Sky Gazers in for Celestial Treat.. ..

Sky gazers can look forward to an exhibition of celestial fireworks as the night sky will be lit up by Geminid meteor showers that are expected to peak Monday.
A rare celestial event, the Geminid meteor shower will be visible across most of India and people can see over 100 shooting stars every hour for the next couple of nights with the largest number early on Monday.
'People can watch out for the meteor showers from late Sunday to dawn on Monday morning. There will be fireballs in the sky,' said N. Rathnashree, director of the Nehru Planetarium here.
Explaining the method to observe the meteorites, Rathnashree said: 'Look up at the sky between 10 p.m. and 4 a.m. and you could see beautiful fireworks in the sky as the new moon is providing ideally dark viewing conditions.
'You need a simple telescope to watch the meteor showers. People in the capital should move to the outskirts to have a clear look as the morning skies these days are covered with fog,' she said.
A meteor shower occurs when the earth passes through debris left behind by a passing comet or asteroid. In the present case, it's an asteroid named 3200 Phaethon.
As the earth moves around the sun, the debris gets pulled by the earth's gravitational force and falls with its long bright tails visible to the naked eye.
The celestial movement is called Geminid showers, as they will seem to emanate from the Gemini constellation.

Cause of Air France Crash May Remain Mystery - Sources.. ..

French investigators are unlikely to establish the exact cause of a fatal Atlantic plane crash in a report this week but may recommend ways to help locate black boxes more easily, sources familiar with the incident said.
France's BEA accident investigation authority is due on Thursday to issue its final report into the Air France crash in which 228 people died.
Flight AF 447 from Rio de Janeiro to Paris crashed into the Atlantic on June 1 after flying into stormy weather.
The 'black box' flight recorders remain missing and only small parts of the wreckage have been found of the Airbus A330.
"I don't expect much new concrete information on the cause of the crash," a source familiar with the investigation said.
A second source familiar with the incident concurred, saying the report would add little to an inconclusive preliminary report issued in July.
The new report's conclusions are currently being finalised, the sources added.
The BEA declined to comment.
The July report identified problems in handing responsibility for the aircraft between controllers but said it was too early to say what caused the plane to hit the ocean.
Speculation has focused on possible icing of the aircraft's speed sensors, which appeared to give inconsistent readings and may have disrupted other systems.
Safety authorities ordered checks on the sensors known as 'pitot probes' and restricted the use of the type installed on the plane, made by France's Thales.
But investigators are not expected to pin the blame on any one issue, one source close to the investigation said.
Instead, the BEA is expected to make at least three recommendations on general aircraft safety, this source said.
These include extending the life of locator beacons attached to the flight recorders to 90 days from 30 days.
Regulators could also be asked to consider ordering further beacons to be attached to important parts of the aircraft structure to assist in locating wreckage in the event of a crash. Such beacons would need to be active for 30 days.
Plane makers may also be asked to study the feasibility of installing monitoring systems that send information on basic parameters such as position, course and altitude back to an airline's maintenance base even when operations are normal.
The few clues available on the cause of the crash include fragments of error messages sent out by the aircraft.
The crash fuelled a debate in the aviation industry over whether more data should be streamed via satellite but the cost of communications has so far been deemed prohibitive.
Some safety officials are meanwhile calling for scientific research to be carried out into weather conditions at high altitudes in turbulent zones such as the equator.

Boeing says Dreamliner could Fly on Dec 15.. ..

Boeing Co said on Thursday it has opened the flight-test window for its 787 Dreamliner starting Dec. 15, allaying concerns that the hotly anticipated aircraft -- already two years behind schedule -- will miss its latest target of taking to the skies before year end.
A test-flight date marks a huge step in the development of the revolutionary airplane, whose promise of increased fuel efficiency and comfort has attracted a record number of orders for a plane still in development.
"Following the successful completion of static testing to validate the side-of-body modification, we have been working through a number of key preflight tests," Boeing said in a letter late on Thursday. "With high-speed taxi testing scheduled in the coming days, we're on track for first flight soon thereafter."
The company said the date depends on "final internal reviews, taxi test, and receiving the final experimental ticket from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration."
In the last two years, Boeing has announced five embarrassing test-flight delays that resulted in delays to the delivery schedule as well.
The program suffered problems with suppliers, a 2008 labor strike and structural issues. In June, Boeing announced a test flight delay after it discovered a design flaw that required a side-of-body repair.
The flight from Paine Field to Boeing Field -- both in the Seattle area -- will take about three hours. The company has not disclosed who will be on hand to witness the event.
The Dreamliner concept is based on the use of composite materials, which make up 50 percent of the primary structure. The materials are much lighter than aluminum, which makes the skin of traditional commercial airplanes.
The lighter structure allows the plane to consume 20 percent less fuel than comparable aircraft. Fuel efficiency has great appeal to airlines, which have been battered in recent years by the volatile expense.
Additionally, composite materials do not fatigue and therefore require fewer maintenance checks, Boeing says. The company claims that a 787 costs 30 percent less to maintain than competing aircraft.
There are three versions of the plane with varying capacities and ranges in the Dreamliner family: the 787-8, 787-9, and the 787-3. The planes, which have been in development since the first part of the decade, have list prices between $105 million and $205.5 million.

Telangana Revives Demand for Bodo, Dimasa & Karbi States..

With the Centre deciding to initiate the process for a separate Telengana, Bodos, Dimasas and Karbis have revived their long-standing demand for separate states carved out of Assam.
The demand for a separate Bodo state was raised in the Assam assembly by Bodoland Peoples Front (BPF), the coalition partner of the ruling Congress on Friday.
Transport Minister Chandan Brahma, who belongs to the BPF, told the house that the creation of a Bodo state was possible and the matter should be considered by the government.
''Our demand for a state was much older than that of Telangana ... If Telangana could be created, there is no reason why the Bodos cannot have their own state. We had accepted the Bodoland Territorial Council under the Sixth Schedule as the then NDA government at the Centre had said there was no policy for creation of another state,'' he said.
BPF president Hagram Mohilary said, ''We are happy for the people of Telangana and now that the Centre has approved the creation of Telangana state, a separate Bodoland state should also be created.''
The Nunisa faction of Dimasa Halam Daoga (DHD) and United Peoples' Democratic Solidarity said they would revive their demand for separate Dimasa and Karbi states respectively.

The Devil & the Duck ....

There was a little boy visiting his grandparents on their farm.









He was given a slingshot to play with out in the woods.He practiced in the woods; but he could never hit the target.Getting a little discouraged, he headed back for dinner.As he was walking back he saw Grandma's pet duck.

Just out of impulse, he let the slingshot fly, hit the duck square in the head and killed it. He was shocked and grieved! In a panic, he hid the dead duck in the wood pile; only to see his Sister watching! Sally had seen it all, but she said nothing.

After lunch the next day Grandma said, 'Sally, let's wash the dishes' But Sally said, 'Grandma, Johnny told me he wanted to help in the kitchen.' Then she whispered to him, "Remember the duck?' So Johnny did the dishes. Later that day, Grandpa asked if the children wanted to go fishing and Grandma said, 'I'm sorry but I need Sally to help make supper.' Sally just smiled and said, 'well that's all right because Johnny told me he wanted to help? She whispered again, 'Remember the duck?' So Sally went fishing and Johnny stayed to help.

After several days of Johnny doing both his chores and Sally's; he finally couldn't stand it any longer. He came to Grandma and confessed that he had killed the duck. Grandma knelt down, gave him a hug and said, 'Sweetheart, I know.. You see, I was standing at the window and I saw the whole thing, but because I love you, I forgave you. I was just wondering how long you would let Sally make a slave of you.'

