The 25 Funniest Analogies ever

Read and enjoy.



The 25 Funniest Analogies (Collected by High School English Teachers) «

New transparent household electronics

What will the Japanese think of next? This time they have come up with transparent household goods -- a transparent fridge, transparent washing machine .....



Tokyomango: New transparent household electronics.

A Woman

Something nice that I read ....


This is written in the Hebrew Talmud, the book where all of the sayings and preaching of Rabbis are conserved over time.

It says: "Be very careful if you make a woman cry, because God counts her tears .


The woman came out of a man's rib. Not from his feet to be walked on.


Not from his head to be superior, but from the side to be equal.


Under the arm to be protected, and next to the heart to be loved."

Poetry: Koshish Karne Waalon Ki Kabhi Haar Nahin Hoti

Poetry: Koshish Karne Waalon Ki Kabhi Haar Nahin Hoti

Today I am in a poetic mood. So here's a beautiful poem by Harivansh Rai Bacchhan....


==========================================
Lehron se Darkar naukaa paar nahi hoti
Koshish karne waalon ki kabhi haar nahi hoti

Nanhi cheenti daana lekar chalti hai
chadhti hai deevaar par sau baar fisalti hai
Man kaa vishwaas ragon me saahas bharta hai
chadhkar girna, girkar chadhna nahi akharta hai
mehnat uski bekaar har baar nahi hoti
koshish karne waalon ki kabhi haar nahi hoti

Dubkiyan sindhoo me gotaakhor lagata hai
jaa jaakar khaali haath lautkar aata hai
milte na sahaj hi moti gehre paani me
badhta doona vishwaas isi hairaani me
mutthi uski khaali harbaar nahi hoti
koshish karne waalon ki kabhi haar nahi hoti

Asafalta ek chunauti hai sweekar karo
kya kami reh gayi hai dekho aur sudhaar karo
jab tak naa safal hon chain neend ko tyago tumm...
Koshish karne walaon ki kabhi haar nahi hoti.................

--Harivansh Rai Bacchhan


==========================================

LSI Logic patents doubly linked list !!

U N B E L I E V A B L E !!





Link: Linked list - US Patent 7028023

Giant Airplanes

There are airplanes, big airplanes and ... Giant Airplanes!! Some of these are really amazing .. worth a look.



Link: Fogonazos: Giant airplanes

The Most Famous Photographs

Some photographs that made history. This site keeps on changing, so refresh your browser for each visit that you make ...



Link: The Most Famous Photographs

How to make an origami paper balloon

Steps for making a paper balloon.



Link: Balloon - Let's Make Origami!

Avoiding RSI (Repetitive Stress Injuries)

If you use a computer for many hours per day, read this !!



It has very useful information that can save you a lot of pain ...



Link: Official Google Blog: Avoiding RSI

Amazing Lego creations: Music bands

Band members made from Legos. A lot of musicians - from Bob Dylan to U2!!



There are other good creations as well -- just click the "Random" link at the top of the page to see some neat stuff like the Stringray.



Link: Brickshelf Gallery

Shortcut keys for Microsoft Excel

Shortcut keys for Microsoft Excel

Keys for windows and dialog boxes
In a window, to	Press
Switch to the next program	ALT+TAB
Switch to the previous program	ALT+SHIFT+TAB
Show the Windows Start menu	CTRL+ESC
Close the active workbook window	CTRL+W
Restore the active workbook window	CTRL+F5
Switch to the next workbook window	CTRL+F6
Switch to the previous workbook window	CTRL+SHIFT+F6
Carry out the Move command (workbook icon menu, menu bar)	CTRL+F7
Carry out the Size command (workbook icon menu, menu bar)	CTRL+F8
Minimize the workbook window to an icon	CTRL+F9
Maximize or restore the workbook window	CTRL+F10
Select a folder in the Open or Save As dialog box (File menu)	ALT+0 to select the folder list; arrow keys to select a folder
Choose a toolbar button in the Open or Save As dialog box (File menu)	ALT+ number (1 is the leftmost button, 2 is the next, and so on)
Update the files visible in the Open or Save As dialog box (File menu)	F5
In a dialog box, to	Press
Switch to the next tab in a dialog box	CTRL+TAB or CTRL+PAGE DOWN
Switch to the previous tab in a dialog box	CTRL+SHIFT+TAB or CTRL+PAGE UP
Move to the next option or option group	TAB
Move to the previous option or option group	SHIFT+TAB
Move between options in the active drop-down list box or between some options in a group of options	Arrow keys
Perform the action assigned to the active button (the button with the dotted outline), or select or clear the active check box	SPACEBAR
Move to an option in a drop-down list box	Letter key for the first letter in the option name you want (when a drop-down list box is selected)
Select an option, or select or clear a check box	ALT+ letter, where letter is the key for the underlined letter in the option name
Open the selected drop-down list box	ALT+DOWN ARROW
Close the selected drop-down list box	ESC
Perform the action assigned to the default command button in the dialog box (the button with the bold outline ¾ often the OK button)	ENTER
Cancel the command and close the dialog box	ESC
In a text box, to	Press
Move to the beginning of the entry	HOME
Move to the end of the entry	END
Move one character to the left or right	LEFT ARROW or RIGHT ARROW
Move one word to the left or right	CTRL+LEFT ARROW or CTRL+RIGHT ARROW
Select from the insertion point to the beginning of the entry	SHIFT+HOME
Select from the insertion point to the end of the entry	SHIFT+END
Select or unselect one character to the left	SHIFT+LEFT ARROW
Select or unselect one character to the right	SHIFT+RIGHT ARROW
Select or unselect one word to the left	CTRL+SHIFT+LEFT ARROW
Select or unselect one word to the right	CTRL+SHIFT+RIGHT ARROW

Mega Machu Picchu

Get yer mega photos right here!! That's right, ladies and gentlemen - 1.5 Giga Pixel photos of Machu Pichu (Peru).

Over 400 images, Over 1500 Megapixels !!



P.S. Try saying "Mega Machu Picchu" really fast over and over again ...





