Atif-Popularity beyond borders

Since music has no languages and boundaries, we are fortunate to relish the popular music and unique voices of artistes from across the border. A singer who has really made his mark in India and South Asia with his songs and his voice is Atif Aslam, a Pakistani pop singer. 

Remember Pehli Nazar mein, the song from the movie Race which was an instant hit. There are many songs which have been highly appreciated by youngsters. He is well-known for his powerful vocal belting technique.

Atif Aslam (Mohammed Atif Aslam) was born in 12^th march, 1983 in Wazirabad in the Gujranwala province of Pakistan. He studies at PAF College, Lahore where he completed his F.Sc (Pre-Engineering) in 2001. 

He participated in cricket and represented his college in various events in other cities. He won his first singing competition in the Independence Day (Pakistan) celebrations. He completed his Bachelor in Computer Science from University of Central Punjab.

Atif met Goher— a guitarist, in college and they went on to form a band which was called Jal. They performed at their college canteen and various hotels in the city. They performed in the songs of Junoon and Strings. They came out with their first album Jal Pari which was a hit. Atif left Jal due to personal differences and Atif released another album Doorie in 2004. His albums were popular in Pakistan and India.

Atif’s songs were in a Hollywood movie, Man Push Cart. These songs were taken from his debut album Jal Pari. He has become the third Pakistani singer after Strings and Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan to be featured in a Hollywood movie.

Atif has sung for many Hindi movies. Some of his songs which were huge hits in India were Pehli Nazar Mein from Race and Tere Bin from Woh Lamhe among others.

Atif is truly a popular singer. He is liked and admired by youngsters of India and Pakistan. If only music could be used to bridge the difference between India and Pakistan, both countries would have been the best neighbours.

What is trending today?

Internet is volatile, ever-changing and unpredictable. Something that tops the trending charts in the morning may disappear into oblivion without leaving a trace in the evening. But trending charts produced by Internet giants such as Google, Yahoo, MSN and Twitter tell it all.

Trending is not a new term for tech-savvy Internet users. Trending topics tell us about popular topics of the day on the Internet. There are many websites that regularly update the list of popular searched for terms in their websites. Many search engines, news websites, micro-blogging and social networking websites have begun showing trending topics of the day to inform their users about the most-searched for topics on their website on any given day.  

Trending topics on a website like Twitter are topics that are the searched for because they prompt users to talk about them because of their importance on any given day. Usually, the names of the topics on Twitter are followed by the ‘#’ hash sign.

Many a time trending on these websites are the results of concerted efforts by the fans of a celebrity or the marketing department of a brand. To make their trending results authentic and accurate, Google, Twitter and other websites, which display trending topics on their websites regularly, change the algorithm of their search results to check manipulation by users.

To make trending easier for common people, Google launched called Google Trends in May 2006. This enables users to see what were the popular search terms over a period of time on the search engine. According to the website, "Trends for Websites combine information from a variety of sources, such as aggregated Google search data, aggregated opt-in anonymous Google Analytics data, opt-in consumer panel data, and other third-party market research. (...) Additionally, Google Trends for Websites only shows results for sites that receive a significant amount of traffic, and enforces minimum thresholds for inclusion in the tool."

Google Trends has added many new features under the tag Google Insight for Search to tell users about ‘hot searches of the day’ and other information based on their research. The site is updated on an hourly basis. Users can know the estimated number of daily visitors on a specific website and also the number of people who visited a website in the previous seven days or in a month. The website also provides country-specific data. 

Choice is yours

RICHARD Blechnyden wanted to promote Indian tea at the St. Louis World Fair. It was very hot and no one wanted to sample his tea. Blechnyden saw that iced drinks were doing a flourishing business. It dawned on him to make his tea an iced drink, mix in some sugar and offer it for sale. People loved it. That was the introduction of iced tea to the world.

Human beings are not like a nut. It can not decide whether to become food for squirrels or grow into a giant tree. Human beings have choices. If nature gives us a lemon, we have a choice: either to cry or make lemonade.

WHEN THINGS GO WRONG, AS THEY SOMETIMES WILL, YOU CAN REACT RESPONSIBLY OR RESENTFULLY—IT IS UP TO YOU.

Impact of movies on society- Is real life copying reel life in violence against women?

The objectives of film production and the structure of society are so closely interwoven that both look interdependent. This fact emerged out of a survey conducted by Sambad Plus Team among 400 cine viewers of Bhubaneswar to ascertain the impact of modern films on society.