Thought for the day and every day thereafter: Whatever is in your past, whatever you have done... And the devil keeps throwing it up in your face (lying, cheating, debt, fear, bad habits, hatred, anger, bitterness, etc.)...whatever it is...You need to know that: God was standing at the window and He saw the whole thing.

He has seen your whole life.... He wants you to know that He loves you and that you are forgiven. He's just wondering how long you will let the devil make a slave of you. The great thing about God is that when you ask for forgiveness; He not only forgives you, but He forgets. It is by God's grace and mercy that we are saved. Go ahead and make the difference in someone's life today. Share this with a friend and always remember: God is at the window! When Jesus died on the cross; he was thinking of you!

10,000 - Page Chargesheet, 270 Witnesses, a few Hiccups..

Exactly a year after the Mumbai terror attack, the prosecution in the 26/11 trial is likely to complete evidence against the three arrested accused in the case Pakistani gunman Ajmal Kasab and two Indian co-accused Fahim Ansari and Sabahuddin Ahmed, charged with conspiring the attack along with 35 wanted Pakistani nationals on Pakistan soil.
Among the charges levelled against them include waging war against the nation, which attracts punishment of death.
The trial, presided over by Special Sessions Judge M L Tahaliyani, commenced in April inside the special court housed inside the Arthur Road prison. The court framed 86 charges against the three accused on May 6. Two days later, the first witness, Bhaskar Kadam, an officer with the D B Marg police station who was part of the team that captured Kasab, was examined.
However, before the trial could begin, there was a major issue who would defend Kasab as lawyers did not want to take up his case on account of 'morals' and political pressures. The court first appointed Anjali Waghmare as defence lawyer from the state legal aid panel, but Judge Tahaliyani sacked her on charges of professional misconduct.
Soon after, the court appointed private lawyer Abbas Kazmi, who had earlier represented the accused in the 1993 serial bomb blast case, to defend Kasab. The court also recommended higher legal fees to be paid to him by the state government and handed over the 10,000-page chargesheet to him. Immediately after taking charge, Kazmi prayed before the court that Kasab was a juvenile, and that his case should be transferred to the Juvenile Justice Board. In reply, the prosecution conducted several medical tests and examined witnesses to prove that Kasab was 21-year-old at the time of the attack.
As the prosecution examined evidence in the form of injured victims and relatives of deceased, Kasab on July 20 made a request to the court for making a detailed statement accepting all charges levelled against him. In a guilty plea given by Kasab over two days, he gave details about training in handling arms and ammunition and intelligence gathering given to him in Pakistan, and also about the directions given to him on executing the attack along with his nine deceased accomplices.
After due consideration, the court took Kasab's plea on record but carried on with the trial. Since then, the prosecution has examined 270 witnesses and is likely to rest its case against the accused today. It is also likely to submit evidence of around 300 formal witnesses in the form of affidavits.
The goof-upsThe evidence led by the prosecution might have made the case watertight, but several goof-ups did crop up while doing so Inspector Prakash Bhoite, who investigated the attack on the Taj Hotel, told the court that the police had found two bombs near the hotel during the attack and one contained a note which said "Ammar Askari". A translator used by the police translated it as "Yeh jang ki or ishara hai" or "This is a pointer to war". However, when the defense lawyer cross-examined the translator Mukhtar Pirzade, an insurance agent in Bhiwandi, it was placed on record that he could not read or write Arabic, and that a friend had translated the note for him.
No further probes were conducted by the Mumbai Police Crime Branch on the identity of Suresh Prasad, who had submitted a fake electricity bill to procure the mobile SIM card that was used by the terrorists in the Taj Hotel to communicate with their handlers in Pakistan.
Police Inspector Manikrao Patil of Colaba police station, who conducted the preliminary investigations at three attack sites (the Taj Hotel, Nariman House and Caf Leopold) and seized various articles handed over to him by the National Security Guards (NSG), failed to recall in the court the accurate details of the seizures made by him.
Patil was also the officer responsible for goof up during the seizure of articles by placing articles seized from the Taj Hotel in wrappers meant for Nariman House and vice versa. He cited work pressure after the attack as the reason behind the error.

TAJ HOTEL FOR ANOTHER 100 YEARS…

Mumbai's iconic Taj Mahal Hotel may have borne the brunt of the 26/11 terror attack, but it's now going to be prepared to last another 100 years. As we take a look at the hotel's collateral damage during 26/11, here's more on the epic structure and the management's plans for its reconstruction...

Karambir Singh Kang, general manager of the Taj Mahal Palace Tower, Mumbai, who lost his wife and two children during 26/11 attacks last year, clearly feels a raw attachment to the iconic property. 'The hotel has never been shut since it opened in 1903; even during World War I, it was converted into a hospital,' emphasises 41-year-old Kang.

After the attacks, the hotel was forced to close completely, though they proudly reopened the Tower Wing within a month. Kang has been orchestrating the reformation of the hotel that suffered severe damages in last year's terrorist attacks and the hotel management has been putting up its best efforts for opening the Palace Wing as soon as possible. Its like 'turning adversity into opportunity by giving the grand old lady a makeover', says Kang.

The Palace Wing, expected to be ready in the next quarter, has employed five different contractors. 'These firms have worked with hotels such as The Four Seasons and Mandarin Oriental,' Kang points out proudly. The new Palace Wing will have slightly fewer rooms, upgraded IT systems and ergonomic workspaces.

Interestingly, though the critical wiring and plumbing systems are also being changed; the same would not have been possible if the wing was operational. 'We are thus ensuring that the Taj is prepared for another 100 years,' Kang smiles.

In terms of business, the hotel's revenue had dipped considerably partly due to the attacks and partly due to the recession as the industry as a whole went through tough times. 'Corporate customers depend on the economy; when firms cut costs, they first cut on travel and stay,' Kang explains.

He, however, sees light at the end of the tunnel. He is optimistic as the last three months have seen a turnaround with occupancy rates over 75 per cent. 'We beat internal targets by 15-20 per cent. Our footfalls have increased. And once our contemporised restaurants open, we expect to especially attract customers under 40,' he says, referring to Wasabi, Golden Dragon and The Harbour Bar, which are expected to open before November 26.

When asked about motivating his staff as a leader, Kang compliments his team as any generous leader would do. 'During the attacks, everyone stayed at their posts contrary to the natural instinct to flee; that never happens in any other industry. No staff member has asked to be transferred to any other hotel,' Kang says. For those who had difficulty coping with the loss, counselling centres were set up after a few days, he adds.
Kang has been part of the Taj group for 19 years and is in his second stint at the group's flagship hotel, the first stint was in 2003 as director of sales & marketing and then he became general manager in 2007. Ask him if he is considering moving on to a different role, at all, and he says: 'I plan to stay with this hotel for as long as I can contribute to it.'

Grief & Grit as Indians remember 60 hours of Terror..

