Harvard symologist Robert Langdon is invited by the curator of the Louvre for a meeting and just before that he is murdered. The curator leaves a cryptographic message with his dead body which Langdon decodes with the help of Sophie Neveu, a gifted French cryptologist. The dead curator was a member of the Priory of Sion, a secret society which had as its members Issac Newton, Boticelli, Victor Hugo and Da Vinci.
Leonardo Da Vinci was aware of a historical secret which the Vatican was trying to protect. He managed to convey what he believed in, through his paitings, especially, the Last Supper. Langdon and Neveu discover all these secrets and find the secret that the Priory was trying to protect.
The ride this novel takes you is absolutely thrilling and most probably you will finish this in one sitting. It proposes an alternative history about Jesus Christ and it is slowly revealed in clues scattered in the work of Da Vinci. Besides this there are many mysterious characters and surprises scattered all over making this a page turner. You cannot write anything more without having to reveal the story. So read the book.
Author: जयकृष्णः | ജയകൃഷ്ണൻ
No Voting Rights for NRIs
If you are an NRI, can you vote in the general elections ?. The answer is NO. Here is why, as explained in an e-mail to me by Chandra Malik, Consulate General of India, San Francisco
bq. According to Section 19 of the R. P. Act, 1950, only a person who is ordinarily resident in a constituency is entitled to be registered in the electoral roll of that constituency and can vote in Indian elections. However, such the non-resident Indian Citizens who are employed under Govt. of India in a post outside India are eligible to be registered as voters in terms of Sec 20 (8) (d) read with Sec 20 (3) of the R. P. Act, 1950. You may wish to see the Eclection Commission web-site http://www.eci.gov.in/
Bluetooth: Only for Europe
Off late there have been tendencies by gadget makers to produce two versions of the same device, one for the American market and one for the European market. Most of the time, both models will have the same features, and the only difference would be that the American one would not have Bluetooth.
The first one was “Sony Clie TH-55”:http://www.sonystyle.com/is-bin/INTERSHOP.enfinity/eCS/Store/en/-/USD/SY_DisplayProductInformation-Start;sid=aOUcBKxASDIcNOwIfK4WD-NPXb8jIorOnm4=?CategoryName=hp_Multimedia&ProductSKU=PEGTH55%2fU&Dept=hp This is a new PDA which features integrated Wi-Fi, a camera, high resolution screen and built-in audio player. That’s for the American market. The “UK Version”:http://www.expansys-usa.com/product.asp?code=TH55 features all of the above plus Bluetooth
The next product to do this is “Dell Axim PDA”:http://www1.euro.dell.com/content/products/productdetails.aspx/axim_x3_wireless?c=uk&l=en&s=pad
And the reason ?
bq. “Nokia and Ericsson are driving Bluetooth heavily in Europe,” said Kris Karppi, Dell EMEA product manager for Axim. “The market for in-vehicle GPS is also greater in Europe, he said, adding that most of these systems use Bluetooth antennae. There are also “a lot of proprietary solutions for cable replacement,” he said, and a strong corporate customer base that could drive Bluetooth use. With all that, Dell had “no hesitation at all” in launching a Bluetooth version in Europe, said Karppi.
bq. ?The picture in the US is rather different, showing considerable hesitation and perhaps a U-turn or two. The company told IDG’s PC World at the launch that it would “eventually” offer a Bluetooth device, but did not say where, only pointing out that Bluetooth demand is stronger in Europe.?
Grocery Strike Ends
Do workers strike in capitalist countries ? How do they end ? Do workers get what they want or do evil corporations get to run over them ?
For the past 4.5 months about 70,000 employees of grocery stores like Safeway, Albertsons and Kroger have been on strike, standing outside the stores with sign boards and requesting shoppers to shop elsewhere.
bq. Under the terms of the three-year agreement, current union members will not have to make any contributions toward their health care plan premiums in the first two years and will only need to pay between $5 to $15 in the third year if health care contributions in reserves are not sufficient to cover the costs.
bq. But the contract creates a second, lower tier of supermarket employees who will receive less pay and inferior benefits. New supermarket hires will have to pay about $9 a week for a basic health care plan and will make less than the average wages of $12 to $14. [via “Forbes”:http://www.forbes.com/markets/newswire/2004/02/29/rtr1280570.html]
But now it seems like the offer that the employees are accepting is the “same one they rejected”:http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2004-02-29-grocery-strike_x.htm when the strike started.
Communist, We are anti-national as well
bq. The CPM leadership had strongly reprimanded Achuthanandan in the sixties for donating blood for Indian soldiers during the India-China war when he was a detainee in the Thiruvananthapuram Central Jail. [via “NewIndPress”:http://www.newindpress.com/NewsItems.asp?ID=IER20040302004236&Page=R&Title=Kerala&Topic=0&]
Achutanandan is the head honcho of the Communist Party of India in Kerala. The official party line was that the war against India was an internal affair of China and it was considered a violation of the party line, if Communists donated blood to the people who guarded the country.