According to our survey 79 percent people believe that films are the mirror of society and the cycle of social events happening in real life is depicted on the big screen, while 21 percent people believe that film stories have nothing to do with real life.

Films are a good medium of entertainment; they come under scrutiny and criticism every now and then. In answer to a question, 49 percent people voted that films make a great impact on society and that they are an effective medium to mould public opinion. Thirty five percent people feel that films do not make a good impact on society. Sixteen percent of the people were neutral in their reaction.

Old movies vs. new movies

New films are far better than the old ones in terms of technique. Yet there are people who are still diehard fans of old movies. According to 83 percent people, the central theme of the old films revolved around social issues and such films were inspiring, while new films are made keeping box-office collections in mind. Seventeen percent people liked the new movies for better technique and locations.

In answer to a few questions related to the impact of modern films on society, 85 percent said that fashion and films are complementary to each other while 71 percent people said that films are misleading youth into fantasyland. Sixty seven percent people feel that these films are the cause of increasing atrocities on women, 

76 percent blame films for the declining moral values and 70 percent point out that films are the main reason of rising crime in society. Eighty nine percent people have raised a question mark on the role of the Film Censor Board on the subject of its issuing different certificates to similar types of movies.

Overexposure in movies

95 percent people were of the opinion that ‘adult movies’ should not be shown in cinema halls. Five percent said there is no harm in showing such films but youngsters below 18 years of age should not be allowed to see such movies.

In the view of 34 percent people, the audience itself is responsible for the growing exposure in films, while 27 percent held the producers responsible, 20 percent blamed the actors and 12 percent blamed directors while according to 7 percent the cheap story line of the film is responsible.  

Impact On children

32 percent people feel that the unbelievable stunts of the ‘hero’ in the movies are responsible for increasing delinquency in children. On the other hand, 28 percent feel that the temptation to emulate one’s favourite actor is the main reason behind it, while 23 percent blame the glamour of movies. On the contrary, 17 percent said that it would not be astonishing for them if students bunked school to watch entertaining movies.

In an answer to an interesting question ‘whether they impersonate any actor or actress or not, 57 percent politely refused to answer. Twenty four percent of people said that they sometimes try to adopt the looks and mannerisms of their favourite actors.  Nineteen percent of people said ‘no.’ 

Fusion is here to stay!

Do you remember listening to something peppy, but with simple and rustic lyrics? A combination of tabla, electric guitar and drums! It’s fusion. A fusion of various sounds of traditional and Western instruments.  It has created a fresh form of music which is also called contemporary or world music by some. But the concept and visualization is fusing two different forms of music and the result is ‘Fusion’.

Fusion music has become popular in the last decade in India. Fusion means the combination of two separate forms of music. When they forms are combined, a third form called Fusion is created. Fusion music was conceptualized by musicians who wanted to combine the best of two worlds and also to promote easy listening.

Several bands promoted fusion music in India. Tavleen Singh, the famous percussionist, is known as a great fusion artist. Similarly, Colonial Cousins , a band comprising singer Hariharan and music director Leslie Lewis became quite popular in the Nineties. They made some memorable hits like ‘Sa Ni Dha Pa’ and others  which are typical fusion songs.

Indian Ocean, a band comprising four close friends, developed an idea by Rahul Ram, the vocalist. Their album ‘Kandisa’ became a popular  hit amongst the youth, particularly college students. Their songs ‘Maa Rewa’ and ‘Kandisa’ were huge hits. Remember, ‘Peepli Live’ which had some Indian Ocean songs like ‘Desh mera rangrezia babu’. The songs of Indian Ocean describe various issues of life in a simple and rustic manner.

 One of their songs, ‘Hille le’ was originally written by a famous poet from Bihar, Gorakh Pande, and it is a satire on issues like corruption and aristocracy. It has a rustic feel to it. But it uses electric guitar, tabla, drums and synthesizer in harmony. The result is a power- packed song which is truly soul stirring.

Fusion music was popularized by the Pakistani band ‘Junoon’ which used various famous sayings in a totally different and modern form. Their song ‘Khudi ko kar buland itna ki har taqdeer se pehle, khuda bande se khud poochhe, bataa teri raza kya hai’ is an adaptation of a popular saying by poet Allama Iqbal which tells a man to be strong and totally in control.

