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.

The Lost Temples Of Angor Wat

Ancient Architecture has a certain charisma, that attracts us all despite the existence of numerous awesome modern architecture. To pen down, we have the innumerable fondness for Egypt and Taj Mahal. One such ancient architecture that stays in the good books of Architecture and casts a spell on the visitors is the Ancient Angor Wat Temple.

Angor Wat allures people and researchers, who come in flocks to get a glimpse of this awe-inspiring monument, which has a unique charm without any bells and whistles.

Angkor Wat, is a temple complex at Angkor, Cambodia, built for the king Suryavarman II in the early 12th century as his state temple and capital city. As the best-preserved temple at the site, it is the only one to have remained a significant religious centre since its foundation—first Hindu, dedicated to Vishnu, then Buddhist. The temple is the epitome of the high classical style of Khmer architecture. It has become a symbol of Cambodia, appearing on its national flag, and it is the country's prime attraction for visitors.
The huge sculptures and artistic carvings at the Angor Wat temple holds one spellbound. Archaeologists and Researchers have have blown the historic gaff and come out with the fact that the sculptures and carvings at the Angorvat Temple consist of Indian gods too. One such sculpture is the same as the one found at a temple in India's Temple town, Kanchipuram. So, its clear that there is more than what meets the eyes. There must have been some sort of connection between India and Cambodia in the past, that has made Indian sculptures appear on Cambodain Temples.

This stays an enigma and pops up a million question in our head! Was there any Monarchical deal between the two KIngdoms? Was it an Indian Architect who designed this marvelous monument and ended up adding an Indian touch? or was it that Indian labor was utilized in the construction of the Angorvat Temple?....There are a Million questions, but all go unanswered, leaving the mystery unresolved.

Angkor Wat combines two basic plans of Khmer temple architecture: the temple mountain and the later galleried temple, based on early South Indian architecture, with key features such as the Jagati. It is designed to represent Mount Meru, home of the devas in Hindu mythology: within a moat and an outer wall 3.6 kilometers (2.2 mi) long are three rectangular galleries, each raised above the next. At the center of the temple stands a quincunx of towers. Unlike most Angkorian temples, Angkor Wat is oriented to the west; scholars are divided as to the significance of this. The temple is admired for the grandeur and harmony of the architecture, its extensive bas-reliefs and for the numerous devatas (guardian spirits) adorning its walls.
Despite all the charm, Angor Vat misses the quintessential part of a temple, prayers and chanting. Its all because, in the late 13th century, King Jayavarman VIII, who was Hindu, was deposed by his son in law, Srindravarman. Srindravarman had spent the previous 10 years in Sri Lanka becoming ordained as a Buddhist monk. The new King decided to convert the Khmer Empire's state religion from Hindu to Buddhist. The conversion was relatively easy since civilians were tired of the constant political corruption and failing empire of the time and were eager to follow a faith that offered tranquility without a need for material gain and power. Hence, Angkor Wat was converted from Hindu to Theravada Buddhist use, which continues to the present day. Angkor Wat is unusual among the Angkor temples in that although it was somewhat neglected after the 16th century it was never completely abandoned, its preservation being due in part to the fact that its moat also provided some protection from encroachment by the jungle.

So, till date Angor Vat has never seen a prayer or a chant. It stands up as a mystic marvelous temple.Learn more about Angor Wat here. In a nutshell Angor Wat is one of the most outstanding Architectures of Man kind that reflects the creativity and magic of ancient architecture techniques.

Ignorance is bliss

Who doesn't want to be happy? To say, everyone wants to be happy, but there are only few who are actually happy in their lives. So what is it that gives few people true happiness while most of them live with just superficial joy? Is it their capability to achieve all that they desire? Or do they possess heavenly luck that gives them joy in all endeavor? The answer is their ignorance and their ability to accept things the way they are!

The one thing that comes up between the desire to be happy and being happy is "worries". Worries are nothing but our hearts dolefullness when something goes against our wishes. But amidst all the race for success and achievement, one forgets the fact that the elementary need behind being successful is just happiness. So why should one make oneself unhappy when success falls behind? Why can't we believe that failures are stepping stones to success and take a positive approach towards failures?So, it is "Ignorance" that gives one the feel of true happiness. Ignorance should not be taken in the wrong sense. Being Ignorant does not mean that one should give up hopes, dreams and desires. Instead one must be open for all sorts of outcomes in ones endeavors. The fact that wishes and worries go hand in hand must be made a part of life. Its then that one can experience true, eternal happiness.

The Mystery Of Bermuda Triangle

We live in a vivid world, filled with variety. Mystery and History are part of the world. Some times mystery morphs into history and vice versa. Mystery's have a rare specialty of their own. Mysteries tend to attract attention and one such bemusing mystery is the "Mystery Of Bermuda Triangle".

