Monday, July 31, 2006

Day with a Difference - July 30, 2006


Today's Inspirational Quote:

When you get to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on. - Franklin D. Roosevelt

How does stealth technology work? (HowStuffWorks.com)

The goal of stealth technology is to make an airplane invisible to radar. There are two different ways to create invisibility:


The airplane can be shaped so that any radar signals it reflects are reflected away from the radar equipment.
The airplane can be covered in materials that absorb radar signals.

Most conventional aircraft have a rounded shape. This shape makes them aerodynamic, but it also creates a very efficient radar reflector. The round shape means that no matter where the radar signal hits the plane, some of the signal gets reflected back: A stealth aircraft, on the other hand, is made up of completely flat surfaces and very sharp edges. When a radar signal hits a stealth plane, the signal reflects away at an angle. In addition, surfaces on a stealth aircraft can be treated so they absorb radar energy as well.

The overall result is that a stealth aircraft like an F-117A can have the radar signature of a small bird rather than an airplane. The only exception is when the plane banks -- there will often be a moment when one of the panels of the plane will perfectly reflect a burst of radar energy back to the antenna. The Nighthawk is the world's first operational stealth aircraft. (see attached picture)

Expand your knowledge base

A clean joke to start your week with laughter: In-flight humor

1. From a Southwest Airlines employee.... "There may be 50 ways to leave your lover, but there are only 4 ways out
of this airplane..."

2. From the pilot during his welcome message: "We are pleased to have some of the best flight attendants in the
industry...Unfortunately none of them are on this flight...!

3. Another flight Attendant\'s comment on a less than perfect landing: "We ask you to please remain seated as
Captain Kangaroo bounces us to the terminal."

Have a memorable day and a great week ahead!
Priya

Friday, July 28, 2006

Day with a Difference - July 28, 2006

Today's Inspirational Quote:

Unless we think of others and do something for them, we miss one of the greatest sources of happiness. - Ray Lyman Wilbur

Doing well by doing good - William R.Brody

There is a man who I'd like to tell you about. His name is Sandy Greenberg. In his youth, Sandy was a very good student, but he came from a poor family. And so he went to Columbia University on a scholarship and there he met his roommate who also was receiving financial aid. Now while he was a sophomore at Columbia University, Sandy contracted an eye disease that eventually proved to be glaucoma. But the trouble was, it wasn't detected early enough, and as a result he became legally blind. But something else happened to Sandy that may surprise you. Sandy said that when he lost his sight, his roommate would read his textbooks to him, every night.

And as a result, Sandy went on to graduate with honors. He got a Fulbright Scholarship, and he went off to study at Oxford. He was still quite poor, but he said he had managed to save about five hundred dollars as he went along. His roommate, meanwhile, also went on to graduate school. One day, Sandy got a call from him at Oxford. And his former roommate said, "Sandy I'm really unhappy. I really don't like being in graduate school, and I don't want to do this." "Sandy, I really love to sing. I have a high school friend who plays the guitar. But we need to make a promo record, and in order to do that I need $500."


So Sandy Greenberg told me he took all his life savings and sent it to his roommate. He told me, "You know, what else could I do? He made my life; I needed to help make his life." \nWhat you get will depend a lot on what you give. And that\'s the end of the story of doing well, by doing good. My hope today, as you commence to new beginnings, is you will always keep your eyes open for those opportunities to give and embrace them as your best sure way of doing well.

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A clean joke to sign off your week with laughter

During the \'rush hour\' at Houston\'s Hobby Airport, a flight was delayed due to a mechanical problem. \nSince they needed the gate for another flight, the aircraft was backed away from the gate while the maintenance crew worked on it. The passengers were then told the new gate number, which was some distance away. Everyone moved to the new gate, only to find a third gate had been designated for them. \nAfter some further shuffling, everyone got on board, and as they were settling in, the flight attendant made the standard announcement, \'We apologise for the inconvenience of this last-minute gate change. This flight is going to Washington, \nD.C. If your destination is not Washington, D.C., then you should \'deplane\' at this time.\' \nA very confused-looking and red-faced pilot emerged from the cockpit, carrying his bags. \'Sorry,\' he said, wrong plane.\'

Have a memorable day and a fun-filled weekend!",
Priya

Thursday, July 27, 2006

Day with a Difference - July 27, 2006

Today's Inspirational Quote:

You never change things by fighting the existing reality. To change something, build a new model that makes the existing model obsolete. - Buckminster Fuller

I Wonder - Ankur Bhardwaj

Many times I wonder, why people fight

Does it really matter who's wrong & who's right?
Aren't they just satisfying their ego,
While arguing with their so-called foes?

I wonder if life is so long,
Is the power of love no more strong?
How can silly stupid things like ego dominate love?
Where is the messenger of peace, the beautiful dove?

Excuses people find to ruin their own lives,
It's so strange that even love can be the reason for pulling knives
It makes my heart go sore,
When the dusk of war brings lives that are no more

Only need of the day is love LOVE ….
the zest of life!!!!!

Expand your knowledge base

There are seven parts to this riddle,Each is part of a greater whole.
You see most of these,Everyday as you please:

First is what I did to a book yesterday,
Second mixes with apples.
Third is a shout, then "ouch" you say,
Fourth shares the sound of mean.
Fifth is what the wind had done,
The sixth is often skipped.
The last and final can be called by two names,
If roses are this, then which is the blue one? Scroll down for the answer ....





























