Parablogs

How to Download Angry Birds for PC?

2011-09-05T00:11:00.001-07:00

There are multiple links and you can download it strauight from the Rovio Angry birds sites for Trials of Angry Birds and Angry Birds-Rio.

Angry Birds:

The survival of the Angry Birds is at stake. Dish out revenge on the green pigs who stole the Birds' eggs. Use the unique powers of the Angry Birds to lay waste to the pigs' confounding constructions. Angry Birds features challenging, physics-based demolition gameplay with hours and hours of replay value. Each of the 240+ levels requires logic, skill, and brute force to crush the enemy.

Angry Birds-Rio

The Angry Birds have been captured, caged, and taken to Rio! There they meet new friends, and work together to make their escape from a desolate grey warehouse to the lush green jungle. Help the Angry Birds escape and beat their captors by bombarding the evil marmosets and smashing all obstacles in the way!

Minimum System Requirements:

OS Windows XP SP2
RAM 512MB
CPU 1 GHz
Graphic OpenGL 1.3 compatible
Internet Connection required for activation

Alternate Mirror Site:

http://www.mediafire.com/?83yacffpje51ubl

The Beauty of Mathematics

2011-05-18T12:03:00.000-07:00

The Beauty of Mathematics
and the Love of God!

The math part is good,but the end is even better.

Beauty of Mathematics!!!!!!!

1 x 8 + 1= 9
12 x 8 + 2= 98
123 x 8 + 3= 987
1234 x 8 + 4= 9876
12345 x 8 + 5= 98765
123456 x 8 + 6= 987654
1234567 x 8 + 7= 9876543
12345678 x 8 + 8= 98765432
123456789 x 8 + 9= 987654321

1 x 9 + 2 = 11
12 x 9 + 3 = 111
123 x 9 + 4 = 1111
1234 x 9 + 5 = 11111
12345 x 9 + 6 = 111111
123456 x 9 + 7 = 1111111
1234567 x 9 + 8 = 11111111
12345678 x 9 + 9 = 111111111
123456789 x 9 +10= 1111111111

9 x 9 + 7 = 88
98 x 9 + 6 = 888
987 x 9 + 5 = 8888
9876 x 9 + 4 = 88888
98765 x 9 + 3 = 888888
987654 x 9 + 2 = 8888888
9876543 x 9 + 1 = 88888888
98765432 x 9 + 0 = 888888888

Brilliant, isn't it?

And look at this symmetry:

1 x 1 = 1
11 x 11 = 121
111 x 111 = 12321
1111 x 1111 = 1234321
11111 x 11111 = 123454321
111111 x 111111 = 12345654321
1111111 x 1111111 = 1234567654321
11111111 x 11111111 = 123456787654321
111111111 x 111111111 = 12345678987654321

Mind Boggling...

Now, take a look at this...

101%

From a strictly mathematical viewpoint:

What Equals 100%?

What does it mean to give MORE than 100%?

Ever wonder about those people who say they
are giving more than 100%?

We have all been in situations where someone wants you to

GIVE OVER 100%...

How about ACHIEVING 101%?

What equals 100%in life?

Here's a little mathematical formula that might help
answer these questions:

If:

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Is represented as:

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26.

Then:

H-A-R-D-W-O- R- K

8+1+18+4+23+15+18+11 = 98%

And:

K-N-O-W-L-E- D-G-E

11+14+15+23+12+5+4+7+ 5 = 96%

But:

A-T-T-I-T-U- D-E

1+20+20+9+20+ 21+4+5 = 100%

THEN, look how far the love of God will take you:

L-O-V-E-O-F- G-O-D
12+15+22+5+15+ 6+7+15+4 = 101%

Therefore, one can conclude with mathematical certainty that:

While Hard Work and Knowledge will get you close, and Attitude will
get you there, It's the Love of God that will put you over the top!

If you find this interesting share it with your friends & loved ones.

Have a nice day!!

Nike Be true to Cricket. BLEED BLUE! on the Behance Network

2011-03-31T02:25:00.000-07:00

BLEED BLUE!
Be true to cricket. Nike
To say that cricket is the religion of India is to acknowledge the fact that cricket, more than any other single activity or belief, profoundly affects the whole country as one. Cricketing stars are heroes to all, and success and failure on the pitch brings universal euphoria or sadness in equal measure. It may be said that there are as many religions as there are people in India, but cricket, one has to admit, is one single religion to millions of Indians. The verbiage section covers this huge aspect of cricket and its madness in India, its difficult to put such a notion in few words or couple of lines but I am sure it’s worth trying at least as an Indian cricket fan! This what i try to on this project with Nike.

Nike Be true to Cricket. BLEED BLUE! on the Behance Network

Mohali Weather Forecast for Match day!!!

2011-03-29T14:21:00.000-07:00

NO PAKISTAN!!!

The match isn't going to get Rained off!! You'll have to think of another excuse for not winning against India!

PLS Click on the picture to enlarge the image!!!

If this doesn't work

View Detailed 9 Day Weather Forecasts for Mohali, webcams, weather maps & more at Weather-Forecast.com

Mohali Weather Forecast

2011-03-29T14:19:00.000-07:00

Mohali Weather Forecast

Reflections on India By Sean Paul Kelley

2010-08-30T14:11:00.000-07:00

Reflections on INDIA by Sean Paul Kelley - A VERY DAMNING ARTICLE ON INDIA - IT HURTS, BUT ITS TRUE EVEN IF IT IS ONLY A PART STATEMENTOften we ask foreigners, "How do you like India ?" and they answer, "Very nice !"

And we sit back in self-proclaimed joy that India's diversity, dances, music. culture, history, natural greenery, silks and gems, rivers and mountains are good enough to make any foreigner feel fresh and exhilarated in India

But here is a foreigner who tells like it is- much of what he says has been disgusting us Indians too, for years and years...

WE should somehow send this article to the Prime Minister of India and tell him, "Until you deal with this, we refuse to accept you as Prime Minister.."

Reflections on India By Sean Paul Kelley
Sean Paul Kelley is a travel writer, former radio host, and before that an asset manager for a Wall Street investment bank that is still (barely) alive. He recently left a fantastic job in Singapore working for Solar Winds, a software company based out of Austin to travel around the world for a year (or two). He founded The Agonist, in 2002, which is still considered the top international affairs, culture and news destination for progressives. He is also the Global Correspondent for The Young Turks, on satellite radio and Air America.

If you are Indian, or of Indian descent, I must preface this post with a clear warning: you are not going to like what I have to say. My criticisms may be very hard to stomach. But consider them as the hard words and loving advice of a good friend. Someone who’s being honest with you and wants nothing from you.

These criticisms apply to all of India except Kerala and the places I didn’t visit, except that I have a feeling it applies to all of India, except as I mentioned before, Kerala.

Lastly, before anyone accuses me of Western Cultural Imperialism, let me say this: if this is what India and Indians want, then hey, who am I to tell them differently. Take what you like and leave the rest. In the end it doesn’t really matter, as I get the sense that Indians, at least many upper class Indians, don’t seem to care and the lower classes just don’t know any better, what with Indian culture being so intense and pervasive on the sub-continent. But here goes, nonetheless.

