The Utterances of a Peculiar Mindset

E-mail service has grown up lot ahead than just E-mail. Now only sending and receiving E-mails won't solve the purpose of a mail account. This is the time when the consumers are looking ahead of plain E-ails. And the biggest competition is among Gmail and Yahoo. Thought other mail services such as Rediffmail, Zapakmail are trying to enter the competition with the help of aggressive marketing through TV and Radio jingles.
Here is a short description about two of the leading E-mail services.

GMAIL
Experts still say that Gmail is the best webmail service overall, but it has new competition in the redesigned version of Yahoo! Mail. Gmail gets the most press for its 2.65GB of storage space, but Gmail also gets kudos for its intuitive organization features; users can assign labels to individual e-mails for sorting, and to organize chats and IM sessions by subject, just like regular e-mail. Also completely integrated with Gmail is Google's chat function. Google is the only provider that allows users to keep track of a chat session just like an e-mail session. You can access Gmail through a desktop e-mail client (such as Outlook Express), and Gmail gives infrequent users a lot of latitude, only canceling an account after nine months of inactivity.

YAHOO
Although the revamped version of Yahoo! Mail gives users just 1GB of storage (compared to Gmail's 2.65GB) reviews say it has a terrific interface that trumps Gmail in some areas. Yahoo! Mail's three-pane screen looks a lot like Outlook Express, and it's the only major free e-mail service that lets you read an e-mail while still being able to view your inbox. Tabbed messages let you easily flip between two or more e-mails. One downside is that Yahoo! Mail won't let you forward mail unless you pay for its Yahoo! Mail Plus service (*est. $20 per year). For those who already have a Yahoo! mail account switching to the new interface is a no-brainer. Others will have to weigh Yahoo!'s intuitive interface against Gmail's larger storage and integrated chat function. Reviews say that Yahoo!'s graphical ads are more obtrusive than Gmail's more subtle text ads.

I was at Mumbai yesterday for some work. Travelling through the beautiful valleys of the Khandala and spectacular water falls, looking at the magnificent Duke’s nose is one thing I love this journey for.
You won’t observe anything until you enter the first tunnel on the route. And as soon as the train comes out of the first tunnel, the stunning view will leave you speechless. All you can do is enjoy the beauty of nature. The magnificent Duke’s Nose keeps staring at you while you enjoy the view of green and dense valleys and the water flow falling down in the valleys.. The train keeps going through numerous tunnels. And at the end of each tunnel, there is one surprise for you.. Don’t miss an opportunity to travel through train on this route. And if you have some extra time, then go by a slower train that gives you more time to enjoy this nature.
Another way of enjoying this beauty of Bhor Ghat will be travelling by car or bus through the Pune – Mumbai Express way. This way provides a bigger view of the nature as it passes through various hills of the region. The number of water falls you can observe through this way are just countless.

The express highway will also provide you a nice view of forts like Lohagad, Visapur, Tung, Tikona, Rajmachi and Korigad at few places. But the most spectacular is undoubtedly the Duke’s Nose.

Bhor was a pricely state 100 Kms south of this Ghat. This was one of the 3 main ghats developed by Satvahana to move the goods from the merchant ships from Mesopotemia, Syria & Egypt to Paithan their capital. The port of Karanja & Rajapuri was connected to this ghat. There are buddhist caves right from these ports to Paithan in form of a chain. similar to Motels of Today. The other 2 Ghats were Thal and Nane. When the Brits came on the scene they converted the original Bor Ghat in to the railway Track. starting at Palasdari. A separate motor track was created from Khopoli. which is still in use.
These days the Express Highway is used more widely due to the less time to travel and faster and more convenient driving.

On this occassion of Kargil Vijay Diwas again we could remember those days of war, the fragrence of unity could be felt in the whole country. Many hands came up irrespective of caste, colour,cread, sex to send any sought of help to our soldiers. When soldiers fought on the borders many of us backed them up from inside. Some helped monitarily, some physically and some through their prayers.
The day for which everyone of us prayed came and India got triumph and everything started to run as it was.

Again we started living with our differences, with our selfishness, with our selfcenteredness and what not. Why is it we cant remain united untill we got hit.

At such situations a famous quatation comes to my mind.....
EVERYONE WANTS BHAGAT SINGH BACK BUT NO ONE WANTS BHAGAT SINGH FROM THEIR OWN FAMILY
This is the only day when we remember the heroes of the war
Capt. Vikram Battra
L . Manoj Pandey
Rifleman Sanjay singh and many unknowns which sacrificed their valuable life over the nation and its people singing the song

This one I got as forward from one of my friend. And that's very fantastic.
What the girls say while rejecting a boy, and what they actually mean by the sentence. Check out yourself.

10. I think of you as a brother.
You remind me of that inbred banjo-playing geek in "Deliverance."

9. There's a slight difference in our ages.
I don't want to do my dad

8. I'm not attracted to you in 'that' way.
You are the ugliest dork I've ever laid eyes upon.

7. My life is too complicated right now.
I don't want you spending the whole night or else you may hear phone calls from all the other guys I'm seeing.

6. I've got a boyfriend
I prefer my male cat and a half gallon of Ben and Jerry's.

5. I don't date men where I work.
I wouldn't date you if you were in the same 'solar system', much less the same building.

