Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish.

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

This is the text of the Commencement address by Steve Jobs, CEO of Apple Computer and of Pixar Animation Studios, delivered on June 12, 2005.

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

The first story is about connecting the dots.

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

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

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

It wasn't all romantic. I didn't have a dorm room, so I slept on the floor in friends' rooms, I returned coke bottles for the 5¢ deposits to buy food with, and I would walk the 7 miles across town every Sunday night to get one good meal a week at the Hare Krishna temple. I loved it. And much of what I stumbled into by following my curiosity and intuition turned out to be priceless later on. Let me give you one example:

Reed College at that time offered perhaps the best calligraphy instruction in the country. Throughout the campus every poster, every label on every drawer, was beautifully hand calligraphed. Because I had dropped out and didn't have to take the normal classes, I decided to take a calligraphy class to learn how to do this. I learned about serif and san serif typefaces, about varying the amount of space between different letter combinations, about what makes great typography great. It was beautiful, historical, artistically subtle in a way that science can't capture, and I found it fascinating.

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

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

My second story is about love and loss.

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

I really didn't know what to do for a few months. I felt that I had let the previous generation of entrepreneurs down - that I had dropped the baton as it was being passed to me. I met with David Packard and Bob Noyce and tried to apologize for screwing up so badly. I was a very public failure, and I even thought about running away from the valley. But something slowly began to dawn on me – I still loved what I did. The turn of events at Apple had not changed that one bit. I had been rejected, but I was still in love. And so I decided to start over.

I didn't see it then, but it turned out that getting fired from Apple was the best thing that could have ever happened to me. The heaviness of being successful was replaced by the lightness of being a beginner again, less sure about everything. It freed me to enter one of the most creative periods of my life.

During the next five years, I started a company named NeXT, another company named Pixar, and fell in love with an amazing woman who would become my wife. Pixar went on to create the worlds first computer animated feature film, Toy Story, and is now the most successful animation studio in the world. In a remarkable turn of events, Apple bought NeXT, I retuned to Apple, and the technology we developed at NeXT is at the heart of Apple's current renaissance. And Laurene and I have a wonderful family together.

I'm pretty sure none of this would have happened if I hadn't been fired from Apple. It was awful tasting medicine, but I guess the patient needed it. Sometimes life hits you in the head with a brick. Don't lose faith. I'm convinced that the only thing that kept me going was that I loved what I did. You've got to find what you love. And that is as true for your work as it is for your lovers. Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven't found it yet, keep looking. Don't settle. As with all matters of the heart, you'll know when you find it. And, like any great relationship, it just gets better and better as the years roll on. So keep looking until you find it. Don't settle.

My third story is about death.

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

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

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

I lived with that diagnosis all day. Later that evening I had a biopsy, where they stuck an endoscope down my throat, through my stomach and into my intestines, put a needle into my pancreas and got a few cells from the tumor. I was sedated, but my wife, who was there, told me that when they viewed the cells under a microscope the doctors started crying because it turned out to be a very rare form of pancreatic cancer that is curable with surgery. I had the surgery and I'm fine now.

This was the closest I've been to facing death, and I hope its the closest I get for a few more decades. Having lived through it, I can now say this to you with a bit more certainty than when death was a useful but purely intellectual concept:

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

Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma - which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of other's opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.

When I was young, there was an amazing publication called The Whole Earth Catalog, which was one of the bibles of my generation. It was created by a fellow named Stewart Brand not far from here in Menlo Park, and he brought it to life with his poetic touch. This was in the late 1960's, before personal computers and desktop publishing, so it was all made with typewriters, scissors, and polaroid cameras. It was sort of like Google in paperback form, 35 years before Google came along: it was idealistic, and overflowing with neat tools and great notions.

Stewart and his team put out several issues of The Whole Earth Catalog, and then when it had run its course, they put out a final issue. It was the mid-1970s, and I was your age. On the back cover of their final issue was a photograph of an early morning country road, the kind you might find yourself hitchhiking on if you were so adventurous. Beneath it were the words: "Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish." It was their farewell message as they signed off. Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish. And I have always wished that for myself. And now, as you graduate to begin anew, I wish that for you.

Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish.

Thank you all very much.

2005 Monaco Grand Prix – The Grid Positions

2005 Monaco Grand Prix – Grid Positions

1 Kimi Räikkönen McLaren-Mercedes

2 Fernando Alonso Renault

3 Mark Webber Williams-BMW

4 Giancarlo Fisichella Renault

5 Jarno Trulli Toyota

6 Nick Heidfeld Williams-BMW

7 David Coulthard Red Bull Racing

8 Michael Schumacher Ferrari

9 Jacques Villeneuve Sauber-Petronas

10 Rubens Barrichello Ferrari

11 Felipe Massa Sauber-Petronas

12 Vitantonio Liuzzi Red Bull Racing

13 Patrick Friesacher Minardi-Cosworth

14 Christijan Albers Minardi-Cosworth

15 Tiago Monteiro Jordan-Toyota

16 Narain Karthikeyan Jordan-Toyota

17 Ralf Schumacher Toyota

18 Juan Pablo Montoya McLaren-Mercedes

Is GMail down?

I seem to be having problems connecting to gmail, the web interface as well as the pop and smtp servers (can connect to both but very irregularly)

Wutz up with gmail?

This is the fir time, that I've ever had trouble using a google service - I distinctly remember the only time I had trouble earlier was when a worm was using google servers to spread itself.

BAR banned for two races

The Honda-backed BAR team were yesterday banned from the next two Formula One races on Thursday after breaking weight and fuel regulations at the San Marino Grand Prix.

They will miss Sunday's Spanish Grand Prix in Barcelona and Monaco.

Button has also lost the six points awarded to him in the previous race!

The punishment might sound too harsh keeping in view that rules in F1 are not so strictly enforced as in other sports but certainly will go a long way in detering such instances. (not so sure though)

Back to the race this Sunday, it's good news for McLaren and even Ferrari that they can use to their advantage by climbing in the points tally in the charts and Button won't certainly be as focused in the next race after comes back, let the good times roll for them.

Compared to last year, it's certainly is a new-year start that BAR would gladly forget.

Spain - Pole Position at F1?

Polling begins in Britain

Today's D Day when Tony Blair's future for the next four years will be decided, whether he stays in Number 10 or moves our will be clear after midnight.

A PTI press release:

London, May 5 (PTI): Polling began on a dull note in 645 Parliamentary constituencies in Britain today with four latest opinion polls projecting a historic third term victory for Prime Minister Tony Blair and his Labour party.
Of the 44,180,243 registered voters, a record six million people have opted to cast their vote by post.
The election has been postponed in one constituency, Staffordshire South, following the death of one of the candidates.
Along with voting in 645 Parliamentary constituencies, elections will take place in 34 county councils and three unitary authorities. There are also four mayoral contests.
Voting will take place from 07:00 am (11:30 hrs IST) to 10:00 pm (02:30 IST) and counting of votes will take place immediately thereafter.
In the 2001 General Elections, Labour had romped home with 412 seats, Conservative 166 and Liberal Democrat 52.
Four opinion polls published in national newspapers today gave Labour leads of between 3 and 6 per cent over the Conservatives. But Blair was determined to ensure that Labour supporters did not take his victory for granted insisting today's election would be a close contest.
"This thing is tight and it is tough and we have got to fight for every vote," he told his supporters last night. "There's no majority assumed at all at the moment," he added.

Indian Cabinet Clears 11 bills

The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved 11 Bills for introduction in the remaining period of the current session of Parliament. They include those relating to right to information, amendments to the Banking Regulation Act and the Reserve Bank of India Act and abolition of cess on export of agricultural products.
The package comprises legislation for special economic zones, development of small and medium-scale enterprises and amendment to the Bill relating to regulation of credit information companies. The remaining proposals relate to prohibition of weapons of mass destruction and their delivery systems and disaster management.
Union Minister Jaipal Reddy said the Cabinet also cleared a Bill to amend taxation laws to provide for differentiation between fiscal and non-fiscal matter. The present legislation was too cluttered. On the legislation on right to information, he said the Bill was an amendment to the Bill introduced last year on the basis of the recommendations of the parliamentary standing committee and the Group of Ministers, which subsequently went into it. It would seek to vest comprehensive rights on people to provide for total transparency in public administration.
Information commissions
The Cabinet cleared the setting up of information commissions in States and Union Territories. In the States, the commission would be headed by a State Chief Information Commissioner (SCICs) and assisted by State Information Commissioners (SICs). While the number of SICs would be decided as per the functional needs of each State, they would not exceed 10. The expenditure involved in the creation of the posts of SCICs and SICs is estimated to be Rs. 65 crores per year. In addition, funds would be provided for accommodation and other amenities.
On the legislation for special economic zones, he said the Bill would contain income tax concessions for both SEZ units and SEZ developers. The units would be eligible for 100 per cent tax exemption for five years, 50 per cent for the next five years and 50 per cent of the ploughed back export profits for the next five years.

