An appeal from Wikipedia founder, Jimmy Wales
Dear Reader,
Today I am going to ask you to support Wikipedia with a donation. This might sound unusual: Why does one of the world's five most popular web properties ask for financial support from its users?
Wikipedia is built differently from almost every other top 50 website. We have a small number of paid staff, just twenty-three. Wikipedia content is free to use by anyone for any purpose. Our annual expenses are less than six million dollars. Wikipedia is run by the non-profit Wikimedia Foundation, which I founded in 2003.
At its core, Wikipedia is driven by a global community of more than 150,000 volunteers - all dedicated to sharing knowledge freely. Over almost eight years, these volunteers have contributed more than 11 million articles in 265 languages. More than 275 million people come to our website every month to access information, free of charge and free of advertising.
But Wikipedia is more than a website. We share a common cause: Imagine a world in which every single person on the planet is given free access to the sum of all human knowledge. That's our commitment.
Your donation helps us in several ways. Most importantly, you will help us cover the increasing cost of managing global traffic to one of the most popular websites on the Internet. Funds also help us improve the software that runs Wikipedia -- making it easier to search, easier to read, and easier to write for. We are committed to growing the free knowledge movement world-wide, by recruiting new volunteers, and building strategic partnerships with institutions of culture and learning.
Wikipedia is different. It's the largest encyclopedia in history, written by volunteers. Like a national park or a school, we don't believe advertising should have a place in Wikipedia. We want to keep it free and strong, but we need the support of thousands of people like you.
I invite you to join us: Your donation will help keep Wikipedia free for the whole world.
Thank you,
Jimmy Wales
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Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Saturday, December 13, 2008
Miss India 2008 is Miss World 2008 first runner's up!
Parvathy makes India proud! When the fingers were crossed across the world to hear the name of their country’s representative, Pantaloons
Miss World 2008, Winner Miss Russia: Ksenia Sukhinova Femina Miss India World’08 Parvathy Omanakuttan made Indians proud standing tall as the first runner-up at the Miss World 2008 contest. She was also the 2 nd runner-up at the Miss World Top Model contest that took place on December 3 at Walter Sisulu Square of Dedication in Soweto, South Africa. 32 semifinalists competed in the event Miss World 2008: Winners The final verdict is out,
here are the results:
Miss World 2008, Winner Miss Russia: Ksenia Sukhinova
Miss World 2008, First runner-up: Pantaloons Femina Miss India World’08: Parvathy Omanakuttam Miss World 2008,
Second runner-up: Miss Trinidad & Tobago: Gabrielle Walcott
The hosts & the jury Hosts for the evening Tumisho Masha and Angela Chow, are looking great in black tuxedo and a gorgeous golden gown, respectively. The panel of judges include: Albin Beart (France), Andre Sleigh (Taiwan), Fahad Khan (Pakistan), H.K. Lee (China), Jimmy Steele (Canada), Jean Vandecasteele (Belgium), Martina Aubrechtova (Czech R.), Marjukka Nieminen (Finland), Jose Cinqueterra (Philippines), Sean Spurrier (South Africa), David Iza (Mexico), EJ Toledo (Puerto Rico), Josi Watkins (Ghana), Marcelo Stein (Argentina), Carmen Wu (Hong Kong), Arturo Gallo (Spain), Roberto Rodriguez (Costa Rica) and Patrick Tripoldi (USA)
Parvathy omanakuttan Profile:
Age:20 yrs
Height:5' 8.5"
Stats:32-27-36
Occupation: South Indian Model and Beauty Queen
Pavarthy Omanakuttan was born in Kottayam, Kerala but now lives in Mumbai. She is an athletic model. Her hobbies include: listening to music, dancing, glass painting, reading and playing basketball & badminton. Her name is often misspelled as Pavarthi Omanakuttan or Parvati Omanakuttan. She was crowned Pantaloons Femina Miss India World 2008 in Mumbai on 5th April 2008. A few weeks earlier at a star-studded ceremony at the Hyderabad International Convention Centre, amidst bated breath and throbbing hearts, Parvathy Omanakuttan was crowned the first ever Pantaloons Femina Miss India South 2008. Winning the PFMIS 2008 contest got her direct entry in the top 10 finalists of the Pantaloons Femina Miss India 2008.