Fusion music has been criticized by experts who see this as corruption of music. But as long as fusion is pure and sends out a message, it will be popular. Youngsters can be inspired as fusion songs do not use any explicit lyrics. So, as long as you are listening to something which is pleasing and is also soul stirring, go for it. Who knows you may come out with your own album someday!

Online gaming: easy entertainment

Internet gaming has grown over the years. Millions of people worldwide are caught up in a whirling vortex of online gaming and the number of addicted people is increasing with each passing year. The addiction of gaming began with hand-held video game devices on which children could play simple games such as Tetris, Car Racing and Feed the Snake.

Nowadays, video games have become essential part of gadgets. Mobiles, computers, tablets TVs and set- top boxes come loaded with games such as Sudoku, Cricket, Solitaire, Tetris, etc. Users can instal third-party sophisticated games on their computers which are played on Play Station and X-Box. There is a huge market for games on Android or iOS enabled smart phones and they can be bought from their respective stores.

Fast broadband Internet connection, interactive social networking game applications and availability of games as browser add-ons have given a boost to online games. The success of online games such as Angry Birds, Farm Ville, Fruit Ninja, Mafia Wars, Bejeweled, etc., can be gauged by the number of users playing them online.  More than 700 million copies of Angry Bird alone have been downloaded on different platforms since its launch in 2009. According to Facebook blog more than 236 million people play games on the social networking website.

There is a variety of games available such as arcade games, racing games, war games, strategy games, word games and sports games on hundreds of gaming websites. There are many websites on the Internet for playing different kinds of games.

Zynga.com has one of the largest collections of free games and the site claims that it has over 240 million monthly users. Some of the most popular games available on the website are CityVille, Zynga Poker, Draw Something, Hidden Chronicles, FarmVille, CastleVille, Words With Friends, Empires & Allies, Scramble With Friends and Mafia Wars. A Bit Lucky is a developer of high-quality games such as Lucky Space and Lucky Train that are among some of the highest-rated games on Facebook. The games designed by this developer are available on Facebook and other social media platforms.

Roundgames, Gamesam, Addictinggames are a few websites which regularly update their database of flash-based games. Twoplayergames.com and Flyordie.com have a large collection of multiplayer games that are played by two or more players simultaneously and then scores are tallied. A few websites such as Zapak.com and other are websites that allow game developers to submit their games. One should regularly update browser plug-ins such as Adobe Flash Player for playing online games because most of these games are flash-based. 

No tension

Teenagers, like adults, may experience stress everyday and can benefit from learning stress management skills. Most teens experience more stress when they perceive a situation as dangerous, difficult, or painful and they do not have the resources to cope.

Teens can decrease stress with the following behaviour and techniques

1. Exercise and eat regularly.
2. Avoid excess caffeine intake, which can increase feelings of anxiety and agitation.
3. Avoid consuming drugs and tobacco.
4. Learn relaxation exercises, for example, abdominal breathing and muscle relaxation techniques.
5. Develop assertiveness training skills, for example, state feelings in a polite and firm manner and not in an overly aggressive or passive way. “I feel angry when you yell at me. Please stop yelling.”
6. Rehearse and practise situations that causes stress.  One example is taking a speech class and see if talking in front of a class makes you anxious.
7. Learn practical coping skills, for example, break a large task into smaller, more attainable tasks.
8. Decrease negative self-talk— challenge negative thoughts about yourself with alternative neutral or positive thoughts. “My life will never be better” can be transformed into “I may feel hopeless now, but my life will probably get better if I work at it and get some help.”
9. Learn to feel good about doing a competent or a ‘good enough’ job rather than demanding perfection from yourself and others.
10. Take a break from stressful situations. Activities like listening to music, talking to friends, drawing, writing, or spending time with a pet can reduce stress.
11. Build a network of friends who help you cope in a positive way.

By using these and other techniques, teenagers can begin to manage stress. If a teen talks about or shows signs of being overly stressed, a consultation with a child and adolescent psychiatrist or qualified mental health professional may be helpful. 

Stage a play, spread joy

The impression of a play created on the audience is due to the total effect of several factors which one would do well to know.

Annual days in schools are  an eagerly-awaited occasion for most students. That is the time for drama enthusiasts to stage plays and spread joy. What a great day it is for the actors! What fun for the beholders! What great pleasure for all when the play is on and over! How happy everyone is as one wends one returns  home!

