[..MAVERICK..]

Life Goes On

2011-09-21T10:07:00.000-07:00

Sri Lanka Matha - Maa Tujhe Salaam

2009-02-09T04:03:00.000-08:00

Evil

2009-01-30T09:26:00.001-08:00

You Are 48% Evil

You are evil, but you haven't yet mastered the dark side.

Fear not though - you are on your way to world domination.

How Evil Are You?

RULZ

2009-01-28T23:51:00.001-08:00

Rule 1: Life is not fair - get used to it!

Rule 2: The world won't care about your self-esteem. The world will expect you to accomplish something BEFORE you feel good about yourself.

Rule 3: You will NOT make $60,000 a year right out of high school. You won't be a vice-president with a car phone until you earn both.

Rule 4: If you think your teacher is tough, wait till you get a boss.

Rule 5: Flipping burgers is not beneath your dignity. Your Grandparents had a different word for burger flipping: they called it opportunity.

Rule 6: If you mess up, it's not your parents' fault, so don't whine about your mistakes, learn from them.

Rule 7: Before you were born, your parents weren't as boring as they are now. They got that way from paying your bills, cleaning your clothes and listening to you talk about how cool you thought you were. So before you save the rain forest from the parasites of your parent's generation, try delousing the closet in your own room.

Rule 8: Your school may have done away with winners and losers, but life HAS NOT. In some schools, they have abolished failing grades and they'll give you as MANY TIMES as you want to get the right answer. This doesn't bear the slightest resemblance to ANYTHING in real life.

Rule 9: Life is not divided into semesters. You don't get summers off and very few employers are interested in helping you FIND YOURSELF. Do that on your own time.

Rule 10: Television is NOT real life. In real life people actually have to leave the coffee shop and go to jobs.

Rule 11: Be nice to nerds. Chances are you'll end up working for one.

“Geek-Out” Adventurous White-Water-Rafting for “Virtechies”

2008-11-04T11:18:00.000-08:00

Imagine a brainstorm session. Imagine a picnic. Imagine a meeting of the geekiest and most technologically savvy people. Imagine it all happening at the same time in the same place. Geek-Out offers a unique opportunity for geekiest and most technologically savvy people to meet in a completely informal environment for some much deserved rest and relaxation. Rafter's Retreat situated in Kitulgala 90 Km from Colombo (2.5 hr Drive) is an eco-resort, popularized by white water rafting and Modeled on the popular Foo Camps on the banks of the Kelani River of "Bridge on the River Kwai" fame.
Owner, Channa, is the epitome of life in the woodland and on the river. Channa runs a 3-day adventure programme (2 nights) packed with bird-watching, mountain biking, pre-historic Beli Lena caves, a day white-water-rafting (fine for age 6+ and non-swimmers)
Eco lodges/tree-houses set 6 ft above ground level with each has twin beds, lampshades and hooks made from natural woods from the estate, Roofed with palm leaves and walled by wooden slats, yet discreetly modernised with electricity and plumbing awaits the tiring visitors to provide comfort.
Service is 100% within the context of eco-projects, welcoming, friendly and with lots of tuition on living with nature – but don’t expect any frills. April to November is the best time to visit Kitulgala to enjoy all the adventure and stunning lush. Contact Channa on 0777-421455 for your Adventurous Team Outings.

I Believe...

2008-09-27T08:12:00.000-07:00

1. I believe that life is there to enjoy.

2. I believe crushes are there to crush hearts.

3. I believe true love is there from the start.

4. I believe you should give people chances.

5. I believe you should treat people the same because you never know what they will do for you in the future.

6. I believe that good things will come to people who work hard.

7. I believe great things come to people who never give up .

8. I believe silence will teach you something if you listen hard.

9. I believe that the heart leads you in the right direction if you follow it.

10. I believe friends are needed no matter who you are.

11. I believe family should stick by your side.

12. I believe God will help you if you believe in him and trust him.

13. I believe drugs destroy.

14. I believe sleep calms the soul.

15. I believe the heart and soul are more important than looks.

16. I believe trust helps the world go round.

17. I believe love brings great things.

18. I believe kids could teach adults a lot if adults would just listen.

19.I believe pets are great because they listen and love you no matter what you look like.

20. I believe you should always chase your dreams.

21. I believe hope is something everyone needs.

22. I believe you need to make time for fun.

23. I believe music soothes the soul.

24. I believe that money cannot buy happiness.

25. I believe books can take you anywhere.

26. I believe jokes have to be there to keep people sane.

27. I believe people are special the way they are.

28. I believe that true friends will last a lifetime.

29. I believe that enjoying what you do will help you enjoy life more.

30. I believe parents are more important than you think.

31. I believe the sky is the limit.

32. I believe you should shoot for the stars.

33. I believe being loved and loving are two totally different things.

34. I believe that you have to love yourself before you can love others.

35. I believe records are made to be broken.

36. I believe promises should be kept.

37. I believe brothers and sisters are made to teach.

38. I believe a simple smile can make anybody's day better.

39. I believe that being popular is not the key to life.

40. I believe in being nice to nerds because you might grow up and have to work for one.

LIFE in Four Photos

2008-08-25T22:07:00.000-07:00

First Pic

Break of Dawn -- New lease of life, embarking upon a New Voyage......
A Child Flying Kite -- Young Blood, Aspiring to Fly High with Enormous Zest n Zeal...Coz U Know, Sky is The Limit......
A Small Tree -- Need to Nurture.......
Two Birds Hovering Above -- There r People Around to Take Ample Care of You, You r Actually Carefree.......

Second Pic

Daylight -- You r Almost Halfway Through in This Voyage Called Life.....
Couple -- You Have a Better half of Yours to Lean Upon n Speak Your Heart Out to......
Grown-up Tree -- You Have Been Nurtured Profusely to Stand Tall n Rigidly in The Storms That May, Otherwise, Let U Down........ .
A Small Tree -- You, Together With Your Better half, Have Given a New Lease of Life to Another Breaking Dawn (Your Child).........
One Bird Hovering Above -- There r Comparatively Less People around You to Take Care of You, Unlike during Your Wonder Childhood Years.......

Third Pic

Fall of Dusk -- Twilight is setting Upon, Life Has Come a Full Circle....
An Old Man -- It's a Race Against Time Now On, It's The Beginning of The End of The Voyage......
Ageing Tree -- Signifies The Above Two Things, Second One Being The Personification of This........
Grown Tree -- Your Kids Have Grown Up; It's High Time You Start Supporting Them With Tender Care Rather Than Clashes..........
One Bird -- Self Explanatory, I Guess???
Grave -- In Course of The Voyage You Have Lost Loved Ones n You Also Start to Anticipate Your Ultimate Fate n Destiny..........

Fourth Pic

Nightfall -- Voyage is Over, Darkness is Looming Over, High Time to Say Good Bye....
Starry Sky -- There's Still Happiness Around, Thanks to The Aesthetic Memories Left by You n The Good Work Done Too..... .
Grown-up Tree -- Your Kids r Walking in Your Shoes now, It's For Them to Follow Your Footsteps Drawing Inspiration From Your Exemplary Life..
Grave With Two Crosses -- You r United with Your Soul mates n RIPS........

"Someone's Watching Over Me"

2008-08-25T08:31:00.000-07:00

Found myself today
Oh I found myself and ran away
Something pulled me back
The voice of reason I forgot I had
All I know is you're not here to say
What you always used to say
But it's written in the sky tonight

So I won't give up
No I won't break down
Sooner than it seems life turns around
And I will be strong
Even if it all goes wrong
When I'm standing in the dark I'll still believe
Someone's watching over me

Seen that ray of light
And it's shining on my destiny
Shining all the time
And I wont be afraid
To follow everywhere it's taking me
All I know is yesterday is gone
And right now I belong
To this moment to my dreams

So I won't give up
No I won't break down
Sooner than it seems life turns around
And I will be strong
Even if it all goes wrong
When I'm standing in the dark I'll still believe
Someone's watching over me

It doesn't matter what people say
And it doesn't matter how long it takes
Believe in yourself and you'll fly high
And it only matters how true you are
Be true to yourself and follow your heart

So I won't give up
No I won't break down
Sooner than it seems life turns around
And I will be strong
Even if it all goes wrong
When I'm standing in the dark I'll still believe
That I won't give up
No I won't break down
Sooner than it seems life turns around
And I will be strong
Even when it all goes wrong
When I'm standing in the dark I'll still believe
That someone's watching over
Someone's watching over
Someone's watching over me

Life is Beautiful

2008-08-17T02:04:00.000-07:00

A perfect women for... him

2008-07-19T08:11:00.000-07:00

Who will Cry when you Die? By Robin Sharma

2008-07-19T07:44:00.000-07:00

Robin Sharma, the Author says: "When you live your truth, your dreams beat a path toward your doorstep".

Robin S. Sharma is an acclaimed international guru who guides readers towards enlightenment. The success of his best seller The monk Who Sold His Ferrari is nothing less than sensational!
That book had a captivating, as well as a delightful story. When I was still under the spell of Sharma’s books, I started reading this book. This book does lay a tough task ahead of us!

“Who will cry when you die” sets about making us think hard as to how to manifest the fullness of our talents. It is not simple though, we know! Robin Sharma calls this book life lessons which is of course very apt. The title suggests that we should live such a life that the world cries when we die! Who wouldn’t ask for that? He gives simple solutions to what we think are complex problems. But I find that, the language and the way he puts them are simple, but to follow them is definitely complex.

Frankly speaking, even the title is a bit odd..WHO WILL CRY WHEN YOU DIE...I mean at least I don’t want people cry when I die, already they would be so sad and here Robin Sharma is so concerned about people who all will cry when some body dies? I think the title of this book looks good when you look at it ,but when you think about it, its really vague..

The author has given not less than hundred points for us to follow to enrich our lives. At this rate, reading this book has to be a life long pursuit, if we want to follow at least some of them. I personally feel, if we patiently read through the book completely, we are on step one already! It needs a strong determination on our goal towards self improvement to think and climb on to the second step! It is, in patches, similar to a moral science book, since it is full of “do’s” and “don’ts” in life!

But we can’t deny that even if we start practising a few of them to start with, there will be better balance, control and effectiveness in our daily lives. There is no doubt that this will be a pleasure for the people who interact with us! So we start with the idea that “the pleasure of my improvement will be others’, not mine!” To think this way, is not easy either!

To start with, if we identify our calling & make it our way of life, our life starts changing for the better. We all want to be the person which we never are, ultimately! I think I am going through this phase personally after all these years, in my life and hence I am able to appreciate this point better ! We struggle to establish an identity for ourselves throughout our life, but very often, only unsuccessfully! Sharma suggests working hard at it, is worthy of the reward, we get in life.

A very interesting suggestion of R. Sharma is to take a “worry break”, allotting a specific time every day, exclusively to brood over your difficulties. He says make a note of all your worries the whole day and wallow in your problems in the allotted time. He assures us that gradually we will decrease the time for this break and eventually this habit will be eliminated forever! Sounds worth trying! But there may be one problem – we will end up creating worries since we have allotted a time for that & we do not want to waste that time, not worrying! So this suggestion has to be tried with special care!

A practical solution to create a sound Life and strikingly balance life filling in the gaps with humility. Robin refers to his father's words that a tree that has most fruits is that which bends to the ground. And though there are some exceptions he have found in his own experience that it is true-the people who know the most, who have achieved the most, and have lived the most, are also the people closest to the ground. In a word, they are humble. There is something special about being in the presence of a person who is humble.

Robin Sharma thinks that practicing humility shows that you respect others and reminds us that there is something for us to learn. It sends a signal to those around you that you are open to receiving the gift of their knowledge and listening to what they have to say. The book is door to exceptional life and live life to the fullest with a purpose and attain peace. The book is in-depth wisdom with absolute life changing solutions to cope with life's trials, challenges, frustrations and so on.

Like Deepak Chopra, Sharma also suggests regularly spending time in communion with nature and silently witness the intelligence within every living thing. I personally follow this, since reading this book and find that it keeps me centred on my highest life priorities. This has made a difference in my life.

Sharma expects us to be mature enough to see troubles as blessings which teach us valuable lessons in life. It is rightly said that tough men last and tough times don’t! I personally feel this trait cannot be cultivated, but we come to accept it only when life takes its toll on us, mercilessly, sometimes.

Yet another point which I liked very much in this book, is one I have been practising, ever since I attended my energy classes. Whenever we give away money, if we bless it and give, it comes back to us many fold! This only proves the timeless truth that the hand that gives is the hand that gathers. To bless the money every time we give cash or cheque – does sound odd and funny, but even once you are proved right, you start practising it – who does not want money to come back, multiplied?

Our respecting our own instincts – the voice within, is stressed by the author and rightly so. It helps us decide whether that thought or action is within or outside our “comfort zone” as we call it. I think this is one of the best suggestions given by the author & the morally strong sounding word “conscience” is replaced by the layman’s word “voice within”! Now it looks within our reach!

If the book “ The monk who sold his ferrari” helped readers cope with the rat race of life, this book with its long list of lessons does make us wonder whether we can take up the challenge at all. But I am not one to give up easily & try I did my best! Regular reading of the book and trying to incorporate atleast a few in my life have made my mind more full, and life more happy. The more I live, the harder I want to work and rejoice in life for its own sake. Only then I would have been fully used up when I die and hopefully, people who know me will cry!

As Robin Sharma recently visited India in preparation for the production of 'The Monk who sold his Ferrari' as a major motion picture, Robin reminded in his speech that wherever in the world he went, he found human beings struggle with same challenges, same longings. All people are part of one great family with invisible ties. Thus, peace is at your own doorstep and Robin Sharma's books are real 'Gem Picks' - Yeah, sure you can surf his website too and hear his Gem voice too! Good Pick & Great Message.

Who is Robin Sharma?

2008-07-19T07:22:00.000-07:00

Robin is one of the world's top leadership experts and the author of 10 international bestsellers on leadership and personal success. He is the CEO of Sharma Leadership International Inc. (SLI), a global learning firm focused on helping people Lead Without Title. A former litigation lawyer, Robin holds 2 law degrees including a Masters of Law. His work has helped millions of people in over 50 countries show leadership in their work and personal lives. SLI clients include many of the worlds best known organizations including GE, Microsoft, IBM, Nike, FedEx, BP and Yale University.

Success Facts:
• In an independent ranking of the world's top leadership experts by leadershipgurus.net Robin is ranked #2 (along with Jim Collins, Jack Welch and John Maxwell)
• Robin's books have been published in over 50 countries and in 40 languages
• The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari is the 5th best selling book in the history of Israel. It has been on India's Top 10 bestseller list of rover 2 years. Robin's books have been the fastest selling books in Turkish publishing history. His books have also been blockbusters in Japan, Spain, England, Dubai, Mexico, Singapore, Puerto Rico and throughout South America.
• Robin starred in his own PBS special and has appeared on over 1000 television and radio shows.
• Robin Sharma is the founder of The Robin Sharma Foundation for Children to help underprivileged children become leaders.

Robin’s Mission Statement:
• To help people and organizations Lead Without Title.

Family Status:
• Single Dad

Greatest Blessings:
• "My 2 children. And the fact that I get to do what I do."

Favorite Recreational Passions:
• Skiing, sailing, music, travelling (ideally with a backpack) reading, nature, and great conversation
Favorite Quotes:
• “The tragedy of life is not death. The tragedy of life is what we allow to die inside of us while we live.” Dr. Norman Cousins
• "Your lives begin to end the day we become silent about the things that matter." Martin Luther King, Jr

Robin’s "Cindrella Story":
A former lawyer, he quit his job and self-published a book at a Kinko's copy shop (his mother edited it). Stored 2000 copies in his kitchen. Second book The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari was also originally self-published until former HarperCollins president Ed Carson discovered Robin in a bookstore. The book, and the series that followed, has become one of the world's most successful publishing franchises.
What’s the Buzz on Robin Sharma: Robin's become one of the most trusted advisors on Leadership and Personal Success to organizations internationally. Many Fortune 500 companies have already embraced Leadership Wisdom From The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari. Corporate transformations have occurred in organizations such as Microsoft, IBM, FedEx, Panasonic, Kraft, General Motors and Panasonic. The book is essentially about creating workplaces where it’s safe to be human again, helping leaders work and live by a high moral code, inspiring individuals to step up to the plate and show leadership at work and in their personal lives.

What People are Saying about Robin and his Work:
• "Independently ranked one of the top 10 leadership gurus in the world." - LeadershipGurus.net
• "Robin Sharma's books are helping people all around the world live great lives." - Paulo Coelo, author of the international bestseller The Alchemist
• "Though Sharma rejects the guru label, it's hard not to think of the CEO of the training and coaching firm Sharma Leadership International that way" - Publishers Weekly
• "Robin Sharma has the rare gift of writing books that are fun to read yet truly life changing." Richard Carlson, Ph.D., author of the #1 New York Times bestseller Don't Sweat The Small Stuff.
• "The Saint, The Surfer and The CEO will touch and change many lives." John Gray, author of the #1 bestseller Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus.
• "Another amazing, life-changing book by Robin Sharma." Mark Victor Hansen, co-author of the international bestselling series Chicken Soup for the Soul.

Favourite Books
• The Alchemist - Paulo Coelho
• A Manual For Living - by Epictetus (Interpretation by Sharon Lebell)
• The Meditations of Marcus Aurelius Antoninus - Marcus Aurelius Antonius
• Hope for the Flowers - Trina Paulus
• The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin - Ben Franklin
• The Magic of Thinking Big - David Schwartz
• Tuesdays with Morrie - Mitch Albom
• Synchronicity: The Inner Path of Leadership - Joe Jaworsky
• The Message of a Master - John McDonald
• Often Wrong, Never in Doubt: Unleash the Business Rebel With - Donny Deutsch
• iCon Stev Jobs: The Greatest Second Act in the History of Buisness - Jeffery S. Yound and William L. Simon
• Thinking Body, Dancing Mind - Jerry Lynch
• The Power of Optimism - Alan Loy McGinnis
• Take Your Time - Eknath Easwaran
• The Go-Getter - Peter B. Kyne
• The Art of Happiness - Howard Cutler
• The Art of Worldy Wisdom - Baltasar Gracian
• University of Success - Og Mandino
• Small Graces - Kent Nerburn
• The Four Agreements - Don Miguel Ruiz
• The Magic of Believing - Claude Bristol
• Walden - Henry David Thoreau

Favourite Movies
• The Matrix
• Million Dollar Baby
• Braveheart
• The Shawshank
• Redemption
• Wall Street Scarface
• Scent of A Woman
• Gladiator
• Life is Beautiful
• Dead Poet's Society

Favourite CDs
• Cafe Del Mar: Volume 7
• How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb by U2
• X & Y by Coldplay
• O by Damien Rice
• In Violet Light by The Tragically Hip
• In Between Evolution by The Tragically Hip
• Part of the Process by Morcheeba Amar
• Es Combatir by Mana

Favourite Sites
• The New York Times
• Fast Company
• Business 2.0
• Zaadz
• Wired
• Squidoo
• Human Clock
• ClickZ
• Apple
• Amazon
• Wikipedia
• YouTube

His most famous book, The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari, which is told like a fable, has been published in dozens of countries in dozens of languages.

Other publications include:

* Who Will Cry When You Die?
* Leadership Wisdom From The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari
* Discover Your Destiny With The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari
* The Greatness Guide: Powerful secrets of getting to World Class
* Discover Your Destiny
* The Saint, the Surfer and the CEO
* Mega Living!

Sharma is the CEO of Sharma Leadership International Inc., a global training firm whose clients include GE, Nike, FedEx, NASA, Unilever, Microsoft, BP, IBM, The Harvard Business School and Yale University.

Good to Great By James Collins aka Jim Collins

2008-07-19T06:52:00.000-07:00

Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap... and Others Don't is a management book by James C. Collins that aims to describe how companies transition from being average companies to great companies and how companies can fail to make the transition. "Greatness" is defined as financial performance several multiples better than the market average over a sustained period of time. Collins finds the main factor for achieving the transition to be a narrow focusing of the company’s resources on their field of competence.

"Say" First Love - One Republic

2008-07-12T07:52:00.000-07:00

Farewell Timmy 5th July 2008

2008-07-05T10:23:00.000-07:00

Today July 5th, 2008 I write another sad story of mine. Departing of a good friend. Departing of a loyal friend. Departing of a faithful friend. It’s Timothy (Timmy) my pet dog being with us for almost 10 years.

The memories run back 10 years. Timmy is the best gift I’ve ever got from my Best friend in 1997, it was hard to separate him from his siblings at that time. The small one was always the center of attraction among his sister and two brothers. And he was lucky enough to live beyond his siblings life span.

I am not sure exactly the time he passed away, I assume it was today early morning (1 a.m. to 3 a.m.) his last breath was taken away. The body still had a light warm when I discovered him under my sisters bed around 9.45. He missed his usual tea and it made us to find him everywhere. I know I am writing like a kindergarten kid but no words are coming out.

So we decided to wait till my sister comes home for the Burial. Actually Timmy was a gift to her for her good results during the OL exams back in1997. And most of the time Timmy spend time with her every time my mom was not at home. Its me who always protected him when getting beaten up for all the naughty things he did. So no matter what, he always used to come to my room at night to get his neck rubbed before I go to sleep.

For the last 10 years its Timmy I’ve always grab into my lap and hug whenever I went through shitty situations. Now I guess it’s time for me to move on. After all that’s life I guess.

HARVARD COMMENCEMENT SPEECH - 2008

2008-06-05T01:02:00.000-07:00

The Fringe Benefits of Failure, and the Importance of Imagination

Text as prepared follows.
Copyright of JK Rowling, June 2008
----------------------------------

President Faust, members of the Harvard Corporation and the Board of Overseers, members of the faculty, proud parents, and, above all, graduates.

The first thing I would like to say is ‘thank you.’ Not only has Harvard given me an extraordinary honour, but the weeks of fear and nausea I’ve experienced at the thought of giving this commencement address have made me lose weight. A win-win situation! Now all I have to do is take deep breaths, squint at the red banners and fool myself into believing I am at the world’s best-educated Harry Potter convention.

Delivering a commencement address is a great responsibility; or so I thought until I cast my mind back to my own graduation. The commencement speaker that day was the distinguished British philosopher Baroness Mary Warnock. Reflecting on her speech has helped me enormously in writing this one, because it turns out that I can’t remember a single word she said. This liberating discovery enables me to proceed without any fear that I might inadvertently influence you to abandon promising careers in business, law or politics for the giddy delights of becoming a gay wizard.

You see? If all you remember in years to come is the ‘gay wizard’ joke, I’ve still come out ahead of Baroness Mary Warnock. Achievable goals: the first step towards personal improvement.

Actually, I have wracked my mind and heart for what I ought to say to you today. I have asked myself what I wish I had known at my own graduation, and what important lessons I have learned in the 21 years that has expired between that day and this.

I have come up with two answers. On this wonderful day when we are gathered together to celebrate your academic success, I have decided to talk to you about the benefits of failure. And as you stand on the threshold of what is sometimes called ‘real life’, I want to extol the crucial importance of imagination.

These might seem quixotic or paradoxical choices, but please bear with me.

Looking back at the 21-year-old that I was at graduation, is a slightly uncomfortable experience for the 42-year-old that she has become. Half my lifetime ago, I was striking an uneasy balance between the ambition I had for myself, and what those closest to me expected of me.

I was convinced that the only thing I wanted to do, ever, was to write novels. However, my parents, both of whom came from impoverished backgrounds and neither of whom had been to college, took the view that my overactive imagination was an amusing personal quirk that could never pay a mortgage, or secure a pension.

They had hoped that I would take a vocational degree; I wanted to study English Literature. A compromise was reached that in retrospect satisfied nobody, and I went up to study Modern Languages. Hardly had my parents’ car rounded the corner at the end of the road than I ditched German and scuttled off down the Classics corridor.

I cannot remember telling my parents that I was studying Classics; they might well have found out for the first time on graduation day. Of all subjects on this planet, I think they would have been hard put to name one less useful than Greek mythology when it came to securing the keys to an executive bathroom.

I would like to make it clear, in parenthesis, that I do not blame my parents for their point of view. There is an expiry date on blaming your parents for steering you in the wrong direction; the moment you are old enough to take the wheel, responsibility lies with you. What is more, I cannot criticise my parents for hoping that I would never experience poverty. They had been poor themselves, and I have since been poor, and I quite agree with them that it is not an ennobling experience. Poverty entails fear, and stress, and sometimes depression; it means a thousand petty humiliations and hardships. Climbing out of poverty by your own efforts, that is indeed something on which to pride yourself, but poverty itself is romanticised only by fools.

What I feared most for myself at your age was not poverty, but failure.

At your age, in spite of a distinct lack of motivation at university, where I had spent far too long in the coffee bar writing stories, and far too little time at lectures, I had a knack for passing examinations, and that, for years, had been the measure of success in my life and that of my peers.

