Information Arena

Computer Shortcut keys for Windows 95/2000/XP/NT/VISTA/7

2012-01-25T23:57:00.000-08:00

BASIC SHORTCUT KEYS
Alt + F File menu options in current program
Alt + E Edit options in current program
F1 Universal help (for all programs)
Ctrl + A Select all text
Ctrl + X Cut selected item
Shift + Del Cut selected item
Ctrl + C Copy selected item
Ctrl + Ins Copy selected item
Ctrl + V Paste
Shift + Ins Paste
Home Go to beginning of current line
Ctrl + Home Go to beginning of document
End Go to end of current line
Ctrl + End Go to end of document
Shift + Home Highlight from current position to beginning of line
Shift + End Highlight from current position to end of line
Ctrl + f Move one word to the left at a time
Ctrl + g Move one word to the right at a time

MICROSOFT® WINDOWS SHORTCUT KEYS
Alt + Tab Switch between open applications
Alt + Shift + Tab Switch backwards between open applications
Alt + Print Screen Create screen shot for current program
Ctrl + Alt + Del Reboot/Windows® task manager
Ctrl + Esc Bring up start menu
Alt + Esc Switch between applications on taskbar
F2 Rename selected icon
F3 Start find from desktop
F4 Open the drive selection when browsing
F5 Refresh contents
Alt + F4 Close current open program
Ctrl + F4 Close window in program
Ctrl + PlusKey Automatically adjust widths of all columns in Windows Explorer
Alt + Enter Open properties window of selected icon or program
Shift + F10 Simulate right-click on selected item
Shift + Del Delete programs/files permanently Holding Shift During Bootup Boot safe mode or bypass system files

WINKEY SHORTCUTS
WINKEY + D Bring desktop to the top of other windows
WINKEY + M Minimize all windows
WINKEY + SHIFT + M Undo the minimize done by WINKEY + M and WINKEY + D
WINKEY + E Open Microsoft Explorer
WINKEY + Tab Cycle through open programs on taskbar
WINKEY + F Display the Windows® Search/Find feature
WINKEY + CTRL + F Display the search for computers window
WINKEY + F1 Display the Microsoft® Windows® help
WINKEY + R Open the run window
WINKEY + Pause/Break Open the system properties window
WINKEY + U Open utility manager
WINKEY + L Lock the computer (Windows XP® & later)

OUTLOOK SHORTCUT KEYS
Alt + S Send the email
Ctrl + C Copy selected text
Ctrl + X Cut selected text
Ctrl + P Open print dialog box
Ctrl + K Complete name/email typed in address bar
Ctrl + B Bold highlighted selection
Ctrl + I Italicize highlighted selection
Ctrl + U Underline highlighted selection
Ctrl + R Reply to an email
Ctrl + F Forward an email
Ctrl + N Create a new email
Ctrl + Shift + A Create a new appointment to your calendar
Ctrl + Shift + O Open the outbox
Ctrl + Shift + I Open the inbox
Ctrl + Shift + K Add a new task
Ctrl + Shift + C Create a new contact
Ctrl + Shift+ J Create a new journal entry

WORD SHORTCUT KEYS
Ctrl + A Select all contents of the page
Ctrl + B Bold highlighted selection
Ctrl + C Copy selected text
Ctrl + X Cut selected text
Ctrl + N Open new/blank document
Ctrl + O Open options
Ctrl + P Open the print window
Ctrl + F Open find box
Ctrl + I Italicize highlighted selection
Ctrl + K Insert link
Ctrl + U Underline highlighted selection
Ctrl + V Paste
Ctrl + Y Redo the last action performed
Ctrl + Z Undo last action
Ctrl + G Find and replace options
Ctrl + H Find and replace options
Ctrl + J Justify paragraph alignment
Ctrl + L Align selected text or line to the left
Ctrl + Q Align selected paragraph to the left
Ctrl + E Align selected text or line to the center
Ctrl + R Align selected text or line to the right
Ctrl + M Indent the paragraph
Ctrl + T Hanging indent
Ctrl + D Font options
Ctrl + Shift + F Change the font
Ctrl + Shift + > Increase selected font +1
Ctrl + ] Increase selected font +1
Ctrl + Shift + < Decrease selected font -1
Ctrl + [ Decrease selected font -1
Ctrl + Shift + * View or hide non printing characters
Ctrl + f Move one word to the left
Ctrl + g Move one word to the right
Ctrl + h Move to beginning of the line or paragraph
Ctrl + i Move to the end of the paragraph
Ctrl + Del Delete word to right of cursor
Ctrl + Backspace Delete word to left of cursor
Ctrl + End Move cursor to end of document
Ctrl + Home Move cursor to beginning of document
Ctrl + Space Reset highlighted text to default font
Ctrl + 1 Single-space lines
Ctrl + 2 Double-space lines
Ctrl + 5 1.5-line spacing
Ctrl + Alt + 1 Change text to heading 1
Ctrl + Alt + 2 Change text to heading 2
Ctrl + Alt + 3 Change text to heading 3
F1 Open help
Shift + F3 Change case of selected text
Shift + Insert Paste
F4 Repeat last action performed (Word 2000+)
F7 Spell check selected text and/or document
Shift + F7 Activate the thesaurus
F12 Save as
Ctrl + S Save
Shift + F12 Save
Alt + Shift + D Insert the current date
Alt + Shift + T Insert the current time
Ctrl + W Close document

EXCEL SHORTCUT KEYS
F2 Edit the selected cell
F5 Go to a specific cell
F7 Spell check selected text and/or document
F11 Create chart
Ctrl + Shift + ; Enter the current time
Ctrl + ; Enter the current date
Alt + Shift + F1 Insert new worksheet
Shift + F3 Open the Excel® formula window
Shift + F5 Bring up search box
Ctrl + A Select all contents of worksheet
Ctrl + B Bold highlighted selection
Ctrl + I Italicize highlighted selection
Ctrl + C Copy selected text
Ctrl + V Paste
Ctrl + D Fill
Ctrl + K Insert link
Ctrl + F Open find and replace options
Ctrl + G Open go-to options
Ctrl + H Open find and replace options
Ctrl + U Underline highlighted selection
Ctrl + Y Underline selected text
Ctrl + 5 Strikethrough highlighted selection
Ctrl + O Open options
Ctrl + N Open new document
Ctrl + P Open print dialog box
Ctrl + S Save
Ctrl + Z Undo last action
Ctrl + F9 Minimize current window
Ctrl + F10 Maximize currently selected window
Ctrl + F6 Switch between open workbooks/windows
Ctrl + Page up & Page Down: Move between Excel® worksheets in the same document
Ctrl + Tab Move between two or more open Excel® files
Alt + = Create formula to sum all of above cells
Ctrl + ‘ Insert value of above cell into current cell
Ctrl + Shift + ! Format number in comma format
Ctrl + Shift + $ Format number in currency format
Ctrl + Shift + # Format number in date format
Ctrl + Shift + % Format number in percentage format
Ctrl + Shift + ^ Format number in scientific format
Ctrl + Shift + @ Format number in time format
Ctrl + g Move to next section of text
Ctrl + Space Select entire column
Shift + Space Select entire row
Ctrl + W Close document

Hindu Rituals - Part3

2012-01-25T23:38:00.001-08:00

Why do we do Namaste?

Indians greet each other with namaste. The two palms are placed together in front of the chest and the head bows whilst saying the word namaste. This greeting is for all - people younger than us, of our own age, those older than friends, even strangers and us.

There are five forms of formal traditional greeting enjoined in the shaastras of which namaskaram is one. This is understood as prostration but it actually refers to paying homage as we do today when we greet each other with a namaste.

Namaste could be just a casual or formal greeting, a cultural convention or an act of worship. However there is much more to it than meets the eye. In Sanskrit namah + te = namaste. It means - I bow to you - my greetings, salutations or prostration to you. Namaha can also be literally interpreted as "na ma" (not mine). It has a spiritual significance of negating or reducing one’s ego in the presence of another.

The real meeting between people is the meeting of their minds. When we greet another, we do so with namaste, which means, "may our minds meet," indicated by the folded palms placed before the chest. The bowing down of the head is a gracious form of extending friendship in love and humility

The spiritual meaning is even deeper. The life force, the divinity, the Self or the Lord in me is the same in all. Recognizing this oneness with the meeting of the palms, we salute with head bowed the Divinity in the person we meet. That is why sometimes, we close our eyes as we do namaste to a revered person or the Lord – as if to look within. The gesture is often accompanied by words like "Ram Ram,” "Jai Shri Krishna", "Namo Narayana", "Jai Siya Ram", "Om Shanti" etc - indicating the recognition of this divinity.

When we know this significance, our greeting does not remain just a superficial gesture or word but paves the way for a deeper communion with another in an atmosphere of love and respect.

Hindu Rituals - Part2

2012-01-25T23:37:00.001-08:00

Why do we have a prayer room?

Most Indian homes have a prayer room or altar. A lamp is lit and the Lord worshipped each day. Other spiritual practices like japa - repetition of the Lord’s name, meditation, paaraayana - reading of the scriptures, prayers, and devotional singing etc are also done here. Special worship is done on auspicious occasions like birthdays, anniversaries, festivals and the like. Each member of the family - young or old - communes with and worships the Divine here.

The Lord is the entire creation. He is therefore the true owner of the house we live in too. The prayer room is the Master room of the house. We are the earthly occupants of His property. This notion rids us of false pride and possessiveness.

The ideal attitude to take is to regard the Lord as the true owner of our homes and us as caretakers of His home. But if that is rather difficult, we could at least think of Him as a very welcome guest. Just as we would house an important guest in the best comfort, so too we felicitate the Lord’s presence in our homes by having a prayer room or altar, which is, at all times, kept clean and well-decorated.

Also the Lord is all pervading. To remind us that He resides in our homes with us, we have prayer rooms. Without the grace of the Lord, no task can be successfully or easily accomplished. We invoke His grace by communing with Him in the prayer room each day and on special occasions.

Each room in a house is dedicated to a specific function like the bedroom for resting, the drawing room to receive guests, the kitchen for cooking etc. The furniture, decor and the atmosphere of each room are made conducive to the purpose it serves. So too for the purpose of meditation, worship and prayer, we should have a conducive atmosphere - hence the need for a prayer room.

Sacred thoughts and sound vibrations pervade the place and influence the minds of those who spend time there. Spiritual thoughts and vibrations accumulated through regular meditation, worship and chanting done there pervade the prayer room. Even when we are tired or agitated, by just sitting in the prayer room for a while, we feel calm, rejuvenated and spiritually uplifted.

Hindu Rituals - Part1

2012-01-25T23:35:00.000-08:00

Why do we light a lamp?

In almost every Indian home a lamp is lit daily before the altar of the Lord. In some houses it is lit at dawn, in some, twice a day – at dawn and dusk – and in a few it is maintained continuously - Akhanda Deepa. All auspicious functions commence with the lighting of the lamp, which is often maintained right through the occasion.

Light symbolizes knowledge, and darkness - ignorance. The Lord is the "Knowledge Principle" (Chaitanya) who is the source, the enlivener and the illuminator of all knowledge. Hence light is worshiped as the Lord himself.

Knowledge removes ignorance just as light removes darkness. Also knowledge is a lasting inner wealth by which all outer achievement can be accomplished. Hence we light the lamp to bow down to knowledge as the greatest of all forms of wealth.

Why not light a bulb or tube light? That too would remove darkness. But the traditional oil lamp has a further spiritual significance. The oil or ghee in the lamp symbolizes our vaasanas or negative tendencies and the wick, the ego. When lit by spiritual knowledge, the vaasanas get slowly exhausted and the ego too finally perishes. The flame of a lamp always burns upwards. Similarly we should acquire such knowledge as to take us towards higher ideals.

Whilst lighting the lamp we thus pray:

Deepajyothi parabrahma

Deepa sarva tamopahaha

Deepena saadhyate saram

Sandhyaa deepo namostute

I prostrate to the dawn/dusk lamp; whose light is the Knowledge Principle (the Supreme Lord), which removes the darkness of ignorance and by which all can be achieved in life.

Ancient Astrology - Hindu Myth - Vedic Samprada

2012-01-25T23:32:00.000-08:00

Vedic astrology is an ancient system of astrology originated in India. This ancient science has been practiced in India for more than eight thousand years. It is called "Jyotish" in Hindi, which means the knowledge or science of light. Since Vedic astrology or Jyotish is a part (Vedanga) of Vedas (ancient Indian Hindu scripts), it is known as Vedic astrology.

There are many differences between Vedic astrology and Western astrology, but the main difference is that the Vedic astrologers use the Sidereal system or fixed zodiac while Western astrologer use the Tropical system or moving zodiac. The difference between both zodiac (Ayanamsa) is now roughly 23 degrees which is almost a whole sign. This means that your Sun-sign that you see in the Magazines or Newspapers usually is not the same as your Vedic Sun-sign. In most cases it is one sign back. For example, if your Sun sign is Taurus according to a Newspaper, which uses Western astrology, it is most likely that you will be an Aries when a Vedic astrologer does your chart using the system of Vedic astrology.
Another important difference is that Western astrology mostly deals with one's psychological patterns and personality while Vedic astrology deals with more of practical matters and one's karmic patterns.

The Basic Components of Vedic Astrology

The most basic elements of Vedic astrology are the nine planets or heavenly bodies and the twelve signs of the zodiac and the twelve houses of the chart. When studying Vedic astrology, it is important to become familiar with the Sanskrit words for all the main components. To begin with, let it be known that the words planets and "grahas" are synonymous. The twelve signs of the zodiac are called "rashis" and the houses are called "bhavas" or "sthanas" .
The nine planets used in Vedic astrology are:

Common Name	Sanskrit Name
Sun	Ravi
Moon	Chandra
Mars	Kuja or Mangala
Mercury	Budha
Jupiter	Guru
Venus	Shukra
Saturn	Shani
Rahu	Raahu
Ketu	Ketu

The twelve signs, their lords, and their characteristics are given below:

Sun Sign	Sanskrit Name	Lord	Nature	Sex	Motion
Aries	Mesha	Mars	Fire	M	Movable
Taurus	Vrishaba	Venus	Earth	F	Fixed
Gemini	Mithuna	Mercury	Air	M	Common
Cancer	Karkata	Moon	Water	F	Movable
Leo	Simha	Sun	Fire	M	Fixed
Virgo	Kanya	Mercury	Earth	F	Common
Libra	Thula	Venus	Air	M	Movable
Scorpio	Vrishchika	Mars	Water	F	Fixed
Sagittarius	Dhanus	Jupiter	Fire	M	Common
Capricorn	Makara	Saturn	Earth	F	Movable
Aquarius	Kumbha	Saturn	Air	M	Fixed
Pisces	Meena	Jupiter	Water	F	Common

The following figures shows the astrology chart or horoscope in South-Indian and North-Indian styles which are used to predict ones nature, future etc.,

Each house spans 30 degrees and the whole chart takes 360 degrees. Always, in the south-indian chart, the house where the ascendent is present is taken as the first house and going in clockwise fashion 2,3, .. and the 12th house to complete 360 degrees.
The parameters that are required to cast a chart are:

Date of Birth
Time of Birth
Place of Birth (Latitude and Longitude)

Based on the above parameters, the chart of the individual is casted. If there are any discrepancy in the above parameters, then the casting of the chart will result in worng casting of the chart which will result in wrong predictions. Please make sure that you provide accurate information for casting the chart.
There are different types of charts derived from the main chart (raashi chart), these are :

Raashi Chart (The Basic chart)
Hora
Drekkana
Chaturthamsha
Sapthamsha
Astamsha
Navamsha Kundali (Important and seen along with Raashi chart)
Dashamsha
Shodashamsha
Vimshamsha
Chaturvimshamsha
Bhamsha
Thrimshamsha
Khavedamsha
Akshavedamsha
Shastyamsha

What does these houses signify?

First House - Lagnasthan, Tanusthan
This house signifies life,longevity, self, health, nature and appearance of native. Complexion,vitality, sorrows, gains and profits to younger brothers and his friends. It governs head and face.
Second House - Dhana-sthan, Kutumb-sthan
This house indicates inflow of finances, bank position, right eye, family, early age or boyhood,speech, sanyas, servants and friends. Self earned wealth, loss or damage, worldly possessions, jewellery, grandfather and mother. It also denotes family, eyesight, understanding with family members,inheritance, law suits, throat, right eye, domestic comforts in general.
Third House - Bhatru-sthan, Parakram-sthan
It denotes younger brothers and sisters and their relations. It signifies courage, intelligence,education up to Higher Secondary level, taste for writing, ornaments,clothes, short journeys. Signing contracts and documents etc. Body parts are arms, right ear, shoulders etc.
Fourth House - Matru-sthan, Sukha-sthan
This house signifies mother,property, conveyance, domestic surroundings and happiness. Old age environments, private affairs, public, inheritance, false allegations,agriculture land and its produce. It represents breasts, chest, lung, stomach, elbow joints etc.
Fifth House - Vidya-sthan, Putra-sthan
Children, speculation, intellectual status and luck are gauged from this house. Pleasure,love affairs, lady love, legal or illegal amusements, kidnap, rape, etc. are also checked. Belly, heart, liver, spleen are the body parts covered by this house.
Sixth House - Ripu-sthan, Rog-sthan
This house is responsible for enemies, health, service, servants, uncle, aunts and relations on father's side. Food, subordinates, debts, obstacles in life, mental worries, theft and calamity etc. The body parts denoted are kidney,large intestine, uterus and anus.
Seventh House - Bharya-sthan, Maraka-sthan
Matters regarding wife,husband, partnership, external sex organs, conjugal happiness are checked from 7th house. This house also denotes marriage, married life, love contracts, litigations, divorce, honour and reputation in foreign country. Body parts are private parts, uterus, glands etc.
Eighth House - Mrutyu-sthan
Diseases, death, finances through unfair means, internal sex organs, longevity, mental pain obstacles, dowry of wife, gain from in laws, mode of death, imprisonment, worries and privations are checked from 8th house, It indicates body parts as scrotum, pelvis, seminal vesicles, external genitalia, etc.
Ninth House - Bhagya-sthan
This house indicates religion, foreign travel, publicity, preceptor, higher education, learning, writing books, also faith, wisdom, prosperity, powers of foresight, religious institutions, providential help, etc. Hips, thighs are body parts.
Tenth House - Karma-sthan, Pitru-sthan
This important house indicates father, profession, status in life, activities outside house, pleasures, honour, power and authority, Government favour, trade,business, command, occupation, adopted son. All questions regarding worldly activities and moral responsibilities. Body parts are knees, joints, bones, hairs and back.
Eleventh House - Labha-sthan
It accounts for accumulated wealth, elder brothers and sisters and relations with them. Friends, fluctuating money gains, club or social activities, emotional attachments, love affairs and friends, honour, social success etc. Body parts are legs, left ear, teeth, ankle etc.
Twelfth House - Vyaya-sthan
It signifies private enemies, pleasures of beds, law suits, imprisonments, secret works, moksha, hospitalisation, conjugal relations with opposite sex other than legitimate. Sorrows, debts, lost goods etc. are judged. Body parts are feet, left eye, teeth etc.

Casting and Predicting a Chart

There are two parts in astrology. One is the Casting the chart or deriving the chart from the persons date, time and place of birth as inputs. Second is the Prediction part which involves predicting the future of the person based on the casted birth chart.
Casting mainly involves mathematics and astronomy where we study the movements of planets and accordingly cast the chart based on the planetary position when the person is born.
Predicting involves in-depth study of the effects of various planets when in different zodiacs.This reqires lot of study of old astrology books, manuscripts and discussions with other astrologers and is much study involved.
While predicting a chart one has to observe the combined effects of planets, if any house is occupied by two or more planets it gives the combined effect.
Vedic Astrology is a vast and endless study and in order to predict accurately one has to study the subject for many many years and has to see the minor details as well as major details in a given chart, the different "Yogas" for a chart, etc.

