India : Yesterday and Today

Foils of a Changing NationThis article is a discussion of how a nation has changed from an underdeveloped entity to a persecuting , intolerant and belligerant economic power.

10 Years ago nobody was afraid of crying sheep in India . This was because if madness existed on the streets it was to reflect in people 's voices . That same phenomenon is not replicable today . Why ? Well because the new powers would not allow you . Reminds of China ? Eh .

The new economic power has brought both insecurity as well as belligerance .

Insecurity as seen in needing street stray dogs to man the streets . Rabies is known to be a bigger killer than strangers , terrorists or thieves .

Belligerance in not allowing educated thought or expression to seep through especially when the economic boom is bringing about a fall in the value system .

There is no longer a hunger , respect or value for education .

The tackiness of the rupee symbol is itself a proof of upcoming backwardness .

Educated thought , reception of criticism are core characteristics of a democracy . This is beginning to go amiss . Until this becomes a reality a nation would not have a future .

The Ancient Wine Presses of Galilee

Wine making was a popular occupation in Galilee. Wine was first made in 6,000 B.C. in the region of Mesopotamia. Wine was one of the major exports in biblical times. Wine presses were made in the fields near the vineyards and cut into stone. A number of wine presses can be found in the fields, villages and cities of Galilee.

Num 18:30: "Therefore thou shalt say unto them, When ye have heaved the best thereof from it, then it shall be counted unto the Levites as the increase of the threshing floor, and as the increase of the winepress".

Wine making was a popular occupation in Galilee. Wine was first made in 6,000 B.C. in the region of Mesopotamia. Wine was one of the major exports in biblical times. Wine presses were made in the fields near the vineyards and cut into stone. A number of wine presses can be found in the fields, villages and cities of Galilee. The large demand for wine was due to the Roman legions stationed in Galilee. Each roman soldier consumed about a liter of wine. Hence, a legion of 6,000 soldiers ended up consuming that many liters of wine everyday. Wine has its advantages it is effective in killing bacteria inside one’s body and bloodstream.

The legions mixed the wine with water and kept healthy year long. This demand for wine was supplemented within a small period of time with 4% of alcohol in the wine. Most vineyards were present in the hills of lower and upper Galilee, the Golan Heights, the Sharon and the hills of Judea.

The Structure of Ancient Wine Presses

A wine press has a collection area, where all the grapes are collected to be crushed. This is normally a large flat area near the winepress. The treading floor is a large area covered by mosaics of small stone pieces, where the grapes were treaded by human feet of wine workers. The treading floor had a small hole in the center, where the grapes used to be crushed a second time using a stone weight. The juice generated from the crushing accumulated in a flat area in the treading floor. It was passed through a hole in the treading floor, which also acted like a filter and passed the juice into a pool. Workers collected the juice into large wine jars to be stored for fermentation in nearby caves. The treading of wine is symbolic of divine judgement in the bible.

Distribution of the Wine Presses

An ancient archeological survey has found 117 wine presses in Galilee, scattered from the village of Jenin to the ruins of Megiddo. Many presses were part of large estates devoted to wine making. Hence, the Great Plains of Galilee once consisted of large areas of arable land. Herod the Great inherited the estates in the western parts of the Plain from the Hasmoneans. Later Berenice, sister of Agrippa II and niece of Antipas, owned granaries on the same land on which the wine presses stood.

Mount Gilboa is the place where Gideon led his band of warriors to carry out the night-attack on the camp of Midian. Under the hill are the ancient wine-presses, shaped into the rock. They once belonged to the vineyard of Naboth, who was assassinated by Jezebel.

"They that dwell under His shadow shall return; they shall revive as the grain, and blossom as the vine: the scent thereof shall be as the wine of Lebanon."

Unfounding the Atlantis Myth

A recent find below the sea off the Greek islands have reignited the debate of a lost city off the Greek coast more than 10000 years ago. Atlantis was both a legend as well as a myth, often quoted by philosophers such as Plato and Aristotle. Plato spoke about its untold wealth, technology exceeding the times, the ability to create gold from sand, among others.

