DarkLord's Blog

Harry Potter facts for enthusiasts..

noreply@blogger.com (DarkLord) — Sun, 28 Aug 2011 20:11:00 +0000

Click on the image to see the full sized version.

Cry of India.

noreply@blogger.com (DarkLord) — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 07:46:00 +0000

I have enormous tracts of land and vast volumes of water...
but myself I cannot feed...
I can produce anything and import everything...
but dont have enough to eat...

I have millions of cows...
to feed myself I have not enough milk...
Myself, am covered in rags
though I produce the purest of pure silk

I drive the best cars in the world...
but have no roads...
Beginning to loose my verve...
please understand my bodes...

My schools have one or no teachers...
and no roof for classroom...
Sometimes I take lectures through windows...
and live with 15 others in one room...

For democracy's sake I stood all day...
on an election day...
But before I could ink my thumb...
results were out and away...

Those responsible for my dignity...
gave me oppression...
I am loosing the belief...
and loosing self expression...

I still want to live with the spirit of conviction...
and a vision so pure...

PLEASE CELEBRATE ME
I AM 64...................................

How to live your life before you die.

noreply@blogger.com (DarkLord) — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 07:51:00 +0000

This is a talk given by Steve Jobs at a Stanford graduation ceremony way back in 2005. I read it in 2008. Three years down the line, it is something that still drives me and motivates me. This is the text of the talk. The video is also at the bottom of the post but reading it would be better first.

'You've got to find what you love,' Jobs says

I am honored to be with you today at your commencement from one of the finest universities in the world. I never graduated from college. Truth be told, this is the closest I've ever gotten to a college graduation. Today I want to tell you three stories from my life. That's it. No big deal. Just three stories.
The first story is about connecting the dots.

I dropped out of Reed College after the first 6 months, but then stayed around as a drop-in for another 18 months or so before I really quit. So why did I drop out?

It started before I was born. My biological mother was a young, unwed college graduate student, and she decided to put me up for adoption. She felt very strongly that I should be adopted by college graduates, so everything was all set for me to be adopted at birth by a lawyer and his wife. Except that when I popped out they decided at the last minute that they really wanted a girl. So my parents, who were on a waiting list, got a call in the middle of the night asking: "We have an unexpected baby boy; do you want him?" They said: "Of course." My biological mother later found out that my mother had never graduated from college and that my father had never graduated from high school. She refused to sign the final adoption papers. She only relented a few months later when my parents promised that I would someday go to college.

And 17 years later I did go to college. But I naively chose a college that was almost as expensive as Stanford, and all of my working-class parents' savings were being spent on my college tuition. After six months, I couldn't see the value in it. I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life and no idea how college was going to help me figure it out. And here I was spending all of the money my parents had saved their entire life. So I decided to drop out and trust that it would all work out OK. It was pretty scary at the time, but looking back it was one of the best decisions I ever made. The minute I dropped out I could stop taking the required classes that didn't interest me, and begin dropping in on the ones that looked interesting.

It wasn't all romantic. I didn't have a dorm room, so I slept on the floor in friends' rooms, I returned coke bottles for the 5¢ deposits to buy food with, and I would walk the 7 miles across town every Sunday night to get one good meal a week at the Hare Krishna temple. I loved it. And much of what I stumbled into by following my curiosity and intuition turned out to be priceless later on. Let me give you one example:
Reed College at that time offered perhaps the best calligraphy instruction in the country. Throughout the campus every poster, every label on every drawer, was beautifully hand calligraphed. Because I had dropped out and didn't have to take the normal classes, I decided to take a calligraphy class to learn how to do this. I learned about serif and san serif typefaces, about varying the amount of space between different letter combinations, about what makes great typography great. It was beautiful, historical, artistically subtle in a way that science can't capture, and I found it fascinating.

None of this had even a hope of any practical application in my life. But ten years later, when we were designing the first Macintosh computer, it all came back to me. And we designed it all into the Mac. It was the first computer with beautiful typography. If I had never dropped in on that single course in college, the Mac would have never had multiple typefaces or proportionally spaced fonts. And since Windows just copied the Mac, it's likely that no personal computer would have them. If I had never dropped out, I would have never dropped in on this calligraphy class, and personal computers might not have the wonderful typography that they do. Of course it was impossible to connect the dots looking forward when I was in college. But it was very, very clear looking backwards ten years later.

Again, you can't connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something — your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life.

My second story is about love and loss.

I was lucky — I found what I loved to do early in life. Woz and I started Apple in my parents garage when I was 20. We worked hard, and in 10 years Apple had grown from just the two of us in a garage into a $2 billion company with over 4000 employees. We had just released our finest creation — the Macintosh — a year earlier, and I had just turned 30. And then I got fired. How can you get fired from a company you started? Well, as Apple grew we hired someone who I thought was very talented to run the company with me, and for the first year or so things went well. But then our visions of the future began to diverge and eventually we had a falling out. When we did, our Board of Directors sided with him. So at 30 I was out. And very publicly out. What had been the focus of my entire adult life was gone, and it was devastating.

I really didn't know what to do for a few months. I felt that I had let the previous generation of entrepreneurs down - that I had dropped the baton as it was being passed to me. I met with David Packard and Bob Noyce and tried to apologize for screwing up so badly. I was a very public failure, and I even thought about running away from the valley. But something slowly began to dawn on me — I still loved what I did. The turn of events at Apple had not changed that one bit. I had been rejected, but I was still in love. And so I decided to start over. I didn't see it then, but it turned out that getting fired from Apple was the best thing that could have ever happened to me. The heaviness of being successful was replaced by the lightness of being a beginner again, less sure about everything. It freed me to enter one of the most creative periods of my life.

During the next five years, I started a company named NeXT, another company named Pixar, and fell in love with an amazing woman who would become my wife. Pixar went on to create the worlds first computer animated feature film, Toy Story, and is now the most successful animation studio in the world. In a remarkable turn of events, Apple bought NeXT, I returned to Apple, and the technology we developed at NeXT is at the heart of Apple's current renaissance. And Laurene and I have a wonderful family together. I'm pretty sure none of this would have happened if I hadn't been fired from Apple. It was awful tasting medicine, but I guess the patient needed it. Sometimes life hits you in the head with a brick. Don't lose faith. I'm convinced that the only thing that kept me going was that I loved what I did. You've got to find what you love. And that is as true for your work as it is for your lovers. Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven't found it yet, keep looking. Don't settle. As with all matters of the heart, you'll know when you find it. And, like any great relationship, it just gets better and better as the years roll on. So keep looking until you find it. Don't settle.

My third story is about death.

When I was 17, I read a quote that went something like: "If you live each day as if it was your last, someday you'll most certainly be right." It made an impression on me, and since then, for the past 33 years, I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself: "If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?" And whenever the answer has been "No" for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something.

Remembering that I'll be dead soon is the most important tool I've ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life. Because almost everything — all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure - these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important. Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart.

