Well,I was thinking,one day,as to how I could reduce the size of my pictures on my comp as they were taking a large amount of space.I searched on the internet and the results that popped up either were of evaluation software or they were obnoxiously priced.
After a lot of searching around I came across one little gem of a software called PictureTray.This "Slim" software,as I have called it before, is "Slim" because it weighs just 335Kb.Yes..., as little a 335Kb.Though you wont be able to do anything spectacular this software offers a very good alternative to users who are looking for software to reduce the resolution of pictures.
The interface is very elementary and precise and the software offers the options of either resizing or rotating the pictures.We can either use the scales provided in the software or provide our own output resolution.
The software requires no installation and if you want to uninstall all you have to do is delete the file you have downloaded.Simple, ain't it . Some websites allow only pictures of a certain resolution to be uploaded and that is where the true use of this software arises.It seamlessly reduces the resolution of the pictures and the quality of the output is pretty the much the same as the original picture and the size is also reduced considerably.It also enables the use of multiple files and the output files can be copied on to the computer by a simple Drag-Drop
The software is FREE and can be downloaded from Picture Tray.
I happened to come across this website , www.freepoverty.com and am really impressed with this site.
Their main aim , is to provide clean , drinking water to the world's poorest people. This is how it works.
The site has a virtual World map. You will be asked to locate a particular place on the map. For example , if you are asked to locate London,United Kingdom , you will have to use the mouse and pin point the place which you feel is London.
The site monitors the accuracy of your answers , and depending on how close or far you have clicked from the actual position, you will be awarded cups of water. 0 being the least , and 10 being the maximum.
Now, these cups of water will be donated to poor people across the world, to end their thirst. If you manage to score , say 50 cups today , you will have actually donated 50 cups to the needy people,free of cost ,as the Website's sponsors meet all expenses.
Not only do you donate water for free to poor people, you also get to improve your general knowledge by answering the questions. Please give it a thought.
For more details, visit http://www.freepoverty.com
Have you felt grateful for the food you eat so happily , everyday ? We all hog to our heart's content , at every opportunity which comes by.. But....
There are millions of people in the world , who die of extreme hunger , owing to poverty. There are many instances of people starving to death, being reported regularly. An estimated 25,000 people die everyday due to hunger-related problems.We have to realize the fact , that we are lucky to have easy access to good and healthy food everyday.
It is our prime duty and responsibility to help the poor and the hungry people of the world. Here is one website that can make a difference.
FreeRice , is a Non-profit organization , which works in collaboration with the United Nations World Food Programme , to help feed the starving people of the world.
The website has a quiz , consisting of multiple choice questions , across many topics like English,Chemistry etc.. For every correct answer you give , the website donates 20 grains of rice on your behalf. Now , the best thing is , you don't have to spend a single penny. All the expenses are met by the Site's sponsors . All you have to do is keep playing the quiz , as much as possible in your spare time , and answer as many questions as possible.
Not only will your knowledge increase , you would have contributed towards eradicating hunger from the world.
Please do visit FreeRice.com and start contributing. And spread the word.
Did you ever feel the need to stand up to the injustice in other countries, but didn't have any idea as to how to go about it? Did you ever feel the need to raise your voice against the pro-rich policies of our governments?Or, did you ever wish to stand up and say "Hey, What you're doing is wrong" ?
Well, Avaaz.org is a forum that will help you in this regard.Avaaz which necessarily means "Voice" in many Asian languages is an organization that does take itself seriously.I have been a member of the organization myself for more than a year and a half and have had the opportunity to speak out against the atrocities in Darfur, The Tibetan Cause and a variety of other campaigns as well.
Join and support Avaaz as they take up people-centric issues of global importance and raise you "Avaaz". We can register for receiving Avaaz campaigns here Avaaz.org.Make sure that you ask your like-minded friends to join in as well.
The signing up and taking part in the campaign process hardly takes more than 10 minutes and that is the least we can do to speak out from the relative comfort of our homes with our PC's.Each campaign aims to garner a specific number of votes after which each vote statement is printed out and delivered to either the respective embassies of the erring countries or in other ways, but our vote is always accounted for.Visit the www.avaaz.org site for a more detailed list of their campaigns conducted and the goals and motives of the organization.
So,Wake Up.Speak Out.Let's Raise our AVAAZ!!
Click here to sign up---> Avaaz.org
Let's take a look at one of the most interesting and rather useful piece of artwork.
One way I read about, in some magazine, to increase concentration power of the brain was by using the Srichakra. The Srichakra is an ancient Indian symbol or design which consists of a concentric series of triangles cumulating in one singular triangle at the center. There are 43 triangles in all.
