A conversation between a Soldier and Software Engineer in Shatabdhi Train .........An interesting and a must read!

  

Vivek Pradhan was not a happy man. Even the plush comfort of the air-conditioned compartment of the Shatabdhi express could not cool his frayed nerves. He was the Project Manager and still not entitled to air travel. It was not the prestige he sought; he had tried to reason with the admin person, it was the savings in time. As PM, he had so many things to do!!     He opened his case and took out the laptop, determined to put the time to some good use.     "Are you from the software industry sir," the man beside him was staring appreciatively at the laptop. Vivek glanced briefly and mumbled in affirmation, handling the laptop now with exaggerated care and importance as if it were an expensive car.     "You people have brought so much advancement to the country, Sir. Today everything is getting computerized. "     "Thanks," smiled Vivek, turning around to give the man a look. He always found it difficult to resist appreciation. The man was young and stockily built like a sportsman. He looked simple and strangely out of place in that little lap of luxury like a small town boy in a prep school. He probably was a railway sportsman making the most of his free traveling pass.     "You people always amaze me," the man continued, "You sit in an office and write something on a computer and it does so many big things outside."     Vivek smiled deprecatingly. Naive ness demanded reasoning not anger. "It is not as simple as that my friend. It is not just a question of writing a few lines. There is a lot of process that goes behind it."     For a moment, he was tempted to explain the entire Software Development Lifecycle but restrained himself to a single statement. "It is complex, very complex."     "It has to be. No wonder you people are so highly paid," came the reply.     This was not turning out as Vivek had thought. A hint of belligerence crept into his so far affable, persuasive tone. "     Everyone just sees the money. No one sees the amount of hard work we have to put in. Indians have such a narrow concept of hard work. Just because we sit in an air-conditioned office, does not mean our brows do not sweat. You exercise the muscle; we exercise the mind and believe me that is no less taxing."     He could see, he had the man where he wanted, and it was time to drive home the point.     "Let me give you an example. Take this train. The entire railway reservation system is computerized. You can book a train ticket between any two stations from any of the hundreds of computerized booking centers across the country.     Thousands of transactions accessing a single database, at a time concurrently; data integrity, locking, data security. Do you understand the complexity in designing and coding such a system?"     The man was awestruck; quite like a child at a planetarium. This was something big and beyond his imagination.     "You design and code such things."     "I used to," Vivek paused for effect, "but now I am the Project Manager."     "Oh!" sighed the man, as if the storm had passed over,     "So your life is easy now."     This was like the last straw for Vivek. He retorted, "Oh come on, does life ever get easy as you go up the ladder. Responsibility only brings more work.     Design and coding! That is the easier part. Now I do not do it, but I am responsible for it and believe me, that is far more stressful. My job is to get the work done in time and with the highest quality.     To tell you about the pressures, there is the customer at one end, always changing his requirements, the user at the other, wanting something else, and your boss, always expecting you to have finished it yesterday."     Vivek paused in his diatribe, his belligerence fading with self-realization. What he had said, was not merely the outburst of a wronged man, it was the truth. And one need not get angry while defending the truth.     "My friend," he concluded triumphantly, "you don't know what it is to be in the Line of Fire" .     The man sat back in his chair, his eyes closed as if in realization. When he spoke after sometime, it was with a calm certainty that surprised Vivek.     "I know sir.... I know what it is to be in the Line of Fire......."   He was staring blankly, as if no passenger, no train existed, just a vast expanse of time.     "There were 30 of us when we were ordered to capture Point 4875 in the cover of the night.     The enemy was firing from the top.     There was no knowing where the next bullet was going to come from and for whom.     In the morning when we finally hoisted the tricolour at the top only 4 of us were alive."     "You are a...?"     "I am Subedar Sushant from the 13 J&K Rifles on duty at Peak 4875 in Kargil. They tell me I have completed my term and can opt for a soft assignment.     But, tell me sir, can one give up duty just because it makes life easier.     On the dawn of that capture, one of my colleagues lay injured in the snow, open to enemy fire while we were hiding behind a bunker.     It was my job to go and fetch that soldier to safety. But my captain sahib refused me permission and went ahead himself.     He said that the first pledge he had taken as a Gentleman Cadet was to put the safety and welfare of the nation foremost followed by the safety and welfare of the men he commanded... ....his own personal safety came last, always and every time."     "He was killed as he shielded and brought that injured soldier into the bunker. Every morning thereafter, as we stood guard, I could see him taking all those bullets, which were actually meant for me. I know sir....I know, what it is to be in the Line of Fire."     Vivek looked at him in disbelief not sure of how to respond. Abruptly, he switched off the laptop.     It seemed trivial, even insulting to edit a Word document in the presence of a man for whom valor and duty was a daily part of life; valour and sense of duty which he had so far attributed only to epical heroes.     The train slowed down as it pulled into the station, and Subedar Sushant picked up his bags to alight.     "It was nice meeting you sir."     Vivek fumbled with the handshake.     This hand... had climbed mountains, pressed the trigger, and hoisted the tricolour. Suddenly, as if by impulse, he stood up at attention and his right hand went up in an impromptu salute.     It was the least he felt he could do for the country.    

PS:- The incident he narrated during the capture of Peak 4875 is a true-life incident during the Kargil war. Capt. Batra sacrificed his life while trying to save one of the men he commanded, as victory was within sight. For this and various other acts of bravery, he was awarded the Param Vir Chakra, the nation's highest military award.  