About a year ago I was diagnosed with cancer. I had a scan at 7:30 in the morning, and it clearly showed a tumor on my pancreas. I didn't even know what a pancreas was. The doctors told me this was almost certainly a type of cancer that is incurable, and that I should expect to live no longer than three to six months. My doctor advised me to go home and get my affairs in order, which is doctor's code for prepare to die. It means to try to tell your kids everything you thought you'd have the next 10 years to tell them in just a few months. It means to make sure everything is buttoned up so that it will be as easy as possible for your family. It means to say your goodbyes.

I lived with that diagnosis all day. Later that evening I had a biopsy, where they stuck an endoscope down my throat, through my stomach and into my intestines, put a needle into my pancreas and got a few cells from the tumor. I was sedated, but my wife, who was there, told me that when they viewed the cells under a microscope the doctors started crying because it turned out to be a very rare form of pancreatic cancer that is curable with surgery. I had the surgery and I'm fine now. This was the closest I've been to facing death, and I hope it's the closest I get for a few more decades. Having lived through it, I can now say this to you with a bit more certainty than when death was a useful but purely intellectual concept:

No one wants to die. Even people who want to go to heaven don't want to die to get there. And yet death is the destination we all share. No one has ever escaped it. And that is as it should be, because Death is very likely the single best invention of Life. It is Life's change agent. It clears out the old to make way for the new. Right now the new is you, but someday not too long from now, you will gradually become the old and be cleared away. Sorry to be so dramatic, but it is quite true.

Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma — which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary
.
When I was young, there was an amazing publication called The Whole Earth Catalog, which was one of the bibles of my generation. It was created by a fellow named Stewart Brand not far from here in Menlo Park, and he brought it to life with his poetic touch. This was in the late 1960's, before personal computers and desktop publishing, so it was all made with typewriters, scissors, and polaroid cameras. It was sort of like Google in paperback form, 35 years before Google came along: it was idealistic, and overflowing with neat tools and great notions
.
Stewart and his team put out several issues of The Whole Earth Catalog, and then when it had run its course, they put out a final issue. It was the mid-1970s, and I was your age. On the back cover of their final issue was a photograph of an early morning country road, the kind you might find yourself hitchhiking on if you were so adventurous. Beneath it were the words: "Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish." It was their farewell message as they signed off. Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish. And I have always wished that for myself. And now, as you graduate to begin anew, I wish that for you.

Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish.

Thank you all very much.

Most Worthless Currency Units.

noreply@blogger.com (DarkLord) — Sun, 31 Jul 2011 18:27:00 +0000

You’ll need a truck to carry enough money to buy a burger on these countries.

Somali Shilling

You’d think he won the lottery! But Somalis buys can of drink for millions of his money. Hyperinflation is so horrible in Somalia that they no longer issues out any coins. It’s illegal to barter and or trade coinage.

The highest valued banknote in Somalia is 10,000, approximately valued at 3 cents US$.

Zimbabwean dollar

Only in Zimbabwe would a hamburger actually cost millions of dollars.

Although the dollar was considered to be among the highest valued currency units when it was first introduced in 1980 to replace the Rhodesian dollar at a ratio of 1:1, political turmoil and hyperinflation rapidly eroded the value of the Zimbabwe dollar to eventually become one of the most worthless currency units in the world.

Zimbabwe’s shocking 100,000 percent inflation rate, forced the government to release a 10,000,000 dollar note equivalent to less than US$ 4.

A hamburger in an ordinary cafe in Zimbabwe costs 15 million Zimbabwe dollars.

Vietnamese Dongs

USD1 = 16,500 Vietnamese Dong, which literally makes you a millionaire in during your Vietnam visit. It’s actually quite a pain though, for foreign travellers who are slow in counting.

The đồng has been the currency of Vietnam since May 3, 1978 and is one of the least valued currency in the world.

The value of the biggest banknote in the country (500,000) is US$31.37.
Starting with the early 1980 the embargo of the United States stopped the exports from Vietnam, which lead to price controls and an abundance of dongs printed in the country.

Deutsche Mark

One of the most spectacular moments of hyperinflation came from Germany shortly after WWI and the German Revolution.

The Mark, the German currency at the time, went from a staggering 1US$ = 12,500 Marks as of September 1922 to

1US$ = 4,000,000,000,000 Marks as of December 31st 1923 and during the worst times, one U.S. dollar was equal to 80 billion Mark.

One of the firms printing these notes submitted an invoice for the work to the Reichsbank for 32,776,899,763,734,490,417.05 (3.28×1019, or 33 quintillion) Marks.

São Tomé and Príncipe Dobra

The visitor to São Tomé and Príncipe – an island nation located in Africa – will have to spend their money wisely. The country’s currency is entitled “dobra” and it most valued banknote is the 50,000 dobra note, which is worth about $3.47.

With 20,000 roughly equivalent to £1, you’ll need a hefty measure of these just to buy a cup of the nation’s favourite tipple, cocoa.

Iranian Rial

The fiat currency in use by Iran is the Rial. As of January 1st, 2011, 1 US Dollar was the equivalent of 10,349.59 Rials.

The highest issued coin is pegged at 5,000 (48 cents US). Of note is that Iran still has many silver coins left in circulation. These coins contain approximately 40-60% silver and may be the most undervalued coins in the history of mankind. The highest valued legal tendered banknote is pegged at 100,000 ($9.66 US).

Hungarian Pengő

The pengő was the currency of Hungary. The currency survived only for 20 years and experienced the most serious hyperinflation ever recorded.

The denominations b.-pengő ( 1,000,000,000,000 pengő or one billion pengő ) were used to alleviate calculations and cut down the number of zeros. That time prices double every 15 hours.

Finally, on 18 August, 1946 400,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 pengő (400 octillion) became 1 forint. The exchange rate for the US dollar was set at 11.74 forints

The 100 million b.-pengő note- picture above -was the highest denomination of banknote ever issued, worth 100 quintillion Hungarian pengő.

Rahul Gandhi Exposed.

noreply@blogger.com (DarkLord) — Sat, 11 Jun 2011 07:16:00 +0000

Rahul Gandhi: "I feel ashamed to call myself an INDIAN after seeing what has happened here in UP".

PLEASE DON'T BE ASHAMED OF U.P. YET

Please don't be ashamed of Uttar Pradesh yet. Congress ruled the State for the Majority of the duration Pre Independence to Post Independence.. from 1939 to 1989 ( barring the Periods of Emergency.. Thanks to your Grand Mom Indira G. and a couple of transitional Governments)

8 out of the total 14 Prime Ministers of India have been from UP, 6 out of those 8 have been from Congress...

I think your party had more than half a century and half a Dozen PM's to build a State...

The Reason Mulayam Singh, subsequently came to Power is because your party wasn't exactly Gandhian in their dealings in the State.. So May be If you look at in totality the present chaos in UP is the outcome of the glorious leadership displayed by Congress in UP for about 50 years!

So Please don't feel ashamed as yet Dear Rahul.. For Mayawati is only using the Land Acquisition Bill which your party had itself used to LOOT the Farmers many times in the Past!

WHY DIDN'T YOUR PARTY CHANGE THE BILL WHEN IT WAS IN POWER FOR SO LONG?

Not that I Endorse what Mayawati is doing.. What Mayawati is doing is Unacceptable..

