Why is Wikipedia blacked-out?

 
Any information i dial JUSTDIAL Services ,  for a word and its meaning i dont look up my dictionary , any knoweldge i seek i dont go to a book store , from any thing to everything i depend on WIKIPEDIA,An Online Encyclopedia . Since morning i have been trying to look for one word substitution for "mother of pearl"but failed. After several attempts i recalled the news that i had heard yesterday ,which said something about Wikipedia Blackout in protest of SOPA and PIPA bills which are either due or have been passed by  US Govt i am not too sure).  i rembered having seen some new window open up instead of  Wikipedia in all my attempts and out of curiocity i went back to search again , and what i found ,though does not concern me but certainly affects not only me but most of us who search this particular encyclopedia for the info so i decided to share the contents ,with all of you . (copy pasted from wikipedia)

 

Imagine a World
Without Free Knowledge

For over a decade, we have spent millions of hours building the largest encyclopedia in human history. Right now, the U.S. Congress is considering legislation that could fatally damage the free and open Internet. For 24 hours, to raise awareness, we are blacking out Wikipedia. Learn more.

Make your voice heard...

Why is Wikipedia blacked-out?

Wikipedia is protesting against SOPA and PIPA by blacking out the English Wikipedia for 24 hours, beginning at midnight January 18, Eastern Time. Readers who come to English Wikipedia during the blackout will not be able to read the encyclopedia. Instead, you will see messages intended to raise awareness about SOPA and PIPA, encouraging you to share your views with your representatives, and with each other on social media.

What are SOPA and PIPA?

SOPA and PIPA represent two bills in the United States House of Representatives and the United States Senate respectively. SOPA is short for the "Stop Online Piracy Act," and PIPA is an acronym for the "Protect IP Act." ("IP" stands for "intellectual property.") In short, these bills are efforts to stop copyright infringement committed by foreign web sites, but, in our opinion, they do so in a way that actually infringes free expression while harming the Internet. Detailed information about these bills can be found in the Stop Online Piracy Act and PROTECT IP Act articles on Wikipedia, which are available during the blackout. GovTrack lets you follow both bills through the legislative process: SOPA on this page, and PIPA on this one. The Electronic Frontier Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to advocating for the public interest in the digital realm, has summarized why these bills are simply unacceptable in a world that values an open, secure, and free Internet.

Why is the blackout happening?

Wikipedians have chosen to black out the English Wikipedia for the first time ever, because we are concerned that SOPA and PIPA will severely inhibit people's access to online information. This is not a problem that will solely affect people in the United States: it will affect everyone around the world.

Why? SOPA and PIPA are badly drafted legislation that won't be effective at their stated goal (to stop copyright infringement), and will cause serious damage to the free and open Internet. They put the burden on website owners to police user-contributed material and call for the unnecessary blocking of entire sites. Small sites won't have sufficient resources to defend themselves. Big media companies may seek to cut off funding sources for their foreign competitors, even if copyright isn't being infringed. Foreign sites will be blacklisted, which means they won't show up in major search engines. And, SOPA and PIPA build a framework for future restrictions and suppression.

Does this mean that Wikipedia itself is violating copyright laws, or hosting pirated content?

No, not at all. Some supporters of SOPA and PIPA characterize everyone who opposes them as cavalier about copyright, but that is not accurate. Wikipedians are knowledgeable about copyright and vigilant in protecting against violations: Wikipedians spend thousands of hours every week reviewing and removing infringing content. We are careful about it because our mission is to share knowledge freely. To that end, all Wikipedians release their contributions under a free license, and all the material we offer is freely licensed. Free licenses are incompatible with copyright infringement, and so infringement is not tolerated.

Isn't SOPA dead? Wasn't the bill shelved, and didn't the White House declare that it won't sign anything that resembles the current bill?

No, neither SOPA nor PIPA is dead. On January 17th, SOPA's sponsor said the bill will be discussed in early February. There are signs PIPA may be debated on the Senate floor next week. Moreover, SOPA and PIPA are just indicators of a much broader problem. In many jurisdictions around the world, we're seeing the development of legislation that prioritizes overly-broad copyright enforcement laws, laws promoted by power players, over the preservation of individual civil liberties.

How could SOPA and PIPA hurt Wikipedia?

SOPA and PIPA are a threat to Wikipedia in many ways. For example, in its current form, SOPA would require Wikipedia to actively monitor every site we link to, to ensure it doesn't host infringing content. Any link to an infringing site could put us in jeopardy of being forced offline.

