Today v hav last submission of Web technology!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Monday, March 21, 2011
Thought
"Success is a state of mind.
If you want success, start thinking
of yourself as a success."
- Dr. Joyce Brothers
If you want success, start thinking
of yourself as a success."
- Dr. Joyce Brothers
Quote of the day............
"If we all did the things we are capable
of doing, we would literally
astound ourselves."
- Thomas Edison
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Holi - the festival of colours
As the brief spring warms the landscape, northern India cuts loose for a day of hijinx and general hilarity.
The festival of Holi is celebrated on the day after the full moon in early March every year.
Originally a festival to celebrate good harvests and fertility of the land, Holi is now a symbolic commemmoration of a legend from Hindu Mythology. The story centres around an arrogant king who resents his son Prahlada worshipping Lord Vishnu. He attempts to kill his son but fails each time. Finally, the king's sister Holika who is said to be immune to burning, sits with the boy in a huge fire. However, the prince Prahlada emerges unscathed, while his aunt burns to death. Holi commemorates this event from mythology, and huge bonfires are burnt on the eve of Holi as its symbolic representation.
This exuberant festival is also associated with the immortal love of Krishna and Radha, and hence, Holi is spread over 16 days in Vrindavan as well as Mathura - the two cities with which Lord Krishna shared a deep affiliation. Apart from the usual fun with coloured powder and water, Holi is marked by vibrant processions which are accompanied by folk songs, dances and a general sense of abandoned vitality.
Today Holi is an excuse for Indians to shed inhibitions and caste differences for a day of spring fever and Big Fun. Teenagers spend the day flirting and misbehaving in the streets, adults extend the hand of peace, and everyone chases everyone else around, throwing brightly colored powder (gulal) and water over each other.
The festival's preamble begins on the night of the full moon. Bonfires are lit on street corners to cleanse the air of evil spirits and bad vibes, and to symbolize the destruction of the wicked Holika, for whom the festival was named. The following morning, the streets fill with people running, shouting, giggling and splashing. Marijuana-based bhang and thandai add to the uninhibited atmosphere.
Promptly at noon, the craziness comes to an end and everyone heads to either the river or the bathtub, then inside to relax the day away and partake of candies. In the afternoon an exhausted and contented silence falls over India. Although Holi is observed all over the north, it's celebrated with special joy and zest at Mathura, Vrindavan, Nandgaon, and Barsnar. These towns once housed the divine Krishna.
Each area celebrates Holi differently; the Bhil tribesmen of western Madhya Pradesh, who've retained many of their pre-Hindu customs, celebrate holi in a unique way. In rural Maharashtra State, where the festival is known as Rangapanchami it is celebrated with dancing and singing. In the towns of Rajasthan � especially Jaisalmer � the music's great, and clouds of pink, green, and turquoise powder fill the air. The grounds of Jaisalmer's Mandir Palace are turned into chaos, with dances, folk songs, and colored-powder confusion.
The festival of Holi is celebrated on the day after the full moon in early March every year.
Originally a festival to celebrate good harvests and fertility of the land, Holi is now a symbolic commemmoration of a legend from Hindu Mythology. The story centres around an arrogant king who resents his son Prahlada worshipping Lord Vishnu. He attempts to kill his son but fails each time. Finally, the king's sister Holika who is said to be immune to burning, sits with the boy in a huge fire. However, the prince Prahlada emerges unscathed, while his aunt burns to death. Holi commemorates this event from mythology, and huge bonfires are burnt on the eve of Holi as its symbolic representation.
This exuberant festival is also associated with the immortal love of Krishna and Radha, and hence, Holi is spread over 16 days in Vrindavan as well as Mathura - the two cities with which Lord Krishna shared a deep affiliation. Apart from the usual fun with coloured powder and water, Holi is marked by vibrant processions which are accompanied by folk songs, dances and a general sense of abandoned vitality.
Today Holi is an excuse for Indians to shed inhibitions and caste differences for a day of spring fever and Big Fun. Teenagers spend the day flirting and misbehaving in the streets, adults extend the hand of peace, and everyone chases everyone else around, throwing brightly colored powder (gulal) and water over each other.
The festival's preamble begins on the night of the full moon. Bonfires are lit on street corners to cleanse the air of evil spirits and bad vibes, and to symbolize the destruction of the wicked Holika, for whom the festival was named. The following morning, the streets fill with people running, shouting, giggling and splashing. Marijuana-based bhang and thandai add to the uninhibited atmosphere.
Promptly at noon, the craziness comes to an end and everyone heads to either the river or the bathtub, then inside to relax the day away and partake of candies. In the afternoon an exhausted and contented silence falls over India. Although Holi is observed all over the north, it's celebrated with special joy and zest at Mathura, Vrindavan, Nandgaon, and Barsnar. These towns once housed the divine Krishna.