Is this good news for exporters or what? :)) Seems like continuation of the Government's support for organizations in the SEZ's

The developers will continue to get 100 per cent tax exemption for 10 years in a block period of 15 years. The legislation would provide for a single-window clearance and approval mechanism for the establishment of SEZs as well as production units inside the zones.
The Weapons of Mass Destruction and their Delivery Systems (Prohibition of Unlawful Activities) Bill would provide a firm legislative basis to the country's commitment at the highest level to prevent weapons of mass destruction and fulfil the nation's obligations pursuant to the U.N. Security Council Resolution 1540.
Updated dual-use export controls may also facilitate better access to advanced dual-purpose technologies.
As regards the abolition of cess on export of agricultural products, the Government proposed to repeal the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority Cess Act and the Spices Cess Act and make suitable amendments to the Tobacco Cess Act, the Coffee Act and the Marine Products Export Development Authority Act.

CARTOSAT-1 Launch Successfull

Following up to my previous web log on CARTOSAT-1 launch yesterday (that I wrote before the launch) I'm very happy that the launch has now gone through and has been launched successfully.

a press release on the web:

The CARTOSAT-1 remote sensing satellite, which was successfully launched on Thursday, is expected to play a crucial role in several applications and will give a fillip to Indian remote sensing services with its high resolution images.
India has established the National Natural Resources Management System for which the Department of Space is the nodal agency.
The Indian remote sensing satellites form an important element of NNRMS for providing continuous data services for the management of natural resources.
A series of IRS satellites has been launched by India starting with IRS-1A in March 1988. There are six remote sensing satellites in service at present.
The data provided by IRS satellites is utilised for several applications, including land use/cover mapping for agro-climatic zones planning, wasteland mapping, forest cover mapping, wetland mapping, crop acreage and production estimation and coastal zone regulation mapping.
With high resolution imageries of CARTOSAT-1, with a spatial resolution of 2.5 metre, cadastral level applications will receive further impetus.
CARTOSAT-1 will be followed by CARTOSAT-2, which will have a spatial resolution of about one metre.
ISRO is also in the process of developing a Radar Imaging Satellite which will carry a C-band Synthetic Aperture Radar with a spatial resolution of 3 to 50 metre and a swath of 10 km to 240 km. SIAT is slated for launch by 2007.
With all weather remote sensing capability, RISAT is expected to enhance remote sensing applications in the areas of agriculture and disaster management.

Slashdot | India Launches World's First Stereo Imaging Satellite

Slashdot | India Launches World's First Stereo Imaging Satellite


A pretty informative comment (Alas, I didn't have any mod points to mod up the poster)

Since you asked for a clarification.... (Score:5, Insightful)
by GillBates0 (664202) on Wednesday May 04, @04:29PM (#12435117)
(http://slashdot.org/~GillBates0 | Last Journal: Tuesday March 22, @06:42PM)
I know it's all hep and stylish to bash India as a "third world country" nowadays, because many Americans perceive "offshoring" our "outsourcing" as a mean scheme by Indians to "steal aar jaabs", but I would like to mention a few things:
1. The Indian economy [wikipedia.org] happens to be the 12th largest in terms of GDP and 4th largest when adjusted for PPP (Purchasing Power Parity [wikipedia.org]). I quote from the Wikipedia article:

With a GDP of 568 billion (B$) ($3.096 trillion (T$) at PPP) India has the world's 12th largest economy (and the 4th largest when adjusted for PPP). However, the large population means that per capita income is quite low. In 2003 the World Bank ranked India 143rd in PPP per capita income and 160th in real terms, among 208 countries and territories.

2. India has (through the Indian Space Research Organization [isro.org]) pursued a pretty widespread (and largely non-military space program) since the 60's. From this relevant Wikipedia article: [wikipedia.org]

# 1962: Indian National Committee for Space Research (INCOSPAR); formed by the Department of Atomic Energy, and work on establishing Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launching Station (TERLS) near Trivandrum began.
# 1963: First sounding rocket launched from TERLS (November 21, 1963).
# 1965: Space Science & Technology Centre (SSTC) established in Thumba.
# 1967: Satellite Telecommunication Earth Station set up at Ahmedabad.
# 1972: Space Commission and Department of Space set up.
# 1975: First Indian Satellite, Aryabhatta, launched (April 19, 1975).


It's also fruitful to note that India was a British colony till 1947. IMHO, starting a space program in about 1.5 decades after gaining independence is a laudable achievement. The major problem which India faces today is it's large population, which pretty much negates all the economic advances, and causes it's perception as a "thirld world country" to continue.

It is also worth noting that India seems to be spending substantial amounts of money to improve it's people's lot and advancing education, science and research, rather than spending it instead on aggressive military tactics, which seems to be the trend nowadays. If you read up the history of the nation, you'll see that it's one of the few countries that has never pursued invasion/colonialism, and has instead been frequently invaded by conquerers (Mughals, British, etc) who looted the wealth of a formerly rich region and left it in a state that it's trying to dig itself out of now.

PS: Posted this because I perceived a derogatory slant in the Parent's use of the term "third world country". I find the practice of using wealth to rank nations (especially so when used to diss poor nations) quite abnoxious. I have nothing against using the term in a scientific/neutral sense.

SAP and Microsoft Announce First Joint Product Designed To Revolutionize How Information Workers Access Enterprise Applications

Press release from SAP/Microsoft about Mendocino.

New Product, Code-Named 'Mendocino,' Will Present SAP Processes and Data Within Familiar, Easy-to-Use Microsoft Office Software COPENHAGEN, Denmark, April 26 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- SAP AG and Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ: MSFT) today announced they are jointly developing and planning to offer a new product, code-named "Mendocino," that will help companies gain a competitive advantage by revolutionizing the way information workers access, analyze and use enterprise data to make better business decisions. "Mendocino" will link SAP process functionality directly to Microsoft(R) Office applications. Users of this product, the first to be developed jointly between SAP and Microsoft, will enjoy the familiarity of Microsoft Office as they access SAP's best-practice business processes and information. The announcement was made at SAPPHIRE(R) '05, SAP's international customer conference being held in Copenhagen, Denmark, April 26-28.
(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20000822/MSFTLOGO )
With "Mendocino," SAP and Microsoft aim to drive enhanced efficiency for information workers who rely on Microsoft Office as their primary work environment. "Mendocino" will tie together Microsoft Office and SAP enterprise software, giving customers greater visibility and use of business information from their desktop. "Mendocino" will help people avoid wasted time and effort searching for critical corporate information, diminish costly duplication of efforts, and limit the need for specific training on disparate systems. "Mendocino" also stands to maximize the value that customers derive from their existing investments in Microsoft Office and mySAP(TM) Enterprise Resource Planning (mySAP ERP).
As part of this expanded partnership, SAP and Microsoft have agreed to each resell the complete solution, meaning SAP will resell Microsoft Office and Microsoft will resell licenses to SAP's business process platform, which will deliver ready-to-run business processes accessible as enterprise services. Available in 2006, the business process platform will serve as the foundation for the creation and deployment of composite applications such as "Mendocino."
The new product is slated for availability to select customers for early access in the third quarter of calendar year 2005. "Mendocino" is designed to integrate SAP processes, such as time management, budget monitoring, organizational management, and travel and expense management, directly into Microsoft Office. For example, with the new product, information workers will be able to utilize extended application menus and select process options and information in the SAP-specific smart panel, synchronize information between Microsoft Exchange Server and SAP, retrieve SAP information in Microsoft Excel, and submit data via Microsoft Office InfoPath(R) forms.
Siemens VDO, a leading global supplier to the automotive industry, is planning to roll out "Mendocino" to take advantage of its time-management capabilities. The company expects that the integration of Microsoft Office technologies such as Microsoft Outlook(R) with SAP's ERP platform will help its employees track and manage their time, while giving supervisors access to complete and accurate employee information to produce timely billings and maintain tight budget control.
"With this new offering, 'Mendocino,' we plan to extend the rich and productive environment of SAP best-practice business processes across our work force," said Jean-Claude Viguier, director, Corporate IT Strategy and Business Process Architecture, Siemens VDO. "As a result, systems once accessed by a handful of SAP power users will be available to thousands of employees who are familiar with the Microsoft Office environment. Since the Microsoft Office interface is intuitive, the rollout of new capabilities will require no training, have a high user acceptance rate, and quickly boost productivity across the organization."
Harnessing Web Services and Services-Oriented Architecture to Ease Integration
Delivering on their ongoing commitment to Web services as the foundation for the next generation of enterprise software, this joint product builds on the companies' existing product interoperability efforts and global alliance. "Mendocino" takes advantage of the openness of Enterprise Services Architecture (ESA), SAP's blueprint for services-oriented architecture; the Microsoft Office System; and the Web services power of Microsoft .NET to seamlessly integrate the two companies' technologies. It delivers on SAP's vision for a flexible IT infrastructure, powered by SAP NetWeaver(TM), to provide end users with great flexibility in the ways they access SAP(R) solutions. And it continues to build on Microsoft's commitment to extend the capabilities of the Microsoft Office System of programs, servers and services to increase individual and organizational productivity and expand partner opportunities for innovation and business growth.
"Today it's too difficult for information workers to access the business information they need to make effective and efficient decisions," said Jeff Raikes, group vice president for the Information Worker Business at Microsoft. "This product will go far to address this issue. 'Mendocino' allows us to deliver more value to the many customers who use Microsoft and SAP products today, and promises to put the power of enterprise systems at the fingertips of every information worker."
"The creation of this powerful new joint product builds on SAP's 15-year strategic relationship with Microsoft," said Shai Agassi, president of the Product and Technology Group and member of the Executive Board, SAP. "Together we are working to improve and simplify the knowledge worker experience by extending SAP business processes through Microsoft Office."
Microsoft and SAP have been working together to deliver enterprise business value to customers for more than a decade. More than 46,000 SAP installations run on Microsoft Windows(R) -- more than on all other platforms combined. Almost two-thirds of all new SAP installations are deployed on Microsoft Windows. Additional information on "Mendocino" is available at http://www.sap.com/mendocino .
About SAP
SAP is the world's leading provider of business software solutions.* Today, more than 27,000 customers in over 120 countries run more than 91,500 installations of SAP(R) software-from distinct solutions addressing the needs of small and midsize businesses to enterprise-scale suite solutions for global organizations. Powered by the SAP NetWeaver(TM) platform to drive innovation and enable business change, mySAP(TM) Business Suite solutions are helping enterprises around the world improve customer relationships, enhance partner collaboration and create efficiencies across their supply chains and business operations. SAP industry solutions support the unique business processes of more than 25 industry segments, including high tech, retail, public sector and financial services. With subsidiaries in more than 50 countries, the company is listed on several exchanges, including the Frankfurt stock exchange and NYSE under the symbol "SAP." (Additional information at http://www.sap.com/ .)
About Microsoft
Founded in 1975, Microsoft is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential.
* SAP defines business software solutions as comprising enterprise resource planning and related software solutions such as supply chain management, customer relationship management, product life-cycle management and supplier relationship management.
Any statements contained in this document that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements as defined in the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Words such as "anticipate," "believe," "estimate," "expect," "forecast," "intend," "may," "plan," "project," "predict," "should" and "will" and similar expressions as they relate to SAP are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. SAP undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements are subject to various risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from expectations. The factors that could affect SAP's future financial results are discussed more fully in SAP's filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"), including SAP's most recent Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the SEC. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of their dates.
NOTE: Microsoft, InfoPath, Outlook and Windows are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corp. in the United States and/or other countries.
SAP, R/3, mySAP, mySAP.com, xApps, xApp, SAP NetWeaver and other SAP products and services mentioned herein as well as their respective logos are trademarks or registered trademarks of SAP AG in Germany and in several other countries all over the world. All other product and service names mentioned are the trademarks of their respective companies. Data contained in this document serve informational purposes only. National product specifications may vary.
The names of actual companies and products mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners.
For customers interested in learning more about SAP products:
Global Customer Center: +49 180 534-34-24
United States Only: 800-872-1SAP (872-1727)
To speak with press contacts on site during SAPPHIRE (April 26-28): Call the SAP press room at 610-661-3200, press@sap.com, EDT.
CONTACT: Lindsey Held, +1-650-823-7030, or lindsey.held@sap.com, PDT, orSAP Press Office, +1-610-661-3200, or press@sap.com, EDT, both of SAP AG; orRegan Erskine, +1-425-638-7000, or regane@wagged.com, or Rapid Response Team,+1-503-443-7070, or rrt@wagged.com, both of Waggener Edstrom, for MicrosoftCorp.
Web site: http://www.microsoft.com/