4. It's not you, it's me.
It's you.

3. I'm concentrating on my career.
Even something as boring and unfulfilling as my job is better than dating you.

2. I'm celibate.
I've sworn off only the men like you.

1. Let's be friends.
I want you to stay around so I can tell you in excruciating detail about all the other men I meet. It's that male perspective thing

My pace of updating blog has decreased. Cause I'm concentrating on few other things. As I already wrote in this space, I got into Chetana's R K Institute of Mgmt and Research, Mumbai for MMS course. Had been to Mumbai for two days.
Later, as soon as I came back home, I got involved into purchasing laptop. This thing ate up two more days of mine.
Now I'm in Pune for last two days to take out few of the certificates from Pune university.. And the things aren't working out properly. So I'm bugged up already..
Will be putting up something in this space very soon.

A boy was born to a couple after eleven years of marriage. They were a loving couple and the boy was the gem of their eyes. When the boy was around two years old, one morning the husband saw a medicine bottle open. He was late for office so he asked his wife to cap the bottle and keep it in the cupboard. His wife, preoccupied in the kitchen totally forgot the matter.
The boy saw the bottle and playfully went to the bottle fascinated by its color and drank it all. It happened to be a poisonous medicine meant for adults in small dosages. When the child collapsed the mother hurried him to the hospital, where he died. The mother was stunned. She was terrified how to face her husband.
When the distraught father came to the hospital and saw the dead child, he looked at his wife and uttered just five words. The husband just said "I am with you Darling"
The husband's totally unexpected reaction is a proactive behavior. The child is dead. He can never be brought back to life. There is no point in finding fault with the mother. Besides, if only he had taken time to keep the bottle away, this would not have happened.
No one is to be blamed. She had also lost her only child. What she needed at that moment was consolation and sympathy from the husband. That is what he gave her.

If everyone can look at life with this kind of perspective, there would be much fewer problems in the world. A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.
Take off all your envies, jealousies, unforgiveness, selfishness, and fears. And you will find things are actually not as difficult as you think.

MORAL OF THE STORY
Sometimes we spend time in asking who is responsible or whom to blame, whether in a relationship, in a job or with the people we know. By this way we miss out something.

My Laptop has finally Arrived. I bought Acer Aspire 5583 NWXMi.

It includes

• Intel Core 2 Duo Processor T5500, 1.66 GHz, 2 MB L2 cache, 667 MHz FSB
• Mobile Intel 945GM Express chipset
• Intel PRO/Wireless 3945ABG network connection (dual-band tri-mode 802.11a/b/g) wireless technology
• 2 X 512 MB (total 1024 MB) of DDR2 533/667 MHz system memory,
• 120-GB Serial-ATA hard disk drive, 5400 rpm 2.5-inch
• 8X DVD-Super Multi double-layer drive DVD Writer
• 14.1-inch (35.81 cm) WXGA Acer CrystalBrite TFT LCD, 1280 x 800 pixel resolution
• NVIDIA GeForce Go 7300 with up to 256MB TurboCache, 128 MB dedicated VRAM
• Intel High Definition audio support, 2 built-in Acer 3DSonic stereo speakers
• Built-in Bluetooth v2.0
• Built-in Microphone
• Built-in 1.3 megapixel webcam
• 5-in-1 card reader, supporting Secure Digital (SD), MultiMediaCard (MMC), Memory Stick (MS), Memory Stick PRO (MS PRO), xD-Picture Card (xD)
• 10/100 mbps Ethernet card
• 56 kbps v.92 fax/modem
• 1 x Type II PC Card slot
• AC/MC 97 soundcard and modem
• S-Video TV
  
• Windown Vista Home Premium OS (preinstalled)

I'm shifting to "Aamchi Mumbai". I've got admission in Chetana's R K Institute of Management and Research, Mumbai for MMS course (which is commonly termed as MBA). I was in Mumbai for last three days. Will write about it later.
I've confirmed my admission and will be shifting to Mumbai in first week of August.
Salaam Mumbai.

The "Best Indian Blog Awards" competition has been declared.
"Best Indian Blog Competition" is a pursuit to note the best of Indian blogs and share with the world. Through this competition, we will be felicitating the Best of the Indian blogs and best posts.
There are many websites that arrange similar competition. But the award for the winner is just 15 seconds of fame. In this case, the prize will be surely more than just 15 seconds of fame. Morover, getting links is something you will win if nothing more. I think i do not need to tell you about the importance of incoming links in Search Engine Optimization and Blog Rankings. The serious bloggers should not miss the opportunity.

The competition will run through the month of August.Check out the rules for nominating your blog for the award. And if you think your blog fits in the criteria, then do grab the opportunity. You won't afford to miss it.. :-)

Keep updated with the contents of Blog of the competition for further announcements.

I haven't updated my blogroll for quite a while. So just thought to write about 10 nice blogs I came across in past few days.

PS: For those whose blogs are listed here, these are just my opinions about your blog. If you don't like these reviews, thank me for being true. If you like these reviews, thank me for writing good about your blog. You can also publish these comments in your blog for your readers (don't forget a backlink).

For those whose blogs aren't listed here, probably I'm yet to come across yours. You can put your blog link as a comment to this post.

1. Soul Intoxicated: This is one highly emotional blog. Mostly covered with nice but emotional poems. However, they are worth reading.

2. Growling Maniac: The name suggests it all. He keeps roaring, most of the times about his own life and day to-day activities. But his writing style makes it enjoyable. Sometimes he uses ofensive language in his posts. But that's in his writing style.

3. Karma Circle: The blog is mostly filled with nice sketches. She is a good artist for sure. This blog is specially for the Art lovers.

