BStir now supports Unicode

Today, I added support for Unicode characters in BStir. Its a good news for Non-English bloggers... Enjoy blogging!

Techtribe - The way to go!

Techtribe is a social network for Tech enthusiasts, entrepreneurs, and innovators. It is well fine-tuned for serving its tech audience to connect & develop. This site makes it easy for developers to collaborate on some idea, create a startup, or make a combined effort to develop a product.

Its so much fun to meet many techies, and discuss what can be developed on the technical front. On this site, I met several entrepreneurs and felt very motivated on learning about their ventures.

Since several weeks, I've been asking my friends to collaborate with me on a web project and lay the foundation for a startup... But none showed enough interest in entrepreneurship. When I first read about Techtribe and its mission, I knew it was god-sent for people like me. I quickly registered, and actively participated in a few tribes to appreciate the full potential of the site. I found many new friends, and met like-minded aspired youngsters with the same zest & zeal as mine. Thanks to Techtribe!

Reservation - A political game in India

Reservation has become this decade's best foxy political game played in India, and the timing could not get any worse. The Reservation bill is passed at a time when India has to prove its quality and workmanship in the international market, as it is about to touch unreachable heights in the service industry. Getting to such higher grounds is an accomplishment... However, retaining the position by maintaining quality of service complements the previously made accomplishment. It is possible only by creating an undivided merit-rewarding society.

But the current politicians who support reservation are leading India towards a shallow slope. As this blogger (Krishna Chaitanya) has said, all the protests by the educated class are now in vain. An ideal alternative to help the SC/ST classes is at the base level by training them to be competent.

Hmmm... what a true social injustice. Its a shame that India has taken the path to create a class-based society. I still wonder how India can claim to be a true democracy when most of its learned class is against the govt policies.

Check out my earlier blog post on Reservation in India.

An overview of Stuff-a-Blog

Just emphasizing on what Stuff-a-Blog currently has to offer... Its a quick & easy way to enrich your blog. Stuff-a-Blog's BMash and BStir are simple, useful and yet fun for bloggers to please their reader community.

BMash
In simple words, it makes it easy for a blogger to create content-rich blog posts. It works by using several mashup APIs to generate high quality content relevant to the keywords.

BStir
Any blog can make use of this service to surprise its readers with a random post from the archives. Give a new life to all the excellent posts you've written in the past...

All this is FREE! and No Login required.

Launching 'BStir' - Surprise your blog readers

Today, I launched a new service called BStir as a part of Stuff-a-Blog series. This is simple, useful and yet fun for bloggers to please their reader community. Any blog can make use of this service to surprise its readers with a random post from the archives. Give a new life to all the excellent posts you've written in the past...

Its easy to customize the look and feel of the random post to include just the title, or wrap it with a border. You can further set keyword criteria to control the selection of random posts, and limit the number of posts to display.



Here is all that you have to do... Goto BStir, and enter your blog-site in the form. Get the code, and Paste it in your blog. This service is based on the results from Google Blog-search.

You can find samples of BStir on this page (Its titled 'Musings in the past'). Hope you all like it! Enjoy blogging~

India should make ends meet

India has abundance of resources; be it money, population, or knowledge... but they are unevenly distributed. You can find illiterates & masterminds, super-rich & beggers, industrialists & unemployed ones... all living in the same society. The demand of the hour is a middle-man who can connect the extremes, and create a balanced society. Lets discuss how internet can serve as a middle man.

There are many generous people (including NRIs) willing to donate money for a good cause to India. But they are finding it hard to discover the right channel for directing their funds. There are 2 subjects of concern for the charity:

1. Discovering a genuine organization that does the good works as they claim.
2. A way to channelize funds (money) to that organization.

To overcome the above concerns, we can create a wiki-style directory of all organizations in the country, and classify them based on location, purpose, and size. It should include all charity organizations, history research centers, old-age homes, orphanages, etc... This is a group effort, and not a one-person job.

This wiki-style site should also empower the readers to channelize funds to a particular organization electronically. We can in-turn create a community of donors and recipients. The launch of 'Sanskrit Voice' is my first attempt to serve the Indian heritage via internet. You can expect more such experiments to come...

Google's reference to Failure

Google's results are very interesting sometimes... Try this one out.
1. Go to Google ( http://www.google.com )
2. Type in the word "Failure"
3. Instead of clicking "Google Search," click "I'm Feeling Lucky."
4. See search results.

You might have seen such things before... This one adds to the list.

Stuff-a-Blog looks new again

Today, I revamped my webapp 'Stuff-a-Blog', and gave it a refreshing look & feel. The front-page display elements are re-arranged, icons replaced, and the site is now prepared to compile many more blog tools. A formal name 'BMash' is given to whatever its been doing so far... i.e. mashing up content for a blog-post. Hmm... Its a clear indication that new blog tools are coming soon to Stuff-a-Blog. Enjoy Blogging~

Make sense of your wrist watch

When I came to US, one of the first things I observed was that not many people carry wrist-watches with them. Initially it seemed strange, but made lot more sense when I gave it a thought. Most people cling on to their cell phones always, and these are good for time-lookups. Then, why have wrist watches? Here is the answer from 'Computer World'

The only remaining reasons to wear a wristwatch are habit and status. Though obsolete, a wristwatch still conveys an old-school reliability. Businesspeople wear them for the same reason they still wear ties. and for the same reason banks still have big steel vaults even though money is now just digital information. It's iconic theater.

Well... yeah! To me, its just a habit. I also get a feel of being time-conscious, and utilizing most of my time. Just a psychological aspect of life. Being a computer professional, I seldom use my wrist-watch for time lookups. Anyways, for those who want to make more sense of their wrist watch, check out these ultra-cool gadgets in the place of your plain old wrist watch. Of course, you need a heavy wallet to own these...

• Thanko FMP3 Watch
• MP4 Watch
• Bluetooth MBW-100 Watch
• Laks Baby Boom Wristwatch
• Seawatch UV
• GammaWatch

Of all the above, only the first two interest me... The first one plays music, and the second one plays music & video. Thats after-all what you need (among the ones you don't need).

Promoting Sanskrit in Himachal Pradesh

Himachal Pradesh is taking efforts to elevate Sanskrit to new levels. Its a very thoughtful action by the state officials in the right direction. Several thousand Sanskrit manuscripts yet to be translated are found in India. Its also the need of the hour to digitize these ancient manuscripts, and protect the valuables. Way to go Himachal Pradesh...

Himachal Pradesh will promote Sanskrit and explore possibilities to computerise the language to modernise the learning process, Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh said here Sunday.

Source:Telugu Portal

Launch of 'Sanskrit Voice'

Today at 8:55 am, I launched a non-profit project called 'Sanskrit Voice'...

Recently, I felt the urge to create a project that serves one of the earliest of ancient languages. After working on it for a couple of weeks, 'Sanskrit Voice' is launched today to mark the occasion of my 25th birthday. Check out this article to learn why we should care about Sanskrit!



If you are wondering what this site is all about, here you go~
1. Learn Sanskrit glossary at your leisure using RSS
2. Read & Share articles or resources related to Sanskrit
3. Campaign the learning of Sanskrit

Purpose!
1. Learn, and spread awareness about Sanskrit
2. Create a community of Sanskrit lovers

P.S.
Please support the 'campaign to spread Sanskrit' by adding a Campaign-button to your site. Lets all join hands and revive Sanskrit for the modern world.

Be good... Live good

When Boja Maharaj (King) asked the great poet Kalidasa as what is the essense of 1 crore books written about life, he answered...