Amazing 100 Facts

1. 1,525,000,000 miles of telephone wire a strung across the U.S.
2. 101 Dalmatians and Peter Pan (Wendy) are the only two Disney cartoon features with both parents that are present and don't die throughout the movie.
3. 111,111,111 x 111,111,111 = 12,345,678,987,654,321
4. 12 newborns will be given to the wrong parents daily.
5. 123,000,000 cars are being driven down the U.S's highways.
6. 160 cars can drive side by side on the Monumental Axis in Brazil, the world's widest road.
7. 166,875,000,000 pieces of mail are delivered each year in the U.S.
8. 27% of U.S. male college students believe life is "A meaningless existential hell."
9. 315 entries in Webster's Dictionary will be misspelled.
10. 5% of Canadians don't know the first 7 words of the Canadian anthem, but know the first 9 of the American anthem.
11. 56,000,000 people go to Major League baseball each year.
12. 7% of Americans don't know the first 9 words of the American anthem, but know the first 7 of the Canadian anthem.
13. 85,000,000 tons of paper are used each year in the U.S.
14. 99% of the solar systems mass is concentrated in the sun.
15. A 10-gallon hat barely holds 6 pints.
16. A cat has 32 muscles in each ear.
17. A cockroach can live several weeks with its head cut off.
18. A company in Taiwan makes dinnerware out of wheat, so you can eat your plate.
19. A cow produces 200 times more gas a day than a person.
20. A dime has 118 ridges around the edge.
21. A dragonfly has a lifespan of 24 hours.
22. A fully loaded supertanker travelling at normal speed takes a least twenty minutes to stop.
23. A giraffe can clean its ears with its 21-inch tongue.
24. A giraffe can go without water longer than a camel can.
25. A goldfish has a memory span of three seconds.
26. A hard working adult sweats up to 4 gallons per day. Most of the sweat evaporates before a person realizes it's there.
27. A hedgehog's heart beats 300 times a minute on average.
28. A hippo can open its mouth wide enough to fit a 4 foot tall child inside.
29. A hummingbird weighs less than a penny.
30. A jellyfish is 95 percent water.
31. A "jiffy" is an actual unit of time for 1/100th of a second.
32. A jumbo jet uses 4,000 gallons of fuel to take off.
33. A male emperor moth can smell a female emperor moth up to 7 miles away.
34. A man named Charles Osborne had the hiccups for 6 years. Wow.
35. A mole can dig a tunnel 300 feet long in just one night.
36. A monkey was once tried and convicted for smoking a cigarette in South Bend, Indiana.
37. A pig's orgasm lasts for 30 minutes.
38. A pregnant goldfish is called a twit.
39. A Saudi Arabian woman can get a divorce if her husband doesn't give her coffee.
40. A shark is the only fish that can blink with both eyes.
41. A quarter has 119 grooves on its edge, a dime has one less groove.
42. A shark can detect one part of blood in 100 million parts of water.
43. A skunk can spray its stinky scent more than 10 feet.
44. A sneeze travels out your mouth at over 100 m.p.h.
45. A toothpick is the object most often choked on by Americans!
46. A walla-walla scene is one where extras pretend to be talking in the background -- when they say "walla-walla" it looks like they are actually talking.
47. A whale's penis is called a dork.
48. About 3000 years ago, most Egyptians died by the time they were 30.
49. About 70% of Americans who go to college do it just to make more money. [The rest of us are avoiding reality for four more years.]
50. According to a British law passed in 1845, attempting to commit suicide was a capital offense. Offenders could be hanged for trying.
51. Actor Tommy Lee Jones and former vice-president Al Gore were freshman roommates at Harvard.
52. Al Capone's business card said he was a used furniture dealer.
53. All 50 states are listed across the top of the Lincoln Memorial on the back of the $5 bill.
54. All of the clocks in the movie "Pulp Fiction" are stuck on 4:20.
55. All porcupines float in water.
56. Almonds are a member of the peach family.
57. Almost a quarter of the land area of Los Angeles is taken up by automobiles.
58. America once issued a 5-cent bill.
59. America's first nudist organization was founded in 1929, by 3 men.
60. Ancient Egyptians slept on pillows made of stone.
61. An animal epidemic is called an epizootic.
62. An average person laughs about 15 times a day.
63. An iguana can stay under water for 28 minutes.
64. An ostrich's eye is bigger than its brain.
65. Armadillos are the only animal besides humans that can get leprosy.
66. Armadillos have four babies at a time and they are always all the same sex.
67. Armored knights raised their visors to identify themselves when they rode past their king. This custom has become the modern military salute.
68. Aztec emperor Montezuma had a nephew, Cuitlahac, whose name meant "plenty of excrement."
69. Babe Ruth wore a cabbage leaf under is cap to keep him cool. He changed it every 2 innings.
70. Babies are born without knee caps. They don't appear until the child reaches 2-6 years of age.
71. Baby robins eat 14 feet of earthworms every day.
72. Back in the mid to late 1980's, an IBM-compatible computer wasn't considered a hundred percent compatible unless it could run Microsoft's Flight Simulator.
73. Bank robber John Dillinger played professional baseball.
74. Barbie's measurements if she were life size: 39-23-33.
75. Bats always turn left when exiting a cave.
76. Ben and Jerry's send the waste from making ice cream to local pig farmers to use as feed. Pigs love the stuff, except for one flavor: Mint Oreo.
77. Bird droppings are the chief export of Nauru, an island nation in the Western Pacific.
78. Blueberry Jelly Bellies were created especially for Ronald Reagan.
79. Bubble gum contains rubber.
80. Camel's milk does not curdle.
81. Camels have three eyelids to protect themselves from blowing sand.
82. Canada is an Indian word meaning "Big Village".
83. Cat's urine glows under a blacklight.
84. Cats can produce over one hundred vocal sounds, while dogs can only produce about ten.
85. Charles Lindbergh took only four sandwiches with him on his famous transatlantic flight.
86. Chewing gum while peeling onions will keep you from crying.
87. Clans of long ago that wanted to get rid of their unwanted people without killing them use to burn their houses down - hence the expression "to get fired."
88. Cleo and Caesar were the early stage names of Cher and Sonny Bono.
89. Columbia University is the second largest landowner in New York City, after the Catholic Church.
90. David Prowse was the guy in the Darth Vader suit in Star Wars. He spoke all of Vader's lines, and didn't know that he was going to be dubbed over by James Earl Jones until he saw the screening of the movie.
91. Did you know that there are coffee flavored PEZ?
92. Dogs and cats consume almost $7 billion worth of pet food a year.
93. Dolphins sleep with one eye open.
94. Donald Duck comics were banned from Finland because he doesn't wear pants.
95. Dr. Samuel A. Mudd was the physician who set the leg of Lincoln's assassin John Wilkes Booth... and whose shame created the expression for ignominy, "His name is Mudd."
96. Dr. Seuss pronounced "Seuss" such that it rhymed with "rejoice."
97. "Dreamt" is the only English word that ends in the letters "mt."
98. Dueling is legal in Paraguay as long as both parties are registered blood donors.
99. During your lifetime, you'll eat about 60,000 pounds of food, that's the weight of about 6 elephants.
100. Einstein couldn't speak fluently when he was nine. His parents thought he might be retarded.

