<body><script type="text/javascript"> function setAttributeOnload(object, attribute, val) { if(window.addEventListener) { window.addEventListener('load', function(){ object[attribute] = val; }, false); } else { window.attachEvent('onload', function(){ object[attribute] = val; }); } } </script> <div id="navbar-iframe-container"></div> <script type="text/javascript" src="https://apis.google.com/js/platform.js"></script> <script type="text/javascript"> gapi.load("gapi.iframes:gapi.iframes.style.bubble", function() { if (gapi.iframes && gapi.iframes.getContext) { gapi.iframes.getContext().openChild({ url: 'https://www.blogger.com/navbar.g?targetBlogID\x3d6418452\x26blogName\x3dFootsteps+on+Clouds\x26publishMode\x3dPUBLISH_MODE_BLOGSPOT\x26navbarType\x3dBLACK\x26layoutType\x3dCLASSIC\x26searchRoot\x3dhttps://chirayu.blogspot.com/search\x26blogLocale\x3den_US\x26v\x3d2\x26homepageUrl\x3dhttp://chirayu.blogspot.com/\x26vt\x3d-4198601941058342502', where: document.getElementById("navbar-iframe-container"), id: "navbar-iframe" }); } }); </script>

Tuesday, November 29, 2005

Friendship Quotes


Silences make the real conversations between friends. Not the saying but the never needing to say is what counts.
~ Margaret Lee Runbeck

The most I can do for my friend is simply be his friend.
~ Thoreau

Nice One...
Men kick friendship around like a football, but it doesn't seem to crack.
Women treat it like glass and it goes to pieces.
~ Anne Morrow Lindbergh

In everyone's life, at some time, our inner fire goes out. It is then burst into flame by an encounter with another human being. We should all be thankful for those people who rekindle the inner spirit.
~ Albert Schweitzer

A true friend never gets in your way unless you happen to be going down.
~ Arnold H. Glasgow

Friendship is unnecessary, like philosophy, like art...It has no survival value; rather it is one of those things that give value to survival.
~ C. S. Lewis

Fear makes strangers of people who would be friends.
~ Shirley MacLaine
This is so true.

I value the friend who for me finds time on his calendar, but I cherish the friend who for me does not consult his calendar.
~ Robert Brault

- Download Junoon's Yaaron Yahi Dosti Hai...Kismat Se Jo Mili Hai. File size: 0.6 MB.

- Read the lyrics.

Friendship quotes taken from BrainyQuote.com


A Thought For Today


Thy friendship oft has made my heart to ache; do be my enemy—for friendship's sake.
~ William Blake


Rahul Dravid


Rahul Dravid helped India win the 5th and final one day international, played in Bombay, versus South Africa and level the 5-match series at 2-2.

The Wall Always Stands Tall.

Rahul Dravid leads from the front to take India to a victory

Good guys don't always finish last. Well played, Rahul.


Nice Song


Abhishek and Priyanka make a fantastic pair in Bluffmaster. Saw the promo of Say Na Say Na on TV. It's a hit from the word go with its groovy 'Dhol' fusion.

- Download MP3 of Say Na Say Na from the film Bluffmaster, which releases on Dec. 16. File size: 3.1 MB.
- Read the lyrics of Say Na Say Na.


Saturday, November 26, 2005

Lunch


Took Abhijeet for lunch at Chaitanya on F.C. Road. We had Alu-Paratha and Lassi. It's a nice place for decent Punjabi food at reasonable rates, although it's crowded during lunchtime and one has to wait or share a table, but the food makes it worth the wait.


Books


- Read reviews of 100 notable books of the year from The NYTimes.

- The NYT's paperback fiction best-seller list.


Screen Captures from Windows Media Player


1. Taking Screen Captures from Windows Media Player ver.6.4.

I read about it on Amit's blog. Posting it for reference.

Note: Click on an image to view full-size.

Taking Screen Captures from Windows Media Player ver6.4

Shahrukh Khan and Preity Zinta in Veer-ZaaraHere's an example of a screen capture. Preity looks lovely and Shahrukh looks great in this romantic scene from Veer-Zaara.




