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China Protests Dalai Lama's Plans to Visit Arunachal Pradesh

w7075news — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 15:36:30 +0000

Foreign Ministry spokesman says visit to Arunachal Pradesh exposes ‘Dalai Lama’s nature of anti-China separatism’… From VOA. Full story

This site may contain information about: china airport. The blog is also related to: guangzhou china.

Dangerous Crossroads: U.S. Expands Asian NATO Against China, Russia

sakerfa — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 00:18:43 +0000

On October 12 the United States and India launched an eighteen-day military exercise codenamed Yudh

Arunachal Pradesh - Chinese Checkers

zoomindianmedia — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 08:15:15 +0000

What is cooking in Arunachal Pradesh? Recent census in China daily shows 96% chinese protest Indian PM visiting Arunachal Pradesh.

Typical of communist totalitarian creed, Chinese communists were/are as deceitful as Indian ones, if not more. The People’s Daily, a newspaper run by the Communist Party’s propaganda wing, articulating the party’s positions on foreign affairs, alluded to India’s relationship with the United States, and said India followed a policy of “befriending the far and attacking the near.” This when China’s policy for the past 37 years has been to ally with the US and undermining its neighbours.

And it is china which has sought to undermine India by encirculating it, nuclear arming Pakistan. It deployed its strategic asset, Communist Party of India -Marxist (CPI-M), a party with traiterous legacy to enable (a) Maoist takeover of Nepal (b) undermining defence buildups (c) India being leveraged for neo-colonial relationship (take in raw materials from India, export manufactured goods).

China’s occupation of Tibet was both illegal and imperialist. Tibetan natives are not chinese in any sense of the term. Tibetans are racially different from Chinese. Their language, culture, land, beliefs all are different. Tibetan script is similar to native Indian script and is very different from mandarin. Chinese imperialism and hypocrisy can be gauged from the fact that while China has provided autonomy to chinese majority HongKong, it refuses to do so to occupied Tibet.

Once china incorporated Tibet by force and illegally settled in han people at Tibet, and sought to squash Tibetan culture, leader of Tibetans took refuge in India.

Arunachal Pradesh is culturally Tibetan. China’s game is to wear Tibetan cause out by waiting for Dalai Lama to attain Samadhi so that it can appoint puppet Dalai Lama. China is also targeting to invade/occupy Arunachal pradesh so that it can complete subjugation of native Tibetans.

Dalai Lama’s visit to Arunachal Pradesh is what is riling down China. Dalai Lama’s visit to Arunachal Pradesh asserts existence of Free Tibet where Dalai Lama’s clout and prestige still count. That coupled with the anointment of next Dalai Lama from Indian part of Free Tibet, will ensure Tibetan live to fight for their freedom another day.

We know that India’s third rate abomination and infamy Jawaharlal Nehru sold out Tibetan interests by enabling China’s illegal occupation of Tibet, World’s largest imperialist land grab in 20th century. India should not sell out the interests of Tibetans and must insist both publically and in private that China is dutybound to provide in the minimum genuine autonomy for Tibetans and maintain Tibet’s identity. It should ensure that Tibetan independent cause remains alive and that the cause transcends present Dalai Lama. Both morally and from the realpolik position, this is sensible for India.

Now, let us see what many native Indians think about China.

retro philips

mayankgarg — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 07:56:32 +0000

‘Now go tell the world, You’ve got a Philips!’ proclaims this ad mural. It reminds of yester years and boomboxes. While I was growing up, these were mostly fading. I missed the eighties mostly as I was too young to understand the gadgets of that time. However, a trip home this summer revealed my dad’s old National Panasonic boombox gathering dust. Some things must ultimately end but for now go tell the world, you’ve got a Philips.

munky is missing the retro stuff!

branch conversations

mayankgarg — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 14:32:01 +0000

Shot this one early morning in Shimla. The sun had not completely risen over the mountain and the morning haze was casting a soft focus on the background. It was the perfect time to whip out my zoom lens and train it on single objects against the naturally soft background. I regretted not trekking out further to shoot some more today. The little I have is no good but its a great reminder of why I love Shimla, as much as I do.

munky is wishing he had shot more on that day!

12 Exp trains delayed, JVM supporters arrested

affroz — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 04:26:23 +0000

12 Exp trains delayed, JVM supporters arrested
Posted On Saturday, October 10, 2009

Ranchi, Oct 10:
At least 12 express trains, including three Rajdhanis coming from New Delhi, got stranded for three hours at various stations in Koderma district and thousands of JVM(P) supporters, who blocked grand cord railway tracks in support of the party’s statewide bandh, were detained today.
The bandh, called in demand of Jharkhand to be declared as famine-hit, evoked mixed response in the state with most of the schools remaining closed and governemnt offices marked by lean attendance.
RPF official said the Jharkhand Vikash Morcha (Prajatantrik) activists blocked the grand cord railway track at Parsabad, Chawbe and Hazaribagh leading to disruption of railway services.
Delhi-Bhubaneswar Rajdhani (2422), Delhi-Sealdah Rajdhani (2314) and Delhi-Ranchi Rajdhani (2440) were stranded at Koderma, Chaudhuribandh and Chawbe stations respectively for nearly three hours, sources said.
Jodhpur-Howra Express was stopped at Paharpiur, sources said adding about ten other different trains were affected by the bandh. However, all the trains resumed services after authorities swung into action to clear the tracks.
Reports from various districts said the bandh HAD mainly affected long distance traffic.

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12 Exp trains delayed, JVM supporters arrested

affroz — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 04:26:17 +0000

12 Exp trains delayed, JVM supporters arrested
Posted On Saturday, October 10, 2009

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GYANDOTCOM NOW ON FACEBOOK AND TWITTER.

gyandotcom by Rohit Sharma — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 20:39:00 +0000

DEAR FRIENDS

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TO ADD IN FACE BOOK go to FACEBOOK SEARCH AND TYPE GYANDOTCOM

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Hunger strike by loco staff

affroz — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 16:34:34 +0000

Hunger strike by loco staff

Staff Reporter

VIJAYAWADA: The Vijayawada divisional committee of the All India Loco Running Staff Association (AILRSA) will launch a mass hunger strike from Wednesday midnight to Thursday midnight as part of the nation-wide agitation against anomalies in the pay scales of the running staff in the Sixth Pay Commission and the “unjust” running allowances, said M. Venkat, divisional secretary of the association, on Wednesday.

Mr. Venkat said that all train drivers, assistant drivers and shunters, including off-day personnel, will take part in the stir at the crew booking office on platform number 7 of Vijayawada railway station. “The Railway Board in the safety seminars fixes more responsibility on the loco staff when it comes to safety . But they act indifferently while fixing grades. Despite several representations, the anomalies have not been rectified,” he rued.

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Hunger strike by loco staff

affroz — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 16:34:22 +0000

Hunger strike by loco staff

Staff Reporter

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Railways to transport relief material free of cost to flood ravaged districts of Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka

affroz — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 16:17:40 +0000

Railways to transport relief material free of cost to flood ravaged districts of Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka

MAMATA BANERJEE DIRECTS CONCERNED ZONAL RAILWAYS TO EXTEND ALL POSSIBLE ASSISTANCE IN RELIEF AND RESCUE OPERATIONS

RAILWAY MINISTER ASSURES COOPERATION TO CHIEF MINISTERS OF THE TWO STATES
16:53 IST
In the wake of recent flood crisis in Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka, the Minister of Railways, Kumari Mamata Banerjee has sanctioned a scheme under which the Indian Railways will transport the relief material free of charge booked by various agencies to flood affected districts of Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka for distribution among the flood victims. The Railway Minister has taken this major humanitarian gesture in a prompt manner as a special case with a view to facilitate movement of relief material to flood affected areas for the benefit of millions of people marooned by the recent flood in these two states. The Railway Minister also directed the General Managers of South Central Railway (Headquarters at Secunderabad) and of South Western Railway (Headquarters at Hubli) to extend all possible assistance to concerned State Governments in carrying out relief and rescue operations. She also spoke personally to the Chief Ministers of Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka and offered full cooperation of Railways in this hour of crisis.

Relief material may be booked by District Magistrate, Relief Commissioner, Government and Non-Government Organisations, recognized political parties, trusts, Philanthropic organizations, social services organizations, reputed press and electronic media for transportation by rail from any station in the country to flood affected districts of Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh.