Royal Wedding 2011: Can this marriage be saved?

William and Kate: Will history be repeated?

Of course I want Prince William and Kate Middleton to live happily ever after. I'm an ardent romance book worm, and having a hero and heroine overcome impossible odds and continue to love, truly, madly, deeply,forever.

Beyond a question, these two face daunting odds. The royal family's marital track record would make any romantic's heart sink. Prince Charles and Diana. Prince Andrew and Sarah. Prince Margaret and Anthony Armstrong-Jones. Princess Anne and Captain Phillips. They looked so promising in the beginning. And then things went so terribly wrong.

Funny thing is, compared to their ancestors, these were quite civilized marital breakdowns. You see, infidelity, nasty divorces and the airing of dirty linens feature extensively in the royal family's history.

Cheatin' hearts? We could start with the first Henry, back in the 11th century. He wasn't by any means the first philandering royal (playing around was expected of manly men). But with more than 20 acknowledged illegitimate children, he might have been the most prolific. 

Hostile wives? The 12th century's Eleanor of Aquitaine incited her sons to rebel against King Henry II, and he put her under house arrest for 15 years. In the 13th century, when Edward II's wife Isabella was sent to France to negotiate a peace treaty, she got herself a lover, with whom she invaded England. She took the throne from Edward and had him imprisoned. He conveniently died shortly thereafter. Of natural or unnatural causes? To this day, no one's sure.

There's Henry VIII and his six wives. Charles II and his dozen illegitimate children. The history books are filled with examples. But the one who gets my vote for Worst Marriage Ever is George IV, of Jane Austen's time. Not because his wife tried to depose or kill him, but because their conflict, like Prince Charles and Diana's, played out in the media of the day: the scandal sheets and cartoons in print shop windows. These make our modern-day paparazzi and tabloids seem prim. And those recorded phone conversations and television interviews of the 1990s? Tame stuff compared to the stories that went around -- with brutally explicit illustrations -- in the 1790s and early 1800s.

George was still Prince of Wales when he first met Princess Caroline of Brunswick, three days before the wedding. It couldn't have been a worse match. The princess chosen for one of Europe's most fastidious dandies wasn't merely dumpy, clumsy and crass; she rarely washed or changed her underwear. She disgusted him and he wouldn't (or couldn't) hide it. She reacted by telling people he was fat and not nearly as good-looking as his portraits. During the wedding ceremony, he actually got up from his kneeling and started to leave. His father (the King) made him go back. Practically from the moment they met, the Prince and Caroline were bad-mouthing each other to their friends, who told their friends, who told their friends.

She said he spent most of the wedding night passed out under the grate. He said she turned his stomach. She claimed he was impotent; he retorted that she'd cried out in the throes of passion, "My God, how big it is!" ("Ah, mon dieu, qu'il est gros!") Within days, everyone knew the marriage was doomed, and the caricatures started appearing in print shop windows.

Even though the monarchy's future depended on their producing offspring, they stopped having sex within days or, at most, a few weeks. Even so, she got pregnant. This didn't bring them closer together. She said that he said the baby wasn't his. After their daughter was born, he wrote a will leaving most of his possessions to his mistress, Mrs. Fitzherbert. To Caroline he left one shilling. The relationship went downhill from there.

In 1817 the daughter died in childbirth. A mad scramble ensued, as his aging brothers, the royal dukes -- who had boatloads of illegitimate kids, but no legal ones -- gave up their mistresses, married young women and tried to make babies. Only one succeeded. He produced the personage we know as Queen Victoria.

She may be one of the true beacons of hope for Prince William and Kate.

The lasting marriages of the royal family often are a result of the parties learning to love or at least tolerate each other. Not so for Victoria. We see her as the grim old lady in black, but that's thegrieving widow, not the wife. Unlike so many of her predecessors, she chose her own husband, and she chose him because she'd fallen in love with him. She went on loving him passionately. They worked together and supported each other.

That's what George IV and Caroline were too spoiled and immature to do.

Being a royal is not all gold carriages and Crown Jewels, and the downside goes well beyond the lack of privacy. Their position is mainly ceremonial. That means dutifully attending many, many ceremonies -- most of which must be dead boring. They have to seem captivated while listening to endless speeches. They have to sit down to eat with casts of thousands. They have to make small talk with perfect strangers from every corner of the globe. And whatever they do and wherever they go, they have to behave with grace and good manners.

It's no easy job. What can make it bearable -- and even fun -- is a partner who adores you and supports you and shares the work. That's what Queen Victoria had.

Prince William and Kate? Let's hope.

Easter Wishes Images

Easter Wishes

Easter Bunny

Easter Egg

Happy Easter

kissing Easter bunny

cute easter Bunny

PUPPIES FOR SALE-inspirational stories, motivational stories

A farmer had some puppies he needed to sell. He painted a sign advertising the pups and set about Nailing it to a post on the edge of his yard. As he was driving the last nail into the post, he Felt a tug on his overalls. He looked down into the Eyes of a little boy.
Mister," he said, "I want to buy one of your puppies."
"Well," said the farmer, as he rubbed the sweat off the back of his neck, "these puppies come from fine parents and cost a good deal of money."
The boy dropped his head for a moment. Then reaching deep into his pocket, he pulled out a handful of change and held it up to the farmer. "I've got thirty-nine cents. Is that enough to take a look?"
"Sure," said the farmer.
And with that he let out a whistle,"Here,Dolly!" he called.
Out from the doghouse and down the ramp ran Dolly followed by four little balls of fur. The little boy pressed his face against the chain link fence. His eyes danced with delight.

