Happy Blog Day

Let me first wish all my fellow bloggers a Happy Blog day. I wanted to write something today. But I didn’t know what to write or where to start. After writing and deleting few times, decided to write about how I got into blogging, and whether it has changed me in anyway. When I was searching for something in Google I came across a blog from Mithuna. Until that day, I didn’t even know a word called BLOG. After reading few articles I was instantly hooked into this blog. So I started visiting few more other blogs from the links she had in her blog. Second blog I went was Prasad’s Blog. After reading there, now I really want to start a blog for myself. But the problem was I have not written things like this before. The other problem I had in my mind was whether I can write regularly or and whether others will like my writing. I am a person who wants to try anything new when I see them first. But after awhile I will lose my enthusiasm for that and give up. In any hobby or whatever you name it, it is difficult to keep your enthusiasm going unless you just love, what you’re doing. Anyway I have survived this long.....hope I will continue...
Every blog is unique and gives a unique experience…. for the last few months I have enjoyed a great deal reading everyone’s experiences, poems, thoughts, rants, and some few useful tips ….I don’t read books…. Reading books for me is like a peacefull ballroom dancing for Mike Tyson. So these blogs gives me the opportunity to read... So people thanks for letting me, share your thoughts and experiences… And sorry if I had hurt anybody by writing anything stupid….and thanks for putting up with me for this long…. Enjoy….

Thought for the Post

“ We are like passengers in a train(Blog) journey....
.......Lasts only up to everyone’s destination…so enjoy...while it lasts…”

for Malaysian Bloggers

Happy Independence Day

Children of the Midnight Flag

Gathering at the four corners of the world,
Yesterday we shed blood fighting for freedom,
Today we live under a false sky written liberty,
May tomorrow be a better world for our children,
The children of the midnight flag.

-gp 2005-

[+] Happy Independence Day Malaysia. More in my blog and Visi's blog and a cool snap of the KL cityscape at midnight by Maran.

[-] Thank you Magnus for updating the site, the additions are superb.

[-] Sorry for not posting for the past week, we had a major internet blackout here, and I was on the road. Will come back to post more next week. Till then have a nice and safe week ahead.

[+] Here's a nice article on 2050.

[-] The American Red Cross is seeking help for the Hurricane Katrina victims. Our prayers are with the victims and their families.

[-] For updates of the Dec 26 2004 Tsunami relief efforts head to 'The SEA Earthquake and Tsunami' blog.

[-] I have a suggestion for the members in this group to blog in their own language at least once. This would help to expand the project interest and serve as a concept piece for future changes to the blog. Hopefully the post will have a short summary in English at the end of the post.

Talk. Talk the Google way!

Yes, Talk. Talk the Google way!

If there is one company that had sent shivers all along to its rivals (Read Yahoo! and MSN) in this internet era, it should be Google! The world's best search engine to the world's best email system to the most-used blogging tool, blogger, followed by Picasa, Google has come a long way! Google Suggest, Google Scholar, Google Maps, a lot more can be said. But, this one is a huge leap!

Just a few hours back, Google launched its own IM Client Google Talk. You can Download it here. Soon, I wish I'll dump that Messenger and Talk on my own! Nothing more to say here to coax you more. Download. Do it now! That's it! :-)

Img Src: Google Talk Page

Life Towards & Beyond 2050

First of all I should thank GP for inviting me to join you guys on this amazing journey, which will take us to 2050. And I am honoured too, to contribute to something like this.
When I first came to this site and saw the title, my first reaction was whether we can get there safely and happily…. Can we lead a happier and safer life through to 2050?
And following questions started popping up…It is not fair, only me thinking about all these…. So thought of sharing it. Here we go…
Will our life on earth end before 2050?
If the human life is going to end, how will it be?
Will it be a sudden end such as nuclear explosion or so-called alien invasion?
Or will it be a sudden natural disaster like Tsunami or even a large asteroid space fireball hitting the earth and wiping everything off?
Or will it be a slow pain full end such as global warming or an epidemic?
Or it could be our own Technology turning against us such as hi-tech robots?
Or will we over come everything by our shear determination and technology?
Only time will answer these?
So what are the biggest threats to human life and what we can do about those….