Lease Agreement Template

2012-01-25T22:06:00.000-08:00

THISAGREEMENT OF LEASE executed this xx^th day of -->Month<-- -->Year<--(Year in words) between the -->Name of House Owner<-- residing at -->CompleteAddress<-- herein after called the LESSORS which expression shall mean andinclude their successors and assigns of the one part and -->Tenant Name<--,-->Tenants Current/Permanent Address<--, which shall include itssuccessors and assigns of the other part, WITNESSETH:

WHEREASTHE LESSORS is the owner of the house bearing -->Address of house to berented<-- and the LESSORS has agreed to rent out the above premises hereincalled the DEMISED PREMISES. The LESSE has also agreed to take on lease the demisedpremises for self residential purpose for a period of 11 months commencing from(-->DD MMM YYYY<--) on a monthly rent of Rs.-->Rent Amt<--/- (Amountin words).

3. THE LESSE HEREBY AGREES:

(i) That the monthly rent & maintenance charges will bepayable regularly and without abatement or any reduction whatsoever except asprovided ion the agreement on or before the 5^th day of each monthsucceeding for which it is payable.

(ii) To pay the LESSORS as advance amount of Rs.-->AdvanceAmt<--/- (-->Amount in words<--) being advance and security depositand the receipt of which the LESSORS hereby ACKNOWLADGES and this advance asINTEREST FREE security deposit will be refunded in one lump sum by the LESSORSat the time of vacation or adjusted against arrears of rental, repairs &damages if any.

(iii) To pay all charges relating to electricity and waterconsumed the demised premises.

(iv) To keep the premises in good and habitable conditionand on the expiry of the lease for with handover possession of the premises inthe same condition, as then let, subject to normal wear and tear and acts ofGOD, if the lease is not renewed for a further period as provided elsewhere inthe agreement.

(v) Not to make any structural alteration to the demisedpremises, without the prior consent, in writing, from the LESSORS.

(vi) Shall use the DEMISED premises only for the residentialpurpose and shall not use it for any offensive or objectionable purposes.

(vii) Not to sub-let the above mentioned premises in the wholeor part to anyone and shall handover the possession of the premises to theLESSORS at the time of vacation.

4. THE LESSORS HEREBY AGREES:

(a) To pay the house tax, municipal tax and any other taxesor cess levied by the GOVT or local bodies pertaining to the demised premises.

(b) To allow the LESSE to enjoy the demised premiseswithout any hindrance or let from the LESSORS or any other person claimingthrough him.

(c) To permit the LESSE to remove from the premises at theexpiry or sooner termination of the tenance, all the fixtures and fittingsinstalled by the LESSEE.

(d) The rent is valid for 11 months of this agreement andIf required for further period an increase of rent of 10% is payable.

5. IT IS HEREBY EXPREESLY AGREED BETWEEN THE PARTIES THAT:

(a) The lease agreement is terminable on 3 months (threemonths) notice on either side.

(b) IF THE LESSEE shall be desirous of continuing thetenancy hereby created for a further term at the expiration of the term herebyagreed to, after the LESSEE has expressed his intentions by a notice, inwriting, TWO MONTHS before the expiration of the lease, the LESSOR may at hisoption renew the lease on terms and conditions to be mutually agreed upon.

IN WITNESSWHEREOF the parties have set their hands and seal to these presents on the day,month and year first hereinabove written.

SCHEDULE OF PROPERTY

-->RentedProperty Address<--

WITNESS: LESSORS

Advanced Unix Commands

2012-01-25T21:59:00.000-08:00

Some more Unix Commands for you in addition to those posted earlier. Watch this space for more.

jobs --- lists your currently active jobs (those that you put in the background) and their job numbers. Useful to determine which one you want to foreground if you have lots of them.
bg --- background a job after suspending it.
fg %jobnumber --- foreground a job
!! --- repeat the previous command (but CTRL-p, is safer, because you have hit return in addition)
!pattern --- repeat the last command that starts with pattern
echo $VARIABLE --- shows the value of an environment variable
setenv --- lets you set environment variables. For example, if you typed a wrong value for the TERM variable when logging in, you don't have to log out and start over, but you can just do setenv TERM vt100 (or whatever). To see what all your environment variables are set to, type env. The one that you're most likely to have to set is the DISPLAY variable, when using an X-display.
unset VAR --- lets you un-set environment variables. Useful, for example, if you've usually set autologout but want to stay logged on for a while without typing for some reason, or if you set the DISPLAY variable automatically but want to avoid opening windows for some reason.
source filename --- you need to source your dotfiles after making changes for them to take effect (or log off and in again)
load --- will show you the load average graphically
ispell filename --- will check the spelling in your file. If you're running it on a LaTeX file use the -T option to tell it to ignore the LaTeX commands. You can create and use your own dictionary to avoid having it tell you that your own name, those of fellow linguists, and linguistics terminology are a typos in every paper you write.
weblint --- checks the syntax of html files
latex2html --- translates LaTeX files into HTML
wn word option --- lets you access the WordNet database and display, for example, synonyms, hypernyms, or hyponyms, depending on the option you select

Command editing in the tcsh

These things are the same as in emacs:

Backspace --- delete previous character
CTRL-d --- delete next character
CTRL-k --- delete rest of line
CTRL-a --- go to start of line
CTRL-e --- go to end of line
CTRL-b --- go backwards without deleting
CTRL-f --- go forward without deleting

Other useful things

TAB --- complete filename or command up to the point of uniqueness
CTRL-u --- cancel whole line
CTRL-p --- show the last command typed, then the one before that, etc.: (you can also use the cursor up key for this)
CTRL-n --- go forwards in the history of commands: (you can also use the cursor down key for this)
CTRL-c --- cancel the processes after it has started
CTRL-z --- suspend a running process (e.g. in order to do something else in between): you can then put the process in the background with bg
CTRL-l --- redraws the screen
| (piping) --- Lets you execute any number of commands in a sequence.: The second command will be executed once the first is done, and so forth, using the previous command's output as input. You can achieve the same effect by putting the output in a file and giving the filename as an argument to the second command, but that would be much more complicated, and you'd have to remember to remove all the junkfiles afterwards. Some examples that show the usefulness of this:
ls | more --- will show you one screenful at a time, which is useful with any command that will produce a lot of output, e.g. also ps -aux
man ls | grep time --- checks whether the man page for ls has something to say about listing files by time - very useful when you have a suspicion some command may be capable of doing what you want, but you aren't sure.
ls -lR | grep dvi --- will show you all your dvi files - useful to solve disk space problems, since they're large and usually can be deleted.

Basic Unix Commands

2012-01-25T21:57:00.000-08:00

Files

ls --- lists your files
ls -l --- lists your files in 'long format', which contains lots of useful information, e.g. the exact size of the file, who owns the file and who has the right to look at it, and when it was last modified.
ls -a --- lists all files, including the ones whose filenames begin in a dot, which you do not always want to see.
There are many more options, for example to list files by size, by date, recursively etc.
more filename --- shows the first part of a file, just as much as will fit on one screen. Just hit the space bar to see more or q to quit. You can use /pattern to search for a pattern.
emacs filename --- is an editor that lets you create and edit a file.
mv filename1 filename2 --- moves a file (i.e. gives it a different name, or moves it into a different directory (see below)
cp filename1 filename2 --- copies a file
rm filename --- removes a file. It is wise to use the option rm -i, which will ask you for confirmation before actually deleting anything. You can make this your default by making an alias in your .cshrc file.
diff filename1 filename2 --- compares files, and shows where they differ
wc filename --- tells you how many lines, words, and characters there are in a file
chmod options filename --- lets you change the read, write, and execute permissions on your files. The default is that only you can look at them and change them, but you may sometimes want to change these permissions. For example, chmod o+r filename will make the file readable for everyone, and chmod o-r filename will make it unreadable for others again. Note that for someone to be able to actually look at the file the directories it is in need to be at least executable.
File Compression
- gzip filename --- compresses files, so that they take up much less space. Usually text files compress to about half their original size, but it depends very much on the size of the file and the nature of the contents. There are other tools for this purpose, too (e.g. compress), but gzip usually gives the highest compression rate. Gzip produces files with the ending '.gz' appended to the original filename.
- gunzip filename --- uncompresses files compressed by gzip.
- gzcat filename --- lets you look at a gzipped file without actually having to gunzip it (same as gunzip -c). You can even print it directly, using gzcat filename | lpr
printing
- lpr filename --- print. Use the -P option to specify the printer name if you want to use a printer other than your default printer. For example, if you want to print double-sided, use 'lpr -Pvalkyr-d', or if you're at CSLI, you may want to use 'lpr -Pcord115-d'. See 'help printers' for more information about printers and their locations.
- lpq --- check out the printer queue, e.g. to get the number needed for removal, or to see how many other files will be printed before yours will come out
- lprm jobnumber --- remove something from the printer queue. You can find the job number by using lpq. Theoretically you also have to specify a printer name, but this isn't necessary as long as you use your default printer in the department.
- genscript --- converts plain text files into postscript for printing, and gives you some options for formatting. Consider making an alias like alias ecop 'genscript -2 -r \!* | lpr -h -Pvalkyr' to print two pages on one piece of paper.
- dvips filename --- print .dvi files (i.e. files produced by LaTeX). You can use dviselect to print only selected pages. S

Directories

Directories, like folders on a Macintosh, are used to group files together in a hierarchical structure.

mkdir dirname --- make a new directory
cd dirname --- change directory. You basically 'go' to another directory, and you will see the files in that directory when you do 'ls'. You always start out in your 'home directory', and you can get back there by typing 'cd' without arguments. 'cd ..' will get you one level up from your current position. You don't have to walk along step by step - you can make big leaps or avoid walking around by specifying pathnames.
pwd --- tells you where you currently are.

Finding things

ff --- find files anywhere on the system. This can be extremely useful if you've forgotten in which directory you put a file, but do remember the name. In fact, if you use ff -p you don't even need the full name, just the beginning. This can also be useful for finding other things on the system, e.g. documentation.
grep string filename(s) --- looks for the string in the files. This can be useful a lot of purposes, e.g. finding the right file among many, figuring out which is the right version of something, and even doing serious corpus work. grep comes in several varieties (grep, egrep, and fgrep) and has a lot of very flexible options. Check out the man pages if this sounds good to you.

About other people

w --- tells you who's logged in, and what they're doing. Especially useful: the 'idle' part. This allows you to see whether they're actually sitting there typing away at their keyboards right at the moment.
who --- tells you who's logged on, and where they're coming from. Useful if you're looking for someone who's actually physically in the same building as you, or in some other particular location.
finger username --- gives you lots of information about that user, e.g. when they last read their mail and whether they're logged in. Often people put other practical information, such as phone numbers and addresses, in a file called .plan. This information is also displayed by 'finger'.
last -1 username --- tells you when the user last logged on and off and from where. Without any options, last will give you a list of everyone's logins.
talk username --- lets you have a (typed) conversation with another user
write username --- lets you exchange one-line messages with another user
elm --- lets you send e-mail messages to people around the world (and, of course, read them). It's not the only mailer you can use, but the one we recommend.

About your (electronic) self

whoami --- returns your username. Sounds useless, but isn't. You may need to find out who it is who forgot to log out somewhere, and make sure *you* have logged out.
finger & .plan files
of course you can finger yourself, too. That can be useful e.g. as a quick check whether you got new mail. Try to create a useful .plan file soon. Look at other people's .plan files for ideas. The file needs to be readable for everyone in order to be visible through 'finger'. Do 'chmod a+r .plan' if necessary. You should realize that this information is accessible from anywhere in the world, not just to other people on turing.
passwd --- lets you change your password, which you should do regularly (at least once a year).
ps -u yourusername --- lists your processes. Contains lots of information about them, including the process ID, which you need if you have to kill a process. Normally, when you have been kicked out of a dialin session or have otherwise managed to get yourself disconnected abruptly, this list will contain the processes you need to kill. Those may include the shell (tcsh or whatever you're using), and anything you were running, for example emacs or elm. Be careful not to kill your current shell - the one with the number closer to the one of the ps command you're currently running. But if it happens, don't panic. Just try again :) If you're using an X-display you may have to kill some X processes before you can start them again. These will show only when you use ps -efl, because they're root processes.
kill PID --- kills (ends) the processes with the ID you gave. This works only for your own processes, of course. Get the ID by using ps. If the process doesn't 'die' properly, use the option -9. But attempt without that option first, because it doesn't give the process a chance to finish possibly important business before dying. You may need to kill processes for example if your modem connection was interrupted and you didn't get logged out properly, which sometimes happens.
quota -v --- show what your disk quota is (i.e. how much space you have to store files), how much you're actually using, and in case you've exceeded your quota (which you'll be given an automatic warning about by the system) how much time you have left to sort them out (by deleting or gzipping some, or moving them to your own computer).
du filename --- shows the disk usage of the files and directories in filename (without argument the current directory is used). du -s gives only a total.
last yourusername --- lists your last logins. Can be a useful memory aid for when you were where, how long you've been working for, and keeping track of your phonebill if you're making a non-local phonecall for dialling in.

Connecting to the outside world

nn --- allows you to read news. It will first let you read the news local to turing, and then the remote news. If you want to read only the local or remote news, you can use nnl or nnr, respectively. To learn more about nn type nn, then \tty{:man}, then \tty{=.*}, then \tty{Z}, then hit the space bar to step through the manual. Or look at the man page.
rlogin hostname --- lets you connect to a remote host
telnet hostname --- also lets you connect to a remote host. Use rlogin whenever possible.
ftp hostname --- lets you download files from a remote host which is set up as an ftp-server. This is a common method for exchanging academic papers and drafts. If you need to make a paper of yours available in this way, you can (temporarily) put a copy in /user/ftp/pub/TMP. For more permanent solutions, ask Emma. The most important commands within ftp are get for getting files from the remote machine, and put for putting them there (mget and mput let you specify more than one file at once). Sounds straightforward, but be sure not to confuse the two, especially when your physical location doesn't correspond to the direction of the ftp connection you're making. ftp just overwrites files with the same filename. If you're transferring anything other than ASCII text, use binary mode.
lynx --- lets you browse the web from an ordinary terminal. Of course you can see only the text, not the pictures. You can type any URL as an argument to the G command. When you're doing this from any Stanford host you can leave out the .stanford.edu part of the URL when connecting to Stanford URLs. Type H at any time to learn more about lynx, and Q to exit.

Miscellaneous tools

webster word --- looks up the word in an electronic version of Webster's dictionary and returns the definition(s)
date --- shows the current date and time.
cal --- shows a calendar of the current month. Use e.g., 'cal 10 1995' to get that for October 95, or 'cal 1995' to get the whole year.

C Coding Algorithm for producing Beep Sound with Different frequency

2012-01-25T21:54:00.000-08:00

// beepcodes.cpp : Defines the entry point for the console application.

#include "stdafx.h"
#include
#include
#include

void GenerateSoundPattern(unsigned short code)
{
unsigned short temp;
while(code > 0)
{
temp = code & 0xC000;
switch(temp)
{
case 0x0000:
Beep(1000,1000);
break;
case 0x4000:
Beep(1000,250);
break;
case 0xC000:
return;
}
Sleep(500);
code <<= 2;
}

}

int main()
{
GenerateSoundPattern(0x543C); //01 01 01 00 00 11 11 00
return 0;
}

Windows Genuine Advantage Notification

2012-01-25T21:41:00.001-08:00

If you are using XP and if you have installed a Third Party OS, then a Windows Genuine Advantage Notification will POP out during the system startup. This may be very irritating to many users. Here are some simple methods to remove it.

Type1:
Step1: Go to C:\WINDOWS\system32
Step2: Rename the following files whichever is present and then give an extension of your choice other than *.dll
wlnotify.dll
WGA

Type2:
Step1: Go to Run option in the Start Menu in the desktop
Step2: Type regedit.exe and press OK
Step3: Registry Editor window will open and in that go to the following folder structure
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE->SOFTWARE->Microsoft->WindowsNT->Winlogon->Notify
Step4: In the Notify folder search for wgalogon folder and delete it.

KSY Trailer

2012-01-18T10:58:00.001-08:00

Food Adulteration at its peak in India

2012-01-12T11:00:00.000-08:00

Sad Day for India especially to the Growing Kids after the Food Agency Corp has announced that the Milk supplied in India isn't pure. They are either diluted or contaminated.

Long before the Food Safety Standards Authority of India undertook its recent nationwide survey to study the level of adulteration in milk, milkmen across the country have been routinely mixing milk with generous doses of water (its purity levels notwithstanding) before delivering it at our doorsteps.

In that sense, the issue of milk adulteration is perhaps as old as the human habit of consuming milk itself. But the dilution of milk with water is one thing; adding harmful chemicals to it that can lead to an array of diseases and health conditions is another. This explains the public furore over the FSSAI’s National Survey on Milk Adulteration 2011 which has revealed that a dangerous assortment of adulterants, including fat, solid-not-fat (SNF), neutralisers, acids, hydrogen peroxide, sugar, starch, glucose, urea, salt, skimmed milk powder, formalin, vegetable fat and even detergent were found in milk samples across the country.

In fact, not only loose samples of milk produced and distributed by the unorganised sector but also samples of store-bought, branded milk were found to contain traces of adulterants. This has comes as a rude shock to consumers who have always believed that branded milk, even though more expensive, would at least be free of adulteration. Expectedly, over the past few days major dairy brands have gone into damage-control mode but that has done little to quell consumer fears.

The Government’s lackadaisical attitude towards the issue has only made matters worse. Not only has the Government woefully failed to monitor the safe production and distribution of an essential commodity like milk, it has also not cared to put on even a charade of concern since the publication of the report. Hence, there is little reason to believe that there will be any appreciable change in the quality of the milk we consume.

Remember how nothing happened in 2010 after the Navi Mumbai Police busted an adulteration racket in which sealed milk packets were injected with contaminants and then sold primarily in rural areas. Indeed, it is with regard to such indifferent attitude of the authorities that the consumers have the most to worry about. A similarly callous disregard by Government officials had recently claimed 125 lives in West Bengal, when victims consumed adulterated alcohol sold from an outlet that had been allowed to operate despite its dubious credentials.

Perhaps, then, it is not surprising that all the milk samples taken from that State, along with those collected from other States ,were found to be contaminated. However, the fact that even the more developed States, including the national capital, did only nominally ‘better’ — with Delhi reporting a contamination in 70 per cent of the samples that were collected — underlines the gravity of the issue and the need for the Government to act.

Wonderful Creativity by students

2011-01-27T11:10:00.000-08:00

Rahul Gandhi - Man Behind Congress Party Glourious future

2011-01-25T00:25:00.000-08:00

Rahul Gandhi is the great grand son of Nehruji's family. He may not have a political exerience when he entered the arena. But when he stepped in the shoes, the bllod of that familt triggerred him to take Congress party to the next level.
He should be applauded to take UP on it's own and succeeded to the greatest extent in fetching results in the previous general elections. I also want to appreciate this person in getting the youngsters into politics. I say this because, this is the time where youngsters are moving away from politics for various reasons. But this person has the power to bring in as many youngsters into the party which was not expected.
I also want to recall my earlier post just posting the profile of Rahul Gandhi and received comments where many graduates that too those who completed M.B.A wants to join politics. This is really encouraging part of this man behind Congress. This is the reason i term Rahul as the future of Congress party. I hope that Congress will rule India like the time of Independence.

