I am perhaps one of the last of "my era" reading Asimov's Foundation series. Finished reading Second foundation yesterday and some very obvious errors in his writing caught my eyes.

Chapter 6 - One man, The mule and another - Mule suspects Channis to be a second foundationer and incapacitates him. When he comes to his senses : "It ended wth a cracking sensation that was like the jagged glare of a lightning flash, and Channis came slowly to earth while sight returned painfully in blurry transmission through tear-drenched eyes"

Chapter 18 -Ghost of a world - Arcadia has run away from Kalgan to her birthplace Trantor. Her emotions on reaching her birthplace "She had left, clangingly - running until her feet pounded softly on earth once more"

Chapter 18 -Ghost of a world - Arcadia is trying to persuade Preem Palver to go to war struck Terminus with food supplies - "The foundation traders in the old days used to do that all the time. There'd be war, so they'd sell whatever was needed bad and take their chances. Golly they use to make as much as two million dollars out of one trip - profit"

Chapter 21 -The answer that satisfied - Dr. Toran Darell uses the mind static device on Pelleas Anthor "with an unearthly shriek Pelleas Anthor sank to the floor"

While the use of words earth and unearthly can be attributed to the language per se (though I feel usage of term ground in first two instances and an adjective like eeire, ghostly or nightmarish would suit better). The usage of word dollars in chapter 18 however is totally incorrect as the foundationers used  foundation credits as currency and not dollars.

Disclaimer: These nitpicks are for the purpose of academic interest only. I am totally in love with Issac Asimov's Foundation series books.

It will not change now
After so many years;
Life has not broken it
With parting or tears;
Death will not alter it,
It will live on
In all my songs for you
When I am gone.

 - Sarah Teasdale

Retd. Cdr. Nadeem Sani, my brother in law has always been an excellent story teller. Thanks to our bullying he now has his own blog.

http://nadeem-sani.livejournal.com/

Go, read, comment and befriend :)

वर्ष नव,
हर्ष नव,
जीवन का उत्कर्ष नव।
नव उमंग,
नव तरंग,
जीवन का नव प्रसंग।
नवल चाह,
नवल राह,
जीवन का नव प्रवाह।
गीत नवल,
प्रीत नवल,
जीवन की रीति नवल,
जीवन की नीति नवल,
जीवन की जीत नवल।

-- हरिवंश राय बच्चन

SANIsoft is proud to be a sponsor for CakeFest . A CakePHP programming conference, to be held in Buenos Aires, Argentina from December 2 -5, 2008.

Conferences are the forefronts of modern communications, more so when they are related to the FOSS world. Conferences and Open Source Fests are platforms where the developers meet, discuss, share and carry their work forward. However, organizing conferences and fests do not come easy. They require a lot of planning and grunt work.

So when an opportunity comes by wherein we can give back, we are always happy to do it. After all, SANIsoft runs its business on open source products and believes in giving back to the open source communities – and - not just in the form of code. We strive to help such events by sponsoring them in whatever small way we can. We believe in putting our money where our mouth is

We have heard developers of Open Source Projects lament that SME´s shy away from supporting project needs by sponsoring. We feel by lending a hand in the form of sponsorship and even micro-sponsorships the small and medium sized companies can strengthen their own base and in turn the FOSS community. The inescapable reality is that the world is powered by money, not code.

When we decided to be a sponsor for CakeFest, a common refrain heard was ¨Argentina is half a world away and as a business what is the point of having your banner / logo there¨. Wait a min! people actually said that? Doesn’t really matter to us. The CakePHP framework has been a major player in many of the recent projects that SANIsoft has done - so - there it is QED

We wish the event and the organizers huge success

है अँधेरी रात पर दीवा जलाना कब मना है?

कल्पना के हाथ से कमनीय जो मंदिर बना था,
भावना के हाथ ने जिसमें वितानो को तना था,
स्वप्न ने अपने करों से था रुचि से संवारा,
स्वर्ग के दुष्प्राप्य रंगो से, रसों से जो सना था,
ढह गया वह तो जुटा कर ईंट, पत्थर, कंकडों को,
एक अपनी शांति की कुटिया बनाना कब मना है?
है अँधेरी रात पर दीवा जलाना कब मना है?