Link: Mega Machu Picchu - 1.5 GigaPixel

The most beautiful images you can find

A site that lists the top images currently available on the net (this is via a voting system, so it is actually the top pictures that people have voted for).



Link: http://thefairest.info/top.html

Amazing photo of the Earth

This photo is just too good !! Click for a bigger picture ...



Link: Amazing photo of the earth (NASA)

The 10 Best (and 10 Worst) Companies for Customer Service

A list of the companies that treat their customers like kings. Also the other side: companies that treat you like dirt.



Obviously, go to the top 10 and beware of the bottom 10.



Link: CRM Lowdown: The 10 Best (and 10 Worst) Companies ...

Java: Sun GPLs Java

My, how times change!! Sun absolutely refused to make Java open source. Now it is doing it :-).
Anyway, better late than never.

Link:  Sun GPLs Java

Guidelines for being a good corporate citizen

Guidelines for being a good corporate citizen

These are general guidelines for being a good corporate citizen. Taken from a news group thread in my office.

Note: I work in a software firm in India. But most of these guidelines are general purpose and universally applicable.

1. If someone is parking his/ her vehicle do not come in intimidating distances till the other person is done. If you have a driver who is waiting in the car, make sure that your car is not obstructing path of others.
   
   
2. If you are taking the elevator please see if someone is coming or trying to get the elevator, rather then pretending not to see and poking buttons on the Blackberry. Everyone's time is important.
   
   
3. In elevator if standing close to the buttons ask which floor. This will not make you a liftman / lift operator but demonstrate that you are a good person. If someone asks you the floor and pushes button for you please say thank you.
   
   
4. While waiting for the lift (elevator) please see to it that people in elevator come out first
   and you provide ample room to them.
5. If you are stepping into any confined zone, please let people in that zone move out before you move in. Basically wait for people to exit. Walking into a lift, corridor, lobby, aisle or conference room all fits.
   
   
6. Always stand in queue for anything (taking food in the cafeteria, etc.). Do not cut in line.
   
   
7. If you are parking your bike make sure you park it straight and such that it takes only 1 bike space (park it on the main stand).
   Don't park it haphazardly and take up 2 bike space and leave only that much space between bikes as is required for easily taking it out!
   
   
8. Talk softly on the phone. The phone mics are very powerful and you don't need to talk that loud for the other person to hear. Also consider other folks sitting in adjacent cubes.
1. Put your cell phones to "vibrating" modes as soon as you enter office. No one, repeat no one, is interested in hearing your "just downloaded fantastic mp3 tune". It is very, very disturbing - especially while you are concentrating on something.
2. Put your ringer volume at reasonable levels on your desk phone, especially when you are not at your desk.
   
   
9. Switch off phones or put them on silent during all-hands, meetings etc. It is not only irritating to others, it is an insult to the speaker.
   
   
10. Don't chat in groups in pantries - it causes lot of inconvenience to others who come for tea/coffee/snacks.
    
    
11. Don't send huge emails' (even work related) - it is a royal pain to download them at home on slow speeds. Not everyone has a broadband connection! Have a central place for documents, and send out a link in the email. It also keeps the network happy!
    
    
12. If you spill liquid on floor, make sure it is mopped up by the office support staff, before you leave. Or clean it yourself.
    
    
13. For smokers - throw the stubs in dustbins / ashtrays. The smoking zone floor is not the right place.
    
    
14. If you read newspaper kept in the common area, make sure to re-arrange it properly when you keep it back. No one likes to read a crumpled, unsorted newspaper - even you don't!
    
    
15. Treat the pantries' as you treat your kitchen - keep them clean, and tidy. It does not take much effort to close the lid of the biscuit box, and keep the used cup in the wash-basin! Don't keep the used cups' at any place in office - especially conference rooms.
    
    
16. Switch off lights in the conf. room once you are done. Also make sure to wipe off the white board, before you leave.
    
    
17. Respect every person in the office - including the office-support staff (which includes, but is not restricted to, office-boys, cleaners', drivers, security personnel).
    
    
18. While parking, honor the words of the security personnel - and don't try to be oversmart.
    
    
19. DO NOT *spit*. Anywhere.
    
    
20. Avoid pressing buttons to call multiple lifts simultaneously.
    
    
21. Please ensure that the discussions on any topic, however profound/ technical intensive are not done near the workplaces in loud volumes. You may be disturbing people. Best way is to put conference rooms to use for this purpose.
    
    
22. Stairs are there for a purpose other than having coffee on. And leaving the cups on the stairs, is not only unacceptable, its also dangerous for people who use the stairs. Same goes for the terrace, balconies, etc.
    

BSOD screen saver

BSOD screen saver

One of the most infamous items in the computer industry is the BSOD (Blue Screen Of Death) from Windows NT. Sysinternals has come up with a screen saver that mimicks a BSOD.
Get it for old times' sake :-).

Link: BlueScreen Screen Saver v3.2

Classic Insults

Some great insults throughout history.

Link: Reluctant Nomad: Insults - they just don't make them as they used to

Technical: Optimizing Page Load Time

Technical: Optimizing Page Load Time

Some nice tips on optimizing the time that it takes for your web application's pages to load.

Link: Optimizing Page Load Time - die.net

Internet Explorer 7 released

Internet Explorer 7 released. Go get it !! :-)

Link: IEBlog : Internet Explorer 7 for Windows XP Available Now

Download location: http://www.microsoft.com/windows/ie/downloads/default.mspx

How to Do Cube Roots of 9 Digit Numbers in Your Head

Cube roots? Hmmm .. don't know if we need it that much in day-to-day life. But knowledge never goes to waste ....

How to Do Cube Roots of 9 Digit Numbers in Your Head

The Amazing YouTube Tools Collection

A list of some great tools for YouTube.

The Amazing YouTube Tools Collection

Firefox 2.0 Review

A review of the upcoming 2.0 release of Firefox.

Link: Firefox 2.0 Review

The Worlds Biggest Container Vessel

Look at the size of this thing !! Humongous !!