I am not dull enough to suppose that because you are young, gifted and well-educated, you have never known hardship or heartbreak. Talent and intelligence never yet inoculated anyone against the caprice of the Fates, and I do not for a moment suppose that everyone here has enjoyed an existence of unruffled privilege and contentment.

However, the fact that you are graduating from Harvard suggests that you are not very well-acquainted with failure. You might be driven by a fear of failure quite as much as a desire for success. Indeed, your conception of failure might not be too far from the average person’s idea of success, so high have you already flown academically.

Ultimately, we all have to decide for ourselves what constitutes failure, but the world is quite eager to give you a set of criteria if you let it. So I think it fair to say that by any conventional measure, a mere seven years after my graduation day, I had failed on an epic scale. An exceptionally short-lived marriage had imploded, and I was jobless, a lone parent, and as poor as it is possible to be in modern Britain, without being homeless. The fears my parents had had for me, and that I had had for myself, had both come to pass, and by every usual standard, I was the biggest failure I knew.

Now, I am not going to stand here and tell you that failure is fun. That period of my life was a dark one, and I had no idea that there was going to be what the press has since represented as a kind of fairy tale resolution. I had no idea how far the tunnel extended, and for a long time, any light at the end of it was a hope rather than a reality.

So why do I talk about the benefits of failure? Simply because failure meant a stripping away of the inessential. I stopped pretending to myself that I was anything other than what I was, and began to direct all my energy into finishing the only work that mattered to me. Had I really succeeded at anything else, I might never have found the determination to succeed in the one arena I believed I truly belonged. I was set free, because my greatest fear had already been realised, and I was still alive, and I still had a daughter whom I adored, and I had an old typewriter and a big idea. And so rock bottom became the solid foundation on which I rebuilt my life.

You might never fail on the scale I did, but some failure in life is inevitable. It is impossible to live without failing at something, unless you live so cautiously that you might as well not have lived at all - in which case, you fail by default.

Failure gave me an inner security that I had never attained by passing examinations. Failure taught me things about myself that I could have learned no other way. I discovered that I had a strong will, and more discipline than I had suspected; I also found out that I had friends whose value was truly above rubies.

The knowledge that you have emerged wiser and stronger from setbacks means that you are, ever after, secure in your ability to survive. You will never truly know yourself, or the strength of your relationships, until both have been tested by adversity. Such knowledge is a true gift, for all that it is painfully won, and it has been worth more to me than any qualification I ever earned.

Given a time machine or a Time Turner, I would tell my 21-year-old self that personal happiness lies in knowing that life is not a check-list of acquisition or achievement. Your qualifications, your CV, are not your life, though you will meet many people of my age and older who confuse the two. Life is difficult, and complicated, and beyond anyone’s total control, and the humility to know that will enable you to survive its vicissitudes.

You might think that I chose my second theme, the importance of imagination, because of the part it played in rebuilding my life, but that is not wholly so. Though I will defend the value of bedtime stories to my last gasp, I have learned to value imagination in a much broader sense. Imagination is not only the uniquely human capacity to envision that which is not, and therefore the fount of all invention and innovation. In its arguably most transformative and revelatory capacity, it is the power that enables us to empathise with humans whose experiences we have never shared.

One of the greatest formative experiences of my life preceded Harry Potter, though it informed much of what I subsequently wrote in those books. This revelation came in the form of one of my earliest day jobs. Though I was sloping off to write stories during my lunch hours, I paid the rent in my early 20s by working in the research department at Amnesty International’s headquarters in London.

There in my little office I read hastily scribbled letters smuggled out of totalitarian regimes by men and women who were risking imprisonment to inform the outside world of what was happening to them. I saw photographs of those who had disappeared without trace, sent to Amnesty by their desperate families and friends. I read the testimony of torture victims and saw pictures of their injuries. I opened handwritten, eye-witness accounts of summary trials and executions, of kidnappings and rapes.

Many of my co-workers were ex-political prisoners, people who had been displaced from their homes, or fled into exile, because they had the temerity to think independently of their government. Visitors to our office included those who had come to give information, or to try and find out what had happened to those they had been forced to leave behind.

I shall never forget the African torture victim, a young man no older than I was at the time, who had become mentally ill after all he had endured in his homeland. He trembled uncontrollably as he spoke into a video camera about the brutality inflicted upon him. He was a foot taller than I was, and seemed as fragile as a child. I was given the job of escorting him to the Underground Station afterwards, and this man whose life had been shattered by cruelty took my hand with exquisite courtesy, and wished me future happiness.

And as long as I live I shall remember walking along an empty corridor and suddenly hearing, from behind a closed door, a scream of pain and horror such as I have never heard since. The door opened, and the researcher poked out her head and told me to run and make a hot drink for the young man sitting with her. She had just given him the news that in retaliation for his own outspokenness against his country’s regime, his mother had been seized and executed.

Every day of my working week in my early 20s I was reminded how incredibly fortunate I was, to live in a country with a democratically elected government, where legal representation and a public trial were the rights of everyone.

Every day, I saw more evidence about the evils humankind will inflict on their fellow humans, to gain or maintain power. I began to have nightmares, literal nightmares, about some of the things I saw, heard and read.

And yet I also learned more about human goodness at Amnesty International than I had ever known before.

Amnesty mobilises thousands of people who have never been tortured or imprisoned for their beliefs to act on behalf of those who have. The power of human empathy, leading to collective action, saves lives, and frees prisoners. Ordinary people, whose personal well-being and security are assured, join together in huge numbers to save people they do not know, and will never meet. My small participation in that process was one of the most humbling and inspiring experiences of my life.

Unlike any other creature on this planet, humans can learn and understand, without having experienced. They can think themselves into other people’s minds, imagine themselves into other people’s places.

Of course, this is a power, like my brand of fictional magic, that is morally neutral. One might use such an ability to manipulate, or control, just as much as to understand or sympathise.

And many prefer not to exercise their imaginations at all. They choose to remain comfortably within the bounds of their own experience, never troubling to wonder how it would feel to have been born other than they are. They can refuse to hear screams or to peer inside cages; they can close their minds and hearts to any suffering that does not touch them personally; they can refuse to know.

I might be tempted to envy people who can live that way, except that I do not think they have any fewer nightmares than I do. Choosing to live in narrow spaces can lead to a form of mental agoraphobia, and that brings its own terrors. I think the wilfully unimaginative see more monsters. They are often more afraid.

What is more, those who choose not to empathise may enable real monsters. For without ever committing an act of outright evil ourselves, we collude with it, through our own apathy.

One of the many things I learned at the end of that Classics corridor down which I ventured at the age of 18, in search of something I could not then define, was this, written by the Greek author Plutarch: What we achieve inwardly will change outer reality.

That is an astonishing statement and yet proven a thousand times every day of our lives. It expresses, in part, our inescapable connection with the outside world, the fact that we touch other people’s lives simply by existing.

But how much more are you, Harvard graduates of 2008, likely to touch other people’s lives? Your intelligence, your capacity for hard work, the education you have earned and received, give you unique status, and unique responsibilities. Even your nationality sets you apart. The great majority of you belong to the world’s only remaining superpower. The way you vote, the way you live, the way you protest, the pressure you bring to bear on your government, has an impact way beyond your borders. That is your privilege, and your burden.

If you choose to use your status and influence to raise your voice on behalf of those who have no voice; if you choose to identify not only with the powerful, but with the powerless; if you retain the ability to imagine yourself into the lives of those who do not have your advantages, then it will not only be your proud families who celebrate your existence, but thousands and millions of people whose reality you have helped transform for the better. We do not need magic to change the world, we carry all the power we need inside ourselves already: we have the power to imagine better.

I am nearly finished. I have one last hope for you, which is something that I already had at 21. The friends with whom I sat on graduation day have been my friends for life. They are my children’s godparents, the people to whom I’ve been able to turn in times of trouble, friends who have been kind enough not to sue me when I’ve used their names for Death Eaters. At our graduation we were bound by enormous affection, by our shared experience of a time that could never come again, and, of course, by the knowledge that we held certain photographic evidence that would be exceptionally valuable if any of us ran for Prime Minister.

So today, I can wish you nothing better than similar friendships. And tomorrow, I hope that even if you remember not a single word of mine, you remember those of Seneca, another of those old Romans I met when I fled down the Classics corridor, in retreat from career ladders, in search of ancient wisdom:
As is a tale, so is life: not how long it is, but how good it is, is what matters.
I wish you all very good lives.

Thank you very much.

Top 10 reasons to start a business at uni

2008-06-03T06:51:00.000-07:00

10. A more impressive story.
9. No family to take care of, mortgage to pay etc.
8. Aren't oppressed by the system i.e. can still think 'outside the box'.
7. No fat paycheck to walk away from.
6. Ignorance is bliss.
5. Can't lose what you don't have.
4. Free resources at your fingertips.
3. Ability to live like a hobo
2. Plenty of time to do it again if you fail.
1. You're at uni now.

My 1st Job... I mean my 1st real job

2008-06-02T08:03:00.000-07:00

It’s been a long time since I last posted. My life has changed dramatically. One loveable sister already departed, and other one to leave soon. Several things happen in my life..some good and some bad. I dunno? I will leave that to u!
Going to Kovil early Saturday morning has now become a habit. Few things happened during the last 2 years which I cannot describe myself. Even though I tried my self hard I still have no answers. And I still pray god every Saturday morning for his grace, wisdom, encouragement and will power without which my life would be harder than I can ever imagine for last couple of months.
Its been a hard and fast journey. I finally submitted my FYP on time, and both my Supervisor and Assessor were impressed in the way I did my presentation. Finally I have done with my university life. And for me I still feels like in 2004 September 14th… the day we started our Degree as fresh school leavers at a Strict Professional Institute called APIIT. Soon after my Uni Exams, my sis got married. It was a Grand wedding and everything went nicely and smoothly as we all expected. And again thank you God for your grace, wisdom, encouragement and will power to keep my family going through all ups and downs. I wish all the very best for my sister and new brother in law for a wonderful and lovely life ahead of them with millions of beautiful babies and Gods prayers for both to stand thick and thin to each other through out their medical profession.
And today 2nd June 2008, I got my first real paid job. The place I used to work for my Internship. A dream come true, an excellent opportunity with an excellent package. What else can I ask from u dear God. And again thank you for your grace, wisdom, encouragement and will power given to me constantly through out my life to reach my dreams and achieve my goals for each year.

Officially done with ma Degree :)

2008-04-29T08:32:00.000-07:00

LOLz :D

Life

2008-04-20T20:35:00.001-07:00

Some Serious Thoughts

2008-04-19T02:16:00.000-07:00

Never explain yourself to anyone. Beacuse the person who likes you doesn't need it, and the person who dislikes you won't believe it.

Don't let someone become a priority in your life, when you are just an option in their life...Relationships work best when they are balanced.

In life just don't trust people, who change their feelings with time...Instead trust those people whose feelings remain the same, even when time changes...

We make them cry who cares for us. We cry for those who never care for us. And we care for those who will never cry for us. This is the truth of life., its strange but true. Once you realise this, its never too late to change.

There are two mistakes one can make along the road to truth - not going all the way, and not starting - Buddha

Stay Hungry, Stay Foolish - Steve Jobs

A loving heart is the truest wisdom. - Charles Dickens

Success is a lousy teacher. It seduces smart people into thinking they can't lose.

Sometimes life is gonna hit you on the head with a brick, but don't loose faith. You got to find what you love.

Sometimes you have to free the things you love the most to deserve what you destined.

If there is any one secret of success, it lies in the ability to get the other person's point of view and see things from that person's angle as well as from your own.

I dream, I test my dreams against my beliefs, I dare to take risks, and I execute my vision to make those dreams come true.

Our scientific power has outrun our spiritual power. We have guided missiles and misguided men.

The empires of the future are the empires of the mind. - Sir Winston Churchill

The brave may not live forever but the cautious do not live at all.

Experience is a wonderful thing. It enables you to recognize a mistake when you make it again.

Few people know that they have the power to bless life. We bless the life in each other far more than we realize. Many simple, ordinary things that we do can affect those around us in profound ways.

Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic - Arthur C. Clarke

It's not that I'm so smart, it's just that I stay with problems longer.

The saddest aspect of life right now is that science gathers knowledge faster than society gathers wisdom.

I like it

2008-04-19T02:12:00.000-07:00

I wanna believe in it all again music and art, fate and love. I wanna believe that i've made the right choices and im on the right path and there's still time to fix the mistakes i've made. And i guess i want hope and i want him/her.
---
OTH

The Young Man and the Starfish: A Motivational Story about Making a Difference

2008-03-18T13:03:00.001-07:00

Once upon a time there was a wise man who used to go to the ocean to do his journal writing. He had a habit of walking on the beach before he began his work.

One day he was walking along the shore. As he looked down the beach, he saw a human figure moving like a dancer. He smiled to himself to think of someone who would dance to the day. So he began to walk faster to catch up.

As he got closer, he saw that it was a young man and the young man wasn't dancing, but instead he was reaching down to the shore, picking up something and very gently throwing it into the ocean.

As he got closer he called out, "Good morning! What are you doing?"

The young man paused, looked up and replied, "Throwing starfish in the ocean."

"I guess I should have asked, why are you throwing starfish in the ocean?"

"The sun is up, and the tide is going out. And if I don't throw them in they'll die."

"But, young man, don't you realize that there are miles and miles of beach, and starfish all along it. You can't possibly make a difference!"

The young man listened politely. Then bent down, picked up another starfish and threw it into the sea, past the breaking waves and said, "It made a difference for Inspirational Storythat one."

There is something very special in each and every one of us. We have all been gifted with the ability to make a difference. And if we can become aware of that gift, we gain through the strength of our visions the power to shape the future. We must each find our starfish. And if we throw our stars wisely and well, the world will be blessed.

Author Unknown

Inspirational Speech: Any Given Sunday

2008-03-18T12:41:00.000-07:00

I don’t know what to say really.
Three minutes
to the biggest battle of our professional lives
all comes down to today.
Either
we heal
as a team
or we are going to crumble.
Inch by inch
play by play
till we’re finished.
We are in hell right now, gentlemen
believe me
and
we can stay here
and get the shit kicked out of us
or
we can fight our way
back into the light.
We can climb out of hell.
One inch, at a time.

Now I can’t do it for you.
I’m too old.
I look around and I see these young faces
and I think
I mean
I made every wrong choice a middle age man could make.
I uh….
I pissed away all my money
believe it or not.
I chased off
anyone who has ever loved me.
And lately,
I can’t even stand the face I see in the mirror.

You know when you get old in life
things get taken from you.
That’s, that’s part of life.
But,
you only learn that when you start losing stuff.
You find out that life is just a game of inches.
So is football.
Because in either game
life or football
the margin for error is so small.
I mean
one half step too late or to early
you don’t quite make it.
One half second too slow or too fast
and you don’t quite catch it.
The inches we need are everywhere around us.
They are in ever break of the game
every minute, every second.

On this team, we fight for that inch
On this team, we tear ourselves, and everyone around us
to pieces for that inch.
We CLAW with our finger nails for that inch.
Cause we know
when we add up all those inches
that’s going to make the fucking difference
between WINNING and LOSING
between LIVING and DYING.

I’ll tell you this
in any fight
it is the guy who is willing to die
who is going to win that inch.
And I know
if I am going to have any life anymore
it is because, I am still willing to fight, and die for that inch
because that is what LIVING is.
The six inches in front of your face.

Now I can’t make you do it.
You gotta look at the guy next to you.
Look into his eyes.
Now I think you are going to see a guy who will go that inch with you.
You are going to see a guy
who will sacrifice himself for this team
because he knows when it comes down to it,
you are gonna do the same thing for him.

That’s a team, gentlemen
and either we heal now, as a team,
or we will die as individuals.
That’s football guys.
That’s all it is.
Now, whattaya gonna do?

"Yes, I know my LIFE is like a football game, but this is not what i expected to be my life, It just happened, This place made me who i am now, Fortunately 2 more weeks to go :) "

Think Win-Win

2008-03-08T21:20:00.000-08:00

Win/Win is one of six total philosophies of human interaction.

1. Win/Win - People can seek mutual benefit in all human interactions. Principle-based behavior.

2. Win/Lose - The competitive paradigm: if I win, you lose. The leadership style is authoritarian. In relationships, if both people aren't winning, both are losing.

3. Lose/Win - The "Doormat" paradigm. The individual seeks strength from popularity based on acceptance. The leadership style is permissiveness. Living this paradigm can result in psychosomatic illness from repressed resentment.

4. Lose/Lose - When people become obsessed with making the other person lose, even at their own expense. This is the philosophy of adversarial conflict, war, or of highly dependent persons. (If nobody wins, being a loser isn't so bad.)

5. Win - Focusing solely on getting what one wants, regardless of the needs of others.

6. Win/Win or No Deal - If we can't find a mutually beneficial solution, we agree to disagree agreeably - no deal. This approach is most realistic at the beginning of a business relationship or enterprise. In a continuing relationship, it's no longer an option.

The most appropriate model depends on the situation. When relationships are paramount, Win/Win is the only viable alternative. In a competitive situation where building a relationship isn't important, Win/Lose may be appropriate. There are five dimensions of the Win/Win model: Character, Relationships, Agreements, Supportive Systems and Processes.

1. Character is the foundation of Win/Win. There must be integrity in order to establish trust in the relationship and to define a win in terms of personal values. A key trait is the abundance mentality that there is plenty for everybody (v. the Scarcity Mentality). The abundance mentality flows from a deep inner sense of personal worth and security.

2. Relationships are the focus on Win/Win. Whatever the orientation of the person you are dealing with (Win/Lose, etc.), the relationship is the key to turning the situation around. When there is a relationship of trust and emotional bank account balances are high, there is a much greater probability of a successful, productive interaction. Negative energy focused on differences in personality or position is eliminated; positive, cooperative energy focused on understanding and resolving issues is built.

3. Performance agreements or partnership agreements give definition and direction to Win/Win,. They shift the paradigm of production from vertical (Superior - Subordinate) to horizontal (Partnership/Team). The agreement should include elements to create a standard by which people can measure their own success.

1. Defined results (not methods) - what is to be done and when.
2. Guidelines - the parameters within which the results should be accomplished
3. Resources - human, financial, technical or organizational support available to accomplish the results.
4. Accountability - the standards of performance and time(s) of evaluation.
5. Consequences - what will happen as a result of the evaluation.

The agreement may be written by the employee to the manager to confirm the understanding.
Developing Win/Win performance agreements is the central activity of management, enabling employers to manage themselves within the framework of the agreement. Then the manager can initiate action and resolve obstacles so employees can do their jobs.

There are four kinds of consequences that management or parents can control - Financial, Psychic, Opportunity and Responsibility. In addition to personal consequences, the organizational consequences of behaviors should be identified.

4. The Reward System is a key element in the Win/Win model. Talking Win/Win but rewarding Win/Lose results in negating the Win/Win paradigm. If the outstanding performance of a few is rewarded, the other team members will be losers. Instead, develop individual achievable goals and team objectives to be rewarded.

Competition has its place against market competitors, last year's performance, or another location or individual where cooperation and interdependence aren't required, but cooperation in the workplace is as important to free enterprise as competition in the marketplace. The spirit of Win/Win cannot survive in an environment of competition or contests. All of the company's systems should be based on the principle of Win/Win. The Compensation system of the managers should be based on the productivity and development of their people. Reward both P (production) and PC (building production capacity).

5. The Win/Win process has four steps.

1. See the problem from the other point of view, in terms of the needs and concerns of the other party.

2. Identify the key issues and concerns (not positions) involved.

3. Determine what results would make a fully acceptable solution.

4. Identify new options to achieve those results.

You can only achieve Win/Win solutions with Win/Win procedures. Win/Win is not a personality technique. It's a total paradigm of human interaction.

Warren Edward Buffett's Time Line - World's Richest Man

2008-03-08T00:08:00.000-08:00

1943: (13 years old)

* Buffett filed his first income tax return, deducting his bicycle as a work expense for $35.

1945: (15 years old)

* In his senior year of high school, Buffett and a friend spent $25 to purchase a used pinball machine, which they placed in a barber shop. Within months, they owned three machines in different locations.

1949: (19 years old)

* In 1949, he was initiated into Alpha Sigma Phi Fraternity while an undergraduate at the Wharton Business School at the University of Pennsylvania. His father and uncles were also Alpha Sigma Phi brothers from the chapter at Nebraska, where Warren eventually transferred.

1950: (20 years old)

* Buffett enrolled at Columbia Business School after learning that Benjamin Graham and David Dodd, two well-known securities analysts, taught there.

1951: (21 years old)

* Buffett discovered Graham was on the Board of GEICO insurance at the time. After taking a train to Washington, D.C. on a Saturday, Buffett knocked on the door of GEICO's headquarters until a janitor allowed him in. There, he met Lorimer Davidson, the Vice President, who was to become a lasting influence on him and life-long friend.
* Buffett graduated from Columbia and wanted to work on Wall Street. Buffett offered to work for Graham for free but Graham refused. He purchased a Sinclair gas station as a side investment, but that venture did not work out as well as he had hoped. Meanwhile, he worked as a stockbroker. During that time, Buffett also took a Dale Carnegie public speaking course. Using what he learned, he felt confident enough to teach a night class at the University of Nebraska, "Investment Principles." The average age of the students he taught was more than twice his own.

1952: (22 years old)

* Buffett married Susan Thompson.

1954: (24 years old)

* Benjamin Graham offered Buffett a job at his partnership with a starting salary of $12,000 a year. Here, he worked closely with Walter Schloss.
* Susan had her first child, Howard Graham Buffett.

1956: (25 years old)

* Benjamin Graham retired and folded up his partnership.
* Buffett's personal savings are now over $140,000.
* Buffett returned home to Omaha and created Buffett Associates, Ltd., an investment partnership.

1957: (27 years old)

* Buffett had three partnerships operating the entire year.
* Buffett purchased a five-bedroom, stucco house on Farnam Street for $31,500.
* Susan was about to have her third child.

1958: (28 years old)

* Buffett had five partnerships operating the entire year.

1959: (29 years old)

* Buffett had six partnerships operating the entire year.
* Buffett was introduced to Charlie Munger.

1960: (30 years old)

* Buffett had seven partnerships operating the entire year.
* The partnerships were: Buffett Associates, Buffett Fund, Dacee, Emdee, Glenoff, Mo-Buff, and Underwood.
* Buffett asks one of his partners, a doctor, to find ten other doctors who will be willing to invest $10,000 each into his partnership. Eventually, eleven doctors agreed to invest.

1961: (31 years old)

* Buffett revealed that Sanborn Map Company accounted for 35% of the partnerships' assets.
* Buffett explained that in 1958, Sanborn sold at $45 per share when the value of the Sanborn investment portfolio was $65 per share. This meant buyers valued Sanborn at "minus $20" per share, and buyers were unwilling to pay more than 70 cents on the dollar for an investment portfolio with a map business thrown in for nothing.
* Buffett reveals that he earned a spot on the board of Sanborn.

1962: (32 years old)

* Buffett's partnerships, in January 1962, had in excess of $7,178,500 of which over $1,025,000 belonged to Buffett.
* Buffett merges all partnerships into one partnership.
* Buffett discovered a textile manufacturing firm, Berkshire Hathaway. Buffett's partnerships began purchasing shares at $7.60 per share.

1965: (35 years old)

* When Buffett's partnerships began aggressively purchasing Berkshire they paid $14.86 per share while the company had working capital (current assets minus liabilities) of $19 per share, this did not include the value of fixed assets (factory and equipment).
* Buffett took control of Berkshire Hathaway at the board meeting and named a new President, Ken Chace, to run the company.

1966: (36 years old)

* Buffett closes the partnership to new money.
* Buffett wrote in his letter “unless it appears that circumstances have changed (under some conditions added capital would improve results) or unless new partners can bring some asset to the partnership other than simply capital, I intend to admit no additional partners to BPL.”
* In a second letter, Buffett announced his first investment in a private business — Hochschild, Kohn, and Co, a privately owned Baltimore department store.

1967: (37 years old)

* Berkshire paid out its first and only dividend of 10 cents.

1969: (39 years old)

* Following his most successful year, Buffett liquidated the partnership and transferred their assets to his partners. Among the assets paid out were shares of Berkshire Hathaway.

1970: (40 years old)

* As chairman of Berkshire Hathaway, began writing his now-famous annual letters to shareholders.

1973: (43 years old)

* Berkshire began to acquire stock in the Washington Post Company. Buffett became close friends with Katharine Graham, who controlled the company and its flagship newspaper, and became a member of its board of directors.

1979: (49 years old)

* Berkshire began to acquire stock in ABC. With the stock trading at $290 per share, Buffett's net worth neared $140 million. However, he lived solely on his salary of $50,000 per year.
* Berkshire began the year trading at $775 per share, and ended at $1,310. Buffett's net worth reached $620 million, placing him on the Forbes 400 for the first time.

