Youngest Woman to hit top musician list

Wait — just how old is Taylor Swift? Hard to believe, isn't it? Taylor Swift, this year's toast of the country music world, turns 20 today. It's been quite a ride for a young woman who came out with her first single, "Tim McGraw," in 2006. Her eponymous debut album opened at No. 19 on the Billboard 200, reaching No. 5 there and No. 1 on Billboard's Top Country Albums. In the last year she has taken home award after award, and just a month ago, Swift became the youngest singer to win the Country Music Association Entertainer of the Year award. Last year, she was the top-selling musician in the US, having sold four million albums. At the tender age of 19, with earnings of some $18 million, she already ranked No. 69 in Forbes' most-powerful celebrities list. In September, Swift became the first country music artist to win an MTV Video Music Award. She continues to ride the wave; in March, she'll be competing for eight Grammys. Happy birthday to Taylor Swift. Way to go!

The World Of Stars

On 21st Nov 09 , I went to Jawaharlal Nehru planetarium near cubbon road in bangalore to attend a session on the world of stars,their evolution and their impact on human race.It was an awesome session that involved great learning experience of forgotten things of my childhood study.It was the time for me to recall the theories i had gone through in my 10th standard abut a supernova, black hole and big bang theory etc.I learned some authentic and wonderful facts about our sun the life give of the entire planet.Here are the facts about our lovely and magnificent universe.

1)The energy and mass produced by sun every sec is approx. million times the mass and energy of the entire human race on earth.
2)One light second unit (unit of distance b/w celestial bodies) is equal to 3 lakh kilometers.
3)Our sun is at a distance of about 4 lakh kilometers from earth.
4)All sunsigns like Zodiac,Taurus,Gemini,Virgo and Scorpio etc.. were derived from the shapes of the lightning stars in the night sky.
5)Age of our sun is about 5 billion years.
6)The reactions happening in a distant star as observed by our greatest scientists of all time namely kepler, galeleo, Hubble etc.. were the ones that happened in the star thousands of years ago; as it takes that long time for the light of the star to reach our planet.Stephen Hawking an English Physicist as written in his book,The history of time;if we assume time as a dimension in space and travel to the distant star light years away from us with in no time,then we can see the future on earth i.e,what happens on earth 1000 years later..

Yahoo Big thinkers

12-Dec-2009, I have attended yahoo big thinkers conference at Leela Palace hotel in bangalore.This was the first yahoo conference in my IT career. The meeting was addressed by Mr.Rajeev Ratsogi, head of research and development for web data mining. He gave a wonderful insight on how to extract information from billions of heterogeneous pages of the internet and manage it so that people can search the relevant information better.It comprised of techniques on content acquisition,information extraction and integration of information that belongs to the same entity from different webpages. Here are some key points he has mentioned in the meeting:

1)Deep web content i.e the content hidden behind the forms is 500 times the surface content.
2)Approx. ~ 30% webpages are crawled.
3)Aprrox. ~ 31% information is rich from search results.
4)Most pages are similarly structured.
5)Web is a vast repository of human knowledge.
6)Building Knowledge base for better search and help users find relevant information is a challenging task.
7)Extracting and merging attributes of the same entity from different pages using idexing is also challening.

Following techniques are currently being used to address these issues:

1)Data Mining.
2)Machine Learning.
3)Statistical Analysis.
4)Information Retrieval.

extract part of url

I want to extract strings after http:// and before querystring ? .This is how i did for the following url:

bash$echo "http://nwidget.networkedblogs.com/getnetworkwidgetmain?bid=224747&fancount=28"
\ | perl -ne 'print "input url : $_\n"; $_=~s#.*?.*//(.*?/.*?)\?.*#$1# and print "extract sting : $_\n";'

o/p:
input url : http://nwidget.networkedblogs.com/getnetworkwidgetmain?bid=224747&fancount=28
extracted string : nwidget.networkedblogs.com/getnetworkwidgetmain

A Glimpse Of SIP

What is an SIP?

SIP means Systematic Investment Plan. This is one of the more effective investment strategy for accumulating wealth in a disciplined manner over a long period. A specific amount will be invested for a chosen period at regular intervals.

For example, if an investor wants to invest Rs 12000 and makes a one-time investment at an NAV of Rs 15, 800 (12,000/15) units will be allotted.

In the case of an SIP, the investor distributes Rs 12,000 over a year and invests Rs 1,000 every month. The amount will be invested at different levels of NAV, as market conditions and level of indices keep changing on a day-to-day basis. The investment in 12 installments will get averaged at different NAVs in an automatic manner without the investor timing the entry point.

Is it a unique approach to deploy savings?
Systematic Investment Plan is not a unique approach in deploying savings. It is similar to a regular savings scheme like a recurring deposit with a bank where we can put small amounts at periodic intervals. Investing in a mutual fund through SIP allows participation in the equity markets systematically.