India is a mess. It’s that simple, but it’s also quite complicated. I’ll start with what I think are India’s four major problems–the four most preventing India from becoming a developing nation–and then move to some of the ancillary ones.

First, pollution. In my opinion the filth, squalor and all around pollution indicates a marked lack of respect for India by Indians. I don’t know how cultural the filth is, but it’s really beyond anything I have ever encountered. At times the smells, trash, refuse and excrement are like a garbage dump.

Right next door to the Taj Mahal was a pile of trash that smelled so bad, was so foul as to almost ruin the entire Taj experience. Delhi, Bangalore and Chennai to a lesser degree were so very polluted as to make me physically ill. Sinus infections, ear infection, bowels churning was an all to common experience in India. Dung, be it goat, cow or human faecal matter was common on the streets. In major tourist areas filth was everywhere, littering the side-walks, the roadways, you name it. Toilets in the middle of the road, men urinating and defecating anywhere, in broad daylight.

Whole villages are plastic bag wastelands. Roadsides are choked by it. Air quality that can hardly be called quality. Far too much coal and far to few unleaded vehicles on the road. The measure should be how dangerous the air is for one’s health, not how good it is. People casually throw trash in the streets, on the roads.

The only two cities that could be considered sanitary in my journey were Trivandrum–the capital of Kerala–and Calicut. I don’t know why this is. But I can assure you that at some point this pollution will cut into India’s productivity, if it already hasn’t. The pollution will hobble India’s growth path, if that indeed is what the country wants. (Which I personally doubt, as India is far too conservative a country, in the small ‘c’ sense.)

More after the jump… The second issue, infrastructure, can be divided into four subcategories: roads, rails and ports and the electrical grid. The electrical grid is a joke. Load shedding is all too common, everywhere in India. Wide swaths of the country spend much of the day without the electricity they actually pay for. With out regular electricity, productivity, again, falls.

The ports are a joke. Antiquated, out of date, hardly even appropriate for the mechanized world of container ports, more in line with the days of longshoremen and the like. Roads are an equal disaster. I only saw one elevated
highway that would be considered decent in Thailand, much less Western Europe or America. And I covered fully two thirds of the country during my visit.

There are so few dual carriage way roads as to be laughable. There are no traffic laws to speak of, and if there are, they are rarely obeyed, much less enforced. A drive that should take an hour takes three. A drive that should take three takes nine. The buses are at least thirty years old, if not older.

Everyone in India, or who travels in India raves about the railway system. Rubbish. It’s awful. Now, when I was there in 2003 and then late 2004 it was decent. But in the last five years the traffic on the rails has grown so quickly that once again, it is threatening productivity. Waiting in line just to ask a question now takes thirty minutes. Routes are routinely sold out three and four days in advance now, leaving travellers stranded with little option except to take the decrepit and dangerous buses.

At least fifty million people use the trains a day in India. 50 million people! Not surprising that wait-lists of 500 or more people are common now.

The rails are affordable and comprehensive but they are overcrowded and what with budget airlines popping up in India like Sadhus in an ashram the middle and lowers classes are left to deal with the over utilized rails and quality suffers. No one seems to give a shit.

Seriously, I just never have the impression that the Indian government really cares. Too interested in buying weapons from Russia, Israel and the US I guess. The last major problem in India is an old problem and can be divided into two parts that have been two sides of the same coin since government was invented: bureaucracy and corruption.

It takes triplicates to register into a hotel. To get a SIM card for one’s phone is like wading into a jungle of red-tape and photocopies one is not likely to emerge from in a good mood, much less satisfied with customer service.

Getting train tickets is a terrible ordeal, first you have to find the train number, which takes 30 minutes, then you have to fill in the form, which is far from easy, then you have to wait in line to try and make a reservation, which takes 30 minutes at least and if you made a single mistake on the form back you go to the end of the queue, or what passes for a queue in India.

The government is notoriously uninterested in the problems of the commoners, too busy fleecing the rich, or trying to get rich themselves in some way shape or form. Take the trash for example, civil rubbish collection authorities are too busy taking kickbacks from the wealthy to keep their areas clean that they don’t have the time, manpower, money or interest in doing their job.

Rural hospitals are perennially understaffed as doctors pocket the fees the government pays them, never show up at the rural hospitals and practice in the cities instead. I could go on for quite some time about my perception of India and its problems, but in all seriousness, I don’t think anyone in India really cares. And that, to me, is the biggest problem. India is too conservative a society to want to change in any way.

Mumbai, India’s financial capital is about as filthy, polluted and poor as the worst city imaginable in Vietnam, or Indonesia–and being more polluted than Medan, Sumatra is no easy task. The biggest rats I have ever seen were in Medan!

One would expect a certain amount of, yes, I am going to use this word, backwardness, in a country that hasn’t produced so many Nobel Laureates, nuclear physicists, imminent economists and entrepreneurs. But India has all these things and what have they brought back to India with them? Nothing.

The rich still have their servants, the lower castes are still there to do the dirty work and so the country remains in stasis. It’s a shame. Indians and India have many wonderful things to offer the world, but I’m far from sanguine that India will amount to much in my lifetime.

Now, have at it, call me a cultural imperialist, a spoiled child of the West and all that. But remember, I’ve been there. I’ve done it. And I’ve seen 50 other countries on this planet and none, not even Ethiopia, have as long and gargantuan a laundry list of problems as India does. And the bottom line is, I don’t think India really cares. Too complacent and too conservative.

Appeal to help Ladakh Flood victims with light and clean water!

2010-08-15T11:58:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends,

The cloud burst over Ladakh last week has led to massive floods that not only swept away numerous villages in Ladakh and a part of Leh town but also completely ruined the infrastructure and support services. People are now left with no electricity in the town and without shelter, clean water, and food. Ladakh is located high up in the Himalayas and is presently cut off completely to the rest of the country with access only by aircrafts. Unfortunately, due to its remoteness and isolation very few people are aware of the calamity that has taken place there and it has not been as much as in the news.

Please read here for details of the large number of dead and the complete devastation to infrastructure: http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/asiapcf/08/09/india.floods/index.html

Boond (www.boond.net ) is sending its Boond Development Kits as relief material to these places and hence needs your support. You can buy a kit for a family along with logistical support for Rs. 3000 / kit (US$70) or just one water filter with logistics for Rs. 1000 (US$ 25). Your help will make a huge impact in this time of need and will provide the affected people presently living in tents with lighting and clean water.
Please support here: http://boond.net/leh_appeal.php
Affected Location:
Urban: Leh – Old town and Choglumsar
Rural: Sabu, Stakmo, Igoo , Phyang , Taru , Umla, Nimoo ,Basgo , Ney
Our Field Partner in Leh: SKITPO
http://www.skitpo.org/

This is a personal appeal, please do forward it to your friends and associates who might be interested. Also if in case any of you have a website and would like to join our efforts to help the flood victims then please place the following text on your webpage for a ‘Boond for Ladakh’ button.

Thanks and Warm Regards,
Boond Team

Read Any Orkut Scrapbook as RSS Feeds

2009-03-14T00:10:00.000-07:00

These days orkut popularity is on its peak with its wide usage. In india itself it is becoming more popular day by day as lots of orkut users (some friends of mine) are more curious to know after every minute if they receive any new scrap from their friends.
So today i would like to dedicate this post for all those who want to know every second about any new scrap and this too with out being required to login to orkut.