2. To Capture an Image from Real Player select Tools -> Preferences -> Choose Hardware from the LHS of the Preferences window -> Under Playback Performance on the RHS move the slider to Lowest CPU usage. Then follow steps 6 to 9 shown above.

Acknowledgement: Information from Amit Agarwal's blog Digital Inspiration.
Source: Understand the reason for changing hardware acceleration to None in Amit's post.


Friday, November 25, 2005

Fun


Links to surf on a Friday evening.

- FunnyPlace.org is the site to download videos of humorous commercials.

- Warning Label Generator makes images to show caution and warning signs.


Beautiful Photo


This is what I call a 'Jannat' (Paradise) photo.

Chaand sharmayega chaandni raat mai
Yun na apni zulfon ko savara karo

You embarrass the moon on a moonlit night
By ruffling your pretty hair


Bhumika Chawla looks beautiful, doesn't she?
The azure background enhances the image. It's my current desktop wallpaper at work. What's yours?

Beautiful Bhumika Chawla


Link to download MP3 of Woh Lamhe


Woh lamhe, woh baatein...
Woh bheegi bheegi yaadein...

Download MP3 of Woh Lamhe (Remix) - 4.4 MB


Wednesday, November 23, 2005

Google Analytics Snapshots


Snapshots of my blog's statistics from Google Analytics.

Geographical Breakup

North America (East Coast and West Coast), Canada, Europe, U.K., Scandinavia, Australia, South Africa, Middle-East, India, Pakistan, Singapore, and Hong Kong.

Snapshot of Geo Map overlay of Chirayu's blog - Footsteps on Clouds

Which search engines do they use?

MSN brings in 31% of visitors, Google refers 20% and Yahoo 14%, while 14% type the url in their browser. The 'Search' label shown in the image, does it refer to Search.com meta search engine?

Breakup of Search engines that refer visitors to Footsteps on Clouds


Google Base


Finally able to access Google Base after a week. I've posted an article. I will post a link once it goes live.

Update: 01:10 p.m.
Here's the link to an article on Outsourcing (doesn't work now) that I uploaded on Google Base this afternoon. You may read it here.

Update 2: 11:55 a.m. Thu., Nov. 24 - Glitch in Google Base. My active item (link above) has been set as Inactive and I'm unable to access the Inactive items page.


Thoughts Before Publishing a Personal Post


# Writing a personal post on the Internet is an oxymoron.

- If it is personal, why is it public and accessible to whomsoever who wants to read it?
- If it is available in the public domain, Bro, how can it be personal?
- If you want it to be personal why don't you keep it to yourself instead of letting the world know about it.


Ad Hoardings in Pune


Bad example of an advertising hoarding

- @Home furniture has a good tag line, "The place where I can feel lazy is @Home" and they've advertised on hoardings opposite Jehangir Hospital and on RBM Road, however, they've missed out on the 'Moment of Inspiration' customer by not giving a contact number or address.

I see the @Home hoarding, near Ruby Hall, on my way to office, and I want to buy a Bean bag, however they haven't given a contact number thus losing on a 'Moment of Inspiration' sale.

It's more than a minute's wait at the Jehangir Hospital traffic signal. All I've to do is contact them, ask the price of a bean bag, get the address, and visit the furniture shop, but where's the contact telephone number on the hoarding to elicit that response?

How do they plan to generate Brand loyalty without providing the information that brings potential footfalls to be converted to customers?

Note: @Home furniture is located on Bombay-Pune road, near Shoppers Stop.

Good example of an advertising hoarding

- Pune Central is a major shopping mall that stocks the latest in branded clothes.
Their tagline, "Have you been to The Central?" is positioned opposite Hotel Le Meridian (5-star) on RBM road and on Bund Garden road near AXA's office. The mall, located at Bund Garden, is on the way to the airport. Visitors from Le Meridian to Lohegaon airport would come across Pune Central on the way, remember the tagline, and visit it the next time they're in town.