The 7 Colors of the Rainbow
Red: read a book
Orange: apples and oranges
Yellow: Yell and Ow
Green: Rhymes with "Mean"
Blue: The wind "blew"
Indigo is often skipped
Violet: Roses are red, Violets are blue.

Have a memorable day!
Priya

Day with a Difference - July 27, 2006

Today's Inspirational Quote:

You never change things by fighting the existing reality. To change something, build a new model that makes the existing model obsolete. - Buckminster Fuller

I Wonder - Ankur Bhardwaj

Many times I wonder, why people fight

Does it really matter who's wrong & who's right?
Aren't they just satisfying their ego,
While arguing with their so-called foes?

I wonder if life is so long,
Is the power of love no more strong?
How can silly stupid things like ego dominate love?
Where is the messenger of peace, the beautiful dove?

Excuses people find to ruin their own lives,
It's so strange that even love can be the reason for pulling knives
It makes my heart go sore,
When the dusk of war brings lives that are no more

Only need of the day is love LOVE ….
the zest of life!!!!!

Expand your knowledge base

There are seven parts to this riddle,Each is part of a greater whole.
You see most of these,Everyday as you please:

First is what I did to a book yesterday,
Second mixes with apples.
Third is a shout, then "ouch" you say,
Fourth shares the sound of mean.
Fifth is what the wind had done,
The sixth is often skipped.
The last and final can be called by two names,
If roses are this, then which is the blue one? Scroll down for the answer ....





























The 7 Colors of the Rainbow
Red: read a book
Orange: apples and oranges
Yellow: Yell and Ow
Green: Rhymes with "Mean"
Blue: The wind "blew"
Indigo is often skipped
Violet: Roses are red, Violets are blue.

Have a memorable day!
Priya

Wednesday, July 26, 2006

Day with a Difference - July 26, 2006

Today's Inspirational Quote:

Any man's life will be filled with constant and unexpected encouragement if he makes up his mind to do his level best each day.

Age is no barrier to success (Cappucino success stories)

He was 65 years old when he received his first social security check of $99. He was broke, and owned a small house and a beat up car. He made a decision that he has got to change. The only idea he had was a chicken recipe, which his friends liked. With that idea in mind, he took massive action. He left his home in Kentucky and traveled to many states in the US to sell his idea. He told the restaurant owners that he had a chicken recipe that people liked and he was giving it to them for free. What he wanted in return was for the restaurant owners to pay him a small percentage on the pieces of chicken sold. He got rejections after rejections, but did not give up. In fact, he got over 1000 rejections. He got 1009 NO's before he got his first YES.


With that one success Colonel Harland Sanders changed the eating habits of the whole world with Kentucky Fried Chicken.

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Riddle

Seven letters are we, Four different words we make.Guess us or be ridiculed; Your reputation's at stake.
The first has pictures, Paintings and such.The second causes sneezing, From ragweed or dust.
The third is an adverb, It's hard to explainIt's the same as immensely But it's much more plain.
If you can act like a king, this word you will sing.

These clues are sparse This riddle may be tough.
But if you are smart Then it will be enough. ... Scroll down for the answer ....
















Gallery, Allergy, Largely and Regally

Have a memorable day!
Priya

Tuesday, July 25, 2006

Day with a Difference - July 25, 2006

Today's Inspirational Quote:

Aviation is proof that given, the will, we have the capacity to achieve the impossible. - Edward Vernon Rickenbacker

My Garden


FOR THE GARDEN OF OUR DAILY LIVING, I PLANT THREE ROWS OF PEAS:

1. Peace of mind
2. Peace of heart
3. Peace of soul

PLANT FOUR ROWS OF SQUASH:

1. Squash gossip
2. Squash indifference
3. Squash grumbling
4. Squash selfishness

PLANT FOUR ROWS OF LETTUCE: (Read "Let Us")

1. Lettuce be faithful
2. Lettuce be kind
3. Lettuce be patient
4. Lettuce really love one another

TO CONCLUDE OUR GARDEN, WE MUST HAVE THYME: (Read "Time")

1. Thyme for each other
2. Thyme for family
3. Thyme for friends
4. Thyme for prayer

WATER FREELY WITH PATIENCE AND CULTIVATE WITH LOVE. THERE IS MUCH FRUIT IN OUR GARDEN BECAUSE WE REAP WHAT WE SOW.

Expand your knowledge base

Each pair of definitions is for two words, where the second word is the first word with an extra letter added somewhere (example: band & brand).

1) a gemstone & a sport
2) demon & acquaintance
3) moment & three times
4) obvious & persevering Scroll down for the answer ...





























Answer
1) ruby & rugby
2) fiend & friend
3) trice & thrice
4) patent & patient

Have a memorable day!
Priya

Sunday, July 23, 2006

Day with a Difference - July 24, 2006 - 100th Post !

A Special Thanks to Bala who introduced me to the world of Blogging and Blogdesam !

Today's Inspirational Quote:

I have learned that if one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours. –Henry David Thoreau

Words. Words. Words. by Nan S. Russell

I'm talking about simple, everyday, normal word choices. They influence how we think. Since thoughts determine actions, there's a powerful connection between the words we use and the results we get.

Think about these two words: spend and invest. Would you like your bank to spend your money or invest it? Since spending implies the money is gone, you probably want a bank that invests. Now apply these same words to corporate budgets and see how that influences thinking.

Try these words: problem and challenge. Would you rather a boss see your mistake as a problem or as a challenge? It's more than semantics. Problems are fixed; challenges are met. Different words evoke different feelings. I have a more positive frame of mind meeting a challenge than fixing a problem.

