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Mohammad Ajmal Kasab, Last Surviving Mumbai Attacker, Executed (Hanged)

2012-12-13T14:24:00.000-08:00

Kasab’s Execution: After Hanging 2008 Terrorist, What Lessons Has India Learned?

Ajmal Kasab, the terrorist whose boyish face came to embody the 2008 Mumbai attacks, was hanged in the western Indian city of Pune early morning on Wednesday, just a week before the four-year anniversary of the Nov. 26 attack that killed 166 people and injured 300. Kasab was the only terrorist who had been captured alive at the scene of the violence. The grainy image of the young man, a gun in his hand and a backpack slung casually over his shoulder, has become an icon of the attack.

Kasab’s death sentence was carried out at 7:30 a.m. in extreme secrecy to forestall any retaliation by terrorist groups; even the executioner was reportedly unaware of the identity of the man he was about to hang. The news started flashing on Indian television channels an hour after the hanging was over. Reports have since come out that Kasab was transferred from a Mumbai jail on Tuesday night, where he has been lodged for the past four years, to Pune’s Yerwada Jail. Kasab’s death sentence had been pronounced by a lower court in Mumbai in 2008 and was subsequently upheld by the Bombay High Court in 2011 and India’s top court in August 2012. Earlier this month, his mercy plea — his last chance to stay his sentence — was rejected by President Pranab Mukherjee. “It was a very somber duty that we had to perform,” Foreign Minister Salman Khurshid said in a press briefing on Wednesday evening. “It could have developed into a simmering sore in our country.”

The hanging was, indeed, welcomed in many quarters, as euphoric reactions from citizens, victims and politicians alike flooded television channels and social-networking sites. Many applauded the ruling Congress Party for its tough stance on terrorism. Congress leader Digvijaya Singh tweeted, “Finally Kasab hanged.” Devika Rotawan, a 13-year-old who was shot in the leg during the attacks, said she had personally watched Kasab “fire away at the Victoria Terminus and he was laughing remorselessly. All terrorists should meet this end.” Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi hawkishly told reporters that the hanging served as “a stern warning to the enemies of India, especially those across the border who want to terrorize India.”

Whether Kasab’s hanging will prove to be such a potent deterrent is a matter of much debate. As the initial cheers faded, India was almost immediately beset with questions of what, apart from a sense of reprisal for the victims and their families, the execution would accomplish. Kasab was among 10 men who carried out attacks on key Mumbai landmarks on Nov. 26, 2008, including two hotels, a railway station and a Jewish center. Many worry that unless the real masterminds of the attack — who are still hiding in neighboring Pakistan — are brought to justice, Kasab’s hanging will achieve precious little. “This man came to die four years ago. His life for the last four years was an incidental footnote in the trajectory of international terrorism,” says Ajai Sahni, executive director of the Delhi-based Institute for Conflict Management. “What he has done and what has been done to him … has no impact whatsoever on the trajectory of terrorism or on the balance of power between the various players, including the nonstate actors and state sponsors.”

Indeed, some say Kasab’s hanging may even invite more violence from terror groups. Within hours of his death, a senior commander of Lashkar-e-Taiba, the Pakistani militant group accused of masterminding the Mumbai attacks, told Reuters that its former foot soldier is a “hero” whose death will “inspire other fighters to follow his path.”

If the worst were to come to pass, is India better prepared today than it was in 2008 to handle a domestic terrorist attack? At least some in the government, including former Home Minister and current Finance Minister P. Chidambaram, assert that it is not. “Have we done enough to build capacity since the Mumbai terror attacks?” Chidambaram told a gathering of top police officials last year. “The answer is yes and no.” Chidambaram, after he took over as Home Minister following the 2008 attacks, revamped the country’s security architecture by plumping up the police forces, arming them with sophisticated weapons and establishing the National Investigation Agency, a robust investigation bureau aimed at coordinating national efforts against terrorism. “There have been some marginal changes in police capabilities and capacities and in certain cities or areas responses might be marginally better but that doesn’t meant that the cities are more secure,” says Sahni. “The amount of vulnerability remains the same … The people we are talking about, with their ideologies, the hanging of a man is not going to have any kind of dampening or freezing effect on them because these are people who are willing to die and kill.” Khurshid said no specific, nationally coordinated measures were taken to secure municipalities before or after today’s execution, saying that precautions were left up to local authorities. “Before anybody could have reacted, the matter was over,” Khurshid said.

That may be, but the larger threat looms large. Though Islamabad’s Foreign Office spokesman Moazzam Khan said Pakistan was “willing to cooperate and work closely with all countries of the region to eliminate the scourge of terrorism,” the Indian Foreign Minister said cooperation was not as forthcoming as India would like: “It’s been a long time. From any point of view, patience would run out in any country. He says India has submitted a “wish list” to Pakistan authorities, including requests for information on individuals India believes masterminded the attacks, but Pakistan has as yet not delivered on that intelligence. Indeed, it was only a few weeks back that Islamabad admitted, based on the testimony of five Pakistani government detectives, who testified in the ongoing Nov. 26 trial in Pakistan, that perpetrators of the Mumbai attacks were trained in Pakistan. “It’s not an issue that time can make us forget,” said Khurshid. “There has to be some delivery on this issue … A lot will now depend on what we see Pakistan do.”

Email Ids of TamilNadu M.L.A.s

2012-12-13T12:58:00.003-08:00

http://www.tn.gov.in/telephone/email-MLA.html
http://www.southdreamz.com/2011/04/tamilnadu-mlas-got-email-address.html

