People milling in front of hotel taj after mumbai attacks.
The signing campaign after taj attacks.
A close up of the same.
This is Mumbai and the building in the centre is us embassy.
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Some Pics From N95
People milling in front of hotel taj after mumbai attacks.The signing campaign after taj attacks. A close up of the same.
This is Mumbai and the building in the centre is us embassy.
Vipassana Meditation :Dhamma Giri (SN Goenka)
Everyone wants to be happy in his/her life,but happiness,like all good things in life is a commodity in short supply.Often in life we turn towards hoarding material things in the belief that they will make us happy,yet it keeps on eluding us.Oh happiness!thou really are ephemeral.
One of my friends recently suggested to me the technique of vipassana and recommended me to undergo a 10 day course organized frequently at Dhamma Giri,Igatpuri. He told me that my way of looking at things will change and i will be better able to handle everyday life situations.So taking his cue I went to their site dhamma.org and registered for the course.Soon the day arrived when I was to go join the course.
Reaching Dhamma Giri is easy from mumbai.In my case I took the 8:33am local to Kasara.From kasara one can easily take a taxi on shared basis to dhamma giri which is about 25 kms from there.Arriving there one has to undergo a formal registration process which is over within an hour or two.It is known as day zero in their parlance.So on day zero each one was asked to deposit all his valuables;reading material and mobile to the authorities and proceed to the dormitories allocated to us.In the evening we went for a group sitting in a hall and the course had begun formally.
The core philosophy of the technique consists of three parts: Shila,Samadhi and Panna.More on them later.So on day zero we were asked into a meditation hall and took three vows:Buddham saranam gacchami ; Dhammam saranam gacchami and Sangham saranam gacchami.
Now the practice has got nothing to do with religion.Buddha here symbolises all enlightened persons who realized truth and not just Siddharth Gautam.Dhamma is recognising the law of nature and is not religion as many may interpret.And sangh stands for all community of persons who preserved the practise of vipassana.And then we were asked to start maintaining noble silence,i.e. not to talk among ourselves both verbally as well as through gestures.And so the day zero ended.
Its funny that the land of origin of vipassana lost the practice as it got mired up in the various narrow walls of religion.Vipassana was and is a practice beyond religion.It helps us control our own mind and makes ona a better person by putting him on a path of : From misery to happiness,From bondage to liberation & From darkness to light.Gautam Buddha realised this at the age of 35 and spend the next 45 years of his life preaching it,in the process helping millions of souls.But after his death the practice got forgotten and a religion cropped up ending in the sad demise of the technique in the land of its origin!
The silence is an integral part for calming our mind and for observance of sila.The silas are:1.No killing of live beings.2No intoxicants 3.No lies 4.No sexual misconduct & 5.To abstain from stealing.SO living in a secluded atmosphere all of these conditions are fulfilled.And noble silence goes a long way in helping here.
Day 1,2 and 3 went by with we observing our breadth.It is known as anapana.That is just observe your breadth in its natural way.One does not have to control ones breadth just observe it.
The routine there was difficult in getting used to initially.You wake up at 4am and sit for meditation from 4:30 to 6:30am follwed by a breakfast break from 630 to 8:00.Again meditation starts from 8 to 11.11 to 1 is break time with lunch thrown in.Again from 1 to 5 one has to practice meditation with a tea break from 5 to 6.The last sitting is from 6 to 9 entailing a 90 min lecture explaining various facets of the technique:i.e. theory.
Day 4 saw us getting the technique of vipassana and we started working on it.Vipassana means insight that one gains from looking within one's self.It talks about the kingdom of heaven that is within us.The cause of our unhappiness does not lie in external events rather it is how we react to external stimuli.If we refuse to react to it half of our work is done.Each stimuli elicits 2 responses: attachment if it is pleasant and aversion if unpleasant.It is known as Raaga and Dwesha in pali.So if we cut this bond we start becoming happy and vipassana is helpful in this regard.