Nothing tedious , the only thing you have to do..

1. Login to your orkut account and go to your profile by clicking the profile by at the left navigation panel.

2. Copy the uid number from the address bar and append it to the url below.

http://www.indian-tv.com/orkut.php?uid=enter your orkut uid here.
4. Final url will be of form http://www.indian-tv.com/orkut.php?uid=xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

As it is for my orkut profile so i can read my scraps simply by entering the above url in the address bar in my mobile phone browser or on my computer browser.

Note: But you canâ€™t reply to any scrap as it requires login to orkut but donâ€™t worry as that feature may be implemented soon .

So if you have any problem in following the above steps do let me know through your comments i will be glad to answer your queries.

ITHACA

2008-11-16T09:45:00.000-08:00

ITHACA
When you start on your journey to Ithaca, then pray that the road is long, full of adventure, full of knowledge. Do not fear the Lestrygonians (*) and the Cyclopes and the angry Poseidon. You will never meet such as these on your path, if your thoughts remain lofty, if a fine emotion touches your body and your spirit. You will never meet the Lestrygonians, the Cyclopes and the fierce Poseidon, if you do not carry them within your soul, if your soul does not raise them up before you.
Then pray that the road is long. That the summer mornings are many, that you will enter ports seen for the first time with such pleasure, with such joy! Stop at Phoenician markets, and purchase fine merchandise, mother-of-pearl and corals, amber and ebony, and pleasurable perfumes of all kinds, buy as many pleasurable perfumes as you can; visit hosts of Egyptian cities, to learn and learn from those who have knowledge.
Always keep Ithaca fixed in your mind. to arrive there is your ultimate goal. But do not hurry the voyage at all. It is better to let it last for long years; and even to anchor at the isle when you are old, rich with all that you have gained on the way, not expecting that Ithaca will offer you riches.
Ithaca has given you the beautiful voyage. Without her you would never have taken the road. But she has nothing more to give you.
And if you find her poor, Ithaca has not defrauded you. With the great wisdom you have gained, with so much experience, you must surely have understood by then what Ithaca means.
-- Constantine Cavafy (translated by Rae Dalven)
(*) Lestrygonians, Cyclopes and Poseidon are all "monsters," popular in Greek mythology. The poet is telling us to not be afraid of these or other imaginary Gremlins.

< See another translation of this poem and other inspiring writings... >

< Read about Rich's Journey to Ithaka (and yours!) >

2008-05-03T01:02:00.000-07:00

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Shahrukh on KBC

2007-02-19T07:27:00.000-08:00

There are only three things to life that you should remember. Honesty, hard work and humour. These are the three things that will take you through the good times and the bad. Ideals are important and you should stick to them but to be in a position of choice sometimes ideals have to take a back seat. The world is a difficult place, make sure you get into the position of choice. Do not sell your soul but keep it locked for a while if need be. Once you are in a position of choice and you are successful, do not ever sell your soul or make the wrong choices. Then god, or your own conscience will never forgive you. If you have failed, there's a huge life to go ahead with. I've read too many good books, and I am sure even the youngsters have, to know all the sayings about failure. But I read a recent one, which was very nice: Try, fail. Try again and fail better!
I think that's how life should be. Let me at least try and fail better next time, if I can't succeed. I know reality is much deeper than just words or a successful guy who is a movie star or a rich middle class guy who's made it big who's giving all this spiel. But this is the experience I've learnt in life. That's what I am writing in my book actually. To be able to tell youngsters that there's nothing special about being special. It's very special to be ordinary.

There was a line in Crorepati that I wanted to tell youngsters ke you are not a crorepati because you come and win on KBC, tum crorepati isiliye ho kyunki tum crodon mein ek ho… …..SRK

Star versus 'Star' - Major Manish Pitambare

2006-12-08T13:01:00.000-08:00

The news of a Major from Thane shot dead in an encounter with militants had me all edgy...One of my School Classmates, Also from Thane(and a Major posted somewhere in Kashmir) was also there...and i was really concerned..I was fliiping the news channels all around but was dissappointed that no more than a ticker was dedicated to this news Vs. the masala Crap dished out by the "Soap opera"-News Channels!!

At last I found that it was not him but one Maj.Manish Pitambare who had given the Supreme sacrifice!! Not that it mattered now..Some Family had still lost the Apple of their Eyes...Someone like me...would have been anxious to know about his friends' well being-he might not heard what he wanted to!!...but what ticked me off was the apathy and the absolute disregard to what makes NEWS!!!

The body of Major Manish Pitambare, who was shot dead at Anantnag ,
was
cremated with full military honours at Thane on Wednesday

On Tuesday a news swept across all the news channels 'Sanjay Datt
relieved
by the court'. 'Sirf Munna Not a bhai' '13 saal ka vanvaas khatam'
'alhough found guilty for possession of armory, Sanjay can breath
sigh of
relief as all the TADA charges against him are withdrawn'
And then many experts like Salman khan saying 'He is a good person.
In
other news, Parliament was mad at Indian team for performing bad;
Greg
chapel said something .....; Bomb scare in gorakhpoor express; and
Shah
Rukh Khan replaces Big B in KBC and Sonia asked PM to consider
reducing
petroleum prices. But most of the emphasis was given on Sanjay
Datt's
"phoenix like" comeback from the ashes of terrorist charges.
Surfing through the channels, one news on BBC
startled me,
it read, Hisbul Mujahidin's Most wanted terrorist 'Sohel Faisal'
killed in
anantnag, India. Indian Major leading the operation lost his life
in the
process. Four others are injured.
It was past midnight, I started visiting the Indian
channels,
the ones who are 'Sabse TEZ', but Sanjubaba was still ruling. They
were
telling How Sanjubaba pleaded to the court saying 'I am the sole
bread
earner for my family' 'I have a daughter who is studying in US who
will
look after her'. And then they showed how sanjubaba was not wearing
his
lucky blue shirt while he was hearing the verdict. Also how he went
to
every temple and prayed for last some months. A suspect in Mumbai
bomb
blasts, convicted under armory act.....was being made into a hero.

Major Manish H Pitambare got the information from his
sources
about the terrorists' whereabouts. Wasting no time he attacked the
camp
killed the Hisbul mujahidin's suprimo and in the process lost his
life..... To the bullets fired from an AK47......

He has a wife and a daughter (just like sanjubaba), age .....18
months.

Major Manish never said 'I have a daughter' ...before he took the
decision
to attack the terrorist hide out in the darkest of nights?
He never thought about having a family and he being the bread
earner

No news channel covered this since they were too busy hyping a
former drug
addict, an actor in real and reel life, a suspect who's linked to
bomb
blasts which killed hundreds. Their aim was to show how he defied
the TADA
charges and they were so successful that his conviction in
possession of
armory had no meaning. They also concluded that his parents in
heaven must
be happy and proud of him......
Parents of Major Pitambare are still on this earth and
they
have to live rest of their lives without their beloved son. His
daughter
won't ever see her papa again.
Definition of a Star has changed Major... it really
has. So
sanjubaba always has a gun in every one of his movies then in real
life if
he has an AK47 then what's the big deal we are used to see him with
some
ammunition without it he's just a 49yr old hero so he did it for
us.....so
that we feel normal;

Even if one of the bullets from one of such AK47's took a Real
Star's life
.......