बादलों के अश्रु से धोया गया नभनील नीलम,
का बनाया था गया मधुपात्र मनमोहक, मनोरम,
प्रथम ऊषा की लालिमा सी लाल मदिरा,
थी उसी में चमचमाती नव घनों में चंचला सम,
वह अगर टूटा हाथ की मिला कर दोनो हथेली,
एक निर्मल स्रोत से तृष्णा बुझाना कब मना है?
है अँधेरी रात पर दीवा जलाना कब मना है?

क्या घडी थी एक भी चिंता नहीं थी पास आई,
कालिमा तो दूर, छाया भी पलक पर थी न छायी,
आंख से मस्ती झपकती, बात से मस्ती टपकती,
थी हंसी ऐसी जिसे सुन बादलों ने शर्म खायी,
वह गई तो ले गई उल्लास के आधार माना,
पर अथिरता की समय पर मुस्कुराना कब मना है?
है अँधेरी रात पर दीवा जलाना कब मना है?

हाय, वे उन्माद के झोंके कि जिनमें राग जागा,
वैभवों से फेर आंखें गान का वरदान मांगा
एक अंतर से ध्वनित हो दूसरे में जो निरन्तर,
भर दिया अंबर अवनि को मत्तता के गीत गा गा,
अंत उनका हो गया तो मन बहलाने के लिये ही,
ले अधूरी पंक्ति कोई गुनगुनाना कब मना है?

है अँधेरी रात पर दीवा जलाना कब मना है?

हाय, वे साथी की चुम्बक लौह से जो पास आये,
पास क्या आए, कि ह्र्दय के बीच ही गोया समाये,
दिन कटे ऐसे कि कोई तार वीणा के मिलाकर,
एक मीठा और प्यारा ज़िन्दगी का गीत गाए,
वे गए तो सोच कर ये लौटने वाले नहीं वे,
खोज मन का मीत कोई लौ लगाना कब मना है?
है अँधेरी रात पर दीवा जलाना कब मना है?

वो लोग बहुत खुश-किस्मत थे
जो इश्क़ को काम समझते थे
या काम से आशिकी करते थे

हम जीते जी मसरूफ रहे
कुछ इश्क़ किया, कुछ काम किया
काम इश्क के आड़े आता रहा
और इश्क से काम उलझता रहा
फिर आखिर तंग आ कर हमने
दोनों को अधूरा छोड दिया

                     --- फैज़ अहमद फैज़

करीब 25 वर्षों के बाद मैंने "नीड़ का निर्माण फिर" का पुन:पठन प्रारंभ किया और पुस्तक में वर्णित यह पंक्तिया मन में मानों फिर गुंथ गईं. सो ईन्हें अपने निजी ड़ायरी मेंं न लिखते हुए यहाँ प्रेषित कर रही हूँ, इस उम्मीद से, कि कुछ और पाठ्यगणों (विशेषत:नई पीढ़ी) तक यह पहुंचें.


अब मत मेरा निर्माण करो
कुछ भी न अब तक बन पाया
युग युग बीते मैं घबराया
भूलो मेरी व्याकुलता को,
निज लज्जा का तो ध्यान करो.
इस चक्की पर खाते चक्कर,
मेरा तन मन जीवन जर्जर,
हे कुंभकार, मेरी मिट्टी को
और न अब हैरान करो.
कहने की सीमा होती है,
सहने की सीमा होती है,
कुछ मेरे भी वश में, मेरा
कुछ सोच समझ अपमान करो.

-- हरिवंश राय बच्चन

آ آدم
آدم آ
آ آدم آ
آم لا

मार ही ड़ाल मुझे चश्मे अदा से पहले
अपनी मंजिल को पहुंच जाउँ कज़ा से पहले

इक नज़र देख लूँ आ जाओ क़ज़ा से पहले
तुम से मिलने की तमन्ना है ख़ुदा से पहले

ह‌‌‍श्र के रोज़ मैं पूछूंगा ख़ुदा से पहले
तूने रोका क्यूँ नही मुझको ख़ता से पहले

ए मेरी मौत ठहर उनको ज़रा आने दे
ज़हर का ज़ाम न दे मुझको दवा से पहले

हाथ पहुँचे भी न थे ज़ुल्फे दोता तक मोमिन
हथकडी डाल दी ज़ालिम ने ख़ता से पहले

-- मोमिन खाँ मोमिन

मैं न कहता था मेरे घर में भी आयेगी बहार
शर्त इतनी थी कि पहले तुझे आना होगा
                                     ---कैफी आज़मी

Khuda ke liye  - I finally purchased this DVD and saw it yesterday night. The director Shoaib Mansoor has been extremely succesful in presenting a subject that is as close to reality as it gets . So much so that at places it is outright scary!!  In recent past, there hasn´t been a movie that has affected me as much as this one.

