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Friday, January 29, 2010

Edition 9: Unclean Cities of India


Forbes magazine says Mumbai is the dirtiest among the 25 dirtiest cities in the world and also is same with Delhi, Bangalore is among the 20 densest cities, according to the Forbes magazine.
The US business magazine also lists Sukinda in Orissa and Vapi in Gujarat among the 10 most polluted places globally.
While listing Mumbai as the seventh dirtiest, the magazine also cites a recent private sector proposal, Vision Mumbai, which seeks $1 billion government aid for infrastructure, pollution control and economic growth strategy.
Delhi at No.24 fares little better but gets drubbing for the pollution in Yamuna river, which is devoid of marine life and where "garbage and sewage flow freely, creating a rich environment for the growth of water-borne diseases contributing to extremely high rates of infant morbidity.”
In India around 8 lakh people die because of pollution of air, water and land, and the cost of such deaths is Rs 2,00,000 crore.
In lieu of this report Environment and Forest Minister Jairam Ramesh said “Our cities are the dirtiest of the world. If there is a Nobel Prize for dirt and filth, India will win it.”
Things could improve, the minister said, once Parliament approved the National Green Tribunal Bill in the winter session. R.K. Pachauri, head of TERI, warned that if India failed to act soon to protect its environment, its economic growth would be impeded.
The fact was well known but no one said it and finally we are hearing the truth from the minister himself.
CityBlog provides some simple steps to be followed individually by us to change this dubious distinction.
1. Educate the people about it. Creating awareness among all in our society,
2. Do not use plastic bag. By using as minimum as possible all plastic related products like, bags, cups etc, as these are all non biodegradable. Use plastic bags only when unavoidable. Dispose these bags properly
3. Do not through garbage in the open area.
4. Grow plants.
5. Use solar energy because it does not produse residue.
6. Taking initiative of cleaning our surroundings clean. Residents of societies can come together and try to clean the areas nearby on holidays, chance by chance.
7. By Constant and regular check up our vehicles.
8. By using proper fuel for our vehicles.
9. By implementing proper waste recycle units.
10. Avoid spitting & passing urine at public places or roadside
11. Use dustbins provided by corporation
12. Don't wash animals, vehicles in river water
13. Don't allow water to stagnate as it will provide a breeding place for mosquitoes
14. Stray animals also contribute a lot in making the surroundings dirty. They should be taken proper care of.
Let the government do what it can but let citizen also contribute to the cause.

Edition 9: RTI for Handicapped

Disabled persons are handicapped not because of our disability, but because of lack of access to information about our rights and entitlements and how to get them.
A guide has been relased to help people with disablity to use RTI..
The book contains detailed information on the different benefits that a disabled person is entitled to from the government and provides a step-by-step guide on drafting a Right to Information application in the context of disability.
Ready to use applications have been pre-formatted and drafted so they can be easily used to seek information from any state or central government office.
It allows everyone to take part in making India's governance system more transparent and accountable
The RTI guide has been designed especially for use by parents of disabled children, caregivers, students, development professionals or any concerned individual involved with disability.
But in addition to disability certification and assistive devices, the main topics covered are education, employment, public access, poverty alleviation schemes and complaint process so it will also be useful to people seeking more general information.
The guide contains RTI applications for:
1. Obtaining a disability certificate
2. Facilitating barrier free access in government buildings
3. Improving access to public education and employment opportunities for disabled people
4. Ensuring complaints and appeals of disabled people are expedited by the Commissioner PWD
5. Reservation for PWD in poverty alleviation schemes.

Edition 9: IIT Entrance Guidance

In this article we will see some tricky applications of vector algebra and Gravitation.
Problem 1 : How far would the drunkard go?
A drunkard, under the influence of alcohol, steps out of the pub. Having very little control on himself, he starts walking by taking steps of constant length L. However, he walks in random direction and hence he doesn't proceed towards any particular destination. The question is how far would he go from the pub if he takes N number of steps in random direction, where N is very large.
Such problems typically need the method of induction. Assume that the position vector of the drunkard from the origin is R(n), where n denotes the
number of steps taken.