As the dogs made their way to the fence, the little boy noticed something else stirring inside the doghouse. Slowly another little ball appeared; this One noticeably smaller. Down the ramp it slid. Then in a somewhat awkward manner the little pup began hobbling toward the others, doing its best to catch up....
"I want that one," the little boy said, pointing to the runt.
The farmer knelt down at the boy's side and said, "Son, you don't want that puppy. He will never be able to run and play with you like these other dogs would."
With that the little boy stepped back from the fence, reached down, and began rolling up one leg of his trousers. In doing so he revealed a steel brace running down both sides of his leg attaching itself To a specially made shoe. Looking back up at the farmer, he said, "You see sir, I don't run too well myself, and he will need Someone who understands."

The world is full of people who need someone who understands.

Funny Story - The World’s Funniest Real Ads

Believe it or not, these ads actually found their way into newspapers all over the world:

• Braille dictionary for sale. Must see to appreciate.
• FOR SALE BY OWNER: Complete set of Encyclopedia Britannica. 45 volumes. Excellent condition. $1,000.00 or best offer. No longer needed. Got married last weekend. Wife knows everything.
• Help wanted, singer for rock band. Must be female or male.
• For sale, Hope Chest, brand new, half off, long story.
• Help wanted, adult or mature teenager to baby-sit. One dollar an hour.
• Lost: small brown poodle. Reward. Neutered. Like one of the family.
• For sale: a quilted high chair that can be made into a table, potty chair, rocking horse, refrigerator, spring coat, size 8 and fur collar.
• Four-posted bed, 101 years old. Perfect for antique lover.
• Wanted: Part-time married girls for soda fountain in sandwich shop.
• Man wanted to work in dynamite factory. Must be willing to travel.
• Christmas sale. Handmade gifts for the hard-to- find person.
• Wanted, man to take care of cows that does not smoke or drink.
• Three-year old teacher needed for pre-school. Experience preferred.
• Wanted. Widower with school-age children requires person to assume general housekeeping duties. Must be capable of contributing to growth of family.
• Tired of working for only $9.75 per hour? We offer profit sharing and flexible hours. Starting pay: $7 -- $9 per hour.
• Our sofa seats the whole mob and it’s made of 100% Italian leather.
• Full sized mattress. 20 year warranty. Like New. Slight urine smell.
• Nordic Track $300 hardly used, call Chubby.
• Joining nudist colony! Must sell washer and dryer $300.
• Open house body shapers toning salon free coffee and donuts
• Found: dirty white dog. Looks like a rat... been out while. Better be reward.
• Exercise equipment: Queen Size Mattress & Box Springs - $175.
• ALZHEIMER'S CENTER PREPARES FOR AN AFFAIR TO REMEMBER.
• Free Yorkshire Terrier: 8 years old. Hateful little dog.
• Free puppies: ½ cocker spaniel, ½ sneaky neighbor’s dog.
• Free puppies: part German Shepherd, part stupid dog.
• German Shepherd, 85 lbs. Neutered. Speaks German. Free.
• Snow Blower for sale…only used on snowy days.
• Bill’s Septic Cleaning: “We Haul American-Made Products."
• Cows, calves never bred…also 1 gay bull for sale.
• Nice Parachute – Never opened. Used once.
• Hummels – Largest selection ever. "If it’s in stock, then we have it!"
• 1 man, 7 women hot tub. $850/offer.
• Shakespeare’s Pizza. Free chopsticks.
• Harrisburg Postal Employee Gun Club.
• Tickle-Me-Elmo, still in box, comes with its own 1988 Ford Mustang, 5L, Auto, Excellent condition $6800.

Catch a Rabbit

The LAPD, The FBI, and the CIA are all trying to prove that they are the best at apprehending criminals. The President decides to give them a test. He releases a rabbit into a forest and each of them has to catch it.

The CIA goes in.

They place animal informants throughout the forest. They question all plant and mineral witnesses. After three months of extensive investigations they conclude that rabbits do not exist.

The FBI goes in.

After two weeks with no leads they burn the forest, killing everything in it, including the rabbit, and they make no apologies. The rabbit had it coming.

The LAPD goes in.

They come out two hours later with a badly beaten bear. The bear is yelling: "Okay! Okay! I'm a rabbit! I'm a rabbit!"

The Most Embarrassing Moments Ever!

Let’s face it – we’ve all had our share of embarrassing moments. Just be thankful that none of them were as humiliating (and hilarious!) as these:

"A mother was taking a shower when her2 year old son came into the bathroom and wrapped himself in toilet paper. Although he made a mess, he looked adorable, so she ran for my camera and took a few shots. They came out so well that she had copies made and included one with each of their Christmas cards. Days later, a relative called about the picture, laughing hysterically, and suggesting that she take a closer look. Puzzled, the mother stared at the photo and was shocked to discover that in addition to her son, she had captured her reflection in the mirror wearing nothing but a camera!"

"A woman and her sister were at the mall and passed by a store that sold a variety of nuts. As they were looking at the display case, the boy behind the counter asked if they needed any help. The woman replied, "No, I'm just looking at your nuts." The sister started to laugh hysterically, the boy grinned, and she turned beet red and walked away."

"A lady picked up several items at a discount store. When she finally got up to the checker, she learned that one of her items had no price tag. Imagine her embarrassment when the checker got on the intercom and boomed out for the entire store to hear, ‘PRICE CHECK ON LANE THIRTEEN, TAMPAX, SUPER SIZE." That was bad enough, but somebody at the rear of the store apparently misunderstood the word 'Tampax' for ‘THUMBTACKS.’ In a businesslike tone, a voice boomed back over the intercom: ‘DO YOU WANT THE KIND YOU PUSH IN WITH YOUR THUMB OR THE KIND YOU POUND IN WITH A HAMMER?’