Oracle Corp. vs. SAP AG

Does anyone reckon Oracle actually surpassing SAP in business software!?! [eyes wide open]

says the press releases floating around the net today:

"Oracle Corp. aims to unseat SAP AG as Asia's top business software provider, aided by increased outsourcing to the region and its acquisition of PeopleSoft, a senior company official said on Wednesday."
Oracle's four-pronged strategy to surpass SAP revolves around targeting under-penetrated industries, captitalising on demand for an integrated information architecture, capturing the mid-market opportunity and delivering on promise for Project Fusion, the company said.
Project Fusion -- code-name for Oracle's next generation applications, integration and architecture solutions -- is scheduled for release in 2008, the company said.

Thanks, but No, thanks, I'll stick with Netweaver.

another one quotes:

India is a dominant force in outsourced services in back-office work, call centre operations and software coding, all of which involve managing large armies of talented workers, while China is key for manufacturing which involves component supplies.
Mark Gibbs, senior vice-president at Oracle's Asia-Pacific unit, told reporters in Bangalore that after the PeopleSoft buyout, Oracle had become the leader in supply chain and human resource software, which are critical in outsourcing.
"Because we have market leadership in this space, companies (in the region) are talking to us," Gibbs said.
Germany's SAP is the world's No.1 in business software, but U.S.-based Oracle is challenging it by shopping for buyouts.
Oracle, after the PeopleSoft acquisition, has a 11 per cent market share in Asia-Pacific, way behind SAP's 20 per cent in the region, but Gibbs said increased Western outsourcing to India and China would drive demand.
"We are literally nipping at SAP's heels in the ERP (enterprise resource planning) market in the Asia-Pacific...," he said in a statement.
Oracle on Tuesday announced it would acquire PeopleSoft software centres based in India from Hexaware Technologies and Covansys Corp., an Indo-U.S. company.
Gibbs declined to give details on the acquisitions but said they signalled continued Oracle support for the products of PeopleSoft, whose acquisition would be completed in June.

Also:

Oracle Asia Pacific today announced plans to leverage its newly gained market share in the enterprise applications market to take over the number one spot in Asia Pacific.
Mr Mark Gibbs, Senior Oracle Vice President Applications and Industries for Asia Pacific said, "Our reported applications growth in the last year for Asia Pacific had been at least double that of SAP's reported 2004 growth. Following the acquisition of P eopleSoft, Oracle has an unbeatable combination of critical mass and momentum."
He said the combined market presence of Oracle and PeopleSoft included more than 50,000 employees and 23,000 application customers worldwide. In Asia Pacific alone, Oracle served more than 3,500 application customers. The regional growth for Oracle for t he first three quarters of last fiscal was 24 per cent in new applications licence revenue, he added.
Oracle Asia Pacific had drawn up a four-pronged strategy to spur its growth in the region. Firstly, it aimed at targeting under penetrated industries such as communication, public sector and financial services and media and entertainment. It remained hig hly competitive across all other industry sectors and had significantly extended its global position in automotive, industrial, retail, manufacturing, professional services and healthcare.
Mr Gibbs said the company aimed at capitalising on demand for an integrated information architecture, which greatly reduced IT complexity and produced a single integrated source of truth for organisations to manage customers, products and suppliers.
It also aimed at capturing mid-market opportunity and deliver on promise for project fusion, Oracle's next generation application, integration and architecture solution which was scheduled for release in 2008.

'Mendocino' approach by SAP

News update:

Microsoft Corp. and SAP are jointly developing a new product, code-named 'Mendocino,' that will link together their widely used business software programs, the companies said on Tuesday.
Mendocino will tie together Microsoft's Office application and SAP's wider-ranging business software, which the companies said would save customers time and training costs.
The joint project is the first fruit of an agreement forged almost a year ago between the U.S. and German software giants.
The companies said last year they were responding to customer demands by making Microsoft applications -- chiefly desktop and departmental-level software -- work smoothly with SAP's organisation-wide business-planning oriented products.
As part of this partnership, SAP and Microsoft have each agreed to resell the complete product, meaning SAP will resell Microsoft Office and Microsoft will resell licences to SAP's business software.
The companies said the product would be available in 2006, with select customers getting access in the fourth quarter of this year.

SharePlex for Oracle - Overview

SharePlex for Oracle - Overview
http://www.quest.com/shareplex_architecture/

Nokia Versus Apple

A pretty comprehensive mini-review of the new Nokia Phones... mmm, gotta get these soon

TrustedReviews - The UK's Premier Source for IT Reviews & News: "Nokia Squares Up To iPod"

A mate of mine forwarded this sometime ago:
I usually do not put up anything on political/geographical or religious lines but this seems innocuous enough.