I live in the United States. What's the best way for me to help?

The most effective action you can take is to call your representatives and tell them you oppose SOPA and PIPA, and any similar legislation. Type your zipcode in the locator box to find your representatives' contact information. Text-based communication is okay, but phone calls have the most impact.

I don't live in the United States. How can I help?

Contact your local State Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, or similar branch of government. Tell them you oppose SOPA and PIPA, and any similar legislation. SOPA and PIPA will affect sites outside of the United States, and actions to sites inside the United States (like Wikipedia) will also affect non-American readers -- like you. Calling your own government will also let them know you don't want them to create their own bad anti-Internet legislation.

Is it still possible to access Wikipedia in any way?

Yes. During the blackout, Wikipedia is accessible on mobile devices and smart phones. You can also view Wikipedia normally by disabling JavaScript in your browser, as explained on this Technical FAQ page. Our purpose here isn't to make it completely impossible for people to read Wikipedia, and it's okay for you to circumvent the blackout. We just want to make sure you see our message.

I keep hearing that this is a fight between Hollywood and Silicon Valley. Is that true?

No. Some people are characterizing it that way, probably in an effort to imply all the participants are motivated by commercial self-interest. But it's obviously not that simple. The proof of that is Wikipedia's involvement. Wikipedia has no financial self-interest at play here: we do not benefit from copyright infringement, nor are we trying to monetize traffic or sell ads. We are protesting to raise awareness about SOPA and PIPA solely because we think they will hurt the Internet, and your ability to access information online. We are doing this for you, because we're on your side.

In carrying out this protest, is Wikipedia abandoning neutrality?

We hope you continue to trust Wikipedia to be a neutral information source. We are staging this blackout because (as Wikimedia Foundation Trustee Kat Walsh said recently), although Wikipedia’s articles are neutral, its existence is not. For over a decade, Wikipedians have spent millions of hours building the largest encyclopedia in human history. Wikipedia is a tremendously useful resource, and its existence depends upon a free, open and uncensored Internet. SOPA and PIPA (and other similar laws under discussion inside and outside the United States) will hurt you, because they will make it impossible for sites you enjoy, and benefit from, to continue to exist. That's why we're doing this.

I have a question that isn't answered here, or, I would like to send feedback to Wikipedia.

You can reach Wikipedia editors at info-en(at)wikimedia(dot)org. If you need a response, please be patient: we may have trouble keeping up with the mail

Fatwa against Surya Namaskara(Sun Salutation)

The huge furore of some people and a Fatwa against yoga came  as a shock to me and i am sure many more must have felt the same. The way some people have given Yoga a religious colour and branded it unislamic is totally unwarranted , nothing but intolerance .I watched the debate on National Television and to my surprise,according to one gentleman  Surya Nanmaskara was worship of Sun,which  is not allowed in their religion,where as its a mere exercise to strengthen  the core .Wanted to tell him, Yoga is Indian and has got nothing to do with any religion .

Surya Namaskara, known in English as Sun Salutation , is a common sequence of Hatha yoga asanas. . This sequence of movements and poses can be practised on varying levels of awareness, ranging from that of physical exercise in various styles..
The physical base of the Practice links together twelve asanas in a dynamically performed series. These asanas are ordered so that they alternately stretch the spine backwards and forwards. When performed in the usual way, each asana is moved into with alternate inhalation and exhalation (except for the sixth asana where the breath is held in external suspension). A full round of Surya namaskara is considered to be two sets of the twelve poses with a change in the second set to moving the opposite leg first through the series.
Some proponents of the use of Surya namaskara as part of the modern yoga tradition prefer to perform it at sunrise, which is considered to be the most  favorable  time of the day does not mean offering prayers to the Sun .

photo credit Kulkarni's Surya Namaskara

5 must follow vastu(architectural science) tips

Most of us at some point of time go through a lean phase in life and thats the time we all rush to astrologers,pundits and try to follow every possible tip available to get some relief. I too  experienced a similar situation when a friend of mine advised me on vastu shastra(architectural science) Not being a superstitious and religious person i have neither criticised or disrespected others beliefs but havealways tried  to seek logic behind their beliefs.Since i was going through a rough time i picked up a few books on Vastu studied them but could find no reasoning . In most of the books no logic was given but everything resulted in loss of money if one did not follow vastu shastra. some of it did make sense to me after i was able to  reason out the scientific logic behind it . i tried to follow what ever made sense to me until i met a learned person ,an expert in vastu from south India who had come to visit my clients factory office in Punjab.Incidentally i happened to be there and out of curiosity i asked him various questions and surprisingly he was able to convince me on most of them. and ever since then i  started believing in vastu which in other words is known as architectural science. Here i would like to share few of them with logic with all of you , in case you feel convinced you must follow it

ONE    -  why the house where one lives should be facing east ?