Personal: Of course I didn't wake up at 1:00 a.m. to write about ad hoardings. I wanted to publish a personal post, but I've thought against it. Let me speak and sort it, if possible.


Monday, November 21, 2005

Google and Riya


There are rumours in the blogosphere on Google's plans to buy Riya Photo Search for U.S. $40 million. Munjal Shah's 'Riya Photo Search' uses face recognition and text recognition technology to identify people in photographs.

Riya's Web site is under maintenance. You may send an email to alpha (at) riya (dot) com to get an invitation as an alpha tester.

Note: Reports say Riya.com is not compatible with Firefox.

Related:
Munjal Shah's Andale.com an auction, research, and marketing management system for eBay users.


Google Book Search


Google advertises its Book Search initiative on its Home page and makes it clear that 'Google Book Search', which was earlier known as Google Print, searches for keywords entered by the user and it only finds books related to those keywords.

Google Book Search is a book-finding and not a book-reading search engine, and Google seeks support for what it calls its 'Man on the Moon' (thought impossible) mission to scan the world's books, organize them, and make them accessible and useful across the globe.

- Google shows only a few pages of books, and that too if the copyright holders have given them permission to do so.
# For example: Search for History of the Mughal Empire in India on Google Book Search and click on the first search result. Only the front cover, back cover, copyright, index, table of contents and five pages (page nos. 306-310) are shown and the right-hand sidebar provides links to buy the book from different Web sites.

I support Google Search, do you?

Sunday, November 20, 2005

Books on Google


To read:

- An excerpt from David Vise's book The Google StoryInside the hottest business, media, and technology success of our time.

- A review of The Google Story

Related:
- The Search - Read an excerpt from John Battelle's book on Google and the search industry.

Saturday, November 19, 2005

Cricket: Sachin's World Record


Sachin's record of playing the most number of One Day Internationals

Today's India v. South Africa (d/n) match played in Bangalore is Sachin's 356th One Day International. He matches Wasim Akram's record of playing the most number of One Day Internationals.

It's Sachin for me never Tendulkar.

It's been a long journey for Sachin from a 16-year-old schoolboy, who some felt was pushed in the cauldron of Pakistan's bowling furnace, in Gujranwala in 1989 to missing his first international century (v. NZ, caught by John Wright in 1990 - Wright was India's coach from 2000 till mid-2005), steering India to a World cup win versus Pakistan in 1992, his bowling exploits in the Hero Cup in 1993 (clean bowling Lara with an off-cutter), to those electrifying knocks in 1996 world cup, the clean image during the match-fixing scandal of 1997, the 'Operation Desert Storm' knocks of '98 versus the Australians in Sharjah, the World cup century after his father's bereavement in 1999, the fortitude shown when removed from captaincy and the support to Dada Ganguly when he took over the captainship in 2000, the flat six of Shoaib Akhtar in 2003 World cup (maan, who can forget that!), and the revival of old magic by playing like 'Sachin' during the Oct-Nov. 2005 Ind-SL series.

If India needs a hero it still, yes it still, is Sachin. :-)
All the best, Sachin. Many congratulations and hope you play 250 more ODIs.

Here's an innings-by-innings list of Sachin's 355 ODIs till Nov. 16, 2005. Today's match (Nov. 19) is his 356th ODI.


Cricket Coverage


Cricket Coverage

Star News needs to show something positive in its cricket coverage. It is becoming a hopeless channel for following Cricket news. They're always cribbing about something or the other. When Yuvraj wasn't playing they were after him, now that he scored a century in the last match, they're after some other controversy.
Star News provide us the scores and some highlights that's it.

Have the guys handling Star News' cricket programming ever felt the seam of a fast bowler's delivery straight on their thighs on a winter morning or the the danger of standing at forward short-leg without a helmet or abdomen guard? It's a tough game out there, and we're better off without Star News' crass cricket programming.

Yuvraj isn't one of my favourites, but the way those guys were lambasting him, as if he'd committed a crime by not scoring runs in a couple of matches. He scored a century in the 1st one-day v/s. SA and now, I suppose, they're looking for another scapegoat.