Each area celebrates Holi differently; the Bhil tribesmen of western Madhya Pradesh, who've retained many of their pre-Hindu customs, celebrate holi in a unique way. In rural Maharashtra State, where the festival is known as Rangapanchami it is celebrated with dancing and singing. In the towns of Rajasthan � especially Jaisalmer � the music's great, and clouds of pink, green, and turquoise powder fill the air. The grounds of Jaisalmer's Mandir Palace are turned into chaos, with dances, folk songs, and colored-powder confusion.
Holi SMS
Saade rang ko galti se aap naa kora samjho,
Isi mey samaaye indradhanushi saaton rang,
Jo dikhe aapko zindagi saadagi bhari kisi ki,
To aap yun samjho satrangi hai duniya usiki,
Holi aayi satrangi rango ki bouchar laayi,
Dher saari mithai aur mitha mitha pyar laayi,
Aap ki zindagi ho mithe pyar aur khusiyon se bhari,
Jisme samaaye saaton rang yahi shubhkamna hai hamaari.
Isi mey samaaye indradhanushi saaton rang,
Jo dikhe aapko zindagi saadagi bhari kisi ki,
To aap yun samjho satrangi hai duniya usiki,
Holi aayi satrangi rango ki bouchar laayi,
Dher saari mithai aur mitha mitha pyar laayi,
Aap ki zindagi ho mithe pyar aur khusiyon se bhari,
Jisme samaaye saaton rang yahi shubhkamna hai hamaari.
Happy Holi.........
Holi, or Holli (Sanskrit: होली), is a spring religious festival celebrated by Hindus. It is primarily observed in India, Nepal, Sri Lanka,[1] and countries with large Indic diaspora populations, such as Suriname, Malaysia, Guyana, South Africa, Trinidad, United Kingdom, United States, Mauritius, and Fiji. In West Bengal and Orissa of India it is known as Dolyatra (Doul Jatra) or Basanta-Utsav ("spring festival"). The most celebrated Holi is that of the Braj region, in locations connected to the god Krishna: Mathura, Vrindavan, Nandagaon, and Barsana. These places have become tourist destinations during the festive season of Holi, which lasts here to up to sixteen days.[2]
The main day, Holi, also known as Dhuli Vandana in Sanskrit,also Dhulheti, Dhulandi or Dhulendi, is celebrated by people throwing coloured powder and coloured water at each other. Bonfires are lit the day before, also known as Holika Dahan (burning of Holika) or Chhoti Holi (little Holi). The bonfires are lit in memory of the miraculous escape that young Prahlad accomplished when Demoness Holika, sister of Hiranyakashipu, carried him into the fire. Holika was burnt but Prahlad, a staunch devotee of god Vishnu, escaped without any injuries due to his unshakable devotion. Holika Dahan is referred to as Kama Dahanam in South India.
Holi is celebrated at the end of the winter season on the last full moon day of the lunar month Phalguna (February/March), (Phalgun Purnima), which usually falls in the later part of February or March. In 2009, Holi (Dhulandi) was on March 11 and Holika Dahan was on March 10. In 2010, Holi was on March 1 and Holika Dahan was on February 28.
This Year 2011 Holi Holi (Dhulandi) on March 20 and Holika Dahan on March 19
Rangapanchami occurs a few days later on a Panchami (fifth day of the full moon), marking the end of festivities involving colours.
The main day, Holi, also known as Dhuli Vandana in Sanskrit,also Dhulheti, Dhulandi or Dhulendi, is celebrated by people throwing coloured powder and coloured water at each other. Bonfires are lit the day before, also known as Holika Dahan (burning of Holika) or Chhoti Holi (little Holi). The bonfires are lit in memory of the miraculous escape that young Prahlad accomplished when Demoness Holika, sister of Hiranyakashipu, carried him into the fire. Holika was burnt but Prahlad, a staunch devotee of god Vishnu, escaped without any injuries due to his unshakable devotion. Holika Dahan is referred to as Kama Dahanam in South India.
Holi is celebrated at the end of the winter season on the last full moon day of the lunar month Phalguna (February/March), (Phalgun Purnima), which usually falls in the later part of February or March. In 2009, Holi (Dhulandi) was on March 11 and Holika Dahan was on March 10. In 2010, Holi was on March 1 and Holika Dahan was on February 28.
This Year 2011 Holi Holi (Dhulandi) on March 20 and Holika Dahan on March 19
Rangapanchami occurs a few days later on a Panchami (fifth day of the full moon), marking the end of festivities involving colours.
Monday, March 14, 2011
Make a
Make a Mind which never minds..
Make a Heart which never hurts..
Make a Touch which never pains..