Will Sachin bring back India's Glory in New Zealand

2009-02-28T07:42:00.000-08:00

Indian Cricket team started in a losing note in New Zealand. But it was not a bad start at all. They gave a spirited and a tough award to the Kiwis. But this is not a good sign for the champions point of view. With Sachin joining the squad for the ODI's and Test, the Indian team will have a great hope to turn it over. Lets hope that Sachin brings laurels in Kiwi soil where he started his career in a great fashion. Come on India!!!! Do Well!!!! We will be behind you as a big force to support you in all corners. Good Luck guys!!!!

I am back into blogging circle

2009-02-27T10:00:00.000-08:00

Hi for those who are visiting this blog. O was inactive for almost 5 months due to my professional commitments. I am now in a very good position to restart from where i left. I am Back!!!! I am going to enjoy again like u guys. Do visit and share with me your information. COOL!!!

I give 100 reasons to you for being a vegetarian!!!

2008-11-25T08:56:00.000-08:00

ONE HUNDRED ONE REASONS TO BE VEGETARIAN

PEOPLE

1. Every year in the UK we feed our livestock enough food to feed 250,000,000 people while in the world 30,000,000 people die of starvation

2. 20 vegetarians can live off the land required by one meat eater

3. Every 3 seconds a child dies of starvation somewhere in the world

4. If Americans reduced their meat consumption by 10% it would free 12,000,000 tons of grain - enough to feed 60,000,000 people (the population of Great Britain)

5. If all Americans became vegetarian, it would free enough grain to feed 600,000,000 people (the population of India)

6. Intensification in animal farming has displaced 1,000,000's of people from their traditional lands - eg. indigenous people in south & central america, native americans in north america & crofters in Great Britain - this is continuing today

7. People displaced from their lands into cities succumb to dietary deficiency, diseases, parasites & opportunistic diseases

8. In third world countries 1 in 10 babies die before their first birthday

9. The UK imports ?46,000,000 worth of grain from third world countries to feed our livestock

10. Due to overgrazing 850,000,000 people live on land threatened by desertification & over 230,000,000 already live on land so severely desertified that they are unable to sustain their existence & face imminent starvation

11. 1,000,000,000 people in the west gorging on meat & dairy leave 1,000,000,000 to waste away & 3,500,000,000 teeter on the brink

LAND

12. If they continue to clear American forests to raise cattle at the present rate, in 50 years there will be none left

13. 1 acre yields 165 lbs of beef or 20,000 lbs of potatoes

14. 8/10 of cultivated land in the UK is used to grow food for animals (14,732,000 hectares)

15. It takes 16lbs of high protein soya to produce 1 lb of beef

16. Since 1945 in the UK we have lost 95% of flower meadows, 50% of ancient woodlands, 40% of heathlands, 50% of wet lands & 224,000 km of hedgerows all due to animal farming

17. Pressure on land due to meat farming leads to soil erosion 6billion tons/year in the USA

18. If everyone went vegetarian upto 90% of land used for animal farming could be taken out of production & used to replant woodlands, leisure activities etc.

19. 25% of Central america's forests have been destroyed for cattle grazing since 1960

20. Between 1966-1983 38% of the Amazon rain forest was destroyed for cattle grazing

21. 90% of cattle ranches established on cleared forest land go bankrupt in less than 8 years as the land becomes barren due to nutrient loss & overgrazing

22. Overgrazing by cattle is destroying the land & increasing desertification, nearly 430 million acres in the USA alone has suffered a 25-50% reduction in yield since first grazed

23. An inch of topsoil takes 200-1000 years to develop - yet in the USA they have lost around 1/3 of their prime topsoil in 200 years (around 7 inches) due to animal farming

24. Land will be lost due to rises in sea level due to global warming due to animal farming

AIR

25. The destruction of the rainforest by cattle farmers is destroying the lungs of the planet & reducing the worlds capacity to replenish our oxygen supply

26. The 1,300,000,000 cattle in the world emit 60,000,000 tons of methane per year (methane is a greenhouse gas & leads to global warming)

27. Burning of forests, grasslands & agricultural waste associated with animal farming releases 50-100,000,000 tons of methane per year

28. Combining these figures, 25% of methane emissions are due to animal farming (not including the billions of sheep, pigs & poultry so the real figure is much higher)

29. Fertilizer used to grow crops to feed to animals releases nitrous oxide - thought to account for 6% of the greenhouse effect

30. Fertilizer, weedkiller & pesticides sprayed on crops enter the atmosphere creating a noxious carcinogenic cocktail

31. CFCs are released into the air from refrigeration units used to store decomposing flesh (meat), milk & butter - CFCs are destroy the ozone layer

32. Ammonia from animal urine also pollutes the atmosphere

33. CO2 is released by burning oil & petrol in lorries, ships, abattoirs, dairies, factories etc. associated with meat & dairy production

34. Emissions from large chemical plants which produce fertilizer, weedkiller & other agricultural chemicals are also poisoning our air

WATER

35. 25 gallons of water to produce 1lb of wheat & 2500 gallons to produce 1lb of meat

36. UK farm animals produce 200,000,000 tonnes of slurry (liquid excrement) every year, the majority of which ends up in our rivers

37. Bloody waste water from abattoirs ends up in our rivers

38. In the USA every second humans produce 12,000 lbs of effluent while farmed animals produce 250,000 lbs

39. Nitrates & pesticides used on crops grown to feed livestock end up in our rivers

40. Meat & dairy farming uses 70 litres of water per day per animal in the UK or 159,250,000, 000 litres per year in total

41. The water used to produce 10 lbs of steak is equivalent to the average consumption of water for an entire household for an entire year

42. Depletion of groundwater reserves to grow crops for animals & to supply abattoirs will lead to greater water shortages

43. Aquafers (stores of underground water) in the San Joaquin valley in the USA are being drained at the rate of 500,000,000, 000 gallons/year to produce meat

44. 18% of all agricultural land in the world is irrigated & as global warming increases (partly due to animal farming) it will cost $200,000,000 to keep these systems going

45. The water used to produce a 1000 lb beef steer is enough to float a Destroyer battleship

46. The liquid waste from the various parts of the meat & dairy industry flow into the rivers & from there into the seas polluting them & encouraging huge algal blooms to grow

EFFICIENCY

47. To produce 1calorie of energy from meat takes 60 calories of petrol, whereas growing grains & legumes to directly feed people produces 20 calories for each calorie of fuel used ( thats 1200 times more efficient)

48. Meat & dairy farming uses billions of gallons of oil to run tractors, fuel ships & lorries (to move animal feed & animals), pump billions of gallons of water to irrigate fields & run slaughterhouses, power refrigeration units to prevent the corpses from decomposing & to power sewage plants to clean up some of the pollution produced

49. Cattle convert only 6% of their energy intake (mainly grains & soya) into flesh, the remaining 94% is wasted as heat, movement (which is why they keep many animals in very close confinement) , hair, bones, faeces etc

50. 1lb of beef takes 1 gallon of petrol to produce

51. A family of four eating beef for a year uses enough petrol to run a car for 6 months (obviously depending on how far you drive!)

52. If the full ecological cost of meat was passed onto the consumer - the price would be quadrupled (at least)

53. The EC spends ?100,000,000's to subsidise animal production resulting in lakes of unwanted milk & mountains of unwanted meat & butter. This money could be better spent encouraging organic fruit, vegetable & grain production

54. In the USA in 1979 145,000,000 tons of crops were fed to cattle resulting in only 21million tons of animal bodies - the cost of the wasted crops was $20,000,000, 000

55. Between 1950 & 1985 grain production in Europe & the USA increased massively but 2/3 was fed to animals

56. 70% of all grain is fed to animals

57. Eating vast quantities of animal flesh, eggs, milk & butter is a luxury that most of the planet can not afford

ANIMALS

58. Fishing with drift (and other modern) nets weakens & destroys ecosystems by indiscriminately killing billions of sea creatures & disrupting the sea bed

59. Fishermen's nets kill 10 times as many other animals as the fish they are hoping to catch

60. Fish caught in nets die an agonising slow death of suffocation

61. Each year 15,000,000,000 land animals are slaughtered for food & an unknown but much larger number of sea creatures (including 1000's of dolphins caught accidentally)

62. Chickens are crammed into battery cages with upto 3 other birds, they are unable to even spread their wings & many can not even stand up

63. Unwanted male chicks (because they can't lay eggs) are gassed or pulped while their sisters go to the battery sheds

64. Chicks are debeaked without anaesthetic to prevent them injuring each other in the unnaturally confined conditions they are kept in - this is equivalent to having your fingernails pulled out without anaesthetic

65. Modern farming methods using growth hormones & artificial lighting mean that many chickens out grow their bones, resulting in fractured & broken legs

66. Sows are kept tethered in stalls 1.3 x 1 metre on concrete or slatted floors - they can not even turn around

67. Poultry raised for meat are kept in windowless broiler sheds, with around 20-30,000 in each shed, they live in an area of 10-20 cm square - fighting due to overcrowding is common & like battery hens they commonly suffer from supperating bed sores

68. Broilersheds are artificially lit 23 hours a day to produce rapid growth

69. Animals travel between farms & to slaughter in overcrowded transporters with no food or water - resulting in stress, injuries & deaths - legal requirements are widely ignored

70. 95% of poultry suffer injuries before being killed & 30% suffer broken bones

71. Problems with stunning practices mean that many animals have their throats slit while still conscious (around 6% of cattle or 200,000 per year) & are then dipped in tanks of scalding water (to loosen feathers, bristles etc.) again while fully conscious

72. 4000 animals die spurting their blood out every minute in a British slaughterhouse

73. Calf leather comes from animals killed at just 2 weeks old

74. Cows were fed on the ground up remains of other cows & sheep - the result is thought to be BSE (mad cow disease) in the USA cattle are fed partly on recycled plastic pellets

75. Cows only give milk for 10 months after they have a calf - so they are routinely artificially inseminated (ie. mechanically raped) to keep them pregnant & milking - their calves are taken away (usually at 12 hours old) for meat or export to veal crates

76. Cows would naturally live upto 20 years but are slaughtered after 5-7 years when their milk production begins to fall

77. In the UK animals are killed by first being stunned with electricity or a captive bolt gun (ie. a bolt is fired into their heads) before having their throats slit & being plunged into boiling water - all this happens on a production line with the animals being hung upside down from a moving conveyor belt - this is factory farming

78. "Animals are those unfortunate slaves & victims of the most brutal part of mankind" - John Stewart Mill (philosopher)

79. Veal calves are confined in stalls in the dark, unable to move & are fed on pigs blood , chocolate & dried milk (we are drinking the rich fresh milk of their mothers)

80. Cows naturally produce 5 litres of milk per day for their calves - under the intensified systems of modern farming they produce 25-40 litres per day - resulting in swollen & inflamed udders - at this rate they are soon worn out

81. Large areas of land are under monoculture to grow crops to feed to animals - these areas are wildlife deserts supporting fewer & fewer species.

HEALTH

82. Vegetarians have a 20% lower rate of mortality from all causes (ie. they live longer & don't get sick as often)

83. Meat is full of traces of antibiotics, hormones, toxins produced by stress & pesticide residues that become concentrated from all the crops they have eaten

84. Fish contain heavy metals & other pollutants -many of which originated on farms

85. The world health organisation recommends a diet low in saturated fat, sugar, salt & with plenty of fibre - exactly what you get on a vegan/vegetarian diet

86. Farmed animals contain upto 50% saturated fat in their bodies

87. Vegetarians have 24% reduced risk of getting heart disease & Vegans a 57% reduction (heart disease is the biggest killer in the UK accounting for 50% of deaths)

88. Obesity is rare in vegetarians, obesity is related to many diseases

89. Vegans & vegetarians have lower blood pressure & cholesterol levels - high levels are associated with heart disease, strokes & kidney failure

90. Vegetarians have a 50% reduced risk of dying of diabetes

91. Vegetarians have a 40% reduced level of cancer than the general population thought to be because they have a higher intake of vitamins A,C & E

92. Vegetarians have a reduced risk of developing gall & kidney stones

93. 80% of food poisoning is due to infected meat (faeces, bacteria etc.) after all meat is decomposing flesh - most of the rest is due to salmonella in eggs

94. Osteoporosis due to calcium loss from bones is mainly due to the sulphur content in meat & casein protein in milk that cause calcium to be lost in the urine - the countries with the highest meat & dairy consumption are those with the highest levels of brittle bones

95. 50% of people do not have the enzyme to digest milk properly & milk allergy is related to asthma & eczema

96. Meat eaters have double the rate of Alzheimers disease as Vegans & Vegetarians - some people also think that Parkinsons disease is also linked to meat eating

97. Egg yolk is a dense concentration of saturated fat & the white is high in albumin protein associated with leaching calcium into your urine. Butter is 80% saturated fat, cream is 40% saturated fat & cheese is 25-40% saturated fat

98. Meat eaters are two and a half times more likely to get bowel cancer than Vegetarians

99. The cling film used to wrap meat in supermarkets & butchers contains chemicals linked to falling sperm counts in men

100. Chinese people (living mainly on a vegetarian diet) consume 20% more calories than Americans but Americans are 20% fatter

101. Of 2,100,000 deaths in the USA in 1987, 1,500,000 were related to diet (i.e. meat & dairy)

AND I COULD GO ON !

If you've read this far, I hope that you are beginning to see that the Meat & Dairy industry is a major contributor to misery on this planet. It is destroying the health of people in rich countries, starving those in poor countries, it is torturing & killing billions of animals every year and in the meantime it is one of the major factors in the destruction of the environment - so what does the meat & dairy industry have to say in it's defence?

Well their only real point is usually "Meat is tasty" - fair enough a lot of people enjoy the taste of meat - but there are plenty of delicious alternatives (just consider the huge range of vegetarian dishes in Indian cooking - one of the oldest & most sophisticated cuisines in the world) and if you really crave meat & dairy, nowadays there are plenty of healthy non animal alternatives - just look in the supermarket & health food shop. So I hope you will agree it's pretty pathetic to consider all the evidence & then say "well I know you're right about the environment & health & the animals - but I just love my meat.

Don Bradman : Stats

2008-10-30T11:01:00.000-07:00

Don Bradman played test cricket ONLY against 4 countries - England, India, South Africa and West Indies. He did not play a test against New Zealand (the only Australia v New Zealand test match during his career was in 1946).
Bradman captained Australia 24 times, winning 15 matches and losing 3.
Don Bradman was Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 1931.
Against India, Don Bradman averaged 178.75 in 6 innings. Bradman scored 4 centuries and 1 half century in 6 innings. Phew!
Don Bradman averaged 201.50 in 5 tests against South Africa.
Although he made his highest test score (334) in the 3rd test of the 1930 series in England, Bradman considered his 254 in the second test of the series to be his best innings technically.
Don Bradman described himself as "predominately a back foot player".
When he first saw the Sydney Cricket Ground in 1921, Don Bradman said to his father "I shall never be happy until I play at this ground" - in 1930, he scored a record 452 not out at that ground.
Don Bradman's batting average over his career in test matches against all countries was 99.94 - if he had scored 4 more runs, he would have averaged 100 per innings.
Don Bradman scored his first century (115 not out) for Bowral High School against Mittagong when he was 12 years old.
Bradman’s fastest century was against South Africa in 1931-32. He took just 98 minutes to reach 100 runs mark, however it is unknown that how many balls he faced.
Don Bradman converted seven consecutive centuries into a score of 150 or more. Our Veeru (Sehwag) has done better.
Bradman’s dismal score in his first Test (18 and 1) and his last Test (0) is well known but very few know that he holds the record for the scoring the highest runs by any Austrailan in his second Test (79 and 112) and second last Test (33 and 173 n.o.).
Bradman is said to have had more than one nickname. Braddles, Goldie, The babe Ruth of Cricket, The Little Fella are a few of them.

Warner back with Hostage Movie

2008-10-23T10:12:00.000-07:00

Warner Bros. has acquired an untitled action thriller pitch about the rescue last year of fifteen hostages in Colombia reports Variety. The story will focus on Operacion Jaque, a five-year plan to locate and rescue three Americans who had been captured in 2003 by Colombian guerilla group FARC. The covert effort involved numerous governments, diplomats and intelligence services and a vast network of spies, military advisers and soldiers plus high-tech surveillance measures.Peter Landesman has been set to write the script which Lorenzo di Bonaventura and Scott Z. Burns will produce.Screen Gems is at work on a rival drama "Operation Checkmate" that Jessica Postigo is penning and Simon Brand will direct.

Beckham goes to AC Milan

2008-10-22T09:50:00.000-07:00

The England midfielder, 33, plays for Los Angeles Galaxy, whose Major League Soccer season ends this weekend. Speaking on Wednesday morning, Milan vice-president Adriano Galliani said: "Beckham has chosen Milan. He'll stay here in Milan on loan for a few months. "Our squad is ultra-competitive and it will remain this way but Beckham is something different and intriguing."
The former Manchester United and Real Madrid star, who needs two more appearances to eclipse Bobby Moore as England's most-capped outfield player with 108, is eager to stay in contention for his country during the MLS close season. However, England coach Fabio Capello has made it clear he will only select players who are active and in form.

India goes to Moon

2008-10-22T09:46:00.000-07:00

India has successfully launched its first mission to the Moon. The unmanned Chandrayaan 1 spacecraft blasted off smoothly from a launch pad in southern Andhra Pradesh to embark on a two-year mission of exploration. The robotic probe will orbit the Moon, compiling a 3-D atlas of the lunar surface and mapping the distribution of elements and minerals.
The launch is regarded as a major step for India as it seeks to keep pace with other space-faring nations in Asia. Indian PM Manmohan Singh hailed the launch as the "first step" in a historic milestone in the country's space programme. "Our scientific community has once again done the country proud and the entire nation salutes them," Mr Singh said in a message.
The launch was greeted with applause by scientists gathered at the site. The chief of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), Madhavan Nair, said it was a "historic moment" for the country. "Today what we have charted is a remarkable journey for an Indian spacecraft to go to the moon and try to unravel the mysteries of the Earth's closest celestial body and its only natural satellite," Mr Nair said.

Is Kumble in the trap?

2008-10-19T05:58:00.000-07:00

The next question have already rosen up as Amit Mishra performed exceptionally well in his debut match against Aussies. The youngster has troubled the Aussies in almost all the occasions in a pitch where even Bajji could not do. Will this performance show the gate for Anil Kumble to retirement after DADA. But i feel that this is the right time and series to call it a day as the next generation of talented and original leg spinners are on the queue.

Can Barrack Obama stop IT Outsourcing???

2008-10-19T05:35:00.000-07:00

Hi all!!! The buzz atpresent in the IT field especially in India is that wheather Barrack Obama can stop outsourcing. Barack Obama in his statement to his countrymen has said that he will stop outsourcing to provide the employment for the unemployed peoples of USA.

My Question is that wheather Software and IT related people can sustain the loss that will occur if Obama brings this change. The reason why i say is :

1. IT people have invested crores of money in India for better profit which they could not afford in USA or any other foreign country. If they do so, they will have to invest ten times the amount they have invested in India.

2. Next thing is that, IT concerns need people who can work for a very long time in a day to complete their projects at a rapid speed and fetch them more projects from other clients which is possible in countries like India. They can hire people from India at a low cost which is not at all possible in any other countries.

3. The main and the important resource that the IT concerns expects is the amount of brilliant brains which is available only in India.

When such conditions prevails, how could IT concerns stop Outsourcing. Not only that, if they go on to take people from US and stop outsourcing then they could not withstand even for one year which can lead to closing of their company which they will never think of at any cost. In such circumstances how could Barrack Obama stop IT Outsourcing.

is training for joining airways is safe?

