Google China Offers Free Music Downloads

Did not intend to post anything today, but this interesting news made me do so.

Google Inc. and major music companies have launched a free internet music download service for Chinese customers in a bid to help turn a field dominated by pirates into a profitable legitimate business.

The advertising - supported service will offer 1.1 million tracks, including the full catalogues of Chinese and Western music for Warner Music Group Corp., EMI Group, Sony BMG Music Entertainment, Universal Music and 14 independent labels.

The Google service allows Chinese consumers to search for music, link to the Web site of a Beijing company called Top100.cn and download licensed music from that Chinese site, which has signed contracts with the music industry.

About 99% of music downloads in China are illegal and searches for music dominate the Internet in China — even more than online games or news.

Certainly and initiative in the right direction. I do not see anyway to stop music piracy. Providing the customers music free and earning through ads placed on the websites seems a good model which can be copied all across the internet.

News Source : NY Times

Related Post :
Music Industry Gives Up Mass Piracy Lawsuits : 21.12.2008

Blog Twitter and Facebook Analysis

Since I won't be posting for the next two days, I thought it would be a good idea to analyse the stats for the blog and Twitter and Facebook profiles. I rarely login to Facebook and am considering deleting my Facebook profile.

The figures in parenthesis are cumulative or for the previous quarter.

BLOG

No of Posts : 60 (168)

No of Days : 90 (226)

Posts/Day : 0.66 (0.74)

Posts Commented On : 26 (70)

Top 5 Tags : Blogging 38 (22), India 28 (16), Asia 18 (16), World 16, Individual 16 (11)

Unique Visitors : 7000 (9700)

Google Page Rank : 3/10

SEOMOZ Trifecta : 33%

Yahoo Backlinks : 8246 (11016)

Technorati Blog Rank : 206,997 (455,159)

Alexa Traffic Rank : 420,127 (2,153,677)

Twitter

Following - 405(330) ... Follower - 404(233) ... Updates - 361(188)

Twitterholic Rank - 58,987th (54,270th) by followers, 10th (10th) in New Delhi

Twitter Grade - 97/100(94/100) ... 49,580 out of 1,823,407
(48,088 overall rank, out of 1,111,885)

Tweet Value - $ 157 ($ 4)

Twinfluence - #2,787 (92%) (#6,432 (73%)) ... 2nd-order followers: 3,723,190 ... Velocity: 23,545 second-order followers/day (7,832) ... Social Capital: 9,215.8 +2.3 Very High (3,366.3 +1.6 High) ... Centralization: 3.54% / -1.1 Fragile (4.29% / -1.2 Fragile)

Facebook

90 Friends ... 13 Groups ... 17 Wall Posts

14,379 Overall rank, out of 19,174

Related Posts :
Twitter Profile Analysis January 2009 : 31.01.2009
Facebook Grader : Measure Your Facebook Reach and Authority : 21.01.2009
How To Create A Quick Blog Analysis Report : 29.12.2008

Feedback Time

I would like to keep improving the blog and the best way to do so is through your feedback. I know there are many shortcomings. Instead of bothering you with my plans for improving the layout, navigation, content, etc. on this blog, I'll present the feedback I have noted down so far.

* The ability to express a lot in few words.

* Be high on content. Be addictive, rather than curative.

* Blog full of interesting things.

* Post more articles on Anthropology and History of races.

* Remove the header image as it distracts.

* Blog dynamic. Post more on helping other bloggers.

* Blog is a 'general store'.

I welcome all suggestions and views, be they positive or negative, constructive or destructive. Your feedback may be related to the blog template, widgets, content, frequency and length of posts, or any other thing concerning the blog.

I love statistics and right now my primary concern is to break into the Alexa top 100,000 ASAP. Incase your blog is in the Alexa top 100,000 I'd love to know things which helped you and how soon were you able to do so. I have been blogging for 7 months now.

Consumer Mate : Compare Laptop Prices

The beta version of consumer mate is out and the site looks promising. Right now consumer mate offers consumers valuable information and tools on Laptops. The site would feature other technology products soon.

One can comapare laptop prices of different models available in India, know the basics about laptops and the site would also keep you informed about the latest launches. The test ratings on consumer mate are powered by the Digit Test Centre.

The site has a pleasing interface and the navigation is pretty uncomplicated. One can either compare the laptops by choosing the brand or the price, weight and screen size.

The best feature I like about the site is the option to get more info on any make of laptop or even a dealer. The form is available on the lower right hand corner of the screen. Incase you have any other query regarding laptops you can shoot that too.