Then he takes a step of length L in some direction and reaches a point whose position vector is R(n+1)
Therefore we can right
R(n+1) = R(n) + L (The quantities are all vectors)
Now, we want to find out the magnitude of R(n+1), which can be obtained by taking a dot product with itself. Remember, self dot product of any vector gives the square of the magnitude of the vector.
R(n+1) ^ 2 = R(n+1) . R(n+1)
= (R(n) + L) . (R(n) + L)
= R(n) . R(n) + L . L + R(n).L + L.R(n)
= R(n) ^2 + L^2 + 2 R(n)*L* Cosine(α)
Where α is the angle between R(n) and L.
Notice that for a large number of steps taken (n -> infinity) the following properties hold
1. 'α' would vary from 0 to 360 degrees for different values of 'n'
2. Therefore cosine(α) would vary from -1 to +1
3. For every positive value of R(n)*L* Cosine(α) , there is a equi-lue.
probable negative value.
Therefore when this induction is carried on for n = 1,2,3,4,……. Infinity, the terms R(n)*L* Cosine(α) would sum up to zero !
So for n -> infinity,
R(n+1) ^ 2 = R(n) ^2 + L ^2
Clearly, R(1) = L, and by induction we can say
R(n+1)^2 = (n+1)L^2
So R(n) = L * sqrt(n)
This behavior is observed with Brownian motion of particles.
Problem 2 : escape velocity from the center of the earth
The problem description is quite simple. Assume there is a tunnel dug through the center of the earth and a particle is resting at the center. How much velocity would you need to impart to the particle at the center of the earth so that it not only travels out of the tunnel but also escapes to infinity. The problem may look very innocuous at the outset but can be quite confusing to solve unless you stick to the basics.
Why I say that it could be confusing ? It is because of the fact that
1. In the theory of gravitation, you arnt that the escape velocity from the surface of earth is
learnt that the escape velocity from the surface of earth is
V(escape) = sqrt (2GM/R)
2. In the theory of Simple harmonic motion, you learnt that a particle left through an hypothetical tunnel through the center of the Earth perform a simple harmonic motion. And you also learnt that the maximum velocity it achieves at the center of the earth is
V(max) = sqrt (GM/R)
For a moment you may be enticed to add these two velocities to arrive at the desired result. But as you know that it is not the velocities that adds up, it is the energies that dictates whether the particle can escape or not.

Edition9: Sant Gadge Maharaj


Debuji Zhingraji Janorkar (Feb. 13, 1876 - Dec. 20, 1956), popularly known as Sant Gadge Maharaj or Gadge Baba was a saintly social reformer, a wandering mendicant who held weekly festivals with the help of his disciples across Maharashtra.
His reforms and visions for villages in India is still a source of inspiration for various political parties and non-government organizations.
. Gadge Baba died on December 20, 1956 on his way to Amravati, on the banks of river Pedhi near Valgaon. Sant Gadge Maharaj was a very great person. He serve poor people as well as nation. He has collected many lack rupees in that time but he all spent for welfare of poor people.
Gadge Baba) was born in a washerman's family of small village Shengaon of district Amravati, Maharashtra, India. He lived a life of poverty. Debuji was the only child of Zingraji and Sakhubai. After the death of Zingraji he and his mother went to live with his maternal uncle. Within years he became an excellent farmer, herdsman, singer and swimmer.
He was married to Kuntabai and had four children. A lover of animals, he opposed animal sacrifice since childhood. Even when his friends, relatives and the people forced him to sacrifice animals, he preferred to face their anger rather than kill the animals.
In starting days of his life he worked in his own field, when he lost his own land he worked as a wage labor. One day he was at a field and keeping birds away from grain. A sadhu who passes near by him, asked Gadge baba if he is the owner of the grains? This question turned Baba for realization.
After this comment of sadhu Gadge Baba knows the value of community-sharing and keeps it for his whole life time. Community-service become the base of his teachings of Baba. His teachings were -
Give food to the hungry
Give shelter to the needy
Protect the environment
A public teacher, he traveled from one place to another wearing his food pan upturned on his head and carrying his trademark broom. When he entered a village, he would instantly start cleaning the gutters and roads of the village. He also told the citizens of the village that their congratulations would have to wait until his work was done. In return the villagers gave money to Baba. From this money Gadge Baba built educational institutions, dharmasalas, hospitals and animal shelters. He conducted his discourses in the form of "Kirtans"
(a form of discourse which includes devotional songs by Saints) in which he would emphasize values like service to humanity and compassion. During his kirtans he would educate people against blind faiths and rituals. He would use Dohas (couplets of a song) by Saint Kabir in his discourses.

Edition 9: Cleanliness

This edition of Cityblog is dedicated to the Cleanliness of our Cities, Towns & Homes. Cityblog will take active role in effecting changes which we need around us very urgently.
Dear Readers,
This edition of Cityblog is dedicated to cleanliness. We think that India should take its eminent position amongst the countries of world. To reach there, it is very important to have clean cities and better life for residents. Our cities are dirty. Our rivers are polluted. Our air is polluted. We have diseases all round. Even our villages have their share of filthiness except maybe better water and air.
Cleanliness refers not only to the way we tend to our hygiene, but also to the care we take to maintain and cherish all aspects of our environments (inner and outer) within our control.
Cleanliness is often a daily ritual in the house and soul of setting things to rights, whether they are dishes, tools, or conscience. It may refer to purging ourselves of the clutter and other impediments that prevent us from moving forward with our work and play. The act of being cleanly does not refer to being “spotless”, but to the art of moving through the day making choices that increase the well-being and functionality of ourselves and those around us.
Government has very important and proactive role to play. We need proper, massive, scientific and corruption free plans and actions to improve this situation. But that should not be all. Its upon us individuals to make this long term sustainable scenario. We need to keep our environment clean. We have listed some simple steps to achieve the result. If you have more such ideas or initiatives, do write us. If you have taken such initiative then we can publish those. We need to recognize good efforts in the society. That's what cityblog is all about. It's a collective movement.
We have given house cleaning tips. We talk about sewage treatment plants in science section even citizen blog talks about how we behave differently abroad and here in India.
We feel these values must be inculcated in the schools. Our young readers will turn into responsible citizens of our clean cities in 2020. Vision 2020. We appeal to schools to respond us with their cleanliness drives which we promise to publish.
We have dedicated this edition to cleanliness. We will in this year dedicate editions to causes very important and relevant. Your suggestions are welcome.
Citiblog promises to do things differently. We are really moved by your encourage-ment.
At our homes most of us observe cleanliness very meticulously but, when we go out we totally ignore cleanliness. We need to change.
We wish you a very happy Republic day. Let us on this republic day resolve to keep our cities clean….