4. Shit Happens: The name suggests that this is some pessimistic kinda blog. But it isn't. In fact it has more optimist posts than the pessi counterpart. Nice one to read.

5. Code 9: One technical blog which can actually be termed as technical. This guy (you won't believe he is a 10th Grade student) writes so amazingly about different up coming and talked technologies and gadgets. And the posts are never copy paste kinda stuff.

6. Edge of the Evening: Small and interesting posts are his positive side. He avoids long boring posts. Puts up an image with the post which makes the blog more interesting. And few posts of him have been just amazing. Just for example one for MOM.

7. With no where to Go: This is one blog you should look for amazing template. Typical girly template but a cute one. The posts are also girly ones. But you will love reading those.

8. Elfin Grot: One more girly blog. But is a decent read.

9. Cave of wonders: He terms the blog as Cave of Wonders. But I will term it as "Cave of Crazy things". His posts are often filled with crazy things and many crazy ideas. And definitely, one of the best blogs I've come across in the recent times.

10. GIVE ME NOVOCAINE: Strange title. Probably that's some medical term. This blog is another of a girly blog. But worth a read for sure. Cause this girl seems to think sometimes upon what the audience wants to read.

Don't be over romantic.. You never know what's heading towards you..

I lost my HB pencil with an eraser attached. The pencil costs Rs.3/. If u refer my blog to one person, I will get one paisa from State Bank of Blogduniya. If you have heart and want to help this poor man in need, plz refer my blog to atleast 10 friends.

Please don't neglect. Otherwise my mummy will scold me.

I was just wondering which sites are visited maximum in India. Orkut must be the most visited followed by google, yahoo, rediff and blogger. MSN might also feature up somewhere in the top 10. One friend (Google search engine; It is not shorter than a friend these days) told me that Alexa provides the list of most visited sites in a country. So I checked out the list of top 75 sites in India.

Yahoo leads the way, probably because of variety of services it provides like groups, mail, geocities etc. Orkut is on second rank. No surprise with that. This Social networking and discussion site operated by Google is highly popular in India. Google India comes at the third place followed by Google.com. I wonder if counted together, Google India and Google will overtake yahoo at the first place. Indians are searching a lot it seems.. Rediff comes at the fifth place, probably with the TV and radio advertisements last year..
MSN is at 6th place. Followed by the Video sharing service Youtube. It has been one of the easiest ways to share the videos online. Naukri comes to 8th place and first amongst the job sites. The search engine by Microsoft "Windows Live" acquires 9th place. Blogger is on 10th place. I was expecting it to be in first five. Big portion of Indians aren't much into blogging..

Among other most talked sites, Wikipedia is on 12th rank, indiatimes at 14th, Ebay India at 30th, Santabanta at 39th, Indian Railways as 46th, New7wonders at 57th.
Jeevansathi leads the track of matrimonial sites at 23rd position followed by Shaadi at 36th place.
Among online banking, ICICI leads at 33rd position followed by ICICIdirect at 44th and HDFC at 67th place.

The most surprising entry for me was debonairblog at 16th position. The hyper maniac desis are helping the site grow..

It was a rainy and cold morning in August. I had left Banglore earlier afternoon and was expecting to reach Pune late evening. I was planning to take a cozy sleep in night so that will get fresh by morning and get back to my job. But as they say, "Planning never works"!!!
The heavy rains in the Satara region, the traffic jams in the Ghat areas and slowly moving traffic in the remaining areas made the journey a little too longer. I reached my flat at 8 AM. My roommate had already left for his college. I opened the lock and entered flat. Aaaahh.. I was so tired. I need a hot water tub bath.
I started the geezer and waited till the water was sufficient hot. I was just about to enter the tub and "Ting Tong". The doorbell. Who might be on the door? Normally no one uses the door bell at this moment. Cause all my friends know I get up at 10 AM. So who might it be? "Ting Tong". "Ting Tong".. Twice more it made the sound. Now I've to go and check. I wear a towel and go to door.
"Hello. Is this Mr. Kulkarni's home?" He said. Kulkarni? My surname isn’t Kulakrni. Neither is of my roomie.. Oh.. He must be talking about the baldy oldie who has a sexy daughter..
“Mr. Kulkarni lives on 8th floor sir. This is 9th floor”. I informed him.
“Ohh.. Sorry to disturb you”. He left..

Cursing him for disturbing my hot tub bath plan, I re entered the bathroom. The water was still warm though not hot as I wanted it to be. Being too tired to turn on the geezer and wait again; I ordered myself to adjust with the warm water. Just when I was about to enter the tub, “Ishq ishq karna hai karle……” (Its my ringtone). I set off in the direction of the sound to explore where my mobile is located. After walking a little to and fro, finally I discovered the location of my mobile.
“Hello Sir. I’m talking from XYZ bank. Our database shows that you have to submit the installment of your bike today. This is just a reminder call.” All right you maniac. I manage my schedulaer properly and I know the dates. You don’t need to remind me. “Thank you for reminding”. I took a polite tone. After all, how could I be rude to a girl :-)
“Sir, would you like to know about our new crdit card scheme? Its specially beneficial for the students and working people. I am sure you will like the scheme”. I had listened about this new scheme 10 times from 10 different girls. There is only one good thing about these schemes. Boys don’t call to inform about these schemes. At least we get to listen to different girls each time.
“No thanks. I am already aware of the latest schemes in the bank.” As politely as I can.
“Ok Sir. I hope you are also aware of the tele-banking and sms banking facilities provided by our bank”. Now I was irritated..
“Yes I know. And I also know about E-mail banking. I know how to keep my PIN secure and I can take all precautions while using the SMS banking and Mail banking. Now will you please shut off that phone?” I would have slapped the girl if only she would be in front of me..
“Sorry Sir. Have a good day”. She hung up the phone.