New Delhi/Mumbai: Some moments are seared into the collective consciousness of the nation -- like 26/11. The utter helplessness came back to haunt on the first anniversary of India's most wounding terror strike, but with it was a sense of resolve as thousands prepared to gather in various cities to remember the dead and also hope for a terror-free tomorrow.
The trauma started on the night on Nov 26, 2008, when terrorists who came by boat from Pakistan sneaked into its commercial megalopolis to begin a 60-hour siege that ended only on the afternoon on Nov 28. At the end, 166 people were dead, nine of the 10 terrorists killed and India brought to its knees as horrified citizens watched masked gunmen take over a much loved city.
It was terror in a television age played out for the world to watch. Mumbaikar or not, Indian or not, the scenes of terrorists taking over luxury hotels, a crowded station, a buzzing cafe and of top police officials being killed brought the vulnerability home.
Millions fearfully watched their television sets for three nights and three days, till the last of the terrorists were decimated in the Jewish Chabad House. The fires burning from the dome of the Taj Hotel, survivors breaking through glass to make their escape, two-year-old Moshe being brought out by his nanny from Chabad House while his parents were massacred inside... the trauma lives to this day.
As stunned security agencies probed the hows and whys of the most daring non-military attack that penetrated into the country's most elite establishments, the government set itself a roadmap to secure India and found global backing in its war against terror.
In a statement on the eve of the anniversary of the Mumbai attacks, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown said Wednesday: 'The attacks in Mumbai last year were an outrage. No one who watched the events unfold on television will forget the way that those responsible sought to cause the greatest fear and suffering.
'Their misguided aim was to create terror and uncertainty in the region. The government and the people of India were neither cowed nor provoked by these atrocities but stood resolute.'
A year on, the fallout has been changes in the security mindset and the premium put on strengthening internal security. Basic protocols, strategies and tactics for an appropriate response have been listed.
Making the Multi-Agency Centre (MAC) - tasked with collecting intelligence in real time - fully operational has been perhaps the most tangible achievement.
'In the last 11 months, we have been able to bust 31 terror modules. Optimising
intelligence flow and coordination between different agencies has helped vastly,' said a senior security official who spoke about the valuable lessons imbibed.
Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram, who Prime Minister Manmohan Singh put in charge of internal security after public outrage over the previous home minister Shivraj Patil's seeming ineptitude, has set for himself a blazing pace to put in place critical strategies and strengthen intelligence systems, admits the country's record has been mixed.
'... there are still critical deficiencies in budget allocations for the police, recruitment, training, procurement of equipment, introduction of technology, and personnel management.'
Pointing to obvious lapses when a police force equipped with old age .303 rifles took on terrorists armed with sophisticated weaponry, Manmohan Singh told police chiefs in September: 'We need a new-age policeman who is more professional, better-motivated, suitably empowered, well-trained, one who places greater emphasis on technology for investigation and other tasks.'
Terrorism expert Ajay Sahni believes more needs to be done at a war-footing.
'Petty offences, which are not taken seriously by security agencies, are often found interlinked to a major terror operation. Our intelligence system should be in place. Effective security systems are needed to counter terrorism,' Sahni told IANS.
Considering that Mumbai not just gripped the country's consciousness but also drew global attention, intelligence sharing with foreign countries has also received a major fillip.
It is because of the US Federal Bureau of Investigation assistance that security agencies have been able to probe the links of David Coleman Headley and Tahawwur Hussain Rana, currently in US detention, who are alleged part of the larger conspiracy behind 26/11.
Terrorism is a beast with an extraordinary ability to transform, and the war has still a long way to go.
But it will be fought with citizens vowing not to be cowed down.
'We have to move ahead in life,' said Priyanka Baliram Uke, a young manager in a private Mumbai company.
Fortified by his grief, 16-year-old Siddhant who lost his father Sushilkumar Sharma when terrorists stormed into the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus in a blaze of bullets, is also determined to look ahead.
The family has set up the Shaheed Sushilkumar Sharma Foundation in Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh, in memory of the assistant chief ticketing inspector.
'We shall have commemorative prayer there Nov 26, organize a few children's events with the theme of peace and anti-terrorism, felicitate people who display bravery and courage in day-to-day life. We shall repeat a similar programme in Kalyan on Nov 29,' said Siddhant.
For long India has managed to absorb the shock and move ahead. The lessons this time are different -- it will no longer be business as usual.

The Making of India's Biggest Airport........ ..

Away from some of the more visible projects in Delhi, one of the biggest construction efforts in the country is about four months away from completion. Over 20,000 workers are working round the clock everyday—among them 100 foreign nationals working in the planning and construction effort—to give wings to one of India's most ambitious projects: Delhi's new airport terminal, T3, that will cater to both international and domestic flights.
Work is on at a frantic pace to meet the March 2010 deadline. About 82 per cent work is over and its developers—the GMR group and Fraport (Frankfurt Airport)—are confident the airport will be ready in the next four months and ready to handle 27 million passengers a year.
With 78 aerobridges, of which 71 are already installed, the new terminal will be one of the few in the world to service all aircraft through aerobridges. Changi airport in Singapore has 64 aerobridges. The terminal building covers an area of about 5 million square feet—just the area of its roof accounts for 20 acres. While the developers have to get the terminal ready by March 2010, it may get operational only by July after all the certifications are in place.
With its scale and size, the new terminal is set to change the traveller's perception. For instance, the forecourt where vehicles line up to drop passengers, will have 10 lanes with dedicated lanes for buses and cabs.
Once inside the departure hall, there will be six check-in islands with 168 check-in counters. This will be an integrated terminal for both domestic and international flights, which will make it easier for transit passengers. However, the plan is to allow only those domestic airlines which fly international to start operations from here. This could put the low cost carriers at a slight disadvantage as they will be located at the recently operationalised Terminal 1D.
So, the check-in area will be common and then the terminal divides itself into two wings. Both sides have a boarding pier each which extends to 1.2 km from one end to the other with 48 boarding gates. Most of these have already been constructed. Given the long distances, some 90 travelators have been installed which includes the longest in Asia measuring 118 m.
Such is the magnitude of the exercise that the developers could not find a supplier who would meet their demand for granite. Ultimately, a vendor was located in Bahrain from where the granite needed for the flooring is being imported. The glass curtains that have to be fixed at a particular angle too had to be brought from China.
Already, delegations from the Beijing airport, Changi airport and Ben Gurion airport in Tel Aviv, among others, have visited the construction site. What has come in for particular praise is the open space called the 'canyon' where a glass roof allows the entire arrival area to be lit up. Bridges, just above the arrival area, meant for departure passengers have glass corridors that permits arrival and departure passengers to see each other.
The one advantage of having boarding piers as wings of what is roughly like a large 'H' like structure means the duty-free shopping hall in the centre is not cluttered because of rush at boarding gates. Besides this, a multi-level car parking facility for 4,300 cars is well on course to be ready by next year.
Recently, Delhi overtook Mumbai as the city handling maximum air passengers with a figure slightly less than 24 million for 2008-09. This terminal will be able to handle 27 million next year and capacity would be enhanced to 34 million by 2012. This compares with some of the best—Changi handles 22 million passengers, Heathrow about 25 million and the new Beijing airport about 45 million. And going by the understanding reached with the government, it should reach 100 million by 2026—the last phase of this construction effort.
The developers claim this will be the sixth largest terminal in the world when it opens, but what is more important is that standards are already being rated. The Airport Council International, Geneva, is said to have been rating the under construction terminal every quarter. Its marking is 4.2 while the quality standard set by the government requires a minimum of 3.5.
While these cannot be made official until the end of the financial year, Delhi, apparently, has already climbed to the 24th position going by its scores. Judgment, however, will have to be reserved till it gets functional. Once the new terminal opens, the plan is to keep the current international terminal (T2) as a buffer, which can be used to step up capacity during special occasions like the Commonwealth Games—like Beijing airport has a buffer that was shut after the Olympics.

Govt. issues advisories to 8 coastal states and UTs over cyclone...

New Delhi: The Government on Wednesday issued advisories to eight coastal States and Union Territories over cyclone Phyan and put the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) batallions in Gujarat and Maharashtra on alert.
The movement of a depression in the central Arabian sea region since early Tuesday morning has been watched very closely by the India Meteorological Department (IMD).
Assessing the impact of its movement, in consultation with the IMD, Ministry of Home Affairs has sent advisories to the concerned State Governments of Kerala, Karnataka, Goa, Gujarat, Maharashtra, and Union Territories of Daman and Diu, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Lakshadweep, every few hours.
Eight such advisories had been sent till Wednesday evening.
"Following the movement of this cyclonic depression and the consequential heavy rainfall caused by it, the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) Bns. in Maharashtra and Gujarat have been put on the alert," said an MHA release.
"Simultaneously, to meet any emergent requirement of rescue and relief, the NDRF teams comprising about 400 trained personnel with boats and other equipments, have been pre-positioned in Goa, Maharashtra and Gujarat. Another 200 have been kept in readiness for Mumbai. Ministry of Defence has also alerted the Air Force," the release added.
The cyclonic system has, however, moved north-eastwards due to which the IMD has withdrawn the warning from the States of Gujarat and Goa. The IMD has alerted Maharashtra on the possibility of heavy rainfall in Maharashtra region, the MHA release stated.
However, the Ministries of Home Affairs and Defence have kept themselves in readiness to assist in any rescue and relief operations, if required.