2008-10-17T10:47:00.000-07:00

Have you seen the Frankfin airhostess Institute Ad which says " mein alag thi,mein udnachahti thi(i was different,i wanted to fly)"?Now i realised all those dreams which a air-hostess training company claims is a illusion.In real life you have to struggle to achieve small success.The sacking of the cabin-crewby Jet airways is a fantastic example of this fact.Jet airways who sacked 1000 employees yesterday,has certainly made the intentions ofthe Industry clear. Either be the best or get sacked.In this time of financial crisisin every industry in India and abroad,only a smart person can keep his job intact.Heshould be smart in his work,must flatter his boss and keep him happy.These are difficult times for Indian aviation. Airfares are going up, passenger load factoris coming down, and every airline is losing money. Unless airlines take some bold stepscarrying on may be difficult.so in this context,sacking of employees is justified.but more than that i would like to emphasize on one point: why air-hostess/crewtraining companies sell false dreams?Why they are playing with the careers of young people?They show in newspaper Ads that Indian Aviation industry needs 1000's of employees andtheir is shortfall of the skilled people in Indian Aviation Industry.Why they don'ttell freshers about the incidents and risks involved in this industry?Its true that everyone is different and wants to fly.But don't sell false dreams.

Dont Forget the journey

2008-10-17T10:43:00.000-07:00

Hi all!!! This is for those who forget the journey of life. Many people miss out on a lot of life because they look past the journey. We all come up with many goals in life. It could be that we want to become managers at work, own a company. It could have something to do with our weight, or health. It could be that we have some family goals.Whatever the goal is, we usually can't wait to achieve it. We forget the gift of the journey. We don't usually look at it as a gift, but rather as a hardship to get us where we want to be. In so doing we miss out on many special moments in life. We get so focused on the finish line that we miss the great moments of the steps that it takes to get there. It is unfortunate.There are some God given moments hidden in the journey that should be recognized as "rewards". It is in the journey that people grow closer together. It is in the hardships the love is truly shown.Don't let the journeys of life pass you buy. Embrace them and enjoy them.

Share your Vehicular for Everything

2008-10-17T10:21:00.000-07:00

Hi all readers!!!! I came across a very interesting site which i have never come across of such kind before. It was interesting and i also should not regret the fact that the site was useful too when i got to know about the site. The site wants all the information about the vehicle that we use, that is, about its efficiency on road and off road and the kind of luxury and the comfort they give. Once we give an input about that vehicle, they display in their site and others also share their views about that particular vehicle which not only gives additional information but also the fact that, you get to know about some other vehicle which you do not know or have never come across before looking at this site. They also rate the vehicle based on the input they get from various sources. Once such vehicle that i came across in this site is the Landrover Freelander. The site have displayed the Prices, assets and drawbacks of the freelander and they have given the verdict for the vehicle. I also came to see the photos of Landrover 2 vehicle.
In addition to these features, the site has also given a review about the freelander vehicles Overview such as Reliability & Quality of freelander, On the Road performance, Safety & Security of the vehicle, Running Costs of freelander, Comfort provided with the vehicle, Used Value and finally with all other versions of freelander 2 vehicle. So do visit this site and have a good time and research about more vehicles here and also share your inputs with these site.

Is Actress forced for money in India?

2008-10-17T10:16:00.000-07:00

Is Actress in India especially in south are forced to do obscence scenes in movies? Here is one incident. Kerala Actress Bhanu eloped from her house and met with journalist for help yesterday in Cochin. As she had tears running down her cheaks she said she has been tortured by her father to act in obscene scenes.
She says ‘right in my childhood, my father left us and never turned onto our side and it was my uncle who saved from the deep troubles and lifted to certain level. Then as I started acting in films, my father got back again and we were there showering our love for us. But then, he started grabbing the money I earned through films. Also he forced me to act in films of obscenity and even he spoke the worst about me in public’.
She asked for the support from the media and the public not just for her but for her mother, Shaali as well.

Something inside the Glass??? Hmmm!!!

2008-10-16T01:57:00.000-07:00

The shape of a glass plays a role in how you perceive wine as explained by some. Some of your taste buds detect salty flavors, other bitter ones. The contours of a glass can project liquid to different tongue zones. Champagne flutes send it to the front where sweet and sour tastes tingle, broad red-wine glasses to the back where astringent flavors linger. Glasses affect the aroma too: fill a small glass to the brim and you'll choke the bouquet but swirl a little wine in a big glass and the smell is freed then channeled to your nose. Different wines benefit from different glassware - a delicate white wine would just get lost in a vast glass - but as a rule pour only half full.

Be careful Guys!!!

2008-10-16T01:56:00.001-07:00

Your cell phone is probably covered with bacteria much more than you can imagine. Being the most used accessory in your daily life this is one which can be contaminated million times over. In a recent study of 50 mobiles it was found that all had bacteria; tow had bugs that can cause skin infections - a risk if you share your cell. bags are another hot spot breeding ground for germs. 20% to 30% of purses tested had bacteria associated with with fecal matter, likely because they'd been left on bathroom or restaurant floors or outside. To clean your stuff use disinfecting wipes. Be careful Guys!!!

A comeback for Hirwani

2008-10-15T19:17:00.002-07:00

The talented Leggie had burst into the test scene with a record breaking performance against the west Indies in chennai in 1987.He picked up 16 wicktes as a bespectacled 19 year old and kept up his good form for the next few games.But yet his career failed to pick up pace and hirwanu played only 17 tests for India.picking up 66 wicktes.He last layed for India in November 1996 against South Africa.Many say the talented but moody leg spinner was not nurtured properply by the Indian cricketing establishment,Thus cutting his International careershort.But hirwani went on plying his trade tirelessly inthe domestic circuit till 2006.Accommodated asa national selector only 2 years after his retirement.Hirwani's experience and hard work in the domestic circuit will give hope to the fringe players.He is expected to be sympathetic to players who have toiled hard in the domestic circuit.

Chika on a mission

2008-10-15T19:17:00.001-07:00

The chairman of selectors has et out with an agenda to build a winning team for the 2011 world cup but has made itc learthat it is not ability alone that makes a cricketer but also his mental fortitude.He has also gone on record and said :"An eye for the future is equally important.Hard decisions might have to be taken.The current test team is one of the best India Has ever had and it will not be easy replacing them".Having played his cricket with no nonsense approach,Srikkanth has always been a vocal critic of board politics that have often pushed cricket to the backbenches and as a selector we expect him to follow that line and select a team based on its abilities and not regional colours.

Aegan goes US

2008-10-15T19:13:00.000-07:00

Ajith’s movie Aegan is releasing with more than 12 prints in USA. According to Bharat Creations, the distributor of Aegan, it is the first time Ajith`s movie is being released with as many prints. Even his movie Billa did not have as many prints. In USA a special celebration are planned to take place at all the theatres for Diwali and Aegan.

Marmayogi gets a setback

2008-10-15T19:11:00.000-07:00

Pyramid Saimira is recently facing new problems; they even backed out of a Hindi film distribution including Shoot at Sight. It operation at North India and Bollywood was shut down as well.
After the fall of the movie Kuselan at the box office Pyramid Saimira has given layoff to many of its professionals from the management level. It seems that improper function was taking place in the management level. Pyramid Saimira is one of the co-producers of Kamal Hassan’s Marmayogi and now they are confused to stay or to dropout of the project.

Boxing a boon to maintain your fitness level

2008-10-15T19:07:00.000-07:00

You may improve your health and have a physically fit body by getting into boxing training fitness programs. This is the best way for you to have a stronger body and gain confidence. Boxing workouts can help you to be at your best fighting form as well.Many people see positive results from boxing trainings. You may build stronger and more defined arms and legs. These programs and classes also help you to gain a sense of inner strength and emotional balance.Boxing training classes got across to the mainstream of physical fitness training a few years back. They have seen the benefits on the cardiovascular and toning of the muscles by these boxing training workouts. Tae bo work out videos also popularized these boxing and kickboxing exercises.Cardio boxing training classes and the innovative variations of the sparring jabs, power punches, defense, and fitness has all blends of aerobics exercises. You will learn the proper execution of the punch and kick combinations for a more intensive workout that can help you become stronger and more confident.The combinations you perform on the blocks, jabs, and kicks are executed to an imagined opponent. You may see classes where participants throw punches and kicks on the air. You will also find training camps that have quality equipment such as punching bags and you may also have the option of getting a partner that has padded hands.You may also enjoy more benefits aside from the physical aspects of boxing trainings. Cardio kick boxing workouts allow you to burn out 350 to 500 calories in just an hour. It also helps maintaining the heart rate at 75 percent to 85 percent regular beat. This has been proven to be good and is the recommended range if you are exercising or into training.Moreover, these boxing training classes improve your speed, resistance, and strength. Flexibility and the reflexes of the muscles are also enhanced. Repetitive motion on arms by sparring and jogging while you punch helps your arms and legs gain strength and power.These workouts also enable your joint movements to build very efficient fitness results.These movements require you to develop balance and coordination that enables your body to be stable and maintain a good form.These physical benefits you gain from boxing and kickboxing are just few of the many benefits that they can provide. You will be able to learn more about defense mechanism skills, which you may use in case of unwanted instances. You will also feel the satisfaction when you punch or kick. Relaxation and self-motivation is also developed.You will feel a sigh of relief and feel that you are released from stressed. It also helps you to get rid of that anger that is inside of you. Once these things are releases, you may feel lightness into your body and peace of mind as well.Many aerobic and fitness experts recommend boxing training lessons for beginners. It allows you to workout on your desired pace and body condition. Boxing classes let you to push yourself to the limit as long as you are safe and well conditioned.Positive results await you with boxing training. You will enjoy a physically fit body and will keep you in better shape. You have the option working out and exercising at your preferred level and skill. Enjoy the fun of these boxing training programs.

An Advancement in technology to fight the nature

2008-10-15T19:06:00.000-07:00

A German-Indonesian radio project tries to make forest conservation more popularBy Anett KellerIndonesia, the host of the climate summit in December, has a poor environmental record. An area of forest the size of five football fields is destroyed every minute in the country. The slashing and burning of its rainforests places the country among the world’s biggest carbon dioxide polluters.The United Nations could not have found a more fitting place for the climate summit than Indonesia. In this land of more than 13,000 islands, tropical rainforest is disappearing faster than anywhere else on Earth. Indonesia has lost four million hectares of forest in the past 25 years – that is 60 percent of the country’s total.The trees are used to make cheap plywood, weatherproof garden furniture, glossy magazines and toilet paper. Increasingly more of the land is converted into plantations to feed the growing hunger for bio-fuels made from palm oil. The slashing and burning of Indonesia’s jungles has dramatic consequences for the world climate: their layers of humus –many meters thick – bind carbon.For Germany’s international broadcaster Deutsche Welle and its Indonesian language radio department, that was a good reason to raise awareness of the problem in the country itself. “The whole world is watching the big event in Bali,” said Hendra Pasuhuk, the program director. “But for many Indonesians, the destruction of the forests and the consequences for the environment are not the least bit important.”Radio was the ideal medium with which to draw attention to the problem, as it is the most popular form of media in Indonesia. Along with the Indonesian partner station Radio KBR68H, and with support from the German Development Ministry, the forest conservation project went into action.First, Indonesian radio journalists were called upon to work out an abstract on the subject of conservation. “It was important to us to get people who (themselves) came from the affected regions and were not reporting from the distant capital,” Pasuhuk said. Ten journalists from five provinces took part in a weeklong workshop in Jakarta at the end of October. They gained valuable input from environmentalists and forestry ministry officials. At the same time, they were supposed to turn their ideas into plans, which they could use as a basis for about 10 days ofresearch in their regions – accompanied by a colleague from Deutsche Welle. The aim of the project was to make a feature series of 10-minute reports to broadcast on about 400 local radio stations during the climate summit.For the journalists involved, it was a rare opportunity to do some solid on-the-spot research – something their limited resources usually don’t allow, says Ade Wahyudi, program manager at KBR68H. “In the provinces in particular, journalists don’t have the technical or the financialcapacity for fact-finding trips,” he said, adding that the complex topic of forest conservation can best be communicated to listeners when presented in a lively way and told from the perspective of those affected.The project yielded some interesting results. Some of the journalists went to the island of Kalimantan, looking for Sebuku elephants. Only a few dozen of them have survived the destruction of their habitat in the forests of East Kalimantan. In eastern Java, project members found a village where every single resident earns a living from illegal logging. Not even the police dare to go there.Another team went to Poso and Palu in central Sulawesi, places famous for the black wood of the ebony tree. Officially, ebony is protected and the trees must not be felled. But the violent conflict in the region makes the rules hard to enforce and prevents reforestation programs.The decades-long conflict in Papua between the local population and the central government with its huge army presence has also had an impact on the environment. The military, foreign companies, local officials – there are many different parties earning money in the timber trade.Journalists dealing with the subject must navigate murky waters. “I received some phone calls where I felt threatened,” said Edith Koesoemawiria, a Deutsche Welle journalist. “And one time a man no one knew turned up and made it clear to me that I was not to report on logging.” She and her two local colleagues were investigating the situation in Papua. They reported on the problems in implementing reforestation programs. They visited villagers who cut down the hugetrees in their forests and sell the trunks to logging companies, just to feed their families – even though their area has been declared a nature reserve.Although she was shocked by the degree of environmental destruction she found, Koesoemawiria is enthusiastic about the project. She says far too little is known in Indonesia about the long-term effects of cutting down the rainforests. “People do know that there are mudslides when the treeshave been cut down,” she said. “But hardly anyone realizes that the destruction of the forests has a negative impact on the climate.” She admits it is difficult to bring about a sustained new awareness. But for that very reason, she says, you can’t report on the dangers of destroying the rainforest too often.The reports have been airing since Nov. 26. Partner stations across Indonesia have been broadcasting them. And the reports are even going out beyond the national borders. The “Asia Calling” program on KBR68H is rebroadcast by many stations in other Asian countries, in English and the national languages.

Stock Market

2008-10-15T19:05:00.001-07:00

A stock market index is a method of measuring a stock market as a whole. The market can be Canadian stocks, American stocks, Bio-tech stocks, small-cap stocks, growth stocks, or any other market of interest. Many indices are compiled by news or financial services firms and are used to benchmark the performance of portfolios such as mutual funds.

Addressing inflation

2008-10-15T19:04:00.001-07:00

Measuring inflation requires finding objective ways of separating out changes in nominal prices from other influences related to real activity. In the simplest possible case, if the price of a 10 oz. can of corn changes from $0.90 to $1.00 over the course of a year, with no change in quality, then this price change represents inflation. But we are usually more interested in knowing how the overall cost of living changes, and therefore instead of looking at the change in price of one good, we want to know how the price of a large 'basket' of goods and services changes. This is the purpose of looking at a price index, which is a weighted average of many prices. The weights in the Consumer Price Index, for example, represent the fraction of spending that typical consumers spend on each type of goods (using data collected by surveying households).Inflation measures are often modified over time, either for the relative weight of goods in the basket, or in the way in which goods from the present are compared with goods from the past. This includes hedonic adjustments and “reweighing” as well as using chained measures of inflation. As with many economic numbers, inflation numbers are often seasonally adjusted in order to differentiate expected cyclical cost increases, versus changes in the economy. Inflation numbers are averaged or otherwise subjected to statistical techniques in order to remove statistical noise and volatility of individual prices. Finally, when looking at inflation, economic institutions sometimes only look at subsets or special indices. One common set is inflation excluding food and energy, which is often called “core inflation”.

The 2nd Worlds most popular Currency

2008-10-15T19:03:00.001-07:00

The euro is currently the second most commonly held reserve currency, being approximately a quarter of allocated holdings. After World War II and the rebuilding of the German economy (see the Wirtschaftswunder), the German Deutsche Mark gained the status of the second most important reserve currency after the US dollar. When the euro was launched on January 1 1999, replacing the Mark, French Franc and nine other European currencies, it inherited the status of a major reserve currency from the Mark. Since then its contribution to official reserves has risen continually as banks seek to diversify their reserves and trade in the eurozone continues to expand. The New York Times Book Review also referred to the euro as the "Deutsch-Mark by another name".
Former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan said in September 2007 that the euro could replace the U.S. dollar as the world's primary reserve currency. It is "absolutely conceivable that the euro will replace the dollar as reserve currency, or will be traded as an equally important reserve currency." Econometrical analysis suggests, the euro may replace the U.S. dollar as the major reserve currency by 2020 if: (1) the remaining EU members, including the UK, adopt the Euro by 2020 or (2) the recent depreciation trend of the dollar persists into the future

Evolution of Coinage

2008-10-15T19:02:00.001-07:00

These factors led to the shift of the store of value being the metal itself: at first silver, then both silver and gold. Metals were mined, weighed, and stamped into coins. This was to assure the individual taking the coin that he was getting a certain known weight of precious metal. Coins could be counterfeited, but they also created a new unit of account, which helped lead to banking. Archimedes' principle was that the next link in currency occurred: coins could now be easily tested for their fine weight of metal, and thus the value of a coin could be determined, even if it had been shaved, debased or otherwise tampered with (see Numismatics).In most major economies using coinage, copper, silver and gold formed three tiers of coins. Gold coins were used for large purchases, payment of the military and backing of state activities. Silver coins were used for large, but common, transactions, and as a unit of account for taxes, dues, contracts and fealty, while copper coins represented the coinage of common transaction. This system had been used in ancient India since the time of the Mahajanapadas. In Europe, this system worked through the medieval period because there was virtually no new gold, silver or copper introduced through mining or conquest. Thus the overall ratios of the three coinages remained roughly equivalent

What is Financing

2008-10-15T19:01:00.000-07:00

The field of finance refers to the concepts of time, money and risk and how they are interrelated. Banks are the main facilitators of funding through the provision of credit, although private equity, mutual funds, hedge funds, and other organizations have become important. Financial assets, known as investments, are financially managed with careful attention to financial risk management to control financial risk. Financial instruments allow many forms ofsecuritized assets to be traded on securities exchanges such as stock exchanges, including debt such as bondsas well as equity in publicly-traded corporations.

Oil on Demand!!!

2008-10-14T11:00:00.000-07:00

Few weeks back Mr. George Bush let out a comment that it is due to the heavy demand from China and India that the oil price has increased so much. I do not know about China but the Indian Government promptly objected to this remark but did not take the objection to a higher official level. I think the remark was more pointed towards China than India but we can not just ignore an accusing comment from a country which literally runs the globe. It does not mean you antagonise US - no - even f you want to - you just can't afford it. It is however essential to find out ways to move from oil and the next source of energy that comes to my mind is solar - except some Arab countries no country seems to take this free energy seriously - it is time that all the governments pooled together their resources to make this energy cost-effective. Next best source of energy is nuclear energy. But here also we can not go nuclear without the help of the US. Just because we went nuclear in the weapons side does not mean that we are self sufficient in the energy side of it. We have the minds - we need good politicians to make this fully happen.

Can Money give you everything in Life???

2008-10-14T10:51:00.000-07:00

Ages after ages it was drilled that we must remain happy and contended with what we have. But today's generation like me and just about everyone in this competitive world are running after one sole thing: money and creation of wealth. But there are different ways in which different human beings think. For some wealth creation is abundance of money while for some others it could be just living joyfully. Money or the creation of wealth can give you pleasures of life and help you realise your fantasies. To say that money and subsequent creation of wealth can buy everything is a misnomer. The true fact is money cannot buy everything. Here is a list of what money cannot buy but things that can be cherished over a period of your life perhaps.