Why is investing in a systematic manner appropriate for most investors?
One-time investment is better only when there is a high degree of certainty that the market is going to go through a rising trend. Markets are volatile and predicting is very difficult; timing works only when exit and entry are in an investor's favor. If an investor invests a bulk amount on a day and the market declines, the investor may panic and withdraw the amount leading to a sizeable loss. Also for most investors, one-time investment may not be feasible due to a lack of resources. In the case of systematic investment, it is not necessary for the investor to accumulate a huge amount at one go before making an investment. He can accumulate small amounts and invest regularly. An SIP also enables investors to start investing in equity early.

What are the main advantages of SIP as an investment tool?
Power of compounding, rupee cost averaging, and the option of investing small amounts regularly

How does an SIP work under different market conditions and over time?
When investing through SIP it is not necessary to time the market. Investments will be made systematically every month or quarter depending on the option. Since the investment amount will be uniform, units accumulated during a bearish market, will be more compared to the units in a bullish market.

To build a corpus over the long term requires an investor to stay focused, invest regularly and maintain discipline in the investment pattern. An amount as low as Rs 250 can be set aside every month. This will not affect the disposable income of the individual as well. Investing through the SIP mode ensures investing in all phases of the market. The investor will accumulate more units during a bearish phase and a lesser number of units in a bullish phase. This investor enjoys the benefit of rupee cost averaging under this method.What is timing the market?
Timing of the market is an attempt to predict the market movements using fundamental and technical analysis. The basic concept in investing is buy low-sell high. Most of the investors who try to time the market tend to do exactly the opposite.

What are the benefits of starting an SIP early? Why?
Investments are generally postponed. However, longer you leave the money invested, the faster it will grow. The investment starts to earn returns and these returns again start to earn money. Compounding being the tool that generally makes a small sum grow to large amount.

What is the power of compounding?
Compounding is the fact that the money you make off an investment can be reinvested to make even more money than your initial investment. The money you make goes back to work to make you even more money than before.

Sound confusing? It's actually pretty simple.

Say you've invested Rs.10, 000 and it makes 10% interest per year. In the first year, you make Rs.1, 000 in interest. But in the second year, you'll make Rs.1, 100 (not only does your initial investment of Rs.10,000 accrue interest but so does the additional Rs.1,000 you made in the first year). In the tenth year, you'll make Rs. 2,358. And in the 30th year you'll make Rs.15, 864. That's all without making another investment beyond your initial Rs.10, 000. In 30 years, the power of compounding gets you from making Rs.1, 000 per year to making Rs.15, 864 per year
What is Rupee cost averaging?
One main benefit of investing through the SIP route is rupee cost averaging. When investment is done at regular intervals, units will accumulate at different market levels. When an equal sum is invested every month, the amount will get averaged based on the different NAV's

Date	NAV	Amount invested	Units
7-Aug-2008	15	1000	67
7-Sep-2008	13	1000	77

The average rate at which the investment is made is at Rs 14. Hence units get accumulated at different market levels.


If the NAV during the end September is Rs 17, the value of Rs 2000 investment will be worth Rs 2448. If a person had considered bulk investing and invests Rs 2000 on August 7, the investment will be worth only Rs 226
Does it help to time the SIP period?
The right time to start the SIP is now. The longer the SIP period, greater is the average annual returns. More over the percentage of positive and negative returns will decline considerably as the SIP tenure will cover all phases of the market. Even if the SIP is chosen for a shorter period, it is always advisable to renew it, once the tenure is over.

If an investor has a lump-sum and wishes to do an SIP, what is the optimal way?
Even if an investor has a lump-sum amount, an optimal way of investing, is to put the amount in Sundaram BNP Paribas Liquid Plus or Sundaram BNP Paribas Money Fund which are liquid funds and allow switching to any of the equity funds for SIP. This ensures that the investment enjoys rupee cost averaging and at the same time earns a higher rate of return when compared to investments in savings accounts.

What is the minimum amount and tenure for investing through SIP?
SIP can be done in monthly or quarterly installments. Minimum amount for investing through SIP is Rs. 250 in the case of monthly installments and Rs. 750 for Quarterly installments for open end Equity and Fixed Income Schemes of Sundaram BNP Paribas Mutual Fund

1.	Sundaram BNP Paribas Growth Fund
2.	Sundaram BNP Paribas Tax Saver
3.	Sundaram BNP Paribas Select Focus
4.	Sundaram BNP Paribas Select Midcap
5.	Sundaram BNP Paribas India Leadership Fund
6.	Sundaram BNP Paribas S.M.I.L.E Fund
7.	Sundaram BNP Paribas CAPEX Opportunities Fund
8.	Sundaram BNP Paribas Rural India Fund
9.	Sundaram BNP Paribas Balanced Fund
10.	Sundaram BNP Paribas Monthly Income Plan
11.	Sundaram BNP Paribas Bond Saver
12.	Sundaram BNP Paribas Floating Rate Fund � Short Term Plan
13.	Sundaram BNP Paribas Global Advantage Fund

For Entertainment Opp. Regular and Financial Services Opp. Regular, Minimum amount is Rs. 250/- for Monthly option and Rs. 750/- for Quarterly option.