If I say I work "for" someone I have a different vision about my work-life than if I work "with" them; same with my staff working with, not for me.

If you want to be winning at working, learn to harness your word power to work for, not against you and choose each word as if it mattered. You might be surprised how much it does. Want better results? Check your words.

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A clean joke to start your week with laughter Talented

A local business was looking for office help. They put a sign in the window, stating the following: "HELP WANTED. Must be able to type, must be good with a computer and must be bilingual. We are an Equal Opportunity Employer." A short time afterwards, a dog trotted up to the window, saw the sign and went inside. The office manager looked at the dog and was surprised, to say the least. However, the dog looked determined, so he lead him into the office.

The manager said "I can't hire you. The sign says you have to be able to type." The dog jumped down, went to the typewriter and proceeded to type out a perfect letter. He took out the page and trotted over to the manager and gave it to him, then jumped back on the chair. The manager was stunned, but then told the dog "the sign says you have to be good with a computer." The dog jumped down again and went to the computer. The dog proceeded to enter and execute a perfect program, that worked flawlessly the first time.

By this time the manager was totally dumb-founded! He looked at the dog and said "I realize that you are a very intelligent dog and have some interesting abilities. However, I *still* can't give you the job." The dog jumped down and went to a copy of the sign and put his paw on the sentences that told about being an Equal Opportunity Employer. The manager said "yes, but the sign *also* says that you have to be bilingual." The dog looked at the manager calmly and said, "Meow!"

Have a memorable day and a great week ahead!
Priya

Friday, July 21, 2006

Day with a Difference - July 21, 2006

Today's Inspirational Quote:

Action may not always bring happiness, but there is no happiness without action. - Benjamin Disraeli


THE IMPORTANCE OF SETTING PERSONAL GOALS - Cecilia Bailey

My son and I had a very lengthy conversation today. Our conversation consisted of many avenues of why this and why that. He seemed angry towards those who have everything and never had to work for anything in their life. He mentioned about how his friends whose wealthy parents give them, cars and money have it so easy. He really does not want to work, he would rather stay home but he does have a job. I mentioned that those people who have everything either have worked towards their goals they made or they never had to learn responsibility of earning a living (everything was given to them).

I told him a story about me growing up and that at the age of sixteen, I wanted a place of my own and wanted to move out. At the time I was living with my mother and I just to wanted be independent. I wanted to finish high school, work and have my own place and I did. Before I graduated from high school I had all of these things. I believe that goals are important if you want to go somewhere in life. I told my son that we all get a different blueprint in life and whatever is chosen for us, there is something in it that we must all learn (even those who have everything). Just because some have everything, it doesn't always make their lives happy and complete. He said to me, "What is it that I am suppose to learn?"

I told him that in time he would know - through all the good times and through many bad times, when the road is very bumpy and you have lost all hope, that's when you must find strength and never let go. When you think life has done you wrong and you feel no reason to try, there is something to be learned and a bigger reason why.

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A clean joke to sign off your week with laughter: Software Engineering

At a recent computer software engineering course, the participants were given an awkward question to answer:
"If you had just boarded an airliner and discovered that your team of programmers had been responsible for the flight control software, how many of you would disembark immediately?"

Among the ensuing forest of raised hands only one man sat motionless. When asked what he would do, he replied that he would be quite content to stay aboard. With his team's software, he said, the plane was unlikely to even taxi as far as the runway, let alone take off.

Have a memorable day and a fun-filled weekend!
Priya

Thursday, July 20, 2006

Day with a Difference - July 20, 2006

Today's Inspirational Quote:

To succeed... you need to find something to hold on to, something to motivate you, something to inspire you. –Tony Dorsett

John Forbes Nash Jr.

AnAmerican mathematician who works in game theory and differential geometry. He shared the 1994 Bank of Sweden Prize in Economic Sciences (also called the Nobel Prize in Economics) with two other game theorists, Reinhard Selten and John Harsanyi. He is best known in popular culture as the subject of the Hollywood movie, A Beautiful Mind, about his mathematical genius and his struggles with mental illness.

Nash began to show the first signs of his mental illness in 1958. He became paranoid and was admitted into the McLean Hospital, April-May 1959, where he was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia and mild depression resulting in low self-esteem. After a problematic stay in Paris and Geneva, Nash returned to Princeton in 1960. He remained in and out of mental hospitals until 1970, undergoing insulin shock therapy and other treatments. In campus legend, Nash became "The Phantom of Fine Hall" (Fine Hall is Princeton's mathematics center), a shadowy figure who would scribble arcane equations on blackboards in the middle of the night. The legend appears in a work of fiction based on Princeton life, "The Mind-Body Problem", by Rebecca Goldstein.

Encouraged by Alicia, Nash worked in a communitarian setting where his eccentricities were unremarked. He developed an interest in calculating the exact values of large numbers, research that impelled him to Princeton's Information Centers where he developed computer programs. Here, he had more contact with Princetonians, which helped Nash to cope with his mental illness. In the late 1980s, Nash began to use electronic mail to gradually link with working mathematicians who realized that he was "John Nash" and his new work had value. They formed part of the nucleus of a group that contacted the Bank of Sweden's Nobel award committee and were able to vouch for Nash's ability to receive the award in recognition of his early work.