=================================

• BIRTH & beginning of Hinduism took place in Sind, along Sindhu river, prior to 8,000 BC.
• It was a man from Sind who first uttered the auspicious 'OM' Mantra, and devised the salutation of NAMASTE, (to highlight 'TAT TVAM ASI' - THAT THOU ART - or to acknowledge that ôthere is God in you, and to Him and to you we salute).
• Similarly, the 'SWASTIKA' seal & symbol was originated in Sind to spread the message of 'Daya, Dana & Dharma' (Later, after the Aryan migration to Europe, 'SWASTIKA' came to be adopted in Europe, initially for auspicious purposes, though in the modern era, in the Nazi period, it was used for inauspicious, corrupt practices and racial hatred).
• It was SINDHIS from SIND who discovered the routes to Ganga, Dravidian, Bangla, and other regions in 5,000 BC; and civilizations of all these regions, then, came under spiritual guidance of SIND, in a spirit of equality and mutual respect. All these regions joined together to form Bharat Varsha.
• It was a Sindhi - he was known as Sindhu Putra who, 7,000 years ago, was acknowledged as MAHAPATI in GANGA region to indicate his spiritual supremacy over GANGAPATI (ruler of GANGA region). Sindhu Putra was also recognized as the PERIYAR (Supreme authority) in Dravidian regions. Everywhere else too, he was honored, with highest titles and respectful submission.
• The ancient name of Bharat Varsha was given to India to honor the memory of Bharat who was the 19th Karkarta (supreme chief) of the Hindu clan in Sind in 5000 BC, long after he retired as a hermit at the age of sixty.
• Sind had profound influence on RIG VEDA, doctrines of KARMA; MOKSHA, AHIMSA & DHARMA; and also on the pre-ancient roots and lofty ideals of Sanatana Dharma.
• NOTE: Rig Veda, the first and foremost of our Vedas (and the worldÆs most ancient literature), hardly mentions Ganga and Yamuna rivers. Only one late hymn mentions Ganga. For Rig Vedic poets, the river par excellence was Sindhu, mentioned repeatedly, respectfully and glowingly, in Rig-Veda. (This, as 'Return of the Aryans' explains, is said not in arrogance, for Sindhis worship Ganga, but the fact is that the earliest songs of Hindus were naturally about their home-ground which began with the Sind region, as the birth-place of Hinduism).
• It was along Sindhu river, that the worldÆs first written language or the script was evolved. They called it 'the language that can be seen'. Sindhi is today written in the wrong way - in Arabic script. But it is Sanskritic. 72 percent of its words were Sanskritic - till 1947. Since 1947, its Sanskritic content is being eroded by inclusion of Urdu, Persian and Arabic words.
• Sind was one of the major home-grounds and cradle-grounds of Aryans when they left India in 5000 BC, and returned back to their home-town and heritage of Sind. The exploits and adventures of Aryans of Sind can fill a thousand volumes. Unfortunately, the way our history is written, they occupy only a tiny place in our national memory.
  

=================================

alternate planet in an alternate time | pictures | My Photo Albums

Been updating the site these days, small things - font/size changes, and also have uploaded a few more photographs to my photo albums - my new album is called - me n my car - see me at my place in staines and with my Vauxhall Vectra

alternate planet in an alternate time | pictures | My Photo Albums

STARTING grid for the Bahrain Grand Prix - in a few minutes from now....

STARTING grid for the Bahrain Grand Prix - in a few minutes from now....

with Ferrari in their new car...

1st row:
1. Fernando Alonso (SPA) Renault 3:01.902 (1:29.848+1:32.054), 2. Michael Schumacher (GER) Ferrari 3:02.357 (1:30.237+1:32.120)
2nd row:
3. Jarno Trulli (ITA) Toyota 3:02.660 (1:29.993+1:32.667), 4. Nick Heidfeld (GER) Williams-BMW 3:03.217 (1:30.390+1:32.827)
3rd row:
5. Mark Webber (AUS) Williams-BMW 3:03.262 (1:30.592+1:32.670), 6. Ralf Schumacher (GER) Toyota 3:03.271 (1:30.952+1:32.319)
4th row:
7. Christian Klien (AUT) Red Bull 3:03.369 (1:30.646+1:32.723), 8. Pedro de la Rosa (SPA) McLaren-Mercedes 3:03.373 (1:30.725+1:32.648)
5th row:
9. Kimi Raikkonen (FIN) McLaren-Mercedes 3:03.524 (1:30.594+1:32.930), 10. Giancarlo Fisichella (ITA) Renault 3:03.765 (1:30.445+1:33.320)
6th row:
11. Jenson Button (GBR) BAR-Honda 3:04.348 (1:30.957+1:33.391), 12. Felipe Massa (BRA) Sauber-Petronas 3:05.202 (1:30.933+1:34.269)
7th row:
13. Takuma Sato (JPN) BAR-Honda 3:05.563 (1:31.113+1:34.450), 14. David Coulthard (GBR) Red Bull 3:05.844 (1:31.211+1:34.633)
8th row:
15. Rubens Barrichello (BRA) Ferrari 3:07.693 (1:31.826+1:35.867), 16. Jacques Villeneuve (CAN) Sauber-Petronas 3:07.983 (1:32.318+1:35.665)
9th row:
17. Tiago Monteiro (POR) Jordan 3:09.428 (1:33.424+1:36.004), 18. Narain Karthikeyan (IND) Jordan 3:10.143 (1:33.190+1:36.953)
10th row:
19. Christijan Albers (NED) Minardi 3:10.422 (1:34.005+1:36.417), 20. Patrick Friesacher (AUT) Minardi 3:11.261 (1:34.848+1:36.413)

Slashdot | Web Design Hampers Mobile Internet?

Slashdot Web Design Hampers Mobile Internet?

Web Design Hampers Mobile Internet?


Posted by CmdrTaco on Wednesday March 23, @01:01PM
from the yin-and-yang-of-the-net dept.
aws910 writes "Reuters is running an article on how flashy web design is impacting the usability of internet-enabled mobile devices, with quotes from Tim Berners-Lee. Although the article is sparse on details, it is an interesting topic for discussion. Having recently bought an internet-enabled cellphone, I can honestly say that most websites are painful to view on a 240x320 screen over a GPRS connection(EVDO is expensive/US-only). Have we moved away from 56K-modem-oriented design, only to be pulled back in that direction?"

Not mine, mate. It can be viewed almost anywhere on any kind of internet connection, even a 14.4kbps connection or maybe even on a 9600bps connection without a long delay. It's a low-bandwidth intensive site. I've strived to get the viewpoint presented above and discussed with reference to the article to previous 'clients' (i'm not a pro web developer) to develop non-browser dependent webpages (ones that don't need "best viewed with ie" messages) and non-flash pages coz i reckon you can get the same sort of effect to visitors and get your view-point across without using a lot of flash (or even any flash!) - except maybe where it is definitely required (i.e.: educational or flash games sites)

anyways... this has been a long term debate between people like me and flash programmers, i guess it will always continue... a few good points in the discussion if you're interested to read.

1 year on... Still going strong

alternateplanet.net is into it's second year now!!! :)

Yes, yesterday was when I finished a year owning, tending, maintaining the site and I'm happy to say, we're still going strong, I have been constantly if not, very frequently adding information onto the site about SAP BASIS related activities and blogging my interests.

Stats:

• More than 2400 unique visitors in the first year with more than 8000 page loads, not a major figure but constant traffic with a good number of returning visitors.

To DO:

• More frequent updates in the future.
• Adding a forum for conversing/ discussing issues with like minded people, people in the same trade.
• Creating platform for contact on a commercial basis/for contracts/ job related forums communication between hiring agencies and candidates.
• Add more updates on unix/windows platforms and oracle/ms-sql/db2 platforms.
• Involve more interaction from the BASIS Admin / management community.

Pretty arduous list ... long way to go... but we're on course...

three cheers to alternateplanet.net

let the alternate be the mainstream!!!

- tarun

Bulla - Rabbi Shergill lyrics and english translation

Made me come back, to blogging.

I've been thinking for weeks to post a lot of things but then go back to life minus the blog and then forget about updating the blog here until I come back to another interesting topic/point/view that I'd like to share.

Well, this makes me come back to blogging after a long long time. I'd seen/heard Rabbi Shergill's video when I visited India recently and instantly loved it, the Bryan Adams -ish style was what made the video special and the lyrics and sound is just amazing! Shergill instantly gets you into nostalgic mode (all the rock music lovers out there) to a time when Rock was Rock and music was pure and videos were about the lyrics and the artist rather than nude gyrating ladies.

I'd go on ranting but here are the lyrics of Bulla ki jaana maen koun

Na maen momin vich maseet aan Na maen vich kufar diyan reet aan Na maen paakaan vich paleet aan Na maen moosa na pharaun. Bulleh! ki jaana maen kaun Na maen andar ved kitaab aan, Na vich bhangaan na sharaab aan Na vich rindaan masat kharaab aan Na vich jaagan na vich saun. Bulleh! ki jaana maen kaun. Na vich shaadi na ghamnaaki Na maen vich paleeti paaki Na maen aabi na maen khaki Na maen aatish na maen paun Bulleh!, ki jaana maen kaun Na maen arabi na lahori Na maen hindi shehar nagauri Na hindu na turak peshawri Na maen rehnda vich nadaun Bulla, ki jaana maen kaun Na maen bheth mazhab da paaya Ne maen aadam havva jaaya Na maen apna naam dharaaya Na vich baitthan na vich bhaun Bulleh , ki jaana maen kaun Avval aakhir aap nu jaana Na koi dooja hor pehchaana Maethon hor na koi siyaana Bulla! ooh khadda hai kaun Bulla, ki jaana maen kaun

Not a believer inside the mosque, am I Nor a pagan disciple of false rites Not the pure amongst the impure Neither Moses, nor the Pharoh Bulleh! to me, I am not known Not in the holy Vedas, am I Nor in opium, neither in wine Not in the drunkard`s craze Niether awake, nor in a sleeping daze Bulleh! to me, I am not known In happiness nor in sorrow, am I Neither clean, nor a filthy mire Not from water, nor from earth Neither fire, nor from air, is my birth Bulleh! to me, I am not known Not an Arab, nor Lahori Neither Hindi, nor Nagauri Hindu, Turk (Muslim), nor Peshawari Nor do I live in Nadaun Bulleh! to me, I am not known Secrets of religion, I have not known From Adam and Eve, I am not born I am not the name I assume Not in stillness, nor on the move Bulleh! to me, I am not known I am the first, I am the last None other, have I ever known I am the wisest of them all Bulleh! do I stand alone? Bulleh! to me, I am not known

"Bulla ki jaana" - orginally sung by Baba Bulleh Shah, new rendition by Rabbi Shergill

The lyrics are from another site that I'd googled earlier in the day.

nJOY!!!