Asteroid almost smacked into Earth...

London: Astronomers have revealed that the Earth had a narrow escape from a cataclysm on when an asteroid came within 8,700 miles of hitting the planet.
According to a report in The Courier-Mail, astronomers spotted the object only 15 hours before its closest approach to our planet.
Its orbit brought it 30 times nearer than the Moon, which is 463,000 kilometres (250,000 miles) away.
Although the asteroid passed within 14,484 kilometres (9,000 miles) of Earth, it measured just (7 metres) 23 ft across and wouldn't have dented the surface.
Even had it been on collision course with us, the 7 metre (23ft wide) asteroid, known as 2009 VA, is unlikely to have made much of an impact because it would probably have all but burnt up in the atmosphere.
It was picked up by the Catalina Sky Survey at the University of Arizona, then identified by the Minor Planet Centre in Cambridge, Massachusetts as a near Earth object and plotted by experts at NASA.
It was the third-closest approach on record for any asteroid that has failed to make it through our atmosphere.
Earlier, NASA scientists monitored a 30.5 metre (100ft) asteroid that passed 72,420 kilometres (45,000 miles) above our planet's surface on March 2.
An object of similar size hit Siberia in 1908, levelling 1931 kilometres (1,200 square miles) of forest.
By 2020, NASA aims to have detected most large asteroids and comets that approach the Earth.

Festive Season puts Spring Back In Sales of Cars & Scooters..

Automobile manufacturers are certainly feeling the festive cheer with October aiding a sharp turnaround in sales and bringing, alongwith Diwali, a bright growth outlook for the full year. While market leader Maruti's car sales jumped 22 per cent, Hyundai topped sales in the segment with a 41 per cent increase. Tata Motors' sales rose 18 per cent.
"The festive period of the last two months generated strong sales and has given the Indian automobile industry some respite from the sluggish performance of the last few months. It looks that this period of strong sales would propel the industry to a positive double digit growth for the remainder of the year. This might be the turning point the industry has been waiting for," said Arvind Saxena, senior vice-president, Hyundai Motors India.
Honda Siel Cars India (HSCI) surprised the market by growing 347 per cent selling 6,909 units this October over 1,546 units last October. While it does have a small base and sales had plunged during last year's lacklustre festive season, the New Honda City is becoming the car to beat in the sedan segment, accounting for 5,129 units of HSCI sales.
Segment leader Maruti Suzuki started the new quarter strongly with a 22 per cent growth thanks to sales of 71,383 units in October over 58,515 units sold during the same month last year. Hyundai, its nearest competitor, sold 28,301 units this October, growing 41.44 per cent over last October's 20,009 units. Despite having been overtaken by Hyundai, Tata Motors has shown consistent signs of a recovery. Where 17,014 units were sold in October last year, 28,310 units were sold in the same month this year, including 3,018 Tata Nanos, giving Tata Motors a 17.61 per cent growth increase.
General Motors registered sales of 7,413 units over the 6,465 units in October 2008. This gives the company a 14.66 per cent growth increase, which GM executives said could have been higher were it not for non-delivery of a number of orders "due to supply constraints of some of the parts". Fiat's new models continue to do well, selling 2,221 units this October. In 2008, before Fiat expanded its portfolio with the Linea and Grand Punto brands they sold 364 units, giving it a disproportionate 508.77 per cent growth. Sales of the Mahindra Logan also continued its consistent decline by 62.42 percent. In October 2008, 1,067 units were sold whereas 401 units were sold in that same month this year.
In the two-wheeler, segment for the first time in over a year, Bajaj appears to be making a comeback and Honda's sales haven't been quite as extraordinary as one has come to expect. Though they continue outsell their nearest rivals by over a lakh units, Honda only grew 0.48 per cent in what has been a very good start to the festive season for everyone else. The company sold 3,54,156 units in October against 3,52,449 units in 2008. Bajaj sold 2,49,974 units this October — a 51.06 per cent jump in sales.

Cloud Computing: The Power Of One..

In their quest to find answers, experts have demonstrated that the future of medical discoveries, environmental challenges, energy deficit, all lie in collaborating through Cloud Computing.
With Cloud Computing, users have been able to access data, share expertise and high-end infrastructure from around the world, and vice-versa. The resources are shared through a public platform like the internet. Several companies like Amazon, IBM, Microsoft, etc have invested heavily as they reach out to users.
Cloud Computing companies have customers of three kinds -
• Infrastructure-as-a-service: Option of renting and utilizing computing power and storage capacity of vendor's quality.
• Software-as-a-Service (SaaS): Vendors license particular services to subscribers on-demand and once the contract expires, the services are disabled.
• Platform-as-a-Service: Here a developer is given the opportunity to utilize various web-tools to build and host applications.
The Cloud (other computers in the network) does have its pros and cons in this formative stage. Its advantages include,
• Better performance by PCs in the cloud network, as fewer processing will be loading in each individual PC, the rest on the Cloud.
• No more spending on computer upgrades, instead services of another high-power PC can be made use of.
• Lesser hardware and software required, so costs of maintenance are tremendously lowered.
• Permanence of data, as all information stays in the cloud, even if you experience a hard-disk crash.
• Sync with experts worldwide on multiple projects and avail optimum results through the Cloud.
• Work from any PC and on the move, with the availability of internet access.
Cloud Computing also has some drawbacks like,
• The over-dependence on the providers.
• The reliability of the vendors.
• Protection laws in different countries vary. For eg, according to EU data protection regulation, personal information cannot be transferred outside the European Economic Area.
• Threat of unauthorized access to confidential data.
• Requires internet throughout and near-impossible to work with dial-up connections.
The concept isn't entirely new and is evolving even today. In the recent past, several variations have been introduced through 'Grid' and 'Utility Computing'.
- Grid Computing is a virtual super-computer formed by a cluster of computers in concert, each performing complex tasks.
- Utility Computing is a format in which subscribers are charged based on their usage, similar to the way in electricity is charged.
As new developments take place with increasing frequency, your world is on the brink of transition.

Some Foreign Car Designs..

Bentley Continental Flying Spur
The name Bentley conjures up images of fast and deluxe saloons rolling down a highway towards St Moritz or Monte Carlo. The Flying Spur is a four-door variant of the Bentley Continental GT coupe, and the Bentley Continental GTC convertible. New for 2009 is the Bentley Flying Spur Speed, a model that ups the output of the engine to 600 horsepower and 553 pound-feet, achieving 0-60 times of 4.5 seconds and a 200-mph top speed.

Rolls-Royce Phantom
Rolls-Royce is as synonymous with state-of-the-art luxury and safety features as it is with prestige. Phantom has a rare sense of scale and occasion that makes it a truly modern interpretation of a Rolls-Royce. The grille and Spirit of Ecstasy immediately mark out Phantom. The Phantom has a base price of $400,000. Just as Phantom's presence is quietly authoritative, the delivery of power from the direct-injection V12 engine is equally impressive.