The relief material will be transported on the condition that the consignment of the relief material is addressed to the Relief Commissioner/District Magistrate of the flood affected districts which include; Bijapuir, Bagalkopt, Raichur, Bellary of Karnataka and Mehabubnagar, Kurnool, Krishna, Guntur and Nalgonda of Andhra Pradesh. The Railways will not charge any money for this kind of transportation.

The relief material so transported will be distributed under the supervision of the authorities of the State Government.

Railway Board has directed all Zonal Railways to implement these instructions with immediate effect. This scheme of free of charge transportation of relief material will remain valid upto 4th December 2009. The Zonal Railways have also been directed to move relief material consignment on priority subject to operational feasibility.

The consignment will be booked at Owner’s Risk and no claim for any loss or damage to the consignments carried under this arrangement will be entertained by Railways.

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Railways to transport relief material free of cost to flood ravaged districts of Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka

affroz — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 16:17:32 +0000

Railways to transport relief material free of cost to flood ravaged districts of Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka

MAMATA BANERJEE DIRECTS CONCERNED ZONAL RAILWAYS TO EXTEND ALL POSSIBLE ASSISTANCE IN RELIEF AND RESCUE OPERATIONS

The relief material so transported will be distributed under the supervision of the authorities of the State Government.

The consignment will be booked at Owner’s Risk and no claim for any loss or damage to the consignments carried under this arrangement will be entertained by Railways.

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Train services in flood-hit Andhra to be restored in a week

affroz — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 16:16:26 +0000

Train services in flood-hit Andhra to be restored in a week
Indo-Asian News Service
Hyderabad, October 08, 2009
First Published: 16:19 IST(8/10/2009)
Last Updated: 17:31 IST(8/10/2009)
Train services in the flood-hit areas of Andhra Pradesh will be restored from Oct 15, Union Minister of State for Railways H K Muniyappa said on Thursday.

The minister inspected damaged railway tracks in Kurnool, the worst-hit district. He said the railway track between Kurnool and Bangalore would be restored in a week.

Muniyappa told reporters that train services in all flood-affected areas would return to normal Oct 15 as the work to repair the damaged tracks was in full swing.

The minister said the railways suffered a loss of Rs.250 million due to the floods in Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. “The magnitude of the floods and the losses incurred by the railways are unprecedented in the last 50 years,” he said.

Muniyappa said the tracks were flooded at several places and the estimated cost of the restoration is Rs.100 million. “We are making all efforts to restore services on the Guntakal-Raichur-Wadi section as early as possible,” he said.

The South Central Railway (SCR) fully cancelled 155 services, partially cancelled 104 services and diverted 112 trains Oct 2, affecting 480,000 passengers.

Train services to places like Kurnool, Mantralayam and Nandyal were worst hit by the floods.

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Train services in flood-hit Andhra to be restored in a week

affroz — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 16:16:14 +0000

The minister inspected damaged railway tracks in Kurnool, the worst-hit district. He said the railway track between Kurnool and Bangalore would be restored in a week.

Muniyappa told reporters that train services in all flood-affected areas would return to normal Oct 15 as the work to repair the damaged tracks was in full swing.

The South Central Railway (SCR) fully cancelled 155 services, partially cancelled 104 services and diverted 112 trains Oct 2, affecting 480,000 passengers.

Train services to places like Kurnool, Mantralayam and Nandyal were worst hit by the floods.

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Delhi II

neonorganum — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 02:42:20 +0000

In the two months since I left Delhi, the city has already become unrecognizable. Perhaps this is due to the commonwealth games, which two months ago forced squatters from their tarpauline homes. Now those homes have become smooth concrete, shiny as glazed donuts. Even the backpacker district of Pahr Ganj smells a bit less like piss, and I am able to stroll through the main Bazaar without having to leap over puddles of mud.

Palika Bazaar

In the Gem bar I spend a night drinking with a BBC director. He abuses the United States, calling us “a bunch of Imperial assholes.” He fancies himself a fan of Shakespeare, and when I continue to win bets over which character is which, and “what year did Shakespeare write Titus Andronicus?” his distress turns to ire and he returns to reprimanding the United States, expecting to get a rise out of me.

As if I have any emotional investment in a country that refuses to help pay for my medical bills or subsidize my medication. The pills I buy in India for $8 a pack are about $350 in the United States, for the same active ingredients.

Er...crowded train station

As the BBC dickhead proceeds to offend any American any the room, I begin to wonder why there is no American in the room. Even in the backpacker’s mecca of India, I have yet to meet a single American, and the only familiar accents come from Canadians.

Afterwards I walk the Main Bazaar, the night market’s cunning aiming for me in all directions. Passing by other travelers, I see stereotypes so true and untrue, always laughable. Japanese girls wearing tight white masks to protect them from H1N1. Scottish blokes in ripped jeans and gigantic earrings. French families who stare apprehensively at their bottled water, clutching the pages of their guidebook as if it were a Bible. Australian boys always in large groups, perhaps intoxicated, pulling boyish pranks on any passerbys. Koreans giggling somewhere. Chinese men watching the Indians, noting down any foulplay. Israeli hippies looking for marijuana. British men in long dresses and smoking cigarettes, absorbing the shit around them. German men in extremely short shorts. Canadians in the corner, reading books.

And the Americans. The Americans are nowhere. Do you want to hear the confession of a traveling American? The most insulting part of belonging to this global Empire, one that not only believes that we know the world and what’s best for it, but that we somehow deserve to operate as its global police force–that our opinions should matter the most, that our IMFs and World Banks somehow “enlighten” the rest of the world? Are you ready? Here it is:

In nine weeks of traveling around India, I never met another traveling American. Not once. Not in the gigantic international festivals of Bangalore, not in the thrilling train rides packed with young backpackers, not even in the wondrous Taj Mahal, perhaps the most visited monument on the planet. I never even met a “Non-Resident Indian”-American.

The small amount of Americans in South-east Asia made me suspicious, but the complete absence of my countrymen in India seems totally unbelievable, considering the amount of western youths trying their luck in South Asia. For a country like the U.S. that insists on acting like a world leader, this is abominable. As I watch the other travelers in Pahr Ganj, I begin to realize that the vitriolic criticism that the BBC Director was spewing about the United States was by no means an uncommon diatribe. In bars all across the world, America is being denounced as an “Empire in denial,” and what’s worse, there is a deep nostalgia for the way the British Empire ran things.

As my Indian friend, Phillip, once told me: “at least the British built bridges and trains, what the hell is your Empire doing to help out? Trying to make us all Christian?”

Delhi Gate, again!

When it comes to defending the United States, I am lonely and alone. I do what I can to break the stereotype, but there are far too many American soldiers in third world countries sprouting districts full of prostitution and drugs, and too few (if any) American travelers to showcase a more approachable kind of American. We travelers love to laugh at the Japanese for wearing those absurd masks, and the Australians for being obnoxious drunk assholes, but we forgive them because they are here, among the world, experiencing it and letting the world experience them. But there is no redemption for young Americans. We refuse to see the world eye-to-eye, and the world only sees us through our bureaucrats, our corrupt politicians, our soldiers depicted in their newspapers when, as in Afghanistan last week, our airstrikes end up killing the civilians we are meant to protect.

Americans as a people are in absence, but as a world power we are ever present. Is it fear that holds us back? Our fear of what–stomach aches? India, at least, is ready for us. The Obama charisma has yet to wear off on its people, and as an American, I am greeted and shown respect in every capacity (most Indians are simply bewildered to see an American traveling at all). I have never lied about my nationality, not in communist Laos, not in the long lines of Beijing, not in Ho Chi Minh’s Hanoi, not in the knife-happy bars of Phenom Penh, nor in any part of “second-world” India.

Where I went in red, where I stayed in blue.

Last year, when the protests in Bangkok were at their most crucial, I followed the events with an astounding amount of care and dedication. This is perhaps what backpacking is, what makes it more than simple summer trips, brief outings into the limin, or inexpensive vacations. Because I had been to Bangkok, and knew the people, and had a cognitive map of the city, I could not help but empathize with the protesters, I could not help but care, and root always for the people trying to change their corrupt government. If, like the Europeans, every American spent their youth traveling to places like Iraq, Afghanistan, Iran, India, would we still be where we are now? Would we have been so quick to ignore the number of Iraqi civilians we continue to call “collateral damage?” Would we have been fooled for a moment when they told us we were there for “liberation?” Would we have sat by and watched our soldiers destroy those great monuments, those astounding mosques, those museums, those countless homes and so many lives, whose deaths we barely even keep track of?