1. Vision and mission of your life

2. Nurtured relationships and true Love

3. Values

4. Personal development

5. Genius

6. Mentor and guide

7. Team spirit

8. Humility

9. Developing

10. Adaptability and acceptability

Soccer - A game to be played

2008-10-14T10:50:00.001-07:00

Soccer is a game most kids love to play. It’s a dynamic activity that’s kids love to engage in. Of course, we need not mention that kids idolizes athletes at an early age. Ask them who their favorite soccer player and they will immediately recite the name of the player. That is why they demand miniature version of the stuff they see on tv.I found a site wherein you could shop for your Soccer Equipment that would fit your child’s age.Soccer Goals INC. gives you a broad selection of Soccer Goals and soccer goals accessories to choose from including soccer backstops and rebounders, all of these from Franklin Sports.Soccer Goalz Inc. offers different types of portable soccer goals that you can easily set-up in your own backyard. Your kids can practice soccer anytime they want and be the best that they can be. Who knows one of them might be the next soccer superstar! Remember, most of those superstar athletes started young. Your kid might be on the way to stardom, you just don’t know now.Franklin Sports offer the most superior in quality and durability soccer goals, soccer nets and accessories that they offer at the most affordable of prices. So check out Soccer Goalz Inc. and get those soccer goals and nets for your kid now.

Secret of Success

2008-10-14T10:47:00.000-07:00

Each every one wants to succeed in life, want to the number one in everything, want to the richest person in the world but only few peoples have achieved it y? Let me tell me you. The attitude is what matters in the way to success. When ever a work is started with a positive node 25% work completes there itself remaining hard work alone. So to be positive always we need keep ourselves busy each and every minute. When ever the mind is getting bored it thinks in a backward path which leads to disaster. Even when we are not involved in anything not a problem keep our mind busy that’s what matters a lot.
Start with confidence

Travel through knowledge
Reach through experience
Win through winsome

Save Planet "Earth"

2008-10-14T10:46:00.001-07:00

The world’s temperature is getting increased day by day. The consequences of this temperature rise mainly going to affect the coastal areas. The reason of this temperature rise is increase in pollution and contamination of the ecosystem. Nature as a balance ecosystem but humans for there own use making some permanent changes in earth against nature. When this situation is going to continue then the giant ice bugs in the earth will start melting there by increases the sea level in the earth. So friends who ever read this passage make sure that nature around you is not being polluted. The responsibility to save this planet is our hands please take it make the planet a beautiful living space for human beings.

Do you read books?

2008-10-14T10:45:00.001-07:00

Many people in this world have the habit of reading books. Really its very good habit needed to be cultivated in small ages itself. Actually reading makes a person mature, makes him to understand himself, increases concentration, etc… while reading a book or novel we involve ourselves into that we image ourselves in the character we read makes real feel good. A person own personality gets improved by reading really good books. My life has changed a lot by reading books. Especially books like DAS CAPITAL, GANDHI made me realize how important reading books. For time pass I started reading books but nowadays without reading I can’t sleep. After reading the book I mentioned above I started to think what I am doing in this world, am I useful to this world, any one gets benefited by me and lots and lots of questions rose. These questions made me to improve my life style and I can see the results in my personality improved. I got more friends every one respected me a lot. So friends reading books can create a lot on improvement in you so start reading books

Tips to keep your Bike in a good condition

2008-10-14T10:43:00.000-07:00

1. Think the bike as your family member so that a kind of affection will be there.

2. Now coming into technical aspect. Regular change gear oil is mandatory.

3. Frequent oiling of chains makes the ride much smoother.

4. Cleaning of air filter is very important. The supply of air is taken in that chamber so lots of dust particles will be deposited. If this continues possible of knocking may occur.

5. Then cleaning of the exhaust portion is vital. Coal formation along the sides of the blades makes a horrible noise and reduces the millage of the bike too. This can be prevented by heating the silencer. While heating the scales coal looses it rigidity and falls down.

6. Apart from cleaning works it is much important the way we drive our bike. Proper changing of gears at regular speeds makes the transmission liable.

7. Maintain of correct air pressure in tyres makes the suspension feel good and because of this performance is maintained.

8. Usage of breaks can be avoided as much as possible. See if we keep this in mind rash driving can be avoided

9. The speed in which we drive the bike is important. Keep it same all the time i.e. the average speed must be the same all time where we go. The makes the engine to get nicely tuned to our style of driving.

10. Just after getting a new bike take a long distance drive at good speed in an empty road so that regulation of engine as well as tuning of engine begins there itself.

Dada : You never retire from our hearts

2008-10-14T10:40:00.000-07:00

When we say prince of Kolkata or Bengal tiger only one name flashes in our mind and that’s non other than Sourav Ganguly. This prince was born on July8, 1972 in Kolkata. That on one thought this baby would transform into million dollar baby.He made his one day debut as a 19 year kid in January 1992 that against the mighty champion Australia. Who thought this tiger would lead India into world cup finals against the same one. But after that poor performance in that game he was put into controversy that he was not picked for his cricket but the fame he has. But dada disproved everything against England in 1996 by hitting consecutive tons in the first two tests.From there the Bengal south paw carried his carrier into a tree with full of success fruits only. His consistent and aggressive approach made the captain of Indian team. Ganguly has captain made many remarkable things. After twenty years he was the only Indian captain to take our till finals in world cup. Ganguly is rated as the best successive captain in India till now.He has very good attitude towards the game. This was proved by his comeback after a controversy with Great Chappell. By a person Sourav is very good man and have much self confidence in himself. Ganguly is well known for his sixes. Once at the age of 15years he hit a ball out of the stadium to the top of the gallery. His dancing shot against the slow left arm spinner is mind blowing one. This prince has scored 11,363 runs in 311 one day internationals at an awesome average of 41.02. This includes 22 hundreds. He also scored 6,888 runs in 109 matches with a great average of 41.74. He is one only Indian cricketer to get four man of the match awards continuously. He made that record in Sharjah. He is well known for his medium face bowling also. Prince of Kolkata will be always remembered the world for great character and awesome performance in cricket. May god bless him and his family with lots of happiness coming days. We love you Sourav Ganguly. Those who all like him please leave comment to this tribute.

Market Share

2008-10-13T10:59:00.000-07:00

Maximizing market share has historically been a clear business objective. The main benefit of superior market share is related to cost-market share affects cost in terms of scale and experience. Market leaders are presumed to have lower costs than their competitors as a result of their experience and the scale of their operations. The role of market share in the relationships between service or product quality, customer and employee satisfaction, retention and financial performance is complex. For example, higher market share can mean lower customer satisfaction, which presumably leads to deflated financial performance. The reasoning is mass producers are less able to satisfy customers the way niche players can. This may be true in some cases, but it stands to reason sophisticated corporations that practice market segmentation differentiate their product offerings and have effective marketing communications will be able to satisfy customers despite companies’ dominant market share.

Disable for loading Professional XP startup quicker

2008-09-28T01:01:00.000-07:00

To disable unneeded startup services for a safer, faster XP, use the "Services" Admin Tool (Control Panel > Administrative Tools > Services). If you are a single user of a non-networked machine, you can disable the following items, with no ill effect.

Alerter
Clipbook
Computer Browser
Fast User Switching
Human Interface Access Devices
Indexing Service (Slows the hard drive down)
MessengerNet Logon (unnecessary unless networked on a Domain)
Netmeeting Remote Desktop Sharing (disabled for extra security)
Remote Desktop Help Session Manager (disabled for extra security)
Remote Procedure Call Locator
Remote Registry (disabled for extra security)
Routing & Remote Access (disabled for extra security)
Server SSDP Discovery Service (this is for the utterly pointless "Universal P'n'P", & leaves TCP Port 5000 wide open)
TCP/IP NetBIOS Helper Telnet (disabled for extra security)
Universal Plug and Play Device Host
Upload Manager
Windows Time
Wireless Zero Configuration (for wireless networks)
Workstation

Blast kills 5 in Delhi

2008-09-27T07:28:00.001-07:00

A blast occured in Delhi killed 5 people in delhi flower market and injuring 18. The bomb was said to have kept in tiffin box and the witness said that a small kid when opened the tiffin box was blown up killing the small kid and four other in the sorroundings. This is another black Saturday for Delhi after a serial blast killing 40 exactly 2 weeks before.

ROI beat Delhi by 187 runs to clinch the Irani Trophy

2008-09-27T07:22:00.000-07:00

The Rest of India team under the leadership of Anil Kumble Clinched the Irani Trophy 2008 by defeating Delhi under the leadership of Sehwag by a mammoth 187 runs. Although the batting collapsed for both the teams, the rest of India bowlers (Zaheer, Bajji, Kumble, Munaf) did the job for the team with an excellent support from the fielders with brilliant catching and saves. Will this be a good moral booster for team India. Meanwhile Aussie team takes on Board President 11 under Yuvi from Oct 2nd as their warm up match.

Will fortune change for Tamilnadu's Subramaniam Badrinath

2008-09-22T12:27:00.000-07:00

Subramaniam Badrinath, the affable middle-order mainstay of Tamil Nadu and Chennai Super Kings. Of course, it is another matter that the dreaded quota system has time and again conspired to keep him out of the Indian test team where lesser mortals have rode on the media’s shoulders to claim a slot that Badri had every right to aspire for.

For, any player with 15 centuries and 20 half-centuries fro 65 first-class games with an average of 56 runs apiece, is bound to feel hard-done when players with dubious technique and temperament were force-fitted into the national test team. Maybe, it was his robust technique and grafting nature that pushed Badrinath into the shadow in an era epitomised by stroke-makers like Virender Sehwag, Yuvraj Singh and now Yusuf Pathan. Neither the fans, nor the selectors had the patience to watch a player who got behind every ball.

For the uninitiated, Badrinath was pitch-forked onto the national radar in the 2005-06-season when he scored 636 runs from seven matches with an average of 80-plus. The next year wasn’t as good but Badri still managed an average of 50-plus and what’s more he scored runs not just on home soil but on overseas A-tours too. In the 2007-08 Ranji season he was back with a bang scoring at over 65 runs an innings, a feat that got him recognition from ODI skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni who captained the Chennai Super Kings in the IPL.

In fact, Badrinath had a big part to play in the CSK’s journey to the finals of the inaugural IPL. Time and again he scored match-winning knocks for the “team in yellow” and on more than one occasion Dhoni complimented the Tamil Nadu player for his commitment to the team and understanding of match situation.

And it is precisely this cricketing mind that has been under focus for the past few days when Badrinath has led the India-A team admirably in the tri-series tournament against Australia-A and their trans-Tasman rivals New Zealand. After a couple of early losses, the Indian A team has rebounded strongly, thanks to yet another match-winning innings from their captain.

Badri’s ability to rally the team around himself was evident in the last two games against New Zealand, both of which were won rather easily by the hosts. His crisp fielding and quick bowling changes ensured that the opponents were never let off the hook. More importantly, they were never allowed to relax in a comfort zone. So, we had the Kiwis floundering against the none-too-dangerous off-spin of Suresh Raina in Chennai.

In a country where “horses-for-courses” is still by far an alien concept and where television commentators and sports editors of television channels lend their own bias to team selection, Badrinath is probably destined to be a Godfather-less orphan. His earlier chances came as a result of injuries to senior players and sadly for Badri, that remains his only chance even today. Of course, with the new selection committee slated to take over soon, maybe Badrinath’s luck may change too.

Blasts in Islamabad

2008-09-20T10:53:00.000-07:00

A massive bomb attack has hit the Marriott Hotel in Pakistan's capital, Islamabad, killing at least 40 people. The blast created a 20ft (6m) deep crater, and destroyed the entire front section of the hotel. Heavy equipment has been brought in to clear the debris so that firefighters can reach the building, which is still engulfed in flames. Police say they believe the blast was a suicide car bombing.

Owner of the hotel told that the explosion occurred when a lorry, which was being checked by security staff and sniffer dogs at the hotel entrance, blew up. The explosion is thought to have been caused by more than a tonne of explosives. Police are warning that the hotel could collapse.
Pakistan has seen a lot of violence over the past year in its battle with Islamist militancy but Islamabad has never seen anything like this before.

ICC Awards 2008 : Dubai

2008-09-10T10:31:00.000-07:00

ICC Cricketer of the year : Chanderpaul (WI)
Emerging player of the year : Ajantha Mendis (SL)
Spirit of Cricket : Srilankan Cricket Team
Best Umpire : Simon Taufel (Aus)
T-20 Player of the Year : Yuvraj Singh (Ind)
ODI Player of the Year : M S Dhoni (Ind)
Test Player of the year : Dale Steyn (SA)

US jobloss rate worsens than ever before

2008-09-05T11:41:00.000-07:00

The unemployment rate in the US is at its highest level in nearly five years after a higher-than-expected 84,000 jobs were lost last month. The jobless rate has risen to 6.1%, the highest since December 2003, adding to concern about the US economy and its ability to stave off a recession.
In a further blow, the Labor Department revised upwards job loss figures for each of the past two months.
The Federal Reserve said earlier that economic activity remained "weak". A separate report by the Mortgage Bankers Association said that almost one in ten US homeowners were behind with their mortgage payments or was in foreclosure procedures. The 9.2% default rate between April and June was up from 8.8% in the previous quarter, and nearly double the rate one year ago.

Diya's B'day Bash

2008-08-19T09:54:00.001-07:00

Olympics Tennis : Federer, Venus shocked in their Quarter Finals Match

2008-08-14T09:44:00.000-07:00

Roger Federer's disappointing season continued as his hopes of winning Olympic gold in the men's singles were ended by an inspired James Blake. The American had not beaten the top seed in eight previous attempts but comfortably outplayed the world number one for a 6-4 7-6 quarter-final win. The crowd was shocked to silence when Blake deservedly broke in the 10th game to take the first set. He then held his nerve in the second set tie-break to progress.

Federer, who will lose his world number one ranking to Rafael Nadal on Monday, made a number of unforced errors and will need a dramatic reversal in fortunes if he is to successfully defend his US Open title later this month. Blake, the world number seven, had won only one set in his previous matches against Federer, but he unnerved the five-time Wimbledon champion with a near faultless service game and aggressive forehand. "I always believed in myself," said Blake. "I'd lost to him eight, nine, 10, 50 times, I don't know how many, but I had the feeling it could be my day. "He didn't play a good first game and that put me up straight away. I played loose and free and I always fancy my chances on the 5-4 game. "I know I can beat the best in the world on my day and I proved it." Federer will compete in the men's doubles later on Thursday. The 28-year-old broke Federer when the Swiss was serving to stay in the first set and then broke again early in the second to take a 3-0 lead.
Federer, who was struggling with his serve and forehand, broke back in the fifth game to take the set to a tie-break only for Blake to win it after racing into a 4-1 lead. Federer could still win his first Olympic medal. He is scheduled to play with Stanislas Wawrinka in the men's doubles quarter-finals later on Thursday.

In an another match US player Venus Williams was given a shock by chinese player Li Na defeating her in straight sets. Venus started in a great style 3-0 but lost the next 3 games in the first set and went on to lose the first set. Then Li Na broke the first game of Venus in the 2nd set. Later the Chinese player went on to win the match convinsingly over Venus.

See Mars with the Naked Eye

2008-08-03T00:49:00.000-07:00

Planet Mars will be the brightest in the night sky Starting August.

It will look as large as the full moon to the naked Eye. This will happen On Aug. 27 when Mars comes within 34.65M miles of earth. Be sure to watch the sky on Aug. 27 12:30 am . It will look like the earth has 2 moons. The Next time Mars may come this close is in 2287.

Share this with your friends as NO ONE ALIVE TODAY will ever see it again.

Double Arm Transplantation Successful

2008-08-02T10:48:00.000-07:00

German doctors have carried out a complete double arm transplant. The patient was a 54-year-old farmer who lost his limbs in an accident six years ago. The donor is believed to be a teenager who had died shortly before the surgery. Neither man's name has been released by the Munich clinic. The 15-hour operation took place last week, and the patient is recovering well, though it could be two years before he can move his new hands. Arm transplants have been carried out before - the first occurred in Austria in 2003 when a man received transplanted forearms and hands. In this procedure, limbs were reattached just below the shoulder. Reiner Gradinger, medical director at the Munich University Clinic where the operation involving 40 doctors, nurses and assistants took place over 15 hours last week, said: "The reattachment appears up to now to have proceeded optimally." Surgeon Edgar Biemer said the greatest challenge was establishing blood flow between the farmer's body and muscles in the new arms because the muscles have a limited lifespan. And he said: "We discussed with the patient that he would have to deal with the fact that his hands were from somebody else. "But this was discussed before the first heart transplant, and in reality nobody really cared about that." Doctors are monitoring the patient closely to make sure his body does not reject the new limbs.

Hamilton takes pole in Hungarian GP

2008-08-02T10:45:00.000-07:00

Lewis Hamilton boosted his chances of claiming a third successive race victory by capturing pole in Hungary.
The McLaren driver clocked one minute 20.899 seconds to secure his fourth pole of the season as team-mate Heikki Kovalainen joined him on the front row. Felipe Massa led Ferrari's challenge and will start in third while team-mate Kimi Raikkonen could only manage sixth. Massa lines up alongside BMW Sauber's Robert Kubica with Toyota's Timo Glock sharing the fourth row with Raikkonen. Renault's Fernando Alonso claimed seventh spot ahead of Red Bull's Mark Webber, with Toyota's Jarno Trulli and Renault's Nelson Piquet completing the top 10. After dominating the practice sessions at the Hungaroring, Hamilton's pole had an air of inevitability about it. The only variable under Budapest's clear skies was the scorching temperature, with the trackside thermometer reaching 42C and forcing all the teams to make a choice about their tyre selection. Warm conditions mean tyres are more susceptible to graining where tiny pieces of rubber are torn off or distorted affecting the tyre's grip. Hamilton opted for the harder tyres and effortlessly converted his practice pace into the 10th pole of his career.

Instant Refreshment : Lemonade

2008-07-29T15:18:00.000-07:00

Requirements :

3/4 cups white sugar

8 cups water

1 1/2 cups lemon juice

DIRECTIONS:

In a small saucepan, combine sugar and 1 cup water. Bring to boil and stir to dissolve sugar. Allow to cool to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate until chilled.Remove seeds from lemon juice, but leave pulp. In pitcher, stir together chilled syrup, lemon juice and remaining 7 cups water.

Reducing size of Virtual Memory

2008-07-28T09:23:00.000-07:00

When a program is started, the program is taken from the secondary storage device - Hard Disk (HDD) and stored temporarily in the main (primary) storage device - RAM, for fast access. From here, the program is taken to CPU for processing. When the size of the RAM is small, and when it is insufficient to hold all the programs that are currently running, you will have to terminate existing program to start a new application. To solve this problem Virtual Memory is used.

In this concept, the application that is taking up space in the RAM and the part of the memory which is not used recently is taken and stored in the HDD. (Note: Original file in the HDD will be altered only when the file or its properties is saved). This frees up some space in the RAM. Thus it extends the main memory virtually.We can change the maximum and minimum size of this virtual memory that you want the OS to allocate.

Here is , how it is done.

1) Open Control Panel

2) Open Administrative tools (switch to Classic View)

3) Open Computer Management

4) Right click Computer Management (Local) and select properties

5) Open Advanced Tab --> Performace settings --> Change Virtual Memory.

Note: If the virtual memory size is reduced, the system will require a restart. Also, the space allocated for Virtual memory cant be used to store anything.

