'm enjoying the moment with my mom.I had just finished a parasailing ride a few mins back so was really high with happiness..


I am done with reading Dear Enemy..
This book had 97 pages,no illustrations or pics.. So this took the longest time to finish.. I'd started it yest night.. read it during breaks today and eventually finished reading it...
With just another hour remaining i can't take up any such books again.
i will read The Book of mysterious events.. It's a small book of 112 pages..
It's a Collection of short stories with a few illustrations... i will finish it......

Pages read since last post: 62
total pages read:519
Books completed:5
time spent blogging since last post:15 mins
Challenges completed:13

Hour 22....... going great..


I have written 4 limericks.. Hope u like them....


Dewey's Read-a-thon challenge was immense fun for all,
Piles of books on everyones table standing tall,
This was my firt time,
i think i did just fine,
The names of Dewey and organizers on the golden Wall.



Everyone loves Misses Dewey so deeply,
I think we should do a read-a-thon weekly,
It would be fun everyone knew,
But what to do,
The read-a-thon will end in a few hours sadly.




Nobody was bothered about the ticking clock
they just had to finish their book stock,,
Wish i could read more,
i have just finished four,
The readers are all a happy flock.



Read-a-thon has become a part of my life now,
To all the organizers and readeers i bow,
My world is in the books,
My mind cooks,
Wish this didn't have to get over somehow

Hour 21....


I read Dewey's blog..i really liked her last post... the picture she has used and her gesture of giving.Amazing lady.. This being her last post i find it precious..
She spoke about the giving season,of celebrations and happiness.. who could think at that point that she may never post again.. I wish i had known her...


http://deweymonster.com/?p=1064

Pages read since last post: 50
total pages read:457
Books completed:4
time spent blogging since last post:15 mins
Challenges completed:12

Am reading the dear enemy... will finish it soon.... :)

Hour 20....

Pages read since last post: 90
total pages read:407
Books completed:4
time spent reading since last post:5 mins
Challenges completed:11

I finished reading a book about "swami vivekananda".

reading the book dear enemy too in between breaks...
Will add the page count of that book later...

Got to read "malgudi days" by R.K.Narayan too somehow!!!!!
just 4 more hrs to go!!!!!

Saturday, April 18, 2009

Hour 19..


It's 12.15 pm here... the million dollar question is why ain't i hungry!!!!!!!
I am doing just fine... i'm amzed by seeing that people have finished eading 15 books!!!!!!!!! thats so awesome.. i am still at my 4th one.... :)
All the best to everyone... :)

Update

Pages read since last post: 50
total pages read:317
Books completed:3
time spent reading since last post:30 mins
Challenges completed:11

I finished reading A kiss before dying.

Hour 13 challenge......

Mid-Event Survey:

1. What are you reading right now?
Right now i am reading A Kiss Before dying.

2. How many books have you read so far?
I have finished 3 books.

3. What book are you most looking forward to for the second half of the Read-a-thon?
R.K.Narayan's Malgudi days.

4. Did you have to make any special arrangements to free up your whole day?
Nothing much.. just skipped breakfast and no mood to have lunch too.

5. Have you had many interruptions? How did you deal with those?
Yeah my roomies are an irritating lot..i'm trying not to listen to them..

6. What surprises you most about the Read-a-thon, so far?
That i'm not tired at all......

7. Do you have any suggestions for how to improve the Read-a-thon next year?
This has been a great experience... no suggestions...

8. What would you do differently, as a Reader or a Cheerleader, if you were to do this again next year?
I would read more and blog less.. and keep a huge pile of books with me.