&.. Make a ‘RELATION’ which never Endsjust a note 2say that
Just A Note 2Say That Our Friendship Has No ENding & Its Grows On & ON
Just A Note
Friendship Help UsOpen Our Heart In Way That We Thought Were Never Possible
Just A Note
Thankyou 4 Being EveryThing 2 Me
ThankYou 4 Being My Friend
Just A Note
Friendship Help UsOpen Our Heart In Way That We Thought Were Never Possible
Just A Note
Thankyou 4 Being EveryThing 2 Me
ThankYou 4 Being My Friend
I always thought
I always thought loving some1
was the greatest feeling,
but I realized that loving a friend
is even better, we lose people
we love but we never lose true friends.
was the greatest feeling,
but I realized that loving a friend
is even better, we lose people
we love but we never lose true friends.
A Friend Is Someone Who
A Friend Is Someone Who
Knows The Song
In Your Heart
And Can Sing It Back
To You When You Have
Forgotten The Words.
Knows The Song
In Your Heart
And Can Sing It Back
To You When You Have
Forgotten The Words.
A "Friend" Is One
A "Friend" Is One
Special Person Who
Can Pull Out A
Happy Tear From
Your Eye ...
Even If You Don't
Have Tears To
Cry ... (:
Can Pull Out A
Happy Tear From
Your Eye ...
Even If You Don't
Have Tears To
Cry ... (:
Horror Story
Worlds shortest horror story...............
By Martin Garner,contains only following lines......
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When the world's last man was alone in his room .d door knockedd...........
By Martin Garner,contains only following lines......
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When the world's last man was alone in his room .d door knockedd...........
Apple prepares to release new operating system for the Mac
Call it a recycling of technology -- Apple style.
When Apple created its first iPhone, it ran on software based on the Macintosh operating system, the always evolving engine of the company's laptops and PCs. It eventually developed iOS software to power the iPhone and iPad. Now Apple is borrowing features from iOS to upgrade the Cupertino company's Mac products. Amid the hype and hoopla surrounding the recent launch of the iPad 2 -- and murmurs about the expected iPhone 5 in June -- Apple quietly updated its MacBook Pro line of laptops and released a developers' preview of its new Macintosh operating system, dubbed Lion.
The new operating system underscores Apple's development strategy of copying features and technology from one product into another. Lion will include applications and multi-touch features similar to those on the iPhone and iPad.
"It's almost like everybody has forgotten about the Mac, but then Apple drags everybody back to the Mac," said Charles Wolf, an analyst for Needham & Co.
Lion, to be released this summer, will be the eighth major upgrade to the operating system. It follows Snow Leopard, the current operating system that came out a year and a half ago. Lion, whose price has not been announced, is expected to have flashier user interface improvements.
"It represents the evolution of Apple's design philosophy," Wolf said. "They are leveraging the different components of the operating system and
As Chairman of Technology Information, Forecasting and Assessment Council (TIFAC) and as an eminent scientist, he led the country with the help of 500 experts to arrive at Technology Vision 2020 giving a road map for transforming India from the present developing status to a developed nation. Dr. Kalam has served as the Principal Scientific Advisor to the Government of India, in the rank of Cabinet Minister, from November 1999 to November 2001 and was responsible for evolving policies, strategies and missions for many development applications. Dr. Kalam was also the Chairman, Ex-officio, of the Scientific Advisory Committee to the Cabinet (SAC-C) and piloted India Millennium Mission 2020.
Dr. Kalam took up academic pursuit as Professor, Technology & Societal Transformation at Anna University, Chennai from November 2001 and was involved in teaching and research tasks. Above all he took up a mission to ignite the young minds for national development by meeting high school students across the country.
In his literary pursuit four of Dr. Kalam's books - "Wings of Fire", "India 2020 - A Vision for the New Millennium", "My journey" and "Ignited Minds - Unleashing the power within India" have become household names in India and among the Indian nationals abroad. These books have been translated in many Indian languages.
Dr. Kalam is one of the most distinguished scientists of India with the unique honour of receiving honorary doctorates from 30 universities and institutions. He has been awarded the coveted civilian awards - Padma Bhushan (1981) and Padma Vibhushan (1990) and the highest civilian award Bharat Ratna (1997). He is a recipient of several other awards and Fellow of many professional institutions.
Dr. Kalam became the 11th President of India on 25th July 2002. His focus is on transforming India into a developed nation by 2020.
Second explosion at stricken Japan nuke plant
SOMA: The second hydrogen explosion in three days rocked Japan's stricken Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear plant Monday, sending a massive column of smoke into the air and wounding six workers. It was not immediately clear how much _ if any _ radiation had been released.
The explosion at the plant's Unit 3, which authorities have been frantically trying to cool following a system failure in the wake of a massive earthquake and tsunami, triggered an order for hundreds of people to stay indoors, said Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano.
The blast follows a similar explosion Saturday that took place at the plant's Unit 1, which injured four workers and caused mass-evacuations.
Japan's nuclear safety agency said six workers were injured in Monday's explosion but it was not immediately clear how, or whether they were exposed to radiation. They were all conscious, said the agency's Ryohei Shomi.
Earlier, Tokyo Electric Power Co., which operates the reactor, said three workers were injured and seven missing.