Sl. No. Name of the Constituency - User Id- Email-Id

1        Acharapakkam - mlaacharapakkam - mlaacharapakkam@tn.gov.in

2           Alandur - mlaalandur - mlaalandur@tn.gov.in

3           Alangudi - mlaalangudi - mlaalangudi@tn.gov.in

4           Alangulam - mlaalangulam - mlaalangulam@tn.gov.in

5           Ambasamudram - mlaambasamudram - mlaambasamudram@tn.gov.in

6           Anaicut - mlaanaicut - mlaanaicut@tn.gov.in

7           Andhiyur - mlaandhiyur - mlaandhiyur@tn.gov.in

8           Andimadam - mlaandimadam - mlaandimadam@tn.gov.in

9           Andipatti - mlaandipatti - mlaandipatti@tn.gov.in

10       AnnaNagar - mlaannanagar - mlaannanagar@tn.gov.in

11       Arakkonam - mlaarakkonam - mlaarakkonam@tn.gov.in

12       Arantangi - mlaarantangi - mlaarantangi@tn.gov.in

13       Aravakurichi - mlaaravakurichi - mlaaravakurichi@tn.gov.in

14       Arcot - mlaarcot - mlaarcot@tn.gov.in

15       Ariyalur - mlaariyalur - mlaariyalur@tn.gov.in

16       Arni - mlaarni - mlaarni@tn.gov.in

17       Aruppukottai - mlaaruppukottai - mlaaruppukottai@tn.gov.in

18       Athoor - mlaathoor - mlaathoor@tn.gov.in

19       Attur - mlaattur - mlaattur@tn.gov.in

20       Avanashi - mlaavanashi - mlaavanashi@tn.gov.in

21       Bargur - mlabargur - mlabargur@tn.gov.in

22       Bhavani - mlabhavani - mlabhavani@tn.gov.in

23       Bhavanisagar - mlabhavanisagar - mlabhavanisagar@tn.gov.in

24       Bhuvanagiri - mlabhuvanagiri - mlabhuvanagiri@tn.gov.in

25       Bodinayakkanur - mlabodinayakkanur - mlabodinayakkanur@tn.gov.in

26       Chengalpattu - mlachengalpattu - mlachengalpattu@tn.gov.in

27       Chengam - mlachengam - mlachengam@tn.gov.in

28       Chepauk - mlachepauk - mlachepauk@tn.gov.in

29       Cheranmahadevi - mlacheranmahadevi - mlacheranmahadevi@tn.gov.in

30       Cheyyar - mlacheyyar - mlacheyyar@tn.gov.in

31       Chidambaram - mlachidambaram - mlachidambaram@tn.gov.in

32       Chinnasalem - mlachinnasalem - mlachinnasalem@tn.gov.in

33       CoimbatoreEast - mlacoimbatoreeast - mlacoimbatoreeast@tn.gov.in

34       CoimbatoreWest - mlacoimbatorewest - mlacoimbatorewest@tn.gov.in

35       Colachel - mlacolachel - mlacolachel@tn.gov.in

36       Coonoor - mlacoonoor - mlacoonoor@tn.gov.in

37       Cuddalore - mlacuddalore - mlacuddalore@tn.gov.in

38       Cumbum - mlacumbum - mlacumbum@tn.gov.in

39       Dharapuram - mladharapuram - mladharapuram@tn.gov.in

40       Dharmapuri - mladharmapuri - mladharmapuri@tn.gov.in

41       Dindigul - mladindigul - mladindigul@tn.gov.in

42       Edapadi - mlaedapadi - mlaedapadi@tn.gov.in

43       Egmore - mlaegmore - mlaegmore@tn.gov.in

44       Erode - mlaerode - mlaerode@tn.gov.in

45       Gingee - mlagingee - mlagingee@tn.gov.in

46       Gobichettipalayam - mlagobichettipalayam - mlagobichettipalayam@tn.gov.in

47       Gudalur - mlagudalur - mlagudalur@tn.gov.in

48       Gudiyatham - mlagudiyatham - mlagudiyatham@tn.gov.in

49       Gummidipundi - mlagummidipundi - mlagummidipundi@tn.gov.in

50       Harbour - mlaharbour - mlaharbour@tn.gov.in

51       Harur - mlaharur - mlaharur@tn.gov.in

52       Hosur - mlahosur - mlahosur@tn.gov.in

53       Ilayangudi - mlailayangudi - mlailayangudi@tn.gov.in

54       Jayankondam - mlajayankondam - mlajayankondam@tn.gov.in

55       Kadaladi - mlakadaladi - mlakadaladi@tn.gov.in

56       Kadayanallur - mlakadayanallur - mlakadayanallur@tn.gov.in

57       Kalasapakkam - mlakalasapakkam - mlakalasapakkam@tn.gov.in

58       Kancheepuram - mlakancheepuram - mlakancheepuram@tn.gov.in

59       Kandamangalam - mlakandamangalam - mlakandamangalam@tn.gov.in

60       Kangayam - mlakangayam - mlakangayam@tn.gov.in

61       Kanniyakumari - mlakanniyakumari - mlakanniyakumari@tn.gov.in

62       Kapilamalai - mlakapilamalai - mlakapilamalai@tn.gov.in

63       Karaikudi - mlakaraikudi - mlakaraikudi@tn.gov.in

64       Karur - mlakarur - mlakarur@tn.gov.in

65       Katpadi - mlakatpadi - mlakatpadi@tn.gov.in

66       Kattumannarkoil - mlakattumannarkoil - mlakattumannarkoil@tn.gov.in

67       Kaveripattinam - mlakaveripattinam - mlakaveripattinam@tn.gov.in

68       Killiyoor - mlakilliyoor - mlakilliyoor@tn.gov.in

69       Kinathukadavu - mlakinathukadavu - mlakinathukadavu@tn.gov.in

70       Kolathur - mlakolathur - mlakolathur@tn.gov.in

A Talk of Love marriages should not be there in future by?!?!?!?

2012-11-19T07:06:00.001-08:00

Love is blind. But not so for politicians who believe in blindly opposing things, or so it seems.

Over the past week, politics has struck Cupid in Tamil Nadu. Leaders of two parties - Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) and Kongunadu Munnetra Kazhagam (KMK) - which hold sway over sizeable caste Hindu votes have openly criticised inter-caste love marriages.

To be precise, they have strongly disapproved of Dalit boys falling in love and marrying caste Hindu girls.

While the PMK is dominated by Vanniyars, the KMK largely comprises Kongu Vellala Gounders. Both PMK founder S Ramadoss and KMK organising secretary G K Nagaraj have claimed that Dalit boys were being instigated by their leaders to entrap girls from the dominant Hindu castes and are later left in the lurch.

“This is a false propaganda against Dalits and Dalit leaders. There is no statistics to substantiate their claims. How many Kongu Vellalar women have married youth from the Arunthathiyar community in Coimbatore or other districts,” asks D Ravikumar, a Dalit writer and former Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi MLA.

In rural Tamil Nadu, it is common for the Backward Community and Most Backward Community chieftains to vehemently oppose marriages with a SC boy or girl. The recent arson in Dharmapuri where 268 homes of Dalits were burnt down by a Vanniyar mob was triggered by the marriage of a Vanniyar girl with a SC boy.

“Kongu Vellalars are an economically and socially dominant community, whereas the Dalits are still struggling for their survival. They are still in backward state in education, economy and employment,” points out Ravikumar.

According to him, on the other hand sexual exploitation of Arunthathiyar women by other community men is rampant. “I doubt if Dalit youth have gained a social status where they are loved by upper caste women,” he says adding that by levelling ridiculous charges the leaders (of PMK and KMK) only defamed women of their own communities.

S Anandhi, Associate Professor of Madras Institute of Development Studies, feels such charges are being raised to gain political mileage.

“Parties like PMK have understood that they cannot win elections and so they have taken caste politics into their hands,” she charges.

The Prime Minister of Belize has described John McAfee (McAfee's Onwer), the technology millionaire who has gone into hiding after the murder of his neighbour

2012-11-15T10:03:00.001-08:00

John Mcafee is 'bonkers', says Belize prime minister

The Prime Minister of Belize has described John McAfee, the technology millionaire who has gone into hiding after the murder of his neighbour, as "paranoid and bonkers."

Mr McAfee, 67, has refused routine questioning after his neighbour Gregory Viant Faull, 52, was shot dead in his beachside villa on Ambergris Caye, an island off the Belize coast, at the weekend.