Edition 9: Effluent Treatment Plant


Sewage treatment, or domestic wastewater treatment, is the process of removing contaminants from wastewater and household sewage, both runoff (effluents) and domestic. It includes physical, chemical, and biological processes to remove physical, chemical & biological contaminants. Its objective is to produce a waste stream (or treated effluent) and a solid waste or sludge suitable for discharge or reuse back into the environment. This material is often inadvertently contaminated with many toxic organic and inorganic compounds.
Sewage can be treated close to where it is created (in septic tanks, biofilters or aerobic treatment systems), or collected and transported via a network of pipes and pump stations to a municipal treatment plant (see sewerage and pipes & infrastructure). Sewage collection and treatment is typically subject to local, state and federal regulations and standards. Industrial sources of wastewater often require specialized treatment processes (see Industrial wastewater treatment).
Conventional sewage treatment may involve three stages, called primary, secondary and tertiary treatment. Primary treatment consists of temporarily holding the sewage in a quiescent basin where heavy solids can settle to the bottom while oil, grease and lighter solids float to the surface. The settled and floating materials are removed and the remaining liquid may be discharged or subjected to secondary treatment. Secondary treatment removes dissolved and suspended biological matter. Secondary treatment is typically performed by indigenous, water-borne micro-organisms in a managed habitat. Secondary treatment may require a separation process to remove the micro-organisms from the treated water prior to discharge or tertiary treatment. Tertiary treatment is sometimes defined as anything more than primary and secondary treatment. Treated water is sometimes disinfected chemically or physically (for example by lagoons and microfiltration) prior to discharge into a stream, river, bay, lagoon or wetland, or it can be used for the irrigation of a golf course, green way or park. If it is sufficiently clean, it can also be used for groundwater recharge or agricultural purposes.
PRE-TREATMENT
Pre-treatment removes materials that can be easily collected from the raw wastewater before they damage or clog the pumps and skimmers of primary treatment clarifiers.
SCREENING
The influent sewage water is strained to remove all large objects carried in the sewage stream. This is most commonly done with an automated mechanically raked bar screen in modern plants serving large populations, whilst in smaller or less modern plants a manually cleaned screen may be used. The raking action of a mechanical bar screen is typically paced according to the accumulation on the bar screens and/or flow rate. The solids are collected and later disposed in a landfill or incinerated.
GRIT REMOVAL
Pre treatment may include a sand or grit channel or chamber where the velocity of the incoming wastewater is carefully controlled to allow sand, grit and stones to settle.
PRIMARY TREATMENT
In the primary sedimentation stage, sewage flows through large tanks, commonly called "primary clarifiers" or "primary sedimentation tanks". The tanks are large enough that sludge can settle and floating material such as grease and oils can rise to the surface and be skimmed off.
Secondary treatment is designed to substantially degrade the biological content of the sewage such as are derived from human waste, food waste, soaps and detergent.
Secondary treatment systems are classified as
 fixed-film or  Suspended-growth.
Fixed-film OR attached growth system treatment process including trickling filter and rotating biological contactors where the biomass grows on media and the sewage passes over its surface.
In suspended-growth systems, such as activated sludge, the biomass is well mixed with the sewage and can be operated in a smaller space than fixed-film systems that treat the same amount of water
ACTIVATED SLUDGE
Main article: Activated sludge
In general, activated sludge plants encompass a variety of mechanisms and processes that use dissolved oxygen to promote the growth of biological floc that substantially removes organic material
SECONDARY SEDIMENTATION
The final step in the secondary treatment stage is to settle out the biological floc or filter material and produce sewage water containing very low levels of organic material and suspended matter.
Rotating biological contactors (RBCs) are mechanical secondary treatment systems, which are robust and capable of withstanding surges in organic load.
TERTIARY TREATMENT
The purpose of tertiary treatment is to provide a final treatment stage to raise the effluent quality before it is discharged to the receiving environment (sea, river, lake, ground, etc.). More than one tertiary treatment process may be used at any treatment plant. If disinfection is practiced, it is always the final process. It is also called "effluent polishing".
FOLLOWING ARE THE PROCESS INVOLVED
1) Filtration 2) Nutrient removal
3) Nitrogen removal 4) Phosphorus removal 5) Disinfection 6) Odor removal.
Few reliable figures on the share of the wastewater collected in sewers that is being treated in the world exist. In many developing countries the bulk of domestic and industrial wastewater is discharged without any treatment or after primary treatment only

