Taj - The Coastal Queen

They came from the sea,
Like Mermaids whom no one sees,
They were all set to hurt the queen,
The queen of all hotels,
The serene Taj!

They were just some guests,
But were loaded with terror for the rest.
Terror engulfed the heritage,
De-voiding it of its tranquility,
Arousing in it all fears.

It was our coastal castle,
A home away from home.
At the sight of it,
My heart smiled,
But now i was seeing it cry.

Gun shots and grenades echoed,
Fire blazed high in the air above.
The Queen was still alive,
Calm amidst all hue and cry.
She was Taj! Our beloved Taj!


Wasabi and Golden Dragon,
the beautiful eyes of queen,
Were blinded with shots,
The queens elegance was slowly killed,
But still the queens heart still lived.

The Queens crown,
The heritage dome,
was burning like Rome,
While its bejeweled interiors,
were now left with burns and scars.

Pigeons were scared away,
never seen singing for the queen anymore,
the queen stood crying at its fellowmen's death,
and saw warriors shed blood to save her,
Staying mute with all the pain.

It was an attack to divide us,
An attack to kill the queen,
But the queen lived,
So did we,
Having gained the lost unity.

Patriotism bubbled,
Riots vanished,
Unity came up,
And the queen tried to cope up.
Long Live Taj, Our coastal Queen.

The Magic Of Positive Energy

Ever wondered how you would have been if your thoughts were different from what you possess? Just imagine how your life would have been if you had thoughts contrary to what you have. The answer for me is and I guess for most of us would be that our life not be the same. It would just be totally a turnaround. So we realize that our thoughts play a prime role in deciding our lives. It is our thought that decides what we turn out into and what we are.

Our thoughts can be either positive or negative. In my case formerly it was totally negative. I always looked at the negative side of every event. I had a blind faith that i may depress myself by expecting any positive result, in the event that my expectation goes unfulfilled. But eventually, I started feeling that I am running out of hopes. I am running out of wishes. Then i thought, why should I stop wishing just considering, the fear of my wish staying unfulfilled. It made me feel that there is no life without wishes and expectations. Expectations and wishes are the roads to improvement. Only by expecting and dreaming, we will try to change our lives and ameliorate ourselves. In simple words, I started gaining positive energy since then.

One of my friends’ words on positive energy played a vital role in bringing about positivity inside me. This friend of mine always talked about positive energy and suggested me to read the book "Secret - The Law of Attraction" by Rhonda Byrene. Initially I was reluctant to think about positive energy and positivity. But slowly when I realised that I as lacking positive energy, I started reading the book. To be honest, I was totally moved by it. It gave a whole new meaning to life. I started feeling how drastically positivity can change our lives.

After talking so much about positive energy, I would like to tell what positive energy really is. In simple words, it is just looking at the brighter side of everything. It is about having a good hope and the feeling that everything happens for good. Now just think how many times have you failed in your life? Once? twice? or countless times? And what have you learnt from your failures? The reason for the failure and how it can be avoided in future, or have you gained the fear of failures and wishes. If the answer is latter, then it means you lack positive energy. So one has to break the binds of fear and start living with hopes. On should realize the fact that success always comes after failures.

To accompany my stand on success and failures, I would like to bring to your notice the success story of Apple’s CEO Steve Jobs. Steve Jobs was just an ordinary person like all of except that he lived with extraordinary dreams. Right from his childhood he had been struggling hard to survive. As a child, his mother had put him up for adoption, and later he was adopted by a mediocre couple. As he grew up, he eventually joined a reputed college whose fees were too high for his parents to afford. Amidst such financial troubles, Steve tried hard to make a living. He could not even afford for a square meal. So he used to visit the Hare Rama Hare Krishna temple to take the benefit of the free meals provided there. Ultimately one day Steve just dropped out of college, owing to his financial problems and just joined simple free calligraphy classes for fun. Through those classes he learnt the magic of fonts and all their technicalities. Slowly, Steve started working on his skills and one day came out with the Mac. Mac was a great success. He incorporated the calligraphy skills that he had been acquainted with and created a milestone in the history of computers, “Fonts”. Just wonder if, Steve had not dropped out of college, would we have had the wonderful fonts we enjoy these days? Steve struggle dint end just with the success of Mac. He had much more to experience. Apple, the company founded by Steve, fired Steve one day. It was a blot from the blue for Steve. But the challenging spirit of Steve, made him start new ventures and finally he got his control on Apple again. Today, he is the messiah who has given us out of the box gadgets like iPod and iPhone, that will never be called just an mp3 player or a yet another mobile phone. In an interview Steve Jobs had quoted

“Sometimes life hits you in the head with a brick. Don't lose faith. I'm convinced that the only thing that kept me going was that I loved what I did. You've got to find what you love. And that is as true for your work as it is for your lovers. Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven't found it yet, keep looking. Don't settle. As with all matters of the heart, you'll know when you find it. And, like any great relationship, it just gets better and better as the years roll on. So keep looking until you find it. Don't settle.”

So friends, I would like to conclude that every one of us, has to be and need to be positive. Positive energy is the root to success and happiness. After all if we lack positive energy and don’t believe in ourselves, who else will?

Delhi Turns Boggy With Lashing Rain

Indias capital Delhi drenched hard as it rained buckets this noon in Delhi. Waterlogged pits, Flooding roads, Cars turning into ships and uprooted trees were a common scene in Delhi today as Delhi witnessed a 2 Hour Marathon Rain. Traffic was pulled off, trees were uprooted, roads were flooded all owing to the lashing rains in Delhi. As it rained cats and dogs in the capital, the whole city witnessed a halt and all the buzz in the buzzing capital was hushed by the gushing rains.

Mumbai has been witnessing heavy down pour every year, but it is first time that the National Capital has witnessed a maniac rain. Most of the parts in the city were almost flooded in the marathon rain that started at around 2.30 p.m. Delhi received 74 mm of rainfall in just two hours. This heavy downpour brought the day temperature in Delhi down to 22 degrees Celsius.

The whopping rain left severe implications on various aspects of the city. Traffic was jammed up, flights were cancelled, roads waterlooged and low lying areas submereged. All this accounts for the poor civic maintance and the pathetic conditions of essential infrastructure in the Capital. While a Capital should be a role model to the nation with perfect civic implementations, the Delhi civic structure has proved to be stain.

Adding to the trouble was the Delhi Metro construction. The areas under Metro construction have loosened sand and mud already. The lashing rains have worsened the situation in such areas making them unbearable.

Traffic in the city jammed up for hours as roads were flooded with water. The unattended manholes and potholes in several places added to the pain of drivers. Cars and bikes were starnded in the midst of the heavy traffic for hours. Emeregency call lines were set up to bring the traffic under control. Public was advised to enquire the traffic status of concerend areas with the emergency traffic helplines before stepping out of their houses.

With the troubling rains, the city administartion got into troubled water for poor maintance of roads. The administartives started a blame game to get a clean chit for themselves. Authorities said they were helpless and the blame game began between the civic agencies.

Within an hour of the rain, there was chaos on the Delhi roads with reports of waterlogging on several key, arterial stretches, delayed flights, red lights going on the blink and choked drains. Waterlogging complaints were recorded in around 12 areas, trees uprooted in 14 places and traffic messed up almost on every bus road. Even flights out of the national capital were either suspended, rescheduled or cancelled. A portion of the new domestic terminal building was damaged due to the rain and a bit of roof fell down. This has brought to question, the quality of cnstruction in vital places like Terminals that must are expected to be rigid.