The businessman, who is constantly changing locations and telephones, has denied involvement in the killing. He claims the Belize police are corrupt and want to frame him, extort money, or kill him.

Dean Barrow, the prime minister, has now expressed doubts about Mr McAfee's mental state, saying: "I don't want to be unkind to the gentleman, but I believe he is extremely paranoid, even bonkers.

"Mr McAfee is a person of interest. His reaction to being a person of interest is, to put it very mildly, hugely exaggerated. He is now, I think, visiting all sorts of calumnies on our country, and on our security forces, and his behaviour is to be deprecated. Come forward man.

"It is now hugely public and you surely do not expect anyone to believe that the police want to kill you, so that if you come in for questioning you are going to be murdered. That is utter and complete nonsense."

Mr McAfee, 67, has refused routine questioning after his neighbour Gregory Viant Faull, 52, was shot dead in his beachside villa on Ambergris Caye, an island off the Belize coast, at the weekend.

The businessman, who is constantly changing locations and telephones, has denied involvement in the killing. He claims the Belize police are corrupt and want to frame him, extort money, or kill him.

Dean Barrow, the prime minister, has now expressed doubts about Mr McAfee's mental state, saying: "I don't want to be unkind to the gentleman, but I believe he is extremely paranoid, even bonkers.

"Mr McAfee is a person of interest. His reaction to being a person of interest is, to put it very mildly, hugely exaggerated. He is now, I think, visiting all sorts of calumnies on our country, and on our security forces, and his behaviour is to be deprecated. Come forward man.

"It is now hugely public and you surely do not expect anyone to believe that the police want to kill you, so that if you come in for questioning you are going to be murdered. That is utter and complete nonsense."

Ram Jethmalani renews pressure on Gadkari to quit as BJP

2012-11-07T13:22:00.001-08:00

Ram Jethmalani renews pressure on Gadkari to quit as BJP president, says Jaswant, Yashwant too want him out

If Monday was a bad day for BJP president Nitin Gadkari, Tuesday was worse for the leader battling Opposition charges and revolt within his party.

Veteran Supreme Court lawyer and BJP's Rajya Sabha member Ram Jethmalani on Tuesday made it clear that not only he or his son Mahesh Jethmalani, but also some other senior leaders of the party, including Jaswant Singh, Yashwant Sinha and Shatrughan Sinha thought alike about Gadkari's continuance as the president.

A day after Mahesh Jethmalani quit the BJP national executive council, his father Ram Jethmalani and other veterans created a pressure group to force Gadkari out of the office. The group of elders has been worried about the impact of Gadkari's continuance as the BJP president despite serious allegations of corruption and wrongdoing, involving his company Purti group.

Addressing newspersons, the senior Jethmalani on Tuesday said that "either Gadkari should resign or publicly offer to resign". He said it was "in the interest of party and Gadkari himself".

"Resignation pending enquiry is not admission of guilt. I thought our president would resign or will offer to resign. But he did nothing. I have been contacted by Gurumurthy after I made this statement. I thought they will meet me, but that also did not happen. I also wanted to meet Gadkari since May, but no meeting has taken place," Jethmalani said.

Attacking Gadkari over his comparison of Vivekananda with the absconding underworld don-turned-terrorist Dawood Ibrahim, Jethmalani said, "I think it is a very silly statement on Gadkari's part. Frankly, I would have resigned... but the country needs opposition party. I am facing tremendous conflict in my mind."

"It seems that there is brave voice in Congress. It is only about sycophants supporting a corrupt family. I will remain in the party, though there are many in the party who would like to resign. I am in touch with Jaswant, Yashwant and Shtrughan and they are of the same opinion," he said admitting keeping in touch with Yaswant Sinha, Jaswant Singh and Shatrughan Sinha.
Gadkari meets Sushma, Jaitley

Amidst statements of his party colleagues' statements against him, Gadkari met the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Sushma Swaraj, to discuss some "pending issues", party sources said. He also met the Leader of Opposition in the Rjya Sabha, Arun Jaitley, separately.

Prior to that RSS ideologue S. Gurumurthy and Yashwant Sinha met Jaswant Singh at his residence. Gurumurthy then also met BJP patriarch L.K. Advani.

BJP unhappy over Mahesh Jethmalani going public against Gadkari

Earlier in the day, BJP spokesperson Nirmala Sitharaman said party leader Mahesh Jethmalani should have kept his view on Gadkari on party forum rather than going directly to the media.

"The statement that he has given should reach the party office or should speak in the official forum... When party will decide something only then will I say anything. I don't know party's position as of now," she said.

Senior party leader Balbir Punj said that those who took the problems within the party to a public forum were not doing any good to the BJP and the ideology. He said there was enough arrangement in the party to discuss such issues.

Hurricane Sandy Estimated to Cost $60 Billion

2012-11-01T14:31:00.001-07:00

Hurricanes

Inspire others to act by being an example yourself, Pledge to Prepare & tell others about it!

Get Post-Tropical Cyclone Sandy updates at the National Hurricane Center

A hurricane is a type of tropical cyclone or severe tropical storm that forms in the southern Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea, Gulf of Mexico, and in the eastern Pacific Ocean. A typical cyclone is accompanied by thunderstorms, and in the Northern Hemisphere, a counterclockwise circulation of winds near the earth’s surface.

All Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico coastal areas are subject to hurricanes. Parts of the Southwest United States and the Pacific Coast also experience heavy rains and floods each year from hurricanes spawned off Mexico. The Atlantic hurricane season lasts from June to November, with the peak season from mid-August to late October. The Eastern Pacific hurricane season begins May 15 and ends November 30.

Hurricanes can cause catastrophic damage to coastlines and several hundred miles inland. Hurricane can produce winds exceeding 155 miles per hour as well as tornadoes and mircrobursts. Additionally, hurricanes can create storm surges along the coast and cause extensive damage from heavy rainfall. Floods and flying debris from the excessive winds are often the deadly and destructive results of these weather events. Slow moving hurricanes traveling into mountainous regions tend to produce especially heavy rain. Excessive rain can trigger landslides or mud slides. Flash flooding can occur due to intense rainfall.

Between 1970 and 1999, more people lost their lives from freshwater inland flooding associated with tropical cyclones than from any other weather hazard related to such storms.

Government

Hurricane Sandy Estimated to Cost $60 Billion

By Associated PressOct. 31, 20124

Darren McCollester / Getty Images

Waves crash over Winthrop Shore Drive in Winthrop, Mass., on Oct. 29, 2012, as Hurricane Sandy approaches

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(WASHINGTON) — Superstorm Sandy will end up causing about $20 billion in property damages and $10 billion to $30 billion more in lost business, according to IHS Global Insight, a forecasting firm.

In the long run, the devastation the storm inflicted on New York City and other parts of the Northeast will barely nick the U.S. economy. That’s the view of economists who say a slightly slower economy in coming weeks will likely be matched by reconstruction and repairs that will contribute to growth over time.
The short-term blow to the economy, though, could subtract about 0.6 percentage point from U.S. economic growth in the October-December quarter, IHS says. Retailers, airlines and home construction firms will likely lose some business.