9. Are you getting tired yet?
No.. i had a small nap for 3hrs.. regretting it now...

10. Do you have any tips for other Readers or Cheerleaders, something you think is working well for you that others may not have discovered?
I read books with more picture illustrations.Guess everyone did that.... anyways i'm happy i took this challenge.. :)

Hour 17 mini challenge


You know when you are doing the read-a-thon when you
*****doze off while reading for an hour or two.And you wake up all worried about the time you missed.
*****So u decide to give breakfast a skip.
****Duh!! Who has the time for bath now i'll have a bath after a few hrs.
****Shhh roomies let me read!!!!


****sleep like a baby...awww cute.. but no thanks... ;)

****my table looks almost like this...


****i've snacked on blackforest pastry,ferrero rocher chocolates at midnights.... so unlike me......

Hour 18 mini-challenge...




The books i'd like to reread would be:
Erich segal's Love Story
little Women by louissa may alcott


Pride and prejudice by jane austen
Romeo and Juliet Shakespeare

Who moved my cheese
Faraway tree by Enid Blytton


Good morning.....

I didnt realise when i slept off...

Woke up an hour back and started reading.Missed breakfast today.It's ok i can have a heavy lunch..
Pages read since last post: 45
total pages read:267
Books completed:2
time spent reading since last post:0mins

Will attend to some challenges now... :)

Readathon Hour 11 Mini Challenge


Dear Sally,

I know you are having a tough time at the orphans asylum,but don't give up so soon.
The kids have never played in their life,they haver never lived their life.Only you can make them more cheerfull.I trust you.You are new to the system so you can change the system.Everyone who has been here for a long while has got used to this place,it's become a routine for them.They have stopped thinking.I am glad to see that you are taking interest in making changes for the better.

I was surprised to read in your letters about the gloominess in the asylum.I am a regular at orphans asylums here and i've always seen the kids in their most joyfull moods here.Deaf and dumb and orphan kids live here.They study,sing,dance and play.The most amazing thing i witnessed here was to see deaf and dumb kids dance so beautifully.It made me wonder,how does a kid who has never heard the sound of music dance so well?? It's the beauty of the place or the miracle of the innocent kids.

I know you are having problems with your husband too.But don't worry he will understand.Everything will be ok.

You know that you can be the best superintendent if you try.Then what is stopping you.Have faith in yourself.
Be the change you want to see.
Nothing is impossible for a passionate person like you.
Take care.
yours,
priyanka

I am reading 'Dear Enemy'

It's almost morning here...

It'll be 5 am in another 10 mins,another 2 hrs and evry1 will start waking up in my hostel.. :)One thing is for sure.. my roomies will b surprised to c me awake when they get up..That too on a sunday morning!!!!!! imagine their plight when i tell them i didn't sleep at all.. ha ha.. their face will be worth seeing.. ;) Reading is not their cup of tea,reading even a magazine like reader's digest is a bore to these gossip queens.Only text books interest them...
I am still reading the book Dear Enemy...

Hour 11...

Its amazing i'm not sleepy or tired of reading...

Just finished another challenge. Waiting for it to be diplayed.
http://www.flightintofantasy.com/2009/04/18/readathon-hour-11-mini-challenge/comment-page-1/#comment-759

Thanks to everyone who is cheering me..
Take care...

Mini-Challenges completed:7

Hour 10..

mini-challenges completed:6
http://cozymurders.blogspot.com/2009/04/read-thon-mini-challenge-books-to-tv.html

Pages read since last post: 52
total pages read:222
Books completed:2
time spent reading since last post:1 hr

I managed to read only 1/2 of the book One for the money as only that much was available online sadly... i'm reading Dear Enemy now... :)

its 2.14 am..

i closed the book i was reading,pitied my roomies n switched off d lights.
I'm reading soft copies of books i have now... like
"One for the money"
"Sergeant pf guards"
"A kiss before dying"

and lets see which else.. :)

Mini Challenges completed:5

Shower taken:1

Snacked on after midnight:1 blackforest pastry.

Planning to stay awake:till tomo evening :)

hour 9.......

https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=1504883854292781643&postID=8894586482275654986&page=1


Not bad at all!!!!!!!!