1988: (58 years old)

* Buffett began buying stock in Coca-Cola Company, eventually purchasing up to 7 percent of the company for $1.02 billion. It would turn out to be one of Berkshire's most lucrative investments, and one which he still holds.

1999: (69 years old)

* Buffett is named the top money manager of the 20th century in a survey by the Carson Group, ahead of Peter Lynch and John Templeton.

2002: (72 years old)

* Buffett entered in $11 billion worth of forward contracts to deliver US dollars against other currencies. By April 2006, his total gain on these contracts was over $2 billion.

2004: (73 years old)

* His wife, Susan, dies.

2006: (75 years old)

* Buffett announced in June that he would give away more than 80%, or about $99 billion, of his $491 billion fortune to five foundations in annual gifts of stock, starting in July 2006. The largest contribution will go to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

2007: (76 Years old)

* In a letter to shareholders, Buffett announced that he was looking for a younger successor or perhaps successors to run his investment business. Buffett had previously selected Lou Simpson, who runs investments at Geico, to fill that role. However, Simpson is only six years younger than Buffett.

2008: (77 Years old)

* Buffett becomes the richest man in the world according to Forbes.

Never, put your banana in the refrigerator!!!

2008-03-07T04:34:00.000-08:00

Bananas contain three natural sugars - sucrose, fructose and glucose
combined with fiber. A banana gives an instant, sustained and substantial
boost of energy. Research has proven that just two bananas provide enough
energy for a strenuous 90-minute work-out. No wonder the banana is the
number one fruit with the world's leading athletes. But energy isn't the
only way.

A banana can help us keep fit. It can also help overcome or prevent a
substantial number of illnesses and conditions, making it a must to add to
our daily diet.

Depression: According to a recent survey undertaken by MIND amongst
people suffering from depression, many felt much better after eating a
banana. This is because bananas contain Tryptophan, a type of protein that
the body converts into serotonin, known to make you relax, improve your
mood and generally make you feel happier.

PMS: Forget the pills - eat a banana. The vitamin B6 it contains
regulates blood glucose levels, which can affect your mood.

Anemia: High in iron, bananas can stimulate the production of
hemoglobin in the blood and so helps in cases of anemia.

Blood Pressure: This unique tropical fruit is extremely high in
potassium yet low in salt, making it perfect to beat blood pressure. So
much so, the US Food and Drug Administration has just allowed the banana
industry to make official claims for the fruit's ability to reduce the risk
of blood pressure and stroke.

Brain Power: 200 students at a Twickenham (Middlesex) school were
helped through their exams this year by eating bananas at breakfast, break,
and lunch in a bid to boost their brain power.

Research has shown that the potassium-packed fruit can assist learning
by making pupils more alert.

Constipation: High in fiber, including bananas in the diet can help
restore normal bowel action, helping to overcome the problem without
resorting to laxatives.

Hangovers: One of the quickest ways of curing a hangover is to make a
banana milkshake, sweetened with honey. The banana calms the stomach and,
with the help of the honey, builds up depleted blood sugar levels, while
the milk soothes and re-hydrates your system.

Heartburn: Bananas have a natural antacid effect in the body, so if you
suffer from heartburn, try eating a banana for soothing relief.

Morning Sickness: Snacking on bananas between meals helps to keep blood
sugar levels up and avoid morning sickness.

Mosquito bites: Before reaching for the insect bite cream, try rubbing
the affected area with the inside of a banana skin. Many people find it
amazingly successful at reducing swelling and irritation.

Nerves: Bananas are high in B vitamins that help calm the nervous
system.

Overweight and at work? Studies at the Institute of Psychology in
Austria found pressure at work leads to gorging on comfort food like
chocolate and crisps. Looking at 5,000 hospital patients, researchers found
the most obese were more likely to be in high-pressure jobs. The report
concluded that, to avoid panic-induced food cravings, we need to control
our blood sugar levels by snacking on high carbohydrate foods every two
hours to keep levels steady.

Ulcers: The banana is used as the dietary food against intestinal
disorders because of its soft texture and smoothness. It is the only raw
fruit that can be eaten without distress in over-chronicler cases. It also
neutralizes over-acidity and reduces irritation by coating the lining of
the stomach.

Temperature control: Many other cultures see bananas as a "cooling"
fruit that can lower both the physical and emotional temperature of
expectant mothers. In Thailand , for example, pregnant women eat bananas to
ensure their baby is born with a cool temperature.

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD): Bananas can help SAD sufferers because
they contain the natural mood enhancer tryptophan.

Smoking &Tobacco Use: Bananas can also help people trying to give up
smoking. The B6, B12 they contain, as well as the potassium and magnesium
found in them, help the body recover from the effects of nicotine
withdrawal.

Stress: Potassium is a vital mineral, which helps normalize the
heartbeat, sends oxygen to the brain and regulates your body's water
balance. When we are stressed, our metabolic rate rises, thereby reducing
our potassium levels. These can be re-balanced with the help of a
high-potassium banana snack.

Strokes: According to research in The New England Journal of Medicine,
eating bananas as part of a regular diet can cut the risk of death by
strokes by as much as 40%!

Warts: Those keen on natural alternatives swear that if you want to
kill off a wart, take a piece of banana skin and place it on the wart, with
the yellow side out. Carefully hold the skin in place with a plaster or
surgical tape!

So, a banana really is a natural remedy for many ills. When you compare it
to an apple, it has four times the protein, twice the carbohydrate, three
times the phosphorus, five times the vitamin A and iron, and twice the
other vitamins and minerals. It is also rich in potassium and is one of the
best value foods around So maybe its time to change that well-known phrase
so that we say, "A banana a day keeps the doctor away!"

PASS IT ON TO YOUR FRIENDS
PS: Bananas must be the reason monkeys are so happy all the time! I will
add one here; want a quick shine on our shoes?? Take the INSIDE of the
banana skin, and rub directly on the shoe...polish with dry cloth. Amazing
fruit.

T h e B e s t M o m e n t s I n L i f e

2008-03-03T20:17:00.000-08:00

1. Falling in love :(

2. Laughing till your stomach hurts :)

3. Enjoying a ride down the country side :)

4. Listening to your favorite song on the radio :)

5. Going to sleep listening to the rain pouring outside :)

6. Getting out of the shower and wrapping yourself with a warm, fuzzy towel :)

7. Passing your final exams with good grades :(

8. Being a part of an interesting conversation :)

9. Finding some money in some old pants :)

10. Laughing at yourself :)

11. Sharing a wonderful dinner with all your friends :)

12. Laughing without a reason :)

13. "Accidentally" hearing someone say somthing good about you :)

14. Watching the sunset :)

15. Listening to a song that reminds you of an important person in your life :)

16. Receiving or giving your first kiss :(

17. Feeling this buzz in your body when seeing this "special" someone :)

18. Having a great time with your friends :)

19. Seeing the one you love happy :(

20. Wearing the shirt of a person you love and smelling his/her perfume :(

21. Visiting an old friend of yours and remembering great memories :)

22. Hearing someone telling you "I LOVE YOU" :(

"True friends come in the good times when we tell them to, and come in the bad times.....without calling."

PicLens: Coolest Web photo viewer ever . . .

2008-02-24T08:56:00.000-08:00

PicLens instantly transforms your browser into a full-screen 3D experience for viewing images across the web. Our new interactive "3D Wall" lets you effortlessly drag, click, and zoom your way around a wall of pictures for an extraordinary viewing experience. The new search box lets you search the Web in full-screen using Google, Yahoo, SmugMug, Flickr, Photobucket, and DeviantArt. Just type a query and view all the results in the PicLens wall.

"Visually, the results are stunning. This Firefox plugin is going to find a lot of fans very, very quickly." - Review on Techcrunch.com

" Coolest Web photo viewer ever . . . It's stunning." -- Review by CNET

Piclens is currently works on:

* Flickr, Smugmug, DeviantArt, Photobucket, Picasa
* Facebook, MySpace, Bebo, Hi5, Friendster
* Image search on Google, Yahoo, Ask, Live, and AOL
* A growing number of Media RSS-enabled web sites

With PicLens, viewing images on the web will never be the same again.

Now available for Windows and Mac.
https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/5579

Goo Goo Dolls - Iris

2008-02-17T00:39:00.000-08:00

Verse 1

And I'd give up forever to touch you
Cause I know that you feel me somehow
You're the closest to heaven that I'll ever be
And I don't want to go home right now
Verse 2

And all I can taste is this moment
And all I can breathe is your life
Cause sooner or later it's over
I just don't want to miss you tonight
Chorus

And I don't want the world to see me
Cause I don't think that they'd understand
When everything's made to be broken
I just want you to know who I am
Verse 3

And you can't fight the tears that ain't coming
Or the moment of truth in your lies
When everything seems like the movies
Yeah you bleed just to know your alive

Chorus

And I don't want the world to see me
Cause I don't think that they'd understand
When everything's made to be broken
I just want you to know who I am
Chorus

I don't want the world to see me
Cause I don't think that they'd understand
When everything's made to be broken
I just want you to know who I am

I just want you to know who I am
I just want you to know who I am
I just want you to know who I am
I just want you to know who I am

'What does love mean?'

2008-02-14T00:31:00.001-08:00

An email I got from a friend :)

'When my grandmother got arthritis, she couldn't bend over and paint her toenails anymore.
So my grandfather does it for her all the time, even when his hands got arthritis too. That's love.'
Rebecca- age 8

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

'When someone loves you, the way they say your name is different.
You just know that your name is safe in their mouth.'
Billy - age 4

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

'Love is when a girl puts on perfume and a boy puts on shaving cologne and they go out and smell each other.'
Karl - age 5

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

'Love is when you go out to eat and give somebody most of your French fries without making them give you any of theirs.'
Chrissy - age 6

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

'Love is what makes you smile when you're tired.'
Terr i - age 4

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

'Love is when my mommy makes coffee for my daddy and she takes a sip before giving it to him, to make sure the taste is OK.'
Danny - age 7

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

'Love is what's in the room with you at Christmas if you stop opening presents and listen.'
Bobby - age 7 (Wow!)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

'If you want to learn to love better, you should start with a friend who you h ate,'
Nikka - age 6
(we need a few million more Nikka's on this planet)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

'Love is when you tell a guy you like his shirt, then he wears it everyday.'
Noelle - age 7

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Love is like a little old woman and a little old man who are still friends even after they know each other so well.'
Tommy - age 6

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

'During my piano recital, I was on a stage and I was scared. I looked at all the people watching me and saw my daddy waving and smiling.
He was the only one doing that. I wasn't scared anymore.'
Cindy - age 8

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

'My mommy loves me more than anybody
You don't see anyone else kissing me to sleep at night.'
Clare - age 6

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

'Love is when Mommy gives Daddy the best piece of chicken.'
Elaine-age 5

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

'Love is when your puppy licks your face even after you left him alone all day.'
Mary Ann - age 4

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

'I know my older sister loves me because she gives me all her old clothes and has to go out and buy new ones.'
Lauren - age 4

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

'When you love somebody, your eyelashes go up and down and little stars come out of you.' (what an image)
Karen - age 7

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

'You really shouldn't say 'I love you' unless you mean it. But if you mean it, you should say it a lot. People forget.'
Jessica - age 8

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

And the final one -- Author and lecturer Leo Buscaglia once talked about a contest he was asked to judge.
The purpose of the contest was to find the most caring child.
The winner was a four year old child whose next door neighbor was an elderly gentleman who had recently lost his wife. Upon seeing the man cry, the little boy went into the old gentleman's yard, climbed onto his lap, and just sat there.
When his Mother asked what he had said to the neighbor, the littl e boy said,
'Nothing, I just helped him cry'

In memoriam...

2008-02-11T19:19:00.000-08:00

Kotte Nagaviharaya Chief incumbent Ven. Madulawe Sobhitha Thera holding a special bana at the D.S.Senanayake College premises in remembrance of the seven college students, baseball coach and the two girls who lost their lives at the Fort Railway Station suicide blast last week.

DS BaseBall Team Tragedy

2008-02-10T21:59:00.000-08:00

DS Brothers - You are in our hearts forever...
The highly active Fort Railway station is somewhat deserted with an extended weekend holiday in the offing. It is unnaturally calm in this normally busy transport hub. On this lazy Sunday afternoon gun totting security personnel at every entry\exit point remind the travellers of the troubled times they are going through.

Security has been beefed up and troops are on red alert, With Sri Lanka at the doorstep of another landmark in its annals, in the form of their 60th independence anniversary which is to be flagged off with a grand celebration in a few hours.
Sixty years hence the struggle by our forefathers to gain freedom from the clutches of colonial rulers, another struggle is being waged, this time to free the nation from the clutches of terrorism.

In this backdrop the Fort Railway station and the general area resembles a mini fortress with armed guards at every nook and corner.

The time is 2.05 p.m, the train from Kandy arrives at the station and among the crowd are seven young baseball players and their coach from D.S. Senanayake college in Colombo, returning after a club match in Kandy.

There are heavy bags on their backs and menacing looking baseball bats in their hands. The young men in the prime of their lives move to the exit point, at the corner of the number three platform, laughing and joking with each other. They either did not see or did not take any notice of, a young woman who had a deadly secret: a suicide jacket strapped to her waist. In their eyes, she could have been just another passenger waiting to disembark. But she had no plan of ever going home.

The big clock overhead turns to 2.10, and stops its tick, tick as crows are the first ones to take flight in unison with the sound of the deadly blast, sending its shockwaves on unsuspecting, innocent bystanders.

The clock which stopped at 2.10 p.m would be repaired in the near future and its hands would weave back and forth once again. But those young hearts which stopped ticking at 2.10 p.m on February 03, 2008, would never tick again. The life journey they began with so much hope and dreams is shattered so cruelly, on the concrete floor of a railway station to appease the bloodlust of terrorists.

White balls lathered in red slowly roll on the concrete floor and shattered bats lie in the cold concrete, so are their bodies which have been decimated in their prime.
For Rajarathnem Radeeswaran (18) of Dematagoda the fate has had it's say. His life has been snatched away by an organisation which claims to be the very guardians of the community he represents.

The tears of his mother M.Wasantha is the same as his dear friend Thiwanka's mother from Dehiwela, both have lost their beloved sons and at what cost they ask ?
His Father Vijayan Rajaratnam who is in shock over his son's death has a baseball cap in his lap, and talks about his son's love for the American game, which had paved the way for him to get the nod in getting admission to the famed D.S. Senanayake college.
Young Eranga Chaturanga who resides next to his beloved college too has bid adieu to this world at a time when both his mother and father had sought greener pastures in the Middle East, to make their son's life more comfortable.

But alas they have to return home abandoning the hope of a brighter future for their loved one, as his life has been terminated by a cruel terror which has no regard for human life.

Baseball captain of DS Nadeera Jayawardene who missed that fateful journey speaks painfully about the demise of his colleagues, calling it as an irreparable loss. The pain would haunt the rest of his and his friends' lives.
He painfully recollects the memories and says "I was scheduled to join them but because it was not a college match and also because I had to attend some other matters I did not go".

According to Nadeera six of his team mates had returned on the previous day but the rest had stayed back to visit the historic sights in Kandy, unknowing that death lay waiting to snatch them away on their return.

Kolitha Kumara (19) from Hokandara and Supun Halalla of Angoda who were studying in the A\L Commerce class were best of buddies according to their friends, and had excelled not only in sports but in studies as well.
Alas both had their future dreams shattered as victims of a conflict in which they never took part.

Young Dinuth Priyasanka of Agalawatte who was staying at his aunt's house in Colombo was eagerly awaiting to commence his A\L studies in the Science stream and according to friends was aspiring to be a doctor.

His father had migrated to Middle East with the untimely death of his mother to make his two children Dinuth and his sister's lives more comfortable. But now the grief stricken father has to return home, with his dreams shattered to see his beloved son lying in a cold coffin, a victim of a cold blooded attack by a group which calls themselves 'freedom fighters'.

Freedom at what cost? Could anybody even with a semblance of humanity justify attacks on innocent schoolchildren and unsuspecting civilians, asks Uvidu Vidura a senior prefect at the D.S.senanayake College. Now the only thing left for us is to pay the highest honour and assist their bereaved families on behalf of our college, says Vidura giving voice to the DS student community, as the coffins of their colleagues are brought to the school hall one by one.

The very gates from which they came to school day after day has opened for one last time. But this time round the entry is not on foot, but over the shoulders of their weeping colleagues, with their youthful bodies wrapped in satin in a cold coffin.
The young baseball coach of DS, Malinda Arumadura (27) of Gandara would never see his one year old child and his wife Sadeshi, whom he married recently. His dreams of a happy family life too got shattered like his body on that concrete floor at Colombo Fort.

A weeping student in front of their colleagues' remains says this Nation has lost many innocent young lives. "I hope my friends would be the last. I hope the blood spilled by them would not be in vain."

And as one banner erected by students proclaimed

Let the white doves fly
Don't let anyone cry
End War by and by
Then no one will sigh

The Last Group Picture after the Kandy Tour

Published Videos

D.S. Senanayake College - BaseBall Team Members Funeral

LTTE kill 10 School Children: 7 Baseball Players & Coach

D.S. Senanayake College - BaseBall Team Members Funeral

DS Senanayake College Baseball team

Good Lesson for All Lovers

2008-02-10T11:22:00.000-08:00

My Final Year Project Experiences

2008-02-10T04:22:00.000-08:00

DS BaseBall Team Tragedy

2008-02-05T03:08:00.000-08:00

DS Brothers - You are in our hearts forever...

The highly active Fort Railway station is somewhat deserted with an extended weekend holiday in the offing. It is unnaturally calm in this normally busy transport hub. On this lazy Sunday afternoon gun totting security personnel at every entry\exit point remind the travellers of the troubled times they are going through.

Security has been beefed up and troops are on red alert, With Sri Lanka at the doorstep of another landmark in its annals, in the form of their 60th independence anniversary which is to be flagged off with a grand celebration in a few hours.
Sixty years hence the struggle by our forefathers to gain freedom from the clutches of colonial rulers, another struggle is being waged, this time to free the nation from the clutches of terrorism.

In this backdrop the Fort Railway station and the general area resembles a mini fortress with armed guards at every nook and corner.

The time is 2.05 p.m, the train from Kandy arrives at the station and among the crowd are seven young baseball players and their coach from D.S. Senanayake college in Colombo, returning after a club match in Kandy.

There are heavy bags on their backs and menacing looking baseball bats in their hands. The young men in the prime of their lives move to the exit point, at the corner of the number three platform, laughing and joking with each other. They either did not see or did not take any notice of, a young woman who had a deadly secret: a suicide jacket strapped to her waist. In their eyes, she could have been just another passenger waiting to disembark. But she had no plan of ever going home.

The big clock overhead turns to 2.10, and stops its tick, tick as crows are the first ones to take flight in unison with the sound of the deadly blast, sending its shockwaves on unsuspecting, innocent bystanders.

The clock which stopped at 2.10 p.m would be repaired in the near future and its hands would weave back and forth once again. But those young hearts which stopped ticking at 2.10 p.m on February 03, 2008, would never tick again. The life journey they began with so much hope and dreams is shattered so cruelly, on the concrete floor of a railway station to appease the bloodlust of terrorists.

White balls lathered in red slowly roll on the concrete floor and shattered bats lie in the cold concrete, so are their bodies which have been decimated in their prime.
For Rajarathnem Radeeswaran (18) of Dematagoda the fate has had it's say. His life has been snatched away by an organisation which claims to be the very guardians of the community he represents.

The tears of his mother M.Wasantha is the same as his dear friend Thiwanka's mother from Dehiwela, both have lost their beloved sons and at what cost they ask ?
His Father Vijayan Rajaratnam who is in shock over his son's death has a baseball cap in his lap, and talks about his son's love for the American game, which had paved the way for him to get the nod in getting admission to the famed D.S. Senanayake college.
Young Eranga Chaturanga who resides next to his beloved college too has bid adieu to this world at a time when both his mother and father had sought greener pastures in the Middle East, to make their son's life more comfortable.

But alas they have to return home abandoning the hope of a brighter future for their loved one, as his life has been terminated by a cruel terror which has no regard for human life.

Baseball captain of DS Nadeera Jayawardene who missed that fateful journey speaks painfully about the demise of his colleagues, calling it as an irreparable loss. The pain would haunt the rest of his and his friends' lives.
He painfully recollects the memories and says "I was scheduled to join them but because it was not a college match and also because I had to attend some other matters I did not go".

According to Nadeera six of his team mates had returned on the previous day but the rest had stayed back to visit the historic sights in Kandy, unknowing that death lay waiting to snatch them away on their return.

Kolitha Kumara (19) from Hokandara and Supun Halalla of Angoda who were studying in the A\L Commerce class were best of buddies according to their friends, and had excelled not only in sports but in studies as well.
Alas both had their future dreams shattered as victims of a conflict in which they never took part.

Young Dinuth Priyasanka of Agalawatte who was staying at his aunt's house in Colombo was eagerly awaiting to commence his A\L studies in the Science stream and according to friends was aspiring to be a doctor.

His father had migrated to Middle East with the untimely death of his mother to make his two children Dinuth and his sister's lives more comfortable. But now the grief stricken father has to return home, with his dreams shattered to see his beloved son lying in a cold coffin, a victim of a cold blooded attack by a group which calls themselves 'freedom fighters'.

Freedom at what cost? Could anybody even with a semblance of humanity justify attacks on innocent schoolchildren and unsuspecting civilians, asks Uvidu Vidura a senior prefect at the D.S.senanayake College. Now the only thing left for us is to pay the highest honour and assist their bereaved families on behalf of our college, says Vidura giving voice to the DS student community, as the coffins of their colleagues are brought to the school hall one by one.

The very gates from which they came to school day after day has opened for one last time. But this time round the entry is not on foot, but over the shoulders of their weeping colleagues, with their youthful bodies wrapped in satin in a cold coffin.
The young baseball coach of DS, Malinda Arumadura (27) of Gandara would never see his one year old child and his wife Sadeshi, whom he married recently. His dreams of a happy family life too got shattered like his body on that concrete floor at Colombo Fort.

A weeping student in front of their colleagues' remains says this Nation has lost many innocent young lives. "I hope my friends would be the last. I hope the blood spilled by them would not be in vain."

And as one banner erected by students proclaimed

Let the white doves fly
Don't let anyone cry
End War by and by
Then no one will sigh

The Last Group Picture after the Kandy Tour

Published Videos

D.S. Senanayake College - BaseBall Team Members Funeral

LTTE kill 10 School Children: 7 Baseball Players & Coach

D.S. Senanayake College - BaseBall Team Members Funeral

DS Senanayake College Baseball team

Boot It !

2008-01-29T05:38:00.000-08:00

When your computer doesn't do what you type,
And half the screen is covered with a big white stripe,
The vendor won't pay any mind to your gripe,
So boot it. Just boot it.

When you discover that a process won't die,
If kill -9 won't work there's nothing else to try.
Your jobs are dead meat, so kiss 'em goodbye
And boot it. 50 hours of work,
Just boot it, boot it.
And if you can't boot it, shoot it!

When you reboot it, work will be lost.
It doesn't matter what this will cost.
Just boot it. Just boot it.
Just boot it. Just boot it.

When all the characters are coming out weird,
And won't come back right even when the screen is cleared,
You can't fix such things by tugging your beard
So boot it. Just boot it.

If your computer still is running Windows,
And every time it crashes your frustration grows.
When the system's not free, you will always be hosed.
Just boot it. Put a GNU system on,
And boot it, boot it.
Or put it in your horn, and toot it!

It doesn't matter what was to blame.
Till you reboot it, your machine's lame.
Just boot it. Just boot it.
Just boot it. Just boot it.

It doesn't matter what you did wrong.
Till you reboot it, your machine's gone.
Just boot it. Just boot it.
Just boot it. Just boot it.

Whatt a Day....

2008-01-26T22:45:00.000-08:00

Sometimes its shocking how life treats you. After all what matters is true friends who will march the jourey along with you. Yesterday was my friends Wedding and Home Coming. It was nice and hes the first person to get into married life from my college batch mates. Yohan and Asanthika, I wish you both Happiness and Posperity in the coming wedded years ahead.

Time

2008-01-26T22:41:00.000-08:00

http://chagafernando.blogspot.com/2008/01/time.html

RMS Sri Lanka Visit BLOGS & PICS

2008-01-21T02:14:00.000-08:00

http://budlite.blogspot.com/

http://www.web2media.net/laktek/2008/01/19/rms-in-sri-lanka/

Hard facts on free software with RMS

2008-01-21T01:57:00.000-08:00

Richard Matthew Stallman, popularly known as “RMS”, the founder of the GNU Project and The Free Software Foundation (FSF), was in Sri Lanka this week. He is an American software freedom activist, a hacker, and software developer. In September 1983, he launched the GNU Project to create a free Unix-like operating system. Stallman pioneered the concept of copyleft and is the main author of several copyleft licences including the GNU General Public Licence, the most widely used free software license. He has also developed a number of pieces of, highly used development tools, including the GNU Compiler Collection (GCC), the GNU symbolic debugger (GDB) and GNU Emacs. Stallman co-founded the League for Programmeming Freedom in 1989.
The Nation Economist was able to get a special interview with the software freedom activist. The following are excerpts.