"Paropakaraha punyaya, papaya parapeedanam".
To do good to others is merit. To hurt and cause suffering to others is sin (In this context, trouble refers both bodily and on the mind level).

Speaking of how your thoughts can affect your behavior, here is a good explanation. Your thoughts reflect your words... Your words reflect your deeds... Your deeds become your habits in course of time... and your habits shape your personality. Ofcourse, your personality can decide your future.

Just as how we all believe that energy can neither be created nor be destroyed, and can only be transformed; all the good you do will not go in vain. The more good you do to others, more good will happen to you.

Style your Charity

I have a firm opinion about how charity should be done. The article 'Giving Your All' by Steven Landsburg brings more clarity and strategy on how to plan my charities. When I first thought about Charity, it sounded as simple as giving a portion of my income to my family. What kind of style can be associated with Charity?

The article mentioned two ways of doing charity.

1. Do your research, short-list your options, and select just 1 organization from your list. Give all your charity to this organization.
2. Do your research and short-list your options. Then, give a portion of your charity to each of the organizations in your list. In other words, distribute your charity to several organizations.

There has been a debate on which strategy is better... But however, several economists recommend Strategy-1. Here is an excerpt from Tim Harford's reasoning:

Many people are unconvinced by this argument—which I owe to Steven Landsburg—because they are used to diversifying their financial investments (a bit of Google stock and a bit of Exxon, too) and varying their choices (vanilla ice cream AND bananas). But those instincts are selfish: They are not intended to benefit both Google and Exxon, nor both the ice-cream company and the banana growers. With charity, the logic is different, and a truly selfless donor would bite the bullet and put his entire donation behind one cause. That we find that so hard to imagine is just one more indication of how hard it is for us to think ourselves into a truly selfless view of the world.

Here is my stand on it... I take the hybrid approach. I would broadly classify the kinds of charity that interest me, and then direct my contributions to just 1 organization in each category. Let me explain why I chose this path. I (hopefully all of you too) put aside a specific portion of the salary every month for charity. Once the money accrues to a substantial size, we donate it for a good cause. There are several forms of charity, each targeting a specific aspect of the society. For a prosperous future, we need to build a society strong in all aspects. By channelizing the contributions to just 1 organization in each category, we can do some good at a noteworthy level.

For example, Giving food (anna-dhaana) to fight starvation is a great form of charity. Another aspect of charity is to provide education, support the spreading of knowledge, and contribute to literacy efforts. In Sanskrit, this form of charity is called vidhyaa-dhaana (knowledge-charity). It is as important as anna-dhaana (food-charity), and both of these target different aspects of our society.

I'd love to know what you guys think...

Cool Idea for a Mobile App

During the NFJS symposium in Dallas, one of the speakers mentioned about an excellent application (you may call it web2.0) for a mobile user. It appropriately makes use of today's high-tech cell phone capabilities. For the sake of discussion, lets give the application a name... I am going to call it 'Deal on Demand'

While you are shopping, you come across an expensive article that you wish to purchase... But, you keep your fingers crossed about the best price you could pay for it. This is when 'Deal-on-Demand' comes into your life. Using your camera-phone, you click a photo at the barcode of the article, and send it along with your zip-code to the 'Deal-on-Demand' center via SMS / Email. You get a message back telling you if thats a good price to pay. In addition to that, you may also be informed about the nearest location where you could buy it at a cheaper price.

It sounds so cool... Does'nt it? If I've heard it right, there is a team of developers out there trying to execute the idea already!

Disclaimer: Its not my idea.

Expressing Web-2.0 in a word

Hey... How do you define the entire concept of Web 2.0 in a single word. I choose the word 'Synergy'. Here is the meaning of 'Synergy'

The interaction of two or more agents or forces so that their combined effect is greater than the sum of their individual effects.

Every user acts as an agent who contributes a little to the system, and the result is a Web2.0 system whose utility value is tremendous. Can you find a better word?

Reliance - Farmer's friend

I was delighted when I read the news about Reliance's venture into the Retail industry (Grocery outlets) of India.
For those looking for the numbers, here is some text pulled out from BBC News.

Branded "Reliance Fresh", they are part of a $5bn project planned for more than 780 cities and 6,000 rural towns in India over the next five years. The company aims to open stores in the top 70 cities within the next two years and have sales of $25bn by 2011.

Farmers make the backbone of India, and hence are very crucial for its economic progress. But so far, its a sad story for the farmers with so many suicides every year due to drought/flood conditions. The government has done very little to solve the problem at its roots. The farmers should be given (or) helped with supply-chain management of the crops, regulated water supply, and increased technology to improve productivity.

Its a very good move by the Reliance Inc. to be a farmer's friend, and become 'The Walmart of India'. As Mukesh Ambani has said, its a win-win patnership for Reliance and the farmers. Reliance has now shown the path, which will be soon followed by other Industry leaders too. Here is an excerpt from India-Enews.

Under the project, the company will set up world-class infrastructure for supply chain under a farm-to-fork strategy. 'This idea is to make farmers our partners and ensure fresh fruits and vegetables at affordable prices,' Pillai said.

'It is a small step in our initiative, which will create a virtuous circle of prosperity by bringing the farmers and consumers in a win-win partnership,' said Mukesh Ambani, who was here Thursday night, but not at the official opening.

This has come at a time when India's economic progress is escalating at a rapid pace. It would be good if the Indian government also plans on taking measures to protect farmers against drought and flood. Merging of rivers is a very good solution, but requires extensive planning, funding, and negotiations. Anyways, lets hope for the best in future.

Myths for web2.0 ideas

Y'day, I was discussing with my friend about the characteristics of a web2.0 application that can generate AD-revenue with ease. We quickly came up with a list of myths for webapp ideas.

1. Page Hits
   The webapp should genuinely compel the user to visit the site often. In other words, the user should find the need to interact with the webapp on a daily basis for his benefit. For instance, Bookmarking, Digg, Blog, ...


2. Applicability
   The webapp should be applicable to serve a large community. Bigger the size of your target audience, greater are the chances of success.


3. Desperate Audience
   Desperate users will click through your Ads more often than others. So, the webapp should serve user's top priority needs such as finding jobs, dates, free money, deals, etc...
   


4. Simplicity
   Keep it short and simple... in terms of both purpose and interface. The purpose of the webapp should be simple, straight-forward, and solve a specific problem in the domain. An overly complicated tool with multi-tasking capability can confuse or frighten the user. Also, keep the navigation interface and GUI as simple (yet elegant) as possible.
   


5. Maintenance Cost
   Start-ups should consider the cost of maintaining large databases, security, etc. So, make sure the webapp requires just a minimum set of web resources to start off with.
   


6. Creative solution
   The webapp should provide a new solution to an old problem. That means, it should be unique in its capability to serve the user's need. Its not healthy to replicate other webapps, and clone the top-notch apps in the domain.

My dashboard - Siddhi Labs

Today, I launched a dashboard for all my experiments with the web. I named it Siddhi-Labs. Here is the meaning of 'Siddhi' picked from Cologne Sanskrit dictionary:

Siddhi: accomplishment , performance , fulfilment , complete attainment (of any object) , success

Check out my latest creations, browse thru my write-ups, and get judgmental about my pics. This will be the central HUB for all my future works too...

The Good Blogs

Here is an innovative approach to get the attention of web surfers... with regard to some recently published blog posts in the net. The Good Blogs introduces an ad-supported free service that can increase a blog's readership. Marketing of blogs is certainly the most demanding feature of the hour, and TheGoodBlogs capitalizes on this need.