The storm cut power to more than 8 million homes, shut down 70 percent of East Coast oil refineries and inflicted worse-than-expected damage in the New York metro area. That area produces about 10 percent of U.S. economic output.

The 10 foods for good health

2012-10-22T13:06:00.002-07:00

Olive oil lotion absorbs into skin without clogging pores, allowing skin to breathe which in turn help prevent acne.

Lemon juice helps in eliminating acid waste and cleansing the liver with citric acid and building up enzymes to eliminate blood toxins. It also flushes out pores and keeps your skin feeling fresh and bright.

Watermelon is very useful for removing blemishes on the skin. It is rich in vitamins A, B and C and keeps the skin fresh, radiant and hydrated. It also prevents eruption of acne and remove scars and marks of acne.

Eating a balanced diet is the best way to have a healthy skin. Low-fat dairy product consists of vitamin A, which is one of the most important components of healthy skin.

Raspberries are a healthy as they are loaded with vitamins, antioxidants and fiber. These are rich in phytochemicals that are protective of skin.

Yogurt has antifungal and antibacterial qualities, so it is useful for cleansing the skin and unblocking clogged pores.

Eating walnuts regularly help to improve the smoothness and softness of the skin. Walnuts oils contain linoleic acid, which helps to maintain the skin's structure, keeping it watertight and well hydrated.

Dietary selenium comes from nuts, cereals etc. Some studies show that even skin damaged by the sun may suffer fewer consequences if selenium levels are high.

Apples contain lots of pectin and it is the enemy of the acne. So, remember to eat the skin too as pectin is mostly concentrated there.

Water carries nutrition and oxygen to your internal body, keeping organs nourished, vital, and fit to fight acne.

Moisturize Skin With Honey, Olive Oil, Cucumber Facial Mask!

This is a simple facial mask that you can make at home with stuff in your kitchen. My skin has been extremely dry

In the summer weather and this mask is perfect to nourish and rejuvenate your skin.

'Non Bailable' arrest warrant issued' for Kingfisher's Vijay Mallya

2012-10-17T08:03:00.002-07:00

Hyderabad, Oct 12: A non-bailable warrant has been issued against Kingfisher Airlines (KFA) chairman Vijay Mallya. A Hyderabad court on Friday, Oct 12 issued the warrant fuelling speculations on Mallya's imminent arrest.

The court issued the warrant while hearing a case in which GMR Hyderabad International Airport Ltd (GHIAL) had filed a petition against Kingfisher Airlines for dishonouring cheques worth Rs 10.3 crore. GHIAL manages Rajiv Gandhi International Airport in Hyderabad.

Earlier, sources were quoted as saying, "Four cheques for Rs 10.3 crore which were issued towards airport charges (parking, landing and navigation) bounced. As the mandatory time for filing is getting closer, a case has been filed."

Earlier in Jun 2012, Mumbai International Airport, run by GVK Group, had filed a cheque bounce case against Kingfisher in a Mumbai criminal court.
Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL) run by GMR group had filed a similar case dishonoured cheque of Rs 3 crore.

Kingfisher Airlines' loss widened to Rs 651 crore for the quarter ended Jun 30, 2012 from Rs 264 crore a year ago. The non-bailable warrant would definitely rub salt on Mallya's wounds as he has been suffering over the airlines.

Resume fraud weighs on Indian IT industry, one in five CVs contain fake information

2012-10-11T10:00:00.005-07:00

BANGALORE/NEW DELHI: Last month, R Nandan, a 33-year-old employee of IBM, was discovered to have used his wife's academic credentials to get his Rs 24-lakh-a-year job, putting the spotlight on rampant resume fraud faced by India's $100-billion information technology services sector.

Had it not been for falling out with his wife, Nandan's fraud may never have been exposed. Every year, despite the IT industry's stated resolve to stamp out the problem of applicants lying about their academic qualifications and work experience, thousands like Nandan manage to sneak in. This is raising questions about whether companies are serious about tackling an issue which has the potential to harm India's reputation as the world's preferred location for outsourcing technology services.

One in every five CVs floating in the Indian IT industry is suspect, industry insiders and hiring experts say.

"At any given point in time, up to 10 per cent of the existing workforce in companies would be caught for fabricating or exaggerating their qualifications if verification tests are conducted," said Aditya Mishra, head of staffing business at Ma Foi Randstad, a leading HR services company in India.

HR experts say that the issue of resume fraud is very closely related to the integrity of the employees and their employer, and such instances would definitely have an impact on India's image.

"If companies don't get their act together on this, their reputation will be impacted. It speaks about their integrity," said Ganesh Shermon, partner and country head for human capital advisory services at KPMG.

The industry's inability to stop candidates who seek to game the system has partly got to do with lack of firm commitment from companies to follow uniform practices across the industry. "Honestly, most IT firms don't care; they just terminate these employees and forget about it. Unless employees, who fake their credentials, are taken to the police, this issue will never come to an end," a senior executive of another Bangalore-based IT company said, on condition of anonymity.

Continued high prevalence of resume fraud also raises questions about the efficacy of National Skills Registry, an initiative that industry body Nasscom started over five years ago as a long-term solution to the problem. As many as 118 large companies are members of the registry, which currently has a database of 1.1 million candidates, according to Nasscom. Of this, nearly 8 million candidate profiles have been vetted, so far, with the help of some 17 third-party background verification agencies.

Courtesy: http://economictimes.indiatimes.com

Launch of GOLD to go® ATM at Emirates Palace Hotel in Abu Dhabi

2012-10-05T13:24:00.003-07:00

In the standard version the ATM’s are equipped with the following products:

Gold Bars 1 gram

Gold Bars 5 gram

Gold Bars 10 gram

Gold Bars 1 Ounce

Krugerrand 1/10 Ounce

Krugerrand 1/4 Ounce

Krugerrand 1 Ounce

Kangaroo 1/10 Ounce 15 $

Kangaroo 1 Ounce 100 $

Maple Leaf 1/10 Ounce 5 $

An alternative product portfolio is possible, depending on the requirements of the respective location. All products come from well-known manufacturers and mints and may be exchanged for the respective currency at any time worldwide.

Additionally, coins and gold bars come in a precious gift box (illustrations are not to scale).

Microsoft buys Yammer for $1.2 billion

2012-10-04T10:38:00.001-07:00

The rumors were right. Microsoft announced on June 25 it has bought enterprise social networking vendor Yammer for $1.2 billion in cash.

Yammer will join the Microsoft Office Division, led by division President Kurt DelBene, and the team will continue to report to current Yammer CEO David Sacks, according to a Microsoft statement.

I doubt seriously whether Microsoft will be integrating any of Yammer's technology into Office 2013, as the client, server and services that are part of this wave are already quite far along in development. A public beta of Office 2013 is expected by many of us Microsoft watchers in July.