Overall a great initiative by the 9.9 Media Group.

So now you know which site to visit if you require any info on Laptop Computers.

Test centre ratings give an overall view on all laptop models. Well, Indians demand value for money and in today's fast paced life it is not possible to physically check out all competing brands. I am sure this feature will be beneficial both for tech geeks and non-tech oreinted people. Laptop Guru would guide you through the process of choosing just the right brand and model for you by asking you a series of questions. Great interactive experience for consumers.

Consumer Mate also has an active forum and a news section. Cool! I just learnt from the news section that Nokia is planning to enter the Notebook Industry. We seem set for interesting times ahead.

Related Post :
Consumer Mate Mobile Phones : 14.01.2010

Ugadi Gudi Padwa Images

Ugadi and Gudi Padwa searches are still hot on google hot trends. Looks like people want to know about websites which would help them send free SMS's. I am not a great fan of sending SMS's thru computors so instead decided to post some pictures of Ugadi and Gudi Padwa.


Vishnupriya


Wikimedia


D Greetings


Daily Life


Fort Mysore


Flickr Kalyan


K S Toronto



Related Posts :
Happy Ugadi and Gudi Padwa : Greetings SMS : 25.03.2009
Use Google Hot Trends to Generate Blog Content : 25.03.2009

Happy Ugadi and Gudi Padwa : Greetings SMS

Correct me if I am wrong, but today seems to be Ugadi and Gudi Padwa; these searches are hot on google india hot trends right now.

Ugadi (greetings) is at # 5 and Gudi Padwa at # 13.

Wish you a very happy Ugadi and Gudi Padwa.

According to Aryabhatt, Ugadi is the New Year's Day for the people of Andhra Pradesh and also for the Telugu people all over the world. Those who live north of the Vindhya hills observe it as "Barhaspatyamana". People living to the south of the Vindhya hills observe it as "Sauramana" or "Chandramana".

Find Ugadi e-greeting cards on these websites :
123 Greetings Ugadi
Telugu Greetings Ugadi
Shubhashaya Ugadi Greetings
Bharath Ugadi
Greetings
Vgreets Ugadi Greetings

Gudi Padwa is celebrated on the first day of the Chaitra month. Gudi Padwa is celebrated as the New Year day by Maharashtrians.

Gudi Padwa is also known as Ugadi in Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. This festival marks the beginning of the spring season. People celebrate this festival with great spirit and joy.

Houses are cleaned prior to the festival. Colourful rangoli designs are drawn at entrances. New clothes are worn on this day. There is a family gathering and Maharashtrian delicacies are prepared for everyone. The Maharashtrians make puran poli or sweet rotis, soonth pak and usal.

Traditionally, bittersweet leaves of the neem tree are eaten on this day. A paste of crushed neem leaves, cumin seeds, jaggery and salt is taken before eating any food in the morning.

Source : Festivals Tajonline

Cool. So Ugadi and Gudi Padwa are one and the same thing. Though there is cultural diversity in India, there are plenty of threads which combine us.

Find Gudi Padwa Greetings on these websites :
Dgreetings Gudi Padwa
123 Greetings Gudi Padwa
Deepest Feelings Gudi Padwa Greetings
Santa Banta Gudi Padwa Greetings
Vgreets Gudi Padwa Greetings

I wanted to provide links for websites thru which you could have sent Ugadi and Gudi Padwa sms's too but copy, pasting links is boring.

Again ... I wish you a very Happy Ugadi and Gudi Padwa. Have a great year ahead.

Related Posts :
Navratri SMS Scraps Greetings Wallpapers : 08.20.2010
Ugadi Gudi Padwa Images : 26.03.2009
Use Google Hot Trends to Generate Blog Content 25.03.2009
How To Generate Content For A Personal Blog : If You Are A Jack 16.02.2009

Edited 25.03.2009 :
My apologies. Ugadi and Gudi Padwa would be celebrated on the 27th of March 2009.
So far the experiment is working just fine. Statcounter says that in the previous 80 minutes 15 visitors have come to this page looking for info on " gudi padwa - ugadi greetings - ugadi greetings telugu sms - padwa greetings - gudi padwa greetings and ugadi sms greetings"
I wanted to post a screenshot of the statcounter Recent Keyword Activity page but Webshotspro returns with the screenshots of the login page. More updates tomorrow.

Use Google Hot Trends to Generate Blog Content

While analysing the backlinks for this blog during the past few days, I noticed an interesting thing. Two of the backlinks were from google hot trends.

