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January 31, 2005
jest for pun (January'05)
January'05 BlogThoughts
Every calendar's days are numbered.
January 31, 2005 in Humor | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack
January 30, 2005
India’s growing younger
Aging population and India. According to a story in BusinessWeek, while the rest of the world frets about the economic effects of an aging population, one country that will grow increasingly younger is India. India’s census bureau has pointed out that “40% of the populace is below the age of 18, and by 2015, 55% will be under 20”. The magazine adds that the trend would help fulfill the promise of making India a service and manufacturing power over the next two decades. But, the situation is not gung-ho all along. “The bad news is that India could easily squander its demographic edge. Despite the success of a few world-class schools such as the Indian Institutes of Technology, India’s education system is in a dismal state overall,” it argues. This is part of the cover story of BusinessWeek on Global Aging.
January 30, 2005 in Info, Reality, World News | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack
January 29, 2005
McDonald's Suspends Advertising On Hot 97
In America, the most powerful pressure comes from those that control economics.
R&R has learned that the fast-food chain's advertising was pulled from CHR/Rhythmic WQHT/New York on Tuesday. The decision was made in the wake of last week's controversial broadcasts that resulted in Emmis' suspending the entire Miss Jones Morning Show team. The controversy erupted over "The Tsunami Song" — a parody that made light of the recent tsunami tragedy in Southeast Asia — and racially charged comments made by team members before airing the song. Lauren Zacardi, a spokeswoman for MWW, the PR representative for McDonald's in the Tri-State area, says, "McDonald's did suspend advertising indefinitely until a big change is made at the station." She says the McDonald's Tri-State operators' group is aware that the morning show is off the air but hasn't decided whether that meets the standard for lifting the ad ban. Zacardi says McDonald's has been a longtime Hot 97 advertiser. Sprint previously confirmed to R&R that it has pulled its advertising from Hot 97 until further notice.
January 29, 2005 in World News | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack
January 28, 2005
Aerial Photography

Super-cool aerial photographs. Go to the "Portfolio" page and keep clicking through.
January 28, 2005 in Photography | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBack
NEWTON is not Newton
All the scientists die and go to heaven.
They decide to play hide-n-seek. Unfortunately Einstein is the one who has the den. He is supposed to count up to 100, and then start searching.
Everyone starts hiding except Newton.
Newton just draws a square of 1 meter and stands in it right in front of Einstein. Einstein counts 1,2,3......97,98,99.....100.
He opens his eyes and finds Newton standing in front. Einstein says "Newton's out. Newton's....out....."
Newton denies and says Newton is not out.
He claims that he is not Newton.
All the scientists come out to see how he proves that he is not Newton.
Newton says "I am standing in a square of area 1m squared. That makes me Newton per meter squared since a Newton per meter squared is one Pascal, I'm Pascal, therefore Pascal is OUT!!!!!!!!!"
January 28, 2005 in Fun, Humor | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBack
January 27, 2005
Google goes VoIP?
The Times has caught up on the rumour that Google is planning a Voice over Internet Protocol service:
The company behind the US-based internet search engine looks set to launch a free telephone service that links users via a broadband internet connection using a headset and home computer.The technology that will enable Google to move in on the market has been around for some time. Software by the London-based company, Skype, has been downloaded nearly 54 million times around the world but no large telecommunication firms have properly exploited it.
BT, which connects seven out of ten British households, has developed its own internet-telephone service. However, the telephone giant, which has the most to lose if the new technology takes off, has been reluctant to promote it heavily.
But Google is "playing it cool", says VNUnet:
The rumours were fuelled when the company posted a job ad last week seeking a 'strategic negotiator' with experience in the "selection and negotiation of dark fibre contracts both in metropolitan areas and over long distances as part of the development of a global backbone network".
The notoriously secretive Googlists said "we are not aware of any moves to enter this arena", but that doesn't necessarily mean that there's not behind-the-scenes movement.
And nothing on the Googleblog, unsurprisingly.
January 27, 2005 in Web/Tech | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Twist in the Google browser saga
There have been long-standing rumours of a Google web browser, but the latest twist in the story is that the lead developer on Firefox, Ben Goodger, is now being paid by Google.
As of January 10, 2005, my source of income changed from The Mozilla Foundation to Google, Inc. of Mountain View, California. My role with Firefox and the Mozilla project will remain largely unchanged, I will continue doing much the same work as I have described above - with the new goal of successful 1.1, 1.5 and 2.0 releases.I remain devoted full-time to the advancement of Firefox, the Mozilla platform and web browsing in general.
Add this to the "evidence" so far: (A Mozilla developer day at the Googleplex; the domain name gbrowser.com and the hiring of former IE builders.
Something's going on: is it Google simply protecting Mozilla from competitors, or is it a more complex situation?
January 27, 2005 in Web/Tech | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack
January 26, 2005
Disappearing Languages
Of the 6,000-odd languages in the world, one is said to disappear every fortnight. Should the English-speaking world care?
Somewhere on the remote Timor Sea coast of north Australia lives Patrick Nudjulu, one of three remaining speakers of Mati Ke.
It is problem enough that one of the other speakers doesn't live nearby and speaks a slightly different dialect. But the 60-year-old Aborigine also has to cope with the fact the other speaker is his sister - who traditional culture has forbidden him from speaking to since puberty.
Patrick's language then, is almost certainly going to die out. It's not the only one.
January 26, 2005 in Info | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack
January 25, 2005
for all my Indian friends
Absolutely wonderful...
Ye degree bhi lelo ye naukri bhi lelo
Bhale cheen lo mujse US ka visa
Magar muzko lauta do college ki canteen
Vo kam chaay ka pani vo theekha samosaa
college ke canteen main hum sab the raja
vo kadi dhoop mein aapne ghar se niklna
vo project ke khatir shahar bhar bhatakna
vo lecture mein doston ki proxy lagaana
vo sir ko chidana, aeroplane udaana
vo submission ki raato ko jagna, jagaana
vo orals ki kahani vo lab-on ka kissa..
vo dusronke assignment ko apnaa bananaa
vo seminar ke din pairo ka chhtpatana
vo workshop mein din raaat pasina bahanaa
vo exam ke din ka baichain maahaul
par vo maa ka vishwas teacher ka bharosaa
college ki vo lambisi raatein
vo dosto se thele pe pyaari si baatein
vo gathering ke dinka ladna jhagadnaa
vo ladkiyon ka yuhin hamesha akadnaa
bhulaye nahi bhul saktahai koi
Jivan ka ek atoot hissa..
vo college ki yadein, vo college ke din...
Koi to lauta de mere college ke din...
January 25, 2005 in Reality | Permalink | Comments (5) | TrackBack
Broken Engagement
Dear Marty,
I have been unable to sleep since I halted your engagement to my daughter. Will you forgive and forget?
I was much too sensitive about your Mohawk, tattoo and pierced nose. I now realize motorcycles aren't really that dangerous, and I really should not have reacted that way to the fact that you have never held a job.
I am also very sure that some other very nice people live under the bridge in the park. Sure my daughter is only 18 and wants to marry you instead of going to Harvard on full scholarship. After all, you can't learn everything about life from books.
I sometimes forget how backward I can be. I was wrong. I was a fool. I have now come to my senses and you have my full blessing to marry my daughter.
Sincerely,
Your future father-in-law.
P.S. Congratulations on winning the lottery!
January 25, 2005 in Humor | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack