Pickster - Picking Up Thoughts

Rendezvous With Kasmir

2006-06-21T23:10:00.000+05:30

After much pondering, me and my family decided to visit Jammu & Kashmir [J & K] for 5 days and I must say it was a fantastic trip worth the time and everything else. In this post I will be my experiences during the 5 day tour of Srinagar and its neighboring towns.

Day 1 - Our Spice Jet flight to Srinagar was late by approximately 10-20 minutes. These flights are becoming like Indian Railways I say. During the flight only a small bottle of mineral water, biscuits and some toffee’s are served. Nothing more, nothing less.

After some 1 hours 20 mins journey, we touch down at the Srinagar airport. It’s an airport like no other city. There are army bunkers camouflaged throughout the airport area and the airport isn’t really big. But still, it is good. We collect our check-in baggage and realize that the condition of our brand new suitcase is very bad. Evidently, it hasn’t been handled carefully.

When we come out of the airport to find our taxi, it starts raining. Our driver throughout the tour, Afroz, tells us that since it is raining, we can’t go for any sight-seeing today.

We reach our hotel, Hotel Broadway which is the second best hotel in Srinagar, the best bring Hotel Oberoi and rest some time. In the eveing, we go to the Dal Lake which is ‘huge’. There are shops opposite the Dal Lake throughtout. These shops range from Hotels to Dhabas [eateries, restaurants kind of] to art / craft shops, etc. It is a very large market and interesting market.

We stroll till around 8 p.m. and then return to our hotel, have dinner and then sleep.

Try to get a taxi booked beforehand from a reliable source and be sure

that the taxi renting company is trustworthy and good.

Day 2 - As scheduled, our driver came to our hotel at 10:30 a.m. and we left towards one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen, ‘Gulmarg’. During the journey to Gulmarg, we saw apricot, cherry, apple trees and we also bought a packet of cherries from a cherry garden in which there were many trees full of bright red cherries. During the journey to Gulmarg, there were many breath-taking scenes because we have to go through mountains in the later stage of the journey.

All the time, we could see snow-covered peaks and simply that view was very beautiful. A checkpoint has to be crossed at the time when one enters the mountainous area. At this place, we hired a guide. He would go in our car till Gulmarg and get-off after the journey at this point only. The charge is about INR 300.

After reaching Gulmarg, one has the option to walk 1-2 kms to reach the Gondola [cable car] which takes the person up in the mountains, or likewise, one can cover the distance on a horse. We decided to go on foot as advised by our guide. There is a sort of track beside a large grassland which leads to the Gondola and in this Grassland, there is a temple of Lord Shiva, an ex-Hotel which was in the process of revival.

Many pictures have been shot in Gulmarg which the guide proudly told us. There is almost always a long queue for the Gondola which has two phases. The first phase will take you to around 10000 ft. from the sea level and the ticket costs around INR 200. We got on the Gondola and enjoyed the ride till our destination. After reaching there, we bought the tickets for the next phase for our journey [which was also by Gondola] and waited in queue for our turn. I came to know that this Gondola was the highest in the world.

But in midway through the queue, the Gondola broke down and we couldn’t go any further . There was fresh snow [which is not a generality in this season] there but we weren’t allowed to stay there for more than 10 - 20 mins because we are not accustomed to the atmosphere and the decrease in the amount of Oxygen.

Nevertheless, we decided to go by horses to place where there was snow but not fresh at that place only. So, after some horse riding, I saw it. There is was, all white and gleaming. This was the first time I came this close to snow and at the simple sight of it, my heart did a back-flip.

This was no ordinary place, there is some speciality here also . This snow is collected at the base of a mountain and from the mountain flows a small waterfall

which goes below the layer of snow on which we all were standing without melting the snow. And the waterfall’s water is very cold and, I daresay, better than most of the packaged water we get. We enjoyed very much here and before we knew, it was time to go.

Hiring a guide while going to Gulmarg is a good idea. He tells you many things which you otherwise

wouldn’t have known.

Day 3 - Today was the day, we had to go to Pahalgam. Through nearly all along the way, the Ladder river flows alongside the road and the many scenes which are created are very good. It is a small town with the beautiful Ladder River and the breath-taking Kashmir valley. When going to Pahalgam, the vehicle is check 1-2 times and this time security was quiet beefed up because of the ‘Amarnath Yatra’ which goes through this town only.

There are water sports available here. When we went, there was rafting going on in the Ladder river thought the water level was not at its highest and that is why we didn’t try it. Instead, we went on horses [again ]

through mountains to the Kashmir Valley, which is very beautiful. One can go by foot also but it may be tiring because there is quuiet a lot of trekking. Other than this, there is not much to see in Pahalgam. The market can be visited but we didn’t as there wasn’t anything special in it.

Don’t never, ever forget to take you camera with you. You will regret the whole of your life this mistake. The photographic scenes are, at places, very good and such scenes, one may never find elsewhere.

Day 4 - This day was devoted to only Srinagar. There are 3 main gardens in Srinagar, namely, ‘Nishat Garden’ built by Jehanger, ‘Chashm-E-Shahi’ & ‘Shalimar Garden’. First off, we went to ‘Chashm-E-Shahi’ Garden. Chashm means waterfall and Shahi means Royal. During the mughal rule in India, in this garden, the royal family came and drank water which flowed here by a small waterfall. Today also, the water flows and if you go there, it is must

that you take a sip of the water that comes flowing. It is so good and cold that I can’t describe it. Otherwise, the garden is fairly good. Next, we went to ‘Nishat’ Garden which is based just opposite the Dal Lake. Through this garden also, a stream flows into the Dal Lake but I won’t recommend drinking wated form it . This garden has many levels and on each level there are 2 or more Maple [Chinar - in Hindi] trees. These trees are huge and give plently of shade.

Then, we went to the last garden, ‘Shalimar’ Garden. In this garden, I didn’t find anything interesting. This one is fairly basic garden whith trees, flowers, etc. so we left early because we had to cover 3 more destinations.

Our next destination was the Shankaracharya Temple located in top of a small mountain situated near the Dal Lake. To reach this temple, first we have to go up a winding road and after the usual checking, one has to cover 320 steps to reach the temple. Once at the top, we get to see the whole Srinagar. The temple itself is small but is very good. It was constructed in around 5 B.C. and is dedicated to Lord Shiva. Earlier, it was called the ‘Lord Shiva Temple’ but when Shankaracharya

came and meditated here, its name has been changed to ‘Shankaracharya Temple’. And in the movie Mission Kashmir, the terrorists conspire

to blow up this temple only :P . Now was the time of the famous ‘Shikara’ ride. So, we hopped in the ‘Shikara’ and did a tour of the Dal Lake. ow, the Dal Lake isin’t like any other lake. It has its own specialities like the House Boats. These boats are basically very large boats in which people live and some are converted to hotels also. Yes, you can go and live in these boats. They are said to be very nice & big inside but I couldn’t check them out. And then there is the boat market, floating garden, etc.

which are self-explanatory. After the boat ride of around 3 hrs. we then decided to go to the ‘Lal Chowk’. This is the main market of Srinagar. You will get everything here from Kashmiri handicrafts to low-rise Levis . We bought some Kashmiri handicrafts and some other stuffs. We had dinner outside Hotel Broadway today.

Day 5 - We had our flight today at around 1:50 p.m. so we had to leave early. So, we just had a quick round of the Lal Chowk market o pick up things we couldn’t get the day before. And then we were off to the Airport. Damn, the flight late again. :P

Kashmir has been of lately plagued of the terriost attacks, threats, etc. During whole of my tour, I even once did not feel scared. The locals are also opposing the terroist activities. By tourism only, the majority of the people there earn their lively-hood. Our driver told us that there were 3 kinds of people present there.

1] who want Kashmir to become an independent country.

2] who want Kashmir to remain a part of India.

3] who want Kashmir to become part of Pakistan.

I admit there is this feeling of in-security due to the bomb blasts, but the media also highlights all the negative aspects only. Have you ever seen them portraying that how many tourists have gone there? I haven’t. Earlier I also believed that Kashmir is a place where I didn’t want to go. But after I went there, whole of my aspect has changed.

I say, that if you want to go to Kashmir, and are not going due to these aspects, go there and have a great time! But, keep in control, don’t stay out late and avoid crowded areas like bus stations, etc.

source - http://pickster.5gigs.com

\/\/ordpress Blogging

2006-06-09T15:22:00.000+05:30

When I thought of starting my blog, a thought came into my mind. Which blogging service would I choose. The top competitors were Blogspot and \/\/ordpress. Wordpress is a fairly good service which you can host at their own servers or get wordpress and host on any server...
But in the end I chose Blogspot over Wordpress because it offered more customisation options.
Now, I decided to give Wordpress a try. So now, I have another blog, http://pickster.5gigs.com. Please give you feedback..

Connection Woes!

2006-06-09T13:10:00.000+05:30

The condition of my broadband is so bad that sometimes it is not worthy of being a ‘Boradband’. Sometimes, I get download speeds of around 6-7.. I mean, come’on. That around dial-up’s speed.

To add salt to the wound it disconnects often and when it does manage to connect even then the internet down not function. Yep, connected but still not connected. It even has a data cap of 400 MB. I mailed to an officer to change my plan but to no avail.

Someone, kill my ISP and get me a new one.

Windows Vista Goes For Public Download

2006-06-09T13:02:00.000+05:30

Neowin has reportes that Windows Vista Beta 2 is available for free public download.

MSBlog is reporting that Microsoft plans to release Windows Vista Beta 2 to the masses today. Although the downloads are not yet available, the access denied page is evident that indeed, the files will be up later on.

The release is reportedly 5384.4, the same release given out at WinHEC 2006, to no ones surprise.

Download: Windows Vista Beta 2 x86 or x64 | Direct Link (x86) ~ 3.12 GB.

There is quiet a load on the servers so it may not be surprising that one may get low download speeds or the download stops.

Athlete's Foot?

2006-06-07T10:36:00.000+05:30

I absolutely love football... So, the day before yeserday I was playing football with my father in our garden. The game was going smoothly, the scores were level at 2 - 2 and then lightining strikes... My father was in possession of the ball. He was going to kick it but I did not want him to do so because it was a clear goal if he managed to kick the ball. I went to take away the ball and he swung his leg to kick but instead of he hitting the ball, he hit the side of my right foot. Awww.... it hurt so much. It is hurting now also after 3 days when I walk and when there is pressure on that area. My father said it ain't a fracture [he is a doc] but even then I went to see a orthopedic doctor who took 2 x-rays and it became clear that there was no fracture just soft-tissue injuries. But, no football for me for 2 weeks. That covers nearly all of the summer vacation also with the football world-cup coming up. This is not at all good.

Change Is A Part Of Life...

2006-06-03T15:42:00.000+05:30

At last I have managed to change the header of my blog... hope it is good enough [ I made it myself with help from : <here> ]. Earlier, when I tried to implement it, there used to be a slight repetition of a small part of the image.. Dunno why. It was supposed to be split in 4 parts. But then I had an idea, 'Why not split it in just 2 parts?. I did exactly that and now the result is in front of your eyes! Suggestions are welcome...

Before

After

Back To [Read] Book Land

2006-05-30T20:20:00.000+05:30

These days, being summer vacations, I am doing mainly my projects and some studying also..
For the leisure-time activity, I sit on computers [ of-course ] & am reading books also.

But, I realised that I didn't have any new books so I started re-reading old ones. I have so far [re]read : Kill The Messenger by Tami Hoag, The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown, King Of Torts by John Grisham, The Last Juror by John Grisham. Then, I thought, which other books I have? I remembered that I had the Harry Potter Series... except The Sorcerer's Stone.

I don't like The Chamber Of Secrets very much so I started with The Prisoner Of Azkaban [which I managed to finish in 1 evening] and now, after finishing The Goblet Of Fire in 1 day, I am reading The Order of The Phoenix.

I thought I remembered many things about the Harry Potter series, but with every chapter, I am discovering new things. Now, back to reading...

How 'The Da Vinci Code' Dosen't Work

2006-05-27T20:17:00.000+05:30

Since its 2003 publication, "The Da Vinci Code" has caused quite a
stir. Since its debut to glowing reviews, it has sold more than 40
million copies in at least 44 languages.
In addition to being a bestseller, it's sparked a lot of controversy.
It's a work of fiction, but it presents itself as based in fact, and
many critics have raised questions about whether those facts are
accurate.

There are some errors with The Code which are quiet evident. How Stuff Works looks at some of them.. Read more.

Few Things Up My Sleeve

2006-05-25T21:32:00.000+05:30

Recently, Firefox has been behaving rather abruptly. It has closed twice today without any notice. It just hangs and then :

The classic program close error.

Another thing is that I have changed the template of my blog. I liked it but I had to do a lot of tweaking and the Blog Title's colour won't change.. dunno why. And the posts have also acted up... They all have become mis-arranged..

Will have to leave that for another day.

Optimist & Pessimist

2006-05-24T11:23:00.000+05:30

Pessimist : It can't get any worse than this...
Optimist : Oh yes it can!

I saw this in the local newspaper.
Being an optimist in every situation dosen't help...

Change Window's Boot Screen

2006-05-21T22:18:00.000+05:30

Bored of the same boot screen that comes each time you load Windows? Now, we will learn of an easy way to change it. We will change the boot screen using a software called TuneUp Utilities 2006 which you can get from here.

Firstly, open up TuneUp Utilities 2006 and click on the TuneUp Styler 2 button.

Then, in the TuneUp Styler 2 window, click on 'Change the windows XP boot screen, and create or download new boot screens'.

This, opens a window in which you can create new boot screens, apply any boot screen, download boot screens, etc.

We will make a new boot screen. Click on the new screen button. Click on 'Search local drives' and select your desired photo. You can select the alignment of the image, progress bar position, colour of the progress bar, etc. It will suggest a background color, you may accept the suggestion. After all your tweaking, click on 'Save Boot Screen'.

You can view the image as it will appear while booting by clicking on the 'Show Large Preview' button. Apply the boot screen you have just made & cherish your creation next time your Windows loads! Its as simple as that.

Change Of Plan

2006-05-21T15:01:00.000+05:30

Today, I mailed an officer of my Internet Service Provider to change my broadband connection plan from Home - 250 [ monthly download limit : 400 MB] to 900 UL [ no download limit! ].
It will be a very big relief to me after the plan is activated, but, today is a Sunday so, it will take some time. I hope the plan changes at the earliest.

Windows Media Player 11 Is Available

2006-05-19T11:47:00.000+05:30

Windows Media Player 11 is available to download officially from Microsoft's website.
The link is : http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/player/11/default.aspx
You can visit this link to download WMP 11 and view more information about it.

Windows Media Player 11 - A Review/Preview

2006-05-14T20:59:00.000+05:30

I downloaded another copy of Windows Media Player 11, this time, through a torrent from here after I downloaded a corrupt .rar file.

The new Windows Media Player borrows from iTunes in terms of the interface to make it easy to use and un-cluttered. On the left pane navigation tree, instead of Music, Video, TV all at once like in the previous Media Player, this version incorporates Playlists, Now Playing, Library, Online Store [URGE - as default] and the Audio - CD/DVD Drive laying emphasis on Music rather than Videos etc. but these are still accessible by activating a separate menu.

Music is organized by album art, which can be resized. Applying album art is easy. You can copy any image and paste it on the image which says 'Paste Art Here' beside any Album which dosen't have an album art. Along the top pane, WMP keeps the Now Playing, Library, Rip, Sync, and Burn buttons, but they're all split keys--the bottom halves offer contextual menus for each option which are quiet useful. There is also a prominent live-search, which means that search box workes instantaneously, narrowing results as each letter was typed, which is a welcome addition.

I could not test the portable music devices which are compatible with Windows Media Player and labelled as PlaysForSure but it is said to have been improved. CD burning has been improved a lot. The Player also splits long playlists into divisions so that one can burn several CD's in succession.

In conclusion, Windows Media Player has improved a lot since its last version. Oh, and one more thing, it works only on Original Windows.

Windows Media Player 11 ....

2006-05-14T12:15:00.000+05:30

Windows Media Player 11 Beta is released for download and is available here.
The version is Microsoft Windows Media Player 11 build 11.0.53558.4826 and the file size is 23.0 MB. I am downloading it, but the speed is very slow and will try to give a review / first look later on.

Rock On!

2006-05-14T11:18:00.000+05:30

It is a common fact that by the end of the 20th century rock was world’s dominant form of popular music. It spread all over the English world in a small matter of time. ¬Essentially hybrid in origin rock music includes several Music Styles or genres.

THE 1950S-BILL HALEY'N' ROCK-N-ROLL

The first rock-n-roll record to achieve popularity was "Rock around the clock,” by Bill Haley and Comets in 1955. Haley succeeded in creating music that appealed the youth because of its exciting background-beats - an exigent call to the dance. The primary instruments of early rock 'N' roll music were guitar, piano, drums, and saxophone.

THE LATE 50's AND EARLY 60's-ELVIS, MOTOWN

The greatest exponent of rock n’ roll from 1956 to 1953 was Elvis Presley whose plaintive, wailing, dynamic and delivery - appealed to youngsters and horrifying the elders. At the turn of the decade, ‘Detroid’ became an important center for black singers, and a certain type of sound -known as ‘Motown’ developed. Popular exponents of this style are: Temptations, Diana-O-Ross, Gladys Knight and the Pips.

THE LATE 60's AND EARLY

In the 1960's music mirrored the tension of the Vietnam War era and played an important role in American Culture. The verbal contest of rock songs turned tows-_ rebellion, social protest, and increasingly drug intake. Some famous singers and groups began to experiment. They started out songs with wild instrumental freak-out, electronic smashes and screeches, unusual, eerie sounds created by loud amplification and reverb.

THE LATE 70'sAND 80's-PUNK ROCK

A turning point in rock music occurred in mid 1970's in the form of "Punk rock', which was responsible for the stagnation of the genre and a nihilistic political: statement. Evident in Great England, performed by such bands as the Rex's Pistols and the Clash Punk also quickly became famous in US, played by the Ramones; decked out outrageously flamboyant costumes and makeup, these bands fashioned a captaining stage show featuring smoke bombs, blood spitting and fire breathing.
By the 1980's rock had changed considerably as Black Flag, the Dead Kennedy's. 1990

ONWARDS - MODERN ROCK

At this time "nu-rock" began to take popular form. It was emotionally charged mainstream rock music, guitar driven, and seasoned with pop and nu-skool punk influences.
After existing in the musical underground, garage rock finally saw a resurgence of popularity in early 2000’s with bands like ‘The White Stripes’, ‘The Strokes’, ‘Jet’, ‘The Vines’. This wave is often referred as ‘Back To Basics Rock’. Currently, popular rock trends include ‘Eno’ or Emotional Rock patronized by bands like ‘Cold Play’, ‘’Doves’, ‘Travis’, ‘Live’, Fat Lip’, ‘Snow Patrol’, etc. Certain bands like ‘Linkin Park’ gave way also to head bursting rock music and songs.

Creature Of The Night

2006-05-12T16:26:00.000+05:30

As songbirds awaken the early risers at dawn on the farm, one
resident is already up; in fact, he never slept – not once in the past
33 years.

You’d think going without sleep for that long may have its drawbacks, but not for the man in central Quang Nam province who has never been ill after decades of insomnia. His inability to sleep has not only made him famous, but also represents a “miraculous” phenomenon worthy of scientific study. Sixty-four-year-old Thai Ngoc, known as Hai Ngoc, said he could not sleep at night after
getting a fever in 1973, and has counted infinite numbers of sheep during more than 11,700 consecutive sleepless nights.

“I don’t know whether the insomnia has impacted my health or not. But I’m still healthy and can farm normally like others,” Ngoc said. Proving his health, the elderly resident of Que Trung commune, Que Son district said he can carry two 50kg bags of fertilizer down 4km of road to return home every day. His wife said, “My husband used to sleep well, but these days, even liquor cannot put him down.” She said when Ngoc went to Da Nang for a medical examination, doctors gave him a clean bill of health, except a minor decline in liver function. Ngoc currently lives on his 5ha farm at the foot of a mountain busy with farming and taking care of pigs and chickens all day. His six children live at their house in Que Trung. “I have tried sleeping pills and Vietnamese traditional medicine but nothing helps, even to sleep for a few minutes,” he said.

Creature of the night

Ngoc often does extra farm work or guards his farm at night to prevent
theft, saying he used three months of sleepless nights to dig two large
ponds to raise fish. Neighbor Vu said Ngoc volunteered to help beat a drum during the night and guar the house for the relatives of the dead during funeral ceremonies so
that they could take a nap. Vu also said when the commune was planting sugar cane, several people also asked Ngoc to awaken them at midnight to go to work, since he was up
anyway.
On Ngoc’s prolonged insomnia, Phan Ngoc Ha, director of the Hoa Khanh Mental Hospital in Danang said sleep disorders often cause anorexia, lethargy, and irritability. But, in special cases, some people can handle it and still live and work normally, although this was a very small ratio among insomniacs, Ha added.

Source

Awesome Web Page

2006-05-12T15:17:00.000+05:30

Try this link. This is truly amazing...
http://home.comcast.net/~wolfand
Do post your comments on this.

Studies Will Fail You

2006-05-05T12:31:00.000+05:30

Let :
Study = No Fail ------- eq. I
No Study = Fail ------- eq. II

On adding eq. I & II we get :
Study + No Study = Fail + No Fail
Study (1 + No) = Fail (1 + No)
Therefore, Study = Fail.

Hence, proved that if you study, you will fail!

Typorganism

2006-05-01T20:33:00.000+05:30

This is an intresting link I came across while browsing :
http://www.typorganism.com/asciiomatic/
What it does is, it displays any photo of 60 * 50 pixles in ASCII characters so that you can still see the photo. It works best with potraits.

Firefox [Fans] Does Some Mischief

2006-04-28T23:38:00.000+05:30

Microsoft did not register the following domains for promoting Internet Explorer 7, but someone else did. Guess who?

iPOD Video Accessories

2006-04-24T19:07:00.000+05:30

If you have an iPod video, then you may consider getting the following accessories :

iTrip® by Griffin

FM Transmitter with Dock Connector for your iPod Video and older generation iPod's as well. Just connect it to your iPod through the Dock Connector, choose an FM frequency, and voila, you can hear the music on your iPod through a FM receiver. It also has a screen with backlight which displays the current frequency selected. It operates between 88.1 - 107.9 MHz frequencies and at a distance of 10-30 ft from the reciever.
More info here.

Belkin Battery Pack for iPod®

Just bought your iPod video but came to know that it dosen't have an excellent battery life when it comes to playing videos? If yes, then get this battery pack which uses 4 "AA" batteries and gives around 15 hours of additional battery life (up to 6 hours of video playtime on your iPod video).
More info here.

My New Desk

2006-04-23T01:05:00.000+05:30

This is my new desktop [on laptop] :

Programs used :

WindowBlinds
Object Dock
Yahoo! Widgets
Cursor XP

FireFox and Retarted Browsers

2006-04-22T21:20:00.000+05:30

Watch this awesome video :

FireFox Rules!!

2006-04-22T21:09:00.000+05:30

See this video and you will know how many people use FireFox :

Who works in India?

2006-04-22T21:00:00.000+05:30

I got this from Abhishek Blog.

Who works for India?
The population of India is 100 crores.
100,00,00,000

But 19 crores are retired.
-19,00,00,000

That leaves 81 crores do the work.
81,000,00,00

There are 25 crores in school,
- 25,00,00,000
Which leaves 56 crores to do the work.
56,00,00,000

Of this there are 22 crores employed by the Central Govt,
-22,00,00,000

Leaving 34 crores to do the work.
34,00,00,000

4 crores are in the Armed Forces,
- 4, 00,00,000

Which leaves 30 crores to do the work.
30,00,00,000

Take away from above total the 20 crores people work for State Governments

(State Government employees officially do not work!)
-20,00,00,000

And that leaves 10 crores to do the work.
10,00,00,000

Total unemployed are 8 crores
- 8,00,00,000

And that leaves 2 crores to do the work.
2,00,00,000

At any given time there are 1.2 crore people in hospitals,
-1, 20,00,000

Leaving 80 lakhs to do the work.
80,00,000

Now, according to Indian Statistical Institute, there are 9, 99,998 people are in prisons throughout the country.
-79,99,998

That leaves just 2 people to do the work…….
2

You and Me!!!

And currently YOU are sitting at your computer reading this blog.

So I am the only person in our country who is working!

My Desk

2006-04-15T13:10:00.000+05:30

My New Desk. Check it out, by clicking it.

Widgets

2006-04-14T19:11:00.000+05:30

Widgets are by definition mini applications that live on your desktop. Widgets are sometimes qualified as virtual to distinguish them from their physical counterparts, e.g. virtual buttons that can be clicked with a mouse cursor, vs. physical buttons that can be pressed with a finger. Widgets are often packaged together in widget toolkits. Programmers use widgets to build graphical user interfaces (GUIs).

Currently, the major widgets applications are :
DesktopX
Yahoo! Widget Engine (formerly called Konfabulator)
AveDesk
Kapsules
Samurize

FIFA World Cup 2006

2006-04-14T19:04:00.000+05:30

The 2006 FIFA World Cup (officially titled 2006 FIFA World Cup Germany, sometimes referred to as the Football World Cup) finals are scheduled to take place in Germany between 9 June and 9 July 2006. Qualification for the tournament is now complete, with all 32 competing teams confirmed. The 2006 finals are the 18th to be contested. Germany wins the right to host the event in June 2000 beating the bids of England, Brazil, Morocco and South Africa who will be the host of the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

Groups

Group A: Germany, Costa Rica, Poland, Ecuador
Group B: England, Paraguay, Trinidad & Tobago, Sweden
Group C: Argentina, Ivory Coast, Serbia & Montenegro, Holland
Group D: Mexico, Iran, Angola, Portugal
Group E: Italy, Ghana, USA, Czech Republic
Group F: Brazil, Croatia, Australia, Japan,
Group G: France, Switzerland, South Korea, Togo
Group H: Spain, Ukraine, Tunisia, Saudi Arabia

Theming Windows

2006-04-14T14:50:00.000+05:30

Bored with the original, dull, boring Windows ?
So, its time for you to theme your Windows and turn its appearence into what-ever suits your taste.

There are some softwares available on the internet which enable to theme your Windows easily. The best are:

WindowBlinds : http://www.windowblinds.net/
StyleXP : http://www.tgtsoft.com/

StyleXP is developed by TGTsoft while, WindowBlinds is developed by StarDock.

Both are good in respective fields. While, WindowBlinds is a resource-hogger, you can use some really great themes with it.
If you have a well-equiped computer, running WindowBlinds shouldn't be more of a problem. StyleXp also, has a great collection of themes
and its major plus-point is that it can be closed after applying a theme unlike WindowBlinds. It is entirely your choice as to which software to go for.

Although, both these softwares come pre-packed with themes, they are simply not enough.

To get more themes, you can visit the following sites :

These software are no-where close to the limit of skinning. There are also many shell replacements available for more skinning.

A shell is the interface between you and the system, which shows you stuff and lets you do things and interact with the Operating system. By default, Explorer is the shell that window uses.
The default shell can safely be replaced because it is not the core of the system, just part of the user interface. Your applications don't know or care what you are using as a shell.
Replacement shells (or Alt Shells as the geeks like to call it) do the same basic jobs as explorer.exe, but they don't necessarily try to mimic the usual Taskbar and Start Menu with merely cosmetic changes. Instead they usually provide one or more toolbars, popup menus, hotkeys, an alternative Desktop, etc.

Some shell replacements are :

Litestep : http://www.litestep.net/, http://www.litestep.com/
PureLS : http://www.purels.org/
LDE(X) : ldex.terica.net
BlackBox for Windows (BB4Win) : http://www.bb4win.org/
BBLean : bb4win.sourceforge.net/bblean/
Xoblite : http://www.xoblite.net/
Sharp-E : http://www.sharpe-shell.org/
Talisman : www.lighttek.com/talisman.htm
Aston Shell : http://www.astonshell.com/
HoverDesk : http://www.hoverdesk.net/
NextStart : http://www.winstep.net/
Emerge Desktop : http://www.emergedesktop.org/

Why, Why, Why

2006-04-14T11:56:00.000+05:30

Why do we press harder on a remote control when we know the batteries are getting weak?
Why do banks charge a fee on "insufficient funds" when they know there is not enough?
Why does someone believe you when you say there are four billion stars, but check
When you say the paint is wet?
Why doesn't glue stick to the bottle?
Why do they use sterilized needles for death by lethal injection?
Why doesn't Tarzan have a beard?
Why does Superman stop bullets with his chest, but ducks when you throw a revolver at him?
Why do Kamikaze pilots wear helmets?
Whose idea was it to put an "S" in the word "lisp"?
If people evolved from apes, why are there still apes?
Why is it that no matter what color bubble bath you use the bubbles are always white?
Is there ever a day that mattresses are not on sale?
Why do people constantly return to the refrigerator with hopes that something new to eat will have materialized?
Why do people keep running over a string a dozen times with their vacuum cleaner, then reach down, pick it up, examine it, then put it down to give the vacuum one more chance?
Why is it that no plastic bag will open from the end on your first try?
How do those dead bugs get into those enclosed light fixtures?
When we are in the supermarket and someone rams our ankle with a shopping cart then apologizes for doing so, why do we say, "It's all right?" Well, it isn't all right, so why don't we say, "That hurt, you stupid idiot?"
Why is it that whenever you attempt to catch something that's falling off the table you always manage to knock something else over?
In winter why do we try to keep the house as warm as it was in summer when we complained about the heat?
How come you never hear father-in-law jokes?

Don't Lean on a Ladder

2006-04-13T13:03:00.000+05:30

Your mate's up a ladder, so you decide to "help out," and lean a foot against the bottom?
Unfortunately, it's not very safe practice. So say the authors of a recent sudy by the Ergonomics
and Safety Research Institute at Loughborough University in the UK which conducted 780 tests on 52 typical ladder users. Instead, stand on the lowest rung with both feet well apart. That way the ladder won't slide across the wall or fall backwards and the base won't slide outwards .

My Other Blog

2006-04-11T16:19:00.000+05:30

You can visit my other blog at :
http://picksterlog.blogspot.com/

My New Logo

2006-04-11T12:22:00.000+05:30

I just made a new logo with Photoshop Elements.

Tutorial

Linkin Park

2006-04-10T23:06:00.000+05:30

Linkin Park is a nu metal/rapcore band from Los Angeles, California, currently signed to Warner Brothers Records. They are often considered the most famous and most commercially successful exponents of the nu metal genre, mainly due to their debut album Hybrid Theory (2000), which has sold 19 million copies worldwide to date.

Linkin Park have a global music publishing deal with Zomba Music Publishing, a division of BMG Music Publishing. Their entire song catalogue is represented by Zomba.

Band members

* Chester Bennington—lead vocals
* Rob Bourdon—drums
* Brad Delson—guitar
* Dave "Phoenix" Farrell—bass guitar
* Joseph Hahn—turntablist, samples
* Mike Shinoda—vocals, sampling, emcee, keyboardist, rhythm guitarist

Band history

1994-99: From Xero to Hybrid Theory

Upon graduating from Washington High School in Phoenix, Arizona, in 1994, vocalist Chester Bennington joined a band called Grey Daze. The band released two albums, No Sun Today and Wake Me. However, due to personal conflicts within the band, Bennington decided to leave.

Meanwhile, in 1996, guitarist Brad Delson and emcee Mike Shinoda graduated from Agoura High School in the Los Angeles suburb of Agoura Hills, California. Upon graduation, the two men formed a band with their friend, drummer Rob Bourdon, under the moniker SuperXero. Previously, Delson and Bourdon were in a band together for about a year called "Relative Degree".

The three played archaic forms of their music together while at college. Delson attended the University of California, Los Angeles in Westwood, California. Shinoda went to the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California. While at UCLA, Delson met bassist Dave Farrell. Delson and Farrell were roommates and often practiced and played together. Previously, Farrell used to play in a band called Tasty Snax with Mark Fiore, who later changed their name to The Snax. Fiore later became Linkin Park's cinematographer. While at the Art Center College, Shinoda met Joe Hahn.

Farrell and Hahn joined SuperXero and the name of the band was shortened to just Xero. The five men were joined by vocalist Mark Wakefield and, together, they recorded their first, self-titled demo tape. The tape was sent out to various record labels but it was never considered and the band was never signed. Shortly thereafter, Wakefield left the band.

Shinoda advertised for a new vocalist and Delson began interning for a Warner Brothers Records A&R representative named Jeff Blue as part of his communications degree. Blue alerted Delson and Shinoda to Bennington, a young vocalist from Phoenix who was looking to join another band .

Shinoda and Delson sent Bennington a tape containing an instrumental song and he recorded vocals for it. He then called Shinoda and played the song over the phone. The band was instantly impressed and asked Bennington to fly to Los Angeles from Phoenix to audition. At the audition, several other potential vocalists vying for the position simply left when they heard Bennington sing.

Once Bennington had joined the group, they changed their moniker to Hybrid Theory and the band's line-up solidified — almost. Farrell temporarily left the band due to previous commitments with The Snax/Tasty Snax and, as such, wasn't able to record bass for their first, self-titled EP. Instead, Delson and a bassist named Kyle Christener played bass. Released in mid-1999, only one thousand copies of the EP were pressed. Several copies were sent to various record labels, including Warner Brothers Records. The rest of the copies were given to early members of the band's newly formed street team. Farrell was temporarily replaced by Scott Koziol. Scott appears in the video for "One Step Closer" from the Hybrid Theory album.

The band was subsequently signed to Warner Brothers in 1999 thanks to Blue. However, they were forced to change their name due to a copyright issue with a British electronic group called Hybrid. There were several suggestions for the band's new name, including Clear, Probing Lagers, Ten P.M. Stocker (an inside joke for the band since they were always recording and practicing material late at night) and Platinum Lotus Foundation.

Bennington eventually suggested the use of Lincoln Park because he would drive by Lincoln Park in Santa Monica, California (now known as Christine Reed Park), on his way to the recording studio every day when the band was recording demos for its debut album. Bennington thought that it would be a good name for the band because there are Lincoln Parks all over the country. He figured that the band would be recognized as a local band no matter where they went. However, since the domain name lincolnpark.com was already taken and the band couldn't afford to purchase it, they changed the spelling from "Lincoln" to "Linkin" so they could purchase the domain name linkinpark.com.

2000-02: From Hybrid Theory to Reanimation

On October 24, 2000, Linkin Park's debut album, Hybrid Theory, was released in the United

States. Only one track was cut from the album, a remake of a hip hop song called "High Voltage" that appeared on the band's EP. Several songs from the EP were re-recorded as demos for Hybrid Theory, but it is unknown whether the tracks will ever appear as official B-sides or not. The record's first single, "One Step Closer", was a rock anthem on MTV.

The band performed in its first nationally-recognized concert on December 17th 2000 as a part of KROQ Radio's Almost Acoustic Christmas concert special. Shinoda wrote a brand-new song entitled "My December" for the occasion. The song was not featured on Hybrid Theory and is often mistaken as a B-side. It was later featured on a Christmas album released by KROQ DJs Kevin and Bean.

In early 2001, Farrell joined Linkin Park once again and the band's second single, "Crawling", was released and won the band a Grammy Award for the "Best Hard Rock Performance". The band embarked on its first ever national festival tour, the Ozzfest, with other acts such as Black Sabbath, Marilyn Manson, Slipknot, Papa Roach, Disturbed, Crazy Town and Zakk Wylde's Black Label Society.

In mid-2001, the band released its third single, "In the End". The song would prove to be the band's biggest hit and was one of the most-spun songs of 2001. The video for the song was directed by Nathan "Karma" Cox and Hahn, and featured the band playing atop a massive statue in the rain. The video had a massive amount of CGI compared to most music videos at the time.

On September 2, 2001, the band released its first DVD humorously titled Frat Party at the Pankake Festival. The DVD featured all of the band's videos up to this point in their career and featured a documentary of the band touring in support of Hybrid Theory. There are also a lot of hidden Easter eggs allowing viewers to access hidden videos on the DVD, including a studio performance of a demo of "A Place for My Head" from 1999.

In November, a friend of the band, Jessica Bardas, suggested forming a fan club. The band thought that it was a good idea, and the Linkin Park Underground (LPU) was born. Members of the fan club receive a package every year (assuming that they renew their membership) containing a T-shirt, a CD and several odds and ends, including guitar picks, stickers and posters. The first CD featured was a re-issue of the band's Hybrid Theory EP with new artwork.

In early 2002, the band put together its first headlining tour called Projekt Revolution. The first leg of the tour featured Adema, Cypress Hill and DJ Z-Trip. During the course of the tour, Shinoda and Hahn collaborated with the X-ecutioners on the song "It's Goin' Down". Shortly after the tour ended, the band headed back to the studio for the first time since early 2000.