All that matters under such situations is the power of public. Public can engage in helping out the starnded ones and take initiatives to clear up the uproooted trees instead of waiting for the municipal authorities to come up and take clearing up actions. Such scenarios bring out the unity among the people of the city and will bring up the true spirit of the city. The Mumbai spirit is worthmention, when it comes to managing crisis like heav rains. Once when it rained buckest of 98 cms in Mumbai, causing, cars and buses to be stranded for more than 8 hours, the kind heart of the public reflected in the helping hand lend to the suffering people. Local people of the nearby areas brought food and water to the passengers who were grid locked in traffic. These actions restore ones faith in humanity and refreshes the commom bond shared by us, the bond of being an "Indian".

27 Dresses - A Dainty Wedding Fantasy

Weddings have a charm of their own. Neverthless English weddings have a mesmerizing trait that no one can resist. I have always been fond of movies that are centered around weddings, because I love seeing the white, the pink and all the shades of purple and violet that dominate the color wheel of these wedding oriented movies. The whole ambience of these movies brings joy. The colorful decorated rooms, carefully dressed tables adorned with attractive table clothes and laces, attractive poles delicately draped in finespun lavender and white chiffons, lilies, all attractive flowers and abundance of white- the purest color almost make me feel swept off my feet for the English Weddings.

"27 Dresses" now tops my list of favorite wedding movies. It was recently that I could catch a glimpse of this down to earth story of a bridesmaid who longs for a day when she can be the queen - "The bride" and not yet another bridesmaid. The story revolves around a naive, down to earth girl Jane who has a very unique hobby of being the "Brides Maid" and whose wardrobe floods with heavy, vivid, colorful dresses that were once her bridesmaid dress for one of those weddings in which she was a bridesmaid.

Jane is simple, sweet and caring while her sister Tess is a city-bred, careless girl who just focuses on enjoying life to the core. Jane, a single woman who has served as a bridesmaid a shocking 27 times wrestles with the prospect of supporting her sister at the altar on number 28, despite having fallen helplessly in love with her smitten sibling's handsome husband-to-be. Jane (Katherine Heigl) has the kind of altruistic traits that everyone looks for in a friend, yet lately the perennial bridesmaid has begun to feel as if something is missing in her life.

One night, local newspaper reporter Kevin (James Marsden) spots the devoted bridal attendant racing between receptions in Manhattan and Brooklyn, and quickly surmises that her quirky tale may be just the story to get him off the bridal beat and into the big time. Immediately suspicious of the cynical reporter's motivations, Jane tries to get rid of Kevin just as her younger sister Tess (Malin Akerman) shows up in town. While Jane has always put the needs of friends and family before her own wants and desires, she's suddenly prompted to reevaluate her priorities when her boss, with whom she is secretly in love, falls for her younger sister Tess. When Tess and Jane's boss George (Edward Burns) make plans to marry, the smitten younger sibling mistakenly assumes that her lovelorn older sibling will be happy to take part in the wedding. For as far back as Jane can remember, she has sacrificed her own happiness for the sake of those she holds dearest, but now that her heart has been broken, she's finally found the courage to be honest with herself. Now, as Jane finally comes to terms with her true feelings, her life begins to change in ways she never expected.

Slowly Kevin starts getting along more with Jane so as to learn more about her and get all her information that could fetch him more content for his article on this one of a bridesmaid. Kevin is very keen about his article as it will be the key to his achieving a better position in his firm and meeting the promise made to his boss. Gradually as Kevin starts learning more about Jane, he gets allured by her innocence and flawless care for family. At a point when both Jane and Kevin start liking each other, Kevin's boss publishes Kevins article on Jane without Kevins knowledge. Grief-stricken b the humiliation caused by the article, Jane starts looking at Kevin as a traitor who played with her emotions. Alas! Kevin who had decided not to publish the article, but simply propose to Jane finds himself helpless. Later, Jane realises that Tess has created a false personality in the eyes of her boss so as to impress him. Jane is shocked b this truth and makes up her mind that she wont let her dream man to be cheated by her own sister. So when Tess asks Jane to prepare a wedding presentation, Jane adds in all pictures that show off the real Tess, which is totally different from the kind of person with whom George has fallen in love with. Eventually, when the real character of Tess is showcased, George decides to break up with Tess.

But then Tess confesses to Jane that she had truly changed and was not the old regardless lass anymore. At this Jane repents on her mistakes and both of them renew their lovel sisterhood with all love ad care. Finally Jane realises that Kevin was helpless when an article on her being a "Bridesmaid"for 27 times was published and she feels true love for Kevin and decides to confess it to Kevin. So as usual, its a happy ending movie, with Jane's long due dream being fulfilled - es eventually Jane marries Kevin and she is blessed with 27 different bridesmaids for her wedding! :)

Eyes That Care

A kind look makes the heart melt,

A sweet word makes the care felt,

But its the true love and seamless care,

That wins over hearts everywhere.

Look at people for what they feel,

But not for what they look,

Because what you see is never what you feel,

It is just like diamonds and carbons indeed.

Feel the eyes and feel the care,

As everyone seems to care,

But only few eyes really care to care,

And never lose the ones who care.

Look into the eyes,

That open up into the heart,

Trust only those balls that beam with care,

Not those that just look fair.

Trust in feel,

Trust in care,

For all you need is,

Someone who cares to care!

Scintillating Emotions

Emotions are the simplest, sweetest yet speechless expressions of our mind. Emotion decides what you are and how you are. If you are too emotional then bliss! I am one of you too. Emotion is like a cloud of thoughts that cast their spell on us and dictate our actions every now and then. Having written so much on social and personal issues I decided why not write about something that resides within us, spreads with us and moves with us - yes of course, its our emotion.

Smile, Tear, Anger, Anixety, Surprise are all parts of our sweet life. These teeny-weeny feelings add a splash of drama to our life. Had there been no emotions, we would stay just as "zombies" - sans feeling, sans trust, sans sorrow and sans joy! Life without emotions is just a plain colorless canvass. Its the splash of emotions that bug out into our life that makes our life colorful.

Sometimes we are sad, sometimes happy, sometimes depressed and most times in a wild state. But have you ever tried walking down memory lane and trying to have a recap of your emotional joourney? All anger, all sorrow, all pain and all depression you had experienced would have in some or other way taught you a new lesson and that realisation would draw a sweet smile on our face when you visit your emotional journey. So never hold on to the minuscule sorrows and failures oof your life, but enjoy the experience of life. Get through all possible emotions destined for a human being and live life to the core.

The different activiteies that we perform are all the reflections of my emotions. I have seen m friends and family ask me what went wrong when I appear to be lull or agitated. Its because our actions are different, your loved ones know that your emotion is not in the normal happy state. You dance, you sing, ou jump, all when you are happy. You brood, stare, bite your nails (he he) all when you are glum. So emotions are like the keys of a key activetated doll. These keys of emotion decide how we dnace and how we brood.

Getting emotional is too good at times. Because it brings out the true person inside you. These days people seem to have moulded themselves inside some shield of perfection and indifference. Everyone tries to put up a professional attitude and pretend to be indifferent to the simple joys and feelings. But they forget the fact that enjoying all the emotions and drenching in all drops of tears and joy is the true achievement. Be happy-go-lucky, laugh, smile, enjoy, cry and even get angry (sometimes, not always!!!!). Experience all possible emotions and respect the emotions of our family and friends. Understand that people are never bad, people are never hurting, its just the emotion that makes them do that. Sometimes you may become a victim of your emotion and end up hurting someone too. So learn to understand the emotions of humans and respect emotions. Shade your life with all emotions so that ou can have some very interesting moments when you walk down your emotional memory lane.

