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Saturday 26 December 2009

Farewell 00s: The Decade in Culture

Where did the last ten years go? As far as decades go, the first of the 2000s were about as diverse as they can get. We've had ups and downs and have seen new technology introduced that would have left our minds spinning in 1990. GOOD's Maria Popova has a lengthy but to-the-point list of the past decade's most memorable moments. If you've got a minute, take a look. At the very least, it will leave you wondering what the next ten years have in store.

 


2000 
Y2K doesn't end the world. Instead, the dot-com bubble peaks, then bursts, wiping out $5 trillion in market value of tech companies.

The ILOVEYOU virus spreads across the world and Vermont makes it legal for same-sex couples to declare love in civil unions.

The final Peanuts comic strip is published after creator Charles Schulz dies.

The preliminary draft of the Human Genome Project is finished.

The American Legacy Foundation launches "truth," considered the most successful anti-smoking campaign in history.

Al Gore wins the Presidential election. Wait, he loses.

2001
September 11th devastates the world.

Kofi Annan wins the Nobel Peace Prize.

Wikipedia launches, forever changing the face of human knowledge.

The Netherlands becomes the first country in the world to legalize same-sex marriage.

The Prius becomes an icon of the mainstream green movement.

Apple introduces the iPod, revolutionizing music culture, and a new generation of white-earbudded youngsters takes to the streets.

The world's first self-contained artificial heart is implanted.

George Harrison dies, leaving only two living Beatles.

Halle Berry becomes the first black female actor to win a major Academy Award. She cries a lot.

2002
Ashton Kutcher inflicts trucker hats on the world.

Bush decides to fix the fact that only a fifth of high school graduates have mathematical proficiency by signing the No Child Left Behind act, a mathematical catch-22 requiring that 100 percent of schoolchildren score above the mean.

Creative Commons releases the first set of licenses, championing a new breed of copyright law for creative culture.

NASA discovers water ice on Mars.

The Queen Mother dies at the age of 101.

Norah Jones's Come Away With Me becomes the most successful jazz album in history.

American Idol debuts, unleashing a new era of reality TV celebrity.

2003
The Human Genome Project concludes, having sequenced 99 percent of the human genome to 99.99 percent accuracy.

Darfur is declared in a state of humanitarian emergency.

The Concorde makes its last commercial flight and the last Volkswagen Beetle rolls of the production line.

The United States and United Kingdom invade Iraq, beginning the most socially, politically, and culturally
controversial war in history (you know, from some people's perspective).

Barry White, Johnny Cash, and Nina Simone leave music culture better than they found it.

Italian bandits pull off the biggest diamond heist in history.

Martha Stewart goes to prison, and makes a poncho.

2004
Mark Zukerberg launches Facebook from a Harvard dorm room, and later proceeds to drop out and become a billionaire.

Justin Timberlake cups Janet Jackson's wardrobe malfunction on national television.

All the cool kids have Gmail invites, and the world gets a foxy new favorite open-source browser.

Banksy walks into the Louvre and hangs a smiley-face Mona Lisa.

The Da Vinci Code takes over the world and keeps an entire industry afloat.

Accounts of Abu Ghraib prisoner abuse jab a dagger in the public eye.

The finale of Friends marks the end of a TV era.

Morgan Spurlock spends 30 days eating McDonald's food, supersizes the nation's awareness of fast food's ills.

John Kerry loses the presidential election as Michael Moore premieres Fahrenheit 9/11 at Cannes to a 20-minute standing ovation, the longest in the festival's history.

2005
Al Gore releases An Inconvenient Truth, awakening a generation to our ecological responsibility.

The United States and Australia are the only two countries not to sign the Kyoto Protocol.

Hurricane Katrina devastates New Orleans, and oil prices skyrocket.

YouTube breaks the dawn to a new age of entertainment.

Live 8 aims to make poverty history with 10 simultaneous blockbuster concerts around the world.

Lance Armstrong wins an unprecedented seventh consecutive Tour de France title before retiring.

The One Laptop Per Child program introduces the $100 laptop, offering self-empowered learning to the world's poorest children.

The Colbert Report premieres and the Pope dies (unrelated).

2006
Merriam-Webster makes Google a verb.

Michael Pollan writes a book, and gives us constructive indigestion.

Warren Buffet donates more than $30 billion, 83 percent of his wealth, to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, making it the largest charitable donation in history.

Saddam Hussein is hanged for crimes against humanity and Slobodan Milošević dies in his cell in The Hague, where he is held for the same.