But the past actions of your party and your recent comments, puts a question mark on your INTENT and CONSISTENCY.

YOU REALLY WANT TO FEEL ASHAMED

But don't be disappointed, I would give you ample reasons to feel ashamed...

You really want to feel Ashamed..?

First Ask Pranav Mukherjee, Why isn't he giving the details of the account holders in the Swiss Banks.

Ask your Mother, Who is impeding the Investigation against Hasan Ali?

Ask her, Who got 60% Kickbacks in the 2G Scam ?

Kalamdi is accused of a Few hundred Crores, Who Pocketed the Rest in the Common Wealth Games?

Ask Praful Patel what he did to the Indian Airlines? Why did Air India let go of the Profitable Routes ?

Why should the Tax Payer pay for the Air India losses, when you intend to eventually DIVEST IT ANYWAY!!!

Also, You People can't run an Airline Properly. How can we expect you to run the Nation?

Ask Manmohan Singh. Why/What kept him quiet for so long?

Are Kalmadi and A Raja are Scapegoats to save Big Names like Harshad Mehta was in the 1992 Stock Market Scandal ?

Who let the BHOPAL GAS TRAGEDY Accused go Scot Free? ( 20,000 People died in that Tragedy)

Who ordered the State Sponsored Massacre of SIKHS in 84?

Please read more about, How Indira Gandhi pushed the Nation Under Emergency in 76-77, after the HC declared her election to Lok Sabha Void!

(I bet She had utmost respect for DEMOCRACY and JUDICIARY and FREE PRESS)

I guess you know the answers already. So My question is, Why the Double Standards in Judging Mayawati and members of your Family and Party?

I condemn Mayawati. But Is She the only one you feel Ashamed for?

What about the ones close to you? For their contribution to the Nation's Misery is beyond comparison.

You talk about the Land being taken away from the Farmers. How many Suicides have happened under your Parties Rule in Vidarbha ? Does that Not Ashame You ?

THE 72,000 CRORE LOAN WAIVER

Your Party gave those Farmers a 72,000 Crore Loan Waiver. Which didn't even reach the Farmers by the way.

So, Why don't you focus on implementing the policies which your govt. has undertaken, instead of earning brownie points by trying to manufacture consent by bombarding us with pictures of having food with Poor Villagers....

You want to feel ashamed. You can feel ashamed for your Party taking CREDIT for DEBITING the Public Money (72,000 crores) from the Government Coffers and literally Wasting it...

You want to feel ashamed.. Feel ashamed for that...

WHY ONLY HIGHLIGHT THIS ARREST?

Dear Rahul, to refresh your memory, you were arrested/detained by the FBI the BOSTON Airport in September 2001.

You were carrying with you $ 1,60,000 in Cash. You couldn't explain why you were carrying so much Cash.

Incidentally He was with his Columbian girlfriend Veronique Cartelli, ALLEGEDLY, the Daughter of Drug Mafia.

9 HOURS he was kept at the Airport.

Later then freed on the intervention of the then Prime Minister Mr.Vajpayee.. FBI filed an equivalent of an FIR in US and released him.

When FBI was asked to divulge the information, by Right/Freedom to Information Activists about the reasons Rahul was arrested ... FBI asked for a NO OBJECTION CERTIFICATE from Rahul Gandhi.

So Subramaniyam Swami wrote a Letter to Rahul Gandhi, " If you have NOTHING to HIDE, Give us the Permission"

HE NEVER REPLIED!

Why did that arrest not make Headlines Rahul? You could have gone to the Media and told, "I am ashamed to call myself an INDIAN?".

Or is it that, you only do like to highlight Symbolic Arrests (like in UP) and not Actual Arrests ( In BOSTON)

Kindly Clarify.....

In any case, you want to feel ashamed, Read Along...

YOUR MOTHER'S SO CALLED SACRIFICE OF GIVING UP PRIME MINISTER SHIP in 2004.

According to a Provision in the Citizenship Act.

A Foreign National who becomes a Citizen of India, is bounded by the same restrictions, which an Indian would face, If he/she were to become a Citizen of Italy.

(Condition based on principle of reciprocity)

[READ ANNEXURE- 1&2]

Now Since you can't become a PM in Italy, Unless you are born there.

Likewise an Italian Citizen can't become Indian PM, unless He/She is not born here!

Dr. SUBRAMANIYAM SWAMI (The Man who Exposed the 2G Scam) sent a letter to the PRESIDENT OF INDIA bringing the same to his Notice. [READ LETTER TO THE PRESIDENT IN ANNEXURE -3]

PRESIDENT OF INDIA sent a letter to Sonia Gandhi to this effect, 3:30 PM, May 17th, 2004.

Swearing Ceremony was scheduled for 5 PM the same Day.

Manmohan Singh was brought in the Picture at the last moment to Save Face!!

Rest of the SACRIFICE DRAMA which she choreographed was an EYE WASH!!!

Infact Sonia Gandhi had sent, 340 letters, each signed by different MP to the PRESIDENT KALAM, supporting her candidacy for PM.

One of those letters read, I Sonia Gandhi, elected Member from Rai Bareli, hereby propose Sonia Gandhi as Prime Minister.

So SHE was Pretty INTERESTED! Until She came to know the Facts!

So She didn't make any Sacrifice, It so happens that SONIA GANDHI couldn't have become the PM of INDIA that time.

You could be Ashamed about that Dear Rahul!! One Credential Sonia G had, Even that was a HOAX!

THINK ABOUT YOURSELF.

You go to Harvard on Donation Quota. ( Hindujas Gave HARVARD 11 million dollars the same year, when Rajiv Gandhi was in Power)

Then you are expelled in 3 Months/ You Dropped out in 3 Months.... ( Sadly Manmohan Singh wasn't the Dean of Harvard that time, else you might have had a chance... Too Bad, there is only one Manmohan Singh!)

Some Accounts say, You had to Drop out because of Rajiv Gandhi's Assassination.

May be, But Then Why did you go about lying about being Masters in Economics from Harvard .. before finally taking it off your Resume upon questioning by Dr. SUBRAMANIYAM SWAMI (The Gentlemen who exposed the 2G Scam)

At St. Stephens.. You Fail the Hindi Exam.

Hindi Exam!!!

And you are representing the Biggest Hindi Speaking State of the Country?

SONIA GANDHI's EDUCATIONAL QUALIFICATIONS

Sonia G gave a sworn affidavit as a Candidate that She Studied English at University of Cambridge

[SEE ANNEXURE-6, 7_37a]

According to Cambridge University, there is no such Student EVER! [ SEE ANNEXURE -7_39]

Upon a Case by Dr. Subramaniyam Swami filed against her,

She subsequently dropped the CAMBRIDGE CREDENTIAL from her Affidavit.

Sonia Gandhi didn't even pass High School. She is just 5th class Pass!

In this sense, She shares a common Educational Background with her 2G Partner in Crime, Karunanidhi.

You Fake your Educational Degree, Your Mother Fakes her Educational Degree.

And then you go out saying, " We want Educated Youth into Politics!"