Edition 9: Commercial

Ad

Edition9: Quiz

What is the name of the villainous pirate in 'Treasure Island' by Robert Louis Stevenson?
Choose one of the following:
Long John Silver o
Big Black Joe o
Smith Blue o
Captain Zatak o
In which book do we read about the characters of Meg, Jo, Beth & Amy? Choose one of the following:
Little Men o
Flower Fables o
Little Women o
Good Wives o
What is the name of the fairy in J.M. Barrie's story, 'Peter Pan'?
Choose one of the following:
Alice o
Tinker Bell o
Cicilia o
Clementine o
What is the name of the character in Frances Hodgson Burnett's
'The Secret Garden'?
Choose one of the following:
Mary o
Jane o
Amanda o
Lucy o
What are the names of the three musketeers in Alexander Dumas's 'The Three Musketeers'?
Choose one of the following:
Aramis, Ben and Porthos o
Ben, Alice and Ted o
Athos, Porthos and Aramis o
Athos, Porthos and Louis o
Which special flower does the little prince own in Antoine De Saint-Exupery's children's classic
'The Little Prince'?
Choose one of the following:
Lotus o
Lily o
Daffodil o
Rose o
What is the name of Gulliver
in Jonathan Swift's book, 'Gulliver's Travels'?
Choose one of the following:
Lemuel o
Robin o
John o
Liliput o
What is the name of the boy who gets kidnapped in Robert Louis Stevenson's 'Kidnapped'?
Choose one of the following:
Henry o
David o
Neil o
John o
In which book do we read about Dorothy Gale's adventures
with the witches?
Choose one of the following:
The Wizard of Oz o
Alice in Wonderland o
The Treasure Island o
The Enchanted Wood o
Who does Heidi go to live
with after her parent's death?
Choose one of the following:
Uncle o
Brother o
Friend o
Grandfather o
LOGIC PUZZLE
There are three people (Alex, Brook and Cody), one of whom is a knight, one a knave, and one a spy.
The knight always tells the truth, the knave always lies, and the spy can either lie or tell the truth.
They are brought before a judge who wants to identify the spy.
Alex says: "I am not a spy."
Brook says: "I am a spy."
Now Cody is in fact the spy. The judge asks him: "Is Brook really a spy?”
Can Cody give an answer so that he doesn't convict himself as a spy?
Answer (in next edition)
Answers :
___________________________
___________________________
___________________________
___________________________
___________________________
___________________________
___________________________
___________________________
___________________________
LAST WEEKS ANSWER
Clockwise

Edition 9: Letter Holder

The things you need:
1. A shoe box
2. Cardboard sheet
3. Different coloured glaze paper
4. Adhesive
5. Scissors
6. Pencil, eraser, sketch pens

Step 1: Take a shoebox without the lid.
Step 2: Draw out a fishing boat on the cardboard and cut it.
Step 3: Use glazed paper in different colours to stick on the cardboard boat so that it looks bright and colourful.
Step 4: Stick the boat on one side of the shoebox. Your letter holder is ready.
To make your letter holder a multi-purpose holder, you can also cut cardboard pieces & make partitions in the shoebox.
Use it to keep letters, pens, paper clips or anything else that comes to your mind.

