Sunday, December 28, 2008

2008 will be just a second longer

Wait a second more before saying "Cheers to 2009!"

On December 31 midnight, you will have an extra second to usher in the New Year, because a “Leap Second” will be added to 2008 to let a lagging Earth catch up to super-accurate clocks.

Leap seconds are added to keep the atomic clocks synchronized with the Earth's rotation. This is because the Earth rotates at a slower pace over time while the atomic clocks do not slow down. Therefore, the leap second adjusts the clocks to ensure that civil time (used by clocks) is as close as possible to mean solar time (the mean sun’s hour angle).

The International Earth Rotation and Reference Systems Service is the organization that monitors the difference in the two timescales and calls for leap seconds to be inserted or removed when necessary.  Since 1972, leap seconds have been added at intervals varying from six months to seven years.

Leap seconds are inserted at the end of June or December as an additional second after 23:59:59 UTC (Universal Time Coordinated). The additional second is the 61st second of the last minute of the month, and it is written as 23:59:60 (or 11:59:60 PM in 12-hour format). This is the 24th leap second to be added since the first leap second was added in 1972. This is also the first leap second in three years. The most recent was inserted on Dec. 31, 2005.

That extra second will make 2008 — already long with an extra day on Feb 29 — the longest year since 1992.


Thursday, December 25, 2008

Merry Christmas

The word "Christmas" means "Mass of Christ," later shortened to "Christ-Mass." The even shorter form "Xmas" - first used in Europe in the 1500s - is derived from the Greek alphabet, in which X is the first letter of Christ's name: Xristos, therefore "X-Mass."

Today we know that Christ was not born on the 25th of December. The date was chosen to coincide with the pagan Roman celebrations honouring Saturnus (the harvest god) and Mithras (the ancient god of light), a form of sun worship. These celebrations came on or just after the winter solstice, the shortest day of the year in the northern hemisphere, to announce that winter is not forever, that life continues, and an invitation to stay in good spirit.

Christmas is celebrated throughout the Christian population, but is also celebrated by many non-Christians as a secular, cultural festival. The holiday is celebrated around the world.

It is an interesting fact to note that the celebration of Christmas in India is held in a different manner in the various parts of the country. The way Christmas is celebrated in the North East is completely different from the way Christmas is celebrated in the South West.

Midnight mass is a very important service for Christians in India, especially Catholics. The whole family will walk to the mass and this will be followed by a massive feast of different delicacies, (mostly curries) and the giving and receiving of presents. Churches in India are decorated with Poinsettia flowers and candles for the Christmas Eve Midnight Mass service. One of the most famous locations for celebration of Christmas in India is Goa.

Instead of having traditional Christmas Trees, a banana or mango tree is decorated. Sometimes people use mango leaves to decorate their homes.

In Southern India, Christians often put small oil burning clay lamps on the flat roofs of their homes to show their neighbours that Jesus is the light of the world.

In north-west India, the tribal Christians of the Bhil folk, go out night after night for a week at Christmas to sing their own carols the whole night through. They go to surrounding villages singing to people and telling the Christmas story.

May your days be Happy heart be light,
And your Christmas be joy full and bright.
MERRY CHRISTMAS!


Friday, December 19, 2008

College Life



we do what ever we want to
we are kings of our kingdom
it is the sea of freedom,
where everyone once in his life dive
people call it college we call it life



those midnight coffees
those self made maggies
those sleepless nights
just sleeping in the lecture keeps us alive
people call it college we call it life

those long chats
fights just to prove nothing
without any point there was strife
people call it college we call it life


those days during exams with depression
the day before exam whole night preparation
just to get pass that last strive
people call it college we call it life


that 8th or 9th first love
those crushes and love at first sight
those dating nights
people call it college we call it life

those midnight celebrations and b'day bumps
with face wash,polish,oil your face look like a dump
those cold drink showers and face message with cake
where friendship is real and nothing is fake
there is no handshake we call it high five
people call it college we call it life


so friends live it to the fullest
after that there is no time for rest
this is time when life follows your orders
there is no limit n no borders
where enjoyment and only enjoyment is our motive
people call it college we call it life

Sunday, December 7, 2008

ek dost ki kahani ek dost ki zubani


Loneliness has been a part of my life
my life was in your hands some feel i was crazy ,
some say i was blind
but i din care wat they said
as long as you were mine !!
i din care what u did
i din care where u went
as long as i trust you
n you trust me !!

every little thing u said n did
feels like its deep within me
dosen't matters if u were runnig away
as long as its deep within me !!

then came a time when all fell apart
u became a stranger
u took one step ahead not noticing tht i was left behind
i felt like crying ....ran here n there
looked for you everywhere
but u din came
then i relized i was living an impossible dream !!
i moved ahead n live my life ...
then comes a day wen i see u crying
you come knocking on my doors
n i say dear this door is shut for you !!
what do you want now
you took all i ever had n you want tht i should forgive
life gives you 1 chance
u hav had yours n i hav had mine !!
i keep walking this path without you all ...
yes i keep walking this empty street on the boulevard of my broken dreams !!!
yes i walk alone , i walk alone !! ......