Goal: To create distributed communities of bloggers who actively promote each other every time readers visit their blogs and in doing so,

• dramatically increase the number of people who read their blogs, and
• seamlessly introduce new bloggers and fresh content to their readers.

Its a new solution to an old problem. I wonder why Technorati did not come up with such a service long time ago? Honestly, I liked this service, and it really works.

Launching 'Fundoo Web'

Today, an offshoot of my first webapp is born. I named it 'Fundoo Web' :)

'Fundoo Web' is a mashup search tool that enable users to retrieve information from several sources in a single click. Hence, the user will save time & can increase his scope without any additional effort.

It comprises of several modules floating on the webpage. Each module interacts with a specific source to query and display the search results. The Ajax interface comes in handy to refine the keywords, or get more content from any single module.

Modules currently in action are... Yahoo Web, Flickr, News, Yahoo Answers, Amazon, and Map.

Start playing with it, and hope you like it!

Celebration with lights

Wish you all a very happy Diwali ~


Relevant pics from Flickr



Related News
An insider's guide to Diwali
Diwali in a sun 'n' sand setting
Healthy Diwali

Yahoo Answers
Good hindi songs to dance to for a diwali program?
HAPPY DIWALI to all of you,may the light shower u blessings from darkness/ignorace to knowledge?
diwali gretting?
Diwali SMS?

Some of my recent related posts

Click here for a list of all my previous blog-posts related to diwali
Have a crackling Diwali. May this season bring you good luck & happiness!

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First Month Stats of my Webapp

Check out my webapp's visitor activity on its first month after the official launch on Sep 14, 2006. I'm glad at how its been well received by you all, and thanks for the support.


Site: Stuff a Blog

A Developer's Dream

I came across a well-written article that discusses the hidden desire in most of the software developers... Here is an excerpt that tells you what.

They all want to know how to start a company, get VC funding, sell the company, make millions and retire at a very young age.

The article also gives us an insight into what it takes to achieve this dream. It lists 3 things for you to create a software company.

1. First, you need to be dedicated
2. The second thing is you need to be a decent developer
3. Finally, you need a little bit of money
   

I liked the explanation that was given to the first point. Give it a quick read if you have time...

Shortcut for creative ideas

Here is an interesting find... A list of techniques to encourage our mind to come up with new & fresh ideas. Not just ideas to solve, but a list of techniques to create innovative problems too. Its all about tricking the mind to use its own potential.

Free Ajax Online Course

I was recommended by a friend to check out the 10-week online Ajax workshop by Sang Shin. All the content is in the form of slides that can be downloaded from his website. I find it very useful, and comprehensive. He starts off teaching Ajax from scratch, and proceeds to touch upon every aspect of web development that is associated with Ajax. The tutorial includes theory slides, hands-on code, homework, and a certificate that will be issued on successful completion of the course. Thanks to Sang Shin for all his hardwork.

In the place of Amazing

I'm sick of hearing this word again and again for almost every silly thing. You guessed it right... Its the word "AMAZING". Hey, I am no exception and I use it often too. However, I always love to differ from the rest in every (little) way possible. The choice of words can make a person unique indeed.

I'm sure there are better alternatives to the word "Amazing". Lets start having a peek into the dictionary. Here are some...

• Exquisite
• astounding
• bewildering
• breathtaking
• extraordinary
• impressive
• marvelous
• spectacular
• staggering
• startling
• striking
• stupefying
• stupendous
• ...
  

Flexlists

While browsing thru the web2.0 directory, I happened to visit Flexlists. After getting acquainted with it for a minute, I started to appreciate its use of AJAX, sorting capability, and the export/import feature. I believe there are many possible uses of this. Infact, I've been looking for such a webapp to maintain my 'List of Good Words'. Lucky that I ran into this site!

Some bad English to make you laugh

Its a forwarded article in my inbox. Good for a read, and a hearty laughter

An employee applied for leave as follows:
Since I have to go to my village to sell my land along with my wife. Please sanction me one-week leave.

Another employee applied for half day leave as follows:
"Since I've to go to the cremation ground and I may not return, Please grant me half day casual leave"

A candidate's application:
"This has reference to your advertisement calling for a 'typist and an accountant - Male or Female'... As I am both for the past several years and I can handle both, I am applying for the post.

Another leave letter written to Administration dept:
"As my mother-in-law has expired and I am responsible for it, please grant me 10 days leave.

A friend of mine had written a leave letter to the headmaster:
"As I am studying in this school I am suffering from headache. I
request you to leave me today"

A family friend of ours told an incident of his friend's letter:
"I am suffering from fever, please declare holiday to the school"

Another leave letter written to the headmaster:
"As my headache is paining, please grant me leave for the day".

A covering note:
"I am enclosed herewith..."

Actual letter written for application of leave:
"My wife is suffering from sickness and as I am her only husband at home I may be granted leave".

Letter writing:
"I am in well here and hope you are also in the same well."

Mystic India

Y'day, I watched the movie 'Mystic India' in the nearby IMAX theatre. For the first time, I watched an Indian movie on an IMAX screen, and I just loved it. The IMAX quality is indeed the best, making me feel my presence in Ancient India.

The movie depicts the splendid journey of a 11 yr old kid (Neelkanth) who walked bare-foot across the length & breadth of India in search of TRUTH. It emphasizes the culture, unity, and beauty of India, and its people.

Here is an exerpt from Wikipedia:

Mystic India is a 2004 large format film (commonly known as IMAX format) about India's unique culture, diverse people, and moving traditions. Using the story of the 12,000 km barefoot journey throughout 18th century India undertaken by Hindu priest Swaminarayan (then known as Neelkanth) from the ages 11 to 18, Mystic India is a film dedicated to the universally inspiring message of unity in diversity. As Peter O'Toole states in the film "we walk the same earth, breath the same air...we are a single human family."

The movie is simply superb! and I cannot stop thinking about the determination Neelkanth had at a very young age. One of the enlightening scenes of the movie that caught my attention is when Neelkanth decides to climb the Himalayas, and says "It is FAITH that will show me the way".

Unique strategy to display Ads on websites

I borrowed the basic idea from 'The Logo Homepage' and tweaked it slightly to fit my purpose. The result is a unique Advertising scheme. I would stay in the lines of Zhen Sun, and call it "Logovertising"

LogoVertising is Logo + Advertising. Pay attention, please, it is a term coined by me, Zhen Sun! Honestly, it'd be so cool if the term goes popular and it is associated with me!.

I've put Logovertising into action in my webapp ('Stuff a Blog'). The Logos will be a part of the slideshow on my front-page, and will also be displayed in the 'Logo Surf' page. This way, my webapp can support many advertisers with a bare minimum pricing scheme. This infact preserves the good looks of my website, and does not annoy the users. Its a total win-win situation!

Check it out yourself... Here are some screenshots.

The Logo Homepage

I came across the site 'The Logo Homepage', and was pleasantly surprised by how the creator of the website marketed his idea. Its a plain and simple idea... We pay him, and he puts our logo on his site's frontpage.

On reading its FAQ page, I learnt that its been created by a college student, who wants to make it BIG in life. He mentions that he was inspired by the UK million dollar student Alex Tew, and explains how he came up with this idea.

In spite of his reasoning, I still wonder why would anybody pay him to get their logo on his site. There are many other sites that will do it for free such as Web2logo, 'BuzzShout LogoSurf', ...etc. Anyways! whatever be the reason, I appreciate the kid for putting his idea into action, and making it work. Infact, I could find nearly 200 logos on his frontpage.