Finally , to my generation there is no greater hero than one who
laid
his life in the name of this great nation. Hence Sir, I salute you.
You are the real Star, Jai Hind.

Trip to Bhandardara

2006-11-28T08:45:00.000-08:00

This weekend was real good fun. We went to a place called Bhandardara..nestled amongst the highest Peaks in maharshtra and the highest of them is the Kalsubai Peak!!

This is where we stayed

The Bhandardara Lake

In the Backdrop..The Wilson Dam on the lake..It's India's oldest Dam and one of the only Earthern Dams-meaning made of Rocks and not Concrete!!!

The Gang at the Lake!!

Lake with the mountains in the backdrop

Contemplating??

Another Pose of mine!!!

Gandhigiri!!

2006-10-02T13:17:00.000-07:00

Gandhigiri

Is Your Blog Blocked?? For the Good of the Nation!!

2006-07-18T09:09:00.000-07:00

Is your Blogspot/Geocities/Typepad Blog Blocked??

Well...join the gang of people unable to access their blogs. Chances are that if you are reading this.. It's probably thru some URL forwarding that is getting you thru to my Blogspot hosted URL.. Also, there's this huge hue and cry over Freedom of expression and people not being allowed to say what they'd want to..And there are all kinds of Conspiracy theories in the blogspace..and maybe some of it has no meaning whatsoever..maybe some it does!! bus Surely there are bigger heads at work!! and surely its all worth it!! I was just talking to this friend of mine who seems to be associated with the some research work and he just mentioned that he had read something about the terrorists using blogs for some kind of Code based communication. I mean you could probably track emails/websites..being used by terrorits..but how on earth would u track comments being coded and placed on selected blogs!!

Scary thought this..imagine !!! Terrorists commenting on Your blog..In coded language...trying to plan the next target to attack..and you thought that they were a sign of the maturing Indian Blogosphere!!

So for the moment i'm pretty ok with using this url forwarding service!!

http://www.pkblogs.com/

For the Good of the Nation I say!! ;0)(

Satellite image of your Backyard!!

2006-07-10T09:13:00.000-07:00

Locate ur home
link which shows the aerial picture of any place you want.
(Embedded image moved to file: pic22897.gif)
What all you have to do is to visit the site.
How to Use it.
1. Go to http://www.wikimapia.org/
You will see the aerial picture of the world.
2. Click on the wikimapia
3. Then go to Search City, select city.
4. Enter the name of the city and click Search.
5. You will get all matching results.
6. Now you have to Zoom in by clicking on the Zoomer meter bar on the
left side of the screen.
7. Try to find any landmark nearby your place (Look for top
view ând Not the front view).
8. For your reference you can look for agra..
Now Find your place and feel good..

Samuel Baid:Pakistan's evergreen slogan: Crush India

2006-07-04T12:34:00.000-07:00

Pakistan's evergreen slogan: Crush India

One sees no or very little evidence of conscious measures taken by successive Governments in Pakistan in the last 59 years to promote national integration.
Perhaps they had taken it for granted that all the conflicting regional interests would give in to the unifying force of Islam. But they closed their eyes to world history, which is filled with wars between Muslims and Muslims and between Christians and Christians for their national and economic interests.

Mohammed Ali Jinnah, who rode on the anti-Hindu wave to reach the goal of Pakistan, had apparently visioned the havoc the Islamic interpretations of his two-nation theory would cause if the new State did not opt for secular democracy. Mr.Jinnah's unexpected advocacy of secular democracy in the course of his address to Pakistan's Constituent Assembly on August 11, 1947, could be the result of this realisation. Had Pakistani leaders followed their Quaid-e-Azam's advice, Pakistan, with its talented men and women and bountiful national resources, would have become a great, prosperous democracy of the world. But his advice came too late when he was about a year away from his death. He was heard and obeyed when he ignited communal passion. But he was ignored as a spent force when he talked of unity of the Pakistani nation irrespective of caste and creed.

Anti-democracy forces had already chalked out their post-Jinnah agenda. Seven months after Mr Jinnah's death in September 1948, the very same Constituent Assembly whom he exhorted to follow secular democracy (where the State would have no religion of its own), passed the controversial Objectives Resolution, which made Islam the basis of the would-be Constitution.

Whatever Mr.Jinnah had to tell the Constituent Assembly on August 11, 1947, the 1949 Resolution was a natural corollary of the expectations raised by the two-nation theory during the run-up to the establishment of Pakistan. The Islamist Sunnis, who had opposed the creation of Pakistan and the two-nation theory, now vowed to make this country an Islamic State. They first tested their strength by launching a campaign for the expulsion of the Ahmediyyas, a small but well-placed Muslim sect in Military and bureaucracy, from Islam. The campaign led to bloody anti-Ahmediyya riots in Lahore in 1953. An inquiry held into these riots by Mr.Justice Muhammad Munir clearly indicated that Islamic militancy and intolerance had already taken roots in the less than eight-year-old Pakistan.

The tragedy of Pakistan has been that the Muslim majority, which should have been the guarantor of the country's political stability and national unity, has become increasingly divided on sectarian lines. With the free availability of weapons and funds in the wake of the Afghan war during the 1980s different sects made it their holy mission to kill those who did not follow their interpretation of Islam. The anti-Hindu frenzy in pre-partitioned India had thus changed into sectarian and ethnic intolerance and unending bloodshed. Sunnis and Shias killed each other. Sunnis thought they served Islam by killing Shias. But Sunnis themselves were divided into warring groups. Deobandis against Brelvis and Zikris and Jamaat-e-Islami against the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM). The MQM is not a sectarian group but it opposes Islamic extremism.

Read more columns on politics and people

Islamists destroyed sectarian peace, but they showed great unity in forcing successive military and civilian Governments to pass Islamic laws like Blasphemy Laws and Hadood Ordinance and have made the lives of non-Muslims and women very insecure. Blasphemy laws are generally being made to settle personal scores but no Government amends them. There are cases where a person accused of blasphemy is killed by mobs without waiting for the court verdict. Under the Hadood Ordinance, a raped woman cannot get justice. She is instead accused of fornication. Islamists would not allow any change in their Ordinance either.

In the presence of such laws, the uncivilised practices of honour killing and Wani (where girls are forced to marry against their wishes as a settlement of murder cases) are carried on without any fear of courts and the Government. That Pakistani Taliban's control of parts of tribal areas should cause no surprise. No surprise also when the NWFP State Assembly condoles the death of Ayman Al Zawahiri though General Musharraf's Army is supposed to be fighting Al-Qaeda too. Like the Islamists, the Army also took advantage of the two-nation theory and attacked Kashmir to ultimately claim itself to be the defender of Pakistan's borders and more so of its ideology. That invested it with a jehadi status. The Army has made full use of this status to rule Pakistan directly or indirectly for the past 55 years.