Hour 8..

Number of pages since last update: 70
Total number of pages: 168
Number of books completed: 2
Time spent blogging since last update: 1hr

Mini-challenges completed: You-tube mini-challenge ,hr 7,hr6,hr8.. that makes it 4..

I am spending more time blogging looks like..
Better get back to some serious reading untill its time for the next challenge..
I am done with readin the book about one of my favourite gods "Hanuman"
It was a 70 pages book.... :)

hour 6 challenge


The comic strip will inspire the read-a-thon readers....
Atleast i hope...

Hour 7...The challenge..






This hrs challenge....
i went for a walk and clicked these pictures.... I live in a hostel. We have a beautifull campus but at this pitch dark midnight my cell couldn't capture a good pic. So i went to rooms of other girls just to see what they are upto at this hr.
A bunch of girls were preparing for a gals midnoght party.. theres the cake... :)

In another room another gal was playing with her turtle 'Angel'. And another gal was studying. I caught another gal by surprise and took her pic.

Hello......

I am done reading the book about the father of our nation... :)
It was a 98 pages book..
Gandhiji was a father to a son before he finished his 10th exams.He had married at the age of 13. I had not even had my first crush at that age i guess.I have known all my life that Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi was very honest and never lied or cheated.Except the one time when he robbed money from his father but he confessed and his father forgived him accepting his honesty.But what i didn't know was that Gandhiji had developed a liking for meat and smoking.In the religious family that he belonged to,eating meat,drinking,smoking is considered as a sin.it was a little surprising to read this but one day when he ran out of money and he couldn't control his urge to smoke,he robbed money from his servant.That night he could not sleep,he was burdened with guilt and shame.In the morning he confessed to his mother that he had sinned,his mother was moved by his honesty and both wept together.That was the last day he ate meat or smoked.He did his law studies in england.The book continues to tell his story through freedom struggle and ends at the sad martydom of our beloved Gandhiji.When Nathuram Godse shot 3 bullet shots at Gandhji he collapsed saying 'hey ram!'Thus the apostle of truth and non-violence departed to his heavenly abode.
My next reads will be "The book of Myterious Events"
"Ashoka The Great"
"Malgudi Days" By R.K. Narayan
"Bhakt Prahalda"
"Swami Vivekananda"
"veer Hanuman"
"Deception Point" Dan Brown.
And lets see................ ;)


Number of pages since last update: 98
Total number of pages: 98
Number of books completed: 1
Time spent blogging since last update: 30 min
Total time spent blogging: 65 minutes
Mini-challenges completed: You-tube mini-challenge

I begin my Dewey's 24 Hour Read-A-Thon Challenge

I am going to begin my read-a-thon challege with the book "MAHATMA GANDHI The Pioneer of freedom Struggle."

Friday, April 17, 2009

Recession takes its toll


Recession forces 24-yr-old computer engineer to join BMC as a labourer. “At least I have a job, unlike my friends who are being laid off,” he says.
Nilesh Gangurde, a BE in Computers from Terna Engineering College, Nerul has taken a very challenging step in these recessionary times. He says he had got offers from IT companies in bangalore (including the legendary Satyam).But he could'nt leave his ill mother so he couldn't accept those offers.While the job of an BMC labourer earns him a salary of 11,000 which is much higher than the average salary of an IT fresher currently.“I don’t feel ashamed of working as a labourer in the BMC’s Insecticide Department although I am a computer engineer. Some of my friends have been laid off from their jobs,” says Nilesh, who has scored 64% marks in his BE exam.
Typically, a labourer in the BMC begins his day with a muster roll call at 7 am, and is assigned work by the muster room in-charge. He sets out with at least 30 rat traps to complainants’ homes, hands over the traps and teaches people how to set them up. He also does fumigation rounds.