There are 3 types of sensations: pleasant,unpleasant and neutral.All three are impermanent subject to decay,to decline,to fading away,to ceasing.Seeing this reality the follower of noble path becomes equanimous toward pleasant,unpleasant and neutral sensations.By developing equanimity,he becomes detached;by developing detachment,he becomes liberated.
Oh the practice there was not easy.Feelings of anger,disgust frustration etc always cropped up.I almost gave up on two occasions and thought of running away.But somehow prudence prevailed and I hung on always at the very edge of giving up.Looking back I am proud of hanging back.One cannot even cut a single part or a single day of the 10 day retreat.Each day forms an integral part of the synergic whole such that the sum of whole is greater than sum of its parts.Day 4 to day 10 saw the practice of vipassana day in and day out.And on the 10th day we broke our silence.Till day 10 I didnot know if I had gained anything or not.But while coming back,in the modern world, I could surmise that something fundamental did change inside me.My tolerance has gone up as well as the feeling of compassion.The awareness of when one starts getting swept up by feelings has started:and so has the fightback,though in rudimentary form.
The road ahead is hard and difficulties will come,but the first step is already taken.And maybe,just maybe if one hangs on tenaciously to the technique one will become a better person with a balanced mind and will be equanimous in both happiness as well as sorrow:(Knowing that) Even this will pass away!
Meditation CellThe Buddha said:
A man does not really apply Dhamma in life
just because he speaks much about it.
But though someone may have heard little about it,
if he sees the Law Of Nature by means of his own body,
then truly he lives according to it,
and can never be forgetful of the Dhamma.
AND
when asked to define real happiness:
When faced with all the ups and downs of life,
still the mind remains unshaken,
not lamenting,not generating defilements,always feeling secure;
this is the greatest happiness.
Bhavatu Sabba Mangalam. May all beings be happy!
Sunday, February 8, 2009
Whither NHAI Mr. PM?
Roads are like the line of fate in a nations destiny,was proclaimed by Atal Bihari Vajpayee when he launched the ambitious national highway development plan under the title Golden Quadrilateral.It was launched with great fanfare and the work was visible and people had begun saying that it will change the face of the nation.But then elections happened and "India Shining" turned out to be a bad bet for Mr. Vajpayee.
The first phase of the project entailed connecting the four metros (kolkata, chennai, mumbai & delhi) with 4/6 lanes totalling 5846 km at a price of Rs 60,000 Cr.It was a very ambitious project, the largest express highway project in fact for India.Phase two to six to be followed would have changed the complete picture of the one of the pillars of infrastructure in India.However that was not to be!
The new Govt. formation saw a lot of quibbling going on,but thankfully a great person was chosen for the post of PM:Mr Manmohan Singh.Mr. Singh was instrumental in giving a new direction to Indian finances in his stint as finance minister of India.He opened up indian economy and ended the licence, permit, Quota raj.Libralisation was the new buzzword and India made rapid strides in economy.So it was only logical to assume that India would make rapid strides in the field of infrastructure development ,with National Highways Development Programme (NHDP)taking centre stage.A Re 1 surcharge was levied on each litre of petrol/diesel to fund the project.Also an investment of upto 50 lakhs in NHAI bond was declared to be tax free.
The world-class highways project is now a picture of missed deadlines, policy mumbo jumbo, red-tape, and most importantly, delayed economic benefits to the country.
Crucial stretches of the NHDP are not even near completion and are stalled.
The projects have been put on a back burner, contracts have been delayed or cut-off dates for bidding extended for lack of interest among contractors. As a result,only 9,400 km of the 32,939 km of the NHDP, encompassing all its six phases stands ready.
Itis a sad telling for the government of india. Just for petty politics and the game of showing one party superior,the entire project has been held to ransom. True,it was the pet project of prior Govt. but the ultimate winner would have been India as a nation and Indian people.
It is here that the integrity of our current PM comes in question.Why was such a crucial project stalled?Who should answer for it?It's true that he has handled several storms in the coalition politics nicely and has displayed superb tact in administering India but history would not be very kind to him.True he led India from the financial ruin, but when the calling came to take the gains forward, he was found wanting.The same project would now cost more money,the lost productivity notwithstanding!