Maserati Quattroporte
The new Maserati Quattroporte stands out from the crowd. It is a car that excels in terms of technology and craftsmanship. The Maserati Quattroporte means opulent interior of a super-luxury car coupled with the performance and beauty of an exotic sports car. The result is a car with a personality all its own. Maserati's flagship luxury performance sedan Quattroporte has been simplified to base and S trims in 2009. The base trim is powered by a 400 horsepower 4.2-liter V8 engine, while the S trim's 4.7-liter V8 puts out 425 horsepower.

Maybach 62S
The Maybach 62S gets the same massive 6.0-litre twin turbo V12 as 52S, which delivers a barely believable 612bhp at a very low 4800rpm. With this abundant power to rocket from 0-60mph in just over five seconds, the 2,855kg Maybach will zoom on to a top speed of 155mph. The rear compartment is still the most luxurious cabin ever to travel on the road. All this can be yours for a whopping $448,500.

Jaguar XF
Stepping away from the conventional Jaguar design, the XF is Jaguar's new four-door sports sedan with a fresh, modern look. The XF has it all - stylish looks, a spectacular cabin, amazing handling, an agile motorway ride and top refinement. Jaguar's 4.2 liter V8 is the XF's standard-fit powerplant, with 300 horsepower underfoot. This gargantuan of a car comes with a base price of $51,150.

Mercedes-Benz S550
A living room on wheels. That describes all about the stunning Mercedes-Benz S550. Resembling a long, sleek, low-slung limousine, the monster is over 17-feet long. Step into the car and an embarrassment of riches awaits you. No wonder the S550 is favorite of wealthy dads and heads of state alike. The 2009 Mercedes-Benz S550 bears a base price of $86,950.

BMW 750Li
BMW has always been legendary for comfort, luxury and unmatched performance. So, naturally the 2009 BMW 750Li, the flagship of BMW's starfleet, delivers exciting tech features on all fronts, helping justify its high price range of $84,200.00. The twin-turbo 4.4L DOHC V8 under the hood accelerates the 750Li to 100 kmph in just 5.5 seconds despite the avoirdupois.

Lincoln MKS
The MKS fills a giant chasm in Lincoln's lineup. The 2009 Lincoln MKS sports a distinctive styling and a new 275-horsepower, 3.7-liter V-6. The MKS' fine blend of clean lines, luxurious materials, and lighter trim colors inside plants it squarely in the Lexus idiom of luxury. Price ranges from $40,870 to $47,760.

Cadillac CTS
One of the best cars GM has built in years, the Cadillac CTS is competitive with the best entry-level luxury cars in the world. Compared to the original CTS, the second-generation 2008 Cadillac CTS sedan model is more refined and powerful. The uprated interior and lively powertrains have put the CTS into top-tier status for a luxury sport sedan. Price ranges from $36,730 to $51,820.

Audi A8
A modern classic, Audi A8 is the German marque's flagship model. The latest generation of A8 redefines all the cliches. The car is priced from $74,050 - $120,100. It may not be the most desirable luxury car in the world, but the Audi A8 takes Audi a big step closer to that goal.

Indian Oil Fire..

Indian Oil fire: Deora says no option but to let fuel burn...
Fri, Oct 30 09:48 AM
Jaipur, Oct 30 (IANS) Petroleum Minister Murli Deora said there is no option but to let all the fuel burn at the Indian Oil Corp depot here where containers and tankers went up in flames Thursday evening and claimed over 10 lives and injuring over 150.
'This is unprecedented in India,' said Deora, who arrived early morning to take stock of the situation, even as experts were brought in both from the Mathura refinery of Indian Oil and the Bombay High oil wells, off the Mumbai shore.

'We will have to let all the fuel burn. Only then will experts be able to go anywhere near the site,' Deora told reporters here after a visit to the site with senior officials of the state-run company. 'We expect the fuel to burn out by evening.'

He said he will also order an inquiry into the matter but after due consultations with Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot. The extent of damage was also being ascertained, he added.

The oil minister said the cause of fire was being ascertained but some eyewitnesses said the fire broke out after gas leaked from one of the tanks, which also caused a loud explosion. The flames could be seen from a distance of over 15 km.

The company has 11 huge tanks and all of them were seen burning. Around 25 fire tenders were pressed into service.

'The incident occurred at around 7.15 p.m. and we immediately pressed ambulances and fire tenders into service,' a district administration official told IANS, adding. 'As a precautionary measure we have evacuated the nearby villages.'

The injured have been admitted to the government-run SMS Hospital and the nearby Mahatma Gandhi Hospital, he said.

'I work in a factory very near the area. As soon as the fire broke out, we rushed out of our factory. We also heard a couple of loud explosions,' Ramkumar, a worker in a small factory, said.

Amit Agarwal, a student of a private engineering college around 2 km away from the site, said the glass panes of his building were shattered due to the explosions.

Numismatics...

Numismatics: Is the study or collection of currency, including coins, tokens, paper money, and related objects. While numismatists are often characterized as students or collectors of coins, the discipline also includes the broader study of money and other payment media used to resolve debts and the exchange of goods. Lacking a structured monetary system, people in the past lived in a barter society and used locally-found items of inherent or implied value. A few people today still use bartering in absence of a monetary system. Early money used by people is referred to as "Odd and Curious", but the use of other goods in barter exchange is excluded, even where used as a circulating currency (e.g., cigarettes in prison). The Kyrgyz people used horses as the principal currency unit and gave small change in lambskins. The lambskins may be suitable for numismatic study, but the horse is not. Many objects have been used for centuries, such as cowry shells, precious metals and gems. Today, most transactions take place by a form of payment with either inherent, standardized or credit value. Numismatic value may be used to refer to the value in excess of the monetary value conferred by law. This is also known as the "collector's value" or "intrinsic value." For example, a collector may be willing to pay far more than 50 cents for a U.S. Half dollar coin, given their low circulation.

Economic and historical studies of money's use and development are an integral part of the numismatists' study of money's physical embodiment.

Contents
1 History of money
2 History of numismatics
2.1 Modern numismatics
2.2 Subfields
3 Numismatists
4 See also
5 Notes


History of Money
Main article: History of money
Money itself must be a scarce good. Many items have been used as money, from naturally scarce precious metals and cowry shells through cigarettes to entirely artificial money such as banknotes. Modern money (and most ancient money too) is essentially a token - an abstraction. Paper currency is perhaps the most common type of physical money today. However, goods such as gold or silver retain many of the essential properties of money.

History of Numismatics

A Roman denarius, a standardized silver coin.Coin Collecting may have existed in ancient times. Caesar Augustus gave "coins of every device, including old pieces of the kings and foreign money" as Saturnalia gifts.

Petrarch, who wrote in a letter that he was often approached by vinediggers with old coins asking him to buy or to identify the ruler, is credited as the first Renaissance collector. Petrarch presented a collection of Roman coins to Emperor Charles IV in 1355.

The first book on coins was De Asse et Partibus (1514) by Guillaume Budé. During the early Renaissance ancient coins were collected by European royalty and nobility. Collectors of coins were Pope Boniface VIII, Emperor Maximilian of the Holy Roman Empire, Louis XIV of France, Ferdinand I, Elector Joachim II of Brandenburg who started the Berlin coin cabinet and Henry IV of France to name a few. Numismatics is called the "Hobby of Kings", due to its most esteemed founders.

Professional societies organized in the 19th century. The Royal Numismatic Society was founded in 1836 and immediately began publishing the journal that became the Numismatic Chronicle. The American Numismatic Society was founded in 1858 and began publishing the American Journal of Numismatics in 1866.

In 1931 the British Academy launched the Sylloge Nummorum Graecorum publishing collections of Ancient Greek coinage. The first volume of Sylloge of Coins of the British Isles was published in 1958.

In the 20th century as well the coins were seen more as archaeological objects. After World War II in Germany a project, Fundmünzen der Antike (Coin finds of the Classical Period) was launched, to register every coin found within Germany. This idea found successors in many countries.