But thanks to Deepak Adsul, BMC’s chief insecticide officer, Nilesh has access to computers. For half the day, he does a labourer’s job and then receives complaints about rodents, mosquitoes, etc., at their call centre. He compiles data, writes letters and reports and updates files. He has found many time-saving shortcuts in our operating system. Right now he is compiling the Monsoon Action Plan 2009 to control mosquito breeding and the rodent population.

Nilesh’s colleagues often ask him why he is wasting his education, but he doesn’t want to leave his BMC job, at least not until recession is over. He is also doubtful about getting back to IT. “If I want to join a software company once the market gets back to normal, how will I explain my current profile? Also, after a few years, they will require new technology,” he says. “Instead, I can do something in IT at BMC... Maybe I can get an MBA degree, then a shift to the IT department if they give me a chance.”

According to deputy municipal commissioner Rajendra Vale, BMC Class IV employees with an electrical or mechanical engineering degree are often absorbed in higher posts in the corporation. “We have no such provisions for computer engineers. But there’s always a first,” Vale says. But Nilesh isn’t worried. For now, he is happy with the opportunities his boss provides, and has come to terms with his situation.


Hotels across the world think up innovative ways to hold on to guests during recession

Funny ways the hotels over the world have found to beat these recession times.They provide offers such as two free drinks for the customer if he helps with the dishes.
Just the thought of it seems hilarious,wonder how did they they think of it(i doubt they were sober while thinking out this)

The Keating Hotel in San Diego, is offering a Spring Recession Special.
The package has some usual discounts like a complimentary cocktail and free stay for the third night after paying for two. But there are some additional offers – if guests help with the dishes, they get two drinks free.
And that’s not all… Customers can also save 15 per cent on dinner if they go in wearing a barrel, the preferred choice of broken businessmen in comic strips. The hotel even gives guests the option of showing up in their best recession outfit to avail of the offer.
In another innovative approach, the Nasdaq-listed Morgans Hotel Group launched a campaign titled F@*% the Recession, in a bid to attract customers seeking a “recess from recession”.

Maoists shocking attack on poll booths

Voters in Bihar Jharkhand,Chattisgarh and Orissa were in for a rude shock. Just watching the news was shocking for me. What kind of times are we living in.Here we are asking the nation to vote. You are responsible for the kind of government you have,don't complain,go ahead make the right decision,exercise your right to VOTE.
The voters who had to face the bullets of these naxals might curse the day they thought to vote."Maoists kill 18,loot EVMs,attack booths,block roads." read the headlines of today.What is the level of security in our country.After the terror attacks in mumbai,it was said that we have to change the security system,we have to take things seriously.But what has been taken seriously? What can be done to ensure safety of our people?

Thursday, April 9, 2009

Th books i'll read for the Orbis Terrarum challenge 09

I've a Jane Eyre in my collection which i have'nt read yet.But before that i willl read THE IDIOT by FYODOR DOSTOEVSKY(Russia).
I just got this book today and i am excited..... :)

Wednesday, April 8, 2009

Gesture tek Demo


When I was a kid, TV remotes essentially had a handful of buttons for on, off, volume control, and the channel selector. That was it. But as TVs became more sophisticated and programming choices expanded beyond 3 networks and a gaggle of local channels, the remote control became larger and more complicated. Eventually, it became not only programmable, but some are quite expensive (on the order of up to $1,000 or more). The problem is that programmable all in one remotes that can handle your TV, Cable box, even Internet access have buttons that just never get used. Now researchers are seeking to change with GestureTek, a camera mounted on the TV which translates your hand movements into TV remote control functions.

Check out the video here

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L8CAJPz5PCg

The TV remote control of the future isn't an expensive device with an LCD screen and blinking lights. It's your hand!!!!