So what will Microsoft be doing with Yammer? Integration into existing Microsoft products isn't being mentioned by anyone from Microsoft today. From Microsoft's June 25 press release about the acquisition:

"Yammer will continue to develop its standalone service and maintain its commitment to simplicity, innovation and cross-platform experiences. Moving forward, Microsoft plans to accelerate Yammer’s adoption alongside complementary offerings from Microsoft SharePoint, Office 365, Microsoft Dynamics and Skype."

So many folks have asked me since the original rumor-go-round began why Microsoft would want Yammer. After all, Microsoft already has several partnership deals in place with Yammer and has its own enterprise social-networking technology built into SharePoint.

Here's the official statement from Microsoft as to why it's ponying up for the company:

"The acquisition of Yammer adds best-in-class enterprise social networking to Microsoft’s growing portfolio of complementary cloud services; world-class talent that knows how to deliver rapid innovation in the cloud; and a unique adoption model that appeals directly to end users."

(In my earlier speculation I wondered aloud whether Microsoft might be buying Yammer for similar reasons it bought Skype: It needed a cooler brand and wanted the cross-platform support. I still stand by those wonderings.)

As I blogged earlier this month, Microsoft was working on its own Yammer competitor, known as OfficeTalk. Last week, the Softies posted a downloadable case study which indicated thatOfficeTalk is now nothing more than a Microsoft IT demo project.

When I asked Microsoft officials whether the company had decided against commercializing OfficeTalk after all, I received this response from a spokesperson: "Great ideas areas such as OfficeTalk, are always coming from The Garage. We have nothing new to share." (The Garage is a Microsoft internal incubator.)

Update: Here are a few additional tidbits from a call Microsoft and Yammer held for analysts and press about today's announcement:

Though today's press release didn't mention integration plans, CEO Steve Ballmer and Yammer CEO David Sacks both acknowledged Microsoft plans to integrate Yammer's technology with Office, Office 365, Dynamics (CRM) and Skype. Microsoft will, however, continue to also offer Yammer as a standalone cloud service, too.
There are more than 5 million registered corporate Yammer users out there today.
Microsoft is claiming it will largely follow the Skype model with Yammer, in terms of leaving the company in its present locale (San Francisco in Yammer's case). But Sacks doesn't run a separate business unit the way Tony Bates does with Skype. Sacks and his team become part of the Office division.

Amazingly, Interesting, and Shocking Facts which we know rarely

2012-10-01T10:59:00.000-07:00

Granite blocks worth Rs 15,000 crore identified on PRP Exports premises

2012-09-28T11:00:00.001-07:00

Special teams formed by the district administration on Tuesday identified granite stones and marble worth a total of Rs 15,000 crore at a factory and quarries owned by PRP Exports in the district.

As part of the crackdown on the granite mafia in the region, some of the 20 special teams formed by collector Anshul Mishra have been inspecting quarries in Melur taluk, while a few others have been conducting separate assessment work on the PRP Exports premises at Therkutheru. At the PRP factory, officials found granite blocks — a total of 25,000 cubic metres — said to be worth Rs 6,750 crore, sources said.

Over 200 staff and officials, led by five sub-collectors, have been roped in for the assessment in the district. As on Tuesday, the teams identified around 45,730 granite blocks, valued at Rs 8,000 crore at the quarries. Similar assessment work in Keelaiyur neared completion on Tuesday.

Hunt on for barons:

Meanwhile, special police teams have intensified the hunt for granite barons accused of illegal quarrying in the region. Police was also perusing the property documents of the fraudulent granite firms collected from the registrar’s office.

Complaints Pour in Police continued receiving complaints against illegal quarrying on Tuesday. Over 25 petitions have been filed till date.

“We have registered 15 cases against the granite owners and firms. As many as 44 persons have been arrested,” detailed an official.

Before ADMK left Madurai constituency to CPI(M), there was a news that ADMK was searching an "equally" powerful person for Mr.Azhagiri standing in Madurai for DMK. ADMK official O Panneerselvam was assigned the job of convincing Mr. P Palanichamy, PRP Granites and Exports owner.

However, looks like Mr. P Palanichamy did not agree to contest in the election for some reason!

PRP Exports is headed by Mr.P. Palanichamy, a veteran in the field known for his extensive knowledge on granites. He is ably assisted and supported by Mr.P.Senthil Kumar, Mr.P. Suresh Kumar and Mr.K. Murugesan as the pillars of M/s PRP Exports.

You can find more info about his company and empire in Madurai

BBC News: Browsers under attack

2012-09-25T06:14:00.000-07:00

Ugly situation with with an ugly fix. hopefully a patch come out soon for this... Microsoft issues workaround for IE 0-day exploited in current attacks Posted on 18 September 2012. Microsoft has issued a security advisory with advice on how to patch a Internet Explorer zero-day vulnerability recently spotted being exploited in the wild by attackers that might be the same ones that are behind the Nitro attacks. The existence of the flaw and a working exploit for it has been revealed by security researcher and Metasploit contributor Eric Romang, who discovered it on 14 September while monitoring some of the infected servers used by the Nitro gang in the recent Java attacks.

The Rapid7 team got right on it and created a module exploiting the vulnerability for the Metasploit exploit toolkit during the weekend, and advised IE users to switch to other browsers such as Chrome or Firefox until Microsoft patches the flaw security update becomes available. Microsoft has reacted fast by issuing a security advisory yesterday, in which it confirms the existence of the flaw in Internet explorer 9 and all previous versions (IE10 is not affected), and offers instructions on steps the users can take to mitigate - but not yet remove - the threat: Deploy the Enhanced Mitigation Experience Toolkit (EMET) and configure it for Internet Explorer Set Internet and Local intranet security zone settings to "High" to block ActiveX Controls and Active Scripting in these zones Configure Internet Explorer to prompt before running Active Scripting or to disable Active Scripting in the Internet and Local intranet security zone. These steps could bring additional problems to the users, such as being bombarded by a slew of security warnings, so until Microsoft releases a definitive patch for the hole, maybe it would be easier for IE users to take Rapid7's advice and switch to another browser for the time being

Microsoft warns on previously unseen IE bug

Microsoft has released a temporary software fix for a newly discovered bug in its Internet Explorer web browser.

The problem, which affects hundreds of millions of IE browser users, is being used by attackers to install the Poison Ivy trojan.

This piece of malware is used to steal data or take remote control of PCs.

Microsoft moved quickly to address the issue. In a blog post, it said that it was "working to develop a security update".

So-called zero-day, or newly discovered, vulnerabilities are rare. According to security firm Symantec, only eight such bugs were spotted in 2011.

Symantec research manager Liam O Murchu said they were dangerous to users because they were new.
"Any time you see a zero-day like this, it is concerning.

"There are no patches available. It is very difficult for people to protect themselves."

Alternative browsers:

The flaw was spotted by Luxembourg-based security expert Eric Romang, when his PC was infected by Poison Ivy last week.

Microsoft told users to download a free patch, the Enhanced Mitigation Experience Toolkit, as a temporary solution while the company continued to work on a long-term fix.

But experts warned the new software must be downloaded and manually configured, making it cumbersome for many ordinary users.