\nThe 1990s brought a return of his genius, and Nash has taken care to manage the symptoms of his mental illness. He is still hoping to score substantial scientific results. His recent work involves ventures in advanced game theory including partial agency which show that, as in his early career, he prefers to select his own path and problems (though he continues to work in a communal setting to assist in managing his illness). Nash is still at Princeton, where he holds an appointment in mathematics. While cautious with people he does not know, he is said to have a dry sense of humor.

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A spoonerism is a pair of words that can have their initial sounds switched to form new words. The pairs need only sound the same, not necessarily be spelled the same. Given the following definitions, what are the spoonerisms?

1) rock toss & to pack up royal furniture
2) arsonist's desire & to battle a fibber ....... Scroll down for the answer
....































Answer

1) throw a stone & stow a throne
2) light a fire & fight a liar

Have a memorable day!
Priya.

Wednesday, July 19, 2006

Day with a Difference - July 19, 2006

Today's Inspirational Quote:

Challenges are what make life interesting; overcoming them is what makes life meaningful. - Joshua J. Marine

SEE YOUR REACHING (Cappucino Stories)


The Catalina Island is twenty-one miles away from the coast of California, and many people have taken the challenge to swim across it. On July 4th 1952, Florence Chadwick stepped into the water off Catalina Island to swim across to the California coast. She started well and on course, but later fatigue set in, and the weather became cold. She persisted, but fifteen hours later, numb and cold, she asked to be taken out of the water. After she recovered, she was told that she had been pulled out only half a mile away from the coast. She commented that she could have made it, if the fog had not affected her vision and she would have just seen the land. She promised that this would be the only time that she would ever quit.

She went back to her rigorous training. And two months later she swam that same channel. The same thing happened. The fatigue set in, and the fog obscured her view, but this time she swam with faith and vision of the land in her mind. She knew that somewhere behind the fog was land. She succeeded and became the first woman to swim the Catalina Channel. She even broke the men's record by two hours.

Expand your knowledge base

If you're good at solving puzzles, these will be easy. Every answer is a two-word phrase in which the first word begins with "BE" and the second with "ST".
Nickname for Utah. BE_ _ _ _ _ ST_ _ _

What separates Alaska from Russia. BE _ _ _ _ ST_ _ _ _
Once a giant among the United States' metal manufacturers. BE_ _ _ _ _ _ _ ST_ _ _

Scroll down for the answer ...
































Beehive State

Bering Strait
Bethlehem Steel

Have a memorable day!
Priya

Tuesday, July 18, 2006

Day with a Difference - July 18, 2006

Today's Inspirational Quote:

Never be afraid to do something new. Remember, amateurs built the ark; professionals built the titanic.

Zen Moral Stories

Ryokan was a Zen teacher of repute. One day a fisherman saw him walking on the beach soon after a storm. The storm had washed up thousands of starfish on the shore, and they were beginning to dry up. Soon all of them would be dead. Ryokan was picking up starfish and throwing them into the sea.
The fisherman caught up with the teacher and said, "Surely, you cannot hope to throw all these starfish back into the sea? They will die in their thousands here. I've seen it happen before. Your effort will make no difference." "It will to this one," said Ryokan, throwing back another starfish into the sea.

Expand your knowledge base

Health Tips - Reduce Stress


Easier said than done, stress busters come in many forms. Some techniques recommended by experts are to think positive thoughts. Spend 30 minutes a day doing something you like. (i.e.,Soak in a hot tub; walk on the beach or in a park; read a good book; visit a friend; play with your dog; listen to soothing music; watch a funny movie. Get a massage, a facial or a haircut. Meditate. Count to ten before losing your temper or getting aggravated. Avoid difficult people when possible. Thought for the day: When seeing red, think pink clouds….then float on them.

Have a memorable day!
Priya

Monday, July 17, 2006

Day with a Difference - July 17, 2006

Today's Inspirational Quote:

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I... I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference. - Robert Frost

Zen Moral stories


A Zen student said to his teacher, " Master, I have an ungovernable temper. Help me get rid of it."
" You have something very strange," said the teacher. "Show it to me."
" Right now I cannot show it to you."
"Why not?"
" It arises suddenly."
" Then it cannot be your own true nature," said the teacher, "if it were, you would be able to show it to me at any time. Why are you allowing something that is not yours to trouble your life?"

Thereafter whenever the student felt his temper rising he remembered his teacher's words and checked his anger. In time, he developed a calm and placid temperament.

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Health Tips - Floss Your Teeth

Recent studies make a direct connection between longevity and teeth flossing. Nobody knows exactly why. Perhaps it's because people who floss tend to be more health conscious than people who don't? Thought for the day: Floss and be your body's boss.

Have a memorable day!

Priya

Friday, July 14, 2006

Day with a Difference - July 14, 2006

Today's Inspirational Quote:

It is not because things are difficult that we do not dare, it is because we do not dare that they are difficult. - Seneca

George Bernard Shaw (1856-1950)

Irish dramatist, literary critic, a socialist spokesman, and a leading figure in the 20th century theater. Shaw was a freethinker, defender of women's rights, and advocate of equality of income. In 1925 he was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature. Shaw accepted the honour but refused the money.


A man of many causes, Shaw supported abolition of private property, radical change in the voting system, campaigned for the simplification of spelling, and the reform of the English alphabet. As a public speaker, Shaw gained the status of one of the most sought-after orators in England. In 1895 Shaw became a drama critic for the Saturday Review. Articles written for the paper were later collected in OUR THEATRES IN THE NINETIES (1932). Music, art, and drama criticism Shaw wrote for Dramatic Review (1885-86), Our Corner (1885-86), The Pall Mall Gazette (1885-88), The World (1886-94), and The Star (1888-90) as 'Corno bi Basetto'.