The Srichakra or the Sriyantra, as it is sometimes reffered to, has a large number of fables and stories weaved around it. To each his Own, I guess. Well, some look at it from a religious perspective others from an artistic.But the fact remains that the Srichakra remains an integral part of Hindu Mythology. It is quite commonplace to find a Srichakra in many Hindu temples. The intricate and complex design of the Srichakra has also been explained in many different ways ranging from the religious to various other aspects.The concept of the Srichakra has been studied by various scholars and philosophers to understand the design, effects and the history behind the yantra.
I have a Srichakra at my home which I obtained from the magazine in which I read about the yantra. The power of concentration can be increased by focussing at the central dot in the Srichakra, which is located in the central triangle of the Srichakra. I was skeptical at first of this exercise but still decided to give it a try and I have to say that it has worked for me quite well. I guess the reason for this is that it is almost impossible to maintain focus on the dot during the first instance, due to the complex geometry of the yantra. At first it was quite difficult to maintain the focus as my eyes would keep moving away to other parts of the yantra.But with constant effort i have been able to progress further. This activity does not need much time as well. I have found that practising this technique 5 minutes a day has helped in improving my concentration.I hope u guys can reap the benefits of this technique as well.
There are other ways of increasing concentration such as meditation, yoga etc. but they can be quite time consuming.Subliminal messages and binaural beats have also been found to provide good results. There are many articles on the internet that relate the apparent power of the Srichakra to various aspects such as the Pyramidal shapes in the figure etc..They all make for a good read and I actually find my intigue growing , the more I read about it.I hope u guys can reap the benefits of this technique as well.Cheers.
Another Indian to add to the list of the Man Booker Prize winners!!It's great news for all us Indians and especially sweeter for us Chennaiites as Chennai is where Mr.Aravind Adiga was born.
Aravind Adiga won the Booker prize for the year 2008 for his novel "The White Tiger", which incidentally is his debut novel.He is one of the select few who have won this award during their debut.Another well known face in India who achieved the same feat was Ms.Arundhati Roy for her novel "The God Of Small Things".Mr. Adiga joins the elite list of Man Booker prize winners from India which contains some stalwarts of the literary world such as V.S.Naipaul(Indian Ancestry) and Salman Rushdie among others.
The White Tiger is a novel about a villager who will go to any means to escape from his impoverished life in the village and harbors thoughts of making it big in the city.The book is a study about the Rural-Urban divide in India and the divide between the rich and the poor.Mr. Adiga has dedicated his award to the city of Delhi as it was in Delhi where he spent most part of his life and the book is about the capital city itself.
Some of the other Indian authors who have won this prestigious award are V.S.Naipaul, Kiran Desai, Salman Rushdie and Arundhati Roy. The award comes with a 50,000 pound cash award as well.
Kudos to Mr.Aravind Adiga and all the best to him in the future !!
Sourav Ganguly , or DADA as he is fondly called , was at a press conference in Bangalore , and was fielding obscure questions from journos as usual. Just when everyone thought the conference was over , DADA said " Just once last thing lads" , and dropped a rather devastating bomb , albeit a silent one. He announced the India-Australia series would be his last.
This tiny comment , shocked the entire country , and everything went silent. It was only sometime later in the evening that day, that I finally realized the gravity of the situation.
One of India's finest cricketers , had just decided to hang up his worn out boots , which had weathered many a storm , both in Cricket and in his personal life. Am yet to come to terms with this announcement , as a devotee of Indian Cricket.
The man , who will be remembered as India's finest and toughest captain , has been through a lot. Right from his glorious Test debut at the hallowed turf at Lords , more than a decade ago , his professional life has seen many ups and downs. The tag of "The Prince Of Kolkata" , was definitely a weight on his already burdened shoulders.
Bengal's favourite son , attracted huge crowds wherever he went. The Eden Gardens at Kolkata , went into a state of frenzy , everytime their local lad took the field. Every stadium in India , has witnessed the Ganguly magic. I personally have witnessed his divine batting style , at the M.A.Chidambaram Stadium (Chepauk) , in Chennai , many times , right from my
childhood days. Every shot of his , be it a defensive stroke , or a magnificent stride down the pitch to hit the ball for a glorious sixer , was applauded by passionate crowds , wherever he played.
His fans will be in a state of shock , after his decision to retire. We always knew it was around the corner , but still, this sent shock waves around the country. I had gone to the India v/s South Africa test match , at Chepauk recently to join the thousands of passionate fans in cheering the Indian Team ,as usual. But I had no clue this would be my last look at Dada ,from such close quarters.
We have seen many incidents , both on and off the cricket field , which might have upset him. But Dada is not one to be bogged down by controversies and mindless rumours. And as loyal fans , we are always behind him.