Jumping Ship
Election dates have been announced in the largest democracy in the world and for the first time the entire elections will be conducted using electronic voting machines. But what is more interesting is the amount of Congressmen dissing and leaving Congress(I). People who have been in the party for many years, Muslims etc. are now joining the communal BJP. These people may be just opportunistic, jumping ship to ensure a berth in the next ministry. But what is interesting is the comments they make about the party leadership, which is Sonia Gandhi and why they switched to BJP
“Arif Mohammed Khan”:http://in.rediff.com/election/2004/feb/23inter.htm
bq. I spent 89 days in Gujarat [during the riots]. And when the [assembly] elections came, I opposed the BJP. I supported the Congress. But with my support what did they deliver? Why didn’t they deliver? Because they do not have credibility in the masses. They are seen as a party which has all along flirted with minority communalism. They are seen as a party that showed no compunction in playing the Muslim card in the Shah Bano case. Or playing the Hindu card when they tried to offset the reaction which came as a reaction to the Shah Bano case. And the locks of Ayodhya were opened. They can play the Hindu card or Muslim card or Christian card. So their credibility to fight and contain communalism has been eroded.
“Laxman Singh”:http://in.rediff.com/news/2004/feb/25inter.htm, brother of Congress(I) Chief Minister Digvijay Singh
bq. Basically, its sheer opportunism in its electoral alliance with the Dravida Munnetra Kazagham and its southern allies. It befuddles me. Only some years ago they were our enemies for the role in Rajiv Gandhi’s assassination. Today, all that is overturned and the Congress-DMK alliance fructified. It was too much for me.
“Najma Heptulla”:http://www.outlookindia.com/pti_news.asp?id=203332
bq. The senior Congress leader from Maharashtra admitted that the violence in Gujarat had left her ashamed, but said that this does not mean that BJP was anti-minority. “I think Vjpayee is a leader the minorities also have faith in him. I think minorities should also look to the future and not be trapped in the past”, she said.
Few weeks back, India Today had a cover story on a nationwide opinion poll. As per the results the NDA is supposed to get more than 330 seats, which would be a gain of 30 seats from last term. Congress(I) is set to lose those 30 seats. Looks like all the above people too read that issue of India Today.
Oscar Thoughts
They should have stopped the award function at 8 PM, called the entire cast and crew of The Lord of Rings on stage and handed over all the statues to them. That way we all could have slept a bit early. But they deserve each and every award they won. I was rooting for Johnny Depp for best actor award but Sean Penn took it away. But the movie I was rooting for, Finding Nemo, won for best animated film.
It is great to watch local news now. There is a chopper showing us views of all the parties that are going on. Also there is a major traffic jam caused by limousines, which is also being covered live.
Dan Burton defeated again
bq. The U.S. House of Representatives? Committee on Government Reform and Subcommittee on Human Rights and Wellness was to hold Congressional hearings on March 3, 2003, entitled, ?Decades of Terror: Exploring Human rights Abuses in Kashmir and the Disputed Territories?. Goaded by Robert Giuda, a lawmaker in the New Hampshire State Assembly who has formed a pro-Pakistani organization called ?Americans For Resolution of Kashmir. This was a deliberate move by an anti-India leader, Congressman Dan Burton to slander the image of India before the US Congress by focusing on ?atrocities being perpetrated by India against the people of Kashmir?.
bq. These hearings could have led to critical and unfavorable US policies causing serious damage to United States? relationship to India. Reacting to the seriousness of the issue, USINPAC jumped into the fray. From the moment it came to know about the hearings, USINPAC questioned its timing (when peace talks are going on) and also expressed serious reservations about the quality and fairness (and the questionable character) of some of the witnesses. The message was consistently conveyed to key Members of Congress. It gives us pleasure to inform you that finally, USINPAC?s vigorous efforts on the Hill, backed by your support have resulted in an indefinite postponement of these hearings. While this development is undoubtedly a severe setback for the anti-India lobbyists, we should continue to prepare well to effectively counteract these lobbyists should Representative Dan Burton convene a future hearing.
From the “USINPAC”:http://www.usinpac.com/Default.asp Mailing List
Indian Images – I
This time during there was a marriage in India in our family and some of went to get banana leaves from the local market. The banana leaf seller has a shop which is basically some space which is filled with just banana leaves. There were no chairs or tables. He sat, surrounded by banana leaves, armed with just a small knife with which he cut leaves to waiting customers.
Suddenly there was ring tone and everyone searched their pockets. The banana leaf seller took out a phone from under a leaf and took an order. Cell Phones are now all over the place in India. Cab Drivers, Newspaperwallas, Doodhwala, everyone has a cell phone.
Till recenly people were able to live without this device and now this seems like a necessity to everyone. I particularly liked the fact that people were shelling out anything from 300 – 1000 Rupees for this convenience, instead of keeping the money in the bank. Good for the economy.
Another good side effect of this cell phone is that while you wait in the railway station or bus stop, you can listen to everyones problems in life.
But we are secular
bq. Only a Latin Catholic will be fielded from Ernakulam. And the Church has a major say in the whole process. We are discussing the matter.
said Congress(I) sources in Kerala as reported in a news article titled “Latin Church recommends candidate to UDF for Ernakulam seat”:http://www.newindpress.com/NewsItems.asp?ID=IER20040224125648&Page=R&Title=Kerala&Topic=0& . Congress(I) also accuses that BJP is a communal party.