Pluto is no longer a planet.

Microcredit pioneer Muhammad Yunus receives the Nobel Peace Prize.

The TED conference makes publicly available two decades of talks by the world's greatest minds.
Wii like to play.

2007
Apple introduces the iPhone and a new era of personal computing begins.

Sydney completely shuts off its lights for an hour in a political statement against climate change.
Tay Zonday covers the web in Chocolate Rain.

The first gay rights bill is brought to the House floor for a vote.

Twitter launches. No one notices.

The final book of Harry Potter becomes the fastest-selling book in history with 11 million copies sold in 24 hours.

The Writers Guild of America goes on a strike against decades of unfair compensation by studios.
Radiohead releases In Rainbows as a pay-what-you-will album download and enters the Billboard Charts at number one, making a bold case for a new music industry business model in the age of free.

2008
The price of a barrel of petroleum hits $100 for the first time. In a tragicomic bout of irony, Big Three auto execs fly private jets to Washington, D.C. to beg for taxpayer bailout funds.

Bill Gates retires, leaving Microsoft for philanthropy.

Michael Phelps wins a record-breaking eight Olympic Gold Medals in Beijing.

Heath Ledger dies, and many declare him the James Dean of our generation.

Lehman Brothers, the largest dealer in the U.S. Treasury securities market, goes bankrupt.

More than 131 million people race to the polls, the highest number in American electoral history. Hope, Change, Obama.

2009
The Large Hadron Collider tries to find the God particle.

Twitter blows up, illustrates the power of citizen journalism in Iran's presidential elections.
Obama receives the Nobel Peace Prize to a global mixed reaction.

Swine flu is declared a global pandemic.

The Charter for Compassion offers hope for a transnational, transreligious global community.
An airplane lands on the Hudson and everyone lives.

India finds water on the moon.

Linkin Park is declared the best band of the decade.

Michael Jackson's death breaks millions of hearts and, nearly, the Internet.

What do you think we'll be doing when we look back at the upcoming decade?
Perhaps we'll be reading it from Mars? Maybe we'll be living underwater?
Perhaps we'll be able to type using nothing but our minds by then.
Oh the possibilities!
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Thursday 10 December 2009

blogger now and in the future





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Friday 4 December 2009

LPU9 is here !

So finally the long awaited new designed site for LPU9 is finally done (well almost). Its been almost 2 hours since its launched as I write this. So what do we have this year ? well why don't you check it out yourself ?

For the official press release info go here





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Thursday 1 October 2009

Chat with GOD about our LIFE

Wonderful chat between me and him .... :)


God:
Hello... Did you call me?

Me:
Called you? No.. who is this?

God:
This is GOD. I heard your prayers. So I thought I will chat.

Me:

I do pray. Just makes me feel good. I am actually busy now. I am in the midst of something..

God:
What are you busy at? Ants are busy too.

Me:
Don't know. But I cant find free time. Life has become hectic. It's rush hour all the time.

God:
Sure. Activity gets you busy. But productivity gets you results.
Activity consumes time. Productivity frees it.

Me:
I understand. But I still cant figure it out. By the way, I was not expecting YOU to buzz me on instant messaging chat.

God:
Well I wanted to resolve your fight for time, by giving you some clarity. In this net era, I wanted to reach you through the medium you are comfortable with.

Me: Tell me, why has life become complicated now?

God:
Stop analyzing life. Just live it. Analysis is what makes it complicated.

Me:
why are we then constantly unhappy?

God:
Your today is the tomorrow that you worried about yesterday. You are worrying because you are analyzing. Worrying has become your habit. That's why you are not happy.

Me:
But how can we not worry when there is so much uncertainty?

God:
Uncertainty is inevitable, but worrying is optional.

Me:
But then, there is so much pain due to uncertainty..

God:
Pain is inevitable, but suffering is optional.

Me:
If suffering is optional, why do good people always suffer?

God:
Diamond cannot be polished without friction. Gold cannot be purified without fire. Good people go through trials, but don't suffer. With that experience their life becomes better not bitter.

Me:
You mean to say such experience is useful?

God:
Yes. In every terms, Experience is a hard teacher. She gives the test first and the lessons afterwards.

Me:
But still, why should we go through such tests? Why can't we be free from problems?

God:
Problems are Purposeful Roadblocks Offering Beneficial Lessons (to) Enhance Mental Strength. Inner strength comes from struggle and endurance, not when you are free from problems.