Now we are on the verge of more violence, more occupations, more bad intelligence, and most of us have never even been to the regions under our country’s vast influence. But we are still young. Our backs are still ready to sleep on park benches, our lungs, still willing to inhale the toxic fumes that await us, our hands, still ready to reach out to the unknown, to be grasped by whatever lurks there. Our spirit and enthusiasm, our openness, our efflux of our soul, our willingness to accept the world, this will not last forever. Let us go! As Americans, let us be rid of our fake certainty, of querulous libraries and our ivory, panopticon towers. Let us go! Into the world to break this stereotype so ingrained in the eyes of the world, which puts us always in an antagonized position of dominance and power, as the exploiters of the third world. Let us go! Let us see and be seen, let us act and be acted upon. Let us plunge! Let us plunge!

Where I went in red, where I stayed in blue.

Maharaja Exp in lines of Palace on Wheel

affroz — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 16:41:04 +0000

Category » Bhopal Posted On Saturday, October 03, 2009

By Our Staff Reporter
Bhopal, Oct 3:
In lines of ‘Palace on Wheel’, a new train Maharaja Express would be ply between Delhi and Kolkata. The train would also facilitate the visitors of Madhya Pradesh’s world famous tourist destination Khajuraho and Bandhavgarh.
Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) Managing director Rakesh Tandon told reporters here today that the Express would run in new year and would stop at the state’s three stations – Khajuraho, Umaria and Gwalior. It would benefit tourists who could venture Bandhavgarh from Khajuraho and Umaria.
”Efforts are being made to provide aviation facility to any passenger of this train on his wish from any station to any other destination. Discussions with the aviation companies are underway in this direction,” he said.
A survey over 600 trains was conducted since two-and-a-half-year in which 52 per cent passengers claimed that the quality of food was good.
Admitting that complaints were also received towards poor food quality, he said in such cases the passengers could register complaints on toll free number of IRCTC and internet. In view of price rise, a proposal of 10 to 15 per cent increment of food in the train was sent to the railway board. ”IRCTC, which did the business of Rs 600 crore bagged net profit of Rs 46 cr in last fiscal,” Tandon said, adding that Rs 75 cr were provided to the railway in form of license and share.
Meals would be made available to the passengers at station and train under sale kitchen concept to make the train cooking free.

Pantry cars removed from 50 trains
Food Plaza would be commenced at Bhopal Railway Station from October 12 where passengers could relish on ‘Janata Khana’ at cheap rates.
Mineral Water plants would be soon set up at Chennai, Ambarnath in Mumbai to provide ‘Railneer’ in all trains. Besides this, there was a proposal to set up 14 such plants.
”Railneer is available in north zone only and is being not available in other places as its production’s becomes costly,” Tandon added.

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Maharaja Exp in lines of Palace on Wheel

affroz — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 16:40:47 +0000

Category » Bhopal Posted On Saturday, October 03, 2009

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The Reality of (Dooms-Day) December 21-12-2012. by Rohit Sharma

gyandotcom by Rohit Sharma — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 21:25:44 +0000

First and foremost, the Sun has a natural cycle with a period of approximately 11 years. During the lifetime of each cycle, the magnetic field lines of the Sun are dragged around the solar body by differential rotation at the solar equator. This means that the equator is spinning faster than the magnetic poles. As this continues, solar plasma drags the magnetic field lines around the Sun, causing stress and a build up of energy (an illustration of this is pictured). As magnetic energy increases, kinks in the magnetic flux form, forcing them to the surface. These kinks are known as coronal loops which become more numerous during periods of high solar activity.This is where the sunspots come in. As coronal loops continue to pop up over the surface, sunspots appear too, often located at the loop footpoints. Coronal loops have the effect of pushing the hotter surface layers of the Sun (the photosphere and chromosphere) aside, exposing the cooler convection zone (the reasons why the solar surface and atmosphere is hotter than the solar interior is down to the coronal heating phenomenon). As magnetic energy builds up, we can expect more and more magnetic flux to be forced together. This is when a phenomenon known as magnetic reconnection occurs.Reconnection is the trigger for solar flares of various sizes. As previously reported, solar flares from “nanoflares” to “X-class flares” are very energetic events. Granted, the largest flares my generate enough energy for 100 billion atomic explosions, but don’t let this huge figure concern you. For a start, this flare occurs in the low corona, right near the solar surface. That’s nearly 100 million miles away (1AU). The Earth is nowhere close to the blast.As the solar magnetic field lines release a huge amount of energy, solar plasma is accelerated and confined within the magnetic environment (solar plasma is superheated particles like protons, electrons and some light elements such as helium nuclei). As the plasma particles interact, X-rays may be generated if the conditions are right and bremsstrahlung is possible. (Bremsstrahlung occurs when charged particles interact, resulting in X-ray emission.) This may create an X-ray flare.

The driver was taking me from mumbai airport into the pune city. As we chatted on theway , it came out that he was deeply worried. He had a wife and child, and a new baby on the way – but what was the use of living, he cried, if the world would end in 2012 as predicted by the Mayan prophecies, when his new baby would be just four years old.Prophecies about the end of the world (or at the very least, civilisation as we know it) have been around forever. There was a flurry of them around 2000 AD, and another bunch for 5 May 2005, when all the planets were supposed to line up. (By the way, they didn’t line up and yep, we’re still here.)The Mayan civilisation covered the skinny bit of the Americas between North and South America, reaching from the southern states of Mexico down to western Honduras. Its Classic Period was from 250 to 900 AD, so their best years were behind them by the time of the Spanish invasion.At their peak, the Mayans had the only mature written language ever found in the Americas, spectacular and densely populated cities, and very sophisticated systems of mathematics, astronomy and calendars.They were marvelous astronomers, showing what could be done with the naked eye. Their measurements of the lunar month, the period of Venus and the year were more accurate than those of the Ancient Greeks.Which brings us to the calendar that predicts the end of the world in 2012.The Mayans had many calendars, because they saw ‘time’ as a meshing of sacred or spiritual cycles. So while our Gregorian calendar organises days for social, administrative and commercial purposes, the Mayan calendars added a religious element. For example, each day had a patron spirit, and so could be good for travel, but bad for business.One of their several calendars was called the Long Count. It was set up around 355 BCE, and had as its chosen starting date 0.0.0.0.0, which corresponds to 11 August 3114 BCE. And on 21 December 2012, the Mayan Long Count calendar will read 13.0.0.0.0.Now here’s how it works. Our numbering system is based on 10. But the Mayans had a counting system based on 20, so most of the ’slots’ in their calendar had 20 potential numbers (0 to 19). The calendar read a little like the odometer in your car’s speedo (which run from 0 to 9). The extreme right slot (of five slots) would count through the days, and when it got to 19 days (0.0.0.0.19) would reset to zero, and the next slot across to the left would increase by one (to 0.0.0.1.0).So 0.0.0.0.1 was one day, and 0.0.0.1.0 was 20 days. Then 0.0.1.0.0 was about one year, 0.1.0.0.0 was about 20 years and with 1.0.0.0.0, you’ve clocked up about 400 years. And on 21 December 2012, the Mayan Long Count calendar will read 13.0.0.0.0.By the way, the time between 0.0.0.0.0 and 13.0.0.0.0 is about 5126 years. Now some Mayan archaeo-astronomers reckon that the calendar should reset back to zero and start again. But others disagree and say it should continue to 20, and then reset again.We don’t have enough information to know who is correct – but if it does go up to 20, then this completely destroys the End of Days Conspiracy Theory, as far as the year 2012 is concerned. But let’s stick to the 13 Conspiracy for the time being.The claims for 21 December 2012 cover a lot of ground. They range from ‘nuclear holocaust’ to ‘Harmonic Convergence of cosmic energy flowing through the earth, cleansing it and raising it to a higher level of vibration’, and along the way they include ‘the death of two-thirds of humanity’ and ‘the north and south poles will split’ – you get the picture. But there are two problems with this.