Such joyous occasions are no doubt few and far between. But these  few become memorable because of the excellent role each actor has played. Each playing one’s part to the best of one’s ability. All performing  with  team spirit. All actuated by one desire— to make a good impression, to make the play a success. The success that comes from planned effort and sincere performance. And a host of other factors.

What are the points that one should remember to make a play successful. First comes the selection of a theme. Choose a story which all or most of the performers know. A story that  appeals to most of the members of the troupe. That will considerably help in presenting the sequence correctly. 

A story with an Indian locale or one based on the works of Indian writers would have wider appeal than  Western works. Particularly for youngsters, Indian stories would be easier to put on the boards than foreign ones.

Having chosen the story— be it from the epics like the Ramayana or the Mahabharata or the various Puranas or Indian history or folklore — the next thing to do is to  prepare  the scenario and the script. This is a job that calls for much imagination and literary talent. Breaking down the story into various scenes and writing the dialogues of the characters and stage directions to build up the effect of the dialogues need special talent.

All are not good dramatists. If there are no good writers among the group that  presents the play the help of outside talent has to be availed of. School students  can get help  from parents or teachers with talent in theatre. The guidance of elders in scenario and script writing, in settings and costumes and make-up, is necessary for children to make their play appealing. And in cities, the dramatic societies and theatre groups can be approached for assistance.

Next comes casting —assigning roles to the children who will be acting in the play. This is the job of the producer/director. Here the criterion is who is best suited for which role. Individual preferences and choices can be considered only in relation to suitability. 

All cannot play the part of kings and queens, nor of ministers and commanders-in-chief: some have to act as servants and soldiers, some as villains and demons. Irrespective of the role one is assigned one should play one’s part well. When all the participants perform their respective roles well the play proves to be a success.

To do one’s role well, one must not only have talent in acting but must know one’s part well. One must be natural in one’s delivery of dialogue and action or facial expression. That means one must feel one’s part. An actor commands appeal by evoking the emotional response of the audience.

In ancient India drama was highly disciplined. The emotions were classified under nine labels, the nava rasa’s. And rasa dominated drama. Strict rules were laid for staging of plays as well as for writing them (dramaturgy). Bharata, the celebrated author of the work Natya Sastra, is believed to be the first grammarian of the performing arts of dance, drama and music.

 The rigorous discipline of Sanskrit drama had its counterpart in the Greek drama of those days. The joy of living that cultured people had in olden days is mirrored in classical drama. And it is the same spirit that  motivates us to enact plays.

Colour contributed much to their joy of living. And India has rightly been called  the land of colour. It is the colours in costume and make-up that enhances the appeal of an actor’s performance. So we have the green-room experts  who look after the make-up which should be in conformity with the times and characters of the play. Never overdress. Nor be gaudy to a fault. Remember that clothes too play a part — in evoking the right atmosphere.

The first impression on the audience is visual in which costumes and settings make an impact. Dialogue and action begins  after the visual effect is made on the beholders. If the first visual effect is good the audience will follow the dialogues and action with greater interest than if it were other-wise.

 So the several elements that go to grip the attention of the audience have to be in harmony. One faux pas, one slip in one can mar the effect of the other. For a play pleases one due to the total effect of several factors. To know them well is essential for every stage  enthusiast. Then only can one spread joy through plays.

The generation gap The pros and cons

Anthony Burgess, an Englishman, whose A Clockwork Orange (both the book and the film based on it) had gained swift popularity among young people, was interviewed by a student. The following is a  sample of what he had to say, pertinent to the generation gap.

Q.  Are children different today from those when you were growing up?

A. I don’t think we were much different… The difference lay in the fact that we were not appealed to, catered, or exploited as a separate section of society. It is important to remember that this image of youth as a separate entity is not the world of you (young) people but of older people who want to make money. 

Therefore, when I was young we didn’t dress differently from our elders. We didn’t speak a different language. We had different ideas. But we knew that sooner or later we’d be absorbed into the bigger adult world, and didn’t cut ourselves off from it.

Margaret Mead sees youth’s alienation that is responsible for the gap, as not so much a matter of youth cutting itself off as being cut off by an adult society that imposes on the young “a delayed childhood”. In earlier days, the young were ‘hurried into adulthood through an early work experience and early marriage’ while today ‘the years of childhood are stretched out… to in clued the years of adolescence’ and during this artificially prolonged period of dependence, all their independence is ‘more apparent than real’.