Interesting Grid Positions... the importance will be revealed tomorrow.

: "2004 F1 World Championship
Round 15 - Italy
QUALIFYING POSITIONS
1Rubens Barrichello
(Ferrari)1m 20.089s
2Juan Pablo Montoya
(Williams-BMW)1m 20.620s
3Michael Schumacher
(Ferrari)1m 20.637s
4Fernando Alonso
(Renault)1m 20.645s
5Takuma Sato
(BAR-Honda)1m 20.715s
6Jenson Button
(BAR-Honda)1m 20.786s
7Kimi Raikkonen
(McLaren-Mercedes)1m 20.877s
8Antonio Pizzonia
(Williams-BMW)1m 20.888s
9Jarno Trulli
(Renault)1m 21.027s
10David Coulthard
(McLaren-Mercedes)1m 21.049s
11Ricardo Zonta
(Toyota)1m 21.520s
12Mark Webber
(Jaguar-Cosworth)1m 21.602s
13Olivier Panis
(Toyota)1m 21.841s
14Christian Klien
(Jaguar-Cosworth)1m 21.989s
15Giancarlo Fisichella
(Sauber-Petronas)1m 22.239s
16Felipe Massa
(Sauber-Petronas)1m 22.287s
17Nick Heidfeld
(Jordan-Ford)1m 22.301s
18Giorgio Pantano
(Jordan-Ford)1m 23.239s
19Zsolt Baumgartner
(Minardi-Cosworth)1m 24.808s
20Gianmaria Bruni
(Minardi-Cosworth)1m 24.940s"

25/07/2004 - 2004 German Grand Prix

The race is on and Michael Schumacher is leading the pack by 14 seconds!

Starting on pole Michael has made the most of his position and is a light year ahead of Alonso.

Third is Coulthard after Kimi's retirement followed by surprise, surprise! Jenson Button, starting at 12 and jumping this high certainly puts him up for a podium position.

As I was writing this Schumi is 15 seconds ahead - and well on his way to a third win at the Hockenheim circuit.

Formula One: What The Papers Had To Say…

One of the best articles on the web about the race yesterday; link'ed below and text copied under it.

Formula One news, fun, results and features from Planet-F1.com

What The Papers Had To Say…
Monday July 12 2004
Prior to the British GP it looked like local boy Jenson Button or Kimi Raikkonen could be in with a chance of grabbing victory at Silverstone, but on race day, it once again turned into the Schumi and Ferrari show. Here's what the papers had to say…


Email Us Chat Forum
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'From pole position Raikkonen took off as if he was running on fuel vapour only, building a three-and-a-half-second lead by the end of the opening lap...Schumacher watched all this from fourth place initially, content to bide his time and doubtless chuckling into his helmet. He knew that he was on a two-stop strategy and that he could stay close enough when it mattered, and after his rivals headed for the pits for their first of three stops, he took the lead and stayed out on track until lap 15.

'Even at this early stage it was clear that the race, as such, was over. As Button began a slow fade out of contention, Raikkonen kept up the pressure, with Barrichello hounding him. And as the revised McLaren's new fuel load was depleted the Finn drew closer again to Schumacher. It was clear, however, that the Ferrari would be able to go longer before refuelling.

'Four stops in France; two in Britain. Frankly, Ferrari could have sent him into Towcester for a Big Mac and fries for the crew, and he'd still have won.' - The Independent.

'The fans who had flocked to Silverstone wanted a Jenson Button victory.

'But they came away satisfied having witnessed Michael Schumacher, the greatest racer on earth, at his ultimate best.

'The Ferrari superstar has been accused of making the sport boring. But the excitement comes from seeing him win under any situation.

'One British journalist is hoping Schumacher remains invincible because he wrote earlier in the season he would run round Silverstone naked if McLaren won a race this year. Dennis said: “I expect him to keep his word.”

'The naked truth is that Schumacher’s current form may just spare the hack’s blushes.' - The Sun.

'Formula one is a world of disguise and deception. For these people concealing the truth is a way of life. Most of them are so steeped in the habit that you cannot even get a straight answer to a question about what they had for breakfast, never mind their race strategy. And even by the general standards of the sport, Schumacher has always been a master of the
straight face and the deflecting response. He was at his best at Silverstone yesterday, in more than one sense.

'France a week earlier he had stupefied the opposition by stopping four times and winning. Yesterday it looked as though he and Ross Brawn, Ferrari's technical director, had achieved such strategic mastery that they could play games with their opponents' expectations.' - The Guardian.

'But amid the shambles of political infighting and incompetent rule-making that Formula One is becoming, the crushing dominance of the world champion has become another symbol of the malaise that grips the sport.

'When it gets to the point where Schumacher is spinning his Ferrari on purpose to slow himself down - as he did in pre-qualifying on Saturday - grand prix racing knows it is in big, big trouble.

'He and his team are so far ahead of the rest that Formula One is becoming a parody of a competitive sport. Schumacher's the best and getting better.' - The Daily Mirror.

'Kimi Raikkonen was really there, a McLaren driver on a grand prix podium for the first time since last year's Japanese Grand Prix. This was tremendous news for the squad in silver, tremendous news too for neutral fans of the sport. Schumacher's domination so far this season has been attributable partly to the skill of the German and his engineers, but also to the comparative weakness of the other teams.

'The new vehicle showed promise at the French Grand Prix at Magny-Cours, where Raikkonen and Coulthard were still feeling their way with it. But at Silverstone the car has been a revelation, instantly propelling Raikkonen back to the front of the grid where he belongs.

'But do not break out the bunting and bubbly just yet. Were it not for Jarno Trulli's accident and the subsequent safety car interlude, Schumacher would have finished yesterday's race half a minute ahead of Raikkonen instead of a handful of seconds. But the Finn would still have finished second, a placing earned entirely on merit.

'Raikkonen said: "It's a nice feeling to be back racing for first place."

'That's a nice feeling for the spectators, as well. The doom-mongers would have it that Schumacher's dominance is murdering the sport, that the television audience is switching off in droves. But consultation with paying spectators yesterday produced only positives: people are quite happy to watch a great driver beating the others, as long as the others are getting close.' - The Daily Telegraph.

'Britain's summer run of magnificent failure extended to Silverstone yesterday as the nation’s new motor racing hero managed only fourth place in the British Grand Prix. Alongside the names of Henman and Beckham, Dallaglio and Vaughan, write that of Jenson Button as the next plucky Brit to suffer crushing defeat at the hands of an imperious foreigner.

'...Barrichello is no threat to the six-times champion as he showed yesterday, coming home meekly in third place after Ferrari put him on a strategy designed to back up Schumacher. With Barrichello’s assault effectively suppressed, the German could wrap up the championship at Ferrari’s home grand prix in Monza — three races from Silverstone — and still have four races left in which to parade his considerable talent. That will leave the rest to scrap for second place, a position that might be beyond Button and a fading BAR-Honda that simply did not have the speed to combat either Ferrari or the McLaren-Mercedes of Kimi Räikkönen.

'Unlike Henman or Beckham, at least time is on Button’s side. And Schumacher has to retire some time. Formula One can only hope it is sooner rather than later.' - The Times

04/07/2004 - Magny-Cours: Michael's seventh French win

The race was a delight! Michael trailed Alonso for almost half the race; starting off at number 2 he had to contend with the position until lap 32. Alonso finally conceeded the lead after his second pit stop and Michael never gave it back.

It was a very tactical race that saw Michael winning pretty effortlessly in the game, but with a 4 stop strategy, the race was on until the last few laps. It was his sheer speed combined with Ferrari 'light-car' strategy at the right time that saw them on the No. 1 position in the end.

This was the cake, but Barrichello made sure that he gave Ferrari the icing too. With only the final chicane to go Trulli wondering what he would say in the press conference fell asleep. An error he would regret for a long long time because when it is a Ferrari behind you, you dont sleep. Trulli made a tiny mistake and leaving just enough room on the inside for a Ferrari, he slid wide and Barrichello took what was the last chance that he got during the race and the final place on the podium. He started at 10 and finished at 3; a fantastic result for him and a very very fine day for Ferrari.

Current Standings:

2004 Drivers Championship

1 Michael Schumacher 90
2 Rubens Barrichello 68
3 Jenson Button British 48
4 Jarno Trulli 46
5 Fernando Alonso 33


2004 Constructors Championship

1 Ferrari 158
2 Renault 79
3 BAR-Honda 62
4 Williams-BMW 37
5 McLaren-Mercedes 22

Rise of a new order: Greece Wins Euro 2004

Cannu believe it?

Greece, A team that had never won anything as big as this, a team that were 100-1 pre-tournament outsiders have won the Euro 2004.

Their one and only goal of the match ended with a 1-0 victory over the much-fancied hosts at the Luz stadium. Haristeas's firm 57th minute header from Greece's first corner of the match gave them a lead which they never let the Portugese take away from them. Tried as hard as they could, they wasted all the chances they got, the portugese had posession of the ball for more than 55 percent of the time and had numerous corners, but failed in each and every attempt to score. And did Greece give them a fight, they were all upon them and what they got in the end was a very deseved victory, not a chance win, not a fluke!

