Google search on SSL. Good news. I woke up two hours ago and opened Google for some searchhing and Voila, a new thing every few days. Google in on SSL.

Google SSL

Most of Google Searchers may have recently come to know that Google has publicized SSL version of Google Search. Google SSL doesn’t close the normal http version but Google SSL Search is to provide more secure search service.

With Google search over SSL, you can have an end-to-end encrypted search resolution between your computer and Google Search Engine. This SSL helps defend your search terms and your search results pages from being captured by a third party.

This provides you with a more secure and better way to do your searching. More about it on Google Blog.

As the economic might of Japan faces up to the global banking crisis, a single cat has boosted the finances of a small Japanese city by millions of dollars, according to a study.

Tortoiseshell Tama is the “stationmaster” of the unmanned Kishi train station where she was born and raised on the provincial Kishigawa Line.

But it is not her labours on the platform which have seen the cash rolling in.

It is rather Tama’s irresistible charm which has brought tourists flocking in their thousands to the western city of Kinokawa to see the feline worker patrolling in the uniform of her office – a Wakayama Electric Railway cap.

With 55,000 more people having used the Kishigawa Line than would normally be expected, Tama’s contribution to the local economy is calculated to have reached as much as Y1.1 billion ($A13.5 million) in 2007 alone, according to a study announced last week.

Katsuhiro Miyamoto, a professor at Kansai University’s School of Accountancy, said picture books and other merchandise featuring the feline stationmaster also produced significant economic effects.

A television appearance and other publicity surrounding Tama – who receives cat food in lieu of a salary – was worth Y280 million ($A3.4 million), according to Miyamoto.

Tama was born from a stray cat brought to the station by a cleaner and kept by Toshiko Koyama, a local who runs a grocery store next door.

The station went unmanned in April 2006 as the line was losing money. But Tama turned this around.

She rose to national stardom in January 2007 as the railway company formally appointed her as “stationmaster”.

AFP

Check this, it tells the story of Mr. President. Check the headline. Tell him he is representing Pakistan, he should at least behave like a President.

Who likes a President getting hot over another international politician? Even not Pro-Americans. Yeah I know Sarah palin is too hot but Zardari is the President of Islamic Republic of Pakistan, he shouldn’t be so cheap.

Bob Drogin of LA Times reports on how the conversation happened:

Shortly before Palin met the Pakistani leader at the InterContinental Hotel, aides for the two squabbled about whether they should sit behind a low coffee table. Zardari’s aides wanted a table, Palin’s staff did not. Ultimately the table was taken away. Score one for the Americans.

Entering the room, Palin was introduced not only to Zardari but to Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Quershi, Pakistan’s foreign minister, and Sherry Rehman, the information minister.

“So nice to meet you,” Palin said politely.

“Busy on the campaign trail?” Rehman asked.

“Yes, yes,” Palin replied.

“How does one keep looking that good?” Rehman inquired.

“Oh, oh, thank you,” the governor responded.

At that point, Zardari entered and the conversation turned decidedly flirtatious. He told her she was “even more gorgeous” than he thought.

“You are so nice,” Palin said. “Thank you.”

Zardari pressed on: “Now I know why the whole of America is crazy about you.”

At that point a Zardari handler asked them to shake hands again for the cameras.

“I’m supposed to pose again,” Palin said.

“If he’s insisting,” Zardari said, “I might hug.”

Eventually, real business got underway.

Palin, who has yet to hold a news conference since McCain plucked her from relative obscurity on Aug. 29, even answered a reporter’s question as to how she enjoyed her meetings.

“It’s going great,” she said. “The meetings are very informative and helpful. A lot of good people share an appreciation for America.”

Apparently Zardari, in shoes of Shaukat Aziz, scored a point over The Pit Bull with a Lip Stick.

By Asif Shahzad Associated Press

A huge explosion ripped through part of the heavily guarded Marriott Hotel in Pakistan’s capital on Saturday. Many people, including foreigners, were seen running out, some of them stained with blood.

There was no immediate word on casualties at the site, which is a favorite place for foreigners to stay and is heavily guarded. Ambulances rushed to the scene, where a fire also burned.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the blast, and its exact cause was unclear. But Pakistan has faced a wave of militant violence in recent weeks following army-led offensives against insurgents in its border regions.