(Q) What is Free Softwear?
(A) ‘Freedom’, I believe, is translated into Sinhala as “Nidahas.” Free Software means, software that respects the user’s freedom. The idea is that computer users should be free. The crucial issue is always: what are the essential freedoms that everyone should have?
They should have four essential freedoms.
• Freedom 1: The freedom to run the programme as you wish.
• Freedom 2: The freedom to study source code and modify the programme.
• Freedom 3: The freedom to copy the programme so you can help your neighbour.
• Freedom 4: The freedom to improve the programme, and release your improvements to the public, so that the whole community benefits.
So this makes the software part of human knowledge. So you can adapt, extend and pass on to each other.

The other alternative is user subjective software or proprietary software/non-Free Software. Software that keeps users divided and helpless. If you are forbidden to share with people, then it is unethical to use it at all. Fundamentally, unethical, because it is attempting to divide people, and helpless, because the users don’t have the source code, as it is kept secret, so they can’t change anything, they can’t even tell what the programme is really doing. This is, fundamentally, unethical, because it is dividing people. These developers are keeping the users helpless. These are predatory practices, which resembles colonial systems. After all, how does colonization work? Divide and rule. Keep people divided and helpless, and then you can get what you want from them. That’s what proprietary software does. It keeps you divided, by saying you are not allowed to redistribute and they keep you helpless, by not giving you the source code. This gives developers power over the user. That power is unjust. Proprietary software is, fundamentally, wrong. The goal of the free software movement is to put an end to this injustice. Our aim is, there should be no proprietary software, that all software should be free. Users of software should have the freedom they want.

(Q) The term “Free Software” has been widely misunderstood. Is it software that is free of charge?
(A) Not necessarily. It is a misunderstanding. It is because, in English, we don’t have a good word for “Nidahas”. We only have the word “free” which can also mean “gratis”. So, it causes confusion. It even took me a few years to recognize these two different meanings of the word “free”, have to be carefully distinguished. In Sinhala and Tamil, these two words explain it well. You have to get the meaning of this word right. It’s not a matter of price at all. It’s a matter of freedom. So, if you think of free speech, it is not free bear, then you will understand free software. I have nothing against programmemers getting paid to write software. In fact, most software programmemers paid to write are not meant to be proprietary, it’s custom software. One client wants to use it and is paying for its development. And that is ethical, as long as the developers respect the client’s freedom. So, most of the software has nothing do with this question. But most users are using proprietary software. That means they are victims. They are under the power of developers, who are usually mega corporations, such as Microsoft, Apple, Dobby, Oracle. There are many of them, as in the case of European colonisation, like some countries managed to grab more colonies and others managed to grab a few colonies, but still, its wrong. So, rather than trying to judge which colonial power is better, we should put an end to it.

(Q) How did you learn to appreciate free software?
(A) It’s trivial for people who are naturally born programmemers. Once you get an idea of programmeming, it is obvious. I read manuals of computers and thought of programmeming. To learn, I had to do it. I was absolutely fascinated by it. By chance, at MIT, I met a free software community. In the lab, the software we had was free. We were happy to share it with anybody at any time.

(Q) Was this the Hackers’ community?
(A) That’s right. We called our selves hackers. To be a hacker meant that you were fascinated by computer programmeming. But, more generally, hacking meant and still means playful cleverness. So, if you enjoy finding opportunities to play at being clever and if you admire other people’s playful cleverness, then you are a hacker at heart.

(Q) But isn’t it unethical to hack?
(A) It might be, in some cases. But generally, no. This term was confused in the 1980s. When the world found out about hackers, they focused on one kind of activity some hackers do. Some hackers, sometimes, do things like breaking security. Why did hackers originally, start breaking security? Because, at University, there were administrators who would stop them from using the computers, usually, for stupid reasons. There would be a computer nobody is using. Then, there would be somebody with something interesting to do, using this computer. Administrators would oppose that person citing rules and regulations. So, this clever person, the hacker, who enjoyed playful cleverness, rather than beat his head against the wall, would just go around and use this computer anyway, for research. It was not a matter of harming anyone. Because, these computers were meant to be used by university students for work and interesting things. So the people who want to use these computers did not let the bureaucrats get in their way.

The reason that they did was because they were fascinated by programmeming and they loved playful cleverness. So, their solution to any problem would be playful cleverness. This was not anybody’s privacy. The computer did not belong to any person. It belonged to the university, for students to use it. They did not steal anything. It wasn’t a bank’s computer. It was just a computer facility at university, meant for research.

I am not in favour of theft. Its fine that banks should have security and I don’t want people to break that security. I don’t want anybody to take my money or your money.

(Q) What happened at AI Lab, once you stared working?
(A) Initially, we had a free software community and eventually, it died due to commercial outside intervention.

(Q) So, that means there were people who had made free software before you?
(A) For sure. It was just the people’s way of life. I did not invent free software. In fact, in the 1950s, lot of software was free. Because, nobody thought of restricting the user. Even in the 1970s, there was still a fair amount of free software. Some operating systems were free software. During the 70s, that mostly disappeared. And by the 1980s, the lab’s free operating systems became obsolete too. Our community died for other reasons.

So, I found myself facing the prospect of looking at the rest of my life without freedom, without community, without anything but, a world of ugliness. I did not want to live that way. I thought, I would make life ethical. I am going to fight for freedom. So I started the free software movement. I did not invent free software. I launched a movement to bring back the freedom to cooperate with other people.

(Q) What is GNU project?
(A) I want to be able to use computers that have freedom and cooperate with people. Computers won’t run without an operating system. There wasn’t one. So, I decided to develop one. I named it GNU. There were about 50 operating systems at that time, but none were free. There were many different kinds of computers with many different operating systems. They were different in technical ways but, in terms of freedom, they were all same.

(Q) When you founded the GNU project, what was the reaction of the public?
(A) The public did not react at all. But, some programmemers were enthusiastic, and volunteered to write part of the system. So, in 1990, we had most of a part of the system. But one important part was missing. That part was the kernel, the programme which allocates the computer’s resources to all the other programmes which it runs. It’s the lowest level of the system. The other parts runs on top.

1992 Linux, which is a kernel, was released. So, when we put together GNU, which was mostly complete and Linux, to fill the last gap, the result was free operating system, which was basically GNU, but contained Linux as well. So, GNU plus Linux is the fair name for it. And ever since, it has been possible to use computers free.

The Community is developing more and more free software. Here you find SAHARA, a rather noteworthy piece of free software developed for disaster coordinating activities. Developers of these can be in one continent, while its Users can be anywhere.

I personally don’t do much of programmeming now. There are many who develop free software now. Most important thing I do now is to spread the idea of freedom. I have always been a freedom fighter. In the 1980’s, the best way I could contribute is writing software, because there weren’t many of us then. What I contributed personally, was an important part in what we did in 1980. It was a substantial part.

(Q) What is the difference between “Free Software” and “Open Source”?
(A) Free Software and Open Source are the slogans of two different movements with different philosophies. In the free software movement, the goal is to be free to share and cooperate. We say that non-free software is antisocial, because it tramples the users’ freedom, and we develop free software to escape from that.

The Open Source movement promotes what they consider a technically superior development model that usually gives technically superior results. Free Software and Open Source are also both criteria for software licenses. These criteria are written in very different ways but, the licences accepted are almost the same. The main difference is the difference in philosophy.

(Q) What are your views on the IT sector in Sri Lanka?
(A) It’s difficult to say. I have been here only a few days. Yet, I can see Sri Lanka has the same problem as in the US, which is most people are using proprietary software. This is a social problem which needs to be corrected. Like Microsoft, they restrict users’ freedom. So, you should not use them. You should use software that can be used in freedom.

You get a lot of practical benefits by using free software. It is almost like having freedom of speech. The particle benefits you get are you don’t pay lots of money to mega corporations, and mega corporations can’t restrict you freedom, because they are using unauthorised copies. Trying to stop people from sharing is evil. Government should never allow that.

(Q) What is your advice to aspiring young software developers in Sri Lanka?
(A) My advice is don’t make the mistake of thinking about software only in terms of practical convenience. Don’t forget about freedom. Don’t forget about social solidarity. Anyone trying to stop you from sharing information, is trying to tax society. Don’t let them get away with it. If you develop software, respect the freedom of the user. Don’t try to subjugate other people and don’t let anybody subjugate you. You deserve to be free.

100 Things To Do Before You Die

2007-12-02T09:40:00.000-08:00

Something to laugh about taken from the Internet...

1. Sucker-punch your boss.

2. Become a member of the Mile High Club, even if you have to do it alone.

3. Go to your high school reunion dressed as a homeless guy.

4. Stand outside the Today Show window and moon Al Roker for two straight hours.

5. Drink an entire keg of Guinness by yourself (no time limit).

6. Test-drive a top-end sports car and lead the cops on a high-speed chase.

7. Rack up $5,000 on your Discover card, then tell them you just “discovered” you don’t have any money.

8. Befriend George W. Bush and try to get him to start drinking again.

9. Interview a female intern on a trampoline.

10. Visit Don Knotts’ grave site. (Keep in mind that he’s still alive.)

11. Make it through an entire porn video.

12. Survive a bar fight.

13. Watch two women bring each other to fake orgasm in person.

14. Jell-O wrestle Britney Spears.

15. Hike through a jungle, armed only with a machete.

16. Learn all the words to “Louie, Louie.”

17. Grow a handlebar mustache—just to see if it might look good on you.

18. Go to the top of the Empire State Building, then hit all the buttons in a crowded elevator on the way down.

19. Take the Steelers +3.5 and the Jets -2.5 and have the Jets beat the Steelers by three so you win both bets.

20. Hit a hole in one (with witnesses).

21. Hold auditions for a posse.

22. Wake up In a Frickin’ Gutter
Joe Alaimo, 32, Queens, NY:
“My five buddies and I arrived in Paris at night and decided to buy a bunch of wine. Soon after that I was walking across the Notre Dame plaza in my ’wears. Next thing I knew it was daylight and I was facedown in a gutter above the Seine, being shaken awake by some guy wearing a beret.”

23. Restore a Classic Car
John Heidenry, 34, Hoboken, NJ:
“I picked up my ’70 Cadillac convertible for $2,500. Over the next six years, I spent $16,000 on a new engine, rear quarter panels, a killer paint job, the interior, and rechroming. What the hell? I can fit five girls in the backseat—try doing that in a Porsche.”

24. Spend a night in jail for a semicool reason and talk shit about the screws.

25. Have sex on your boss’ desk. Don’t clean up afterward.

26. Get banned from a casino.

27. Get drunk in Tijuana and goad a tough yet disinterested Mexican to beat you up.

28. Go to karaoke night and sing “Free Bird,” regardless of what song’s playing.

29. Kick your dad’s ass.

30. Pleasure yourself in a voting booth.

31. Spray-paint “Scooby Rules!” on the Great Wall of China.

32. Backpack across Europe wearing loud Hawaiian shirts and a cowboy hat. Offer everyone ketchup.

33. Put all the money you have in the world down on a blackjack table. (This should be the very last thing you do before you die.)

34. Have an all-night orgy with all your ex-girlfriends, then present a trophy to the Most Improved Lady.

35. Foil a crime in heroic fashion.

36. Make Mike Tyson flinch when he’s old and punch-drunk.

37. Eat chunks of cooked dolphin off a naked woman’s body.

38. Smoke a joint in synagogue and yell out, “This is my High Holy Day, you bastards!”

39. Hurt yourself badly while working around the house.

40. Catch a home run at a baseball game—even if it’s just batting practice.

41. Visit Graceland and ask to see the bathroom where the King’s blue suede shoes were stepped on for the last time.

42. Grab the P.A. system at a department store and keep repeating the words “Blow jobs, two for one in aisle seven.”

43. Drive cross-country without a map.

44. Land a Big ’Un
“Wild Bill” Skinner, 53, Clovis, NM:
“Early one morning, in the Gulf of Mexico, I noticed a school of sharks. So I decided to do a little fishing. I hooked up a big chunk of bait, and as soon as I cast it a 12-foot hammerhead bit. Holy shit! I thought. I quickly climbed into the lifeboat and pushed off. For the next half-hour, that shark just wore himself out dragging me in circles. Then I rowed back to the main boat and spent 30 minutes reeling him in. However, the captain didn’t want a 600-pound fish thrashing the side of his boat. So I had to cut it loose.”

45. Do doughnuts on the White House lawn in a monster truck.

46. Give your girlfriend an enormous candy-diamond Ring Pop and try to convince her it’s the real thing.

47. Sit in the stands at a Packers game in December without a shirt.

48. Name a pet “You Filthy Whore” so when you yell, “Come back here, You Filthy Whore,” the whole neighborhood pays attention.

49. Invite friends over for dinner, then mail them a bill for everything they ate.

50. Pick up a piece of road kill with a stick and chase a child with it.

51. Learn to bowl overhand.

52. Run a marathon and stop at 26 bars along the way for refreshments.

53. Watch every second of every game of March Madness at a sports bar in Vegas.

54. Visit Australia…nah, strike that.

55. Stand outside a bar pretending to be a bouncer and collect a “cover charge” from clueless tourists.

56. Drop by an ex-girlfriend’s for a booty call even though it’ll cause a serious headache.

57. Convince a girlfriend to get a tattoo of your name on her butt.

58. Secretly record your girlfriend having an orgasm. Then put it on the outgoing message of your answering machine.

59. Enjoy a competitive game of “Where’s My Finger?” with the cast of Charmed.

60. Make double the salary your father made. If you can triple it, hire him as your personal valet.

61. Get drunk and cut someone’s hair.

62. Go to an all-you-can-eat buffet the moment it opens and stay for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

63. Be a guest voice on The Simpsons.

64. Take a bank robber’s gun from him and blow his brains out…or, whatever.

65. Play a hurtful, unfunny practical joke on an office rival, where apologizing for an earlier unfunny practical joke is part of the gag.

66. Watch all 100 of Maxim’s “100 Greatest Guy Movies” (March 1998 issue) in one week.

67. Frequent a local bar so much they’ll let you cash a paycheck there.

68. Tour a brewery wearing your underwear outside your clothes.

69. Jell-O wrestle Britney Spears, again.

70. Wait in the express line of a supermarket with too many items. When someone complains, take out a glue gun and start combining your purchases into one giant bundle.

71. Own a house that has a basement bar and rec room.

72. Expose yourself on a nationally televised sporting event.

73. Be a Champ!
Bob Hamm, Pana, IL:
“About five years back, I decided to become the world’s greatest six-gun twirler. I practiced five hours a day, every day (with prop guns). Three years later, when I climbed onstage for the World Gun Spinning Championship in Deadwood, South Dakota, I entered a state of pure concentration. I threw my guns for six minutes, culminating in a 15-foot-high Montana Big Sky Flip. When announced as the winner, I was overwhelmed with a sense of accomplishment. To celebrate I went out with my friends for a big T-bone steak.”

74. Have sex in complete silence, with your in-laws in the next room.

75. Get banned from San Antonio (like Ozzy Osbourne did in 1982 for urinating outside the Alamo), then try to break in. (Hint: Try the Rio Grande.)

76. Teach a monkey martial arts and then kick its ass.

77. Drink vodka in Moscow, smoke a cigar in Cuba, eat some Peking duck in Beijing, and take a dump in North Korea.

78. Whenever your girlfriend’s father starts to say something at dinner, pretend you gotta sneeze and say, “I’mherdaddy.”

79. Ride in the ambulance with Keith Richards on the way to get his transfusion.

80. Go into a gun store and ask the guy, “What do you recommend for teaching someone a lesson?”

81. Light a fire using only sticks. Then find a volleyball and befriend it. Next ask yourself if you’re a fucking wacko.

82. Secretly Date Two Women Who Know Each Other
John Kings, 34, New York, NY:
“The girls and I met at New York University. Besides a mutual dislike for each other, the only thing they had in common was a desire to get me into bed. Mandy made the first move. One night after a party, she took me back to her place. The next day, as I left her apartment, I ran into Sue, who lived only three buildings down. I knew it was bad, but up to Sue’s I went. Then things began to get weird. I was sleeping with each girl twice a week and I’d wake up forgetting where I was, worrying about saying the wrong name! After about a month and a half, it just became too damn psychotic, so I decided to break up with both girls.”

83. Eat between six and nine White Castle hamburgers for lunch every day for a week.

84. Snip the ponytail off a Hells Angel in a dive bar, then make a quick exit and tip over that row of bikes out front.

85. Go to a strip bar with your girlfriend and get her a table dance.

86. Date a coworker, break up, and ride out the awkwardness.

87. Jump from the second story of a building into a dumpster full of Chinese restaurant trash and fluorescent light bulbs.

88. Get a woman to pay you for sex. Or at least try.

89. Smoke opium in the jungles of Thailand. (Maxim categorically denies having just suggested that.)

90. Sneak into the Playboy Mansion while Hef’s alive. Work for the caterer if you have to.

91. Go to Vietnam and have a drink in a small dingy bar in memory of the guys.

92. Lock Emo Philips and Gallagher in a room together with nothing but two carrot peelers and a flatulent donkey. Leave them to die.

93. Call a cop a “doughnut-eating fascist” to his face. When you get out of the hospital, send him a dozen doughnuts.

94. Buy a round for a packed bar.

95. Meet Mr. T and thank him for helping keep you off the streets.

96. Discuss the latest advancements in superstring theory with Carmen Electra.

97. Pull off a hoax that gets reported as truth in a newspaper.

98. Knock on a random door in every country you visit and try to talk your way into a home-cooked meal.

99. Karate-chop a board in half with your bare hand.

100. Send your gorgeous sister to the Maxim offices so she can brighten up the lunch meeting with a striptease.

Nine Women Every Guy Should Hey-Diddle-Diddle

2007-12-02T09:21:00.000-08:00

1. A flight attendant
The theory: A cute stewardess under 200 pounds is as rare as a fiery plummet to earth.

2. A farmer’s daughter
The theory: Outfoxing a shotgun-toting father is the original extreme sport.

3. A nurse
The theory: She knows where it hurts and how to make it feel all better.

4. A broken wing
The theory: While she may have problems, screwing your brains out isn’t one of them.

5. A friend’s sister
The theory: It’ll kill your friend, and you and your other friends can high-five.

6. A teacher
The theory: She likes baby talk and naughty boys, and knows how to use a ruler.

7. A Foreigner
The theory: Remember—you’re in a band, and your phone number is 555-1212.

8. A cheerleader
The theory: Pompoms, short skirts, and white panties can bend time and space.

9. A work superior
The theory: She seduces you and then tosses you aside like garbage. Yes!

I'm 23 now...Phew

2007-12-02T07:49:00.000-08:00

As the time passes by we all become old... A friend of mine ones said growing old is mandetory and growing up is optional..pick your choice?
Anyways my 23rd B'day was soo remarkable with a suicide bomb blast near my house. And i still pray God for saving my mom's and sister's lives with his mercyfullness.

People, Thank you very very much for all the warm birthday wishes…posted on ma wall, fun wall, super wall, post-it items, booze mails and sent personal messages, instant messages, emails, e-cards, letters, post cards, phone calls, anonymous phone calls, MSN personal messages, Jolly Greetings, and SMSs... as well as for the free gifts, graffiti, hatching eggs, growing gifts, actual gifts, pre-paid pizza deliveries, gift vouchers, Audio CDs, more live fish for my fish tank, aliens for my solar system, surprised lunch outs and not so surprised dinner outs :) …and etc. etc.

.. & .. man.. all those cakes thrown @ me.. yum yum yum & yep yep yep... i'll surely remember to throw... some @ you as well.. on your coming b'dayz. :)

Letter from a Tamil in Canada

2007-11-27T21:28:00.000-08:00

The comments by various people show how foolishly we, Tamils continue to glorify violence, suicide and terror. We began all this in 1939 with G.G. Ponnambalam attacking the Sinhalese in a virulent speech in1939, resulting in the first Sinhala Tamil riot.

After the war SJV and others used every chance to gore the government instead of building bridges. They spurned the left leaders who stood for parity and preferred to hob-nob with their Colombo-7 capitalist leaders.

Our Colombo, Tamil leaders arrogantly started the ball rolling, and even claimed that they are "ready for state terror". The local militants realized that they were being bamboozled by the Colombo set, and they captured control, killed those leaders, our best men and women, and made cannon fodder out of our children.

Look at this partial list:

1. The JR government in 1977 granted all the demands on language etc. that the previous Tamil organizations had asked for. But we could not profit from it, because by then we were under the gun of Prabakaran.

2. India came in and merged North and East two provinces, and provided an honourable framework. But we reengaged the whole thing and started another war. Prabakaran would have been annihilated by the IPKF if not for Premadasa.

3. Further accommodation was possible under Premadasa. But we reengaged him and killed the 600 police who surrendered.

4. Under Chandrika we had the far reaching constitutional proposals by Neelan Thiruchelvan, but we replied by assassinating him.

5. Incredible concessions were made by the Ranil Wickremasinghe government with the Cease Fire agreement. But we used it to stock up arms, get ready for another war and made sure of such a war by preventing Ranil's Victory.

This list of 5 does not include the innumerable other chances that had been offered. Why would any politician think that a political solution is possible with Prabakaran?

So, why are were talking of a political solution?

LTTE has always worked for a military solution. This Anuradhapura attack is the same old Killinochchi wine that Bishop Chikera is now peddling and desecrating even the Eucharist. The LTTE does NOT want a political solution. It wants a military solution from the barrel of a gun. In the process it will destroy the Ceylon Tamils by destroying the future generation. How many Tamils are now left in the Vanni? What is the percentage of Tamils in Sri Lanka today? The CIA world fact book says that there is now only about 5% Tamils in SL!

Instead of executing this attack on the Anuradhapura military camp, if Prabakaran had declared that HE IS FOR A FEDERAL SOLUTION and that HE WILL PEACEFULLY CONTEST ELECTIONS EVERY WHERE IN SRI LANKA, do you think ANY SINHALA POLITICIAN of any worth could OPPOSE IT? Even the most extreme "unitary man" would have to take up this chance. Even many Sinhala might vote for Prabakaran if he had the capacity to the right thing. But a "Venkai" does not change its spots.

Instead, for 30 years, he has led the Tamils on the path of destruction and suicide. Foolish Tamils, drunk with the venom of hat sing in his praise. I lay the whole blame on Prabakaran for destroying the Ceylon Tamils. He is the biggest friend of Sinhala Chauvinists. Prabakaran has done what no Dutugemunu could ever do - reduce the Tamil areas to a prison for the Tamils, reduce the reputation of Tamils all over the world, kill our next generation and convert the remainder into war-mongering youngsters unfit for civilian life. The adults have been reduced to displace persons.

School principles and Temple dignitaries have been assassinated. Only the Tamils living in cozy comfort in the foreign lands can continue to rattle their swords, mesmerized by Prabakaran's war games which have destroyed the Tamil people, and impoverished the Sinhala as well.

Nothing is possible for the Ceylon Tamils until Prabakaran is a factor in the balance of power. Tamils need educated leaders with a vision fit for today's global village.

Dr. C. Rasalingam
Canada

http://mawbima.blogspot.com/2007/11/letter-from-tamil-in-canada.html

Rational: To be or not to be?

2007-10-26T23:19:00.000-07:00

The question to be examined here is whether we should "wear rose-colored glasses" or not. That is, given the choice of whether to structure our lives so that we realistically apprize our options at all times or to try to filter out the harsh realism of life and to focus on the good points. This is not a trivial question. We are daily subjected to the continuing arguments between the liberals and the conservatives, the Larry Kings and the Rush Limbaughs, about what is best for humanity.

The arguments between the two groups are never resolved. It is as if they were on different planes of reality. Their views seem to be "orthogonal" to use a mathematical term. It is impossible for any argument to be resolved because of this disconnect. The conservative says, "But we are broke. We have no money for these massive welfare programs". The liberal responds with, "Why are you so hard? Why are you so cruel to these poor people?". Nothing can be resolved when their discussions remain on different planes.

But who is right and who is wrong? Or, if we are hesitant to assign "rightness" or "wrongness" to these approaches to life, then let us at least consider which way maximizes the enjoyment of life? In this essay, I will try to examine these two approaches without bias. I will try to be objective about these two highly emotional issues that divide society so much. I believe this to be a fairly novel approach. Just kidding.

The Two views Objectively defined

The Realistic View

In this section, I will try to describe the realistic, rational approach toward life (for our purposes here, I am equating the two terms). It is recognized that no person is always rational -- that there are degrees of rationality. "Full rationality" will be defined as a reference point, while acknowledging that most humans will be somewhat less severe than this.

A rational person would make a strong effort to determine all the significant facts necessary to make a particular decision before that decision is made.

A rational person would look at the facts behind every issue before making a decision no matter how comfortable or uncomfortable it might make him or her feel.