May a time come when only the benefits to people and nation matter, not the benefit to a party or a faction.With this hope...
The first phase of the project entailed connecting the four metros (kolkata, chennai, mumbai & delhi) with 4/6 lanes totalling 5846 km at a price of Rs 60,000 Cr.It was a very ambitious project, the largest express highway project in fact for India.Phase two to six to be followed would have changed the complete picture of the one of the pillars of infrastructure in India.However that was not to be!
The new Govt. formation saw a lot of quibbling going on,but thankfully a great person was chosen for the post of PM:Mr Manmohan Singh.Mr. Singh was instrumental in giving a new direction to Indian finances in his stint as finance minister of India.He opened up indian economy and ended the licence, permit, Quota raj.Libralisation was the new buzzword and India made rapid strides in economy.So it was only logical to assume that India would make rapid strides in the field of infrastructure development ,with National Highways Development Programme (NHDP)taking centre stage.A Re 1 surcharge was levied on each litre of petrol/diesel to fund the project.Also an investment of upto 50 lakhs in NHAI bond was declared to be tax free.
The world-class highways project is now a picture of missed deadlines, policy mumbo jumbo, red-tape, and most importantly, delayed economic benefits to the country.
Crucial stretches of the NHDP are not even near completion and are stalled.
The projects have been put on a back burner, contracts have been delayed or cut-off dates for bidding extended for lack of interest among contractors. As a result,only 9,400 km of the 32,939 km of the NHDP, encompassing all its six phases stands ready.
Itis a sad telling for the government of india. Just for petty politics and the game of showing one party superior,the entire project has been held to ransom. True,it was the pet project of prior Govt. but the ultimate winner would have been India as a nation and Indian people.
It is here that the integrity of our current PM comes in question.Why was such a crucial project stalled?Who should answer for it?It's true that he has handled several storms in the coalition politics nicely and has displayed superb tact in administering India but history would not be very kind to him.True he led India from the financial ruin, but when the calling came to take the gains forward, he was found wanting.The same project would now cost more money,the lost productivity notwithstanding!
May a time come when only the benefits to people and nation matter, not the benefit to a party or a faction.With this hope...
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Will there be a India Pakistan War
Pakistan and India were one nation under the British rule.The legacy of the Brits "to divide and rule",left a scar which no passage of time can fill.There was no mention of Pakistan five years prior to the partition.It was the sidelining of Jinnah by the congress party that led to his taking a hardline stand and propose a two nation theory.
The partition saw worst of massacres and forced migration of millions of people by far the largest in history;maybe followed by forced evacuation of asians from Uganda under Idi Amin.The partition left many wounds for inhabitants of both the country.Soon after the partition Pakistan tried to capture Kashmir by force,but raja Hari Singh signed a hurried special treaty with India under which the state of J & K was given a special status in Indian Constitution under Article 370,and Indian forces went and defeated the Pak forces.
The next war started when Pakistan attacked India (code:Gibraltar) on August 5, 1965.
The war ended at a point of stalemate when the UN Security Council unanimously passed a resolution that called for a ceasefire. (India had a slight advantage, but not enough.) Soviet-brokered Tashkent Declaration was signed between the two countries sometime in 1966.This war derailed the Indian economy completely(though the Chinese incursion of 1962 also had had a part) and the five year plans were suspended for a few years.
The 1971 Indo-Pak war initially started as a civil war in East Pakistan (Bangladesh).East Pakistan and West Pakistan then were one nation though separated by thousand of miles.The crackdown on east Pak saw killing of many civilians and over 80 lakh refugees entered India. Indira Gandhi,the iron lady of India took a bold step and liberated Bangladesh in two weeks,with India taking 93,000 Prisoner of Wars.The peace came in the form of Simla pact.
