A nice presentation of brief History of Windows till 7 from Channel Insider

http://www.channelinsider.com/c/a/Microsoft/Windows-Start-to-Seven-151438/?kc=TCIBESTOF10312009TECHANALYSIS

Disclosure: This is to acknowledge the rights of Channel Insider over the contents and is intended for non commercial dissemination of the information to the followers of my blog. The contents are always to be acknowledged as those of Channel Insider and
and are to be always reproduced for non commercial purposes only.

Venkatraman Ramakrishnan, Thomas Steitz, and Ada Yonath win 2009 Nobel Prize in Chemistry

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/5097626.cms?flstry=1

http://scienceblogs.com/terrasig/2009/10/venkatraman_ramakrishnan_thoma.php

Listen to Yug Ratna, the symbol of emerging youth power

http://www.ndtv.com/news/blogs/climate_change/13-year-olds_message_at_the_un.php

STUPID USER TRICKS VOLUME I FROM CHANNEL INSIDER

Copy paste this link for an interesting reading on End Users, the IT's worst nightmare:


http://www.channelinsider.com/c/a/Errata/Stupid-User-Tricks-Vol-1-741433/?kc=TCIBESTOF09112009TECHANALYSIS

Happy Birth Day, Chennai!

http://www.ndtv.com/news/offbeat/happy_370th_birthday_chennai.php

Happy Birth Day, Chennai!

From a tiny fishing hamlet to a bustling metropolis with major automobile units, a thriving IT industry and pride of place as the cultural capital of the South, its been a long and eventful journey for Chennai, the erstwhile Madras, which turns 370 on Saturday.


As befits the historic occasion, a grand week-long birthday bash has been drawn up to mark 'Madras day' celebrations -- a wide canvas of cultural and literary activities.


Heritage walks, school exchange programmes, talks and contests, poetry and Carnatic music and quiz, food festivals and rallies, photo exhibitions and bike tours will give the true blue Chennaites glimpses of the city they never knew and of some things they do.


It was on this day in 1639 that British Administrator Francis Day got permission from the wards of Chennapa Naicker, a chieftain ruling the fishing hamlet near Madras Harbour to construct Madraspatam, as it was referred then by the British.


The deal was struck by Francis Day, his 'dubash' Beri Thimmappa and their superior Andrew Cogan, with local Nayak rulers.


The original document relating to building of Fort St. George, a historic fort which was for a while the seat of power of the East India Company, is said to have been signed at Chandragiri fort in neighbouring Andhra Pradesh.



Robert Clive, founder of British empire in India, got married in a church inside the fort. His marriage certificate is still the prize possession of the museum in the fort.

The Spiritual and Health Benefits of Ramadan Fasting

The Spiritual and Health Benefits of Ramadan Fasting

By Shahid Athar M.D.

At the onset of Ramadan Muslims all over the world start fasting from dawn to dusk daily for 30 days as ordained in Quran.

"O you who believe fasting is prescribed to you as it was prescribed to those before you so that you can learn Taqwa" (Quran 2:183)

The Arabic word Taqwa is translated in many ways including God consciousness, God fearing, piety, and self restraining. Thus we are asked to fast daily for one month from dawn to dusk and avoid food, water, sex and vulgar talk during that period.

But why do we need to fast? It is our experience that temptations and ways of the world tend to spoil our purity and austerity. Thus we indulge in food all of the time, snacking and nibbling the whole day, heading to obesity. We drink too much coffee, or tea, or carbonated drinks. Some sexaholics can not stay away from sex unless they do it at least once or more a day. When we argue, we leave our decency aside and resort to vulgar talk and even physical fighting.
Now when one is fasting, he or she cannot do all of that. When he looks at the mouth watering food, he cannot even taste it and he has to give up snacking and nibbling as well as smoking cigarettes if he does. No constant coffee, tea or Coke drinking either. Sexual passions have to be curtailed and when he is provoked to fight, he says " I am fasting that I cannot respond to your provocation". To achieve God consciousness or God nearness, a better word, we are advised to do additional prayer and read the Quran.

Medical benefits of RamadanMuslims do not fast because of medical benefits which are of a secondary nature. Fasting has been used by patients for weight management, to rest the digestive tract and for lowering lipids. There are many adverse effects of total fasting as well as of crash diets. Islamic fasting is different from such diet plans because in Ramadan fasting, there is no malnutrition or inadequate calorie intake. The calorie intake of Muslims during Ramadan is at or slightly below the nutritional requirement guidelines. In addition, the fasting in Ramadan is voluntarily taken and is not a prescribed imposition from the physician.