A recent find below the sea off the Greek islands have reignited the debate of a lost city off the Greek coast more than 10000 years ago. Atlantis was both a legend as well as a myth, often quoted by philosophers such as Plato and Aristotle. Plato spoke about its untold wealth, technology exceeding the times, the ability to create gold from sand, among others. Later other myths described it as a civization run by alien forms residing on earth in those times. The latter seemed the only plausible explanantion for a civization unprecedented for its advances.

The found city is infact a settlement named Pavlopetri and dates back to about 5,000 years and is similar in size and description to that of Atlantis. The remains of this sunken land was explored by a team of English and Greek scientists. It has already been named the oldest submerged city in the world. It has remains of upto 3200-4800 years old. The sunken city is spread over an area of more than 30,000 square metres or 30 kilometres. It is believed to have sunk in 1000 B.C. The exploration involved moving about a lot of sea sand from the site’s surface. What was revealed below was a structure of buildings, streets, courtyards, rock tombs, religious architecture, and other man made constructions.

It also had many thousands of pieces of ancient pottery strewn across its face. The site is close to the Elafonissos island in southern Greece. Neapolis is the closest city to the site. The discovery of a Megaron or a large rectangular hall took the archaelogists by surprise. This was due to the fact that such a monumental structure was only used by ancient elite or noblemen in Greece for their discussions and seminars. The reson for the submergence of the site have been suggested as a possible earthquake, a sea level change or a tsunami. As these phenomenons have known to bring down islands in the past to the sea bed.

Why You Should Smoke: An Argument for a Pro-Tobacco Lobby

Introduction

I gave up coffee and cigarettes

I hate to say it hasn’t helped me yet

I thought my problems would just dissipate

And all my pain would be in yesterday

I poured my booze all down the kitchen drain

And watched my bad habits get flushed away

I thought that that would keep my head on straight

And all my pain would be in yesterday

But it’s true

I’m still blue

But I finally know what to do

I must quit, I must quit, you

I thought that if I didn’t go and play

The sadness would get bored and go away

I thought that if I didn’t go astray

That all my pain would be in yesterday

But it’s true

I’m still blue

But I finally know what to do

I must quit, I must quit, you

I sold my guitar and my piano

I thought that it was these that kept me low

I thought if only I could try and change

That all my pain would be in yesterday

But it’s true

I’m still blue

But I finally know what to do

I must quit, I must quit, you

I must quit, I must quit, you

Michelle Featherstone - Coffee & Cigarettes Lyrics

In recent years, there has been a lot of negative snubs on the tobacco lobby. The biggest among them was the June 2009 presidential Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act by president Obama.¹The argument was simple, to have a smoke free environment in public buildings, bars and casinos.

Tobacco use leads to a number of chronic diseases, including cancer, lung diseases, and cardiovascular diseases.²But, there is no tangible proof showing these diseases are caused more by tobacco than other reasons. Ernest Ditcher’s 1947 work “Why Do We Smoke Cigarettes? from “The Psychology of Everyday Living” is a perfect commentary on the pro’s of tobacco use.³ Many smoker’s acknowledge the fact that it acts as a thought stimulant.

Europeans came in contact with tobacco smoking from the native people in North America. These primeval settlers exported this tobacco to Europe. It was believed to have curative powers by the European people. Eventually, tobacco was used commonlyeverywhere. The safety match was the invention which made tobacco use safe and the invention of the cigarette-manufacturing machine could produce them in great numbers. Newspapers and magazines made advertising of cigarettes possible.