This was a decisive victory for India and a massive loss of face for Pakistan.India despite being a land of contradictions and full of diversity that can be found in only a continent,could work towards a one nation theory and adopt a constitution- the longest in the world and also the source of power for the government.It talks about how "WE THE PEOPLE.....Give to ourselves This Constitution" in the preamble.The constitution set India to be Sovereign,Socialist,Secular,Democratic Republic; and India has been lucky to walk on this line despite the emergency misadventure of Indira Gandhi.Pakistan on the other hand could not find stability.Its internal affairs and governance were always in jeopardy with military playing as important (and some times even more so),a role as the civilian government.Add to it the chaos of semi independent chieftains of border areas.The nation of Pakistan according to the military,could exist only if a constant threat was portrayed from India.It was this threat that kept Pakistan alive as a nation.
Kargil,the most recent war started in 1999 when infiltrators were discovered in the Batalik sector.The intruders, comprising mostly Pak Army regulars, along with a sprinkling of Mujahideen, were defeated in the operation Vijay, a major offensive in Kargil and Drass sectors. Fortunately the war was a contained one and common sense prevailed on both sides, to stop it from becoming a major one.
The attack on Mumbai on the 26th of november was the latest in the line of events to bring the two countries closer to war.Though the Pakistani Govt. Is not directly implicated in the attack it is clear that it was perpetuated by Pakistan based elements. Here India has shown an exemplary restraint on her part and should continue to do so.Why?
1. An attack at this point would be against the economic wellbeing and wipe out a decade of progress.
2. The war has the potential of becoming nuclear.
3. The whole world is sitting on gunpowder.All it requires is a match.Though middle east is the most sensitive place,still the continuous war waged by the Israel has somehow become an accepted news.India pakistan war would change the dynamics of the balance of power and Russia,China and Iran could be drawn in.
4. No country can invade other country and keep it under its rule without suffering heavy casualities.US Iraq war has taught us this.
5. Though Pakistan has tried to bleed India Through "thousand cuts ", it has only brought the country together.With India's economy booming,India has started looking at the world as her Oyster and Pakistan no longer plays as important a role in the national consciousness.
6. Pakistan is fighting its own war against the separatists and its economy has tanked. There is a distinct possibility that it will collapse under its own weight.
The recent change in the presidential election in US has created a new dynamics.Obama has started leaning hevily on Pakistan.Now that may backfire.The US currently needs a threat to its security to keep its military machine busy.Mind it,it is a real threat.The new president needs a concrete name to point public's mind to it.Iran,Syria,Jordan and N.Korea can't be continued as he has promised for a change from past policies.So what better example than Pakistan.
However his policies present a twin edged sword for India.Though India has got her aim fulfilled of presenting the true face of Pakistan,too hard a stance now would be detrimental for her.Pakistan could easily be mired in a civil war and in order to keep the country united once again target India.It has worked in the past and it may work again.The current civilian Govt. in Pakistan is not strong enough to prevent another border excursion.This can be seen through the war of words going on between the two countries.
The threat of war betwwen the two countries is very real in the next six months. Indian Govt's and public's patience is wearing thin and another attack on Indian soil may force Her to launch a limited attack (surgical strikes) on Pakistan's soil.Otherwise also Pakistan may open a front for a contained war against India in order to divert the attention of world community.Any war now would only increase the hardships for the citizens of the two countries already suffering from the global recession. In case of war India should act prudently and behave like elder brother so that the war does not escalate and become nuclear.Pakistan has got nothing to loose,and India looses everything.
The Global balance of power is already in a state of flux and should see a war in order to resolve it.It is better if it does not start in this subcontinent.
OM! SHANTI!SHANTI!SHANTI! With this prayer...
The partition saw worst of massacres and forced migration of millions of people by far the largest in history;maybe followed by forced evacuation of asians from Uganda under Idi Amin.The partition left many wounds for inhabitants of both the country.Soon after the partition Pakistan tried to capture Kashmir by force,but raja Hari Singh signed a hurried special treaty with India under which the state of J & K was given a special status in Indian Constitution under Article 370,and Indian forces went and defeated the Pak forces.
The next war started when Pakistan attacked India (code:Gibraltar) on August 5, 1965.