I got back to the bathroom. The water was cold by now. I turned on the geezer and waited for another 15 minutes. The water was as hot as I wanted. Hoping no disturbance now, I went to bathroom and just as I was about to enter the tub, “Ting tong”.. No.. Not again!!!
I was now fuming on those bloody disturbing bugs. Why the hell are they disturbing my hot tub bath? Furious, I turned back and started walking furiously towards the door. “Dhamm”.. A bog sound. I had put up my foot on a skating shoe of my roomie. And had fallen down on the floor. My body was paining like hell and I was unable to get up. Somehow I managed to get up and approach the doctor.
The doc inspected me and said ” Don’t worry young man. Nothing serious.. The body is paining due to the composite effect of the traveling and the minor injuries to bones. All you need is a hot tub bath to warmen up your bones”.

Hot Tub Bath? That’s what I was trying to have since morning.. I left the clinic laughing at myself..

There are many jokes about small and intelligent kids who leave the grown ups speechless. Many of these jokes keep flowing through the internet. Here are six of these jokes which I found funny and a perfect instance of sense of humor. I'm sure you will enjoy them.

One day a little girl was sitting and watching her mother do the dishes at the kitchen sink. She suddenly noticed that her mother had several strands of white hair sticking out in contrast on her brunette head. She looked at her mother and inquisitively asked, "Why are some of your hairs white, Mom?" Her mother replied, "Well, every time that you do something wrong and make me cry or unhappy, one of my hairs turns white."
The little girl thought about this revelation for a while and then said, "Momma, how come ALL of grandma's hairs are white?"

A little girl was talking to her teacher about whales. The teacher said it was physically impossible for a whale to swallow a human because even though it was a very large mammal its throat was very small. The little girl stated that Jonah was swallowed by a whale. Irritated, the teacher reiterated that a whale could not swallow a human; it was physically impossible. The little girl said, "When I get to heaven I will ask Jonah". The teacher asked, "What if Jonah went to hell?" The little girl replied, "Then you ask him".

A Kindergarten teacher was observing her classroom of children while they were drawing. She would occasionally walk around to see each child's work. As she got to one little girl who was working diligently, she asked what the drawing was. The girl replied, "I'm drawing God." The teacher paused and said, "But no one knows what God looks like." Without missing a beat, or loo king up from her drawing, the girl replied, "They will in a minute."

The children had all been photographed, and the teacher was trying to persuade them each to buy a copy of the group picture. "Just think how nice it will be to look at it when you are all grown up and say, 'There's Jennifer, she's a lawyer,' or 'That's Michael, He's a doctor.' A small voice at the back of the room rang out, "And there's the teacher, She's dead."

A teacher was giving a lesson on the circulation of the blood. Trying to make the matter clearer, she said, "Now, class, if I stood on my head, the blood, as you know, would run into it, and I would turn red in the face.. " "Yes," the class said. "Then why is it that while I am standing upright in the ordinary position the blood doesn't run into my feet?" A little fellow shouted, "Cause your feet aren’t empty."

The children were lined up in the cafeteria of a Catholic elementary school for lunch. At the head of the table was a large pile of apples. The nun made a note, and posted on the apple tray: "Take only ONE. God is watching." Moving further along the lunch line, at the other end of the table was a large pile of chocolate chip cookies. A child had written a note, "Take all you want. God is watching the apples".

Always counted among the man-made marvels of the world by its admirers, the Taj Mahal on Sunday found pride of place in a new list of seven wonders polled by people around the globe.
The most photographed monument is accompanied by The Great Wall of China, Petra in Jordan, Statue of Christ Redeemer in Brazil, Machu Picchu in Peru, Pyramid of Chichen Itza in Mexico and the Roman Collosseum in the list announced at a gala ceremony in the Portuguese capital Lisbon to coincide with the date 07.07.07.

On the occasion, kindly allow me to let you know basics about the monuments listed in the new list of 7 wonders.