Figure 1-What a Cigarette Is

As a Causer of Deaths

Smoking is responsible for 440,000 deaths in America every year. The United States government spends an estimated $150 billion in health care costs each year on tobacco smoking. Cigarette smoke is known to contain over 4,800 chemicals, 69 of this can cause cancer.⁴

What Happens When You Smoke

Smoking increases the heart beat from 10 to 20 beats per minute. It leads to the tightening of blood vessels increasing the blood pressure from 5 to 10 points. The skin temperature drops by 6 degrees Fahrenheit. There is a reduction in blood sugar levels. Smoking also reduces your appetite.⁵

“The Thought Stimulant”

Cigarettes release adrenalin into the blood stream, making the heart pound and increase the overall activity level of the body. In short, after a smoke your whole body is active as blood is pumped all over in the system. The main receipient being the brain itself. Hence, a smoke is a thought stimulant. It helps you think more clearly.⁶

Despite the fact that tobacco is a stimulant, addicted smokers usually feel that smoking relaxes them. Smokers are constantly experiencing the symptoms of nicotine withdrawal, and drawing smoke into their lungs relieves these symptoms by satisfying their craving for the chemical. Almost all tobacco users, including those who use smokeless varieties, thus become physiologically and psychologically dependent on nicotine. When they stop using, the withdrawal symptoms they experience can include changes in heart rate, blood pressure, appetite, temperature, and digestion. Withdrawal can also be accompanied by anxiety, insomnia, nausea, irritability, and fatigue.

Figure 2-Coffee and Cigarettes (2004) film directed by Jim Jarmusch

The film “Coffee and Cigarettes(2004)” directed by Jim Jarmusch is a string of stories from caffeine popsicles, Paris in the 1920s, and the use of nicotine as an insecticide which revolves around drinking coffee and smoking cigarettes. The idea of the movie is involvement in the obsessions, joys, and addictions of life.

Nicotine is highly addictive. It is both a stimulant and a sedative to the central nervous system. The ingestion of nicotine results in an almost immediate "kick" because it causes a discharge of epinephrine from the adrenal cortex. This stimulates the central nervous system, and other endocrine glands, which causes a sudden release of glucose. Stimulation is then followed by depression and fatigue, leading the abuser to seek more nicotine.

“Weight Watcher”

Plasma leptin is one of the factors influencing weight in grown ups. Smoking reduces plasma leptin levels.⁷ In juvenile and mature animals, the plasma concentration of leptin is regulated by adiposity and nutrition. Leptin is a marker of total body fat and also the flux of energy in the adispose tissue.⁸

Cigarette smoking reduces plasma leptin concentration via catecholamines. Leptin plays a role in fat metabolism and correlates with insulin resistance and other markers of the metabolic syndrome, independent of total adiposity. It is a major risk of cardiovascular disease. Leptin is a novel, independent risk factor for coronary heart disease.

“Wealth Generator to Nations”

It’s no hidden fact that the tobacco industry contributes significantly to the kitty of nations. Tobacco is a known cash crop and provides revenues in the form of profits, taxes and the creation of jobs. Tobacco is grown on 124,270 farms in 23 states and is the seventh largest cash crop in the country.

Figure 3-Fewer Smokers, Higher Taxes

North Carolina, Kentucky, Tennessee, South Carolina, Virginia, and Georgia each generated over $100 million in cash receipts from tobacco in 1994.

43,000 people had employment in tobacco manufacturing in 1993. Tobacco production creates $15 billion in taxes for the United States government.⁹

“Smoking Reduces Parkinson’s Risk”

Smoking protects against Parkinson’s disease according to a new study. It is not our intent to promote smoking as a protective measure against Parkinson's disease," Evan L. Thacker from Harvard School of Public Health emphasized in comments to Reuters Health. "Obviously smoking has a multitude of negative consequences. Rather, we did this study to try to encourage other scientists...to consider the possibility that neuroprotective chemicals may be present in tobacco leaves."¹⁰

“Tobacco as Medicine”

Tobacco is being used as medicine for autoimmune and inflammatory diseases such as diabetes.¹¹It is an important medicine in homeopathy for treating various troubles such as dizzines, motion sickness, diarhoea and dry cough, as well as numerous serious conditions, such as angina, stroke, cancer, chronic respiratory ailments, and Meniere's disease.

Homeopaths are known to use specially prepared small doses of tobacco called TABACUM. This is administered to people displaying symptoms or diseases similar to those caused by overdoses of tobacco.