Vincent Van Gogh has quoted out rightly,

"Let's not forget that the little emotions are the great captains of our lives and we obey them without realizing it. "

One Life To Love

I have always wondered what this Life is all about. Why do we live? What is the purpose of this life? and What are we meant to achieve in this Life? Success, Assest, Money and Family make up the priorities of ones life. In this wild-goose chase of achievements and assests, love and fun which form the essence of life are left far behind. The simplicity of life is buried deep amidst all the mercenary and stinginess that are plethoric in the current da world.

Fun, frolic and innocenece seem to have vanished into the dark woods. People no longer have straightforward thoughts and wishes. All people look out for his money and position. But why? Dont friendship, family and love mean anything? Is making mone and achieving success all that matters?

People are ready to go to any extent to achieve success and assests these days. One seems to have forgotten that succes is just a means for joy. Instead one sacrifics all joy and fun, just to achieve suceess. I believe such a life is nothing but plain existance. One needs to understand the true meaning of life, which is gaining experiences. One needs to enjoy and live every moment. Because time once spent cant be gained back, one must try to enjoy every instant of life. Life is to be spent happily no matter what. One has to learn to live with sorrows and failures and accept them as part of life. Everyhing wont be fine always, somewhere something may go wrong, so one has to cope up with such incidents and live life with the same attitude and spirit. People should leave behind worldly-minded attitude and take up a simple, sweet life. It is then that one can have the true fun of life.

I would like to quote one of Samuel Coleridge Taylor's quotes on life and happiness,

The happiness of life is made up of minute fractions -
the little, soon-forgotten charities of a kiss or smile,
a kind look,
a heart-felt compliment,
and the countless infinitesimals of pleasurable and genial feeling

As conveyed in this quote, the true joy of life lies in tiny activities and events. Learn to pay attention to the tiniest aspects of your life. Everyday spend some time with your loved ones, give someone a compliment, appreciate someone for their work, take time to pamper yourself and take time to smile at some stranger. Enjoy every moment of life and make life memorable.

Magical Threads Of Trust

Trust, is the one magical word that gives true shape to our life. Trust is the most valuable gift that we can offer to our loved ones. Have you trusted anyone blindly? Do you believe in blind faith? If no, then you have missed the essence of life. The sheer joy of Life is in blindly trusting our dear ones. "Trust" is that simple element that forms the gist of all true relationships.

Everyone loves to trust, likewise everyone likes to be trusted too. Trust gives joy both to the one who trusts as well as to the entrusted. But why do we feel happy when we are trusted? What makes us feel contented when we win over our loved ones trust? Is it a sense of achievement? Is it a feel of accomplishment? No! Its not! We feel happy when we are trusted blindly because we feel that our care and affection has been recognised. We are assured of the fact that our care is accounted for and is equally respected by the one who enjoys the care.

Relationships sans trust are just like sugarfree cakes. Trust is that fragile thread that strogly binds people together. I have experienced relationships in life that had no speck of trust, still they existed vaguely, but eventually ended up in no sweet memory and no feel of attachment. This is what happens to relationships that lack trust. Such relationships can better be referred to as acquaintances. Most of the times when we are in a new surrounding, we will be longing for trust and friendship. Initially we will be allured towards people who superficially seem to share characteristics and wishes much similar to us. We gradually get along well. Then with the passage of time, we start feeling that inspite of spending a long time, there is no emotional attachment and neither is there any strong bond with them. This is because this new relationship was based on similarities and not on trust. So, relationships that lack the principle ingredient of trust are just transient.

Now think about yourself, your life and the kind of relationships that you have built till date. The dearest person in your life will be the one whom you trust, regardless of the similarities you share. So it is not similarities of interests or thoughts that nurture a relationship. Its the feeling of trust and care that pampers and nourishes a relationship.

So, If you want a happy life and a happy relationship, trust in trusting your loved ones blindly. Believe me, there is great joy in trusting. All your obstacles and problems seem half intense when you have an entrusted person trusting you and supporting you at all crossroads of life. Trust in the simple threads of trust and enjoy the difference in your life.

Incommodiousnesses of Expectation

Expectation is the simplest of human emotions. Expectation is just the simple desire to achieve ones wishes. Expectation reflects in every teen-weeny action and Expectation is the sole thread that holds up our lives.

But still Expectation is one of the most pain arousing actions too. Ever wondered why? Its simple, every sorrow and pain is the simple consequence of an unfulfilled expectation. Every heart knows that Expectations are prone to bring out sorrow, still each heart loves to expect. All this is because there is great joy in expectation. The joy of expectation always outshines the fear of unfulfilled wishes and that induces the sweet little heart to expect further.

In the initial stages of life, expectations will be more predominant. But gradually through our experiences with expectations, we realize the complexity of expectation. Then tardily we learn to supress our expectations. Still expectations never get washed off. Our heart still loves to expect, but the intensity and frequeny of expectation comes down. This is the common phenomena of human expectations and thats how our joy and pain are intermngled.

I wonder, how life would have been if we had no expectations. Sometimes when I stand staring at my unfulfilled expectations, I just feel why do I expect. Ironically, this feel never comes up when my heart bubbles up with groovy expectations :). Can't we live without expecting? Can't our life be void of wishes?.....I think the answer is no. Testifying my thought is the fact that ever single day we live is the outcome of our expectation. The simple and sweet expectation to see tomorrow. The subtle wish that one's wishes may take shape some day, it is this simple expectation that powers

In my opinion, the worst form of expectation is expecting care and concern from other fellow humans. Most of the times such expectations go shattered deep into the ground. At the same time we may also be the cause of hurting someone Else's expectation of love and care. While other material expectations, though unfulfilled don't leave a scar in ones heart, emotional expectations leave an enduring influence on the heart . So my simple notion of happy expectations is to expect feasible materialistic achievements but not emotional achievements. If at all we want to be cared by some fellow humans then why not show our umpteen care for them? Why not give all our expected care to the person from whom we wish to be cared? This way we can feel the joy of having cared and expressed concern. As we all know, there is great joy in giving, similarly, there is wonderful joy in fulfilling our expectation on some one else. It creates a habit of sacrifice and benevolence that arouse true joy.

This life is perked up by expectations, but its the feasible expectation that adds pep to the life. The happiness of life is just like a flower which can be watered by expression of care and love for others. Sacrifice and benevolence are the two staple ingredients for a happy expectation and a happy life. So, Live and let live!

The Bubble Life

At times I feel,
My Joy is so real,
The very next instant I feel,
The joy was just ephemeral.

At times I feel,
The world is so pally,
But very soon I feel,
It bubbles with hostility.

At times I feel,
Life is so flowery,
But soon I realize,
It has a flowery life.

At times I feel,
All the feeling is so real,
But soon i feel,
Everything is surreal,
Everything is just a bubble!

Zubbles: The Colorful, Zippy Bubbles

Who doesn't love bubbles? Those simple balls that bring up a subtle smile, no matter what. Bubbles are the simplest form of decoration, that create a sense of joy. It is because of the joy arousing capabity of bubbles that kids love playing with bubbles. Bubbles with their transparent texture give a whole new perspective to the world. The rainbow spectrum, the glossy texture make bubbles, the best friend of a recluse.

Shimmering with all the colors of the rainbow, bubbles are a joy to children young and old. For inventor Tim Kehoe, however, creating a bubble with a single color that won't stain when it pops has been a 15-year, $3-million obsession. Two weeks ago, the world's first colored, non-staining bubbles, Zubbles, went on sale.