The war ended at a point of stalemate when the UN Security Council unanimously passed a resolution that called for a ceasefire. (India had a slight advantage, but not enough.) Soviet-brokered Tashkent Declaration was signed between the two countries sometime in 1966.This war derailed the Indian economy completely(though the Chinese incursion of 1962 also had had a part) and the five year plans were suspended for a few years.
The 1971 Indo-Pak war initially started as a civil war in East Pakistan (Bangladesh).East Pakistan and West Pakistan then were one nation though separated by thousand of miles.The crackdown on east Pak saw killing of many civilians and over 80 lakh refugees entered India. Indira Gandhi,the iron lady of India took a bold step and liberated Bangladesh in two weeks,with India taking 93,000 Prisoner of Wars.The peace came in the form of Simla pact.
This was a decisive victory for India and a massive loss of face for Pakistan.India despite being a land of contradictions and full of diversity that can be found in only a continent,could work towards a one nation theory and adopt a constitution- the longest in the world and also the source of power for the government.It talks about how "WE THE PEOPLE.....Give to ourselves This Constitution" in the preamble.The constitution set India to be Sovereign,Socialist,Secular,Democratic Republic; and India has been lucky to walk on this line despite the emergency misadventure of Indira Gandhi.Pakistan on the other hand could not find stability.Its internal affairs and governance were always in jeopardy with military playing as important (and some times even more so),a role as the civilian government.Add to it the chaos of semi independent chieftains of border areas.The nation of Pakistan according to the military,could exist only if a constant threat was portrayed from India.It was this threat that kept Pakistan alive as a nation.
Kargil,the most recent war started in 1999 when infiltrators were discovered in the Batalik sector.The intruders, comprising mostly Pak Army regulars, along with a sprinkling of Mujahideen, were defeated in the operation Vijay, a major offensive in Kargil and Drass sectors. Fortunately the war was a contained one and common sense prevailed on both sides, to stop it from becoming a major one.
The attack on Mumbai on the 26th of november was the latest in the line of events to bring the two countries closer to war.Though the Pakistani Govt. Is not directly implicated in the attack it is clear that it was perpetuated by Pakistan based elements. Here India has shown an exemplary restraint on her part and should continue to do so.Why?
1. An attack at this point would be against the economic wellbeing and wipe out a decade of progress.
2. The war has the potential of becoming nuclear.
3. The whole world is sitting on gunpowder.All it requires is a match.Though middle east is the most sensitive place,still the continuous war waged by the Israel has somehow become an accepted news.India pakistan war would change the dynamics of the balance of power and Russia,China and Iran could be drawn in.
4. No country can invade other country and keep it under its rule without suffering heavy casualities.US Iraq war has taught us this.
5. Though Pakistan has tried to bleed India Through "thousand cuts ", it has only brought the country together.With India's economy booming,India has started looking at the world as her Oyster and Pakistan no longer plays as important a role in the national consciousness.
6. Pakistan is fighting its own war against the separatists and its economy has tanked. There is a distinct possibility that it will collapse under its own weight.
The recent change in the presidential election in US has created a new dynamics.Obama has started leaning hevily on Pakistan.Now that may backfire.The US currently needs a threat to its security to keep its military machine busy.Mind it,it is a real threat.The new president needs a concrete name to point public's mind to it.Iran,Syria,Jordan and N.Korea can't be continued as he has promised for a change from past policies.So what better example than Pakistan.
However his policies present a twin edged sword for India.Though India has got her aim fulfilled of presenting the true face of Pakistan,too hard a stance now would be detrimental for her.Pakistan could easily be mired in a civil war and in order to keep the country united once again target India.It has worked in the past and it may work again.The current civilian Govt. in Pakistan is not strong enough to prevent another border excursion.This can be seen through the war of words going on between the two countries.
The threat of war betwwen the two countries is very real in the next six months. Indian Govt's and public's patience is wearing thin and another attack on Indian soil may force Her to launch a limited attack (surgical strikes) on Pakistan's soil.Otherwise also Pakistan may open a front for a contained war against India in order to divert the attention of world community.Any war now would only increase the hardships for the citizens of the two countries already suffering from the global recession. In case of war India should act prudently and behave like elder brother so that the war does not escalate and become nuclear.Pakistan has got nothing to loose,and India looses everything.