In the United States, the US mint established a coin Cabinet in 1838 when chief coiner Adam Eckfeldt donated his personal collection. William E. Du Bois’ Pledges of History... (1846) describes the cabinet.

C. Wyllys Betts' American colonial history illustrated by contemporary medals (1894) set the groundwork for the study of American historical medals.

Modern Numismatics
Modern numismatics is the study of the coins of the mid 17th to the 21st century, the period of machine struck coins. Their study serves more the need of collectors than historians and it is more often successfully pursued by amateur aficionados than by professional scholars. The focus of modern numismatics lies frequently in the research of production and use of money in historical contexts using mint or other records in order to determine the relative rarity of the coins they study. Varieties, mint-made errors, the results of progressive die wear, mintage figures and even the socio-political context of coin mintings are also matters of interest.

Subfields
Main articles: Exonumia, Notaphily, and Scripophily
Exonumia is the study of coin-like objects such as token coins and medals, and other items used in place of legal currency or for commemoration. This includes elongated coins, encased coins, souvenir medallions, tags, badges, counterstamped coins, wooden nickels, credit cards, and other similar items. It is related to numismatics proper (concerned with coins which have been legal tender), and many coin collectors are also exonumists.

Notaphily is the study of paper money or banknotes. It is believed that people have been collecting paper money for as long as it has been in use. However, people only started collecting paper money systematically in Germany in the 1920s, particularly the Serienscheine (Series notes) Notgeld. The turning point occurred in the 1970s, when notaphily was established as a separate area by collectors. At the same time, some developed countries such as the USA, Germany and France began publishing their respective national catalogues of paper money, which represented major points of reference literature.

Scripophily is the study and collection of stocks and Bonds. It is an interesting area of collecting due to both the inherent beauty of some historical documents as well as the interesting historical context of each document. Some stock certificates are excellent examples of engraving. Occasionally, an old stock document will be found that still has value as a stock in a successor company.

Numismatists
The term numismatist applies to collectors and coin dealers as well as scholars using coins as source or studying coins.

The first group chiefly derive pleasure from the simple ownership of monetary devices and studying these coins as private amateur scholars. In the classical field amateur collector studies have achieved quite remarkable progress in the field. Examples are Walter Breen, a well-known example of a noted numismatist who was not an avid collector, and King Farouk I of Egypt was an avid collector who had very little interest in numismatics. Harry Bass by comparison was a noted collector who was also a numismatist.

The second group are the coin dealers. Often called professional numismatists, they authenticate or grade coins for commercial purposes. The buying and selling of coin collections by numismatists who are professional dealers advances the study of money, and expert numismatists are consulted by historians, museum curators, and archaeologists.

The third category are scholar numismatists working in public collections, universities or as independent scholars acquiring knowledge about monetary devices, their systems, their economy and their historical context. Coins are especially relevant as source in the pre-modern period.

Extreme Billionaires...

Nine days into his trip, the marketing master, who turned a gang of Quebec street performers into a live entertainment powerhouse and amassed a $2.5 billion fortune in the process, put on a two-hour Web show featuring him in space and celebrities Bono, Salma Hayek, Shakira and Al Gore on Earth. He returned to solid ground this week. (For more on Laliberté, see "Billionaire Acrobatics.")
Bored with the ordinary hobbies of everyday life, billionaires have embarked on adventures and extreme endeavors only a tycoon can afford. They craft million dollar boats for a single race, journey thousands of miles in hot air balloons to set world records and develop rockets to create their own space agencies.
To prepare for his space mission, Laliberté spent five months in Russia's Star City practicing simulations, learning Russian and undergoing intense cardiovascular training to get in space shape. He also studied how to read and work instruments on the shuttle and space station; although he had no official duties during the mission, he needed to be able to lend a hand to Russian cosmonauts in case of an emergency.
Virgin billionaire Richard Branson is creating his own private space agency. His nascent commercial orbital travel company, Virgin Galactic, will start carrying passengers out of Earth's atmosphere for $200,000 per ticket in 2011. Total flight time: 2.5 hours.
Branson has broken records on the sea and in the air. In 1986 his motorboat "Virgin Atlantic Challenger II" broke the speed record for crossing the Atlantic Ocean in three days, eight hours and 31 minutes. A year later he became the first person to cross the Atlantic in a hot air balloon. He was the first to balloon across the Pacific Ocean in 1991. He failed in his quest to be the first to circumnavigate the globe by balloon when Bertrand Piccard and Brian Jones completed the journey in 1999.
Roger Penske got his adrenaline boosts from extreme sports before he earned his ten-figure-fortune. Prior to building his massive auto empire, Penske raced for a living. In the early 1960s, Penske competed on both the Formula One and NASCAR circuits, winning Sports Illustrated's Driver of the Year award in 1962.
He retired in 1965 to focus on building his Philadelphia Chevrolet dealership. Today Penske Corp. controls Penske Auto Group, plus trucking and logistics companies. The billionaire is still in the racing game; Penske Racing, with more than 300 wins, is one of most dominant teams in the history of auto racing.
Oracle billionaire Larry Ellison and Swiss biotech tycoon Ernesto Bertarelli are gearing up to race each other in sailing's prestigious America's Cup this winter. Already, the battle on land has gotten ugly. Two-time winner Bertarelli ignored Ellison's request for a rematch, instead picking an unknown Spanish club as his next challenger. Ellison sued for the right to race. The legal war lasted two years. In May, a New York Supreme Court judge ruled Ellison would get his shot on the water. The race will take place off the shores of Ras Al Khaimah in the United Arab Emirates in February.
Ellison supporters claimed Bertarelli attempted to skew the rules of the America's Cup to his own advantage, while Bertarelli's camp accused Ellison's team of spying on his race facilities. Bertarelli's racing team, Alinghi, posts cartoons on its Web site showing Ellison's boat sinking under the weight of legal texts and the tech titan trying to buy the America's Cup trophy over the Internet.
Ellison has spent more than $100 million on his quest to join the ranks of Ted Turner and William Koch--two other billionaire winners of the America's Cup. Cable mogul Turner won in 1977, while the Koch Industries heir and head of Oxbow captured sailing's biggest prize in 1992.

Steven Bertoni
Guy Laliberté has taken his act on the road. On Sept. 30, the billionaire founder of psychedelic entertainment group Cirque du Soleil blasted into space aboard a Russian rocket. Cost of the ride: $35 million.
His trip, organized through American exploration outfit Space Adventures, lasted 12 days, including a nine-day stay at the International Space Station. Laliberté used part of his time in orbit to promote his clean water charity One Drop, and the rest garnering international media attention, hamming it up in front of cameras wearing a red foam clown nose.

In Hyderabad, Traffic Starts following on India's Longest Flyover...

