Fw: Spot

Obama Inauguration - Google Search data

2009-01-21T14:15:00.003+05:30

Google finally updates officially on the Obama Inauguration Search data.

[Many people in the U.S. turned to Google Search to find information. During the inauguration, top queries included live inauguration coverage, inauguration day 2009 streaming, listen to inauguration live, and many others.

However, interest in the inauguration was not only confined to the United States. Twelve percent of inauguration-related queries came from outside the United States as thousands worldwide used Google to find ways to watch the event. From Latin America, we received queries like toma de posesion de Barack Obama en vivo (inauguration of Barack Obama live -- Spanish) and posse de Obama (inauguration of Obama -- Portuguese). Similarly in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, people interested in the inauguration searched for amtseinführung (inauguration -- German), inauguratie (inauguration -- Dutch), investidura (inauguration -- Spanish), �?רק �?�?�?�?�? (Barack introduction -- Hebrew), ا�?با�?ا (Obama -- Arabic), and investiture (inauguration -- French). And even though it was very early in their day, users in Asia and Australia were still interested in watching the festivities, with queries like 奥巴马就�??�?�礼�?��?� (Obama inauguration broadcast -- Chinese) and inauguration timetable.

While President Obama was certainly the central player in today's events, searchers were also interested in the other people who took part in the ceremony. In particular, people wanted more information on the religious leaders who spoke: Dr. Rick Warren, who gave the invocation, and Reverend Dr. Joseph E. Lowery, who gave the benediction. Additionally, there was a lot of interest in some of the artists who performed: Aretha Franklin, Elizabeth Alexander, and Yo-Yo Ma. They also sought to know more about Senator Dianne Feinstein, who presided over the ceremony as chair of the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies, and Supreme Court Chief Justice John G. Roberts, Jr., who swore in President Obama. (Click on the images to see a larger version.)

During the last nine years, the growth of the Internet has changed the way the world seeks information. From President Bush's first inaugural address in 2001 to his second in 2005, the number of inauguration-related searches increased by more than a factor of ten. From 2005 to today's address, the number grew even more. Few of the 2001 queries requested "video," and none requested streaming. By 2005, a few queries such as inauguration audio and streaming video of inauguration appeared. Today, technology has become so prevalant that queries such as YouTube live inauguration, live blogging inauguration, inaugural podcast, and Obama inaugural speech mp3 formed one-third of all inauguration-related queries.

Finally, this graph demonstrates one other interesting search pattern that we saw: the overall query volume of Google searches dropped in the U.S. from the time President Obama took the oath of office until the end of his inaugural speech, demonstrating that all eyes were on today's festivities.

]

Chinese portals censor Obama's speech

2009-01-21T09:36:00.002+05:30

[At one point, Obama said earlier generations "faced down communism and fascism not just with missiles and tanks, but with sturdy alliances and enduring convictions." He later addressed "those who cling to power through corruption and deceit and the silencing of dissent �?? know that you are on the wrong side of history."

Translations of the speech on China's most popular online portals, Sina and Sohu, were missing the word "communism" in the first sentence. The paragraph with the sentence on dissent had been removed.

Another portal, Netease, carried a version without the paragraph mentioning communism, but retaining the part about dissent.]

Trust the Chinese to cut corners everywhere. If you need the full text of Obama Inauguration, the same is here and lots of related news at a million other places.

Full Text - Obama's inauguration speech - January 20, 2009

2009-01-21T08:55:00.002+05:30

This is the Full Text of Obama's inauguration speech made on January 20, 2009.

MY FELLOW CITIZENS, I stand here today humbled by the task before us, grateful for the trust you have bestowed, mindful of the sacrifices borne by our ancestors. I thank President Bush for his service to our nation, as well as the generosity and cooperation he has shown throughout this transition. ¶ Forty-four Americans have now taken the presidential oath. The words have been spoken during rising tides of prosperity and the still waters of peace. Yet, every so often the oath is taken amidst gathering clouds and raging storms. At these moments, America has carried on not simply because of the skill or vision of those in high office, but because we the people have remained faithful to the ideals of our forebears, and true to our founding documents. ¶ So it has been. So it must be with this generation of Americans.

That we are in the midst of crisis is now well understood. Our nation is at war, against a far-reaching network of violence and hatred. Our economy is badly weakened, a consequence of greed and irresponsibility on the part of some, but also our collective failure to make hard choices and prepare the nation for a new age. Homes have been lost, jobs shed, businesses shuttered. Our health care is too costly, our schools fail too many, and each day brings further evidence that the ways we use energy strengthen our adversaries and threaten our planet.

These are the indicators of crisis, subject to data and statistics. Less measurable but no less profound is a sapping of confidence across our land -- a nagging fear that America's decline is inevitable, and that the next generation must lower its sights.

Today I say to you that the challenges we face are real. They are serious and they are many. They will not be met easily or in a short span of time. But know this, America -- they will be met.

On this day, we gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord.

On this day, we come to proclaim an end to the petty grievances and false promises, the recriminations and worn-out dogmas that for far too long have strangled our politics.

WE REMAIN A YOUNG NATION, but in the words of scripture, the time has come to set aside childish things. The time has come to reaffirm our enduring spirit, to choose our better history, to carry forward that precious gift, that noble idea, passed on from generation to generation: the God-given promise that all are equal, all are free and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness.

In reaffirming the greatness of our nation, we understand that greatness is never a given. It must be earned. Our journey has never been one of shortcuts or settling for less. It has not been the path for the faint-hearted -- for those who prefer leisure over work, or seek only the pleasures of riches and fame. Rather, it has been the risk-takers, the doers, the makers of things -- some celebrated but more often men and women obscure in their labor, who have carried us up the long, rugged path toward prosperity and freedom.

For us, they packed up their few worldly possessions and traveled across oceans in search of a new life.