Letters sent by Dr. Swami to EC and then Speaker of Lok Sabha are in ANNEXURE 7_36 &7_35 RESPECTIVELY

Contrast that with Gandhi Ji , who went to South Africa, Became a Barrister, on Merit, Left all that to work for South Africa, then for the Country....

WHY LIE ABOUT EDUCATIONAL CREDENTIALS?

Not that Education is a Prerequisite for being a great Leader, but then you shouldn't have lied about your qualifications!

You could feel a little ashamed about Lying about your Educational Qualifications. You had your reasons I know, Because in India, WE RESPECT EDUCATION!

But who cares about Education, When you are a Youth Icon!!

YOUTH ICON

You traveled in the Local Train for the first time at the Age of 38.

You went to some Villages as a part of Election Campaign.

And You won a Youth Icon!! ... That's why You are my Youth Icon.

For 25 Million People travel by Train Everyday. You are the First Person to win a Youth Icon for boarding a Train.

Thousands of Postmen go to remotest of Villages. None of them have yet gotten a Youth Icon.

You were neither YOUNG Nor ICONIC!

Still You became a Youth Icon beating Iconic and Younger Contenders like RAHUL DRAVID.

Shakespeare said, What's in a Name?

Little did he knew, It's all in the Name, Especially the Surname!

Speaking of Surname, Sir

DO YOU REALLY RESPECT GANDHI, OR IS IT JUST TO CASH IN ON THE GOODWILL OF MAHATMA?

Because the Name on your Passport is RAUL VINCI.

Not RAHUL GANDHI..

May be if you wrote your Surname as Gandhi, you would have experienced, what Gandhi feels like, LITERALLY ( Pun Intended)

You People don't seem to use Gandhi much, except when you are fighting Elections. ( There it makes complete sense).

Imagine fighting elections by the Name Raul Vinci...

It feels sadly Ironic, Gandhi Ji, who inspired Icons like Nelson Mandela ,Martin Luther King Jr. and John Lennon, across the world, Couldn't inspire members of his party/ Nehru's Family, who only seem to use his Surname for the purposes of FIGHTING ELECTIONS and conveniently use a different name on their PASSPORT.

You use the name GANDHI at will and then say, " Mujhe yeh YUVRAJ shabd Insulting lagta hai! Kyonki aaj Hindustan mein Democracy hai, aur is shabd ka koi matlab nahin hai!

YUVRAJ, Itna hi Insulting lagta hai, to lad lo RAUL VINCI ke Naam se!!! Jin Kisano ke saath photo khinchate ho woh bhi isliye entertain karte hain ki GANDHI ho.. RAUL VINCI bol ke Jao... Ghar mein nahin ghusaenge!!!

You could feel ashamed for your Double Standards.

YOUTH INTO POLITICS.

Now You want Youth to Join Politics.

I say First you Join Politics.

Because you haven't Joined Politics. You have Joined a Family Business.

First you Join Politics. Win an Election fighting as RAUL VINCI and Not Rahul Gandhi, then come and ask the youth and the Educated Brass for more involvement in Politics.

Also till then, Please don't give me examples of Sachin Pilot and Milind Deora and Naveen Jindal as youth who have joined Politics..

They are not Politicians. They Just happen to be Politicians.

Much Like Abhishek Bachchan and other Star Sons are not Actors. They just happen to be Actors (For Obvious Reasons)

So, We would appreciate if you stop requesting the Youth to Join Politics till you establish your credentials...

WHY WE CAN'T JOIN POLITICS!

Rahul Baba, Please understand, Your Father had a lot of money in your Family account ( in Swiss Bank) when he died.

Ordinary Youth has to WORK FOR A LIVING.

YOUR FAMILY just needs to NETWORK FOR A LIVING

If our Father had left thousands of Crores with us, We might consider doing the same..

But we have to Work. Not just for ourselves. But also for you. So that we can pay 30% of our Income to the Govt. which can then be channelized to the Swiss Banks and your Personal Accounts under some Pseudo Names.

So Rahul, Please don't mind If the Youth doesn't Join Politics. We are doing our best to fund your Election Campaigns and your Chopper Trips to the Villages.

Somebody has to Earn the Money that Politicians Feed On.

NO WONDER YOU ARE NOT GANDHI'S. YOU ARE SO CALLED GANDHI'S!!

Air India, KG Gas Division, 2G, CWG, SWISS BANK Account Details... Hasan Ali, KGB., FBI Arrest..

You want to feel ashamed..

Feel Ashamed for what the First Family of Politics has been reduced to...

A Money Laundering Enterprise.

NO WONDER YOU ARE NOT GANDHI'S BY BLOOD. GANDHI is an adopted Name. For Indira didn't marry Mahatma Gandhi's Son.

For even if you had one GENE OF GANDHI JI in your DNA. YOU WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN PLAGUED BY SUCH 'POVERTY OF AMBITION' ( Ambition of only EARNING MONEY)

You really want to feel Ashamed.

Feel Ashamed for what you ' SO CALLED GANDHI'S' have done to MAHATMA'S Legacy..

I so wish GANDHI JI had Copyrighted his Name!

Meanwhile, I would request Sonia Gandhi to change her name to $ONIA GANDHI, and you could replace the 'R' in RAHUL/RAUL by the New Rupee Symbol!!!

RAUL VINCI : I am ashamed to call myself an Indian.

Even we are ashamed to call you so!

P.S: Popular Media is either bought or blackmailed, controlled to Manufacture Consent!

My Guess is Social Media is still a Democratic Platform. (Now they are trying to put legislations to censor that too!!)

Meanwhile, Let's ask these questions, for we deserve some Answers.

To know more, Try looking for Dr. SUBRAMANIYAM SWAMI. He is the reason today 2G SCAM is being Investigated!!!

Incredible India! - Can God save this country ?

noreply@blogger.com (DarkLord) — Tue, 15 Feb 2011 19:19:00 +0000

If you cross the The North Korean border illegally, you get 12 years of hard labour in an isolated prison.

If you cross the Iranian border illegally, you get detained indefinitely.

If you cross the Afghan border illegally, you get shot.

If you cross the Saudi Arabian border illegally, you get jailed.

If you cross the Chinese border illegally, you get "kidnapped" and may be never heard of again.

If you cross the Venezuelan border illegally, you get branded as a spy and your fate is sealed.

If you cross the Cuban border illegally, you get thrown into a political prison to rot.

If you cross the British border illegally, you get arrested, prosecuted, sent to prison and be deported after serving your sentence.

Now if you were to cross the Indian border illegally, you get

1. A ration card

2. A passport ( More than one - if you please ! )

3. A driver's licence

4. A voter’s identity card

5. Credit cards

6. A Haj subsidy

7. Job reservation

8. Special privileges for minorities

9. Government housing on subsidized rent

10. Loan to buy a house

11. Free education

12. Free health care

13. A lobbyist in New Delhi, with a bunch of media morons and a bigger bunch of human rights activists promoting your "cause"

14. The right to talk about secularism, which you might not have heard about in your own country!

15. And of-course voting rights to elect corrupt politicians who will promote your community for their selfish interest in securing your votes

Hats off to

i. Corrupt and communal Indian politicians .

ii. The inefficient and corrupt Indian police force.

iii. The silly pseudo-secularists in India, who promote traitors staying here.

iv. The amazingly lenient Indian courts and legal system. That's why people like Afzal Guru are still alive, and the same will happen with Kasab.

v. The selfish Indian citizens, who are not bothered about the dangers to their own country. They conveniently forget some Hindus are living as refugees in this country called Hindustan.

vi. The illogically brainless human-rights activists, who think that terrorists deserve to be dealt with by archaic laws meant for an era, when human beings were human beings.