Star News had names like Match ke Mujrim (Criminals of the match) for cricket shows. Don't know whether the show is still on after each match. Yeh cricket coverage hai ya nautanki?

I wasn't able to follow any of the Ind-SL matches. Hope to see today's Ind-SA day-nighter on TV. I want to watch the batting of MS Dhoni, India's newest batting hero. No MS Word, or Excel...we want MS Dhoni. Come on Dhoni, fight!

I'm always an India supporter, even when we're chasing 300 and 5 down with next to nothing on board :-) chaahe kuch bhi ho jaaye, apne liye to bas India hi jeetega.


Friday, November 18, 2005

Sayings


Combining two of my favourite quotes.

Any place is walking distance if you have the time and the inclination to reach it because in dreams and in love there are always no impossibilities.


Business Books


Financial Times and Goldman Sachs Business Book of the Year.

List of six books shortlisted for the FT and Goldman Sachs 'Business Book of the Year' award to be announced in London on Nov. 21, 2005.

Read summaries of the shortlisted books.


Google News


- GOOG crosses the $400 mark.

- Google to provide free wireless Internet access in Mountain View, CA. Google's headquarters, The Googleplex, is located at Mountain View, Calif.

- Google opens offices in Sao Paulo, Brazil and Mexico City to boost 'advertising' growth in Latin America.
# Related: July 20 - Google opens a R&D center in Brazil.

- Read more Google-related posts from my blog.


Children Paint Google's Doodles


To see a world in a grain of sand,
And heaven in a wild flower...

~ William Blake, Auguries of Innocence

Children have the ability to visualize a new world with six letters of the alphabet. See the Google logo through children's eyes. Amazing creativity. The 'l' in Google becomes a tree for one and Santa Claus for another. Take a look at Google's doodles painted by school children.

Quick info:
Q: What's a Google doodle?
A: Logos created by Google with changes in the brybgr (blue red yellow blue green red) original logo to celebrate occasions like holidays, festivals, birthdays, and the summer and winter Olympic games.

Related
- See Google's holiday logos.


Thursday, November 17, 2005

Humour


- Learning is an adventure, and one should never be afraid of trying something new, at the most it will go wrong, however that shouldn't stop us from trying.

Peanuts - Learning is an exciting adventure, even if you go wrong
Click on the image to view a bigger picture.


Wednesday, November 16, 2005

Google PageRank Checker


Find the Google PageRankTM of your Web page with the PR Checker.


Check your Web site's Google PageRank


Update: 10:45 p.m. IST - To check Google Base tomorrow.

I'm unable to browse Google Base. After signing in, and choosing an existing item type from the dropdown box, the Web page gives an internal server error.

Update 2: 10:40 p.m. IST Thu., Nov. 17
Unable to access Google Base.

- An interesting read: Alibaba challenges Google in China. The numbers are impressive.


Tuesday, November 15, 2005

Humour



Send Love and Friendship Greeting Cards from the Peanuts gang.

Click on the image to view a bigger and clearer picture.

- Charlie Brown seeks a sweetheart who likes to read.

Charlie Brown seeks a sweetheart who appreciates poetry


Monday, November 14, 2005

Google Analytics


Track your Web site statistics with Google Analytics. Register for Google Analytics. It's free and all it takes is a GMail account to start using it to track your Web site's statistics.

In early May this year Google had cut the price of Urchin web analytics software to $199, and now they've made it free and integrated it with Google to make it Google Analytics. That's one more product (weapon) in Google's armoury.

Note: First reports would be generated within 12 hours of installing the Google Analytics code on your Web site.


Thursday, November 10, 2005

Economy: Quick Comparison with Google


Looking for fast answers to economic indicators and facts and figures to compare on your fingertips? Try Google.

- China Exports
US $583.1 billion

- India Exports
US $69.1 billion

- China Imports
US $552.4 billion

- India Imports
US $89.33 billion

Note: All figures 2004 est. from The World Factbook


Business Etiquette


Business Etiquette around the world.

- Avoid scheduling Friday afternoon meetings during autumn in Atlanta, GA, U.S.A.