A lot of people "said that you just can't color a bubble," said Kehoe, "which is discouraging when that is exactly what you are trying to do." The use of bubbles for entertainment purposes was first recorded about 400 years ago. Today, bubbles are arguably the world's most popular toy, with more than 200 million bottles of bubble solution sold annually.
The simple chemistry of bubbles is that it is made up of two layers of soap sandwiching a layer of water about a millionth of an inch thick and Kehoe has foiled virtually every attempt to modify them. Bubbles that last a little longer or can be blown a little bigger have since been created, but adding color, what some toy manufactures have called the "holy grail" of toys, has remained frustratingly elusive.

Standard food coloring or dyes have no effect; they simply run down the sides of the bubble, creating a drop of color on the bottom. Other dyes can stain bubbles, but when they pop they also stain clothes, dogs and eyes, as Kehoe discovered during one accident. Other tests, including one for a bubble dye that washed out, didn't fare much better.

"I thought a washable bubble was a great idea," said Kehoe. "But the kids (of a large focus group) were covered head to toe in red dye. It looked like a scene from Braveheart." Eventually Kehoe and his colleagues found the three different classes of dyes that produce intense, vibrant and uniform colors. Originally, it took three days to produce what would eventually become Zubbles, but now it takes about 30 minutes.

Once a bubble pops, the dye fades in 15 minutes on virtually every material imaginable: concrete, leather, nylon, cotton and paint. Even easily stained material like silk remain unstained 15 minutes after a Zubble touches them.Right now, consumers can only buy blue and pink bubbles, although Kehoe says that he can create bubbles of any color.

Kehoe won't say which dyes he specifically uses for the colored bubbles, but in a 2005 patent application Kehoe listed chemicals such as alkyl metal sulfate and polyether. Kehoe also lists several other uses for the colored bubbles in the patent application, including plastics, soaps, shampoo and many others. That's optimistic, says Cyril Isenberg, author of the The Science of Soap Films and Soap Bubbles and a professor at the University of Kent. Isenberg doesn't think that non-staining colored bubbles will have any market value outside of a child's toy.

Still, the children's toy market is a huge and lucrative one, and even if colored bubbles don't have the success of their iridescent cousins, it was time well spent to Kehoe. "It's a good feeling after 15 years to see colored bubbles become reality," said Kehoe. "After eight years, you think, 'What am I doing this for?' but I am absolutely glad I stuck with it." Kudos! For Zubbles..:) Learn more about Zubbles at this bubbling site!

Secret Of Nazca Sand Drawings

Mystery has a limit, but this mystery of the secret sand drawings at Nazca desert is spell bounding. The Nazca Lines are a series of geoglyphs located in the Nazca Desert, a high arid plateau that stretches more than 80 kilometres (50 mi) between the towns of Nazca and Palpa on the Pampas de Jumana in Peru. Although some local geoglyphs resemble Paracas motifs, these are largely believed to have been created by the Nazca culture between 200 BCE and 700 CE. There are hundreds of individual figures, ranging in complexity from simple lines to stylized hummingbirds, spiders, monkeys, fish, sharks or orcas, llamas, and lizards.
The lines are shallow designs in the ground where the reddish pebbles that cover the surrounding landscape have been removed, revealing the whitish earth underneath. Hundreds are simple lines or geometric shapes, and more than seventy are natural or human figures. The largest are over 200 metres (660 ft) across. Scholars differ in interpreting what the lines were for but generally ascribe religious significance to them. "The geometric ones could indicate the flow of water or be connected to rituals to summon water. The spiders, birds, and plants could be fertility symbols. Other possible explanations include: irrigation schemes, giant astronomical calendars, or landing for spaceships."The dry, windless, stable climate of the plateau has preserved the lines to this day, for the most part. Extremely rare changes in weather may temporarily alter the general designs. Now coming to the point, how were these enormous drawings made? In an age when there were no aeroplanes or no means of flying, how could such gigantic drawings, whose view is complete only from space would have been made? There are lots of such questions but still no answer.
Moreover, what was the purpose of these drawings? No big task is done without a purpose. So there must be some purpose for constructing these gigantic drawings. One theory of the purpose of the lines is that the Nazca people's motivations were religious and that the images were constructed so that gods in the sky could see them. Kosok and Reiche advanced one of the earliest reasons given for the Nazca Lines: that they were intended to point to the places on the distant horizon where the sun and other celestial bodies rose or set. This hypothesis was evaluated by two different experts in archaeoastronomy, Gerald Hawkins and Anthony Aveni, and they both concluded that there was insufficient evidence to support an astronomical explanation.
There is another theory too that states that he Nazca Lines presuppose some form of manned flight in order to see the figures properly and that a hot air balloon was the only possible available technology. Woodmann actually made a hot air balloon using materials and techniques that he believed would have been available to people at the time, in order to test this hypothesis. The balloon flew, after a fashion, but there is no evidence in support of Nazca-era hot air balloons, and Woodman's work has been rebutted.

However these mystic drawings give a sense of creativity. It proves that nothing in this world is impossible. The creation of such massive painting in such a primitive age is a testimony to the result of determination and creativity!

Shooting Stars - Stars Of Wishes

Astronomy and Astrology are both alluring. While facts related to Astronomy can be seen, the facts related to Astronomy can only be felt. Stars and Sky are the basic elements of Astronomy. And now coming to stars, who doesn't love stars? Stars are the simplest wonders of nature. Those gleaming glittering dots high in the sky that ornate the subtle, dulcet night sky. Talking about stars, I would like to draw all your attention to shooting stars. It is said that one can wish the hearts desire on seeing a shooting star and that the wish will be fulfilled without fail. Alas! I am crazy about shooting stars but have never seen any shooting stars! :(..It seems I need to make a wish to see a shooting star! :)

So what is this shooting star? Is one of those twinkling stars falling out of the sky? No! A shooting star or falling star is the common name for the visible path of a meteoroid as it enters the atmosphere. A shooting star is also broken pieces of meteors that have become broken off in space. So shooting star has nothing to with stars. It is just a meteor!
A "falling star" or a "shooting star" has nothing at all to do with a star! These amazing streaks of light you can sometimes see in the night sky are caused by tiny bits of dust and rock called meteoroids falling into the Earth's atmosphere and burning up. The short-lived trail of light the burning meteoroid produces is called a meteor. Meteors are commonly called falling stars or shooting stars. If any part of the meteoroid survives burning up and actually hits the Earth, that remaining bit is then called a meteorite.

At certain times of year, you are likely to see a great number of meteors in the night sky. These events are called meteor showers and they occur when the Earth passes through the trail of debris left by a comet as it orbits the Sun. These showers are given names based on the constellation present in the sky from which they appear to originate. For example, the Leonid Meteor Shower, or Leonids, appear to originate in the constellation Leo. It is important to understand that the meteoroids (and therefore the meteors) do not really originate from the constellations or any of the stars in the constellations, however. They just seem to come from that part of the sky because of the way the Earth encounters the particles moving in the path of the comet's orbit. Associating the shower name with the region of the sky they seem to come from just helps astronomers know where to look!

Still, the next time you see a shooting star, don't forget to make a wish! That way we can test if its just a myth or a fact. Anyhow, wishes surely come true, when we believe in our wishes.

Happy Birthdayyy Tooo Meeeee :)

I am late....Oh no! I am late again! Why am I late for all important tasks. I am late to publish a blog post on my Birthday too. Anyways, finally I am publishing a blog post on my Birthday he he :). It was my Birthday yesterday and to say I was on cloud nine... :)...