A rational person would clearly establish the criteria from which she will make decisions. The rational person would not knowingly have hidden agendas.

A rational person would accept the environment that she finds herself in and not try to mentally make it into something else, more desirable or less desirable.

A rational person accepts the reality of her ownself:she accepts her shortcomings as well as her talents.

The Blissful View

Many, if not most, people in the world are not comfortable with looking at life in such a hard realistic fashion. We, after all, are humans -- not animals. We have imagination. We can make the world appear better than it really is by our on way of looking at things.

A blissful person will try to mentally filter out the unpleasantness of life where possible.

A blissful person will take every opportunity to interpret events in a positive light if at all possible.

A blissful person believes that humans are inherently good, that life is good.

A blissful person attempts to avoid unpleasant things, discussions, etc. even if they are factual.

Characteristics and Differences of the two approaches to life

First off, we need to decide what do we really want out of life. Would you trade having greater happiness for having greater knowledge? Some people would and some would not. It seems that happiness, or just feeling good, is not necessarily the criteria for evaluating life's qualities for many people. Why do we like to watch scary or sad movies? Maybe we like to experience emotions that feel "bad" as well as those that feel "good". In any case, other than to point out this puzzlement regarding what is desired in life, I will leave the detailed discussion for another time.

Defence of the Realistic View

The principle defence of the Realistic approach is that it allows you to plan and to live a more purposeful life. It allows you to intelligently evaluate optional approaches.

On the negative side, it tends to destroy cooperation. Social studies confirm that a purely rational person will defect, or not cooperate, in many social situations. A rational person would not vote, for instance.

Certainly more realism is needed in dealing with politics. History has proven time and time again that the blissful disregard of the growth of political forces can be very hazardous to your health.

A disadvantage is that the truth may be most painful in some situations. More about this in the next section.

Defence of the Blissful View

Much of the reality of life is painful to accept. It may be that knowing the true characteristics of humans is just too depressing. Consider the situation with differences in races -- if there are real differences between the races are we not better off not knowing about them?

The mind is powerful. Why not take advantage of it. What our mind actually delivers is quite filtered. These mental "rose-colored" filters can make life go a lot easier.

For example, falling in love can certainly be a lot of fun! Do we really want to know that the concept of "falling in love" may be nonsense? The truth is, most of the great works of art -- especially the great love stories in books, movies and music -- that have given us so much pleasure, depend on assumptions about the natural sexual behavior of humans that do not hold up under close scrutiny. Maybe it is best to avoid any truthful analysis of that subject!

"Pay me now or pay me later." Many people live the blissful life in their youth to only have to pay some really costly dues later on. That is, the pleasure of blissful ignorance often is paid for, at a dear price, later on in life. That would say then that we really should look at the lifelong ramifications of wearing those rose-colored glasses.

It is obvious that erroneous beliefs sometimes provide pleasure and happiness. For example, suppose that I believe that my father and mother are the epitomes of virtue. This gives me great pleasure and makes my life fuller. Suppose then that, later in life and after they are gone, they are both exposed as being cheats, secretly addicted to drugs, and their wealth was obtained by fraud. Would that improve my life in any way? Would I not be better off not ever knowing about that?
Social Acceptance

If our friends and associates tend to have this particular view, we will be a lot more comfortable if we go along with. The truth is that this is the overriding factor for most people. The desire to be accepted by our group determines which church we chose, our dress and our philosophy.

Summary

So which life style should we chose? It would be best to leave this decision up to each individual. Certainly, much more study would be needed before I would make a recommendation. However, I will try to summarize here some of the more important ramifications of choosing one lifestyle over the other. If I have done my job here I will have created more questions than answers for it is apparent that most people have never considered the possibility of choosing between these two options. Instead they just blindly follow one approach or the other!

But first, let me point out, there is a problem with my attempts at helping you make a decision between "rationality" and "blissfulness". You will need to be rational to be able to make such a decision! What a dilemma that is!

Do we really know enough about life to make our decisions on purely rational, deterministic factors? I think not. Any aspect of philosophy, when examined closely, has a few holes. Facts about our surroundings are only roughly perceived.

How we are perceived by others has a big impact on the quality of our lives. To be realistic is to be perceived as a hard person. You will be constantly reminded to "Wake up and smell the roses". This can be annoying and diminishes the benefits of living the rational life.

On the other hand, to be blissfully ignorant about many of the hard realities of life and to make choices based on "filtered" or erroneous information, can be dangerous.

With many thanks to Leon Felkins

Motivation

2007-10-16T11:42:00.000-07:00

In Loving Memory of RJ

American War Paar Da! (Look at that American War!)

2007-10-10T09:31:00.000-07:00

Sooo funny!!!

Tribute to the deadly Mahasohon brigade

2007-09-28T15:01:00.000-07:00

Because I'm A Girl - Kiss (Korean)

2007-09-20T06:49:00.000-07:00

I found this video a long time ago, and didn't know anything about it... except it was an arresting "mini-movie" length Koren music video. It's either amazing romantic or insane, depending on your point of view. KISS broke up shortly after the album was made. Something people still talk about...

English translation of the lyrics:

I just can't understand the ways
Of all the men and their mistakes
You give them all your heart
And then they rip it all away

You told me how much you loved me
And how our love was meant to be
And I believed in you
I thought that you would set me free

(REFRAIN):
You should've just told me the truth
That I wasn't the girl for you
Still, I didn't have a clue
So my heart depended on you, whoa

(CHORUS):
Although I'll say I hate you now
Though I'll shout and curse you out
I'll always have love for you
Because I am a girl

Been told a man will leave you cold
Get sick of you and bored
I know that it's no lie
I gave my all, still I just cry

Never again will I be fooled
To give my all when nothing's true
I won't be played again
But I will fall in love again

(REFRAIN)

(CHORUS)

I loved you so
Now you leave me in the cold
How could this be
I thought that you'd only love me

Into the night
I will pray that you're alright
You hurt me so
I just can't let you go

You took advantage of my willingness
To do anything for love
Now I'm the only one in pain
Will you please take it all away

Never thought being born a girl
How I can love you and be burned
And now I will build a wall
To never get torn again

(CHORUS) [2x]

http://www.jinimusic.com/

Software Freedom Day: Taking open source to the streets

2007-08-31T05:06:00.001-07:00

Thousands of open source advocates and enthusiasts from around the world are expected to take the message of free and open source software to the streets on September 15 for the fourth annual Software Freedom Day.

On Software Freedom Day, teams of enthusiasts hold local events to educate their local communities, supported by the parent organisation, Software Freedom International, and sponsors such as Canonical and the Free Software Foundation. It's an advocacy event whose the primary motive is outreach -- promoting free and open source software to local communities.

The event is growing. The inaugural 2004 Software Freedom Day had around 12 teams. Pia Waugh, president of Software Freedom International, says, "We had about 180 teams last year, and this year we are expecting about 250."

Events on the day vary from team to team. Activities usually include informational seminars, software demonstrations and training, and product giveaways. Some teams have been known to dress up in Tux costumes to gain attention and direct people to the action.

Running a Software Freedom Day event is beneficial to Linux and other open source user groups, as the impact can last beyond the actual day.

At Mawson Lakes, a suburb of Adelaide in Australia, Paul Schulz' 2006 Software Freedom Day event brought together different enthusiast groups. The most notable result has been the continuing interaction between local Linux user groups and Air-Stream, an Adelaide-based community wireless initiative. Their cooperation recently included a speaker interchange between the LUGs and Air-Stream. Several new LUGs have also been formed in the area due to the interest sparked from last year's event, and the organizers say they have seen a greater level of open source involvement in the local community center.

Another lasting effect can be seen in neighboring New Zealand, where past Software Freedom Day events in Christchurch have paved the way for a Linux and Free Software training programme. "Since we found a more permanent home for our SFD events, in a suburban library ICT teaching centre, we have been able to maintain the positive relationship through monthly Ubuntu and free software live CD-based evening classes," says Rik Tindall, a member of the 2006 Christchurch team. "Many new users have seen this series advertised, and come along for CDs, tuition, and installation help. Thus we also gained a regular schedule and base for training our SFD volunteers. From SFD, the profile of FOSS in the community has therefore been doubly lifted."

Best Event Photo 2006The training programme is so popular that there is also a need to cater for children. Tindall says, "This experience has also identified the need for a creche-like facility on SFD, for the many small children that attend a library with parents or grandparents on any weekend. We will prepare a section of our teaching suite accordingly, as a 'penguin creche,' with several games and puzzle packages ready."

By Melissa Draper

Lucky Lips - Cliff Richard

2007-08-31T04:57:00.000-07:00

Software Freedom Day 2007 Sep 15h --Bigger than Ever

2007-08-29T22:34:00.001-07:00

September 15th marks Software Freedom Day, the world's largest celebration and outreach effort about why transparent and sustainable technologies like Free & Open Source Software are so important. Community groups in more than 80 countries organize local activities and programs on Software Freedom Day to educate the wider public about free software: what it is, how it works and its relationship to human rights and sustainability. We already have over 140 teams around the world registered: join them in spreading the word! Registrations for Software Freedom Day teams that want to receive a free SFD team pack close in two weeks, so register now!

"Software Freedom is about creating a digital platform for trust and longevity, particular in a future where more and more of our lives are dependent upon technology" explains Pia Waugh, President of Software Freedom International, the organization behind Software Freedom Day. "It is important we can participate in and trust the software we use in the same way we need to be able to participate and trust in a political system. Ultimately our basic freedoms are only as free as the tools we use, and thus our commitment to Software Freedom."

Support for this year's Software Freedom Day event is fantastic with Google, Mindtouch and the Free Software Foundation coming on board as sponsors as well as long term sponsors the Danish Unix User Group and Canonical. The event also has support from The Open CD, OsCommRes and the International Open Source Network.

"Software Freedom Day is a fantastic event that demonstrates the global reach of open source software." says Jane Silber, COO of Canonical. "We at Canonical are proud to sponsor the event and encourage everyone in the Ubuntu community, as well as the open source community writ large, to participate in this important global event."

Registrations of teams participating in SFD will continue right up to the event however teams who wish to receive a free SFD team pack, including stickers, t-shirts, CDs and balloons must register before the 31st July! So get in quick! There is also an online shop where anyone can purchase t-shirts and packs of The Open CD. Teams get a 50% discount on all prices marked. Teams that have difficult circumstances can write to the Software Freedom International Board with special requests for additional goodies.

Already this year's event is looking bigger and better than ever before, so what will you do to help take Software Freedom to the world. After all, freedom isn't just for geeks.

[ Thanks to Pia Waugh for this article. ]

FOSS-ed for Windows

2007-06-28T09:18:00.000-07:00

While there is a trend in the industry moving towards GNU/Linux and Free and Open Source Software - FOSS - Microsoft Windows is still a dominating force. Many applications have been developed around it and many continue to do so. Most of this software is also proprietary and includes heavy license fees. Proprietary software may cost anything from a few hundred dollars to millions of dollars for licensing fees alone. As a developing country, most individuals and even companies cannot afford such prices and resort to using illegal copies of software. Pirated software may cost only a fraction of the actual price but the implications can be far greater.

So are there viable alternatives to be used in the Windows environment? The answer is YES! Alternatives that don't have exorbitant licensing fees and will not result in intellectual property violation lawsuits being slapped against you! Alternatives that do not involve high maintenance costs either, are customisable, regularly and quickly provide security fixes in response to feedback and also have community driven support. What are these wonderful viable alternatives? It's Free and Open Source Software that run on Windows too! A large and wonderful catalog of FOSS applications exist for Windows users today. From Web browsers and mail clients to graphics software and content management systems, it's all out there ready to download and use! If you want to know more come check out FOSS-ed for Windows: THE event for all you decision makers to find out how YOU can benefit from FOSS while still continuing to use Windows.

Who should attend:

Enterprise Users
System Administrators

Objective:

Learn about available FOSS applications and solutions in the Windows platform

Why should you go for this?

Avoid penalty fees and lawsuits
Cost benefits : Reduce high costs involved in purchasing and maintaining commercial enterprise software
Customise : Tailor software to suit your specific needs
Security : Bug fixes are turned out regularly and quickly in response to feedback
Support : Large knowledge base available along with support contracts if necessary

When: 26th, 27th and 28th of June 2007

Where: 22nd Floor of the HNB Towers

Registration Fees:

Full:
Rs. 4500/= for two day conference
Rs. 1000/= for 3rd day of tutorials

Student:
Rs. 200/= for two day conference
Rs. 100/= for 3rd day of tutorials

Payment Points:

Sahana Lab, UCSC
WSO2, 7th Floor, BOC Merchant Tower, St. Michael's Road, Colombo 3

Cheques should be addressed to : Lanka Software Foundation

Agenda

Day 1

0800 – 0830	Registration
0830 – 0840	Opening Ceremony
0830 – 0900	Welcome Address	Dr. Sanjiva Weerawarana
Session 1: Front Office
0900 – 0945	OpenOffice	Eranga Jayasundara Srimal Jayawardena
0945 – 1030	Adobe Photoshop Alternatives – GIMP	Rajkumar Ganeshan
1030 – 1100	Break
Session 2: Security
1100 – 1145	FOSS Desktop Security Tools	Suchetha Wijenayake
1145 – 1230	Server-side Security for Antivirus and Antispam	Buddhika Siddhisena
1230 – 1330	Lunch
Session 3: Email and Collaboration
1330 – 1415	Thunderbird, Evolution and Firefox	Mifan Careem
1415 – 1500	FOSS Messaging and Collaborative Alternatives	Srimal Jayawardena
1500 – 1530	Break
Session 4: Network Services
1530 – 1615	FOSS File Server	Deependra Ariyadewa
1615 – 1700	Free Instant Messaging via Jabber	Suchetha Wijenayake

Day 2

0830 – 0900	Registration
0900 – 1030	Keynote – Brian Behlendorf
1030 – 1100	Break
Session 5: Databases and Content Management
1100 – 1145	MySQL and PostgreSQL	Kanchana Welagedara
1145 – 1230	Content Management with Drupal	Anuradha Ratnaweera
1230 – 1330	Lunch
1330 – 1415	Case Study 1: Embedded Wireless Authentication Gateway Case Study 2: TBD	Gayan Suranga De Silva TBD
1415 – 1500	Lightning Talks	Suchetha Wijenayake Mifan Careem
1500 – 1530	Break
1530 – 1700	Panel – Switching to FOSS and Getting Real with IPR	Dr. Sanjiva Weerawarana

Day 3

0830 – 0900	Registration
0900 – 1030	Tutorial 1 – Free Media - VLC, VirtualDub, IceCast MPlayer	Suchetha Wijenayake
1030 – 1100	Break
1100 – 1230	Tutorial 2 – Adobe Alternatives	Chamil Thanthrimudalige
1230 – 1330	Lunch
1330 – 1500	Tutorial 3 – LAMP on Windows	Kanchana Welagedara
1500 – 1530	Break
1530 – 1700	The Open CD Project – An overview of what's inside	Suchetha Wijenayake

For more details please check out the brochure and the poster for the event.

History - of - Religion

2007-06-20T23:23:00.000-07:00

How has the geography of religion evolved over the centuries, and where has it sparked wars? Our map gives us a brief history of the world's most well-known religions: Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Judaism. Selected periods of inter-religious bloodshed are also highlighted. Want to see 5,000 years of religion in 90 seconds? Ready, Set, Go!

Source: http://mapsofwar.com/ind/history-of-religion.html

Asin

2007-06-20T23:00:00.000-07:00

href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_UflKBExVvdU/RnoYHQqqOiI/AAAAAAAADdM/jXIVN1FERtM/s1600-h/8.bmp">

Amma by 6th Lane

2007-06-19T21:52:00.000-07:00

Sandu Rathri by 6th Lane

2007-06-19T21:48:00.000-07:00

Malpeththak Se by 6th Lane

2007-06-19T21:41:00.000-07:00

CHAMPION OF SRI LANKA’S ICT INDUSTRY VIDYA JOTHI PROFESSOR V.K. SAMARANAYAKE PASSES AWAY

2007-06-07T06:34:00.000-07:00

The ICT industry in Sri Lanka lost its most valued member after Professor V.K. Samaranayake passed away on Tuesday, 06^thJune 2007 aged 68.

Prof. Samaranayake was the Chairman of the Information and Communication Technology Agency of Sri Lanka from 2004. He was also the Emeritus Professor of Computer Science of the University of Colombo. He was the founder Director, University of Colombo School of Computing (UCSC) of the University of Colombo. He served the University of Colombo for a continuous period of 43 years since his first appointment in 1961 immediately following his graduation from the same University. He was the founder of the Department of Statistics and Computer Science (DSCS) and of the Institute of Computer Technology (ICT) of the University of Colombo. These two institutions were merged as the UCSC in 2002. He was a Fellow of the Harvard Information Infrastructure Project and the National Centre for Digital Government of the Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University. In 2005 he was a Visiting Fellow of the Digital Vision Program of Stanford University, USA.

Prof. Samaranayake served the Council for Information Technology (CINTEC), the apex National agency for IT in Sri Lanka as its Chairman for a period of 12 years. In the field of IT he has pioneered work on IT Policy, Legal Infrastructure, EDI/E-Commerce, Security, Internet Technology, Computer Awareness and IT Education. He was actively involved in the formulation of the ISO 10646 standard for Sinhalese Characters and in the development of multilingual web sites. He was also instrumental in helping to apply computers in many areas of governance, including in national elections. He was also actively involved in introducing ICT to rural communities and is engaged in developing Multipurpose Community Telecentres. He was a member of the advisory panel of the Asia IT&C program of the European Commission. He chaired the National Y2K Task force that coordinated the very successful crossover to year 2000. More recently he initiated the External Degree of Bachelor of Information Technology (BIT) of the University of Colombo which in its very first year of operation has attracted 5000 registrations. He is the Chairman of the Project Management Committee of the SIDA funded project to enhance internet connectivity of Sri Lankan Universities. He was the President of the National Academy of Sciences during 1998-1999 and the Sri Lanka Association for the Advancement of Science during its golden jubilee in 1994. He is also current President of Infotel Lanka Society.

The Government of Sri Lanka has honoured Prof. Samaranayake for his contribution towards IT by the award of Vidya Prasadini in 1997 and the national honour Vidya Jyothi in 1998. The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has presented its President's Award for International Cooperation to Prof. Samaranayake in 1996 in recognition of his contribution. At its convocation held in January 2005, the University of Colombo conferred on Prof. Samaranayake the Degree of Doctor of Science ( Honouris Causa ) for his outstanding contribution to the University.

Reshan Dewapura, COO, ICTA said: “Everyone in the ICT industry in Sri Lanka has either met or worked with Professor Samaranayake. It was his sense of commitment towards ICT development in the country coupled with his boundless energy that set him apart and allowed him to make lasting alliances and friendships both personally and professionally around the world. There is no doubt that Prof’s tireless commitment to the ICT industry has made his contribution over the years remarkable. He will be greatly missed.”

His remains will be brought to Sri Lanka and funeral arrangements will take place in Colombo.

Making of Effiel Tower

2007-05-31T01:52:00.000-07:00

Wife 1.0 Tech Support

2007-05-19T12:02:00.000-07:00

Some funny stuff i got thru mail :)

Dear Tech Support:

Last year I upgraded from Girlfriend 7.0 to Wife 1.0. I soon noticed that
the new program began unexpected processing that took up a lot of space and
valuable resources.

In addition, Wife 1.0 installed itself into all other programs and now
monitors all other system activity. Applications such as Poker Night 10.3,
Football 5.0, Hunting and Fishing 7.5, and Golfing 3.6 no longer run,
crashing the system whenever selected.

I can't seem to keep Wife 1.0 in the background while attempting to run my
favorite applications.

I'm thinking about going back to Girlfriend 7.0, but the uninstall doesn't
work on Wife 1.0. Please help!

Thanks,
A Troubled User

REPLY: Dear Troubled User:

This is a very common problem that men complain about.

Many people upgrade from Girlfriend 7.0 to Wife 1.0, thinking that it is
just a Utilities and Entertainment program.

Wife 1.0 is an OPERATING SYSTEM and is designed by its Creator to run
EVERYTHING!!

It is also impossible to delete Wife 1.0 and to return to Girlfriend 7.0.
It is impossible to uninstall, or purge the program files from the system once
installed. You cannot go back to Girlfriend 7.0 because Wife 1.0 is
designed to not allow this.

Look in your Wife 1.0 manual under Warnings-Alimony- Child Support.

I reccommend that you keep Wife1.0 and work on improving the situation. I
suggest installing the background application 'Yes Dear' to alleviate
software augmentation.

The best course of action is to enter the command C:\APOLOGIZE because
ultimately you will have to give the APOLOGIZE command before the system
will return to normal anyway.

Wife 1.0 is a great program, but it tends to be very high maintenance. Wife
1.0 comes with several support programs, such as Clean and Sweep 3.0, Cook
It 1.5 and Do Bills 4.2. However, be very careful how you use these
programs. Improper use will cause the system to launch the program Nag Nag
9.5. Once this happens, the only way to improve the performance of Wife 1.0
is to purchase additional software. I recommend Flowers 2.1 and Diamonds
5.0!

WARNING!!! DO NOT, under any circumstances, install Secretary with Short
Skirt 3.3. This application is not supported by Wife 1.0 and will cause
irreversible damage to the operating system.

Best of luck,
Tech Support

Four Wheel Drive Club of Sri Lanka

2007-05-15T03:30:00.000-07:00

The FWDC web site has been launched on its new domain http://www.4x4.lk.

The old one www.4x4srilanka.com will continue to work.

With many thanks to AR.

Microsoft takes on the free world

2007-05-15T02:29:00.000-07:00

(Fortune Magazine) -- Free software is great, and corporate America loves it. It's often high-quality stuff that can be downloaded free off the Internet and then copied at will. It's versatile - it can be customized to perform almost any large-scale computing task - and it's blessedly crash-resistant.

A broad community of developers, from individuals to large companies like IBM, is constantly working to improve it and introduce new features. No wonder the business world has embraced it so enthusiastically: More than half the companies in the Fortune 500 are thought to be using the free operating system Linux in their data centers.

But now there's a shadow hanging over Linux and other free software, and it's being cast by Microsoft (Charts, Fortune 500). The Redmond behemoth asserts that one reason free software is of such high quality is that it violates more than 200 of Microsoft's patents. And as a mature company facing unfavorable market trends and fearsome competitors like Google (Charts, Fortune 500), Microsoft is pulling no punches: It wants royalties. If the company gets its way, free software won't be free anymore.

The conflict pits Microsoft and its dogged CEO, Steve Ballmer, against the "free world" - people who believe software is pure knowledge. The leader of that faction is Richard Matthew Stallman, a computer visionary with the look and the intransigence of an Old Testament prophet.

Caught in the middle are big corporate Linux users like Wal-Mart, AIG, and Goldman Sachs. Free-worlders say that if Microsoft prevails, the whole quirky ecosystem that produced Linux and other free and open-source software (FOSS) will be undermined.

Microsoft counters that it is a matter of principle. "We live in a world where we honor, and support the honoring of, intellectual property," says Ballmer in an interview. FOSS patrons are going to have to "play by the same rules as the rest of the business," he insists. "What's fair is fair."

Microsoft General Counsel Brad Smith and licensing chief Horacio Gutierrez sat down with Fortune recently to map out their strategy for getting FOSS users to pay royalties. Revealing the precise figure for the first time, they state that FOSS infringes on no fewer than 235 Microsoft patents.

It's a breathtaking number. (By comparison, for instance, Verizon's (Charts, Fortune 500) patent suit against Vonage (Charts), which now threatens to bankrupt the latter, was based on just seven patents, of which only three were found to be infringing.) "This is not a case of some accidental, unknowing infringement," Gutierrez asserts. "There is an overwhelming number of patents being infringed."

The free world appears to be uncowed by Microsoft's claims. Its master legal strategist is Eben Moglen, longtime counsel to the Free Software Foundation and the head of the Software Freedom Law Center, which counsels FOSS projects on how to protect themselves from patent aggression. (He's also a professor on leave from Columbia Law School, where he teaches cyberlaw and the history of political economy.)

Moglen contends that software is a mathematical algorithm and, as such, not patentable. (The Supreme Court has never expressly ruled on the question.) In any case, the fact that Microsoft might possess many relevant patents doesn't impress him. "Numbers aren't where the action is," he says. "The action is in very tight qualitative analysis of individual situations." Patents can be invalidated in court on numerous grounds, he observes. Others can easily be "invented around." Still others might be valid, yet not infringed under the particular circumstances.

Moglen's hand got stronger just last month when the Supreme Court stated in a unanimous opinion that patents have been issued too readily for the past two decades, and lots are probably invalid. For a variety of technical reasons, many dispassionate observers suspect that software patents are especially vulnerable to court challenge.