Every film site has reviewed this movie but none of reviews do justice to the movie so I will refrain from writing another one. This movie is beyond it.

All I can say is, watch this one!!

Aasim's exams are almost over and he was quiet bored today after he finished with his syllabus for the computer paper. He picked up Jonathan Livingston Seagull, read it in one sitting, and while I and Tarique were discussing the book after he finished reading it, he summed it up in one line " There are no limits".

It has been almost 8 years since we lost touch -she moved to australia got busy setting up her home and we got busy in business and Aasim's growing up.

Have been searching for her since some time now and spoke to her today. It felt warm and nice. 

She is Aasim's ammu. A dear friend to me. She was someone I have always looked up to. At an age we were learning and honing our social and organizational skills she was always a step ahead and guided us.  She shared my values in life, interests in literature and poetry and we sat and talked for hours at end.

It is not that we always kept in touch with each other, I went to Delhi to study, and  then to work but whenever we met, even if it was after years, we picked up the threads where we had left them.

I wish we can sit and talk again like we did in those carefree days of yonder and wonder. I wish we meet soon.

Current Mood: happy

Earlier this week, I stepped into my 40s and it does not feel any different from 30s - I guess its all a hype, which my older friends create to make me feel old :)

Aasim was thrilled that day because I baked pizzas for him and we had nice cherry tomoato, Parmesan and herbs pasta to go with it. DVDs dominated the 40th birthday - Tarique gave me The Lord Of The Rings - The Trilogy (12 DVD Collector's Extended Edition Pack). It’s got Behind-the-scenes footage during filming, storyboards, test footages, CG demos and much more which i absolutely love to see, (film making was once my passion).

Mom bought for me the Gone with the Wind DVD set -Clarke Gable as Rhett Butler is as irresistible to me as he was to Scarlett O Hara.

Evening was a nice drive around the lake, followed by a simple Chinese chicken fried rice and the Filmfare awards. Couldn't have asked for more... I am a woman of simple needs ;)

I do not know if Google Agents are authorised to spam people. I do not even know if Google knows about this.
Yesterday I got this mail to all our valid addresses. It says:

Dear Sir/ Madam,


Do you have your own website?
How do you make peopleknow about your website?
How about listing your site on the first page of Google?
Do you want 200 fresh hits every month in your website?

For this you just have to send us your website address and your keywords with an simple confirmation that your payment will be made 
immediately after your ad appears on the first page of Google through your keywords.

The packages are:

1) With 5 keywords first page of Google for three months Rs.3000/- onwards.
2) With 5 keywords first page of Google for six months Rs.6000/- onwards.
3) With 5 keywords first page of Google for twelve months Rs.12000/- onwards.
4) With 10 keywords first page of Google for three months Rs.5700/- onwards.
5) With 10 keywords first page of Google for six months Rs.11400/- onwards.
6) With 10 keywords first page of Google for twelve months Rs.22800/- onwards.
7) With 25 keywords first page of Google for twelve months Rs.36000/- onwards.

Feel free to call us at (0)9830047136 or mail us at rima@mailmantra.net

Thanks & Regards
Sales Dept.
Mail Mantra

Dear Madam,
 
This is a simple sponsored ads of Google. When you search anything in Google you will find some sponsored ads on the right hand side of the 
page. Your companies advertisement will be displayed on that section with your keywords related to your product & services.
 
We are authorised agents of Google for sponsored link ads. Our Clint ID number is 999-708-3443. We have hundreds of satisfied clients from 
all over India who are getting good response by listing their site on the first page of the worlds most popular search engine Google.
 
We wish to drive your attention to this service so that you can also get a healthy response by listing your site on the first page of Google.
 For this you just have to send us your website address & keywords (related to your product & services) along with an 
simple confirmation that your payment will be made immediately after your ad appears on the first page of Google through your keywords.
 
The packages are:
 
1) With 5 keywords first page of Google for three months Rs.3000/- onwards.
2) With 5 keywords first page of Google for six months Rs.6000/- onwards.
3) With 5 keywords first page of Google for twelve months Rs.12000/- onwards.
4) With 10 keywords first page of Google for three months Rs.5700/- onwards.
5) With 10 keywords first page of Google for six months Rs.11400/- onwards.
6) With 10 keywords first page of Google for twelve months Rs.22800/- onwards.
7) With 25 keywords first page of Google for twelve months Rs.36000/- onwards.
 