His music criticism were collected in SHAW'S MUSIC (1981). After lacing a shoe too tightly, an operation was performed on his foot for necrosis; Shaw was unable to put his foot on the ground for eighteen months. During this period he wrote CAESAR AND CLEOPATRA (1901) and THE PERFECT WAGNERITE (1898). "...I have no reason to believe that they would have been a bit better if they had been written on two legs instead of one," he said in a letter to the playwright St John Ervine. His friend had his leg amputated during WWI after being hit by a shell splinters.

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A clean joke to sign off your week with laughter

George Bernard Shaw: FingerprintsOn his ninetieth birthday, George Bernard Shaw was visited by Scotland Yard's celebrated Detective Fabian. To mark the occasion, Fabian suggested that Shaw's fingerprints be recorded for posterity. Incredibly, so faint were Shaw's prints that no impression could be made. "Well," Shaw playfully declared, "had I known this sooner I should certainly have chosen another profession!"

Have a memorable day and a fun-filled weekend!
Priya

Thursday, July 13, 2006

Day with a Difference - July 13, 2006

Today's Inspirational Quote:

There may be times when we are powerless to prevent injustice, but there must never be a time when we fail to protest. - Elie Wiesel

LIFE IS TOO SHORT TO WASTE TIME HATING PEOPLE Written in 2002 by Crystin Miller

Never be awful to anyone, that person you were awful to may teach you the most.

Always remember...you are a somebody, God didn't take the time to create a nobody.

Always smile, you never know whose day you might be making.

Never 'forget' to say hi to anyone, never miss the chance to laugh or smile, never get too caught up in yourself that you forget to help others.

Never forget that you aren't the only one with problems, and most of all...never forget that when you feel like you only have one friend, that friend will remind you of all the others.

If you forget about all the bad things in life, the good will take over.

If fear is staring you in the face, close your eyes so you don't have to look at it.

Be yourself, you can't be anyone else...The best you can be is you!

Expand your knowledge base

July 13, 1977 - The New York City Blackout of 1977 lasts for 25 hours and results in looting and other disorder
The events leading up to the blackout started at 8:37 p.m. with a lightning strike at Buchanan South, a substation on the Hudson River, tripping two circuit breakers in Westchester County. The Buchanan South substation converted high-voltage electricity from Indian Point to the low voltage kind for commercial use. Due to a loose locking nut and a planned upgrade that had not taken place, the breaker was not able to reclose and allow power to flow again. Con Ed, the power provider for New York City and some of Westchester County, could not generate enough power within the city and the three power lines that supplemented the city's power were overtaxed. Just after 9:27 p.m., the biggest generator in New York City, Big Allis in Queens, shut down and with it, all of New York City.

The blackout came at a low point in the city's history, with New York facing a severe financial crisis, and commentators contrasted the event with the good-natured Where were you when the lights went out? atmosphere of 1965. Some pointed to the financial crisis as a root cause of the disorder, others noted the hot July weather. Still others noted at the 1977 blackout came after businesses had closed and their owners went home while in 1965, the blackout occurred during the day and owners stayed to protect their property. By 1:45 p.m. the next day, service was restored to half of Consolidated Edison's customers, mostly in Staten Island and Queens. It was not until 10:39 p.m. on July 14 that the entire city's power was back online.

Have a memorable day!

Priya

Day with a Difference - July 13, 2006

Today's Inspirational Quote:

There may be times when we are powerless to prevent injustice, but there must never be a time when we fail to protest. - Elie Wiesel

LIFE IS TOO SHORT TO WASTE TIME HATING PEOPLE Written in 2002 by Crystin Miller

Never be awful to anyone, that person you were awful to may teach you the most.

Always remember...you are a somebody, God didn't take the time to create a nobody.

Always smile, you never know whose day you might be making.

Never 'forget' to say hi to anyone, never miss the chance to laugh or smile, never get too caught up in yourself that you forget to help others.

Never forget that you aren't the only one with problems, and most of all...never forget that when you feel like you only have one friend, that friend will remind you of all the others.

If you forget about all the bad things in life, the good will take over.

If fear is staring you in the face, close your eyes so you don't have to look at it.

Be yourself, you can't be anyone else...The best you can be is you!

Expand your knowledge base

July 13, 1977 - The New York City Blackout of 1977 lasts for 25 hours and results in looting and other disorder
The events leading up to the blackout started at 8:37 p.m. with a lightning strike at Buchanan South, a substation on the Hudson River, tripping two circuit breakers in Westchester County. The Buchanan South substation converted high-voltage electricity from Indian Point to the low voltage kind for commercial use. Due to a loose locking nut and a planned upgrade that had not taken place, the breaker was not able to reclose and allow power to flow again. Con Ed, the power provider for New York City and some of Westchester County, could not generate enough power within the city and the three power lines that supplemented the city's power were overtaxed. Just after 9:27 p.m., the biggest generator in New York City, Big Allis in Queens, shut down and with it, all of New York City.

The blackout came at a low point in the city's history, with New York facing a severe financial crisis, and commentators contrasted the event with the good-natured Where were you when the lights went out? atmosphere of 1965. Some pointed to the financial crisis as a root cause of the disorder, others noted the hot July weather. Still others noted at the 1977 blackout came after businesses had closed and their owners went home while in 1965, the blackout occurred during the day and owners stayed to protect their property. By 1:45 p.m. the next day, service was restored to half of Consolidated Edison's customers, mostly in Staten Island and Queens. It was not until 10:39 p.m. on July 14 that the entire city's power was back online.