Some advised users to switch to alternative browsers, such as Google's Chrome or Mozilla's Firefox while the bug was being fixed.

It is expected that producing a proper update will take about a week.

Pakistan, Bangladesh & Russian telecom operator blocked YouTube over anti-Islamic video

2012-09-20T07:25:00.001-07:00

Russian telecom operator blocks YouTube over Proph

Innocence of Muslims

Moscow: Rostelecom, one of Russia's largest telecom operators, has suspended access to YouTube in the central region of Omsk after local prosecutors reacted to a film that has triggered protests across the Islamic world.

The regional prosecutor's office wrote to the telecom company urging it to stop distributing the anti-Islam film "Innocence of Muslims" over fears that it advertises extremist ideas.

A representative of Rostelecom's Omsk subsidiary said the company had blocked access to YouTube Tuesday, because illegal content had been posted on the file-sharing site.

Access was resumed several hours later.

A statement posted on the company's website and signed by the acting Omsk region prosecutor says "free access to (YouTube) may result in the dissemination of extremist ideas in the region, as well as extremist crimes".

Access was blocked only in Omsk region, the statement added.

Earlier, Russia's telecom watchdog Roskomnadzor urged communication operators to block access to the film before the courts designate it as extremist. The Prosecutor General's Office will also officially recognise the film as "extremist".

The move comes as a new anti-extremist law prepares to take effect Nov 1, which targets the internet as a zone of potential extremism.

While the authorities have said the legislation is meant to protect children from harmful material, critics have blasted it as an attempt to dampen dissent on the internet.

Mass demonstrations over the film broke out in Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, Sudan and other predominantly Muslim countries. US ambassador to Libya Christopher Stevens was killed, along with three colleagues, when rioters attacked the US consulate in Benghazi.

Anti-Prophet Muhammad film: Pakistan blocks YouTube as two killed in violence

ISLAMABAD: Two persons died in violent protests against an anti-Islam film in Pakistan even as Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf on Monday directed authorities to block YouTube for hosting "blasphemous material", including clips from the movie.

A man was killed and two more were injured in a reported exchange of fire with police during a protest in Upper Dir district of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province in the northwest.

Bangladesh blocks YouTube over anti-Islamic video

DHAKA: The government in Bangladesh has blocked YouTube to prevent people from seeing an anti-Islam video produced in the US ridiculing the Prophet Muhammad.

Mir Mohammaed Morshed, a spokesman for the state-run Bangladesh Telecommunications Company Ltd., says the government blocked YouTube late Monday. He says the decision will remain effective until further notice.

2010 Awards (Not Movie Awards, But ?!?!?!?)

2012-09-17T03:18:00.000-07:00

Bush already knew about Sep'11: New York Times

2012-09-12T01:35:00.002-07:00

In this Tuesday, Sept. 11, 2001 file photo, Chief of Staff Andy Card whispers into the ear of President George W. Bush to give him word of the plane crashes into the World Trade Center, during a visit to the Emma E. Booker Elementary School in Sarasota, Fla. (Credit: AP/Doug Mills)

Last year Jonathan Kay, a Canadian journalist, published “Among the Truthers,” an interesting chronicle of, among other things, post-9/11 conspiracy theories. Many of these theories are outlandish on their face, such as claims that the twin towers were brought down by controlled demolition, that airplanes never struck them, that Flight 93 landed in Cleveland rather than crashing in a Pennsylvania field, and so forth.

Now if I were inclined toward a conspiratorial view of the world, I would speculate that the very outlandishness of these claims is itself part of a conspiracy to obscure what really happened on 9/11. This meta-conspiracy theory would go something like this: Over the past 11 years, it has slowly but inexorably become clear that the CIA uncovered key details of the 9/11 plot several months in advance, and tried on numerous occasions to get the Bush administration to take action to stop it.

In a New York Times Op-Ed, Kurt Eichenwald offers new evidence on this front. Throughout the spring and summer of 2001, Eichenwald claims the CIA presented the administration with compelling evidence that al-Qaida operatives were in the United States, that they were planning a major terrorist attack intended to produce mass casualties, and that this attack was imminent. In response, the Bush administration did nothing.

Indeed, the administration’s level of inaction was so negligent that senior intelligence officials actually considered resigning, so as not to be in a position of responsibility when the attack took place:

Officials at the Counterterrorism Center of the C.I.A. grew apoplectic. On July 9, at a meeting of the counterterrorism group, one official suggested that the staff put in for a transfer so that somebody else would be responsible when the attack took place, two people who were there told me in interviews. The suggestion was batted down, they said, because there would be no time to train anyone else.

For a long time, the administration successfully covered up this series of events, by employing the clever strategy of revealing a small and ultimately misleading part of the truth: In April 2004, it declassified a single daily briefing, that featured the startling headline “Bin Laden Determined to Strike in U.S.,” but on closer examination did not contain much in the way of specifics regarding the attack, which took place just 35 days after the memo’s printing.

100 Years of Earthquakes

2012-09-10T10:41:00.003-07:00

Japan's earthquake shook the entire world. We talked about it here. Photographs of the earth and air.
Summary of the Geological Society of London of the most powerful earthquake in the last 100 years. In order to understand the power of aftershocks - a little help.

What is the magnitude of 1. If it is very rude - imagine that you have jumped to the floor apartments with closet. Your neighbors will feel virtually no vibration. Earthquake at 2 points almost palpable. The increase in magnitude at 1.0 corresponds to an increase in amplitude in 10-fold increase in energy is about 32 times. In Japan it was 9.1.

1. April 18, 1906, San Francisco.

At 5:12 am in San Francisco there was a major earthquake, whose magnitude was 7.8 on the Richter scale. Tremors were felt even in the middle of Nevada, located deep in the continent. As a result of the disaster, almost 80% of the buildings in the city of San Francisco was destroyed, their homes were 300 000, 3000 - died.

2. December 28, 1908, Messina, Italy.

Epicenter of the earthquake with magnitude 7.5 points located in the strait between Sicily and the peninsula. As a result of this earthquake, which is considered the most powerful European earthquake, were almost completely destroyed the city of Messina and Reggio Calabria. In Messina lost almost half of the residents. The total number of victims is estimated at 70 -100 000 people (some sources name the figure to 200 thousand).

3. September 1, 1923, Tokyo-Yokohama, Japan.

This earthquake of magnitude 8.3 points still called the Great Kanto earthquake, as the Japanese Kanto province most affected by the strike element. For two days there was 356 aftershocks, and the height of the tsunami in Sagami Bay has reached 12 meters. The death toll in the disaster is estimated at 142,800 people.

4. Quetta, Pakistan, in 1936.

The earthquake completely destroyed the city's infrastructure, the death toll to nearly 40,000 people, with damage estimated at U.S. $ 25 million.

5. Concepcion, Chile, 1939.

Magnitude quake was 8.3 points. Killed 28 000 people, the damage amounted to nearly $ 100 million.