- It is considered impolite to start drinking before everyone has raised glasses together, a procedure one repeats with each round in Berlin, Germany.

- If you are invited to someone’s house for dinner, don't forget to bring a gift like flowers, chocolates, or a bottle of good wine in Brussels, Belgium.

- Contacts are crucial, stylish attire is the norm, appearance is prized, and your contacts would appreciate being invited to the latest restaurant for lunch in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

- Be punctual and stick to mineral water during lunch in Chicago, IL, U.S.A.

- In Dubai, U.A.E., the weather is a favourite topic of conversation, as is bad driving, and what a wonderful place the city is.

- In Hong Kong when receiving a business card, make a show of examining it, then put it into your card case or place it on the table.

- Business is conducted while getting to know each other over beer and rugby, or in a corporate box at a cricket match in Johannesburg, South Africa.

- When in a pub, do not expect table service in London, U.K.

- You will never go wrong with a business suit, but don't be surprised if you're the only one wearing one in Los Angeles, CA, U.S.A.

- Social drinking is common, and you can expect a boozy lunch and a visit to a table dance, a strip club, to celebrate closing a deal in Mexico City, Mexico.

- Dress and overall appearance are important and never refuse an offer of a coffee or a glass of wine in Milan, Italy.

- Toasts are a big deal in Moscow. It is well worth preparing a few well-chosen English phrases for toasting to business in Moscow, Russia.

- Allow ample time if you need to cross the city to get to a meeting. Getting from the North to the South of Bombay, during peak hours, can take as long as two hours. Little business gets done when a major cricket match is on in Mumbai (Bombay), India.

Note: No work gets done anywhere in India or Pakistan when both meet in a World Cup Cricket match, which is once in four years. :-)

- No matter how poor the service in bars and restaurants, always leave something. Don't be offended if someone appears confrontational, as it is not personal in New York City, NY, U.S.A.

- It is rude to be on time for a private dinner. To refuse wine at lunch would be permissible, but seen as odd in Paris, France.

- It is important to start and end appointments on time and be generous with your contacts in San Francisco, CA, U.S.A.

- During a business meeting in Sao Paulo, Brazil avoid putting your briefcase or handbag on the ground, as local suspicion holds that your money may run away.

- Business cards are swapped at breakneck speed. On receiving one, use both hands and read it immediately. Be sure to offer yours in return in Shanghai, China.

- Modesty is appreciated and achievements are played down in Singapore.

- Be open to talking about wine and sports in Sydney, Australia.

- The exchange of business cards is a ritual and pauses in conversation are an important part of communication in Tokyo, Japan.

- Breakfast and morning meetings are common in Toronto, Canada.

- Anything other than a white or pale blue shirt on a man is a bold statement in Washington, DC; U.S.A.

- It is common for people to arrive early for an appointment and wait to avoid being late in Zurich, Switzerland.

All the above links are taken from the Cities Guide section of Economist.com.


Humour


Peanuts
Click on the images to view a bigger picture.

- Lucy feels Schroeder cares for Love, at least on paper.

Peanuts - Lucy Van Pelt and Schroeder - Love - On Paper
- Lucy hopes to woo Schroeder someday.

Lucy hopes to woo Schroeder one day


Song

Download 'Kudi Ne Mera Dil Lutiya' song (.rm, Real Media file, 1 MB) from the film Deewane Huye Paagal, which stars Akshay Kumar and Rimi Sen, and releases on the 25th of this month. Read the lyrics.


Wednesday, November 09, 2005

Personal


A thought: At work this morning.

The wastepaper basket near my desk has not been cleared since the last week of October. It may be oversight as it is hidden under a desk that is vacant and the chair obstructs the view. That may be the reason the housekeeping lady might have forgotten to clear it after the Diwali vacation, and this is an optimistic view.

A pessimistic view would be a dialogue from Amitabh Bachchan's Agneepath, "Pagaar badhao Gaitonde Saab, do sau rupaye main ghar nahin chalta, saala imaan kya chalega." Increase the salary Gaitonde Sir, Rupees two hundred is not enough to run a household, how will it run the bloody conscience."