First, when a calendar comes to the end of a cycle, it just rolls over into the next cycle. In our Western society, every year 31 December is followed, not by the End of the World, but by 1 January. So 13.0.0.0.0 in the Mayan calendar will be followed by 0.0.0.0.1 – or good-ol’ 22 December 2012, with only a few shopping days left to Christmas.

And the second problem is that it is always remarkably difficult to make predictions, especially about the future, and things that haven’t happened yet.

Apparently, on December 21st 2012, our planet will experience a powerful event. This time we’re not talking about Planet X, Nibiru or a “killer” solar flare, this event will originate deep within the core of our planet, forcing a catastrophic change in our protective magnetic field. Not only will we notice a rapid reduction in magnetic field strength, we’ll also see the magnetic poles rapidly reverse polarity (i.e. the north magnetic pole will be located over the South Pole and vice versa). So what does this mean to us? If we are to believe the doomsayers, we’ll be exposed to the vast quantities of radiation blasting from the Sun; with a reversing magnetic field comes a weakening in the Earth’s ability to deflect cosmic rays. Our armada of communication and military satellites will drop from orbit, adding to the chaos on the ground. There will be social unrest, warfare, famine and economic collapse. Without GPS, our airliners will also plough into the ground…Using the Mayan Prophecy as an excuse to create new and explosive ways in which our planet may be destroyed, 2012 doomsayers use the geomagnetic shift theory as if it is set in stone. Simply because scientists have said that it might happen within the next millennium appears to be proof enough that it will happen in four years time. Alas, although this theory has some scientific backing, there is no way that anyone can predict when geomagnetic reversal might happen to the nearest day or to the nearest million years…

Firstly, let’s differentiate between geomagnetic reversal and polar shift. Geomagnetic reversal is the change in the magnetic field of the Earth, where the magnetic north pole shifts to the South Polar Region and the south magnetic pole shifts to the North Polar Region. Once this process is complete, our compasses would point toward Antarctica, rather than northern Canada. Polar shift is considered to be a less likely event that occurs a few times in the evolutionary timescale of the Solar System. There are a couple of examples of planets that have suffered a catastrophic polar shift, including Venus (which rotates in an opposite direction to all the other planets, therefore it was flipped upside down by some huge event, such as a planetary collision) and Uranus (which rotates on its side, having been knocked off-axis by an impact, or some gravitational effect caused by Jupiter and Saturn). Many authors (including the doomsayers themselves) often cite both geomagnetic reversal and polar shift as being one of the same thing. This isn’t the case.

So, on with geomagnetic reversal…

How often does it happen?

The Earths interior

The reasons behind the reversal of the magnetic poles is poorly understood, but it is all down to the internal dynamics of Planet Earth. As our planet spins, the molten iron in the core flows freely, forcing free electrons to flow with it. This convective motion of charged particles sets up a magnetic field which bases its poles in the North and South Polar Regions (a dipole). This is known as the dynamo effect. The resulting magnetic field approximates a bar magnet, allowing the field to envelop our planet.

This magnetic field passes through the core to the crust and pushes into space as the Earth’s magnetosphere, a protective bubble constantly being buffeted by the solar wind. As the solar wind particles are usually charged, the Earth’s powerful magnetosphere deflects the particles, only allowing them into the polar cusp regions where the polar magnetic fieldlines become “open.” The regions at which these energetic particles are allowed to enter glow as aurorae.

Usually this situation can last for aeons (a stable magnetic field threaded through the North and South Polar Regions), but occasionally, the magnetic field is known to reverse and alter in strength. Why is this?

Earths polarity reversals over the last 160 million years. Black = normal polarity, White = reversed polarity.

Again, we simply do not know. We do know that this magnetic pole flip-flop has occurred many times in the last few million years, the last occurred 780,000 years ago according to ferromagnetic sediment. A few scaremongering articles have said geomagnetic reversal occurs with “clockwork regularity” – this is simply not true. As can be seen from the diagram (left), magnetic reversal has occurred fairly chaotically in the last 160 million years. Long-term data suggests that the longest stable period between magnetic “flips” is nearly 40 million years (during the Cretaceous period over 65 million years BC) and the shortest is a few hundred years.

Some 2012 theories suggest that the Earth’s geomagnetic reversal is connected to the natural 11-year solar cycle. Again, there is absolutely no scientific evidence to support this claim. No data has ever been produced suggesting a Sun-Earth magnetic polarity change connection.

So, already this doomsday theory falters in that geomagnetic reversal does not occur with “clockwork regularity,” and it has no connection with solar dynamics. We are not due a magnetic flip as we cannot predict when the next one is going to occur, magnetic reversals occur at seemingly random points in history.What causes geomagnetic reversal?

The model Earth, can a magnetic field be modelled in the lab?

Research is afoot to try to understand the internal dynamics of our planet. As the Earth spins, the molten iron inside churns and flows in a fairly stable manner for millennia. For some reason during geomagnetic reversal, some instability causes an interruption to the steady generation of a global magnetic field, causing it to flip-flop between the poles.

In a previous Gyandotcom 2012 Article, we discussed the efforts of geophysicist Dan Lathrop’s attempts to create his own “model Earth,” setting a 26 tonne ball (containing a molten iron analogue, sodium) spinning to see if the internal motion of the fluid could set up a magnetic field. This huge laboratory experiment is testament to the efforts being put into understanding how our Earth even generates a magnetic field, let alone why it randomly reverses.

A minority view (which, again is used by doomsayers to link geomagnetic reversal with Planet X) is that there may be some external influence that causes the reversal. You will often see associated with the Planet X/Nibiru claims that should this mystery object encounter the inner Solar System during its highly elliptical orbit, the magnetic field disturbance could upset the internal dynamics of the Earth (and the Sun, possibly generating that “killer” solar flare I discussed back in June in my article the mood of sun is changing). This theory is a poor attempt to link several doomsday scenarios with a common harbinger of doom (i.e. Planet X). There is no reason to think the strong magnetic field of the Earth can be influenced by any external force, let alone a non-existent planet (or was that a brown dwarf?).

The magnetic field strength waxes and wanes…

Variations in geomagnetic field in western US since last reversal. The vertical dashed line is the critical value of intensity below which Guyodo and Valet (1999) consider several directional excursions to have occurred.

New research into the Earth’s magnetic field was published recently in the September 26th issue of Science, suggesting that the Earth’s magnetic field isn’t as simple as we once believed. In addition to the North-South dipole, there is a weaker magnetic field spread around the planet, probably generated in the outer core of the Earth.

The Earth’s magnetic field is measured to vary in field strength and it is a well known fact that the magnetic field strength is currently experiencing a downward trend. The new research paper, co-authored by geochronologist Brad Singer of the University of Wisconsin, suggests that the weaker magnetic field is critical to geomagnetic reversal. Should the stronger dipole (north-south) field reduce below the magnetic field strength of this usually weaker, distributed field, a geomagnetic reversal is possible.

“The field is not always stable, the convection and the nature of the flow changes, and it can cause the dipole that’s generated to wax and wane in intensity and strength,” Singer said. “When it becomes very weak, it’s less capable of reaching to the surface of the Earth, and what you start to see emerge is this non-axial dipole, the weaker part of the field that’s left over.” Singer’s research group analysed samples of ancient lava from volcanoes in Tahiti and Germany between 500,000 and 700,000 years ago. By looking at an iron-rich mineral called magnetite in the lava, the researchers were able to deduce the direction of the magnetic field.

The spin of the electrons in the mineral is governed by the dominant magnetic field. During times of strong dipolar field, these electrons pointed toward the magnetic North Pole. During times of weak dipolar field, the electrons pointed to wherever the dominant field was, in this case the distributed magnetic field. They think that when the weakened dipolar field drops below a certain threshold, the distributed field pulls the dipolar field off-axis, causing a geomagnetic shift.

“The magnetic field is one of the most fundamental features of the Earth,” Singer said. “But it’s still one of the biggest enigmas in science. Why [the flip] happens is something people have been chasing for more than a hundred years.”

Our meandering magnetic pole

The movement of Earth’s north magnetic pole across the Canadian arctic, 1831–2001 (Geological Survey of Canada)

Although there appears to be a current downward trend in magnetic field strength, the current magnetic field is still considered to be “above average” when compared with the variations measured in recent history. According to researchers at Scripps Institution of Oceanography, San Diego, if the magnetic field continued to decrease at the current trend, the dipolar field would effectively be zero in 500 years time. However, it is more likely that the field strength will simply rebound and increase in strength as it has done over the last several thousand years, continuing with its natural fluctuations.

