world Business 1981

Pohela Boishakh

2009-04-11T04:17:00.000-07:00

Pohela Boishakh is the first day of the Bengali calendar, celebrated in both Bangladesh and West Bengal, and in Bengali communities in Assam and Tripura. Pohela Boishakh connects all ethnic Bengalis irrespective of religious and regional differences. It falls on April 14 or April 15 of the Gregorian calendar depending on the use of the new amended or the old Bengali calendar respectively. In Bangladesh, it is celebrated on April 14 according to the official amended calendar designed by the Bangla Academy. In Bangladesh, Pohela Boishakh is a national holiday and in West Bengal and Assam it is a public (state) holiday.

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History

The Hindu solar calendar based on the Surya Siddhanta commences in mid-April of the Gregorian year. The first day of this calendar is celebrated as the traditional New Year in various parts of South Asia, including Assam, Bengal, Kerala, Manipur, Nepal, Orissa, Punjab, Tamil Nadu and Tripura. It is also celebrated as the traditional New Year across Southeast Asia, including Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, and Thailand (see Songkran).

Under the Mughals, agricultural taxes were collected according to the Hijri calendar. However, as the Hijri calendar is a purely lunar calendar, it does not coincide with the harvest. As a result, farmers were hard-pressed to pay taxes out of season. In order to streamline tax collection, the Mughal Emperor Akbar ordered a reform of the calendar. Accordingly, Fatehullah Shirazi, a renowned scholar and astronomer, formulated the Bengali year on the basis of the Hijri lunar and solar Hindu solar calendars. The new Fasli San (agricultural year) was introduced on 10/11 March 1584, but was dated from Akbar's ascension to the throne in 1556. The new year subsequently became known as Bônggabdo or Bengali year.

Celebrations of Pohela Boishakh started from Akbar's reign. It was customary to clear up all dues on the last day of Choitro. On the next day, or the first day of the new year, landlords would entertain their tenants with sweets. On this occasion there used to be fairs and other festivities. In due course the occasion became part of domestic and social life, and turned into a day of merriment. The main event of the day was to open a halkhata or new book of accounts. This was wholly a financial affair. In villages, towns and cities, traders and businessmen closed their old account books and opened new ones. They used to invite their customers to share sweets and renew their business relationship with them. This tradition is still practised, especially by jewellers.

In Kolkata

In Kolkata, Pohela Boishakh (and indeed the entire month of Boishakh) is considered to be an auspicious time for marriages. This day people wear new clothes and go about socialising. Choitro, the last month of the previous year, is the month of hectic activities and frantic purchases. Garment traders organize a Choitro sale and sell the garments with heavy discounts.

Pohela Boishakh is the day for cultural programmes. Prayers are offered for the well-being and prosperity of the family. Young ladies clad in white saris with red borders and men clad in dhuti and kurta take part in the Probhat Pheri processions early in the morning to welcome the first day of the year.

This day being auspicious, new businesses and new ventures are started. The Mahurat is performed, marking the beginning of new ventures.

Pohela Boishakh is the beginning of all business activities in Bengal. The traders purchase new accounting books called halkhata. The accounting in the halkhata begins only after offering puja. Mantras are chanted and স্বস্তিক shostik ("Hindu swastika") are drawn on the accounting book by the priests. Long queues of devotees are seen in front of the Kalighat temple from late night. Devotees offer puja to receive the blessings of the almighty.

On Pohela Boishakh various fairs are held in West Bengal. The most famous of these is Bangla Sangit Mela, held at Nandan-Rabindra Sadan ground. This fair is conducted by the Government of West Bengal.

In Dhaka

Colorful celebration of Pohela Boishakh in Dhaka.

New Year's festivities are closely linked with rural life in Bengal. Usually on Pohela Boishakh, the home is thoroughly scrubbed and cleaned; people bathe early in the morning and dress in fine clothes. They spend much of the day visiting relatives, friends, and neighbours. Special foods are prepared to entertain guests. This is one rural festival that has become enormously big in the cities, especially in Dhaka.

Boishakhi fairs are arranged in many parts of the country. Various agricultural products, traditional handicrafts, toys, cosmetics, as well as various kinds of food and sweets are sold at these fairs. The fairs also provide entertainment, with singers and dancers staging jatra (traditional plays), pala gan, kobigan, jarigan, gambhira gan, gazir gan and alkap gan. They present folk songs as well as baul, marfati, murshidi and bhatiali songs. Narrative plays like Laila-Majnu, Yusuf-Zulekha and Radha-Krishna are staged. Among other attractions of these fairs are puppet shows and merry-go-rounds.

Many old festivals connected with New Year's Day have disappeared, while new festivals have been added. With the abolition of the zamindari system, the punya connected with the closing of land revenue accounts has disappeared. Kite flying in Dhaka and bull racing in Munshiganj used to be very colourful events. Other popular village games and sports were horse races, bullfights, cockfights, flying pigeons, and boat racing. Some festivals, however, continue to be observed; for example, bali (wrestling) in Chittagong and gambhira in Rajshahi are still popular events.

Observance of Pohela Boishakh has become popular in the cities. Early in the morning, people gather under a big tree or on the bank of a lake to witness the sunrise. Artists present songs to usher in the new year. People from all walks of life wear traditional Bengali attire: young women wear white saris with red borders, and adorn themselves with churi bangles, ful flowers, and tip (bindis). Men wear white paejama (pants) or lungi(dhoti/dhuti) (long skirt) and kurta (tunic). Many townspeople start the day with the traditional breakfast of panta bhat (rice soaked in water), green chillies, onion, and fried hilsa fish.

Panta Ilish - a tradtional platter of leftover rice soaked in water with fried Hilsa, supplemented with dried fish (Shutki), pickles (Achar), lentils (dal), green chillies and onion - a popular dish for the Pohela Boishakh festival.

The most colourful new year's day festival takes place in Dhaka. Large numbers of people gather early in the morning under the banyan tree at Ramna Park where Chhayanat artists open the day with Rabindranath Tagore's famous song, এসো, হে বৈশাখ, এসো এসো Esho, he Boishakh, Esho Esho (Come, O Boishakh, Come, Come). A similar ceremony welcoming the new year is also held at the Institute of Fine Arts, University of Dhaka. Students and teachers of the institute take out a colourful procession and parade round the campus. Social and cultural organisations celebrate the day with cultural programmes. Newspapers bring out special supplements. There are also special programmes on radio and television.

The historical importance of Pohela Boishakh in the Bangladeshi context may be dated from the observance of the day by Chhayanat in 1965. In an attempt to suppress Bengali culture, the Pakistani Government had banned poems written by Rabindranath Tagore, the most famous poet and writer in Bengali literature. Protesting this move, Chhayanat opened their Pohela Boishakh celebrations at Ramna Park with Tagore's song welcoming the month. The day continued to be celebrated in East Pakistan as a symbol of Bengali culture. After 1972 it became a national festival, a symbol of the Bangladesh nationalist movement and an integral part of the people's cultural heritage. Later, in the mid- 1980s the Institute of Fine Arts added colour to the day by initiating the Boishakhi parade, which is much like a carnival parade.

In Chittagong Hill Tracts

The punya or rajpunya is now observed only in the three figurative tribal kingdoms in Bangladesh - Rangamati, Bandarban and Khagrachori. In Rangamati, the principal town of Chittagong Hill Tracts and the seat for the Hill Administrative Council, three different ethnic minority groups have come together to merge their observance of Pohela Baishakh. Boisuk of Tripura people, Sangrai of Marma people and Biju of Chakma people have come together as BoiSaBi, a day of a wide variety of festivities. One of the more colorful activities of the day in the hills is the water festival of the Marma people.

Celebration in other countries

Main article: Baishakhi Mela

The Bengali community in the United Kingdom celebrate the Bengali new year with a street festival in London. It is the largest Asian festival in Europe and the largest Bengali festival outside of Bangladesh and India.

Main article: Vaisakhi

The Hindu communities in India, where the holiday is called Vaisakhi, also celebrate the beginning of Spring and the end of the harvest season on Pôhela Boishakh. The Sikh communities celebrate 'Vaisakhi because it is the birth of the Sikh order of the Khalsa. Vaisakhi is also called Rongali Bihu in Assam, Puthandu in Tamil Nadu and Pooram Vishu in Kerala.

Main article: Vesak

In Buddhist communities, the month of Boishakh is associated with Vesak, known as Visakah Puja or Buddha Purnima in India, Visakha Bucha in Thailand, Waisak in Indonesia and Wesak in Sri Lanka and Malaysia. It commemorates the birth, Enlightenment and passing of Gautama Buddha on the one historical day, the first full moon day in May, except in a leap year when the festival is held in June. Although this festival is not held on the same day as Pohela Boishakh, the holidays typically fall in the same month (Boishakh) of the Bengali, Hindu, and Theravada Buddhist calendars, and are related historically through the spread of Hinduism and Buddhism in Southeast Asia.

Pohela Boishakh does, however, coincide with the New Years in many other calendars, including those of South India (Kerala, Tamil Nadu), Sri Lanka, Nepal, Eastern India (Assam, Manipur, Orissa), and Southeast Asia (Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand).

In Australia, the Bengali new year is celebrated in various cities such as Melbourne and Canberra through Boi Shakhi Melas (fairs) where people gather to celebrate the culture of Bangladesh through dances, fashion shows, stalls of art, music, clothing, food and etc. However the largest celebration for the Bengali new year in Australia is the Sydney Boi Shakhi Mela which was traditionally held at the Burwood Girls High School but from 2006 has been held at the Homebush Stadium. It attracts large crowds and is a very anticipated event on the Australian Bengali community's calendar.

Hussein Chalayan's fashion fantasies

2009-01-22T02:53:00.001-08:00

There was a time when high fashion was an élitist pursuit. Behind closed and gilded doors, the world's most gifted creators unveiled their twice-yearly collections and the limited press in attendance used any imagery that sprang from their presentations in only the most strictly controlled manner. Opportunistic copycats – and even way back when, they infiltrated such hallowed portals – were unlikely to be invited twice unless they were prepared to pay through the nose for the privilege. Now, though, even some of the most rarefied fashion is well understood by anyone with even a passing interest in aesthetics. And that is a good thing. The democratisation of design has made the world a better place to be.

With this in mind, while we may not all be prepared to invest hundreds, and even thousands, of pounds on a single garment, we are, for the most part, aware of the iconography generated on the catwalks and beamed across the world within seconds of its first airing – or, not unusually, live. Jean Paul Gaultier's conical bra, for example, is as well known to even marginally inquisitive eyes as, say, Andy Warhol's Campbell's soup cans. Ditto Vivienne Westwood's mini-crini, rocking-horse platforms and pirate pants. And while Hussein Chalayan may not as yet be a household name, he is the mind behind some of the most thrilling fashion happenings of the past 15 years. If many have still not heard of this designer, they may well be familiar with his most famous creation: a tiered skirt made out of nothing more immediately wearer-friendly than polished wood.

When, for the finale of his autumn/winter 2000 collection – it was called Afterwords – Chalayan instructed the Russian model Natalia Semanova to step into the centre of a circular coffee table that, until that point, had been part of a stage set, and pull it up around her waist and walk, anyone present knew that they were witnessing what is known as a "fashion moment". Furniture transforming itself into clothing in front of one's very eyes was a fashion first.

Since that time, any mention of this designer's name is likely to reference this particular occurrence. Given the finesse with which it was choreographed, and the perfectly harmonious proportions of the finished item, one might expect Chalayan himself to be quietly fulfilled, even proud of that. But no. That would be too simple by far.

"The number of times I've seen that bloody table skirt," he says, over coffee on an icy January morning. "I mean, I love that piece, but it's only the tiniest part of what we've done. If you have to feature it, feature it small, please. OK, it's amazing but I'm sick of the sight of it. People think that creativity and commerce don't go together in my brand, but that's a misconception because we have always – always – made clothes that you can wear. We have always, for example, cut a great coat.

"I think sometimes that those iconic images can be more of a hindrance than a help. The important thing is to feature the duality. It's not about one thing or the other; otherwise I wouldn't have a business. Often, you know, the B-side of a record is the best."

It may be a source of irritation – and, it should be pointed out, good-humoured irritation – for Chalayan, that over the next few weeks, the item in question is likely to become better known than ever. Tomorrow, the designer's first solo exhibition in this country opens at the Design Museum in south-east London and, given the gallery setting, it is this, along with other showpieces, that will inevitably attract the most coverage, over and above any more low-profile clothing.