Nearly always when this gap is being discussed, there are some who claim that the gap between generations is not wider that the  gap within generations. No generation is monochrome, they say. Each has its internal tensions, conflicts and extreme polarizations that tear it apart. Youth also subscribes to this view. “Some young people are born old”, complained a youth leader. “They’re every bit as narrow, reactionary and set in their ways as the worst among older folk. And there’s no changing them!”

Yet, the moment one speaks of the gap, one knows it is with direct reference to the gap between generations. It is unrealistic to dismiss this gap or to minimize it, and dangerous to take it for granted until a crisis or difficult situation occurs. The thing about the gap is that it is at once more than one kind of gap—a communication gap, a credibility gap and a cultural divide.

The Communication Gap   

Youth seems to be evolving its own language, with the intention of rendering itself incommunicado. There may not be much evidence of linguistic differences in this country but in other societies, exasperated elders complain of the difficulty they have in “getting through” to young people. “It is not only that they use different words”, said a parent, “but they use the same words differently”. However, the communication gap is widening more because of a lack of common ground. 

“Youth question everything—values, standards, customs, and hold nothing sacred anymore. While on the other hand they won’t answer our questions, when we try to find out what they’re up to, or they give evasive answers if they answer at all. Haven’t we a right to know? “ A common charge aimed against youth, irrationally enough, is inexperience.

The Credibility Gap

This rift shows that neither trusts the other’s judgement and decisions, nor acknowledges what right each has to make them “Older people”, said a critic, “point out all the opportunities and advantages that they have given us. Yet  they will not admit that because of these very things, they now have a great deal to learn from us, and knowledge that must be applied to real-life situations. 

We can’t accept their judgments at face value, that they know what’s good for us, because we see that even when they urge us to do the right kind of thing, they go about it in the wrong way”.

So much of the gap is the result of circumstances beyond anyone’s control today, with the onslaught of change that throws older people, especially, off balance. Youth, as a product of these times, can take radically changed situations more easily in its stride, simply because these situations are the only ones they know and are familiar with, having no memory of other days. 

On both sides, this gap is painful.

Youth culture is being commercialized by those who see big money in exploiting youth trends, whether these are youth-generated or not; fashions, song, dance, gadgets and typical haunts of youth such as discotheques, and the rest.

Parents in this country, despite the grave anxieties they express seem to take a secret pride in seeing their young so “with it”. Youth in the West, as often as not, earns what it spends, doing what would be regarded in this country (by old and young alike) as all kinds of ‘menial’ jobs. “What worries young people”,  said one earnest young person, “is that our youth is shortlived.

 Our ideals and enthusiasm die an early death, once hard necessities dictate that we become new cogs in the wheel to replace the old cogs who’ve done their day”. 

Survival strategy for men

Do any of you guys get dumped even before you have found your groove in a relationship? Does your girlfriend run out to beat you black and blue? Here is a ten point survival list that you should remember, come hail, come storm!

10.God, you look so much like your mom!

Better not say this to a girl, unless you want her for an aunt.

Move far off from this topic for safety reasons.

9.I would have invited you, but you’re no fun.

At this point, a white lie is mandatory.

8.Do not delve on the family fact file.

While some girls would just love a mature boy who talks about life and its small intricacies, others would go mad! They could not care less, especially, if you are not sincere. They are out for fun so this will get you into trouble.

7.Would have, could have, should have.

Talk philosophical whenever you want, with your friends but when it comes to your female pals, it is a big no! Avoid getting sentimental.

Keep it simple,  that is our advice.

6.Stop splurging money!

Never say this to a girl, even if she is the richest person around.

5.Keep the skeletons locked:

Do not be honest about your life unless you know where the relationship is going.

It may be cool for your girls to know about your past achievements and failures but it is no good digging the past.

4.Come on, a few little cramps never hurt anybody.

Instead, just ask whether they would like to have a can of coke. Remember, she never makes fun of your bruises when you were hurt at games. So be courteous and show concern. This would definitely make your day!

3.What’s the big deal? You have another birthday next day!

After forgetting ‘her’ birthday, the only option left for your is to run! Flee, before anything happens to you! Forgetting your girlfriend’s b’day is the biggest sin of your life; tell your parents, friends or siblings to inform you or promise her friends, chocolates for reminding you. She wants to feel special, centre of your universe, where she belongs.

2.You have put on weight.

This is forbidden territory. Suggest healthy eating, working out together or any such thing that does not hurt her.