Link: EMMA MÆRSK

Linux Crash Top 10 Images

Even Linux crashes. And so, we have a site that lists top 10 images of a Linux system crashing - from within aeroplanes to even at a Linux rally :-).

Link: Miguel Carrasco's Real World: Linux Crash Top 10 Images

How to Paint as Bob Ross with Photoshop

A nice tutorial that could make decent artists out of people like me who have absolutely no artistic talent ...

code404 - How to Paint as Bob Ross with Photoshop

Timeline for the end of man's traces

Timeline for the end of man's traces

If all of mankind died today, when would all traces of our existence on Earth disappear completely?

This picture shows the estimated timeline for the final end of our traces on this planet. We really do pollute this planet badly :-(

(Click on the image for bigger version)



Original link: timesonline.co.uk image

Google's forgotten (secret) pages

Google's forgotten (secret) pages

Some interesting pages on the Google website that not many people know (at least, I didnt ...)

Link: Google’s 56 forgotten (secret) pages, part two -Cristian Mezei

World-Wide Sushi Restaurant Reference !!

World-Wide Sushi Restaurant Reference !!

Ahoy ye Sushi eaters !! Here is a list of restaurants all around the world where you can enjoy your fill of Sushi...

Link: Welcome to the World-Wide Sushi Restaurant Reference!

Here's why you hate Mondays

The answer to the age-old question : Why do we hate Mondays so much???

Here's why you hate Mondays - National - theage.com.au

Great Buildings

Some great architectural wonders ... look and you may like

Link: Great Buildings Online - Master Buildings List 2006.1010

10 reasons people make stupid decisions

10 reasons people make stupid decisions

A thoughtful article on why people behave the way they do, especially when it comes to making decisions ....

Link: Bad Analysis: 10 reasons people make stupid decisions

Top ten geek business myths

A nice article about the Top ten geek business myths. You may or may not agree with it, but it is  definitely worth reading.

Link: Rondam Ramblings: Top ten geek business myths

A Pale Blue Dot

A Pale Blue Dot. That's what the Earth looks like from space. And so much bloodshed just to be the masters of a dot. Makes you think ...

Link:  A Pale Blue Dot

Google crawls into source-code search

Google searches will now give you source code directly !!. No need to code.
"Programming is waste, do only copy-paste" !!

[print version] Google crawls into source-code search | CNET News.com

Some quotes I like --> Part 2

Some quotes I like --> Part 2

These are some of the quotes that I like. This is part 2 because I have posted some by Winston Churchill already .

So here goes:

1. "What is wanted is not the will to believe, but the will to find out, which is the exact opposite."
                   -- Bertrand Russell, "Skeptical_Essays", 1928
   
   
2. Majority, n.:
           That quality that distinguishes a crime from a law.
   (Unknown)
   
   
3. It is said that the lonely eagle flies to the mountain peaks while the
   lowly ant crawls the ground, but cannot the soul of the ant soar as high as the eagle?
   (Unknown)
   
   
4. Conscience is a mother-in-law whose visit never ends.
                   -- H. L. Mencken
   
   
5. People often find it easier to be a result of the past than a cause of the future.
   (Unknown)
   
   
6. An idea is an eye given by God for the seeing of God.  Some of these
   eyes we cannot bear to look out of, we blind them as quickly as possible.
                   -- Russell Hoban, "Pilgermann"
   
   
7. The law will never make men free; it is men who have got to make the
   law free.
                   -- Henry David Thoreau
   
   
8. Cherish your visions; cherish your ideals;
   cherish the music that stirs in your heart,
   the beauty that forms in your mind,
   the loveliness that drapes your purest thoughts,
   for out of them will grow delightful conditions,
   all heavenly environment;
   of these if you but remain true to them,
   your world will at last be built.
                                        - - - James Allen
   



9. Nothing is faster than the speed of light ...
   To prove this to yourself, try opening the refrigerator door before the light comes on.
   (Unknown)
   
   
   
10. Politics is like coaching a football team.  You have to be smart enough
    to understand the game but not smart enough to lose interest.
    (Unknown)
    

Windows: Open command prompt via Windows Explorer and other tricks

A bunch of tips and tricks for Windows. One of my favorite ones is where you can get a "Open Command Prompt here" menu option via Windows Explorer.

<SNIP>

Q: how do you change the default location for the command prompt?

A: The best way I know of to do this is just to open the prompt from
within Windows Explorer. The following Reg changes will cause an open
command prompt here message to appear in the right-click menu.

REGEDIT[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Folder\shell\DosHere]. ...@="Command
&Prompt Here"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Folder\shell\DosHere\command]
@="C:\\WINNT\\System32\\cmd.exe /k cd \"%1\""

</SNIP>


Link: Windows XP Tips and Tricks

10 Things That Will Make Or Break Your Website

A very nice article that anyone who has a website, or codes web applications should read.

Link: 10 Things That Will Make Or Break Your Website

Mouse Print: Read the fine print before you buy the product

Mouse Print: Read the fine print before you buy the product

There is a lot hidden in the fine print of many products. So be careful.

This site lists a lot of "read-before-you-buy" items: Mouse Print

What is that process running on your computer?

If you quickly want to know the exact nature and purpose of any and every
single process that is - or should not be - running on your PC, then this site is for you.

ProcessLibrary.com - The online resource for process information!

How to Create a Product Box in Photoshop - WikiHow

Want to create a "product box"? You know, the box like thingy that shows a product such as software. This site gives step-by-step creation instructions using Photoshop.

Link: How to Create a Product Box in Photoshop - WikiHow

A great site to send free e-cards from

This is a site I use regularly to send free e-cards. Considering that they are free, the effort that they put into them is amazing.

Note: I am not getting paid to advertise this site. I use it, I like it, that's it :-).


Link: Hallmark E-Cards
(Select "Free E-Cards" from the links on the bottom of the front page)

Amazing photo of the sun

This is a really nice site !! It is the "Astronomy Picture of the Day" site from NASA. They have a different picture everyday. Here's one of the good ol' sun.