Incredible India - The Specialist at Jugaad!

noreply@blogger.com (DarkLord) — Sun, 12 Sep 2010 11:42:00 +0000

Its been a long time since this page has been active, the reason being my lost zeal. Somehow, by some God-Awful miracle its getting back. So this is just a warm-up exercise. ;)

We all have been whining about the progress this marvelous country of ours has made. True, to a point, given the fact we don't have to wait for hours to make a call (Yes, its true. One had to place a request in the Post Office), goods and services are available easily and it is easier to get a girl ( :D ).

I was once asked to make a list of the inventions by us , the mighty Indians in the last two decades . My first reaction was , " Thats easy, I can do this" . On second thoughts, the reaction changed to "Shit!".

Of course you can name a few, but can you really call then 'Inventions' ? There lies a fine difference between Innovation and Invention.

The prime accused- JUGAAD. For my alien ( No pun intended) readers, the Hindi term roughly translates as "overcoming harsh constraints by improvising an effective solution using limited resources". We call it the art of creative improvisation.

One one hand, Jugaad that has helped us save shitloads of money and resources, it has also hampered our originality in the name of creativity. Jugaad uses any means, legal or illegal, to get a job done. However, bribery and manipulation must not be confused with genuine creativity.

This is all I can come up with right now. If you think you are smarter, why don't you post your views ?

On a lighter note, I'm putting up some pictures i recently received. Totally Worth A View!!

Any thing for Cricket!


More than meets the eye ?

Alexander's Last Words.

noreply@blogger.com (DarkLord) — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 08:53:00 +0000

Pantheism – The DarkLord’s Outtake

noreply@blogger.com (DarkLord) — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 13:02:00 +0000

Pantheism is a different kind of theory in philosophy. According to that everything is God (here 'pan' means "everything" and 'theos' means "god") or that the Universe and nature are divine. According to this theory, all is God and God is all. It identifies God with the world and God is identical with God. Pantheism regards God as wholly immanent in the world. It regards God as the only reality; God is the one substance, which has infinite attributes. Only we have known about thought and extension. The human mind is a modification of infinite thought. On the other hand, the human body is a modification of infinite extension. There is no real existence of any finite soul. Everything follows necessarily from the nature of the divine substance. There is no purpose in nature. Everywhere is necessary.

Man experiences everything to follow necessarily from the nature of God. Another famous philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche says that in reality, human life, the earth, the Universe, have no purpose or meaning. He strongly says "We invented the concept of purpose. In reality purpose is lacking ... We are necessary, we are a piece of destiny, we belong to the whole, and we are in the whole."

Pantheism is different from Panentheism, which holds that God is in everything, but also transcends the Universe. But, strict pantheism is not a theism (Which theory does believe that God transcends the world, and is immanent in it). It does not believe in a transcendent or personal God who is the creator of the Universe and the judge of human being. Many pantheists feel the word "God" is too loaded with these connotations. So, never use the word in their own practice – though they may use it to simplify' or to explain things to theists. Pantheism always rejects atheism idea of personal creator or God.

Strict or naturalistic pantheism believes that the Universe either originated itself out of nothing, or it has existed forever. But modern scientific pantheism is hold materialistic point of view. It believes that design in the Universe can be fully accounted for by principles of evolution and self-organization. It does not believe in separate spirits or survival of the soul after death. Pantheists concerned about personal immortality seen it in realistic ways. This theory strictly oppose to transcendental religions and supernatural beliefs as does atheism. It is a secular religion firmly rooted in the real world of the senses and of science.

We may see that, this form of Pantheism is identical with movements variously called religious atheism, affirmative atheism, Monism or Cosmism. Moreover it is also very close to Taoism, some forms of Chinese and Japanese Buddhism, and neo-Confucianism. But, Strict Pantheism differs from conventional atheism, only in its emotional and also ethical response to the material universe. Conventional atheism simply focuses on criticizing transcendental beliefs and religions. But, Pantheism also stresses the positive aspect of life and nature; the deep aesthetic and emotional responses which most people feel towards nature and the night sky.

Naturalistic pantheism draws ethical conclusions from these kinds of feelings. They say humans should seek a closer harmony with nature. We should preserve bio-diversity and the ecological balance of the planet, not just as a matter of survival, but as a matter of personal fulfillment. For this reason the Pantheist philosopher Spinoza, realized two profound things, that 'All is one' (God, Nature) and that Motion is fundamental to existence. So, according to this theory one thing must exist that is common and connects the many things within the Universe. According to Leibniz: 'Reality cannot be found except in one single source, because of the inter-connection off all things with one another.'

So, Pantheism offers ways of expressing these feelings that how we links with nature, the solar system and the Universe. It regards all physical bodies are part of a great chain of emanation. Humans are, on every level, expression of God.

Now, here arises so many questions against this philosophy; how this philosophy can able to explain our inadequate or false ideas. Moreover our phenomenal knowledge of ourselves and of the world never can be explained by this theory. Because it never can be accepted that the world of appearance or inadequate notions of the world as a part of eternal and adequate God.

In this essay, it is not my intention to vivid this philosophy with its criticisms. I just want to explain that how much this theory is relevant nowadays. A human being is a part of the whole called by us Universe. We experience ourselves, our thoughts and feelings as something separate from nature. But nature and human being are not separable. Both are inter-related. But nowadays we are also hold to a materialistic point of view. It also created many serious problems to our life. This type of point of view creates disorder in our biosphere and in mankind. Man becomes inhuman and he forgets the ideal philosophy of life. Now he becomes a selfish giant, whose inner progress is stopped.

Though 'All is one and interconnected' it is not a new concept. This is the most fundamental believe which became formulate from the ancient philosophers. They known that, one thing must exist that is common to and which connects the many things within the Universe. But this old human speculative thought is now steal necessary to revive for connect the whole human being as a family. Today, we want to emerge with this, spiritual tradition, which is far from any limited religious concept.

So, we may see that Pantheism also offers a positive ecological philosophy to our current destructive and isolated world. It is able to realize our connection to the Universe. This Universe or God reveals himself in the orderly harmony of what exists, not a God who concerns himself with the fates and actions of human beings.

World's most costly Commercial Advertisement

noreply@blogger.com (DarkLord) — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 05:10:00 +0000

Dramatic new stills of 9/11.

noreply@blogger.com (DarkLord) — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 14:42:00 +0000

A trove of aerial photographs of the collapsing World Trade Center was widely released this week, offering a rare and chilling view from the heavens of the burning twin towers and the apocalyptic shroud of smoke and dust that settled over the city.