For us, they toiled in sweatshops and settled the West; endured the lash of the whip and plowed the hard earth.

For us, they fought and died, in places like Concord and Gettysburg, Normandy and Khe Sahn.

Time and again these men and women struggled and sacrificed and worked till their hands were raw so that we might live a better life. They saw America as bigger than the sum of our individual ambitions; greater than all the differences of birth or wealth or faction.

This is the journey we continue today. We remain the most prosperous, powerful nation on Earth. Our workers are no less productive than when this crisis began. Our minds are no less inventive, our goods and services no less needed than they were last week or last month or last year. Our capacity remains undiminished. But our time of standing pat, of protecting narrow interests and putting off unpleasant decisions -- that time has surely passed. Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of remaking America.

For everywhere we look, there is work to be done. The state of the economy calls for action, bold and swift, and we will act -- not only to create new jobs, but to lay a new foundation for growth. We will build the roads and bridges, the electric grids and digital lines that feed our commerce and bind us together. We will restore science to its rightful place, and wield technology's wonders to raise health care's quality and lower its cost. We will harness the sun and the winds and the soil to fuel our cars and run our factories. And we will transform our schools and colleges and universities to meet the demands of a new age. All this we can do. And all this we will do.

Now, there are some who question the scale of our ambitions -- who suggest that our system cannot tolerate too many big plans. Their memories are short. For they have forgotten what this country has already done; what free men and women can achieve when imagination is joined to common purpose, and necessity to courage.

What the cynics fail to understand is that the ground has shifted beneath them -- that the stale political arguments that have consumed us for so long no longer apply. The question we ask today is not whether our government is too big or too small, but whether it works -- whether it helps families find jobs at a decent wage, care they can afford, a retirement that is dignified. Where the answer is yes, we intend to move forward. Where the answer is no, programs will end. And those of us who manage the public's dollars will be held to account -- to spend wisely, reform bad habits, and do our business in the light of day -- because only then can we restore the vital trust between a people and their government.

Nor is the question before us whether the market is a force for good or ill. Its power to generate wealth and expand freedom is unmatched, but this crisis has reminded us that without a watchful eye, the market can spin out of control -- and that a nation cannot prosper long when it favors only the prosperous. The success of our economy has always depended not just on the size of our gross domestic product, but on the reach of our prosperity; on our ability to extend opportunity to every willing heart -- not out of charity, but because it is the surest route to our common good.

AS FOR OUR COMMON DEFENSE, we reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals. Our founding fathers, faced with perils we can scarcely imagine, drafted a charter to assure the rule of law and the rights of man, a charter expanded by the blood of generations. Those ideals still light the world, and we will not give them up for expedience's sake. And so to all other peoples and governments who are watching today, from the grandest capitals to the small village where my father was born: know that America is a friend of each nation and every man, woman and child who seeks a future of peace and dignity, and that we are ready to lead once more.

Recall that earlier generations faced down fascism and communism not just with missiles and tanks, but with sturdy alliances and enduring convictions. They understood that our power alone cannot protect us, nor does it entitle us to do as we please. Instead, they knew that our power grows through its prudent use; our security emanates from the justness of our cause, the force of our example, the tempering qualities of humility and restraint.

We are the keepers of this legacy. Guided by these principles once more, we can meet those new threats that demand even greater effort -- even greater cooperation and understanding between nations. We will begin to responsibly leave Iraq to its people, and forge a hard-earned peace in Afghanistan. With old friends and former foes, we will work tirelessly to lessen the nuclear threat, and roll back the specter of a warming planet. We will not apologize for our way of life, nor will we waver in its defense, and for those who seek to advance their aims by inducing terror and slaughtering innocents, we say to you now that our spirit is stronger and cannot be broken; you cannot outlast us, and we will defeat you.

FOR WE KNOW THAT OUR PATCHWORK HERITAGE is a strength, not a weakness. We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus, and non-believers. We are shaped by every language and culture, drawn from every end of this Earth; and because we have tasted the bitter swill of civil war and segregation, and emerged from that dark chapter stronger and more united, we cannot help but believe that the old hatreds shall someday pass; that the lines of tribe shall soon dissolve; that as the world grows smaller, our common humanity shall reveal itself; and that America must play its role in ushering in a new era of peace.

To the Muslim world, we seek a new way forward, based on mutual interest and mutual respect. To those leaders around the globe who seek to sow conflict, or blame their society's ills on the West -- know that your people will judge you on what you can build, not what you destroy. To those who cling to power through corruption and deceit and the silencing of dissent, know that you are on the wrong side of history; but that we will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist.

To the people of poor nations, we pledge to work alongside you to make your farms flourish and let clean waters flow; to nourish starved bodies and feed hungry minds. And to those nations like ours that enjoy relative plenty, we say we can no longer afford indifference to suffering outside our borders; nor can we consume the world's resources without regard to effect. For the world has changed, and we must change with it.

As we consider the road that unfolds before us, we remember with humble gratitude those brave Americans who, at this very hour, patrol far-off deserts and distant mountains. They have something to tell us today, just as the fallen heroes who lie in Arlington whisper through the ages. We honor them not only because they are guardians of our liberty, but because they embody the spirit of service; a willingness to find meaning in something greater than themselves. And yet, at this moment -- a moment that will define a generation -- it is precisely this spirit that must inhabit us all.

For as much as government can do and must do, it is ultimately the faith and determination of the American people upon which this nation relies. It is the kindness to take in a stranger when the levees break, the selflessness of workers who would rather cut their hours than see a friend lose their job which sees us through our darkest hours. It is the firefighter's courage to storm a stairway filled with smoke, but also a parent's willingness to nurture a child, that finally decides our fate.