Minimum number of instructions (including the first cheque) should be 6 for Monthly Option and 4 for Quarterly option taking into account that the total aggregate of such cheques & payment instructions is not be less than Rs. 5,000/-
Is SIP available for all the categories? Equity / Fixed Income / Liquid?
Investment through the SIP route can be done only in the case of equity and fixed income funds. For liquid funds only bulk investment is possible

Can I redeem the money before the tenure?
With the exception of ELSS (Equity Linked Savings Scheme) funds or tax-saving funds, which have a lock-in period of three years, investment in other funds can be redeemed before the tenure. All SIP installments in ELSS funds have a three year lock-in period.

If I redeem the amount in between, will the SIP stop with immediate effect or it will continue till the specified period mentioned?
Redemption of the amount during the SIP period will not amount to stop of SIP. SIP will continue unless the investor specifically requests to stop the SIP

Will I be charged an entry load every month?
Entry load on funds will differ from fund houses. If there is entry load, then the same will be applicable for each SIP transaction. There will be no entry load for direct applications received by the asset management company or collection centres/investor service centres that are not routed through any distributor/agent/broker.

No entry and exit load will be applicable on dividend reinvestment and for bonus units.
Can I choose any dates in the month for SIP?
There are specific dates for investment. In the case of Sundaram BNP Paribas funds the SIP dates are�1, 7, 14, 20, & 25. Investor can opt only any one of the dates for investment. In this case, every month during the SIP tenure, the investor will be allotted units based on the NAV on that particular date. In case it is a holiday, units will be allotted on the next working day.

Can I opt for ECS?
SIP can be done either by giving post dated cheques or through the ECS facility.

If the investor opts for the first option, it is necessary to give post dated cheques for the period he wants to invest.

In case of the second option the investor has to fill in the 9 digit MICR number in the application form along with specimen copy of cheque. This number will be tallied with the MICR master database. If it matches, ECS facility will be activated and monthly investment will be made through the ECS option, along with a cheque for the 1^st installment that would necessarily accompany the SIP application

What is the time gap between giving the first cheque and subsequent cheques?
30 days

Should the monthly installment be of same amount?
SIP monthly installments for the tenure and the first cheque should be given for the same amount.

Can I switch the amount to another scheme before the tenure? Will the SIP continue in the old scheme or new scheme?
Switch from one fund to another can be done by giving a switch request and clearly indicating the SIP instructions. If it is clear, the switch will be activated and the investment will be made according to the instructions, else, the SIP will continue in the old scheme. Incase of SIP through Post Dated Cheques (PDCs), a new application and fresh cheques in favour of the new scheme have to be submitted. The old PDCs would be returned to the investor.

Will the units allotted to me differ every month?
Units allotted will be equal to (Amount invested / Applicable NAV). The Applicable NAV is the NAV on the day, when the investment will be made. Thus, the units allotted will differ depending on the applicable NAV during different months.

If the SIP date during a particular month is a holiday, units will be allotted at the applicable NAV on the subsequent working day

If I start an SIP in the dividend option of a scheme, will I get dividends even before the tenure completes?
First condition for the dividend to be credited into the account is that the record date of the dividend and units should be available on the record date, declared by the fund should be during the SIP tenure of the investor.

If in the application form the investor has opted for Dividend Reinvestment, the dividend amount will be directly invested in the fund and units will get accumulated to the investor. If the investor opts for Dividend Payout, the dividend amount will either be credited in the account of the investor or will be sent as cheques depending on the option chosen

What is the procedure if my cheque bounces or I don't have balance in my account at the time of clearing? Will my SIP still continue for the next month?
If the cheque bounces, the units allotted would be reversed. The SIP will continue. However if there are three recurring instances of cheque bounce then the SIP registration would be discontinued.

Will I get any communication on the cheque bounce? Should I give another cheque?
We will send the Not In Good Order policy letter along with Banker's memo through courier / Registered post. A duplicate cheque will not be accepted against the bounced cheque.

Will I get the transaction confirmation either through email or sms every month?
We will send a transaction confirmation through email.