Link to Sun photo: APOD: 2006 September 21 - Sharp Silhouette

Daily photo: http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/

An Insider's Guide to Food Labels

What is exactly inside your food? Read on ...

(Warning: Some things may upset you .... )

Link: An Insider's Guide to Food Labels

Changes to US Daylight Savings Time rules from 2007

Summary:

Daylight Savings Time (DST) rules for the US are going to
change from 2007.

From 1986 to 2006 DST has been the first Sunday in
April to the last Sunday in October.

 
But starting in
2007, DST will be observed from the second Sunday in March to the first Sunday
in November,
adding about a month to daylight saving time.

 
More info:
 

1. http://www.infoplease.com/spot/daylight1.html
   
2. http://www.energy.ca.gov/daylightsaving.html 

3. For anybody that deals
   with Java (developers/QA): IMP: http://java.sun.com/developer/technicalArticles/Intl/USDST/
   

Classic Computer articles from IEEE

Classic Computer articles from IEEE

IEEE computer has identified 4 of the most influential papers that it has printed over the past 40 years. Worth reading.

Link: Computer magazine - Classics

Caught on tape: Infamous gaffes

Some of the most infamous gaffes made by famous people throughout modern history.

The best one:
------------------
Former US President Ronald Reagan's warm-up joke before a radio broadcast.

During the sound check he announced: "My fellow Americans, I'm pleased
to tell you today that I've signed legislation that will outlaw Russia
forever. We begin bombing in five minutes."


Link: BBC NEWS | Europe | Caught on tape: Infamous gaffes

A sad sight after the end of the Ganapati festival

In India, the Ganapati festival is held every year. After the festival ends, the idols of Lord Ganesha are immersed in the sea. But these idols are mostly made of non bio-degradable materials. So they don't dissolve. And so the lovely images of the God become twisted and macabre.

SAD ....

Link: Ultrabrown : The Battle of Kurukshetra (updated)

Global Fire Power

GlobalFirepower (GFP) provides a analytical display of
information based on sources from all over the globe. You can compare countries side-by-side on factors such as

• Yearly military expenditure
• Aircraft
• Missile defense systems

etc.


Link : World Military Strength Ranking

Unfinished Tolkien work to be published in 2007

Snippet from the news site:
--------------------------------------
An unfinished tale by J.R.R. Tolkien has been edited by his son into a
completed work and will be released next spring, the U.S. and British
publishers announced Monday.

Christopher Tolkien has spent the past 30 years working on "The
Children of Hurin," an epic tale his father began in 1918 and later
abandoned.

Link: CNN.com - Unfinished Tolkien work to be published in '07 - Sep 18, 2006

The World's Most Photorealistic Vector Art

This is really amazing. These are not photos / drawings, but images generated using vector art. Forget the technical part of how they are generated. Just enjoy the pictures ....

Link: Basang Panaginip: The World's Most Photorealistic Vector Art

Basic rules of email writing

Basic rules of email writing

This post is pasted from an email which my wife had written. (I won't disclose her name and email id ;-) ).

Good stuff. If people follow these rules in their professional career, it would make everyone's life much better ...

It is imperative that we all know certain basic rules about email writing.

• In the To field, always include the name(s) of the person(s) who is(are) expected to take action on the mail. If your name is in the To list of any received mail, then you are expected to reply and/or take action on that mail.
• In the CC field, always include the name(s) of the person(s) who is(are) NOT expected to take any action on the mail but are only in the loop for sharing the information. If your name is in the CC field, you need not reply and/or take action on the mail, but you are still expected to READ it! This is mostly for non-participating audience in a discussion or for senior members such as lead and managers.
• Please note that people have mail rules or filters defined based on To and Cc fields in their mail clients. They may only read mails where their name is in the To field on a daily basis and others they may be reading at later time. So if you need someone’s immediate attention, make sure you include their name in the To field.
• Only include those people in the Cc list, who really need to know about the mail. For eg., if someone has completed their induction session for a new joinee and is informing me, my name should be in To list and the new joinee’s name and his/her coordinator’s name should be in the Cc field. No one else needs to be copied on this information.
• Do not use too many informal or casual language, emoticon, exclamation marks in your mail. Do not mark anything in CAPs or BOLD unless you want attention brought to it. If you use it too often, people will start recognizing it as your style and will not take it to mean emphasis when you REALLY want to emphasize something.
• Try to keep emails to the point and short. Structure the mail into logical points and insert paragraphs where necessary. Your aim is that the recipient should read your mail. Make it easy for him/her to read!
• Run a spell check before sending. There is a facility to do this in Outlook.

The Actual Facts about the Mcdonalds' Coffee Case

Remember Stella Liebeck? The Mcdonalds' coffee case related old lady? The actual details of the case are given on this page. It does not seem to be as clearcut a case of a frivolous lawsuit as I had originally thought ...

The Actual Facts about the Mcdonalds' Coffee Case

Things to Eat Before You Die?

A list of culinary delights from around the world .... absolute must-haves (or must-eats)

Link: Things to Eat Before You Die?

The Best Time to Buy Everything

When is a good time to buy? See below:

Link:
The Best Time to Buy Everything (Deal of the Day: Personal Finance) | SmartMoney.com

Top 10 blogger lies, Top 10 reasons nobody reads your blog

These 2 pages are hilarious :-)

Link1 --> Top ten blogger lies

Link 2 --> Top ten reasons nobody reads your blog

How to remove Logos from your PDA / cell phone with sugar

Tired of being 'branded' by the logos on your PDA / cell phone? Use your noodle, and some sugar to get rid of them ...

Link: How to remove Logos from your PDA / cell phone with sugar

10 Reasons To Drink More Water

A nice article that shows the benefits of drinking more water.

Link: The Ririan Project™: 10 Reasons To Drink More Water

55 Ways to Have Fun With Google

A book that tells you many (ok, 55) ways to have fun with Google.