Launching my mashup 'Stuff a Blog'

Today at approx 8:30 am, I launched my mashup web-application titled 'Stuff a Blog'. My parents, and my sis were the first ones to use it. Infact, they were online at the time of my launch. I posted the release notes (blog post) in my blog to mark the occasion. My timing could'nt be better as today is my father's birthday. Everyone congratulated me, and felt very happy.

Later today, I sent an email to all my collegues, friends & relatives asking them to check out the webapp. I hope this will be my first step towards the creation of a full-fledged web2.0 application. Wait and see...

Stuff a Blog

A little while ago, I wanted to create a webapp using Ajax and mashup APIs... just to catch-up with the buzz. Having worked on it for more than a month, its now time to disclose it.

I introduce to you, 'STUFF A BLOG' - Enrich and extend your blog post.

Often, I felt the need to enrich my plain vanilla blog-post with relevant content available in the net. I created this webapp that can do exactly that. Just type in your keywords, select your content, and get the HTML in a snap.

In simple words, it makes it easy for a blogger to create content-rich blog posts. It works by using several mashup APIs to generate high quality content relevant to the keywords.

Here are a few things that we could do with my webapp...

1. Yahoo Map Image - After a vacation, embed a Yahoo Map
   
2. Flickr Pics - Decorate with Flickr Images of the vacation spot
3. Yahoo News - Append the latest news related to the subject in hand
4. Yahoo Answers - Support discussions with Yahoo answers (questions)
5. Amazon Product Details - To help write a review of a recent purchase, include the pic & details of the product from Amazon
6. Opinion Icons - Express our standpoint in the form of icons
7. Site Search - Add a List of previous related blog posts, as a footnote to the current post
8. Tags - Extract the tags / keywords automatically from the blog-post

All this is FREE! and No Login required...

Just drop by for a quick glance, or try-it out yourself.
View Samples - one two three

Can you find DIGG in your dictionary

It would be interesting if Digg is in the lines of Google, and gets added to our dictionary. I've heard a few techies using digg as a verb in order to express their approval (vote). But, here is an interesting info about "Digg, trademarks, and confusion". Check it out!

BTW, for those who are not aware of the popularity of Digg, read the post from TechCrunch.

Below is the content generated by 'Stuff a Blog'

Digg started out as an experiment in 2004-11-01

Tags
digg
Relevant pics from Flickr



Related News
Geek to Live: Wget local copies of your online research (del.icio.us, digg or Google Notebook)
Digg founder dismisses Web 2.0 'me tooism'
Kevin Rose to make Digging easier

Yahoo Answers
The first Digg on digg.com and promotion?
Digg.com-like website?
is digg the new slashdot?
www.digg.com has how many monthly unique visitors ?

Some of my recent related posts
0 - Click here for a list of all my previous blog-posts related to digg
I love digg... what genuine idea!

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Jai Hind...

Thinking of my country on its independence day.

Disciplinary Mind

Y'day, my mom was explaining me the content of the book "Sri Ramakrishna Prabha", which she had read recently. The subject interested me a lot, and I decided to subscribe to this book. It gives a greater clarity to my thoughts, and teaches me the righteous way to live life. Click here for the article that convinced me to go for a subscription. Its an article titled "Overcoming Negative Ideas", but it tells much more that just that. Here is an excerpt.

There is an interesting anecdote of a landowner who lived near the town of Beaumontin, Texas, in America. Financial reasons forced him to sell portions of his land to feed his family. Then an oil company manager told him that there could be oil on his property and offered to pay him royalties if he would permit them to drill on his land. The landowner agreed, as he had nothing to lose. Surprisingly, there was indeed an oil well there and that was the discovery of 'Spindle Top', the most productive single oil well in history. The landowner became an instant multimillionaire--or did he? The reply is no. He had been rich even earlier but did not have the knowledge of the oil available there and consequently did not capitalize on it. Similarly, everyone has in himself an incredible ability, talent and divine wealth, which however remains unrecognised and unutilised. We should hence get acquainted with ourselves by doing a little mental drilling and exploring, for we have nothing to lose in the process. And what is the tool for this task? Self-discipline. It is the key to all great discoveries, and achievements in all walks of life.

The above excerpt tells that by self-decipline, we can achieve greater heights. Read the article's section titled 'Dive Deep, O Mind' to learn the varieties of disciplinary exercises for the youth to choose.

Story behind the emblem

Below is the emblem of Sri Ramakrishna Math. I recently came across the meaning behind this emblem, and wanted to share among u all...


Designed and explained by Swami Vivekananda

The wavy waters in the picture are symbolic of work, and lotus, of devotion, and the rising sun, of knowledge. The encircling serpent is indicative of yoga and the awakened power dormant in us, while the swan in the picture stands for God. Therefore, the idea of the picture is that by the union of work, knowledge, devotion, and yoga, the vision of God is obtained.

The Rakhi day

Today is Raksha-bandhan day... I got an e-greeting and a rakhi from my sis, and we wished each other on phone. Thanks, and I love u sis!

here is a good pic that I found on the net... Its Rakhi day

Whatz in the name?

Do you know how these companies got their names... I bet you must have known most of them. Here is a revision for you.

Compaq
This name was formed by using COMp, for computer, and PAQ to denote a small integral object.

Mercedes
This was actually the Diamler/Benz's French financier's daughter's name.

Adobe
This came from the name of the river Adobe Creek that ran behind the house of founder John Warnock.

Apple Computers
It was the favorite fruit of founder Steve Jobs. He was three months late in filing a name for the business and he threatened to call his company Apple Computers if the other colleagues didn't suggest a better name by 5 O'clock. They couldn't, he did!

CISCO
It is not an acronym as popularly believed. It is short for San Francisco.

Corel
The name was derived from the founder's name Dr. Michael Cowpland. It stands for COwpland REsearch Laboratory.

Google
The name started as a joke boasting about the amount of information the search-engine would be able to search. It was originally named 'Googol', a word for the number represented by 1 followed by 100 zeros. After founders - Stanford graduate students Sergey Brin and Larry Page presented their project to an angel investor, they received their first funding cheque made out to 'Google'. Since they didn't want to risk going back to the investor to correct the error, they retained the name 'Google'!!

Hotmail
Founder Jack Smith got the idea of accessing e-mail via the web from a computer anywhere in the world. When Sabeer Bhatia came up with the business plan for the mail service, he tried all kinds of names ending in 'mail' and finally settled for hotmail as it included the letters "html" - the programming language used to write web pages. It was initially referred to as HoTMaiL with selective uppercasing.

Hewlett Packard
Bill Hewlett and Dave Packard tossed a coin to decide whether the company they founded would be called Hewlett-Packard or Packard-Hewlett.

Intel
Bob, Noyce and Gordon Moore wanted to name their new company 'Moore Noyce' but that was already trademarked by a hotel chain . So they had to settle for an acronym of INTegrated ELectronics.

Lotus (Notes)
Mitch Kapor got the name for his company from 'The Lotus Position' or 'Padmasana'. Kapor used to be a teacher of Transcendental Meditation of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi.

Microsoft
Coined by Bill Gates to represent the company that was devoted to MICROcomputer SOFTware. Originally christened Micro-Soft, the '-' was removed later on.

Motorola
Founder Paul Galvin came up with this name when his company started manufacturing radios for cars. The popular radio company at the time was called Victrola.

ORACLE
Larry Ellison and Bob Oats were working on a consulting project for the CIA (Central Intelligence Agency). The code name for the project was called Oracle (the CIA saw this as the system to give answers to all questions or some such thing). The project was designed to help use the newly written SQL code by IBM. The project eventually was terminated but Larry and Bob decided to finish what they started and bring it to the world. They kept the name Oracle and created the RDBMS engine. Later, they decided on the same name for the company.