Furthermore, FOSS has powerful corporate patrons and allies. In 2005, six of them - IBM (Charts, Fortune 500), Sony, Philips, Novell, Red Hat (Charts) and NEC - set up the Open Invention Network to acquire a portfolio of patents that might pose problems for companies like Microsoft, which are known to pose a patent threat to Linux.

So if Microsoft ever sued Linux distributor Red Hat for patent infringement, for instance, OIN might sue Microsoft in retaliation, trying to enjoin distribution of Windows. It's a cold war, and what keeps the peace is the threat of mutually assured destruction: patent Armageddon - an unending series of suits and countersuits that would hobble the industry and its customers.

"It's a tinderbox," Moglen says. "As the commercial confrontation between [free software] and software-that's-a-product becomes more fierce, patent law's going to be the terrain on which a big piece of the war's going to be fought. Waterloo is here somewhere."

Brad Smith, 48, became Microsoft's senior vice president and general counsel in 2002, the year the company settled most of its U.S. antitrust litigation. A strawberry-blond Princeton graduate with a law degree from Columbia, Smith is a polished, thoughtful and credible advocate whom some have described as the face of the kinder, gentler, post-monopoly Microsoft. But that's not really an apt description of Smith; he projects intensity, determination, a hint of Ivy League hauteur, and ambition.

We're sitting at a circular table in Smith's office in Building 34 on the Redmond campus, with a view of rolling green lawns splashed with pink-blossomed plum trees. In the 1970s and 1980s, Smith recounts, software companies relied mainly on "trade secrets" doctrine and copyright law to protect their products. Patents weren't a big factor, since most lawyers assumed that software wasn't patentable.

But in the 1990s, all that changed. Courts were interpreting copyright law to provide less protection to software than companies had hoped, while trade-secrets doctrine was becoming unworkable because the demands of a networked world required that "the secret" - the program's source code - be revealed to ever more sets of eyes.

At the same time courts began signaling that software could be patented after all. (A copyright is typically obtained on an entire computer program. It prohibits exact duplication of the code but may not bar less literal copying. Patents are obtained on innovative ways of doing things, and thus a single program might implicate hundreds of them.)

In response, companies began stocking up on software patents, with traditional hardware outfits like IBM leading the way, since they already had staffs of patent attorneys working at their engineers' elbows. Microsoft lagged far behind.

As with the Internet, though, Microsoft came late to the party, then crashed it with a vengeance. In 2002, the year Smith became general counsel, the company applied for 1,411 patents. By 2004 it had more than doubled that number, submitting 3,780.

In 2003, Microsoft executives sat down to assess what the company should do with all those patents. There were three choices. First, it could do nothing, effectively donating them to the development community. Obviously that "wasn't very attractive in terms of our shareholders," Smith says.

Alternatively, it could start suing other companies to stop them from using its patents. That was a nonstarter too, Smith says: "It was going to get in the way of everything we were trying to accomplish in terms of [improving] our connections with other companies, the promotion of interoperability, and the desires of customers."

So Microsoft took the third choice, which was to begin licensing its patents to other companies in exchange for either royalties or access to their patents (a "cross-licensing" deal). In December 2003, Microsoft's new licensing unit opened for business, and soon the company had signed cross-licensing pacts with such tech firms as Sun, Toshiba, SAP and Siemens.

At the same time, Smith was having Microsoft's lawyers figure out how many of its patents were being infringed by free and open-source software. Gutierrez refuses to identify specific patents or explain how they're being infringed, lest FOSS advocates start filing challenges to them.

But he does break down the total number allegedly violated - 235 - into categories. He says that the Linux kernel - the deepest layer of the free operating system, which interacts most directly with the computer hardware - violates 42 Microsoft patents. The Linux graphical user interfaces - essentially, the way design elements like menus and toolbars are set up - run afoul of another 65, he claims. The Open Office suite of programs, which is analogous to Microsoft Office, infringes 45 more. E-mail programs infringe 15, while other assorted FOSS programs allegedly transgress 68.

Now that Microsoft had identified the infringements, it could try to seek royalties। But from whom? FOSS isn't made by a company but by a loose-knit community of hundreds of individuals and companies। One possibility was to approach the big commercial Linux distributors like Red Hat and Novell that give away the software but sell subscription support services। However, distributors were prohibited from paying patent royalties by something whose very existence may surprise many readers: FOSS's own licensing terms.

Yes, free software is a more sophisticated concept than many people think, and it is subject to a legally enforceable license of its own. That license was written by free-software inventor Richard Stallman, who anticipated 20 years ago all the threats free software faces today. Foremost among those threats, Stallman understood, were patents.

A gifted developer and prickly, uncompromising individual, Stallman, 54, quit his job at the MIT Artificial Intelligence Lab in 1984 to found what he considered to be a social movement guided by ethical principles. He set forth those goals in the GNU Manifesto, where GNU (pronounced with a hard "g" and rhyming with "canoe") was an acronym for "GNU's Not Unix." (It's a "recursive" acronym, an inside joke that programmers get. Trust us.) Free software would guarantee users "freedoms" that were ordinarily forbidden by proprietary software licenses, including the ability to see the source code, alter it, copy it and redistribute it.

But while many people assume that Stallman simply ignored intellectual-property law, he actually mastered it and enlisted it in the quest to achieve his goals. He demanded that all contributors to GNU projects assign their copyrights to the Free Software Foundation, which Stallman set up and controlled. That meant that anyone who distributed free software covered by those copyrights had to abide by a license Stallman wrote, called the GNU General Public License (GPL).

The GPL has teeth: Lawyers for the Free Software Foundation have been able to force developers who incorporated free software into proprietary products to open up their source code, for instance.

By 1991, Stallman and his collaborators had conjured an entire free operating system, which is today known as Linux. Though large portions were created by Stallman's GNU developers, the kernel was the work of an independent project led by the then 20-year-old Finnish student Linus Torvalds, after whom the system is now named. (Stallman insists that "GNU/Linux" is the proper name, and he refuses to give interviews to reporters unless they promise to call it that in every reference. In part for that reason, he was not interviewed for this article.)

Businesses loved free software. But they had no use for Stallman's noble sentiments, and neither did the many developers who began to write free software specifically for businesses. They chafed at some of the requirements in Stallman's GPL, so they devised their own licenses, called open-source licenses. Those often gave them a freedom Stallman forbade: the freedom to keep secret any improvements they made in free software, turning them back into proprietary code. (Stallman has scoffed that such licenses confer the freedom to sell oneself into slavery.) Popularly, "open-source software" became an umbrella term for all FOSS, but, again, Stallman bars reporters from using it that way as a condition of being interviewed.

Thus there is a schism in the free world between the more business-oriented advocates of open-source software - who simply think that community authorship makes for better, cheaper software - and the more ideological champions of free software proper, who see themselves as advancing a social movement.

While the open-sourcers have produced lots of good applications, crucial portions of Linux remain governed by Stallman's GPL. For our purposes, the key aspect of the GPL is that it expressly forbids what Microsoft general counsel Smith wanted to do: cut patent royalty deals with distributors of Linux.

"Any free program is threatened constantly by software patents," Stallman wrote in a 1991 revision to the GPL. "We have made it clear that any patent must be licensed for everyone's free use or not licensed at all." This restriction became known as the "liberty or death" clause.

Smith was not to be deterred. Since the GPL covered only distributors of Linux, nothing stopped Smith from seeking royalties directly from end users - many of which are Fortune 500 companies. He would have to proceed carefully, however, because most of those users were also major Microsoft customers.

"It was a conversation that one needed to have in a thoughtful way," says Smith, with obvious understatement. In 2004, Microsoft began having those conversations, and Smith claims they were cordial. "Companies are very sensitive to the importance of protecting intellectual property," he says, "because ultimately they know that their own businesses similarly turn on [such] protection."

Some customers actually entered into direct patent licenses with Microsoft at that point, Smith says, including some "major brand-name companies" in financial services, health care, insurance and information technology. (He says they don't want to be identified, presumably because they fear angering the FOSS community.) Others wanted Microsoft to work out the patent issues directly with the commercial distributors like Red Hat and Novell. (Red Hat has about 65 percent of the paid Linux server market, according to IDC, while Novell has 26 percent.)

Microsoft did approach distributors, bearing both a stick, the unspoken threat of a patent suit and a carrot, the prospect that once patent issues were resolved, more customers would sign up for Linux.

By spring 2006, Red Hat and Microsoft were engaged in serious patent negotiations, according to one source with direct knowledge. Red Hat deputy general counsel Mark Webbink will say only this: "I've spoken with folks from Microsoft for a number of years, and ... we've had discussions about IP and other matters of mutual concern."

In June, Novell CEO Ron Hovsepian reached out to Microsoft and was put in touch with Smith. (He'd heard that Microsoft was talking to other Linux distributors, Smith says.) Hovsepian wanted to find ways to make Linux and Microsoft server products work together better - a top priority for customers as they consolidate their computing onto fewer machines. Smith would not talk about technical collaboration, however, without a commitment to also address Microsoft's patent concerns.

Over the summer Novell and Microsoft hammered out a clever, complicated - and highly controversial - deal. They knew that if Novell paid Microsoft a royalty in exchange for Microsoft's promise not to sue Novell for patent infringement, Novell would be in violation of the GPL, Stallman's farsighted free-software license.

So they came up with a twist: Microsoft and Novell agreed not to sue each other's customers for patent infringement. That would be okay, because it's something that the GPL does not address. On those terms, Novell agreed to give Microsoft a percentage of all its Linux revenue through 2011 (or a minimum of $40 million).

The pact also included a marketing collaboration. Microsoft agreed to pay Novell $240 million for "coupons" that it could then resell to customers (theoretically for a profit), who would, in turn, trade them in for subscriptions to Novell's Linux server software. In addition, Microsoft gave Novell another $108 million as a "balancing payment" in connection with the patent part of the deal.

It might seem counterintuitive that Microsoft would end up paying millions to Novell when Microsoft is the one trying to get royalties for its patents. Microsoft's explanation is that this balancing payment was calculated as it would be in any cross-licensing deal: Novell has valuable network-computing patents that Microsoft products may infringe, and since Microsoft's products bring in so much more revenue than Novell's, Microsoft owed a balance.

But FOSS critics of the deal would later speculate that the real purpose of the payments was to induce Novell to cut a royalty deal on Linux that Novell knew was unnecessary। Says Red Hat's Webbink: "It allowed [Microsoft] to go out and trumpet that, see, we told you Linux infringed, and these guys are now admitting it।"

Microsoft and Novell unveiled their pact on Nov. 2, accompanied by endorsements from big Linux patrons and users like IBM, Hewlett-Packard, AIG, and - most startlingly - an organization called the Open Source Development Lab. The imprimatur of OSDL, a consortium of corporate Linux patrons (which has since merged into the Linux Foundation), carried the implicit blessing of its employee Linus Torvalds - a near-deity in the FOSS community.

(Torvalds has gravitated toward the business-friendly open-source camp of the FOSS world and has openly criticized Stallman's agenda in some contexts. In a March e-mail interview with InformationWeek he wrote: "The Free Software Foundation [Stallman's group] simply doesn't have goals that I can personally sign up to. For example, the FSF considers proprietary software to be something evil and immoral. Me, I just don't care about proprietary software.")

In free-software circles, though, the Microsoft-Novell entente was met with apoplectic rage. Novell's most eminent Linux developer quit in protest. Stallman, of course, denounced it. Not only did it make a mockery of free-software principles, but it threatened the community's common-defense strategy.

FOSS developers, who do not have the resources to defend themselves against a Microsoft patent suit, felt safe as long as powerful corporate Linux users shared their cause. But now the big boys could just buy their Linux from a royalty-paying vendor like Novell, getting protection from lawsuits and leaving the little guys to fend for themselves. What the shortsighted corporate types didn't grasp was that without the little-guy developers there might not be any high-quality FOSS for them to use five years down the road.

"We should talk," Stallman's attorney, Moglen, told Smith in a phone call a few days after the announcement. On Nov. 9, they met at the Software Freedom Law Center's tidy offices on Manhattan's Upper West Side. The Free Software Foundation was planning to prevent Microsoft from doing any more deals like the one it made with Novell, Moglen told Smith. It was drafting a new version of the GPL that would plug the loophole that Smith had just exploited.

Moglen had another card to play. In his view, the fact that Microsoft was selling coupons that customers could trade in for Novell Linux subscriptions meant that Microsoft was now a Linux distributor. And that, as Moglen saw it, meant that Microsoft was itself subject to the terms of the GPL. So he'd write a clause saying, in effect, that if Microsoft continued to issue Novell Linux coupons after the revised GPL took effect, it would be waiving its right to bring patent suits not just against Novell customers, but against all Linux users. "I told Brad," he recalls, "'I think you should just walk away from the patent part of the deal now.'"

Smith didn't, and Moglen kept his promise. On March 28, the Free Software Foundation made public revised GPL provisions, which are expected to take effect in July.

Microsoft and Novell both vow to proceed with their deal as planned. Microsoft claims that its mere distribution of coupons won't make it subject to the GPL, as Moglen asserts. But even if Microsoft is right about that, there's no doubt that distributors remain subject to it, and Moglen's revisions will bar them from trying to strike deals like Novell's.

That may be bad news for big corporate customers, which, judging from early reports, like the Novell deal. Presumably at least part of its appeal is that it provides peace of mind about Microsoft's patent claims. In the first six months, such marquee clients as Credit Suisse, Deutsche Bank, AIG Technologies, HSBC, Wal-Mart, Dell and Reed Elsevier have all acquired Novell Linux coupons from Microsoft.

Microsoft had hoped that the Novell deal would become a model it could use to collect patent royalties from other distributors of free software. In that respect, its "bridge" to the free world appears to have failed. That, in turn, seems to have taken us a step closer to patent Armageddon.

"The only real solution that [the free-software] folks have to offer," Smith says, "is that they first burn down the bridge, and then they burn down the patent system. That to me is not a goal that's likely to be achieved, and not a goal that should be achieved."

When it comes to software patents, though, Moglen thinks that's exactly the goal to be achieved. "The free world says that software is the embodiment of knowledge about technology, which needs to be free in the same way that mathematics is free," he says. "Everybody is allowed to know as much of it as he wants, regardless of whether he can pay for it, and everybody can contribute and everybody can share."

In the meantime, with Microsoft seemingly barred from striking pacts with distributors, only one avenue appears open to it: paying more friendly visits to its Fortune 500 customers, seeking direct licenses.

If push comes to shove, would Microsoft sue its customers for royalties, the way the record industry has?

"That's not a bridge we've crossed," says CEO Ballmer, "and not a bridge I want to cross today on the phone with you."

Gilchirst cheated in World cup Finals - The match should be played again

2007-05-02T01:24:00.000-07:00

"It has been revealed soon after the emphatic Australian win against Sri Lanka in the 2007 Cricket World Cup, that the star batsman and man of the match, Adam Gilchrist used a squash ball to improve his grip in his bottom hand. The confusing gestures he made soon after reaching his century before going on to make 149 out of 104 balls was to in fact, that the person who made the suggestion.

In light of the stellar performance of Gilchrist when every other batsman including Matthew Hayden failed to maintain a strike rate of 100%, this so called `squash-ball grip` becomes quite intriguing, if not illegal or cheating, I dare say. Consider this: Wicket keepers are only allowed to wear gloves with no webbing (except between the index finger & thumb). Fielders are
not allowed to wear gloves that might help them grip the ball better. Bowlers are not allowed to wear plaster on their fingers even if there is a genuine injury. Batsmen are only allowed approved gear for protection. A fielder needs to obtain the permission of the umpire prior to
leaving the field. A batsman must obtain the consent of the opposing captain to get a runner, even if there are obvious injuries preventing him from running.

Need I mention about banned substances that enhance performance? Clearly, Gilchrist used a non-traditional foreign object to enhance his grip. Perhaps even his mis-hits going over the boundary for a six is an example of the undue advantage gained by this enhanced grip. To say that a man who has been in poor form throughout the tournament just came back to stellar form during the all important final, and that the squash ball is just a coincidence is simply naïve.
After all, these are guys who wanted SLC investigated for a mere team selection policy. Had the roles been reversed, and Sanath Jayasuriya was the one with the squash-ball, I`m sure the cricketing world would be on fire now with all sorts of accusations fired at Sri Lanka for cheating.

I am quite surprised that no one has raised this issue yet. I hope that SLC and whoever is responsible will raise this issue, and if nothing else make sure that the rules governing such things are made clear for the future."

Source - BBC, CNN, lankanewspapers.com

Related Articles:

http://churumuri.wordpress.com/2007/05/04/churumuri-impact-adam-gilchrist-and-his-squash-ball/

http://churumuri.wordpress.com/2007/05/02/gillys-hidden-ball-helped-hit-more-4s-and-6s/

http://churumuri.wordpress.com/2007/05/01/how-legal-was-adam-gilchrists-hidden-ball/

http://churumuri.wordpress.com/2007/05/03/world-cup-finals-was-sri-lanka-vs-gilchrist/

TOSHIBA M40 Sat Help Needed

2007-04-21T10:40:00.000-07:00

I bought a M40 Satellite Laptop from Baharain Jarirbookshop in 2005 Nov 1.
It say i have 3 year warranty period. Now im getting problem with my DVD Writer, it just ejects CD s after writting 10 MB of data. What shall i do? Who are the Toshiba Local Agents? Will i be able to get a free DVD wrtier fixed without paying any money to John Keells Copmuter Services?
Any suggestions are welcome. Thanks in advance..

Canon's Latest DSLR Powerhouse Camera

2007-04-21T06:02:00.000-07:00

Throw out every gizmo and gadget you own—this is all you need. It can do everything: order alcohol, pizza, has a pee break alert, "Adams Mode," L button, mood button and it can even call up Spock to help you operate the damn thing. Best of all: a sex button. Sorry ladies, I am off the market now, this is my new girlfriend.

INSIGHTFUL QUOTES FROM RANJIT (LOSER) FERNANDO

2007-04-18T02:56:00.000-07:00

"What Jayasuriya will be trying to do is to hit the ball with the bat and get runs in order to win the match."

"If Ireland can get 8 or 9 quick wickets, they could be in with a chance."

"One would say that the team that scores more runs, should go on to win the game."

"It's a four. Oh no! He's out! He's clean bowled! I thought it went for four!"

More Quotes are welcome !

Virginia Tech gunman Cho Seung-Hui's Plays - 'Mr. Brownstone'

2007-04-17T17:52:00.000-07:00

AOL News has obtained two plays a classmate says were written by Virginia Tech gunman Cho Seung-Hui. Ian MacFarlane, a former classmate and current AOL employee, provided with the play "Mr. Brownstone"

Virginia Tech gunman Cho Seung-Hui's Plays - 'Richard McBeef'

2007-04-17T17:35:00.000-07:00

World Top 2 Professors killed in Virginia Tech Massacre - Part 3

2007-04-17T06:59:00.000-07:00

Story Continues as another Professor found dead - Developing Story

An Indian professor was among the 33 killed in the Virginia Tech university shootout in the United States even as a student from India is feared to have met the same fate.

GV Loganathan, 51, hailing from Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu and an alumnus of IIT, Kanpur, was killed in the firing by a suspected Chinese student while he was taking classes at the university's Civil and Environmental Engineering department.

An Indian student, Minal Panchal, who has been missing since the incident on Monday, was also feared to be among the victims.

GV Loganathan

In the aftermath of a tragic day for Virginia Tech, we are still gathering information about the victims. However, it has been confirmed that Dr. G.V. Loganathan was shot and killed yesterday while teaching in Norris Hall. Evidently, the gunman entered multiple classrooms and systematically shot at students and faculty. The CEE 5324 Advanced Hydrology class was invaded by the gunman and there are multiple casualties among the students. We will share more information about the victims and survivors as they are confirmed. Our hearts go out to all of the VT families - students, staff, faculty, alumni, friends and families during this most difficult time.

By Dr. Randel Dymond

World Top 2 Professors killed in Virginia Tech Massacre - Part 2

2007-04-17T06:11:00.000-07:00

Dynamics, Neuromuscular Control, Biomechanical Stability, Systems Identification (Muscle and reflex dynamics), Biomimetric robotics

Education:
Ph.D., Biomechanics, The Ohio State University, 1993
M.S., Physics, Purdue University, 1986
B.S., Eng.Physics / Electr.Eng., The Ohio State University, 1984

Honors and Awards:

2005	College of Engineering Fellow
2005	VT Scholar of the Week (April)

Recent Publications:

Granata K.P, Slota G.P, Bennett B.C., Paraspinal Muscle Reflex Dynamics, Journal of Biomechanics, 37 (1), 241-247, 2004
Granata KP, Slota G, Wilson SE, Massimini A., Influence of Fatigue on Neuromuscular Control of Spinal Stability, Human Factors, 46, 1\81-91, 2004
Granata KP, Wilson SE, Massimini A, Gabriel R., Active Stiffness of the Ankle in Response to Inertial and Elastic Loads, Journal of Electromyography and Kinesiology, 14 (5), 599-609, 2004
You SH, Granata KP. Bunker LK, Effects of Circumferential Ankle Pressure on Ankle Proporioception, Stiffness and Stability, Journal of Orthopedic & Sports Physical Therapy, 13 (8), 449-460, 2004
Tuzson A.E, Granata K.P, Abel M.F., Spastic Velocity Threshold Constrains Functional Performance in Cerebral Palsy, Archives of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, 84, 1363-1368, 2003
Granata K.P., Stiffness Control in the Simulation of Human Walking, 2001

Facilities:
Musculoskeletal Biomechanics Laboratory

Courses taught:
ESM 4224, Biodynamics and Control, Spring 2007.
ESM 5994, Research and Thesis, Spring 2007.
ESM 6225, Biodynamics & Control, Spring 2007.
ESM 7994, Research and Dissertation, Spring 2007.
ESM 6225, Biodynamics & Control, Spring 2006.
ESM 6226, Biodynamics & Control, Fall 2005.
ESM 6304, Advanced Vibrations, Fall 2005.
ESM 6225, Biodynamics & Control, Spring 2005.
ESM 6984, SS: Biodynamics and Control, Fall 2004.
ESM 5984, SS: Biodynamics & Control, Spring 2004.
ESM 5984, SS: Appl Biodynamics & Control, Fall 2003.

World Top 2 Professors killed in Virginia Tech Massacre - Part 1

2007-04-17T05:51:00.000-07:00

From CNN - Developing Story:

Among the dead were professors Liviu Librescu and Kevin Granata, said Ishwar K. Puri, the head of the engineering science and mechanics department.

Librescu, an Israeli, was born in Romania and was known internationally for his research in aeronautical engineering, Puri wrote in an e-mail to The Associated Press.

Granata and his students researched muscle and reflex response and robotics. Puri called him one of the top five biomechanics researchers in the country working on movement dynamics in cerebral palsy.

"My father blocked the doorway with his body and asked the students to flee," Joe Librescu said in a telephone interview, citing e-mail he said students had sent to his family. "Students started opening windows and jumping out."

Liviu Librescu

Interests:
Foundation and applications of the modern theory of shells incorporating non-classical effects and composed of advanced composite materials; Foundation of the theory and applications of sandwich type structures; Aeroelastic stability of flight vehicle structures;. Nonlinear aeroelasticity of structures in supersonic and hypersonic flow fields; Aeroelastic and structural tailoring; Dynamic response and instability of elastic and viscoelastic laminated composite structures subjected to deterministic and random loading systems; Mechanical and thermal postbuckling of flat and curved shear-deformable elastic panels; Static, dynamic and aeroelastic feedback control of adaptive structures; Unsteady aerodynamics and magnetoaerodynamics of supersonic flows with applications; Optimization problems of aeroelastic structural systems; Theory of composite thin-walled beams and its application in aeronautical and mechanical constructions; Response and behavior of structures to underwater and in-air explosions; Multifunctional and Functionally Graded material structures.