OUR CHALLENGES MAY BE NEW. The instruments with which we meet them may be new. But those values upon which our success depends -- hard work and honesty, courage and fair play, tolerance and curiosity, loyalty and patriotism -- these things are old. These things are true. They have been the quiet force of progress throughout our history. What is demanded then is a return to these truths. What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility -- a recognition, on the part of every American, that we have duties to ourselves, our nation, and the world, duties that we do not grudgingly accept but rather seize gladly, firm in the knowledge that there is nothing so satisfying to the spirit, so defining of our character, than giving our all to a difficult task.

This is the price and the promise of citizenship.

This is the source of our confidence -- the knowledge that God calls on us to shape an uncertain destiny.

This is the meaning of our liberty and our creed -- why men and women and children of every race and every faith can join in celebration across this magnificent mall, and why a man whose father less than 60 years ago might not have been served at a local restaurant can now stand before you to take a most sacred oath.

So let us mark this day with remembrance, of who we are and how far we have traveled. In the year of America's birth, in the coldest of months, a small band of patriots huddled by dying campfires on the shores of an icy river. The capital was abandoned. The enemy was advancing. The snow was stained with blood. At a moment when the outcome of our revolution was most in doubt, the father of our nation ordered these words be read to the people:

"Let it be told to the future world ... that in the depth of winter, when nothing but hope and virtue could survive ... that the city and the country, alarmed at one common danger, came forth to meet [it]."

America, in the face of our common dangers, in this winter of our hardship, let us remember these timeless words. With hope and virtue, let us brave once more the icy currents, and endure what storms may come. Let it be said by our children's children that when we were tested we refused to let this journey end, that we did not turn back nor did we falter; and with eyes fixed on the horizon and God's grace upon us, we carried forth that great gift of freedom and delivered it safely to future generations.

Thank you. God bless you. And God bless the United States of America.

Source

Social Media Orgy - Barack Obama�??s inauguration

2009-01-20T17:08:00.003+05:30

Telegraph reports Barack Obama�??s inauguration will be the first to be captured, disseminated and shared over the global social media network of communities connected through services such as Facebook, Flickr, Twitter and YouTube, ... and will be celebrated in Second Life, too.

[... is encouraging the Flickrati to tag their photos with keywords like �??Obama�?? and �??inauguration�?? to corral photos of the day�??s events into one easily searchable repository. ...]

More ?

Iphone, Hulu, Joost...

[...iPhone owners can download the UStream application to watch live streaming video of the inauguration on their handset, as well as download a guide to the ceremony straight to their device; those who are stuck in the office can watch live video streams of events through services such as Hulu and Joost, or on countless news websites....]

Anyone left behind? Microsoft ? CNN ?

Microsoft and US broadcaster CNN are asking people at the ceremony to send in their photos of the exact moment Barack Obama takes the oath of office, which they will then stitch together into a 3D image using Microsoft�??s PhotoSynth software.

Anyone else ?

Facebook Mafiosi anyone ?

2009-01-20T16:32:00.005+05:30

Good news for Facebook !!! The Sicilian Mafia believes in you. Or has it also invested in you ? :)

[In recent weeks, the Italian authorities have begun investigating Facebook discussion groups devoted to convicted Mafiosi, concerned that some members might be more than fans.]

The above is what an NYT report says.

Also...

[After receiving press attention, some groups disappeared, including �??Totò Riina, the Real Boss of Bosses,�?? whose members wished Mr. Riina a merry Christmas and expressed their availability to work for him. Another group had called for the �??immediate beatification�?? of Mr. Provenzano.

Facebook said it had taken down some Mafia-related content because it violated the site�??s terms of use. Under those rules, members agree not to use Facebook �??in any unlawful manner�?? or to make available content the company deems �??harmful, threatening, unlawful, defamatory, infringing, abusive, inflammatory, harassing, vulgar, obscene, fraudulent, invasive of privacy or publicity rights, hateful, or racially, ethnically or otherwise objectionable.�??

Others groups are closed to general membership, including �??Fans of Totò Riina, a Misunderstood Man,�?? which declares itself �??against false moralists.�??]

So there is definitely something Italian about Facebook, right ?

Barack Obama - 2000 plus digital articles from Zinio

2009-01-20T15:54:00.001+05:30

Here is an update from Zinio

[In honor of the upcoming inauguration we pulled all of the stories about Barack Obama together for you. Click here or go to- http://links.zinio.com/rts/go.aspx?h=101877&cr=183&mg=22274404&cn=2091 to get FREE access to any article or advertisement about, or mentioning Barack Obama.

If you want to share what you are reading with a friend or a group, click on the + sign (top left of the reader), and you can immediately share the article for FREE with any person, social network, blog or website of your choice.

This content is made available using the new Zinio INSIDE feature. In November, Zinio Zinio INSIDE. Zinio INSIDE enables you to search for any content covered from any magazine or book title carried by Zinio at Zinio�??s website or in Google.]

More

Obama Inauguration on Youtube

2009-01-20T11:42:00.002+05:30

Youtube has great news for the Obama Inauguration fans

[Today, Barack Obama will be inaugurated as the 44th President of the United States. Here at YouTube, we've seen the two-year-long presidential campaign unfold through video -- with hundreds of thousands of videos produced by the campaigns, created by voters, and re-mixed and mashed-up by the community in [innumerable ways].

[Obama] inspired people all over the world to take ownership over his campaign with messages of hope and change, and as the first African-American to assume this office, he will make history today when he is sworn in on the steps of the Capitol at noon in Washington, D.C.

In honor of the [historic nature] of today's inauguration, we are dedicating the YouTube homepage to past presidential inaugural addresses. We partnered with C-SPAN to retrieve these speeches from its digital archives. From Franklin Delano Roosevelt's speech during the Great Depression in 1933 to George W. Bush's first inaugural address in 2001, just months before the September 11 attacks, today's homepage provides a comparative view of American presidents on the day each took office.