If anyone's work is suited to a museum, then it is Chalayan's. Since he first came to public attention in the mid-1990s, his output has been considerably more ambitious than most, after all. In fact, home furnishings morphing effortlessly into garments is merely the tip of the iceberg for the Turkish Cypriot-born designer who has been brave enough, in his time, to explore both convent girl and covered Muslim, who has created clothing sprouting nothing more obviously appealing than internal body parts – cut out of fabric as opposed to anything visceral, thankfully – and whose work has dwelt on subject matter as diverse as mortality and climate change. Chalayan has suspended feather-light garments from helium balloons, crafted a dress out of fibreglass, which mimicked the wings of an aircraft in motion at the mere push of a button, and another with intricate seaming that echoed flight paths.

More recently, a single outfit metamorphosed from Victorian crinoline to 1920s flapper dress and silver, Space Age shift thanks to complex mechanisms built into its underpinning; another exuded a dazzling halo of dancing light, a result of laser technology, again embedded in its fragile and unfathomable structure. Not content with restricting himself to the creation of fashion, meanwhile, Chalayan's art projects have included a series of short films: Temporal Meditations, Place to Passage and Anaesthetics. In 2005, he represented Turkey at the 51st Venice Biennale with Absent Presence, another film featuring Tilda Swinton.

"What's exciting for me is that this is the first show of it's kind in London," the designer says today. "Because I was raised here, I was nurtured here, but although I've been part of group exhibitions at the V&A, the Tate, the Barbican, I've never had my own exhibition before." In 2005, Chalayan took over three floors of the Groninger Museum in the Netherlands to celebrate his 10th anniversary in business, to considerable critical acclaim. "I've always had more of a showing outside London though," he continues, "and that is the story for all British designers. A lot of great talent comes out of this country but it blossoms elsewhere. The British are so cynical."

Chalayan – a self-proclaimed "idealist" – describes the latest airing of his work as "a jewellery-box of a show". Co-curated by Mark Wilson, who was also responsible for the Groninger exhibition, and by the Design Museum's Donna Loveday, the exhibition's design is the work of Block Architecture, also the brains behind the designer's Tokyo store. "There will only be about 35 outfits," says Chalayan. "It's quite small, but it might be that one room has one garment and another room has many. Or one of my films might be showing. It's really about my world, more than being a costume show."

And that world is a complex and multi-layered one. It's small wonder that Chalayan dislikes being pigeonholed. "You might say I'm an artistic designer, I suppose," he concedes. "So what? I'm definitely an ideas person. But I've never been interested in labels. They're only there to make it easier for people to understand someone's output. They're restrictive and mean nothing."

***

The only child of Turkish- Cypriot parents, Hussein Chalayan was born in Nicosia in 1970. He was interested in clothes from an early age. "I wasn't trendy or anything," he's quick to point out, as if that might be uncouth. "But I always liked to wear different colours to other people, to wear my hair in a different way." A respect for individuality, for difference, was part of his make-up then, as now, it seems. "I'm quite highly strung," he says. "I can't sit in a meeting for too long, for example. I have to walk around. Or at least stand up. I have to apologise because, well, it is rather odd, isn't it?"

He describes his mother's side of the family as "extremely dextrous. She made all my clothes and they looked like she'd bought them. Whatever she did, she did really well, and I think that set the standard for me."

He was, he remembers, an introverted child. "I spent a lot of time in Cyprus on my own, but there were always things I had a real passion for. I used to love building things, creating environments was such a big thing for me. And Cyprus, you know, is a Mediterranean island so it's very colourful. It's also a divided island, and I was fascinated by that. We could see the border culture, and you grow up with a curiosity for what's going on on the other side, but you can't actually see it."

He says that the mentality that arises from island culture still informs his work today. "I think that my curiosity has been my big drive. When you come from an island, there's an emphasis on wanting to explore because you're isolated. And that, coupled with any natural curiosity, is a fantastic recipe for an adventurous mind."

It is noteworthy that interviewing Chalayan is very much a two-way process. He asks as many questions as he answers, and his responses are as carefully considered as they are generous. Not for this designer the endless soundbites and hyperbole that, for better or worse, characterise most of his profession. Although he is meticulously well-mannered, he is far from backwards in coming forward where speaking his mind is concerned. When he was awarded the Designer of the Year prize, for the second time, by the British Fashion Council in 2000, he took the opportunity to bemoan the fact that Victoria Beckham, who had appeared as a model on Maria Grachvogel's catwalk only days before, had stolen the limelight from London's less-than-financially stable young designers. "I'd like to take this opportunity to say how disappointing it was this week that all the press were still so impressed by celebrities appearing on designer catwalks," he said. "That space could have been given to all the designers who bust a gut over their collections. It's Fashion Week, not Celebrity Week."

More recently, and on the subject of Kate Moss's collaboration with Topshop: "It would have been better for her to use her celebrity status in an area that suits her. To me, the Topshop collection is not enough of a reflection of her aspirational style," he said.

"I didn't want to be mean, you know, or to upset anyone," he says now. "I'm not a nasty person. I just say what I think." Chalayan also says what other people think but would never be courageous enough to put into words. "I actually don't think it's uncool to work with celebrities," he continues. "I think it depends who it is. Like, Jennifer Connolly wore something of mine the other day and so did Sarah Jessica Parker. If Pamela Anderson wore something of mine and made it look great, then why not? People assume that if you're articulate or have a few brains cells, you are also somehow uncompromising; that if you are passionate, you are a fixed person, but I'm actually very flexible, very open to ideas."

Aged 12, and following the separation of his parents, the designer travelled to this country with his father, a restaurateur, and still based here. It is the female members of his family, however, that always attract the most open expressions of warmth. He once described his mother to me as "the sweetest of mothers". His maternal grandmother is "poetic, she used to call me in song, we loved each other, it was a love affair. I have always been interested in women. I love women. My mother, growing up where she did, had so few opportunities, and that made me ambitious. I always wanted to make the best out of any talent or any passion I might have."

In London, Chalayan went to Highgate, a private school ("I guess it's like a child's idea of the army"), and then enrolled first on a foundation course in Leamington Spa, then on the fashion degree course at Central Saint Martins. Prior to that, he had considered a career as an architect."Basically, I felt that I had to do something linked to the body. Architecture was the first thing that came to mind because the essence of what's talked about – you know, the relationship between an environment and a space you create around something, with its social or physical connotations – is very much what I think about. When people talk about clothes, they don't do so in the context of society, in the social or cultural context, they just take them at face value. That's not something that interests me."

These were halcyon days for the celebrated art college. Alexander McQueen was the name to watch on the MA course. Katie Grand was soon to arrive and co-found the style magazine Dazed & Confused. "I sat next to Hussein," says Giles Deacon, who was in the same year as Chalayan. "We had a whale of a time. People think he's going to be this super-serious person, but he's got this really funny, gorgeous personality about him."

"People always say I'm serious," Chalayan confirms, "but that's so not true. I don't take myself seriously as a person at all." He pauses for thought before conceding: "I suppose I can be very arrogant and hard-headed, but I try to be arrogant for the right reasons, if you like. And I do take my work extremely seriously."

This has manifested itself from the start in the way Chalayan is motivated almost to the point of obsession. It is the stuff of fashion folklore that, in 1993, the designer buried his degree collection in a back garden to discover how it would decompose. That did not stop Joan Burstein, owner of London boutique Browns, from taking it in its entirety and installing it in her shop window, just as she'd done for John Galliano almost a decade before. In fact, the career trajectories of these two designers are not entirely dissimilar. Chalayan rose to prominence at a time when designer fashion was characterised by a buying spree on the part of luxury-goods conglomerates including, most prominently, France's LVMH and Italy's Gucci Group; anyone attempting to remain independent did so at their peril. A fledgling designer – even one as feted as Chalayan – could never hope to rival the advertising budgets and infrastructure of those corporate superpowers.

Chalayan, along with his contemporary, the more obviously media-friendly McQueen, began to attract an international following to London Fashion Week that was unprecedented, and yet he struggled financially, just as Galliano had before him. The older designer was at Dior by that time – he remains there to this day, and the parent company LVMH supports his signature line. McQueen moved to Givenchy – he is now in partnership with Gucci Group as is, following a stint at Chloé, Stella McCartney.

In 1998, Chalayan was appointed design director of TSE New York, remaining at the helm for two years. In 2001, he became creative director of Asprey for three years, launchin a quietly beautiful clothing collection for the jeweller. "It was a very difficult project," he says of the latter. "Very enjoyable, too. It taught me – as did my previous experience with TSE – about luxury product." What it failed to generate, however, was long-term backing for his own label, which has always eluded him. Until now.

In February last year, with the Paris collections in full flow – Chalayan has shown his womenswear in the French capital since the beginning of the new millennium – a press conference announced his appointment as creative director of clothing for the German sportswear brand Puma, of which more than 60 per cent is owned by PPR (Pinault Printemps La Redoute), a rival of LVMH. Chalayan's first designs for the company will go on sale in the autumn of this year. In return for his expertise, Puma has become a majority stakeholder in Chalayan's own company and is the title sponsor of the forthcoming Design Museum show.

"Hussein Chalayan is not only hugely creative but also has an incredible passion for fabric and technology," says Puma's CEO, Jochen Zeitz. "For that reason, we have a mutual understanding of one another. Only very few designers have managed to create a business on their own without being part of a big fashion conglomerate, and he has done that. But he has now come to the point, I think, where he wants to take the next step."

Puma's relationship with PPR means that Chalayan benefits from the infrastructure of the Gucci Group – the same Italian factories that produce, of course, Gucci but also McQueen, McCartney, Yves Saint Laurent and more, are now responsible for Chalayan's collections, too. "I became a designer to try to create a new language for clothes and another way to look at the body, culture, the environment, politics and so forth," Chalayan said when the deal was first announced. "Although our business has remained relatively small, this partnership will hopefully mean that my work will reach more people, both through designing for Puma and with the expansion of my own business."

***

To label Hussein Chalayan a "conceptual designer" would be to underestimate the importance he attaches to the fact that his clothes come to life when they are worn. "It's exciting to see the clothes being worn because then it becomes real," he explains. "I always think of the idea first, then about how I am going to represent it with clothes. I guess that makes me a conceptual designer in a way, although that is such a cliché these days. You're conceptual, you're avant-garde, whatever. The story behind a collection is only important as a vehicle through which I can become interested and inspired. At the end of the day, I don't want someone to buy a garment because they know the story behind it, but because it fits them, because they like the way it looks. I actually spend most of my time working towards that, looking at the lines of the body, at how to fit, at fabric. The concept is only the beginning. From thereon in, it's really all about technique."

Chalayan's clothes are often grouped with the more radical designers – Comme des Garçons, Martin Margiela and so forth. His aesthetic tends to be more body-conscious than theirs, however. He may share a customer base with such designers in as much as his clothing is neither bourgeois nor status-driven in the conventional sense. It is also determinedly – exceptionally – modern. If Chalayan chooses to reference the past, it will be in an archaeological sense, as opposed to a nostalgic one. Not for him a Seventies-inspired collection one season, a homage to the Eighties the next. Chalayan's clothes, like Margiela's, possess an extreme sensitivity to, and even tenderness towards, the body within them.

"I can be rational but I'm also emotional," he says. "I like the clothes to have their own life. I'm excited when a composition that I draw or develop relates or reacts to the body. I like there to be a harmony with the body, for the clothes to be like a second skin. That, for me, is successful design."

If there is a single thing that unifies Hussein Chalayan's work, it is that it is cross-disciplinary, however. "Yes, my work references art, architecture, politics, technology, science, nature and philosophy, up to a point," he says. "My quest, in a way, is to identify the connections between different entities. In the end, though, it's important to remember that it's still fashion, and if it wasn't, I wouldn't be having this exhibition. What's interesting to me is the merging of all those different worlds."

Mr Obama's international overtures deserve a response

2009-01-22T02:39:00.000-08:00

In his first act as President, Barack Obama asked for the military tribunals at Guantanamo to be suspended. His request was interpreted, essentially, as a holding operation, preparing the way for the prison camp to be closed down. Above all, though, it was a signal, to America and the world, of how he intends his presidency to be different from his predecessor's.

It may be unfair to contrast the George Bush who emerged after 9/11 with the as yet internationally untested Barack Obama. But the new President was wise to start here. If there is one image that damned Mr Bush, and alienated Muslims around the world, it was the barbed wire and orange jumpsuits of Guantanamo. The legal limbo in which the camp existed – and was designed to exist – was ruled, even by a Supreme Court sympathetic to the Republicans, to violate the US Constitution.