An introvert went to bar and spots a pretty looking woman sitting on the stool. He mustered all his courage for long time, then timidly approached and asked her, "Ma’ am, would be OK if sit here and talk with you?" She was alert, suspecting this man, and responds by yelling, "No, I won't sleep with you tonight!" Customers in the bar started staring at them. The embarrassed guy quickly returns to his table dejected and ashamed. The young woman waits a little and then goes to the guy to apologize. With a smile on her face she says, "I am sorry if I embarrassed you. You see, I am a college student in psychiatry and I am putting together a thesis as to how people react to embarrassing moments." The cunning guy now yells loudly, "What do you mean by $500?"

The tiger (con)census

Two historical figures shocked India and the world, beginning last week. India's human population was reported at 1.21 billion (1,210,193,422 to be precise) along with the highly controversial and seemingly inflated figure of 1,706 tigers.

The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA)-Ministry of Environment & Forests (MoEF)-Wildlife Institute of India (WII)-Aranyak-WWF (India)-Wildlife Trust of India (WTI) released preliminary report of apparently the most rigorous and robust, year-long census using camera traps, tiger signs, DNA extractions and abundance estimation indices, has the conservation community raising serious doubts about the efficacy, accuracy and outcome of the Rs 9.01 crore exercise, which recently announced an estimated figure of 1,706 tigers in India.



"Establishing absolute tiger numbers in a large country like India is a dubious exercise, embroiled in endless controversy, even with the use of best science," confirms Dr Ullas Karanth, leading tiger scientist and the proponent of camera trapping as a census technique in India. Looking back, the 1971 declaration of an all-time low figure of 1,700 tigers led to the launch of Project Tiger in nine Protected Areas (PAs) on April 1, 1973. Now, nearly four decades, 39 tiger reserves and millions of rupees later, we seem to be rejoicing the same figure of 1,700 tigers!

Even preliminary inspection of the data shows that if at all there is a rise in absolute tiger numbers by 295 tigers (which is highly doubtful) then it is more due to the wider expanse of this survey and not any indication of increased security provided to tigers in our outside PAs. The survey includes areas either not or cursorily surveyed in 2006 but studied in greater detail in 2010, ” Sunderbans (WB, 70 tigers), Orang (Assam, 30 tigers), Sahyadri (Maharashtra, 21 tigers), Kuno Palpur-Madhav NP-Raisen-Dewas (MP, 20 tigers), Kaziranga (Assam, 130 tigers), Moyar-Sigur-Satyamangalam (TN), Katarniaghat-Pilibhit (UP) but excludes Namdapha (Arunachal Pradesh, probably 20 tigers). The study raises some ugly questions, such as where did the 200-odd tigers of Sunderbans vanish, considering the fact that the West Bengal Government kept claiming a steady figure of 275 tigers over the last decade? So with such concrete proof of loss of tiger numbers, is there enough reason for the masses to rejoice?

Belinda Wright, a leading tiger conservationist, founder and Executive Director of Wildlife Protection Society India (WPSI) points out that the 22 per cent fall in tiger habitats from 93,600 sqkm to 72,800 sqkm ” a loss of 20,800 sqft, could be catastrophic for the overall conservation of tigers, putting them closer to humans than ever before. The biggest concern lies in the fact that the study only managed to actually camera trap a mere 32 per cent of 1,706 or 550 tigers (or 615 ” as the MoEF Website and Dr Jhala quote different figures). One major premise of the extrapolated and averaged figure, has been the 'Model of Imperfect Detections' ” based on various co-variates, including tiger signs, abundances of prey species, signs of human disturbance or livestock or wood cutting ” also called Human Footprint (HFP) Index. If human presence or disturbance was considered a negative co-efficient in the modelling exercise, what explains the increased man-animal conflict and straying into non-forested, urbanised regions, among tigers, leopards and bears? Incidentally, 70 tigers have been poached, found dead in human precincts or skins recovered in 2010, contradicting the HFI premise for extrapolation.

Another technique used during the survey, the DNA analysis for individual identification, has several scientists questioning the training and consistency of field data collectors. "DNA analysis for individual identification using scats (faeces), although an established technique, necessitates expertise in identifying markers, a high level of analytical skill and consistency in procedure, besides it being extremely expensive. Multiple samples need to be assessed repeatedly to establish authentic individual identification. The difficulty of analytical consistency, collectors' bias and replicability in multiple locations make it difficult to use for a nation-wide study such as an annual all-India Tiger census," opines Dr Shomita Mukherjee, a global small-cat specialist and Scientist (SACON).

If the announcement of an absolute rise of 12 per cent in tiger numbers, the highly scientific census techniques or the (prohibitively high) cost and manpower (88,000 data collectors) involved in the census didn't convince you of the tiger's stability, then will the fact that over 60,000 families share the tiger's habitat inside protected areas make you feel at ease? Noted filmmaker and tiger campaigner, Valmik Thapar, challenges the government's inefficiency in establishing the Tiger Task Force which has received a sanction of over Rs 350 crore in 2005 to rehabilitate villages outside tiger reserves and consolidate the tiger's future. Although he feels that with an honest and earnest Jairam Ramesh at the helm of our Environment Ministry and a more extensive and robust census procedure, positive opportunities for wildlife conservation will arise, and the disconnect between the state and central government machineries will deal the nail in the tiger and our forests' coffin.

Ramesh openly confesses that protecting our forests and its creatures is going to be challenging, what with the pressures of maintaining the 9 per cent growth rate, the energy demands of our burgeoning human population via Hydel and Power Projects, increasing surface transport and habitat-threatening projects such as the interlinking of rivers. De-centralisation of responsibility and partnerships will be the call of the day. Increasing forest corridors across state borders and establishing more bi- or tri-state protected areas would be the way ahead.

