Mind Mapping

I attended an in-house training today on how to unleash that innovator inside you. Dunno if it really worked for me but the one positive thing that I came across today was Mind Mapping technique.

Mind Mapping is a diagramatic or pictorial representation of various ideas or themes based on a particular Central Theme. Tony Buzan might not have a wikipedia entry yet, but this chap is solely responsible to develop the mind-mapping techniques. He is a pioneer in Radiant Thinking and believes that our Brain is a Lock and the mind map is a key to it.

I found an interesting video in youtube…I though you should see it. (slightly long…sorry)

PS: Had to sleep early last night, so could not post…

PPS: Posting it right from my office desk, a dream come true, I  never though I d blog from my desk ……

” Spread Firefox ” Download Day 2008

Something within me tells me that this is going to be HUGE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

.                                           .

Firefox 3 ’s birthday celebration is going to be a world wide event. The guys over there have set out to create a world record by initiating the maximum number of downloads ( of firefox ofcourse!!!…so go on “spread firefox“) in a single day. The day firefox 3 is going to be released, kazillions of firefox users are gonna download it and also host parties in lieu of this event ( yeah i meant birthday celebrations)…and firefox guys are , at the end ofthe day are just gonna send the no. of downloads figure and pics of the parties that were hosted and create a guiness record.

I have already pledged for it….what abt you? Wish firefox a happy birthday….go pledge!!!!!

Pledge Here

Where have those Migratory Birds gone?

Someone who has gone to a lake bird watching, some 10 years ago, is certain to be in disbelief and dismay at the dwindling numbers of the migratory birds season after season. Bird Migration is truly a sensational natural phenomena. It actually is a generic process that involves the movement of birds ( both land and sea) with change in weather conditions to a place where the habitat is more conducive for survival…remember…survival is by far the only thing that they allllllll fight for out there in the wild. The most common of these movements of birds is from the cold arctic regions into the warmer southern regions, especially when the cruel winters set in. Bird Migration actually makes an interesting read.

But, recent study on the pattern and behavior of these migratory movements have shows shocking results. With the clearing of the natural habitats, massively, it is found that there can be disturbing climatic variations. From what is known, the birds travel upto 10000 miles during their migratory flights, and turbulent air conditions and ferocious winds can drain the smaller birds (especially) of their energy and hence hinder the process altogether. The harsh atmospheric conditions, if met during their flight will surely ensure that the birds do not manage to get out of their winter grooves, are drained of their energy totally and meet a tragic end. Also, it is needless to mention the problem that these little ones would be facing due to the enormous pollutions that we happily generate. I am not sure as to what is going to happen if these birds do get unfortunately wiped off the earths surface….how is it going to influence the food chain?…leave alone the fact that we will never get to witness this diaspora of beauty again!!!
I sincerely think this is an issue important enough to address immediately. As it is often said…better late than never….i would fervently hope that a solution to this catastrophic disaster should be anywhere but round the corner.

Running….aaaah…. can be fun!!!

18th May 2008, actually put Bangalore in the world “running” map. The “Sunfeast World 10K” run was one of its kind, drawing crowds of all ages, of all colors and for all causes.  Congratulations to each and every one who participated and made this event a success(Gobar that was for you).

Well, speaking all of this, i actually found myself in a ” Event Crew ” tee, with a walkie-talkie in my hand, trying to coordinating stuff a day before the actual event, yep that ‘ d be Saturday 17th May 2008. I had actually signed up for volunteering in the “elite athlete management” section, so me and a bunch of few other volunteers gathered Saturday evening, ( to collect our instructions and also the tee ) inside the Kanteerva Stadium at 5PM. We were supposed to escort the internation ( and national “elite” athletes ) from the moment they stepped down the BUS ( on their way from the hotel to the stadium) where the elite athelete room was setup, till the end of the race, to the media centre for their press releases and back to the elite athlete room. But, coordinating all this was no easy as a lot of running around was needed to be done.

Once the race began, i was taking care of the “chip timings”….based on the timing chips which the athletes were asked to put on, that gave the exact time of their run. And i was supposed to coordinate with the volunteer at the linesmen who would have the results , as seen with the naked eye, and come to a common conclusion as to who the winner was. It was great fun doing all the running around from the timing room to the finish line, and the sneek-peak into the VIP lounge that boasted the presence of Vijay Amritraj, the event ambassador, along with the likes of Suresh Kalmadi,IOA chief, Rahul Bose and Dino Morea…. . The Media Centre was no different with reporters from the local as well as some renouned media channels.

But what the biggest take away from this experience for me was that, in this country  where Cricket is the God of all Sports and a religion, some of the not as much popular sports also do attract a very good number of participation and public support. I know being on the tracks is a totally different experience, but then being a part of the organizing team was equally relishing and a novel experience. The challenges that one who is actually organizing such an event can face, is actually enormous and most of the times goes unnoticed. I sincerely would like to appreciate the efforts of each and everyone who was involved with this event being a great success…(hehe…including me..i dint sleep the whole of Saturday night…came back home on Sunday afternoon and crashed from 3-7pm…that part of my life is blank….absolute delirium…had to wake up at 7 cz i was cheering for Mumbai Indians).

Do you like to Read?????

Hi Guys, i just came across this amazing site……please check it out.

Its a very novel concept of letting those “readers” get into their groove. The people responsible even deliver books (at a nominal price, for the renting of the books, delivery is supposed to be free) to your door step. Its not just an e-library, but also looks as if they have some funky delivery options. Nevertheless, whats the best part of the deal is that you get to keep the book for as long as you want and return them when you finish them. Though they have not mentioned a “timeout” window, but hey….can i keep them for ever?( i guess this is an invalid question!!!). I am surely gonna check this out once atleast and wil lpost my experiences…till then happy reading!!!!!!

http://www.librarywala.com/

Sorry, this will be useful to friends @Bangalore and @Mumbhaaai….