The final closing of Guantanamo could, regrettably, take many months, some say years; the dilemma is what to do with the remaining prisoners. But unlike many foreign policy issues with which Mr Obama will have to grapple, the principle here is simple; it is also something that is entirely within the President's power to do. Almost everything else will be more complicated. But tone counts for a great deal in diplomacy, and the new President has introduced himself as someone who sees the world as peopled by potential friends, rather than potential enemies. When he said: "We will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist", he was inviting former adversaries to countenance a new beginning: a more benign sort of security built on mutual self-interest.

It is important not to be starry-eyed about how much such a fresh approach might achieve, and how quickly. But the significance of a change in the atmosphere emanating from Washington should not be under-estimated either. Mr Obama has already indicated that many curbs on relations with Cuba could be lifted. One of the last vestiges of the cold war could thus be eradicated – and the lives of millions of Cubans eased.

An early visit to a Muslim country – an unofficial visit, perhaps, as informal as a presidential trip can be – could do an enormous amount to demonstrate goodwill. It has been speculated that Mr Obama might travel to Indonesia, where he spent some of his childhood years. More risky, but more geopolitically advantageous, might be a stopover in Pakistan. Mr Bush recruited the former Pakistan President, Pervez Musharraf as an ally in his "war on terror" – at great political expense to Mr Musharraf. New leaders in both countries could forge a more productive and understanding relationship.

Mr Obama has already set a provisional timetable for handing Iraq back to the Iraqis, as he put it, and made Afghanistan a priority – although many European countries, including Britain, will take some persuading before contributing more troops. But his most urgent challenge is the Middle East in the aftermath of Israel's attack on Hamas in Gaza. With his own openness to new ideas, and a team comprising Hillary Clinton and George Mitchell, Mr Obama has a chance here that he must not let slip.

We should not be disappointed in Europe to find ourselves further down Mr Obama's list. We should rather seek to assist the new President address conundrums, such as the Middle East, where only the US can take a lead. Mr Obama, for his part, must savour the few days or weeks he has to set his own agenda. It will be overtaken all too soon by the inevitable unforeseen events

Chinese milk scam duo face death

2009-01-22T02:25:00.000-08:00

Sanlu's Tian Wenhua pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing

Two men have been given the death penalty for their involvement in China's contaminated milk scandal.

The former boss of the Sanlu dairy at the centre of the scandal was given life imprisonment.

They are among 21 sentences being handed down by the court in northern China, where Sanlu is based.

The scandal, in which melamine was added to raw milk to make it appear higher in protein, led to the deaths of six babies and made some 300,000 ill.

It caused outrage in China and has tainted the image of the country's food industry both at home and abroad.

Illegal workshop

The most senior figure to be sentenced was Tian Wenhua, who was chairwoman of the Sanlu Group, the largest producer of baby milk powder.

When the scandal broke in September, it emerged that Sanlu had known it was selling toxic milk - and allowed around 900 tonnes of it to leave its dairies.

It was only when its New Zealand partner intervened that production stopped.

Tian Wenhua pleaded guilty to charges of producing and selling fake or substandard produce in December.

The Intermediate People's Court in Shijiazhuang gave her a life sentence and ordered her to pay a fine of 20m yuan ($2.9m).

Sanlu itself was fined 50m yuan ($7.3m), Xinhua news agency reports, even though the firm has been declared bankrupt.

Three other former Sanlu executives were given between five years and 15 years.

Earlier the court sentenced Zhang Yujun and Geng Jinping to death.

Zhang Yujun was accused of running an illegal workshop in Shandong province in eastern China, producing 600 tonnes of the fake protein powder - the largest source of melamine in the country.

He was sentenced along with Zhang Yanzhang - accused of selling on Zhang Yujun's protein powder - who was given a life sentence.

Milk producer, Geng Jinping had been convicted of producing and selling toxic food to dairy companies.

His associate Geng Jinzhu was given eight years in prison.

Gao Junjie, who was also accused of selling protein powder to milk producers, received a suspended death sentence, Xinhua said.

Huge anger

The scandal left parents terrified and caused outrage across the country, the BBC's Quentin Sommerville in Beijing says.

It came only four years after an earlier milk powder scandal left 13 babies dead.

The government has scrambled to fight off allegations that it reacted slowly to the latest crisis, by pledging to improve food safety standards and promising to bring the culprits of the scandal to court.

But families of the victims say China's lack of openness, public accountability and official corruption mean they have little faith that similar poisonings will not happen again, our correspondent reports.

All together, 22 companies sold contaminated milk, which had been supplied by a chain of melamine producers and middlemen.

Tainted milk made thousands of Chinese babies ill

The dealers added the industrial chemical to boost the apparent protein content of milk, which had often been watered down to make more money.

Major dairy companies bought the milk from such dealers, failing to test the milk for purity and nutritional value.

The result was widespread poisoning of babies, the group most vulnerable to tainted milk as it was their only food source.

Kidney damage was reported in hundreds of thousands of people. At least six babies were killed because of it.

Popular Tattoo Designs

2008-12-13T05:21:00.000-08:00

Tattoos are a common thing these days. They have become more popular than ever before. Research has revealed that nearly 25% of people have been tattooed at least once. There are many designs to choose from, giving people a chance to be creative. Below, we will talk about some of the most desired tattoo designs.

Tribal tattoos are among the most popular designs. Tribal designs have been around for hundreds and hundreds of years and they are always changing and becoming more and more complicated with their designs and styles. Tribal designs can either be the traditional black design that cover the legs and the arms or the more colorful styles that can cover the entire body.

The most popular, although flowers, dragons, and other symbols make great tattoos as well. The lower back offers plenty of natural curves as well, which can arrange for an creative tattoo. Many times, women tend to include tribals that spread, covering the base of their hips as well.

The colorful, more modern look is becoming more and more popular when measured to other styles. The old school styles of tattoos are also popular. Anchors and tattoos like that are making a great return these days and not just with sailors. These styles were very common and very popular back in the 60s. They are briskly getting back their demand, as females and males are getting swallows and anchor designs inked on them more and more. Lower back tattoos are the most common for women. The lower back is one of the most sexual and sensual areas on a women, making the ideal area for a tattoo.

Dragon designs are another popular type of tattoo. They were desirable in the past, and are now starting to get their demand again. There are a lot of diverse dragons to choose from, including the mythical dragon and ancient Chinese dragons. Dragons are great on the chest for men and the back for women. Dragon tattoos can be almost any size, although most men tend to have them on one side of their chest or the upper region of their arms.

Celtic tattoos are also popular as well. They are most common with those who have a Celtic culture, although some with no Celtic culture have them as well. They offer a diversity of symbols and designs, providing accepted meanings for everyone.

Often times they are mixed with create a more innovative tattoos. There are several other types of tattoos out there, although the above are the most common. Tattoos can be very creative and innovative it all depends on what you want. If you’re wanting to stand out and be truly creative you can always have a professional tattooist create one for you. You could also see what others decided on at our gallery.

butterfly tattoos

2008-12-13T05:18:00.000-08:00

dimond ring

2008-12-13T05:11:00.000-08:00

How To Get Infected By An Email Virus

2008-12-12T05:03:00.000-08:00

Have you ever received an email with the subject of like this: Paris Hilton Free Video. This has happened to me and to a ton of other people.

What's interesting to notice is the links inside the email. The links called: Microsoft | Unsubscribe | More Newsletters | Privacy... all link to Microsoft websites. Those links are safe, and the spammers (persons who send the spam email) put those links there so the email sounds more realistic, so more folks get tricked that it is an actual real, genuine email from Microsoft.

Why this email contains viruses?

How do I know it. Apart from the fact that it's rare that Microsoft will send an email about Paris Hilton there is something else. This other thing is the big bolg title inside the email: "Paris Hilton Scandal Home Video!" which links to a website. If you click that link, it takes you to a website which automatically infects your computer with a virus.

The link ends up with a exe extension. You can place your mouse above links inside any email (without clicking) and then in your web browser (Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, etc) at the bottom you will see the actual link address. Try this technique on any link inside any website or email.

Links with exe extensions in emails are the most dangerous, these are not websites, or web pages but a downloadable file.

Never click links inside emails that have that exe extension in the end of the website url. So if the email looks really suspicious first check out the links inside the email. Check that they do not end up in exe

I always ask myself the question once I check my emails: Who can the person who sent me this email be? In the case above I instantly got the feeling it's not someone I know or any newsletter I am subscribed to.

If in doubt do not click the links, just check them first. Extreme care and understanding is required with emails that look suspicious.

That's the most common way to get infected by a virus from emails. The other way is through attachments, by opening attachments that are send to you by spammers. These attachments contain viruses. Attachments are simple files/pictures or anything else attached through emails. Your email client like Hotmail, Yahoo Mail etc notifies you when an email has attachments.

Use a popular email client, they have more safety features. Some automatically block spam, sending to junk folder, a common feature nowadays. Other display warning messages when they detect something suspicious. Plus these web based email clients are free.

You Can Build Your Own Telescope

2008-12-12T04:51:00.000-08:00

It really is easy to build your own telescope, if you are so inclined. Well, we won't say easy because it really depends on what kind of telescope you want to build. It's easy to build your own telescope if you want a simple device that conveys the basic principles of a telescope. If you are wanting a fully functional telescope that you want to use to look at the night sky, it will take a little more time, effort, and expense.

The first thing you need to know is what supplies you will need to build your own telescope. You will also need to know what type of telescope you want to build - a refractor or a reflector. Either type is good for sky gazing, but it will make a difference as to what material you will need.

Look online as there are many places that are dedicated to homemade telescopes. Many of these websites can give you not only a list of supplies, but also instructions on how to build your own telescope. There are many books on the subject that as well that can guide you toward the information you need. Look in your local library or at a book store in the do-it-yourself section.

There are many places you can go to find materials to build your own telescope. Hobby shops are a good place to start. They will have people that work there who will most likely know what you will need and the best products to buy. There are also several online stores that specialize in supplying products that will help you build your own telescope. Here are some for you to try out:
* www.telescopehobby.com
* www.universityoptics.com
* www.atscope.com
* www.photonics.com
* www.telescope.net

You can also make your own telescope supplies if you are so inclined. Many people have fashioned homemade telescopes out of things like PVC pipe, duct tape, cardboard, and wood, and these telescopes seem to work quite well for them! In fact, some of them are quite powerful and they look cool too!

Once you decide that you are going to build your own telescope, learning how to do it is the hard part. Just do a little research and then dive in. Realize that it could be a long process and one that you will have to work efficiently at. Take notes and log what you've done so that you know where you are at any given time in the project. Good luck!

Canada's 'dirty oil' challenge

2008-12-12T04:44:00.000-08:00

In April this year, about 500 migrating ducks on their way north landed in what looked like a large lake in western Canada.

It was not a lake, but a tailings pond - a store for toxic waste from the oil sands extraction process, made up of water, clay, sand, residual bitumen and heavy metals.

Most of the ducks died, killed by the slick of oil on the water's surface.

"It was horrifying," says Ruth Kleinbub, a field naturalist in nearby Fort McMurray, the city at the heart of the industry in the province of Alberta.

How the oil sands region expanded between 1974 and 2004

Enlarge Image

"In the spring, the open water would be such an invitation for the ducks, and the second they hit, they would have just drowned."

A government investigation of the incident has been handed over to Alberta's Department of Justice, which will decide whether or not to prosecute or fine the company involved, Syncrude.

The incident was an embarrassment for Syncrude, which says its usual bird deterrent system was turned off because of the unseasonably cold weather.

It was a public relations nightmare for the Alberta government, which has been trying to convince national and international public opinion that its oil sands industry is environmentally responsible.

Environmental laggard?

It is an argument that environmentalists say the government has lost.

"When we are looking at the tar sands, we are looking at a project that is the largest capital investment project on the face of the planet, the largest industrial project on the planet, and the ecological implications are just as great," says Mike Hudema, an Edmonton-based climate and energy campaigner with Greenpeace Canada.

Oil sands production, which requires large amounts of energy and water to extract the bitumen from the sand, is said to produce on average at least three times the greenhouse gas emissions of conventional oil extraction.

The industry is already Canada's largest single greenhouse gas emitter, which has led opponents to call oil from the oil sands "dirty oil". Output is expected to triple by 2020.