Sony
It originated from the Latin word 'sonus' meaning sound, and 'sonny' a slang used by Americans to refer to a bright youngster.

SUN
Founded by 4 Stanford University buddies, SUN is the acronym for Sanford University Network. Andreas Bechtolsheim built a microcomputer; Vinod Khosla recruited him and Scott McNealy to manufacture computers based on it, and Bill Joy to develop a UNIX-based OS for the computer.

Yahoo!
The word was invented by Jonathan Swift and used in his book 'Gulliver's Travels'. It represents a person who is repulsive in appearance and action and is barely human. Yahoo! founders Jerry Yang and David Filo selected the name because they considered themselves yahoos.

Just thought of sharing these facts..............

AR Rahman's "WorldSpace - Signature Tune"

WORLDSPACE® Satellite Radio unveils Signature-Tune by brand ambassador AR.Rahman. The signature tune will be used in an integrated communications campaign.

The WORLDSPACE signature tune draws inspiration from the sounds of nature and the rhythms of our everyday lives. AR Rahman has woven the lyrical sounds of the soothing sea, a bird's chirpy call, the earthy chant of fishermen – among a medley of other evocative sounds around us, crafting a tune that refreshes and energizes, showcasing the true inspiration of music.

Click here to listen to the tune. Its simply superb!

Frustrate the smart people

Below are four (4 ) questions and a bonus question. You have to answer them instantly. You can't take your time, answer all of them immediately. OK?
Let's find out just how clever you really are.

First Question:
Y ou are participating in a race You overtake the second person. What position are you in?
.
.
.

Answer: If you answered that you are first, then you are absolutely wrong! If you overtake the second person and you take his place, you are second! (Select the text to see the answer)

Try not to screw up in the next question.
To answer the second question, don't take as much time as you took for the first question.

Second Question:
If you overtake the last person, then you are...?
.
.
.
Answer: If you answered that you are second to last, then you are wrong again. Tell me, how can you overtake the LAST Person? (Select the text to see the answer)

You're not very good at this! Are you?

Third Question: Very tricky math! Note: This must be done in your head only. Do NOT use paper and pencil or a calculator. Try it.
Take 1000 and add 40 to it. Now add another 1000. Now add 30. Add another 1000. Now add 20. Now add another 1000 Now add 10. What is the total?
.
.
.
Did you get 5000 ?
.
.
.
The correct answer is actually 4100. (Select the text to see the answer)
Don't believe it? Check with your calculator! Today is definitely not your day. Maybe you will get the last question right?

Fourth Question:
Mary's father has five daughters: 1. Nana, 2. Nene, 3. Nini, 4. Nono.
What is the name of the fifth daughter?
.
.
.
Answer: Nunu?
No! Of course not. Her name is Mary (Select the text to see the answer)
Read the question again

Okay, now the bonus round:
There is a mute person who wants to buy a toothbrush. By imitating the action of brushing one's teeth he successfully expresses himself to the shopkeeper and the purchase is done.
Now if there is a blind man who wishes to buy a pair of sunglasses, how should he express himself?
.
.
.
He just has to open his mouth and ask, so simple. (Select the text to see the answer)

KEEP THIS GOING TO FRUSTRATE THE SMART PEOPLE IN YOUR LIFE!

One-laptop-per-child... Not required!

I consider India's decision to opt out from the OLPC program as a wise one. OLPC is a programme which aims to deliver laptops priced at $100 (about Rs.4500) to school students, according to reports. Here is what is said by Sudeep Banerjee of Indian Human Resource Development...

1. OLPC is a “pedagogically suspect”. He elaborated on it by mentioning that laptop may actually be detrimental to the growth of creative and analytical abilities of the child.
2. The ministry cannot visualize a situation for decades when we can go beyond the pilot stage. We need classrooms and teachers more urgently than fancy tools.
3. If the Planning Commission has the kind of money that would be required for this scheme, it would be appropriate to utilize it for ‘Universalisation of Secondary Education’ for which, a concept paper has been lying with the Planning Commission for approval since November 2005.
4. We do not think that the idea of Prof Negroponte is mature enough to be taken seriously at this stage and no major country is presently following this. Even inside America, there is no much enthusiasm about this.

If one thinks of it in practical terms, most of the above (except the first point) make sense. Here are my thoughts on it...

I contradict the HRD's reference to laptops as "pedagogically suspect". Laptops actually entertain the expression of creativity in students. It gives them more ways to express, communicate, and sell their ideas. However, I agree with the HRD on all other points. India has taken the mission to fight illiteracy, which is dominantly seen in rural areas. What it desperately need are more schools, teachers, and a basic infrastructure. Laptops need not get into the picture now.... not so soon.

Standalone laptops without an internet connection will prove to be a less powerful tool. But, an internet connection will spice up the cost of maintenance for people in rural areas. Here is yet another strong reason for my argument... The Indian education system did not yet incorporate computers into its normal teaching process. There is no online submission policy or e-notes. So, the use of laptops at schools is pushed further down.

First of all we should make sure that the program works, before investing huge sum of money on it. Its like reading customer-reviews before purchasing a product. Check this article that questions if OLPC is fundamentally flawed. Bottomline is that it is too soon for India to take up OLPC program, and its a wise decision by the HRD to snub it for the time being.

Also check out this blog-post in which the author has stated some of his views on India's decision to against OLPC. Its a good read.

Happiest people live in Denmark

I read a couple of articles that ranked the world's happiest countries. Nigeria was given the top spot in 2003. The most recent ranked list is the one put together by 'University of Leicester' on July 2006. Click here for the complete list of ranking, and an interactive world map that paints each nation based on its level of happiness.

The 10 happiest nations in the World are:
1. Denmark
2. Switzerland
3. Austria
4. Iceland
5. The Bahamas
6. Finland
7. Sweden
8. Bhutan
9. Brunei
10. Canada

Other notable results include:
23. USA
35. Germany
41. UK
62. France
82. China
90. Japan
125. India
167. Russia

The three least happy countries were:
176. Democratic Republic of the Congo
177. Zimbabwe
178. Burundi

Interestingly, Nigeria is not among the top 10... I was wondering what pushed India to be unhappier than most of its neighbours. In theory, it should be the other way round.

• India's average household income has been increasing at a rapid pace ever since the birth of off-shoring.
  
• Moreover, Indians have the innate quality to show contentment for whatever they have, irrespective of their financial/social status.
  
• The ability to work hard & smart have been given to Indians even before they could ask for.
  
• Its society and culture encourage the teens to live with their parents, and enjoy the luxuries of love & affection at home everyday.

Then, why else are we Indians not as happy as expected? Here are my thoughts on it...

• Influence by the West... The desire to live a western lifestyle in India
• Joint-family problems (within large families)
• Increased competation in every aspect of life due to large population
• Mediocre household-income to most families
• Stress among students to study harder and harder, irrespective of their interests
• Government infrastructure is not among the best
  
• Poverty
• Jealousy (not specific to India)

A new study reveals that unhappiness has risen in the past decade. In my opinion, the main reason for unhappiness can be boiled down to "Unfilled aspirations". We wish for something to happen... but something else happens. Thats LIFE! Infact, thats how life is designed to be. Why do we have to feel like a loser?

Is there a way out? Check out this article that explains how to overcome unhappiness through study. If you are lazy to read it, here is a shortcut... As wise men say: "whatever happens, happens for good". Lets all believe in this adage, and be happy for life.