The reactor's inner containment vessel holding nuclear rods was intact, Edano said, allaying some fears of the risk to the environment and public. TV footage of the building housing the reactor appeared to show similar damage to Monday's blast, with outer walls shorn off, leaving only a skeletal frame.
More than 180,000 people have evacuated the area in recent days, and up to 160 may have been exposed to radiation.
Earlier Monday, pressure had jumped inside Unit 3, forcing the evacuation of 21 workers. But they returned to work after levels appeared to ease.
Associated Press journalists felt the explosion in the tsunami-devastated port town of Soma, some 25 miles (40 kilometers) north of the reactor. They reported feeling the faint rumble a blast and the ground shaking.
The explosion at the plant's Unit 3, which authorities have been frantically trying to cool following a system failure in the wake of a massive earthquake and tsunami, triggered an order for hundreds of people to stay indoors, said Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano.
The blast follows a similar explosion Saturday that took place at the plant's Unit 1, which injured four workers and caused mass-evacuations.
Japan's nuclear safety agency said six workers were injured in Monday's explosion but it was not immediately clear how, or whether they were exposed to radiation. They were all conscious, said the agency's Ryohei Shomi.
Earlier, Tokyo Electric Power Co., which operates the reactor, said three workers were injured and seven missing.
The reactor's inner containment vessel holding nuclear rods was intact, Edano said, allaying some fears of the risk to the environment and public. TV footage of the building housing the reactor appeared to show similar damage to Monday's blast, with outer walls shorn off, leaving only a skeletal frame.
More than 180,000 people have evacuated the area in recent days, and up to 160 may have been exposed to radiation.
Earlier Monday, pressure had jumped inside Unit 3, forcing the evacuation of 21 workers. But they returned to work after levels appeared to ease.
Associated Press journalists felt the explosion in the tsunami-devastated port town of Soma, some 25 miles (40 kilometers) north of the reactor. They reported feeling the faint rumble a blast and the ground shaking.
Ind vs SA: India off to a flying start against South Africa
Sehwag started from the word go hitting the first delivery of the match from Dale Steyn to the mid-wicket fence. Thus Sehwag has started his five World Cup innings so far by slamming boundaries off the very first ball he faced in each innings.
Earlier, Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni won the toss and chose to bat.
India have brought in Munaf Patel in place of Piyush Chawla and South Africa have replaced the injured Imran Tahir by Johan Botha.
South African captain Graeme Smith said he would have batted as well but now they would look to restrict India. He added that the atmosphere is thrilling and they would like to play well.
Dhoni said the wicket is good for batting but also added it has to offer something for the fast bowlers as well. He added it's good to be unbeaten but that's history and they would take confidence from it and look to carry momentum.
Jamtha is a very impressive cricket ground, outfield is lush green but the base is quite hard and the ball will travel quickly. The dimensions of the ground are such, that lots of cuts and pulls are expected in the game. Regarding the playing area, it's a very good surface, hard, well rolled in but not enough dry patches to assist spinners and last for the entire 100 overs.
It is pretty warm out there with temperature expected to touch 37 degrees Celsius.
Teams:
India: Mahendra Singh Dhoni (Capt.), Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Virat Kohli, Yuvraj Singh, Yusuf Pathan, Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan, Ashish Nehra, Munaf Patel.
South Africa: Graeme Smith (Capt.), Hashim Amla, Jacques Kallis, AB de Villiers, JP Duminy, Faf du Plessis, Morne van Wyk, Robin Peterson, Johan Botha, Morne Morkel, Dale Steyn.
Full Name: Mahendra Singh Dhoni
Born:July 7, 1981 in Ranchi , India
Born:
Batting Style : Right-handed batsman
Bowling Style : Right-arm medium
Bowling Style : Right-arm medium
Test Debut : Sri Lanka India December 2-6, 2005
ODI Debut :Bangladesh India Chittagong December 23, 2004
Affectionately called ‘Mahi’, Mahendra Singh Dhoni is one of the avant-garde cricketers to have rocked the Indian cricket scenario. Noticeable for his shoulder length hair, Dhoni is increasingly becoming a popular youth icon in India
Hailing from the state of Jharkhand, Mahendra Singh Dhoni made his debut in the end of 2004 and has since been a regular in the Indian national team. An aggressive batsman and secure wicketkeeper, Dhoni has changed the perception of ‘gentleman’s game’. He, along with a few other new-age cricketers, has shown how to give an eye for an eye.
Having played 120 one-day internationals, Mahendra Singh Dhoni has an impressive average of 47 and a swashbuckling strike rate of 92. His capability of audacious strokeplay at the time of need have made him one of the key players in Indian team. Dhoni has ravaged the reputations of the world’s best bowling attacks with his powerful and daredevil hits. This is the only way he knows of playing cricket
Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s moment of reckoning came in a match against Pakistan Sri Lanka
In Afro Asia Cup 2007 when AsiaXI is struggling at 72-5 in 3rd ODI M.Singh Dhoni shows his capability and powerhouse shots to the world 139 Not Out that he can bat under any circumstances with sizzling sixes.