Ramadan is a month of self-regulation and self training, with the hope that this training will last beyond the end of Ramadan. If the lessons learned during Ramadan, whether in terms of dietary intake or righteousness, are carried on after Ramadan, there effects will be long lasting. Moreover, the type of food taken during Ramadan does not have any selective criteria of crash diets such as those which are protein only or fruit only type diets. Everything that is permissible is taken in moderate quantities.

The difference between Ramadan and total fasting is the timing of the food; during Ramadan, we basically miss lunch and take an early breakfast and do not eat until dusk. Abstinence from water for 8 to 10 hours is not necessarily bad for health and in fact, it causes concentration of all fluids within the body, producing slight dehydration. The body has its own water conservation mechanism; in fact, it has been shown that slight dehydration and water conservation, at least in plant life, improve their longevity.

The physiological effect of fasting includes lowering of blood sugar, lowering of cholesterol and lowering of the systolic blood pressure. In fact, Ramadan fasting would be an ideal recommendation for the treatment of mild to moderate, stable, non-insulin diabetes, obesity, and essential hypertension. In 1994 the first International Congress on "Health and Ramadan", held in Casablanca, entered 50 extensive studies on the medical ethics of fasting. While improvement in many medical conditions was noted; however, in no way did fasting worsen any patients' health or their baseline medical condition. On the other hand, patients who are suffering from sever diseases, whether type I diabetes or coronary artery disease, kidney stones, etc., are exempt from fasting and should not be allowed to fast.

There are psychological effects of fasting as well. There is a peace and tranquility for those who fast during the month of Ramadan. Personal hostility is at a minimum, and the crime rate decreases. Muslims take advice from the Prophet who said, "If one slanders you or aggresses against you, say I am fasting."

This psychological improvement could be related to better stabilization of blood glucose during fasting as hypoglycemia after eating, aggravates behavior changes. There is a beneficial effect of extra prayer at night. This not only helps with better utilization of food but also helps in energy output. There are 10 extra calories output for each unit of the prayer. Again, we do not do prayers for exercise, but a mild movement of the joints with extra calorie utilization is a better form of exercise. Similarly, recitation of the Quran not only produces a tranquility of heart and mind, but improves the memory.

One of the odd nights in the last 10 days of Ramadan is called the night of power when angels descend down, and take the prayer of worship to God for acceptance.
Fasting is a special act of worship which is only between humans and God since no one else knows for sure if this person is actually fasting. Thus God says in a hadith qudsi that "Fasting is for Me and I only will reward it". In another hadith, the Prophet Mohammad (peace be upon him) has said "If one does not give up falsehoods in words and actions, God has no need of him giving up food and drink".

Happy Ramadan to all Muslims.

Shahid Athar M.D. is Clinical Associate Professor of Internal Medicine and Endocrinology, Indiana University School of Medicine Indianapolis, Indiana, and a writer on Islam.

Monday, August 10, 2009

YOURS TRULY, SOMEONE
I heard this story during my childhood - if you grew up in a similar geography,I am sure you would have heard it many a time too. A community decided to contribute to a Temple in so many ways on the occasion of the sanctification and inauguration ceremony which is known in native parlance as 'Kumbhabishekam' which literally means 'immersing the pyramid of the temple in holy water and auspicious substances such as milk etc'. The community divided itself into various groups one of which was to contribute milk. This group was extraordinary in its collective years of experience and wisdom in handling all such events. Each member exactly knew as to what to do. So after great deliberations about the milk, where to source it from, quantity and quality etc, the members were unanimous that each family will contribute 10 litres of milk. And there were 10 families to contribute a total quantity of 100 litres which was thought to be adequate for the Kumbhabhishekam. As this group was extraordinary at the level of individual member, each member by telepathy thought the same way about the logic of the contribution. The members thought that if it is going to be 90 litres of milk from the remaining 9 members, 10 litres of water should not make any difference for the proposed immersions, after all, when the liquid reaches the repositories for distribution to the devotees, it is better the milk is lighter and that much better for consumption. A noble thought in deed. The story ends with the Kumbhabhishekam happening in absolute water free from any contamination of milk as such! This happens with intellectuals of equal ability, experience and wisdom. I would liken the current intellectualisation of the great recession in various economies to this story. This is a great event to carefully cope with for improving the economy. The whole community of intellectuals has to set about various priorities and see that the event goes through without hurt to anybody and the economy steers through the exercise. Everyone knows exactly what to talk on business channels, how to speculate and theorise. And everyone believes that the contribution is going to happen from someone else! I have a pet theory for the intellectuals, arm chair philosophers and the overarching tribe of the fortunate employed as such. My theory, to put it simply is, be yours truly someone!Be that someone who can help the economy turn around by being more alert to the grave situation and doing your bit - forget the 90% of others and care to belong to the 10% of someones. What does yours truly someone do and how does it help? Let me explain this in terms of choices that yours truly someone can make:

i. If there is a small technical maintenance kind of job that can be done by hiring someone or by yourself, please hire someone and pay him up. Do not try to save that money.