Have a memorable day!

Priya

Tuesday, July 11, 2006

Day with a Difference - July 12, 2006

Today's Inspirational Quote:

Society is like a crowd in carniaval costumes with everyone fearful that others will see through his disguise.

SEARCH NO MORE

Ali Hafed was a farmer from Africa, who was happy and contented. One day a priest came to visit him and told him about the glory of diamonds and the power that goes along with having them.After the priest left, the farmer could not sleep that night. The next morning, he sold off his farm, left his family with his neighbor, and set off to search for diamonds.

Back home, the person who had bought his farm was watering the camels at a stream that ran through the farm. He suddenly saw a curious flash of light from the white sands of the shallow stream. Reaching into the water, he pulled out a rough stone that sparkled like the colors of the rainbow.One day the priest came to visit, and saw the sparkling stone. He exclaimed, "Here is a diamond! Is Hafed back?" Together they rushed out to the garden stream and began searching. To their amazement, there came up other more beautiful and valuable stones than the first.
The above story, Acres of Diamonds was lectured by Russell H. Conwell more than 6,000 times during his lifetime. We are forever looking for opportunities elsewhere rather than within us.

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Phrases and their meaning

Cock-sure - Certain. This term has been used in many ways, all with different but related meanings. For example, 'absolutely sure or safe', 'completely dependable', 'sure in one's own mind', etc. The common thread through all of these is certainty.

Have a memorable day!
Priya

Monday, July 10, 2006

Day with a Difference - July 11, 2006

Today's Inspirational Quote:

Plan your progress carefully; hour-by hour, day-by-day, month-by-month. Organized activity and maintained enthusiasm are the wellsprings of your power. -Paul J. Meyer

NO PROBLEM!


Don't worry if you have problems! Which is easy to say until you are in the midst of a really big one, I know. If you're breathing, you have difficulties. It's the way of life. And believe it or not, most of your problems may actually be good for you! Let me explain.

Maybe you have seen the Great Barrier Reef, stretching some 1,800 miles from New Guinea to Australia. Tour guides regularly take visitors to view the reef. On one tour, the guide was asked an interesting question. "I notice that the lagoon side of the reef looks pale and lifeless, while the ocean side is vibrant and colorful," a traveler observed. "Why is this?"

The guide gave an interesting answer: "The coral around the lagoon side is in still water, with no challenge for its survival. It dies early. The coral on the ocean side is constantly being tested by wind, waves, storms- surges of power. It has to fight for survival every day of its life. As itis challenged and tested it changes and adapts. It grows healthy. It grows strong. And it reproduces."

Then he added this telling note: "That's the way it is with every living organism." That's how it is with people. Challenged and tested, we come alive! So, you have problems-no problem! Just tell yourself, "There I grow again!"

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Phishing - Comes from the analogy that internet scammers are using email bait to fish for passwords and financial data from the sea of internet users. Since hackers have a tendancy of replacing "f" with "ph", the term phishing was derived. The term has evolved ov er the years to include not only obtaining user account details but access to all personal and financial data. The most targeted industry sector for phishing attacks is financial service. The reason why so many brands in financial service sector are hijacked is that the information collected from phishing sites can be used directly for financial fraud such as illegal bank account withdrawal and credit card use.

Have a memorable day!
Priya

Day with a Difference - July 10, 2006

Today's Inspirational Quote:

Progress is the activity of today and the assurance of tomorrow -Ralph Waldo Emerson

All about Ice Creams (From HowStuffWorks.com)

The U.S. ice cream industry sells about a million gallons of ice cream each year, dispensing cones, gallons, pints, sundaes and other desserts through grocery stores and ice cream shops. In fact, eight percent of all the milk produced in the U.S. ends up in a frozen dairy product

The city of Gilroy, California hosts an annual Garlic Festival featuring all kinds of foods made with garlic, including garlic ice cream. Not to be outdone, a Japanese company offers garlic ice cream under the brand name "Dracula Ice Cream." Finally, on an episode of the Japanese cooking show "Iron Chef," one of the chefs prepared trout ice cream. He lost.

Frozen yogurt is a popular, healthier alternative to ice cream. You might think that the manufacturing process involves simply putting some yogurt in a freezer, but actually the process is reversed. Instead of making yogurt and turning it into a frozen dessert, the bacterial cultures that make yogurt are added to ice cream mix. The resulting treat is lower in lactic acid than regular yogurt, which explains the milder taste.

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A clean joke to start your week with laughter

A blind man with a seeing eye dog at his side walks into a grocery store. The man walks to the middle of the store, picks up the dog by the tail, and starts swinging the dog around in circles over his head. The store manager, who has seen all this, thinks this is quite strange. So, he decides to find out what's going on. The store manager approaches the blind man swinging the dog and says, "Pardon me. May I help you with something." The blind man says, "No thanks. I'm just looking around."

Have a memorable day and a great week ahead !
Priya

Friday, July 07, 2006

Day with a Difference - July 07, 2006

Today's Inspirational Quote:

No matter what you've done for yourself or for humanity, if you can't look back on having given love and attention to your own family, what have you really accomplished? - Lee Iacocca

24 Things To Always Remember


Your presence is a present to the world.
You are unique and one of a kind.
Your life can be what you want it to be.
Take the days just one at a time.