Conclusion:

Tobacco is the primary source of nicotine in cigarettes. Nicotine addiction is well known and wide spread. It is both a stimulant and a sedative to the central nervous system. The ingestion of nicotine results in an almost immediate "kick" because it causes a discharge of epinephrine from the adrenal cortex. Smoking is stated as a joy in the 2004 movie “Coffee and Cigarettes” by Jim Jarmusch. Cigarettes can be described as a stick of joy for anybody who enjoys it. It is a thought stimulant, weight watcher and also a medicine. So go ahead and enjoy your smoke.

Keywords: “Cigarettes”, “Tobacco”, “Smoking”, “Nicotine”, “Addiction”

A Simple Graphics Program in Java

This is a simple graphics program in the Java Language This knol discusses writing a simple graphics program in the Java Language.

The graphics package is very intuitive in the Java language. You can create simple to complex graphics using it. This program generates some simple graphical structures such as circles, rectangles, ovals and squares. The output is given below.

/*
* To change this template, choose Tools | Templates
* and open the template in the editor.
*/

import java.awt.*;
import java.applet.*;
import java.awt.Graphics;

/**
*
* @author Beau
*/
public class SimpleApplet extends Applet {
int i,j;
/**
* Initialization method that will be called after the applet is loaded
* into the browser.
*/

@Override
public void paint(Graphics g) {
// TODO start asynchronous download of heavy resources
g.setColor(Color.red);
//g.drawString("A Simple Applet", 20, 20);
g.drawRect(20, 20, 200, 200);
g.fillRect(20, 20, 200, 200);
g.setColor(Color.green);
g.drawRect(120, 60, 200, 200);
g.fillRect(120, 60, 200, 200);
g.setColor(Color.blue);
g.drawRect(60, 80, 200, 200);
g.fillRect(60, 80, 200, 200);
g.setColor(Color.magenta);
g.drawOval(200, 40, 70, 100);
g.fillOval(200, 40, 70, 100);
}

// TODO overwrite start(), stop() and destroy() methods
}

Output of the Above Program

What Is International Trade?

International trade allows us to expand our markets for both goods and services that otherwise may not have been available to us.If you walk into a supermarket and are able to buy South American bananas, Brazilian coffee and a bottle of South African wine, you are experiencing the effects of international trade.

If you walk into a supermarket and are able to buy South American bananas, Brazilian coffee and a bottle of South African wine, you are experiencing the effects of international trade.

International trade allows us to expand our markets for both goods and services that otherwise may not have been available to us. It is the reason why you can pick between a Japanese, German and American car. As a result of international trade, the market contains greater competition and therefore more competitive prices, which bring a cheaper product home to the consumer.
What Is International Trade?

International trade is the exchange of goods and services between countries. This type of trade gives rise to a world economy, in which prices, or supply and demand, affect and are affected by global events. Political change in Asia, for example, could result in an increase in the cost of labor, thereby increasing the manufacturing costs for an American sneaker company based in Malaysia, which would then result in an increase in the price that you have to pay to buy the tennis shoes at your local mall. A decrease in the cost of labor, on the other hand, would result in you having to pay less for your new shoes.

Trading globally gives consumers and countries the opportunity to be exposed to goods and services not available in their own countries. Almost every kind of product can be found on the international market: food, clothes, spare parts, oil, jewelry, wine, stocks, currencies and water. Services are also traded: tourism, banking, consulting and transportation. A product that is sold to the global market is an export, and a product that is bought from the global market is an import. Imports and exports are accounted for in a country's current account in the balance of payments.

Increased Efficiency of Trading Globally
Global trade allows wealthy countries to use their resources - whether labor, technology or capital - more efficiently. Because countries are endowed with different assets and natural resources (land, labor, capital and technology), some countries may produce the same good more efficiently and therefore sell it more cheaply than other countries. If a country cannot efficiently produce an item, it can obtain the item by trading with another country that can. This is known as specialization in international trade.