25 blasts in 24 hours - India shocked

2008-07-27T08:04:00.000-07:00

Twenty five blasts in India’s prominent cities — 17 in Ahmedabad and eight in Bangalore — in last two days alone have left the entire country stunned and shocked. Earlier in May, a series of blasts had killed 65 people in Jaipur. Intelligence agencies say that the attacks in these cities might have more in common than just their common aim to kill and maim innocents — right from the use of ammonium nitrate, nuts, bolts and nails in all the low-intensity explosions to the bicycles onto which the deadly mixture was strapped. “They are all low-intensity explosions. The blasts in Bangalore and Ahmedabad are of similar nature,” said Minister of State (Home) Sri Prakash Jaiswal said. The blasts over the past two days targeted crowded, economically important and communally volatile areas. In all the three cities, the explosions took place within a short span of time and within a radius of less than 10 km, perhaps to minimise reaction time. In Ahmedabad, four civil hospitals were targeted to maximize damage. There was information of hospitals in Bangalore being on the terror radar on Friday. An Islamic terrorist outfit that calls itself the Indian Mujahideen has claimed responsibility for three of the four blasts since 2006. Minutes before the first blast in Ahmedabad, an email from the group was sent to media organisations, including CNN-IBN. A similar email was circulated ahead of the UP blasts last year. In May this year, the same group sent video clips showing bicycles used for the Jaipur attacks, to two media organisations in Delhi. “They are targeting BJP-ruled states so we must beef up security all over India, particularly BJP states,” former RAW director B Raman said. Going by the intensity of the blasts in Bangalore and Ahmedabad, experts say the intention was to cause panic, disturb peace, create division on communal lines and target the economic growth of these developmental hubs.

List of sites which gives you money for writing reviews

2008-07-23T20:47:00.000-07:00

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Rahul Gandhi's Profile

2008-07-23T10:40:00.000-07:00

Name : Rahul Gandhi
Profession : Politician, Consultant
Date of Birth : 19th June 1970
Birth Place : New Delhi, Delhi
Nationality : Indian
Zodiac Sign : Gemini

Family :

Father - Rajiv Gandhi (former Prime Minister)

Mother - Sonia Gandhi (President of the Indian National Congress)

Sister - Priyanka Gandhi Vadra

Brother-in-law - Robert Vadra

Niece-Miraya

Nephew-Raihan

Girlfriend-Veronique

Famous relativesGreat grandfather: Jawaharlal Nehru (former and first Prime Minister of India)

Great grandmother: Kamala Nehru

Grandmother: Indira Gandhi (former Prime Minister of India)

Grandfather: Feroze Gandhi (Politician)

Uncle: Sanjay Gandhi (Politician)

Aunt: Maneka Gandhi (active Politician, animal activist)

Cousin Brother: Varun Gandhi (active in politics)

Education
* Schooling at Modern School,New Delhi

* Home schooled for most of his school years

* Enrolled for History (Hons) at St. Stephen's College, New Delhi

* Completed a four-year AB course in Economics at Harvard University but did not get his degree.

* He transferred later due to security reasons to Rollins College in Florida where he completed a B.A. in 1994.

* Received an M. Phil in Development Economics after attending Trinity College, Cambridge.

Constituency : Amethi , Uttar Pradesh
Political party : INC (Indian National Congress)

Jobs held
* He worked in London as a consultant with the strategy consultancy firm Monitor Group

* He currently owns a computer consultancy firm in New Delhi.

Politics
* In May 2004, he won the Lok Sabha elections from his father's constituency of Amethi in Uttar Pradesh and won a landslide majority. He won by a margin 300,500 votes.

* His sister Priyanka was his campaign manager.

* He concentrates mainly on constituency issues and the politics of Uttar Pradesh.

Is Member, Committee on Home Affairs

* Was made Congress general secretary and inducted into the Congress Working Committee on September 24, 2007. Will be in charge of the Youth Congress and the National Students Union of India (NSUI).

CricketHe and his sister, Priyanka went to Karachi and watched the first ODI match between India and Pakistan in March 2004 and the public in Pakistan were happy to see them.

Controversies
* Newsweek alleged in late 2006 that he had not completed his degrees at Harvard and Cambridge or kept his job at the Monitor Group.

*He says that if anyone from the Gandhi-Nehru family had been active in politics then, the Babri Masjid would not have fallen.

*He says once the Gandhi family decides on something, it makes sure that is accomplished whether it is throwing out the British, breaking up Pakistan or taking India into the 21st century.

* According to him Bachchans are liars

Special Interests
* Promotion of primary education

* Issues related to the empowerment of the dalits and other oppressed sections of society

* Preservation of marine environment

* International Affairs
* Bring up Strong Lokpal

Pastimes
Reading, internet, listening to music, playing chess and flying

Sports and Clubs
* Scuba diving, swimming, cycling, playing squash, target shooting; Member, Indian Habitat Centre

* Excelled in rifle shooting

Social And Cultural ActivitiesAssociated with :

Rajiv Gandhi Foundation
Jawaharlal Nehru Memorial Fund
Sanjay Gandhi Memorial Trust
Rajiv Gandhi Charitable Trust
Rajiv Gandhi Computer Shiksha Kendra

Veronique : She is an architect and met her when he was studying in England.

Facts* He was 14 years old when his grandmother, Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, was assassinated by her security men.

* Incidentally, he is the same age as his late uncle Sanjay Gandhi was when he won the elections from Amethi years ago.

* Like his father he trained at a shooting range in the Aravalli ranges near Delhi.

*He was not admitted to St Stephen's on merit, but from the sports quota.

* Media enquiries report that he attended under the alias "Rahul Vinci".

Goal
"There is a work that my father had started, a dream he had dreamt. I come to you today saying…allow me to turn that dream into reality".

About him
Dr Anil Wilson, the principal of St Stephen's College: "He was a diligent student. He had no airs about the famous family he belonged to. I think he left college because of security concerns. We really did not get an opportunity to assess his academic brilliance."

Astrologers: Communicator.

Social, outgoing. Sees and blends opposites/both sides of an issue. Vivacious, quick, flexible, versatile, lively and changeable. Mentally ambitious.

AddressPresent:12, Tughlak Lane,New Delhi- 110 011.Tels. (011) 23014481, 23014161
Permanent:10, Janpath,New Delhi.Tel (011) 23012686Fax (011) 23018550

UPA+ government survives trust vote

2008-07-22T08:43:00.000-07:00

India's Congress party-led government has survived a vote of confidence over a civilian nuclear deal with the US. The vote came after the government's left-wing allies withdrew their support in protest at the controversial accord. The government motion received 275 votes with 256 against, Speaker Somnath Chatterjee said, hours after adjourning the debate amid claims of vote buying. If the government had lost the vote, India would have faced early elections, casting the nuclear deal in doubt.
There was brief confusion over the counting process. Most voting was electronic, but about 50 votes were cast on paper which delayed the count. At least four MPs were too ill to vote from the chamber of the 543-seat house itself, but it is still not clear why so many MPs cast paper ballots.
India faces a general election next year and many political parties have used the debate over the nuclear deal to stake out their positions ahead of the polls, our correspondent says. Two days of debate on the nuclear accord ended in uproar amid opposition allegations of vote buying.
Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) members waved fistfuls of money in the air, alleging that they had been offered bribes to abstain. Mr Chatterjee adjourned proceedings for several hours. He called it a "very sad day" for the Indian parliament, adding: "Nobody will be spared if found guilty."
Under the accord, India, which has not signed the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, would gain access to US civilian nuclear technology and fuel. In return its civilian nuclear facilities would be opened to inspection. Nuclear weapons sites would remain off-limits. The communists fear the accord could give the US too much influence over Indian foreign and nuclear policy. The main opposition Hindu nationalist BJP fears that the deal could compromise India's ability to test nuclear weapons in the future.
With the left withdrawing support, the government could rely on only 226 members in the 543-seat parliament, and needed 46 more to be absolutely sure of a majority. The Congress party hoped to get the backing of the regional Samajwadi party and other smaller parties to help it win. India's media was awash with reports of alleged defections and desertions among MPs ahead of the vote. India is under pressure from Washington to sign the accord before the US presidential election in November. Last week, Indian officials met members of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the world nuclear regulatory body, in Vienna to discuss plans to safeguard India's civilian nuclear facilities. The IAEA's approval of the plan is a key condition for enacting the deal.
If the IAEA signs the agreement, the deal will go to the 45-nation Nuclear Suppliers Group, which regulates global civilian nuclear trade, for approval. It must then be approved by the US Congress before President Bush can sign it into law. Critics of the deal fear assistance to India's civil programme could free-up additional radioactive material for bomb-making purposes.

Yahoo reaches agreement with Carl Icahn

2008-07-21T09:15:00.001-07:00

Yahoo has reached an agreement with the activist investor Carl Icahn that will stop him trying to replace its board. Mr Icahn was annoyed that Yahoo had resisted Microsoft's attempts to take it over. He planned to replace the board at next month's annual meeting and then sell the company to Microsoft. Yahoo's board will now be expanded from nine members to 11, comprising Mr Icahn and two of his nominees along with eight of the original members. Mr Icahn, who owns 5% of Yahoo's shares, said that he would now withdraw his other nominees from the firm's annual meeting on 1 August.
In a statement, he said that the sale of the company still merited "full consideration". Last week, Yahoo angrily rejected a joint takeover offer for the company from Microsoft and Mr Icahn, describing the alliance as "odd and opportunistic". Microsoft offered $31 a share for Yahoo in February but Yahoo has said it will only consider an offer of at least $33 a share. On Friday Yahoo's shares closed at $22.45.

UPA government faces the final test in the form of Confidence Vote

2008-07-21T09:11:00.000-07:00

The Indian parliament is debating a vote of confidence in the Congress party-led government that could decide the fate of a nuclear deal with the US. The vote comes after the government's left-wing allies withdrew their support in protest against the controversial civilian nuclear accord. Observers expect that Tuesday's vote following the debate will be close. If the government loses the vote, India faces early elections and the nuclear would be under threat. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh says the government will "prove its majority". He told parliament he had always acted in the interest of the nation.

Kumble Leads from the Front against Srilankan Board President IX

2008-07-18T10:21:00.000-07:00

Captain Anil Kumble picked up three wickets while Harbhajan Singh and Zaheer Khan claimed two each as India bowled out a Sri Lanka Board XI for 224 on the first day of their three-day warm-up match in Colombo. Sri Lanka Board XI opted to bat first but Zaheer, back in the team after missing the recent triangular series in Dhaka and the Asia Cup in Pakistan with an ankle injury, produced a couple of blows that left the hosts reeling at 22 for three.
Thilina Kandamby (84) and Chamara Silva (68) then rallied for the hosts and managed to put on 100 runs in a fifth-wicket stand as the Indian bowlers were made to sweat. The partnership added respectability to the score, but tourists' attack eventually prevailed. India came into the match with three months of Twenty20 and one-day cricket behind them and it would be their only opportunity to prepare for the three-Test series against Sri Lanka, the first of which starts in Colombo on July 23.
Kumble had backed his bowlers to take control of the game and he will have been especially satisfied with the economic efforts of Zaheer. His 12 overs yielded just 35 runs and he dealt Chamara Kapugedera's Test chances a blow when he snared him for just one run. Ishant Sharma conceded 36 runs in his 11 overs, but he had the wicket of opener Mahela Udawatte for seven, while India's third seamer Munaf Patel (one for 29) also got in the act. Harbhajan was another bowler proving to be a handful, while Kumble himself produced the best figures of the day with three for 30.
Dinesh Karthik, who came into the India team after Mahendra Singh Dhoni opted out of the tour due to fatigue, was tidy behind the stumps taking three catches. The only blemish for the Indians was the early dismissal of opener Gautam Gambhir (four) in their reply. Having got back into the Test team at the expense of regular opener Wasim Jaffer, Gambhir blew his first opportunity but is still likely to retain his place in the side for the first Test.
India were four for one at stumps.

Diabetes Patients can prevent losing their Limb

2008-07-17T08:48:00.000-07:00

A discovery by scientists may help reduce the risk of people with diabetes losing a limb. Circulatory complications can lead to leg ulcers and gangrene so severe that limb amputation is the only answer. Work by the University of Bristol has pinpointed a protein in cells which could be responsible. It is hoped it could lead to drug treatment to reduce the number of Britons who lose a limb to diabetes from the current 100 each week.
Diabetes, if not properly treated, can lead to a restricted blood supply to the tissues and a reduced capacity to recover from injury due to the body's inability to grow new blood vessels to speed the healing process. This can leave limbs, in particular the legs and feet, vulnerable to ulcers and gangrene. The Bristol team, whose work on mice is featured online in Circulation Research, focused on a protein receptor called p75NTR. It is not found in the cells that line healthy blood vessels which are able to heal rapidly from injury. However, diabetes causes these cells to start producing p75NTR and this appears to undermine the ability to grow the new blood vessels necessary to drive the healing process.

Alzheimer's disease can be reduced by Excercise

2008-07-15T09:52:00.000-07:00

Being physically fit could hold back the advance of Alzheimer's disease, US researchers have suggested. Their study, published in the journal Neurology, looked at 121 people aged over 60, around half of them in the early stages of the disease. Those with Alzheimer's who were less fit had four times more signs of brain shrinkage than those who were fit. The Alzheimer's Research Trust said other research showed exercise reduced the risk of dementia.

Some 700,000 people in the UK are living with dementia, with this number predicted to grow quickly over the next two decades, as the proportion of older people in the population increases.
Other studies looking at the relationship between dementia and exercise tend to focus on whether being active can reduce the risk of the condition developing in the first place. Mr Jeffrey Burns, from the University of Kansas School of Medicine, said his was one of the first to look at whether exercise could affect the progress of the illness. His volunteers underwent a treadmill test to see how fit they were and then their brains were scanned for shrinkage, which is one way of measuring the severity of their Alzheimer's.

While there was no relationship between brain size and exercise in people tested who did not have Alzheimer's, Dr Burns said the four-fold difference in those who did was evidence that exercise might help. He said: "People with early Alzheimer's disease may be able to preserve their brain function for a longer period of time by exercising regularly and potentially reducing the amount of brain volume lost. "Evidence shows decreasing brain volume is tied to poorer cognitive performance, so preserving more brain volume may translate into better cognitive performance." Susanne Sorensen, head of research at the Alzheimer's Society, said: "Exercise increases blood flow to the brain, delivering oxygen and nutrients to brain cells. "This is one possible explanation why dementia progresses slower in people who are physically fit. "Exercise also reduces your risk of developing dementia so it's important to take regular exercise. A healthy heart means a healthy brain." Rebecca Wood, chief executive of the Alzheimer's Research Trust, said: "This adds to previous research showing that exercise helps reduce the risk of dementia and slows down its onset. "A balanced diet and regular exercise can improve the quality of life of older people with dementia, as well as those who do not have the condition."

Nuts causes Severe Asthma Problems for pregnant women

2008-07-15T09:47:00.000-07:00

Mothers-to-be who eat nuts every day may increase their child's risk of developing asthma by 50%, claim Dutch researchers. Nearly 4,000 pregnant women completed diet questionnaires, and their children were monitored for eight years. The results, published in a US journal, suggest that potent allergens found in some nuts might prime the foetus to be allergy-prone.
Other studies, however, have been less conclusive about nuts and asthma risk. The factors during pregnancy, or early life, that cause some children to develop asthma while others are unaffacted are still unclear. Asthma runs in families, suggesting a strong hereditary link, but the environment still plays a significant role.

However, comparing women who ate nuts daily during pregnancy to those who ate them "rarely" consistently pointed to an increased risk, with between a 40% and 60% rise in the chances of wheeze, asthma symptoms in general, and use of steroids. Dr Saskia Willers, from the University of Utrecht, who led the study, said: "While it is too early to make recommendations of avoidance, it is important for pregnant women to eat healthily, and what is true for many foods is that too much is never good." The study examined the effect of eating different types of nuts, including peanuts, which botanically are not a true nut. Peanuts have been closely associated with allergy.

"Peanut is a potent allergen, and peanut allergy is associated with anaphylactic shock and is less likely to be outgrown than other allergies." The research also found lower asthma rates in the children of mothers who ate more fruit during pregnancy. However, researchers suggested that other aspects of a healthier lifestyle followed by these women might be responsible. The study was published in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, published by the American Thoracic Society. Professor John Heffner, a past president of the society, said there was not enough evidence that the nut diet had caused the problem, and he called for more studies. "These findings emphasise the critical importance of additional investigations into the environmental exposures for both mother and child." Leanne Male, from Asthma UK, also said that further studies would be needed before firm dietary advice could be given to pregnant women, as other research had thrown up contradictory results. She said: 'Some studies say that the vitamin E and other health properties nuts contain, especially when consumed as part of a healthy Mediterranean-style diet, can be protective against asthma."

A Begger in India gets Bank Account

2008-07-15T09:45:00.000-07:00

A bank in the Indian city of Calcutta has opened an account for a beggar who deposited 91kg (200lb) of coins in one of the bank's branches. Laxmi Das says she has been saving the coins since she started begging more than 40 years ago as a child disabled by an attack of polio.
"I saved for the days when I cannot beg,". "I knew one day I would grow old and have diseases, so I was prudent and saved for my pension." Now the fruits of her labour from a busy traffic intersection in north Calcutta have been realised. "She can be projected as a role model to encourage people to begin saving," said TK Haldar, manager of the Central Bank of India's Maniktola branch.
Mr Haldar said Ms Das now has a bank account and those who want to help her can send in account payee cheques in her name to his bank branch. Ms Das began begging aged 16 and saved coins in iron buckets at her home in a shanty town near the crossing. In all, she collected four buckets of coins of all denominations. Some were minted as far back as 1961 and were clearly out of date. But bank officials said they would still accept them as legal tender. It took staff - more used to counting notes - three days to count all the coins. "But be it a billionaire or a beggar, our doors are open for all," said bank spokesman Shantanu Neogy. Ms Das was encouraged to deposit the money by police who feared it could have been stolen from her home.
She chose to ignore - or did not know about - a thriving racket in this part of the world in which old Indian coins are smuggled and melted down in Bangladesh to make razor blades that sell for up to seven times their value as coins. The practice has caused an acute coin shortage in eastern India, forcing government mints to cut down on the amount of metal they use to make the coins.

Asif Banned by Pakistan Cricket Board

2008-07-15T09:42:00.000-07:00

The Pakistan Cricket Board has suspended bowler Mohammad Asif after he tested positive for a banned substance in an Indian Premier League (IPL) game. "In line with our anti-doping policy, we have suspended Mohammad Asif with immediate effect," said PCB chief operating officer Shafqat Naghmi. Asif has asked for his 'B' sample to be tested and is awaiting the results.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has dropped the paceman from the list of probables for the Champions Trophy and, if the positive result is upheld, the 25-year-old could face a ban from future IPL seasons. Shafqat Naghmi, the PCB's chief operating officer, told reporters that Asif would not play for his country "until the matter is resolved". "He will have the right to appeal under the International Cricket Council's anti-doping regulations," he added. "The PCB will offer all the assistance to the IPL drugs tribunal and implement its findings." Only last month Asif, who played for the Delhi Daredevils during the lucrative Twenty20 tournament, was detained at Dubai airport on suspicion of carrying illegal drugs. He was held in Dubai for two weeks before returning to Pakistan after a decision was made not to press charges. "I am shocked and surprised because I was extra cautious and never used any banned substances," said Asif.
In a statement issued on Monday, IPL committee said: "The Indian Premier League confirms the player in violation is Mohammad Asif. "It was also checked if Mr Mohammad Asif had applied for and was granted a Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE). It was found that Mr Mohammad Asif had not applied for a TUE. "A note in writing has been sent to the player and his home board and to the franchisee on the findings." The news that Asif has tested positive for a banned substance is the latest in a series of controversial incidents that the player has been involved in.

In 2006, both Asif and fellow Pakistan fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar were found to have taken the banned steroid Nandrolone after failing internal Pakistani Cricket Board drug tests.
The pair were banned for one and two years respectively, before the ruling was overturned on appeal. In 2007 Asif was involved in a dressing-room altercation, during which he was struck with a bat by Shoaib, who was later sent home from the World Twenty20 tournament. And 2008 has seen him involved in two separate drug offences.