ii. When you are hiring auto or taxi, avoid a hard bargain. Remember, in the current situation, there is an impact on the topline for these people too. Try and accommodate them so that they can absorb their costs. Most of them do not own the vehicles and without a reasonable passing on the cost they cannot survive.

iii. If you usually shop once in a month, try to do shopping more often. One visit tires you, try and distribute your shopping into fortnightly or weekly visits. There may be decent bargains and improvements to be done at home. It is worth your while.

iv. If you are a movie buff try and watch more movies in cinema halls, rather than economising with the help of pirated CDs.

v. You wanted to upgrade yourself by way of a good two wheeler - go for a car which is fuel efficient.

vi. If you are not fully engaged in your job due to lower business confidence and lesser travel, try and invest yourself either in professional education or in tourism, depending upon which propels you better.

vii. In case, your servant or driver hailing from village needs an advance from you for helping their dependents suffering from the ill effects of a bad monsoon, be liberal and deduct the loan through easy instalments. This may be a contribution to mitigate against the increased risk of suicide.

viii. If a vegetable vendor or a fruit vendor or a flower vendor is after you for buying the fresh arrivals, try and see how much you can buy. They are not asking for charity, they are just seeing how they can survive the onslaught of bad time in the economy - they do not have a roof over them for their shop - they are just at the mercy of your attention for a fraction of a second. It makes a difference to their lives.

ix. If your children want something outside the curriculum like art or game or whatever, please be liberal. Every shopping by them is an incremental benefit to some cottage industry somewhere in the country.

x. Avoid a hard bargain with street vendors - assuming they are exploiting you, think that that is the only way you can help them carry on their life, without becoming a naxalite or terrorist or a criminal. Compared to the exploitations you have gladly accepted from various forces, these are too trivial to react to.

xi. See the brighter side of life during bad times - get connected to nature. Go places. Take the long postponed holiday and travel. Every time you break your routine, you would have lit up a lamp in somebody's family. You would have been yours truly someone, who has been kind and helpful to genuine individuals whose endeavours are so ethical, that they do not stretch arms before you without offering a value for you in terms of products or services. That is the greatness of your society from where you have grown up from.

Be that some one.

Be yours truly, someone.

Posted by gopalan parthasarathy at 10:29 AM 2 comments

With a heavy heart.....

http://www.hindu.com/2009/07/12/stories/2009071257351600.htm

Tamil Nadu temple murals effaced on a large scale
T.S. Subramanian
150 to 250-year-old works whitewashed; loss to Tamil Nadu’s painting tradition
— PHOTOS: A. SHAIKMOHIDEEN/ K.T. GANDHIRAJAN VANISHING LEGACY: At the Mannarkovil temple near Ambasamudram in Tamil Nadu, some surviving paintings juxtaposed with the whitewashed wall where a ceiling-high painting of Narasimha existed; Below is a photograph of the since-effaced Narasimha painting, taken in 2007.
CHENNAI: An array of striking paintings has been whitewashed out of existence at the Rajagopalaswamy Kulasekara Alwar temple at Mannarkovil in Tirunelveli district. These were images of the coronation of Rama, the Dasavataram, Narasimha, Garuda, a wrestler fighting an elephant and so on. Estimates put their antiquity at 150 to 250 years.
More recently, murals of the late Nayak period were whitewashed at Muthalamman temple at Kodangipatti, near Karur.
Over the past several years, similar mural masterpieces have been whitewashed at the Meenakshi temple in Madurai, the Arunachaleswarar temple at Tiruvannamalai, the Vishnu temple at Tiruvellarai near Tiruchi, and Siva temples at Patteeswaram near Kumbakonam, Tiruppulivanam in Kancheepuram district and Vedaranyam, all administered by the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department of the Tamil Nadu government.
Similar vandalism has been witnessed at other temples in the State, including the Varadarajaswamy temple in Kancheepuram, the Lakshmi Narasimhar temple at Sevilimedu, and the Sanjeeva Rayar temple at Iyengarkulam, both near Kancheepuram.
The latest round of effacement that has been revealed took place about six months ago in the name of renovation, and it is still under way. Sculptures on pillars and inscriptions have also been “cleaned” by sand-blasting: it involves training sand on them at high pressure. This is in violation of a Government Order that bans sand-blasting in temples as it damages sculptures and inscriptions. A sign-board at the temple says Rs. 8,16,000 will be needed for “sand-blasting (chemical wash)” for the renovation.
The Mannarkovil temple was built by Chera king Rajasimha in the 11th century A.D. for the Chola emperor Rajendra. It has an independent sub-shrine, belonging to the 13th century, devoted to the Vaishnavite saint Kulasekara Alwar, who spent his last days in Mannarkovil. It has inscriptions of the Chola and the later Pandya kings. It has three sanctum sanctorums.