Dhoni's Cricket Records | | Tests | ODI's | T20I’s |
| Batting Records | | | |
| Matches | 54 | 177 | 26 |
| Innings | 82 | 158 | 25 |
| Runs Scored | 2925 | 5808 | 451 |
| Batting Averages | 40.06 | 48.80 | 26.52 |
| Strike Rates | 60.32 | 87.80 | 111.63 |
| 100s | 4 | 7 | 0 |
| 50s | 20 | 37 | 0 |
| 4s | 321 | 446 | 26 |
| 6s | 51 | 119 | 13 |
| Highest Score | 148 | 183* | 46 |
| Bowling Records | | ||
| Balls Overs Bowled | 18 | 12 | 0 |
| Wickets | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Bowling Average | 0.00 | 14.00 | 0.00 |
| Economy Rate | 6.33 | 7.00 | - |
| Best Bowling | 0/13 | 1/14 | 0/0 |
| Catches/Stumping | 148/25 | 174/57 | 11/3 |
Saturday, March 12, 2011
Japan: Explosion heard at Fukushima nuclear power plant
Sendai, Japan: An explosion at a nuclear power station tore down the walls of one building Saturday as smoke poured out and Japanese officials said they feared the reactor could melt down following the failure of its cooling system in a powerful earthquake and tsunami.
It was not clear if the damaged building housed the reactor. Tokyo Power Electric Co., the utility that runs the Fukushima Dai-ichi plant, said four workers were injured but details were not immediately available.
Footage on Japanese TV showed that the walls of one building had crumbled, leaving only a skeletal metal frame standing. Puffs of smoke were spewing out of the plant.
"We are now trying to analyze what is behind the explosion," said government spokesman Yukio Edano, stressing that people should quickly evacuate a six-mile (10-kilometer) radius. "We ask everyone to take action to secure safety."
The trouble began at the plant's Unit 1 after Friday's massive 8.9-magnitude earthquake and the tsunami it spawned knocked out power there. The disaster has killed hundreds of people and devastated the country's northeastern coast, where rescuers began slowly arriving Saturday.
The toll of destruction was still not known more than 24 hours after the quake since washed-out roads and shut airports have hindered access to the area. An untold number of bodies were believed to be buried in the rubble and debris.
The official death toll stood at 413, while 784 people were missing and 1,128 injured. In addition, police said between 200 and 300 bodies were found along the coast in Sendai, the biggest city in the area near the quake's epicenter. Local media reports said at least 1,300 people may have been killed.
Adding to worries was the fate of nuclear power plants in the region. Japan has declared states of emergency for five nuclear reactors at two power plants after the units lost cooling ability.
The most troubled one is facing meltdown, officials have said.
Pressure has been building up in the reactor -- it's now twice the normal level -- and Japan's Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency told reporters Saturday that the plant was venting "radioactive vapors." Officials said they were measuring radiation levels in the area.
The reactor in trouble has already leaked some radiation: Operators have detected eight times the normal radiation levels outside the facility and 1,000 times normal inside Unit 1's control room.
Wind in the region is weak and headed northeast, out to sea, according to the Meteorological Agency.
Ryohei Shiomi, an official with Japan's nuclear safety commission, said that even if there was a meltdown, it wouldn't affect people outside a six-mile (10-kilometer) radius -- an assertion that might need revising if the situation deteriorates. Most of the 51,000 residents living within the danger area had been evacuated, he said.
Meanwhile, the first wave of military rescuers began arriving by boats and helicopters.
Prime Minister Naoto Kan said 50,000 troops would join rescue and recovery efforts following the quake that unleashed one of the greatest disasters Japan has witnessed -- a 23-foot (7-meter) tsunami that washed far inland over fields, smashing towns, airports and highways in its way.
"Most of houses along the coastline were washed away, and fire broke out there," said Kan after inspecting the quake area in a helicopter. "I realized the extremely serious damage the tsunami caused."
More than 215,000 people were living in 1,350 temporary shelters in five prefectures, or states, the national police agency said. Since the quake, more than 1 million households have not had water, mostly concentrated in northeast.
The transport ministry said all highways from Tokyo leading to quake-hit areas were closed, except for emergency vehicles. Mobile communications were spotty and calls to the devastated areas were going unanswered.
Local TV stations broadcast footage of people lining up for water and food such as rice balls. In Fukushima, city officials were handing out bottled beverages, snacks and blankets. But there were large areas that were surrounded by water and were unreachable.
One hospital in Miyagi prefecture was seen surrounded by water. The staff had painted an SOS on its rooftop and were waving white flags.
Prime Minister Kan said a total of 190 military aircraft and 25 ships have been sent to the area, which continued to be jolted by tremors, even 24 hours later.