Me:
Frankly in the midst of so many problems, we don't know where we are heading..

God:
If you look outside you will not know where you are heading. Look inside. Looking outside, you dream. Looking inside, you awaken.. Eyes provide sight. Heart provides insight.

Me:
Sometimes not succeeding fast seems to hurt more than moving in the right direction. What should I do?

God:
Success is a measure as decided by others. Satisfaction is a measure as decided by you.Knowing the road ahead is more satisfying than knowing you rode ahead. You work with the compass. Let others work with the clock.

Me:
In tough times, how do you stay motivated?
God:

Always look at how far you have come rather than how far you have to go. Always count your blessing, not what you are missing.

Me:
What surprises you about people?

God:
when they suffer they ask, "why me?" When they prosper, they never ask "Why me". Everyone wishes to have truth on their side, but few want
to be on the side of the truth.

Me:
Sometimes I ask, who am I, why am I here. I can't get the answer.

God:
Seek not to find who you are, but to determine who you want to be. Stop looking for a purpose as to why you are here. Create it. Life is not a process of discovery but a process of creation.

Me:
How can I get the best out of life?

God:
Face your past without regret. Handle your present with confidence. Prepare for the future without fear.

Me:
One last question. Sometimes I feel my prayers are not answered.

God:
There are no unanswered prayers. At times the answer is NO.

Me:
Thank you for this wonderful chat. I am so happy to start the New Day with a new sense of inspiration.

God:
Well. Keep the faith and drop the fear. Don't believe your doubts and doubt your beliefs.
Life is a mystery to solve, not a problem to resolve.


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Wednesday 26 August 2009

blogging or twittering ?


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Tuesday 11 August 2009

bruceelee.com

http://www.brucelee.com/ ... visit today !


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Sunday 14 June 2009

New Divide - Single

New Divide - Music for the Motion Picture 'Transformers: Revenge of The Fallen' by Linkin Park


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Saturday 23 May 2009

Cigarette Smoking Proves Even Worse For Women

Are you one of the millions of people who are still keeping tobacco companies in business by lighting up everyday? We all know by now that it's bad for you ... but did you know that it's even worse if you're a girl?

.
Unfortunately, if you're female, sucking down the ciggies might cause worse physical complications than our male counterparts. A recent study presented by the American Thoracic Society's annual meeting found that women developed chronic obstructive pulmonary disease at an earlier age - and after fewer years of smoking than men.

Previous studies on lung cancer also suggest cigarette smoking will cause lung cancer in women more often than in men, even if they smoke less and don't start until they're much older. The researchers are looking at hormones - specifically estrogen - as a possible cause of this increased risk.

"Many people believe that their own smoking is too limited to be harmful -- that a few cigarettes a day represent a minimal risk," said Dr. Inga-Cecilie Soerheim, co-author of the latest study and a research fellow at the Channing Laboratory, a division of Brigham and Young Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School. "But there is no such thing as a safe amount of cigarette smoking. Our data suggest that this is particularly true for female smokers."

Looks like your "but I only smoke once a day/when I'm drinking/around other smokers" excuse is bologna.

So if you're a part of the one-half of the population that has boobs, you're pretty much out of luck no matter what. Your best bet is to just quit, dontcha think?
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Saturday 16 May 2009

New Divide - coming up !

Linkin Park's new song 'New Divide' will be available on iTunes releasing worldwide on 18th May 2009. Its the theme song for the upcoming movie Transformers: Revenge Of The Fallen. Watch the trailer by clicking on the banner. Help promote the song & the upcoming movie. Stay tuned !

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Friday 3 April 2009

Happy Birthday Gmail !!! Turns 5 :)

Alright the world wide web means almost nothing without E-mail . . . Gmail (info), one of the most famous web clients (ya mother of my internet world) turns 5 !!! Happy Birthday to Gmail !!! :)

Read furthur at Google's official blog here



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Tuesday 24 March 2009

Batman - a glimpse over the years changes

Batman has been around since almost the dawn of time. In reality, he's only been around since 1939, when the superhero first appeared in Detective Comics Issue #27.



Quite a bit has changed about Gotham City's caped crusader in the last 70 years, including his logo. Check out this cool video showing just how much the bat-logo has morphed!



Batman has been my favourite hero since childhood :)
Who was yours ?

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Sunday 22 March 2009

Going Vegetarian Saves World Water Supply?