The oil sands are single-handedly preventing Canada from meeting any of its Kyoto obligations, Mr Hudema says.

Under the UN climate agreement, Canada was to have reduced its emissions to 20% below 2006 levels by 2020. The federal government has said it will not even attempt to meet those targets.

See how the industry is projected to grow

Ron Stevens, the conservative deputy premier of Alberta, denies the oil sands are responsible.

He says "dirty oil" is a tag that people have developed "to smear the oil industry".

If you take into account the lifecycle of the oil, including refining and transportation, he says, "the CO2 emissions become very comparable to oil from a number of other countries, including Venezuela".

Even on that "well-to-wheels" basis, oil from the oil sands produces about 15% more emissions than conventional oil.

There has been some debate as to whether US reliance on Canadian oil (Canada is the largest oil exporter to the US) could make it difficult for California to meet its new Low-Carbon Fuel Standard.

Steam rises from a tailings pond in northern Alberta, Canada

During the US election campaign, President-elect Barack Obama's team talked of breaking the US's addiction to "dirty, dwindling" oil - seen by many as a direct reference to the oil sands.

In recognition of the growing concern, the Alberta government announced a C$2bn ($1.6bn; £1.1bn) plan to fund a number of carbon capture and storage (CCS) projects, which by 2015 could be sequestering 5m tons of CO2 annually.

It has also imposed legislation that requires all industries to cut emissions by 12% or face fines of C$15 a tonne.

A Calgary-based environmental think thank, the Pembina Institute, is sceptical that the projects will do much to mitigate emissions, which are predicted to rise to 141m tonnes of CO2 by 2020.

"I think we're overselling this as a solution," says its oil sands programme director Simon Dyer.

'Too much money'

Earlier this year, the Pembina Institute withdrew from a government-sponsored advisory body, the Cumulative Environmental Management Association (Cema), saying the government was failing to impose recommended limits to protect the environment.

The Fort McMurray Environmental Association, which manages air monitoring stations throughout the region, left Cema at the same time over what it described as a lack of planning to deal with the long-term effects of large-scale development.

"It's full speed ahead when it comes to the oil sands, that's the government's mentality," says association president Ann Dort-McLean.

"This is northern Alberta. It's absolutely gorgeous up here, and that beauty needs to be protected," she says.

Ms Dort-McLean is not alone. A poll commissioned by the Pembina Institute in 2007 suggested that 71% of Albertans felt that oil sands development should be slowed down or stopped until infrastructure and environmental management issues were addressed.

I'm concerned about any community and any ecosystem downstream or downwind
Kevin Timoney
Environmental scientist

For their part, oil sands companies say they have to deal with some of the world's strictest environmental regulations when it comes to reclamation and water use.

The industry uses regulated amounts of water from the Athabasca River to separate bitumen from the sand.

The water leftover from the extraction process, known as tailings, contains arsenic, mercury, napthenic acids and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs).

Much of the water is reused, but the industry is producing 1.8m litres of tailings a day which need to be contained in large earthen dams. As of March this year, tailings covered 130 sq km.

Industry and government are adamant that no tailings ever leak back into the river, or into deep aquifers.

It has been widely reported in the Canadian media that oil sands company Suncor admitted to a leak of 1,600 sq m from its Tar Island Pond 1 tailings pond in 1997, although a current spokesman for Suncor says he does not have any information about the incident.

Environmental scientist Kevin Timoney says he has seen data that suggest elevated levels of PAHs downstream of the plants, which he says could only be attributable to oil sands production.

"I think eventually, when all the studies are complete, we should be able to conclude that the tar sands industry is creating an environmental catastrophe," Mr Timoney says.

Reclamation or restoration?

The tailings ponds, and the mine sites, which currently cover 420 sq km, will eventually have to be reclaimed to "equivalent land use".

"The industry is applying a lot of technology to minimising the impact of tailings ponds, " says Martyn Griggs of the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers.

Syncrude even have a herd of bison living on reclaimed land

Syncrude says it has reclaimed 47 sq km since 1978, including its Gateway Hill site, covering just over one sq km, in March this year.

Steve Gaudet, Syncrude's environmental manager, says reclamation is slow by its very nature, and often takes at least 20 years.

However, the Pembina Institute's Mr Dyer says Gateway Hill is "completely unrepresentative of the challenges the industry faces".

The site was not a former mine, but a low-lying wetland used to store earth moved to make way for a mine elsewhere. It is now a forested hill with walking trails.

"The industry talks a lot about potential technological solutions, but you'll notice they always talk about solutions in the future tense," Mr Dyer says.

The Pembina Institute and Greenpeace have both called for a halt to new oil sands developments.

Greenpeace's Mr Hudema says what happening with the oil sands is fundamentally changing people's perception of Canada as an environmentally progressive country.

"What we are doing in Alberta is simply beyond imagination and beyond belief," he says.

On this day 12 December

2008-12-11T05:52:00.002-08:00

1992: Princess Royal remarries
Princess Anne today became Mrs Timothy Laurence after a small family wedding in Scotland.

The 42-year-old arrived at Crathie church near Balmoral Castle accompanied by her father Prince Philip, and her daughter and bridesmaid 11-year-old Zara.

Before a small family congregation she and the groom, Commander Laurence, 37, exchanged vows to stay together "until God shall separate us by death."

Well wishers

Anne, dressed in a simple white suit with white blossoms in her hair, and Mr Laurence, in a Royal Navy uniform, emerged from the church to cheers from about 500 well wishers.

The newlyweds are expected to join the rest of the royal family for a short celebration at Craigowan Lodge on the Balmoral estate.

Among the guests were the Queen, the Queen Mother, Princess Margaret and Anne's son from her first marriage Peter, 15.

Anne married Mark Phillips in 1973 at Westminster Abbey and they divorced this year.

But this is the first marriage for her groom whom she met during a tour of duty on the Royal Yacht Britannia.

Turbulent Royal year

In 1986, he was appointed an equerry to the Queen.

Their relationship became known in April 1989 when letters from the Commander were stolen from Anne's briefcase and given to newspapers.

Four months later Anne announced her separation from Mark Phillips.

It is hoped Anne's wedding celebrations will end a turbulent year for the Royal Family.

It was announced this week Prince Charles and the Princess of Wales have separated and Diana chose not to attend today's ceremony.

The Queen's second son, Prince Andrew, also separated from his wife the Duchess of York this year.

Both brothers accompanied Prince Edward at today's ceremony.

The palace would not reveal if there are any plans for a honeymoon.

On this day 12 December

2008-12-11T05:43:00.000-08:00

1988: 35 dead in Clapham rail collision
Up to 35 people have died and 100 others have been injured after three trains were involved in a collision during morning rush hour in south London.

Two commuter trains carrying an estimated 1,300 passengers between them collided shortly after 0800 GMT at Clapham Junction - Europe's busiest railway junction.

A third empty train later ran into the wreckage killing some passengers who had survived the first crash.

Surgery at the scene

Many passengers are still trapped as fire crews are cutting through the tangled carriages to reach them.

Emergency services have said the extent of the injuries mean some passengers have received operations at the scene.

At nearby St George's Hospital in Tooting staff are on emergency alert as coaches and ambulances wait to take those needing medical care to its new accident and emergency unit.

Passengers well enough to leave by foot, stood by the rail track and were described as "visibly shocked and distressed".

Many have been taken to a nearby school for first aid treatment.

Witnesses, unable to reach survivors because of the extent of the wreckage, have reported seeing appalling injuries.

They described how carriages were sent hurtling into the air before crashing back down again after the collision.

'Signalling failures'

The accident took place when the 0718 from Basingstoke to Waterloo approached the junction.

Early reports indicate it was slowing for signals when the 0614 from Poole, travelling from Bournemouth due to track problems, ran into the back of it.

Experts have said this train would have been travelling at about 40mph.

Shortly afterwards an empty train leaving Clapham junction hit the wreckage.

British Rail has said initial reports indicate the crash was caused by signalling failures.

The Transport Secretary Paul Cannon is understood to be on his way to the scene of the tragedy.

Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher has promised a full public inquiry.

On this day

2008-12-11T05:39:00.000-08:00

1941: Germany and Italy declare war on US
Germany and Italy have announced they are at war with the United States. America immediately responded by declaring war on the two Axis powers.

Three days ago, US President Franklin Roosevelt announced America was at war with Japan, the third Axis power, following the surprise attack on its naval base at Pearl Harbor.

Today Italian dictator, Benito Mussolini, made his declaration first - from the balcony over the Piazza Venezia in Rome - pledging the "powers of the pact of steel" were determined to win.

Then Adolf Hitler made his announcement at the Reichstag in Berlin saying he had tried to avoid direct conflict with the US but, under the Tripartite Agreement signed on 27 September 1940, Germany was obliged to join with Italy to defend its ally Japan.

"After victory has been achieved," he said. "Germany, Italy and Japan will continue in closest co-operation with a view to establishing a new and just order."

He accused President Roosevelt of waging a campaign against Germany since 1937, blamed him for the outbreak of war in 1939 and said he was planning to invade Germany in 1943.

Over in Washington, President Roosevelt told Congress the free world must act quickly and decisively against the enemy.

"The forces endeavouring to enslave the entire world now are moving towards this hemisphere.

"Delay invites danger. Rapid and united efforts by all peoples of the world who are determined to remain free will ensure world victory for the forces of justice and righteousness over the forces of savagery and barbarism."

Resolutions against Germany and Italy were passed without debate. The only person who did not vote for war was pacifist Congresswoman Jeannette Rankin who had also voted against war with Japan.

In the Senate the vote was unanimous.

Both Democrats and Republicans have agreed to "adjourn politics" for the duration of the war and focus on national defence.

They have passed a new law which allows US servicemen to fight anywhere in the world.

Following the shock of Pearl Harbor, American citizens are flocking to volunteer for the US Navy and Marine Corps which do not take conscripts.

The US Army has already grown tenfold since the draft was introduced last year.

3D ART

2008-12-11T05:04:00.000-08:00

How Delta Force Works

2008-12-08T03:02:00.000-08:00

Consider a special operations force that's trained to the highest level in the U.S.M The force is armed with cutting-edge weaponry, well-funded and answers only to one man. How can a group -- trained as professional assassins and approaching the status of mercenaries -- be reeled in if the U.S. government won't even confirm that the group exists? Does such a force make the United States safer or more vulnerable? It's questions like these that swirl around the United States' most elite tactical combat group, the Delta Force.

Photo Greg Matheison/Mai/
Time LifePictures/ Getty Images

Delta Force is often referred to as Special Forces Operational Detachment-Delta. It's also known as the Combat Applications Group (CAG). While it often draws its ranks from the ARMY Special Forces and shares Fort Bragg, NC headquarters with them, it isn't an Army Special Forces detachment. Delta Force is a unit unto itself, composed of members from all branches of the military.

They're not called soldiers, but operators and are said to shun the traditional philosophies of military life. They wear civilian clothes. They work for whomever needs them -- for the Army, the FBI and the CIA Mark Bowden, author of the book "Blackhawk Down" -- for which he interviewed several Delta Force members -- famously said of the operators, "They are professional soldiers who hate the Army"

It must be said that neither the United States gov nor the military officially acknowledges the existence of Delta Force. To this end, almost all of the information contained in this article is unsupported by any official reports from the United States. It's only in recent years that vague references by the government to the group's existence have been allowed to go uncensored. These references have turned up in transcripts from Congressional hearings and biographies of high-ranking military leaders.

But it's nearly impossible to keep a force so deadly and made up of the stuff of legends entirely under wraps. Since its inception in 1977, stories of the Delta Force's exploits and missions have leaked out, little by little, eventually forming a brief sketch of the unit. In 1993, Delta Force came under the microscope when its operators were among those who fought and died in a failed operation to remove a Somali warlord. And in Operation Urgent Fury in gradna in 1983, reports of two missions by Delta Force -- one failed and one successful -- have become common knowledge [source:soc

But the group has been criticized for undertaking missions that are on the fringe of regular laws governing the military. This causes some to worry that Delta Force has more power and less accountability than any military organization in a free democracy should. Delta Force is funded out of secret government accounts, away from the public eye, and is believed to answer only to the president.

But others claim that its purpose -- maintaining the United States' role as a leading power and as the world's police force -- necessitates the lack of restrictions and accountability surrounding its activities.