India-US Nuke deal

The India-US Nuclear deal will be a landmark to India's bi-lateral relationship with US. This will let India to better utilize the technology, potential, and resources. Whatz the clause...? It has to place two-thirds of its existing and planned civil nuclear reactors under the supervision of the International Atomic Energy Agency, in exchange for civil nuclear commerce with the United States.

Here are few of the factors that aided India to bag the deal...

• The reputation of India as a peace-loving nation put her in good pages of US. There is a firm belief that India would continue to remain the same irrespective of her power and technology.
• In the recent years, India has played a crucial role in world politics, and improved its American bi-lateral relationship. The experts state "India is just too important for America", and expects the deal to be implemented on a fast track.
• The Indian American community did whatever they could... "We are the largest contributer (among) ethnic groups in the US. So our voice in Capitol Hill is very huge," said Supriya Christopher, executive director of USINPAC.
  

Putting all the pieces together convinced United States to give a nod at the deal.

Now, the Indian government is working hard to convince the Left for this Nuke deal. Check out this article for more details. Doubtlessly, there are a few trade-offs to be made... In my opinion, the end result serves more purpose and is vital for a long term growth. This reminds me of the liberalization of social reforms by India in 1991. Opening the Indian gates to welcome foreign products was a big step for India in the light of globalization. Those bold moves in the past despite criticism paid off in creating a rapidly developing India as it is today... Similarly, this nuke deal will break the barriers faced by Indian scientists to make advancements in civil energy production. We will realize how much good came from this deal in the coming years.

How to live the right way

Here are my thoughts (20 of them) on how to live life, and make my life interesting... Supposedly a fraction of infinite possible ways to stand out of the dull routine life...

• Take (atleast) one good principle in life, and stick to that one principle for all your life... whatever be the odds you have to face.


• Create a lifestyle of your own (eg. Buy only reputed/branded products, Do not buy used stuff, ...)


• Have an iconic behavior & style (i.e.) Get inspired by others, but do not immitate others in terms of behavior and style.


• Set your priorities right... and be clear about it.


• Pick your favorites, and have a choice-list of your own. Do not just go by the defaults, or the cheapest... Most of us have our preferences with food and clothing, but take the defaults for others.


• Be consistent in your decisions.


• Gather your thoughts on the following question, and set your actions accordingly... Why are we all here on this planet? and what are our duties during our stay?


• Make your share of contribution to the society... Let it be in the form of donations, or service.


• Set your long term career goals and strive for it relentlessly (usually on weekends)


• Once in a while (if not everyday), practice concentration and stress-relief techniques to sharpen your cognitive process. Some call it meditation...


• Exercise everyday... do not yield to lethargy.


• Treasure your memories. Have a log of important events of your life (in the form of a personal diary, or a blog site). The greatest contentment is to see yourself grow, and become what you want to become.


• Learn some new stuff everyday... In the very least, learn a new word or read a new quote. There are several RSS feeds to help us with that.


• Helping others is meritorious, and harming others is sinful. Help ever, hurt never... Live, and let live. For all non-vegetarians, this is something to think about...


• Never look at the future with the eyes of fear; Be a hero; Always say "I have no fear". As said in the past, face your fears.


• Love your parents, and make them feel proud of you. After all, they are the reason why you are here.


• Know all, and Specialize one. This does not mean to be a jack of all trades. One should be able to talk about several diversified topics for a minute or two. Hmmm! Wikipedia comes in handy...


• Update yourself with the changing times... Change is permanent. As stuff around us change, we need to reset our priorities, principles and life-style.


• Be a man of your words... That'd be the greatest challenge you could ever take... So, take it!


• Life is short and sweet... Do something that will be remembered for many years to come (even in your absense)... Let your life be a legend for the future.

How to live & make life interesting

The post is moved... Click here

Can U beat this Resume?

RESUME

EDUCATION /Qualification:

1950: Stood first in BA (Hons), Economics, Punjab University, Chandigarh,
1952; Stood first in MA (Economics), Panjab University, Chandigarh,
1954; Wright's Prize for distinguished performance at St John's College,Cambridge,
1955 and 1957; Wrenbury scholar, University of Cambridge,
1957; DPhil (Oxford), DLitt (Honoris Causa); PhD thesis on India's export competitiveness

OCCUPATION /Teaching Experience:

Professor (Senior lecturer, Economics, 1957-59;
Reader, Economics, 1959-63;
Professor, Economics, Panjab University, Chandigarh, 1963-65;
Professor, International Trade, Delhi School of Economics,University of Delhi, 1969-71;
Honorary professor, Jawaharlal Nehru University,New Delhi, 1976 and Delhi School of Economics, University of Delhi,1996
Civil Servant

Working Experience/ POSITIONS:

1971-72: Economic advisor, ministry of foreign trade
1972-76: Chief economic advisor, ministry of finance
1976-80: Director, Reserve Bank of India; Director, Industrial Development Bank of India;
Alternate governor for India, Board of governors, Asian Development Bank, IBRD;
November 1976 - April 1980: Secretary, ministry of finance (Department of economic affairs);
Member, finance, Atomic Energy Commission; Member,finance, Space Commission
April 1980 - September 15, 1982: Member-secretary, Planning Commission
1980-83: Chairman, India Committee of the Indo-Japan joint study committee
September 16, 1982 - January 14, 1985: Governor, Reserve Bank of India.
1982-85: Alternate Governor for India, Board of governors, International Monetary Fund
1983-84: Member, economic advisory council to the Prime Minister
1985: President, Indian Economic Association
January 15, 1985 - July 31, 1987: Deputy Chairman, Planning Commission
August 1, 1987 - November 10, 19! 90: Secretary-general and commissioner, south commission, Geneva
December 10, 1990 - March 14, 1991: Advisor to the Prime Minister on economic affairs
March 15, 1991 - June 20, 1991: Chairman, UGC
June 21, 1991 - May 15, 1996: Union finance minister
October 1991: Elected to Rajya Sabha from Assam on Congress ticket
June 1995: Re-elected to Rajya Sabha
1996 onwards: Member, Consultative Committee for the ministry of finance
August 1, 1996 - December 4, 1997: Chairman, Parliamentary standing committee on commerce
March 21, 1998 onwards: Leader of the Opposition, Rajya Sabha
June 5, 1998 onwards: Member, committee on finance
August 13, 1998 onwards: Member, committee on rules
Aug 1998-2001: Member, committee of privileges 2000 onwards: Member, executive committee, Indian parliamentary group
June 2001: Re-elected to Rajya Sabha
Aug 2001 onwards: Member, general purposes committee

BOOKS:

India's Export Trends and Prospects for Self-Sustained Growth -Clarendon Press, Oxford University, 1964;
Also published a large number of articles in various economic journals.

OTHER ACCOMPLISHMENTS:

Adam Smith Prize, University of Cambridge, 1956
Padma Vibhushan, 1987
Euro money Award, Finance Minister of the Year, 1993;
Asia money Award, Finance Minister of the Year for Asia, 1993 and 1994

INTERNATIONAL ASSIGNMENTS:

1966: Economic Affairs Officer
1966-69: Chief, financing for trade section, UNCTAD
1972-74: Deputy for India in IMF Committee of Twenty on International Monetary Reform
1977-79: Indian delegation to Aid-India Consortium Meetings
1980-82: Indo-Soviet joint planning group meeting
1982: Indo-Soviet monitoring group meeting
1993: Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting Cyprus 1993: Human Rights World Conference, Vienna

RECREATION

Gymkhana Club, New Delhi; Life Member, India International Centre, New Delhi

PERSONAL DETAILS

Name: Dr Manmohan Singh
DOB: September 26, 1932
Place of Birth: Gah (West Punjab)
Father: S. Gurmukh Singh
Mother: Mrs Amrit Kaur
Married on: September 14, 1958
Wife: Mrs Gursharan Kaur
Children: Three daughters

Our (Indian) Prime Minister seems to be the most qualified PM in the history of India... (not sure about the world).