The Bermuda Triangle, also known as the Devil's Triangle, is a region of the northwestern Atlantic Ocean in which a number of aircraft and surface vessels are alleged to have disappeared in mysterious circumstances which fall beyond the boundaries of human error, pirates, equipment failure, or natural disasters. Popular culture has attributed some of these disappearances to the paranormal, a suspension of the laws of physics, or activity by extraterrestrial beings.

The term "Bermuda Triangle" was first used in an article written by Vincent H. Gaddis for Argosy magazine in 1964. In the article, Gaddis claimed that in this strange sea a number of ships and planes had disappeared without explanation. Gaddis wasn't the first one to come to this conclusion, either. As early as 1952, George X. Sands, in a report in Fate magazine, noted what seemed like an unusually large number of strange accidents in that region.

Why do ships and planes seem to go missing in the region? Some authors suggested it may be due to a strange magnetic anomaly that affects compass readings (in fact they claim Columbus noted this when he sailed through the area in 1492). Others theorize that methane eruptions from the ocean floor may suddenly be turning the sea into a froth that can't support a ship's weight so it sinks (though there is no evidence of this type of thing happening in the Triangle for the past 15,000 years). Several books have gone as far as conjecturing that the disappearances are due to an intelligent, technologically advanced race living in space or under the sea.
Kusche's Theory

In 1975 Larry Kusche, a librarian at Arizona State University, reached a totally different conclusion. Kusche decided to investigate the claims made by these articles and books. What he found he published in his own book entitled The Bermuda Triangle Mystery-Solved. Kusche had carefully dug into records other writers had neglected. He found that many of the strange accidents were not so strange after all. Often a Triangle writer had noted a ship or plane had disappeared in "calms seas" when the record showed a raging storm had been in progress. Others said ships had "mysteriously vanished" when their remains had actually been found and the cause of their sinking explained. In one case a ship listed missing in the Triangle actually had disappeared in the Pacific Ocean some 3,000 miles away! The author had confused the name of the Pacific port the ship had left with a city of the same name on the Atlantic coast.

Even though the Bermuda Triangle isn't a true mystery, this region of the sea certainly has had its share of marine tragedy. Some of the missing cases at the Bermuda Triangle are SS Marine Sulphur Queen Ship, the Disappearance of NC16002, Flight 19 and much more.

In short, the mystery of the Bermuda Triangle became a mystery by a kind of communal reinforcement among uncritical authors and a willing mass media to uncritically pass on the speculation that something mysterious is going on in the Atlantic.

Rainy joy!

I have always loved rains. The sight of rain gives me a simple and sweet feel, taking me to a whole new world. Rain seems to be a mesmerizing aspect of nature that enthralls everyone.

Moist gushy winds, pattering rain drops, the sweet essence of wet sand and the sight of plants quenching their thirst gives us an eternal bliss, taking us to cloud nine. With dark clouds and a light green tint, a rainy evening is more that just a picturesque moment.

There is great joy in enjoying the nature on a rainy day. A look through your window on the green, wet plants makes you feel most refreshed. The best thing to do on a rainy day is to get lost in thought.. :)...thinking and dreaming of all the pleasant things in your life, and rejoicing the cherished moments of your life.
Thereby on a rainy day, one can feel distressed and relieved from the chaos of the world and escape to a world of peace and relaxation. Thanks to today's rain, which has given me a pleasant feel and releived me of all stress and disgust! :)...As I am composing this post, I could listen to the pattering rain drops and feel the cold refreshing rainy wind. All these plaeasnt feelings given by rain is nothing but the joy of nature, the "Rain Joy"!

Its a whole new day.

On a sunny morning,
I opened my eyes,
To see the word filled with life.
All shadows of past glided away,
And glow of future mentored the way.

There were days when skies were dark,
There were days when joy seemed afar.
But the secret of life,
Has given a whole new life,
The one life to be loved unfathomed.

Everyday is now a clear sky,
With no stains from past,
With colorful dreams on mast.
Its really a whole new day,
Like a life on a sunny bay.

Its the secret of joy,
That gave me true joy.
Love your life,
Love the world,
It'll then be a whole new world.

Happiness

Happiness is just like a flower,
Spreading its influence all over.
Happiness is when dreams turn true,
Letting one dream anew.

Happiness is your loved one's smile,
That gives you the sweetest smile.
Happiness is being novice,
Accepting all imperfections and being nice.

Happiness is the charm in your eyes,
That lets you see your dreams coming true.
Happiness is ephemeral
And so is life.
So spread happiness as long as you live!

Teacher Or Killer?

Atrocities on school kids has been a common issue all over the world. There have been several cases of atrocities forced by cruel teachers on poor kids. The recent incident in a Delhi school is a shocking testimony to the mistreatment of school kids.