In the next section, we'll look at how the Delta Force is structured.

laptop pictures

2008-12-08T02:48:00.000-08:00

How to Draw a Jet

2008-12-08T02:45:00.000-08:00

You'll be a real quick draw when you master this drawing project. Follow the easy step-by-step instruction below to draw jets, the fastest of all aircraft.

Follow the directions on this page to draw this speedy jet.

In this section, we'll show you how to draw the above jet. Either draw it freehand while looking at your computer monitor or print out this page to get a closer look at each step.

Follow the red lines in each illustration to learn exactly what to draw in that step. The lines drawn in previous steps are shown in gray. Here, we'll show you an illustration of each step and then give you a description of how to draw it.

Step 1: Draw a long, flat box form for the body of the plane. Add a long football shape for the cockpit.

Step 2: Sketch the window of the cockpit. Draw two large wedges and two small wedges for the wings and tail.

Step 3: Draw a long rectangle on each side of the plane's body. The rectangles should stretch the entire length of the body. Add two fat bullet shapes at the back to make the engines. Sketch two curved lines for detail. Draw two tall tail fins at the back of the plane. Outline the fins to create depth.

Step 4: Draw two long half-circles on each side of the jet body. Add an air intake on both sides of the cockpit, just under the body. Sketch narrow rectangles on the wings and a curved shape under the cockpit.

Step 5: Draw detail lines on the wings, body, engines, and cockpit. Add some small hatches on the cockpit and on the body near the wing.

Step 6: Use a felt-tip pen to trace the lines you want to keep. Erase any extra pencil lines.Up, up, and away! Now that you've tried to draw all of our planes you'll be filling the wild blue yonder with your own works of art.

How to Draw Biplanes

2008-12-08T02:42:00.000-08:00

This easy-to-draw biplane has realistic details that make your drawing authentic. When you've perfected this technique, you can fill the skies with your own air show.

In this section, we'll show you how to draw the above biplane. Either draw it freehand while looking at your computer monitor or print out this page to get a closer look at each step.

Step 1: Start drawing the plane with a long oval for the main body. Put a short, rounded-off rectangle on both sides of the body to create the lower wings. Add a longer, rounded-off rectangle with a notch in the middle to form the top wings.

Step 2: Sketch three rounded triangles for the tail. Draw a curved line near the tip of the plane to form the nose. Sketch a doorknob shape at the plane's tip. Add a cone and two long, thin ovals to form the propeller.

Step 3: Sketch a wedge shape at the front and back of the plane to create the wheel supports. Draw three wheels -- one small one under the tail and two larger ones under the wings. Add rectangular support beams from the bottom wings to the top wings and two from the body to the top wings.

Step 4: Sketch the lines for the windshield at the indented part of the top wing. Just behind that, draw two half-ovals to create the seat. Sketch an oval and some small circles to add detail to the nose. Draw a star inside of a circle on the tip of the top wing.

Step 5: Draw wide stripes on the upper wings and midway on the body.

Step 6: Add detail lines on the front wheel, nose, wings, and tail.

Step 7: Use a felt-tip pen to trace the lines you want to keep. Erase the extra pencil lines.

How to Draw Planes

2008-12-08T02:40:00.000-08:00

Drawing can be fun -- and it's not as hard as you may think. One of the secrets of drawing is that any object can be broken down into its smaller parts.

By following these step-by-step instructions, you can use this secret to learn to draw many different kinds of planes. By copying these pictures, you will learn basic drawing skills. You will be able to use those skills to draw other planes ... or even other objects!

Before you start drawing, there are some basic tools you need. Make sure you have a pencil, a pencil sharpener, an eraser, a felt-tip pen, and grid paper where you'll make your drawings.

Throughout this article, the sketches start with larger basic shapes. Draw the full shape, even if all of it will not be seen in the final drawing. You can erase the part you don't need later.

Each consecutive step adds more detail until you have the finished drawing. The steps are colored to show exactly what to draw when: The drawings for each new step are shown with red lines, while the lines from previous steps are shown in gray.

After all the steps are drawn, use a felt-tip pen to trace the pencil lines. Go over only the lines you need in the final drawing. After giving the felt-tip ink some time to dry so it won't smear, use an eraser to erase the extra pencil lines.

And there's your completed picture! The next step is learning to color the plane.

Start off by using coloring tools that are familiar to you. For example, if you enjoy coloring with caryons use them. When you get more comfortable with coloring, you can try other methods like colored pencils, watercolor paints, merkeas or even colored chalk. Try different techniques on the drawings to see what looks best.

When you are ready to start coloring, pick colors that seem to fit the drawing best. Start by lightly adding the main color to the drawing. Remember to keep the colors light at first -- it is much easier to make a color darker than it is to make it lighter.

After the main color is finished, gently add darker colors to areas on the plane that would be in shadows or less light. Adding colors this way is called shading, and it helps the drawing to look more realistic.

After shading the drawing, add lighter colors where more light would be. This is called highlighting, and it is usually done on the top areas of the shapes in the drawing. Think of sunlight coming down and lighting the plane from above.

Look at the color pictures in the article and try to copy the light and dark shading of the colors. Once you fill in all the colors, your illustration is complete!

How to Draw a Cartoon Mouse

2008-12-08T02:36:00.000-08:00

So you think you can’t draw a cartoon mouse? Think again! With a little creativity and a few steps, you can learn how to draw a cuddly cartoon mouse with ease. Simply follow our step-by-step instructions and your cartoon mouse will be on the prowl for cheese in no time.

Learn how to draw this cartoon mouse.

In this section, we'll show you how to draw the above cartoon mouse. You can draw this cartoon mouse freehand while looking at your computer monitor or print out this page to get a closer look at each step.

Step 1: Begin with a slightly flat, oval head. Add a slipper-shaped snout. Form the pear-shaped body. Attach large partial ovals for the legs.

Draw small ovals for the shoulders. Use two parallel lines for the neck. Sketch a slanted rectangle for the top of the cheese.

Step 2: Draw oval ears. Use U-shapes for the eyes. Put one on a line. Form a V-shaped nose. Place a Y-shape in a U-shaped mouth. Connect the shoulder and leg on your left.

Attach a U-shape to two lines for the arm. Add a circle for the hand. Use an oval and two curves for the other hand and the foot under it. Use an odd curve for the other foot. Finish the cheese with a V-shape.

Step 3: Attach L-shapes to curves for the eyelids and bridge of the nose. Add comma-shaped eyebrows. Join a curve and U-shape for the teeth. Connect V-shapes to curves for neck hair.

Use long lines for the neck and belly. Form a long V-shaped tail. Add V-shapes to the tail and leg. Use curves and U-shapes for the arm, fingers, and foot. Draw oval and heart-shaped cheese holes.

Step 4: Detail the eyes with curved lines and a partial oval. Use curved lines and curved V-shapes for hair on the arm and head. Draw a long curved line and tiny V-shape in the ear. Sketch whiskers and a tongue using curved lines.

Form a teardrop-shaped nostril. Add five short lines to the cheese. “Show” the cheese’s aroma as a curved Z-shape with three curved lines in it. Show the tail wagging with some short lines.

Step 5: Darken the eyebrows, pupils, and nostril. Add shadow lines in the cheese holes.

That's it -- you're done!

How to Draw a Cartoon Vampire

2008-12-08T02:32:00.000-08:00

Learning how to draw a cartoon vampier doesn’t have to be scary. Cartoon vampires are usually funny, cute, and even friendly!

Learn how to draw this cartoon vampire.

In this section, we'll show you how to draw the above cartoon vampire. You can draw this cartoon vampire freehand while looking at your computer monitor or print out this page to get a closer look at each step.

Step 1: Sketch a circle for the head. Overlap an oval for the cheeks and chin. Draw two curved lines for the body. Show the position of the legs with a horizontal oval that has two U-shapes attached to each end.

Step 2: Form the hairline with a “figure 3” and a curved line. Use V-shaped ears. Show each eye as a U-shape on a line. Draw a V-shape and a small U-shape for the nose. Outline the mouth with a wavy line above a U-shape.

Shape the cheeks and chin. Sketch the sleeves as tubes. Place a backward J-shape in the end of one sleeve. Attach circles for the hands. The bottom of the jacket is a curve with ends that angle back. Outline the potato-shaped feet.

Step 3: Draw diagonal, comma-shaped eyelids. Detail each eye with a circle and curves. Add lines under the nose and by the mouth. Form the tongue with a check mark. Shape the sleeve on your right. Draw hands and fingers with U-shapes, J-shapes, and curves.

Outline the cape with a U-shape and J-shape. Place lines at the shoulders. Form the jacket with a Y-shape. Finish the pants with lines and straps over the shoes. Shape the shoes and heels.

Step 4: Add S-shaped and comma-shaped eyebrows. Place curves in the ears. Sketch U-shaped fangs. For the bow tie, draw a circle, rounded rectangles, and teardrop-shaped loops. Shape the bow. Form the buttons with circles.

Draw three lines for the pocket. Finish the cape with triangles and long lines. Place V-shapes behind the knees. Show the jacket’s tail as two V-shapes. Put buckles on the shoes using rectangles. Shape the curved soles.

Step 5: Darken all of each pupil except for the tiny circle drawn previously. Also darken inside the mouth, the loops of the bow, and the shoe buckles.

Fill most of the eyebrows and hair with lines to darken them. Shade the inside of the cape with diagonal lines.

That wasn’t scary at all. Great job! Let’s move on to one of the most thrilling vehicles on the planet.

How to Draw a Cartoon Girl

2008-12-08T02:30:00.000-08:00

Learning how to draw an adorable cartoon girl can be easy with our detailed directions and easy to follow illustrations. With a little creativity, see how fun it can be to bring a cartoon girl to life.

Learn how to draw this cartoon girl.

In this section, we'll show you how to draw the above cartoon girl. You can draw this cartoon girl freehand while looking at your computer monitor or print out this page to get a closer look at each step.

Step 1: Sketch a roughly heart-shaped figure for the head. Use an oval for the body. Show the neck as two short lines. Draw an oval at an angle for the top part of the legs.

Form the foot with a smaller oval. Connect it to the knees with a very short straight line and a much longer one.

Step 2: Draw upside-down U-shapes and a straight line under them for the eyes. Show the nose as a J-shape with a straight line under it. Form the mouth with a broad curve and two short lines at the ends. Use a C-shape for the ear.

Start to draw the arms with a U-shape. Draw another U-shape around it, and curve the tops for the shoulders. Show the back of the chair as an upside-down U-shape with a line through the middle.

Draw the cushion with curved and straight lines. Use straight lines to start the chair legs. Form a second leg with a J-shape. Shape her first leg with a curved line.

Step 3: Sketch the hair with a pointed oval shape and two comma-shaped figures. Form a comma-shaped figure above the oval. Add an S-shaped ponytail. Draw slanted triangles and curved lines for the closed eyes. Use a J-shape and two small curved lines for the nose.

Form the mouth with a J-shape and two curved lines. Outline the dress with curved lines at the neck, arms, bust, and above the knee. Shape the hands with curved V-shapes and lines. Show the leg’s outline with a curved line.

Attach a backward J-shape for the shoe top. Add a second U-shape to the chair back. Show the chair seat with a straight line. Give the chair legs curled-up ends.

Step 4: Add texture to the hair with many curved lines. Draw comma-shaped eyebrows. Place a tiny curlicue in the ear. Use a small circle for the earring. Give the dress a collar and cuffs by attaching many small U-shapes. Show folds in the dress with some curved lines.

Draw two J-shapes for more fingers. Add another shoe with a backward J-shape and three lines for the heel. Draw U-shapes and a long oval for the chair rungs. Make the cushion look plump with three short curved lines.

For the chair back, use the centerline as a guide. Form an upper scroll and two side scrolls. Place a small circle above the upper scroll.

Step 5: Darken the hair band and eyebrows. Give dimension to the legs and back of the chair by thickening the scrolled lines. Shade the chair with short lines.

There, your pretty cartoon girl is complete

How to Draw a Cartoon Baby

2008-12-08T02:28:00.000-08:00

Do you have a favorite cartoon baby? Great! Follow our simple steps on how to draw a cartoon baby.

Learn how to draw this cartoon baby.

In this section, we'll show you how to draw the above cartoon baby. You can draw this cartoon baby freehand while looking at your computer monitor or print out this page to get a closer look at each step.

Step 1: Begin with a circle for the head. Overlap it with an oval for the cheeks and chin. Underneath the oval, draw a slightly overlapping egg-shaped body.