Today’s TVs are more like computers,and as such, having an interface that works like a mouse is more practical. GestureTek turns your hand into a mouse interface and interprets hand movements like mouse controls. It’s like a scene out of Minority Report. Users will simply maneuver the on screen cursor to the menu item, click it with a flick and select it. Or move the channel up or down with the channel overlay. And built in programming language prevents the TV from reading conflicting hand gestures and thereby eliminates the possibility of siblings fighting over the TV.

No word on when gesture based remotes will be incorporated into HDTV designs, but Hitachi is quite interested in the gesture based remote-less TV option and approached the company that makes GestureTek with the idea of a TV camera that reads depth and hand gestures to control it. If they can keep the price down (depth cameras, which are the heart of the system cost about 3 times more than webcams) on incorporating GestureTek, it could be sooner, rather than later.

Also check

http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-10214415-1.html?part=rss&tag=feed&subj=Crave

Bumptop


While I was searching for article topics, I found a Windows application that makes a computer desktop more like a desktop.It is called Bumptop, and it inserts 3D into the computer desktop, a normally flat 2D world with folders that just have to be named.

You definitely want to watch the YouTube video here.It is pretty minimalist with an announcer and demo, but just watch it, and you will already be sold.

One of my personal favorite features of Bumptop is how it allows the user to “pile” their files instead of placing them in a folder. They can view these files as a grid, or even flip through them like pages of a one-sided book using nothing but the scroll wheel.

You also have to l ove how a user can display his or her photos, and upload them to Facebook , Twitter, or email just by dragging and dropping them. You also have to love how a user can alter their view of their desktop.

Bumptop also has a very interesting “clean-up” feature. You can put all your things in a pile, just like you would on a real desktop, only faster.

The best news about Bumptop is that it is free. That is, a light version of the application is. The more powerful version of the application costs about $29. You will need a 1.4 gigahertz processor, a gigahertz of main memory, as well as an integrated graphics card.

The home page is here...

http://bumptop.com/

My List of interesting books....

..

1.The Triumph of Deborah
by Eva Etzioni-Halevy(Israel)
368 pages
Historical Fiction
Plume (February 26, 2008)

The richly imagined tale of Deborah, the courageous Biblical warrior who saved her people from certain destruction

.


2.Jane Eyer
By Charlotte Bronte(british)

3.The Good Earth
By pearl.S.Buck(USA)

4.The Road Less Travelled, by Scott Peck (US)

5.The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri(Indian)

6.The Kite Runner
by Khaled Hosseini (Afghan)

7.My Experiements with Truth (Autobiography of Mahatma Gandhi)

8.The Song Is You
by Arthur Phillips(USA)

9.Lush Life
by Richard Price (USA)

10.The Women
by T. Coraghessan Boyle ()

11.A Reliable Wife
by Robert Goolrick (US)

12.Little Bee
by Chris Cleave(UK)

13.Sonata for Miriam
by Linda Olsson(New Zealand)

14.City of Thieves
by David Benioff (US)

15.In the Woods
by Tana French (Ireland, Italy, the US and Malawi,Dublin)

16.White Noise
by Don DeLillo (US)

17.The Memory Keeper's Daughter
by Kim Edwards(American)

18.Down The Rabbit Hole/A Perfect Crime, The Tutor, The Fan, and Lights Out,
Peter Abrahams(South Africa)

19.I'm not scared
by Niccolò Ammaniti(Rome)

20.Maps for lost lovers
by Nadeem Aslam(Pakistan)

******This isn't easy... The list includes authors from 8 different countries.(I'll choose 1 book from US author and 1 from a British author)
And the availability of these books are also not definite..
So this remains as a dream list.. lets see how many of these books i will be able to find.. Reading them would be my pleasure.. :)

Tuesday, April 7, 2009

Dewey's 24 Hour Read-A-Thon



Dewey's 24 Hour Read-A-Thon is ON for April!

This seems more interesting than ever...

It’s sort of a reading challenge, only everyone participates at the same time. For 24 hours, we read books, post in our blogs about our reading, and visit other readers’ blogs. We also participate in mini-challenges throughout the day.