1.That’s not the way my ex did it.

Never compare notes or else be sure to be dropped like a rotten potato.

Dress gracefully

It is amazing that the idea to fix a dress code for women has sprung up in a cultured country like India. Sixty years ago one had never thought that Western culture would influence our cultural heritage to this extent. Why is the young generation blindly going for Western outfits to follow the latest fashion trends?

There is no harm in being fashionable but why is a girl dressed up in a full-sleeved kurtasalwar and spread out dupatta be tagged as ‘behenjee’? Can a man attired in a three-piece suit and silken tie be a better chairman of a company?

But as change is the process of life, people have began to realize the grandeur of traditional Indian dresses. We can see people attired in pyjama, kurta and dhotis. 

The female mass find sarees and lehangas more graceful and more sophisticated. Indian beauty and complexion has unsurpassed charm which is enhanced in such costumes. Proud are we to behold that not only beauty but the grace and decency of Indian women reigns the world.

Girls may find jeans and T-shirts  trendy and smart but they are not unaware of the grace and style of other traditional costumes.Full attention and appreciation is what we all look for. Even a 3-4 year old child is eager to choose the best dress.

That is not surprising as the way we dress counts topmost to evaluate our personality. Our clothes depict our image. Clothes are just not means to cover our body; they are the mirror of our character. Thus, all of us should be selective in our choice of dresses. So, dress up gracefully, your dress is your expression. If you have grace you have style.

Hats off to you!

Music and Inspiration

‘Gonna Fly Now’, the theme music of Rocky II starring Sylvester Stallone is played by several youngsters while working out. The piece was composed by Vince Di Cola. Some of the other numbers from the Rocky series, which have inspired many are ‘The Eye of the Tiger’, (sung by Survivor), ‘No Easy Way Out’ and others.

Music has been a source of inspiration for many. Be it patriotic songs or inspirational music, it is used on occasions where people need that extra something to go that extra mile. They are used in films to show the passion of the actors. The film, ‘Ali’, based on the life of boxer Mohammad Ali starring Will Smith has a memorable number, ‘Tomorrow’ sung by an African singer named Salif Keita. 

The lyrics of the song is not in English and cannot be understood, but blends perfectly well with the situation in the film. No other song could portray the dilemma of a black American fighting for his country and his rights at the same time.

The title track of the film, ‘Lakshya’ starring Hrithik Roshan is sung by Shankar Mahadevan. The song shows the struggles and the victory over odds by a person who is motivated by the failures of life. ‘Chak De’, a film based on the Indian women’s hockey team starring Shahrukh Khan was a hit. 

What became even more popular was the title track, which is played during sporting events in schools, colleges and others. It is sung by Sukhwinder Singh and is liked by some prominent members of the Indian cricket team. 

Several players agree that listening to music before an important match soothes their nerves. Sachin Tendulkar loves listening to Lata Mangeshkar; Sandeep Singh, a member of the Indian men’s hockey team loves fast-paced Punjabi numbers. The choice of music depends on the listener, but it remains a constant source of inspiration for them as well as several others who play to win.

Learn Net lingo

People who began living their virtual life in Yahoo chat rooms know well ‘what ASL stand for’ A decade ago, it used to be the first question before beginning a chat session with unknowns on the Internet. The question has become redundant for the Facebook generation. The basic information about a person is easily accessible for anyone having an account on the social networking website. There are thousands of similar abbreviations, acronyms and jargons which are used in the online world very often.  This week we bring you a list of some of these words which have been forgotten over the years or have been coined recently.

ASL—It stands for Age, Location, Sex. The term was popular among  people using the Internet for chatting. It was used to find our  age, location and gender of the person  at the other end.  Over the years the usage of the term has minimized, especially after the evolution of social networking sites.

Most of us want high bandwidth speed for fast Internet connection. Bandwidth of an Internet connection tells about the rate of data transfer to and from a computer. The word is used to assess the speed of an Internet connection.  The higher the bandwidth the faster will the Internet speed  be.

 ISP— Internet Service Providers (ISP)are those that provide access to the Internet. In simple words, the company that provides you access to the Internet through cable, dongle, Wi-Fi or  for that matter by any means is known as an ISP.

All of us use search engines such as Google and Yahoo to get answers  to our queries. Boolean search is a kind of search that broadens or narrow search results on the basis of Boolean logic. One can use ‘and’, ‘not’ or ‘or’. False drops are the search results which are undesirable and most times they are the outcome of a mistyped search query.