When I was wished by my family and my dearest friends exactly at 12, my happiness had no bounds. I felt on top of the world..he he...What a feel it is...when people who make your world assure you that you make their world too! To be honest I had a fear that my best friend would miss to wish me...it was there until I could see them wishing mee...:).. and finally I feel blessed to feel the heartfelt wishes from my loved ones.

Birthdays are in a way a window to self realization. We can understand how we have been one whole year and analyze how to improve our thoughts and ideals.. Yet this Birthday..PINK was the theme. I love PINK and I made sure that everything that I get for myself this Birthday should be PINK haa :)

At the end of the day I felt blessed to have such a caring family and friends circle. I would like to thank my family and m friends who have made my life bEautiFuLl!!!! My life would have been meaningless without you all! Thanks a ton for being with me alwaysss!!!! :)

Can You See My World?

I haven't seen the glittering gold,
But I have felt a heart of gold.
I cannot see the colors,
Still I can understand the meaning of colors.
But can you see my world?

My world hasn't seen money,
Yet its filled with thoughts of honey.
My world cant see beautiful faces,
But I can do feel a beautiful Heart.
So can you see my world?

I have never seen things,
But I have felt everything.
I have neither seen smiles nor tears,
Yet I have felt the true feel behind them.
But can you see my world?

My world may look colorless,
But my thoughts add all the splash of colors.
My world is like a poster,
Open for all impressions.
Yet can you see my world?

M world is seamless,
While our world is trammeled.
Imagination has no bounds.....
And so my world is boundless.
Still can you see my world?

Adios Michael Jackson - The Pop Connoisseur

The pop connoisseur Michael Jackson's life was pulled to a tragic end on June 27, 2009. The world stood still when the king of pop Michael Jackson succumbed to a Cardiac Arrest. The death of Michael Jackson has left an air of mystery. The pop kings death came as a bolt from the blue to the rock-ribbed fans of Michael Jackson who were all set to enjoy Michael Jackson's live concert at London.

I am not a pop freak, yet I have a special liking for Michael Jackson. The reason for this is not just this music, but the fact that Michael Jackson was in one way part of my childhood memories. It was this pop king whom I tried to imitate in the very first fancy dress competition of my life! :) But today as I write this post on Michael Jackson's untimely death, I feel a rush of blood into my brain, a sort of hysteria taking over me. The fact that I am finding hard to digest is that Michael Jackson was a terribly unhappy man. But why? Why do the life of all celebrities end up on a tragic note? Why is a celebrities joy as short lived as a bubble? Why cant celebrities live happily ever after? I can now find the names of several celebrities rolling down my memory. The most striking celebrity fiasco was that of Heath Ledger, who was found dead in his room. Heath Ledger had committed suicide at a point when he was at the peak of his career. But why? All these "Why's" point to one single reason "Stress and depression". The celebrities get overwhelmed by their success that they find hard to cope up with the fame and success that comes to their side. At some point when they feel that they can no longer perform with the same zing start feeling the pinch of stress. They start pushing themselves to maintain their success story. Alas! They don't understand that success truly is short lived. In Hollywood and music, one day you are on top of the world and the other day you are just another old star. This was exactly what had happened to Michael Jackson.The celebrities always have theie own share of controversies that keep their press image healthy. But sometimes controversies also add up to the stress of celebrities. Michael Jackson had a series of controversies coming along his way. Finally Michael Jackson was found penniless,after he had paid all the sue amounts to get rid of the legal contoversies that we was pulled into. So, what happened to cause Michael’s sudden unexpected death? Since the autopsy was inconclusive, I think it’s reasonable to assume his death was drug-related, especially since police impounded his doctor’s car in the belief it may contain evidence, and especially since the Jackson family attorney says that he warned about that very possibility long ago. I personally suspected that his death was drug-related when the news first broke that he had suffered cardiac arrest, since a cardiac arrest and a heart attack are two different things, and since he was only 50 years old. What I find extremely unusual about this situation is that a physician was actually there with him, so a lethal drug overdose should not have even been a possibility. I therefore look forward to more news on that front.

I very much feel for Michael’s three children, who have lived an incredibly sheltered (and more than a little strange) life as a result of their father’s eccentricities and his fame, as well as his infamy. This is going to be terribly difficult for them, as they adjust to an entirely new life without their only parent. At the same time, they will be embraced by the world now, in a way they would never have experienced when their father was alive. I attribute that to what I call “Sins Of The Father Syndrome”, and it is, quite sadly, a phenomenon which is not unusual even among those who are neither wealthy nor famous. It’s just too bad that no one was willing to forgive Michael Jackson of his perceived sins when he was still here to enjoy that himself.

Rest in peace, Michael. I sincerely hope you have finally found the peace you were never able to find in this world.

Phoenix - The Mythical Inspiration

The word Phoenix is my favourite word in English. This is all because of the one poem on Phoenix that I had read in my Childhood. The poem had such a deep influence that I started relating it to most of the events in my life. The word Phoenix refers to a Mythological bird. It is said that the eternal Lnd of mystery, Egypt is the source of the Phoenix mystery too. Still contrary to the various other mysteries in the world, that have their root only in one part of the world, the Phoenix bird has cittaions in several different Mythologies. In the present day world, The Phoenix symbolizes rebirth, especially of the sun, and has variants in European, Central American, Egyptian and Asian cultures.

The ancient Egyptians linked the myth of the phoenix with the longings for immortality that were so strong in their civilization, and from there its symbolism spread around the Mediterranean world of late antiquity. The Bennu bird was usually depicted as a heron and this is the bird that gave way to Phoenix in the Egyptian Mythology. Archaeologists have found the remains of a much larger heron that lived in the Persian Gulf area 5,000 years ago.

The Bennu was associated with the sun and represented the ba or soul of the sun god, Re. In the Late Period, the hieroglyph of the bird was used to represent this deity directly. As a symbol of the rising and setting sun, the Benu was also the lord of the royal jubilee.

This Egyptian phoenix was also associated with the inundation of the Nile and of the creation. At the close of the first century Clement of Rome became the first Christian to interpret the myth of the phoenix as an allegory of the resurrection and of life after death. The phoenix was also compared to undying Rome, and it appears on the coinage of the late Roman Empire as a symbol of the Eternal City.

In addition to this Egyptian mythology on Phoenix, there are citations of Phoenix in Chinese, Arabic and Japanese Mythologies too. The Arabian phoenix was a fabulous mythical bird, said to be as large as an eagle, with brilliant scarlet and gold plumage and a melodious cry. It was said that only one phoenix existed at any one time, and it is very long-lived with a life span of 500 years, 540 years, 1000 years, 1461 years or even 12,994 years (according to various accounts). As the end of its life approached, the phoenix would build a pyre nest of aromatic branches and spices such as myrrh, sets it on fire, and is consumed in the flames. After three days the birth or as some legends say a rebirth, the phoenix arises from the ashes.

In Chinese mythology, the phoenix is the symbol of high virtue and grace, of power and prosperity. It represents the union of yin and yang. It was thought to be a gentle creature, alighting so gently that it crushed nothing, and eating only dewdrops. It is also quoted in the renowned Feng Shui book - "A mythical bird that never dies, the phoenix flies far ahead to the front, always scanning the landscape and distant space. It represents our capacity for vision, for collecting sensory information about our environment and the events unfolding within it. The phoenix, with its great beauty, creates intense excitement and deathless inspiration." - The Feng Shui Handbook.