More than 125 aftershocks have occurred, many of them above magnitude 6.0, which even alone would be considered strong.
Technologically advanced Japan is well prepared for quakes and its buildings can withstand strong jolts, even a temblor like Friday's, which was the strongest the country has experienced since official records started in the late 1800s. What was beyond human control was the killer tsunami that followed.
It swept inland about six miles (10 kilometers) in some areas, swallowing boats, homes, cars, trees and even small airplanes.
"The tsunami was unbelievably fast," said Koichi Takairin, a 34-year-old truck driver who was inside his sturdy four-ton rig when the wave hit the port town of Sendai.
"Smaller cars were being swept around me," he said. All I could do was sit in my truck."
His rig ruined, he joined the steady flow of survivors who walked along the road away from the sea and back into the city on Saturday. Smoke from at least one large fire could be seen in the distance.
Smashed cars and small airplanes were jumbled up against buildings near the local airport, several miles (kilometers) from the shore. Felled trees and wooden debris lay everywhere as rescue workers coasted on boats through murky waters around flooded structures, nosing their way through a sea of debris.
Basic commodities were at a premium. Hundreds lined up outside of supermarkets, and gas stations were swamped with cars. The situation was similar in scores of other towns and cities along the 1,300-mile-long (2,100-kilometer-long) eastern coastline hit by the tsunami.
In Sendai, as in many areas of the northeast, cell phone service was down, making it difficult for people to communicate with loved ones.
"I'm waiting for my son to come here. But I cannot tell him he should come over here because mobile phones aren't working," a woman in her 70s told Japanese TV at a shelter in the town of Rikuzentakada, which appeared to be largely destroyed by the tsunami.
"My husband is missing," she said. "Tsunami water was rising to my knees, and I told him I would go first. He is not here yet."
President Barack Obama pledged U.S. assistance following what he called a potentially "catastrophic" disaster. He said one U.S. aircraft carrier was already in Japan and a second was on its way. A U.S. ship was also heading to the Marianas Islands to assist as needed, he said.
Most trains in Tokyo started running again Saturday after the city had been brought to a near standstill the day before. Tens of thousands of people had been stranded with the rail network down, jamming the streets with cars, buses and trucks trying to get out of the city.
Japan's worst previous quake was a magnitude 8.3 temblor in Kanto that killed 143,000 people in 1923, according to the USGS. A magnitude 7.2 quake in Kobe killed 6,400 people in 1995.
Japan lies on the "Ring of Fire" -- an arc of earthquake and volcanic zones stretching around the Pacific where about 90 percent of the world's quakes occur, including the one that triggered the Dec. 26, 2004, Indian Ocean tsunami that killed an estimated 230,000 people in 12 countries. A magnitude-8.8 quake that shook central Chile in February 2010 also generated a tsunami and killed 524 people.
It was not clear if the damaged building housed the reactor. Tokyo Power Electric Co., the utility that runs the Fukushima Dai-ichi plant, said four workers were injured but details were not immediately available.
Footage on Japanese TV showed that the walls of one building had crumbled, leaving only a skeletal metal frame standing. Puffs of smoke were spewing out of the plant.
"We are now trying to analyze what is behind the explosion," said government spokesman Yukio Edano, stressing that people should quickly evacuate a six-mile (10-kilometer) radius. "We ask everyone to take action to secure safety."
The trouble began at the plant's Unit 1 after Friday's massive 8.9-magnitude earthquake and the tsunami it spawned knocked out power there. The disaster has killed hundreds of people and devastated the country's northeastern coast, where rescuers began slowly arriving Saturday.
The toll of destruction was still not known more than 24 hours after the quake since washed-out roads and shut airports have hindered access to the area. An untold number of bodies were believed to be buried in the rubble and debris.
The official death toll stood at 413, while 784 people were missing and 1,128 injured. In addition, police said between 200 and 300 bodies were found along the coast in Sendai, the biggest city in the area near the quake's epicenter. Local media reports said at least 1,300 people may have been killed.
Adding to worries was the fate of nuclear power plants in the region. Japan has declared states of emergency for five nuclear reactors at two power plants after the units lost cooling ability.
The most troubled one is facing meltdown, officials have said.
Pressure has been building up in the reactor -- it's now twice the normal level -- and Japan's Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency told reporters Saturday that the plant was venting "radioactive vapors." Officials said they were measuring radiation levels in the area.
The reactor in trouble has already leaked some radiation: Operators have detected eight times the normal radiation levels outside the facility and 1,000 times normal inside Unit 1's control room.
Wind in the region is weak and headed northeast, out to sea, according to the Meteorological Agency.
Ryohei Shiomi, an official with Japan's nuclear safety commission, said that even if there was a meltdown, it wouldn't affect people outside a six-mile (10-kilometer) radius -- an assertion that might need revising if the situation deteriorates. Most of the 51,000 residents living within the danger area had been evacuated, he said.
