True joy of commitment

I still remember my first day in VMS CDN, when I joined as a fresher, oblivious of corporate life and responsibilities. Yet I had a belief that I am on my way to acquainting knowledge and new friends.

First steps

It felt great to be out of the college cocoon and to work on a real project. I was excited about working on a really interesting concept of data delivery and services.  The fact that I could learn how the giant World Wide Web and its services work made me more excited about VMS. Still I had a concern about working with new people, getting acquainted to corporate processes and all those thoughts that haunt every fresher.

Auld langsyne

The first few days at VMS CDN are really memorable. It was a detrimental phase which changed the way we lived. Days were no more defined by lectures and breaks, instead we started getting used to several coding and process related tools. Enthusiasm was high among the team members, everyone was eager to make a head start with VMS. From managers to Technical lead and SSEs to freshers, everyone felt a sense of commitment towards the team.  Mentoring plans were framed to initiate knowledge transfer among the team members. It was great to see how availing the team members were when it came to helping each other with knowledge and competency improvement. The company of such dedicated and adjuvant team mates contributed towards the building of a warm team atmosphere.  At the same time there was a surge of motivation among the team members to contribute their best, which in turn encouraged other member to do their best for the team too.

Magic of working together

Just like everyone else, I hate solitude and love to be accompanied. Thanks to Agile, it helped to keep solitude aloof through “Pair programming”.  Being an Agile team, pair programming was put through in VMS. This really worked wonders for the deliverable as well as for the team members. With pair programming there was no room for un-clarified assumptions and knowledge gap. It was planned that freshers would be paired up with the senior members of the team so as to familiarize the fresh members of the process, the domain knowledge and all the strings that come attached.  It was only through pair programming that we could gain more knowledge about the domain, listen to expert advice, learn from each other’s experiences and gain hands on knowledge on the tools that help in crafting high quality deliverable  Apart from improving the team competency and deliverable quality, pair programming helped sew up a strong bond among the team members, who now started spending the most time with each other. This thrashed up all communication gaps and crafted a strong team.

Yes you can!

Doesn't it feel good when your team shows belief in you and stays by your side during every phase that you go through? Such was the feel that the VMS members had for each other. It was great to see the way senior members vested their faith on fresh talent, encouraged them so as to bring out the best.  Contributions and innovations like CI compliance melioration, CI effectiveness were all the result of support and encouragement provided to the stakeholders. Effort and dedication never went unperceived. Team members were awarded and recognized for their achievements through several means including iteration level awards and honor boards thereby building up the team morale.

Coalesce of Work and frolic

As we know “All work and no play does make a team dull”, play and work were blended together in VMS. Dart, Carom and many more games were brought in to enlighten the team. These games had a refreshing effect on the team. Amidst strenuous discussions on efficient algorithm design and developments, a small game helped refresh ones thoughts and come up with better solutions with ease. Moreover amiability and cohesion among the team increased many folds through these games.

Scope for competency improvement

There were ample opportunities to improve ones competency through the numerous trainings that were organized. Knowledge sharing sessions on the project proved beneficial to understand the real time usage of the developed products.  The CI issues found and resolved by the team were also sent across so as to help others resolve the same with ease.

Happy to help!

It is worth mentioning that the helping tendency of the team members has contributed to the team’s achievement as a whole. No matter what the situation, one could always seek help from the team members.  The generous attitude of people to spend time on solving each other’s issues and clarifying doubts, even amidst hectic release schedules is admirable. Harmonious relation and interaction between the test team and the development team resulted in high quality deliverables.

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".

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!

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.

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.

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"!

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.

Earth Hour - A dark hour for a brighter tomorrow.

Earth our eternal home is under threat. There have been several grievous issues clouding our Earth. It is believed that soon Earth wont be a suitable place for living creatures. Life on Earth is under grave threat. Following these issues there have been a whole lot of initiatives to curb the pollution and other dreadful factors that exploit and deteriorate the environment. Despite all such kind efforts, there has been no substantial change in our Environments pollution level.

Pollution levels are rapidly shooting up, water is getting precious day by day and the climatic conditions are undergoing emphatic changes. These are the results of our nonchalance towards our Mother Nature. People all our the world seem to have forgotten that Nature is our global haven. The world is avariciously exploiting the natural resources thereby resulting in the extinction of innumerable resources. If the current scenario persists, then no doubt Earth will be a barren, and pernicious place, with no speck of life.

Taking the environmental conditions in account, last year Australia had introduced a revolutionary idea which aimed at having all power sources turned off for one whole hour. The idea was a great sizzler. The message conveyed was that through the joint effort of people towards conserving resources, the pollution and the climatic anomalies can be curbed.

This year theconcept marched several steps ahead and "Earth Hour" was celebrated on a world wide basis on 28th March. To learn more about the campaign please visit this site.The aim was to spread the message of "Environmental Conservation" to every citizen in the world and hence ensure environental conservation. This is a global election to save Earth and each effort to switch off the lights will be a vote to save the Earth. Three cheers for such green efforts. Its only through such collaborative efforts that human beings can ensure a green safe earth. So there is no issue in having little darkness today, when it can lead to a brighter, greener tomorrow.

Mallya brings home the memorabilia-A Disgrace or Pride?

Gandhiji is the most loved leader of India and is renowned for his ideals of non violence and simple living. However the incidents in the past few days have added a political tint to a few so-called Gandhian pluggers all over the world. The political melodrama was staged by knavish political parties to gain public attention and support by showcasing themselves as fanatic Gandhians. With the election season coming up, the political parties entered a wild goose chase to win over Gandhis memorabilia being auctioned by American collector James Otis at Newyork. The point in bidding for Gandhis memorabilia was to one-up each other in the election campaign and thereby gain overwhelming public support.

In staging the bidding drama, the top three political parties started choosing capable bidders who could bid over the memorabilia on the parties behalf. The politicians initially shorlisted potential bidders and then chose the best proxies for themselves. Eventually the war of the proxies was all set in Newyork. Amidst all these chaos, the government of India tried its hand at staying the auction of Gandhi's memorabilia stating that such an auction would hurt the sentiments of the Indian citizens. Thisopposition was aimed at winning over a good public opinion on the government. Despite the governments efforts to stay the auction, the auction proceeded as planned.

The things being auctioned had a market value of $30,000, but the wild competition among the bidders raised the bid value to several millions. Eventually Vijay Mallya won the auction by bidding for a whooping $1.8 million. Rumours say that Vijay Mallya was Congress' proxy bidder. It is also in the air that BJP and the Samajwadi party saw their proxy bidders being closely dropped out in the auction.

The picture is now all smoke and mirrors. Yet the Gandhian principles have been violated in public. The whole rush to bring home Gandhis memorabilia ended up hurting Gandhian principles. So the entire episode of this auction has been a disgrace to the vying politicians.