The Ho-Oo is the Japanese phoenix, the Ho being the male bird and the Oo being the female. The Hou-Ou greatly resembles the Chinese Phoenix the Feng-Huang in looks. The Ho-Oo is often depicted as nesting in a paulownia tree and was thought to only appear at the birth of a virtuous ruler and was said to mark a new era by descending from the heavens to do good deeds for people only to return to its celestial abode to await a new era. The Ho-Oo has been adopted as a symbol of the royal family, particularly the empress.

Amidst all these mythological notes on Phoenix, there is also a poem on Phoenix written by H.C. Andersen. This is a very famous poem and has a magical quality. The poet has used a wonderful Metaphor style that relates the secret of life, the origin of life and the mystery of phoenix. All mysteries are intertwined in the poem to create a mystical truth and revelation. Here i would like to quote some excerpts from this awe inspiring poem.

In the Garden of Paradise, beneath the Tree of Knowledge, bloomed a rose bush. Here, in the first rose, a bird was born. His flight was like the flashing of light, his plumage was beauteous, and his song ravishing. But when Eve plucked the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, when she and Adam were driven from Paradise, there fell from the flaming sword of the cherub a spark into the nest of the bird, which blazed up forthwith...

This poem is a must read and deserves a careful study. It has very well portrayed the relationships between Mythology and the origin of life. Finally, it is the rare qaulity about Phoenix that it burns to ashes and again reform from its own ashes to live anew, that has allured me so much. The myth of Phoenix has given me an inspiration that no matter what failure we come across, no matter how exhausted we get in our endeavour, if we are determined, then even the most fatal destruction can be overcome. We can surely succeed from the ashes of our failures!

Willy The Wizrard - Willy or Harry?

Willy The Wizrard is a children's fantasy book penned down by Adrian Jacobs. This book had been a hot favorite among young readers in 1987, which was when the book was first launched. This book is about a kid who ventures into magic and wizardry and ends up as a master wizard.

The story is a pure fantasy and all rosy with seemless scope for imagination. The story revolves around magic land and wizardry schools. Sounds similar? Having a dejavu? Do you feel you have read a similar story? Dont worry, its how I too felt. This feeling among the readers is costing hard for the Fictional Wizard "J.K.Rowling".

Recently Allegations have popped up that author J.K. Rowling copied "substantial parts" of a book by another children's author when she wrote "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire." The Book referenced to as other book is "Willy The Wizrard". These allegations included that the plot of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire copied elements of the plot of Willy the Wizard, including a wizard contest, and that the Potter series borrowed the idea of wizards traveling on trains.
Both Willy and Harry are required to work out the exact nature of the main task of the contest which they both achieve in a bathroom assisted by clues from helpers, in order to discover how to rescue human hostages imprisoned by a community of half-human, half-animal fantasy creatures. It is alleged that all of these are concepts first created by Adrian Jacobs in Willy the Wizard, some 10 years before J.K. Rowling first published any of the Harry Potter novels and 13 years before Goblet of Fire was published.

However, the reading population has had a very great time reading both these stories. Still the pathetic part is that while J.KRowling's series is fetching millions, Author Adrian Jacobs whose stories had a striking resemblance to the current day Harry Porter series died "penniless" in a London hospice in 1997. Still the allegations are under scrutinization. Lets hope that the allegatations prove to be false so that our love for Harry Porter will stay untouched forever.

Father's Day 2009

Heyya are you all preparing to surprise your father on Father's Day this year? Then I am one of you too :). Father's Day is a day honoring fathers, celebrated on the third Sunday of June in the United States and on various other days in many places around the world. It complements Mother's Day, the celebration honoring mothers.

Father's Day has its roots in a Celebration organised in the 20th Century so as to complement Mothers's Day. This Celebration was organised so as to celebrate fatherhood and male parenting, and to honor and commemorate fathers and forefathers. Father's Day is celebrated on a variety of dates worldwide and typically involves gift-giving, special dinners to fathers, and family-oriented activities.

Nowadays celebrations have become common place for all festivals. None of the festival is left uncelebrated. Making use of this practice are the gift and card producers. So for fathers day too, shops have come up with a whole lot of concessions and offers on their services so as to impress one's loved dad. Among the various services on offer for this special occasion are "A Dad and Son combo meal at half rate" and many more. :). Sounds alluring! Still the point is the commercialization of down to earth celebrations. Gone are those days when one used to prepare a card or a bouquet all on their own with specially collected flowers for their loved ones. These days one prefers ready made cards and bouquets available at stores, that can be bought in a jiffy. Still the existence of such celebrations lets one rejoice the joy of Father child relationships and express the unconditional love, that forms the basis for all relationships.

Deja vu

Have you ever felt that the things that are happening around you have happened before? Have you felt that the situation you are in now has been faced by you before? Then it means that you have experienced Deja vu. Recently when I was watching Barack Obama's mesmerizing speech at Cairo, I experienced Deja vu. It was then that I decided to digg more into Deja vu and here I would like to share whatever I have realised about Deja vu.

Deja vu is a French word that means "already seen". It is also called paramnesia, which in turn has been derived from Greek word "para," meaning "near" and "mnēmē" meaning "memory". Deja vu is the experience of feeling sure that one has witnessed or experienced a new situation previously (an individual feels as though an event has already happened or has happened in the near past), although the exact circumstances of the previous encounter are uncertain.

The term was coined by a French psychic researcher, Émile Boirac (1851–1917) in his book "L'Avenir des sciences psychiques" ("The Future of Psychic Sciences"), which expanded upon an essay he wrote while an undergraduate. The experience of déjà vu is usually accompanied by a compelling sense of familiarity, and also a sense of "eeriness," "strangeness," or "weirdness." The "previous" experience is most frequently attributed to a dream, although in some cases there is a firm sense that the experience "genuinely happened" in the past.

Scientifically theories state that the most likely explanation of déjà vu is not that it is an act of "precognition" or "prophecy," but rather that it is an anomaly of memory giving the impression that an experience is "being recalled." This explanation is substantiated by the fact that the sense of "recollection" at the time is strong in most cases, but that the circumstances of the "previous" experience (when, where, and how the earlier experience occurred) are quite uncertain. Likewise, as time passes, subjects can exhibit a strong recollection of having the "unsettling" experience of déjà vu itself, but little or no recollection of the specifics of the event or circumstance they were "remembering" when they had the déjà vu experience.

In particular, this may result from an overlap between the neurological systems responsible for short-term memory (events which are perceived as being in the present) and those responsible for long-term memory (events which are perceived as being in the past). The events would be stored into memory before the conscious part of the brain even receives the information and processes it.

On the other hand there are people who have a whole new perception about Deja vu being related to vision. As the theory suggests, one eye may record what is seen fractionally faster than the other, creating that "strong recollection" sensation upon the "same" scene being viewed milliseconds later by the opposite eye. However, this one fails to explain the phenomenon when other sensory inputs are involved, such as the auditive part, and especially the digital part. If one, for instance, experiences déjà vu of someone slapping the fingers on his left hand, then the déjà vu feeling is certainly not due to his right hand experiencing the same sensation later than his left hand considering that his right hand would never receive the same sensory input. Also, persons with only one eye still report experiencing déjà vu or déjà vécu (a rare disorder of memory, similar to persistent déjà vu).

Coming up with a whole new idea are people who believe déjà vu is the memory of dreams. Though the majority of dreams are never remembered, a dreaming person can display activity in the areas of the brain that process long-term memory. It has been speculated that dreams read directly into long-term memory, bypassing short-term memory entirely. In this case, déjà vu might be a memory of a forgotten dream with elements in common with the current waking experience. This may be similar to another phenomenon known as déjà rêvé, or "already dreamed." However, later studies on mice indicate that long-term memories must be first established as short-term memories.