Snippet from the site:
&lt;SNIP&gt;
You probably use Google everyday, but do you know...
the Google Snake Game? Googledromes? Memecodes? Googlesport? The Google Calculator?
Googlepark and Google Weddings? Google hacking, fighting and rhyming? In this book,
you’ll find Google-related games, cartoons, oddities, tips, stories and everything
else that’s fun.
&lt;/SNIP&gt;



Blog: Official Google Blog: 55 Ways to Have Fun With Google

Book available as free download: http://www.55fun.com/

Books for all: Google offers full book downloads

Google is making available for download all non-copyrighted material, such as Shakespeare's works.

Article: Books for all: Google offers full book downloads | TG Daily

Google site: http://books.google.com/

Apple Human Interface Guidelines

Apple Human Interface Guidelines

A set of guidelines from Apple on how to design great user interface for your software.
Very nice. Recommended reading.

Link: Apple Human Interface Guidelines

RAW vs. JPEG

When shooting digital snaps, the eternal question arises: RAW format or JPEG format?
Unlike classical philosophical questions, this one does have an answer based on your situation.

Read on ... RAW vs. JPEG

Naya Shivala by Muhammed Iqbal

A very nice philosophical poem by Muhammed Iqbal

Original Link: Naya Shivala (with English Translation) by Muhammed Iqbal at Old Poetry

Reproduced verbatim below:


Sach kah don aye brahman! Gar tu buraa na maaney
terey sanam-kadon ke but ho gaye puraaney
apnon se bair rakhnaa tu ne bhton se seekhajang-o-jadal sikhaayaa waaiz ko bhi khudaa ne
tang aa ke main ne aakhir dair-o-haram ko chhodawaaiz ka waaz chhodaa, chhodey tirey fasaaney 

Patthar ki mooraton mein samjhaa hai tu khdaa hai
Khaak-e-watan ka mujh ko har zarraa devtaa hai

Aa ghairiyat ke pardey ik baar phir uthaa dein
bichdon ko phir milaa dein, naqsh-e-dui mitaa dein
sooni padi hui hai muddat se dil ki basti
aa, ik nayaa shiwaalaa is des mein banaa dein
dunyaa ke teerathon se oonchaa ho apnaa teerath
daamaan-e-aasmaan se us ka kalas milaa dein
har subh uthh ke gaayein mantar wo meethey meethey
saarey pujaariyon ko mai peet ki pilaa dein
 

Shakti bhi shaanti bhi bhakton ke geet mein hai
dharti ke baasiyon ki mukti preet mein hai



English Translation

 A New Altar

O Brahman! Should I speak the truth if you don't mind?
The idols of your temples have gone antiquated.
You've learnt, from the idols, to harbor animosity towards our own people;
the God too has taught his preacher the ways of violence and war.

Having got fed-up I left temple as well as mosque;
[I] left attending the lecture of the preacher as well as your story-sessions.
You think that God resides in the stone idols
Each speck of the motherland is God to me.

Come, let's, once again, remove the curtains of unacquaintedness;
let's help the separated beings meet again [and] remove the motif of duality.
The territory of heart is vacuous for a long time.

Come, let's make a new shrine in this land.
Our shrine should be taller than all the shrines of the world!
We should make its spire touch the edge of the sky.
We should sing, each morning, the amiable hymns
[and] make all the worshippers drink the wine of love!
[Both] power and peace are implied in the songs of the disciples.
The salvation of the people of the world lies in love!

A Java based CMS (Content Management System)

A Java based CMS (Content Management System)

An open-source (Java) project for building a CMS.

Check it out. You might save some serious $$ using this one ...

Link: currentcms: Current CMS

Eyewitless News: Save Pluto

Worth1000.com has come up with a contest. The theme? Pluto, of course. The poor planet that was kicked out of the Solar System by a bunch of astronomer bullies. Photos that advertise the ninth planet ...

Link: Worth1000.com | Pluto photos

The Greatest Swiss Knife ever

The Greatest Swiss Knife ever

A humongously huge swiss knife that has all the things that you could possibly wish for. The only problem is now to find humongously huge pockets to put it in ...

Link: What a knife !!

Great snaps of libraries around the world

Great snaps of libraries around the world

The article is titled "Hot Library Smut". But don't worry, this isn't X-rated stuff. It is just a collection of photographs of libraries around the world.
Check out the "STIFTSBIBLIOTHEK ST. GALLEN" one. Awesome ...

Link: Library Snaps

Update: 'Hitler' restaurant changes its name

Finally, common sense has prevailed. The owners of a restaurant named after Hitler in Mumbai has decided to change its name.

Link: BBC NEWS | South Asia | Climb down by 'Hitler' restaurant

Java: Swingweb

Swingweb is a web-application framework that enables AWT/Swing application to operate inside
a web container and presented as a web application to the web browser, purely in HTML/CSS/javascript.
The swing application will render and behave in the web-container the same as it would as a desktop application.
There is little knowledge required for the developer to start developing swingweb application as long as
they are familiar with swing UI development.

Link: Swingweb - Swingweb - Introduction

Wasim Raja - A breathtaking strokeplayer

Wasim Raja passed away. A fine tribute to a fine cricketer.

Link: Cricinfo - Wasim Raja - A breathtaking strokeplayer

Why I Love Apple

A nice article on why Apple products are a pleasure: the painstaking attention to details.

Link: Wired News: Why I Love Apple

50 Most Common Interview Questions and Answers

50 Most Common Interview Questions and Answers

A list of standard questions that are usually asked in interviews (and the recommended answers). Worth a read.

Link: Bhuvana Sundaramoorthy’s Blog » 50 COMMON INTERVIEW Q&A

The Fries that bind us --> Amazing Starbucks and McDonalds map

The Fries that bind us --> Amazing Starbucks and McDonalds map

Self-explanatory map. Take a look:
Starbucks and McDonalds map

Jet Powered Beetle !!

Jet Powered Beetle !!

A guy called Ron Patrick has modified his Beetle to have 2 engines: the normal one in front and a jet engine in the back. You have to see this to believe it !!