US Textbooks teach biased view of Hinduism

It was found that the US school books contain factual inaccuracies, distortions, bias, prejudice and personal opinion about Hinduism and the history of India. Here is the quote by Dr. Rakesh Bahadur: "One day my daughter came home and said, 'Daddy, what you teach us about Hinduism is wrong'".

Check out this article for the complete story. US is a nation of immigrants... and a bias of this sought is very unfair and shameful to the nation. This has also been reported in 'The Washington Post', and here is an excerpt...

Balaji Hebbar, a George Washington University religion professor who was one of three scholars hired by Fairfax County to review the books cited by the group of Indian parents, said he and his colleagues found few factual errors. But he said the lessons boiled down a complex culture to "karma, cows and caste."

"It's as if I were making a picture book of the United States, and I took pictures of the bad parts of D.C., the run-down parts of New York City and the smoke stacks of Cleveland and left out the Golden Gate Bridge and the Statue of Liberty," Hebbar said. "I would be telling the truth, but I would only be telling half the truth."

Thinking of Daddy

A good article that I came across...

HOW A SON/DAUGHTER THINKS OF HIS/HER DADDY AT DIFFERENT AGES:

At 4 Years
My daddy is great.

At 6 Years
My daddy knows everybody.

At 10 Years
My daddy is good but is short tempered

At 12 Years
My daddy was very nice to me when I was young .

At 14 Years
My daddy is getting fastidious.

At 16 Years
My daddy is not in line with the current times.

At 18 Years
My daddy is becoming increasingly cranky.

At 20 Years
Oh! Its becoming difficult to tolerate daddy. Wonder how Mother puts up
with him.

At 25 Years
Daddy is objecting to everything.

At 35 Years
It's becoming difficult to manage my son. I was so scared of my father
when I was young.

At 40 Years
Daddy brought me up with so much discipline. Even I should do the same.

At 45 Years
I am baffled as to how my daddy brought us up.

At 50 Years
My daddy faced so many hardships to bring us up. I am unable to manage a
single son.

At 55 Years
My daddy was so far sighted and planned so many things for us. He is one
of his kind and unique.

At 60 Years
My daddy is great.

Thus, it took 56 years to complete the cycle and come back to the 1st.stage. Realize the true value of your parents before it's too late

Your life at a glance

I visited the web2.0 site DandeLife soon after reading the review at TechCrunch. This is the kind of webapp that I was ambitious of creating it myself. However, I noticed some of the key features missing in it, and hope to see them soon. One of them is the scroll button to view stories of the future (beyond the year 2010) so that it can be used for long term planning. The other one is to display stories in different layouts. But in general, the interface is clean and simple... and the concept is good.

Here is a view of my dandelife...

Guru Poornima

Today is a very sacred day... Its Guru Poornami. Guru refers to our master who removes the fundamental ignorance, and enlightens our lives. The poornima is the full moon day, and it has been fixed for revering him. Today is the day of the year we honour sage Vyasa, who set down in writing the Vedas which previously were known only in the form of sound. Check this article that explains Guru Poornima in a very consise and a informative manner. Here is an excerpt from it...

This is a sacred day. It is the day when we honour Sage Vyasa, who gave mankind the precious gem of Saguna worship ( worship of God with Form) and the hope and assurance that Manava (man) can become Madhava (God), that Nara can become Narayana, that Jeeva can become Brahman,... ... ... # Vyasa was a great Rishi (sage). He is described as an incamation of Lord Narayana. He set down in writing the Vedas which previously were known only in the form of sound. He was the great grandson of Arundhati (wife of Vasishta). He codified the Vedas. As he was born on the full moon day in the month of Aashaada, this day is celebrated as Vyasa-poornima. Vyasa glorified the divinity that is equally present in all human beings and propagated this truth to the world. After writing the eighteen puranas, he summed up their message in one line : "Paropakaraha Punyaya, Paapaaya Parapeedanam"(Helping others is meritorious harming other is sinful). "Help ever, hurt never". Vyasa was the great teacher who gave many profound and sacred truths to mankind. Hence his birthday is celebrated as Guru Poornima.

Some Funnies

Learning Sanskrit

I came across an article in Wikipedia titled "Contribution of Vedic Civilization". It explains to us some of the ancient Indian Vedic knowledge, and how it relates to the modern world. One of the impressive topics in this article is the research/experiment "Scientific research on Reading the Vedic literature at MUM" conducted by Travis F.T., Olsen T., Egenes T., & Gupta H.K. This research proved that reading Sanskrit does more good to human health than many other modern languages. Here is an excerpt...

Scientific research on Reading the Vedic literature at MUM

Travis, F.T., Olsen, T., Egenes, T., & Gupta, H.K. (2001).

Physiological patterns during practice of the Transcendental Meditation Technique compared with patterns while reading Sanskrit and a modern language.

International Journal of Neuroscience, 109, 71-80.

This study tested the prediction that reading Vedic Sanskrit texts, without knowledge of their meaning, produces a distinct physiological state. We measured EEG, breath rate, heart rate, and skin conductance during: (1) 15-min Transcendental Meditation (TM) practice; (2) 15-min reading verses of the Bhagavad Gita in Sanskrit; and (3) 15-min reading the same verses translated in German, Spanish, or French. The two reading conditions were randomly counterbalanced, and subjects filled out experience forms between each block to reduce carryover effects. Skin conductance levels significantly decreased during both reading Sanskrit and TM practice, and increased slightly during reading a modern language. Alpha power and coherence were significantly higher when reading Sanskrit and during TM practice, compared to reading modern languages. Similar physiological patterns when reading Sanskrit and during practice of the TM technique suggests that the state gained during TM practice may be integrated with active mental processes by reading Sanskrit.

Today I started learning Sanskrit from the book titled "Introduction to Sanskrit, Part 1" written by Thomas Egenes. I purchased the book last week, after browsing through the good reviews in Amazon.com. In my earlier blog-post, I mentioned my desire to learn this language.... and today, I am putting it to action.

Whats next to get outsourced to India

Check out this article "India a Global Platform for Knowledge Outsourcing" to learn whatz next to get outsourced to India.

For those who need an intro, here it is...

We all know that a substantial portion of Business Processing (BPO) gets outsourced to India... But, a recent increase in the cost of living raises the bar for average-salary in India. As a result, the outsourcing companies need to shell out a little more money than before. Moreover, countries like Phillipines are proving to be a cheaper solution for trivial business processes. We've just seen Apple's step to move away from Bangalore to elsewhere.

Now comes KPO (Knowledge Processing Outsourcing)... Here is the definition of KPO from Wikipedia:

Knowledge Process Outsourcing (KPO) is a form of outsourcing. It can be said that KPO is one step ahead of Business Processing Outsourcing (BPO). KPO firms provide domain-based processes and business expertise, rather than just process expertise.

KPO is the future trend of outsourcing to India. To learn more about KPO, check out this article.

Year 2020 News in 'Indian Express' paper

The following is a forwarded email... that I found funny.

IndianExpress Top 10 Headlines dated 1.1.2020

1. ' President' Sonia and 'Prime Minister’ Priyanka receive the italy Prime Minister at the airport.