April 18th, 2009; GMT+4:30 (Mumbai): 5:30pm

For information about the 24-Hour Read-a-thon click on the link
http://24hourreadathon.com/read-a-thon-faq/
. There are some changes, so even if you’ve participated before, please look for new information.

Orbis terrarum challenge 09


I've taken up the challenge...
It seems really interesting..
All You have to do is read 10 books from !0 different authors.

Main Challenge Rules:
*The Orbis Terrarum Challenge begins March 1 2009(you are welcome to join later) Through the end of 2009.
*For the challenge each reader is to choose 10 books (for the 10 months).
*Each book must from a different country, I have decided to go by the country of origin of the author, or the country he/she lives in is fine as well.
*You don't have to have a list, that means you can change your mind at any time. As long as there are 10 from 10 different countries, written by 10 different authors: Anything goes.


The bottom line: choose 10 different books, written by 10 different authors, from 10 different countries.

If you are a reader and would like to take up this challenge,go ahead click on the link. :)

http://orbisterrarumchallenge.blogspot.com/2009/01/rules-and-regulations.html

Time is running out...



Make the most of it.... :)

Saturday, April 4, 2009

DHARWAD.. a place i call home...

Dharwad is situated on the edge of Western Ghats and hence is a hilly town. Spread over seven small hills at an average altitute of 750 meters above sea level, the city enjoys a salubrious climate amidst thick vegetation. On the western Side Mountains of Saiyhadri a river called Shalmala originated in Dharwad but she flows underground. Western part of Dharwad is called Malenadu full of forestry of red soil. Eastern part of Dharwad is called BelawalNadu Flat land of black soil. Central Part of Dharwad is Gadinadu -Mixture of both.Years ago, Dhwarwad was known for its 9 lakes but many have dried out now.The ones that still exist are Sadhankere, Kelgeri kere and Nuggikere. Dharwad sits at the cusp of two distinct geographical divisions - malenaadu (hilly, forest land with red soil) and beLavala naadu (deccan plains with black soil). The earstwhile NH 4, runs almost as a dividing line.

The word "Dharwad" means a place of rest in a long travel or a small habitation. For centuries, Dharwad acted as a gateway between the Malenaadu (western mountains) and the Bayalu seeme (plains) and it became a resting place for travellers. The name is derived from the Sanskrit word 'dwarawata', 'dwara' meaning "door" and 'wata' or 'wada'meaning "town".

Another theory is that during the Vijayanagara rule of Dharwad there was a ruler by name "of Dharav" (1403), and Dharwad got its name from him. There are some inscriptions that refer to Dharwad as Kampana Sthana.

HISTORY

Inscriptions found near Durga Devi temple in Narendra (a nearby village) and RLS High School date back to the 12th century and have references to Dharwad. This makes Dharwad at least 900 years old. Also, there is an inscription at Hanuman Temple at Bokyapur lake near Garag (a village about 18 km from Dharwad).

After the final defeat of the Peshwa by the British in 1818, Dharwar was incorporated into the territory of the British East India Company's Bombay Presidency. During the early 19th century, when the British were expanding their domains, they faced a lot of opposition from local rulers, including Baba Saheb of Naragund and Kittur Rani Chennamma.

CULTURE

Dharwad is a district very rich in culture.There is a famous saying in dharwad which goes like this.. "If u throw a stone randomly in dharwad,it will fall on the roof of the house of a poet or a writer." It's the land of wroters,poets,musicians,theatre artists and a huge bunch of educated people.
Dharwad is famous for its natural scenic beauty and has inspired many a poet and writers of national and international renown. The Jnanapeeth award- the highest award in literature, was conferred to two giants of literature , Dr Dara Bendre and Dr V K Gokak. Both the writers lived and wrote some of their finest works in Dharwad.Patil Puttappa also being a renowned writer from Dharwad.