Step 2: Show the eyes as partial ovals. Connect part of a small oval to a tiny U-shape for the nose. Shape the mouth with a wavy line and a broad U-shape. Sketch the arms using curved lines.

For the hand on your left, use a U-shape and a rounded V-shape. Use an oval for the hand on your right. Show the feet with large, very rounded triangles. Attach them to the body with short curved lines.

Step 3: Draw U-shaped ears. Detail the eyes with tiny circles and U-shapes. Place a curved line under each eye. Add short curved lines to the ends of the mouth. Define the chin and cheeks with longer curved lines.

For the fingers, use long U-shapes and curved lines. Outline the body so the middle bulges out. Form the diaper using curved lines. Use U-shapes and curves to show the toes. Redraw the feet so they curve in slightly.

Step 4: Add hair with curves. Put a curlicue in each ear. Form comma-shaped eyebrows and short eyelashes. Attach two lines for the tongue. Shape the cheeks, collarbones and a teardrop-shaped belly button.

In the diaper, draw two lines. Add a line on each side of the waist. Shape the feet. Use a small oval, large oval, straight line, and curved lines for the rattle. Crisscross lines to show movement.

Step 5: Darken all of each pupil except for the tiny circle drawn previously. Also darken the inside of the mouth and the belly button. Make the eyelashes thicker.

Use diagonal lines to partially darken the stripe on the rattle. Shade the rattle with many short lines.

Your cartoon baby looks great

How to Draw Cartoons

2008-12-08T02:24:00.000-08:00

You can learn how to draw cartoons like the pros with a few basic art supplies and our easy step-by-step lessons. No matter how complicated a cartoon character or scene may look, just about any drawing can be broken down into smaller pieces.

If you follow the smaller pieces (or steps) one by one, you’ll be amazed by how quickly you’ll learn how to draw everything from a smiling cartoon baby to a cartoon robot in action!

Learn how to draw this cartoon robot.

To begin learning how to draw cartoons, you’ll need a few basic drawing supplies including a pencil, pencil sharpener, an eraser, a felt-tip pen, and paper. In each how to draw cartoons section, the first drawing will be of the subject you will be working on. Examine the lines and shapes of the subject carefully before proceeding to the first step.

The instructions in each article will always start with larger basic shapes, such as ovals, rectangles, and triangles, depending on the subject. Draw the full shape, even if some of it will not be seen in the final drawing. The red lines in each illustration show exactly what to draw in that step, while the lines drawn in previous steps are shown in gray.

After all the steps are complete, use a felt-tip pen to go over the pencil lines. Ink only the lines you want to keep in the drawing. Let the ink dry, then erase the extra pencil lines.

The last step in learning how to draw is adding color.

Use the first illustration in each article as your guide. Feel free to use crayons, colored pencils or markers. If you’re feeling especially creative, you can even try watercolors or chalk.

Start by adding the main color, gently adding darker colors to areas that would be in shadows or less light (generally toward the bottom or underneath the shapes). This is called shading.

After shading is complete, add lighter colors where more light would be (usually on the top areas of the shapes, where sunlight would naturally hit them). This is called highlighting. Shading and highlighting help the drawing look more realistic.

Once you fill in all the colors and are pleased with your cartoon drawing, you’re finished. Way to go!

In our how to draw cartoons articles, you will learn how to draw a cartoon hobo, a cartoon juggler, a cartoon monster truck, and much, much more. Here is a preview:

How to Draw a Cartoon Baby
Cartoon babies are fun to watch and even more fun to draw. This article will show you how to draw a cartoon baby in five easy steps. Once you learn how to draw our cartoon baby, you will have no problems creating (and drawing) your own. Test your creative skills as you learn how to draw a cartoon baby.
How to Draw a Cartoon Dog
If you’ve ever wanted to learn how to draw a cartoon dog, but the task seemed impossible, then this how to draw a cartoon dog lesson is for you. Follow the step-by-step instructions in this section and you will have the perfect picture of a playful pooch to hang on the wall or show to your friends! See for yourself -- follow the link to this section to learn how to draw a cartoon dog.
How to Draw a Cartoon Dragon
Learning how to draw a cartoon dragon is simple and fun. Once you’ve mastered drawing a cartoon dragon, you can sketch these cute, cuddly creatures cruising through the sky, perched on a mountaintop or lounging near a lagoon. Just click this page to learn how to draw a cartoon dragon now!
How to Draw a Cartoon Girl
Learning how to draw an adorable cartoon girl can be easy with our detailed directions and easy to follow illustrations. With a little creativity, see how fun it can be to bring a cartoon girl to life. Grab your sketchpad and pencils, and get ready to learn how to draw a cartoon girl!

How to Draw a Cartoon Giraffe
Did you know that a giraffe is the world’s tallest living land animal? These super quick creatures are fun to watch for sure, but learning how to draw a cartoon giraffe can be a treat too! From the horns to the hooves, we’ll show you how to draw a perfect cartoon giraffe.

How to Draw a Cartoon Vampire
You don’t have to be afraid to learn how to draw a cartoon vampire. These cool creatures are actually quite simple to draw and in this section, we’ll show you how in five quick steps. Click this section to get started on learning how to draw a cartoon vampire.
How to Draw a Cartoon Monster Truck
Famous for crushing smaller vehicles under its massive wheels, the monster truck is every kid’s favorite vehicle. Once you learn how to draw a cartoon monster truck, you can move on to drawing twisted monster truck tricks and maybe even an entire monster truck show! Go to this section to learn how to draw a cartoon monster truck.
How to Draw a Cartoon Mouse
So you think you can’t draw a cartoon mouse? Think again! With a little creativity and the simple steps in this lesson, you can learn how to draw a cuddly cartoon mouse with ease. Click this page to get started and your cartoon mouse will be on the prowl for cheese in no time.
How to Draw a Cartoon Locomotive
From retro cartoons to children’s books, the cartoon locomotive has been created in all shapes, sizes, and designs. If you want to learn how to draw a cartoon locomotive and add your own creative choo-choo to the bunch, you can learn how in this section. All aboard! Learn how to draw a cartoon locomotive.

How to Draw a Cartoon Skateboarder
Drawing a cartoon skateboarder may look rather difficult, but believe it or not, it can be done in five simple steps. In this section, we will teach you how to bring your skateboarding dude to life as you learn how to draw a cartoon skateboarder.
How to Draw a Cartoon Stuffed Lion
If you want to learn how to draw a cartoon stuffed lion, there’s no need to fear. Our lazy lion will have no problems lying still while you breeze through our super simple steps. Go to this section to learn how to draw a cartoon stuffed lion.
How to Draw a Cartoon Hobo
Learning how to draw a cartoon hobo can be fun if you have the proper materials and a good set of simple instructions. This section covers drawing a hobo from start to finish -- the colors you decide to use are up to you! Try this drawing exercise if you want to learn how to draw a hobo.
How to Draw a Cartoon Clydesdale Horse
Magnificent, stylish, and strong -- these are the words most people use to describe the popular Clydesdale horse. Our step-by-step instructions will guide you through drawing a cartoon Clydesdale horse that’s sure steal the show. Continue to this section to learn how to draw a Clydesdale horse.

How to Draw a Cartoon Robot
If you’ve ever wanted to learn how to draw a cartoon robot, it’s never been easier. Once you’ve completed our cartoon robot using our simple steps, you’ll be on your way to designing and drawing your own special robot creations. You may proceed to this section to learn how to draw a cartoon robot.

How to Draw a Cartoon Soldier
From Beetle Bailey to G.I. Joe, American cartoon soldiers have been around for decades, and they are great fun to draw! If you would like to learn how to draw these famous cartoon soldiers, practice drawing a cartoon soldier with our easy instructions first. Before you know it, you’ll be drawing these popular characters on your own. March on to this section to learn how to draw a cartoon soldier.
How to Draw a Sad Clown Cartoon
Drawing a high-quality sad clown cartoon can be accomplished with a little patience, a few easy steps, and a big imagination. In this section, follow the instructions carefully and your sad clown cartoon will be completed in no time. Click this page to learn how to draw a sad clown cartoon.
How to Draw an Overweight Jogger Cartoon
You’ve seen them in comic strips, in movies, and in numerous animated productions, but have you figured out how to draw one yet? Don’t worry -- with the simple instructions in this section, you can learn how to draw an overweight jogger cartoon, and a little scenery to boot! Head over to this section to learn how to draw an overweight jogger cartoon.
How to Draw a Cartoon Juggler
Jugglers are lots of fun to watch, but wouldn't it be great if you could learn how to draw these wacky characters in action in a few simple steps? You can! If you follow the steps in this section, learning how to draw a cartoon juggler is easy to accomplish. Your entertainer will come to life one limb at a time as you learn how to draw a cartoon juggler.

How to Draw a Cartoon Roller-Skater
Drawing a cartoon roller-skater can be challenging, but it can also be rewarding. Once you learn how to draw a cartoon roller-skater, you’ll have the art skills you need to draw a cartoon biker, a cartoon ice-skater, and many other crazy characters on wheels. Select this page to learn how to draw a cartoon roller-skater.
How to Draw a Baseball Pitcher's Windup Cartoon
Want to learn how to draw and pitch at the same time? If you follow our step-by-step instructions carefully, you’ll learn how to draw a familiar scene from America’s favorite pastime. Go to this page to learn how to draw a baseball pitcher’s windup cartoon.
How to Draw a Napping Old Man Cartoon
From his little gray hairs to his rocking chair, this lesson will show you how to draw a napping old man cartoon. Follow the simple instructions and you're well on your way to completing a masterpiece. Don't hesitate -- visit this page to learn how to draw a napping old man cartoon.

If you’re ready to begin your exciting drawing adventures, continue to the next page to learn how to draw a very happy cartoon baby.

How MRI Works

2008-12-08T01:58:00.000-08:00

On July 3, 1977, an event took place that would forever alter the landscape of modern medicine. Outside the medical research community, this event made scarcely a ripple at first. This event was the first MRI exam ever performed on a human being.

It took almost five hours to produce one image. The images were, by today's standards, quite ugly. Dr. Raymond Damadian, a physician and scientist, along with colleagues Dr. Larry Minkoff and Dr. Michael Goldsmith, labored tirelessly for seven long years to reach this point. They named their original machine "Indomitable" to capture the spirit of their struggle to do what many said could not be done.

This machine is now in the Smithsonian Institution. As late as 1982, there were but a handful of MRI scanners in the entire United States. Today there are thousands. We can image in seconds what used to take hours.

MRI is a very complicated technology not well understood by many. In this article, you'll learn all about how a huge, noisy MRI machine actually works. What is happening to your body while you are in the machine? What can we see with an MRI and why do you have to hold so still during your exam? These questions and many more are answered here, so let's get started!

angel

2008-12-07T22:02:00.000-08:00

happy eid

2008-12-07T21:44:00.001-08:00

Politics on hold as Thais pray for ailing king

2008-12-05T06:18:00.000-08:00

Thais marked their revered king's birthday today in a solemn mood, concerned for the health of the ageing monarch and worried as well over their country's debilitating political deadlock.

King Bhumibol Adulyadej, who turned 81 today, failed to deliver his annual birthday eve address at a time when many in Thailand had been looking to him to issue a call for unity after protests by thousands of People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) activists shut down Bangkok's main airport for a week.

His speeches in the past three years have been nuanced and focused on the need for national unity, although his calls for clean government were widely read as a swipe at Thaksin Shinawatra, the populist prime minister ousted in a 2006 coup.

Thailand's caretaker government cancelled next Monday's special parliamentary session to choose a successor to Somchai Wongsawat, Mr Thaksin's brother-in-law, who was convicted of vote fraud this week and banned from politics for five years.

Seen as semi-divine by many of Thailand's 65 million people, the king has intervened in politics three times during his six decades on the throne, variously favouring elected and military administrations.

The king spent several weeks in hospital last year with circulation problems and there are concerns about his health. "If the king is very seriously ill, and we don't know that, it will put the succession issue at the forefront of people's minds," Craig Reynolds, a Thai historian at the Australian National University (ANU), said.

The monarch has been thrust into the centre of the fray by the PAD's persistent use of his name in their fight with Mr Thaksin, whose popularity with rural voters, based on cheap healthcare and credit, upset Bangkok's old royal and military elite.

Bringing hope to 230,000 stranded foreign tourists, Airports of Thailand said the billion Suvarnabhumi airport, one of Asia's largest, resumed full operations today after the week-long shutdown.

"We are up and running and its business as usual," transport minister Santi Prompat told reporters during a tour of the airport.