Link: Jet Beetle

Row over Hitler-themed restaurant

Row over Hitler-themed restaurant

The Jewish community in the Indian city of Mumbai (Bombay) is outraged by a new restaurant named after Adolf Hitler.

The restaurant, Hitler's Cross, opened last week in the city's outskirts, initially displaying a giant poster of Hitler at the entrance.

The 5,000-strong Jewish community say they were insulted and want the owner to change the name of the restaurant.

The restaurant owner says the poster has been taken down but he told the BBC that he would keep the name.


I know that freedom of speech is important, but it should be used responsibly. Hitler is someone who evokes pretty strong responses from many people ...


Complete article at: BBC article about the restaurant

Russian solves historic math problem, shuns prize

Russian solves historic math problem, shuns prize

MADRID, Spain (AP) -- A reclusive Russian won an academic prize Tuesday for work toward solving one of history's toughest math problems, but he refused to accept the award -- a stunning renunciation of accolades from his field's top minds.

Grigory Perelman, a 40-year-old native of St. Petersburg, was praised for work in the field known as topology, which studies shapes, and for a breakthrough that might help scientists figure out nothing less than the shape of the universe.

Full article at: CNN Article

Your Brain Boots Up Like a Computer

It seems that our brain has a boot-up sequence just like a computer.
Well, considering it was designed by the best engineer ever (God), it doesn't amaze me ...

LiveScience.com - Your Brain Boots Up Like a Computer

5 HTML elements you probably never use (but perhaps should)

A set of 5 uncommon HTML tags that are very promising.
E.g. the <optgroup> one. It allows you to group the <option> inside a <select> box into categories. The categories themselves are not select-able, but the elements themselves can be selected. Nice.


Link: 5 HTML elements you probably never use (but perhaps should)

Ten (Okay, 13) Questions with Libby Sartain, Chief People Yahoo!

Ten (Okay, 13) Questions with Libby Sartain, Chief People Yahoo!

An interview with Yahoo's global head of HR. See what it takes to get hired at Yahoo!

Link: Ten (Okay ...

Coffee as a Health Drink?

Coffee as a Health Drink?

A study suggests that coffee might have some positive benefits as well. Hmmm .. how come periodicially there always are studies published that contradict each other?

Link: Coffee as a Health Drink? Studies Find Some Benefits - New York Times

10 Ways to Make Your Digital Photos Last Forever

10 Ways to Make Your Digital Photos Last Forever

10 tips on saving those precious memories ....

Link: 10 ways to ...

50 coolest websites

50 coolest websites

A list of Time Magazine's 50 coolest websites.

Link: 50 coolest web sites

5 Steps To Being More Photogenic

5 Steps To Being More Photogenic

A nice article that shows you how to look your best in photos.

Link: 5 Steps To Being More Photogenic

Dhirubhai gave management a whole new 'ism'

A very nice article about Dhirubhai Ambani on rediff.com. Reproduced verbatim below.

Original Link:  Dhirubhai gave management a whole new 'ism'


Dhirubhai gave management a whole new 'ism'

A G Krishnamurthy in New Delhi |
February 03, 2006 06:06 IST






Dhirubhai Ambani was no ordinary leader. He was a man who gave management a whole new "ism".

There
is a new "ism" that I've been meaning to add to the vast world of words
for quite a while now. Because, without exaggeration, it's a word for
which no synonym can do full justice: "Dhirubhaism".

Inspired by
the truly phenomenal Dhirubhai H Ambani, it denotes a characteristic,
tendency or syndrome as demonstrated by its inspirer. Dhirubhai, on his
part, had he been around, would have laughed heartily and declared,
"Small men like me don't inspire big words!"

There you have
it - now that is a classic Dhirubhaism, the tendency to disregard one's
own invaluable contribution to society as significant.

I'm
sure everyone who knew Dhirubhai well will have his or her own little
anecdote that illustrates his unique personality. He was a person whose
heart and head both worked at peak efficiency levels, all the time. And
that resulted in a truly unique and remarkable work philosophy, which
is what I would like to define as Dhirubhaism.

Let me explain this new "ism" with a few examples from my own experiences of working with him.

Dhirubhaism No 1:
Roll up your sleeves and help. You and your team share the same DNA.
Reliance, during Vimal's heady days had organized a fashion show at the
Convention Hall, at Ashoka Hotel in New Delhi.

As usual, every
seat in the hall was taken, and there were an equal number of impatient
guests outside, waiting to be seated. I was of course completely
besieged, trying to handle the ensuing confusion, chaos and protests,
when to my amazement and relief, I saw Dhirubhai at the door trying to
pacify the guests.

Dhirubhai at that time was already a name
to reckon with and a VIP himself, but that did not stop him from
rolling up his sleeves and diving in to rescue a situation that had
gone out of control. Most bosses in his place would have driven up in
their swank cars at the last moment and given the manager a piece of
their minds. Not Dhirubhai.

When things went wrong, he was the
first person to sense that the circumstances would have been beyond his
team's control, rather than it being a slip on their part, as he
trusted their capabilities implicitly. His first instinct was always to
join his men in putting out the fire and not crucifying them for it.
Sounds too good a boss to be true, doesn't he? But then, that was
Dhirubhai.

Dhirubhaism No 2: Be a safety net
for your team. There used to be a time when our agency Mudra was the
target of some extremely vicious propaganda by our peers, when on an
almost daily basis my business ethics were put on trial. I, on my part,
putting on a brave front, never raised this subject during any of my
meetings with Dhirubhai.

But one day, during a particularly
nasty spell, he gently asked me if I needed any help in combating it.
That did it. That was all the help that I needed. Overwhelmed by his
concern and compassion, I told him I could cope, but the knowledge that
he knew and cared for what I was going through, and that he was there
for me if I ever needed him, worked wonders for my confidence.

I
went back a much taller man fully armed to face whatever came my way.
By letting us know that he was always aware of the trials we underwent
and that he was by our side through it all, he gave us the courage we
never knew we had.