4/7/2004 - Magny Cours, France

Alonso takes the first pole of his career, driving better than Michael and rest of the lot. However, it remains to be seen if he can beat the World Champion, M Schumacher has won 6 races here, and he starts just beside him; Alonso does have the start capabilities and may be even Button or Coulthard can overtake Schumi when the race starts, after that, though, is a very different game, and playing it against the best will be tough to say the least. No team, is going to benefit with a two stop strategy as the tyre wear will surely negate the time saved by skimping a pit-stop and certainly the more the fuel, the slower the laps would be.

It would be an interesting race though; this week and the recent period hasn't brought any joy to the English sport fans, while this race might put both the F1 racing Brits on the podium.

Which spot would Schumacher be standing on?

Pole or no pole, I would put my money on the Number 1 spot for him.

Sharapova Wins

Maria Sharapova has just won her first Grand Slam by beating Serena Williams 6-1, 6-4.

TheStar.com - Indian villagers set to battle Alcan

TheStar.com - Indian villagers set to battle Alcan

BW Online | June 28, 2004 | The Digital Village

BW Online | June 28, 2004 | The Digital Village
India's high-tech dynamos are turning more attention to the needs of the nation's countless poor

Euro 2004: Grief descends; England crashes out.

After work I rushed to watch the match with hundreds of football fanatics at one of my favourite pubs here in Lincoln, but sadly, it was a night that we will not remember in happy context.

England, lost to hosts Portugal in the first quarter final of Euro 2004. - They're out.

A sad and undeserved result. After Michael Owen’s third-minute strike, it seemed nothing could go wrong, until the first shot-in-the-arm that came in the 27th minute when Rooney had to leave the playing field. The shoulders did sag. It wasn't a good omen and in the end, it certainly was very clear that having Rooney would probably have meant that we could have seen England play on the 30th too.

Getting Postiga in paid-off in the 83rd minute with Portugal getting their much needed equalizer. Sol Campbell had a last-minute header harshly ruled out by Swiss referee Urs Meier for an apparent foul on Portuguese goalkeeper Ricardo by John Terry.

At the End of normal time scores were: Portugal 1 England 1.

Portugal's second goal came in the second half of Extra-time when Rui Costa's kick cruised passed into James' net.

Lampard's another amazing kick saw England come up with an equalizer but failed to bring up anything after that with Full-time scores at: Portugal 2 England 2

Penalties started pathetically for England with the captain kicking the ball up in the sky and but for Portugal Deco scored and they were level even when Rui Costa missed at 2-2 and it was Vassell who missed and Ricardo finishing it all with 6-5.


Sad, but true, what I do not know is who has a higher degree of emotion today, the Portugese who won or the English who will, now, not be playing on Wednesday.

baazee.com to become a part of ebay

baazee.com to become a part of ebay says:

Press Release
eBay to Acquire India's Baazee.com

San Jose, Calif. and Mumbai, India, June 23rd , 2004 - eBay, The World's Online Marketplace (Nasdaq: EBAY; www.ebay.com), today announced that it has agreed to acquire Baazee.com, Inc. and its subsidiary Baazee.com India Pvt. Ltd., the largest online marketplace in India. The acquisition is expected to close in the third calendar quarter of 2004.

The agreement will allow eBay to expand its global footprint into the nascent but growing Indian market. In turn, Baazee.com will use its new relationship with eBay to further develop its business and strengthen its position in India's e-commerce market. The combination of Baazee.com and eBay will allow buyers and sellers in India and around the world to gain access to a broader range of choice and convenience.

Based in Mumbai, Baazee.com offers a diverse online marketplace for a range of buyers and sellers throughout India. Baazee.com currently has more than one million confirmed registered users who trade in a wide range of categories from consumer electronics and computers, to home decor and jewelry.

"Our relationship with Baazee.com is another important step in the growth of eBay's global marketplace," said Meg Whitman, President and CEO of eBay. "Although it's early days for e-commerce in India, we believe there is great opportunity over the long term. Baazee.com's strong management team and solid focus on its community make it a natural fit with eBay."

"Our partnership with eBay validates Baazee.com's business model and position in the industry," said Avnish Bajaj, Chairman and Co-CEO of Baazee.com. "Our local expertise combined with eBay's global perspective will allow us to take e-commerce in India to the next level."

"We built Baazee.com to change the way people buy and sell goods in India," said Suvir Sujan, Co-CEO of Baazee.com. "Becoming part of eBay will allow us to provide even greater economic opportunity for our community of users."

A young market in terms of e-commerce adoption, India's Internet penetration is growing steadily. There are currently 17 million Internet users in India, and that number is expected to grow to more than 30 million in 2006, according to IDC's Internet Commerce Market Model, January 2004.

eBay will acquire all outstanding shares of Baazee.com, Inc. for approximately US$50 million, plus acquisition costs and post-signing adjustments. eBay does not expect the acquisition to have a material impact on 2004 net revenue and earnings per share, and does not expect it to affect eBay's financial guidance as issued in connection with its first quarter earnings release on April 21, 2004.

About Baazee.com
Baazee.com India Pvt. Ltd is a subsidiary of Delaware based Baazee.com, Inc., and started its operations in India in January 2000. Headquartered in Mumbai, Baazee is India's biggest marketplace where anyone can sell or buy almost anything. Baazee has a strong and growing community of 1 million confirmed registered users who trade in a wide range of thousands of item categories including Electronics, Cameras, Phones, Computers, Movies, Mobiles, Fashion, Music, Home, Toys and Travel. Through a world class technology infrastructure Baazee enables & simplifies e-commerce for India's burgeoning online community.

About eBay
eBay is The World's Online Marketplace®. Founded in 1995, eBay created a powerful platform for the sale of goods and services by a passionate community of individuals and businesses. On any given day, there are millions of items across thousands of categories for sale on eBay. eBay enables trade on a local, national and international basis with customized sites in markets around the world. Through an array of services, such as its payment solution provider PayPal, eBay is enabling global e-commerce for an ever growing online community.

Forward-Looking Statements
This announcement contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Actual results could differ materially from those discussed. Factors that could cause or contribute to such differences include, but are not limited to, the reaction of the users and suppliers of Baazee.com to the transaction, the future growth of Baazee.com's services, the reaction of competitors and regulatory authorities to the transaction, foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations, and political, economic, and security developments in, or affecting, India. The closing of the transaction is subject to certain closing conditions. More information about potential factors which could affect eBay's business and financial results is included in the company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2003, and the company's Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q. All forward looking statements are based on information available to eBay on the date hereof, and the company assumes no obligation to update such statements.

Fool.com: eBay Bids on India [Motley Fool Take] June 23, 2004

Fool.com: eBay Bids on India [Motley Fool Take] June 23, 2004 says:

eBay Bids on India

By Alyce Lomax
June 23, 2004

eBay (Nasdaq: EBAY) is the latest of the large Internet companies to make a move into a country with a vast population and substantial growth potential. Today, the company said it's purchasing Baazee.com, an online auctioneer stationed in India.

This is, of course, a good way for eBay to ensure a foothold in an international market set for growth. Motley Fool Stock Advisor pick eBay will buy Baazee.com -- which currently has 1 million registered users and is considered the largest online marketplace in India -- for $50 million in a transaction during the third quarter that is not expected to have an impact on the former's financial results for the year.

Today's move is a bit of a departure from the recent "China trend" from Internet heavyweights. Just last week, Google said it would acquire a stake in Chinese search site Baidu, while Yahoo! (Nasdaq: YHOO) announced the launch of Chinese search portal Yisou.

That's some exciting stuff, especially since China boasted 79.5 million Internet users at the end of 2003 -- second only to the U.S. in terms of people surfing the Internet.

Of course, eBay has already done a bit of a land grab in China by acquiring a Chinese company called EachNet. However, for all the recent excitement about China and the Internet, the fact remains that operating in that country can be rather risky. Take into consideration the warnings in eBay's SEC filings concerning that country's regulations, which breed some degree of uncertainty.

In some ways, then, India may be a less risky environment. (For some background on the country and its economy, click here.) On the other hand, when it comes to being wired to begin with, India has grown slower than China. According to eBay's press announcement, IDC data suggests that 17 million Indians are Internet capable at the moment, a number that is expected to increase to 30 million by 2006.

India, of course, is a hot spot in the current outsourcing debate. Regardless of how you feel about the topic, the flow of jobs to India is creating opportunities for U.S. companies and their services. Today's move gets eBay in on the ground floor of a country with an economy that's developing and arguably well aligned with what eBay provides. This deal also seems a small price to pay to further eBay's pleasant brand of world domination.

eBay is a longtime Motley Fool Stock Advisor stock. What other stocks do the brothers Gardner bet will make big gains? Try it for six months, risk-free. Then, talk to interested Fools about eBay's chances in India on the eBay discussion board.


Alyce Lomax does not own shares of any companies mentioned.

Microsoft's Sacred Cash Cow

Microsoft's Sacred Cash Cow by Jeff Reifman. An interesting read.