LOGIC- the sun rises from east and early morning sun is rich source of vitamin D , in the form of calciferol (vitamin D3) is a fat-soluble vitamin. It is found in food, but also can be made in your body after exposure to ultraviolet rays.

 TWO -   why there should be no leaking taps in the house ,does it result in loss of money ?

LOGIC - sounds ridiculous,but the logic is quite convincing,the constant tipping sound of water causes  irritation ,which unables us to think properly and any decision taken in irritation results in wrong decisions which could be at home or at work place,and the wrong decisions at work place make one lose money.

THREE -  why the master bed room should be in the south west corner of the house ?

LOGIC - due to earths magnetic field ,this area gets  the maximum energy which is passed on to us ,since the master of the house is responsible for all the major decisions and is the bread winner requires that energy to make best of it.

FOUR - why the elders in the hose should sleep with their head toward the south where as kids in east ?

LOGIC - our earth has two poles north and south according to vastu the head of a human body is considered north pole and toes the south,we very well know that the opposite poles attract where as similar repell.if we sleep with our head towards south, being  the opposite pole one is able to have a sound sleep where as if the similar poles are put together it  results in constant repell causing sleep less nights.

in case of children who are studying they are advised to sleep with their head towards east so that they can receive early morning rays of sun and the reason is explained in the 1st point mentioned above.

* one is advised sleep with their head towards east or south but never north and west.

FIVE -  why there should be no road  outside the south side of the house ?

LOGIC -no road in the south is advised as the sound of vehicles ,or honking can cause disturbance which might result in sleep less night which is quite logical.

*if  it does make sense to you do let me know i can share a lot more with you which you might find useful . 

photo credit shreedarshan.com

the magistrate from hell

 

judicial-activism.jpg

Today i saw the ugliest face of Indian judiciary and what power can do gone are the days when the judges were calm,just and unbiased.here is what happened i would appreciate advise on filing a complaint against a judge as well so feel free to give your feedback and advise.
i have a case against me under section 138 as i had made stop payment of  an advance cheque for which i received no goods and the supplier concerned filed a case in the court.Now  i entered the courtroom of saket district court new Delhi with my bailee . While my lawyer had gone to get  a bail bond  on the 1st hearing  my name was called out,i appeared in the court and  informed the judge ,who appeared to be 35years who sat on his chair like an autocrat.He told me to return with my lawyer as  i returned after10minutes  at 11.15am with my lawyer the judge told us to return at 12pm sharp so my lawyer left telling me he would be back at 11.45. while i waited at 11.25 my name was called again i appeared before the magistrate and told him that my lawyer is will  at 12pm as we were asked to come back at 12. He shocked me by banging my file on the table and said now you return at 12pm which once again we did and waited for the magistrate to return from his chambers till 12.30pm when he did not the bail papers along with the driving license and the car rc of my bailee was sent to his chamber when the license was returned we learnt that the magistrate had retained the rc of a car worth rupees 6lakh for a bail bond near rupees 10000 without even giving us a chance to fend for ourselves.Anyways we were told that we will receive a letter from the court saying the rc has been retained by the court in the meanwhile we should give our thumb impressions in the adjacent room for the bail bond where i was asked to give a bribe of rupees 500 to give our thumb impressions which  i refused and after threatening the concerned person with a complaint against him did he take our thumb impressions now the court letter.It was sent to the magistrate in his chamber which he refused to sign asking us to return again at 2pm to get the letter i had no option so i was there at the courtroom again at 2pm the magistrate entered the room at 2.37pm and signed the court letter while their was another lawyer standing before him requesting the magistrate to reopen the case he had dismissed in front of me the magistrate told the lawyer i am sorry mere se galti ho gai thi i assumed things but mein ab case dismiss karne baad re open nahi kar sakta..when i went outside their was another lawyer complaining about the same magistrate saying that he is not giving the next date to appear for his case..This magistrate was the worst example of justice by far the most arrogant and biased man i have come across.I honestly fear that he will pass a biased judgement in my own case as it is i dont want anyone to face the kind of harassment i have faced at the hands of the honourable metropolitan magistrate so i am going to fight and i am going to file a complaint along with the two lawyers outside the courtroom who wanted to file a complaint against him as well.Please do guide if you have any idea about how to go about it and your comments are always welcome