I have no idea whether these backlinks are "do follow" or "no follow" but it is a interesting thought nonetheless, to create blog posts based on what people are searching for, in real time. Provided one is able to make the blog post rank high enough and soon enough, for the chosen keywords, it should bring in some traffic.

Ofcourse what is hot today might be ice-cold tomorrow so I'll try and use my discretion to choose keywords which would remain relevant for a reasonable duration of time. I'll try and cover 2-3 keywords in one blog post and limit such posts to a maximum of 2 each month, even if the idea succeeds.

If the idea appeals to you, I'll request you to make the posts useful by including relevant links and information. One doesn't want visitors to hit the back icon on the browser and increase the bounce rate.

First google hot trends post coming up in 100 minutes.

Related Posts :
Green is Sexy Bamboo Underwear : 05.12.2009
Hot Trends On Internet : 22.05.2009
Fairy Godmother of Radio : 18.04.2009
How To Generate Content For A Personal Blog : If You Are A Jack 16.02.2009

Globalisation of Finance

Due to security concerns the second edition of the Indian Premier League would be held either in England or South Africa.

The central government was unwilling to provide security for the matches, due to the genral elections round the corner, and advised the BCCI to consult different state governments. Some states were willing to provide security and the option of a shortened tournament was considered for some time.

The Indian cricket board is the richest one in the cricketing world and there is too much money already invested in the tournament for it to have been scrapped.

Whether it is hosted in England or South Africa, all the matches will be held at last season's timings of 4 PM and 8 PM IST. Revenue from TV broadcast forms the biggest chunk and the team owners are pretty happy that the game is on.

The same can be said about the fans the world over.

Genral elections, in India, are held once every 5 years and the central government did not want to take any chances. Mumbai was targeted by terrorists late last year and recently Sri Lankan cricketers had a narrow escape in Pakistan.

For the past decade or so Indian companies have been investing capital and acquiring firms globally. IPL being hosted outside India has shocked a large section of cricket fans in India and there has been criticism regarding the scenario of internal security.

While security of the nation needs to be improved, money won't wait for it. And time is money. The matches could not be rescheduled coz all the cricket playing nations have a packed schedule. Money would find the most conducive environment to propagate. A few days ago I saw an interview on TV, in which the South African finance minister was very critical of the present global economic scene and the lack of a united policy, specially by the developed nations, to counter the recession.

He very rightly pointed out that the present system, in which finances and production are located in different parts of the planet is not sustainable. I wonder what his reaction would be incase the IPL is held in South Africa.

Related Posts :
Indian Premier League 2009 Links :18.04.2009
Did Cricket Originate In Belgium? : 04.03.2009
Cricket : Why Are Most Captains Batsmen? : 22.01.2009

Centralization Vs Decentralization Context Innovation

Innovation inspires me. I always get attracted to things which are new or out of the ordinary. I believe there always is scope for improving human beings and processes.

Money excites me. Resource management, as a wise man once told me, is not one of my strengths. I am both; an impulsive and a compulsive spender.

However, this post is not about my attraction towards innovation or my spending habits. I am interested in finding out whether a centralized or a decentralized system, primarily economy, is more suited to the spirit of discovering newer concepts and processes to improve productivity of present processes. Unfortunately, so far this question has remained unanswered , like many other questions which keep popping up in my head.

Centralization leads to accumulation of resources in a few centres and resources are certainly needed for innovation to be nourished. Decentralization, on the other hand, leads to more flexible, adaptive and agile systems.

If we look at the latter half of the past century, the USA and Japan have been the two largest economies. The USA is a pretty young nation with a large landmass and abundant natural resources, it also houses a very diverse population and attracts talent from all corners of the world. Japan is a densely populated, ethnically homogeneous, resource poor nation with the oldest continuing monrchy in the world.

I havn't been to either of these nations and my knowledge about their social and economic setup is very limited. Succesful monetization of innovative technologies has played a key role in the global economic dominance displayed by these two nations. Ofcourse, the political, cultural and military might of the USA cannot be ignored.

Few years back I read a study on the net which said smaller, economically developed nations like Australia are perhaps more innovative as compared to the USA. What happens is, in most cases these concepts are commmercially exploited by big corporations in bigger, developed nations.

India is said to be one of the least innovative countries in the world. Could this be attributed to the centralization of political and economic power. Regional political parties are showing their might as the genral elections come near and the big national players are being forced to eat the humble pie, state after state, as far as the distribution of seats is concerned. Another reason could be our social and educational setup and our attitude towards risk and entrepreneurship. Overall, security is given prime importance. Though Indians have contributed to the development of new technologies and processes, most of these discoveries and inventions have materialised through non-Indian institutions.