During the Questions & Answers round of the contest, she was asked about the rate of divorce in India, whether the reason for the rise was due to western cultural influences and the following answer won her the judges vote:"Divorces are not a result of western influence. At the end of the day, it is we who decide whose worth us. Marriage is not when one completes the other but is when both share their completeness."
Miss World 2008, Winner Miss Russia: Ksenia Sukhinova Femina Miss India World’08 Parvathy Omanakuttan made Indians proud standing tall as the first runner-up at the Miss World 2008 contest. She was also the 2 nd runner-up at the Miss World Top Model contest that took place on December 3 at Walter Sisulu Square of Dedication in Soweto, South Africa. 32 semifinalists competed in the event Miss World 2008: Winners The final verdict is out,
here are the results:
Miss World 2008, Winner Miss Russia: Ksenia Sukhinova
Miss World 2008, First runner-up: Pantaloons Femina Miss India World’08: Parvathy Omanakuttam Miss World 2008,
Second runner-up: Miss Trinidad & Tobago: Gabrielle Walcott
The hosts & the jury Hosts for the evening Tumisho Masha and Angela Chow, are looking great in black tuxedo and a gorgeous golden gown, respectively. The panel of judges include: Albin Beart (France), Andre Sleigh (Taiwan), Fahad Khan (Pakistan), H.K. Lee (China), Jimmy Steele (Canada), Jean Vandecasteele (Belgium), Martina Aubrechtova (Czech R.), Marjukka Nieminen (Finland), Jose Cinqueterra (Philippines), Sean Spurrier (South Africa), David Iza (Mexico), EJ Toledo (Puerto Rico), Josi Watkins (Ghana), Marcelo Stein (Argentina), Carmen Wu (Hong Kong), Arturo Gallo (Spain), Roberto Rodriguez (Costa Rica) and Patrick Tripoldi (USA)
Parvathy omanakuttan Profile:
Age:20 yrs
Height:5' 8.5"
Stats:32-27-36
Occupation: South Indian Model and Beauty Queen
Pavarthy Omanakuttan was born in Kottayam, Kerala but now lives in Mumbai. She is an athletic model. Her hobbies include: listening to music, dancing, glass painting, reading and playing basketball & badminton. Her name is often misspelled as Pavarthi Omanakuttan or Parvati Omanakuttan. She was crowned Pantaloons Femina Miss India World 2008 in Mumbai on 5th April 2008. A few weeks earlier at a star-studded ceremony at the Hyderabad International Convention Centre, amidst bated breath and throbbing hearts, Parvathy Omanakuttan was crowned the first ever Pantaloons Femina Miss India South 2008. Winning the PFMIS 2008 contest got her direct entry in the top 10 finalists of the Pantaloons Femina Miss India 2008.
During the Questions & Answers round of the contest, she was asked about the rate of divorce in India, whether the reason for the rise was due to western cultural influences and the following answer won her the judges vote:"Divorces are not a result of western influence. At the end of the day, it is we who decide whose worth us. Marriage is not when one completes the other but is when both share their completeness."
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Global Problems: When we will have time for these!
These are some problems which will be there against us and we will have to face them more urgently, India and other countries are doing some work in this area but still alot of scope remains. this is the race against time, Earth and Living.
Pollution: Each kind of pollution- air, noise, water- has significant impacts to our everyday lives, affecting all living and non-living factors in the biosphere and the atmosphere and also involve socio-economic factors. These impacts have caused significant changes to the environment we are living in.