Cyber space/virtual world—Internet is known as cyber space or virtual world also. The term is especially referred to show the life of people on social networking or blogging sites. None of the dictionaries has a word ‘defriend’ but it is used on Internet when someone removes a  name from his or her friends list. 

Cookies-—Cookies are small encrypted text files that have information about the website users are visiting on a computer. Some websites do not allow access if cookies are disabled on a browser.

URL-—Universal Resource Locator is a web address for accessing resources on the web. All the documents and files on the Internet have specific URLs.

FTP— File Transfer Protocol (FTP) is one of the most used protocols for sharing content between two servers.

CMS— Content Management System (CMS) is a programme that is used for maintaining and updating content on a website. Uploading, editing or modifying of content can be done using the programme. Dynamic websites and blog sites such as Wordpress, Blogspot, Typepad and others use CMS.

Tags and Meta tags—Tags and Meta tags are used in a website to make the content of the website easily available to Internet users.

Other terms which are  in use in the online world  are  IM (Instant Messengers), Request for comments (RFC), Feeds and several others.  

Think positive, Imagine positive

Winners are not those who always win, but essentially those who believe that  they are born to win. Concrete victories in various competitions of life certainly give a big fillip to one’s motivation and morale, but the real sense of victory lies in a perennial and undying faith that I have come to this world to engage in a continuous struggle and eventually I shall be the victor.

An invincible spirit is the most precious treasure of a human being and, therefore, we should all try to become strong enough so that the setbacks of life do not trouble us and shake our confidence. Let every setback be a comeback.

Dream big

Norman Vincent Peale, an eminent positive thinker, has written an inspiring book, ‘The Power of Positive Thinking’. He firmly believes that thoughts make a man and, therefore, we should always nurture positive ones and inculcate imaginations that have the flavour of success, achievement and happiness. Whether an examination or a running a business, the thrust of success lies in imagining that ‘I shall win’. Hence, we should all dream big.

The ‘bigness’ of dreams is bound to create a challenge within us and our hidden forces will help us achieve the dream. True, we should all be realistic in making an assessment of our strengths and weaknesses and should not be unduly adventurous in keeping our targets unrealistically high. Yet, we must never underestimate our potentials. A respectable score in CAT or IIT-JEE examinations is not an impossible task and so one must try taking these tests with enthusiasm and confidence.

Belief in yourself

Every night before going to bed, repeat these sentences atleast ten times ‘Every day, in every way, I am becoming stronger and stronger’; ‘Today, I have reached nearer to my goals and tomorrow, it shall be still a better day’; ‘I am competent and I will certainly achieve success in my examinations’; ‘God and I, are a two-man army and we will jointly achieve the highest and overcome all the struggles of life’.

 You can always make your own assuring pledges like ‘I am bound to win, and I will win’. During the day also, whenever, possible, repeat such positive sentences as many times as possible and you will note that there is a flow of energy in you and you will feel immensely revitalized.

Self suggestions

Peter Fletcher, an eminent psychologist, says that the power of auto-suggestion is so strong that you can transform your personality. The words of auto-suggestion can be most rewarding. An important requisite of success in life is a self suggestion that you will be calm during the examinations and you will be able to answer all questions with exceptional concentration and that you will be peaceful and undisturbed during the whole process of attempting a test-paper.

Such an enduring imagination creates exceptional powers that help us in facing any challenge and crisis when it really confronts us. And if you imagine that you are coming out of the examination hall confidently and smiling, this will give you a sense of victory and achievement. All this does not mean that imagination is more important than effort. Instead, what is being underscored is that positive imaging complements one’s endeavour. This combination of effort and positive imagining leads to a rare perseverance that is rooted in self-confidence and faith.

Power thinking

One of the most eminent emperor-warriors of the World, Napoleon Bonaparte of France, had averred: “Wars are first won in the minds of men”. That is the gist of positive imagining. Think big, think positive, think success and, remember what Swami Shivanand had emphasized with conviction that there is no power greater than thought power. Therefore, continuously feed your mind with positive thoughts and believe that success is your birthright and you will have it, if not today, then tomorrow. But it will come to you nevertheless. 

Look for the goodness in people

Andrew Carnegie and his family were not rich when they came to America from Scotland. Andrew was just a young boy then. He picked up odd jobs to add to the family income and ultimately became one of the largest steel manufacturers in the United States of America. At one time, he had 43 millionaires working for him. A million dollars is a lot of money today, but in the 1920s it was worth much much more.