The airport shutdown has already cost the tourism- and export-dependent economy hundreds of millions of dollars.

Despite the return of relative normality at the airport, analysts said more trouble was in store after the brief hiatus of the king's birthday.

After the caretaker government called off a special parliamentary session on Monday to select a replacement for Mr Somchai, Speaker Chai Chidchob told reporters the king had not responded to parliament's request for an extraordinary sitting.

His comments came before news of the king's illness.

Mr Somchai's People Power Party (PPP), which the PAD accuses of being a front for the exiled Thaksin, was dissolved by the courts this week but most of its rank-and-file members simply switched to another "shell" party. It and the other five parties in the ruling coalition easily have the numbers in parliament to form the next administration, an eventuality that seems bound to lead the PAD to resume its street protests.

Pictures of Jim Carrey

2008-12-04T06:01:00.000-08:00

The Adam Sandler

2008-12-04T05:40:00.000-08:00

Welcome to Adam Sandler's
home

What can you find here? Pretty much anything Adam Sandler-related: from Pictures, e-cards, wallpapers, desktop downloads, videos, bio, gossip, news, the latest eBay listings, and a forum and to all the best Adam Sandler memorabilia and much more. Just sit back and enjoy the Adam Sandler videos, news, and the incredible extras and information we've put together for you. Make sure you bookmark us because we're expanding and adding more stuff every day.

Adam Sandler (born September 9, 1966 in Brooklyn, New York) is an American actor, comedian, producer, and musician.

cute

2008-12-04T02:49:00.000-08:00

angel

2008-11-30T03:43:00.000-08:00

Art

2008-11-30T03:28:00.000-08:00

Siege at Taj Mahal hotel over in India, death toll up to 195

2008-11-29T02:42:00.000-08:00

MUMBAI, India — Indian commandos killed the last remaining gunmen holed up at a luxury Mumbai hotel Saturday, ending a 60-hour rampage through India's financial capital by suspected Islamic militants that killed 195 people and rocked the nation.

Orange flames and black smoke engulfed the landmark 565-room Taj Mahal hotel after dawn Saturday as Indian forces ended the siege in a hail of gunfire, just hours after elite commandos stormed a Jewish center and found six hostages dead.

A dozen suspected terrorists hit 10 sites around Mumbai on Wednesday night, and the last holdout was the Taj hotel. "There were three terrorists, we have killed them," said J.K. Dutt, director general of India's elite National Security Guard commando unit.

At least 16 foreigners and 20 soldiers and police were among the dead. Some 295 people were also wounded in the violence.

Explosions continued to rock the hotel after the battle as soldiers blasted open doors and detonated explosives found on the gunmen as they swept the hotel once more looking for survivors and booby traps left by the militants.

Some hotel guests were still believed to be in their rooms. "They are still scared, so even when we request them to come out and identify ourselves, they are naturally afraid," said Dutt.

Outside, anxious relatives stood in groups hoping family members trapped inside would walk out. Many had been keeping a vigil since the attack began.

With the end of one of the most brazen terror attacks in India's history, attention turned from the military operation to questions of who was behind the attack and the heavy toll on human life.

The bodies of New York Rabbi Gavriel Noach Holtzberg and his wife, Rivkah, were found at the Jewish center. Their son, Moshe, who turned 2 on Saturday, was scooped up by an employee Thursday as she fled the building. Two Israelis and another American were also killed in the house, said Rabbi Zalman Schmotkin, a spokesman for the Chabad Lubavitch movement, which ran the center.

The Israeli Foreign Ministry later said the body of an unidentified third woman was also found inside the five-story building.

Among the foreigners killed were Americans, Germans, Canadians, Israelis and nationals from Britain, Italy, Japan, China, Thailand, Australia and Singapore.

By Saturday morning the death toll was at 195, the deadliest attack in India since the 1993 serial bombings in Mumbai killed 257 people. But officials said the toll from the three days of carnage was likely to rise as more bodies were brought out of the hotels.

Even as the battle ended, Indians began burying their dead, many of them security force members killed fighting the gunmen.

In the southern city of Bangalore, black-clad commandos formed an honor guard as the flag-draped coffin of Maj. Gen. Unnikrishnan, who was killed in the fighting at the Taj, passed by. "He gave up his own life to save the others," said Dutt.

Bhushan Gagrani, the Maharashtra state government spokesman, told The Associated Press at least 11 gunmen had been killed and one captured alive after the attack that shook the city and the country.

"There is a limit a city can take. This is a very, very different kind of fear. It will be sometime before things get back to normal," said Ayesha Dar, a 33-year-old homemaker.

Authorities scrambled to identify those responsible for the unprecedented attack, with Indian officials pointing across the border at rival Pakistan, and Pakistani leaders promising to cooperate in the investigation. A team of FBI agents was ordered to fly to India to help investigate.

The attack was claimed by a previously unknown group calling itself the Deccan Mujahideen, but Indian officials pointed the finger at neighboring Pakistan.

On Saturday the Indian navy said it was investigating whether a trawler found drifting off the coast of Mumbai, with a bound corpse on board, was used in the attack.

Navy spokesman Capt. Manohar Nambiar said the trawler, called "Kuber," was found Thursday and brought to Mumbai. Television footage showed a bound body lying face down on the deck.

Media reports said the man was the boat's skipper and had been killed when the trawler was hijacked after it sailed from Karachi, Pakistan. That could not be immediately confirmed.

Indian security officers believe many of the gunmen may have reached the city from a boat using a black and yellow rubber dinghy found near the site of the attacks.

India's foreign minister said the blame appeared to point to Pakistan. "According to preliminary information, some elements in Pakistan are responsible for Mumbai terror attacks," Pranab Mukherjee told reporters.

Jaiprakash Jaiswal, India's home minister, said the captured gunmen had been identified as Pakistani.

Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani insisted on Friday that his country was not involved. On Saturday Pakistan withdrew a pledge to send its spy chief to India to help probe the attacks.

Zahid Bashir, a spokesman for Gilani, told The Associated Press on Saturday a lower-ranking intelligence official would travel instead.

President-elect Barack Obama said he was closely monitoring the situation. "These terrorists who targeted innocent civilians will not defeat India's great democracy, nor shake the will of a global coalition to defeat them," he said in a statement.

The attackers were well-prepared, apparently scouting some targets ahead of time and carrying large bags of almonds to keep up their energy during a long siege. One backpack found contained 400 rounds of ammunition.

India has been shaken repeatedly by terror attacks blamed on Muslim militants in recent years, but this was more sophisticated - and more brazen.

Indian troops storm Jewish centre

2008-11-27T22:26:00.000-08:00

Indian commandos are storming a Jewish centre in Mumbai, where gunmen are holding a number of people hostage.

Troops abseiled from a helicopter into the building, as a ground assault was launched. Gunfire was later heard.

Security forces are still clearing gunmen from two luxury hotels, after Wednesday's attacks that killed more than 130 people and injured 300.

The army says it is close to taking control of the Oberoi Trident hotel, after freeing at least 30 hostages.

Media reports say that the majority of those rescued were foreigners.

Meanwhile, security forces are still moving room to room at the Taj Mahal Palace.

An army commander said nearly all guests and staff had been evacuated and that the security operation would be "wrapped up in a few hours".

At first light helicopters swooped over the Nariman House business and residential complex in south Mumbai, which houses the Jewish outreach group Chabad Lubavitch.

Commandos initially dropped "thunder flashes" or smoke bombs to create confusion and then several troops abseiled down ropes to secure the roof.

At first light helicopters swooped over the building housing the Jewish Centre

The BBC's David Loyn say they have been tentatively moving down through the building trying not to cause casualties among the hostages.

Earlier, a woman and child were seen leaving the building, but it was unclear whether they had managed to escape or were released.

The child was identified as the two-year-old son of Rabbi Gavriel Noach Holzberg, the main representative at the ultra-orthodox outreach centre. There was no word on the rabbi's fate.

In a separate development, the Indian navy has taken control of two Pakistani merchant navy ships and is questioning their crews after witnesses said some of the militants came ashore on small speed boats.

Conflicting clues

Gunmen armed with automatic weapons and grenades targeted at least seven sites in Mumbai late on Wednesday, opening fire indiscriminately on crowds at a major railway station, the two hotels, the Jewish centre, a hospital and a cafe frequented by foreigners.

See detailed map of the area

The attacks are the worst in India's commercial capital since nearly 200 people were killed in a series of bombings in 2006.

On Thursday, the Indian prime minister said the government would "take whatever measures are necessary to ensure the safety and security of our citizens".

Mr Singh said the attackers were based "outside the country" and that India would not tolerate "neighbours" who provide a haven to militants targeting it.

MUMBAI ATTACKS

Method in attackers' madness

Attackers create 'killing zone'

Are you in the area?

India has complained in the past that attacks on its soil have been carried out by groups based in Pakistan, although relations between the two countries have improved in recent years and Pakistani leaders were swift to condemn the latest attacks.

The Pakistan-based militant group Lashkar-e-Toiba denied any role in the attacks.

A claim of responsibility has been made by a previously unknown group calling itself the Deccan Mujahideen.

Eyewitnesses at the hotels said the attackers were singling out British and American passport holders, which our security correspondent Frank Gardner says implies an Islamist motive - attacks inspired or co-ordinated by al-Qaeda.

But as investigators from other countries join the hunt, he says, most intelligence officials are keeping an open mind as the attacks have thrown up conflicting clues.

Co-ordinated, mass casualty attacks that target civilians and undefended buildings are very much in the al-Qaeda mould.

But our correspondent says al-Qaeda and its affiliates in the region tend to favour massive truck bombs driven into buildings by suicidal volunteers - that didn't happen in Mumbai.

He says al-Qaeda are also acutely media-savvy, filming their attacks and in the case of hostages, sometimes murdering them on camera. Again, that does not appear to have happened this time.

Bank capital against risk rises

2008-11-25T04:29:00.000-08:00

Mainly driven by three state-owned commercial banks (SCBs) that issued shares in favour of the government on their asset-liability position as on June 30, 2007, Bangladesh Bank (BB) said in its quarterly report.

The capital ratio is the percentage of a bank's capital to its risk-weighted assets. The capital requirement is a bank regulation, which sets a framework on how banks and depository institutions must handle their capital.

The RWCAR is defined as the ratio of capital covering core and supplementary capital to risk-weighted assets of the banks. As per BB requirements, the banks are required to maintain RWCAR at a minimum of 10 percent, with core capital (paid-up capital and statutory reserve) no less than 5 percent.

According to BB regulations on the weight of capital adequacy ratio, cash and government bonds have a zero percent risk weighting, and 20 percent for balances with private financial institutions, bilateral trade and export credits have a 50 percent risk weighting. All other types of assets (loans to private customers) have a 100 percent risk weighting.

RWCAR is the major indicator to gauze the health of the banking sector. An increase in the ratio means gaining higher capacity to weather any systemic shock in the banking sector.

RWCAR remained significantly above the regulatory requirement of 10 percent only for foreign commercial banks (FCBs) and marginally higher for private commercial banks (PCBs).

Still, SCBs lack the regulatory requirement despite a magical improvement in its RWCAR in June. The ratio position for SCBs rose to 6.3 percent in June 2008 from a negative 7.1 percent in December 2007.

The SCBs showed negative RWCAR for the last few years which turned positive in June 2008 after a memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed between the three SCBs (Sonali, Janata and Agrani banks) and the government.

Following the MoU, the SCBs issued shares in favour of the government on their asset-liability position as on June 30, 2007.

It is considered that the banks have created goodwill equivalent to their accumulated loss as per international financial principles. The goodwill is treated as an intangible asset, which is shown in valuation adjustment accounts of individual banks and would be amortised by profit in a given period.

“We have been given time until 2011 to amortise the liability by making profit,” said Syed Abu Naser Bukhtear Ahmed, managing director and chief executive officer of state-owned Agrani Bank Limited.

On the other hand, the specialised banks (SBs) showed positive RWCAR in the previous years, which turned negative in June 2008 since the cumulative losses of Bangladesh Krishi Bank and Rajshahi Krishi Unnayan Bank are now shown in the negative retained earnings.

The losses were earlier shown as cumulative loss, which did not influence the ratio. The change in the accounting process of SBs has been introduced to ensure consistency with accounting procedures of other banks, according to the BB quarterly report.

Yahoo tells Microsoft: 'Buy us'

2008-11-25T04:22:00.000-08:00

Mr Yang's suggestion also came hours after Google pulled out of an internet advertising partnership with Yahoo.