Count your blessings, not your troubles.
You will make it through whatever comes along.
Within you are so many answers.
Understand, have courage, be strong.

Do not put limits on yourself.
So many dreams are waiting to be realized.
Decisions are too important to leave to chance.
Reach for your peak, your goal and you prize.

Nothing wastes more energy than worrying.
The longer one carries a problem the heavier it gets.
Do not take things too seriously.
Live a life of serenity, not a life of regrets.

Remember that a little love goes a long way.
Remember that a lot … goes forever.
Remember that friendship is a wise investment.
Life's treasure are people together.

Realize that it is never too late.
Do ordinary things in an extraordinary way.
Have hearth and hope and happiness.
Take the time to wish upon a start.

AND DO NOT EVER FORGET ….FOR EVEN A DAYHOW VERY SPECIAL YOU ARE !

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A clean joke to sign off your week with laughter

UNSOLVED MYSTERY

Juan comes up to the Mexican border on his bicycle. He's got two large bags over his shoulders. The guard stops him and says, "What's in the bags?" "Sand," answers Juan. The guard says, "We'll just see about that ~ get off the bike." The guard takes the bags and rips them apart; he empties them out and finds nothing in them but sand. He detains Juan overnight and has the sand analyzed, only to discover that there is nothing in the bags.
A week later, the same thing happens. This sequence of events is repeated every week for three years. Finally, Juan doesn't show up one day and the guard meets him in a cantina in Mexico. "Hey, Buddy," says the guard, "I know you are smuggling something. It's driving me crazy. It's all I think about. I can't sleep. Just between you and me, what are you smuggling?"
Juan sips his beer and says, "Bicycles."

Have a memorable day and a fun-filled weekend!
Priya

Wednesday, July 05, 2006

Day with a Difference - July 06, 2006

Today's Inspirational Quote:

Happiness is that state of consciousness which proceeds from the achievement of one's values. - Ayn Rand

Ayn Rand - Political and social views

Rand's political views were strongly pro-capitalist, anti-statist, and anti-Communist. She exalted what she saw as the heroic American values of egoism and individualism. Rand also had a strong dislike for mysticism, religion, and compulsory charity, all of which she believed helped foster a crippling culture of resentment towards individual human happiness and success. Rand detested many prominent liberal and conservative politicians of her time, including prominent anti-Communists, such as Harry S. Truman, Ronald Reagan, Hubert H. Humphrey, and Joseph McCarthy.

She opposed US involvement in World War I, World War II, and the Korean War, although she also strongly denounced pacifism: "When a nation resorts to war, it has some purpose, rightly or wrongly, something to fight for – and the only justifiable purpose is self-defense." She opposed U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War, "If you want to see the ultimate, suicidal extreme of altruism, on an international scale, observe the war in Vietnam – a war in which American soldiers are dying for no purpose whatever,"but also felt that unilateral American withdrawal would be a mistake of appeasement that would embolden communists and the Soviet Union.
Economics

Generally, her political thought is in the tradition of classical liberalism. She expressed qualified enthusiasm for the economic thought of Ludwig von Mises and Henry Hazlitt. The Ludwig von Mises Institute says that "it was largely as a result of Ayn's efforts that the work of von Mises began to reach its potential audience." Though not mentioned as an influence by her specifically, parallels between her works and Ralph Waldo Emerson's essay "Self-Reliance" do exist (although Rand sharply criticized Emerson in her address to the graduates of West Point, calling him a "very little mind"). Later Objectivists, such as Richard Salsman, have claimed that Rand's economic theories are implicitly more supportive of the doctrines of Jean-Baptiste Say, though Rand herself was likely not acquainted with his work.

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The following clues below refer to words. These words are all anagrams, and the anagrams of the words all rhyme with each other. Can you figure out all the words that rhyme with each other?

Clues:

1. The longest river in the world.
2. Beverages usually made from grapes.
3. Machines used for moving heavy objects.
4. Evergreen trees with needle-like leaves Scroll down for answer

























Answer


The words that rhyme with each other:

1. Line
2. Swine
3. Sign
4. Spine

The answers to the clues:

1. Nile
2. Wines
3. Gins
4. Pines

Have a memorable day!
Priya

Tuesday, July 04, 2006

Day with a Difference - July 05, 2006

Today's Inspirational Quote:

Money demands that you sell, not your weakness to men's stupidity, but your talent to their reason. - Ayn Rand

Works of Ayn Rand - For the New Intellectual

As her first non-fiction book, this collection leveraged Rand's fame as a novelist. Much of the material consists of excerpts from Rand's novels, supplemented by a long title essay that focuses on the history of philosophy. AYN RAND challenged the prevalent philosophical doctrines of our time and the "atmosphere of guilt, of panic, of despair, of boredom, and of all-pervasive evasion" which they created. One of the most controversial figures on the intellectual scene, Ayn Rand was the proponent of a new moral philosophy -- an ethic of rational self-interest -- that stands in sharp opposition to the ethics of altruism and self-sacrifice. The fundamentals of this new morality -- "a philosophy for living on earth" -- are here vibrantly set forth by the spokesman FOR THE NEW INTELLECTUAL.

The other non-fiction books of Rand includes The Virtue of Selfishness, Capitalism: The Unknown Ideal, The Romantic Manifesto, Introduction to Objectivist Epistemology etc.