Meanwhile, the first wave of military rescuers began arriving by boats and helicopters.
Prime Minister Naoto Kan said 50,000 troops would join rescue and recovery efforts following the quake that unleashed one of the greatest disasters Japan has witnessed -- a 23-foot (7-meter) tsunami that washed far inland over fields, smashing towns, airports and highways in its way.
"Most of houses along the coastline were washed away, and fire broke out there," said Kan after inspecting the quake area in a helicopter. "I realized the extremely serious damage the tsunami caused."
More than 215,000 people were living in 1,350 temporary shelters in five prefectures, or states, the national police agency said. Since the quake, more than 1 million households have not had water, mostly concentrated in northeast.
The transport ministry said all highways from Tokyo leading to quake-hit areas were closed, except for emergency vehicles. Mobile communications were spotty and calls to the devastated areas were going unanswered.
Local TV stations broadcast footage of people lining up for water and food such as rice balls. In Fukushima, city officials were handing out bottled beverages, snacks and blankets. But there were large areas that were surrounded by water and were unreachable.
One hospital in Miyagi prefecture was seen surrounded by water. The staff had painted an SOS on its rooftop and were waving white flags.
Prime Minister Kan said a total of 190 military aircraft and 25 ships have been sent to the area, which continued to be jolted by tremors, even 24 hours later.
More than 125 aftershocks have occurred, many of them above magnitude 6.0, which even alone would be considered strong.
Technologically advanced Japan is well prepared for quakes and its buildings can withstand strong jolts, even a temblor like Friday's, which was the strongest the country has experienced since official records started in the late 1800s. What was beyond human control was the killer tsunami that followed.
It swept inland about six miles (10 kilometers) in some areas, swallowing boats, homes, cars, trees and even small airplanes.
"The tsunami was unbelievably fast," said Koichi Takairin, a 34-year-old truck driver who was inside his sturdy four-ton rig when the wave hit the port town of Sendai.
"Smaller cars were being swept around me," he said. All I could do was sit in my truck."
His rig ruined, he joined the steady flow of survivors who walked along the road away from the sea and back into the city on Saturday. Smoke from at least one large fire could be seen in the distance.
Smashed cars and small airplanes were jumbled up against buildings near the local airport, several miles (kilometers) from the shore. Felled trees and wooden debris lay everywhere as rescue workers coasted on boats through murky waters around flooded structures, nosing their way through a sea of debris.
Basic commodities were at a premium. Hundreds lined up outside of supermarkets, and gas stations were swamped with cars. The situation was similar in scores of other towns and cities along the 1,300-mile-long (2,100-kilometer-long) eastern coastline hit by the tsunami.
In Sendai, as in many areas of the northeast, cell phone service was down, making it difficult for people to communicate with loved ones.
"I'm waiting for my son to come here. But I cannot tell him he should come over here because mobile phones aren't working," a woman in her 70s told Japanese TV at a shelter in the town of Rikuzentakada, which appeared to be largely destroyed by the tsunami.
"My husband is missing," she said. "Tsunami water was rising to my knees, and I told him I would go first. He is not here yet."
President Barack Obama pledged U.S. assistance following what he called a potentially "catastrophic" disaster. He said one U.S. aircraft carrier was already in Japan and a second was on its way. A U.S. ship was also heading to the Marianas Islands to assist as needed, he said.
Most trains in Tokyo started running again Saturday after the city had been brought to a near standstill the day before. Tens of thousands of people had been stranded with the rail network down, jamming the streets with cars, buses and trucks trying to get out of the city.
Japan's worst previous quake was a magnitude 8.3 temblor in Kanto that killed 143,000 people in 1923, according to the USGS. A magnitude 7.2 quake in Kobe killed 6,400 people in 1995.
Japan lies on the "Ring of Fire" -- an arc of earthquake and volcanic zones stretching around the Pacific where about 90 percent of the world's quakes occur, including the one that triggered the Dec. 26, 2004, Indian Ocean tsunami that killed an estimated 230,000 people in 12 countries. A magnitude-8.8 quake that shook central Chile in February 2010 also generated a tsunami and killed 524 people.
Powerful Quake and Tsunami Devastate Northern Japan
Kyodo News, via Reuters
An area in Sendai City, in northeastern Japan, that had been swept by the tsunami.
Multimedia
Kyodo News, via Associated Press
Houses swallowed by a tsunami set off by an earthquake with a magnitude of 8.9 burned Friday in Natori, Japan, one of the areas that was hardest hit. More Photos »
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The death toll from the tsunami and earthquake, the strongest ever recorded in Japan, was in the hundreds, but Japanese news media quoted government officials as saying that it could rise to more than 1,300, most of them drowned. About 200 to 300 bodies were found along the waterline in Sendai, a port city in northeastern Japan and the closest major city to the epicenter.
Thousands of homes were destroyed, many roads were impassable, trains and buses were not running, and power and cellphones remained down. On Saturday morning, the JR rail company said that there were three trains missing in parts of two northern prefectures.
