Arbit Scratchpad

Lately reading - Buddhism Lecture & Essays by Ven. B Anandamaitreya - a good text on the features, context, aims of Buddhist teachings and how Buddha showed the way from ignorance to realisation or Nibbana (Pali word for Nirvana). I was especially struck by the concept of 'Loving Kindness' ( This is the first step to the realisation and total non-attachment ) - where you have a feeling and always think of 'Let him be happy and free of all enimity, troubles and afflictions' for all beings (KNOWN OR UNKNOWN, human & non-human too...) from your loved ones right upto your enemy ! It would be such a great world if this precept of Lord Buddha were to be followed.

LINUX, WINDOWS AND PARTITIONING WOES When I got my new hard disk installed from the vendor, they had installed Windows 98 (yes I still use it with pleasure - no problemo) from my HP Recovery CDs on it. The Seagate HDD - 40GB was split into : C: 10GB and D: 30GB So I wanted to install RedHat (PCQ) 8.0 Linux from the PCQuest CDs. I used fips.exe (it comes with all Linux CDs in a folder named dosutils) from DOS command mode to split the active partition ie C: to something like 5GB (initially fips.exe gave some error like last sector not free and a 'bye cannot split partition') Then I defragmented Windows (with Diskeeper Lite - stupid piece of software was an evaluation version and allows defragmentation only once but its fast) and tried fips again and it partitioned the disk and I installed the complete Linux system. It was then that the trouble started - Windows became unstable and crashed and became frozen or slow at times meaning frequently. I defr...

SAGA OF SOCIALISM/COMMUNISM VS CAPITALISM ??? Today's All India Public Sector Workers strike caught on at workplace - no work today ! Striking workers disrupted work. Opposing privatisation - does it cause loss of jobs or more oppotunities ? What about impact of 'Globalisation' ? Are labour laws made to safeguard workers or victimize and exploit them ? And other such concerns & demands were the chief causes of the strike ! The support of course as usual came from the Leftist parties and unions - known for their repeated strikes on even the minor issues even if it causes economic losses running into hundreds of crores . . . Financial estimate is todays strike did about a Rs. 1000 crores !!! Do leave your views on the issue if you find time . . .

LINUX&UNIX - SCO vs.IBM Complaint Unix was invented more than 30 years ago by AT&T's Unix Systems Laboratories. In many ways Linux works similarly to Unix, making it relatively easy to translate Unix software to Linux. AT&T sold the Unix intellectual property to Novell Networks, which in turn sold it to the Santa Cruz Operation. Caldera International, a seller of Linux, then acquired from SCO the Unix rights and two SCO products, OpenServer and UnixWare. Then last year, Caldera changed its name to SCO Group to reflect the fact that most of its revenue came from its SCO business and not from the Linux products. But SCO has recently alleged that parts of the Unix source code have been copied into Linux, and it is seeking fees from Linux users. In March, SCO sued IBM for $1 billion, alleging that Big Blue had used SCO's Unix code in Linux. IBM, along with Hewlett-Packard, has been a major backer of Linux. Last week, SCO escalated the battle by sending letters t...

Look at ALBERT EINSTEIN's ARCHIVES ONLINE The Einstein Archives Online Website provides the first online access to Albert Einstein�s scientific and non-scientific manuscripts held by the Albert Einstein Archives at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and to an extensive Archival Database, constituting the material record of one of the most influential intellects in the modern era. The site allows viewing and browsing of approx. 3,000 high-quality digitized images of Einstein�s writings. The website also provides access to the published versions (in PDF format) of 39 among the 934 digitized manuscripts.

THEY ALL NEED YOU, SO USE THEM ALL India's friendly gestures towards China and Russia on one hand and USA and Israel on the other is certainly intriguing. From being neutral (neither here nor there) to active neutral (both here and there) is the Indian foreign policy becoming more active? The recent visit of defence minister Fernandes to China emphasizes this and frequent visits and long-lasting defence coperation with Russia are up. Also USA seems to be planning to join hands with India and firmly step into the Indian military bases, if the supposed ongoing discussions between officials are anything to go by. As reported by Rediff ( Article at www.rediff.com ), who were able to lay their hands on to a classified US DoD (Department of Defense) document, intense interaction and lobbying to gain a foothold in South Asia is on its way. Britain has supported India's entry as the permanent member of the UN Security council. Israel is also keen on increasing contacts militar...

THE MATRIX RELOADED/REVOLUTIONS The philosphy behind The Matrix THE MATRIX RELOADED - Killer Special FX THE MATRIX RELOADED READ MORE HERE :

A new PC prototype co-developed by Microsoft and Hewlett-Packard, Athens sports a translucent case, integrated wireless phone complete with handset and headset, integrated video camera for video conferencing and a gorgeous 23-inch flat panel display with an integrated CD/DVD drive built into the monitor Gates Goes From Geek to Chic Why the future doesn't need us. Our most powerful 21st-century technologies - robotics, genetic engineering, and nanotech - are threatening to make humans an endangered species.

QUARK SOUP - A very good blog on environmental issues and sciences as its point of focus . Impressed by this particular entry First David Appell talks about (not entirely his views but a collage of links to) how nanotechnology and biotechnology (same as Prey) can be a serious threat beyond just sci-fi to actually finish off biological life on earth and get(a chilling prospect)taken over by exponentially replicating artificial life by as near as 2035 . . . whoa ! Day-dreaming ? Its his analysis of a book by Bill McKibben - Enough: Staying Human in an Engineered Age. The book calls for putting tabs on nano and biotech tinkering(aka research) or risk killing the human soul ! "A moratorium on these 'dangerous' technologies" - Luddite thoughts ??? That this is even not conceivable in this age of technology march with blinding pace, is surprising. But then isnt it thought provoking and even scary. Appell then refutes these claims well . . . he couners the argument...

Discussing Blogs - an engrossing interview with Rebecca Blood Rebecca Blood is an internationally known weblogger and writer. Rebecca has maintained the popular weblog, Rebecca's Pocket, since April 1999, linking and writing about current events, media literacy, web culture, sustainability, domestic life, and whatever else catches her eye. She is frequently called on by the press to illuminate the currently unstoppable weblog phenomenon. She has a BA in English and has held more kinds of jobs than you have ELIZA Today I took the Eliza interview, the computer program that converses/speaks with you. Its very very interesting but once it abused me I said bye . . . ;-) A DOS based artificial intelligence program, which I found in one of my colleague's PC on the intranet. Other Definitions : ELIZA IS AN AMUSEMENT PSYCHOLOGIST PROGRAM THAT CHATS WITH THE USER IN PLAIN ENGLISH, AND USES ADVANCED ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE METHODS... "ELIZA - A computer program for th...

The phone was dead or problematic for the last 2 weeks BLOGSTREET.COM seems upgraded & really good - Go check out all its features ! Ordered a new pair of spectacles (price of lenses have really gone up).