After being sent several remixes of Linkin Park songs, Shinoda decided to release a remix album. Initially, Shinoda only wanted to remix a couple of songs and release an EP. However, thanks to encouragement from his bandmates (Delson and Hahn especially), Shinoda decided to take the project a step further.

The project, which would take on the name Reanimation, featured one remix for each song from Hybrid Theory, as well as remixes of the songs "My December" and "High Voltage". Each song was remixed by a different artist and there were rumors that there were over fifty remixes that Shinoda received during the course of the project. Shinoda went through and listened to each remix, hand-picking the best ones. Only two of the remixes that didn't make the album were ever released, those being the Crystal Method's remix of "Points of Authority" (featuring on the CD of the second installment of the LPU) and Marilyn Manson's remix of "By Myself". The only other confirmed remix was of "My December" by Team Sleep. The remix was turned away because it made the song even darker; Shinoda went with the version on the CD because it made the song seem more up-beat and happier.

Some of the artists featuring on the album included Chali 2na of Jurassic 5, Stephen Richards of Taproot, Kelli Ali of Sneaker Pimps, Aaron Lewis of Staind, the Humble Brothers, Jonathan Davis of Korn, Aceyalone, The X-Ecutioners, Black Thought and Jay Gordon of Orgy.

The project was released on July 30, 2002 and its first and only single was "Pts.of.Athrty" ("Points of Authority") remixed by Orgy's Jay Gordon. In November, the second edition of the LPU launched as "Underground 2.0" and the second package was revealed. The new fan club-only EP featured the Crystal Method's remix of "Points of Authority" and a song called "Dedicated", which has been speculated as being cut from the band's EP before it was pressed. There's also a fifty-second instrumental track entitled "A.06" which showcases a harder side of the band. This instrumental gave fans a new hope allowing them to believe that the band's second album would be harder than Hybrid Theory. It also elevated hype for the band's follow-up.

2003-05: From Meteora to Collision Course

The band headed back to the studio in late 2002 to record their follow-up to Hybrid Theory. The name of the album was kept a secret until December, where it was revealed to be named after Meteora, a series of monasteries high atop rock formations in Greece, which they learned about from looking at pictures in a travel magazine. "It's this really spiritual, mythical place," Delson said, "Just looking at those pictures was inspirational to us in terms of how epic it felt. I think some of the guys hadn't even seen the pictures when they heard the name Meteora, and they just really responded to the energy of the name. We think that suitably matches the spirit we tried to create with the record." [1] The album's first single, "Somewhere I Belong", was released in February of 2003 to critical acclaim. On March 25, 2003, Meteora was released and debuted at number one on Billboard's music chart after selling 810,000 copies in its first week. It has sold 10 million copies worldwide, more than a half in the US alone.

Following the release of the album, the band embarked on its second Projekt Revolution tour with blindside, Mudvayne and Xzibit. "Faint" was released as a single toward the end of the tour. Following PR02, the band joined Metallica on their Summer Sanitarium Tour 2003 with Limp Bizkit, Deftones and, once again, Mudvayne.

Shortly after the Sanitarium tour came to a close, the band released "Numb" as a single. They shot a video for the single in Prague, Czech Republic. Simultaneously, the band shot a video for the song "From the Inside". Oddly enough, the video for "From the Inside" was shot before the video for "Numb". Bennington became ill before the video for "Numb" could be completed, so the remainder was filmed in a church in Los Angeles.

On November 18, 2003, Linkin Park released a brand-new DVD/CD live set entitled Live in Texas. The footage was shot while on the Sanitarium tour in Dallas and Houston, Texas. The DVD was unique because it combined two live shows together; the video from both shows were used as well as the audio for both shows, but they were all edited together. Because of this, the band had to wear the same clothing for both shows on consecutive days. If one pays attention, one shot early in the video shows Bennington with a back soaked with sweat but later in the video, his back is dry. The DVD featured seventeen songs and the CD featured a selection of twelve of those.

In November, the third edition of the LPU launched. The package's CD contained the five tracks that were cut from the Live in Texas DVD for its CD. This did not sit well with many fan club members, who claimed that the band should have placed rare songs on the CD (as with year two) instead of the live tracks.

At the end of 2003, the band performed at its third KROQ Almost Acoustic Christmas concert. They headlined night two and played a seventeen-song set. At the end of Linkin Park's set, they played "One Step Closer" and were joined on stage by P.O.D.'s frontman, Sonny Sandoval.

At the beginning of 2004, the band set off on its "Meteora World Tour" with P.O.D., Hoobastank and Story of the Year. The band claimed that this was the final leg of the world-wide tour that the band had been on since Meteora was released.

During the tour, the band's video for "From the Inside" was released internationally. Following the "Meteora World Tour", the band began work on their most ambitious music video to date. The video, which was to be based around the song "Breaking the Habit", featured Japanese-style animation by the same studio that created the animated scenes in Kill Bill, Production I.G., and was directed by Kazuto Nakazawa and Hahn. The video featured Bennington's soul travelling through an old apartment building visiting various people struggling with various habits that they were trying to break. Some of the habits included were drug and sexual abuse. Prior to the release of "Breaking the Habit" as a single, "Lying From You" was released to radios to serve as a radio-only single.

Linkin Park then set off on its third Projekt Revolution tour. It would prove to be the band's most ambitious tour as it included two stages and what the band called the Revolution Village. The tour was very similar to the Ozzfest and the Vans Warped Tour. The main stage featured Linkin Park, Korn, Snoop Dogg, the Used and Less Than Jake while the second stage featured Ghostface, Funeral for a Friend, M.O.P., downset., No Warning, instruction and Autopilot Off. DJ Z-Trip also travelled with the tour, serving as the between-sets entertainment. During the hip-hop sets, Ivan the Urban Action Figure danced on stage. The Revolution Village featured lots of entertainment, including video game kiosks, miniature skate parks, batting cages, remixing stages and more. Projekt Revolution 2004 was the biggest-selling tour of the year.

At the end of 2004, Linkin Park announced a collaboration with Jay-Z at the request of MTV. The resulting LP, Collision Course, was released on November 30. It featured mashups of seven Linkin Park songs and six Jay-Z songs. The EP's first single, "Numb/Encore", peaked at number one on the charts and remained in the charts for six months, going on to win a Grammy. The album itself debuted at number one on the charts.

The fourth edition of the LPU launched in November. The CD that shipped with the package featured two new songs; one was a roughly two-minute long instrumental piece called "Sold My Soul to Yo Mama" by Mr. Hahn, and the other a song called "Standing in the Middle", a collaboration with Motion Man. "Standing in the Middle" was originally recorded in 2001 as a "practice" song for Reanimation. Motion Man was eventually featured on Kutmasta Kurt's reinterpretation of "In the End", "Enth E ND".

2005: From The Rising Tied to the future

The year 2005 marked a rather quiet year for Linkin Park. The band established Music for Relief, an organization dedicated to helping those affected by the Boxing Day tsunami. It has since expanded to become a program dedicated to helping those affected by a number of natural disasters, including Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. The band played two shows in 2005, one in California for Music for Relief, and one during the Live 8 series of concerts.

In May, the band demanded to be released from its contract with Warner Brothers on the grounds of "a lack of confidence". The band was recently in negotiations with the label over a new record contract. Linkin Park had four albums left outstanding on its 2000 record contract. In December 2005 the band announced that they had finally reached a settlement with Warner Brother Records. The settlement came from a new agreement signed by both parties that Warner Brothers will pay $1.5 million advance for their new album, along with an increase of royalty payments to 20% of total revenue generated from units sold. The length of the new contract is five releases, bringing the total number of releases under Linkin Park's contract since 2000 to an eventual eleven, one more than the previously agreed upon ten.

In July, Shinoda announced a hip-hop side project, Fort Minor. Shinoda explained that Fort Minor was a way for him to return to his hip-hop roots. He wanted the record to feature some of his best and closest friends in the business, including Styles of Beyond, Black Thought of The Roots and Common (some of whom also helped produce the Reanimation album).

About a month and a half before Fort Minor's album was set to be released, a song called "Remember the Name" was leaked onto the Internet. Because of this, Warner Brothers threatened a website completely unrelated to the cause, resulting in others stepping in. Through constant perseverance, Warner were forced to back down, whilst other sites complied and removed the song from their servers. "Remember the name" is now featured on NBA Live 2006.

On October 30 2005, a Fort Minor mixtape entitled DJ Green Lantern Presents Fort Minor: We Major was released onto the Internet. Fans of the project were sent searching all over the Web trying to find the mixtape before it was finally made public on Rap Basement. On November 22 2005, The Rising Tied, Fort Minor's first album, was released. The album's first single, "Petrified", has yet to receive much airplay. Though the album has been praised by many hip-hop fans, it failed to do well on the charts. Bennington is also working on his own solo album with Amir Derakh and Ryan Shuck of Orgy, who also play guitar on the album. Little is known about Bennington's side project other than its name, Snow White Tan. One of Snow White Tan's songs, "The Morning After", is a remake of a song that Bennington wrote before he joined Linkin Park. Bennington is also involved with Julien-K, a side project of Derakh and Shuck. It is unknown as to how exactly Bennington is involved. Bennington also has a cover band called Bucket of Weenies. During some shows that the band played, they covered Snow White Tan's "The Morning After". Snow White Tan's debut album is speculated to be released after Linkin Park's third studio effort.