Both the Islamists and the Army are allergic to democracy and that is the secret of their camaraderie. Both have been a great stumbling block in Pakistan's national unity. East Bengalis protested when the Constituent Assembly passed the 1949 Objective Resolution because that threatened to split Bengali Muslims and Bengali non-Muslims in the Eastern wing that broke away in 1971. The new Islamic wave did not go well with the Sindhi nationalism. Father of Sindhi nationalism G.M.Syed said Sindhi culture was 5000-year old i.e. much older than Islam. Although the Sindh Provincial Assembly was first to pass a resolution in favour of the creation of Pakistan, it was also the first to raise the banner of revolt against Pakistan when it came into existence. Balochistan was annexed by force. Pakistan's Islamic slogans have never allured the Baloch nationalists. They are always in a state of revolt. The Army dominance and the Islamists' influence have not been able to kill the people's democratic aspirations. But these three factors have produced a pattern of governance which is neither military, Islamic or democratic. In this confusion the question of national integration still remains unattended.

The Pakistan Establishment seem to believe that what it cannot do by ensuring democracy and economic and social justice it can do by raising an external bogey. In 1965 Ayub Khan forced a war on India and spent crores of rupees on popularising the Crush India slogan. This slogan generated such a strong anti-India frenzy that Pakistani papers later wrote that never before the people of Pakistan displayed such a "unity". The present Musharraf Government, too, subtly uses this slogan.

The views expressed in the article are the author's

Idlis To IIM

2006-06-20T06:43:00.000-07:00

Really interesting and i'd say inspiring Story!!

Know how to Make Money from Google

Wanna Peep??

2006-05-10T00:11:00.000-07:00

Check this site out!! It's Too Cool!!

http://www.25peeps.com/r/1050

I LIVE HERE!!

2006-03-13T13:40:00.000-08:00

THIS IS IT!! Didnt know a Small suburb in Suburbian(Hardcore) Mumbai .. Would be up on 43 Places…this is my place of Birth..This is HOME!! and This is also the Place to be.. It’s the Mall Capital Of India!!

See more progress on: Mulund

Do you have 10 minutes? ( I Know it's Long!!)

2006-02-23T12:11:00.000-08:00

Hi PPL,

This is just a continuation to the conversation I was having with Mrids on her blog . I Posted a comment on her post on organized begging and what we can do to help .This post actually looks at the larger issue of how we Indians treat ourselves. Surely we desrve better for ourselves when we deliver the best to the World. Mrids, I'll still keep my word and post on the Charity effort. As in your case i'm also in somewhat a 'thought jam' . Please take time ut and go thru what OUR PRESIDENT has to say!!

Written by Dr.Abdul Kalam, President of India
I was in Hyderabad giving this lecture, when a 14 year old girl asked me for my autograph. I asked her what her goal in life is.

She replied: I want to live in a developed India.For her, you and I will have to build this developed India.

You must proclaim. India is not an under-developed nation; it is a highly developed nation.

Do you have 10 minutes? Allow me to come back with a vengeance.Got 10 minutes for your country? If yes, then read; otherwise,choice is yours.

YOU say that our government is inefficient.
YOU say that our laws are too old.YOU say that the municipality does not pick up the garbage.
YOU say that the phones don't work, the railways are a joke,The airline is the worst in the world, mails never reach their destination.
You say that our country has been fed to the dogs and is the absolute pits.
YOU say, say and say.
What do YOU do about it?

Take a person on his way to Singapore.Give him a name?
YOURS.
Give him a face?
YOURS.

YOU walk out of the airport and you are at your International best.In Singapore you don't throw cigarette butts on the roads or eat inthe stores.YOU are as proud of their Underground Links as they are.You pay $5 (approx. Rs.60) to drive through Orchard Road (equivalent of Mahim Causeway or Pedder Road) between 5 PM and 8 PM.YOU comeback to the parking lot to punch your parking ticket if you have over-stayed, identity.In Singapore you don't say anything, DO YOU?YOU wouldn't dare to eat in public during Ramadan, in Dubai.YOU would not dare to go out without your head covered in Jeddah.YOU would not dare to buy an employee of the telephone exchange in London at 10 pounds (Rs.650) a month to, "see to it that my STD and ISD calls are billed to someone else."YOU would not dare to speed beyond 55 mph (88 km/h) in Washington and then tell the traffic cop, "Jaanta hai main kaun hoon (Do you know who I am?). I am so and so's son. Take your two bucks and get lost."YOU wouldn't chuck an empty coconut shell anywhere other than the garbage pail on the beaches in Australia and New Zealand.Why don't YOU spit Paan on the streets of Tokyo? Why don't YOU use examination jockeys or buy fake certificates in Boston?????We are still talking of the same YOU.YOU who can respect and conform to a foreign system in other countries but cannot in your own. You who will thro w papers and cigarettes on the road the moment you touch Indian ground.If you can be an involved and appreciative citizen in an alien country,why cannot you be the same here in India?

Once in an interview, the famous Ex-municipal Commissioner of Bombay, Mr. Tinaikar, had a point to make. "Rich people"s dogs are walked on the streets to leave their affluent droppings all over the place," he said. "And then the same people turn around to criticize and blame the authorities for inefficiency and dirty pavements. What do they expect the officers to do? Go down with a broom every time their dog feels the pressure in his bowels? In America every dog owner has to clean up after his pet has done the job. Same in Japan. Will the Indian citizen do that here?" He's right.We go to the polls to choose a government and after that forfeit all responsibility.We sit back wanting to be pampered and expect the government to doeverything for us whilst our contribution is totally negative. We expect the government to clean up but we are not going to stop chucking garbage all over the place nor are we going to stop to pick a up a stray piece of paper and throw it in the bin.We expect the railways to provide clean bathrooms but we are not going to learn the proper use of bathrooms.We want Indian Airlines and Air India to provide the best of food andtoiletries but we are not going to stop pilfering at the least opportunity.This applies even to the staff who is known not to pass on the service to the public.When it comes to burning social issues like those related to women, dowry, girl child and others, we make loud drawing room protestations and continue to do the reverse at home. Our excuse?"It's the whole system which has to change, how will it matter if I alone forego my son's rights to a dowry."So who's going to change the system? What does a system consist of? Very conveniently for us it consists of our neighbours, other households, other cities, other communities and the government.But definitely not me and YOU.When it comes to us actually making a positive contribution to the system we lock ourselves along with our families into a safe cocoon and look into the distance at countries far away and wait for a Mr. Clean to come along & work miracles for us with a majestic sweep of his hand or we leave the country and run away. Like lazy cowards hounded by our fears we run to America to bask in their glory and praise their system.When New York becomes insecure we run to England. When England experiences unemployment, we take the next flight out to the Gulf.When the Gulf is war struck, we demand to be rescued and brought home by the Indian government.Everybody is out to abuse and rape the country.Nobody thinks of feeding the system.Our conscience is mortgaged to money.Dear Indians, the article is highly thought inductive, calls for a greatdeal of introspection and pricks one's conscience too?..I am echoing J.F. Kennedy's words to his fellow American to relate to Indians?."ASK WHAT WE CAN DO FOR INDIA AND DO WHAT HAS TO BE DONE TO MAKE INDIA WHATAMERICA AND OTHER WESTERN COUNTRIES ARE TODAY "Lets do what India needs from us.