Edition 9: News


JYOTI BASU NO MORE
In a political career spanning six decades, Jyoti Basu never stepped out of party line. Except once. Even his unflappable poise cracked in the face
of his party's obstinate resolve not to join the non-BJP, non-Congress United Front government at the Centre after the 1996 Lok Sabha elections. He could have gone where no Communist had ever gone. The Prime Minister's chair was his for the taking. But the party would have none of it.
Basu called the decision a historic blunder. But, he was not one to split hairs over what could have been. He never contested the Lok Sabha polls, but continued to influence national politics till the very end.
Born into privilege (his father was a US-trained doctor ) and educated in elite institutions (St Xavier's School and Presidency College), few would have expected Basu to grow into one of the most important Communist leaders of his time. His family had connections with revolutionaries fighting for India's freedom, but it was during his trip to the UK in 1935 to become a barrister that he became influenced by the Communist movement. He started frequenting study circles, where he was initiated into Marxism by Communist leaders like Rajani Palme Dutt. His father had sent him to England to try and get into the ICS, but he returned in 1940 to become a Communist Party of India card holder.
In 1944, CPI leaders sent him to work with trade unions, first among port and dock workers and then among railway employees. His career as a legislator spanning 55 years started in 1946 when the electoral college comprising railway employees voted him to the Bengal Assembly. One of his main achievements was securing the release of political prisoners in 1946 from the Suhrawardi government. He was himself repeatedly arrested after the Communist Party was banned shortly after Independence in 1948, his first arrest coming on March 16 that year.
The general election in 1952 saw the emergence of Basu as one of the ablest parliamentarians of the country. Elected to the West Bengal assembly from the Baranagar constituency, he, along with fellow MLA Ratanlal Brahman, emerged as the main opposition to the Bidhan Chandra Roy government. Basu was recognized as the leader of the opposition.
The period till the split in the Communist Party and the formation of the CPM in 1965 saw the consolidation of Basu's position both in the party and also as opposition leader. In 1953, he was unanimously elected the state secretary of the party. Among the major agitations in which he participated in this period was one against tram fair rise in Kolkata, an agitation by teachers in 1954 for higher pay, the proposed post and telegraph strike and the food movement in 1959.
The general election in 1967 paved the way for the short-lived first United Front government in West Bengal. Basu as deputy CM took up the reins of the government for the first time. This period also saw his maturity in coalition politics, which saw fruition in 1977 when the Left Front government was formed. For the next 23 years, he successfully headed a coalition of like-minded parties before relinquishing voluntarily the post of chief minister, continuing in active politics only as politburo member of CPM.
The 13-month-long second United Front government was voted to power in 1969. Ajoy Mukherjee became the chief minister for the second time and Basu his deputy. He was also given the home portfolio. During this period, Basu demon-strated his personal courage by facing alone a large group of armed policemen who stormed the assembly premises to protest the death of a colleague in a clash with SUCI supporters.
The fall of the second UF govern-ment over differences between Basu and Mukherjee and two years of political turmoil that followed led to an election in 1972. Alleging massive rigging by Congress, Basu withdrew from the contest at Baranagar. CPM and a number of other Left parties decided to boycott the assembly.
The Emergency in 1975 and the general election in 1977 saw the beginning of a new phase in Bengal. As leader of the Left Front (then sans CPI), Basu romped home and became CM. Thereafter, he went on to create history by leading for almost a quarter of a century a Marxist government within the ambits of a capitalist structure, using parliamentary methods. It has been a unique experiment in the history of communism itself, which continues even after Basu's retirement.
Under Basu's rule, the twin measure of operation barga and panchayat election changed the face of rural Bengal. Eviction of sharecroppers was stopped and their share in the crop ensured by recording their names. Ceiling surplus land was vested and distributed to the rural poor. Democracy was introduced at the grassroots by holding panchayat election. The rural poor became the beneficiaries of government projects.
But he wasn't an unqualified success. Basu's tenure as CM saw Bengal sink into precipitious economic decline. The state which was once India's most industrialized witnessed an exodus of industry as trade unions ran riot. Towards the end of his tenure, Basu attempted to reverse this trend, but Bengal has still not been able to undo the damage.
He also failed to prevent abolition of English from the primary level in government and aided schools in the state, which contributed to a mass migration of several middle-class families out of the state. The resignations of two senior cabinet colleagues Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee & Benoy Chowdhury alleging corruption in the govern-ment and nexus with contractors were major embarrassments for him.