As far as number crunching is concerned ” Dr Dharmendra Khandal, onservation biologist (Tiger Watch, Ranthambore), Dr Karanth, Dr Murkherjee and Thapar feel that rather than these massive pan-India census procedures after 3-4 years, the MoEF must fund multiple teams of localised NGOs and scientific organisations entrusted with permissions and involving qualified researchers. Year-long monitoring would thus generate far more reliable, robust and in-depth data on individual tigers, their distribution, movements across landscapes, and any conservation threats besides the added security of many more public observers.

Wildlife Biologist and Director, Society for Promotion of Research, Outdoors, Urbanity, Training and Social Welfare Anand Pendharkar, demystifies and questions the validity of the increased tiger numbers while the country bemoans the extensive loss of crucial tiger habitats across India

The views expressed in this column are the individual's and don't necessarily represent those of the paper.

Tech2 : Smartphones - Zune Marketplace Now Available in India

When we reviewed the Windows Phone 7 devices, namely the HTC HD7 and the Mozart, one of the biggest issues for us was the lack of the Zune Marketplace in India, making it impossible to purchase apps and the like without creating an US account and having some sort of payment option for it. However, that seems to be changing, what with the Zune Marketplace now being available in India. A new dimension According to Windows Phone Sauce, the Marketplace is indeed up and running for Indian WP7 users, but there has been no confirmation from Microsoft regarding this development. This might mean they are now ready to roll out the Marketplace to various other markets as well. However, there’s a catch. None of the Marketplace features, apart from the Apps, seem to be working currently. This includes the Zune Pass, music and videos access. It certainly is a welcome change though, and one that brings a new dimension to WP7 devices in the country. Hopefully Microsoft won’t stop here and bring in the rest of the features, as well.

Spider-Man Edge of Time announced

Last year we saw the release of Spider-Man Shattered Dimensions. Although the game didn't get great reviews, it was one of the better Spider-Man games. In Shattered Dimensions, players controlled Spider-Man in four different universes namely Noir, Amazing, Spiderman 2099 and Ultimate Spider-Man.


The new Spider-Man game titled Spider-Man Edge of Time was announced at WonderCon 2011 in San Francisco and is expected to hit store shelves in the 2011 fall. The game is not a sequel to last year's title and has a completely fresh storyline. It is however being developed by Beenox studios (Now owned by Activision) who developed Shattered Dimensions. No specific platforms were mentioned but the game is expected to hit all the current generation platforms namely the XBOX 360, PS3, PSP, Nintendo DS and PC.


Spider-Man Edge of Time will take place in two Universes namely the Amazing Spider-Man universe and Spider-Man 2099 universe. Marvel writer Peter David who wrote the story of Shattered Dimensions is scripting the storyline of Edge of Time.


In this iteration of the game, both Spider-Men must work together to prevent the death of Peter Parker.


Although the core gameplay mechanics will stay true to tradition, the biggest change is that the heroes of both the universes will have to work together to save the day

India worthy world champions, Dhoni the hero: Oz media - The Times of India

The Australian media raised a toast to Mahendra Singh Dhoni's "bold" leadership as it declared India the worthy world champions who defied history and intense pressure to come out triumphant in the summit showdown against Sri Lanka.

The newspapers said Dhoni's leadership and his performance in the final match in Mumbai stole the limelight from iconic batsman Sachin Tendulkar who was playing in his sixth World Cup.

With its headline reading 'India defies history to win its first World Cup in 28 years', 'The Australian' said though it was not a fairytale finish but nonetheless India were the deserved world champions.

"It was about two great South Asian teams giving fans a thrilling, edge-of-the-seat one day final and a deserved triumph for a cricketing nation which felt its time had come. It wasn't a fairytale finish but for Mumbai and a nation still licking its wounds, it was more than enough," the newspaper said.

It said the current Indian team showed that it was no longer solely dependent on Tendulkar to win matches.

"Tendulkar might have been the name on everyone's lips but if ever there was a sign that the Indian team has moved beyond its one-man juggernaut, Saturday night's gritty victory was it.

"The team showed determination and discipline that surprised even the most nationalist fans to snatch a victory every man in the team then dedicated to their diminutive teammate playing in his sixth and final World Cup," it said.

"The win bore little resemblance to the fairytale finish the Mumbai crowd had been hoping for; one in which Sachin Tendulkar saw out his final World Cup by hitting his hundredth century before his home town crowd."

The newspaper described Dhoni as an "all-conquering captain" who now rivals Tendulkar in popularity.

"The 29-year-old is already cricket's top earner after signing a record two-year, $42 million contract last year to endorse whatever product comes his way, and after Saturday night's remarkable home-ground win against Sri Lanka, his marketability knows no bounds.

"With neither the Brahminical poise of hero-worshipped Sachin Tendulkar, the joviality of Shahid Afridi, or the worldly eloquence of Kumar Sangakkara, Dhoni is nonetheless the face of a new, harder-edged Indian team," the newspaper said.

"It was Dhoni's innings of 91 not out, and his final game-winning six, that made him the man of the match and sent a 33,000-capacity crowd at the Wankhede Stadium into a frenzy," the newspaper said.

Writing for 'Sydney Morning Herald', veteran cricket writer Peter Roebuck praised Dhoni for his bold leadership.

"The day belonged to Dhoni. Like Jayawardene, his form had been scratchy but he was able to put that behind him. Indeed he dared to push himself up the order," Roebuck wrote under headline 'Bold captain Dhoni India's hero of the day'.

"In the critical hour and despite modest returns, Dhoni dared to back himself. That is leading from the front. Even in the toughest times, too, he managed to convey composure. Throughout, his players felt their captain remained on the bridge and the situation was under control.

"Exuberant celebrations began the moment Dhoni clouted a drive into the stands. It was a fitting end to an unexpectedly successful and mostly clean tournament. Appropriately, the final was a superb contest full of twists and turns and dominated not by power but by skill and temperament.

"No home side had won a World Cup before but India did not blink. Overall it was a happy and entertaining occasion ... It was a fine World Cup, the best for 25 years."