Dhirubhaism No 3: The silent
benefactor. This was another of his remarkable traits. When he helped
someone, he never ever breathed a word about it to anyone else. There
have been none among us who haven't known his kindness, yet he never
went around broadcasting it.

He never used charity as a
platform to gain publicity. Sometimes, he would even go to the extent
of not letting the recipient know who the donor was. Such was the
extent of his generosity. "Expect the unexpected" just might have been
coined for him.

Dhirubhaism No 4: Dream big
but dream with your eyes open. His phenomenal achievement showed India
that limitations were only in the mind. And that nothing was truly
unattainable for those who dreamed big. 

Whenever I tried to
point out to him that a task seemed too big to be accomplished, he
would reply: " No is no answer!" Not only did he dream big, he taught
all of us to do so too. His one-line brief to me when we began Mudra
was: "Make Vimal's advertising the benchmark for fashion advertising in
the country."

At that time, we were just a tiny, fledgling
agency, tucked away in Ahmedabad, struggling to put a team in place.
When we presented the seemingly insurmountable to him, his favourite
response was always: "It's difficult but not impossible!" And he was
right. We did go on to achieve the impossible.

Both in its
size and scope Vimal's fashion shows were unprecedented in the country.
Grand showroom openings, stunning experiments in print and poster work
all combined to give the brand a truly benchmark image. But way back in
1980, no one would have believed it could have ever been possible.
Except Dhirubhai.

But though he dreamed big, he was able to
clearly distinguish between perception and reality and his favourite
phrase "dream with your eyes open" underlined this.

He never
let preset norms govern his vision, yet he worked night and day
familiarizing himself with every little nitty-gritty that constituted
his dreams constantly sifting the wheat from the chaff. This is how, as
he put it, even though he dreamed, none of his dreams turned into
nightmares. And this is what gave him the courage to move from one
orbit to the next despite tremendous odds.

Dhirubhai was indeed
a man of many parts, as is evident. I am sure there are many people who
display some of the traits mentioned above, in their working styles as
well, but Dhirubhai was one of those rare people who demonstrated all
of them, all the time.

And that's what made him such a
phenomenal team builder and achiever. Yes, we all need  "Dhirubhaisms"
in our lives to remind us that if it was possible for one person to be
all this and more, we too can. And like him, go on to achieve the
impossible too.

Hitachi disk testing utility

A nifty utility from Hitachi that tests your hard disk for errors. Creates a bootable CD / diskette that one can use to check your hard disk for errors.

Link: Hitachi Support | Downloads

How to make shadows on the wall

An illustrated guide to making shadows (meaningful ones, of course) on the wall.

Make a rabbit, a deer, etc.

Link: How to make shadows on the wall

Star Trek Inspirational Posters

A list of funny inspirational posters depicting scenes in Star Trek.

Link: Star Trek Inspirational Posters

Delete files forever

Delete files forever

How to get rid of files from your PC / Mac for ever !! (no, emptying the recycle bin doesn't do it )

Link: Wired 14.08: How To: Secure Your Data

7 reasons the 21st century is making us miserable

7 reasons the 21st century is making us miserable

Some valid points raised as to why we are more miserable than our parents and grand-parents...

http://www.pointlesswasteoftime.com/misery.html

Lake Peigneur (disappearing lake) History Channel footage

Lake Peigneur (disappearing lake) History Channel footage

Amazing footage !! Watch it to believe it ....

Link: YouTube - Lake Peigneur (disappearing lake) History Channel footage

Job-hopping? Watch out!

A nice article that warns against the perils of shifting jobs mindlessly, without regarding all the consequences ...

Link: Job-hopping? Watch out!

If I had my life to live over -- by Erma Bombeck

Reprinting this here as the words are simply too beautiful ...

If I had my life to live over

• I would have talked less and listened more. I would have invited friends over to dinner even if the carpet was stained and the sofa faded.
  
  
• I would have eaten the popcorn in the 'good' living room and worried much less about the dirt when someone wanted to light a fire in the fireplace.
  
  
• I would have taken the time to listen to my grandfather ramble about his youth.
  
  
• I would never have insisted the car windows be rolled up on a summer day because my hair had just been teased and sprayed.
  
  
• I would have burned the pink candle sculpted like a rose before it melted in storage.
  
  
• I would have sat on the lawn with my children and not worried about grass stains.
  
  
• I would have cried and laughed less while watching television - and more while watching life.
  
  
• I would have shared more of the responsibility carried by my husband.
  
  
• I would have gone to bed when I was sick instead of pretending the earth would go into a holding pattern if I weren't there for the day.
  
  
• I would never have bought anything just because it was practical, wouldn't show soil or was guaranteed to last a lifetime.
  
  
• Instead of wishing away nine months of pregnancy, I'd have cherished every moment and realized that the wonderment growing inside me was the only chance in life to assist God in a miracle.
  
  
• When my kids kissed me impetuously, I would never have said, "Later. Now go get washed up for dinner."
  
  
• There would have been more "I love yous".. more "I'm sorrys"... but mostly, given another shot at life, I would seize every minute...look at it and really see it... live it...and never give it back.

--In memory of Erma Bombeck who lost her fight with cancer.

Link: If I Had My Life to Live Over

The World’s Forgotten Territorial Disputes

The World’s Forgotten Territorial Disputes

A list of the disputes between countries that don't get as much exposure as, say, Palestine or Kashmir. But these exist nonetheless ...

Foreign Policy: The List: The World’s Forgotten Territorial Disputes

Paleogeography and Geologic Evolution of North America

Paleogeography and Geologic Evolution of North America

This is a site that tracks the ancient landscapes of North America

Snippet from the site:

The images presented here show the paleogeography of North America over the last 550 million years of geologic history. The 40 images shown here are selected from a suite of approximately 100 maps that are in time slices mostly 5-10 million years apart.


Link: Paleogeography and Geologic Evolution

Why would a developer become a manager

A rant by a lady called Katie Lucas in a discussion thread ...

------------------------------------ START POST -------------------------------------------------

"Why would you want a great developer to become a manager in the first
place?"