Still, Basu went from strength to strength, acquiring a pivotal role in national politics. It began with the CPM's association with Jayprakash Narayan's movement during Emergency. Prior to the Lok Sabha election in 1989 that brought V P Singh to power, West Bengal had become a focal point of opposition politics, hosting meetings and conclaves. As the years went by, there was talk of his focus shifting from the state to the national scene.
With BJP coming to power at the Centre in 1998, the staunch secularist was quick to identify communal forces as a major threat and felt the Left should face the saffron challenge along with other secular forces, including Congress, its political opponent in West Bengal, Kerala and Tripura. It wasn't an easy task though. Basu and former CPM general secretary Harkishen Singh Surjeet took the lead in bringing about a change in the party's mindset towards Congress that finally culminated in the Left-UPA combination six years later in 2004.
The longest serving chief minister, Basu handed down his mantle to Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee in 2000. Since then, he had been acting as the guardian of the party and the Left Front.
Call it a coincidence, but Basu turned 95 the day CPM decided to pull out of the UPA government in the Centre over the Indo-US nuclear deal. When Left Front leaders called on his residence that day, the veteran leader stressed the need for the Front partners to stick together. An emotional Basu told a crowd at his residence, “I have no idea how long I will live now but it is my wish to see the Left Front gets a chance to finish another term.''
EARTHQUAKE IN HAITI
The World Health Organisation has estimated that between 40,000 to 50,000 people in Haiti have been killed by the earthquake, the United Nations said.
"WHO/PAHO (Pan American Health Organisation) estimates that the number of dead ranges between 40,000 and 50,000 people," said a
Contd. on
situation report issued by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
The Haitian government estimated on Friday that more than 50,000 people were killed and 250,000 injured by the 7.0 magnitude earthquake that struck on Tuesday 12th Jan 2010.
GOOGLE CHINA CONTROVERSY
Google Inc enters a second week of high stakes brinkmanship with China's government, amid speculation the firm has decided to pull out of the world's biggest internet market over cyber-spying concerns.
Google, the world's most popular search engine, said last week it was thinking about quitting China after suffering a sophisticated cyber-attack on its network that resulted in theft of its intellectual property.
The company has said it is no longer willing to filter content on its Chinese language google.cn engine, and will try to negotiate a legal unfiltered search engine, or exit the market.
Most of the filters on google.cn were still in place on Sunday, though controls over some searches, including the June 4, 1989 Tiananmen crackdown, appear to have been loosened.
The Google announcement captured the attention of China's 384 million netizens, the world's largest internet market by users, with blogs and local media quoting unnamed insiders as saying Google has already decided to close its offices in China.
MUMBAI WINS RANJI TROPHY
Defending champions Mumbai pulled off a thrilling six-run win over a fighting Karnataka to clinch the coveted Ranji Trophy title for the 39th time on Thursday.
Mumbai's 39th championship win looked unlikely when Manish Pandey and Ganesh Satish were at the crease as Karnataka chased a mammoth 338-run target.
The duo, who had come together when Karnataka were in dire straits at 46 for three, batted with gusto, assurance and caution to take the fight into the enemy camp, raising 209 runs for the fourth wicket.
As long as Pandey, who made a magnificent 144 (18 fours, one six) in trying circumstances, was at the square Karnataka were in the reckoning of winning their seventh Ranji title.
But once he departed, caught at slip by Mumbai skipper Wasim Jaffer off left-arm spinner Iqbal Abdulla minutes before lunch, Mumbai slowly but assuredly started taking control of the game.
While Pandey, who amassed a whopping 882 runs in the season, carted the cherry around the park with impunity, Satish batted with circumspection.
Satish, who laboured hard for 318 minutes, made 75 before being adjudged leg before wicket to Dhawal Kulkarni.
Stuart Binny (17), Sunil Joshi (16) and R Vinay Kumar (15) batted with resolve to take Karnataka closer to the target.
But quick strikes by Kulkarni and Ajit Agarkar (5 for 81) ensured that Mumbai emerged triumphant in the end.
This closely contested final would remembered for the outstanding performances of Vinayak Samant (67), Avishkar Salvi (5 for 31), Daval Kulkarni (87 and 3 for 80), Ajit Agarkar (5 for 81), Manish Pandey (144), Abhimanyu Mithun (3 for 56 and 6 for 71) and R Vinay Kumar (4 for 61 and 3 for 78).
The sporting wicket was prepared by a tennis court curator from Mysore.
Brief scores:
Mumbai: 233 (Vinayak Samant 67, Vinay Kumar 4-61) and 234 (Dhawal Kulkarni 87, Abhimanyu Mithun 6-71) Karnataka: 130 (Aavishkar Salvi 5-31) and 331 (Manish Pandey 144, Ajit Agarkar 5-81)