Barack Obama wants US role in Iraq to end

2008-07-15T09:38:00.000-07:00

Barack Obama, the Democratic contender for the US presidency, has said his main priority as US president will be to end the US involvement in Iraq. In a foreign policy speech, Senator Obama said "our single-minded and open-ended focus on Iraq is not a sound strategy for keeping America safe". His second priority would be to take the war to al-Qaeda and the Taleban in Afghanistan and Pakistan.
His Republican rival accused Mr Obama of contradicting himself over Iraq. John McCain said the US "surge" of Iraqi troops in Iraq was working - and he knew "how to win wars". He said he would bring al-Qaeda's leader, Osama Bin Laden, to justice. Earlier, President George W Bush rejected any "artificial" timetable for withdrawing US troops, saying a decision must be made "as conditions permit". Mr Obama's speech comes ahead of a tour that will include Iraq and Afghanistan, the dates of which have not been disclosed for security reasons.

2008 Beijing Olympics Schedule

2008-07-11T10:12:00.000-07:00

2008 Beijing Olympics - Schedule

Inflation in India nearing 12%

2008-07-11T10:08:00.000-07:00

Wholesale prices in India grew by 11.89% in the year to the end of June, the fastest rate since the measure began in 1995. Inflation has tripled over the last six months, driven by the soaring cost of food and fuel. Figures also showed that the output of India's factories grew by its slowest rate in six years. Industrial output rose 3.8% in May, compared to the same month in 2007, a sharp drop on the April's 6.2% growth.
"The industrial output numbers ... are a reflection of manufacturers anticipating a slowdown in consumer spending as high inflation bites into incomes and some scale-back of fresh production plans," said economist Shuchita Mehta, from Standard Chartered Bank. The Reserve Bank of India has been increasing interest rates to try and dampen inflation. Last month, it increased its main lending rate twice in two weeks to 8.5%. But higher interest rates could cause economic growth to slow further, analysts predict. Economists suggest the economy is unlikely to grow at 8-8.5% this year, as the government has predicted.

UPA Government (India) Vote of Confidence on July 22th

2008-07-11T10:04:00.000-07:00

The leaders of India's coalition say they will seek a parliamentary vote of confidence on 22 July. Their decision follows the withdrawal of communist support for the Congress party-led coalition.
The communists withdrew support in protest at the Indian government's decision to push ahead with a civilian nuclear deal with the United States. If the government loses the vote India faces early elections and the nuclear deal would probably be scuttled. The government says the nuclear deal is needed to meet soaring energy demands, but the communists say it could give the US too much influence over India. Under the terms of the nuclear accord, India would get access to US civilian nuclear technology and fuel. In return, Delhi would open its civilian nuclear facilities to inspection - but its nuclear weapons sites would remain off-limits.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh decided to hold the vote after meeting Indian President Pratibha Patil on Thursday. A two-day special session of the lower house of parliament - the Lok Sabha - will be convened on 21 July with the confidence vote scheduled for the following day. The Congress party hopes that it will be able to replace support given to it by the communists in parliament by receiving the backing of the regional Samajwadi party.

But correspondents say it is still unclear if the coalition has enough votes for a parliamentary majority, as there is a chance that the nuclear deal could also lead to a revolt within the Samajwadi party. A defeat for the government in a confidence vote in the 543-member house would trigger an early election, and almost certainly would mean the end of the nuclear pact with the US. On Thursday India submitted plans for safeguarding its civilian nuclear facilities to the UN's nuclear regulatory body. India is under pressure from Washington to sign the accord before the US presidential elections in November. Critics of the deal fear assistance to India's civil programme could free-up additional radioactive material for bomb-making purposes.

Former communist allies of the Indian government formally withdrew support for it on Wednesday after it vowed to press ahead with the agreement. The communists have 59 members in India's lower house of parliament, while the Samajwadi Party has 39 MPs. Analysts say with the left pulling out of the governing coalition, the government only has 226 members in the 543-seat parliament, and needs 46 more for a majority.

Top 10 Interview Tips

2008-07-10T09:39:00.000-07:00

Great interviews arise from careful groundwork. You can ace your next interview if you:

Enter into a state of relaxed concentration. This is the state from which great basketball players or Olympic skaters operate. You'll need to quiet the negative self chatter in your head through meditation or visualization prior to sitting down in the meeting. You'll focus on the present moment and will be less apt to experience lapses in concentration, nervousness, self-doubt and self-condemnation.
Act spontaneous, but be well prepared. Be your authentic self, professional yet real. Engage in true conversation with your interviewer, resting on the preparation you did prior to coming to the meeting. Conduct several trial runs with another person simulating the interview before it actually occurs. It's the same as anticipating the questions you'll be asked on a final exam.
Set goals for the interview. It is your job to leave the meeting feeling secure that the interviewer knows as much as he or she possibly can about your skills, abilities, experience and achievements. If you sense there are misconceptions, clear them up before leaving. If the interviewer doesn't get around to asking you important questions, pose them yourself (diplomatically) and answer them. Don't leave the meeting without getting your own questions answered so that you have a clear idea of what you would be getting yourself into. If possible, try to get further interviews, especially with other key players.
Know the question behind the question. Ultimately, every question boils down to, "Why should we hire you?" Be sure you answer that completely. If there is a question about your meeting deadlines, consider whether the interviewer is probing delicately about your personal life, careful not to ask you whether your family responsibilities will interfere with your work. Find away to address fears if you sense they are present.
Follow up with an effective "thank you" letter. Don't write this letter lightly. It is another opportunity to market yourself. Find some areas discussed in the meeting and expand upon them in your letter. Writing a letter after a meeting is a very minimum. Standing out among the other candidates will occur if you thoughtfully consider this follow up letter as an additional interview in which you get to do all the talking. Propose useful ideas that demonstrate your added value to the team.
Consider the interviewer's agenda. Much is on the shoulders of the interviewer. He or she has the responsibility of hiring the right candidate. Your ability to do the job will need to be justified. "Are there additional pluses here?" "Will this person fit the culture of this organization?" These as well as other questions will be heavily on the interviewer's mind.
Find ways to demonstrate your qualities above and beyond just doing the job.
Expect to answer the question, "Tell me about yourself." This is a pet question of prepared and even unprepared interviewers. Everything you include should answer the question, "Why should we hire you?" Carefully prepare your answer to include examples of achievements from your work life that closely match the elements of the job before you. Obviously, you'll want to know as much about the job description as you can before you respond to the question.
Watch those nonverbal clues. Experts estimate that words express only 30% to 35% of what people actually communicate; facial expressions and body movements and actions convey the rest. Make and keep eye contact. Walk and sit with a confident air. Lean toward an interviewer to show interest and enthusiasm. Speak with a well-modulated voice that supports appropriate excitement for the opportunity before you.
Be smart about money questions. Don't fall into the trap of telling the interviewer your financial expectations. You may be asking for too little or too much money and in each case ruin your chances of being offered the job. Instead, ask what salary range the job falls in. Attempt to postpone a money discussion until you have a better understanding of the scope of responsibilities of the job.
Don't hang out your dirty laundry. Be careful not to bare your soul and tell tales that are inappropriate or beyond the scope of the interview. State your previous experience in the most positive terms. Even if you disagreed with a former employer, express your enthusiasm for earlier situations as much as you can. Whenever you speak negatively about another person or situation in which you were directly involved, you run the risk (early in the relationship) of appearing like a troubled person who may have difficulty working with others.

Resume Preparation

2008-07-10T09:32:00.000-07:00

Your resume is the first interface you have with your employer. Make the most of this opportunity............. The employment market is changing all the time and so have resumes, evolving from a one-size-fits-all standard. Here are our tips to convert your resume into a catching one.
Follow These Basic Standards....

Don't overcrowd your resume; allow for plenty of white space.
Keep your resume to one page whenever possible.
Keep the number of fonts you use to a minimum -- two at the most.
Use a font that is easy to read. Times Roman works well.
Do not justify the lines of type on your resume. Allow the right side of the page to "rag."
Do not overuse capitalization, italics, underlines, or other emphasizing features.
Make sure your name, address, and a phone number appear on your resume and all correspondence, preferably at the top of the page.
Print your resume on white or cream paper using a good-quality printer.
Second- and third-generation photocopies must be avoided.
Print on one side of the paper only.

Avoid Mistakes:

Spelling Mistakes:

To avoid spelling mistakes:

Don't use words with which you aren't familiar.
Use a dictionary as you write.
Perform a spell check on your finished resume.
Carefully read every word in your resume.
Have a friend or two proof read your resume for you.
Punctuation Mistakes:

Things to look for:

Periods at the end of all full sentences.
Be consistent in your use of punctuation.
Always put periods and commas within quotation marks.
Avoid using exclamation points.

Grammatical Mistakes:

Grammar hang-ups to watch for:

Do not switch tenses within your resume.
The duties you currently perform should be in present tense (i.e., write reports)
Duties you may have performed at past jobs should be in past tense (i.e., wrote reports).
Capitalize all proper nouns.
When expressing numbers, write out all numbers between one and nine (i.e., one, five, seven), but use numerals for all numbers 10 and above (i.e., 10, 25, 108).
If you begin a sentence with a numeral, spell out that numeral (e.g. Eleven service awards won while employed.).
Make sure your date formats are consistent (i.e.11/22/01 or Nov. 22, 2001, or 11.22.01. Choose one and stick with it.).

Choose Your Words Carefully:

Be on the lookout for the following easily confused words:

accept (to receive), except (to exclude),
all right (correct), alright (this is not a word)
affect (to bring about change), effect (result),
personal (private), personnel (staff members)
role (a character assigned or a function), roll (to revolve).
Use action words (i.e., wrote reports, increased revenues, directed staff).

References:

In most instances it is not necessary to include names and address of references on the resume. If you include a reference, make it sure that the referenced person knows very well about you. It is also advisable to add the persons as references, whom the employer can contact easily. If possible add the phone number and e-mail ID of the reference. Never add a person as a reference, about whom you know nothing
STICK TO THE POINT
Employers have a busy schedule, so don't expect them to read through a long resume. Ideally, resumes should be of one page, or of two pages only if absolutely necessary, to describe relevant work experience.
WORDS COUNT
Use of language is extremely important; you need to sell yourself to an employer quickly and efficiently. Address your potential employer's needs with a clearly written, compelling resume. Avoid large paragraphs (five or six lines). If you provide small, digestible pieces of information, your resume will be read. Use action verbs. Verbs such as "developed", "managed", and "designed" emphasise your accomplishments. Don't use declarative sentences like "I developed the ..." or "I assisted in ...", leave out the "I". Avoid passive constructions, such as "was responsible for managing". Just say, "managed": that sounds stronger and more active.
MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR EXPERIENCE
Employers need to know what you have accomplished to have an idea of what you can do for them. Don't be vague. Telling someone that you "improved the company's efficiency" doesn't say much. But if you say that you "cut overhead costs by 20 per cent and saved the company Rs 20 lakh during the last fiscal year", you are more specific.
HONESTY IS A GOOD POLICY
Employers will feel more comfortable hiring you if they can verify your accomplishments. There is a difference between making the most of your experience and exaggerating or falsifying it. A falsified resume can cost you the job later.
DOUBLE-CHECK FOR MISTAKES
Check your resume for correct grammar and spelling - evidence of good communication skills and attention to detail. Nothing can ruin your chances of getting a job faster than submitting a resume filled with preventable mistakes. Make your resume easy on the eye. Use normal margins (1" on the top and bottom, 1.25" on the sides) and don't cram your text on the page. Allow for some space between the different sections. Avoid unusual or exotic fonts. Preferred fonts: Arial and Times Roman

GROUP DISCUSSION Tips

2008-07-10T09:19:00.000-07:00

A group discussion (GD) is a simulated exercise, where you cannot suddenly put up a show, since the evaluators will see through you easily. In this page you can find tips on GD and how to handle them to ensure a positive outcome. Here's how most group discussions work :

Normally groups of 8-10 candidates are formed into a leaderless group, and are given a specific situation to analyze and discuss within a given time limit.
The group may be given a case study and asked to come out with a solution for a problem.
The group may be given a topic and asked to discuss on the same. A panel will observe the proceedings and evaluate the members of the group. OBJECTIVELets start from the basic.
One needs to know what one's objective in the group is. A good definition of your objective is - to be noticed to have contributed meaningfully in an attempt to help the group reach the right consensus. What does this essentially mean?
The first implication is that you should be noticed by the panel. Merely making a meaningful contribution and helping the group arrive at a consensus is not enough. You have to be seen by the evaluating panel to have made the meaningful contribution. What does that mean in practice?
You must ensure that the group hears you. If the group hears you, so will the evaluator. That does not mean that you shout at the top of your voice and be noticed for the wrong reasons.
You have to be assertive. If you are not a very assertive person, you will have to simply learn to be assertive for those 15 minutes. Remember, assertiveness does not mean being bull-headed or being arrogant.
And most importantly, you have to make your chances. Many group discussion participants often complain that they did not get a chance to speak. The fact is that in no group discussion will you get a chance to speak. There is nothing more unacceptable in a GD than keeping one's mouth shut or just murmuring things which are inaudible.
Participate in as many practice GDs as possible before you attend the actual GD. There is nothing like practice to help you overcome the fear of talking in a GD.

The second important implication is that making just any sort of contribution is not enough. Your contribution has to be meaningful. A meaningful contribution suggests that
You have a good knowledge base
You are able to put forth your arguments logically and are a good communicator.

The quality of what you said is more valuable than the quantity. There is this myth amongst many group discussion participants that the way to succeed in a group discussion is by speaking loudly and at great length. One could not be more wrong. You must have meat in your arguments. Therefore, think things through carefully. Always enter the room with a piece of paper and a pen. In the first two minutes jot down as many ideas as you can. When you jot down points, keep these pointers in mind.If it is a topic where you are expected to take a stand, say for example, "Should India sign the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty?" note down points for both sides of the argument. It will be useful on two counts -

One, if you do not start the GD and are not amongst the first five speakers and find that everyone in the group is talking for the topic, then it makes sense to take the alternate approach and oppose the topic even if you initially intended to talk for the topic.
Second, it helps to have a knowledge of how group members who take a stand diametrically opposite to yours will put forth their argument and to be prepared with counter arguments.
Everybody else will state the obvious. So highlight some points that are not obvious. The different perspective that you bring to the group will be highly apprecaited by the panel.
Some pointers on being relevant while having a different perspective are:

Be careful that the "something different" you state is still relevant to the topic being debated.
Can you take the group ahead if it is stuck at one point?
Can you take it in a fresh and more relevant direction?
The last implication is that you must be clearly seen to be attempting to build a consensus.
Gaining support or influencing colleagues is the mantra adopted by many a successful Business Leaders.
Nobody expects a group of ten intelligent, assertive people, all with different points of view on a controversial subject to actually achieve a consensus. But what matters is "Did you make attempts to build a consensus?"

The reason why an attempt to build a consensus is important is because in most work situations you will have to work with people in a team, accept joint responsibilities and take decisions as a group.
You must demonstrate the fact that you are capable and inclined to work as part of a team.

Hamza Bin Laden calls for Jihad to all Muslims against US, UK and their allies

2008-07-10T09:09:00.001-07:00

This time it is not Osama Bin Laden, but his 16-year-old son Hamza Bin Laden being dubbed 'The Crown Prince of Terror', who ranted in his evil ode that the US and UK and their allies must be wiped out. The teenager declared, ''Accelerate the destruction of America, Britain, France and Denmark.'' He said, ''Oh God, reward the fighters hitting the infidels and defectors. Oh God, guide the youth of the Islamic nation and let them assist with the fighters' plans.'' ''God, be pleased with those who want to go for jihad and blind those who are watching and want to capture them,'' he said.
The vile verses, by the youngest of the al-Qaeda warlord's 18 sons, appeared on an extremist website to mark three years since the 7/7 London suicide bombings which killed 52 innocents. The poem urged, ''Grant victory to the Taliban over the gangs of infidels.'' His words believed to be recited by the youngster himself accompanied a short video clip featuring old footage of his father. A short introduction announced, ''We now offer you a new poem by Sheikh Hamza Bin Laden, may God protect him.'' Hamza thought to be hiding on the Pakistan-Afghanistan border is Bin Laden's only son by his Saudi wife. Terrorist expert Chris Dobson has been quoted in The Sun, ''Despite his youth he is emerging as Bin Laden's likely heir.'' Tory MP Patrick Mercer, a member of the Home Affairs Committee, said, ''The sins of the father are being visited upon the son. We now have the Crown Prince of Terror taking up his father's mantle.'' Author and internet terror expert Neil Doyle warned, ''There's been a rising level of extremist chatter online about attacks on Britain. The comments will add fuel to that.'' The Muslim Council of Britain also blasted the poem, branding al-Qaeda "mass murderers".

India tour to Srilanka Series Schedule

2008-07-08T10:45:00.000-07:00

Wed 23 - Sun 27 July, 2008 : India vs Sri Lanka First Test at Colombo
Thu 31 July - Mon 4 August, 2008 : India vs Sri Lanka Second Test at Galle
Fri 8 - Tue 12 August, 2008: India vs Sri Lanka Third Test at Colombo
Mon 18 August, 2008 : India vs Sri Lanka Ist ODI at Dambulla
Wed 20 August, 2008 : India vs Sri Lanka 2nd ODI at Dambulla
Sun 24 August, 2008 : India vs Sri Lanka 3rd ODI at Colombo
Tue 26 August, 2008 : India vs Sri Lanka 4th ODI at Colombo
Fri 29 August, 2008 : India vs Sri Lanka 5th ODI at Colombo

Champions Trophy - 30 Probables

2008-07-08T10:41:00.000-07:00

Preliminary Champions Trophy squad:

Mahendra Dhoni (Captain) , Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Yuvraj Singh, Sachin Tendulkar, Zaheer Khan, Rohit Sharma, Harbhajan Singh, Robin Uthappa, Suresh Raina, Piyush Chawla, Rudra Pratap Singh, Irfan Pathan, Ishant Sharma, Praveen Kumar, Manpreet Gony, Pragyan Ojha, Parthiv Patel, Dinesh Karthik, Subramaniam Badrinath, Mohammed Kaif, Manoj Tiwary, Abhishek Nayar, Pankaj Singh, Murali Kartik, Virat Kohli, Ravindra Jadeja, Ajinkya Rahane, Yusuf Pathan, Sreesanth.

India Test squad

2008-07-08T10:40:00.000-07:00

Anil Kumble (capt),
Virender Sehwag (Vice Captain),
Rahul Dravid,
Sachin Tendulkar,
Saurav Ganguly,
VVS Laxman,
Gautam Gambhir,
Harbhajan Singh,
Ishant Sharma,
Zaheer Khan,
Rudra Pratap Singh,
Munaf Patel,
Rohit Sharma,
Dinesh Karthik,
Pragyan Ojha,
Parthiv Patel.