And now if you are a person who beleives in rebirth then you may be allured to know that some scientists have also related Deja vu to reincarnation. Those believing in reincarnation theorize that déjà vu is caused by fragments of past-life memories being jarred to the surface of the mind by familiar surroundings or people. Others theorize that the phenomenon is caused by astral projection, or out-of-body experiences (OBEs), where it is possible that individuals have visited places while in their astral bodies during sleep. The sensation may also be interpreted as connected to the fulfillment of a condition as seen or felt in a premonition.

Despite the existance of numerous theories and viewpoints on Deja vu, there has not yet been a clear cut idea on Deja vu. Research on Deja vu is not a cakewalk since, creating the feel of Deja vu under laboratory conditions is next to impossible. Still there are vigorous researches being conducted on this mystfying phenomena of the mystic brain. As of now Deja vu is yet annother addition to the list of mysteries in this perplexing, mysterious Universe.

WInd Chimes - Winds Of Melody

Have you ever heard those melodious rumblings from Wind Chimes ? If not then I'll let you know how it feels. The Wind Chimes generate the softest and the sweetest music in the simplest manner, just by rumbling in through soft and heavy winds. The sound of Wind Chimes brings up a special joy and pep into me. Wind chimes are universally thought to bring good luck and are highly valued in Feng Shui as well. The pleasant tinkling sounds of a wind chime are always soothing to the ears.

Let me now tell you, what a Wind Chime actually is. Wind chimes are chimes constructed from suspended tubes, rods or other objects and are often made of metal or wood. Wind chimes are usually hung outside of a building or house and are intended to be played by the wind. Sound can be produced when the tubes or rods come in contact with a suspended central clapper, in the form of a ball or horizontal disk, or each other. Wind chimes may be used to observe changes in wind direction, depending on where they are hung.

There are several kinds of Wind Chimes available in the market these days. Ranging from luxurious Wind Chimes made of Crystals, Platinum to the down to earth simpleton Wind Chimes made of thin metals.

The wind chimes have their origins in Indian wind bells. By the second century CE, these wind bells were being hung on the corners of large pagodas with the purpose of scaring away birds and evil spirits. Later, wind bells were introduced to China and were also hung in temples, palaces and homes. Japanese glass wind bells known as "Fūrin" have been produced since the Edo period. Wind chimes are thought to be good luck in parts of Asia and are used in Feng Shui. Now, SInce many countries hae started taking up the Feng Shui pronciples in constructing homes, Wind Chimes are now used widely in several homes.
If you are wondering how these pieces of pipes could produce such mesmerizing melody, then let me tell you that a lot of scientific work has gone into the construction of WInd Chimes. Chimes produce inharmonic (as opposed to harmonic) spectra, although if they are hung at about 1/5th of their length (22.4%), the higher partials are dampened and the fundamental is brought out. This is common practice in high-quality wind chimes, which are also usually hung so the center ball strikes the center of the wind chime's length. Frequency is determined by the length, width, thickness, and material. There are formulas that help predict the proper length to achieve a particular note, though a bit of fine tuning is often needed. Huh! These simpl looking WInd Chimes do have a complex background.

So, next time when you go out shopping for some home decor, dont miss out the pleasing WInd Chimes. Hang in a Wind Chime and feel the joy of the melodious music with every gust of wind. :)

The Pink Sweet Strawberry Festival

I have heard about many festivals, but it was today that I read about the "Strawberry Festival". The name itself brought up a riot of imaginations in my mind and I was hungry to know more about this sweet named festival that brought up all pink sweet thoughts.

The Strawberry festival is an annual event conducted by the members of the Christ Church Cathedral in Indianapolis. For 44 years, members of the Christ Church Cathedral have been putting on the festival to raise funds for local and national mission work and outreach from the Indianapolis area all the way to Nigeria.

The Strawberry Festival aims at serving the hungry souls in Nigeria and similar areas with food supply. The people in the adjoining areas are invited to participate in the festival and enjoy the strawberry delicacies like fresh sweet strawberries, shortcake, ice cream and whipped toppings. In return, the people have to get some canned food that can be sent out to make ends meet in Nigeria. This festival has been fetching food supply for the Nigerians since the past 44 years.

On a whole the sweet toothed Strawberry Festival is a breakthrough charity method. People are allured by the sweet strawberries and are voluntarily pulled into donating canned food. :) Collecting canned goods isn't a solution to the hunger problem, but it is a start. "The real solution to hunger is jobs and ending poverty," Altmeyer, the founder of Gleaner's food bank, Indianapolis said. "However, with one in ten people unemployed in central Indiana and over 80,000 children living in poverty, we have to do something in the interim." However, this festival is a small initiative to clean up hunger and poverty. Many such charity events need to be organised on human grounds so as to eradicate hunger all over the world. I hope this festival provides an inspiration to all the people out there and inspires them to indulge in charity for a good cause. Its only through the joint effort that all the anomalies in this world can be corrected. So lets all do our bit for the world and indulge in charity.

Adieu Rajeev Motwani - The Page Rank Man

Rajeev Motwani, a man of spirits and inventions, is a milestone in the history of computers and Internet. The Silicon Valley is still trying to come to grips with the loss of the "Silicon Valley Giant" Rajeev Motwani. By profession Rajeev Motwani was a professor at the Stanford University. Rajeev Motwani's research focused on theoretical computer science. He is well known as the "Google Mentor". Rajeev Motwani was an early advisor and supporter of gigantic etablishments like Google and PayPal, and a special advisor to Sequoia Capital.

The Google mentor, Rajeev Motwani was born and brought up in the paradise on earth "Jammu". Later he had his B.Tech in Computer Science from the posthumous IIT Kharagpur. Adding to his list of merits was a Ph.D from U.C. Berkeley. It was then that Rajeev Motwani's flair for computers started gaining global attention.

As a child, inspired by luminaries like Gauss, Rajeev Motwani wanted to become a mathematician. Then Rajeev was allured by Algorithms, Computations, Discrete Mathematics and Databases. His vast knowledge in Computing and algorithms helped the world gain one of the foundations of Interenet - "The Page Rank". PageRank is a link analysis algorithm, named after Larry Page, used by the Google Internet search engine that assigns a numerical weighting to each element of a hyperlinked set of documents, such as the World Wide Web, with the purpose of "measuring" its relative importance within the set. The algorithm may be applied to any collection of entities with reciprocal quotations and references.

The name "PageRank" is a trademark of Google, and the PageRank process has been patented (U.S. Patent 6,285,999). However, the patent is assigned to Stanford University and not to Google. Google has exclusive license rights on the patent from Stanford University. The university received 1.8 million shares of Google in exchange for use of the patent; the shares were sold in 2005 for $336 million. Rajeev Motwani was one of the key brains among the network of brains who came up with Page Rank Algorithm.

But alas, the person whose brains power the Google Search is no more. Rajeev Motwani was found dead in his pool in the backyard in his Atherton home on June 5, 2009, after apparently falling in, but the cause of death is not certain. He could not swim, but was planning on taking lessons, according to his friends. Still Rajeev Motwani's contributions to the world will be remembered forever. With his algorithms and developments Rajeev Motwani has made a mark in the Computing World. So lets all feel grateful to this pious man whose brain powers the Google Search and wish that his soul rests in peace.