The murals that have been whitewashed existed on the side walls of the mantapa (hall) in front of the sanctum on the first floor. While the paintings on the sanctum walls remain, those that were whitewashed include the scene of Rama’s coronation (pattabhishekam) and the Dasavataram on one side. On the opposite side, a masterpiece of Narasimha too has disappeared under coats of lime. Murals on the wooden beams supporting the roof have received coats of paint. Murals on the second floor mantapa, which underwent a gaudy restoration some decades ago, have been whitewashed.
K.T. Gandhirajan, a specialist in art history, said murals in the temples at Mannarkovil and the nearby Tirupudaimarudur, Edaikal and Kalakkadu, exhibited the rare characteristics of “the confluence of Tamil Nadu and Kerala schools of painting.” What was special about the Mannarkovil temple was that it had paintings on both walls and wood.
“The idea was that the halls should be replete with paintings. The artists must have used two types of pigments — one for the wall and another for the timber — because the colour schemes are different, ” he said.
P. Krishnan, during whose tenure as temple Executive Officer the murals were whitewashed, said he never gave permission for such work.

A very interesting link on Doing Business in India

http://www.doingbusiness.org/subnational/exploreeconomies/India2009.aspx

Disclosure: The first 10 tricks are not really from me, may be some I do practise. The eleventh Trick is absolutely from me.

Top 10 Ways to Kick Depression.

First trick:

Get out of your head and into your feet. The body craves movement. Exercise really works. Let's not think of it as exercise though. Nothing is gnarlier to the depressed person than imagining him/herself at the gym in ill fitting sweats, panting on the stair master while svelte athletes are bopping around in all directions. As Woody Allen says, 90% of success is showing up. Once we've got our walking shoes on, once we get endorphins cooking, the doldrums have less power to penetrate .

Second Trick:

Turn on music! Now! I recommend that my clients have an arsenal of inspiring and fun music at their fingertips. I have even been known to make CD's for my clients. When we're depressed, the smallest task feels overwhelming. . If I can kick-start someone's joy, then I am thrilled.

Third Trick:

Turn on the light and sit in the sun. Many of us work in windowless cubicles or offices, and wonder why we feel blue. This time of year, when the sun sets earlier, we must 's dark out in autumn and winter, get a light, get some sun, get some more sun. And if there is no sun in your world, then buy a full-spectrum light. Get one cheap on E-bay.

Fourth Trick:

Hang out with 4-leggeds. (Unless of course, you're allergic) Having an animal companion near can instantly release oxytocin, that magical hormone that we secrete when we fall in love, give birth, or are nursing. It releases a feeling of goodwill, or trust in the world. OK, so not all of all are blessed to be in love all the time, or be breast feeding, so I recommend my clients find other ways to bring on the joy chemical. Read on.

Fifth Trick:

Change your thoughts. Right now. We have around 60,000.00 thoughts per day. 87% of them are negative and are the same thoughts we had yesterday. Experiencing joy is a deliberate choice. Joy takes practice. Joy is hardcore. I use realistic affirmations, which, at times are posted all over my room. Notice I said realistic. We must remember that affirmations don't make something happen, they make something welcome. People tell me, "I put an affirmation up on my bedroom wall, saying:" I am ready to meet a gorgeous, successful, charming man who will adore and worship me." It's been 3 months. Where is he?" I tell them; "You have made yourself more open to meeting this human. Finding him is another story. Sorry."

Sixth Trick:

Follow a joyous lifestyle. Choose joyous entertainment. Find a class, a workout, anything that gets you in your body, preferably sweating a bit.

Seventh Trick:

Affirm joy with words. Rudyard Kipling said "I am by calling a dealer in words. And words are by far the most powerful drug in the world". It may seem trite, but changing the way we speak can be extremely influential in changing our moods.

Eighth Trick:

Grab hold of a goal. Make it a do-able one. Happiness and joy come from goals. We mustn't put off our lives.

Ninth Trick:

Cultivate a relationship with the divine. We are whom our higher self wanted to experience. There is some truth to the pithy phrase: There's no aetheists in foxholes. Have a smidgens of faith and the world can be a gentler space.

Tenth Trick

Choose joyous companions. When we are depressed, we take our bored, sluggish selves wherever we go. We need distractions. We need company. We need intimacy. It is very important to be around authentic people. We need someone who believes in us. No nay-sayers!

Trick Eleven -

Keep following my blogs:

creatiwe.blogspot.com (my writings in tamil)
thamizhamizhdhu.blogspot.com (my writings in tamil)
xtrabloganza.blogspot.com (from what i have read and written)