"To this day the best thing for Microsoft to do is buy Yahoo," said Mr Yang.

"I don't think that is a bad idea at all, at the right price whatever that price is. We're willing to sell the company," he told a packed ballroom at the Web 2.0 summit in San Francisco.

During the on stage conversation in front of a standing-room only crowd, Mr Yang was asked why the company did not take the $33 a share offered back in the summer. The company's share price closed Wednesday below $14 (£8.80) a share.

"They walked away from a public offering and we were ready to negotiate. We wanted to negotiate a deal. We felt we weren't that far apart.

"At the end of the day, they withdrew and they have since been clear about not wanting to buy the company," explained Mr Yang in a rare public appearance.

Microsoft did however come back and offer to buy the search part of Yahoo, but a deal was never struck.

Again Mr Yang said the offer then was not good enough but he still remained open to persuasion.

"As far as a search deal goes, we are open-minded about it. The last time we felt the deal was not a good one for the company but that doesn't mean we won't do one."

When asked if any negotiations were pending with the software giant, Mr Yang said "There is no new news."

Microsoft declined to comment.

And when quizzed about a possible deal with AOL, Mr Yang played coy with his host John Battelle.

"Buying AOL? I can't talk about that, John. If I told you I would have to kill you."

'Disappointed'

While Yahoo is still holding the door open to Microsoft, Google closed one earlier in the day on a deal the two companies had struck up over search advertising.

After four months of scrutiny from the Department of Justice, Google decided to back out of the agreement it had made to provide advertising around the internet portal's search results.

It had been estimated that the venture would have been worth around $800m (£500m) a year to Yahoo.

"Pressing ahead risked not only a protracted legal battle but also damage to relationships with valued partners," said Google's chief counsel David Drummond.

Mr Yang said he was "disappointed that they [Google] didn't want to defend this deal."

But he felt that in his mind, the government scuppered it.

"I really thought the government in this case does not understand our industry. They have a market definition that I think is too narrow and I think things like this tend to have unintended consequences for our entire industry.

"So I clearly don't agree with what the viewpoint is, but they are the government and they can decide on these things."

Mr Yang pointed out that the Google partnership was not crucial to its bottom line and that it was "incremental" to its overall growth plans.

Windows 7 knows where you are

2008-11-25T04:20:00.000-08:00

Windows 7 has a new programming interface designed to make it a whole lot easier for software to figure out where in the world a PC and its user are located. That should make it easier for a whole new range of location-based services from...

finding nearby friends to LoJack-like PC tracking programs. Even search could be a whole lot better if the search engine knew where you were. Indeed, searchers often enter their city with their location to try and get just that benefit.
"There's so many times you have to enter in where you are at," said Microsoft program manager Alec Berntson.
At the same time, broader use of location-based services could also open up a range of privacy concerns.
Those issues--and how to handle them--was the subject of a discussion this week at the Windows Hardware Engineering Conference (WinHEC) here.
Microsoft does give a range of control options, such as turning off location services by default, as well as the ability to limit such services only to specific users or only to applications, as opposed to services that run in the background. However, the operating system doesn't allow users the option of letting only certain applications access your location. So, for example, if you turn it on for a mapping program, any other Windows application running could also access that information.
The reason, Microsoft officials say, is that Windows doesn't have a reliable means of determining that an application is what it says it is, so any attempt to limit the location to a specific application would be easily spoofable, Berntson said during the WinHEC discussion.
"We only promise the control that we can realistically give to them, rather than trying to promise more than we can deliver," Berntson said.
That said, application-based control, "would be great to have and it is certainly on our Christmas list for future stuff," he said.
But, not everyone felt that Windows 7 was doing all it could on the privacy front. One attendee suggested, for example, that Microsoft at least notify users when an application requests location information.
Although technically possible, Berntson said that's not currently on Microsoft's roadmap for Windows 7.
In fairness, location-based services are actually more secure in Windows 7 than in the past. That's because in past versions of Windows, there was really no way to reliably turn off location information.
"The old way of doing it--there was no warning, there was no switch, there was nothing," said Microsoft lead product manager Daniel Polivy. That said, it was so cumbersome that few people have enabled such location-based information or built services on top of them.
A pair of APIs
So just what is it that Microsoft is doing in Windows 7?
Well, at a low level, Microsoft has a new application programming interface (API) for sensors and a second API for location. It uses any of a number of things to actually get the location, depending on what's available. Obviously there's GPS, but it also supports Wi-Fi and cellular triangulation. At a minimum. Users can type in their location if they really want location-based services and don't have any of those other sensors.
Applications can then use that longitude and latitude information to provide any number of services to the customer, of which mapping is only the tip of the iceberg. Most of those applications will be up to developers, though. The only location-based service in the current Windows 7 OS itself is the fact that the weather gadget will use your location, assuming you have such services available and turned on.
Masafumi Kuboyama, a senior manager in Sony's Vaio PC unit in Japan, said he wants to know what's going on in his system and would appreciate knowing what the location-based services were up to. Most computer users, though, don't want to be bothered, he said.
"My relatives never understand what's going on in a PC," he said. "Everybody says, 'Please do (it) automatically.'"
He also said he's interested in the possibilities opened up by location-based services. "I'm looking forward to seeing more convenient applications for the Netbook."
Tim Zinsky, a software architect at Hewlett-Packard, said he wasn't all that disappointed that Microsoft isn't providing all the pieces with its location API.
Zinsky, who stressed he was speaking for himself and not HP, said he isn't convinced that there isn't a way to track which applications are using the location information.
"They are underestimating the capability there," he said. "I think they could do it."
But that's OK with him. "I don't want it all to come from Microsoft," he said. "If they can't do it, maybe somebody else or another company can do it."

Microsoft to offer free security

2008-11-25T04:18:00.001-08:00

The new software, code-named Morro, will be a no-frills program suited to smaller and less powerful computers.

The software will be free to download and will support Windows XP, Vista and Windows 7.

The move comes as sales of the OneCare subscription service are flagging - reportedly because the anti-virus marketplace is already flooded with big-name players such as Symantec and McAfee.

Since its launch in May 2006, OneCare has garnered less than 2% of the security software market share.

In a statement, Microsoft said that Morro would be designed specifically to be a small-footprint program that uses fewer system resources. This, it said, would be ideal for users with low-bandwidth connections or computers without much processing power.

That will be of particular interest to consumers buying comparatively low-powered "netbook" computers.

Amy Barzdukas, senior director of product management in the online services division at Microsoft, said: "This new, no-cost offering will give us the ability to protect an even greater number of consumers, especially in markets where the growth of new PC purchases is outpaced only by the growth of malware."

Dirty people try to harm Kangana physically

2008-11-25T03:32:00.000-08:00

Though glory is coming Kangana Ranaut’s way splendidly, the sexy actress is going though too much of personal trauma. She gets candid during the promotion of Raaz – The Mystery Continues and evoked what she is going through last couple...

of months. During the interview, she made a shocking revelation that she has been surrounded by 'dirty people' who tried to harm her physically as well as mentally. Kangana did not disclose the names of those wrongdoers. She expresses her fear, pain and anxiety in the following words, "To be honest, I got everything very soon in my life but personally my life was going through too much of trauma. I was really trapped by dirty people and they wouldn't let me concentrate on my work. They tried to harm me both physically as well as mentally".

"Those were indeed bad times. My sister went through an accident (exactly two years back her sister Rangoli was attacked with acid, allegedly by a rejected suitor). So I had so many issues to take care of. And sometimes your work is not always your priority. So I kind of took time to sort out my personal life and then later on I got back to my work."

After Fashion, it’s now Raaz – The Mystery Continues which is expected to bring success to Kangana. Our sympathy with Kangana remains and we hope she gets out of the trauma soon and delivers some more hits.

Nepal photo gallery

2008-11-24T04:23:00.000-08:00

Relaxing spot with a good city view

Kathmandu is the capital of Nepal, and it is located at the Kathmandu valley (about 1300 metres above sea level) in central Nepal. The city does not have many tall buildings, but it has many religious monuments, such as the Buddhist stupas and the Hindu temples.

Kathmandu is always bursting with activities, and the streets are usually crowded, chaotic and very dusty. Below are some photographs of life in Kathmandu .....

City buildings in the Kathmandu valley

Typical Kathmandu architecture

Mystical sunrise .....

.... followed by a beautiful morning !

A young monk taking a break on the roof

Selling colourful hats and other stuff

The colourful trishaw

Man using his head to carry goods

The exciting chariot pulling festival on 29th April 2001. Can you spot the tall chariot ?

Palace guards in uniform at Patan's Durbar Square

Photographs of the famous Thamel area, which mainly caters for tourists

Exotic Nepalese and Tibetan merchandize comes in all shapes and sizes .....

Strolling along the streets near the Pashupatinath area

Is this a street protest ???

I think this is a candle holder

Lots of colourful prayer flags

Wheels of life

The Boudhanath Stupa is the biggest stupa in Nepal

Scenes from Boudhanath Stupa

Statue of the elephant

The Swayambhunath Stupa is located on a hill and is the oldest stupa in Kathmandu

Area surrounding Swayambhunath Stupa

An ancient religious figurine

Religious monuments forming a beautiful pattern

More stupas on the hill .....

People relaxing at Pashupatinath

Colourful architecture

Ancient monuments of Hinduism in Nepal .....

The Pashupatinath Hindu temple

Another photograph of the ancient monuments

After death, the Hindus are brought to Pashupatinath to take a sacred bath using water from the holy river (left) followed by cremation along the river bank (right). Their ashes will then be spread into the river.

Pictures of Antarctica

2008-11-24T03:41:00.000-08:00

Busch Gardens Europe

2008-11-24T02:51:00.000-08:00

Busch Gardens in Virginia opened as Busch Gardens: The Old Country in May 1975. Its name changed to Busch Gardens Williamsburg in 1992 and to Busch Gardens Europe in 2006. The park is currently divided into six lands representing countries of 17th-century Europe. It is often voted as the "Most Beautiful Theme Park" thanks to its lovely design and gorgeous landscaping. In addition to the great coasters, the park has entertaining shows and plenty of places to eat. Some of its previous coasters include:

Glissade was a Schwarzkopf Jet Star that opened in 1979. In 1993 it became Tornado at La Feria Chapultepec Magico in Mexico City.
The Drachen Fire coaster was built by Arrow Dynamics in 1992. The ride closed in 1998 until it was demolished in February 2002. No official reason for the closure was given, but some people speculate roughness, maintenance problems, noise, or poor park location were to blame.
Wild Maus (see below) was relocated to Busch Gardens Tampa in 2004.
Die Wildkatze was a Schwarzkopf Wildcat model that ran from here from 1976 to 1983. After that it ran as Wildcat at Playland Park in Rye, New York, Steel Pier in Atlantic City, New Jersey, and Williams Grove in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania. The ride has been running at Adventure Park USA in New Market, Maryland since March 2007.
Alpengeist

Apollo's Chariot

Big Bad Wolf

Loch Ness Monster

Wild Maus (formerly Izzy)

Drachen Fire

Griffon

***world Business 1981***

Pohela Boishakh

Contents

History

In Kolkata

In Dhaka

In Chittagong Hill Tracts

Celebration in other countries

Hussein Chalayan's fashion fantasies

Mr Obama's international overtures deserve a response

Chinese milk scam duo face death

Popular Tattoo Designs

butterfly tattoos

dimond ring

How To Get Infected By An Email Virus

You Can Build Your Own Telescope

Canada's 'dirty oil' challenge

On this day 12 December

On this day 12 December

On this day

3D ART

How Delta Force Works

laptop pictures

How to Draw a Jet

How to Draw Biplanes

How to Draw Planes

How to Draw a Cartoon Mouse

How to Draw a Cartoon Vampire

How to Draw a Cartoon Girl

How to Draw a Cartoon Baby

How to Draw Cartoons

How MRI Works

angel

happy eid

Politics on hold as Thais pray for ailing king

Pictures of Jim Carrey

The Adam Sandler

cute

angel

Art

Siege at Taj Mahal hotel over in India, death toll up to 195

Indian troops storm Jewish centre

Bank capital against risk rises

Yahoo tells Microsoft: 'Buy us'

Windows 7 knows where you are

Microsoft to offer free security

Dirty people try to harm Kangana physically

Nepal photo gallery

Pictures of Antarctica

Busch Gardens Europe

world Business 1981