Tetris Anniversary

Lets all wish the evergreen game tetris, a very happy birthday! Today, June 6, 2009 is the 25th anniversary of the simple yet entertaining game Tetris. The word "Tetris" has its roots in the Greek numerical prefix "tetra" which means "four". Tetris is a puzzle video game originally designed and programmed by Alexey Pajitnov. It was created on June 6, 1984,while he was working for the Dorodnicyn Computing Centre of the Academy of Science of the USSR in Moscow.The name Tetris was derived from the Greek numerical prefix "tetra" and that is why all of the game's pieces, known as Tetrominoes, contain four segments. It is also believed that Alexey Pajitnov's fondness for tennis, fetched the neame "Tetris" for the game designed by him.
Tetris is one of the simplest game that the world has ever seen. Eventhough the game is simple, it has the rare ability to keep players glued to it. It was a revolutionary game in its early days. But in the present day hi fi world where gaming has jumped to several high technology levels like motion controlled games, Tetris has still managed to have a mark. It is still a basic accesory game in mobile phones and is widely available as a built in game in most consoles.
Tetris is a simple puzzle video game where you move blocks around (called tetrominoes) to create horizontal lines of blocks to eliminate rows and gain points. The game gets tedious with the various levels. One has to eliminate blocks faster and faster so as to proceed to the next level. Finally if the player fails to eleiminate blocks for a long time and ends up with a pile of blocks filling the gaming window, then the player faces a "Game Over".

While versions of Tetris were sold for a range of 1980s home computer platforms, it was the hugely successful handheld version for the Game Boy launched in 1989 that established the reputation of the game as one of the most popular ever. Electronic Gaming Monthly's 100th issue had Tetris in first place as "Greatest Game of All Time". In 2007, Tetris came in second place in Gaming Giant Site, IGN's "100 Greatest Video Games of All Time".It has sold more than 70m copies.

The long history of Tetris resulted in a Guinness World Record awarding the franchise nine world records in the Gamer's Edition. These records include, "Most Ported Video Game", "Game With the Most Official and Unofficial Variants", and "Longest Prison Sentence for Playing a Video Game", which is held by Faiz Chopdat, who was jailed for four months for playing Tetris on his cell phone while on a flight to Manchester, England. He refused to stop playing after being repeatedly warned by the cabin staff. This incident is a testimony to the addictiveness of this tiny game. So today lets all wish a very "hApPy BiRthDaY" to the lovely Tetris. :) Even Google celebrated Tennis anniversary by setting out the google logo in the form of a collection of tetris blocks!

Obama's Hieroglyphic Tale

Barack Obama, the 44th and the current President of the United States is all set to create new milestones in the history of America. America has always been held up as an enemy of Muslim countries. There has long been an air of hostility between USA and Muslim nations all over the world. But Barack Obama's recent visit to Egypt has tumbled up all the opinions on USA's outlook on Muslim nations.

First of all Barack Obama sent out ripples of fraternity to the Muslim community through his wooing speech at the Cairo University. Barack Obama flattered the masses with his opening words "Asalam-u-Alaikum". There were whoops and roars as Barack Obama continued his speech with this captivating air of confidence.

Obama's speech was watched keenly by all Muslim citizens. It is reported that people in Muslim countries stayed glued to their Television sets while Obama's speech at Cairo University was aired. The aftermath of the speech was astounding. Newspapers and television cheannels flooded with reports on Obama's approach towards Muslim Nations and responses from Muslim citizens on America's all new amiable attitude.In his speech, the U.S. president had numerous messages for several countries and several sides. And he criticized the Iraq war. The U.S. president reiterated the need for the creation of a Palestinian state and negotiations with Iran. Amidst all these, the heart of Obama's speech was his constant references to the citations from Quran. No matter whether Obama was talking about war, society or woman welfare, the citations of moral sayings from Quran added life and zing to his speech, leaving the audience spell bound and content.
Amidst all these, Obama's comments on Hieroglyphics has sent out ripples all over Egypt. When visiting a pyramid after his speech in Cairo, Obama saw a hieroglyphic which caught his eye. He described it as mans face with big ears and declared that it looked like him. This comment has seen lot of liking from the Egyptians who seem to have got a feel that Obama is trying to be just one of them. So is Obama's visit to Egypt a new beginning in US - Muslim nation history. The Muslim community has given mixed reactions to Obama's thoughts. So will the world see an air of peace and fraternity between US - Muslim Nations soon? Nevertheless, that is what I hope and believe that majority of the people believe so too!

Mystic Prophecies Of Nostradamus

I was in school, when I first heard about Nostradamus. Since then I have had a wild interest in Nostradamus and his mystical predictions. I heard about Nostradamus at an age when a child sees mystery in everything and has a mind that is hungry for resolving mysteries. Having been allured by Nostradamus's predictions, I had developed great liking for all his works. It was then that I realized that the predictions of Nostradamus were in the form of cryptic poems that were hard to decipher. This revelation had yet another impact on my life :), arousing in me a great liking for poems with hidden meanings and made me a novice poet. So, now years later when I recall the ways in which the mystic predictions of Nostradamus has affected my life, I would like to share all my exploratory results on Nostradamus.
Michel de Nostredame, better known as Nostradamus, was a French apothecary and a reputed seer who published collections of prophecies that have since become famous worldwide. He is best known for his book Les Propheties ("The Prophecies"), the first edition of which appeared in 1555. Since the publication of this book, which has rarely been out of print since his death, Nostradamus has attracted an enthusiastic following that, along with the popular press, credits him with predicting many major world events.

Talking about the Literary works of Nostradamus, his poetic yet cryptic quatrains are claimed by some to conceal information about future events. He completed a total of 942 quatrains which he organized into Centuries - groups of 100 quatrains (one Century only had 42 quatrains). There were certain portions in his text that were interpreted to indicate that India will be a super power in the 21st Century, that the world would be destroyed by the end of 21st century and many more such shocking claims. It was all these prophecies that gave way for my hunt into Nostradamus's prophecies.

The most shocking prophecy of Nostradamus was his predictions on the 911 Attack. In the heightened days following September 11, 2001 there were a lot of reports that Nostradamus had predicted the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center in New York!

You may have even read about the quatrain below:

In the City of God there will be a great thunder,
Two brothers torn apart by Chaos, while the fortress endures,
the great leader will succumb,
The third big war will begin when the big city is burning.

First off, let's say straight out that this was not written by Nostradamus at all. Yes it superficially resembles his style, but there is no such quatrain and he didn't write it. In fact, some sites that reference this verse state it was written in 1654 which would be an impressive feat for someone who died nearly 100 years before! This is deciphered to mean "In the city of gods, two brothers will be torn apart and a whole city will be burning, giving way to third war". When all is considered we are left with is a verse which is so ambiguous on every line that you could with little effort match it to many different possibilities.

So who wrote this quatrain and what was their point? This quatrain was actually created by a student called Neil Marshall in an article called "A Critical Analysis of Nostradamus". His point in writing the above was to highlight that some Nostradamus quatrains are so vague as to be open to any interpretation after the fact.

The truth is that this was a hysteria created to boost up the sales of Nostradamus books following the 9/11 attack.

But still there are several other mystical poems by Nostradamus that have come true. Nostradamus is said to have predicted his own death. When his assistant wished him goodnight on July 1, 1566, Nostradamus reputedly pronounced, "You will not find me alive at sunrise." He was found dead on July 2, 1566. Ans oh What a coincidence, I am posting this entry on June 1, exactly one day before June 2, the day on which Nostradamus passed away. So, after a cursory glance on the prophecies of Nostradamus, if one likes to read his text in detail and try deciphering its meaning, then one can find the whole text at http://www.sacred-texts.com/nos/index.htm.