Let's take a simple example. Country A and Country B both produce cotton sweaters and wine. Country A produces 10 sweaters and six bottles of wine a year while Country B produces six sweaters and 10 bottles of wine a year. Both can produce a total of 16 units. Country A, however, takes three hours to produce the 10 sweaters and two hours to produce the six bottles of wine (total of five hours). Country B, on the other hand, takes one hour to produce 10 sweaters and three hours to produce six bottles of wine (total of four hours).

But these two countries realize that they could produce more by focusing on those products with which they have a comparative advantage. Country A then begins to produce only wine and Country B produces only cotton sweaters. Each country can now create a specialized output of 20 units per year and trade equal proportions of both products. As such, each country now has access to 20 units of both products.

We can see then that for both countries, the opportunity cost of producing both products is greater than the cost of specializing. More specifically, for each country, the opportunity cost of producing 16 units of both sweaters and wine is 20 units of both products (after trading). Specialization reduces their opportunity cost and therefore maximizes their efficiency in acquiring the goods they need. With the greater supply, the price of each product would decrease, thus giving an advantage to the end consumer as well.

Note that, in the example above, Country B could produce both wine and cotton more efficiently than Country A (less time). This is called an absolute advantage, and Country B may have it because of a higher level of technology. However, according to international trade theory, even if a country has an absolute advantage over another, it can still benefit from specialization.

Other Possible Benefits of Trading Globally
International trade not only results in increased efficiency but also allows countries to participate in a global economy, encouraging the opportunity of foreign direct investment (FDI), which is the amount of money that individuals invest into foreign companies and other assets. In theory, economies can therefore grow more efficiently and can more easily become competitive economic participants.

For the receiving government, FDI is a means by which foreign currency and expertise can enter the country. These raise employment levels and, theoretically, lead to a growth in the gross domestic product. For the investor, FDI offers company expansion and growth, which means higher revenues.

Free Trade vs. Protectionism
As with other theories, there are opposing views. International trade has two contrasting views regarding the level of control placed on trade: free trade and protectionism. Free trade is the simpler of the two theories: a laissez-faire approach, with no restrictions on trade. The main idea is that supply and demand factors, operating on a global scale, will ensure that production happens efficiently. Therefore, nothing needs to be done to protect or promote trade and growth because market forces will do so automatically.

In contrast, protectionism holds that regulation of international trade is important to ensure that markets function properly. Advocates of this theory believe that market inefficiencies may hamper the benefits of international trade and they aim to guide the market accordingly. Protectionism exists in many different forms, but the most common are tariffs, subsidies and quotas. These strategies attempt to correct any inefficiency in the international market.

Conclusion
As it opens up the opportunity for specialization and therefore more efficient use of resources, international trade has potential to maximize a country's capacity to produce and acquire goods. Opponents of global free trade have argued, however, that international trade still allows for inefficiencies that leave developing nations compromised. What is certain is that the global economy is in a state of continual change and, as it develops, so too must all of its participants.

Fraud in Indian IT Companies

Taking stock of the situation.This knol discusses fraud in Indian IT and Outsourcing companies. You can contribute with your comments and experiences.

The financial crisis has brought a dark day to India. The chairman of Satyam Computer Services Ltd, the country’s fourth largest software exporter, has resigned after a margin call forced him to admit defrauding investors for years by fiddling the accounts. B. Ramalinga Raju controlled just 8% of the prestigious family business. But like New York’s $50 billion (Rs2.4 trillion) Ponzi-scheme fraudster Bernard Madoff, it appears to have been easy for this respected businessman to commit his crime.

A business unit of Wipro Ltd. has been blacklisted by the World Bank until 2011 embroiling another top Indian outsourcing company in controversy after the founder of rival Satyam Computers admitted to doctoring his company's accounts for years.