Spread the word to each Indian for a change instead of sending Jokes or junk mails.

Signed:Thank You, Dr. Abdul Kalaam.

Thank You God For Dr. Abdul Kalaam !!

When Mumbai Ran..!!!!

2006-02-13T12:21:00.000-08:00

GOONJ - a voice, a small effort

This Was the Foto post marathon when we tiredly strode back to Azad maidan in Bombay, just to collect our certificates. Was an amazing feeling and nothing can compare the experience I had this year and the last year when i participated in the "Dream Run". Will I be going Back next year. You Bet !!!

Cheers!!

Para

Replenishment for the Soul

2006-01-31T13:41:00.000-08:00

Hi all, I know it s been a Zillion years since i posted anything and quite frankly I’ve been dying to do so.. but haven’t quite been able to get to it!!

That also get me to the point that i have wanted to do a lot of stuff and haven’t been able to it.. First, Of them is what i'll mention second Coz the second item deserves First mention.

The second one of course was Watch this movie "Rang De Basanti" ever since i knew there was gonna be a movie in this name. And to say the least the wait was worth its weight in Light years of wait!!(anybody who's seen it will vouch for it!!) I'm so excited that somebody Indian decided to make a movie on a subject as challenging and as thought provoking (gee i'm running out of words) as this one.. and full credit to him in spite of a lot of other controversies that plagued this movie..(some of which i thought were outrageous attempts to get more publicity by the people objecting) and some which i totally support.. Like Kavita Gadgil the mother of the late Pilot who's real life story formed the basis for this reel life Belter... and i still think that Rake"y"sh Mehra should apologize for whatever misunderstanding and probably go one step further and contribute to the slain pilot's Foundation( inauguration in about a couple of days!!)

However on the creative front you cannot fault the director or his cast/team!! It was flawless with all its inherent FLAWS!! I can't imagine it being made any other way .. and that’s what makes it so great in my eyes!!

So much for the second item that the first item that filled the remainder of my weekend is getting lesser footage.. J

I at last started to finish completing the book i started reading.. It's called "The Goal" By Eliyahu J Goldratt. And its amazing Book which has just gotten me so involved i can't wait to finish it.. and then i'm starting Critical Chain by the same author and can't wait to do that either..

Thats what i did for the weekend!! Truly Replenishment for the SOUL!!

That’s it for me.. i guess i made up for not posting for so long with this post!!

Cheers
Para

Check Your IQ !!!

2005-12-13T11:53:00.000-08:00

This is an exceptional website that I found..i was waiting wiling away my time as I had nothing to do and wait alone for 4 hours as My conference call with US clients was supposed to be at Pacific time and not GMT!! So made the maximum use of it and learnt about My IQ score…might be flattering and totally inept..but hey I had not difficulty passing my time!! I guess u guys should check it out.!!! http://web.tickle.com/tests

Here are my results... :0B

Congratulations, Paras!Your IQ score is 142

This number is based on a scientific formula that compares how many questions you answered correctly on the Classic IQ Test relative to others. Your Intellectual Type is Visionary Philosopher. This means you are highly intelligent and have a powerful mix of skills and insight that can be applied in a variety of different ways. Like Plato, your exceptional math and verbal skills make you very adept at explaining things to others — and at anticipating and predicting patterns. And that's just some of what we know about you from your IQ results.

Gee I recovered..!!

2005-12-09T15:08:00.000-08:00

hey ppl thanks for your concerns and sorry u guys had to e-mail me coz the stupid comment moderation was on..my project finally took off..and hey i wasn't as bad as it seemed from ur reactions...i was just too pissed at ppl procrastinating but no actions..!!but thts behind me now..wat a relief and a great way to start the weekend..:0)

cheers

Para

What a Waste..!!!

2005-11-25T11:32:00.000-08:00

Hey all..
Am Mega pissed today...didnt have much work to do as people in the US of A decided they're gonna stuff some turkeys(sic!) and go out for a long weekend(read "Thanksgiving").. and so did the people in our own great country..The HR Manager,BD guys and IT Manager decided to take an early exit today and leave me lurking alone before my supposed Go live for my project tomorrow..!!!(YA tomorrow..!! it's not a typo..)..So no ownership,,no accountabilty...and 1 really really pissed project Manager(thats me if u're upbringing was in Planet Zion..)..i blew my top on everyone from the AC(airconditioning) Electrician to the Cafetria guy to the Transport MAnager...was really at my sarcastic best(victims read "worst"). And hey some heads are gonna roll when this long weekend gets done with..U bet these guys dont wanna see Monday.. If there ever was a contest for writing Stinker Emails.. I beat the crap out of the competetion today..hands down...thats how red-tape is..even in todays times...in Top level companies..with Fortune 100 clients,,sad :0( for ppl who feel they owe something to the company..maybe i'll walk to another shop to pay them back ;) ..maybe not.. maybe its just that i'm way too peeved right now to think straight...but thts wht i'm feeling at 1am ...just 3 words...

WHAT A WASTE..!!!!!!

pray i recover...

Para :0(

Nice one.....

2005-11-08T14:10:00.000-08:00

Management : *8 Monkeys* ... ..*really** very interesting*
(This is based on an actual experiment conducted in U.K.)

Put eight monkeys in a room. In the middle of the room is a ladder, leading
to a bunch of bananas hanging from a hook on the ceiling.

Each time a monkey tries to climb the ladder, all the monkeys are sprayed
with ice water, which makes them miserable.

Soon enough, whenever a monkey attempts to climb the ladder, all of the
other monkeys, not wanting to be sprayed, set upon him and beat him up.

Soon, none of the eight monkeys ever attempts to
climb the ladder.

One of the original monkeys is then removed, and a new monkey is put in
the
room. Seeing the bananas and the ladder, he wonders why none of the other
monkeys are doing the obvious. But undaunted, he immediately begins to
climb
the ladder.
All the other monkeys fall upon him and beat him silly. He has no idea why.

However, he no longer attempts to climb the ladder.
A second original monkey is removed and replaced.
The newcomer again attempts to climb the ladder, but all the other
monkeys hammer the crap out of him. This includes the previous new monkey,
who,
grateful that he's not on the receiving end this time, participates in the
beating because all the other monkeys are doing it. However, he has no idea
why he's attacking the
new monkey.
One by one, all the original monkeys are replaced.

Eight new monkeys are now in the room. None of them have ever been sprayed
by ice water. None of them attempt to climb the ladder. All of them will
enthusiastically beat up any new monkey who tries, without having any idea
why.
This is how any company's policies get Established

Test

2005-11-02T03:33:00.000-08:00

This is a test Post..pls comment to help me figure out the problem with my blog template..

cheers..