Deforestation: They are the earth’s largest depository of natural resources and house half of the planet’s dryland species. But man’s greed is putting a saw through the fragile ecosystem and over the years half of the world’s forests have been transformed into a concrete jungle. Indiscriminate felling of trees for fuel and timber or for housing and agriculture purposes has gone on unabated despite the clichés mouthed by environmentalists and a line of successive governments.
Soil Erosion: Floods and soil erosion are two of India's greatest problems. Neither is new, but there can be no doubt that in recent years floods are taking an increasing toll on crops and the rapid progress of soil erosion in different parts of the country has caused grave concern. India is thought to be losing 4.7 billion tons of topsoil a year, mostly through water erosion. Its monsoonal climate, with the concentration of rainfall during a few months of the year, leaves its exposed soils vulnerable to erosion. About 60 percent of soil that is washed away ends up in rivers, streams and lakes, making waterways more prone to flooding and to contamination from soil's fertilizers and pesticides. Soil erosion also reduces the ability of soil to store water and support plant growth, thereby reducing its ability to support biodiversity.
Land Degradation: Decline in land quality caused by human activities has been a major global issue during the 20th century and will remain high on the international agenda in the 21st century. The importance of land degradation among global issues is enhanced because of its impact on world food security and quality of the environment. High population density is not necessarily related to land degradation; it is what a population does to the land that determines the extent of degradation. People can be a major asset in reversing a trend towards degradation. However, they need to be healthy and politically and economically motivated to care for the land, as subsistence agriculture, poverty, and illiteracy can be important causes of land and environmental degradation.
Waste Management: Urban India is likely to face a massive waste disposal problem in the coming years. Until now, the problem of waste has been seen as one of cleaning and disposing as rubbish. But a closer look at the current and future scenario reveals that waste needs to be treated holistically, recognising its natural resource roots as well as health impacts. Waste can be wealth, which has tremendous potential not only for generating livelihoods for the urban poor but can also enrich the earth through composting and recycling rather than spreading pollution as has been the case. Increasing urban migration and a high density of population will make waste management a difficult issue to handle in the near future, if a new paradigm for approaching it is not created.
Increasing Energy Consumption: India faces a huge energy deficit: till 2001, only 44 per cent of Indian households had access to electricity. But consumption’s galloping: between 1947 and 2001, India’s per capita power consumption rose from 15 to 592 units. If India has to move ahead economically, it must find ways to bridge the deficit.
High Carbon Emissions: Carbon dioxide emissions are causing the Earth’s climate to change and warm, which will have catastrophic results if we do not act to reduce them. Carbon dioxide emissions in our atmosphere are at their highest levels in recorded history, spanning over 650,000 years. The effects of climate change can be seen now. Temperatures are increasing, glaciers are receding at unprecedented speeds and storms are becoming more frequent and severe
Pollution: Each kind of pollution- air, noise, water- has significant impacts to our everyday lives, affecting all living and non-living factors in the biosphere and the atmosphere and also involve socio-economic factors. These impacts have caused significant changes to the environment we are living in.
Deforestation: They are the earth’s largest depository of natural resources and house half of the planet’s dryland species. But man’s greed is putting a saw through the fragile ecosystem and over the years half of the world’s forests have been transformed into a concrete jungle. Indiscriminate felling of trees for fuel and timber or for housing and agriculture purposes has gone on unabated despite the clichés mouthed by environmentalists and a line of successive governments.
Soil Erosion: Floods and soil erosion are two of India's greatest problems. Neither is new, but there can be no doubt that in recent years floods are taking an increasing toll on crops and the rapid progress of soil erosion in different parts of the country has caused grave concern. India is thought to be losing 4.7 billion tons of topsoil a year, mostly through water erosion. Its monsoonal climate, with the concentration of rainfall during a few months of the year, leaves its exposed soils vulnerable to erosion. About 60 percent of soil that is washed away ends up in rivers, streams and lakes, making waterways more prone to flooding and to contamination from soil's fertilizers and pesticides. Soil erosion also reduces the ability of soil to store water and support plant growth, thereby reducing its ability to support biodiversity.