Because of Shinoda's and Bennington's projects, rumours began to circulate that the band was splitting up, a rumour that both Shinoda and Bennington denied. Shinoda added recently that he has "[…] a demo of some new Linkin Park songs. I'm not making that up, either. I have to pull my CD changer magazine out when I get out of my car, in case it gets stolen — I couldn't let the LP stuff leak." [2] "We are glad to go back to the studio," stated Brad Delson in a statement posted on linkinpark.com, "We're ready to put out a new album". The band expects to release their new album some time in the summer of 2006, though Shinoda states that new music could come sooner.

The band's fifth installment of the LPU fan club launched on November 21, 2005. The CD shipped with the fifth fan club package featured live tracks from the band's performance during Live 8 plus several songs with Jay-Z.

In November, it was revealed by Dave "Phoenix" Farrell that Linkin Park had recorded a new song for the Machine Shop Mixtape series. The song has still to be publicly heard. Mike Shinoda was confirmed as the co-producer for the next Linkin Park album in December 2005. Shinoda produced the Hybrid Theory EP. On February 8, 2006 Linkin Park annouced the producer for their third studio album would be Rick Rubin, who has worked with Weezer, Metallica, Audioslave, Slipknot, Rage Against the Machine, Red Hot Chili Peppers, System Of A Down and countless others.

During the Grammy Award Ceremony 2006 Linkin Park performed with Jay-Z and Paul McCartney collaborating on the song "Yesterday". During the Grammy awards, Rolling Stone had an interview with Chester Bennington, he stated that the new album will be different from their previous albums, which fused hard rock and rap. "It's dark and spooky, poppy and very melodic," says Bennington. "Not a hard, heavy rock record. What it is, is fucking insane!" Linkin Park have already come up with fifty new tracks and are in the recording phase of the album [3]. The album title is said to be inspired by passages from James Fray's book "A Million Little Pieces". Shinoda reported on Australian radio that the album is scheduled to be released between July and September. [4]. Rob Bourdon recently said in an LPU chat that the band have narrowed down 70 ideas for songs down to 32, and Linkin Park should be playing with Metallica at this year's Summer Sonic Festival in Japan and they also hope to go to South Africa before the end of the year. [5]Linkin Park expect to have a new album and new single out by the end of 2006.

Source : Wikipedia

Pouring Ketchup - The full technical explanation

2006-04-09T22:46:00.000+05:30

Are you one of those people who taps at the bottom of an inverted ketchup bottle, waiting in frustration for the sauce to pour? I am speaking of traditional ketchup bottles, not squeeze tubes, wide-mouth jars, or bottles designed to stand on their heads. Have you ever wondered if there is a right way to do it – a way that works, and makes scientific sense?

Yes, folks, there is a right way to do it, and it does make sense. Here is how, and why:

First, let's look at the most common wrong way to do it. Remember the old "anticipation" commercials from the 1970s? The bottle is held upside down, then the hungry diner waits... and waits. Most people I know attempt to improve on this by tapping the bottom (that is, the upper end when the bottle is upside-down). That may help, but not necessarily for the reasons you imagine.

Ketchup can be regarded as a highly viscous liquid, or a thixotropic (flows under pressure) solid. Neither term is exactly correct, but the problem is not what to call it. The problem is how to get the ketchup out of the bottle, in measured quantities, without making a mess.

In order for the ketchup to emerge, air must enter the bottle. With an ordinary liquid such as water, a very narrow (dropper) neck would prevent the displacement of water by, air, but even a ketchup bottle has a neck that is much too thick to prevent water escaping, and air rising in, when the bottle is inverted. In the case of ketchup, however, the sauce is thick enough that the gravitational pull on the ketchup does not suffice.

Ketchup will certainly fall, of its own accord. In the case of a partly empty bottle, tapping the base can expel some ketchup without the need for air to enter. This is because the air that is already inside the bottle can slightly de-pressurize. Tapping the inverted base may slightly liquify the ketchup, enough for some to drop out even though no air is taken in. But in a full bottle, the ketchup must move to the side so that the air can rise through the neck at the same time that the ketchup escapes. The weight of ketchup is not great enough for this to happen in most circumstances.

So, in the case of the full ketchup bottle, the problem can be divided into two issues: (1) How can I get the ketchup to move aside, so that air can enter on the opposite side? (2) How can I give the ketchup "extra weight," so that it will be pulled out of the bottle faster?

The first issue is solved by holding the bottle sideways, with a slight downward tilt, rather than upside-down. In this position, the ketchup naturally is pulled to the lower side of the neck, and the air naturally will channel along the higher side of the neck. Anyone who pours an ordinary liquid from a bottle knows this. Yet it is amazing how the experience is forgotten when it comes to ketchup.

Merely holding the bottle in the correct position is not very effective. It is necessary to "increase the weight" of the ketchup by applying some G-force. This can be done by making a fist, and tapping the bottle downwards against the fist, to bring the bottle to an abrupt halt. Don't hurt yourself! If your hands are delicate, you may try some other method of applying an abrupt stop to the bottle, provided that the stop is not rigid or fragile, and that you mind where the ketchup is going to emerge. Striking the bottle at the upper side of the neck is much less effective, since it applies the G-force in the wrong direction.

Tapping the inverted bottom of a full bottle – the customary way – is counterproductive. If you do that, most of the G-force will tend to keep the ketchup in the bottle. But now you know the right way, thanks to the amazing power of the Internet to unleash this kind of information. Of course, it would be possible to print instructions on the side of the ketchup bottle, but you wouldn't read them if they were there, now would you?

Source

My Picasso Painting

2006-04-09T22:42:00.000+05:30

Check this out, my picasso painting :

You can also make your own at : http://www.mrpicassohead.com/create.html

Bob Kane - Creator Of Batman

2006-04-09T13:31:00.000+05:30

Bob Kane (October 24, 1915–November 3, 1998) was the creator of Batman, although many feel that Bill Finger should be unofficially acknowledged as the co-creator of the character.

He was born Robert Kahn but legally changed his name to the familiar "Kane" at age 18. An eager young artist, Kane came to the burgeoning comics world in 1936 with his own book that led to various assignments in the following years. Following the success of Superman in Action Comics, editors at National Publications (now DC Comics) requested more superheroes comics. In response, Kane created a character called "bird-man" among many, before settling on "The Bat-Man" which was partly influenced by his love of Douglas Fairbanks' Zorro and Mary Rinehart's mysterious villain The Bat.

Kane's collaborator/studio writer, Bill Finger offered such suggestions as giving the character a cowl instead of a simple domino mask, giving him a cape instead of wings, gloves, and removing the bright red sections of the original costume, suggesting a gray/black color scheme that would echo that worn by THE PHANTOM, right down to leaving the eyeholes in the cowl blank to connote mystery. Finger wrote the first Batman story, while Kane provided art. Because Kane had already submitted the proposal for a Batman character to his editors at DC Comics, Kane was the only person given official credit at the time for the creation of Batman, in a tradition that was absent in the comic books but was routine in the more lucrative field of the daily newspaper strips; the most notable being AL CAPP, LIL' ABNER'S creator who also never gave his writer(s) a byline.

The character was a breakout hit, but National sought to improve sales even further. Editors suggested that the character receive a youthful sidekick whom the readers could use as an audience surrogate. Kane,partly inspired by the Junior character from DICK TRACY, initially suggested an impish character named Mercury, while Finger suggested a more down-to-earth character. The name "Robin" was suggested by Jerry Robinson (Kane's inker) after the then popular Errol Flynn movie The Adventures of Robin Hood. (Robinson also created the basic concept of the Joker, which was eventually re-modeled by Kane and Finger into the "Clown Prince of Crime" that we know of today.)

Kane, the more business-savvy of the Kane-Finger creative team, negotiated a contract with National, signing away any ownership that he might have in the character in exchange for, among other compensations, a mandatory byline on all Batman comics stating "Batman created by Bob Kane", regardless of whether he was involved in the specific issue. Bill Finger's contract, by comparison, left him with a monetary pittance and no credit even on the stories that he wrote without Kane, as was the standard policy during that era.

Kane's major contributions to Batman were in the 1940s. When DC wanted still more product than Kane's studio could deliver, DC hired several "ghost pencilers" to produce "cloned" in-house stories. Eventually, towards the close of the 40s, Kane hired his own personal "ghosts" although he would still act, essentially, as an "art director".

As Kane's comic work tapered off later in his career, Kane parlayed his official status as sole creator of Batman into a low level of celebrity. He enjoyed a post-comic book career as a painter, showing his work in art galleries. Even some of these paintings were produced by other, uncredited artists, now ghost-painting under Kane's name. He wrote an album The Adventures of Batman & Rubin (Jewish Boy Wonder) for the team of Allen & Rossi to capitalize on the popularity of the television show. In 1989 he published his autobiography, Batman and Me in 1989, and a second volume Batman and Me, The Saga Continues in 1996. He made numerous appearances to promote the first book.

Kane is interred in Forest Lawn - Hollywood Hills Cemetery in Los Angeles, California.

Source : Wikipedia

My New Drawing

2006-04-09T09:51:00.000+05:30

I drew this car with the help from http://www.cardesignnews.com/studio/tutorials/frye/ .
I know it is not very good but I drew this in near about 4-5 min and without any intension of drawing a good sketch.