China has recently announced a new initiative to attract foreign talent. Time for India to make some major changes as well. Copying wisely is an integral part of innovation.

Related Posts :
Google to Buy Groupon for $ 6 Billion : 02.12.2010
Telangana 29th Indian State : 10.12.2009
Tata Nano To Launch On 23rd March 2009 : 06.03.2009

Wish you a very Happy Nav Rouz

Pic From : Book Pushpa

Related Post :
Siach an Innovative School in Israel : 16.06.2010

Fighting Hunger With Potatoes

Some interesting facts on Potatoes.

* A field of Potato creates more energy per hectare than any other crop.

* Potatoes provide higher yields in less time than other staple foods.

* Per capita consumption in India is about 17 kg/year and there is immense scope to increase it.

* Potato contains almost all the nutrients that our body needs. Biological value of Potato protein is equivalent to egg and milk protein.

* It is one of vegetable proteins comparable to proteins of animal origin.

* Potatoes are rich in carotenoids, important antioxidants.

* Potatoes are 75-80% water, 16-20% carbohydrates, 2-2.5% protein and only 0.15% fats.

* Potatoes contain no cholestrol.

* Potato does not cause obesity because it is a low energy, low fat food.

* Boiled Potatoes have the 2nd highest concentration of folic acid after bread.

* Potato is one of the rich natural sources of Vitamin C.

Please Visit : Central Potato Research Institute and Indian Council of Agricultural Research to know more.

Related Posts :
Fullbar Weight Loss Diet Program : 14.01.2010
Cottonseed to Feed Millions : 05.12.2009
Potatoes : "A Way Out Of Hunger" : 27.10.2008
Bravo Bazira : 10.10.2008

Best Blogs of 2009

OK these may not be the most famous blogs but they are important to me. Instead of highlighting one blog as the "blog of the month" I am presenting 8. These are bloggers who followed my blog and gave me a lot of encouragement to continue blogging.


Marcellino Jonas
Marci J was the first individual to follow this blog. I like the colours used by Marci. Though blogger has been around for less than 10 years, it seems Marci has been blogging since 1978. I guess Marci pre-dated the posts :)


Forbidden Cities
Nguyen was the second person to follow my blog. He seems a man of few words and his introduction says ... "I don't really enjoy talking about myself. So I hope this blog can tell you better about me. Hope you'll enjoy it. Cheers!"
Recently he gave his blog a makeover and it looks better. The blog is focussed on Vietnam and Thailand.



Things That Fizz
This blog covers a topic which I like a great deal. It has a nice design and some great pics.



Paradise of Rivendellious Borneo
Though this blog is not updated very frequently, you will find it useful incase you want to know more about Borneo. Incase you don't know where Borneo is ... I'd like to inform you that it's a beautiful place in Indonesia.



Bold Talk
This blog is by 'a dad who just wants to be a dad.' I have nothing against moma bloggers but he is not as boring as them. You'll also find links to some good blogs on the blog roll on this blog.



Aparichithudu
Naaku telisindhi cheppaku...teliyandhi cheppina nenu vinanu!!!!!!
I don't know which language the blog description is in. This blog has lots of posts on travel and a few on movies.



Financial Facts
As the title suggests this blog is about money and how to use it. Oskar is ... 'a 25 year old professional with a passion of exploring the financial issues which are directly influencing the society and our lives.' Considering the present global economic scenario I am sure he would get a lot of visitors.



Yogesh Goel
Yogesh is the latest person to have started following this blog. His latest blog post is on the issue of ragging. He's got an entire network of blogs, the '123 Network,' There are 24 blogs in the network so lot's of stuff to keep visitors occupied.

Screenshots thru : Web Shots Pro.

I have removed the followers widget from the blog and have left comments in the above blogs, inviting them to join me on friend connect. Thanx a lot for having followed this blog. I still havn't got all the widgets back. Will try and add some more widgets tomorrow. I changed the blog template yet again today and would take me some time to get used to this one. Webshotspro is working real slow at this point in time. Would get screenshots of the remaining two blogs tomorrow. My apologies.

Edited 21.03.2009 : Added the remaining two screenshots.

Related Posts :
Woorkup : A Fresh Charge of Creativity : 06.12.2009
Woork : Tweak Your Blogger Blog To Give It A Professional Look : 03.02.2009
Mera Mairawna : 13.01.2009
Blog of the Month 2008

Quotes and Proverbs on Beauty

Enjoy these quotes and proverbs on beauty while I try and beautify the blog.