Edition 9 : House Cleaning Tips

Cleaning your home not only makes it shine like new and more hygienic but the process itself provides you with adequate physical exercise to keep you fit and healthy.
It can be the positive point that you can meditate upon to prepare yourself to start and finish the arduous cleaning projects and its innumerable chores. Start cleaning your house with a positive attitude and you will find that you can actually enjoy the whole thing. Remember that you are doing the cleaning to give yourself an organized, tidy and sanitary environment and safe and healthy place to live in to your family. Taking help from the family members and even children will help you spend quality time with them.
Children can do small things like throwing things in the dustbin or collecting small but scattered things and put them in a box. This will also make them learn the need to keep things in place and keep their room tidy. They will also learn the value of keeping things organized. Besides the daily cleaning chores like sweeping the floors and cleaning kitchen countertop and washing dishes, you can do the rest of the work on weekends and major cleaning during vacations. Regular cleaning will keep your home shining and sparkling and you will take less time to give it a new look. Plan the most tiresome tasks for the specific fixed time of the day, when your energy level is highest and it should be essential for everybody in the household to clean and organize their own rooms to reduce your burden.
To generate a checklist for your house cleaning process is not a tough job. Make it once and you will have the benefit of minimizing your precious time, while you think for the arrangements to be made for your house cleaning. Making a checklist for house cleaning purpose is to give you knowledge about 'How much time will be consumed?',' How tiresome it will be','how good it will be' and so on. When you are going to make the checklist for the first time, better make a list of the tasks, which consumes major time in doing the task. For example, laundries, soaking the curtains are few to say. Make sure you have listed the tasks in store for you. Read further to know about few general checklist issues for cleaning your house.
Where To Begin House Cleaning
Start with the bathroom first. The most awful place of your house, your bathroom is the first place to clean. Then move on to the kitchen. This is the second irksome place that needs the cleaning then and there. As soon as you cleanup these two places, you will feel relieved as if you have done much of the entire cleaning process. Then go for the laundry task and then for cleaning the floors and so on.
Take Time Off Between Cleaning
Cleaning process of your house is not something fun to most people. This extra effort to keep your home finicky and hygienic can actually be kept light by making time to take coffee, watching TV or listening to some good music in between the schedule.
Open Up The Windows During & After Cleaning
As we use lot of chemical based cleansers, it's important to keep all the windows open for some time to let a fresh air inside the house. This will help you, stay away from getting infected with these harsh cleansers
General Tips For Cleaning Your Toilet
u Keep the door and windows of your toilet open when not in use or switch on the exhausts for fresh air supply.
u Splash a powder or detergent cleaner along the sides of the seat and beneath the rim, clean with a toilet brush and flush it with excess of water.
u It is advisable to use rubber gloves while lifting the toilet seat.
u Flush the toilet every time you use it to keep the sidewalls unsoiled.
Other Cleaning Tips For Bathrooms
u After each use, give your bathtub a fast wipe with a soft cloth or a sponge.
u Once in a week, wash the bathtub with a detergent, which is mild in nature, specially manufactured for this purpose.
u As a preventive measure, avoid using rough cleaners or steel wool on fiber or acrylic finished tubs.
u Use an all-purpose cleaner on the wall of the tub and allow it to get disinfected for some minutes and then rinse it off to see the sparkling effect.
u To keep the tiles clean, use a tile cleaner, scrub carefully with it and rinse well every alternate day.
u The plastic shower curtains in your bathroom require frequent cleaning. Once in a week, wash it and then treat it with chlorine bleach.
u Your shower doors, at times, get messed up with the soap foam. To clean this, mix up very little quantity of ammonia with half-bucket water and fill this solution into a spray bottle. Spray this on the doors and scrub with a brush. Rinse now to get the spotless effect.
u Your showerhead also needs regular checkups. For this, fill a plastic bag with white vinegar and tie it up on the showerhead and leave it overnight to get the best result.
Cleaning is the most arduous task that housewives often complain of. Cleaning the kitchen, bathroom and living room is even more difficult because of the heavy traffic in the area. But sanitation and hygiene is essential to keep healthy and fit. Most of us have heard from our elders that most of the illnesses and diseases breed in dirty kitchens. So, here are some easy steps to clean your kitchen:
u Wipe out the spills over the kitchen tiles at the earliest possible. Use soft detergent for this purpose.
u The light fixtures in the kitchen get more dust, dirt and grime than the ones in the other rooms. Use a wet scrubber to clean the grease on the lights of your kitchen.
u Cleaning Refrigerators: The enamel-coated surface of your refrigerator is easy to clean regularly with an all-purpose cleaner. Use a soft cloth or a sponge to remove the tough stain. Avoid using tough cleansers. The humid top surface of your refrigerator has to be cleaned with a liquid dish washing cleaner. To clean the racks of your refrigerator, again use a mild cleanser with a sponge.
u Cleaning Stovetops: Dismantle before cleaning your stove and keep the top parts and the rings aside. Use a dishwasher to wash the body of the stove and use a soft cloth to whip to get the spotless effect. Soak the rings in a detergent solution for some time and rub it with a mesh made out of plastic, then wash away the dirt by holding the stove parts in running water. Dry for some time before using.
u Glassware cleaning: Use lukewarm water to clean the glassware and let it dry normally.
u Oven racks cleaning: Cover your oven racks and soak them for overnight with ammonia. The next morning, wash them up with dish soap.
U Cleaning kitchen exhaust: To clean the dirt that is powerful and tough, apply a mixture of baking soda and water on it and let it soak for about couple of hours. Now, clean with white vinegar.

Edition9: Interesting ads







Edition 9: Same Indians

Last week I saw two very contrasting pictures. Both the events happened at the international airports. One outside India and the other inside India. Same set of people were the protagonists in both cases. When it came to boarding at the International airport, the crowd (mainly of either NRIs/PIOs or resident Indian visitors) was so well behaved. They complied with every specified norm either at security, or immigration. I saw a family. They had got their packed lunches. They took utmost care to eat the same properly without spilling. They threw the disposable plates in bins. They were using tissues. They were not making much noise. All was going well. Flight was delayed. Since it was an India bound flight, the airline did not bother to make any announcement or regrets for delay. Though we heard similar regrets/announcements for flights to European or US locations even for a 5-10 mins delay. The passengers to India-bound flight were mainly Indians. We were segregated after getting boarding passes in the waiting area. Amongst say 200-300 people there was single a rest room and at least 100 seats short. Thus many were standing. Airline did not bother after repeated complaints. Crowd though was well behaved and quiet. Soon after an hr and half of delay, flight was boarded systematically. The flight reached Mumbai. The view as you enter Mumbai airport is disgusting. All huts, unclean alleys etc get zoomed as the plane lands. There is chaos everywhere. First we could not get runway so plane was circling around Mumbai. Then upon landing we did not get terminal. We sat inside plane for almost 20 mins of course with the smell of disinfectant which airlines spray as we near Mumbai.
Finally we got the terminal and then you could not wonder if it was the same crowd earlier. People started rushing out. They never bothered if anyone was hit by overhead cabin luggage while they were taking it down. They rushed outside. First look of Mumbai airport has to be always dealt philosophically especially returning from world class terminals like Changi. Life is greatest leveler. We are reminded that one should get inspired by a great sight but one should not get disheartened by grotesque. Mumbai airport can be defined as one such sight. The white tiles render a toilet feel for people already suffering from constrained bowel movements arising out of disgusting food, varied time zones, disturbed body clocks, intoxicants.....
The same crowd gets smells of India and they start behaving differently. They say when you go to Rome behave like Romans. They try to cut queues. They fight over trolleys which are out-numbered by travelers. They argue with officers. Try to use tricks to fool customs. They fight over a best place over luggage belt. The same crowd which was so behaved turns hostile. The same family i had witnessed started munching some snacks. They littered around. They left over some food on seat. They spilled water. They never cared. Added to all this, you suffer due to very humid, hot and polluted Mumbai weather. This really gives a room for analysis and introspection. Why do we behave differently abroad and in India. Why cannot we have better planning? Why cannot we learn? We are very proud of being Indians but we really need to learn to be more civil, clean. We may be a poor country to afford airports like changi but still we can at least keep things clean and disciplined. I am sure most of travelers feel same as they return to India. All this should start with self. And miles to go before we sleep.
Author runs a blog http::/nayakgiri.blogspot.com