The Global balance of power is already in a state of flux and should see a war in order to resolve it.It is better if it does not start in this subcontinent.
OM! SHANTI!SHANTI!SHANTI! With this prayer...
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Slumdog Millionaire
I had almost given up watching movies,but somehow a movie worthwhile would come along which would keep my interest going,never giving me the reason for complete dissociation with movies.You can gauge my indifference to movies,especially hindi, from the fact that the last movies i watched were Swades,Chak de and Taare Zameen par. Oh, i know i have missed many;but then i have kept my sanity.
Among english movies the last few that I remember are:City of god, Red,Requiem for a dream, Tsotsie etc. I watched a few mindless ones like wanted,next,death race,war;to a few ok ones- 7 pounds,i am legend,eagle eyes etc.But none were the movies(barring the first 4;god..tsotsie) that would give me satisfaction.
And then slumdog happened.Though a simple rags to riches story with a bit of love thrown in, it is a portrayal of India unseen, of dreams and ambitions, of a place where tradition and modernity collide, and biggest of all :DESTINY. Maybe it is all written.Indeed!
This is a story brilliantly told.And for that matter I am thankful to Mr. Boyle.Why is it that foreigners make better films on India than us?Gandhi was another masterpiece which got an oscar for the indian dress designer.Maybe this film will also get some Indian contributer an oscar. But why can't we on our own come up with such masterpieces?? Some period films have been tried like the one on Netaji by Shyam Benegal, but those were pathetic movies....Maybe all we are good at is the normal song and dance routine!But beware,hollywood has started tapping that also.Pretty soon all of 550 odd films that India produces maybe overshadowed by a few produced by western studios. Thankfully,chandni chowk was not it!May be Warner Bros should have replaced Advani(or Adnani?) with some western director!
The other point which made an impact on me was the role given to destiny.For each answer has a story behind it and these answers propel the hero towards his first millions; some of the answers which would fox even pundits.Does destiny really play such role in a person's life?
Anyway the movie was good,and it would keep my faith in cinema intact for a long time. But I would not watch the movie a second time, for i believe that it would destroy the good and positive feeling towards the movie. The innocence and credulity of watching a movie first time is often replaced by the cold and critical attitude when you watch it again. And i don't want to ruin my experience of watching a good movie.
Among english movies the last few that I remember are:City of god, Red,Requiem for a dream, Tsotsie etc. I watched a few mindless ones like wanted,next,death race,war;to a few ok ones- 7 pounds,i am legend,eagle eyes etc.But none were the movies(barring the first 4;god..tsotsie) that would give me satisfaction.
And then slumdog happened.Though a simple rags to riches story with a bit of love thrown in, it is a portrayal of India unseen, of dreams and ambitions, of a place where tradition and modernity collide, and biggest of all :DESTINY. Maybe it is all written.Indeed!
This is a story brilliantly told.And for that matter I am thankful to Mr. Boyle.Why is it that foreigners make better films on India than us?Gandhi was another masterpiece which got an oscar for the indian dress designer.Maybe this film will also get some Indian contributer an oscar. But why can't we on our own come up with such masterpieces?? Some period films have been tried like the one on Netaji by Shyam Benegal, but those were pathetic movies....Maybe all we are good at is the normal song and dance routine!But beware,hollywood has started tapping that also.Pretty soon all of 550 odd films that India produces maybe overshadowed by a few produced by western studios. Thankfully,chandni chowk was not it!May be Warner Bros should have replaced Advani(or Adnani?) with some western director!
The other point which made an impact on me was the role given to destiny.For each answer has a story behind it and these answers propel the hero towards his first millions; some of the answers which would fox even pundits.Does destiny really play such role in a person's life?
