USS New York Built With World Trade Center Steel

With a year to go before it even touches the water, the Navy's amphibious assault ship USS New York has already made history. It was built with 24 tons of scrap steel from the World Trade Center.

USS New York is about 45 percent complete and should be ready for launch in mid-2007 . Katrina disrupted construction when it pounded the Gulf Coast last summer, but the 684-foot vessel escaped serious damage, and workers were back at the yard near New Orleans two weeks after the storm.

It is the fifth in a new class of warship designed for missions that include special operations against terrorists. It will carry a crew of 360 sailors and 700 combat-ready Marines to be delivered ashore by helicopters and assault craft.

"It would be fitting if the first mission this ship would go on is to make sure that bin Laden is taken out, his terrorist organization is taken out," said Glenn Clement, a paint foreman. "He came in through the back door and knocked our towers down and (the New York) is coming right through the front door, and we want them to know that."

Steel from the World Trade Center was melted down in a foundry in Amite, La., to cast the ship's bow section. When it was poured into the molds on Sept. 9, 2003, "those big rough steelworkers treated it with total reverence," recalled Navy Capt. Kevin Wensing, who was there. "It was a spiritual moment for everybody there."

Junior Chavers, foundry operations manager, said that when the trade center steel first arrived, he touched it with his hand and the "hair on my neck stood up."

"It had a big meaning to it for all of us," he said. "They knocked us down. They can't keep us down. We're going to be back."

According to a US Navy Fact Sheet about the new ship:
Steel salvaged from the World Trade Center wreckage will be used in the construction of New York. The shipyard and Navy inspected the steel and found that it was of sufficient material strength so that it could be incorporated into the bow stem of New York.
"We're very proud that the twisted steel from the WTC towers will soon be used to forge an even strong national defense," said New York Gov. George Pataki. "The USS New York will soon be defending freedom and combating terrorism around the globe, while also ensuring that the world never forgets the evil attacks of September 11, 2001 and the courage and strength New Yorkers showed in response to terror."

The ship's motto? - 'Never Forget'

Black Google Would Save 750 Megawatt-hours a Year

Blackle is nothing but a black version of google.

"A few months ago, TreeHugger Mark Ontkush wrote a post on his blog EcoIron titled Black Google Would Save 750 Megawatt-hours a Year. The post lays out the following train of thought. "An all white web page uses about 74 watts to display, while an all black page uses only 59 watts." Google, which has a white background and gets about "200 million queries a day" could reduce global energy use by 750 Megawatt-hours a year by simply changing the color of its homepage to black.

In response to this post a black version of Google emerged called Blackle.com. According to Blackle's homepage at publication time, 4,408.917 Watt hours have been saved by. Nice ideas. But how does the search measure up? Very well indeed. Give it a whirl yourself and start saving energy one search at a time. :: Blackle.com

I recommend you all to use this as your home page or default search engine. Kindly pass this on to people you know and spread the word.

So here's your site: http://www.blackle.com/

George Bush means White House as per Google

George Bush means White House as per Google

I was checking on Latent Semantic Indexing (LSI) which is being used by Google ( don't know how true it is) to gain some knowledge on the topic. Some reading also created curiosity as to see how Google uses the technology. And then Voila!!! "What is this?" was the first thought which came into my mind. I jumped out of my chair to see that the search string "~george ~bush" throws up White House website as the first result( Check http://www.google.co.in/search?hl=en&q=%7Egeorge+%7Ebush&btnG=Search&meta= )



So what does this mean semantically? George Bush is equivalent to White House or White house is equivalent to George Bush. If you check the results then you will notice that Google highlights White House even when "George Bush" is there in the text. The thoughts which came in my mind boggled me and thus I thought to blog about it.

Another interesting point was that other names like Al Gore, Bill Clinton were highlighted by Google which basically means that Google( algorithm) thinks that they are equivalent and mean the same.

Mr Bill Clinton, Congrats you are still in vogue. Mr Al Gore, Congrats to you too!!! Next in as per Google...