1. The Pyramid at Chichén Itzá (before 800 A.D.) Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico

symbolizes- Worship & Knowledge!
Chichén Itzá, the most famous Mayan temple city, served as the political and economic center of the Mayan civilization. Its various structures - the pyramid of Kukulkan, the Temple of Chac Mool, the Hall of the Thousand Pillars, and the Playing Field of the Prisoners – can still be seen today and are demonstrative of an extraordinary commitment to architectural space and composition. The pyramid itself was the last, and arguably the greatest, of all Mayan temples.
The Mayan name "Chich'en Itza" means "at the mouth of the well of the Itza (people)." This famous temple city was the political and economic center of Mayan civilization. The pyramid of Kukulcan itself was the last, and arguably the greatest, of all Mayan temples.
Since the Yucatán Peninsula has no rivers, the three natural sinkholes (cenotes) at Chichén Itzá made it a good place for a city, providing plenty of water all year. Two of these cenotes still exist—the most famous is the "Cenote of Sacrifice," sacred to the Maya rain god Chaac. Offerings of jade, pottery and incense were thrown into the well, and occasionally, during times of bad drought, a human sacrifice.
However, there is no proof to the legend that many beautiful, young women were sacrificed.
About 987, a Toltec king named Quetzalcóatl (there is a wonderful legend about him, who became the Maya plumed serpent god Kukulcan) arrived with an army from central Mexico, and, with local Mayan allies, made Chichén Itzá his capital. The art and architecture from this period are a mix of Maya and Toltec styles, such as the "Temple of the Warriors," which features an altar statue known as a chac mool.
In the center of Chichén Itzá is the Temple of Kukulcan, often called "El Castillo" (the castle). It is a step pyramid, with square terraces and staircases up each of the four sides to the temple on top. Great sculptures of plumed serpents run down the northern staircase and, because of how the shadows fall, seem to move on the spring and fall equinoxes. Inside, visitors can enter an older pyramid and climb up to the high room with King Kukulcan's stone Jaguar Throne, painted red with jade-green spots.
There is also a large court at Chichén Itzá for playing a game called “pok ta pok,” which we think involved throwing a ball through a ring on the wall seven meters (around 23 ft) above the ground. The captain of the team that first scored was beheaded as a sacrifice to the gods and thought to rise directly to heaven. In 1221, a revolt and civil war broke out and the wooden roofs of the great market and the Temple of the Warriors were burnt at that time. Chichén Itzá lost power, as rulership over Yucatán shifted to Mayapan.

2. Christ Redeemer (1931) Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

stands for- Welcoming & Openness!
This statue of Jesus stands some 38 meters tall, atop the Corcovado mountain overlooking Rio de Janeiro. Designed by Brazilian Heitor da Silva Costa and created by French sculptor Paul Landowski, it is one of the world’s best-known monuments. The statue took five years to construct and was inaugurated on October 12, 1931. It has become a symbol of the city and of the warmth of the Brazilian people, who receive visitors with open arms.
This Art Deco-style statue of Jesus, which was inaugurated in 1931, stands some 38 meters (125 ft) tall, atop the Corcovado (“hunchback”) mountain overlooking Rio de Janeiro. As well as being a potent symbol of Christianity, the statue has become an icon of the city and a symbol of the great warmth of the Brazilian people.
The idea for erecting a large statue on Corcovado started in the mid-1850s, when a Catholic priest, Dom Pedro Maria Boss, asked for financing for a large religious monument from Princess Isabel of Portugal. She was not interested and the idea died completely in 1889, when Brazil became a republic with laws about separating church and state.
The second proposal for a large landmark statue on the mountain came in 1921 from the Archdiocese of Rio de Janiero, which organized an event called Semana do Monumento ("Monument Week") to collect donations from people all over Brazil.
Designed by the local engineer Heitor da Silva Costa and created by French sculptor Paul Landowski, Christ Redeemer is one of the world’s best-known monuments. The statue, which took five years to build, is made out of reinforced concrete, with the outer layers made from soapstone because of this stone being easy to work with and resistant to extreme weather. The Corcovado Rack Railway played an important part in the building effort, as the only way to get the large pieces of the statue to the top of the mountain was by train.
One of the highlights of the inauguration ceremony on October 12, 1931 was supposed to be the activation of the lighting system by the Italian radio pioneer Guglielmo Marconi from his yacht far away in Naples, Italy. Bad weather, however, affected the strength of the signal and the lights had to be switched on manually by workers at Corcovado. On January 20, 2003, technology brought another change to the monument—panoramic elevators and escalators were inaugurated, so it is no longer necessary to climb up 220 steps to see the statue up close.


3. The Great Wall of China (220 B.C and 1368 - 1644 A.D.) China

it is incredible proof of- Perseverance & Persistence!
The Great Wall of China was built to link existing fortifications into a united defense system and better keep invading Mongol tribes out of China. It is the largest man-made monument ever to have been built and it is disputed that it is the only one visible from space. Many thousands of people must have given their lives to build this colossal construction.
The Great Wall was built to link existing fortifications into a united defense system and keep invading nomadic Mongol tribes out of China. It is the largest man-made monument ever built and is the only one often said (and sometimes disputed!) to be visible from space.
Like a huge dragon, the Great Wall winds across plateaus, deserts, grasslands and mountains, stretching some 6,700 km (4,163 miles) from East to West. Over the more than 2,000 years that the wall has been standing, some areas have fallen apart or even disappeared. Yet, the remarkable architectural grandeur and historical significance still attract hundreds of thousands of tourists to the Great Wall every year.
The Great Wall was built as a defensive fortification by three states: Yan, Zhao and Qin. The Great Wall went through constant extensions and repairs in later dynasties. Construction on the first section began between the 7th and 6th century BC, and the last work on the wall was done between the 14th and 17th centuries. In fact, it began as independent walls for different states when it was first built, and did not become the "Great" wall until the Qin Dynasty. Emperor Qin Shihuang succeeded in his effort to have the walls joined together to fend off invasions from in the north after China’s unification. However, the advantages of the enormous barrier faded with the arrival of gunpowder and other weaponry. In any case, the Great Wall has served as a monument of the Chinese nation throughout history.
The wall was originally built of stone, wood, grass and earth. Later, in the Ming Dynasty, bricks were produced in kilns set up along the wall. The bricks were transported by men carrying them on their backs, donkeys, mules and even by goats with a brick tied to their head being driven up a mountain.
Many legends exist about the Great Wall, such as the famous story of Meng Jiangnu, set during the Qin Dynasty (221-206 B.C.). Meng Jiangnu's husband, Fan Qiliang, was sent by federal officials to work on the Great Wall. Having heard nothing from him for months, she went to look for him. By the time she reached the wall, her husband had already died. She began to cry desperately and her howls caused part of the Great Wall to collapse. This story is said in China to show how the Great Wall was built by tens of thousands of Chinese commoners, many of whom died—and were buried in the wall.