Dada ,not only did we stand in the queues at un-earthly hours , to get tickets for India's matches to watch you play , but we also stood by you , during bad times , like the Chappell incident.
Dada, your blazing comeback to international cricket after a rather long gap ,was one of the happiest moments , for any fan of Indian Cricket. It showed us what true determination was , it led us to believe that nothing is impossible , if you truly put your heart in it and give it your best shot.
Dada , we braved the elements , like early morning cold weather, rain, Chennai's blazing temperature and humidity , and mosquitoes , in the ticket queues , to watch you, up close. Every time we chanted your name when you were fielding in the deep, near our stand in the stadium, you waved back at us , with that beautiful smile of yours.
Dada, whenever you came out to bat , many like-minded Indians like us across the world , expected a lot. It is impossible to score in every match , but you showed us your class ,more often than not.
Dada, your bowling too , has given us immense satisfaction on many occasions. You had the uncanny knack of picking up wickets ,when least expected. I will never forget the 5 wickets you took against Pakistan in 1999 , for a paltry 16 runs.
Dada , whenever you took the field as captain of the team , we sat and watched the matches with the feeling that Indian Cricket was in safe hands.
Dada , not only are you a great cricketer and captain , but you will also be remembered as the man who nurtured young talent. Your belief in the youngsters like Pathan and Yuvraj when they were newbies, was criticized by few. But those so called "critics" , will hang their heads in shame , as the future of Indian Cricket , after stalwarts like you are gone , looks bright , thanks to you.
Dada , whenever there was some controversy about you , we fully supported you , as we knew that our Dada was a man of integrity. And you never let us down. Not once.
Dada , when the Chappell incident occurred, we were shocked . I was personally upset to see you in the Pepsi Advertisement , saying that you will always be behind the team , and cheer the Men In Blue. I was on top of the world , when you made your comeback , after such a dark phase , and showed us what true champions are made of.
Dada , whenever your integrity and attitude was in doubt , you let your famed willow do the talking. And silenced the "critics" , on many occasions.
Dada , when the team started off badly in the 2003 World cup in South Africa and people started writing you off , you did not take the criticism to heart. Instead , you led the team to the Finals of the event , and we are proud of you.
Dada , everytime you reached a half century or century and raised your bat, it raised our spirits, even though we might have had a bad day at School,College, or Office.
Dada , we were as dejected as you visibly were, when you did not score runs in your games. But we never lost faith in your ability. As the cliche goes, " Form is temporary , class is permanent".
Dada , we firmly believe that you truly are "The God of the Off-Side" . It is hard to come across flamboyant cricketers like you. And when you score on the off side of the field, it is definitely poetry in motion.
Dada whenever you came up on stage to receive a Winner's trophy , as Captain of the Team , our joy knew no bounds.
Dada , last ,but by no means the least , we will never forget the Natwest trophy Final at Lords . Your shirt waving incident , might have been shunned by "critics" , but we as fans ,lapped it up completely , as we were truly overjoyed when India managed to pull off the impossible , that memorable day.
That image will forever be remembered , reflecting your boldness and hard-as-steel spirit and attitude.
Dada , the India v/s Australia series is upon us . I am deeply disturbed at the thought of not being able to see you live , knowing that this would have been your last match in Chennai , cheering you at Chepauk , and screaming " DADA , DADA !!" , like I have done on numerous occasions.
I have every reason to feel dejected at your retirement ,as a fan. But... NO !!
This series should be treated as a celebration of an illustrious career. I will be following the series with utmost interest , and I will be delighted if you sign-off in remarkable style.
However , I assure you Dada , that if , GOD FORBID ( !! ) , you don't score , we as fans will not be let down. As I said , I look forward to the series as a glorious end to such a remarkable career.
I will give you a standing ovation , when you walk out of the pavilion , for the last time . And I am at a loss of words to predict and describe my feelings , when you leave the field for the last time.
Dada , I would like to tell you that we as fans of Indian cricket will forever be indebted to you , for your immense contribution to India's favourite sport. The joy you have given us , over the years , is priceless.
Dada , I wish you all the very best in life. The blessings of countless Indian Cricket fans , will forever be with you.
Everyone in India , from Chennai to Chandigarh , from Mumbai to Meerut , from Gandhinagar to Gangtok ,from Kochi to your dear Kolkata , will miss you .
Thank you Dada , for all the wonderful memories . God bless you.
The Royal Bengal Tiger ,might stop roaring after this series , but the roar will forever stay in the hearts of Indians across the world.
DADA , you rock !!!!!!
Cheers
A DIE-HARD INDIAN CRICKET FAN