Education:
Ph.D., Institute of Fluid Mechanics, Academy of Science of Romania, 1969
M. A. Sc., Polytechnic Institute, Faculty of Aeronautical Engineering, Bucharest, 1953
B.S., Polytechnic Institute of Bucharest, Romania, Aeronautical Engineer, 1952

Honors and Awards:

2007	Invited Key Note Lecture at the 17th International Congress on Thermal Stresses, June 4-7, 2007, Taipei, Taiwan, â€œJoule Heating and its Implications on Crack Detection/Arrest in Electrically Conductive Circular Cylindrical Shellsâ€.( Z. Qin, L. Librescu and D. Hasanyan)
2006	Awarded a diploma by the 17th International Conference on Adaptive Structures and Technology for the paper â€œRobust Aeroelastic Control of Composite Aircraft Wings in Incompressible Flowâ€ by Yoon, G. C., Na, S. S., Librescu, L., and Baek, S. C., Taiwan, ICAST 2006, October 13-17.
2005	Appointed Chair of the International Organizing Committee of the 6th International Congress on Thermal Stresses '05 May 26-29, 2005, Vienna, Austria
2005	Invited Plenary Lecture at the 6th International Congress of Thermal Stresses '05 May 26-29, 2005, Vienna, Austria "Thin-Walled Beams Used in Turbomachinery and Space Applications Made-Up of Functionally Graded Materials and Operating in a High Temperature Environment: Vibration and Instability" by L. Librescu, S-Y Oh and O. Song
2005	Selected as a member of the Board of Experts of the Italian Ministry of Education, University and Scientific Research
2005	Awarded a diploma by the International Congress on Thermal Stresses, Vienna, Austria, May-June, 2005, ``In recognition for the achievements in the field of Thermal Stresses, for organizing the Fifth International Congress of Thermal Stresses, and for the contributions to the Journal of Thermal Stresses, as an author and as a member of the Editorial Board.''
2005	Awarded a diploma by the ASME, 20th Biennal Conference on Mechanical Vibration and Noise, Long Beach, CA, September 24-28, 2005 expressing the deep appreciation for the valuable services in advancing the engineering profession.''
2005	Frank J. Maher Award for Excellence in Engineering Education
2004	Plenary Key Note Lecture to the Third European Conference on Structural Control July 12-15. 2004, Vienna, Austria â€œAdvances in the Linear/nonlinear Control of Aeroelastic Structural Systemsâ€ by L. Librescu and P. Marzocca
2003	Member of the Executive Committee of the International Congress of Thermal Stresses, (1999-2003) and re-appointed for (2003-2007)
2003	General Chair of the 5th International Congress of Thermal Stresses and Related Topics, June 8-11, 2003, Blacksburg, VA
2000	Recipient of the title of Doctor Honoris Causa of the Polytechnic Institute of Bucharest, Romania
2000	Elected member of the Academy of Sciences of the Shipbuilding of Ukraine
1999	Recipient of The 1999 Deanâ€™s Award for Excellence in Research, College of Engineering VPI&SU
1999	Elected Foreign Fellow of the Academy of Engineering of Armenia
1998	Invited Plenary Lecture at the Session dedicated to the great Italian Scientist Professor Placido Cicala, Torino, June 25, 1998, Italia â€œAeroelastic Tailoring of Advanced Aircraft Wings Carrying External Storesâ€, with Dr. F. H. Gern
1988	Plenary Key Note Lecture to the Second International Conference on Composite Science and Technology, June 9-11, 1998 Durban, South Africaâ€ Recent Developments in the Modelling and Behavior of Advanced Sandwich Constructionsâ€
1972	Laureate of the prize â€œTraian Vuiaâ€ of the Romanian Academy of Science

Professional Service:

Listing in Who's Who

Who's Who in America

Who's Who in Engineering

Who's Who in the World

Who's Who in Science and Engineering

Member of the Editorial Board of

2007 - Journal of Sound and Vibration

2004 - International Journal of Advanced Materials and Structures

2003 - Journal Mathematical Methods and Physic-Mechanical Fields

1999 - Journal Thin-Walled Structures

1998 - Journal of Thermal Stresses

1997 - International Journal of Non-Linear Mechanics

1975 - Solid Mechanics Archives

Guest Editor for the Special Issues of the Journals

2006 - Journal of Mathematical Engineering (issues devoted to Thermomechanical Problems)

2004 - International of Mechanics of Advanced Materials and Structures, Vol. 11, Nos. 4-5, Part I & II

2001 - Composite Structures, Vol. 52, 1, 2001

2001 - Thin-Walled Structures, Special Issue - New Advances in the Modelling and Application of Smart Thin-Walled Structures, Vol. 39, 1, 2001

2000 - Composites Engineering, Part B, Vol. 32, 3, 2000

Chair of the International Organizing Committee of

2005 - 6th International Congress on Thermal Stresses '05, May 26-29, Vienna, Austria

Co-Chair of the International Organizing Committee of

2007 - 7th International Congress on Thermal Stresses June 4-7, Taipei, Taiwan

2005 - Mechanical Engineering and Mechanics, October 26-28, Nanjing, China

Member of the International Advisory Board of

2007 - Second International Symposium on Design Modelling and Experiments of Adaptive Structures and Smart Systems, DEMEASS II, October 14-17, Bad Herrenalb, Germany

2007 - Organizing Committee of the 70th Birthday of Jozef Ignaczak Symposium at the 7th International Congress on Thermal Stresses, Juen 4-7, Taipei, Taiwan

2006 - 2nd International Congress on Computational Mechanics and simulation (ICCM-06), December 8-10, Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati,-781039, India

2006 - 1st International Symposium on Design Modelling and Experiments of Adaptive Structures and Smart Systems, DeMEASS I, June 10-12, Bardonecchia (Turin), Italy

2004 - 1st International Congress on Computational Mechanics and Simulation, IIT Kanpur, December 9-12, India

2004 - 2nd International Conference on Structural Engineering, Mechanics and Computation, July 5-7, Cape Town, South Africa

2003 - 2nd International Conference on Applied Mechanics and Materials (ICAMM 2003), January 21-23, Durban, South Africa

1998 - 2nd Interntional Conference on Composite Science and Technology, June 9-11, Durban, South Africa

1996 - 1st International Conference, Composite Science Technology, June 18-20, Durham, South Africa

Member of the International Organizing Committee of

2005 - 6th International Congress of Thermal Stresses, May 26-29, Wien, Austria

2001 - 4th International Congress on Thermal Stresses, June 8-11, Osaka, Japan

1999 - 3rd International Congress on Thermal Stresses, June 13-17, Cracow, Poland

1982 thru 1985 - Israel National Conference on Aviation and Astronautics

Publications:

Books:

Librescu, L. and Song, O., Composite Thin-Walled Beams: Theory and Application, Springer, 615, 2005
Cederbaum, G., Elishakoff, I., Aboudi, J. and Librescu, L., Random Vibrations and Reliability of Composite Structures, Technomic Publishing Company, Inc., Lancaster-Basel, USA, pp. 191, 1992
Librescu, L., Elastostatics and Kinetics of Anisotropic and Heterogeneous Shell-Type Structures, Noordhoff International Publishing, Leyden, Netherlands, pp. 598, 1975
Librescu, L., Statics and Dynamic of Anisotropic and Heterogeneous Structures, (in Romanian), Publishing House of the Romanian Academy of Science, pp. 290, 1969

Book Chapters:

Hohe, J. and Librescu, L., On the Effect of Transverse Core Compressibility on the Buckling of Sandwich Shells, Theory of Plates and Shells, (Eds. R. Kienzler, H. Altenback and I. Ott), Lecture Notes in Applied and Computational Mechanics, Springer Verlag, Vol. 16, pp. 61-68, 2004
Hasanyan, D., Librescu, L., Qin, Z. and Ambur, D. R., Flexural Wave Scattering at the Through Crack in a Current Carrying Plate, Problems of Mechanics of Deformable Body, (Edited by Professor V. S. Sarkisyan), Armenian Academy of Sciences, Bounded Volume Dedicated to Professor N. Ch. Harutyunyan, pp. 91-101, 2003
Hasanyan, D., Librescu, L. and Ambur, D. R., Nonlinear Vibration of Thermo-Elastic Plates in a Magnetic Field, Southampton, UK, WIT Press, Southampton, Boston, (Editor: Y. Shindo), Mechanics of Electromagnetic Material Systems and Structures, pp. 3-15, 2003
Librescu, L. and Hause, T., The Effects of Time-Dependent Pressure Pulses on Dynamic Response of Viscously Damped Anisotropic Sandwich Flat Panels in Problems of Mechanics of Thin Deformable Bodies, Published by the Academy of Sciences of Armenia, Erevan, Armenia, pp. 200-214, 2002
Marzocca, P., Librescu, L. and Silva, W. A., Nondestructive Flutter Instability Prediction Using Combined Analytical-Experimental Procedure, Recent Advances in Experimental Mechanics, (Editor: E. E. Gdoutos), Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dordrecht/Boston/London, 2002

Journals:

G. Polli, L. Librescu and F. Mastroddi, Aeroelastic Response of Composite Aircraft Swept Wings Impacted by a Laser Beam, AIAA, Vol. 33, No, 2, pp. 382-391, 2006
Na, S. S., Librescu, L., Rim, S. N. and Yoon, G. C., Vibration and Dynamic Response Control of Non-Unifom Composite Rotating Blades, International Journal of Rotating Machinery, 2006, ID 13807, pp. 1-9, 2006
Librescu, L., Oh, S-Y. and Hohe, J., Dynamic Response of Anisotropic Sandwich Flat Panels to Underwater and In-Air Explosions, International Journal of Solids and Structures, Vol. 43, No. 13, pp. 3794-3816, June, 2006
Hause, T. and Librescu, L., Flexural Free Vibration of Sandwich Flat Panels with Laminated Anisotropic Face Sheets, Journal of Sound and Vibration, Vol. 297, Nos. 3-5, pp. 823-841, 2006
Librescu, L. and Marzocca, P.,, Advances in the Linear/Nonlinear Control of Aeroelastic Structural Systems, Acta Mechanica, Vol. 178, Nos 3-4, pp. 147-186, 2005
Hohe, J. and Librescu, L., Advances in the Structural Modeling and Behavior of Sandwich Panels, Mechanics of Advanced Materials and Structures, Vol. 11, No. 4-5, pp. 395-424, 2004
Librescu, L., Hasanyan, D. and Ambur, D. R., Electromagnetically Conducting Elastic Plates in a Magnetic Field: Modeing and Dynamic Implications, International Journal of Nonlinear Mechanics, Vol. 39, Issue 5, pp. 723-739, 2004
Librescu, L., Marzocca, P. and Silva, W. A., Linear/Nonlinear Supersonic Panel Flutter in a High Temperature Field, Journal of Aircraft, Vol. 41, No. 4, pp. 918-924, 2004
Chandiramani, N. K., Librescu, L., Saxena, V. and Kumar, A., Optimal Vibration Control of a Rotating Composite Beam with Distributed Piezoelectric Sensing and Actuation, Smart Materials and Structures, Vol. 13, pp. 433-442, 2004
Oh, S.Y., Librescu, L. and Song, O., Vibration and Instability of Functionally Graded Circular Cylindrical Spinning Thin-Walled Beams, Journal of Sound and Vibration, (in press), 2004
Librescu, L., Na, S., Marzocca, P., Chung C. and Kwak, M., Active Aeroelastic Control of 2-D Wing-Flap Systems Operating in an Incompressible Flowfield an Impacted by a Blast Pulse, Journal of Sound and Vibration, (in press), 2004
Hause, T. and Librescu, L., Dynamic Response of Anisotropic Sandwich Flat Panels to Explosive Pressure Pulses, International Journal of Impact Engineering, (in press), 2004
Hasanyan, D., Librescu, L., Qin, Z and Ambur D.R., Magneto-thermo-elastokinetics of Geometrically Nonlinear Laminated Composite Plates: Foundation of the Theory Part I, Journal of Sound and Vibration, (in press), 2004
Qin, Z., Hasanyan, D. Librescu, L. and Ambur, D.R., Magneto-thermo-elastokinetics of Geometrically Nonlinear Laminated Composite Plates: Vibration and Wave Propagation, Journal of Sound and Vibration, (in press), 2004
Hasanyan, D., Librescu, L., Qin, Z. and Ambur, D.R., Nonlinear Vibration of Finitely-Electroconductive Plate Strips in an Axial Magnetic Field, Computers & Structures, (in press), 2004
Librescu, L., Marzocca, P. and Silva, W. A., Aeroelasticity of 2-D Lifting Surfaces with Time-Delayed Feedback Control, Journal of Fluids and Structures, (in press), 2004
Na, S. S., Librescu, L. and Huang, H., Dynamics and Active Bending Vibration Control of Turbomachinery Rotating Blades Featuring Temperature-Dependent Material Properties, Journal of Thermal Stresses, Vol. 24, pp. 625-644, 2004
Hasanyan, D., Librescu, L. and Damodar, A., A Few Results on the Foundation of the Theory and Behavior of Nonlinear Magnetoelastic Plates Carrying an Electric Current, International Journal of Engineering Science, Vol. 42, Nos. 15-16, pp. 1547-1572, 2004
Chandiramani, N. K., Librescu, L., Saxena, V. and Kumar, A., Optimal Vibration Control of a Rotating Composite Beam with Distributed Piezoelectric Sensing and Actuation, Smart Materials and Structures, Vol. 13, pp. 433-442, 2004
Marzocca, P., Librescu, L. and Silva, W. A., Time-Delay Effects on Linear/Nonlinear Feedback Control of Simple Aeroelastic Systems, Journal of Guidance, Control and Dynamic, (in press), 2004
Librescu, L., Oh, S-Y and Hohe, J., Linear and Non-Linear Dynamic Response of Sandwich Panels to Blast Loading, Composites B, Special Issue on Marine Composites, Vol. 35, No. 6-8, pp. 673-683, September, 2004
Yuan, Y., Yu, P., Librescu, L. and Marzocca, P., Aeroelasticity of Time-Delayed Feedback Control of 2-D Supersonic Lifting Surfaces, Journal of Guidance, Control and Dynamics, Vol. 27, No. 5, pp. 797-803, 2004
Na, S. S., Librescu, L. and Shim, J. H., Modified Bang-Bang Vibration Control Applied to Adaptive Thin-Walled Beam Cantilevers, AIAA Journal, Vol. 42, No. 8, pp. 1717-1721, 2004
Marzocca, P., Silva, W. A. and Librescu, L., Non-Linear Open/Closed Loop Aeroelastic Analysis of Airfoil via Volterra Series, AIAA Journal, Vol. 42, No. 4, pp. 673-686, 2004
Hohe, J. and Librescu, L., Core and Face-Sheet Anisotropy in Deformation and Buckling of Sandwich Panels, AIAA Journal, Vol. 42, No. 1, pp. 149-158, January, 2004
Qin, Z., Librescu, L., Hasanyan, D. and Ambur, D. R., Magnetoelastic Modeling of Circular Cylindrical Shells Immersed in a Magnetic Field, Part I: Magnetoelastic Loads Considing Finite Dimensional Effects, International Journal of Engineering Science, Vol. 41, pp. 2005-2022, 2003
Librescu, L., Oh, S-Y., and Song, O., Spinning Thin-Walled Beams Made of Functionally Graded Materials: Modeling, Vibration and Instability, European Journal of Mechanics A/Solids, Vol. 23, No. 3, pp. 499-515, 2003
Na, S. S., Librescu, L. and Shim, J. K., Modeling and Bending Vibration Control of Nonuniform Thin-Walled Rotating Beams Incorporating Adaptive Capabilities, International Journal of Mechanical Sciences, Vol. 45, No. 8, pp. 1347-1367, 2003
Chandiramani, N. K., Shete, C. D. and Librescu, L., Vibration of Higher-Order Shearable Pretwisted Rotating Composite Blades, International Journal of Mechanical Sciences, Vol. 45, pp. 2017-2041, 2003
Librescu, L., Qin, Z. and Ambur, D. R., Implications of Warping Restraint on Statics and Dynamics of Elastically Tailored Thin-Walled Composite Beams, International Journal of Mechanical Sciences, Vol. 45, No. 8, pp. 1247-1267, 2003
Oh, S. Y., Librescu, L. and Song, O., Vibration of Turbomachinery Rotating Blades Made-up of Functionally Graded Materials and Operating in a High Temperature Field, Acta Mechanica, Vol. 166, No. 2, pp. 69-87, 2003
Song, O., Yoon, I. and Librescu, L., Thermally Induced Bending Vibration of Composite Spacecraft Booms Subjected to Solar Heating, Journal of Thermal Stresses, Vol. 26, No. 8, pp. 829-843, August, 2003
Qin, Z., Hasanyan, D., Librescu, L. and Ambur, D. R., Magnetoelastic Modeling of Circular Cylindrical Vibration, International Journal of Engineering Science, Vol. 41, pp. 2023-2046, 2003
Qin, Z. and Librescu, L., Aeroelastic Instability of Aircraft Wings Modeled as Anisotropic Composite Thin-Walled Beams in Incompressible Flow, Journal of Fluids and Structures, Vol. 19, No. 1, pp. 43-61, August, 2003
Librescu, L., Hasanyan, D., Qin, Z. and Ambur, D. R., Nonlinear Magneto-Thermo-Elasticity of Anisotropic Plates Immersed in a Magnetic Field, Journal of Thermal Stresses, Vol. 26, Nos. 11-12, pp. 1277-1304, November-December, 2003
Qin, Z. and Librescu, L., Dynamic Aeroelastic Response of Aircraft Wings Modeled as Anisotropic Thin-Walled Beams, Journal of Aircraft, Vol. 40, No. 3, pp. 532-543, 2003
Oh, S. Y., Song, O. and Librescu, L., Effects of Pretwist and Presetting on Coupled Bending Vibrations of Rotating Thin-Walled Composite Beams, International Journal of Solids and Structures, Vol. 40, pp. 1203-1224, 2003
Oh, S. Y., Librescu, L. and Song, O., Thermoelastic Modeling and Vibration of Functionally Graded Thin-Walled Rotating Blades, AIAA Journal, Vol. 41, No. 10, pp. 2051-2060, 2003
Hohe, J. and Librescu, L., A Nonlinear Theory for Doubly Curved Anisotropic Sandwich Shells with Transversely Compressible Core, International Journal of Solids and Structures, Vol. 40, pp. 1059-1088, 2003
Qin, Z., Librescu, L. and Marzocca, P., Aeroelasticity of Composite Aerovehicle Wings in Supersonic Flow, Journal of Spacecraft and Rockets, Vol. 40, No. 2, pp. 162-173, 2003

Conferences:

S. S. Na, L. Librescu and M. Kwak, Thermally-Induced Vibration Control of Rotating Composite Thin-Walled Blades, 24th Congress of the International Council of the Aeronautical Sciences, Yokohama, Japan, ICAS 2004-5.1-3, 2004
S-Y Oh, L. Librescu and O. Song, Thin-Walled Rotating Composite Blades Featuring Extension-Twist Elastic Coupling, 45th AIAA/ASME/ASCE/AHS/ASC, (CD-Rom), Palm Springs, CA, AIAA-2004-2049, 2004
P. Marzocca and L. Librescu, Flutter/Aeroelastic Response of Panels via a Combined Galerkin-Volterra Series Approach, 45th AIAA/ASME/ASCE/ASC, (CD-Rom), Palm Springs, CA, AIAA-2004-1855, 2004
O. Song, I. Yoon and L. Librescu, Vibration Control of Composite Spacecraft Booms Exposed to Solar Radiant Heating, 45th AIAA/ASME/ASCE/AHS/ASC, (CD-Rom), Palm Springs, CA, AIAA-2004-1974, 2004
D. Hasanyan, L. Librescu and D. Ambur, Vibration of Nonlinear Magneto-Thermo-Elastic Laminated Composite Plates, 45th AIAA/ASME/ASCE/AHS/ASC, (CD-Rom), AIAA-2004-1617, Palm Springs, CA, 2004
Z. Qin, L. Librescu and D. Ambur, Magneto-Elastodynamic Effects on Stress Displacement Distributions of Cracked Electrodonductive Plates, 45th AIAA/ASME/ASCE/AHS/ASC, (CD-Rom), Palm Springs, CA, AIAA-2004-1623, 2004
S. Na, L. Librescu, P. Marzocca and C. Chung, Aeroelastic Response of Flapped Wing System Using Robust Control Methodology, 45th AIAA/ASME/ASCE/AHS/ASC, (CD-Rom), Palm Springs, CA, AIAA-2004 1673, 2004
P. Yu, Y. Yuan, L. Librescu and P. Marzocca, Single/Double Hopf Bifurcation and Aeroelastic Instability of a 2-D Supersonic Lifting Surface with Time Delayed Feedback Control, 45th AIAA/ASME/ASCE/AHS/ASC, (CD-Rom), Palm Springs, CA, AIAA-2004-1752, 2004
D. Kim, I. Lee, P. Marzocca and L. Librescu, Linear/Nonlinear Aeroelastic Computation of 2-D Lifting Surfaces Using a Combined CFD/Analytical Approach, 45th AIAA/ASCE/ASCE/AHS/ASC, (CD-Rom), Palm Springs, CA, AIAA-2004-1752, 2004
S-Y. Oh, L. Librescu and O. Song, Thin-Walled Rotating Blades Made of Functionally Graded Materials: Thermoelastic Modeling and Vibration Analysis, of the 5th International Congress on Thermal Stresses and Related Topics, Blacksburg, VA, (Eds. Librescu, L. and Marzocca, P.), Vol. 1, MA-2-5-(1-4), June 8-11, 2003
D. Hasanyan, L. Librescu and D. Ambur, Nonlinear Vibration of Finitely Electroconductive Plate-Strips in a Magnetic Field, 44th AIAA/ASME/ASCE/AHS Structures, Structural Dynamics, and Materials Conference, 11th AIAA/ASME/AHS Adaptive Structures Conference, 5th AIAA Non-Deterministic Approaches Forum, 4th AIAA Gossamer Spacecraft Forum, Norfolk, VA, AIAA-2003-1712, 2003
L. Librescu, S. S. Na, P. Marzocca, C. Chung and M. Kwak, Active Aeroelastic Control of 2-D Wing-Flap Systems in an Incompressible Flow Field, 44th AIAA/ASME/ASCE/AHS Structures, Structural Dynamics, and Materials Conference, 11th AIAA/ASME/AHS Adaptive Structures Conference, 5th AIAA Non-Deterministic Approaches Forum, 4th AIAA Fossamer Space Forum, (CD-Rom), Norfolk, VA, AIAA-2003-1414, 2003
P. Marzocca and L. Librescu, Nonlinear Time Delayed Feedback Control of Aeroelastic Systems: A Functional Approach, 44th AIAA/ASME/ASCE/AHS Structures, Structural Dynamics, and Materials Conference, 11th AIAA/ASME/AHS Adaptive Structures Conference, 5th AIAA Non-Deterministic Approaches Forum, 4th AIAA Gossamer Spacecraft Forum, (CD-Rom), Norfolk, VA, AIAA-2003-1867, 2003
T. Hause and L. Librescu, Thermoelastic Response of Doubly-Curved Sandwich Panels Under a Temperature Gradient, Transverse Load and Edge Compression/Tension, Proceedings of the 5th International Congress on Thermal Stresses and Related Topics, Blacksburg, VA, (Eds., Librescu, L. and Marzocca, P.), Vol. 2, WM1-2(1-4), June 8-11, 2003
Y. Yuan, P. Yu, L. Librescu and P. Marzocca, Analysis of a 2-D Supersonic Lifting Surface with Time Delay Feedback Control, 44th AIAA/ASME/ASCE/AHS Structures, Structural Dynamics, and Materials Conference, 11th AIAA/ASME/AHS Adaptive Structures Conference, 5th AIAA Non-Deterministic Approaches Forum, 4th AIAA Gossamer Spacecraft Forum, (CD-Rom), Norfolk, VA, AIAA-2003-1733, 2003
O. Song, I. Yoon and L. Librescu, Thermally Induced Vibration Control of Composite Spacecraft Booms via Piezoelectric Strain Actuation, Proceedings of the 5th International Congress on Thermal Stresses and Related Topics, Blacksburg, VA, (Eds. Librescu, L. and Marzocca, P.), Vol. 1, MM-4-3-(1-4), June 8-11, 2003
J. Hohe and L. Librescu, A Higher-Order Geometrically Nonlinear Sandwich Shell Theory Accounting for Transverse Compressibility of the Core, Proceedings of the Sixth International Conference on Sandwich Structures, (Eds.: Vinson, J. R. Rajapakse, Y. D.S. and Carlsson, L. A.), Ft. Lauderdale, FL, pp. 796-805, March 31 - April 2, 2003
Z. Qin, L. Librescu, D. Hasanyan and D. Ambur, Circular Cylindrical Shells Immersed in a Magnetic Field: Modeling and Dynamic Behavior, 44th AIAA/ASME/ASCE/AHS Structures, Structural Dynamics, and Materials Conference, 11th AIAA/ASME/AHS Adaptive Structures Conference, 5th AIAA Non-Deterministic Approaches Forum, 4th AIAA Gossamer Spacecraft Forum, (CD Rom), Norfolk, VA, AIAA-2003-1690, 2003
N. Chandramani, C. Shete and L. Librescu, Optimal Control of Pretwisted Shearable Smart Composite Rotor Blades, 44th AIAA/ASME/ASCE/AHS Structures, Structural Dynamics, and Materials Conference, 11th AIAA/ASME/AHS Adaptive Structures Conference, 5th AIAA Non-Deterministic Approaches Forum, 4th AIAA Gossamer Spacecraft Forum, (CD-Rom), Norfolk, VA, AIAA-2003-1540, 2003
S. Oh, L. Librescu and O. Song, Thin-Walled Rotating Blades Made of Functionally Graded Materials: Modeling and Vibration Analysis, 44th AIAA/ASME/ASCE/AHS Structures, Structural Dynamics, and Materials Conference, 11th AIAA/ASME/AHS Adaptive Structures Conference, 5th AIAA Non-Deterministic Approaches Forum, 4th AIAA Gossamer Spacecraft Forum, (CD-Rom), Norfolk, VA, AIAA-2003-1541, 2003
P. Chelu and L. Librescu, Wavelet Technique Applied to Dynamic Response of Thin-Walled Composite Booms Exposed to Solar Radiation, Part I: Theoretical Formulation, Part II: Solution Methodology, Proceedings of the 5th International Congress on Thermal Stresses and Related Topics, Blacksburg, VA, (Eds. Librescu, L. and Marzocca, P.), Vol. 2, WA-6-4-(1-4), June 8-11, 2003
S. Na, L. Librescu and H. Jung, Vibration Control of Rotating Composite Thin-Walled Beams in a Temperature Environment, Proceedings of the 5th International Congress on Thermal Stresses and Related Topics, Blacksburg, VA, (Eds., Librescu, L. and Marzocca, P.), Vol. 2, WA-6-4-(1-4), June 8-11, 2003
L. Librescu, P. Marzocca and W. A. Silva, Linear/Nonlinear Aeroelastic Behavior of Thermally Damaged Flat Panels in a Supersonic Flow Field, Proceedings of the 5th International Congress on Thermal Stresses and Related Topics, Blacksburg, VA, (Eds. Librescu, L. and Marzocca, P.), Vol. 2, WA-2-1-(1-4), June 8-11, 2003
L. Librescu, D. Hasanyan and Z. Qin, Nonlinear Magneto-Thermo- Elasticity of Laminated Composite Plates Immersed in a Magnetic Field, Proceedings of the 5th International Congress on Thermal Stresses and Related Topics,â€ Blacksburg, VA, (Eds., Librescu, L. and Marzocca, P.), Vol. 2, WA-4-(1-4), June 8-11, 2003
Z. Qin, L. Librescu, D. Hasanyan and D. Ambur, Electroconductive Composite Circular Cylindrical Shells Subjected to Magnetoelastic and Thermomechanical Loadings: Nonlinear Response and Stability, Proceedings of the 5th International Congress on Thermal Stresses and Related Topics,â€ Blacksburg, VA, (Eds., Librescu, L. and Marzocca, P.), Vol. 1, MA-3-2(1-4), June 8-11, 2003
L. Librescu, S-Y Oh, and J. Hohe, Dynamic Response of Anisotropic Sandwich Panels to Explosive Blast Loading, 18th Annual Technical Conference, American Society for Composites University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, Paper 123, October 19-22, 2003
T. Hause and L. Librescu, Thermoelastic Response of Doubly-Curved Sandwich Panels Under a Temperature Gradient, Transverse Load and Edge Compression/Tension, Proceedings of the 5th International Congress on Thermal Stresses and Related Topics, Blacksburg, VA, (Eds. Librescu, L. and Marzocca, P.), Vol. 1, MM-4-3-(1-4), June 8-11, 2003