Land Degradation: Decline in land quality caused by human activities has been a major global issue during the 20th century and will remain high on the international agenda in the 21st century. The importance of land degradation among global issues is enhanced because of its impact on world food security and quality of the environment. High population density is not necessarily related to land degradation; it is what a population does to the land that determines the extent of degradation. People can be a major asset in reversing a trend towards degradation. However, they need to be healthy and politically and economically motivated to care for the land, as subsistence agriculture, poverty, and illiteracy can be important causes of land and environmental degradation.
Waste Management: Urban India is likely to face a massive waste disposal problem in the coming years. Until now, the problem of waste has been seen as one of cleaning and disposing as rubbish. But a closer look at the current and future scenario reveals that waste needs to be treated holistically, recognising its natural resource roots as well as health impacts. Waste can be wealth, which has tremendous potential not only for generating livelihoods for the urban poor but can also enrich the earth through composting and recycling rather than spreading pollution as has been the case. Increasing urban migration and a high density of population will make waste management a difficult issue to handle in the near future, if a new paradigm for approaching it is not created.
Increasing Energy Consumption: India faces a huge energy deficit: till 2001, only 44 per cent of Indian households had access to electricity. But consumption’s galloping: between 1947 and 2001, India’s per capita power consumption rose from 15 to 592 units. If India has to move ahead economically, it must find ways to bridge the deficit.
High Carbon Emissions: Carbon dioxide emissions are causing the Earth’s climate to change and warm, which will have catastrophic results if we do not act to reduce them. Carbon dioxide emissions in our atmosphere are at their highest levels in recorded history, spanning over 650,000 years. The effects of climate change can be seen now. Temperatures are increasing, glaciers are receding at unprecedented speeds and storms are becoming more frequent and severe
Thursday, December 4, 2008
Tackle terror without Error!
Terror attacks on mumbai has finally opened eyes of people in India. Media also played very responsible part in the whole situation ( except the wrongly portrayed Deputy CM' s speech)
Now blame game has started and everyone is busy in blaming each other for this attack. Politicians being targeted over actual Terrorists and pakistan. Do they really deserve this? i think Not in this case but yes for many other reasons and for our lack of development. but when i think about this, i feel i should look at other prospective as well.
So all the political leaders are trying to tackle the situation: If people in Mumbai and Many other cities could gather and pay homage to brave soldiers who have died in this mission without any ad in the news paper or press conference just sheer mouth to mouth publicity then PM's all party meeting call was simply neglected by BJP, the prominent Opposition party. Cant they just at least come and sit for the meeting. Shame on you guys.
10 days after this attack, congress just couldn't come to conclusion about who is going to be next Chief minister of maharashtra. Is this so difficult? then when and how you will tackle the terror.
for last 2 days, Maharashtra state doesn't have CM, deputy Cm and Home minister. and this is not all to solve this question our 3 central ministers are burning mid night oil. our external affairs minister and defence minister and agriculture minister has no other work but to try to gain majority for some candidate for maharashtra Cm and dep Cm posts. Which question is more important? Terror or CM? Shame on you.
According to important steps which should be taken right now are:stop trading with pakistan, stop all sorts of transports between india and pakistan including train and buses, Increase the army near pak and bangladesh borders, Make all bangladeshis to go there home land, tighten the security in all the prime cities, equip state police with better equipments at least 2 AK 47 at every police station. There should be at least 1 constable at every prime location in the city 24x7. CCTV cameras should be there at every nook and corner and 24x7 surveillance should be maintained. Intelligence agencies should be there at every city and there should be weekly review with central IB.
We, the people should also cooperate with police in there checking and by staying alert. Its our responsibility to follow all the rules and regulation and to start respecting Law and judiciary system. Lets make India, better place for living and then we can focus on our real troubles like poverty and education.
Now blame game has started and everyone is busy in blaming each other for this attack. Politicians being targeted over actual Terrorists and pakistan. Do they really deserve this? i think Not in this case but yes for many other reasons and for our lack of development. but when i think about this, i feel i should look at other prospective as well.