Can I do online transaction for SIP? If so, Should I do it month on month?
This facility is not available currently

Can I reduce the tenure / amount of SIP in between? If I have opted for 20 years SIP and suddenly in the 15^th year of investment, I don't want to continue for the next 5 years, can I stop it immediately?
Yes, it is possible. If investor wishes to reduce the amount / period or increase the amount / period, we would require a Fresh SIP Auto Debit form to be submitted. The same should mention "CHANGE OF SIP AMOUNT / PERIOD�. The fresh instructions would have to be submitted 30 days before the next auto debit date

Can I give third party PDCs for investing in my name?
YES. We will accept third party PDC's & third party ECS

Is KYC required, if my investment touches Rs.50000/- during the SIP tenure?
Not Necessary.

Can I have different dates for SIP in same scheme? For Ex: If I am investing Rs.2000/- in a scheme on the 7^th of each month for 20 years, suddenly I wish to start another SIP for Rs. 3000 in the same scheme for 20 years. My first investment SIP clears on 7^th of every month, can I opt for 20^th of the same month for my second investment?
Yes, it is possible, If investor reduce the amount / change of SIP date or Increase the amount / change of Year, we need the Fresh SIP Auto Debit form and should be mention "CHANGE OF SIP AMOUNT / PERIOD "

Can I pledge these units in the bank before the tenure completes?
Yes

Can I claim tax rebate if I put an SIP in an ELSS schemes? If the lock in period is for 3 years, can I redeem the entire amount invested in the first year after the lock in period or every month SIP will be locked for 3 years?
Tax rebate is applicable for ELSS scheme.� Every SIP transaction is locked for 3 years.

Many fund houses are coming up with SIPs & insurance, is it as similar as ULIPs?
Sundaram BNP Paribas has not yet launched SIP with Insurance.


If I invest through a distributor and subsequently change my investment to direct, will there be any impact on my investment? Will I be charged an entry load for the future�installments also?
We need written request for change of Broker Code to DIRECT. As per investor request, we will change the Broker code as DIRECT.� Only after the request letter is received by the AMC future transactions would be processed without Entry Load.

If I have not provided my nominee or my bank account details and suddenly during the SIP tenure, if I die, what is the status of my investment?
Legal Heir is owner of this investment.

Can I opt for daily SIP? Or only monthly intervals allowed?
At present we allow only monthly and quarterly intervals

Will I get monthly reminders before my SIP date?
Monthly reminder before SIP will not be given to the investor. However, the investor would be getting a reminder for renewal, one month before the close of the SIP tenure

Once my SIP tenure completes, will I be given an option to renew or should I again begin the procedure as fresh investment?
Renewal option is available. Any extension of an existing SIP will be treated as a new SIP based on the date of receipt of such a renewal application. Terms and conditions applicable will be as on the date of renewal.

What is the percentage of return, I can expect? Will I get more than lump sum investment?
SIP is always favorable than lump sum investment as different units are allotted at different market levels. The investor is not required to accumulate a huge sum at one go, but can invest periodically a small amount and accumulate in a phased manner. When the market is very volatile different units are allotted at different phases.

Can I invest in my child's name and be a guardian for him? On his attaining maturity, should the investment be revised and to be signed by him?
On Behalf of the Minor, the investment is made through the Guardian. �Based on receipt of attested copy of birth certificate of the minor, his PAN card copy, the banker's attestation of his signature and bank details along with a covering letter duly signed by both minor and guardian for change in status, the status could be changed from On Behalf of Minor to Individual.

Can I change the bank mandate from which the SIP amount is currently going to my Child's bank account (after child's maturity)?
Yes, bank mandate can be changed. A fresh SIP Auto Debit Form has to be issued for the same

Thanks to Sundaram BNP AMC.

http://www.sundarambnpparibas.in/sip_faqs/sip_faqs.htm#5

Sundaram Paribas MF bullish on public sector stocks

In order to capitalise on investors' increasing interest on the PSU stocks, including high net worth individuals, retail as well as foreign institutional investors due to their outstanding performances over the last few months, Sundaram BNP Paribas Mutual Fund has floated a new fund offer—Sundaram BNP Paribas PSU Opportunities—to tap the huge potential of the PSUs in the years to come.

The select thematic fund will focus on wealth creation opportunities over the long-term presented by PSUs, said TP Raman, managing director, Sundaram BNP Paribas MF.

The PSUs at present account for about 30% of the market cap on the NSE. The market cap of the PSU sector has risen from about Rs 90,000 crore to Rs 15,10,254 crore in this decade as the PSU stocks outpaced the broad markets as well as private sector players.

"Despite the volatile market conditions over the last one year or so, PSU stocks have performed well than other indices in the markets due to their long-term strategy, better valuation, better dividend payouts and increasing market cap. The income of the top 18 PSUs equal 15% of India's GDP. Therefore we see the NFO will get huge response from one and all and we are bullish on this sector," Raman said.