PhotoBlogging

Two of the same picture on the same page! Do I look as if I am wasting space in publishing the same file twice and displaying it in different ways?!? Nope! This is when I start PhotoBlogging and the Blog below this is my first photo blog and a reason to shift to blog*spot's servers from my alternateplanet.net web-space for a few weeks (or may be more...)
and... by the way... say Hello and Meet BloggerBot.
 

WICKED, innit?!!! 

Mika Hakkinen's Steering Wheel

Forward Jokes! - Mika Hakkinen's Steering Wheel

This one's WICKED :)

sheru dada

sheru dada: "sabhi bhai log ko mera namaskar aur unki beheno ko mera pyaar. bole to, apun idhar aa gayela hai to sab ko following kaam karne ka:
jyaada aawaj nai karneka aur roj saalam thokneka, bolbachchan nai marneka aur pyaar se rahene ka, ladka hai to raag deneka aur ladki hai to pyaar deneka, aur kabhi bhi hafta deneko nai bhoolneka. okay, to tension nai leneka aur chup chap so jaaneka.
abhi to jaarela hoon, lekin waapis jaroor aaoonga. chal e bye bye, bole to gud ki night"


-----
a direct lift from Shreyas Thaker's blog on the URL above using BlogThis! on the google toolbar.

SAP to launch a New SAP Service Marketplace and SAP Support Portal

SAP is coming up with a new SAP Service Marketplace release to go-live on June 27, 2004 with a new, harmonized layout and navigation structure, providing SAP customers, partners, and prospects with a central point of access to SAP's entire portfolio via the Internet.


It says, The new release/look is necessitated by the recent growth in size and complexity of the SAP Service Marketplace and the current trend towards portals catering to the needs of specific target groups has made it increasingly difficult for users to find what they are looking for quickly and easily. The SAP Service Marketplace team has therefore devised a new concept for the SAP Service Marketplace to align it more closely with the needs and requirements of its many different users.


The New Layout will have areas like:
Solution Details,
Education,
Consulting, etc

The entire content of the SAP Service Marketplace is now divided into individual portals - including
SAP Support Portal,
SAP Developer Network,
SAP Partner Portal,
SMB Portal,
SAP Help Portal,
SAP Community
- and an area containing the categories
Solutions in Detail,
Consulting,
Education,
Communities for user groups, and
SAP's Media Library.


i.e: A single-new SAP Service Marketplace index page will act as a gateway to all these portals rather than the user having to type the URL's individually.

----
All the above facts are,as reported by SAP the current SAP Service Marketplace and may be © Copyright SAP AG.

30/5 - Nürburgring, Germany - Who else but schumi...

hey! He's done it again!
he's finished on the top rung of the podium six times out of seven races this year - unlucky to make a new record of six consecutive wins but firming up his position as the number one driver this year with his 76th win of the career.

Barrichello was amazing - as good as anyone on the track, finishing second, giving Ferrari a total of 106 points for this years Constructors Championship.

Button, I believe, was just plain lucky after doing good laps with great consistence which finally paid in the end earning him the last place on the podium.

just wondering... what if there were three ferrari cars on track? ;)


competition anyone?!?!?!

Objects in the rear view mirror...

...appear closer than they are, and I guess, it's going to be the same when I look back at my day's with mfi. I have been on the project for almost a year now and it has been a very enriching experience to work for such a respectable company.

Thanks a lot to the Infrastructure team, whose part I have been all this long, in making this an unforgettable assignment.

It is an emotive decision to move on and I sincerely wish you all the best with your efforts for this and future projects.

I am contactable on tarunbulchandani@hotmail or on 079 57 97 94 63.

- Tarun.
------------------------------------------------------------------
my last e-mail on the mfi project...

Nurburgring coming up on 30th May, 2004

Who says Michael Schumacher will come back strongly this time?
Stronger than the last race and possibly stronger than the one previous to that?

I do. and anybody would, anyone who has known his style of racing and has followed him, will say so.

Why?
just because he is driving a Ferrari in favoured conditions? yes, partly, but more due his fighting spirit and never-say-die attitude and most importantly his ability to put things in perspective and go-ahead with the ultimate in mind and achieve it, time after time.

He is so consistent that I've heard non-followers of the racing world say that it is no use following or watching the races because they know who's going to be on the top most rung of the podium.

Sunday will, I believe, again prove that Schumacher is where he is just because he is who he is and the way he races.

See you there.

24/4 - San Marino - Jenson Button on pole in Imola

First pole of his career for Jenson with 1m 19.753s of qualifying lap time. WOW! yes it was good to watch someone pressurizing M. Schumacher for a mistake, which he did make and that was what precisely cost him the pole. Never mind, he is still in the first row, that effectively means that with a good start he can very well make it past Button during the start and still make up for it. However, for Jenson, it will be a moment that he might remember for a good part of his life, with a good start to this year and this pole; he's eclipsing any other driver in the English as well as the world press.

Before the qualifying session, Jenson was speaking about trying to meet Ferrari's dual challenge, as against aiming to better them, but during the session he made sure to point out his modesty.

No doubt, a good number of pubs here will switch from their Sunday rugby matches to show the race tomorrow at 1300 hours local time.

04/04/04 - Bahrain, Formula 1.

WHAT do you say to this? Michael Schumacher does it again, three times of three this year - no thi isn't the race result that i'm posting about, it's the qualifying lap results, he's got the pole position again! and who else can make it in the front row but Barrichello?

Looks like it's going to be Ferrari blazing the trail tomorrow (today, actually, it's already well past 1), although it might not be easy...
1. the track is Bahrain - hot - predictably, not too easy on the Bridgestone's as Australia, yeah, i know, i said that for Malaysia too...
2. Second row is lead by Montoya, he, sure as hell, is not going to let Schumacher get to the chequered flag much ahead of himself.

it's going to be exciting, to say the least - next update - after the race...

India vs. Pakistan. Test 1. Multan. We Win

We win. Yes! for the first time in the 50+ year Indian history, we won a test match on Pakistan soil today!

Three cheers for the new Indian team, going around their work with zeal and professionalism, rarely seen in any Indian team before. Winning by an innings and 52 runs is no mean feat, anywhere. We've done it today and all Indians, I am sure, would be very proud of it, anywhere they are in the world.

Pakistan !!!------really good

Reproduced below is the copy of an e-mail message, it's is not conventional stuff but I believe 100% of it is true. Read on...

===================================
Subject: Pakistan !!!------really good



Believe me... this thing needs to be forwarded to as many as

possible.....



An email from Sai Nagesh to Mindshare after his

visit to Pakistan for the 1st one day match.

Subject: Pakistan

Folks,

This mail has nothing to do with work. just wanted to share

certain very overwhelming experiences. Had been to karachi for the

1st one dayer on saturday.

1. Imagine 39,990 Pakistanis & 50 of us Indians cheering lustily

'for' each other, throwing chocolates at us !!. Quite a few

were carrying the flags of both countries imaginatively stitched

together. Then they all stood to give a standing ovation to the

Indian

cricket team !

2. Guy on the street selling 'bhuttas' refused to accept money saying

that

we were 'mehmaan' in their country !!

3. people rushing to shake our hands on the streets & asking us to

come to their home for dinner

4. Restaurant owners refusing to accept the bill payment after

coming to know that we were from India

5. Everybody we met & we met quite a few, had some relative staying

in India.

6. Star plus is the most favourite channel in Karachi

7. There was a TV star called Heena ?? who was sitting in the

stadium, one pakistani put up a impromptu banner saying "heena,

will u marry me ?"!!

8. Shops gave us 40 to 50% discount ...........India again

9. Taxis, autos, army guys......the list is

endless.......everywhere loads of courtesy, respect.....

more than we would get in our own country !!!!!

It is really sad that we have an impression of that country that

is

so negative. I shudder to think of the plight of pakistanis who

would

come to india when the Indo-pak matches will happen here.

Sad, that we consider ourselves 'secular' & yet will spare no

thought

before making negative statements on that country. It's sad but

true

, this

experience teaches one that......"Perception is not reality".

Thank u for sparing your time.

Have a lovely day.





Warm Regards

Sai Nagesh,

Director- Mktg & Corporate Affairs,

Group M Media India.

Mobile : 98200 63743

Direct : 56638999



Madison Communications Pvt Ltd., Mumbai - India.

First Indian to cross the 300 runs mark!!!

Virender Sehwag wrote history with his bat today, when he crossed the 300 run mark on the second day of the first test match between India and Pakistan in Multan.

Every other major test playing nation had crossed this milestone except India, not anymore! we're up there with the elite, with a top-notch knock by a top-notch batsman playing exceptional cricket yesterday and today.

India vs Pakistan, Lahore

A typical Indian innings, buckling under pressure but coming out on tops :)

As usual, our top order didn't perform against Pakistan, now, how many times have we seen that???

and then came the wall - Dravid, teaming up with Yuvraj first and then with with solid support from Kaif to finish off the match, lords style.

Dravid with his fantastic zeal to do what he does the best annoyed and systematically foiled every plan in pakistan's quiver.

did someone say underdogs, eh?

and who says we win the next time round?

rock on India

21 March 2004, Sepang, Malaysia - M Schumacher - Once again...

World Champion, is that what they call him? well, yes, what do you know, he really deserves to be. After the show he put up at Sepang, Malaysia, as usual, calm and composed, driving as if the forces never seem to pertrube him, he reinforced that. As he himself had said, after winning at Melbourne, that it would be a very different race in Malaysia, it was, but for the others, not for Michael, not for Ferrari. He did just what the team could have expected.