Global warming is going to be a big factor in our life cycle. We don’t need to look further than the events happened in the last 6 months.Glaciers melting, Sea Levels rising, Lakes shrinking, Rivers running dry, Floods in Mumbai, Severe drought in Europe, bush fires sweeping across Portugal and Australia. the list can go on.
We have been cutting down forests and burning oil and gas; these have poured Co2 and other gases into the atmosphere, which increase the average temperature. Scientists reckon that by the end of this century the average temperature will have risen by 2oC. And I read somewhere if all the ice in Arctic or Antarctica melts, the sea level can rise up to 20 feet. These will make some part of the world less habitable. And people will migrate and people will start fighting for their resources in their own country…I know it wont be easy for us to suddenly stop using all the fuel and other stuff which harms the atmosphere, but we have already pumped enough impurities into the environment that if we stop right now it will be enough to warm the world for the next decade or two at this rate.
Global warming is a threat but a slow one…which we can live with…. bit of technology and common sense we might be able to get thru this…

Nuclear war…from North Korea to Pakistan and from USA to Russia…everyone got these..and it is only a matter of time that they start using it. But the way we have structured our international society this will be under control. And people still remembers 1945.

These days our society is very sensitive to terrorism, because of the easiness to get all the technology, arms, etc.. And the widening gap between the lower class and the upper class will not help either. And not to forget so called Jihad.
Threat from this remains very large, because of the availability of Chemical and nuclear bombs, which will wipe out a whole community easily.

Epidemic…. Major pandemic can sweep the whole world within days.The world has become very small because of the links by sea and air, so If a virus learns to transmit from human to human then it could sweep rapidly around the world.

Natural Disaster, which we can’t do anything at all. Tsunami last year, within few hours it has killed more than 300,000 people. And made us think of how we are vulnerable and helpless in front of nature. Volcanoes, Floods, Earth Quakes, bushfire etc. Although we are helpless, we can use science and technology to minimise the effects and causalities.

And the population growth…although the population is growing all the time, the growth rate is going down. As the population grows fast, the consume resources grows even more faster, and the amount of resources like water in the world is finite. So it is bound run out one day…. A third of the world's population lives in water-stressed countries now. By 2025, this is expected to rise to two-thirds. Technology can help. Like cleaning more water and recycling, drip irrigation, Desalinization seawater, etc.

Last but not the least is the threat from outer space. Although this happens every million year, the threat of near earth objects hitting us remains a possibility. As the list suggests nature is the biggest threat to human life… Can science get us through?

Lets be optimistic…. and say yes.

Thought for the Post

" Time is nature's way of making sure that everything doesn't happen at once"

Walking (Or Running?) towards 2050

Welcome. I feel very happy to be part of this huge effort to jot everything that happens around us till 2050.

Given the way the world had moved past the last 50 years both in terms of advancements in a number of sectors while coming across a lot number of new hurdles. Some of the technologies that changed the world in the past 50 years include but not limited to,

• Use of Satellites for Broadcasts/Remote Sensing
• Apollo Landing on Moon/Space Research
• Invention of Personal Computers and Internet
• Ever Changing Mobile Phone and Wireless Technologies
• Blogging/Independent Publishing
• Live Webcasts/Podcasts
• Stem Cell Transplants
• 4D Ultrasound in pregnancy monitoring
• Security using Iris Recognition

On the other side, the world was also stuck by a number of accidents/incidents and developments like

• Population explosion
• Extensive use of natural resources leading to chronic depletion
• Non-reversible diseases and syndromes like AIDS/Alzheimers
• Political enemity among nations
• Terrorism

There are a lot more that couldnt be mentioned here.

So, how will the world be in 2050?? Will all the trains run on MagLevs? Will the planes fly at Mach4 or Mach5? Will there be 12 lane/ 20 lane expressways? Would there be any currencies?? Will there be Plastic cards atleast? Plastic cards, passwords, door locks... everything is based on one basic concept - Security! Will everything become outdated and everything from Laptops to bank accounts be integrated by Iris recognition? Will phone calls be activated at the speed of thought?? Will the mobile phone technology still be there? Or will it become outdated? Or will terrorism lead to a full fledged World War III???

The world will see.

2 strangers with the same blood.

Sometimes it's just easier to blog from my heart ...

Recently, my grandma just passed away. She died a peaceful death after several repeated visits to the dreaded hospital. I was not close to her, being brought up by my parents, unlike my cousins who grew up together.

I was often at a lost whenever i came to visit back when she was healthier. What should I do? Should I tell her about my days? My life? In the end, everytime i would smile, hug her sometimes then proceed to the living room to play with my cousins.

Sometimes i regreted not siting on her bed, holding her hand and just spent some silent moments.

Therefore, when her lifeless body had been bathed and ready to be buried, the process of of wrapping her in white cloth truly moved me to tears. When the last of the white cloth finally covered her face i was thinking of all those little moments we had back when i was younger.