According to him, "The PSU theme offers trigger of wealth creation, linked to disinvestment, valuation re-rating, growth, privatisation and high dividend payouts. As the government's disinvestment programme progresses, PSUs are likely to become an even larger part of the equity market in India." The PSUs continue to enjoy the dominant position in sectors such as oil, power, gas, banking, insurance and mining, he added.

"We are looking at investing in PSUs engaged in energy, coal and oil but will be more cautious before choosing the stocks," said Satish Ramanathan, head (equity), Sundaram BNP Paribas MF. "We look at investing upto a maximum of 25% on any particular sector and hope to bring in good returns on investments over two to three years, he said.

Thanks to in.new.yahoo.com..

ulimit

There is a limit on the number of files being processed by a process in the linux,which is governed by the configuration file /etc/security/limits.conf.The limit value can be reset with out building the kernel with the following command.

ulimit -n : Using this we can increase the per user limit to any number using <ulimit -n number > in user .bashrc , to increase the number of files to pickup by a pid
and process and it is set in /etc/security/limits.conf.

Tribute to MJ

Jackson's 'Thriller' voted the greatest video ever

Named "a watershed moment for the music industry", the music video of Michael Jackson's hit track 'Thriller' has been voted the greatest video of all time.

The 14-minute mini movie was shot by John Landis and released on December 2, 1983, was named the best ever on the eve of its 26th anniversary, Daily Star reported.

"By merging film and music, Thriller set a new precedent for the industry," the Daily Star quoted Graeme Slattery of pollsters Muzu.tv, as saying.

The video featuring the late 'King of Pop' with former Playboy centerfold Ola Raywas was listed in 2006 as the "most successful music video", selling over 9 million units by the Guinness World Records.

Cut down the Coffee

We all know that there's really nothing to beat that curiously intoxicating smell of freshly ground coffee beans as well as that addictive first cup to jump-start your day. But it's not just the morning a steaming cup always comes in handy while driving negotiations, initiating great conversations or even kicking back next to a log fire.

It even gets a nod from researchers like Thomas H. Lee, a Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School, Boston. Attributing the benefits to large, long-term studies, Lee says that "long-running research shows that drinking coffee cuts the risk of dying early from a heart attack or stroke, and the bean improves productivity, too.

Now, before you make a manic sprint to the nearest store for a cappuccino machine, you may want to listen to what Upasna Kamineni, Vice Chairman, Apollo Charities, and an active campaigner for health issues, has to say. "Coffee is both a health and a social hazard, and the cons far outweigh the pros, she says. Kamineni, also the Director of Lifetime Wellness RX, an Apollo Group body that conducts health talks, assessments and camps and also undertakes research-based projects on lifestyle disorders, thinks that it's best one stays away from the brew altogether.

"The excessive caffeine in coffee can boost your blood pressure and can leave you dehydrated. Add milk and sugar, and it becomes a recipe for disaster, that is bound to add extra pounds, she adds. Aerated drinks and canned fruit juices also get a thumbs down from her. "Aerated drinks and canned fruit juices have a high concentration of sugar and should be avoided in the mornings. Try jasmine and green tea or even lemon water as the three are rich in antioxidants. Kamineni recommends switching over to juices and lemon soda by afternoon.

"Buttermilk is easy on your digestive system, too, and goes well with most Indian foods, she says. And for those of you who just can't kick the coffee habit, she suggests skipping milk. "Taken black, both coffee and tea are calorie-free and full of antioxidants. Not a bad option for the coffee-crazy but health-conscious folks out there.

Things to research before buying a share

Before buying a company's share following things have to be thoroughly investigated about any listed company.

Companies which manufacture same products come under common sector.For example, Tatapower and National hydroelectric power belong to the same sector.Before buying shares of these companies, we should be able to estimate their performance in the future.That depends on various factors like government policies,their product demand influences the company performance.

Corporate estimate:
A good amount of study on the future development plans of the company and its performance in last three to five years is required.We need to inquire about its management,present activities,growth opportunities and market competency.

Financial estimate:
When the above things are fine,then we need to further dig deep into their financial strength.We have to estimate whether buying the share for current price is good or not.To get to this estimate,we need to look for EPS(Earnings per share) and Price to Earnings ratio (P/E) and company's equity capacity.With the help of these,we can estimate the future price value of its share.
To do a financial study we need to understand companies financial results for every year. continue...

common terminal sharing

we can share other user's terminal and work on his terminal and see what he is doing by sharing our terminal as follows:

sperumal@bash:~> kibitz lbabu
asking lbabu to type: kibitz -20798
Escape sequence is ^]

he will type kibitz -20798 from his end.