4. Machu Picchu (1460-1470), Peru

is a symbol of- Community & Dedication!
In the 15th century, the Incan Emperor Pachacútec built a city in the clouds on the mountain known as Machu Picchu ("old mountain"). This extraordinary settlement lies halfway up the Andes Plateau, deep in the Amazon jungle and above the Urubamba River. It was probably abandoned by the Incas because of a smallpox outbreak and, after the Spanish defeated the Incan Empire, the city remained 'lost' for over three centuries. It was rediscovered by Hiram Bingham in 1911.
Around 1440, it is believed that the Pachacútec Yupanqui, the founder of the Inca Empire, built the city in the clouds known as Machu Picchu ("old mountain") in what is now Peru. This extraordinary settlement lies 2,350 m (7,710 ft) above sea level, deep in the Amazon jungle above the Urubamba River.
Forgotten for centuries by the outside world, Machu Picchu attracted international attention when it was rediscovered by the American archeologist Hiram Bingham in 1911. There are several different theories as to what Machu Picchu was: some believe it was the luxurious mausoleum (burial site) of Pachacútec, since there are remains of buildings that were covered with gold; others think that it was an Incan "llacta," a settlement built to both control the economy of the conquered regions and to protect the the top Incan aristocracy in the case of an attack. Another theory expands on this idea, seeing Machu Picchu as a country retreat for Inca nobility. It may also have been used as an observatory and for astrological ceremonies. A maximum of 750 people probably lived in the “Lost City of the Incas” at once. It is said that the silhouette of the mountain range behind Machu Picchu represents the face of the Inca looking upward towards the sky, with the largest peak, Huayna Picchu (“young mountain”) representing his nose.
Machu Picchu had a large agricultural area—with practical crops, such as corn and coca, and orchids and other decorative plants, as well as what were probably living and religious sections. In the upper urban area, there is the famous intihuatana (“the hitching post of the sun”), a stone column rising from a stone block the size of a grand piano. This solar clock exactly show the dates of the two equinoxes and other important celestial events. It is thought that, as the winter solstice neared, when the sun seemed to disappear more each day, priests would hold a ceremony to tie the sun to the stone to prevent the sun from disappearing completely.
Everything shows that Machu Picchu was quickly abandoned when the Spanish, fighting the rebellious Incas of Vilcabamba, went into Cuzco lands. But deadly smallpox was faster than the conquistadors, and 50 percent of the population had probably been killed by the disease by 1527. The Inca government began to fail, part of the empire seceded and it fell into civil war. So, by the time Pizarro, the Inca’s conqueror, arrived in Cuzco in 1532, Machu Picchu was probably already a ghost town.

5. Petra (9 B.C. - 40 A.D.), Jordan

it is a great symbol of- Engineering & Protection!
On the edge of the Arabian Desert, Petra was the glittering capital of the Nabataean empire of King Aretas IV (9 B.C. to 40 A.D.). Masters of water technology, the Nabataeans provided their city with great tunnel constructions and water chambers. A theater, modelled on Greek-Roman prototypes, had space for an audience of 4,000. Today, the Palace Tombs of Petra, with the 42-meter-high Hellenistic temple facade on the El-Deir Monastery, are impressive examples of Middle Eastern culture.
On the edge of the Arabian Desert, nestled away in the mountains south of the Dead Sea, Petra was the glittering capital of the Nabataean empire of King Aretas IV (9 B.C. to 40 A.D.). Masters of water technology, the Nabataeans built their city with great tunnel constructions and water chambers that carried drinking water into the city and reduced the chance of flash floods. A theater held an audience of 4,000. Today, the Palace Tombs, with the 42-meter-high (137-ft-high) Hellenistic temple facade on the El-
Deir Monastery, are impressive examples of Middle Eastern culture. Petra, which means "stone" in Greek, has survived through the ages because almost all of its "buildings" were carved out of solid rock walls. It is perhaps the most spectacular ancient city remaining in the modern world.
To the north, the remains of a 9,000-year-old city make Petra, like Jericho, one of the earliest known Middle Eastern settlements. First a fortress city, Petra became a rich commercial center. Control of key trade routes brought Petra its fortune and produced monumental temples, tombs and administrative buildings. After the Romans annexed Petra in 106, its position as a commercial hub slowly weakened.
The city may have housed 20,000-30,000 people during its heyday under the Romans, but, by the end of the Byzantine Empire (ca. 700), the hydraulic system and once-gracious buildings were almost ruins. For the following centuries, Petra disappeared from most maps and became a legend. In 1812, Swiss traveler Johann Burckhardt snuck into the city disguised as a Muslim and shared his story with the world.
Much of Petra’s fascination comes from its setting on the edge of Wadi Araba, part of the Great Rift Valley. The rugged sandstone hills form a deep canyon easily protected from all directions. The best access to Petra is through the Siq, a winding, often narrow valley which suddenly opens upon the most impressive of Petra’s monuments, al-Khazneh ("the Treasury"). Carved out of the mountain and over 40 meters (131 ft) high, it was a royal tomb—but legend says that pirates hid their treasure there, hence “the Treasury.” The main god of ancient Petra was Dushara, who was worshipped in the form of a black, rectangular stone, along with Allat, the chief goddess of the ancient Arabs. Worshipping sites can be seen at various points in Petra, and there are many open places of sacrifice marked by altars.