The images were taken from a police helicopter. The only photographers allowed in the airspace near the skyscrapers on Sept. 11, 2001. They were obtained by ABC after it filed a Freedom of Information Act request last year with the National Institute of Standards and Technology, the federal agency that investigated the collapse.

The chief curator of the planned Sept. 11 museum pronounced the pictures "a phenomenal body of work."

The photos are "absolutely core to understanding the visual phenomena of what was happening," said Jan Ramirez of the National September 11 Memorial & Museum. They are "some of the most exceptional images in the world, I think, of this event."

In some of the pictures, the tops of the nearby Woolworth Building and other skyscrapers can just be seen above the enormous cloud of debris, gray against a clear blue sky. Gray clouds billow through the streets of the financial district and shroud the 16 acres where the towers had stood just moments before.

Buildings can hardly be seen at all in one image. Just dust clouds hanging over the Hudson River at the southern tip of Manhattan.

One close-up shows orange flames and black smoke pouring from the upper floors of the north tower, the first hit by a hijacked plane.

"I almost didn't realize what I was seeing that day," Greg Semendinger, the former New York Police Department detective who took the pictures posted on ABC's site, told The Associated Press. "Looking at it now it's amazing I took those pictures. The images are stunning."

The attack and the collapse of the World Trade Center were well documented on live TV and amateur video. But more than eight years after the nation's deadliest terror attack, the images still had the power to shock and disturb. They were an instant sensation on the Internet.

ABC said National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) gave the network 2,779 pictures on nine CDs. The network posted 12 pictures on its Web site Monday and an additional 12 on Wednesday, including another close-up of the burning north tower and photos of rescue boats and commuter ferries docking in the Hudson River to pick up survivors.

Semendinger who took all the photos posted by ABC said on Wednesday that he had previously e-mailed some of the pictures to friends who later posted them on the Internet.

Also, nine of the images were published in a book called "Above Hallowed Ground: A Photographic Record of Sept. 11" without his consent. The book was a tribute to the officers who were killed that day.

The three stages and elements of life.

noreply@blogger.com (DarkLord) — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 14:32:00 +0000

Just on of these days in the middle of a discussion, I realised about the three stages and and elements of life.

The three elements are

Money
Time
Energy

These are the three elements that make our life. All other things are derived from them. We live our lives in three stages primarily

Teen age
Working age
Old age

Somehow, we never find all the three elements together in any of the stages.

In Teen age, We have Time, Energy but no Money.

In Working age, we have Money, Energy but no Time.

And at last in our old age, we have Money, Time but no Energy .

½ a second before Tsunami.

noreply@blogger.com (DarkLord) — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 14:24:00 +0000

There are people who believe in God, there are others who don't believe, but we must understand that we are small when nature hits.

This picture was taken on the banks of Sumatra Island (the height of waves was of approx 32 m = 105 ft).

It was found saved in a digital camera, 1 ½ years after the disaster.

We cannot know for sure, but very likely the one who took the picture is not alive any more (it was just a matter of seconds).
Today we can see the last image he/ she saw before ending life on earth.

Why One is 1 and Two is 2..??

noreply@blogger.com (DarkLord) — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 10:40:00 +0000

I recently got this mail and I couldn't resist sharing.

And we say we are working hard to stop child labour ?

noreply@blogger.com (DarkLord) — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 06:43:00 +0000

P.S - One of the pictures is clicked by me. Post your guesses in comments.

You give it a title.

noreply@blogger.com (DarkLord) — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 06:42:00 +0000

Unborn Baby Grabs the hand of Surgeon

noreply@blogger.com (DarkLord) — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 10:47:00 +0000

A picture began circulating in November. It should be 'The Picture of the Year,' or perhaps, 'Picture of the Decade.' It won't be. In fact, unless you obtained a copy of the US paper which published it, you probably would never have seen it.

The picture is that of a 21-week-old unborn baby named Samuel Alexander Armas, who is being operated on by surgeon named Joseph Bruner.

The baby was diagnosed with spina bifida and would not survive if removed from his mother's womb. Little Samuel's mother, Julie Armas, is an obstetrics nurse in Atlanta. She knew of Dr Bruner's remarkable surgical procedure. Practicing at Vanderbilt University Medical Centre in Nashville, he performs these special operations while the baby is still in the womb.

During the procedure, the doctor removes the uterus via C-section and makes a small incision to operate on the baby. As Dr Bruner completed the surgery on Samuel, the little guy reached his tiny, but fully developed hand through the incision and firmly grasped the surgeon's finger. Dr Bruner was reported as saying that when his finger was grasped, it was the most emotional moment of his life, and that for an instant during the procedure he was just frozen, totally immobile.

The photograph captures this amazing event with perfect clarity. The editors titled the picture, 'Hand of Hope.' The text explaining the picture begins, 'The tiny hand of 21-week-old fetus Samuel Alexander Armas emerges from the mother's uterus to grasp the finger of Dr Joseph Bruner as if thanking the doctor for the gift of life.'

Little Samuel's mother said they 'wept for days' when they saw the picture. She said, 'the photo reminds us pregnancy isn't about disability or an illness, it's about a little person. 'Samuel was born in perfect health, the operation 100 percent successful.

Who's Clever? The teacher or the student?

noreply@blogger.com (DarkLord) — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 10:42:00 +0000

One night 4 college students were playing till late night and didn't study
for the test which was scheduled on the next day.

In the morning they thought of a plan. They made themselves look as dirty
and weird with grease and dirt. They then went up to the Dean and said that
they had gone out to a wedding last night and on their return journey, the tyre of
their car burst and they had to push the car all the way back and that they
were in no condition to appear for the test.

So the Dean said they can have the re-test after 3 days. They thanked him
and said they will be ready by that time. On the third day they appeared
before the Dean. The Dean said that as this was a Special Condition Test,
all four were required to sit in separate classrooms for the test. They all
agreed as they had prepared well in the last 3 days.

The Test consisted of 2 questions with the total of 100 Marks.

Q.1. Your Name........ ......... ...... (2 MARKS)

Q.2. Which tire burst................ (98 MARKS)

a) Front Left
b) Front Right
c) Back Left
d) Back Right.....!! !

Please feel free to comment on this one.

IndiYeah!!

noreply@blogger.com (DarkLord) — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 10:53:00 +0000

The official Sanskrit name for India is BHARAT.

INDIA has been called Bharat even in Satya yuga (Golden Age)

The name "India" is derived from the River Indus, the valleys around which were the home of the early settlers. The Aryan worshippers referred to the river Indus as the Sindhu.

The Persian invaders converted it into Hindu. The name "Hindustan" combines Sindhu and Hindu and thus refers to the land of the Hindus.

The number system was invented by India. Aryabhatta was the scientist who invented the digit zero.

Sanskrit is considered as the mother of all higher languages. This is because it is the most precise and therefore suitable language for computer software. ( a report in Forbes magazine, July 1987 ).

Chess was invented in India.

Algebra, Trigonometry and Calculus are studies which originated in India.

The' place value system' and the 'decimal system' were developed in 100 BC in India.

The first six Mughal Emperors of India ruled in an unbroken succession from father to son for two hundred years, from 1526 to 1707.