“No object is so beautiful that, under certain conditions, it will not look ugly.”
~ Oscar Wilde

“Love of beauty is Taste. The creation of beauty is Art.”
~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

“Every time you see a beautiful woman, just remember, somebody got tired of her.”
~ Anonymous

“People are like stained-glass windows. They sparkle and shine when the sun is out, but when the darkness sets in, their true beauty is revealed only if there is a light from within.”
~ Elisabeth Kubler-Ross

“A beauty is a woman you notice; a charmer is one who notices you.”
~ Adlai E. Stevenson

“Beauty is in the eye of the beer holder.”
~ Kinky Friedman

“Do I love you because you're beautiful, or are you beautiful because I love you? Am I making believe I see in you, a woman too perfect to be really true? Do I want you because you're wonderful, or are you wonderful because I want you? Are you the sweet invention of a lover's dream, or are you really as beautiful as you seem?”
~ Oscar Hammerstein II

“It is the beautiful bird which gets caged.”
~ Chinese Proverb

"He who marries a beauty marries trouble."
~ Nigerian Proverb

"Beauty won't make the kettle boil."
~ Irish Proverb

"Beauty is all very well at first sight; but who ever looks at it when it has been in the house three days?"
~ George Bernard Shaw

"Far away there in the sunshine are my highest aspirations. I may not reach them, but I can look up and see their beauty, believe in them, and try to follow where they lead."
~ Louisa May Alcott

Sources :
Think Exist
One Proverb
Quotes Daddy
Island Ireland
Beauty Tyrant

...and save the previous template before you switch to a new one, or you'll spend hours getting back the widgets.

Related Posts :
Peace Proverbs and Quotes : 26.09.2010
Prevent Stretch Marks with Dermology : 24.03.2010
Proverbs and Quotes on Patience : 15.03.2010
The Maths Behind Beauty : 20.01.2010
Beauty Lies In The Sex Of The Beholder : 25.02.2009
Quotes, Proverbs and Sayings : 21.11.2009
Beauty : 06.10.2008

March 09 Google Pagerank Update

Google Pagerank is updated four time a year; that's what I have learnt from other blogs. Last Pagerank update was on the new year's eve; I learnt about it two weeks later.

Four updates a year means one update every three months and if that is true, the next Google Pagerank update is round the corner. When I started blogging I wasn't aware about the update cycle for Google Pagerank and after checking the Pagerank for the blog a few times had given up the hope of ever getting a Pagerank.

So if you have been blogging for a couple of months or more do check out your blog's Pagerank in the last week of March/first week of April 2009. You can either use the Google Toolbar or one of the many Google Pagerank checking websites like PR Checker, The Google Pagerank or Ongsono.

I would make a separate post about the advantages and the relevance of Google Pagerank after this update. Incase you have been blogging for some time and your blog's Pagerank is 0 or stagnating, you need to optimize your link-building efforts. Google Pagerank is primarily about who links to whom, though Google keeps tweaking it's spiders and it seems the last time frequency of updates was also taken in consideration. Selling links is a big no-no and one way inlinks are more precious thn reciprocal ones. Links from higher Pagerank sites and blogs of course would add more Pagerank juice to your blog. I also intend to make a separate post on the importance of commenting on other blogs, so more on it later.

I would be really happ if the blog progresses to a Pagerank of 5, Pagerank 4 would be satisfactory and if the blog stagnates on a Pagerank of 3, I would seriously consider shifting it to Wordpress. If the blog goes up to 5, I would target 7 in the next update and if it increases to 4, I would target 7 by the year end.

If we assume that links and content are the factors constituting a blog's Pagerank, herez a look at the figures. Till the end of December 2008 the blog had : 108 posts (2700 visitors - not relevnt I guess), 2,770 Yahoo Inlinks and Technorati Blog Rank of 454,854. Till the end of March 2009 the tentative figures are 175 posts (+67), 15,000 Yahoo Backlinks and a Technorati Blog Rank below 200,000 (-254,854).

I am pretty satisfied with the increase in backlinks. Ideally I would have liked to cross the figure of 200 posts and be within the top 100,000 blogs on Technorati. Well, therez always another day to fight.

So what's your blog's Pagerank right now and what are your expectations in this update. Are there any observations about Pagerank you'd like to share?