Poetry


1. Persian Poetry

- Read Edward Fitzgerald's English translation of Omar Khayyam's Rubaiyat.

- To read E.H. Whinfield's translation of Khayyam's Rubaiyat.

2. For my reference
Dinesh Prabhu's Urdu-English Dictionary.

3. Turkish Poetry

Posting a few verses from Turkish poet Nazim Hikmet's, 'A Spring Piece Left in the Middle.' I liked these lines.

And me - poet, proofreader,
the man who's forced to read
two thousand bad lines every day for two liras-
why, since spring has come, am I still sitting here
like a ragged black chair?


My head puts on its cap by itself,
I fly out of the printer's,
I'm on the street.
The lead dirt of the composing room on my face,
seventy-five cents in my pocket.
SPRING IN THE AIR...

~ Read poems of Nazim Hikmet


Good Advice


You are true...when you admit there are times you fool yourself.


Interesting


What is the largest number that can be written with three digits?
The answer isn't 999.

It is 999 9 raised to the 9th power of 9.

Visit CuriousMath for more.


Flash Decompiler


Extract images from Shockwave Flash (.swf) files with Eltima Software's Flash Decompiler. Try the unlimited trial version. Only three images can be extracted at a time. Free download. File size: 4.03 MB.


Tuesday, November 08, 2005

Google adds Creative Commons Search


Google adds Creative Commons Search to its Advanced Search page. Search for CC-licensed works by choosing the appropriate option from the Usage Rights dropdown box on Google's Advanced Search page.

Google adds Creative Commons Search
Related:
- Yahoo! Creative Commons search
- Get a Creative Commons License for your Web site.


What is your Blog Worth?


What is your Blog Worth?
Click on the above link to find the worth of your blog.

Footsteps on Clouds is worth US $15242.58
So do I see potential buyers on the horizon? Hehe... :-)

Books


For my reference.

Links to lists of top 100 books.

1. Madison Public Library's list of top 100 novels.

2. A list of top 100 Science fiction books.

3. List of top 100 books from the Harvard Book Store, Cambridge, MA, U.S.A.

4. A list of the best English language fiction of the 20th century.

5. The Modern Library's list of 100 best nonfiction books.

Update: Nov. 09, 2005.
6. Top 100 books downloaded from Project Gutenberg.
(To read from the above link).

Update: Nov. 11, 2005
7. Read Time Magazine's list of 100 best English-language novels from 1923 to the present.


Thoughts for Today


1. Fortune and Love favour the brave.
~ Ovid

2. Love yields to business.
If you seek a way out of love, be busy; you'll be safe, then.
~ Ovid, Remedia Amoris

1. Be brave and fall in love.
2. Work like hell to forget Love.


Monday, November 07, 2005

TagCloud


Categorize your posts based on words used in your blog with TagCloud.

Browse a TagCloud of my blog.
Words in a bigger font-size signify more posts. For example: google, cricket, india, etc. from the above TagCloud link.

Get a TagCloud for your blog.


Google Local goes Mobile


Google Local for mobile works with Java-enabled mobile phones.


Nice Quote


Do you love me because I am beautiful, or am I beautiful because you love me?


Sunday, November 06, 2005

Festoon Video Plug-in


Download Festoon video plug-in (size: 3.4 MB) to enable video calls through Skype and Google Talk.


A Thought for Today


A little knowledge that acts is worth more than much knowledge that is idle.
~ Kahlil Gibran


Saturday, November 05, 2005

Google shows flights in search results


Google gives flight search indications with links to Expedia, Orbitz, Hotwire, and Priceline when a search query includes airport codes or city names.

Google search result

Try these search queries on Google.

- Bombay New York

- San Francisco Bangalore

- bos ams


Books


- The NYT Paperback Fiction bestseller list.

- The NYT Paperback Nonfiction bestseller list.


Friday, November 04, 2005

Humour


Calvin answers a Science question. Click on the image to see a bigger picture.

Humour: Calvin answers a science questionVia KK.