6. December 26, 1939 Erzincan, Turkey.

The city routinely had to endure the powerful earthquake. In 1939, the element has claimed the lives of 36 to 39 thousand people.

7. February 29, 1960, Agadir, Morocco.

An earthquake measuring 5.9 points only lasted 15 seconds, but the death toll was 15,000 people, injured 12,000, 35,000 were left homeless.

8. Chimbote, Peru, 1970.

An earthquake measuring 7.7 points seriously damaged the fishing industry enterprises, which caused unemployment and impoverishment of the population for several years. At the time of the earthquake killed 67,000 people, with damage estimated at $ 550 million.

9. July 27, 1976, Tien Shan, China.

This earthquake of magnitude 8.2 in the score is considered one of the largest by number of victims in the history of observations. Then the element has claimed more than 650,000 lives.

10. February 4, 1976, Guatemala.

The earthquake of magnitude 7.5 stars died more than 22 thousand people, and 70,000 were injured. Damage estimated at 1.1 billion dollars.

11. September 19, 1985 Mexico City, Mexico.

This earthquake of magnitude 8.1 score is considered one of the most devastating earthquakes of America. The number of dead was then 9,000 people and injured were 30,000 and 100,000 were left homeless.

12. December 7, 1988, Spitak, Armenia.

Magnitude of a catastrophic Spitak earthquake was 7.2 magnitude. The city of Spitak and 58 villages were completely destroyed. The number of dead reached 25 thousand and 514 thousand were left homeless. Damage was estimated at 14 billion dollars.

13. October 17, 1989, San Francisco, California, USA.

Earthquake, magnitude of which was 7.1 magnitude, occurred just before the baseball game "World Series", so in the U.S., this earthquake is also called the "earthquake World Series." In comparison with other earthquake victims was not much: 68 people. Tremors were completely destroyed by a network of roads, and the overall material damage estimated at $ 6 billion.

14. January 17, 1995, earthquake in Kobe - one of the largest in Japan.

Magnitude quake was 7.3 points. Killed 6,434 people, damage totaled $ 200 million.

15. August 17, 1999, Izmit earthquake in Turkey.

Magnitude 7.6 points, the number of victims amounted to 17,217 people, more than 43 thousand were injured. The earthquake triggered a fire at the refinery on fire which took several days. The total damage amounted to $ 25 billion.

16. December 26, 2004, earthquake in the Indian Ocean.

The magnitude was 9.1 points. The earthquake occurred most deadly tsunamis in modern history, killing nearly 300 000 people. The horrific earthquake changed the Earth's rotation rate, because of what knocks have become shorter in 2.68 microseconds.

17. May 12, 2008, Sichuan earthquake, China.

Magnitude was 8 points. Echoes of this earthquake were felt even in Russia. The number of dead reached 68 thousand people, the damage - 20 billion dollars.

18. February 27, 2010, Maule Region, Chile.

Magnitude earthquake in Chile was 8.8 points, the total number of dead had reached almost 800 people. The earthquake occurred tsunami, which reached even to Australia.

19. March 11, 2011, earthquake off the island of Honshu, Japan.

Magnitude up to 9.1 points - this is the most powerful earthquake in Japan on record. March 14, official sources reported nearly 5000 dead, but this figure is not final.

20. The biggest tsunami.

The highest wave of the tsunami, scientists reported in the Gulf fordoobraznom Lita, located in southeast Alaska.

Natural disaster occurred in the evening July 9, 1958, beginning with the earthquake and landslide at fault Ferueter. It was a landslide caused, which has produced record-breaking wave (524m above sea level). The huge stone mass collapsed into the water from the rocks on the northeast coast of the Gulf. From a height of 910 meters 300 million cubic meters of rock, ice and land have broken down.

Powerful waves move across the bay at a speed of 160km / h. The main blow fell on the southwest coast of the bay Hilbert. Wave was of such magnitude that it is easy to completely perehlestnula a sandbank at the mouth of the bay. La Cosa Gauss, separating the bay from the Gulf of Gilbert, was virtually destroyed by violence of the elements. A huge number of trees wave uprooted and carried away into the ocean. As a result of the disaster in the ground cracks appeared, slipped down the coast, and numerous buildings were destroyed.

Bay Lita was a favorite spot for fishing off the local population. During the accident at the epicenter of the events were three ships. Fishermen felt very strong push that dropped them out of bed, and have witnessed how the giant wave lashed out fiercely at the foot of the mountain.

Witnesses at first thought that they face glacier Lita: a huge boulder, which had seemed strong, was moving toward them. On the space that used to grow lush forests, the wave leaving only bare rock at an altitude of 600m. Wave lifted one of the barges and dumped it into the ocean, playfully moving through the shallows. The vessel was separated into pieces, but luckily he survived and the fishermen were found safe two hours after the accident. Another boat also escaped, but the third drowned - body fishermen have not been found.

Famous Monuments of Wildlife

2012-08-29T06:29:00.001-07:00

Not only are people put a monument, but also to animals. I suggest you look at some of the most famous monuments of wild animals:)

The elephant in full size of Chicago.

15-meter sculpture of a bear, looks in the window.

In Bobruisk, you will find a huge monument to well-fed Beaver straw.

Philosophical monument chimpanzee sitting on the writings of Darwin and scrutinizes human skull. China, Monkey Island, Haynyan.

But such a strange rabbit you'll meet in Missouri, USA.

Famous Bunny from St. Petersburg.

The hanging rhino. Potsdam, Germany.

Rhinoceros from Paris.

In the Khanty-Mansiysk is a monument to the mammoth. The total weight of the sculptural group - 70 tonnes, the height of the smallest figure of a baby mammoth - about 2 meters.

The concrete sculpture "Mammoth" is located at the ferry.

Sculptural composition of giraffes in the style of techno.

Monument behemoth of a circus troupe.

Sculpture of a tiger walking from Oslo, Norway.

Apple lists 8 Samsung products it wants banned

2012-08-29T06:18:00.000-07:00

In the wake of its legal victory, Apple on Monday wasted no time in naming eight Samsung smartphones it now wants the court to order pulled from stores and banned from the U.S.

Apple's move came as Samsung shares closed down 7.5% in South Korea on the first trading day after a federal jury in San Jose late Friday found the electronics giant infringed upon Apple patents with its devices that run Google's Android software. Shares of rival handset maker HTC, which likewise uses Android, slipped 1.9% in Taiwan. And shares of Google sank 1.4% to close at $669.22 in the U.S.

The verdict is expected to have wide-ranging ripple effects on makers of mobile devices that rely on Android and on their customers.

Apple closed up 1.9% at $675.68, near its all-time high of $680.87.

Apple has asked the court for injunctions on Samsung's Galaxy S 4G, Galaxy S2 (AT&T), Galaxy S2 Skyrocket, Galaxy S2 (T-Mobile), Galaxy S2 Epic 4G, Galaxy S Showcase, Droid Charge and Galaxy Prevail. Apple earlier was granted an injunction banning Samsung's Galaxy Tab 10.1 tablet.

Legal experts say people who already own these devices shouldn't worry about the outcome affecting them or their warranties.