Related Posts :
April 2010 Google Pagerank Update : 03.04.2010
Blog Comment Optimization for HIgher Google Pagerank : 30.04.2009

Google Page Rank Update January 2009 : Thank You Google: 14.01.2009

Rahul Gandhi Next Prime Minister Of India

As general elections come closer the political scene in India is hotting up. Old alliances are breaking up and newer ones being formed. The ruling UPA,led by the Congress (I) is set to emerge as the biggest coalition.

The Third Front has been able to gather some regional heavyweights under it's umbrella. Political alliances have a short history in the Indian democracy and it's anyone's guess which form the ultimate ruling coalition will take. One thing is for sure, neither the Congress (I) nor the BJP can ignore the regional and smaller national parties.

Indians do not vote for an individual to rule the country for the next five years. The Prime Minister is chosen by the MP's of the biggest party/coalition.

The NDA led by the biggest opposition party, the BJP, has already announced L K Advani as it's Prime Ministeril candidate. The Third Front has a few aspirants too, Ex PM Deve Gowda, UP's Chief Minister Mayawati and Prakash Karat being the prominent one's.

The current PM Manmohan Singh recently had a cardiac surgery and may not take an active part in the election campaign. He does not have a popular support base anyways and was a compromise choice as Sonia Gandhi was not acceptable as the Prime Minister, even to many MP's of her party, due to the Issue of her being of Italian origin. Manmohan Singh is a noted economist and was the Finance Minister in the early 1990's when India opened up her economy to the world. His current tenure also coincided with the best 5 year phase the Indian economy has experienced since Independence. He has achieved enough to be remembered as a noted scholar, planner and leader in the history of Indian democracy. But one cannot b sure, political leaders in India have a very bad habit of clinging to power and death seems to be the only sure way of making them retire.

As I wrote erlier, even if the UPA ends up getting a simple majority on it's own, we arn't sure who the next Prime Minister of India would be. Though I don't support the Congress (I) or any other political party, my choice for the next Prime Minister is Rahul Gandhi.

The single biggest factor which makes me support him is age. He is 38. Demographically India is a young nation and we need a leader who is in sync with the hopes and aspirations of the common folk. He is still a bachelor and considering the female fan following he has, should be ble to attract a big percentage of young female votes for the Congress (I) and the UPA. He certainly won't face the issue of foreign origin like his mother did 5 years ago and Sonia Gandhi being the undisputed leader of the Congress (I) would make his claim stronger.

Two things to note :



* He comes from a distinguished political family. His mother is the leader of the ruling Congress (I) and his father, grand mother and great grand father have been Prime Minister's of India. Political dynasties are alive and kicking in India and South Asia.

* His sister, Priyanka Gandhi Vadhera, who reminds many people of her Grand Mother and the till now, strongest Prime Minister of India Indira Gandhi, has declared that she won't contest elections. Pressure from the family I guess. India still has a great distance to travel before achieving gender equality.

Despite these issues I believe Rahul Gandhi is the best leader from the current lot to lead India forward. Next month I'll make a post about Mayawati's chances of becoming the Prime Minister of India.

Related Posts :
Bishan Singh Chuphal : Uttarakhand BJP Party President : 23.09.2009
Congress UPA Set to Form the Next Indian Government : 16.05.2009
India Next Government : UPA or NDA : 14.05.2009
Will Mayawati Be The Next Indian Prime Minister : 12.04.2009
Is Advani Trying to Emaulate Obama's Social Media Strategy? : 26.01.2009

Forbes 2009 Billionaires List India

The Oracle was correct. The Forbes Billionaires list saw a decline of 332 members. It's the first time since 2003 that the number of billionaires worldwide has dropped from one year to the next. There were 1,125 billionaires last year, whereas we have just 793 billionaires in 2009. That means a drop of 23%.

Almost all billionaires recorded a loss in their net worth due to the global recession. Bill Gates lost US $ 18 billion but regained the top spot with a net worth of US $ 40 billion. Average net worth of the individuals on the list is US $ 3 billion.

Indian billionaires seem to have been hit the hardest. The total number of Indian billionaires is 24. 29 billionaires dropped off the list. Anil Ambani, who was the biggest gainer on last year's Foprbes' list was the biggest loser this year. His net worth fell down by US $ 32 billion and the current net worth is US $ 10.1 billion. His rank slipped from 6th in 2008 to 34th this year. His elder brother Mukesh is the richest Indian with a net worth of US $ 19.5 billion.

Considering India houses one sixth of the global population, the contribution of Indians is meagre in this list. They constitute just over 3 percent of the billionaire population. One sixth of the population would come to 135. That is not surprising coz the Indian economy is just about 5% of the global economy right now.