How she always give me money on my birthdays ...
How she always ask if i had eaten ...
How she always smile at me ...
How she always packed some goodies during Hari Raya for me because she knows i love it.

Maybe that's her way of loving me. A subtle way of loving which took me years to understand. Maybe we were both not sure of how to love. Still, I'm grateful taht she is finally free.

May you hear my prayers from beyond.

Thank you Grandma.


PS. thanks for adding me ya Siva.

2050 Tags!

[-] Hi guys, here are the tags for 2050 A Journey. Since the tags are already hosted in this site by blogger, you cam just copy the codes and post it at your site. Just write any comments or questions on how to do this in the comments section. This is just the initial tags, when I have time I'll create more. Members are encouraged to submit their own tags/ banners and such.

[-] Sorry for the template change. The older template doesnt display the sidebar items clearly. Hopefully in a few weeks well have our own template. In the mean time, expect alot of changes.

[-] Tech Support: Once you have hosted the photo at your site, do this: you have to go to your template settings and change the url from the current (http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/947/717/1600/2050fancy2(b)(gif).gif--->just an example) to http://earth2050.blogspot.com/. Just detele the whole code line above and replace with http://earth2050.blogspot.com/ ) . On the other hand, you DONT have to host the photo at your site since its already hosted here, just copy the full codes from this site (earth2050) and paste it in your sidebar template code. (here is the code:
Just change the image file name (at the end of the code line to the image file that you like))

Have a nice weekend.

-gp2005-

There is Beauty, There is Light

Tire tracks and harvester ruts in an American wheat field.

In a world where pessimism reigns, there is beauty to be found in the unlikeliest of places.

I just wanted to share a shred of American positivity in these dark times.

I'm glad to participate in a multicultural blog enveavor with such high aspirations.

Here's to 2050, and my first post as a contributor.

CBT

Long forgotten everywhere but in Russia and Europe money deal

I found this article very interesting. It is on Russian language, so I will take several of the important paragraphs and explain what they are about.

В эту субботу Россия должна будет выплатить оставшуюся сумму от досрочного погашения долга перед Парижским клубом кредиторов в размере около $2 миллиардов. Общая сумма платежей по обслуживанию и погашению долга с 2002 по 2020 год составит $55,5 млрд., из которых примерно 99% - придется на долги бывшего СССР. Интересно, что СССР по сумме взятых и выданных кредитов вроде бы никому не был должен, наоборот - должны были ему. Как же так талантливо удалось погасить задолженность бывшего Союза, в результате чего Россия осталась должна

Here, author states that this Saturday Russia will make a payment of $2 billion to Paris club of creditors. It states that the $55.5 billion is total sum of money Russian Government will pay between 2002 and 2020 for debt and fees. Author also states that 99% of this money is USSR debt, but he also brings a fact that at the moment of "breaking" USSR had no debt, and some countries were in debt with us.

Однако даже на время, забыв о самом долге, становится как-то обидно. Россия платит за Советский Союз, то есть и за Украину с Грузией, за Прибалтику с Узбекистаном и Киргизией, то есть за всех тех, кто в данный момент считает нашу страну, чуть ли не главным врагом

These sentences bring out an interesting fact. It is that Russia pays for USSR and therefore all the countries that succeeded from it and those that count us as the main Enemy.

Этим летом Россия выплатила Парижскому клубу $13 миллиардов в счет досрочного погашения долга, чем завершила первый этап выплат в текущем году. Однако назревает вопрос, раз деньги у нас есть - почему бы ни выплатить весь долг сразу, целиком, пока наши золотовалютные резервы трещат по швам от богатого нефтяного урожая? К сожалению, западные бизнесмены совсем не заинтересованы в смягчение "процентного бремени" для России.

I find this article the most interesting. This summer, Russian Federation, paid $15 billion ($13+$2) to Paris club, in досрочного погашения (not sure what is the best way to translate this) basically in order to speed up getting out of debt(not paying just the minimum but way extra). Author also asks a question: Why not pay out the debt right now, while there are a big extra from oil sales. His answer is that European businessman are not interested in loosing their profits from the percentage that Russia pays every year on its debt.

....Talking about European businessman, sure like their profits over well being of a country.

Tech Support (funny)

A plain computer illiterate guy rings
tech support to report that his computer is faulty.

Tech: What's the problem?

User: There is smoke coming out of the power
supply.

Tech:(keep quite)

Tech: You'll need a new power supply.

User: No, I don't! I just need to change the
startup files.

Tech: Sir, the power supply is faulty. You'll
need to replace it.

User: No way! Someone told me that I just
needed to change the startup and it will fix the
problem! All I need is for you to tell me the
command.