Be the Change you wanna see in this world!!!!!

Woooooooooooooow, its almost an aeon since i have opened this page to jot something down for you….and hence that subtle feeling of incompleteness that was slowly creeping within me I finally decided to brush all the excuses ( loads of office work……worst possible network connectivity………god why am i living in this place afteralll……) aside and decided to come back to life.

“Be the change that you want to see in  the world”…i know…i know….like any school going kid would do in any essay writing competition, start off with a quote and say it was said my Mahatma Gandhi, but the line i just quoted was actually said by him.

This is not merely a quote, for it is the impetus that drives me and few of my friends ( we call our group FOCA – Friends For A Cause).  Our mission varies  from empowering the marginalized sections of the society, who are deprived of basic needs and rights to facilitating healthy environment and create a celebrated childhood for kids, so that they transition to adulthood capable of unraveling their deepest potential, but there is only one vision : A society where all individuals are able to realize their fullest potential and are Self-reliant.

There are various types of activities that we engage in, be it teaching in  the Shiela Kotwal Institute for the Deaf (& Dumb), or share some knowledge with the children form the Haemophilia Society, or have a gala of a time with the children of Ashraya Trust. We intend to work more closely with these organizations and offer a helping hand in any possible way, anything at all….even pinning down the paintings that these children made, on their classroom walls , apart from any monetary reliefs ( just the joy of being with these kids is what we actually want out of all our deeds).

FOCA also conducts many events for these so called “lesser privileged” ones. There was a painting competition held recently, where in the best twelve paintings were selected , that featured as the covers for a beautiful calender…( kids who saw their own painting printed on the calender had no bounds for their joy!!!!!). Also there was an outing with the Hemophilia society on the occasion of world hemophilia day that saw many participants break their “i am so shy!!!” barrier and intermingled well with fellow patients. There are many more activities in the pipeline and i shall post about them too…..!!!!

Woow…feels  so good to write again…i should do it more often.

Fairy Tale : Guys coming for PS2 please take care

Hey ya folks,

All set to start off with your PS2 ehh……yada yada…our PS2 was great is almost coming to an end, just another week. Just a few tips for you ppl……

1. Stay as close to your PS station as possible. Please do not compromise anything else,esp bangalore traffic sucks!!!!!!!!!!

2.  Get a bike  if you can, again, as soon as possible. If your company has a cab service
then only  buy a anti-pollution mask. I wish you wudnt wanna take in smoke and fuel wastage ONLY.

3. Eat good food…..comapny mein free hai toh bindassssssssssss…..else manage  well.

4. And yeah, just in case you dont feel u have been given the right type of project, atleast as per your preferences, go immediately and talk to your PS co-ordinator. Dont give gen hype…”its a challenge and i will do it….” blah blah blah……for your own good……just go and get your project changed.

5. And yeah….weekends pe party hard……but DO NOT DRINK n DRIVE.

Okie ppl…all da best for your PS…….have fun….

Microsoft Surface

Folks, many of us thought they would nt be able to do it this sooon….but they did it…. This product takes us all to a different level in digital technology and is by far one of the most revolutionary things that Microsoft has ever done…(leave alone the OS ).

Microsoft is back with a bang, esp after the VISTA fiasco.

This indeeeeed is a new way to live in the digital world!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Take a look <click here>

Web 2.0

Web 2.0 refers to a second generation of services available on the world wide web that allow people to collaborate and share information online. Unlike the traditional static web pages of the first  generation, Web 2.0 gives users an experience akin to desktop applications. Web 2.0 applications often use a combination of techniques devise in the late 1990s, including public web service APIs, Ajax, and the web syndication. They often allow for mass participation (web-based social software). The concept may include blogs and wikis. Web 2.0 was originally created as a marketing phrase. O’Reilly Media and MediaLive International popularized the term as a series of web development conferences that started in October 2004. CMP Media, which purchased MediaLive, claims the term as a service mark for live events, reserving exclusive use of the term for its own conferences. Read  more on Web 2.0 . You can also see this.

Mobile Virus

Were’nt mobile fones invented so that people could talk to one another while on the move? Atleast i though so. But the plethora of mobile fones that we see today, i will not wonder if they replace music players, digital cameras, Identity Badges, alarm clocks, newspapers and what not…..kinda tough to imagine (esp when ur supposed to be sitting and working in you office )

So all you guys with Bluetooth enabled mobs out there…….u ought to know what a mobile virun can do. Well a mobile virus is just like a computer virus, in short a malicious software. What it actually does is , once it is in your mobile, it will try and send fake MMS messages to people in your list, and by GOD they aint free mannnnn …..so u r charged for doing something that you actually arent (what i actually mean is you are paying to send a virus to your friend hehehehehehehhee ). These virus can actually pick up headers from previous messages from your frends and make you believe that it actually is a message from a friend and once u open the application…..you are dooooomed !!!!! They actually cause lot more trouble than financial loss . The virus can actually with  the files present in you mobile and can even delete the contact and calender entries, and also download more malicious junk.

So here s what you should do….( shud nt do actually ): Enable your Bluetooth ONLY when you need it,learn to say NO to something that you receive which you actually aint intended to, NEVER accept an unknown file or application like games and ringtones and never install any application you are not sure of.  But clever VIRUS WRITERs  disguise these things in such a manner that we are foxed into taking the virus as a desirable application. SO….keep your eyes open….