For the complete list of Indian Billionaires 2009 please visit Forbes.

Related Posts :
Carlos Slim Helu World's Richest Person : 11.03.2010
Yoshikazu Tanaka Asia's Youngest Self - Made Billionaire : 01.02.2010
2010 Forbes India Billionaires : 06.01.2010
Will the Forbes Billionaires List Shrink in 2009? : 10.01.2009
Billionaires : 21.09.2008



PS : The break from internet and blogging has been a great one. So great that I feel like quitting blogging. Kidding, I'll continue blogging as long as I continue to rise up the blog rankings. Thanx a lot for visitng the blog while I was away. I request visitors to not leave the URL of their blog/website in the comments. There is no way for me to edit the comments and the only option left is to delete the comment.

Tata Nano To Launch On 23rd March 2009

I did not intend to post anything today but an email forced me to. After a lot of controversy and the biggest recession of this century, Tata Nano is finally set to launch on the 23rd of March.

According to the Press Trust of India :

"The bookings will start from March 23 and delivery will start from the first week of April," a senior Tata Motors official told PTI at the Geneva Motor Show that opened here today.
Tata Motors' website featuring Nano has registered 30 million hits or visits since the car, with a base-price tag of Rs 1,00,000, was first unveiled. It had announced the low-cost car project in 2006.

Due to the rise in cost of raw materials the ex-showroom price of the car would be well over a lakh Rs. Tata plans to launch the car in Europe by 2011.

Good news for auto lovers worldwide. I must say automobiles don't really excite me but what got me interested in Tata Nano is innovation and development of relevant technology; two things on which Indian companies are really low.

Related Posts :
Centralization Vs Decentralization Context Innovation : 22.03.2009
Car from Cattle Farm : 08.10.2008
Tata Nano : 08.09.2008



PS : I won't post for a week. Do keep visiting. After trying for three weeks I have been able to install the comment luv plugin. Look forward to comments and feedback.

Nanda Devi : The Patron Goddess of Uttarakhand

Pic from : Peak Ware

Nanda Devi or the bliss giving goddess is a two peaked massif. Located in Garhwal Himalaya, between the Rishiganga and the Goriganga valleys, it was the highest known mountain in the world till 1808.

To the north lies the Uttari Nanda Devi Glacier, to the southwest the Dakkhni Nanda Devi Glacier, to the east the Pachu Glacier, to the south east the Nandaghunti and Lawan Glaciers, and to the south the Pindari Glacier.

When the mountain was climbed in 1936 by a British American expedition, it became the highest peak climbed by man until the 1950 ascent of Annapurna.

17 of the 19 communities residing nearby are of Bhotia extraction, an Indo-Tibetan people. "Bhotia" originating from "Bo", which is the native Tibetan word for Tibet. While cultural differences exist between the Jadhs, Marchas, Tolchas and the Shaukas, the main Bhotia groups, they share a distinct physical appearance.

Most of these groups led a migratory lifestyle till the Sino-Indian war of 1962. Commercial exploitation of the forests in the area resulted in the Chipko movement, one of the first modern day environmental movements.

In 1988, the Nanda Devi National Park was converted into a full fledged biosphere reserve. In the spring of 2003, the new director of the Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve opened up the reserve to limited tourism for the first time in 20 years.

Nanda Devi is considered the patron goddess of Uttarakhand and every 12 years, in the months of August-September a pilgrimage stretching nearly 300 kms is held in her honour. Going back to the 9th century AD, Nanda Devi Raj Jat is symbolic of seeing off Goddess Nanda to her consort Lord Shiva's abode in higher Himalayas after her stay at her parent's place in the lower Himalayas.

The pilgrimage is hazardous and is led by a four horned ram or Khadu, said to be born every 12 years in Chandpurpatti region of Karnaprayag.

The next Raj Jat would be held in 2012.

Sources :

Garhwal Tourism
Nanda Devi Campaign
Wikipedia : Nanda Devi, Nanda Devi Raj Jat

Related Posts :
Dr. Shiv Prasad Naithani "Uttarakhand Gathaon Ka Rehesya" : 30.07.2010
Mountains of Uttarakhand : Top 10 Peaks : 25.01.2009

Did Cricket Originate In Belgium?