We hope that history geeks, political buffs, and everyday citizens alike will enjoy remembering these [remarkable events]. If you miss Obama's address at noon Eastern, you can find it here on YouTube soon afterward.]

Hackers happy with Obama Inauguration

2009-01-19T17:20:00.003+05:30

Telegraph reports that Hackers are making hay of the "Obama Inauguration"

[Spammers are sending out millions of emails bearing the subject line �??Amazing news�??, and claiming that Barack Obama has declined the presidency, saying that he doesn�??t want the responsibility of saving a �??sinking ship�??. The emails contain links to what looks like Obama's official campaign website, where people can go for more information....he links will take computer users through to a fake website that hosts malicious software and viruses that can be automatically downloaded onto the user�??s machine. Computers will then be infected with the Waledec �??botnet�??, which could enable hackers to take control of the machine.]

The only warning people can heed in this is -

"We advise caution and suggest that email users avoid clicking on any news links relating to Obama�??s inauguration sent to them via email, especially if the email content seems sensational or unbelievable."

Earlier -
We are One says Barack Obama
Obama - Official White House photo
George Bush - Farewell Speech of US President

No Government Bailout for India's Satyam

2009-01-19T17:11:00.002+05:30

Commerce and industry minister Kamal Nath on Monday made it clear that Indian government would not bail out troubled IT firm Satyam Computers.

["There is no question of bailing out Satyam. It has strong bankers who would look for investors," Kamal Nath said.]

Nath continued to maintain that the Rs 7000 crore fraud at Satyam Computer Services was a "one-off delinquency", IANS reported, though Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has called it a "blot" on India's corporate image.

But since there is already missing money, the chase has to remain

Earlier -

Satyam to find buyer via three banks
The Satyam Lie - Why we refused to see...

Indian Art reaches a new low....

2009-01-19T16:41:00.001+05:30

Indian Art reaches a new low....

[Mr Raza, 86, said when he reached the exhibition on Saturday, he found that a number of the paintings were fake.

"At this stage of my life, this was the last thing I wanted to do - grace an exhibition of my own fake paintings. I am so upset and cannot get over it," Mr Raza wrote in the Mail Today newspaper.]

He said he had been advised by his friends to take legal action, but he had not decided.

"This shows Indian art in a very poor light. We need to find out how this happened," Mr Raza wrote.

The owner of the 70-year-old gallery, Uma Ravi Jain, told the BBC that Mr Raza's paintings for the exhibition were sourced from the painter's nephew.

Beers & Blogs do mix ..

2009-01-19T16:28:00.002+05:30

[Watt found the most popular bloggers in each country and sent free samples to them. Having built a following, they convinced local importers to sell their beer and international orders took off. Today exports account for 80% of sales.]

This is another story of niche marketing or say net marketing ?

Brewdog uses video to talk to customers. It recently gave them the chance to create a new beer by posting clips of its staff arguing about the virtues of different types of beer and letting them vote on how the final product would taste.

�??We called it Beer Rocks and it was the first ever democratically designed beer. It generated a lot of interest and all it cost us was a couple of hours�?? filming and the price of a video camera,�?? said Watt.

Visit Brewdow's Blog today..maybe you can get a beer for free ?

Link

We are One says Barack Obama

2009-01-19T16:21:00.003+05:30

You heard the George Bush - Farewell Speech of US President and saw the Obama Official Photo.

Now hear the President-elect Barack Obama's 'We Are One' Speech during the pre-inaugural celebration at Lincoln Memorial, Jan. 18, 2009.

["I want to thank all the speakers and performers for reminding us, through song and through words, just what it is that we love about America. And I want to thank all of you for braving the cold and the crowds and traveling in some cases thousands of miles to join us here today.

Welcome to Washington, and welcome to this celebration of American renewal.

In the course of our history, only a handful of generations have been asked to confront challenges as serious as the ones we face right now. Our nation is at war. Our economy is in crisis. Millions of Americans are losing their jobs and their homes; they're worried about how they'll afford college for their kids or pay the stack of bills on their kitchen table.

And most of all, they are anxious and uncertain about the future - about whether this generation of Americans will be able to pass on what's best about this country to our children and their children.

I won't pretend that meeting any one of these challenges will be easy. It will take more than a month or a year, and it will likely take many. Along the way there will be setbacks and false starts and days that test our fundamental resolve as a nation.

But despite all of this - despite the enormity of the task that lies ahead - I stand here today as hopeful as ever that the United States of America will endure - that the dream of our founders will live on in our time.

What gives me that hope is what I see when I look out across this mall. For in these monuments are chiseled those unlikely stories that affirm our unyielding faith - a faith that anything is possible in America. Rising before us stands a memorial to a man who led a small band of farmers and shopkeepers in revolution against the army of an Empire, all for the sake of an idea.

On the ground below is a tribute to a generation that withstood war and depression -- men and women like my grandparents who toiled on bomber assembly lines and marched across Europe to free the world from tyranny's grasp. Directly in front of us is a pool that still reflects the dream of a King, and the glory of a people who marched and bled so that their children might be judged by their character's content. And behind me, watching over the union he saved, sits the man who in so many ways made this day possible.

And yet, as I stand here tonight, what gives me the greatest hope of all is not the stone and marble that surrounds us today, but what fills the spaces in between. It is you - Americans of every race and region and station who came here because you believe in what this country can be and because you want to help us get there.

It is the same thing that gave me hope from the day we began this campaign for the presidency nearly two years ago; a belief that if we could just recognize ourselves in one another and bring everyone together -- Democrats, Republicans, and Independents; Latino, Asian, and Native American; black and white, gay and straight, disabled and not - then not only would we restore hope and opportunity in places that yearned for both, but maybe, just maybe, we might perfect our union in the process.

This is what I believed, but you made this belief real.

You proved once more that people who love this country can change it. And as I prepare to assume the presidency, yours are the voices I will take with me every day I walk into that Oval Office - the voices of men and women who have different stories but hold common hopes; who ask only for what was promised us as Americans - that we might make of our lives what we will and see our children climb higher than we did.