Tech support::(!?)

10 minutes later, the User is still adamant
that he is right. The tech is frustrated and fed up.

Tech support::(hush hush)

Tech: Sorry, Sir. We don't normally tell our
customers this, but there is an undocumented DOS
command that will fix the problem.

User: I knew it!

Tech: Just add the line LOAD NOSMOKE.COM at
the end of the CONFIG.SYS. Letme know how it goes.

10 minutes later.

User: It didn't work. The power supply is
still smoking.

Tech: Well, what version of DOS are you using?

User: MS-DOS 6.22.

Tech: That's your problem there. That version
of DOS didn't come with NOSMOKE. Contact Microsoft
and ask them for a patch that will give you the
file. Let me know how it goes.

1 hour later.

User: I need a new power supply.

Tech support:: How did you come to that conclusion?

User: Well, I rang Microsoft and told him
about what you said, and he started asking questions
about the make of power supply.

Tech: Then what did he say?

User: He told me that my power supply isn't
compatible with NOSMOKE.

*got this from an email ring, cant help it, its hillarious!

-gp2005-
P/s: thanx for joining to all the new team members. Good post Ioiio and Tamilan.

Team to Tango..Neengalum Vaaango!!!

One more Blog.. ioiio

Isnt one blog enough for a person unless and until he wants to categorize his posts the way the blogger doesnt let him to? Hell yeah..

Isnt that a pain in the ass? Absolutely

Why Should I post my article somewhere.. which isnt gonna do any good to my site-counter? Good question!!!

Would I get some credits for what I post? Only God knows
(Well..As if Im going to post something creditable)

All these questions popped up for a second when I was asked to join a team blog. But they were all trashed when i saw a purpose in doing it. We are right now planning to run a blog till 2050 recording the scenes seen and the wheels we ventured in what is hopefully a wonderful journey. Am I going to live till 2050. God knows the answer. But i know that I am gonna be a part of this as long as I live.

Wont it be nice to look back at the changes the society has gone through at a later point of time. Iit might seem far fetched but Isnt farsightedness a boon as long as its sensible. Lets see.

Posted in both my blogs simulataneously

Wanna Join us. Click here.

Thanx for the invite...What is the Secret of Life?

What is the Secret of Life?

~You.

For you are but a single grain of sand...
One single grain...yet unique.
Without you
There is no sand
Without the sand
There is no beach
Without the beach
There is no wondrous ocean
Without the ocean
There is no Life...
For in the Cosmos when there is no life
There is but another Lifeform borne...
what is the Secret of Life?

You.

Mark D Mamanta

Siva, Thanx for the invite.

A Better World in 2050?

An optimistic report of the world in 2050.

Follow the link on top or here.

*****

Thank you for everyone who has joined in so far. Thanx Visi, Bala, Hani, Kasturi, Ioiio, Tamilan and Jarno. Hope you guys like the format and the goals. Please comment for any changes and invite more members. Everyone can start posting anytime and its free theemed, so post anything!!!

-gp2005-

Hi people!

Thanks for the invite Gp. I actually planned to write some philosophical BS but on my way up to class, i just saw something which affected me in a strange way.

Yesterday, as we all know, was Indian Independence Day, and I was celebrating my independence by having a smoke right outside the college .

Three full grown men had tied a young boy about 10-12 years of age, to a tree using the strong nylon packaging rope that you get at godowns.

They were 'teasing' him, asking what the colors of the national flag were. The boy first took it sportingly and answered the first two colors right. He forgot the name of the bottom most color (green), maybe he did not know it, maybe it was the fear that had sealed his mouth shut.

The men then started poking him with a small pin, asking him what the color was and telling him they would let him go if he answered. The boy started mewling, crying for his mother.

His mother never came. The men got tired after 5 to 10 minutes and let him go. He ran a few yards, turned around, shouted an expletive and ran even faster after that, disappearing around the corner.

I just stood there, barely 20 feet from the scene of the crime, finishing my day's last cigarette.

Why was I unmoved? Why did I not go to the boy's help? These men were not rowdies or anything. One of them was my college watchman. I could have gone and saved the boy 5 minutes of torture. Why didn't I go to his help?

I feel ashamed as I write this, but why did I not feel anything as I watched the whole thing happen?

I think this disease affects not only me but Indian society itself. I might sound like Ambi from Anniyan, but hey, I am also one of those guys who stand around the dying man, hesitating to touch him because it would become a police case. (If you have seen Anniyan, you know what I am talking about).

I just hope that 2050 is better, and I hope to be part of the new society that can ensure the safety and dignity of each and every citizen.