Links

2006-04-08T19:10:00.000+05:30

Here are some cool links I stumbled upon [thanks to StubmbleUpon]:

http://www.futureme.org/public.php?id=165554
http://www.softlab.ece.ntua.gr/~sivann/pub/swf/may02-smilepop-soapbox4.swf
http://www.yonkis.com/mediaflash/cursor.swf
http://people.freenet.de/schnubelken/bunnys/
http://www.sodaplay.com/constructor/player.htm
http://www.howtofoldashirt.net/
http://www.mit.edu:8001/people/dinoriki/phliez/work-well-together.html
http://www.sorrygottago.com/
http://artpad.art.com/artpad/painter/
http://www.theircircularlife.it/frameset.htm

That's all for now! Have fun!

HOW TO TICK PEOPLE OFF

2006-04-08T10:23:00.000+05:30

Leave the copy machine set to reduce 200%, extra dark, 17 inch paper, 99 copies.
Specify that your drive-through order is "TO-GO."
If you have a glass eye, tap on it occasionally with your pen while talking to others.
Stomp on little plastic ketchup packets.
Insist on keeping your car windshield wipers running in all weather conditions "to keep them tuned up."
Reply to everything someone says with "that's what you think."
Practice making fax and modem noises.
Highlight irrelevant information in scientific papers and "cc" them to your boss.
Make beeping noises when a large person backs up.
Finish all your sentences with the words "in accordance with prophesy."
Signal that a conversation is over by clamping your hands over your ears and grimacing.
Disassemble your pen and "accidentally" flip the ink cartridge across the room.
Holler random numbers while someone is counting.
Adjust the tint on your TV so that all the people are green, and insist to others that you "like it that way."
Staple pages in the middle of the page.
Publicly investigate just how slowly you can make a croaking noise.
Honk and wave to strangers.
Decline to be seated at a restaurant, and simply eat their complimentary mints at the cash register.
TYPE IN UPPERCASE.
type only in lowercase.
dont use any punctuation either
Buy a large quantity of orange traffic cones and reroute whole streets.
Repeat the following conversation a dozen times.
"DO YOU HEAR THAT?"
"What?"
"Never mind, it's gone now."
As much as possible, skip rather than walk.
Try playing the William Tell Overture by tapping on the bottom of your chin. When nearly done, announce "No, wait, I messed it up," and repeat.
Ask people what gender they are.
While making presentations, occasionally bob your head like a parakeet.
Sit in your front yard pointing a hair dryer at passing cars to see if they slow down.
Sing along at the opera.
Go to a poetry recital and ask why each poem doesn't rhyme.
Ask your co-workers mysterious questions and then scribble their answers in a notebook. Mutter something about "psychological profiles."

Source

Cleaning LCD screens

2006-04-07T16:26:00.000+05:30

Many of us own LCD monitors or laptops. They tend to get dirty easily.

To clean the LCD screens, try a dampened soft cotton or non-abrasive cloth with a little water, and gently wipe down the screen. For heavier buildup, try adding a little vinegar to the water.

When cleaning, make sure your LCD is unplugged, and if you use a damp cloth, wait until the screen if completely dry before turning the set back on. Be sure to read your owner's manual or contact your LCD manufacturer to see what they recommend because some manufacturers may have other solutions not covered in this tip.

While it is good to clean your screen every now and then, LCD screens are not made for constant touching, so be careful when cleaning because you don't want to damage the pixels within the screen.

Source [edited]

My Drawings

2006-04-07T12:27:00.000+05:30

I have drawn and coloured the following by hand. I have put them up here for all to see. Tell me how are they.

Its A Wonderful Internet

2006-04-07T12:17:00.001+05:30

http://www.itsawonderfulinternet.com/
This is a site [in flash] which shows how wonderful is the internet and what would have happened if it wasn't there. Short and sweet.

Top 10 Hacking Instances

2006-04-07T12:15:00.000+05:30

Top 10 hacking incidents of all time — instances where some of the most seemingly secure computer networks were compromised

Early 1990s

Kevin Mitnick, often incorrectly called by many as god of hackers,
broke into the computer systems of the world's top technology and
telecommunications companies Nokia, Fujitsu, Motorola, and Sun
Microsystems. He was arrested by the FBI in 1995, but later released
on parole in 2000. He never termed his activity hacking, instead he
called it social engineering.

November 2002

Englishman Gary McKinnon was arrested in November 2002 following an accusation that he hacked into more than 90 US military computer
systems in the UK. He is currently undergoing trial in a British
court for a "fast-track extradition" to the US where he is a wanted man. The next hearing in the case is slated for today.

1995

Russian computer geek Vladimir Levin effected what can easily be
called The Italian Job online - he was the first person to hack into a
bank to extract money. Early 1995, he hacked into Citibank and robbed
$10 million. Interpol arrested him in the UK in 1995, after he had
transferred money to his accounts in the US, Finland, Holland,
Germany and Israel.

1990

When a Los Angeles area radio station announced a contest that awarded a Porsche 944S2 for the 102nd caller, Kevin Poulsen took control of the entire city's telephone network, ensured he is the 102nd caller, and took away the Porsche beauty. He was arrested later that year and sentenced to three years in prison. He is currently a senior editor at Wired News.

1983

Kevin Poulsen again. A little-known incident when Poulsen, then just
a student, hacked into Arpanet, the precursor to the Internet was hacked
into. Arpanet was a global network of computers, and Poulsen took
advantage of a loophole in its architecture to gain temporary control
of the US-wide network.

1996

US hacker Timothy Lloyd planted six lines of malicious software code
in the computer network of Omega Engineering which was a prime
supplier of components for NASA and the US Navy. The code allowed a
"logic bomb" to explode that deleted software running Omega's
manufacturing operations. Omega lost $10 million due to the attack.

1988

Twenty-three-year-old Cornell University graduate Robert Morris
unleashed the first Internet worm on to the world. Morris released 99
lines of code to the internet as an experiment, but realised that his
program infected machines as it went along. Computers crashed across
the US and elsewhere. He was arrested and sentenced in 1990.

1999

The Melissa virus was the first of its kind to wreak damage on a
global scale. Written by David Smith (then 30), Melissa spread to more
than 300 companies across the world completely destroying their
computer networks. Damages reported amounted to nearly $400 million.
Smith was arrested and sentenced to five years in prison.

2000

MafiaBoy, whose real identity has been kept under wraps because he is
a minor, hacked into some of the largest sites in the world, including
eBay, Amazon and Yahoo between February 6 and Valentine's Day in 2000. He gained access to 75 computers in 52 networks, and ordered a Denial of Service attack on them. He was arrested in 2000.

1993

They called themselves Masters of Deception, targeting US phone
systems. The group hacked into the National Security Agency, AT&T, and Bank of America. It created a system that let them bypass
long-distance phone call systems, and gain access to private lines.

Source : [I recieved this as a mail forward but it probably originated from]
http://www.dnaindia.com/report.asp?NewsID=11072&CatID=5

About Me

2006-04-07T11:14:00.000+05:30

Here is some info. about me :

Name – Pickster Cool.
Height – 5’ 11-12” [growing]
Age – 14
DOB – 04 – 07 – 1991
Hair – Black
Location – Varanasi, India
Freak of – gadgets, mobiles, computers, computer games, drawing, painting, etc.
Standard – Currently in 10th.

Thats All Folks!

My Photoshop Image

2006-04-06T10:35:00.000+05:30

I made this photo recently in Adobe Photoshop Elements with help from http://good-tutorials.com , http://biorust.com/index.php?page=tutorial_detail&tutid=14 & Qwerty Maniac .

Most Expensive Cars, 2005

2006-04-06T10:03:00.000+05:30

Most Expensive Cars, 2005

Rank	Make, model	Price
1.	Saleen S7	$562,700
2.	Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren	$452,750
3.	Porsche Carrera GT	$443,000
4.	Maybach 62	$377,750
5.	Maybach 57	$327,750
6.	Rolls-Royce Phantom	$320,000
7.	Lamborghini Murciélago	$281,000
8.	Aston Martin V12 Vanquish	$256,350
9.	Ferrari 612 Scaglietti	$254,150
10.	Ferrari 575M Maranello	$225,090

Source: Forbes.com

Computer Terms

2006-04-06T09:59:00.000+05:30

486 - The average IQ needed to understand a PC.

State-of-the-art - Any computer you can't afford.

Obsolete - Any computer you own.

Microsecond - The time it takes for your state-of-the-art computer to become obsolete.

G3 - Apple's new Macs that make you say "Gee, three times faster than the computer I bought for the same price a Microsecond ago."

Syntax Error - Walking into a computer store and saying, "Hi, I want to buy a computer and money is no object."

Hard Drive - The sales technique employed by computer salesmen, esp. after a Syntax Error.

GUI - What your computer becomes after spilling your coffee on it. (pronounced "gooey")

Keyboard - The standard way to generate computer errors.

Mouse - An advanced input device to make computer errors easier to generate.

Floppy - The state of your wallet after purchasing a computer.

Portable Computer - A device invented to force businessmen to work at home, on vacation, and on business trips.

Disk Crash - A typical computer response to any critical deadline.

Power User - Anyone who can format a disk from DOS.

System Update - A quick method of trashing all of your software.

My Computers

2006-04-06T09:28:00.000+05:30

I have two computers.

One very old PC whose configuration is ass follows :
Intel® Pentium® 4 1.79 GHz
512 MB SD-RAM
No GFX Card [It dosent support even AGP]
Microsoft® Windows® XP Professional
Sony DVD combo drive
Samsung CD Drive [which dosen't work]
Samsung Samtron 50E 15 inch monitor.