Mon, Oct 19 09:47 AM
Hyderabad, Oct 19 (IANS) Access to Rajiv Gandhi International Airport at Shamshabad, about 30 km from the city, is set to become smoother and faster with India's longest flyover being thrown open to traffic Monday.
The 11.633 km long PVNR Expressway, named after former Prime Minister P.V. Narasimha Rao, connects the Mehdipatnam area in the city to the Hyderabad-Bangalore national highway (NH 7) en route to the international airport.
Built by Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA) at a cost of Rs.4.39 billion, the 17.2-metre-wide four-lane elevated expressway starts at Sarojini Devi Eye Hospital at Mehdipatnam and lands at Aramghar Junction on NH 7 to join an underpass.
The airport-bound traffic will proceed further to get on to the trumpet interchange, providing faster access to the airport.
HMDA officials say the facility would cut the travel time to the airport by 30 to 40 minutes. Presently, it takes 45 minutes to one hour for a person to reach the airport from different points in the city.
The project, work on which was launched after the foundation stone was laid for the airport in 2005, has completed one-and-half year after the airport launched commercial operations.
The PVNR Expressway, which encompasses 327 spans, was delayed due to various reasons including financial constraints over the last one year.
It was last scheduled to be inaugurated on Oct 2 but was put off in view of the death of chief minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy, who had laid the foundation stone for the project.
Chief Minister K. Rosaiah will inaugurate the Expressway Monday evening, fulfilling the long felt need of air passengers.
In a move aimed at ensuring fast and smooth traffic on Expressway, the Hyderabad and Cyberabad police have prohibited entry of two-wheelers, three-wheelers, all types of goods vehicles and slow-moving vehicles.
Since the down and up ramps are yet to be completed, the motorists will have to be careful while getting on to the Expressway as they will not be able to get down before covering the entire distance. However, median gaps have been provided at three points as a temporary measure for emergency U-turns.
Officials said a speed of 100 km per hour was envisaged on the Expressway but for light motor vehicles the speed limit will be 60 kmph. According to HMDA chief engineer Vivek Deshmukh, sound barriers were being installed at five points to reduce traffic noise pollution in residential and hospital zones.
The project was also mired in a naming controversy. Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM), the powerful Muslim political party in the city, and various other Muslim groups had opposed naming the Expressway after Narasimha Rao as they blame him for demolition of Babri Masjid at Ayodhya.
After the death of Rajasekhara Reddy in a helicopter crash Sep 2, these groups demanded that the project be named after the late chief minister. However, the state government ignored this demand.

Mathura Rail Mishap: 16 killed, many trapped...

Wed, Oct 21 09:44 AM
At least 16 people were reportedly killed, over a dozen injured and several others believed to be trapped in a mangled carriage after two trains collided on Wednesday morning in Mathura city in Uttar Pradesh, officials said.
The accident occurred when the Goa Express rammed into the stationary Mewar Express from behind at an outer signal, some 55 km from Agra. About 50 people are believed to be still trapped in a mangled carriage of the Mewar Express.
Senior railway officials, including divisional railway manager (north central zone) R.M. Tripathi has reached the site to monitor rescue and relief operations.
Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee today announced an ex-gratia of Rs five lakh for the next of the kin of those killed in the train mishap near Mathura. The seriously injured passengers would receive Rs one lakh while those with minor injuries will get Rs 10,000, she said. She has also ordered a probe into the accident.
Several trains on the route have been diverted.
In Mathura, UP Agriculture Minister Laxminarain Choudhry also announced an ex-gratia of Rs 10 lakh for the next of the kin of the deceased besides a job.

HAPPY DIWALI as we say " HAPPY KALI PUJA"... ..

Diwali or Dipawali is the festival of light celebrated worldwide by the Indians irrespective of caste or creed. It is the celebration of the homecoming of Lord Rama after a 14-year exile in the forest and his victory over the Ravana. The festival is celebrated by lighting diyas and candles to drive away the darkness of evil. Firecrackers adorn the night sky along with merriment and divine worship of god Ganesha and goddess Laxmi for prosperity.
Diwali or Dipawali is the festival of light celebrated worldwide by the Indians irrespective of caste or creed. It is the celebration of the homecoming of Lord Rama after a 14-year exile in the forest and his victory over the Ravana.

OUR CELEBRATION OF KALI PUJA....

Goddess Kali is worshipped on this day and in the Eastern Part of India, Diwali is also known as Kali Puja. The goddess is depicted as standing on Lord Shiva’s chest with her tongue stuck out. She holds a severed head in one hand and an edge tool on the other hand a garland of skulls hang around her neck. People worship her for the destruction of evil. She is the darker side of Maa Durga, the embodiment of Shakti.
According to the legends, it is said the demon Raktaveeja received a boon that he will remain immortal and with each drop of his blood several other demons like him will be produced. As his brutal power started engulfing the whole universe goddess Durga took Kali avatar. She then killed the demon and started drinking Raktaveeja’s blood before it fell on the ground. The killing spree of Kali was so intense that even after killing the demons she continued her thirst for blood killing everything that came on her way. To stop her, Shiva threw himself on her feet which made goddess Kali to regain her conscious.

Since then, people celebrate Kali Puja with crackers, lamps, sacrifices and chanting hymns for her blessings.

FIVE DAYS OF DIWALI OR KALI PUJA... ..

The celebration of Diwali is not for one day but it lasts for five days and each day holds special significance.

• Dhanteras – the first day:

The 13th lunar day of Krishna pakshya is known as Dhanwantari Trayodashi also popularly known as Dhanteras. It is believed that on this day Dhanwantari came out of the ocean for the welfare of humankind with his magical ayurveda. On this day people also worship Yama – the god of Death and light a ‘Yama Diya’ for him.


• Choti Diwali – the second day:

This is also known as Narak Chaturdasi. It is the celebration of the death of Narakasur by Shri Krishna’s wife Satyabhama. People get an oil massage and take a bath and those who don’t it is believed that they to Hell.

• Bari Diwali or Laxmi Puja– the third day:

This is the main day of the celebration when people perform the Diwali puja (worshipping Laxmi and Ganesha). People clean their homes and decorate them with beautiful lights and rangoli. Later, at night they get together with their friends and families and burn fire crackers.

• Govardhan Puja– the fourth day:

As per the legends, it is believed that to save the villagers of Gokula from rain and thunder storm Lord Krishna, worshipped Govardhana Mountain on this day. Hence, the tradition continues.


• Bhai Dhooj– the fifth day:

This is the day when the sisters, pray for their brothers’ longer lives. According to the legends, on this day Yama (god of Death) went to his sister Yamuna and gave boon to all the sisters that if their brothers visit them on this day then, they will be freed from all their sins. Since then, the tradition exists. In Bengal, this day is known as ‘Bhai fota’. It is the last day of the celebration.

Obama wins Nobel Peace Prize for 2009....

Fri, Oct 9 03:40 PM
Oslo (Norway), Oct.9 (ANI): United States President Barack Obama has been surprisingly given the Nobel Peace Prize for 2009 for his extraordinary efforts in strengthening international diplomacy and for taking landmark initiatives to create a nuclear-free world.

Announcing the award here, an official of the Norwegian Nobel Committee said that Obama was yet to be informed about the award, and would receive the award on December 10 this year.

He also said that Obama had beaten 205 other nominees for the prestigious award, which includes a gold medal, a Nobel diploma and 1.4 million dollars.

The Nobel Peace Prize has been awarded 90 times to 120 Nobel Laureates between 1901 and 2009 - 97 times to individuals and 23 times to organizations.

Since International Committee of the Red Cross was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1917, 1944 and 1963, and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1954 and 1981, that means 97 individuals and 20 organizations have been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

The Nobel Peace Prize is one of five Nobel Prizes bequeathed by the Swedish industrialist and inventor Alfred Nobel. According to Nobel's will, the Peace Prize should be awarded "to the person who shall have done the most or the best work for fraternity between nations, for the abolition or reduction of standing armies and for the holding and promotion of peace congresses."

Alfred Nobel's will stated that a committee of five people elected by the Norwegian Parliament should award the prize. Norway and Sweden were at that time still in union, and with Sweden responsible for all foreign policy. Nobel felt that the prize might be less subject to political corruption if awarded by Norway. The Peace Prize is presented annually in Oslo, in the presence of the king, on December 10 (the anniversary of Nobel's death), and is the only Nobel Prize not presented in Stockholm.



Barack Hussein Obama II born August 4, 1961) is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office, as well as the first born in Hawaii. Obama previously served as the junior United States Senator from Illinois from January 2005 until he resigned after his election to the presidency in November 2008.

Obama is a graduate of Columbia University and Harvard Law School, where he was the president of the Harvard Law Review. He was a community organizer in Chicago before earning his law degree. He worked as a civil rights attorney in Chicago and taught constitutional law at the University of Chicago Law School from 1992 to 2004.