It is this thread that binds us together in common effort; that runs through every memorial on this mall; that connects us to all those who struggled and sacrificed and stood here before.

It is how this nation has overcome the greatest differences and the longest odds - because there is no obstacle that can stand in the way of millions of voices calling for change.

That is the belief with which we began this campaign, and that is how we will overcome what ails us now. There is no doubt that our road will be long. That our climb will be steep.

But never forget that the true character of our nation is revealed not during times of comfort and ease, but by the right we do when the moment is hard. I ask you to help me reveal that character once more, and together, we can carry forward as one nation, and one people, the legacy of our forefathers that we celebrate today. God bless you. And God bless America."

Source : LA Times

As for me, God knows I tried

2009-01-19T15:08:00.002+05:30

This is from India Uncut

[Lasantha Wickramatunga, the chief editor of The Sunday Leader, a Sri Lankan newspaper, was shot dead last week near Colombo. He had survived earlier attempts at murder, and had known that further attempts were likely. So he wrote an editorial with the instructions that it be published in case he was killed.]

Here is the piece (Source : The Sunday Leader]

[ No other profession calls on its practitioners to lay down their lives for their art save the armed forces and, in Sri Lanka, journalism. In the course of the past few years, the independent media have increasingly come under attack. Electronic and print-media institutions have been burnt, bombed, sealed and coerced. Countless journalists have been harassed, threatened and killed. It has been my honour to belong to all those categories and now especially the last.

I have been in the business of journalism a good long time. Indeed, 2009 will be The Sunday Leader's 15th year. Many things have changed in Sri Lanka during that time, and it does not need me to tell you that the greater part of that change has been for the worse. We find ourselves in the midst of a civil war ruthlessly prosecuted by protagonists whose bloodlust knows no bounds. Terror, whether perpetrated by terrorists or the state, has become the order of the day. Indeed, murder has become the primary tool whereby the state seeks to control the organs of liberty. Today it is the journalists, tomorrow it will be the judges. For neither group have the risks ever been higher or the stakes lower.

Why then do we do it? I often wonder that. After all, I too am a husband, and the father of three wonderful children. I too have responsibilities and obligations that transcend my profession, be it the law or journalism. Is it worth the risk? Many people tell me it is not. Friends tell me to revert to the bar, and goodness knows it offers a better and safer livelihood. Others, including political leaders on both sides, have at various times sought to induce me to take to politics, going so far as to offer me ministries of my choice. Diplomats, recognising the risk journalists face in Sri Lanka, have offered me safe passage and the right of residence in their countries. Whatever else I may have been stuck for, I have not been stuck for choice.

But there is a calling that is yet above high office, fame, lucre and security. It is the call of conscience.

The Sunday Leader has been a controversial newspaper because we say it like we see it: whether it be a spade, a thief or a murderer, we call it by that name. We do not hide behind euphemism. The investigative articles we print are supported by documentary evidence thanks to the public-spiritedness of citizens who at great risk to themselves pass on this material to us. We have exposed scandal after scandal, and never once in these 15 years has anyone proved us wrong or successfully prosecuted us.

The free media serve as a mirror in which the public can see itself sans mascara and styling gel. From us you learn the state of your nation, and especially its management by the people you elected to give your children a better future. Sometimes the image you see in that mirror is not a pleasant one. But while you may grumble in the privacy of your armchair, the journalists who hold the mirror up to you do so publicly and at great risk to themselves. That is our calling, and we do not shirk it.

Every newspaper has its angle, and we do not hide the fact that we have ours. Our commitment is to see Sri Lanka as a transparent, secular, liberal democracy. Think about those words, for they each has profound meaning. Transparent because government must be openly accountable to the people and never abuse their trust. Secular because in a multi-ethnic and multi-cultural society such as ours, secularism offers the only common ground by which we might all be united. Liberal because we recognise that all human beings are created different, and we need to accept others for what they are and not what we would like them to be. And democratic... well, if you need me to explain why that is important, you'd best stop buying this paper.

The Sunday Leader has never sought safety by unquestioningly articulating the majority view. Let's face it, that is the way to sell newspapers. On the contrary, as our opinion pieces over the years amply demonstrate, we often voice ideas that many people find distasteful. For example, we have consistently espoused the view that while separatist terrorism must be eradicated, it is more important to address the root causes of terrorism, and urged government to view Sri Lanka's ethnic strife in the context of history and not through the telescope of terrorism. We have also agitated against state terrorism in the so-called war against terror, and made no secret of our horror that Sri Lanka is the only country in the world routinely to bomb its own citizens. For these views we have been labelled traitors, and if this be treachery, we wear that label proudly.

Many people suspect that The Sunday Leader has a political agenda: it does not. If we appear more critical of the government than of the opposition it is only because we believe that - pray excuse cricketing argot - there is no point in bowling to the fielding side. Remember that for the few years of our existence in which the UNP was in office, we proved to be the biggest thorn in its flesh, exposing excess and corruption wherever it occurred. Indeed, the steady stream of embarrassing expos�??s we published may well have served to precipitate the downfall of that government.

Neither should our distaste for the war be interpreted to mean that we support the Tigers. The LTTE are among the most ruthless and bloodthirsty organisations ever to have infested the planet. There is no gainsaying that it must be eradicated. But to do so by violating the rights of Tamil citizens, bombing and shooting them mercilessly, is not only wrong but shames the Sinhalese, whose claim to be custodians of the dhamma is forever called into question by this savagery, much of which is unknown to the public because of censorship.