So all the political leaders are trying to tackle the situation: If people in Mumbai and Many other cities could gather and pay homage to brave soldiers who have died in this mission without any ad in the news paper or press conference just sheer mouth to mouth publicity then PM's all party meeting call was simply neglected by BJP, the prominent Opposition party. Cant they just at least come and sit for the meeting. Shame on you guys.
10 days after this attack, congress just couldn't come to conclusion about who is going to be next Chief minister of maharashtra. Is this so difficult? then when and how you will tackle the terror.
for last 2 days, Maharashtra state doesn't have CM, deputy Cm and Home minister. and this is not all to solve this question our 3 central ministers are burning mid night oil. our external affairs minister and defence minister and agriculture minister has no other work but to try to gain majority for some candidate for maharashtra Cm and dep Cm posts. Which question is more important? Terror or CM? Shame on you.
According to important steps which should be taken right now are:stop trading with pakistan, stop all sorts of transports between india and pakistan including train and buses, Increase the army near pak and bangladesh borders, Make all bangladeshis to go there home land, tighten the security in all the prime cities, equip state police with better equipments at least 2 AK 47 at every police station. There should be at least 1 constable at every prime location in the city 24x7. CCTV cameras should be there at every nook and corner and 24x7 surveillance should be maintained. Intelligence agencies should be there at every city and there should be weekly review with central IB.
We, the people should also cooperate with police in there checking and by staying alert. Its our responsibility to follow all the rules and regulation and to start respecting Law and judiciary system. Lets make India, better place for living and then we can focus on our real troubles like poverty and education.
Monday, December 1, 2008
Use your power.. Vote no one! but by visiting polling booth!
We do have Right to vote no one 49-O constitution of India.
Section 49-O of the Constitution (Your Right to vote for Nobody; Or reject all the candidates in the fray)Did you know that there is a system in our constitution, as per the 1969 act, in section "49-O" that a person can go to the polling booth, confirm his identity, get his finger marked and convey the presiding election officer that he doesn't want to vote anyone! Yes such a feature is available, but obviously these seemingly notorious leaders have never disclosed it. This is called "49-O". Why should you go and say "I VOTE NOBODY"... because, in a ward, if a candidate wins, say by 123 votes, and that particular ward has received "49-O" votes more than 123, then that polling will be cancelled and will have to be re-polled. Not only that, but the candidature of the contestants will be removed and they cannot contest the re-polling, since people had already expressed their decision on them. This would bring fear into parties and hence look for genuine candidates for their parties for election. This would change the way, of our whole political system... it is seemingly surprising why the election commission has not revealed such a feature to the public.... Please spread this news to as many as you know... Seems to be a wonderful weapon against corrupt parties in India... show your power, expressing your desire not to vote for anybody, is even more powerful than voting... so don't miss your chance.
Section 49-O of the Constitution (Your Right to vote for Nobody; Or reject all the candidates in the fray)Did you know that there is a system in our constitution, as per the 1969 act, in section "49-O" that a person can go to the polling booth, confirm his identity, get his finger marked and convey the presiding election officer that he doesn't want to vote anyone! Yes such a feature is available, but obviously these seemingly notorious leaders have never disclosed it. This is called "49-O". Why should you go and say "I VOTE NOBODY"... because, in a ward, if a candidate wins, say by 123 votes, and that particular ward has received "49-O" votes more than 123, then that polling will be cancelled and will have to be re-polled. Not only that, but the candidature of the contestants will be removed and they cannot contest the re-polling, since people had already expressed their decision on them. This would bring fear into parties and hence look for genuine candidates for their parties for election. This would change the way, of our whole political system... it is seemingly surprising why the election commission has not revealed such a feature to the public.... Please spread this news to as many as you know... Seems to be a wonderful weapon against corrupt parties in India... show your power, expressing your desire not to vote for anybody, is even more powerful than voting... so don't miss your chance.
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