How to construct kitchen and pooja room

• Vaasthu philosophy says that, kitchen should not be adjacent to bedroom, pooja room,stair case,above or beneath the toilets.Light and ventilation must be abundant for the kitchen.
• Vaasthu philosophy is the art of controlling the positive and negative energies flowing into the house.East,North and North-East are most favorable directions for positive energy to flow inside the house.That is why,pooja room should be constructed in these directions.
  

Big-Bang experiment

After a year's delay, scientists at the world's biggest accelerator have restarted an experiment to recreate "Big Bang" conditions that had sparked suggestions the earth would be sucked in by millions of black holes.

Scientists at the European Organisation for Nuclear Research (CERN) have established circulating particle beams in both directions in the underground Large Hadron Collider, a step that is already beyond where the experiment stalled during a first attempt in September 2008, CERN spokesman James Gillies said.

The high-profile experiment, through which tiny particles are smashed in a bid to learn more about the birth of the universe, failed just nine days after it was launched due to a technical problem that took longer than expected to fix.

"We are further advanced now than where we were after five days of experiment last year," said CERN's Director for Accelerators Steve Myers, saying the extra year had allowed researchers to upgrade instrumentations and computer software.

Myers added that researchers had increased the sensitivity of the protections at the 10 billion Swiss franc ($9.82 billion) collider under the French-Swiss border.

"If anything happens, we would not have the same amount of damage we had last year," he said.

CERN, a 55-year-old organisation that counts 10,000 scientists and technicians worldwide working on its research projects, has vigorously rebuffed any suggestion the ground-breaking experiment would cause the world to end.

CERN's Director General Rolf Heuer said getting the experiment re-started had been an "herculean effort".

"We've still got some way to go before physics can begin, but with this milestone we're well on the way," he said.

If things continue to progress at this speed, scientists may be able to accelerate particles at the highest energy level ever tested before Christmas, although high-energy collisions that may shed light on the secrets of the universe would only happen in the new year, Myers said.

The experiment will be fully under way when the particle beams will be smashed at high energy levels. This will most likely happen in January.

The next important step in the experiment will be low-energy collisions, expected in about a week from now, CERN said.

The experiment can be followed http://twitter.com/cern.

If cricket is religion,then sachin is god

Virender Sehwag on Sachin Tendulkar

'Tendulkar controls the game'

What are the things that set the great man apart from mere mortals? The ability to read the game acutely, pick the ball early, dedication, discipline and more

As told to Nagraj Gollapudi - cricinfo.com:

November 15, 2009

The first time Virender Sehwag met Sachin Tendulkar was in March 2001, at a practice session ahead of the first ODI of the home series against Australia. For Sehwag, Tendulkar was the man who had inspired him to skip exams in school and allowed him to dream of cricket as a career. Sehwag was shy then, and didn't speak to his hero. He got 58 off 51 balls and picked up three wickets. Tendulkar later walked up to him and said, "You've got talent. Continue playing the same way and I'm sure you will make your name." That ability to motivate youngsters is one of the traits, Sehwag says, that makes Tendulkar special. Here he tells Cricinfo about 10 things that make Tendulkar stand out.

Discipline
He never comes late to any practice session, never comes late to the team bus, never comes late to any meeting - he is always five minutes ahead of time. If you are disciplined, it shows you are organised. And then he is ready for anything on the cricket field.

Mental strength
I've learned a lot of things from him as far as mental strength goes - on how to tacke a situation, how to tackle a ball or bowler. If you are not tough mentally, you can't score the number of runs and centuries he has in the last two decades. He is a very good self-motivator.

He always said to me: whatever the situation or whichever the bowler you face, always believe in yourself. There was this occasion in South Africa, early in my career, when I was not scoring runs fluently, so he suggested I try a few mental techniques that had worked for him. One of the things he said was: Always tell yourself you are better than others. You have some talent and that is why you are playing for India, so believe in yourself.

Picking the ball early
He can pick the ball earlier than other batsmen and that is a mark of a great batsman. He is virtually ready for the ball before it is bowled. Only great players can have two shots for one ball, like Tendulkar does, and a big reason is that he picks the ball very early.

Soft hands
I've never seen him play strokes with hard hands. He always tries to play with soft hands, always tries to meet the ball with the centre of the bat. That is timing. I have never been able to play consistently with soft hands.

Planning
One reason he can convert his fifties into hundreds is planning: which bowler he should go after, which bowler he should respect, in which situation he should play aggressively, in which situation he should defend. It is because he has spent hours thinking about all of it, planning what to do. He knows what a bowler will do in different situations and he is ready for it.

In my debut Test he scored 155 and he knew exactly what to do every ball. We had already lost four wickets (68 for 4) when I walked in, and he warned me about the short ball. He told me that the South African fast bowlers would bowl short-of-length balls regularly, but he knew how to counter that. If they bowled short of a length, he cut them over slips; when they bowled outside off stump, he cut them; and when they tried to bowl short into his body, he pulled with ease. Luckily his advice had its effect on me, and I made my maiden hundred!