Mohammad Sultan, a hotel employee, said he was in the lobby when something exploded, he fell down, and everything temporarily went dark.

“I don’t understand what it was but it was like the world is finished,” he said.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP’s earlier story is below.

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (AP) – A large explosion has occurred in the vicinity of the Marriott Hotel in Pakistan’s capital.

The blast resounded through Islamabad but there was no immediate word on casualties or the cause.

Many foreigners stay in the hotel while visiting Pakistan and it is heavily guarded.

Pakistan has faced a wave of violence in recent weeks following military offensives against insurgents in its border regions.

They are starting Yahoo Hack Day again. They call it, “The hack is back!. Do you want to request an invite to Open Hack 2008, September 12-13? Sign up at www.hackday.org. Hope you can join us at Yahoo! HQ in Sunnyvale. We don’t mind if you code all night. “

But the sad news is that I am in Pakistan, so I can’t go there to enjoy the event. Anyhow I know its good for the people who will be there for this great learnign opportunity.

Watch the video on full blog post.

Just though about checking Odesk and its down for 45 mins.

oDesk down for maintenance

We expect our normal weekly maintenance window to be a little longer than normal to accommodate some additional database maintenance tasks. oDesk.com will be down from approximately 1:15AM GMT to 1:45AM GMT on Thursday, September 11th.

As is the case with all of our maintenance windows, we want to remind you that you can continue to log time to the last team you were logged into – your oDesk Team client will cache the time, memos and screen shots, and will upload to the server when the connection is restored.

If you need to work for a different team, keep in mind that you may add offline time later.

If you do work through the maintenance window, please check your Work Diary after oDesk.com resumes service to make any necessary adjustments.

Yeah I am singing this song written by Ahmad Faraz, as he is no more in this world and this song really resembles the situation.
Ab ke hum bichrey tau shayad Kabhi Khabon main Milain
Ahmad Faraz is considered as one of the greatest modern Urdu poets of the present times. Born as Syed Ahmad Shah in 1934, he breathed his last at a hospital in Islamabad, Pakistan, last night (Monday, August 25, 2008). Earlier, he was being treated for kidney failure in a Chicago hospital. Ahmad Faraz has a tremendous following. His poetry is understood by common people as well. A revolutionary poet of wit, depth and grit alike, he was in exile during the martial law rule of General Zia-ul-Haq. Like Faiz Ahmad Faiz, some of his best poems are from those days. He wrote 13 books which were published as “Shehr e Sukhn aarasta hai”.

Credits: Article by rumana husain @ http://www.nowpublic.com/np-1-350695

by: Jennifer Viegas, Discovery News

Feb. 27, 2008 — The urge to cuddle and coo when presented with a baby turns out to be an innate response prompted, at least in part, by the structure of an infant’s face, according to new research that actually shows how this baby love process works in adult brains.

The finding could explain many behaviors, including why adults connect with babies, why most parents immediately gravitate to their kids and why many men appear to be attracted to women with baby-like features.

All elicit an attraction and parental brain response beginning in the medial orbitofrontal cortex, which is at the front of the brain just over our eyeballs, the new study, published in this week’s PLoS ONE, determined.

“The brain activity in the orbitofrontal cortex could help us pay more attention, protect and cuddle the infant,” lead author Morten Kringelbach told Discovery News.

Kringelbach, a senior research fellow in the University of Oxford’s Department of Psychiatry, and his colleagues compiled a database of infant photos pulled from digital videotapes of 27 infants who were filmed in their own homes. Ninety-five male and female adults rated the emotional expressions of the babies from “very negative” to “very positive” affects.

You can read the full story at Discovery news website. 

Pakistan Telecommunication Authority has asked all the ISPs in Pakistan to block YouTube and yeah its in effect from Today. I am a fan of YouTube and I use it for watching Tutorials about the things I like, fun videos, information, literature and no need to mention music. Its a dismay to all Pakistan YouTube community.

Anyhow the possible reason maybe; is the content public usually uploads about Govt Officials and so called dignitaries. Like some one uploaded “Ek General Sala”

This may be the future of the white board. I wonder how easy would be to use this for teaching

I love the quest of knowledge about MIT guys! This what sets them apart!