Rand was fiercely proud of the United States, and in later years said to the graduating class at West Point, "I can say—not as a patriotic bromide, but with full knowledge of the necessary metaphysical, epistemological, ethical, political and esthetic roots—that the United States of America is the greatest, the noblest and, in its original founding principles, the only moral country in the history of the world.

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If you like your Physics and you like your Chemistry,
You will find this puzzle, as easy as can be.

Firstly, from a glass of milk, take what is good for bones.
Second take the metal used to glaze pottery with pretty tones.
Thirdly you might eat me to get your innards on a slide;
Last I am a diode in a "crystal-set" just look inside.

Now put us all together, and thus what can be seen? A vegetable that's green?

What am I? ... Scroll down for the answer ...



































Answer


Here are the elements with their symbols.
Calcium in milk is good for bones (Ca)
Boron in Borax is used to glaze pottery (B)
A "Barium Meal" is eaten to facilitate an X-Ray of the intestines (Ba)
A diode used in crystal sets was often made from Germanium (Ge)
Ca B Ba Ge
I am a Cabbage!

Have a memorable day!
Priya

Monday, July 03, 2006

Day with a Difference - July 04, 2006

Today's Inspirational Quote:

The smallest minority on earth is the individual. Those who deny individual rights, cannot claim to be defenders of minorities. - Ayn Rand

Works of Ayn Rand - The Atlas Shrugged

Atlas Shrugged is Rand's magnum opus. It is her last, longest, most philosophically detailed, and in the opinion of many, best novel.

The plot is framed as a mystery story, but with strong elements of romance and science fiction, as well as Rand's trademark philosophical ideas. There are actually two mysteries: one about why so many of the world's most productive minds are disappearing, the other about who invented a revolutionary new kind of motor. As you might guess, the solutions to the two mysteries are closely related. Readers follow the struggles of Dagny Taggart, a railroad executive, and Hank Rearden, a steel magnate, as they attempt to answer both of these questions and stave off the collapse of an increasingly irrational and collectivist society.

Rand began writing the novel on September 2, 1946. She set important events in the story on that date as a commemoration. Although it is not clear whether she was aware of it, this was also the twentieth anniversary of her first trip to Los Angeles, where she was living at the time. No one knows exactly how influential Atlas Shrugged is, because there has never been a proper study done to check. The "second most influential book" claim comes from a
Survey of Lifetime Reading Habits conducted in 1991 by the Book-of-the-Month Club and the Library of Congress. Printed surveys were sent to members of the Club, asking them what books had most influenced their own lives. A little over 2,000 responses were received. The Bible ranked first, and Atlas Shrugged ranked a distant second.

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Independence Day - 4th of July

In the United States, Independence Day, also called the Fourth of July, is a federal holiday celebrating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on 4 July 1776, declaring independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain. John Adams, credited by Thomas Jefferson as the unofficial, tireless whip of the independence-minded, wrote his wife Abigail on July 3:The second day of July, 1776, will be the most memorable epoch in the history of America. I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated by succeeding generations as the great anniversary festival. It ought to be commemorated as the day of deliverance, by solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires, and illuminations, from one end of this continent to the other, from this time forward forever more.

Adams was off by two days, however. Certainly, the vote on July 2 was the decisive act. But July 4 is the date on the Declaration itself. Jefferson's stirring prose, as edited by the Congress, was first adopted by the vote of the 4th. It was also the first day Philadelphians heard the official news of independence from the Continental Congress, as opposed to rumors in the street about secret votes.

Have a memorable day!
Priya

Sunday, July 02, 2006

Day with a Difference - July 03, 2006

Today's Inspirational Quote:

Throughout the centuries there were men who took first steps, down new roads, armed with nothing but their own vision. - Ayn Rand

Works of Ayn Rand - The Fountainhead

The Fountainhead was Rand's "breakthrough" novel: her first book to top the best-seller charts. Many fans of Rand's novels consider it her best. The story follows the life of Howard Roark, an architect, and several people he interacts with, including his lover, a fellow architect, an architectural critic and a newspaper publisher. In 1949, a movie version of the novel (with a screenplay written by Rand herself) was released.

The Fountainhead is divided into four major sections, named after four of the major characters from the novel. The sections contain unnamed, numbered chapters, with the chapter numbers starting over for each section.


Part One: Peter Keating (15 chapters)
Part Two: Ellsworth M. Toohey (15 chapters)
Part Three: Gail Wynand (9 chapters)
Part Four: Howard Roark (20 chapters)

The philosophy of Ayn Rand, a twentieth-century novelist and philosopher, is known as Objectivism. It is a philosophical system, one of several doctrines holding that all reality is objective and external to the mind and that knowledge is reliably based on observed objects and events. The five central concepts of Objectivism are objectivity, reason, rational self-interest, libertarianism and romantic realism.

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A clean joke to start your week with laughter

Taking Pictures: A photographer for a national news magazine was assigned to get photos of a big forest fire. Smoke at the scene was too thick to get any good shots, so he frantically called his home office to hire a plane. "It will be waiting for you at the airport!" he was assured by his editor. As soon as he got to the small, rural airport, sure enough, a plane was warming up near the runway. He jumped in with his equipment and yelled, "Let's go! Let's go!" The pilot swung the plane into the wind and soon they were in the air. "Fly over the north side of the fire," said the photographer, "and make three or four low level passes." "Why?" asked the pilot. "Because I'm going to take pictures! I'm a photographer, and photographers take pictures!" said the photographer with great exasperation and impatience. After a long pause the pilot said, "You mean you're not my instructor?" ...

Have a memorable day!
Priya