Please select the package & confirm us. We have some special offers for bthe long term packages.
 
You have to send us the payment only after your ad starts appearing on Google. 
 
We look forward to providing you with the most effective advertising available.
 
Feel free to call arnab at (0)9432210581 or mail us at rima@mailmantra.co.in.
 
Thanks & Regards
Rima
Sales Dept.
Mail Mantra.
 

Current Mood: aggravated

It is one of the most misused and misinterpreted term today.

Feminism is not about superiority over Men. Feminism means Equality of gender. Men and women are different -but we are equals. Feminism does not mean that women should have a separate queue, it means standing in the same queue and fighting it out shoulder to shoulder along with men with same rights and privileges. Feminism does not mean that women have to learn authority or beg for it to be given to her.

In a country like India where women in metros are employed in large numbers in technical fields unlike so many other countries in the world, being preached that Indian women should learn to handle authority sounds very flimsy and outlandish.

Today, Indian women also get the same respect from men in technical fields and Indian women also enjoy positions of authority and high stature. Of course, the basis of all this is competence – if you are incompetent weather you are a woman or a man, you can never demand (or beg) to be given authority and responsibility. In Indian scenario (I am talking of metros here) women choose their own field of work according to their own purposes and premises in the same manner as men do.

So, in my belief, feminism means to fight ,live, survive alongside men. Men who are our partners, our equals, not enemy. Feminism means fighting for your man, just as a man would fight for his woman. Feminism means being who you are and be the best in what you do. Feminism means not being a “second hander”.

A woman who does not demand to be treated differently on the basis of gender is a feminist. A woman who stands her ground in any gathering be it that of men or of women is a feminist. Even a saree clad woman who brings up her son to be a *Man* is a feminist.

It is the women who are insecure and have little self worth, who need a crutch to fight their own battles, are the ones that pull down true feminists. It is the women with low self esteem and hidden agenda that are enemy of their own gender. It is the women who take young women and make prostitutes (of mind or otherwise) out of them are enemy of feminism. It is such women of no moral values who would go any extent to malign people who are enemy of feminism. It is these repressed women who may have loud voices and big political speeches but no substance of their own who are enemy of feminism. It is the women who can not contribute positively and pull the contributing women down are the enemy of feminism. It is such people regardless of gender, who portray themselves to be saviors of women kind that one needs to be vary of. Enemy of feminism and women all over is that woman (or man) who picks up some fragments of truth and inserts several prejudices along with it to make it appear as truth.


Yes. I am a feminist – I am an individualist. I don't need crutches. I stand my ground. I fight my own battle and I am certain my men will fight alongside me.

P.S. The Indian head of the state *is* a woman.

Current Mood: aggravated

Aasim returned form Hyderabad today where he had gone as a part of a study/fun tour from School.

We were very apprehensive about his going by train that too sleeper class and as it turned out i discovered that he was not the only one who has not travelled in sleeper class. There were several parents who had the same apprehension and kids were asking questions like why do we have to take sleeping bags? They give sheets and blankets in train don't they?

They reached hyderabad on 16th early morning without too much problems, only one boy lost his bag in train and children complained that they could not sleep in the night because sleeper coaches make too much noise.

The stay was arranged at Hotel Tara in Ramoji film city. Hyderabad/Secunderabad was fun for all of them. Aasim got extremely enamored by "Rebbecca" and called me to ask if its a veil on the lady or is it really carved!! He hated the animals trapped in cages in the Zoo though he enjoyed watching migratory birds and loved the snow world. He packed his suitcase properly and got back everything that he had taken for which he gets a +1

As parents we were apprehensive all the days while he was gone and missed him but we pulled through. He has come back a little more grown up and ls looking forward to another such trip.

Fasting - 119
Post Meal - 230

However, the good news, Glycosylated HB A1c - 6.5%.

End result - I am not on medicine yet though the diet and exercise regime is strict. I am told to reduce weight by 10 KGs if possible. Today's reading was 63.300. I will be happy if i can bring it down to 57 / 58.

So the new year starts on a note that will make me work towards a healthier living.

A Happy and Prosperous new year to all!

Current Mood: anxious

Thanks to ramkrsna, I have a new userpic :)