And a new Laptop which I like very much.
It is a SONY VAIO and its config is as follows:
Intel® Pentium® M Processor 750 (1.86GHz)
Centrino Technology
Microsoft® Windows® XP Professional with Service Pack 2
512MB DDR2 SDRAM
DVD±RW Drive
NVIDIA® GeForce™ Go 6400 with TurboCache (PCI Express x16 connection) 128 MB
13.3" Wide (WXGA: 1280 x 800) TFT colour display
Wireless LAN IEEE 802.11b/802.11g

After I got my laptop, I dont use my desktop much and when I look back.... I haven't used it for than a week!... COOL!

Ferrari

2006-04-05T20:35:00.000+05:30

Ferrari

Ferrari is an Italian constructor in the Formula One World Championship, as well as a manufacturer of high-end and high-performance race cars, exotic cars, and sports cars formed by Enzo Ferrari in 1929. At first, Scuderia Ferrari sponsored drivers and manufactured racecars; the company went into independent car production in 1946, eventually became Ferrari S.p.A., and is now controlled by the Fiat group. The company is based in Maranello, near Modena, Italy.

History

1929-1946

Enzo Ferrari never intended to produce road cars when he formed Scuderia Ferrari in 1929 as a sponsor for amateur drivers headquartered in Modena. Ferrari prepared and successfully raced various drivers in Alfa Romeo cars until 1938, when he was officially hired by Alfa as head of their racing department.

In 1940, upon learning of the company's plan to absorb his beloved Scuderia and take control of his racing efforts, he quit Alfa. Because he was prohibited by contract from racing for several years, the Scuderia briefly became Auto Avio Costruzioni Ferrari, which ostensibly produced machine tools and aircraft accessories. Also known as SEFAC Ferrari did in fact produce one racecar, the Tipo 815, in the non-competition period; it was thus the first actual Ferrari car (it debuted at the 1940 Mille Miglia), but due to World War II it saw little competition. In 1943 the Ferrari factory moved to Maranello, where it has remained ever since. The factory was bombed in 1944 and rebuilt in 1946 to include a works for road car production. Right up to Il Commendatore's death, this would remain little more than a source of funding for his first love, racing.

"Scuderia Ferrari" literally means "Ferrari Stable" in keeping with the prancing horse emblem; the name is figuratively translated as "Team Ferrari." (It is correctly pronounced "skoo dee ry ah".)

1945-present

The first Ferrari road car was the 1947 125 S, powered by a 1.5 L V12 engine; Enzo reluctantly built and sold his automobiles to fund the Scuderia. While his beautiful and blazingly fast cars quickly gained a reputation for excellence, Enzo maintained a famous distaste for his customers, most of whom he felt were buying his cars for the prestige and not the performance.

Ferrari road cars, noted for magnificent styling by design houses like Pininfarina, have long been one of the ultimate accessories for the rich. Other design houses that have done work for Ferrari over the years include Scaglietti, Bertone, Touring, Ghia, and Vignale.

As of 2004, FIAT owns 56% of Ferrari, Mediobanca 15%, Commerzbank 10%, Lehman Brothers 7%, and Enzo's son Piero Ferrari 10%.

Racing

Enzo Ferrari's true passion, despite his extensive road car business, was always auto racing. His Scuderia started as an independent sponsor for drivers in various cars, but soon became the Alfa Romeo in-house racing team. After Ferrari's departure from Alfa, he began to design and produce cars of his own; the Ferrari team first appeared on the European grand prix scene after the end of World War II.

The Scuderia joined the Formula One World Championship in the first year of its existence, 1950. José Froilán González gave the team its first victory at the 1951 British Grand Prix. Alberto Ascari gave Ferrari its first World Championship a year later. Ferrari is the oldest team left in the championship, not to mention the most successful: the team holds nearly every Formula One record. As of 2004, the team's records include fourteen World Drivers Championship titles (1952, 1953, 1956, 1958, 1961, 1964, 1975, 1977, 1979, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003 and 2004), fourteen World Constructors Championship titles (1961, 1964, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1979, 1982, 1983, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003 and 2004), 179 grand prix victories, 3445 and a half points, 544 podium finishes, 174 pole positions, 11,182 laps led, and 180 fastest laps in 1622 grands prix contested.

Famous drivers include Tazio Nuvolari, Juan Manuel Fangio, Alberto Ascari, Phil Hill, Mike Hawthorn, John Surtees, Niki Lauda, Jody Scheckter, Gilles Villeneuve, Gerhard Berger, Nigel Mansell, Alain Prost, Jean Alesi and Michael Schumacher.

The "Cavallino Rampante"

The famous symbol of the Ferrari race team is a black prancing horse on yellow shield-shaped background, usually with the letters S F for Scuderia Ferrari, and with three stripes of the Italian national colors green-white-red on top. The road cars have a rectangular badge on the bonnet.

Curiously, a similar black horse on a yellow shield is the Coat of Arms of the German city of Stuttgart. This name is derived from Stutengarten, an ancient form of the modern German word Gestüt, which translates into English as stud farm and into Italian as scuderia. Stuttgart, called Stoccarda by the Italians, is the home of Mercedes-Benz and Ferrari's rival Porsche, which also uses the Stuttgart sign in its corporate logo, centred in the emblem of the state of Württemberg just like the city is placed within the state. Enzo Ferrari met these competitors many times since the 1920s while competing for Alfa.

On June 17, 1923, Enzo Ferrari won a race at the Savio track in Ravenna where he met the Countess Paolina, mother of Count Francesco Baracca, a legendary asso (ace) of the Italian air force and national hero during World War I, who used to paint a horse on the side of his planes. The Countess asked Enzo to use this horse on his cars, suggesting that it would grant him good luck. Ferrari left the horse black as it had been on Baracca's plane; however, he added a canary yellow background as this is the color of the city of Modena, his birthplace. It has been supposed the choice of a horse was perhaps partly because his noble family was known for having many horses on their estates at Lugo di Romagna. Another theory suggests Baracca copied the rampant horse design from a shot-down German pilot who had the emblem of the city of Stuttgart on his plane. This is supported by the evidence Barraca's horse looks more similar to the one of Stuttgart (not changed since 1938) than the current Ferrari design, especially as the legs of the horses are concerned. Baracca using the Stuttgart horse from a shot-down plane ties in with the fact that his family owned many horses.

Ferrari used the cavallino rampante on official company stationery beginning in 1929. The first race at which Alfa Romeo would let Ferrari use the horse on the Alfas entered by his Scuderia Ferrari was the Spa 24 Hours on July 9, 1932, which the Ferrari-led Alfa team won. Ever since, the cavallino was shown on the Alfas that were competing against the Silver Arrows of Mercedes-Benz and Auto Union, among others.

The prancing horse has not always been uniquely identified with the Ferrari brand: Fabio Taglioni used it on his Ducati motorbikes. Taglioni's father was, in fact, a companion of Baracca's and fought with him in the 91st Air Squad. But, as Ferrari's fame grew, Ducati abandoned the horse; this may have been the result of a private agreement between the two brands.

The prancing horse is now a trademark of Ferrari. Yet, other companies use similar logos. One example is quite prominent next to roads in Austria and Eastern European countries, as an Austrian company, named "avanti" (http://www.avanti.at) since 1972, operates over 100 filling stations marked with a prancing horse logo which is nearly identical to Ferrari's.

List of models

Until the mid-1990s, Ferrari followed a three-number naming scheme based on engine displacement:

* V6 and V8 models used the total displacement (in decilitres) for the first two digits and the number of cylinders as the third. Thus, the 206 was a 2.0 L V6-powered vehicle, while the 348 used a 3.4 L V8.
* V12 models used the displacement (in cubic centimetres) of one cylinder. Therefore, the famed 365 Daytona had a 4380 cc V12.
* Flat twelve (boxer) models used the displacement in litres. Therefore, the 512BB was five litre flat 12 (a Berlinetta Boxer, in this case).

Most Ferraris were also given designations referring to their body style. In general, the following conventions were used:

* M standing for "Modificata," this suffix is placed to the end of a model's number designation to denote that it is a modified version of its predecessor and not a complete evolution (see F512M and 575M Maranello).
* GTB models are closed Berlinettas, or coupes
* GTS models, in older models, are convertibles (see 365 GTS4); however, in late models, this suffix is used for targa top models (see 348 GTS, and F355 GTS; exception being the 348 TS, which is the only targa named differently). The convertible models now use the suffix "Spider" (see F355 Spider, and Ferrari 360 Spider).

This naming system can be confusing, as some entirely different vehicles used the same engine type and body style. Many Ferraris also had other names affixed (like Daytona) to identify them further. Many such names are actually not official factory names. The 365 GTB4 model only became known as a Daytona after racing variants run by N.A.R.T. (North American Racing Team, who raced Ferrari's in America) won the famous 24 hour race of the same name. As well, the 250 GTO's famous acronym, which means Gran Turismo Omologato, was simply a name the Italian press gave the car which referred to the way Ferrari had, in a sense, avoided the rules and successfully homologated the car for racing purposes (Somehow, Ferrari had convinced the FIA, the 250 GTO was the same car as previous 250's). This was probably to avoid confusion with the multiple 250 models produced before the GTO.

The various Dino models were named for Enzo's son.

In the mid 1990s, Ferrari added the letter "F" to the beginning of all models (a practice quickly abandoned after the F512M and F355, but recently picked up again with the F430).
From : Wikipedia.
Source