I have raised the issue with Google and am waiting for reply

So much for Latent Semantic Indexing (LSI) .

bush,republicans,democrats,google,search,white house,president bush,george bush,lsa,lsi,sem research,bill clinton,hillary clinton,george w. bush,al gore

21st Century

21st Century...

Our communication - Wireless

Our dress - Topless

Our telephone - Cordless

Our cooking - Fireless

Our youth - Jobless

Our food - Fatless

Our labour - Effortless

Our conduct - Worthless

Our relation - Loveless

Our attitude - Careless

Our feelings - Heartless

Our politics - Shameless

Our education - Valueless

Our follies - Countless

Our arguments - Baseless

Our boss - Brainless

Our Job - Thankless

Our Salary - Very less !!!

Going Bananas!!!

Never, put your banana in the refrigerator!!! This is interesting. After reading this, you'll never look at a banana in the same way again.



Bananas contain three natural sugars - sucrose, fructose and glucose combined with fiber. A banana gives an instant, sustained and substantial boost of energy.

Research has proven that just two bananas provide enough energy for a strenuous 90-minute workout. No wonder the banana is the number one fruit with the world's leading athletes.

But energy isn't the only way a banana can help us keep fit. It can also help overcome or prevent a substantial number of illnesses and conditions, making it a must to add to our daily diet.



Depression: According to a recent survey undertaken by MIND amongst people suffering from depression, many felt much better after eating a banana. This is because bananas contain tryptophan, a type of protein that the body converts into serotonin, known to make you relax, improve your mood and generally make you feel happier.

PMS: Forget the pills - eat a banana. The vitamin B6 it contains regulates blood glucose levels, which can affect your mood.

Anemia : High in iron, bananas can stimulate the production of hemoglobin in the blood and so helps in cases of anemia.

Blood Pressure: This unique tropical fruit is extremely high in potassium yet low in salt, making it perfect to beat blood pressure. So much so, the US Food and Drug Administration has just allowed the banana industry to make official claims for the fruit's ability to reduce the risk of blood pressure and stroke.



Brain Power: 200 students at a Twickenham (Middlesex) school ( England ) were helped through their exams this year by eating bananas at breakfast, break, and lunch in a bid to boost their brain power. Research has shown that the potassium-packed fruit can assist learning by making pupils more alert.

Constipation: High in fiber, including bananas in the diet can help restore normal bowel action, helping to overcome the problem without resorting to laxatives.

Hangovers: One of the quickest ways of curing a hangover is to make a banana milkshake, sweetened with honey.. The banana calms the stomach and, with the help of the honey, builds up depleted blood sugar levels, while the milk soothes and re-hydrates your system.

Heartburn: Bananas have a natural antacid effect in the body, so if you suffer from heartburn, try eating a banana for soothing relief.



Morning Sickness: Snacking on bananas between meals helps to keep blood sugar levels up and avoid morning sickness

Mosquito bites: Before reaching for the insect bite cream, try rubbing the affected area with the inside of a banana skin. Many people find it amazingly successful at reducing swelling and irritation.

Nerves: Bananas are high in B vitamins that help calm the nervous system.



Overweight and at work? Studies at the Institute of Psychology in Austria found pressure at work leads to gorging on comfort food like chocolate and chips. Looking at 5,000 hospital patients, researchers found the most obese were more likely to be in high-pressure jobs. The report concluded that, to avoid panic-induced food cravings, we need to control our blood sugar levels by snacking on high carbohydrate foods every two hours to keep levels steady.

Ulcers: The banana is used as the dietary food against intestinal disorders because of its soft texture and smoothness. It is the only raw fruit that can be eaten without distress in over-chronicler cases. It also neutralizes over-acidity and reduces irritation by coating the lining of the stomach.

Temperature control: Many other cultures see bananas as a "cooling" fruit that can lower both the physical and emotional temperature of expectant mothers. In Thailand , for example, pregnant women eat bananas to ensure their baby is born with a cool temperature.



Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD): Bananas can help SAD sufferers because they contain the natural mood enhancer tryptophan.

Smoking &Tobacco Use: Bananas can also help people trying to give up smoking. The B6, B12 they contain, as well as the potassium and magnesium found in them, help the body recover from the effects of nicotine withdrawal.