Shri Ranga and Girish Karnad being the most talented arists who hail from Dharwad.
Shri Ranga: A great dramatist whose dramas are repeatedly played even today. Wrote 22 plays and he was also Sanskrit scholar.
Girish Karnad who is a Actor , director , play writer. Recipient of prestigious Jnyanapeeth Award in 1999 for his contribution to Kannada literature and theatre. He has also given an enourmous contribution to Marathi theatre. Acted in many films and TV serials.
To name a few writers Prof. Bhusnurmath,Dr. Shankar Mokashi Punekar and Saali Ramachandra rayaru.

The Dharwad district of northern Karnataka boasts a formidable tradition in Hindustani music and adduces the following list in support of its claim:
The legendary Bhimsen Joshi currently based in pune,Gangubai Hangal,Mallikarjun Mansur,Kumar Gandharva, Basavraj,Rajguru,Madhav Gudi,Vasant Kanakapur,Sangeeta Katti,Jayateertha Vasanthrao Mevundi,Geeta Javadekar,Ganpati Bhat Hasanagi.

Pravin Godkhindi is a popular flute ( Bansuri ) artist who follows Hindusthani style of music.He is trained Electrical engineer.He is alumni of SDM College of Engineering and Technology,Dharwad.He masters in traditional style of flute as well as western.He has experimented with fusion of both Indian and Western music.He has presented many concerts and is a regular artist in All India Radio ( A.I.R ). He plays a very significant role in popularizing the Indian Classical Music among the masses.

FOOD CUISINES

Dharwad produces milk products. Dharwad pedha is made from milk and khoa. Mishra's Line Bazar and Babu Singh's Thakur pedhas are among the better known.

A dish typical of Dharwad is Jolada Rotti made of jowar flour. It is made in two forms -- crisp and soft, and is usually eaten with spicy brinjal (eggplant) pallya, kalu pallya (beans), "agasi" or "guryellu" chutney powder and curds. The restaurants in Dharwad include LEA Canteen, Basappa Khanavali, Megha Darshini, Kamat Hotels, Maitri Paradise, Bombay Restaurant, Hoysala, Brindavana, Mandar Regency, Travel Inn, Ozone, etc.Hoysala,Maithri and Kamth Hotels provide you eith a complete family atmosphere. While the ones like Ozone which has shacks on mango tree tops,provides the ultimate fun experience for youngsters.Travel inn and Mandar regency,Red fort,Mayur Paradise are all exclusive experiences in Dharwad. Phadd made of rice flour is also a good dish, eaten with Sambhar and coconut or groundnut chutney. It is available at Paul Canteen near JSS college and Bombay Restaurant in Gandhi chowk.


AGRICULTURE

Dharwad cultivates a variety of food products. The Dharwad Cotton Hybrid (DCH), a popular variety of cotton a few years back, was basically invented in University of Agricultural Sciences. In addition to this, Dharwad produces varieties of channa, kardi, soya, groundnut seeds,Sunflowers. Also, farmers grow sugarcane, paddy, jowar, wheat, green gram, bengal gram, munge and many other food products. Dharwad Alphonso mangoes and Navalur gauvas are also produced.

EDUCATION

Dharwad has been a renowned centre of learning, with many famous high schools, colleges and universities. These include:

Karnatak Arts College, Estb 1917



Traditional Saree of Dharwad
Unkal sarees are the assets of the women of Dharwad.The typical Dharwad belle looks ethnic and gorgeous in these sarees.They are available in both silk and cotton.






There probably doesn't exists another district like Dharwad which is as rich in culture and talent.
The peacefully life here has won the hearts of many people.The warm hearted people here are never short of a smile and hospitality.Though their language may not seem so polite initially but you will soon realise the genuine care the people of Dharwad are capable of.They create a homely atmosphere instantly.Pretence is not their cup of tea.Cheers to Dharwad a place i call home...