India (Ind) vs Sri Lanka (SL): Nehra most likely ruled out but Gambhir fit: Dhoni

MUMBAI: India were dealt a blow ahead of Saturday's World Cup final against Sri Lanka with skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni saying that pacerAshish Nehra is "most likely" out of the match due to a fractured right-hand finger.

There was widespread speculation over Nehra's fitness and Dhoni said the lanky pacer, who returned impressive figures of 2/33 in the semifinal against Pakistan, was virtually out of reckoning.

"Nehra is most likely ruled out. He has got multiple fractures (in his right hand finger)," Dhoni said at the pre-match press conference.

But opener Gautam Gambhir, who left the field during Pakistan's innings due to a hamstring problem, is expected to be fit for the final.

"Gautam looks right now. He is most likely to be fit for the game," was Dhoni's response when asked about the left-hander's fitness status.

Nehra picked up the injury while attempting a catch against Pakistan when fielding at deep midwicket. He hurt himself while trying to pick up a pull by Shahid Afridi off Yuvraj Singh's bowling.

Nehra had missed the first two matches of the event due to a sore back. He went for 65 runs in 8.4 overs against South Africa in a group game after coming back.

He was then left out for India's next two games, before making a comeback in the semifinals.

F.A.L.T.U - Movie Review

When charting out a film that takes you to the college hallways, introduces an ideal group of 'buddies', and shows all things vibrant and 'happening', the makers are actually hanging by a thin chord; you'd either get the collegian razzmatazz bang right, or there'd be a herd of wannabes belligerently trying to amaze their way into believable adolescents.  

In Vashu Bhagnani produced FALTU (it's a naff acronym), which evidently steals inspiration from Steve Pink's 2006 comedy Accepted, Ritesh (Jackky) and Nanj (Angad Bedi) are utterly hopeless when they write exams, and accompanying them is Pooja (Puja Gupta). Just about managing to get clearance with percentages ranging in the bracket of 35-40, the trio faces rejection from every institute, much to the dismay of their respective parents. 

This triggers the leading star to think 'innovative', and from what starts just as a token letter of acceptance in Fakeerchand and Lakeerchand Trust University soon cumulates into a big gamble, as the fictitious college website leads to uproar and an army of students -- all other rejects, throng to the campus where they got 'admitted'. 

Most of FALTU is pleasing. Although the premise is unrealistic, to stretch the parameters that decide authenticity, the movie convinces you, and moreover, even in its fabricated fashion, it does succeed in confronting the flaws in our educational scenario.

Drawing comparisons with a Rajkumar Hirani [ Images ] film wouldn't be just because, FALTU targets the challenging tour of transition from high school (junior college) to a well-recognised degree institute whereas the latter stressed on the pressures post entering. 

FALTU is indeed an underdog story. They are underperformers academically but not wholly uninspired. Their transformation, fuelled by Baaji Rao (Riteish Deshmukh [ Images ]), who again is guided by Google (Arshad Warsi [Images ]), is subtle and cleverly brought out. 

Thus, after a lot of hullabaloo, there are courses of choice in the college, and here passion compliments the theory, and quite remarkably the film utilises digital exploitation for sundry tutoring benefits, like the videos of experts instructing uploaded on their website. This might not look immediately pragmatic but it isn't far-fetched either.

The film's weakness reflects in its rushed characterization, in fact, their very inception. Like Arshad Warsi's Google's origin is unexplained. Although he is a likeable guy, but you wonder how he is immensely resourceful, monetarily and influentially, as he without much trouble gets the massive college property, and also invests on its gleaming renovation. 

Riteish's Baajirao, is initially introduced as a person incapable of responsibility, however by the time the movie cumulates, he comes across as a valuable constituent. Both the actors, share appraisable camaraderie and infuse the much needed youth-like humour. Boman Irani [ Images ], however, as a BMC school principal is under-utilised but evokes occasional giggles. The 3 Idiots hangover doesn't seem to dry off till now.

It might be argued that the over-dramatic background score is mandatory to keep the turn of events pepped up, but at points it drenches the film of seriousness, and portrays it as a frivolous musical dramedy with its recurrent songs, although the music by Sachin -- Jigar is feet-tapping good. Frivolous, the film opens. Run of the mill, the characters debut. But, over a brief period, they attract beguilingly and also take you in sympathetically as you want them to do well. This is pretty much an accomplishment. 

Although FALTU's screenplay is openly lifted from Accepted, as the movie terminates it takes its own course resulting into an unexpectedly charming climax that metaphorically demonstrates the teething troubles of students stuck in a just passed to an average category. 

The dialogues don't sound contrived, and sensibly enough have been strictly kept measured and under-toned. This helps the film in not getting too preachy and yet be effective.

All you wish was that the story would've been nourished more, fine-tuned here and there.

Jackky Bhagnani's re-launch would after all be successful, as without being dominating, he emits confidence, and portrays the role of the rebellious youth very comfortably. His body-language shows no trace of uneasiness and expressions click and convey. 

Angad Bedi is a discovery, whereas Chandan Roy Sanyal soaks Vishnu [Images ] and arouses humour as the geek-gone-wild. Puja Gupta, facially resembles Prachi Desai [ Images ], but acts mediocrely.   

FALTU might not be revolutionary or inspiring, as it attempts to be, that slot primarily reserved to Rang De Basanti [Images ], but Remo D'Souza's level-headed direction amidst impressively enacted supporting roles by parents of the central characters keeps it uplifted.

An ambitious sophomore story of scholastically dim students coursing an almost impossible journey to prove their worth, enrolling for once in FALTU, might not be a faltu idea after all. 

GAME - The movie Review

GAME releases at a time when a different game, of bat and ball is at its peak. You guessed right; the Cricket World Cup mania has gripped the entire country, with India beating Pakistan for a clash against Sri Lanka in the finals. 