Well, this particular developer is becoming a manager for the
following reason:

Job requirements for engineers have an alphabet soup
attached to them. I've been rejected for jobs because the version of Sybase I
last used is too old, and this is for a role where SQL isn't even the core
requirement. The SQL standard hasn't changed, but agents can't figure that out -
they just want people who've used the latest version of Sybase.

I get
turned down for UNIX dev roles because the version of VB I've used isn't the
latest -- because they add a VB background to all the dev position requirements,
and it's got the be the latest version of VB.

I've just got bored of
having my technical skills outdated every six months. If I take my eye off the
ball and Microsoft announces a technology and I don't immediately ram it into my
CV or pick the wrong job, a year later I'm near unemployable.

I'm fed up
of my career being this bizarre stamp collecting exercise where I get judged on
how many of the acronyms I've been near lately and not whether I've gained any
deep experience in anything.

Frankly, I'm getting too old to play this
stupid game anymore. No-one wants to hire a software engineer with a decade of
experience to start work in C#. They'll train 2 year experienced people to use
C#, but if you've got more experience than that, you better show up with
experience in C# because any other experience you have is irrelevant.

I'm
tired of my entire experience being torn up and thrown away every couple of
years because agents and HR departments can't figure out that a developer who
can write C++ can also write C# and Java with very little training -- but what
can you expect? These are guys who think Visual C++ isn't the same language as
C++.


I looked at being a tech writer. I quite like writing -- I've
got a background in creative writing, it's something I quite like, and I've done
tech writing around IT projects before. Unfortunately, although I've written
stuff and studied writing and so on, I'm not qualified to be a tech writer
because the version of PageMaker I last used is too old... I suddenly have these
visions of people saying to a re-incarnated Dickens "Look, you've only used
quills. What the hell kind of writer are you? We're only considering people with
experience with Biros version 4 or above."

I've noticed that things like
"Project manager" experience doesn't get thrown away in the same way. No-one
says "Oh, but that was a year ago. We manage projects COMPLETELY differently
now. That experience doesn't count", whereas they do with, say, SQL. It's like
SQL is a whole new langauge with each version of Oracle.

Apparently,
being a successful software engineer currently means that you pick a tech, ram
some experience on your CV and then bail after a couple of years before that
becomes "old tech". Every couple of years you need to pick a technology (which
probably hasn't actually shipped at that stage) and bet on it. And you must bet
right every time.

You never gain deep experience because that would mean
missing an acronym off your CV and who knows when you'd need the
acronym.

I've been offered two jobs; one will get me a PM background. One
will get me a bundle of technologies. The latter is a good role, but how can I
tell if those technologies will leave me employable in two years time? They
might be completely outdated by then and useless and irrelevant like my
experience with SQL on Oracle 8.

It'll get me a couple of years of Java,
for example. But how can I tell if Java will still be an employable skill in
2007? I mean, I've got Java at the moment, but no hope of a job using it,
because I don't also have J2EE and anyway the Java I did was 1.1 and everyone's
after people with experience in newer versions...

Apparently I have no
worthwhile experience to show for 10 years in the business because everything's
the wrong version or doesn't have the right condiments or is just a tool no-one
uses anymore. Any actual background I've got in things like "being an engineer
who gets software written" is irrelevant. It's like assessing a builder on
whether they've used Black and Decker tools and not on whether their houses are
still standing. Or like assessing Dickens' writing skills by the fact he used
quills and not biros.


Soft skills like PM don't get outdated by FUD
from Microsoft. They don't come with version numbers which can drift out of
date.

Really, they're the only alternative if you're the sort of person
who can't assume you'll bet on the "right" technology every two years for the
rest of your life.

So this developer is becoming a manager just so that I
can start building an experience history to remain employable with, because I'm
fed up of fighting hard to keep even a couple of years of "relevant" background
on my CV.




[As a complete side note, reading the job pages in
the paper I came across an advert for a "housing policy officer". Now, bear in
mind 'm used to adverts which say "Reqd Skills; C++, UNIX, Windows, VB, MFC,
ASP, STL, ATL, Multithreaded, C#, .net, CVS, ClearCase <etc>"

This
one said "You should have a higher-second or first degree and  a track record of
generating effective housing policies."

Wow. Pay was pretty much a match
for being a software engineer.]


------------------------------------ END POST -------------------------------------------------

Original post: Katie's rant

The Universal Packing List

A site that generates a packing list for you depending on what type of journey you are taking, how many days you will stay, is it an international trip, etc.

The Universal Packing List

Find source code online

Programming is a waste, do only copy-paste.

This site allows you to find source code in many languages to "use" in your project.

Link: http://www.krugle.com/

Movie Review: Lady in the Water

Movie Review: Lady in the Water

I saw a movie recently --> M. Night Shyamalan's "Lady in the Water". Here's my review:

Summary: Utterly disappointing.

M. Night Shyamalan's graph continues it's downward spiral. With this movie, Shyamalan reaches a new low. The story tries to combine thrill with fantasy, and fails completely on both accounts. All throughout the movie you keep on waiting for something to trigger it into becoming a gripping tale. The trigger never comes.

The start of the movie has a hint of a message. We are told that there exists a great Blue World (the sea). People there live in harmony, whereas our world (land) lives in conflict. We have forgotten the lessons of love, beauty, peace, etc. And the Blue World will remind us.

The reminder / message never comes throughout the movie.

The central character of the movie is the messenger from the Blue World. All that this lady does is look incredibly pale (I guess because she was underwater from birth). She stares vacantly at everyone (where am I?).
On land she is clad only in a shirt that she gets from the guy who discovers her. She constantly rushes under the shower to stay under water (homesick?). She refuses to wear anything below the waist ( I guess that is the message that we have forgotten on land :-) ).

The sad part is that the story had potential. It could have been made into a good film. But it ends up as a wasted opportunity.

All in all, see it only if someone gives you free tickets (even then it may not be worthwhile).

The Most Important Software Innovations

A list of some well-known and some not-so-well-known computer science/technology innovations.
Nice reading...

Link: The Most Important Software Innovations