Archives October 2013

Before the early 1990s, the Internet was primarily a text-based medium as bitmap (binary data) images were too large to easily download or distribute. This all changed with the introduction in 1992 of the JPEG—a new standard for compressing the size of images. These days the term JPEG is well known, but surprisingly it was not meant to be the name of a picture format. The term comes from the Joint Photographic Experts Group, the international organization set up in 1986 that came up with the standard compression algorithm responsible for reducing the amount of memory JPEG pictures take up. Technically, the JPEG format is called JFIF, for JPEG Pile Interchange Format, but the name never stuck. JPEG works by converting the pixels of a color image into blocks of pixels, and then taking an average of the values of the brightness and color of these blocks so that less more...

Development of human beings and music are closely related. Music is one of the areas of organised stimuli in patterns of deep meaning and influence that stands at or very near the apex of humanness. Music is an evolutionary contributor to human beings. For example, crude tools have been found and evidence indicates that the Zinjanthropus (an early progenitor of man)used them in Eastern Africa about 1.7 million years ago. Part ofany human being's culture is music. Music has a biological basis as well as a cultural basis. Einstein stated, " The most incomprehensible thing about the world is that it is comprehensible." In other words, without the comprehensibly of the outside world there would be no music. The full fruit of our potential for humanness can never be attained unless we grow and develop within a rich musical environment. Music is simply innate, humans cannot escape the formation of more...

When Gandhiji assumed India's leadership the average life span of an Indian woman was only twenty-seven years. Babies and the pregnant women ran a high risk of dying young. Child marriage was very common and widows were in very large number. Only 2% of the women had any kind of education and women did not have an identity of their own In North India, they practiced the Purda (veil) system. Women could not go out of the house unless accompanied by men and the face covered with cloth. The fortunate ones who could go to school had to commute in covered carts (tangas). It is in this context that we have to recognise the miracle of Gandhi's work. Gandhiji claimed that a woman is completely equal to a man and practiced it in strict sense. Thousands and millions of women, educated and illiterate, house wives and widows, students and elderly more...

The debate on abortion and the role of a liberal law in a country like India must take cognisance, at the very least, of the provision of general health care services. With about 73% of India's population living in rural areas, the provision of free, rational and universally accessible health care is crucially important at all times to all people (which includes the women who experience morbidity following abortions). However, the foregoing review shows that basic health care services, leave alone abortion services, are beyond the reach of many. Moreover, the 'conveyor belt' approach that most approved centres adopt only ends up making abortion services insensitive to the women who demand them. For a liberalised law to be effective in providing free, safe and humane abortions on demand, it needs to be accompanied by other social inputs like greater empowerment of women especially  in their control over their bodies and more...

In this new age of development we take simple things like a telephone, a refrigerator, or a car for granted. We live in a world of luxuries and comforts compared to the average person in the 19th century. Let's say you were born prior to 1945. Just stop and consider the changes you might have witnessed. You were before television, before penicillin, frozen foods, Xerox copiers, contact lenses, and the Pill. You were before radar, credit cards, split atoms, ball point pens, dishwashers, air conditioners, and before man walked on the Moon. You never heard of F.M. radio, tape decks, electric typewriters, artificial hearts, yoghurt and blokes with earrings! Pizzas, Instant Coffee and McDonalds weren't heard of. Today's world is growing ever dependent on technology. The telephone for example is something we all take for granted. Every house is expected to have one and if we find there is no more...

Controllers and disengagers really know how to mess up a family. Controllers are those people who must have their way. Disengagers let them have their way, but usually find a way to turn the controllers' triumphs into hollow victories. The controller says, 'It's my way or the highway.' The disengager says, 'you can have your way, but I won't let you savour the conquest. Men are often, though not always, the family controllers. To a degree, they have a point. The mythology does make the husband and father, the family's leader, but he is not an arbitrary controller. Nothing in the scriptures ever suggests that a husband has the right to become a tyrant. He's not the Napoleon of the family. He is to love his wife as his own body. Controllers are arrogant, hostile, self-centred, demanding despots. God did not authorize tyranny in the family or anywhere else. The more...

The term 'power' means the probability that a person within a social relationship will be in a position to carry out his own will, despite resistance. Whereas, a poor person is expressed in the form of certain acts ranging from persuasion to physical force to exploitation and is always backed by sanctions which may be of mild or harsh nature depending on the gravity of situation. One distinctive characteristic of power allocation is that it is not possible to enjoy it by all the members of the society, rather a few members of the society are enjoying it. It is because of the simple reason that power involves a reciprocal relationship between two groups of individuals i.e. those who enjoy it and on the other hand to whom it is exercised. Man is by nature power gaudy. In fact, the history of human civilization is, in other words, the history more...

India has always remained land where every one existed with one another. India has had the unique capacity of accepting the people of every religion in its folds. That's why India is emerging leaves and bounds. In 1957, the British annexed Bengal. Then they started British rule which lasted for 200 years. British were able to conquer India because the Indians were divided among themselves. So they were successful in playing the policy of divide and rule. Hence it was after 1947 that Sardar Vallabbhai Patel undertook the national integration of Indian union successfully. The next integration was emotional in nature. Despite the efforts made by our fore fathers, communal forces have tried to disturb the country's peace and establishment. Kashmir problem has always dominated all the issues. Kashmir is the integral part of India but Pakistan has tried several times to capture it. It failed in its every attempt. more...

Students' life is best part of one's life. This is the phase when you have no responsibilities. You just have to study and explore new things. Earlier there hardly used to be mischievous students but the present generation students are becoming more misbehaving and disobedient. They don't follow the rules and regulations of school. They perhaps believe that it is an achievement on their part if they break rules and make their own set of rules. Respect for teachers is not their cup of tea. Only thing now students are interested in is to catch up with latest fashion and styles. Cinema, TV and media directly influence students' life. Whatever they see in movies in all they think is reality. But reality actually is different which they are unable to analyze. While watching television and cinema they get more interested into stuff like smoking, crime, wrestling and fighting. Their role more...

There is a very popular saying that 'Practice makes a man perfect.' The saying is true in every aspect. Until a person practices, he /she cannot attain perfection. For example, when we try to ride a bicycle for the first time, we do not even know how to balance ourselves properly but with the time and loads of practicing, we learn to drive a bicycle. Similarly we can use another example to prove our statement is, when we put in a lot of effort while studying, we can achieve our desired goals. Sometimes people find mathematics to be very tough and dreadful. This is because they do not practice mathematical calculations. One should imbibe the habit of practicing mathematical calculations again and again and then person can become perfect in the calculations. So is the case with language, to perfect a language practice is must. Practicing is also important in more...