Anyway the movie was good,and it would keep my faith in cinema intact for a long time. But I would not watch the movie a second time, for i believe that it would destroy the good and positive feeling towards the movie. The innocence and credulity of watching a movie first time is often replaced by the cold and critical attitude when you watch it again. And i don't want to ruin my experience of watching a good movie.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Must have software (internet radio )
I have been a late entrant to the internet bandwagon.So though i knew internet radio existed i never took it seriously.Until now. My only exposure was to visit BBC radio and listen to their world news.All that changed when I was introduced to the genre of Trance. In India the genre of trance,to say the least is nonexistant. So I got a few tracks from my friends,downloaded some from the limewire and had a mini collection.But it didn't whet my appetite,so I turned to radio(internet that is).
My first choice was to access it through windows media player 11.It is a good software but i became fed up of it due to two reasons- one,it is a resource gobbler and with only 512mb RAM on my lappie, I would struggle to run other applications along with it.And,Two-It deleted my favorite station list every few days.So ended my romance with WMP11.
So while in search of a internet radio player I came across Screamer Radio.Its just 1.6 MB big and is very easy on resources.Also it has a large built in library of stations available according to genre,region,network and language.It is minimalist in design but very intuitive. The only negative I have come across is that it has some dead links.Now that can be easily managed by entering manual links pointing to resources.So I would recommend this piece of software to anyone who is willing to experiment with the internet radio.
Enjoy!
http://www.screamer-radio.com
This is the homepage from where you can download the software.It is a freeware and leaves very small footprint on your system.
My first choice was to access it through windows media player 11.It is a good software but i became fed up of it due to two reasons- one,it is a resource gobbler and with only 512mb RAM on my lappie, I would struggle to run other applications along with it.And,Two-It deleted my favorite station list every few days.So ended my romance with WMP11.
So while in search of a internet radio player I came across Screamer Radio.Its just 1.6 MB big and is very easy on resources.Also it has a large built in library of stations available according to genre,region,network and language.It is minimalist in design but very intuitive. The only negative I have come across is that it has some dead links.Now that can be easily managed by entering manual links pointing to resources.So I would recommend this piece of software to anyone who is willing to experiment with the internet radio.
Enjoy!
http://www.screamer-radio.com
This is the homepage from where you can download the software.It is a freeware and leaves very small footprint on your system.
Triumph of human will : Full circle for African-Americans
The 44th president of USA is fulfilling the destinies of many African-Americans gone before him who faught for civil rights and an individual's dignity.Though America was found on the maxim "All men are created equal",the country refused to acknowledge equal rights for blacks(African americans). The country went to civil war over the issue and thankfully slavery was demarcated to history.
Now who would have thought that a country as polarised as US would choose a candidate who didnot belong to the predominant color.That they would look past the skin color and vote for inherent strength.True the failure of previous government played its part as well as the never ending war in Iraq and Afganistan.Added to the conundrum were a slowing economy (sub prime crisis wasn't in public domain then) and rising taxes,plummeting rating for Bush and republicans;and the growing aversion to US in the world community.
Amid these trying conditions Obama came like a fresh breeze.His "Yes,WE Can" message held the promise of rejuvenating America and her past glories.Son of a kenyan father and american mother, he did some schooling in Indonesian madarsas before coming to the land of dreams,USA. Here he showed what stuff dreams are made of! He worked hard and entered harvard law school passing from there in 1991.Obama published an autobiography in 1995 Dreams From My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance which went on to be a bestseller.Even greater success was the book : Audacity of Hope. In the old Washington politics, his voice was different and refreshing.He is a master orater and several of his speeches played a key part in mobilising the support of masses.
His speech from Lincoln memorial said "anything is possible in america" and he was "as hopeful as ever that the United States of America will endure—that the dream of our founders will live on in our time."
His life is a living example of what he says.And nothing could be as fitting as the above image of his Standing in front of Lincoln.One president saved America from breaking off and pointed her in the right direction. The same is expected from the current president. He is supposed to steer America's ship from the current quagmire of crisis upon crisis to a new and vibrant future. Truly " change has come to America", and "together,we can".
The current president needs the well wishes of all human beings and some help from God too.May America's torch of liberty keep shining brightly in the years to come!
Good luck, Obama, and Godspeed!
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