2. SDMK ( Stalin DMK ) Leader Stalin Seeks Chief Minister Dayanidhi Maran's resignation.

3. This is My last film - Rajnikanth

4. "Maruthanayakam " - Shooting will be started soon - Kamal Hasan

5. I will enter the Indian Team soon - Ganguly

6. Indian Cricket Team hoping to win away Test Match after 1985 in England Tour on February – Indian Cricket Captain

7. Vijay is still hearing many stories for his next movie after his debacle in 'Adhi'

8. Cauvery Issue will be settled soon – Prime Minister of India 'Priyanka'

9. Aishwarya Rai marriage is on coming July with Abishek Bachan Son 'Mubishek'

10. India – Pakistan PMs meeting Scheduled on Jan 25th to settle the Kashmir Issue

Steve Jobs' Resume

Steve Jobs has been my favorite among the visionaries of the modern world. While I was having a quick read about him on wikipedia, I ran across his resume. It wud certainly be interesting if this resume gets forwarded to Microsoft (to fill in Bill's place) ;-)

Anyways, its very thoughtful of him to have his so-called resume online. Having read several articles about him, here are some of my observations:

• His formal education had very little relevance to his career...
• Seeker turned entrepreneur
• Visited India in search of wisdom
• Perfectionist, and expects perfection... making him tough to deal with.
• his official pay of $1 per month as the current CEO of Apple, Inc.
• always in his true colour
  

and most importantly, as his resume reads...

• "Not afraid to start from the beginning"
  

What a great entrepreneur he is... co-founded Apple, and is the chairman of Pixar, and NeXT. Its amazing how he brought Apple back into game, just when people thought its decline is not far off. I really admire his dauntless attitude towards life, and his thirst to be the best.

Below is the stuff generated by 'Stuff a Blog'

Tags
steve jobs ,
Relevant pics from Flickr



Related News
The Telegraph: Steve Jobs’ genius making people desire gadgets for which they have absolutely no use
Steve Jobs shows clip-on, wearable MP3 player
Steve Jobs brings out iPod games
Steve Jobs Speaks: The IPod Is The Thing In 70% Of Cars

Yahoo Answers
steve jobs?
who thinks that steve jobs will crash and burn in his quest to have Macintosh as popular as windows?
Where can I download Apple Keynotes from Steve Jobs?
Steve Jobs...HOT or NOT?

Product Details from Amazon
iCon Steve Jobs: The Greatest Second Act in the History of Business
Manufacturer: Wiley
ASIN #: 0471720836
Price: $24.95

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I totally support and appreciate him...

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Lesson of the day

Its a good practice to learn new stuff everyday little by little. There can be no better time to learn all at once, for there is infinite amount of knowledge to be gained. So, I feel "--- of the day" feeds (eg. Word of the day, Quote of the day, ...) to be very useful in this regard.

Having said that, here is an idea... How about composing our own private-list "Lesson of the day" or "A lesson a day"? Let me explain to you what this list means. We learn new stuff each day from that day's experience (pre-dominantly). Before the end of the day, we can spare a minute to jot down the one lesson that was learnt today. Having a list of just 1 lesson per day makes it more fun...

In my opinion, we get the following benefits...

• Be aware of our mistakes, and hence the lessons learnt
• The lesson gets registered firmly in our mind when we jot it down (putting it in words
• Recall the lesson whenever needed
• Hobby (like blogging)
• Gives you the right to claim that you try to learn from your mistakes
  

Here are a few relevant quotes:

Good judgment comes from experience, and experience comes from bad judgment.
- Barry LePatner

Experience is a hard teacher because she gives the test first, the lesson afterwards.
- Vernon Sanders Law

Experience is not what happens to a man; it is what a man does with what happens to him.
- Aldous Huxley (1894 - 1963), "Texts and Pretexts", 1932

Do you agree with me? ? ?

Read RSS with GreatNews

I was looking for a free desktop RSS Reader to manage my feeds, as I was unwilling to clutter my google desktop / homepage. After a little research on the web, I shortlisted 3 of them... Omea Reader, GreatNews, and RSS Bandit.

Among the online readers, I prefer Bloglines. The Google Reader is out of my list since I did not like the layout, and there are no advanced options to tweak its view. So the bottom line is that I prefer to have a desktop client, which can sync RSS feeds with Bloglines. Thats exactly what GreatNews does... It can sync up your feeds with your Bloglines account. It has an elegant interface, multitude of options, several views to choose from, and a rich feature-set (clean-up tool, browser,...).

I liked it so far. Here is a screenshot:



UPDATE: I ditched GreatNews & Bloglines in favor of the new enhanced Google Reader. Google rocks! Is there anything that Google cannot be the best?

Zooomr - Created by a teenager

Can you imagine creating a web company at age 17... developing the application all alone from scratch, and releasing the product in 6 months straight. Thats exactly how Zooomr, Inc. was started (on a late October, 26th in 2005). I was astonished by the fact Kristopher Tate was just 17 when he decided to start-up a web2.0 photo sharing company all by himself (helped by few others). This site is also very different, and has numerous innovative features. Great work Kristopher!

Here is the team that is behind Zooomr:

Development:
Lead Developer: Kristopher Tate
General Council: Paul Bragiel
PR Council: Eoban Binder

Business Development
Interim CEO: Wendell Davis III

Support
Lead of Technical Support: Michael Van Veen

Localization
Chinese Localization: Mike Taylor & Su Xiangying
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I am infact greatly inspired by his accomplishment, and you will know what I am upto very soon...

Love for Sanskrit

I learnt Sanskrit as my second-language for a few years in high-school. Though I was aware of the greatness of this language, I just treated it as a subject of study. Recently, I wanted to learn more of Sanskrit, and get versatile with it. I am on a lookout for a very good Sanskrit-learning book at Amazon. I indeed have a great affection for this language.

Just to express the glory of Sanskrit, here is a borrowed excerpt from 'A Tribute to Hinduism' site.

Sanskrit (meaning "cultured or refined"), the classical language of Hinduism, is the oldest and the most systematic language in the world. The vastness and the versatility, and power of expression can be appreciated by the fact that this language has 65 words to describe various forms of earth, 67 words for water, and over 250 words to describe rainfall.

Sanskrit is also known as the language that is most convenient for computer software programming. May be this is one of the several reasons why India produces tons of Software Engineers every year than any other country in the world.

Raft & Rail @ Smoky Moutains

We started our road-trip on Friday evening (26th May) at 9:00 pm, after having a mild dinner at Taco Bell. We are 9 of us seated in 2 vehicles (Dodge Stratus & Crysler Pacifica). This is a trip similar to the one we had to Arkansas last summer. Many of us took turns to drive the car, and sleep in the back seat. On Saturday (27th May), we reached Knoxville, where we stayed for the day, and visited "Lost sea" cavern in the evening.



On Sunday (28th May), we had a raft & rail adventure at Smoky mountains. First, we boarded the train that drove us through the moutains' beatific spots, and to a higher altitude. We then took-up rafting on the wild waters of Nantahala river. Its a 8 mile, 2 hour guide-assisted raft trip down the river. I felt very adventurous, as it was my first time rafting experience. On reaching the valley, we got off the rafting boats, had a shower and a late-lunch buffet.

Our next stop was the near-by city named Gatlinburg, which had a few attractions to its credit. Without wasting much time, we went to a chinese restaurant for 160-variety buffet dinner, and started our way back home at 9:00 pm.

It was Monday noon (29th May) when we reached home... all tired and sleepy. The trip was overall very exciting, adventurous, and a good break from daily life. My photos are coming soon...

Update: Click here to view my trip photos.