6. The Roman Colosseum (70 - 82 A.D.) Rome, Italy

it is now a symbol of- Joy & Suffering!
This great amphitheater in the centre of Rome was built to give favors to successful legionnaires and to celebrate the glory of the Roman Empire. Its design concept still stands to this very day, and virtually every modern sports stadium some 2,000 years later still bears the irresistible imprint of the Colosseum's original design. Today, through films and history books, we are even more aware of the cruel fights and games that took place in this arena, all for the joy of the spectators.
The design concept of this great amphitheater in the center of Rome is still relevant, having influenced almost every modern sports stadium. Today, through films and history books, we are even more aware of the cruel fights and games that took place in this arena, all for the joy of the spectators.
The Colosseum's name is believed to come from a colossus (a 40-meter or 130-ft statue) of Nero nearby, which was changed by Nero's successors into a statue of Sol or Apollo, the sun god. At some time during the Middle Ages, the statue disappeared.
The Colosseum is 48 meters (157.5 ft) high, 188 meters (617 ft.) long, and 156 meters (512 ft) wide. There are 80 arches on each of the first three levels, and the wooden arena floor was covered with sand. Its elliptical shape kept the players from retreating to a corner, and let the spectators be closer to the action than in a circle. More than 100,000 cubic meters (3,531,466.62 cubic ft) of travertine stone was used in its construction. The Colosseum was cleverly designed, and most modern stadiums have important features first seen here. Seating was divided into sections: the podium, or first level, was for the Roman senators, and the emperor's cushioned box was also here. Above the podium was the area for other Roman aristocrats. The third level was divided into three sections: a lower part for wealthy citizens and an upper part for poor ones. A wooden area at the very top of the building was standing room only, for lower-class women. Today, the arena floor no longer exists, though the walls and corridors are visible in the ruins. There are also tunnels, still in existence, made to flood and evacuate water from the Colosseum floor so naval battles could be staged. Another innovative feature of was the cooling system, known as the velarium: a canvas-covered, net-like structure made of ropes, with a hole in the center. This roof covered two-thirds of the arena and sloped down toward the center to catch the wind and provide a breeze for the audience. Sailors on special platforms moved the ropes on command.
The Colosseum was in use until 217, when it was damaged by fire from lightning. Four earthquakes between 442 and 1349 severely hurt the building, which was then converted into a fortress with a Christian church built into one small area.

7. The Taj Mahal (1630 A.D.) Agra, India

the greatest symbol of- Love & Passion!
This immense mausoleum was built on the orders of Shah Jahan, the fifth Muslim Mogul emperor, to honor the memory of his beloved late wife. Built out of white marble and standing in formally laid-out walled gardens, the Taj Mahal is regarded as the most perfect jewel of Muslim art in India. The emperor was consequently jailed and, it is said, could then only see the Taj Mahal out of his small cell window.
The Taj Mahal is regarded as the most perfect jewel of Muslim art in India. This huge mausoleum mosque was built by Shah Jahan, the fifth Muslim Mogul emperor, in memory of his beloved wife, a Persian princess born as Arjuman Bano Begum but known as Mumtaz Mahal. She was a significant influence in his life and in his policies, but died at age thirty-nine while giving birth to their fourteenth child in 1631.
The ruler went into deep mourning. Her last wish to her husband was "to build a tomb in her memory such as the world had never seen before." So Shah Jahan set about building this fairytale-like marvel of white marble, surrounded by formally laid-out walled gardens, The emperor, later buried in the Taj, was overthrown by his son and imprisoned in the nearby Great Red Fort for eight years, from which, it is said, he could see the Taj Mahal out of his small cell window.
The origin of the name "Taj Mahal" is not clear. Court histories from Shah Jehan's reign only call it the rauza (tomb) of Mumtaz Mahal. It is generally believed that "Taj Mahal" (usually translated as either "Crown Palace" or "Crown of the Palace") is an abbreviated version of her name.
The Taj Mahal was built between 1631 and 1648, with some 20,000 workmen employed on it daily, who lived in a specially built small town next to it called “Mumtazabad” for the dead empress, now known as Taj Ganj. The material was brought in from all over India and central Asia with the help of 1,000 elephants. The central dome is 57 meters, or 187 feet, high in the middle. A total of 28 beautiful stones were used: red sandstone was brought from Fatehpur Sikri, jasper from Punjab, jade and crystal from China, turquoise from Tibet, lapis lazuli and sapphire from Sri Lanka, coal and cornelian from Arabia and diamonds from Panna. The luminescent white marble was brought from far-off Makrana, Rajasthan.
Nearly every surface of the entire complex has been decorated, and the exterior decorations are among the finest to be found in Mughal architecture of any period.
Unlike other Mughal tombs, the Taj Mahal gardens are all in front of the tomb and do not play any part in the background. Instead, the background is the sky. Since the tomb is set against a plain across a river, this background of eternal sky works its magic of colors that, through their reflection, subtly reflect on the white marble surface of the Taj Mahal, always changing its color and complexion. The composition of the forms and lines of the Taj Mahal is perfectly symmetrical. The colossal height of the tomb, along with its pyramidal appearance, fill it with grace and make it seem to float or soar.

This is from the official blog of Google Adsense. Extracts from the interview of Amrita Kamat, a payments specialist in their Hyderabad office.

There are a few payment-related issues specific to India. What tips do you have for Indian publishers?