Troubles for Samsung and Google buoyed shares of mobile rivals not tied to Android software. Shares of mobile phone maker Nokia surged 5.5% to $3.25; BlackBerry makerResearch In Motion rose 1.9% to $7.07; Microsoft, soon to ship Windows 8 software for smartphones and tablets, edged up 0.4% to $30.69.

Apple on Friday scored a jury victory on patents that cover design and features such as scrolling, zooming and enlarging text. Apple won six out of seven of the patents in dispute.

Samsung now faces increasing costs for its devices, either for devising workarounds or for paying Apple licensing fees, though that remains an open question. "I don't expect Apple to license if they're trying to destroy Android and put it out of the market," says Mark McKenna, University of Notre Dame law professor.

And Samsung's troubles inevitably will turn into costs for consumers, says Vivek Wadhwa, a fellow at Stanford Law School.

Still to be seen is whether Apple will go directly after Google in court. "My prediction is that's next," says Wadhwa. Meanwhile, the expected Samsung appeal to the federal court of appeals in Washington, D.C., could take a year or more to play out.

Anna Hazare clearly directed us to start forming political party

2012-08-28T03:00:00.000-07:00

Top Team Anna members today rejected criticism that Anna Hazare was forced to adopt the path of political alternative and claimed that he was fully involved in the decision to go political.

As a first step, Team Anna may test the waters in the Delhi Assembly elections next year while skipping the polls in BJP-ruled Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh later this year.

The members said a propaganda machinery was working overtime to drive a wedge between Hazare and the other team members which, they feel, would fail.

Activist Arvind Kejriwal even offered to immediately withdraw from going ahead with the political alternative if Hazare says he is against the formation of a party.

Kiran Bedi, however, added a line saying Hazare also gave the option to remain in the anti-corruption movement for those who were not willing to follow the political path.

The views of Kejriwal, Bedi and others came in the context of speculation that Hazare was against the team pitching into politics for changing the system.

"Anna heeded to public demand and is convinced that there was no road left other than providing political alternative. Anna clearly directed us to start forming political party," Kejriwal wrote on micro-blogging site Twitter.

"Let Anna say once that he is against pol(itical) party formation, we will immediately withdraw," he said, adding that Hazare was extremely sharp politically and fiercely independent.

Anna cannot be influenced by anyone, he added.

Bedi told reporters, "Anna had said that those people who think are ready for political party, then they should take that option, but those who think that the movement is also necessary, Anna has kept both options open."

In reply to a question, she wrote on Twitter, "I have repeatedly made known that I am not aligned towards electoral politics. Its against my nature. Public service is."

SMS limit increased from 5 to 20 per day with immediate effect

2012-08-25T11:15:00.002-07:00

New Delhi: The government today increased the SMS limit per day from five to 20 with immediate effect, according to a notification issued by the Ministry of Communication. From today, the mobile customers in the country, which is more than 930 million, can send a maximum to 20 SMS-es in one go and more than 25 KB of data through mobile phones.

Mobile users were restricted to sending only 5 SMS-es per day from last Saturday to check spread of rumours, which fuelled panic among people from the North-East.

"We have banned bulk SMS-es and MMS-es for 15 days," Union Home Secretary RK Singh had said last week.

According to the government, since the clashes in Assam, misleading information and hate messages were being spread through SMS-es and MMS-es that led to panic among the people from the North-East. Social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter were also reportedly used to circulate morphed images.

Along with the restrictions on SMSes and MMS-es, hundreds of web pages have been banned by the government since last week.

INDIA RESTRICTS SMS/MMS SENDING TO FIVE MESSAGES PER DAY

2012-08-19T05:55:00.003-07:00

Indian Ministry of Home Affairs has placed a fresh restriction on SMS and MMS services in the country.

Mobile users in India are now restricted to sending five messages per day. This restriction is applicable for the next 15 days.The restriction is related to communal violence in some parts of the country. The governmentbelieves that sms/mms technology is being used to spread hatred.

There has also been talks about putting restrictions on social networking services for the same reason. Right now, we have not seen any ban on any of the social networking platforms. But we imagine that the government has directed these services to keep an eye out on people who might use their platform for spreading hate.

Unusual Hotel in Swiss

2012-08-15T11:25:00.001-07:00

This is an unusual hotel in the Swiss Alps at an altitude of 1700 meters above sea level.

The hotel complex consists of 15 residential houses, which by its shape

reminiscent of the needle (a traditional Eskimo dwelling made of snow and ice).

Is it Heaven or Google. Hard to find !! (Google Office)

2012-08-12T11:32:00.004-07:00

Google’s HQ, otherwise known as Googleplex, is situated in Mountain view, California in Silicon Valley.

Throughout the corridors between the six buildings, there are all sorts of Google memorabilia on display. They even employ guides who specialize in explaining Google’s history to people. There are lava lamps everywhere, as well as free coke and candy all over the place. They’ve also got huge multicolored exercise balls everywhere.

What an ambience!!!!!!!

Moving around: A slide allows quick access from different floors.... There are also poles available ... they are similar to the ones used in fire stations.

INOVATION: Large boards are available just about everywhere because 'ideas don't always come when seated in the office' says one of Googles managers.

The casual atmosphere in Google HQ can be demonstrated by the fact that staff can bring their pets to work, and the pets are allowed to wander around the office.

Heaps of people have pets at Google HQ.

Work Station: Each employee has at least two large screens. There are 4-6 'Zooglers' per office.

Managers Cabins……..

Corridors…..

We already knew that working for Google had certain advantages, but, believe me, this giant of the search motor takes the welfare of its employees seriously.. As shown by this decompression (stress) capsule that is impermeable to sound and light...

You can use your own mode of transport in the office!!!!

Swimming is the best way to relax in office

So is the Gym!!!

There’s a rule within Google: that there must be food within 100 feet of every employee.

This looks more like a toyshop than a workspace!

Rumor has it, a dude who had just joined Google had not been able to find a flat, so he lived at Google HQ for a month. He lived a lot better than Tom Hanks in The Terminal. Meals are provided, couches everywhere, there are showers in the bathrooms, a gym and a swimming pool. Better than the facilities at home! The dude didn’t leave Google HQ for a month straight. By the way he stayed in an igloo….

It’s all fun and games!

Technical Support: Problem with your computer? No problem ... Bring it to this area where drinks are available while it is being fixed ...

Health: Professional masseurs (eusses) available.

Don’t say Google treats their employees like kids... real kids play Lego on the floor, not on tables!

Whiteboards at Google HQ are filled with all sorts of great (or not) ideas in all sorts of different languages.

REST ... This room provides massage chairs that you control ... while you view relaxing aquariums .... !!!

Entertainment room…………

Ambiance .... There are many books in this library ... even some about programming !!

There’s free food all over the place, it almost look like a supermarket.

Hmmmmmmmm chocolate!

There’s also a free laundry room for use for the staff.

The beauty of it all…..It’s Eco Friendly!!!!!!! All this runs on Solar Energy