The World's First Granite Temple is the Brihadeswara temple at Tanjavur in Tamil Nadu. The shikhara is made from a single ' 80-tonne ' piece of granite. Also, this magnificient temple was built in just five years, (between 1004 AD and 1009 AD) during the reign of Rajaraja Chola

India is the largest democracy in the world, the 6th largest country in the world AND one of the most ancient and living civilizations (at least 10, 000 years old).

The game of snakes & ladders was created by the 13th century poet saint Gyandev. It was originally called 'Mokshapat.' The ladders in the game represented virtues and the snakes indicated vices. The game was played with cowrie shells and dices. Later through time, the game underwent several modifications but the meaning is the same i.e good deeds take us to heaven and evil to a cycle of re-births.

The world's highest cricket ground is in Chail, Himachal Pradesh.
Built in 1893 after levelling a hilltop, this cricket pitch is 2444 meters above sea level.

India has the most post offices in the world!

The largest employer in the world is the Indian railway system, employing over a million people!

The World's first university was established in Takshila in 700 BC. More than 10,500 students from all over the world studied more than 60 subjects. The University of Nalanda built in the 4th century was one of the greatest achievements of ancient India in the field of education.

Ayurveda is the earliest school of medicine known to mankind. The father of medicine, Charaka, consolidated Ayurveda 2500 years ago.

Although modern images & descriptions of India often show poverty, India was one of the richest countries till the time of British in the early 17th Century. Christopher Columbus was attracted by India's wealth and was looking for route to India when he discovered America by mistake.

The art of Navigation & Navigating was born in the river Sindh 6000 over years ago. The very word 'Navigation' is derived from the Sanskrit word NAVGATIH. The word navy is also derived from the Sanskrit word 'Nou'.

Bhaskaracharya rightly calculated the time taken by the earth to orbit the sun hundreds of years before the astronomer Smart. His calculations was - Time taken by earth to orbit the sun: ( 5th century ) 365.258756484 days.

The value of "pi" was first calculated by the Indian Mathematician Budhayana, and he explained the concept of what is known as the Pythagorean Theorem. He discovered this in the 6th century, which was long before the European mathematicians.

Algebra, trigonometry and calculus also originated from India. Quadratic equations were used by Sridharacharya in the 11th century. The largest numbers the Greeks and the Romans used were 106 whereas Hindus used numbers as big as 10*53 (i.e. 10 to the power of 53) with specific names as early as 5000 B.C. during the Vedic period. Even today, the largest used number is Tera: 10*12(10 to the power of 12 ).

Until 1896, India was the only source for diamonds to the world. (Source - Gemological Institute of America)

The Baily Bridge is the highest bridge in the world. It is located in the Ladakh valley between the Dras and Suru rivers in the Himalayan Mountains. It was built by the Indian Army in August 1982.

Sushruta is regarded as the father of surgery. Over 2600 years ago Sushrata & his team conducted complicated surgeries like cataract, artificial limbs, cesareans, fractures, urinary stones and also plastic surgery and brain surgeries.

Usage of anesthesia was well known in ancient India medicine. Detailed knowledge of anatomy, embryology, digestion, metabolism, physiology, etiology, genetics and immunity is also found in many ancient Indian texts.

"What makes a nation, is the past, what justifies one nation against others is the past", says the noted historian Eric Hobsbawm.

Hence, when talking of a nation, it becomes very imperative that the past should also be talked about. And the past of India is as fascinating and interesting as it is momentous.

Proud to be Indian!

Jai Hind!

What Ails India's Progress?

noreply@blogger.com (DarkLord) — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 06:48:00 +0000

India is emerging as a modern power. India is showing very good growth in services and manufacturing. But to become a truly modern state one must address the problems that India faces. What ails India at present? i am pointing to some of the basic points which I feel though noticed, have been ignored.

India has a vibrant democracy. But there are some issues that are working against the nation. In the lower house, most of the time is lost in useless activities such as walk-outs etc. The representatives need to pay more attention to the work rather than boycotting the proceedings.

Today, communalism is one of the main threats to India. Communalism of all communities is eating into the social fabric. Hindus are trying to contain Muslim influence. Muslims are trying to get more facilities from the government and Christians are accused of trying to convert others to Christianity. This is causing problems around the country especially in the state of Orissa.

Terrorism is another very big problem in India. Pakistan
exported terrorism has been playing havoc with India since decades. It shows no sign of reducing. Now with Afghanistan under threat of Taliban and spreading militancy in Pakistan, India will face more trouble from Pakistan. There is no respite from terrorists that enter India supported by Pakistan. Pakistan does not want to stop them and for historic reasons will continue bleeding India till India becomes very powerful compared to Pakistan.

Distribution of wealth is a big problem. Rich people are getting richer, the middle class is growing stronger but the poor suffer the same ills since ever. No drinking water, no education, no power, no dwellings, the list is endless. Unless a government puts all efforts in eradicating these ills by plugging all loopholes and bringing an end to corruption, these problems will continue.

India will have to address all these problems while sustaining the vibrant democratic structure to emerge as a real super power over next few decades.

The truth of article 49-O

noreply@blogger.com (DarkLord) — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 05:41:00 +0000

Few days back, I got a mail from a friend of mine. Here's what it looked like

Dear all

Did you know that there is a system in our constitution, as per the 1969 act, in section "49-O" that a person can go to the polling booth, confirm his identity, get his finger marked and convey the presiding election officer that he doesn't want to vote anyone!

Yes such a feature is available, but obviously these seemingly notorious leaders have never disclosed it. This is called "49-O".

Why should you go and say "I VOTE NOBODY"... Because, in a ward, if a candidate wins, say by 123 votes, and that particular ward has received "49-O" votes more than 123, then that polling will be cancelled and will have to be re-polled .

Not only that, but the candidature of the contestants will be removed and they cannot contest the re-polling, since people had already expressed their decision on them.

This would bring fear into parties and hence look for genuine candidates for their parties for election. This would change the way, of our whole political system... It is seemingly surprising why the election commission has not revealed such a feature to the public....

Please spread this news to as many as you know...... Seems to be a wonderful weapon against corrupt parties in India... Show your power, expressing your desire not to vote for anybody, is even more powerful than voting... So don't miss your chance. So either vote, or vote not to vote (vote 49-O) and pass this info on...

"Please forward this mail to as many as possible, so that we, the people of India, can really use this power to save our nation". Use your voting right for a better INDIA.

I was taken aghast from this mail. How could our constitution incorporate something so stupid? But I then decided to do some study on it unlike the dear friend of mine who sent it to me (No offence dude).

When I typed in 49-O in my search browser I simply couldn't locate anything from the Indian Government, because it was overshadowed by a thousands of blog posts, forum debates, discussing the impact of 49-O on our electoral and democratic system. And they all seemed to say that it was something to do an Act passed on in 1969.

An email has being doing the rounds, even more so after the Mumbai blasts claiming that the citizens can invoke article 49-O through which they can tick "no vote" on the ballot and hence have re-polls.