School , a place where a child's future is expected to be molded, has now sadly turned into a grave death trap. Parents send in kids to schools with huge expectations but alas, due to a few stone-hearted faculty, some parents end up losing their kids.
Punishing school kids is a common trait in Indian schools. A majority of schools insist on punishing the innocent souls so as to teach them discipline. But they forget the fact that the best way to teach and guide kids is through proper love and care.

The recent incident in Delhi that pushed a 11 year old kid to the end of her life is grievous. Shona, a class II student of MCD primary school in Bawana, was "made to stand" in the sun with bricks on her shoulders allegedly by her teacher. She breathed her last at Maharishi Valmiki Hospital here on Friday afternoon.

This is not the only incident of such sort, our country has been mutely witnessing several such incidents, and innocent kids have been losing their lives. The only solution to this to have proper regulations concerning the treatment towards school kids. Strenuous actions must be taken against teachers who try to handle kids with force. Physical punishments in schools must be banned and defaulters must be prosecuted. It is only through these efforts that one can regain the faith in Schools and teachers.

Prejudicious Conficker Virus Exasperates Into A Stealer

The Conficker worm that infected millions of computers around the world this month is now morphing and spreading, and is apparently posing an identity theft issue.

What is Conficker worm:

The Conficker worm is a computer worm that can infect your computer and spread itself to other computers across a network automatically, without human interaction.

What does the Conficker worm do?

To date, security researchers have discovered two variants of the worm in the wild

• Win32/Conficker.A was reported to Microsoft on November 21, 2008.
• Win32/Conficker.B was reported to Microsoft on December 29, 2008.
• Win32/Conficker.C was reported to Microsoft on February 20, 2009.
• Win32/Conficker.D was reported to Microsoft on March 4, 2009.

Win32/Conficker.B might spread through file sharing and via removable drives, such as USB drives (also known as thumb drives). The worm adds a file to the removable drive so that when the drive is used, the AutoPlay dialog will show one additional option.

Conficker Exasparates and Steals!

Conficker is now aggravating into an anti-virus program called Spyware Protect 2009. The worm takes users to a fake secuirty Web site, asks them to pay $50 for a spyware program that actually is the Conficker worm, then keeps your credit card information, to boot. "It infects your computer," she told Smith. "And it keeps that $50."

Conficker can pop up on your computer in various ways, like a pop-up that advertises a way to prevent the worm, or in your e-mail or Facebook account. So be safe during your online activities and dont click on sites that you are unfamiliar about.

Conficker Worm Bites.

More than 700 computers at the University of Utah have been infected with the Conficker worm. The hit includes computers at the university's three hospitals, the Associated Press reported early Sunday. University spokesman Chris Nelson said the outbreak was detected Thursday, the AP reported. By the next day, the worm had struck at the hospitals, medical school, and the nursing, pharmacy, and health colleges. Patient records have not been touched, Nelson said. IT cut off Net access for up to six hours on Friday in order to isolate the virus, the AP reported.

Am I at risk of having the Conficker worm?

Most antivirus software could detect and block the Conficker worm, so if you have updated antivirus software on your computer, you are at a much lower risk of being infected by the Conficker worm, if for some reason you are worried that your computer isinfected by Conficker wormjust take up the Simple Conficker Chart test.

This test helps you diagnose your system for Conficker Infection. Since, Conficker worm blocks your system from accessing security and anti virus websites, trying to access such sites can help you ensure if your Computer is infected with Conficker or not.

Make A Difference..

Society plays a great role in our life. A good society and a good social circle are vital for a happy life. Despite the innumerable benefits enjoyed through society, we are reluctant to do our bit for the cause of society. The present day society is flooded with a hefty amount of destitute and poverty-stricken population. There are children who lose their childhood, toiling hard to earn for their livelihood. Many children are pulled to the end of their lives, due to lack of food and shelter, while some are exploited due to child labour. Despite all these, the indifference of the uptown class of population towards such helpless souls is really pathetic.

Each person has to realize that they owe something towards the society. People should naturally tend to do contribute their best towards the society. One of the best ways in which one can help the destitute is by joining or organising an NGO that can work for the improvement of the destitute class's living conditions.
There are several NGO's operating all over our country, which have brought diverse changes to the poverty-stricken communities and helped in their upliftment. I insist that more and more people should enroll into these NGO's and do their part for societal improvement. Compared to the past few years, there has been a steep increase in the number of people who have enrolled into these NGO's. It is to be noted that the youth population is the one that dominates the NGO. More and more youth have started to realise their responsibilities towarsds the society.
The simplest way in which you can make a difference is by teaching the poor children in your locality. Many NGO's organise weekend education prgrammes which teach the poor kids, who cant afford to join schools. But the only set back is that these NGO's lack funds and work force. We can hep come over this obstacle by joining the NGO's and donatig to the NGO's. We have to remember that this is our society and we have to take care of it. Do your part for the society and make a difference in someone's life.