Fuck new year resolutions, I am taking an Independence Day resolution. Never again. i will not stand by and hesitate to take action when something happens.

Now, who is willing to stand with me?

2050 Population

Hi,

Thank you for the invite. Ill start with this post. The US Cencus bureau 'Total Midyear Population' for the World: 1950-2050.

Follow the link.

http://www.census.gov/ipc/www/worldpop.html

-Sivanesan-

2050 A Journey

Hi to the team and all future members!

Ever thought what the year 2050 would be like? Planning to stay around? How old will you be then? This project is an unique collaboration among a diverse group of bloggers to communicate until the year 2050. It will be a real test of sustainability, and human endeavor and not forgetting, the evolution of Internet itself. So, tune in, be a part of history.

If you are interested in blogging for 2050. Then be a part of the team. Mail us at earth2050@gmail.com , ghost_particle@yahoo.com, sivanesan.s@gmail.com and an invitation will be sent to you to join the team.

****** DETAILS ******

2050: A Journey

-May you live in interesting times

2050: A Journey is an online community effort to Blog until the year 2050. It’s an endeavor to interact, publish and 'live' in a cyber community until the year 2050. The team comprises of Bloggers from around the world that will Blog on various topics. It’s a great way to appreciate the Blog revolution as well as recognize and experience the evolution of internet based communication tools such as the Blog itself. It will be a fun experience and enable users to interact across borders, cultures and beliefs.

The Goal:

[1] Sustain a Blog community until the year 2050

[2] Participate in various projects online and offline for the betterment of the world

[3] Chart the evolution of internet throughout the 45 years to the year 2050

[4] Document the development of the community (yearly report, etc)

[5] The team will comprise of Bloggers from around the world that are genuinely interested to Blog and realize the dream

[6] The Blog will NOT serve/ contain any commercial/ business elements or advertisements unless agreed by the team. Nevertheless, team members can advertise (not spam) their own services.

[7] The Blog will be a community bulletin board

[8] The Blog will be age sensitive and shall NOT contain any pornography, profanity, vulgarity, drug/ tobacco adverts, hate messages, racism, religious fundamentalism, etc.

[9] The Blog will remain an informal effort but promote the creative works of the Bloggers in a progressive and fun environment.

[10] frm Sukanya: HEALTHY DISCUSSIONS ARE ENCOURAGED BUT NO QUARRELS. THERE ARE MANY OTHER PLACES
TO QUARREL. THIS SPACE SHOULD NOT ONLY BE A PLATFORM OF BLOGGING BUT SHOULD FORM
THE BASE OF FRIENDLY RELATIONSHIP AMONG BLOGGERS.

The Material/ Post:

[1] The Blog will contain all types of post including text, images, audioblog and videoblog.

[2] The Blog has no specific theme; Bloggers can choose themselves to Blog about anything from daily life logs to current events.

[3] The post may provide links to the Bloggers own web logs; especially Bloggers whose posts serve the interest of many readers such as book reviews, movie reviews, etc.

[4] The Blog serves an excellent venue to promote events, announcements, community projects, and personal ads such as freelancing offers and personal business offers of Bloggers.

[5] The Blog post can be in ANY language and the Bloggers can choose to translate the post or explain it if they want

[6] The Blog serves as a board to display the cultural values/ life of Bloggers from diverse backgrounds


Members/ the Team:

[1] Anyone can apply to be part of the team. Just email earth2050@gmail.com or post a message in the Comments Section with your email where the invitation would be sent

[2] To ensure the continuity of the project, the Bloggers will be from a diverse community/ geographically scattered.

Issues:

[1] Blogger/ Blogspot are chosen as it’s the most stable platform and has the potential to last the duration of the project. In any case, if the platform is dissolved by the company/ or another suitable platform exists of we manage to host on our own, and then we may change the host and Blog software. Blogger presents a complete platform together with image hosting, so as to provide an easy, no hassle platform with the least management problems.

[2] Having many team members will ensure the continuity of the posts so as to not burden Bloggers. (Example: 20 team members; 20 posts per week or 20 Bloggers; 20 posts for 20 weeks i.e. 1 post per Blogger per 20 weeks)

[3] Suggest a name for the project and a description or tagline. The current name: [2050: A Journey] and tagline [May you live in interesting times] will be used until a new one is chosen.

[4] Tag or Logo for the project will be available once a suitable name is agreed. Team members are welcome to come up with tags, buttons, logos, banner, java tags and java buttons.

[5] Anyone who can develop a simple and nice blog template for this blog please email us.

[6] All said, lets have fun!

-Gp 2005-