The positions of the magnetic poles are also known to be wondering over Arctic and Antarctic locations. Take the magnetic north pole for example (pictured left); it has accelerated north over the Canadian plains from 10 km per year in the 20th Century to 40 km per year more recently. It is thought that if the point of magnetic north continues this trend, it will exit North America and enter Siberia in a few decades time. This is not a new phenomenon however. Ever since James Ross’ discovery of the location of the north magnetic pole for the first time in 1831, it’s location has meandered hundreds of miles (even though today’s measurements show some acceleration).

So, no doomsday then?

Apparently, the world is going to end on December 21st, 2012. Yes, you read correctly, in some way, shape or form, the Earth (or at least a large portion of humans on the planet) will cease to exist. Stop planning your careers, don’t bother buying a house, and be sure to spend the last years of your life doing something you always wanted to do but never had the time. Now you have the time, four years of time, to enjoy yourselves before… the end.

So what is all this crazy talk? We’ve all heard these doomsday predictions before, we’re still here, and the planet is still here, why is 2012 so important? Well, the Mayan calendar stops at the end of the year 2012, churning up all sorts of religious, scientific, astrological and historic reasons why this calendar foretells the end of life as we know it. The Mayan Prophecy is gaining strength and appears to be worrying people in all areas of society. Forget Nostradamus, forget the Y2K bug, forget the credit crunch, this event is predicted to be huge and many wholeheartedly believe this is going to happen for real. Planet X could even be making a comeback.

Geomagnetic reversal is an engrossing area of geophysical research that will continue to occupy physicists and geologists for many years to come. Although the dynamics behind this event are not fully understood, there is absolutely no scientific evidence supporting the claim that there could be a geomagnetic reversal around the time of December 21st, 2012.

Besides, the effects of such a reversal have been totally over-hyped. Should we experience geomagnetic reversal in our lifetimes (which we probably won’t), it is unlikely that we’ll be cooked alive by the Solar Wind, or be wiped out by cosmic rays. It is unlikely that we’ll suffer any mass extinction event (after all, early man, homo erectus, lived through the last geomagnetic shift, apparently with ease). We’ll most likely experience aurorae at all latitudes whilst the dipolar magnetic field settles down to its new, reversed state, and there might be a small increase in energetic particles from space (remember, just because the magnetosphere is weakened, doesn’t mean we wont have magnetic protection), but we’ll still be (largely) protected by our thick atmosphere.

Satellites may malfunction and migrating birds may become confused, but to predict world collapse is a hard pill to swallow.

In conclusion:

Geomagnetic reversal is chaotic in nature.

There is no way we can predict it.

Simply because the magnetic field of the Earth is weakening does not mean it is near collapse. Geomagnetic field strength is “above average” if we compare today’s measurements with the last few million years.

The magnetic poles are not set in geographical locations, they move (at varying speeds) and have done ever since measurements began.

There is no evidence to suggest external forcing of internal geomagnetic dynamics of the Earth. Therefore there is no evidence of the solar cycle-geomagnetic shift connection. Don’t get me started on Planet X.

So, do you think there will be a geomagnetic reversal event in 2012? I thought not.

This is where the sunspots come in. As coronal loops continue to pop up over the surface, sunspots appear too, often located at the loop footpoints. Coronal loops have the effect of pushing the hotter surface layers of the Sun (the photosphere and chromosphere) aside, exposing the cooler convection zone (the reasons why the solar surface and atmosphere is hotter than the solar interior is down to the coronal heating phenomenon). As magnetic energy builds up, we can expect more and more magnetic flux to be forced together. This is when a phenomenon known as magnetic reconnection occurs.

Reconnection is the trigger for solar flares of various sizes. As previously reported, solar flares from “nanoflares” to “X-class flares” are very energetic events. Granted, the largest flares my generate enough energy for 100 billion atomic explosions, but don’t let this huge figure concern you. For a start, this flare occurs in the low corona, right near the solar surface. That’s nearly 100 million miles away (1AU). The Earth is nowhere close to the blast.

As the solar magnetic field lines release a huge amount of energy, solar plasma is accelerated and confined within the magnetic environment (solar plasma is superheated particles like protons, electrons and some light elements such as helium nuclei). As the plasma particles interact, X-rays may be generated if the conditions are right and bremsstrahlung is possible. (Bremsstrahlung occurs when charged particles interact, resulting in X-ray emission.) This may create an X-ray flare.

The biggest problem with an X-ray flare is that we get little warning when it is going to happen as X-rays travel at the speed of light (one of the record breaking 2003 solar flares is pictured left). X-rays from an X-class flare will reach the Earth in around eight minutes. As X-rays hit our atmosphere, they are absorbed in the outermost layer called the ionosphere. As you can guess from the name, this is a highly charged, reactive environment, full of ions (atomic nuclei, and free electrons).

During powerful solar events such as flares, rates of ionization between X-rays and atmospheric gases increase in the D and E region layers of the ionosphere. There is a sudden surge in electron production in these layers. These electrons can cause interference to the passage of radio waves through the atmosphere, absorbing short wave radio signals (in the high frequency range), possibly blocking global communications. These events are known as “Sudden Ionospheric Disturbances” (or SIDs) and they become commonplace during periods of high solar activity. Interestingly, the increase in electron density during a SID boosts the propagation of Very Low Frequency (VLF) radio, a phenomenon scientists use to measure the intensity of X-rays coming from the Sun.X-ray solar flare emissions are only part of the story. If the conditions are right, a coronal mass ejection (CME) might be produced at the site of the flare (although either phenomenon can occur independently). CMEs are slower than the propagation of X-rays, but their global effects here on Earth can be more problematic. They may not travel at the speed of light, but they still travel fast; they can travel at a rate of 2 million miles per hour (3.2 million km/hr), meaning they may reach us in a matter of hours.

This is where much effort is being put into space weather prediction. We have a handful of spacecraft sitting between the Earth and the Sun at the Earth-Sun Lagrangian (L1) point with sensors on board to measure the energy and intensity of the solar wind. Should a CME pass through their location, energetic particles and the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) can be measured directly. One mission called the Advanced Composition Explorer (ACE) sits in the L1 point and provides scientists with up to an hour notice on the approach of a CME. ACE teams up with the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) and the Solar TErrestrial RElations Observatory (STEREO), so CMEs can be tracked from the lower corona into interplanetary space, through the L1 point toward Earth. These solar missions are actively working together to provide space agencies with advanced notice of an Earth-directed CME.

So what if a CME reaches Earth? For a start, much depends on the magnetic configuration of the IMF (from the Sun) and the geomagnetic field of the Earth (the magnetosphere). Generally speaking, if both magnetic fields are aligned with polarities pointing in the same direction, it is highly probable that the CME will be repelled by the magnetosphere. In this case, the CME will slide past the Earth, causing some pressure and distortion on the magnetosphere, but otherwise passing without a problem. However, if the magnetic field lines are in an anti-parallel configuration (i.e. magnetic polarities in opposite directions), magnetic reconnection may occur at the leading edge of the magnetosphere.

In this event, the IMF and magnetosphere will merge, connecting the Earth’s magnetic field with the Sun’s. This sets the scene for one of the most awe inspiring events in nature: the aurora.

Satellites in Peril

As the CME magnetic field connects with the Earth’s, high energy particles are injected into the magnetosphere. Due to solar wind pressure, the Sun’s magnetic field lines will fold around the Earth, sweeping behind our planet. The particles injected in the “dayside” will be funnelled into the polar regions of the Earth where they interact with our atmosphere, generating light as aurorae. During this time, the Van Allen belt will also become “super-charged”, creating a region around the Earth that could cause problems to unprotected astronauts and any unshielded satellites.As if the radiation from the Van Allen belt wasn’t enough, satellites could succumb to the threat of an expanding atmosphere. As you’d expect, as if the Sun hits the Earth with X-rays and CMEs, there will be inevitable heating and global expansion of the atmosphere, possibly encroaching into satellite orbital altitudes. If left unchecked, an aerobraking effect on satellites could cause them to slow and drop in altitude. Aerobraking has been used extensively as a space flight tool to slow spacecraft down when being inserted into orbit around another planet, but this will have an adverse effect on satellites orbiting Earth as any slowing of velocity could cause it to re-enter the atmosphere.