why do men and women stray in relationships

Few years back i had opined a different view about men , this is when i separated and was newly exposed to rude realities of life, until then i really did not think much about it at all. During my college days the list of my friends comprised  of  mostly boys as i would get on better with them.But one bitter truth and no exposure forced me to believe in a common version about men " all men  are the same "i became so against men that i began to search behind the man's eyes in case i felt he was being  too sweet and kind to me .
I am not here, trying to categorise men but men do stray so do women , at times i try to analyse various reasons for men and women to go outside the marriage , i may be wrong in my analysis and welcome you to make your point and give your opinion as well .Being in a business which gives me a lot of opportunity to interact with my clients(mostly men though) and due to long association with their family members i get an insight of several relationships which  enlightens me on this subject.
Men due to their natural instincts have  craving for a change which may not be common with all of them but it is a natural phenomena and they are able to hold themselves from indulging in such an activity  due to society pressures but they at times they do get carried away, where as women are concerned this kind of indulgence is more heard of and common in present generation due to exposure , availability of opportunities and sources and in young girls for heck of it.
All over the world men and women do get in to a legal matrimony as well as relationships but several of them are found straying . There is a strong need of understanding,wave length, compatibility (it has to be in ideas,food habits and in bed is equally important ) respect for each other to make a relationship or a marriage work.Most of the times i have found men feeling suffocated with nonstop calls from their inquisitive partners , trying to keep a check on them ,and have often wondered  why get married or get into a relationship at all if you do not know your man ?? Here i would like to mention one of my clients wife who always complained about her husband, but on my suggestion that "she should get over with her marriage than sulking all the time" she replied  "i thought i will take it and enjoy the luxuries and status that at my disposal "  really surprise and forced me to think ,  we as women should either take a firm stand else don't ponder on the miseries  Trust has to be a foundation of any relationship i feel , one should take time to know each other so well that you can trust each other blindly than suffocating your partner to the extent that he or she is forced to indulge into something which he or she may not intend to.Several times i have seen men and women lying to their partners about their whereabouts, so keeping a tab ultimately leads to lies and frustration . And in a woman's case i feel they need a lot of attention and appreciation from a man and due to absence of care in a relationship and a marriage they tend to seek it outside the marriage or relationship.The balance in both the cases is very important. But at the same time one must not ignore the pressures one faces in and out side the house. Criticism and abuse is not at all acceptable in both the cases.Apart from the points mentioned above there are factors like weak characters, fatal attraction, fun for heck of it that induces both
to indulge into one night stands or extra marital relationships or two timing while dating someone , which i feel one needs to close eyes on . Such incidents with the kind of exposure this generation has , the  clubbing culture,social networking sites,dating sites,drinking and getting carried away ,which is a norm of open society does make cheating easier and encourage situations like one night stand.
Men and women both if working have better opportunities at their disposal as compared to the rest , but fulfilment at home makes one stronger to have a strong hold on oneself.Several times i have seen girls and women use men for their financial needs and in return get used by them which is quite evident.there is no scarcity of women and girls who don't mind going out with a man for mutual benefits and if such girls and women were not available in the society the choice for a man would certainly narrow down .Particularly the women who get involved with married men breaking the others home is condemnable, so lets not just blame men , women are equally responsible in this particular case.  .

Conclusion:  one who has to cheat will cheat and one who doesn't want to cheat will never cheat ,opportunity or no opportunity doesn't matter and depends on the inner strength one has .In my opinion in to today's time your partner loves you is what should matter to you rest everything one needs to leave behind .