Cricket and Cricketers are facing a tough time in South Asia. The Champions League was cancelled after the Mumbai terror attacks and yesterday the touring Sri Lankan team had a miraculous escape in Pakistan. Six members of the Lankan team were injured when their bus was ambushed by a dozen terrorists. The Sri Lankan cricketers arrived home earlier this morning. It is bad news for Pakistan too as they were playing a Test match on home soil after more than a year. Earlier Australia and India refused to tour Pakistan due to security concerns. The 2011 Cricket world cup is scheduled to be co-hosted by South Asian nations and there are doubts whether Pakistan would be able to provide a secure environment for the event. Now various leaders and high ranking official want the IPL to be postponed untill after the general elections.

Terrorism has been an ugly reality in South Asia in the past few decades but so far Cricketers were spared. Let's hope things would be better soon and players from all over the world will be able to play in all South Asian nations. Saw an interesting news item in the newspaper today. It says Cricket Originated In Belgium.

Below are some excerpts :

New academic research claims cricket is not English, but was imported by immigrants from northern Belgium.

A poem thought to have been written in 1533 has been uncovered, which suggests the game originates from Flanders.

The discovery challenges the long established theory that the sport evolved from English children's games.

THE IMAGE OF IPOCRISIE

O lodre of Ipocrites,
Nowe shut vpp your wickettes,
And clappe to your clickettes!
A! Farewell, kings of crekettes!

Poem attributed to John Skelton

In response, cricket historian David Frith said: "It is hard to deny that this is a breakthrough. This discovery points to an addition to the great history of cricket. It's exciting we haven't yet written the final word on it."

He added: "It does make you wonder why Belgium isn't playing test cricket though, doesn't it?"

But Mr Gillmeister's research does not end with cricket.

Earlier studies of his suggest that whilst the spiritual home of golf might be Scotland - records indicate the Belgians were also playing a recognisable form of that sport before people in Britain.

An interesting study no doubt. It may well have originated in Belgium but has dug deepest roots in the South Asian nations. Hope it would continue to bring these nations together.

Related Posts :
Indian Premier League 2009 Links :18.04.2009
Globalisation of Finance : 23.03.2009
Cricket : Why Are Most Captains Batsmen? : 01.22.2009

Integrating Social Media Profiles : Go Slow On It

A couple of months ago I was pretty excited with the idea of integrating different social media profiles in order to promote this blog. The idea of generating content on one platform and it appearing automatically on another seemed like magic. However as I tried these apps I came to realise that social media is a really complicated web and these apps instead of making one's life easier, complicate it.

It seems even Google is not sure how to go about providing people the option to integrate their social media profiles. A few months back "Follower" option was launched, to follow blogs you really really like. Then google introduced "Friend Connect". Unfortunately I got this widget too. Now google has decided to integrate these two widgets. That has changed the settings. If you are in a similar situation please go thru the following links :

Blogger Buzz
Blogger and Friend Connect

I think the best way to resolve this issue is to ask all your followers to join you on friend connect.

Two more things I could not undertsand was :

* Why can't Yahoo Analytics track my blog without inserting the HTML code when My Blog Log does provide visitor stats.
* Setting up comment luv is a headache too. One is redirected to JS-Kit and after installing that a tech-challenged person like me wud thing the work is done. I am still trying to figure out how to get the real thing on my blog :(

Seems the firms have their hands in too many cross related pies. Social Media News Rooms seem a good bet for integrating these profiles but they are not affordable for Amateur bloggers. Pitch Engine does offer a free version where posts are stored for 30 days.

Related Post :

How To Use Social Media To Promote Your Blog : 26.12.2008

Analyse The Personality and Gender of Your Blog

Got a bit bored of the online SEO tools. Found out two websites which help analyze the personality and gender of the blog author. No need to answer any questions. Just submit the URL of the blog and the result would be out in a few seconds. I was surprised by the results.

* Typealyzer

ISTJ - The Duty Fulfillers
The responsible and hardworking type. They are especially attuned to the details of life and are careful about getting the facts right. Conservative by nature they are often reluctant to take any risks whatsoever.

The Duty Fulfillers are happy to be left alone and to be able to work in their own pace. They know what they have to do and how to do it.

* Genderanalyzer

We think http://jhangora.blogspot.com is written by a woman (65%).

Please let me know if there are any other such tools.

Related Post :

How To Create A Quick Blog Analysis Report : 29.12.2009



PS : On reaching 100 posts on this blog, I had promised visitors and myself that I would make 100 posts in the month of March. I have realised that copy, pasting content is very easy and in the long run the quantity of posts won't matter. Would stick to a posting frequency of 20-25 each month and would try and improve the quality of the posts. Sorry for not keeping my word.