One of the reasons for Andrew Carnegie’s success was man-management. He knew how to deal with people and bring out the best in his employees. He explained his approach thus: “Dealing with people is a lot like digging for gold. You have to remove tons of earth to get an ounce of gold. But do you look for the earth. No, You look for the gold.”

It is the same thing with people. One has to look for their positive attributes and use them for one’s own benefit.

EVERY PERSON HAS SOME GOOD IN HIM. ONE HAS ONLY TO LOOK FOR IT.

Bruce Springsteen : A true American rockstar

Bruce Springsteen is one of the most popular and recognized faces of American music. His music is inspired by  his city, ‘New Jersey’. The beauty and the simplicity of the city have always inspired him. Bruce is a passionate American who has been influenced by his country’s  political, economical and social issues.

Bruce gained instant recognition with the song ‘Born in the USA’. The song is based on the Vietnam War and has catchy lyrics about the hardships and pain caused by the war. He vented his anger against it and music was an effective means to do so. This song was included in the award-winning documentary ‘Dear America’, which was a real-life account of the war. Another song, ‘Streets of Philadelphia’ was included in one of the greatest movies of all time, ‘Philadelphia’. Bruce’s music has been included in lots of Hollywood movies. Actors like Sean Penn, Tom Hanks and others are known to be his good friends. One of his music videos was directed by Brian de Palma, the director of one of the best gangster movies of all time, ‘Scarface’.

Bruce’s voice is unconventional. It is not a pleasant  voice. It has a macho feel to it and is liked by people of all ages.  His song, ‘Dancing in the dark’ was a huge hit and is a fast number. Another song, ‘Atlantic City’ is a slow number.

Bruce, during his early years, performed with the ‘E Street band’. Together they created some great numbers. The characteristics of the band were the guitar solos and the use of drums. In the latter years, Bruce’s success was affected by the onslaught of other bands and a significant change in the style of music.  However, he still remained one of the most admired singers of the USA. After the 9/11 tragedy, Bruce composed and sang some songs which were dedicated to the victims.  These songs were included in his album, ‘The Rising’.

Bruce remains one of the greatest singers of the world. He is a true American. Many people believe that he can play an active role in the country’s politics. Bruce has not yet expressed his opinions on this. He is one of the best musical spokespersons of the USA and the universal appeal of music makes him popular throughout the world

Make the most of your music experience online

“Music is a moral law. It gives soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and charm and gaiety to life and to everything.” Plato was right in saying this. Music is an essential part of human life. It is everywhere and the Internet is no exception. There are several websites which are specially designed and developed for music aficionados. They can make playlists of their favourite songs and listen to them online. And, the music lovers, who not only listen to songs but also sing, can record and compose songs and share them with their friends. They can connect with the people who like the same kind of music.

Radio has been one of the best sources of music for long but people have to limit their listening to the songs selected by the RJs. Internet has this dependency. Users can personalise online radio stations based on their choice of songs on Last.fm; they can do it by making tags for artists and musicians. The site provides this service to registered users free. It keeps the track of the music history of its users and recommends songs and musical concerts to them. The site keeps users up-to-date on ‘what are your friends listening to at any given point of time’.

Songbird.me updates information about new albums. They can make playlists of their favourite songs on the website and can even listen to songs from the playlists of their friends. Gaana.com has the largest collection of new songs in Hindi, English, Odia, Assamese, Bengali and in other Indian languages. Users can stream the music free.

A few other sites allow users to download songs of their choice by paying a fixed sum. Some sites are free. Flipkart.com recently launched a website flyte.com. Music lovers can listen to a sample of songs in a music album before buying. If they like only one or two songs then they can buy them from the website and download on their computers. Similarly, Musictoday.in sells Indian classical music online but users do not have an option to download songs. Music CDs are delivered at home by the website.

You can listen to music albums uploaded by users free on Justhearit.com but will have to pay if you download. There is a site musicovery.com in which you state the mood you are in and it will play music suitable for it. There are sites where musicians can compose and record songs and share them with an online audience. One of the most popular music recording websites is Soundcloud.com. You can also listen to the tracks uploaded by others.

Other websites which will interest you include iTunes, Finetune, Live365.com, Blip.fm, Pandora, Emusic.com, etc.