But here's the strange part: there's nothing about elections in the 1969 Amendment Act. What the masses are referring to is in fact "Conduct of Elections Rules, 1961" document. And here's what it says: (from the Indian Government's Website)

49-O. Elector deciding not to vote.-If an elector, after his electoral roll number has been duly entered in the register of voters in Form-17A and has put his signature or thumb impression thereon as required under sub-rule (1) of rule 49L, decided not to record his vote, a remark to this effect shall be made against the said entry in Form 17A by the presiding officer and the signature or thumb impression of the elector shall be obtained against such remark.

Update: The real inclusion of article 49-0 in the rule book is to prevent election fraud, so that other people don't caste their vote using your identity. The Election Commission didn't bother extending it further specifying what would happen in case the number of "none" votes exceeded those of the other candidates.

Retired high court judge, Hosbet Suresh, says, "We have discussed negative voting a number of times during our meets, and even put forth a proposal for the same, but it's yet to be put into action."

This means two things:

1) You have to reveal your identity. Because once you decide not to vote you will have to sign next to your name claiming so. Now this is alright. A lot of us are agitated and wouldn't mind revealing our identity even if it goes against the spirit of the secret ballot (but in this case it's a special situation since you aren't really "casting" a vote, you're refraining to do so).

However the second thing it also means is that:

2) There will be no re-polls.

The result will remain the same, the guy who gets the highest number of votes wins. Which also means that even if the majority of the nation feels that amongst the candidates standing none of them fits the bill and none would do justice to the nation as the next PM, theres no rule (as of now) which will ensure re-polling.

Apparently this mail has been doing the rounds for the last 2 years urging people to "take the initiative" to "change" the nation.

The guy who drafted the email; and I'm sure his heart is in the right pace, just became the initiator of a hoax and putting this mail in the same league as that of Jessica, the cute little girl who has been suffering from leukemia AND has been 10 ten years old for the last 9 years.

People tend to follow the masses and go with the flow. So as of now, refusing to cast a vote for any of the candidates (meaning voting for none of the above) and not getting out of your bed on the day of voting means the exact same thing.

Or maybe not, maybe if a substantial percentage of the registered voters opt for "none" we can show the nation what the nation really seeks and send a message across.

But please remember that you cannot choose "Vote Nobody" because no such provision exists!

Even if you decide not to vote and rather sleep at home, elections will still place, and a politician who can do a lot of bad for an already troubled India will come to power.

Instead we all should vote, so that it is our man who comes to power, who can do us all some good. After all, we are responsible for the people we elect. If we say that our Home Minister is corrupt and inefficient, do we ask ourselves "Who elected him?" WE DID!

And if we want someone better, there is one and only one way out, elect someone better by voting!

In a democracy, it is our basic right to vote, and it is a very powerful right. We, the youth of India can do wonders by exercising this right. We must participate actively in this process of democracy, and not just criticize and abuse it.

In South Mumbai, which is the hub of the booming economy of Mumbai, only 40% citizens vote! And then they expect higher security when they dine at Taj Hotel! Haha! But if you don't vote, you have no right to ask for anything in return from the government!

I am not targetting only South Mumbai. We all have been wrong somewhere. But still time is not lost. Let us initiate a complete make-over! I have two ideas:

P.S - Do not forward random e-mails to people without researching your matter. Half knowledge is dangerous! Use the internet cautiously and for the right purpose.

Museum of Islamic Art, Doha

noreply@blogger.com (DarkLord) — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 06:46:00 +0000

The Museum of Islamic Art is a museum located in the Qatari capital Doha and designed by architect I. M. Pei.

The museum draws much influence from ancient Islamic architecture yet has a unique design. It was the first of its kind in the Persian Gulf and has a very large collection of Islamic art, plus a study, a library, and several restaurants. The museum has a total area of 45,000 m2 and lies on the edge of Doha harbour at the south end of Doha Bay. Construction of the structure reached completion in 2006, but the interior was subjected to a variety of changes thereafter.

The museum celebrated its VIP opening on November 22, 2008, and opened to the general public on December 1, 2008.

Hiroshima and Nagasiki Today

noreply@blogger.com (DarkLord) — Thu, 28 May 2009 15:48:00 +0000

We all know that Hiroshima and Nagasaki were destroyed in August 1945 after explosion of atom bomb.However little we know about progress the people of that land made during the past 62 years.Here are some photos.

THE COLOURFUL CITY....

The world's biggest exercise in democracy

noreply@blogger.com (DarkLord) — Sun, 24 May 2009 16:40:00 +0000

New York Times reader comment on India going to the polls,

It is truly the greatest show on Earth, an ode to a diverse and democratic ethos, where 700 million + of humanity vote, providing their small part in directing their ancient civilization into the future. It is no less impressive when done in a neighborhood which includes de-stabilizing and violent Pakistan, China, and Burma.

Its challenges are immense, more so probably than anywhere else, particularly in development and fending off terrorism -- but considering these challenges and its neighbors, it is even more astounding that the most diverse nation on Earth, with hundreds of languages, all religions and cultures, is not only surviving, but thriving.

The nation where Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism were born, which is the second largest Muslim nation on Earth; where Christianity has existed for 2000 years; where the oldest Jewish synagogues and Jewish communities have resided since the Romans burnt their 2nd temple; where the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan government in exile reside; where the Zorostrians from Persia have thrived since being thrown out of their ancient homeland; where Armenians and Syrians and many others have to come live; where the Paris-based OECD said was the largest economy on Earth 1500 of the last 2000 years, including the 2nd largest only 200 years ago; where 3 Muslim Presidents have been elected, where a Sikh is Prime Minister and the head of the ruling party a Catholic Italian woman, where the President is also a woman, succeeding a Muslim President who as a rocket scientist was a hero in the nation; where a booming economy is lifting 40 million out of poverty each year and is expected to have the majority of its population in the middle class, already equal to the entire US population, by 2025; where its optimism and vibrancy is manifested in its movies, arts, economic growth, and voting, despite all the incredible challenges and hardships; where all the great powers are vying for influence, as it itself finds its place in the world.

Where all of this is happening, is India, and as greater than 1/10 of humanity gets ready to vote, it is an inspiration to all the World.

A Brilliant Love Letter By Math Teacher

noreply@blogger.com (DarkLord) — Wed, 20 May 2009 11:49:00 +0000

My Dear Sweetheart,

Yesterday, I was passing by your rectangular house in trigonometric lane.

There I saw you with our cute circular face,conical nose and spherical eyes,standing in your triangular garden.

Before seeing you my heart was a null set, but when a vector of magnitude (likeness) from your eyes at a deviation of theta radians made a tangent to my heart, it differentiated.

My love for you is a quadratic equation with real roots, which only you can solve by making good binary relation with me.

The cosine of my love for you extends to infinity.

I promise that I should not resolve you into partial functions but if I do so, you can integrate me by applying the limits from zero to infinity.

You are as essential to me as an element to a set.

The geometry of my life revolves around your acute personality.

My love, if you do not meet me at parabola restaurant on date 10 at sunset, when the sun is making an angle of 160 degrees, my heart would be like a solved polynomial of degree 10.

With love from your higher order derivatives of maxima and minima, of an unknown function.