What is more, a military occupation of the country's north and east will require the Tamil people of those regions to live eternally as second-class citizens, deprived of all self respect. Do not imagine that you can placate them by showering "development" and "reconstruction" on them in the post-war era. The wounds of war will scar them forever, and you will also have an even more bitter and hateful Diaspora to contend with. A problem amenable to a political solution will thus become a festering wound that will yield strife for all eternity. If I seem angry and frustrated, it is only because most of my countrymen - and all of the government - cannot see this writing so plainly on the wall.

It is well known that I was on two occasions brutally assaulted, while on another my house was sprayed with machine-gun fire. Despite the government's sanctimonious assurances, there was never a serious police inquiry into the perpetrators of these attacks, and the attackers were never apprehended. In all these cases, I have reason to believe the attacks were inspired by the government. When finally I am killed, it will be the government that kills me.

The irony in this is that, unknown to most of the public, Mahinda and I have been friends for more than a quarter century. Indeed, I suspect that I am one of the few people remaining who routinely addresses him by his first name and uses the familiar Sinhala address oya when talking to him. Although I do not attend the meetings he periodically holds for newspaper editors, hardly a month passes when we do not meet, privately or with a few close friends present, late at night at President's House. There we swap yarns, discuss politics and joke about the good old days. A few remarks to him would therefore be in order here.

Mahinda, when you finally fought your way to the SLFP presidential nomination in 2005, nowhere were you welcomed more warmly than in this column. Indeed, we broke with a decade of tradition by referring to you throughout by your first name. So well known were your commitments to human rights and liberal values that we ushered you in like a breath of fresh air. Then, through an act of folly, you got yourself involved in the Helping Hambantota scandal. It was after a lot of soul-searching that we broke the story, at the same time urging you to return the money. By the time you did so several weeks later, a great blow had been struck to your reputation. It is one you are still trying to live down.

You have told me yourself that you were not greedy for the presidency. You did not have to hanker after it: it fell into your lap. You have told me that your sons are your greatest joy, and that you love spending time with them, leaving your brothers to operate the machinery of state. Now, it is clear to all who will see that that machinery has operated so well that my sons and daughter do not themselves have a father.

In the wake of my death I know you will make all the usual sanctimonious noises and call upon the police to hold a swift and thorough inquiry. But like all the inquiries you have ordered in the past, nothing will come of this one, too. For truth be told, we both know who will be behind my death, but dare not call his name. Not just my life, but yours too, depends on it.

Sadly, for all the dreams you had for our country in your younger days, in just three years you have reduced it to rubble. In the name of patriotism you have trampled on human rights, nurtured unbridled corruption and squandered public money like no other President before you. Indeed, your conduct has been like a small child suddenly let loose in a toyshop. That analogy is perhaps inapt because no child could have caused so much blood to be spilled on this land as you have, or trampled on the rights of its citizens as you do. Although you are now so drunk with power that you cannot see it, you will come to regret your sons having so rich an inheritance of blood. It can only bring tragedy. As for me, it is with a clear conscience that I go to meet my Maker. I wish, when your time finally comes, you could do the same. I wish.

As for me, I have the satisfaction of knowing that I walked tall and bowed to no man. And I have not travelled this journey alone. Fellow journalists in other branches of the media walked with me: most of them are now dead, imprisoned without trial or exiled in far-off lands. Others walk in the shadow of death that your Presidency has cast on the freedoms for which you once fought so hard. You will never be allowed to forget that my death took place under your watch. As anguished as I know you will be, I also know that you will have no choice but to protect my killers: you will see to it that the guilty one is never convicted. You have no choice. I feel sorry for you, and Shiranthi will have a long time to spend on her knees when next she goes for Confession for it is not just her owns sins which she must confess, but those of her extended family that keeps you in office.

As for the readers of The Sunday Leader, what can I say but Thank You for supporting our mission. We have espoused unpopular causes, stood up for those too feeble to stand up for themselves, locked horns with the high and mighty so swollen with power that they have forgotten their roots, exposed corruption and the waste of your hard-earned tax rupees, and made sure that whatever the propaganda of the day, you were allowed to hear a contrary view. For this I - and my family - have now paid the price that I have long known I will one day have to pay. I am - and have always been - ready for that. I have done nothing to prevent this outcome: no security, no precautions. I want my murderer to know that I am not a coward like he is, hiding behind human shields while condemning thousands of innocents to death. What am I among so many? It has long been written that my life would be taken, and by whom. All that remains to be written is when.

That The Sunday Leader will continue fighting the good fight, too, is written. For I did not fight this fight alone. Many more of us have to be - and will be - killed before The Leader is laid to rest. I hope my assassination will be seen not as a defeat of freedom but an inspiration for those who survive to step up their efforts. Indeed, I hope that it will help galvanise forces that will usher in a new era of human liberty in our beloved motherland. I also hope it will open the eyes of your President to the fact that however many are slaughtered in the name of patriotism, the human spirit will endure and flourish. Not all the Rajapakses combined can kill that.

People often ask me why I take such risks and tell me it is a matter of time before I am bumped off. Of course I know that: it is inevitable. But if we do not speak out now, there will be no one left to speak for those who cannot, whether they be ethnic minorities, the disadvantaged or the persecuted. An example that has inspired me throughout my career in journalism has been that of the German theologian, Martin Niem�??ller. In his youth he was an anti-Semite and an admirer of Hitler. As Nazism took hold in Germany, however, he saw Nazism for what it was: it was not just the Jews Hitler sought to extirpate, it was just about anyone with an alternate point of view. Niem�??ller spoke out, and for his trouble was incarcerated in the Sachsenhausen and Dachau concentration camps from 1937 to 1945, and very nearly executed. While incarcerated, Niem�??ller wrote a poem that, from the first time I read it in my teenage years, stuck hauntingly in my mind:

First they came for the Jews

and I did not speak out because I was not a Jew.

Then they came for the Communists

and I did not speak out because I was not a Communist.

Then they came for the trade unionists

and I did not speak out because I was not a trade unionist.