We Feel the Effects on the Ground Too

Although satellites are on the front line, if there is a powerful surge in energetic particles entering the atmosphere, we may feel the adverse effects down here on Earth too. Due to the X-ray generation of electrons in the ionosphere, some forms of communication may become patchy (or be removed all together), but this isn’t all that can happen. Particularly in high-latitude regions, a vast electric current, known as an “electrojet”, may form through the ionosphere by these incoming particles. With an electric current comes a magnetic field. Depending on the intensity of the solar storm, currents may be induced down here on the ground, possibly overloading national power grids. On March 13th 1989, six million people lost power in the Quebec region of Canada after a huge increase in solar activity caused a surge from ground-induced currents. Quebec was paralysed for nine hours whilst engineers worked on a solution to the problem.Can Our Sun Produce a Killer Flare?

The short answer to this is “no”.

The longer answer is a little more involved. Whilst a solar flare from out Sun, aimed directly at us, could cause secondary problems such as satellite damage and injury to unprotected astronauts and blackouts, the flare itself is not powerful enough to destroy Earth, certainly not in 2012. I dare say, in the far future when the Sun begins to run out of fuel and swell into a red giant, it might be a bad era for life on Earth, but we have a few billion years to wait for that to happen. There could even be the possibility of several X-class flares being launched and by pure bad luck we may get hit by a series of CMEs and X-ray bursts, but none will be powerful to overcome our magnetosphere, ionosphere and thick atmosphere below.

“Killer” solar flares have been observed on other stars. In 2006, NASA’s Swift observatory saw the largest stellar flare ever observed 135 light-years away. Estimated to have unleashed an energy of 50 million trillion atomic bombs, the II Pegasi flare will have wiped out most life on Earth if our Sun fired X-rays from a flare of that energy at us. However, our Sun is not II Pegasi. II Pegasi is a violent red giant star with a binary partner in a very close orbit. It is believed the gravitational interaction with its binary partner and the fact II Pegasi is a red giant is the root cause behind this energetic flare event.

Doomsayers point to the Sun as a possible Earth-killer source, but the fact remains that our Sun is a very stable star. It does not have a binary partner (like II Pegasi), it has a predictable cycle (of approximately 11 years) and there is no evidence that our Sun contributed to any mass extinction event in the past via a huge Earth-directed flare. Very large solar flares have been observed (such as the 1859 Carrington white light flare)… but we are still here.

In an added twist, solar physicists are surprised by the lack of solar activity at the start of this 24th solar cycle, leading to some scientists to speculate we might be on the verge of another Maunder minimum and “Little Ice Age”. This is in stark contrast to NASA solar physicist’s 2006 prediction that this cycle will be a “doozy”.

This leads me to conclude that we still have a long way to go when predicting solar flare events. Although space weather prediction is improving, it will be a few years yet until we can read the Sun accurately enough to say with any certainty just how active a solar cycle is going to be. So, regardless of prophecy, prediction or myth, there is no physical way to say that the Earth will be hit by any flare, let alone a big one in 2012. Even if a big flare did hit us, it will not be an extinction event. Yes, satellites may be damaged, causing secondary problems such as a GPS loss (which might disrupt air traffic control for example) or national power grids may be overwhelmed by auroral electrojets, but nothing more extreme than that.

But hold on, to sidestep this issue, doomsayers now tell us that a large solar flare will hit us just as the Earth’s geomagnetic field weakens and reverses,or Catostrophic Earthquakes will Hit globally leaving us unprotected from the ravages of a CME…

by Rohit Sharma

to know about Solar Storms…Read The Changing moods of Sun in Gyandotcom site

The driver was taking me from mumbai airport to the express highway to pune city. As we chatted on theway , it came out that he was deeply worried. He had a wife and child, and a new baby on the way – but what was the use of living, he cried, if the world would end in 2012 as predicted by the Mayan prophecies, when his new baby would be just four years old.Prophecies about the end of the world (or at the very least, civilisation as we know it) have been around forever. There was a flurry of them around 2000 AD, and another bunch for 5 May 2005, when all the planets were supposed to line up. (By the way, they didn’t line up and yep, we’re still here.)The Mayan civilisation covered the skinny bit of the Americas between North and South America, reaching from the southern states of Mexico down to western Honduras. Its Classic Period was from 250 to 900 AD, so their best years were behind them by the time of the Spanish invasion.At their peak, the Mayans had the only mature written language ever found in the Americas, spectacular and densely populated cities, and very sophisticated systems of mathematics, astronomy and calendars.They were marvelous astronomers, showing what could be done with the naked eye. Their measurements of the lunar month, the period of Venus and the year were more accurate than those of the Ancient Greeks.Which brings us to the calendar that predicts the end of the world in 2012.The Mayans had many calendars, because they saw ‘time’ as a meshing of sacred or spiritual cycles. So while our Gregorian calendar organises days for social, administrative and commercial purposes, the Mayan calendars added a religious element. For example, each day had a patron spirit, and so could be good for travel, but bad for business.One of their several calendars was called the Long Count. It was set up around 355 BCE, and had as its chosen starting date 0.0.0.0.0, which corresponds to 11 August 3114 BCE. And on 21 December 2012, the Mayan Long Count calendar will read 13.0.0.0.0.Now here’s how it works. Our numbering system is based on 10. But the Mayans had a counting system based on 20, so most of the ’slots’ in their calendar had 20 potential numbers (0 to 19). The calendar read a little like the odometer in your car’s speedo (which run from 0 to 9). The extreme right slot (of five slots) would count through the days, and when it got to 19 days (0.0.0.0.19) would reset to zero, and the next slot across to the left would increase by one (to 0.0.0.1.0).So 0.0.0.0.1 was one day, and 0.0.0.1.0 was 20 days. Then 0.0.1.0.0 was about one year, 0.1.0.0.0 was about 20 years and with 1.0.0.0.0, you’ve clocked up about 400 years. And on 21 December 2012, the Mayan Long Count calendar will read 13.0.0.0.0.By the way, the time between 0.0.0.0.0 and 13.0.0.0.0 is about 5126 years. Now some Mayan archaeo-astronomers reckon that the calendar should reset back to zero and start again. But others disagree and say it should continue to 20, and then reset again.We don’t have enough information to know who is correct – but if it does go up to 20, then this completely destroys the End of Days Conspiracy Theory, as far as the year 2012 is concerned. But let’s stick to the 13 Conspiracy for the time being.The claims for 21 December 2012 cover a lot of ground. They range from ‘nuclear holocaust’ to ‘Harmonic Convergence of cosmic energy flowing through the earth, cleansing it and raising it to a higher level of vibration’, and along the way they include ‘the death of two-thirds of humanity’ and ‘the north and south poles will split’ – you get the picture. But there are two problems with this.

And the second problem is that it is always remarkably difficult to make predictions, especially about the future, and things that haven’t happened yet.

but the polar shift,global worming catostrophic earthquakes will hit in 2012. lets findout how

So, on with geomagnetic reversal…

How often does it happen?

The Earths interior

Earths polarity reversals over the last 160 million years. Black = normal polarity, White = reversed polarity.

The model Earth, can a magnetic field be modelled in the lab?

In a previous Gyandotcom the end of days 2012 Article, we discussed the efforts of geophysicist Dan Lathrop’s attempts to create his own “model Earth,” setting a 26 tonne ball (containing a molten iron analogue, sodium) spinning to see if the internal motion of the fluid could set up a magnetic field. This huge laboratory experiment is testament to the efforts being put into understanding how our Earth even generates a magnetic field, let alone why it randomly reverses.

The magnetic field strength waxes and wanes…

New research into the Earth’s magnetic field was published recently in the September 26th issue of Gyandotcom, suggesting that the Earth’s magnetic field isn’t as simple as we once believed. In addition to the North-South dipole, there is a weaker magnetic field spread around the planet, probably generated in the outer core of the Earth.