Edition 9; Everyday Expressions

ENGLISH MARATHI

Yes ho, ho-ya

No na-ko, naa-hee
Please kru-pa-yaa, kru-paa ka-roo-na

Excuse me ksha-maa a-sa-wee,

Is that so? Kha-ra-cxh?

Thank you dha-Nya-waa-dva

I don’t know ma-laa maa-hi-tv naa-hee

Good luck shu-bhe-chchhaa
What is that? Tve kaa-ya aa-he
What do you tvu-Mhee-hyaa-laa

call this? Kaa-ya mha-tna-tvaa?

What do you tvu-Mhe tvyaa-

call that? Kaa-ya mha-tna-tvaa?

What does hyaa-cxhaa a-

this mean? Kaa-ya?

What does tvyaa-cxhaa a-rtha

that mean? Kaa-ya?

Where is the swa-ya-M-paa-ka

kitchen? gha-ra ku-tdhe aa-he?

I am in hurry mee ghaa-eetv aa-he


We want to aa-mhaa-laa sha-hara /

see the City gaa-wa ba-ghaa-ya-cxha
aa-he

Edition 9: Srilanka


2009 marked the end of a decade. When we started planning a vacation, we decided to go to an unique place which can mark this occasion. We were suggested Srilanka by one of our friends who had been there. We checked out on costing and we realized that we are onto something. At affordable costs you can have 5 star luxury there thanks to their currency and maybe some other factors.
And the country is very beautiful. We had notions about security issues etc, and we had to take a flight which reached at 2 am. The travel company had sent a driver with car to pick us up. We were to head to Kandy. We got out of airport and we saw the level of security there. Police were everywhere with guns, jeeps. We got out and setup on journey. Unknown country, unknown driver , unearthly hour, and scenes of security posts really made us scared. We reached Kandy by dawn. We saw the greenery around. It was really nice. We had a break at elephant orphanage which takes care of around 300 elephants. Kids were having fun. We visited Herbal garden which claimed to cure almost anything listed in medical science. We then went to hotel for some much needed rest. Hotel was very comfortable. Hotel was overlooking hills and Kandy city. Kandy city is cultural capital of Lanka. There we visited Buddha Tooth relic temple and saw cultural show. Tooth relic temple reflected back to History of Kalinga etc. Cultural show was very great with so much acrobatics involved.
We then moved to Nuwara Eliya: Little England of Lanka. English had taken railways, had many offices and houses to this town. Governor’s house there is converted into a 5 star hotel where we stayed. Simply Royal. The journey from Kandy to Nuwara Eliya is scenic with tea plantations all around. We tasted some good tea. There are also many waterfalls on the way and flowers really made things very colorful.
We then went to Sita Kovil only temple of Sita in the world. Nuwara eliya is linked to mythical Ashok Vatika where Ravan had kept Sita captivated. There are some caves on the adjoining hills which we had no access as it requires 30 km trek. But we went to nearing botanical garden which can pass off as Ashok Vatika for its beauty.
After enjoying palatial stay we started back to Colombo. Colombo is bustling city like Mumbai but much cleaner. We stayed at 5 star hotel overlooking the Indian Ocean and beach. It was 31st Dec time. Entire place was crowded and they upgraded us to suite room as they had some over booking. View from top floor was amazing. Security was unprecedented. First time after war , they had opened beach for public. We had a great party, with great spread and ambience for 31stDec party. Next day we roamed around Colombo, shopped and saw Indian movie 3 idiots at a multiplex.
On the airport, we had opportunity to meet Srilankan Cricket team which was headed for Bangladesh. A great holiday indeed.

Edition 9: Commercial Space

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