i couldnt think of a title sorry

i was very young when i got married ,a tom boy who knew nothing about relationships nor household chores,an out going ,outspoken girl not a trace of diplomacy got married in to a joint family which was too orthodox, fell like a curse upon me.It was a marriage by choice and me being a girl full of self pride never confided in my family , so i was left alone with strangers who i could not understand nor i had a wave length with any of the family members. I did not know how to deal with my mother in law a typical " sasu ma " who wouldn't stop playing politics , hence the result ,today i stay alone with my daughter ,quite content and happy. Though i haven't seen my mom in law but she has grown quite old now and i have no complaints about the hell she gave me while i was married,nor i complain her support to my x while he was having extra marital affairs .I strongly feel he never deserved a woman like me and i wish i should not have taken that long to dump him and move on.
But when i think of the family politics i feel had i not been too young , i would have been in a better position to handle the situation.I still have not become diplomatic,as there is a saying "people don't change" nor have i but i share each and every thought that crops up my mind,and the situations that i could have handled in a better way if i was i little diplomatic, which has really helped me train my daughter to deal with the world.She may hate a person to the core but never loses her smile. Three years back my niece's marriage was on rocks and the formula of being sugar coated worked for her so well that everything fell in her lap.
No matter what i went through in my marriage but i acknowledge the need for joint family system .Being a sensitive and respectful person i would have really taken care of my in laws when they grew old,we being human beings fight for materials, have traits to get jealous disagree with others point of views and blah blah blah....but in the end we are helpless in front of supreme power.we all came alone empty handed and shall go the same way. being a responsible mother ,certainly i do want to secure my daughter but when it comes to me i hold no desires for materials and same is the case with all of us.I am happy with a pinch of love here  and there and that makes me feel good. my achievements make me proud but the materials i have achieved make me happy as they convey a message i can go peacefully without worrying about my daughter.
if given a chance i would like to leave everything and just write till the end ,of late i have begun to miss my gym ,reduced my work pressure and enjoy writing my blogs , my pleasure is to be heard by people else i feel lost in this world where no one knows no one and each one is lost in the grind of life.

Journey of Kohinoor Diamond from Delhi to Britain

   
                                                                         

India wants its crown jewel: The Kohinoor

Kohinoor diamond at the time it was found,  was said to weigh 793 carats, but through some incredibly ham-fisted cutting and polishing by a jeweller named Borgio it was reduced to 186 carats. This further reduced it from 186 carats to its present size of just less than 106 caratsIt is believed that the Kohinoor carries with it a curse and only when in the possession of a woman will the curse not work.

                                                         
The Mughal Empire was the longest foreign rule which lasted for more than three centuries in India and can be considered one of the largest centralised in pre modern history. The glorious rule came to an end with Aurangzeb's death who was a great ruler and set example by not using the  royal treasury which he believed belonged to the common man.  In fact, he wrote holy quran for his living which many of us may not be aware of(he used to write and sell) .  His wife used to weave skull caps to support his earning. He left seventeen legitimate claimants to the throne that included not only his sons but also his grandsons and great grandsons with his death.  Prince Muazzam assumed the title Bahadurshah I after killing his brother Prince Azam Shah and became the king. After the death of bahadurshah I a civil war broke out his son Jahandar Shah, emerged victorious in it with the support of Zulfiqar Khan who was the most powerful noble of the time. In Deccan Saiyid Husain Ali Khan colluded with the Marathas and attacked Delhi using trickery and intrigue seized Farrukhsiyar in the Red Fort. The emperor was blinded and caged and later poisoned as well as stabbed to death. However, prior to his death, Farrukhsiyar had the dubious distinction of aiding the British to have a firm foothold in India, by signing the much-coveted farman an imperial directive that would seal the future of British takeover of India.(excerpts from wikipedia)

Marathas were now constantly attacking Delhi. Nadir Shah (A Timur descendant) who had already usurped the throne in Persia and seized Kabul and Kandhar  and was invited by Muhammad Shah(only because he was incompetent to fight him due to lack of resources ).  as a guest to Delhi.  Nadir Shah who was in Delhi now  a royal guest , ordered a general massacre of Delhi citizens and looted every bit of wealth they could extort out of the royalty as well as Delhi’s citizens and departed with millions worth of gold, jewellry and coins. Even the emperor’s bejewelled peacock throne made during Shah Jahan's reign was packed on elephants and carried away to Persia. Another prize, the Koh-I-nur diamond (traditionally known as Madnayak or king of Jewels before being named renamed Kohinoor in 18th century  by Ahmad Shah Abdali who started his incursions into Delhi and looted the capital In a series of attacks , he also cleaned out Mathura, Kashmir and cities in Punjab). From the east the British defeated the Nawab of Bengal and occupied the state of Bengal.The Kōh-i Nūr which means "Mountain of Light" in Persian,  Koh-i-Nur, is a 105 carat (21.6 g) diamond (in its most recent cut) that was once the largest known diamond in the world was most recently seized by the East India Company and became part of the British Crown Jewels when Queen Victoria was proclaimed Empress of India in 1877.