I have a 5-point Mantra for payments for Indian publishers:

1. Enter an accurate, complete address – I'd recommend updating your address in this way:

2. Choose INR checks over USD checks – This will reduce the bank charges levied (if any) to convert the dollar checks to Indian rupees. Also, the INR checks will be easy to process.

3. Set a self-hold – If you've reached $100 in unpaid earnings and would like to get paid once in 2 months or once every 6 months, we have an option to set a self-hold. Accumulate your earnings and receive a bigger check in the future. Don't forget that you'll need to remove the hold before the 15th of the month to be paid in that month.

4. Use Secured Express Delivery – For tension-free delivery of your hard-earned money, try our Secured Express Delivery option, which will cost you US$25 for the DHL charges -- the check will be delivered at your doorstep within 10 days.

5. Understand your payment cycle - Please go through the Payments Demo to understand when payments are processed. It's an 11-minute demo that is well worth your time!

Why do checks and PINs take longer to reach Indian publishers? What are the other options?

This can happen because of incorrect mailing addresses and the postal service. While nothing much can be done about the postal service at this time, I'd again recommend that you update your physical address -- an accurate house number and/or house name can make a big difference to how a postman will locate your house. If you're relocating, feel free to place a self-hold on your account until you've completed the relocation process. Please ensure that your address is updated before the 15th, and the address doesn’t exceed the 35-character limit in each line. Finally, the only alternative for receiving checks right now is to choose Secured Express Delivery checks over Standard Delivery checks.

Today, I had been to a college to submit my option form for MBA college. There were few more aspiring candidates who had come for the same purpose. Akshay (name changed) was one of them. He approached me to ask my score and preferences. And while talking, he said, "I am going for XYZ college". (Read as one of the very well known and in demand MBA institute in Mumbai). It seemed almost impossible with his score to get this institute. I raised the doubt. His answer was "I will get the management seat for Rs. 4 lakh". He seemed to belong to a financially sound family. So I wasn’t much shocked to know that he is trying to buy a seat.

After few minutes, there was another guy who initiated a dialogue with me. His score was even lower than the Akshay. And his home university is SRTMU Nanded. So its almost impossible for him to get a good institute in Mumbai or Pune. He was little down in the dumps when I asked him about his preferences. But he told me that he is going for ABC college (Read as a very well known institute from Pune which has also undergone a raid from Income Tax Dept last year). His words were "Anna (one of the directors of the institute) knows me very well. And I’ve talked with his son Bapu who looks after the institute. I may get the seat for around 2 lakhs." I was highly shocked to know that this person, who surely is not economically sound enough to shell out 2 lakh bucks at a stretch. Still he was trying to have a seat through management quota (which obviously doesn’t go free or at cheap rate).

One incident flashed in front of my eyes. One friend of mine had asked me "Dinesh, I can make arrangements for your admission in the institute you want. You have got a good score and if by chance you lose the institute by small difference, I can make sure you get into the institute. Do you want me to make the arrangement?" And I had replied him with a big NO. I still remember his quote: "There are thousands of students who take benefit of their caste to get into good college. They also get into any top institute in spite of the fact that they don’t deserve it. So what’s the problem if you use your financial position for the same purpose? Furthermore you are lot more worthy than they are."

Ya. He was right. What’s the problem if I use my financial position to overtake others? Many people take advantage of various reservations to push back the deserving candidates and go ahead of them. So it will be the same thing if I use the monetary position. No one will come to know that I have cheated. Cause I’m anyways close to getting into the institute without any malpractice. So no one will even bother about the fact. But will I be able to forgive myself if I use these ways?

This is sounding like some speech on moral values and all. I don’t have any intension to criticize the happenings in the world. Neither am I trying to compel some moral values on the readers or on anyone. I’m just asking a question to myself. Will I be able to forgive myself for doing something which doesn’t convince my soul? And the answer is NO.

So I’ve decided to stick to whatever I get through the modus operandi. Even if it’s a B Grade institute. I will stick to it and I will make my existence in the institute worth enough so that I won’t have to ever regret for my own verdict.

And I am happy with the outcome.

Google Translation is a tool that has helped a lot in comprehending the documents written in foreign language. But the service behaves in a peculiar manner sometimes. (Just like me). Check out the following example.

Step 1: Go to Google Translation

Step 2: Enter the following line into the translate Textbox:

When you see a child in difficulty, whom will you call for help? Or you require to dial a doctor in emergency and you don't know any doctor in the locality? Or you find an immidiate need of blood and don't have refernce of any local Blood bank. What will you do?

Do you know about the toll free numbers provided by BSNL? Most of us know only about the numbers for Telephone Enquiry or Complaint. Or the maximum we know is Police at 100 and Fire at 101. But there are more tole free services provided by BSNL. Like

Women crisis response -- 1091
Earth-quake Help line service -- 1092
Natural disaster control room -- 1096
AIDS help line service -- 1097
Children in difficulty/ Child Distress Service -- 1098
Catastrophe & Trauma service -- 1099
Blood bank information Service -- 1910
Dial a doctor -- 1911
Eye bank information service -- 1919
And best of all, the one which very few of us know. A special Kisan Call Center (for any queries related to agriculture) at 1551

I bet many of you didn't know about these numbers. Now when a natural disaster happens, you know you have to call 1096 or for a doctor, dial 1911. Amazing, isn't it!!
If you come to know about my death, don't forget to dial 1910 and inform the Eye Bank about my death and My will of Eye-Donation. :-)