Our meandering magnetic pole

The movement of Earth’s north magnetic pole across the Canadian arctic, 1831–2001 (Geological Survey of Canada)

The positions of the magnetic poles are also known to be wondering over Arctic and Antarctic locations. Take the magnetic north pole it has accelerated north over the Canadian plains from 10 km per year in the 20th Century to 40 km per year more recently. It is thought that if the point of magnetic north continues this trend, it will exit North America and enter Siberia in a few decades time. This is not a new phenomenon however. Ever since James Ross’ discovery of the location of the north magnetic pole for the first time in 1831, it’s location has meandered hundreds of miles (even though today’s measurements show some acceleration).

So, no doomsday then?

So what is all this crazy talk?

We’ve all heard these doomsday predictions before even in gyandotcom i’ve written article on mayan calender prophacy, we’re still here, and the planet is still here, why is 2012 so important? Well, the Mayan calendar stops at the end of the year 2012, churning up all sorts of religious, scientific, astrological and historic reasons why this calendar foretells the end of life as we know it. The Mayan Prophecy is gaining strength and appears to be worrying people in all areas of society. Forget Nostradamus, forget the Y2K bug, forget the credit crunch, this event is predicted to be huge and many wholeheartedly believe this is going to happen for real. Planet X could even be making a comeback.

Satellites may malfunction and migrating birds may become confused, but to predict world collapse is a hard pill to swallow.

In conclusion:

Geomagnetic reversal is chaotic in nature.

There is no way we can predict it.

The magnetic poles are not set in geographical locations, they move (at varying speeds) and have done ever since measurements began.

So, do you think there will be a geomagnetic reversal event in 2012? I thought not.

In this event, the IMF and magnetosphere will merge, connecting the Earth’s magnetic field with the Sun’s. This sets the scene for one of the most awe inspiring events in nature: the aurora.

Satellites in Peril

We Feel the Effects on the Ground Too

The short answer to this is “no”.

by Rohit Sharma

to know about Solar Storms…Read The Changing moods of Sun in Gyandotcom site

Hadiwar, Rishikesh, Dharamshala

neonorganum — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 17:17:43 +0000

The foothills of the Himalayas in Himachal Pradesh.

Rishikesh

After a week of running to the embassy, the regional foreign officers, the police, and so-called “cultural centers,” my stubborn performance of the wandering back-packer begins to collapse. Whether or not there is an authentic “India” to find, when one goes looking for it, they don the guise of the backpacker, one who struggles to find an authentic travel experience, who fluctuates between a constant fear of the unknown and a constant fear of the same old known. Backpackers are the natural enemy of the tourist. We gaff at the “fat white old men” like punk rock kids at a football game claiming that the jocks all look the same, while we, in our ripped black T-shirts and converse, high-five against conformity.

In backpacking, a similar game is being played. We all wear photogenic props: backpacks larger than our bodies, unkempt flock-of-seagulls hair, stubbled beards. We are known to “toke up” when the time is right, we are promiscuous, adolescent milkers of our youth; with adulthood just over the horizon, we are not-yet ready to hand over the world for the cage we must one day crawl into. When we get diarrhea on the road, we are grateful for it. When we get Dengue fever, we obtain bragging rights. When we get a cut or shiv, we stand-by for infection. We don’t mind used needles, we like things being shit and the shittier things are the better. We seek to hide within the grime, the seediness; we straddle between the whatever, and the why not? We get our passports and credit cards stolen. We get bit by rabies-infested monkeys. Our narrative grows and grows.

That is why, on my first package tour, riding through the mountains of Himachal Pradesh, I feel something of a coward. How has it come to this? How have I so easily exhausted my resourcefulness, letting the whim of the tour guide shepherd me from one ugly religious monument to another? It is clear I have betrayed my people, my self, my dignity and the overly romantic self-image in my head, where I appear as a brown Brad Pitt. My only redemption is when the air-conditioning on the bus leaks freezing water onto me all night and we have to sleep with the windows open, inviting all types of disease-ridden mosquitos. See, my backpacker companions, this is still travel, right?

Hadiwar Temple

Besides being famous for the Beatles and their drug-induced Enlightenment, Rishikesh is mostly just a beautiful city and not much else. Adjusting already to my role as a package tourist, I sneer past the low-life British backpackers with their dreadlocks and smell of piss and pot.

Dharamshala

Dharamshala is by far the most interesting place along the Himachal Pradesh route. The home of the Dali Lama and the Tibetian exiles, this is perhaps the one place in India that does not bargain for prices. At least, this is my first impression, until I run into all the Hindus who had moved into Dharamshala just to sell “authentic Tibetan” knick-knacks at extremely high prices. I do my good deed for the year by dealing only with the Tibetans–it is their cultural heritage isn’t it?

Tibetan Temple

After three days in Dharamshala, the bus back to Delhi breaks down, one day before my flight back to the States. The toxic fumes of a nearby factory and the swarm of mosquitos make this especially unbearable. After hours of watching the Indians weld together parts underneath the hood of the bus, I am in need of a restroom, and two minutes later I am accidentally mooning a family of shop-owners who speak no English and perhaps have never seen an American, let alone an American returning to nature in their fields. When the bus starts running again, the Israeli traveler next to me shoves his legs in front of my seat, and the entire night becomes a battle for more personal space, of which there is no clear victor.

Package tourism. I don’t see much of a difference.

Hadiwar, Rishikesh, Dharamshala

neonorganum — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 17:17:43 +0000

The foothills of the Himalayas in Himachal Pradesh.

Rishikesh

Hadiwar Temple

Dharamshala

Tibetan Temple

Package tourism. I don’t see much of a difference.

disappearing hills

mayankgarg — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 12:43:48 +0000

I’ve already stated in the past that Shimla is my favorite place to be. I managed to capture this on my recent trip there in the Summer. Shot it from the benches beside Indira Gandhi’s statue on the Ridge. Its been a while since I’ve posted black & white and this was a good shot to comeback with.

munky has been itching to capture a shot like this!

DMRC rolls out its first broad gauge train

affroz — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 14:43:01 +0000

New Delhi, Sept 25:
The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) today rolled out its first of the new batch of broad gauge trains, which are more dashy, faster and comfortable than the existing ones.
The train, which was procured from Germany-based Bombardier, was inducted into service by DMRC chief E Sreedharan on Line 2 from Central Secretariat to Jahangirpuri station this morning.
In total, 83 broad gauge trains were ordered by the DMRC and 13 have so far been delivered by the contractor.
The trains will be procured by the DMRC by 2011 under its Rs 2,986 crore deal with the contractor.
Of the 13 delivered trains, one has been taken into service from today after getting all security approval from the Commissioner of Railway Safety, while the rest will be commissioned after due test and would be ready for commissioning after a month.
”Two of these trains will be introduced on Line 2 (Central secretariat-Jahangirpuri) and two on Line 3 (Yamuna Bank-Dwarka Sec 9) by November while the rest will be inducted after due process of checking,” the DMRC chief told reporters.
”Besides, trains with six coaches would also be inducted into the service. Of 83 broad gauge trains, around 49 will be six-coach trains,” he added.
Asked about the 48 new standard gauge trains, Mr Shreedharan said they would be introduced on its new standard gauge lines soon.
By this induction the numbers of such trains will go up to 201 by 2011.
After inducting the train into service, the DMRC Chief also took a ride on the train with other senior officials.
The trains will have luxury facilities like high capacity air-conditioning system, heat and humidity control system, sockets for charging mobile phones and laptops.
One of its specialities will be that it can maintain a tempreture of 25 degrees Celsius inside the train when it is fully loaded and outside temperature is 44 degree Celsius.
”The new heating and humidity control systems which are non-existent in the existing trains is a new feature which will improve the travelling experience,” the DMRC Chief said.
The trains will also be equipped with four CCTVs to view all the inside happenings.
The maximum operational speed of the new trains will be 85 km per hour, while the existing ones can increase the speed up to 80 km per hour.
The trains running towards Anand Vihar and Noida from Dwarka will have external side display on each coach indicating the destination station.
A digital route map has also been installed near the doors of all the coaches to indicate the approaching stations besides the audio warning system.
For the benefit of drivers, two rear view cameras have been installed on both the sides of the train to enable them to monitor the opening and closing of the door to ensure no passenger is stuck.
To guide the drivers to safety, there will be a facility for remote downloading of data of trains in the Control Room.
The new swanky trains will also have reduced noise level compared to the existing ones and to avoid tripping caused due to kite flying an insulation mat will be installed on the roof of the trains.