Para

Google satellite photos worry President Kalam

2005-10-17T18:12:00.000-07:00

1. Rashtrapati Bhavan
2. Indian Navy’s aircraft carrier
3. Yelahanka airport, Bangalore
Indian President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam expressed concern on Saturday about a free mapping program from Google Inc., warning it could help terrorists by providing satellite photos of potential targets.
Google Earth, an Internet site launched in June this year, allows users to access overlapping satellite photos. Although not all areas are highly detailed, some images are very high resolution, and some show sensitive locations in various countries.
At a meeting of top police officials in the southern Indian city of Hyderabad, Kalam said he worried that “developing countries, which are already in danger of terrorist attacks, have been singularly chosen” for providing high resolution images of their sites.
The governments of South Korea and Thailand and lawmakers in the Netherlands have expressed similar concerns.
South Korean newspapers said Google Earth provides images of the presidential Blue House and military bases in the country, which remains technically at war with communist North Korea. The North’s main nuclear facility at Yongbyon is among sites in that country displayed on the service.
The Google site contains clear aerial photos of India’s parliament building, the president’s house and surrounding government offices in New Delhi. There are also some clear shots of Indian defense establishments.
Officials at Mountain View, Calif.-based Google did not immediately return a phone call and e-mail seeking comment.
Responding in August to the concerns of two Dutch lawmakers, Google spokeswoman Catherine Betts noted the software uses information already available from public sources and said its benefits “far outweigh any negatives from potential abuse.”
Kalam, a scientist who guided India’s missile program before becaming president, called for new laws to restrain dissemination of such material. He said existing laws in some countries regarding spatial observations of their territory and the United Nations’ recommendations on the practice are inadequate.

Did earthquake kill Osama?

2005-10-16T13:55:00.000-07:00

Did Saturday’s 7.6 magnitude earthquake destroy Osama bin Laden’s lair in Pakistan’s North-West Frontier Province? US government officials and terrorism experts obviously hope so, but say there’s no evidence to suggest so yet.
Laden has been rumoured to be hiding everywhere — from remote caves along the Afghan-Pakistani border to villages in western Pakistan’s tribal areas. Any of these hideouts could have been smashed by the quake.

Aussie's Super Champs..

2005-10-09T15:08:00.000-07:00

The champagne flies as Australian captain Ricky Ponting (centre) holds the trophy after defeating the ICC World XI team in the third one-day match being played in Melbourne, on October 9, 2005. Batting first, Australia scored 293-5 from their 50 overs and in reply the ICC World XI was bowled out for 137 giving Australia a 156 run victory and a 3-0 clean sweep. (AFP Photo)

A NEW INDIA ..?? A mail sent by Dean IIT Madras, about a real Indian (Worth reading it)

2005-10-09T14:56:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends,

Here is a personal experience, as well as a moment of national pride,which I want to share with you. Hope you find it worth the time youput in reading it :"In the middle of 1965 India-Pakistan war, US govt - then a closefriend of Pakistan - threatened India with stopping food-aid(remember "PL-480"?). For a food deficient India this threat wasserious and humiliating. So much so that in the middle of war, PrimeMinister (Late) Lal Bahadur Shastri went to Ram Leela Grounds inDelhi and appealed to each Indian to observe one-meal-fast every weekto answer the American threat. As a school boy, I joined thosemillions who responded to Shastri ji's call. I continued the fasteven when the war was over and India became self sufficient in food.Hurt deep by the national humiliation suffered at the hands of the USgovt, I had vowedto stop my weekly fast only when India starts giving aid to USA.It took just 40 years. Last week THE day arrived. When Indianambassador in Washington DC handed over a cheque of US$ 50 million tothe US govt, two plane loads of food, medical aid and other reliefmaterials were waiting to fly to the USA. Time to break the fast?With no bad feeling about the USA, and good wishes for the Katrinavictims, this humble Indian feels proud of the distance India hascovered in 40 years. Let's celebrate a New India!"- Vijay Kranti.

Blog Of Exceptional Note...

2005-09-30T03:24:00.000-07:00

Hey all..I was jst blog surfing when i found this blog of amazing quality.It's a travel blog and i know pictures always make a blog look good.But the Kind of Content this provides to ur Soul is amazing.It's About mridula's(the Publisher) Ladakh Trip and the blog also includes her other trips.She is an avid Traveller and a fast rising publisher having published 3(atleast 2) travel tales on GoNomad.com

An Ode to my Departed Ladakh Pictures

guys u need to go visit the blog...

It's Out of this world..

PHOTO Courtesy:- Travel Tales From India

Daily Dilbert to your desktop!

2005-09-29T02:32:00.000-07:00

Download this fun tool to see Daily-Dilbert comic strip right from your Desktop! This Win-App uses the DailyDilbert Web Services developed for eSynaps!
Download it now!
PS: Runs only if you have .NET Framework V1.0 is installed on yor desktop.
cheers..!!

Cool..!!!

2005-09-27T17:37:00.000-07:00

This is what i call a real Good Pat on the ... Head..!!!

Telugu actress Tamanna Bhatia as Tarannum Khan

2005-09-26T07:44:00.000-07:00

Telugu actress Tamanna Bhatia as Tarannum Khan
Actress Tamanna Bhatia is considering legal action against cyber pranksters who have floated her pictures on the net claiming that she is Mumbai’s notorious dance bar girl Tarannum Khan. (more…)

Pixels For Sale..Amazing Concept

2005-09-26T07:23:00.000-07:00

MillionDollarhomepage.com
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hey.

I came across www.milliondollarhomepage.com

It Sells pixels on its page for advertisers and has about a total of 1,000,000 pixels for sale..already at last count 143,900 pixels had been sold @ $1 per pixel..

I was amazed.. at the amount of people that have bought 1 pixel .. lolz !!

its funny they have sold over 140,000 pixels allready !! :O

chees,
Para

A Billion Dollars?

2005-09-13T02:38:00.000-07:00

A Billion Dollars?

The next time you hear a politician use the word
"billion," casually, think about whether you want the
politician spending your tax money.

A billion is a difficult number to comprehend, but one
advertising agency did a good job of putting that
figure into perspective in one of its releases.

a.. A billion seconds ago it was 1959.
b.. A billion minutes ago Jesus was alive.
c.. A billion hours ago our ancestors were living in
the Stone Age.
d.. A billion days ago no-one walked on two feet on
earth.
e.. A billion dollars ago was only 8 hours and 20
minutes, at the
rate the U.S.government spends it...!!!!

Really interesting site Nov2.org

2005-09-13T02:12:00.000-07:00

political and emotional expression in the virtual and real worlds
Courtesy : Lanya Shapiro on echoditto
September 17, 2004 - 12:45pm
Always one to use my person as a billboard, I rarely go without a political T-shirt. My latest favorite is my November 2 T-shirt, of which I own three.
I love watching the looks on people's faces as they rack their brains. Sometimes they ask me if I'm a scorpio. Typically though, they ask what happened on Nov 2, and I tell them that's the day we're going to take our country back. It's a great conversation starter -- much more so than a partisan shirt, I've found.
I'll soon be in very good company because apparently, Yahoo! made a NOVEMBER 2 t-shirt for their avatars to wear. (An avatar is an image that you can use to represent your online self in blog comments, IM formats, etc.)
Once just flat images, avatars are now becoming more customizable and even dynamic. I just learned a little more about the expressive capacity of avatars here.
Of course, you can get a T-shirt for your real-world self, or a set of iron-on transfers, at www.november2.org or click here.
I highly recommend it. You know what they say about scorpios, right?

The WTC Memorial -How it will Look..!!!