Malaysia always brings up something unexpected, something different, Well, What do you say to Mark Webber's performance, or rather, the lack of it, or was it his car? whatever, he didn't even make it till the end, the only thing that the team could do now is investigate - his and Klien's starts and the ensuing troubles that they faced, surely they can make better cars, can't they?

Kimi Raikkonen, again, fell victim to an engine failure that took him out of the contest on lap 41.

Montoya, again, looking to give Michael a run for his money didn't get nearly as close as he would have liked to, but time and again, he does seem to be making his point and showing what he is capable of, when, if ever, would that be possible, is anyone's guess.

And Button was good, really good, seemed confident to make it where he did, yes, the bad-luck run for his rivals did help, but the only reason he made it to the podium was the fight that he put up on the track.

exciting, to say the least, wasn't it???

india-pakistan - can cricket get any better?

hmm... so i do seem to turning into a sport freak with the way i have been altering my sleep patterns just to watch the events... (not that i live a very strict schedule)

this night it was cricket - with me getting up at 4:00 am in the morning (had gone to sleep well after 2 am) to watch the india-pakistan first one-day'er being played in karachi and boy was it worth it!

contrary to what everyone might have thought it was never going to be easy to win against pakistan in their own country, if 349 did something, it was to bring us a bit closer to a higher platform where we could hope to try and gain control of the innings - however deceptive this might have been, i believe, it was always pakistan charting their own path - whatever the pace.

the win - in the end - was only due to the new found determination in the young indian team that, you could almost swear, you had never seen in the earlier guys, the new indian team has risen.

F1 - Australia - 7 - march - 2004.

yeah, yeah, yeah... i was to write about this one... but just didnt get through to - why - i had no time - was busy working (through the weekend! uh!) but did get around to watching - what if it started around 2.30 am for me and what if it was on until the wee hours of the morning... 't was good - seeing the year begin with a ferrari win, you couldnt help but thinking that they're gonna take it this year too, but i am sure this year will be a long one for schumi and his team, other tracks aren't going to be as kind as australia to ferrari - yeah - the Michelin's might have had some trouble on this track (barring alonso, that is) but the bridgestone's might not be this effective on other tracks...

my vote for the consistent driver goes to: alonso, m schumacher and barrichello in that order, as for montoya - recovering from a bad start was going to be very very hard - but he did good to fight back - though a wee bit too late.


The Official Formula 1 Website

people - vision & sound - BBC NEWS | Technology | More than just a pretty interface

an article - that traverses through human psychology - and our music

music rekindles a memory that takes you away from the street back to the time and place where that song became important

BBC NEWS | Technology | More than just a pretty interface

A History of Apple's Operating Systems

A link to a very insightful and a thoroughly researched article by Amit Singh of kernelthread.com

A History of Apple's Operating Systems

Kuch Khayal

i read this a few minutes ago and then re-re-read it, it seems just a bit - too human!

i have blogged the link and the story below. i2 acknowledge any copyrights that the writer/publishers might hold on this.

Kuch Khayal: "A story by Ruskin Bond

A story by Ruskin Bond

I had the train compartment to myself up to Rohana, then a girl got in. The couple who saw her off were probably her parents; they seemed very anxious about her comfort, and the woman gave the girl detailed instructions as to where to keep her things,when not to lean out of the windows, and how to avoid speaking to strangers.
They called their goodbyes and the train pulled out of the station. As I was totally blind at the time, my eyes sensitive only to light and darkness, I was unable to tell what the girl looked like; but I new she wore slippers from the way they slapped against her heels.
It would take me some time to discover something about her looks, and perhaps I never would. But I liked the sound of her voice, and even the sound of her slippers.
'Are you going all the way to Dehra?' I asked.
I must have been sitting in a dark corner, because my voice startled her. She gave a little exclamation and said, 'I didn't know anyone else was here.'
Well, it often happens that people with good eyesight fail to see what is right in front of them. They have too much to take in,I suppose. Whereas people who cannot see(or see very little) have to take in only the essentials, whatever registers most tellingly on their remaining senses.
'I didn't see you either', I said. 'But I heard you come in.'
I wondered if I would be able to prevent her from discovering that I was blind. Provided I keep my seat, I thought, it shouldn't be too difficult.
The girl said, 'I'm getting off at Saharanpur. My aunt is meeting me there.'
"Then I had beter not get too familiar,' I replied. 'Aunts are usually formidable creatures.'
'Where are you going?' she asked.
"To Dehra, and then to Mussorie.'
'Oh, how lucky you are. I wish I were going to Mussorie. I love the hills.Especially in October.'
'Yes, this is the best time,' I said,calling on my memories.'The hills are covered with wild Dahlias, the sun is delicious, and at night you can sit in front of a log fire and drink a little brandy. Most of the tourists have gone, and the roads are quiet and almost deserted. Yes, October is the best time.'
She was silent. I wondered if my words had touched her, or whether she thought me a romantic fool.Then I made a mistake.
'What is it like outside?' I asked.
She seemed to find nothing strange in the question. Had she noticed alreasy that I could not see? But her next question removed my doubts.
'Why don't you look out of the window?' he asked.
I moved easily along the berth and felt for the window ledge.The window was open, and I faced it, making a pretence of studying the landscape. I heard the panting of the engine, the rumble of the wheels, and, in my mind's eye, I could see telegraph poles flashing by.
'Have you noticed,'I ventured, 'that the trees seem to be moving while we seem to be standing still?'
'That always happens,' she said. 'Do you see any animals?'
'No,' I answered quite confidently. I knew that there were hardly animals left in the forests near Dehra.
I turned from the window and faced the girl, and for a while we sat in silence.
'You have an interesting face,' I remarked. I was becoming quite daring, but it was a safe remark. Few girls can resist falttery. She laughed pleasantly - a clear, ringing laugh.
'It's nice to be told I have an interesting face.I'm tired of people telling me I have a pretty face.'
Oh, so you have a pretty face, thought I: and aloud I said, 'Well, an interesting face can also be pretty.'
'You are a very gallant young man,' she said, 'but why are you so serious?'
I thought, then, I would try to laugh for her, but the thought of laughter made me feel troubled and lonely.
'We'll soon be at you station,' I said.
'Thank goodness it's a short journey. I can't bear to sit in a train for more than two-or-three hours.'
Yet, I was prepared to sit there for almost any lenrth of time, just to listen to her talking. Her voice had the sparkle of a mountain stream. As soon as she left the train, she would forget our brief encounter, but it would stay with me for the rest of the journey, and for some time thereafter.
The engine's whislte shrieked, the carriage wheels changed their sound and rhythm, the girl got up and began to collect her things. I wondered if she wore her hair in a bun, or if it was plaited; perhaps it was hanging loose over her shoulders, or was it cut very short?
The train drew slowly into the station. Outside, there was the shouting of porters and vendors and a high-pitched fenake voice near the carriage door; that voice must have belonged to the girl's aunt.
'Goodbye,' the girl said.
She was standing very close to me, so close that the perfume from her hair was tantalizing, I wanted to raise my hand and touch her hair, but she moved away. Only the scent of her perfume still lingered where she had stood.
There was some confusion in the doorway. A man, getting ino the compartment, stammered an apology. The door banged, and the world was shut out again. I returned to my berth. The gaurd blew his whistle, and we moved off. Once again, I had a game to play and a new fellow-traveller.
The train gathered speed, and the wheels took up their song, the carriage groaned and shook. I found the window and sat in front of the window, staring into the daylight that was darkened for me.
So many things were happening outside the window: it could be a fascinating game, guessing what went on out there.
The man who had entered into the comparntment broke into my reverie.
'You must be disappointed,'he said.'I'm not nearly as attractive as a travelling companion as the one who just left.'
'She was an interesting girl,'I said. 'Can you tell me -- did she keep her long or short?'
'I don't remember,' he said, sounding puzzled. ' It was her eyes I noticed, not her hair. She had beautiful eyes --- but they were of no use to her. She was completely blind. Didn't you notice?'

N.B: The story " The eyes have it" has been 'copied' from "Delhi is not far - The best of Ruskin Bond" - Penguin Books, 1994. I am not too aware of copyright issues. So all credits, wherever due, duly given. I just liked the story, a visual delight; the ending may be predictable for some.

my SETI@Home stats

I have been running seti for almost two years now but it was only yesterday that I have been able to devote a Total CPU time of more than a year. I'm happy to reach this landmark, I have crunched 583 data units at an average of just of 15 hours per data unit and stand in the top 300 for India. :-)



India

Testing archiving

didnt realise archiving was not on for this, pretty dumb,eh? :p

P.S.: who cares abt the dumb part - dumber?

site design blues

i have not been away much - except from posting here - and the only reason is my site design, maintaining the first version was a nightmare due to way i implemented my menu's moving towards javascripts - i have hit browser compatibility issues with scripts that are supposed to run on multiple browser/OS combinations failing.

i am currently investing more and more time in coming up with a good design that incorporates cross browser compatibility, easy maintenance/updates of the site and in the end - look good.

i have had to give up a lot of personal pursuits but i hope i would be able to come up with a design that i could hold up with pride.

till then...