Stress: Potassium is a vital mineral, which helps normalize the heartbeat, sends oxygen to the brain and regulates your body's water balance. When we are stressed, our metabolic rate rises, thereby reducing our potassium levels. These can be rebalanced with the help of a high-potassium banana snack.

Strokes: According to research in The New England Journal of Medicine, eating bananas as part of a regular diet can cut the risk of death by strokes by as much as 40%!

Warts: Those keen on natural alternatives swear that if you want to kill off a wart, take a piece of banana skin and place it on the wart, with the yellow side out. Carefully hold the skin in place with a plaster or surgical tape!



So, a banana really is a natural remedy for many ills. When you compare it to an apple, it has four times the protein, twice the carbohydrate, three times the phosphorus, five times the vitamin A and iron, and twice the other vitamins and minerals. It is also rich in potassium and is one of the best value foods around So maybe its time to change that well-known phrase so that we say, "A banana a day keeps the doctor away!"

Subvert and Profit - Reddit spared, Digg and StumbleUpon in net

Subvert and Profit... Heard this name or action before


A brief introduction in their own words
"Subvert and Profit was created to let Digg users make easy money and provide cheap, alternative advertising for content-pushers."

Not clear still...Some more explanantion from their website should work
"MarketsWe currently operate markets for votes on:
Digg.com — over 1 million usersWe'll get you on the front page, where your content can receive 10,000 to 100,000 visitors.
StumbleUpon — over 2.6 million usersStumbleUpon is a more linear traffic model than Digg, and also appeals to a much wider audience."

WOW... that is cool

Now some controversies

So, you have a website which pays advertisers get on the front page of Digg. Technically the modus operandi is to pay users for digging stories in the hope that they’ll make the front page. For the service, they charge advertisers $1 per Digg. Social Media for wrong motives is what I say....

The threat is even more dangerous as Subvert and Profit have been targeting sites like Reddit and StumbleUpon and now they have rejected Reddit over StumbleUpon and have charted reasons for that on their blog.

Shout before the social media sites also become money spinners without any substance.

Will quantity rule over quality?


reddit digg,digging,social bookmarking,blogging news

Let's Say Thanks!

Take a minute and send a card to our troops... thanking them for keeping us safe and free!


If you go to this website, http://urbanlegends.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?site=http://www.letssaythanks.com/, you can pick out a thank you card and Xerox will print it and it will be sent to a soldier that is currently serving in Iraq . You can't pick out who gets it, but it will go to some member of the armed services. How AMAZING it would be if we could get everyone we know to send one!!!

This is a great site. Please send a card. It is FREE and it only takes a second.

Wouldn't it be wonderful if the soldiers received a bunch of these? Whether you are for or against the war, our guys and gals over there need to know we are behind them

Let's Say Thanks was launched by the Xerox Corporation in June 2006 to facilitate the sending of thank-you cards from citizens at home to American service personnel stationed overseas.

The instructions are simple:
Choose a card design (of which there are many, all submitted by children).
Type a message, your name, and your hometown.
Click to send.

Completed cards are printed out and delivered monthly along with care packages from Give2theTroops, a non-profit organization. The cards cannot be addressed to specific individuals, nor are senders allowed to include personal information such as mailing or email addresses (downloadable versions are available for those who wish to send personal cards to friends or relatives).

Let's Say ThanksWeb site sponsored by Xerox Corporation
Let's Say Thanks FAQFrequently asked questions about Let's Say Thanks

Internet Explorer 8 - Who needs it? Do you....

Chris Wilson, IE platform architect , while speaking at Microsoft's Mix '07 conference in Las Vegas elaborated on the outlines of the next IE generation i.e IE 8

Major points of outline are:

1. Strong security, ease of use and Web development improvements
2. Microsoft will invest more in layout and adhering to the Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) 2.1 specifications
3. Microsoft wants to make its browser object model more interoperable "to make it easier to work with other browsers and allow more flexible programming patterns."
4. Ajax Web programming style needs more client-side application programming interfaces to allow developers to create more powerful applications

The question here is are we ready for Internet Explorer 8

Personally , I feel that IE 6 was better than IE 7.... What do you feel?