The World Bank said Wipro's information technology services unit had been barred from getting direct business with the bank since June 2007, but was naming Wipro now to 'make public the names of all companies that have been debarred from receiving direct contracts from the Bank Group under its corporate procurement program.' Wipro Technologies was blacklisted for four years for 'providing improper benefits to bank staff,' a World Bank statement said. It gave no other details.
One person was arrested in the fraud case against an IT company, three days after the trainees of the company registered a complaint with the Bidhannagar (East) police station. Jharna Chandra, one of the directors of the company, was arrested by the police on Thursday morning from her residence in Mograhat.
Days after being cheated by an IT company situated right in the heart of the IT hub of Kolkata, more than 300 students now feel that all the authorities concerned are not taking any concrete steps. The latest group to join the solidarity parade is The Centre of Indian Trade Unions’ (CITU). In the evening, the West Bengal Information Technology Services Association (WBITSA), backed by the CITU, reached the office premises to show solidarity with the students.
Terming the country as a 'fraud haven' with about 60 per cent of the firms having detected frauds in past two years, global consultancy major KPMG on Tuesday said that India Inc is still unprepared to handle this menace. Making the situation even worse, at least 5 per cent companies have had losses exceeding Rs 10 crore (Rs 100 million) and more than double of them have estimated the hit on their bottom lines in the range of Rs 1 crore (Rs 10 million) to Rs 10 crore, KPMG said citing its 'India Fraud Survey Report 2008.'
According to the survey, over 70 per cent of companies believe that fraud in India would further increase in next two years, while over 80 per cent respondents recognised fraud as a problem in the corporate environment in the country.
Indicating about 54 per cent rise in the number of fraud occurrences since the previous survey in 2006, about 60 per cent of respondents confirmed having experienced fraud at their companies, as against just 39 per cent two years ago.
While noting that actual cost of fraud to business was difficult to estimate as not all are discovered, KPMG said that 31 per cent of those surveyed suffered losses of Rs 10 lakh (Rs 1 million) to Rs 1 crore, while 11 per cent put the losses at Rs 1-10 crore and another 5 per cent at more than Rs 10 crore. However, it was less than Rs 10 lakh for about 53 per cent.
The financial services sector has retained its position as the most susceptible to frauds, while real estate and infrastructure surpassed IT and ITeS as the second most risky business in this regard, the survey found.
The report further pointed out that threat of fraud comes mostly from within the organisation. Majority of those surveyed felt that 'employees pose the maximum threat to an organisation and the senior management is more likely to commit fraud as compared to other employees.'
According to other findings of the survey, over 75 per cent of companies believe that fraud remaining undetected is their biggest concern, followed by inadequacy of anti-fraud measures and unethical behaviour of their employees.
KPMG said that the dual impact of two concerns, unethical behaviour of employees and inadequacy of anti-fraud measures, leads to an environment where both inclination and opportunity co-exist. 'This could mean that organisations in India that remain passive in their approach to deal with fraud may be a perfect breeding ground for fraud,' it added.
KPMG said that over 80 per cent of respondents believed that corporate sector pay bribes or make facilitation payments to do business in India. However, 60 per cent did not have adequate knowledge about anti-corruption laws.
Among the respondents, close to 25 per cent were at the level of an executive director, managing director or chief executive officer, while 30 per cent were chief financial officers of companies.
The inherent responsibilities and trust associated with senior positions, ability to over-ride internal controls, internal knowledge and access to confidential information increases the risks, it noted.
After employees, the maximum threat is perceived from suppliers and service providers, KPMG said.
'With the increase in the number of business transactions combined with the lack of effective monitoring, frauds are a real time threat for most corporates in India. It comes as a surprise that even the larger companies operating in India do not have adequate risk management strategies,' KPMG India's Forensic Services head Deepankar Sanwalka said.

Fraud Indian IT Companies List:

1) Wipro Technologies- Bribing WorldBank officials.

2) Satyam Computers-Fudging company accounts.

3) Megasoft Consultants- Bribing WorldBank officials.

4) Goldensource India Pvt. Ltd.-Recruitment related fraud.

5) Oracle Financials -Fraud in Inner Workings of the Company(Does Not Comply to CMM Level 5 or NASSCOM Guidelines of IT Companies Functioning)-Has its Own Unauthorized Way of Working and exploiting labour ).

6 ) Commit Technologies - A company hiring goons to carry out its illegal activities in the name of cutting cost and thereby harassing right minded employees in companies .

Please forward your suggestions to add to this list of fraud companies.