Dhoni Opts Rest ; Yuvi, Sreesanth, Irfan and Murali Karthik Dropped

2008-07-08T10:38:00.000-07:00

Wicketkeeper Mahendra Dhoni has opted out of India's three-Test series in Sri Lanka because of fatigue. The one-day captain said he needed a break as he had been playing non-stop since leading the Chennai Super Kings to the Indian Premier League final. But he is expected to play in the five one-day matches that follow the Tests. Batsman Sachin Tendulkar returns after a groin injury and spinner Harbhajan Singh comes back in after serving a ban for slapping his team-mate SreeSanth.
SreeSanth, however, was overlooked because of a side strain but experienced left-arm paceman Zaheer Khan, who has been sidelined since suffering an ankle injury during the first Test in Australia last December, is named in a 16-man squad. Batsman Yuvraj Singh and all-rounder Irfan Pathan have been left out with uncapped middle-order batsman Rohit Sharma, 21, and left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha brought in.
Dinesh Karthik and Parthiv Patel will compete for vice-captain Dhoni's place behind the stumps. Former captains Rahul Dravid, 35, and Sourav Ganguly, 36 on Tuesday, have been left out of a preliminary 30-man squad for the Champions Trophy as India look to build for the 2011 World Cup. But Dhoni has been named in the squad for the 50-over tournament in Pakistan in September. Since January 2007, Dhoni, 27, has played 14 Tests, 56 one-day internationals and nine Twenty20 matches across the world as well as the IPL.
He had complained about the hectic schedule during the recent Asia Cup in Pakistan after India played their first three games in four days in stifling heat and humidity. India went on to reach last Sunday's final in Karachi where they lost to Sri Lanka. "In India and the sub-continent in general, we have a full year of cricket and there's no off-season," he said. "It's tough for cricketers. When we want rest, we should get it. The Indian board has said we can take a break whenever we want, which I think is a very good policy." A statement from the Board of Control for Cricket in India said: "We respect his decision. It shows maturity." The first match of the three-Test series begins in Colombo on 23 July and all eyes will be on Tendulkar, who is just 172 runs short of breaking retired West Indies captain Brian Lara's world record of 11,953 Test runs.

Left (CPI) withdraws support for UPA government

2008-07-08T10:30:00.000-07:00

Communist parties in India say they are withdrawing support for the governing coalition over a controversial civilian nuclear deal with the United States. The move came after Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said the government would press ahead with the deal. Left-wing parties fear the deal could open Indian foreign policy to too much US influence. The government says it is needed to meet soaring energy demands. Mr Singh says he does not think his government is threatened. He is hoping the support of a regional party will help his government survive a vote of confidence. We are against a strategic embrace with the most aggressive imperial power in the world today.
India is under pressure from Washington to sign the accord before the US presidential elections in November. Under the terms of the accord, India would get access to US civilian nuclear technology and fuel. In return, Delhi would open its civilian nuclear facilities to inspection - but its nuclear weapons sites would remain off-limits. Analysts say their pulling out of the governing coalition will leave it with 226 members in the 543-seat parliament, a good 46 seats behind the majority mark. But they say the communists' decision may not lead to a collapse of the government and early elections.
The Congress party has struck a deal with a north India-based regional party, the Samajwadi Party, and several other smaller parties to compensate for the communists' loss of support. The Samajwadi Party has been a traditional political foe of Congress, but has said that its 39 MPs would support the governing coalition on the nuclear deal issue. "Every Samajwadi Party vote in parliament will be cast in support of the India-US nuclear deal and to save the government," party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav said on Tuesday. The Congress party is now expected to have to prove its majority in parliament in a formal vote. The communists had been insisting that they would withdraw support if the government went ahead with the deal. Mr Singh confirmed it would on Monday, in remarks to reporters en route to Japan.
Communist leader Prakash Karat told reporters that they had sought an appointment with the president "so that we can formally withdraw support tomorrow". "In view of the prime minister's announcement that time [to withdraw support] has come," said Mr Karat. Another senior communist leader, AB Bardhan, said: "The prime minister had to make this announcement at 30,000ft in the air." Congress party leader Sonia Gandhi has convened an urgent party meeting to discuss the withdrawal of support. The deal now needs to be approved by the UN's nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), as well as by the 45-nation Nuclear Suppliers Group, which regulates global civilian nuclear trade. Then it has to be presented to the US Congress for final approval. Mr Singh said he would submit an application to the IAEA as soon as possible.

It's all Williams sister at the Women doubles and Singles in Wimbeldon 2008

2008-07-06T12:00:00.000-07:00

Venus and Serena Williams returned to Centre Court hours after the singles final to beat Lisa Raymond and Sam Stosur and win the women's doubles. The 11th seeds broke in the third and seventh games to take the first set. After Raymond and Stosur saved break points early in the second set, two successive double faults by Stosur allowed the sisters to break for 3-2. They broke again before Venus served out to love to seal a 6-2 6-2 win and their third Wimbledon doubles title.
The Williams sisters had not dropped a set in this year's Championships and were back on court after Venus had earlier beaten Serena to retain the women's singles title. They dominated after the early break and wrapped up the first set quite easily. They failed to press home their advantage in the third game of the second set, when Raymond and Stosur clawed them back from 15-40 to deuce before going on to hold serve, but it was only a temporary reprieve. They broke again at the next opportunity, after Stosur's first double faults of the match, and never looked back, wrapping up victory in just 59 minutes before a healthy number of spectators.

Daniel Nestor and Nenad Zimonjic win Wimbeldon Doubles title

2008-07-06T11:58:00.000-07:00

Daniel Nestor and Nenad Zimonjic won their first Grand Slam title as a pair as they beat Jonas Bjorkman and Kevin Ullyett in the men's doubles final. The second seeds' serving proved decisive as they only conceded one break point in the entire match. By contrast their opponents, especially Bjorkman at times, struggled with their serve and the second seeds sealed a 7-6 (12-10) 6-7 (3-7) 6-3 6-2 victory.
It was a Wimbledon farewell for Bjorkman, who is retiring this year. It was the 129th match the Swede had played at Wimbledon - 95 of which had ended in victories. Zimonjic took part in the final despite breaking a bone in his left wrist during Thursday's semi-final victory over Leander Paes and Lukas Dlouhy.

Sri Lanka beats India to win Asia Cup 2008

2008-07-06T10:53:00.000-07:00

The victory target was only 274 for India, which played 7 batsmen in the final. Everyone predicted India to win the match easily. To justify that claim, Sehwag started in style, by scoring 60 off just 36 balls. But it was Ajantha Mendis who had the last laugh. The young, promising spinner removed Sehwag on the second ball of his first over. He then bowled Yuvraj out for duck.
The masscare continued, as none of the Indian batsmen could provide an answer to Ajantha Mendis' spin attack. Mendis turned out to be Sri Lanka's trump card in the crucial final. He was playing for the first time against India and what a match he had! It was a meek surrender by Indian batsmen. Besides Sehwag, only Dhoni offered some resistance, but he perished at 49. India finally bowled out for 173 in 39.3 overs. Sri Lanka won the final by 100 runs. Ajantha Mendis took 6/13 in 8 overs. His victims included Sehwag, Yuvraj, Raina and Rohit Sharma. Vass took 2 wickets. Mendis was declared "Man of the Match" and "Man of the Series". He took 17 wickets in the tournament. Sri Lanka won the Asia Cup for the fourth time.

Venus Prvails over Serena Williams at Wimbeldon 2008 to win it for the 5th time

2008-07-05T09:31:00.000-07:00

Venus Williams captured her fifth Wimbledon title by beating her sister Serena 7-5 6-4 in a high-quality final. The 28-year-old becomes one of only four players to lift the trophy five times or more in the Open era. Serena made a blistering start, forging a 4-2 lead, but Venus clawed her way back to 4-4 before breaking at 6-5 to snatch the first set in 53 minutes. Both players maintained a high standard throughout in blustery conditions, but Venus had the edge when it counted. She sealed victory when Serena sprayed a backhand into the tramlines but her celebrations were muted as she approached the net to give her sister a hug. "I can't believe that it's five. When you're in the final against Serena, five seems so far away. She played so awesome so it was really a task," said Venus, now a seven-time Grand Slam champion.

"It's unbelievable that I have won five, especially with some of the injuries that I've had. To know every time I come back I have the chance to make history... I love this place." Venus now needs one more Wimbledon singles title to match Billie Jean King's record of six, with only Steffi Graf (7) and Martina Navratilova (9) ahead of that. She had lost to her younger sister in their two previous Wimbledon finals in 2002 and 2003, but Serena admitted Venus deserved victory on Saturday. "She was a little better today. It didn't work out the way I planned," she said.
"It's a great celebration for our family, we're really happy. I've been working really hard and I'm so happy at least one of us was able to win."
It was Venus's first win over Serena in a Grand Slam final since the 2001 US Open, and levelled their head-to-head to 8-8. The sisters have always struggled to produce their best against each other but their seventh Grand Slam final exceeded all expectations. The competitive tone was set early in the way Serena took on Venus's serve from the outset and broke in the opening game thanks to a stunning backhand winner. She pressed home the advantage by holding to love and if there remained any doubt that there would no quarter given, it was banished when Serena approached a short ball and hit it straight at her sister - with Venus somehow putting away the volley. Serena had a point for a 4-1 lead but Venus saved it with another deft volley.
The defending champion clawed her way back to 4-4 but then had to save another two break points before the crowd witnessed the first indication that the two competitors might be related. Serena hit a backhand which she thought was going wide, audibly admonishing herself as she did so, but the wind kept the ball in, and the umpire was forced to call a let.
It was a set which featured 38 winners and only 13 unforced errors and the level hardly dipped in the second. In a gripping 14-minute game, Serena broke to take a 2-1 lead but Venus, who was the more composed of the two throughout, hit straight back. Just as in the first set, Venus got stronger as the set went on and after seeing one break point slip by at 3-2, she struck at 5-4 to end Serena's hopes.

Its Again Nadal - Federer finals at Wimbeldon

2008-07-04T10:29:00.000-07:00

Rafael Nadal will meet world number one Roger Federer in Sunday's Wimbledon final after seeing off Rainer Schuettler 6-1 7-6 (7-3) 6-4. A humiliation seemed on the cards when Nadal wrapped up the first set against the unseeded German in just 23 minutes. But Schuettler hit back impressively, breaking the formidable Spaniard's serve in game three of the second set.
Nadal stepped up a gear to break back at 5-3 before taking it on a tie-break and one break was enough in the third "Today wasn't my best match but I won in three sets and that's very important. I'm very confident for the final - but I know I'll face the best player in the world so I'll have to play very well to have a chance.
Nadal's astonishing form on grass has led many to tip him to end Federer's domination at Wimbledon. But the Spaniard, despite making a perfect start, was not at his absolute best on Friday. Schuettler came into his first semi-final at Wimbledon just a day after completing an epic five-hour win over Arnaud Clement. It was hardly the best preparation for facing the world number two and not surprisingly the 32-year-old made a slow start, a huge mistake against Nadal. Schuettler served first and was quickly 0-40 down and though he delivered an ace on the first break point, there was no stopping Nadal.
His domination left the crowd fearing an embarrassingly one-sided encounter but Schuettler at least played his part in an entertaining second set. The German, an Australian Open finalist in 2003, earned his first two break points at 1-1 and snatched the second when he chased down a drop shot and whipped it back past a stranded Nadal. It was gutsy from Schuettler but Nadal's level had dropped below the dizzy heights he had hit in his quarter-final against Andy Murray. The Spaniard picked it up again when it counted, taking advantage of a tentative Schuettler at 5-3 before coming through the tie-break with ease. And once Nadal had broken to take a 2-1 lead, there was no way back for Schuettler. The French Open champion was held up briefly when he squandered a 0-40 lead and three match points at 5-3 but raced through his final service game to seal victory in just over two hours.

Mercury Planet is Shrinking in size

2008-07-04T10:23:00.000-07:00

The smallest planet in the Solar System has become even smaller, studies by the Messenger spacecraft have shown. Data from a flyby of Mercury in January 2008 show the planet has contracted by more than one mile (1.5km) in diameter over its history.
Scientists believe the shrinkage is due to the planet's core slowly cooling. Studies published in the journal Science show the same process also powers the planet's magnetic field, a topic long debated by scientists. "Cooling of the planet's core not only fuelled the magnetic dynamo, it also led to contraction of the entire planet," said Principal Investigator Sean Solomon of the Carnegie Institution of Washington, US. "And the data from the flyby indicate that the total contraction is at least one-third greater than we previously thought."
The Messenger (Mercury Surface, Space Environment, Geochemistry and Ranging) spacecraft passed within 200km (125 miles) of Mercury earlier this year. It was the first time the planet had been viewed up close since Mariner 10's third and final fly-by in March 1975. A kidney-shaped volcanic vent surrounded by ejected material. The flyby was one of three to be made by the craft as it prepares to enter into orbit around the Solar System's smallest planet in 2011. Just days after the pass, scientists revealed that they had found evidence of volcanic activity on the planet, previously hinted at by Mariner 10. Further analysis of areas such as the Caloris basin, one of the Solar System's largest and youngest impact basins, found volcanic vents and evidence of "pyroclastic" debris blown from the volcano as it erupted.
Other areas contained circular structures with wrinkled edges, similar to structures seen on the Moon and Mars. Scientists believe these are impact craters that have been filled with massive quantities of lava, possibly 2.7km (1.3miles) deep. "That's a lot of lava," said Dr James Head of Brown University. "It shows the planet was really active in its early history."
Researchers believe the peak of activity could have been three to four billion years ago.
Sensors, such as the Fast Imaging Plasma Spectrometer (FIPS), onboard the craft also revealed details of the planet's atmospheric composition. IPS recorded silicon, sodium and even water ions around Mercury. Ions are electrically charged atomic particles. The scientists believe these were blasted from the surface of the planet by the solar wind, a stream of charged particles which buffets the Solar System. Mercury's proximity to the Sun means it feels the full force of this wind, blasting atoms into space. Many of these are then trapped by the planet's magnetic field. "The Mercury magnetosphere is full of many ionic species, both atomic and molecular," said Dr Thomas Zurbuchen of the University of Michigan. This magnetosphere is created by the planet's core, which accounts for 60% of the planet's mass.
As well as influencing the space around the planet, the core has had an immense influence on surface features. "The dominant tectonic landforms on Mercury, including areas imaged for the first time by Messenger, are features called lobate scarps, huge cliffs that mark the tops of crustal faults that formed during the contraction of the surrounding area," explained Dr Solomon.

Daughter for the first Male Mother

2008-07-04T10:17:00.000-07:00

An American man who was born female but subsequently underwent gender reassignment has given birth to a girl, US media have reported. Thomas Beatie, 34, is legally male but kept his female reproductive organs after having breast surgery to remove glands and flatten his chest.
Both Mr Beatie and his daughter are reported to be doing well in a hospital in Bend, Oregon.
He was inseminated using sperm from an anonymous donor. The birth was natural, a source at St Charles Medical Center in Bend told ABC News, and took place on Sunday. While he has had his breasts removed and has taken male hormones to give him facial hair, he has kept his female reproductive organs and can therefore carry a baby.

Beatie told, "I opted not to do anything with my reproductive organs because I wanted to have a child one day," he said. Mr Beatie grew up in Hawaii as Tracy Lagondin and was a Girl Scout, model and finalist in a teenage beauty pageant. He began to live as a man when he was in his 20s and officially changed his gender, he told People magazine. He has been married for five years to his wife, Nancy. Mr Beatie's obstetrician, Dr Kimberly James, told Oprah Winfrey in April: "This baby is totally healthy. This is what I consider a normal pregnancy."

Oil prices to go up

2008-07-02T09:16:00.000-07:00

The president of the oil producers' group, Opec, has warned that crude prices could rise further this week if eurozone interest rates go up. Dr Chakib Khelil told that he expected a rise in rates to lead to a further weakening of the dollar which would push oil prices higher. Dr Khelil blamed the fall in the value of the dollar for recent record highs. He also rejected calls to increase the supply of oil, saying a boost by Saudi Arabia had failed to temper prices. "What happened was that instead of coming down, they increased, because the perception of the market is that the dollar will continue weakening in future," The price of oil hit another record level last week, when US light, sweet crude traded at $143.67 a barrel. In late morning trading in London, Brent crude was up almost $1 at $141.58. The European Central Bank has hinted that it may increase its main interest rate from 4% in an effort to control accelerating consumer price inflation. However, it has not made any firm commitment to lifting borrowing costs at its rate.

Truck strike affects India very badly

2008-07-02T09:11:00.000-07:00

Nearly four million trucks are being kept off India's roads after their owners began an indefinite strike to protest against rising fuel bills. The soaring global price of crude oil has forced the Indian government to cut subsidies and raise prices. Truck operators say they have been hit hard by oil prices which have risen by 40% since the beginning of the year. Trucks carry food and other essential commodities in India. The strike is likely to push up their prices. Analysts say this will add to the double digit inflation and slow down growth in the country. Similar weeklong strike in 2004 slowed down the annual growth in industrial output to 7.9% from 8.4% in the previous month as the strike disrupted shipments.

Top 5 ODI Partnerships

2008-07-01T11:20:00.000-07:00

ODI PARTNERSHIP RECORDS

SR Tendulkar, R Dravid: 331 (for India v NZ, Hyderabad, 1999)
SC Ganguly, R Dravid: 318 (India v Sri Lanka, Taunton, 1999)
WU Tharanga, ST Jayasuriya: 286 (Sri Lanka v England, Leeds, '06)
M Azharuddin, A Jadeja: 275 (India v Zimbabwe, Cuttack, '98)
JAH Marshall, BB McCullum: 266 (NZ v Ireland, Aberdeen 2008)

New Zealand broke into record books against Ireland

2008-07-01T11:17:00.000-07:00

New Zealand made a 400-plus score for the first time in one-day cricket as they thrashed Ireland by 290 runs in one of the most one-sided matches ever. Brendon McCullum (166) was at one point on course for the first double-ton in ODIs as he and James Marshall (161) added 274 for the first wicket. That shattered New Zealand's previous best for a partnership in one-dayers. Ireland, needing 403, were bowled out for 112 for the biggest loss ever by a side chasing in one-day internationals.

McCullum, having hit 10 sixes and 11 fours, holed out attempting one shot too many, but the carnage continued over the closing overs through Marshall and Ross Taylor, who hit 59 from 24 balls. New Zealand finished with 402-2, the sixth best score ever in ODIs. But Ireland's chase went reasonably well until the fifth over when the first wicket fell with the score on 29. Tim Southee and Michael Mason struck regularly from then on, and only some brave hitting from number 10 Peter Connell (22 not out) prevented an even more embarrassing result.

Chelsea has signed deco for 7.9 million pounds

2008-07-01T11:14:00.000-07:00

Chelsea have signed Portugal midfielder Deco from Spanish giants Barcelona on a two-year deal for a fee of about £8m. The 30-year-old was recently told by Barca's new coach Pep Guardiola that he did not feature in their future plans. "It is good for me to be here and first of all I am very happy to be here," Deco told Chelsea's official website. Deco becomes the Blues' first signing since Portugal coach Luiz Felipe Scolari was appointed manager earlier this month.
However, his signing is Chelsea's second of the summer after international team-mate Jose Bosingwa. Brazil-born Deco joined Barcelona from Porto in 2004 after helping the Portuguese side win the Uefa Cup, Champions League and domestic league titles under former Chelsea boss
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He won two league championships with the Catalan giants, and was part of the team that beat Arsenal in the Champions League final in Paris in 2006. However, a series of injuries hampered him during the 2007-08 season, and he made just 14 starts in Barcelona's La Liga campaign.
"I am sure I have come at the right time to do great things and be able to help Chelsea go back to the way it was and come back to being the first one, not only in England but also to win the Champions League that has been their dream for so long," added Deco. "The Premier League is a great league and it is getting better and you can see that with the Champions League final, where you had two English teams." Deco's arrival significantly boosts a midfield line-up already featuring the likes of Frank Lampard, Michael Ballack, Michael Essien, Jon Mikel Obi and Claude Makelele. Deco's arrival looks like hastening the departure of Frank Lampard.
"A two-year deal suggests he is not a long-term building block. He will be 31 in August but his winners' pedigree, Champions League triumphs with Barcelona and Porto will balance recent fears about fitness and consistency," said Legard. And Legard believes Deco's arrival makes Lampard's possible exit to Inter Milan even more likely. "Deco's arrival looks like hastening the departure of Frank Lampard, who has done little to quell long-term speculation that he is bound for a reunion with Jose Mourinho at Inter Milan. "Barring a last-minute change of heart on both sides it's a question of when he signs in Italy, not if."