Then they came for me

and there was no one left to speak out for me.

If you remember nothing else, remember this: The Leader is there for you, be you Sinhalese, Tamil, Muslim, low-caste, homosexual, dissident or disabled. Its staff will fight on, unbowed and unafraid, with the courage to which you have become accustomed. Do not take that commitment for granted. Let there be no doubt that whatever sacrifices we journalists make, they are not made for our own glory or enrichment: they are made for you. Whether you deserve their sacrifice is another matter. As for me, God knows I tried.]

Blue Monday - 19 January 2009

2009-01-19T14:25:00.003+05:30

Psychologists say 'Blue Monday' marks the point where the credit crunch, worries over Christmas bills and the long, dark winter will all take their toll., reports Telegraph.

So what is it exactly ?

Blue Monday according to Wikipedia -

[Blue Monday is a name given to a date stated, as part of a publicity campaign by Sky Travel, to be the most depressing day of the year.

This date was published in a press release under the name of Cliff Arnall, at the time a tutor at the Centre for Lifelong Learning, a Further Education centre attached to Cardiff University. Guardian columnist Dr Ben Goldacre reported that the press release was delivered substantially pre-written to a number of academics by Public Relations agency Porter Novelli, who offered them money to put their names to it. The Guardian later printed a statement from Cardiff University distancing themselves from Arnall: "Cardiff University has asked us to point out that Cliff Arnall... was a former part-time tutor at the university but left in February."

Arnall says the date was calculated by using many factors, including: weather conditions, debt level (the difference between debt accumulated and our ability to pay), time since Christmas, time since failing our new year�??s resolutions, low motivational levels and feeling of a need to take action. Writing about the calculation, Goldacre stated: ... the fact is that Cliff Arnall's equations ... fail even to make mathematical sense on their own terms.

This date typically falls on the Monday of the last full week of January. The date was stated to be 24 January in 2005, 23 January in 2006, 22 January in 2007,^[5] and 21 January in 2008. In 2009, Blue Monday will fall on January 19.

Mr Arnall also says, in a press release commissioned by Wall's ice cream, that he has calculated the happiest day of the year - in 2005, 24 June, in 2006, 23 June, and in 2008 20 June. So far, this date has fallen close to Midsummer.]

So what can be done ?

[...Force yourself to take a proper lunch break with other people. Take a balanced diet, with enough water over the day. Another thing which is known to have a benefit on mood is exercise and that's something most people can do.

Knowing that Blue Monday is there and that it affects other people can be valuable. I think it's a useful way of raising awareness about a problem which can affect a lot of people.

"Talking about it means you are interacting with other people, building relationships and support...]

BBC reports that

[The Optimists' Society say they want to reclaim the "most depressing day of the year" as International Optimism Day. The society will send cheer packages to celebrities such as Jeremy Paxman, and will host a free comedy show in London....

...Cheer packages are also being sent to Chancellor of the Exchequer Alistair Darling, Radio 4 presenter John Humphrys, famously straight-faced comedian Jack Dee and the cast of the BBC soap EastEnders.

In London, a free lunchtime comedy show will be held at the Comedy Store, featuring a motivational session from comedian Neil Mullarkey....]

So how are you spending your Blue Monday ??

No Fuel No Battery - Auto Engine for 800 USD

2009-01-19T11:53:00.004+05:30

Here is some great news from India (or let's say Indians). There is fuel-less and battery less auto engine from India at 35000 INR (less than 800 US Dollars)

[Kanishk Sinha and his wife Lipika have invented a "fuel-less and battery less" environment-friendly auto engine."This engine is switched on by a chemical reaction between zinc and oxygen; hence it is pollution-free. This technology also increases the durability of the engine," Kanishk Sinha, chairman of the Jasper Motor Vehicle company, said.]

How does it work ?

He said the engine can be used in cars as well as other vehicles like three-wheelers, apart from water pumps.A water pump can run for five years without any interruption on this engine and a four-wheeler car can run 450,000 km,"

They established the company registered in the US five years ago with Rs100 crore raised from non-resident Indians. They got the engine patented with BigPatents India, a body supported by the Ford Foundation.

All Jasper engines are manufactured in Washington as the company does not have a manufacturing facility in India. "We source all our engines from the US," Sinha said, but added he was looking for land in Bihar and West Bengal to set up a manufacturing unit in India.

So how is India responding to this ?

The couple has approached Kshiti Goswami, West Bengal's public works department minister, for land in Bardhaman district. "They came to me. I am aware of their project. But if they are seeking land in Bardhaman they have to speak to the Bardhaman Development Authority. It's not within our purview to provide them with land," Goswami said.

What is the current practical application ?

Currently, Jasper has set up a 28-dealer network in Rajasthan, Bihar and New Delhi, and plans to add 15 more dealers in the next few months. It has begun testing waters in West Bengal and Assam.

The company manufactures 15,000 engines a month, but Sinha is not planning to increase production immediately. "We will be focussing more on marketing now," he said.

As part of the strategy to promote sales, the company will not tinker with the Rs 35,000 price tag. (Approx 720 USD)

Source Times of India

Satyam to find buyer via three banks

2009-01-19T10:44:00.001+05:30

"Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan and Deutsche Bank were under consideration and a final decision is likely this week".

The new board of fraud-hit Satyam Computer Services Ltd is looking to appoint these three investment banks to explore the possibility of finding a buyer.

The board will begin calling key clients including General Electric, American Express, Citigroup, the report said.

Google Earth Prado Masterpieces

2009-01-16T16:20:00.002+05:30

[Now you can use Google Earth technology to navigate reproductions of the Prado's masterpieces, delving even deeper into the Prado's collection. In Google Earth, you can get close enough to examine a painter's brushstrokes or the craquelure on the varnish of a painting. The images of these works are about 14,000 million pixels, 1,400 times more detailled than the image a 10 megapixel digital camera would take. In addition, you'll be able to see a spectacular 3D reproduction of the museum.]