Adaptability
This is one area where he is really fast. And that is because he is such a good reader of the game. After playing just one or two overs he can tell you how the pitch will behave, what kind of bounce it has, which length is a good one for the batsman, what shots to play and what not to.

A good example was in the Centurion ODI of the 2006-07 series. India were batting first. Shaun Pollock bowled the first over and fired in a few short-of-length balls, against which I tried to play the back-foot punch. Tendulkar cautioned me immediately and said that shot was not a good option. A couple of overs later I went for it again and was caught behind, against Pollock.

Making bowlers bowl to his strengths
He will leave a lot of balls and give the bowler a false sense of security, but the moment it is pitched up to the stumps or closer to them, Tendulkar will easily score runs.

If the bowler is bowling outside off stump Tendulkar can disturb his line by going across outside off stump and playing to midwicket. He puts doubts in the bowler's mind, so that he begins to wonder if he has bowled the wrong line and tries to bowl a little outside off stump - which Tendulkar can comfortably play through covers.



Only great players can have two shots for one ball, like Tendulkar does, and a big reason is that he picks the ball very early



In Sydney in 2004, in the first innings he didn't play a single cover drive, and remained undefeated on 241. He decided to play the straight drive and flicks, so he made the bowlers pitch to his strengths. It is not easy. In the Test before that, in Melbourne, he had got out trying to flick. After that when we had a chat he said he was getting out playing the cover drive and the next game he would avoid the cover drive. I thought he was joking because nobody cannot not play the cover drive - doesn't matter if you are connecting or not. I realised he was serious in Sydney when he was on about 180-odd and he had missed plenty of opportunities to play a cover drive. I was stunned.

Ability to bat in different gears
This is one aspect of batting I have always discussed with Tendulkar: how he controls his game; the way he can change gears after scoring a half-century. Suddenly he scores 10-12 runs an over, or maybe a quick 30 runs in five overs, and then again slows down and paces his innings.

He has maintained that it all depends on the team's position. If you are in a good position you tend to play faster. He also pointed out that the batsman must always think about what can happen if he gets out and the consequences for the team. The best example is the knock of 175. I was confident he would pull it off for India and he almost did.

Building on an innings
I learned from Tendulkar how to get big hundreds. He told me early on that once you get a hundred you are satisfied for yourself. But it is also the best time to convert that into a bigger score for the team because then the team will be in a good position.

If you look at my centuries they have always been big. A good instance of this was in Multan in 2004, when he told me I had given away a good position in Melbourne (195) the previous year and the team lost, and I needed to keep that in mind against Pakistan. In Multan, in the first hundred of the triple century I had hit a few sixes. He walked up to me after I reached the century and said he would slap me if I hit any further sixes. I said why. He said that if I tried hitting a six and got out the team would lose the control over the game, and I needed to bat through the day. So I didn't hit a single six till I reached 295. By then India were 500-plus and I told him I was going to hit a six!

Dedication
This is the most important aspect of his success. In his life cricket comes first. When he is on tour he is thinking about nothing but cricket, and when he is not on tour he dedicates quality time to his family. That shows his dedication to the game and to his family. He has found the right balance.

Reduce the risk of diabetes and obesity

A medium frame Indian man of 165 cm height, should weigh 62 kg, and if he were sedentary, would require 1,800 kilocalorie to maintain a healthy weight. A woman of same frame should weigh between 55 and 58 kg and would require 1,600 kilocalorie. According to the new guidelines, the daily carbohydrate intake should not be more than 50 per cent of the total energy requirement. The total dietary fibre intake should be 20 gm and 40 gm for women and men respectively - one small apple weighing 100 gm gives roughly one gm of fibre. As far as possible reduce the intake of trans fatty acids available in the form of vanaspati, bakery food products, ready-to-use-soups and gravies, margarine, and food prepared with vanaspati or margarine, the guidelines advise.

"We believe application of these guidelines will help in preventing and halting diabetes and obesity epidemic in India," said Dr Anoop Misra, HoD of diabetes and metabolic diseases, Fortis Hospital, and director, Diabetes Foundation of India.

Daily Choices Of Habbits and Diet To Live Strong

Only a few everyday choices about diet, exercise and tobacco use can dramatically reduce a person's risk of cancer, according to a Special Report on Cancer Prevention.

The Special Report examines the science and latest findings on 10 approaches that can make a real difference in preventing cancer.

Here are some highlights from the list:

1. Don't smoke: Quitting smoking reduces the risk of lung and other cancers, regardless of the number of years of smoking.

2. Eat fruits and vegetables: The American Cancer Society recommends eating at least five servings of fruits and vegetables daily because they are loaded with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and other substances that lower the risk of cancer.