2005-09-13T00:59:00.000-07:00

The Memorial: Reflecting Absence

To open in 2009, the Memorial consists of two voids that reside in the original footprints of the Twin Towers surrounded by a forest of oak trees. Each void holds a pool of water filled by waterfalls on all sides. Visitors will descend 30 feet to galleries underneath the waterfalls inscribed with the names of those who died. Designed by Michael Arad and Peter Walker, Reflecting Absence, was selected from more than 5000 entrants from 63 nations which itself was a testament to the universality of the loss.

The Memorial Museum

Adjacent to the two voids, the Memorial Museum will cover over 100,000 square feet underground and will retell the events of the day, display powerful artifacts, and celebrate the lives of those who died. Visitors will be able to touch bedrock and see the slurry wall that so vividly conveys the enormity of the buildings and the enormity of the loss.

To view the submissions for the Memorial competition, please visit:
http://www.wtcsitememorial.org/

Build the Memorial

2005-09-13T00:29:00.000-07:00

Build the Memorial
posted by Larry Biddle on September 10, 2005 - 11:55am at echoditto
When I think about September 11, 2001, I remember how alone I felt that day. Two weeks before, I had moved to Portland, Maine for a new job. (I later learned those hijackers flew right over me on their way to the Boston airport.) Here I was in a strange place and didn’t know anyone. The world had turned upside down. The sense of doom and confusion took me back to when I was a kid in the ‘50s, growing up with the ever-present fear of bombs dropping from the sky. In school we practiced hiding under our desks to protect ourselves. Even then I suspected that was useless, since I knew a bomb would vaporize everything, including me.
I thought that dread had gone. It was only in remission, I guess.
This morning I awoke thinking about that terrible day, and about Katrina and what a mean-spirited, selfish and aggressive country we live in today. For a moment I was back in that same fearful and lonely place. That didn’t last long. Over many years, I have learned to look for the positive places. Today the World Trade Center Memorial Foundation officially launched its new website http://www.buildthememorial.org/. Regardless of how each of us experience and reflect on natural and manmade disasters, building the World Trade Center Memorial – directly on top of the bedrock footprints of those two towers – seems so right and important. It will be a beautiful place to remember, learn and resolve so much pain and loss – present and past. I am proud that EchoDitto helped empower this new internet destination where people will gather to share their 9/11 stories, see what the Memorial will look like, and together again – build it.
You are invited to tell your 9/11 story at http://www.buildthememorial.org/ (look for the "Build it" button near the top of the homepage).

Visit Larry Biddle's blog
Courtesy : echoditto

Katrina and Global Warming

2005-09-13T00:22:00.000-07:00

Katrina and Global Warming
An Associated Press article entitled "Katrina Reignites Global Warming Debate" echoes what many of us are asking. How much of this catastrophe can be blamed on human activities?
As a scientist, my first thought is that a single datum does not make a theory. But there is no question that this storm adds support to the idea that global warming will be very costly indeed. The fact that the Gulf of Mexico was running about one degree Celsius (one to two degrees Fahrenheit) warmer than normal was clearly a factor in Katrina's remarkably fast and severe development. We may be in a natural cycle that makes severe storms more common, but it is reasonable to surmise that the warmer climate is exacerbating that effect.

Courtesy : Science Blog.com

How bodies and plants repair UV damaged DNA

2005-09-13T00:05:00.000-07:00

How bodies and plants repair UV damaged DNA
For the first time, researchers have observed exactly how some cells are able to repair DNA damage caused by the sun's ultraviolet (UV) radiation. The study revealed how the enzyme photolyase uses energy from visible light to repair UV damage.

Courtesy :Science Blog.com

NY Times Report - 9/11 (The First 10 Days)

2005-09-11T14:16:00.000-07:00

THE FIRST 10 DAYS
A look back at the immediate aftermath of the attacks.
NYTimes.com Front Pages: Sept. 11, 2001 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 Archive Page (Sept. 11, 2002)

COURTESY :- NY TIMES.COM ==> 9/11 REPORT

8 Days in September 2001

2005-09-11T13:42:00.000-07:00

8 Days in September
These pictures were taken between 9.11.2001 through 9.18.2001 in Manhattan.

That morning was like any other. I'd overslept and J was on the computer listening to music with his headphones on, messing around with a bridge building simulator. Dad called in the morning to see if we were okay. Of course we were, why wouldn't we be? We were in the dark still.

When he broke the news, I didn't believe him. I thought he was pulling my leg. I opened the window and the first thing I noticed was the smell. Something was burning. I walked out onto the fire escape and saw others on theirs. All eyes looked downtown at the plume of gray and black smoke. Saw the ppl on the street in disblief. I remember feeling shocked and dizzy. Tuesday morning and no downtown traffic, no cabbies clogging Lexington ave. Sound of Armory officers yelling out orders. It was unreal.

I came in and told J about it but he didn't believe me either. He thought I was playing a joke. I turned on the tv but all the channels were kaput excepts for channel 2. Pentagon was hit, it wasn't..was it? The rumors flews like there was no tomorrow. All the planes were accounted for except one. Which one, was it headed for new york too? California? No one knew. It was the plane that crashed in Pennsylvania.

I've never seen J like that, so quiet, so angry. He could not get a word out for about 5 minutes. I asked him if he was scared, but he said no. He said he wasn't afraid of death. I on the otherhand went through a myriad of emotions ranging from being scared, angry and bitter. I cried alot then.

These photos aren't earth shattering or anything like that. I was new to photography then. Just my record of my 45 photos during 8 day in September, 2001.

Photo Gallery

Blog posted courtesy Sophie :- polarprints.com

Katrina Relief - Donate

2005-09-10T15:52:00.000-07:00

You can help the victims of the disaster that Hurricane Katrina has left behind.
Click Here to Donate and or Volunteer.

Human generated electricity

2005-09-10T02:02:00.000-07:00

Biological researcher have found out that a human with a 20-20 kg backpack can generate atleast 7-8 watt of power as he/she walk. you know what can we do with it "we can simultaneously power an MP3 player, a PDA, night vision goggles (or 3 LED headlamp), a handheld GPS, a CMOS image decoder, a GSM terminal in talk mode, and Bluetooth". check this link for further details http://www.scienceblog.com/cms/node/8874/

OfficeGuns.com

2005-09-09T14:47:00.000-07:00

Site: OfficeGuns.com

Want to know how to build an entire arsenal of guns. Using nothing but office supplies, then visit OfficeGuns.com

SpaceWeather.com

2005-09-09T14:42:00.000-07:00

We’re all concerned about the weather down here on earth. Especially those of us who live in “hurricane central”. But have you ever considered the weather in the rest of the universe? For instance, did you know that today the solar wind speed is 372.9 kilometers per second (231.7 miles per second)? Did you know that on September 7, 2005 solar flares caused electronic communication problems for emergency personnel in hurricane-hit areas of the U.S. Gulf Coast? Check out SpaceWeather.com for some interesting facts and figures.

Parablogs

2005-09-06T22:22:00.000-07:00

Parablogs

intro

2005-09-06T22:11:00.000-07:00

hey all..
nice to introduce myself.. i am Para and thats how i'll be known and this blog is dedicated to YOU the People. post what you like ... how u like coz that's the whole idea behind blogging..

so Happy Bloggin

cheers..

Para