Anyway, leaving the excitement of Cricket aside, let's talk about GAME here, shall we? It's about four troubled individuals from different parts of the world - casino owner Neil Menon (Abhishek Bachchan), politician OP Ramsay (Boman Irani), actor Vikram Kapoor (Jimmy Shergill) and journalist Tisha Khanna (Shahana Goswami). All of them receive personalised handwritten invitations by billionaire Kabir Malhotra (Aupam Kher), offering them a helping hand if they arrive at his private island of Samos in Greece. Getting easily convinced and without wasting much time, all of them reach the exotic island, only to find out, they have been tricked. It turns out; they were all responsible in some way or the other, for the death of Kabir's daughter Maya (Sarah Jane Dias), three years back. Before Kabir can avenge the death of his daughter, he is found dead, in what looks like a suicide. Detective Sia Agnihotri (Kangna Ranaut) feels otherwise and interrogates the four visitors, holding them murder suspects.


The first rule of a suspense thriller is that it should be succinct. Debutant director Abhinay Deo breaks it by having copious songs and some irrelevant sub-plots which add no value. The first half is a drag, and the story doesn't move much. At one point a character says: I can't take this nonsense anymore. You know what, as a viewer, you share exactly the same sentiment. 


The narrative picks up in the second half which has some adroitly done twists. But they fall short of elevating the overall impact. Too much emphasis is made on the look and feel of the film, but the plot isn't exciting enough. If you pay attention to details, chances are you will know the suspense way before it is actually revealed. 


Some of the scenes defy time and logic like Vikram's story is out in a film magazine minutes after he has actually made the confession. Talk about real time updates! Amitabh Shulka's editing needed to be much tighter. Kartik Vijay's cinematography is fine. Shankar Ehsaan Loy's music is below the mark.

Abhishek Bachchan acts decently but some of his dialogues are cringe worthy. Debutante Sarah Jane Dias is impressive in her act. Kangana Ranaut is surprisingly good and her dialogue delivery has improved greatly. Excellent actors like Shahana Goswami, Jimmy Shergill and Boman Irani are wasted. Anupam Kher doesn't have much scope. Gauhar Khan is nice in her small role. 

Barring some astute twists in the second half, this GAME isn't worth playing. 

Some Hilarious Leave Applications

Infosys, Bangalore : An employee applied for leave as follows:
"Since I have to go to my village to sell my land along with my wife, please sanction me one-week leave."

This is from Oracle Bangalore: From an employee who was performing the "mundan" ceremony of his 10 year old son:
"As I want to shave my son's head, please leave me for two days.."

Another gem from CDAC. Leave-letter from an employee who was performing his daughter's wedding:
"As I am marrying my daughter, please grant a week's leave.."

From H.A.L. Administration Dept:
"As my mother-in-law has expired and I am only one responsible for it, please grant me 10 days leave."

Another employee applied for half day leave as follows:
"Since I've to go to the cremation ground at 10 o-clock and I may not return, please grant me half day casual leave"

An incident of a leave letter:
"I am suffering from fever, please declare one-day holiday."

A leave letter to the headmaster:
"As I am studying in this school I am suffering from headache. I request you to leave me today"

Another leave letter written to the headmaster:"As my headache is paining, please grant me leave for the day."

Covering note:
"I am enclosed herewith..."

Another one:
"Dear Sir: with reference to the above, please refer to my below..."

Actual letter written for application of leave:
"My wife is suffering from sickness and as I am her only husband at home I may be granted leave".

Letter writing:-
"I am well here and hope you are also in the same well."

A candidate's job application:
"This has reference to your advertisement calling for a ' Typist and an Accountant - Male or Female'... As I am both(!! )for the past several years and I can handle both with good experience, I am applying for the post.

Be Careful What You Wish For

A man walks into a restaurant with a full-grown ostrich behind him, and as he sits down, the waitress comes over and asks for their order.

The man says, “I’ll have a hamburger, fries and a coke,” and turns to the ostrich. “What’s yours?” “I’ll have the same,” says the ostrich.

A short time later the waitress returns with the order. “That will be $6.40 please,” and the man reaches into his pocket and pulls out exact change for payment.

The next day, the man and the ostrich come again and the man says, “I’ll have a hamburger, fries and a coke,” and the ostrich says, “I’ll have the same.” Once again the man reaches into his pocket and pays with exact change.

This becomes a routine until late one evening, the two enter again. “The usual?” asks the waitress. “No, this is Friday night, so I will have a steak, baked potato and salad,” says the man. “Same for me,” says the ostrich.

A short time later the waitress comes with the order and says, “That will be $12.62.” Once again the man pulls exact change out of his pocket and places it on the table.

The waitress can’t hold back her curiosity any longer.

“Excuse me, sir. How do you manage to always come up with the exact change out of your pocket every time?”

“Well,” says the man, “several years ago I was cleaning the attic and I found an old lamp. When I rubbed it a Genie appeared and offered me two wishes. My first wish was that if I ever had to pay for anything, just put my hand in my pocket, and the right amount of money would always be there.”

“That’s brilliant!” says the waitress. “Most people would wish for a million dollars or something, but you’ll always be as rich as you want for as long as you live!”

“That’s right! Whether it’s a gallon of milk or a Rolls Royce, the exact money is always there,” says the man.

The waitress asks, “One other thing, sir, what’s with the ostrich?”

The man sighs, pauses, and answers, “My second wish was for a tall chick with long legs who agrees with everything I say!”

Pencil Decorations Artwork

Not many people would foresee pencils as a form of art or decoration but they do create one of a kind art that appeals.

These pencil carvings are created by Mizuta Tasogara and Kato Jado. The delicate woodwork is much harder than it looks, pattern carves has to be made without making any miscut on the naked lead inside. These pencil carvings had been entered in the 11th ‘Hands Taisho’ contest and won the Planning Prize. 9 more pics after the jump.

They even make furniture out of pencils. Incredible. These pencil sculptures was created by German artist Kerstin Schulz. Well I don’t see how people are going to sit on a pencil chair though. 6 more pics after the jump.