Obama served three terms in the Illinois Senate from 1997 to 2004. Following an unsuccessful bid for a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives in 2000, Obama ran for United States Senate in 2004. His victory in the March 2004 Democratic primary election for the United States Senator from Illinois brought him to national attention. His prime-time televised keynote address at the Democratic National Convention in July 2004 made him a rising star nationally in the Democratic Party. He comfortably won election to the U.S. Senate in November 2004.

He began his run for the presidency in February 2007. After a close campaign in the 2008 Democratic Party presidential primaries against Hillary Clinton, he won his party's nomination. In the 2008 general election, he defeated Republican nominee John McCain and was inaugurated as president on January 20, 2009. On October 9, 2009 Obama was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

EARLY LIFE & CAREER
Main article: Early life and career of Barack Obama
Barack Obama was born at Kapi'olani Maternity & Gynecological Hospital in Honolulu, Hawaii, United States, to Stanley Ann Dunham, an American of mainly English descent from Wichita, Kansas, and Barack Obama, Sr., a Luo from Nyang’oma Kogelo, Nyanza Province, Kenya. Obama's parents met in 1960 in a Russian language class at the University of Hawaii at Mānoa, where his father was a foreign student on scholarship. The couple married on February 2, 1961, and Barack was born later that year. His parents separated when he was two years old and they divorced in 1964. Obama's father returned to Kenya and saw his son only once more before dying in an automobile accident in 1982.

After her divorce, Dunham married Indonesian student Lolo Soetoro, who was attending college in Hawaii. When Suharto, a military leader in Soetoro's home country, came to power in 1967, all Indonesian students studying abroad were recalled and the family moved to the island nation. From ages six to ten, Obama attended local schools in Jakarta, including Besuki Public School and St. Francis of Assisi School.

In 1971, he returned to Honolulu to live with his maternal grandparents, Madelyn and Stanley Armour Dunham, and attended Punahou School, a private college preparatory school, from the fifth grade until his graduation from high school in 1979.

Obama's mother returned to Hawaii in 1972 and remained there until 1977, when she relocated to Indonesia to work as an anthropological field worker. She finally returned to Hawaii in 1994 and lived there for one year before dying of ovarian cancer.


Right-to-left: Barack Obama and half-sister Maya Soetoro, with their mother Ann Dunham and grandfather Stanley Dunham, in Hawaii (early 1970s)Of his early childhood, Obama recalled, "That my father looked nothing like the people around me—that he was black as pitch, my mother white as milk—barely registered in my mind." He described his struggles as a young adult to reconcile social perceptions of his multiracial heritage. Reflecting later on his formative years in Honolulu, Obama wrote: "The opportunity that Hawaii offered—to experience a variety of cultures in a climate of mutual respect—became an integral part of my world view, and a basis for the values that I hold most dear." Obama has also written and talked about using alcohol, marijuana and cocaine during his teenage years to "push questions of who I was out of my mind." At the 2008 Civil Forum on the Presidency in 2008, Obama identified his high-school drug use as his "greatest moral failure."

Following high school, he moved to Los Angeles in 1979 to attend Occidental College. After two years he transferred in 1981 to Columbia University in New York City, where he majored in political science with a specialization in international relations and graduated with a B.A. in 1983. He worked for a year at the Business International Corporation and then at the New York Public Interest Research Group.

After four years in New York City, Obama moved to Chicago, where he was hired as director of the Developing Communities Project (DCP), a church-based community organization originally comprising eight Catholic parishes in Greater Roseland (Roseland, West Pullman and Riverdale) on Chicago's far South Side. He worked there as a community organizer from June 1985 to May 1988. During his three years as the DCP's director, its staff grew from one to thirteen and its annual budget grew from $70,000 to $400,000. He helped set up a job training program, a college preparatory tutoring program, and a tenants' rights organization in Altgeld Gardens. Obama also worked as a consultant and instructor for the Gamaliel Foundation, a community organizing institute. In mid-1988, he traveled for the first time in Europe for three weeks and then for five weeks in Kenya, where he met many of his paternal relatives for the first time. He returned in August 2006 in a visit to his father's birthplace, a village near Kisumu in rural western Kenya.

Obama entered Harvard Law School in late 1988. He was selected as an editor of the Harvard Law Review at the end of his first year, and president of the journal in his second year. During his summers, he returned to Chicago, where he worked as a summer associate at the law firms of Sidley Austin in 1989 and Hopkins & Sutter in 1990. After graduating with a Juris Doctor (J.D.) magna cum laude from Harvard in 1991, he returned to Chicago. Obama's election as the first black president of the Harvard Law Review gained national media attention and led to a publishing contract and advance for a book about race relations, though it evolved into a personal memoir. The manuscript was published in mid-1995 as Dreams from My Father.

From April to October 1992, Obama directed Illinois's Project Vote, a voter registration drive with a staff of ten and 700 volunteers; it achieved its goal of registering 150,000 of 400,000 unregistered African Americans in the state, and led to Crain's Chicago Business naming Obama to its 1993 list of "40 under Forty" powers to be.

For 12 years, Obama served as a professor of constitutional law at the University of Chicago Law School; as a Lecturer from 1992 to 1996, and as a Senior Lecturer from 1996 to 2004. In 1993 he joined Davis, Miner, Barnhill & Galland, a law firm of 12 attorneys that specialized in civil rights litigation and neighborhood economic development, where he was an associate for three years from 1993 to 1996, then of counsel from 1996 to 2004, with his law license becoming inactive in 2002.

Obama was a founding member of the board of directors of Public Allies in 1992, resigning before his wife, Michelle, became the founding executive director of Public Allies Chicago in early 1993. He served from 1994 to 2002 on the board of directors of the Woods Fund of Chicago, which in 1985 had been the first foundation to fund the Developing Communities Project, and also from 1994 to 2002 on the board of directors of the Joyce Foundation. Obama served on the board of directors of the Chicago Annenberg Challenge from 1995 to 2002, as founding president and chairman of the board of directors from 1995 to 1999. He also served on the board of directors of the Chicago Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, the Center for Neighborhood Technology, and the Lugenia Burns Hope Center.

POLITICAL CAREER: 1996–2008
STATE LEGISLATOR: 1997–2004
Main article: Illinois Senate career of Barack Obama
Obama was elected to the Illinois Senate in 1996, succeeding State Senator Alice Palmer as Senator from Illinois's 13th District, which at that time spanned Chicago South Side neighborhoods from Hyde Park-Kenwood south to South Shore and west to Chicago Lawn. Once elected, Obama gained bipartisan support for legislation reforming ethics and health care laws. He sponsored a law increasing tax credits for low-income workers, negotiated welfare reform, and promoted increased subsidies for childcare. In 2001, as co-chairman of the bipartisan Joint Committee on Administrative Rules, Obama supported Republican Governor Ryan's payday loan regulations and predatory mortgage lending regulations aimed at averting home foreclosures.

Obama was reelected to the Illinois Senate in 1998, defeating Republican Yesse Yehudah in the general election, and was reelected again in 2002. In 2000, he lost a Democratic primary run for the U.S. House of Representatives to four-term incumbent Bobby Rush by a margin of two to one.

In January 2003, Obama became chairman of the Illinois Senate's Health and Human Services Committee when Democrats, after a decade in the minority, regained a majority. He sponsored and led unanimous, bipartisan passage of legislation to monitor racial profiling by requiring police to record the race of drivers they detained, and legislation making Illinois the first state to mandate videotaping of homicide interrogations. During his 2004 general election campaign for U.S. Senate, police representatives credited Obama for his active engagement with police organizations in enacting death penalty reforms. Obama resigned from the Illinois Senate in November 2004 following his election to the U.S. Senate.