Reports:

L. Librescu, S-Y. Oh and J. Hohe, Dynamic Response of Submerged Sandwich Flat Panels to an Explosive Blade: Implications of Transverse Compressibility of the Core, Y. D. S. Rajapakse, Marine Composite and Sandwich Structures, ONR-Review, (Ed. Y. D. S. Rajapakse), University of Maryland, March 24-26, 2004

Courses taught:
ESM 3154, Solid Mechanics, Spring 2007.
ESM 5074, Mech Lam Comp Str, Spring 2007.
ESM 5994, Research and Thesis, Spring 2007.
ESM 7994, Research and Dissertation, Spring 2007.
ESM 6044, Theory of Plates and Shells, Fall 2006.
ESM 6044, Theory of Plates and Shells, Fall 2005.
ESM 2304, Dynamics, Spring 2005.
ESM 5074, Mech Lam Comp Str, Spring 2005.
ESM 6044, Theory of Plates and Shells, Fall 2004.
ESM 2304, Dynamics, Spring 2004.
ESM 6044, Theory of Plates and Shells, Fall 2003.

Installing Rails on Windows (step-by-step tutorial)

2007-04-11T04:43:00.000-07:00

I just found this superb 10 min tutorial on Installing Ruby on Gates.
In order to have a fully working development environment, you can use your PC. You will need to install:

Ruby - the language
Ruby Gems - the plug-in manager for Ruby
Scite or FreeRIDE - IDE for Ruby
or RADRAILS from Aptana - IDE for Rails
MySQL - the database
MySQL query builder / MySQL admin tools - GUI to create databases, add users and create tables
Rails Framework

Find Out More

Debian GNU/Linux 4.0 released

2007-04-09T06:36:00.000-07:00

The Debian Project is pleased to announce the official release of Debian GNU/Linux version 4.0, codenamed etch, after 21 months of constant development. Debian GNU/Linux is a free operating system which supports a total of eleven processor architectures and includes the KDE, GNOME and Xfce desktop environments. It also features cryptographic software and compatibility with the FHS v2.3 and software developed for version 3.1 of the LSB.

Using a now fully integrated installation process, Debian GNU/Linux 4.0 comes with out-of-the-box support for encrypted partitions. This release introduces a newly developed graphical frontend to the installation system supporting scripts using composed characters and complex languages; the installation system for Debian GNU/Linux has now been translated to 58 languages.

Also beginning with Debian GNU/Linux 4.0, the package management system has been improved regarding security and efficiency. Secure APT allows the verification of the integrity of packages downloaded from a mirror. Updated package indices won't be downloaded in their entirety, but instead patched with smaller files containing only differences from earlier versions.

Debian GNU/Linux runs on computers ranging from palmtops and handheld systems to supercomputers, and on nearly everything in between. A total of eleven architectures are supported including: Sun SPARC (sparc), HP Alpha (alpha), Motorola/IBM PowerPC (powerpc), Intel IA-32 (i386) and IA-64 (ia64), HP PA-RISC (hppa), MIPS (mips, mipsel), ARM (arm), IBM S/390 (s390) and – newly introduced with Debian GNU/Linux 4.0 – AMD64 and Intel EM64T (amd64).

Debian GNU/Linux can be installed from various installation media such as DVDs, CDs, USB sticks and floppies, or from the network. GNOME is the default desktop environment and is contained on the first CD. The K Desktop Environment (KDE) and the Xfce desktop can be installed through two new alternative CD images. Also newly available with Debian GNU/Linux 4.0 are multi-arch CDs and DVDs supporting installation of multiple architectures from a single disc.

Debian GNU/Linux can be downloaded right now via bittorrent (the recommended way), jigdo or HTTP; It will soon be available on DVD and CD-ROM from numerous vendors, too.

This release includes a number of updated software packages, such as the K Desktop Environment 3.5.5a (KDE), an updated version of the GNOME desktop environment 2.14, the Xfce 4.4 desktop environment, the GNUstep desktop 5.2, X.Org 7.1, OpenOffice.org 2.0.4a, GIMP 2.2.13, Iceweasel (an unbranded version of Mozilla Firefox 2.0.0.3), Icedove (an unbranded version of Mozilla Thunderbird 1.5), Iceape (an unbranded version of Mozilla Seamonkey 1.0.8), PostgreSQL 8.1.8, MySQL 5.0.32, GNU Compiler Collection 4.1.1, Linux kernel version 2.6.18, Apache 2.2.3, Samba 3.0.24, Python 2.4.4 and 2.5, Perl 5.8.8, PHP 4.4.4 and 5.2.0, Asterisk 1.2.13, and more than 18,000 other ready to use software packages.

Americans are NOT stupid

2007-04-09T01:10:00.000-07:00

All MUST see this :)

Gutter Tactics of Amnesty International (AI) Condemned - SPUR

2007-04-04T03:29:00.000-07:00

It is indeed a woeful situation to see an organization, which claims itself to be protecting human rights has been engaged in an unethical, low quality mode of operations against a democratic nation. Reports from the Caribbean Islands indicate that the Amnesty international has been engaged in cheap propaganda campaign against the SL people and their cricket team to tarnish their good image and thereby to lower the performance of the SL cricketers.

It is a well-known fact that all Sri Lankan's irrespective of their racial or any other differences always support the SL cricket team. Sports have always helped Sri Lankan's as well as all South Asian people to bridge differences and to unite as one nation.

Perhaps it is the same reason why the AI has chosen to attack the SL cricket team. Perhaps, the AI might be thinking that the blood of the Sri Lankan's is cheap so that they do not have a right to fight against terrorism. Perhaps it wants to ensure that the third world remains where it is forever.... The Society for Peace, Unity and Human Rights for Sri Lanka, a leading organization of SL expatriates has condemned this irrelevant and unethical act of the AI in a letter sent to its officials.

Following is the full text of the letter addressed to the Chair Person of the AI, by the SPUR officials.

The Chair of the Board of Management

Amnesty International Australia

Locked Bag 23

BROADWAY NSW 2007

2 April 2007

Dear Sir/Madam,

Gutter Tactics of Amnesty International (AI) Condemned

AFP has reported today that AI is conducting a campaign during the Cricket World Cup in the Caribbean to collect signatures supporting the establishment of a human rights monitoring committee in Sri Lanka. The authenticity of this report has been verified after checking with Sri Lankan fans attending games played by Sri Lanka in the Caribbean including the match played yesterday against the West Indies. Patrons at these matches have been asked to sign fluffy cricket balls supporting AI's request establish an international human rights commission in Sri Lanka.

SPUR unreservedly condemn this unethical, underhand action by Amnesty International and request that you inform your counterparts in the Caribbean as well as the Head Office in London to desist from progressing with this modus operandi. Signatures obtained using this kind of tactic would have little effect in strengthening your flawed case as well as possibly create a sense of hostility towards the Sri Lankan Sinhalese, Tamil and Muslim cricketers who are proudly representing their Nation at the highest level in sport.

Furthermore, we will hold AI responsible if any abuse or pressure is brought upon any members or support staff of the cricket team by the public in the Caribbean due to your callous action. Your action has the capacity to undermine the Sri Lankan team's morale (and hence performance) as in justifying your actions, you are sullying Sri Lanka's excellent record in protecting democracy for close to 60 years since gaining independence from Britain.

For your record, we would like to remind you that the Tamil Tiger Terrorists brutally assassinated 6 Sinhalese labourers building an orphanage for children affected by the Tsunami in Eastern Sri Lanka. These poor workers only crime was to be Sinhalese helping Tamils affected by the tsunami find shelter. Furthermore, the LTTE has bombed a passenger bus in Batticaloa killing 15 civilians (including 3 children) and injuring more than 25 people. We will be watching with interest, what steps you take nationally and internationally to condemn this beastly act of the Tamil Tiger terrorists.

It is time that AI plays with a straight bat and takes a considered stance against Tamil Tiger terrorist's violation of human rights.

Inaction will only confirm AI's bias in favour of terrorists. Don't give us the bunkum that your charter is limited to keeping democratically elected governments honest.

Trust you will put your money where your mouth is and immediately take necessary steps to stop violating the fundamental rights of Sri Lankan cricketers and their supporters enjoying a peaceful game of cricket.

Thanking you,

Yours sincerely,

Dr Dasarath Jayasuriya

President

World's Strongest Dad, A Tribute to Rick & Dick Hoyt

2007-04-02T13:13:00.000-07:00

Dick and Rick Hoyt are a father-and-son team from Massachusetts who together compete just about continuously in marathon races. And if they’re not in a marathon they are in a triathlon — that daunting, almost superhuman, combination of 26.2 miles of running, 112 miles of bicycling, and 2.4 miles of swimming. Together they have climbed mountains, and once trekked 3,735 miles across America.

It’s a remarkable record of exertion — all the more so when you consider that Rick can't walk or talk.

http://www.teamhoyt.com

Richard M Stallman visiting Sri Lanka

2007-03-28T05:25:00.000-07:00

Further to an invitation by the ICTA, Richard Stallman has confirmed that he will be visiting Sri Lanka in January 2008.

Exact dates are yet to be finalized, but it will most probably be in the 2^nd week of Jan. ICTA expect him to stay 2-3 days and may be a bit longer if he wants to travel around Sri Lanka. We the FOSS community is planning to organize some FOSS events around his visit.

January 2008 is still a long time a way, but it gives us plenty of time to plan a decent agenda and organize some really good events.

ICTA will officially host him, and take care of his travel logistics and expenses.

MPlayer - The Movie Player (http://www.mplayerhq.hu)

2007-03-26T23:40:00.000-07:00

I have listed the MPlayer's most useful Keyboard Control keys for its users quick references.

General control

<- and ->
Seek backward/forward 10 seconds.

up and down
Seek backward/forward 1 minute.

pgup and pgdown
Seek backward/forward 10 minutes.

[ and ]
Decreases/increases current playback speed by 10%.

{ and }
Halves/doubles current playback speed.

Backspace
Reset playback speed to normal.

<>
backward/forward in playlist

HOME and END
next/previous playtree entry in the parent list

INS and DEL
next/previous alternative source (ASX playlist only)

p / SPACE
Pause movie (pressing again unpauses).

.
Step forward. Pressing once will pause movie, every consecutive press will play one frame and then go into pause mode again (any other key unpauses).

q / ESC
Stop playing and quit.

+ and -
Adjust audio delay by +/- 0.1 seconds.

/ and *
Decrease/increase volume.

9 and 0
Decrease/increase volume.

M
Mute sound.

F
Toggle fullscreen (also see -fs).

T
Toggle stay-on-top (also see -ontop).

w and e
Decrease/increase pan-and-scan range.

o
Toggle OSD states: none / seek / seek + timer / seek + timer + total time.

d
Toggle frame dropping states: none / skip display / skip decoding (see -framedrop and -hardframedrop).

v
Toggle subtitle visibility.

b / j
Cycle through the available subtitles.

F
Toggle displaying "forced subtitles".

a
Toggle subtitle aligment: top/middle/bottom.

z and x
Adjust subtitle delay by +/- 0.1 seconds.

r and t
Move subtitles up/down.

i
Set EDL mark.

(The following keys are valid only when using a hardware accelerated video output (xv, (x)vidix, (x)mga, etc), or the software equalizer filter (-vf eq or -vf eq2).

1 and 2 Adjust contrast.

3 and 4 Adjust brightness.

5 and 6 Adjust hue.

7 and 8 Adjust saturation

Following is the default input.conf file which is MPlayer input control file to redefine default keyboard/joystick/mouse/LIRC bindings, or to add new ones according to users choice. Free as in free choice :)

This file should be placed in the $HOME/.mplayer directory.

RIGHT seek +10
LEFT seek -10
DOWN seek -60
UP seek +60
PGUP seek 600
PGDWN seek -600
- audio_delay 0.100
+ audio_delay -0.100
q quit
ESC quit
ENTER pt_step 1 1
p pause
SPACE pause
HOME pt_up_step 1
END pt_up_step -1
> pt_step 1
<>

Top ten things of professional software development has taught me

2007-03-23T01:24:00.000-07:00

1) Object orientation is much harder than you think
Maybe it's just me, but coming from Computer Science class I thought that OO was easy. I mean, how hard can it be to create classes that mimic the real world? It turns out that it's pretty hard. Seven years later, I'm still learning how to model properly. I wish I spent more time reading up on OO and design patterns. Good modeling skills are worth a lot to every development team.

2) The difficult part of software development is communication
And that's communication with persons, not socket programming. Now and then you do run into a tricky technical problem, but it's not at all that common. Much more common is misunderstandings between you and the project manager, between you and the customer and finally between you and the other developers. Work on your soft skills.

3) Learn to say no
When I started working, I was very eager to please. This meant that I had a hard time saying no to things people asked of me. I worked a lot of overtime, and still didn't finish everything that was asked of me. The result was disappointment from their side, and almost burning out on my part. If you never say no, your yes is worth very little. Commit to what you can handle, and if people keep asking you for more, make it very explicit that this would mean not doing something else. What I did was to have a list of stuff that I needed to do on a piece of paper with me. When someone asked for something, I showed them the list and asked what I should bump to have time to help them. This allowed me to say no in a nice way.

4) If everything is equally important, then nothing is important
The business likes to say that all the features are as crucial. They are not. Push back and make them commit. It's easier if you don't force them to pick what to do and what not to do. Instead, let them choose what you should do this week. This will let you produce the stuff that brings value first. If all else goes haywire, at least you've done that.

5) Don't over-think a problem
I can spend whole days designing things in front of the white board. That doesn't mean it will be any better, it just means it will be more complicated. I don't mean to say you shouldn't design at all, just that the implementation will quickly show me stuff I didn't think of anyway, so why try to make it perfect? Like Dave Farell says: "The devil is in the details, but exorcism is in implementation, not theory."

6) Dive really deep into something, but don't get hung up
Chris and I spent a lot of time getting into the real deep parts of SQL Server. It was great fun and I learned a lot from it, but after some time I realized that knowing that much didn't really help me solve the business' problems. An example: I know that at the table level, SQL Server will not take an IU lock - it will only take a IX lock. This is a performance tweak, since most of the time, the IU lock will have to be escalated into a IX lock anyway. To find this, I spent countless days experimenting, I read loads of material and talked to Microsoft people at conferences. Have I ever had any use of this knowledge. Nope.

7) Learn about the other parts of the software development machine
It's really important to be a great developer. But to be a great part of the system that produces software, you need to understand what the rest of the system does. How do the QA people work? What does the project manager do? What drives the business analyst? This knowledge will help you connect with the rest of the people, and will grease interactions with them. Ask the people around you for help in learning more. What books are good? Most people will be flattered that you care, and willingly help you out. A little time on this goes a really long way.

8) Your colleagues are your best teachers
A year after I started on my first job, we merged with another company. Suddenly I had a lot of much more talented and experienced people around me. I remember distinctly how this made me feel inferior and stupid. I studied hard, reading book after book but I still didn't catch up. They had too much of an advantage on me, I figured.
Nowadays, working with great people doesn't make me feel bad at all. I just feel I have the chance of a lifetime to learn. I ask questions and I try really hard to understand how my colleagues come to the conclusions they do. This is why I joined ThoughtWorks. See your peers as an asset, not competition.

9) It all comes down to working software
No matter how cool your algorithms are, no matter how brilliant your database schema is, no matter how fabulous your whatever is, if it doesn't scratch the clients' itch, it's not worth anything. Focus on delivering working software, and at the same time prepare to continue delivering software using that code base and you're on the right path.

10) Some people are assholes
Most of the time, most of the people around you are great. You learn from them, and they learn from you. Accomplishing something together is a good feeling. Unfortunately, you will probably run into the exceptions. People that because of something or other are plain old mean. Demeaning bosses. Lying colleagues. Stupid, ignorant customers. Don't take this too hard. Try to work around them and do what you can to minimize the pain and effort they cause, but don't blame yourself. As long as you stay honest and do your best, you've done your part.

Web Services Made Easy with Ruby

2007-03-21T06:23:00.000-07:00

It's easy to develop Web services using Ruby. This article looks at how to develop a Web service client to access the Web services that are hosted in the Internet and how to develop a Web service with simple steps using Ruby.

An Overview
Ruby is the interpreted scripting language invented by Yukihiro Matsumoto for quick and easy object-oriented programming and is more popular in Japan than in other countries. Ruby's open-source nature makes it free for anyone to use. All data structures in Ruby are objects, but you can add methods to a class or instance of a class during runtime. Because of this, any instance class can behave differently from other instances of the same class. Ruby's dynamic typing nature doesn't require explicit declaration of variable types. It features a true mark-and-sweep garbage collector that cleans all Ruby objects without needing to maintain a reference count. (See www.ruby-lang.org for the complete features of Ruby.) The following libraries are developed with Ruby:
# Ruby/DBI: To access different databases
# Ruby/LDAP: To search and operate on entries in the LDAP
# XSLT4R: For XSL transformation
# XMLRPC4R: For writing and accessing Web services
# SOAP4R: For writing and accessing Web services

SOAP Programming Using Ruby
SOAP4R is the implementation of Simple Object Access Protocol for Ruby developed by Hiroshi Nakamura. SOAP4R depends on the XML processor, http-access, logging, and date-time packages. (To install SOAP4R and its dependencies refer to its home page at www.jin.gr.jp/~nahi/Ruby/SOAP4R.)

Develop SOAP4R clients
The SOAP::Driver class provides support for writing SOAP client applications using Ruby. I'll explain how to use this class in order to develop the SOAP client. To invoke a SOAP Service the client should know the URL of the SOAP Service, namespace of the service methods, and the names of the service methods and their parameters. With this information let's develop a SOAP client in Ruby.

I've chosen a "SendEmail" Web service that is listed in Xmethods' Web services list. The client we're developing invokes a service named SendEmail to send an e-mail message to any mail address (see Listing 1).

In the first line I load the feature "soap/ driver", which implements the SOAP::Driver class. Then I define four constants like NAMESPACE, URL, SOAPACTION, and HTTP_ PROXY, which are required to create an instance of SOAP::Driver class by calling its new method.

driver = SOAP::Driver.new(log, logId, namespace ,
endpoint, httpProxy, soapAction )
Where
namespace = namespace to use for RPC calls
endpoint = URL of the SOAP service
httpproxy = to specify the proxy server,
instead of direct connection to SOAP server
soapaction = value for SOAPAction field of the SOAP Header

After creating an instance of the driver class, call the addMethod method passing the name of the SOAP service method and its parameters' names. SOAP method parameters are often not taken into account on the SOAP server side but it is important to know the order of the parameters that were passed to the service.

The SOAP::Driver class has two methods to add service methods:

SOAP::Driver.addMethod(name, *paramArg)
SOAP::Driver.addMethodWithSOAPAction(name, soapaction, *paramArg)
Where name = the name of the remote procedure
soapaction = soap action header to be used instead
of the default one specified on SOAPDrivers newmethod
paramArg = to specify the names and modes of the remote
procedures parameters. The parameter modes are input parameter,
output parameter or in out parameter.

After adding the service method to the Driver class, invoke it by passing the parameters with values.

SOAPDriver::ServiceMethod( *paramvaluesArg)

Where ServiceMethod is the name of the remote procedure, that was added using addMethod API.

The Web services client is now ready for testing. Test the client using the following command:

ruby SendEmail.rb

Just three steps are needed to develop a Web services client using SOAP4R.

Develop SOAP4R Services
SOAP4R supports the following servers:
# CGI/Fast CGI-based servers (SOAP::CGI Stub)
# Stand-alone server (SOAP::Standalone Server)

Now let's look at how to develop services using the stand-alone server. I'll develop a temperature conversion service that converts the temperature from Celsius to Fahrenheit (see Listing 2).

Develop a class called Temperature_ Conversion_Server and inherit from SOAP:: StandaloneServer, which inherits from SOAP:Server.

class Temperature_Conversion_Server
< SOAP::StandaloneServer
# declare methods
# define methods
end

Declare your service methods by overriding the methodDef method in the StandaloneServer. For example, convert_to_ Fahrenheit, which takes degrees as input parameters:

def methodDef addMethod(self,
'convert_to_Fahrenheit', 'degrees' )
end

The methodDef method is implicitly called from SOAP::Server's initialize method, which exposes one of the following two ser-vice methods.

Class Server < Devel::Application
def addMethod( receiver, methodName, *paramArg )
end

def addMethodWithNS( namespace, receiver, methodName, *paramArg )
end
end
Where
Receiver = the object which contains the methodName method.
Use "self" if the service method is in the same class
methodName = the name of the method that is called through an RPC request
paramArg = to specify the parameter names and parameter modes
namespace = in order to specify the namespace for the method.
Use this if you want different namespace for each method.

After you declare the service method, define it as:

def convert_to_Fahrenheit( degrees )
temp = (9*degrees + 160)/5
return temp
end

The StandaloneServer constructor looks like:

class StandaloneServer < Server
def initialize( appName, namespace, host = "127.0.0.1", port = 8080 )
end
appName - to specify the applications log Id paramters
namespace - Namespace parameters apply to default namespace
for all the service methods.app host to specify the server
host by default it is local host i.e "127.0.0.1",
port to specify the port number for the server ,
by default it is 8080.

Create an instance of the StandaloneServer class and start the server:

myServer = Temperature_Conversion_Server.new('ConversionServer',
'urn:ruby:conversionservice', 'localhost', 8080)
myServer.start

The temperature conversion service is now ready for testing. Start the server using the following command:

ruby ConversionServer.rb

Develop a Web service client application to test the Temperature conversion service (see Listing 3) and test the service using the command:

ruby ConversionClient.rb

In order to monitor the Web service traffic (i.e, SOAP Request and SOAP Response), run the monitor application, which is included with the XML-RPC samples.

Conclusion
It's easy to develop Web services with Ruby. SOAP4R supports logging for the client side and server side as well and supports the user-defined data types. SOAP4R provides the ability to customize the mapping between the Ruby and the SOAP Types. It has good support for SOAP Parameters like IN, OUT, INOUT, and return, and supports WSDL as well. Refer to the samples that come with SOAP4R for more information.

References
# Ruby: www.ruby-lang.org/en/
# SOAP4R: www.jin.gr.jp/~nahi/Ruby/SOAP4R