It's not enough that we have to worry about monitoring our energy consumption to reduce global warming, but evidence being released everyday indicates a global water crisis as well. We already know that just one latte from your fave coffee house requires over 50 gallons of water , but are we wasting water by eating meat, too? In honor of World Water Day (that's today), let's investigate.

This article in GOOD magazine claims that producing a pound of chicken requires 287 gallons - a whole 281 MORE than it takes to flush a toilet. Interesting. Their transparency chart depicts just how much water is used by a number of different practices - latte-drinking and meat-eating included.  
 
Click to enlarge


According to this chart, one baked potato = 7 gallons, a pint of beer = 10 gallons, one apple = 18 gallons, 2 eggs = 36 gallons/egg, and shockingly, one pound of beef = 1,500 gallons of water.

Why does so much water go into raising livestock? One odd (and disgusting) reason could be injecting animals with water to increase it's weight.

A global water shortage, in a world where 1 billion people already lack clean drinking water, is definitely bad news. Calculate your water consumption here.


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Saturday 21 March 2009

How Much Water Does It Take To Make One Latte?

Shocking ! Have a look at this


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Friday 20 March 2009

Some Funny Cartoons :)

Some funny cartoons which I came across the Internet and E-mails ...



Why we should have FRIENDS :)





How to tackle Recession .. (Unless your the BOSS !!!) :P
- courtesy: the fun blog






(Click on the images for a large preview)

EDIT : Similar post on flow charts

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Saturday 14 March 2009

Happy π day !!! Happy B'day Mr.Einstein !! :)

Ya, today is special .. if you have noticed the date, '3.14.2009'. Yes, if you've guess it, its the approximate value of one of our most used constants, π.
This day is celebrated as π day every year worldwide.

What makes today also special is, its our very own Albert Einstein's birthday ! :)

Happy Birthday Mr.Einstein
:)

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Saturday 7 March 2009

Hayden's Anti-Whaling Petition



Please help this noble cause by signing this petition

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Wednesday 4 March 2009

Rare Pink Dolphin

 
 


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Friday 27 February 2009

B'day pic :)

This is a sketch by my BEST & close friend for my birthday ... sounds funny but stills its sweet :)




Thanks Kalyani

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Thursday 26 February 2009

My Birthday Splash



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Thursday 12 February 2009

Charles Darwin's 200th Birthday

Today is the 200th birthday of the renowned Charles Darwin, proposer of the famous theory of evolution ...
Google in to know more (or simply click on the title) :P .... Happy Birthday !!! :)

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Turn Off The Lights For Earth Hour 2009

Have a look at this
Please extend your support for the benefit of everyone

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Wednesday 11 February 2009

LPU 8

I got 3 things to say ... first of all I finally got my LPU 8 package and got a bit of spare time so deided to post this ... do join in the LPU, the official fan club of Linkin Park, i assure you its one of the coolest sites and best places (fanclubs) on earth !!!

You might as well check this out too ... pretty cool ....

Finally, its Mike's Birthday today !!! wish you many many happy returns of the day mshinoda !!!

Do check out his blog at www.mikeshinoda.com


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Tuesday 10 February 2009

President Obama addresses Economic Recovery House Meetings

President Barack Obama talks directly to the American people about the immediate need for action on the economy.
Well being an Indian don't you think we should start acting as well ??

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Saturday 7 February 2009

Transformers : Revenge of the Fallen


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Thursday 5 February 2009

It's A Dolphin Stampede! Unbelievable Video

Check out this video a Surfrider Foundation activist took in the Sea of Cortez. It is quite literally a dolphin stampede!

Happy Dolphin ! :)

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Thursday 29 January 2009

Visit by Mr.Toad :)

In the pictures, myself and Mr.Toad :) with a little bit help from Dhawal
(well no comments on my room :P messy as it is)

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Monday 26 January 2009

Help Hurricane Victims via MFR, Linkin Park & SocialVibe !

Linkin Park’s non-profit organization, Music4Relief has teamed up with SocialVibe to help those struggling following a food crisis and four hurricanes in Haiti. Plus, we're giving one lucky fan the chance to hang in-studio with Linkin Park as they record their new album.

If you haven't already, sign up for socialvibe by clicking here for your chance to win a trip to LA to hang out with the band while they record their newest album.
We could explain it all to you, but we're just goning to let Phoneix from Linkin Park do it himself
Between all of us, we CAN make a difference in the lives of those in Haiti affected by the hurricanes. Sign up today !

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Thursday 1 January 2009

New Year Wishes

Wish everyone a very HAPPY & PROSPEROUS NEW YEAR 2009

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