How do you do that ?

Open Google Earth, check the 3D buildings layer on the bottom left panel, go to the Prado and access the masterpieces.

Also view Prado Masterpieces in Google Maps

Image : Time

Dogs cannot use condoms hence sterilise

2009-01-16T14:47:00.000+05:30

"Dogs cannot use condoms, but with the municipality's help, they can be 'fixed' -- painlessly, quickly and permanently," she added in the letter made public by activist group the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA).

US actress Pamela Anderson has appealed to the authorities in India's financial capital Mumbai not to put down nuisance stray dogs, instead calling for them to be sterilized.

Link

The Satyam Lie - Why we refused to see...

2009-01-16T14:23:00.000+05:30

Why everyone refused to see the Satyam lie ?

DNA has an interesting answer -

[...Sure, I have the benefit of hindsight in writing this, but I don't follow Satyam on a daily basis as the experts and analysts do. It's surprising nobody questioned anything.Charles Kindleberger's all-time classic Manias, Panics and Crashes may have an explanation: "Commercial and financial crisis aref intimately bound up with transactions that overstep the confines of law and morality, shadowy though these confines be. The propensities to swindle and be swindled run parallel to the propensity to speculate during a boom. Crash and panic induce still more to cheat in order to save themselves. And the signal for panic is often the revelation of some swindle, theft embezzlement or fraud."...]

Read DNA India Article - Did we refuse to see the Satyam lie?

One organisation is happy with recession.

2009-01-16T13:29:00.000+05:30

One organisation is happy with recession.

[In 2008, the Business Software Alliance (BSA) paid a total of $136,100 in rewards to 42 individuals for verifiable tips about software piracy.

...

While the BSA receives a steady stream of software piracy tips year in and year out, the group anticipates there may be an increase in 2009 due to the economic downturn.

�??When business is down and IT budgets are stretched thin, some managers may be tempted to cut corners, leading to increased use of unlicensed software in their businesses,�?? explained MacBride. �??This is a terrible mistake because in the long run, companies stand to lose more money from being caught than they saved by installing unauthorized copies of software. Further, unlicensed software may increase a business�?? exposure to dangers such as viruses and malware. Experience shows it is better to obey the law and employ Software Asset Management (SAM) programs to derive the most value from their software purchases.�??

Corporate IT budgets are likely to be tight in the coming year. According to the IDC research firm, IT spending in 2009 will grow by less than 1 percent in the US (down from a forecasted 4.2 percent) and by only 2.6 percent worldwide (down from a forecasted 5.9 percent). Forrester Research predicts growth of 1.6 percent in the US in 2009, down from their previous forecast of 6.1 percent.

There have already been signs of a possible increase in online piracy during the past year. During the second half of 2008, the BSA asked Internet auction site providers such as eBay to take down more than 20,832 auctions (up 67% from 2007) involving 170,617 software products (up 92% from 2007) worth a combined $84,777,986. During the same period, BSA issued more than 71,982 takedown notices to �??BitTorrent�?? sites regarding peer-to-peer files that were being used by as many as 795,500 people to download software worth an estimated $500,862,366. Takedown notices aimed at other Internet sources of pirated software reached a record 930,271 in the period.]

Also see LA Times - Strapped for cash? Report your company's software piracy

Dog equal to baby ?

2009-01-16T12:58:00.000+05:30

Researchers have found that when dog owners play with their pets they experience a burst in a hormone linked to infant care.The hormone, called oxytocin, is also known as the "bonding" and "social" hormone and is involved in romantic love and friendship as well as child care. Oxytocin also dampens stress, combats depression and breeds trust in humans.

Link

Zimbabwe Hundred Trillion Dollar Note

2009-01-16T12:23:00.001+05:30

[The new 100,000,000,000,000 Zim-dollar bill would have been worth about 300 US dollars (225 euros) at Thursday's exchange rate on the informal market, where most currency trading now takes place, but the value of the local currency erodes dramatically every day. Zimbabwe will introduce a 100 trillion dollar note, in its latest attempt to keep pace with hyperinflation that has left its once-vibrant economy in tatters, state media said Friday. The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe is introducing three other notes in trillion-dollar denominations of 10, 20 and 50, the government mouthpiece Herald newspaper said.]

Now it gives new meaning to what would you tip right ?

News Source Link

Image Original Source Link

Image Courtesy Link

BBC report

Obama - Official White House photo

2009-01-16T12:17:00.000+05:30

This is the Official White House photo of Barack Obama, the 44th president of United States of America.

Image Source : Pete Souza / LA Times

Facebook Safe Burglar ?

2009-01-16T12:10:00.000+05:30

Social Networks define a new meaning for social...

[New Zealand police have arrested a safe burglar by using the popular social networking website Facebook to identify and track him down. "The offender was identified after a movie and images of him were displayed on Facebook. He was identified from members of the public viewing him on Facebook and also seeing him on TV after the Facebook images were displayed on the news," the police station said in a statement on its Facebook page.]

Like Google Street View.. authorities are defining newer avenues for such web based utilities

Halfprice Digital College Textbooks from Zinio

2009-01-16T11:53:00.000+05:30

Here is the announcement from Zinio -

[...

As colleges and universities nationwide begin their spring semesters, students preparing to spend hundreds on textbooks for their spring classes now have a cost-effective and sustainable digital alternative with Zinio. Available at www.textbooks.zinio.com.

Digital textbooks give you:

�?� 50% off the same printed book prices with $0 shipping!
�?� Immediate access, buy it late and still have it on time.
�?� Archive/store on your laptop - no need to lug heavy books around campus.
�?� Read online or offline and click through to hyperlinks referenced inside.
�?� Highlight and take virtual notes to mark important information.
�?� Search inside your book - save time by searching for specific content.

...]

More here