All you need to know: July 2009

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Eclipse & India.

Eclipse fever in India village

Students of St Mary School in Taregna are attending special classes on the eclipse (Photos: Prashant Ravi)

An obscure village in the eastern Indian state of Bihar has suddenly shot into limelight as the best place in India to watch a total solar eclipse on 22 July. Amarnath Tewary travels to Taregna to discover the excitement among locals.
In Taregna, a science teacher is busy teaching her students about solar eclipses and how they can be viewed safely.
The students of St Mary School are being told that viewing the Sun's harsh light should only be done through proper solar telescopes or glasses.
Astro-physicists and scientists have marked the village as the "epicentre" of the eclipse.
The name Taregna, incidentally, means counting stars in Hindi.
'Astro-tourist' influx
Total solar eclipses usually take place about once every 18 months, and always at new Moon - when the lunar body sits directly between the Sun and the Earth.
So, all of a sudden Taregna, some 35km (22 miles) from the state capital, Patna, has shot into limelight - some 20,000 "astro-tourists" and scientists from all over the world are expected to congregate here on the day of the eclipse.

Local authorities are excited by Taregna's new-found status. Bihar's Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has said he will be visiting the town on the day of the eclipse.
"I have already instructed the officials to make proper arrangement for visitors at Taregna," says Mr Kumar.
Authorities have chosen three to four locations in Taregna from where people can view the eclipse.
St Mary School is one of them.
"We are very excited that Taregna has been chosen as the place for the best view of the solar eclipse. So we are teaching our school students about eclipses and how to view them after taking precautions," science teacher Ms Mamata says.
The village is being spruced up to receive all the tourists and scientists.
Approach roads are being repaired, drains are being cleaned and faulty electric wires are being replaced.
Many hotels in Patna have been booked in advance by people coming into town for the eclipse.
Special flights
From Taregna, the solar eclipse should be visible for at least three minutes and 38 seconds, says a Nasa bulletin.
However, the maximum duration of the eclipse will be six minutes 38 seconds in the Pacific Ocean.
In India, the eclipse will commence soon after sunrise. Surat in Gujarat and Patna in Bihar are also expected to be excellent locations for good views.

The villagers have never seen anything like it
Legend has it that it was at Taregna that India's famous astronomer and mathematician Aryabhatta studied stars and planets during the Vedic age.
"We do not wish to miss this rare opportunity, especially when people from across the country are thronging here to witness the eclipse," say school students Ranjit Kumar and Suraj Kumar.
Tour operators have also made special arrangements to cash in on the occasion
Some of them have chartered planes to fly in eclipse watchers from other cities.
One of the planes will have 21 seats facing the Sun ("Sun-side seats") and 21 seats facing the Earth ("Earth-side seats"), says a tour operator.
"Sun-side seats, which will have a direct view of the eclipse, cost about 79,000 rupees [$1,618]," he says.

source from http://news.bbc.co.uk

Tuesday, July 21, 2009

Michael Jackson: secret library of 100 songs

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It is not a really an issue if people like michael jackson left his offspring with the luxury in term of money and assets. But i can say that Michael is also a genius in his plan to protect his children funds in term of unreleased songs which might have a value of hundreds of million dollar in his secret library.

"A secret library of over a hundred songs recorded by Michael Jackson could be released following his death.

One of the singer's biographers, Ian Halperin, claimed that the unheard songs had been made for his children.

Mr Halperin, author of Unmasked, The Michael Jackson Story, said before his death: “He wants to leave them for his kids, a very personal legacy to them. I was told he will not let them come out now.”

Jackson leaves three children: Prince, 12, Paris Katherine, 11, and Prince Michael II aged seven.

It is rumoured, given the parlous financial situation of his estate, that any such recordings will not be kept private for long. It is understood that Jackson may have gone to the grave under debts of about $400 million (£240 million) – though some believe the true figure may be much higher.

Sales of Michael Jackson’s music and memorabilia have already begun to soar. In America, the Thriller album is number one on iTunes, while his Number Ones album has now reached the top spot on the UK iTunes chart.

Online retailers Amazon say that Jackson’s albums had taken 14 of the top 20 places on the Amazon.co.uk sales chart. The Amazon chart was topped by his first solo album, Off The Wall, which features tracks such as "Don’t Stop ’Til You Get Enough" and "She’s Out Of My Life".

Already, Jackson’s death is beginning to producing a new industry. Outside the Los Angeles hospital where he was pronounced dead, a group of men appeared selling $10 T-shirts with a silhouette of Jackson and reading: “In loving memory of Michael Jackson.” Memorial T-shirts were also being sold at the Glastonbury music festival.

On eBay, bidding grew on a number of Jackson memorabilia items. Limited edition records, musical instruments used by the star and even a movie contract with his signature were being sold for thousands of pounds.

The Neverland ranch and Jackson’s final resting place, if made accessible to the public, could also become lucrative tourist attractions.

Graceland, the mansion owned by Elvis Presley and where he was buried, has become a much-visited landmark. Opening its doors to the paying members of the public is thought to have made the trust that operates Graceland in the region of $100 million."

Source taken from : http://www.timesonline.co.uk

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince 2009

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I have not see the latest movie yet, but i heard a quite few bad reviews on the new Harry Potter movie. One of my friend slept while watching it, so i think it can be the indicator to not waste my green notes on it. But if you are truly Harry Potter fan, you might still want to watch it regardless to the poor review by your friends.

Synopsis: Voldemort is tightening his grip on both the Muggle and wizarding worlds and Hogwarts is no longer the safe haven it once was. Harry suspects that dangers may even lie within the castle, but Dumbledore is more intent upon preparing him for the final battle that he knows is fast approaching. Together they work to find the key to unlock Voldemort’s defenses and, to this end, Dumbledore recruits his old friend and colleague, the well-connected and unsuspecting bon vivant Professor Horace Slughorn, whom he believes holds crucial information. Meanwhile, the students are under attack from a very different adversary as teenage hormones rage across the ramparts. Harry finds himself more and more drawn to Ginny, but so is Dean Thomas. And Lavender Brown has decided that Ron is the one for her, only she hadn't counted on Romilda Vane's chocolates! And then there's Hermione, simpering with jealously but determined not to show her feelings. As romance blossoms, one student remains aloof. He is determined to make his mark, albeit a dark one. Love is in the air, but tragedy lies ahead and Hogwarts may never be the same again. --© Warner Bros [Less]
Starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Tom Felton
Director: David Yates

You can see a mixed review in the comment section in RottenTomatoes as well as in FilmJunk website.

Things that you might need to set in your facebook account!

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A good read for your privacy:-

1 - Everyday I receive an email from somebody about how their account was hacked, how a friend tagged them in the photo and they want a way to avoid it, as well as a number of other complications related to their privacy on Facebook. Over the weekend one individual contacted me to let me know that he would be removing me as a friend from Facebook because he was “going to make a shift with my Facebook use - going to just mostly family stuff.”
Perhaps he was tired of receiving my status updates or perhaps he didn’t want me to view photos from his personal life. Whatever the reason for ending our Facebook friendship, I figured that many people would benefit from a thorough overview on how to protect your privacy on Facebook. Below is a step by step process for protecting your privacy.