3. Limit fat in the diet: Current guidelines recommend keeping fat intake between 20 and 30 percent of total daily calories, with most fats coming from sources of polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats, such as fish, nuts and vegetable oils.

4. Maintain a healthy weight: Being overweight or obese can increase the risk of postmenopausal breast cancer as well as cancers of the colon, endometrium, esophagus and kidney. There's evidence that obesity increases the risk of cancers of the prostate, liver, gallbladder, pancreas, stomach, ovary and cervix.

5. Be physically active: From 45 to 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous activity a day, on most days of the week, is considered optimal to reduce the risk of breast and colorectal cancers.

6. Curb alcohol consumption: Women should limit themselves to no more than one alcoholic beverage a day. Men should have no more than two.

7. Limit exposure to radiation: Ultraviolet (UV) radiation, which comes from the sun, sunlamps or commercial tanning beds, is the primary cause of skin cancer, the most common of all cancers.

8. Protect against infection: Infections caused by viruses are recognized as risk factors for several types of cancer.

9. Consider chemoprevention: Chemoprevention is the use of natural or synthetic compounds to reduce the risk of cancer or its recurrence. Tamoxifen, prescribed to prevent breast cancer in high-risk women, is the best known chemoprevention agent.

10. Get recommended screening exams: Pap tests, mammograms, colonoscopies and other routine screenings cannot prevent cancer. But screenings can help find cancers early, when treatment is most likely to be successful.

The study has been published in the November issue of Mayo Clinic Women's HealthSource. (ANI)

World will come to an end?

Read this article published in yahoo today :

Washington, Nov 14 (IANS) The world won't be coming to an end on December 21, 2012, as said to be darkly predicted by the Mayan calendar, says an astronomer.
Ann Martin, doctoral candidate in Cornell University astronomy department, points out that the Mayan calendar was designed to be cyclical, so the fact that the long count comes to an end in December 2012 is really of no consequence.
Simply, it is the end of great calendar cycle in Mayan society, much like our modern society celebrated the new millennium. It does not mean that the 'world will end', says Martin.
In fact, the Mayan calendar does not end then and there is no evidence to suggest that the Mayans -- or anyone for that matter -- has knowledge of the world's demise, says Martin.
For the past three years, Martin has been a volunteer with Cornell's 'Curious? Ask an Astronomer' service, a website founded by astronomy graduate students in 1997, says a varsity release.
Curious? Ask an Astronomer features the answers to over 750 frequently asked astronomy questions, and readers who can't find their answers there can submit a new question and receive an answer from a graduate student volunteer.

character and block devices

We can found system's character devices and block devices from the file /proc/devices:

sriram$cat /proc/devices

Character devices:
1 mem
2 pty
3 ttyp
4 ttyS
5 cua
7 vcs
10 misc
13 input
36 netlink
124 tcpstats
128 ptm
136 pts
162 raw
180 usb
227 dump
254 megadev

Block devices:
1 ramdisk
3 ide0
8 sd
9 md
12 unnamed
14 unnamed
38 unnamed
39 unnamed
65 sd
66 sd

Terabyte IDE RAID5 Disk Arrays

• RAID-0: “Striped.” Disks are combined into one physical device where reads and writes of data are done in parallel. Access speed is fast but there is no redundancy.
• RAID-1: “Mirrored.” Fully redundant, but the size is limited to the smallest disk.
• RAID-4: “Parity.” For N disks, 1 disk is used as a parity bit and the remaining N−1 disks are combined. Protects against a single disk failure but access speed is slow since you have to update the parity disk for each write. Some, but not all,
files may be recoverable if two disks fail.
• RAID-5: “Striped-Parity.” As with RAID-4, the effective size is that of N−1 disks. However, since the parity information is also distributed evenly among the N drives the bottleneck of having to update the parity disk for each write is avoided. Protects against a single disk failure and the access speed is fast.

For more info.. go through this paper:

http://www.slac.stanford.edu/econf/C0303241/proc/papers/TUDT004.PDF

bash IFS

I don't want internal field seperator to be default as my echo redirection to a file is tab seperated output of ls cmd list of files.So,this is what i did using IFS to set to the new line delimiter at the end of every ls line output.

IFS=$'\r' ;echo $(find . -type f -size 0 -exec ls -l {} \;) > /tmp/zerosize-files

some tips i got from ubuntu forums :

$ IFS=$' \t\n' FOO=$'a b\tc\nd-e'; echo $FOO
a b c d-e
$ IFS=' ' FOO=$'a b\tc\nd-e'; echo $FOO
a b c
d-e
$ IFS=$'\t' FOO=$'a b\tc\nd-e'; echo $FOO
a b c
d-e
$ IFS=b FOO=$'a b\tc\nd-e'; echo $FOO
a   c
d-e