Kolkata

neonorganum — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 13:40:59 +0000

A man with a flaccid penis drifts by me in the train station of Varanasi. Except for a beard covering half his torso he is completely nude, and just as I see his swaying comportment beginning to cross my path, it then plummets into the railroad tracks, falling towards the heavy iron rails the way one might fall onto a softly pillowed couch after a long day at the office.

When I am on the train I can think of little else but the fall. It seems he was…I’m not sure what to insert into this slot. Drunk? Poor? Desperate? Really really old? Perhaps religious? My imagination takes off, pondering the man’s fall the way Sherlock Holmes might ponder a crushed hat lying in the street (though with far less finesse): During a routine parachuting, this elderly adventurer’s loosely worn dhoti was yanked from him by the elements, and due to the pre-jump elevation sickness, found himself in a nude daze, his head bopping to Purple Haze, resulting in what seems to be..what certainly was, it seems…it seems…

a fall.

I am so benumbed in my memory of this event that I barely kick my feet off the side of the train, or bother to look out the window, so that when my traveling companion’s bag is stolen in the middle of the night and I am charging through each compartment of sleeping saris searching for the stolen passport and credit cards, when the police with Rajastani mustaches and thick eyebrows finally arrive holding uzis and AK-47s, when we are sitting in the station in Kolkata wondering if we are ever getting home, and even when, nearly a day after the fall, hotel owners start throwing our luggage into the floods of the monsoon, refusing to let us in without a valid passport and we have to trudge for hours through a street flood that has risen to my waistline, waiting for pity, our tears never showing through the pouring rain, I am still in that Varanasi station on an otherwise normal day, watching a nude man plummet into the train tracks. The police did nothing, everyone else was paralyzed in a state of shock. I am now beginning to remember someone does leap in, kicking away the giant rats who had come to explore a new piece of roadkill, pleading with the guards to find a pair of trousers, ordering a clerk to bring some chai, sitting the old man near my luggage.

How does an entirely nude Indian man get all the way from the platform staircases, the corridors of the station and the hired guards, to my end of the train? Had he been nude the entire time? Had he really walked through the entire train station without anyone giving a damn? That is, until it happened?

As we are walked off the plank of our fifth hotel, back into the waters of the monsoon with my laptop already permanently damaged from the floods, I begin to count the things we still have. The clothes on our backs. We have toothbrushes and bones. Defeated eyes. Variegated silk from Benares. Contemplation of the vacant railway. We have words that have hibernated for so long in our mouths, finally beaming in, we just have to keep our heads in the right place, I repeat, and repeat. I even have an adage: The greatness of a man is not in their achievements, but in the way they react to tragedy. No longer with the privilege of cynicism, deprived of our sense of distance, we are comforted by every cliche’ and overdone song lyric that comes to mind.

Hours into our plight we are sick with exhaustion and wet to our chests, so we wetten the floors of an internet cafe. As my traveling companion calls her loved ones, reliving the moments again and again, I cannot forget that we are still in a place of abandon. No proof of identity whatsoever. The hotel managers and landlords still refuse to let us in, assuming perhaps that she is a prostitute from Nepal or Myanmar, that I am trafficking her across the border after promising to marry her. We are already on our way to Sonagochi, where I will sell her to the highest bidding brothel. When I show them her police report they snicker at the stamp.

I am in Kolkata.

We have mother-of-pearl bangles. A new bedcover three sizes too large. An ineffable urge to fly away from wherever we are. Songs that strangle.

I have left her in the internet cafe. I am back in the river in the street, heading towards that intersection where the current is pushing against me. A black bull has somehow retreated to a rooftop. Children in school uniforms laugh gayly in the rushing flood, surrendering themselves to the rush of waves. I take slow, careful steps; I cannot see where my feet are in the brown river. With every step I hear the crunch of an enervated body, the exhausted succumbing of a man onto thick iron rails, a man who, it seems, must have, it seems…

In the water I begin to lose it, and as my body gives out, all those things on the tip of my tongue shoot into my brain. There was a time, years ago, in a bar somewhere, someone asks me what the title of my research paper is on, and I cannot think of a quick and humorous response. He is short and has a smug smile, I’m not sure if he’s serious. Meanwhile I am watching my body in some berserker, screaming at the flood, thrashing its arms about in redundant paroxysms. The title of my paper? I say, returning that smug smile. Isomorphic Agrarianism and the Half-life of the Hyphen. That’s what I should have said!

At perhaps the eighth hotel, I meet Phillip, an Indian man with a small mustache and wearing tucked in plaid. As I tell him what perhaps has happened to us, his fists clench in a rage that I am far past, but I accept him as my avatar, he can feel my anger and rage and I can sit placid in numbness. He offers us a room, tells us everything is going to be all right, is already waking up the old cliche’s in his mouth. Just do not worry now, you must keep your head. He has relieved me of so many duties.

An hour later I bring my companion to the hotel. Phillip assesses the situation. You have no copies of your passport. No identification at all. No money. No credit cards. No cell phone. You have nothing. Nothing. Do you know what it means to have nothing? In this country?

It seems we just appeared, waiting to be picked up.

Varanasi

neonorganum — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 13:55:51 +0000

Shivatha Ghat

You want coolie? asks a man in a red vest, his teeth stained yellow with paan and his eyes in some uncontrollable blitzkrieg. Before I can answer he lifts my bags onto his head, straining his neck, marching up flights of stairs, his aged body nearly giving out under the weight of marble nick-nacks stockpiled among my belongings.

It’s difficult to spend a moment in India without immediately thinking of A Passage to India, and the intense guilt that comes along with Forster’s parable.

Varanasi (also called Benares) is India encapsulated; the diversity and multitudinous lifestyles that make the sub-continent more-or-less absent of ideology is well represented in the stunningly multicultural holy city. Here Muslims make statues of Ganesha for Hindus, while Hindus build mosques for Mulsims. Every Ghat bordering the sacred river Ganges is devoted to a different religious sect or region of India, so that any type of identity one chooses to align with is represented upon this sacred river.

The owner of my hotel is a bald Indian whose Japanese wife teaches yoga, while their children, a fat-Buddha looking boy and eight year old girl, are raised mostly by the hotel staff, who speaks to them in simple Japanese. Along the road I am met by East Asians, Nepalese, Indians from Bangalore and Madras.

Whatever you can say about India, says Amartya Sen, the opposite is also true. After two months of traveling in India, one must succumb to the absence of understanding. For Whitman, to travel is to rid yourself of certainty, to know nothing and take pleasure in not knowing. In trying to conceive of India, no mental picture appears, no one city, no style of dress nor even a ubiquitous pop-song (the Tamils still refuse Bollywood). As Arundhati Roy puts it, in one category or another, every Indian belongs to a minority. One must learn to conceive of a people without the golden thread of normalcy.

Dasashwamedh Ghat

As soon as I arrive at Gai Ghat, a mustached Indian man commandeers our boat and gives me a fulsome explanation of the purposes of the Ghats. He says that old people come here to die, that they need very special wood to burn their bodies with, that this kind of wood is extremely expensive for them—around a thousand rupees a kilo—and that if they do not have a proper burial they would not go to enlightenment (as he calls it).

Then, almost comically: If you give, you go to Enlightenment too. So how much do you want to help those in need? One, two, three kilos?

My eyes meet his with stern execration—an immediate sense of loathing for such a man, any man, who twists the goodwill of others to their own purposes. The smoke from the burning bodies pinches our noses, the requiems of lamenting families reach out to us in a choral yearn, the garlands of brightly colored flowers upon the dead bodies still submerged in the Ganges set our eyes into sudden still. I know the man is a scammer, with the audacity to scam so shamelessly in front of the mourners–such a capacity I can not believe! And though I shake my head and tell him no, there is still that rattling of a guilty conscience, that suffering of imprecation, the fear that after refusing the chance for redemption, one might never breath an anxiousless breathe.

His riposte: You will remember what you have done here today. You are a very very bad person, with very bad karma. You will remember what you did.

All the families of India come to the Ganges, that river too toxic for most wildlife, where there is a spot for each region, a place for each religion, a time for each prayer, a chant for each caste. They are all, equally, offered the chance to reach Enlightenment (depending on the kilos of wood they purchase).