While the loss of life and property may yet be considerable, many lives were certainly saved by Japan’s extensive disaster preparedness and strict construction codes. Japan’s economy was spared a more devastating blow because the earthquake hit far from its industrial heartland.
Japanese officials on Saturday issued broad evacuation orders for people living in the vicinity of two separate nuclear power plants that had experienced breakdowns in their cooling systems as a result of the earthquake, and they warned that small amounts of radiation could leak from both plants. Japanese television reported that officials said they had detected cesium near one of the reactors at one of the plants, and The Associated Press quoted a nuclear safety official as saying a meltdown was possible at that reactor.
On Friday, at 2:46 p.m. Tokyo time, the quake struck. First came the roar and rumble of the temblor, shaking skyscrapers, toppling furniture and buckling highways. Then waves as high as 30 feet rushed onto shore, whisking away cars and carrying blazing buildings toward factories, fields and highways.
By Saturday morning, Japan was filled with scenes of desperation, as stranded survivors called for help and rescuers searched for people buried in the rubble. Kazushige Itabashi, an official in Natori City, one of the areas hit hardest by the tsunami, said several districts in an area near Sendai’s airport were annihilated.
Rescuers found 870 people in one elementary school on Saturday morning and were trying to reach 1,200 people in the junior high school, closer to the water. There was no electricity and no water for people in shelters. According to a newspaper, the Mainichi Shimbun, about 600 people were on the roof of a public grade school, in Sendai City. By Saturday morning, Japan’s Self-Defense Forces and firefighters had evacuated about 150 of them.
On the rooftop of Chuo Hospital in the city of Iwanuma, doctors and nurses were waving white flags and pink umbrellas, according to TV Asahi. On the floor of the roof, they wrote “Help” in English, and “Food” in Japanese. The reporter, observing the scene from a helicopter, said, “If anyone in the City Hall office is watching, please help them.”
The station also showed scenes of people stranded on a bridge, cut off by water on both sides near the mouth of the Abukuma River in Miyagi Prefecture.
People were frantically searching for their relatives. Fumiaki Yamato, 70, was in his second home in a mountain village outside of Sendai when the earthquake struck. He spoke from his car as he was driving toward Sendai trying to find the rest of his family. While it usually takes about an hour to drive to the city, parts of the road were impassable. “I’m getting worried,” he said as he pulled over to take a reporter’s call. “I don’t know how many hours it’s going to take.”
Japanese, accustomed to frequent earthquakes, were stunned by this one’s magnitude and the more than 100 aftershocks, many equivalent to major quakes.
Thousands of homes were destroyed, many roads were impassable, trains and buses were not running, and power and cellphones remained down. On Saturday morning, the JR rail company said that there were three trains missing in parts of two northern prefectures.
While the loss of life and property may yet be considerable, many lives were certainly saved by Japan’s extensive disaster preparedness and strict construction codes. Japan’s economy was spared a more devastating blow because the earthquake hit far from its industrial heartland.
Japanese officials on Saturday issued broad evacuation orders for people living in the vicinity of two separate nuclear power plants that had experienced breakdowns in their cooling systems as a result of the earthquake, and they warned that small amounts of radiation could leak from both plants. Japanese television reported that officials said they had detected cesium near one of the reactors at one of the plants, and The Associated Press quoted a nuclear safety official as saying a meltdown was possible at that reactor.
On Friday, at 2:46 p.m. Tokyo time, the quake struck. First came the roar and rumble of the temblor, shaking skyscrapers, toppling furniture and buckling highways. Then waves as high as 30 feet rushed onto shore, whisking away cars and carrying blazing buildings toward factories, fields and highways.
By Saturday morning, Japan was filled with scenes of desperation, as stranded survivors called for help and rescuers searched for people buried in the rubble. Kazushige Itabashi, an official in Natori City, one of the areas hit hardest by the tsunami, said several districts in an area near Sendai’s airport were annihilated.
Rescuers found 870 people in one elementary school on Saturday morning and were trying to reach 1,200 people in the junior high school, closer to the water. There was no electricity and no water for people in shelters. According to a newspaper, the Mainichi Shimbun, about 600 people were on the roof of a public grade school, in Sendai City. By Saturday morning, Japan’s Self-Defense Forces and firefighters had evacuated about 150 of them.
On the rooftop of Chuo Hospital in the city of Iwanuma, doctors and nurses were waving white flags and pink umbrellas, according to TV Asahi. On the floor of the roof, they wrote “Help” in English, and “Food” in Japanese. The reporter, observing the scene from a helicopter, said, “If anyone in the City Hall office is watching, please help them.”
The station also showed scenes of people stranded on a bridge, cut off by water on both sides near the mouth of the Abukuma River in Miyagi Prefecture.
People were frantically searching for their relatives. Fumiaki Yamato, 70, was in his second home in a mountain village outside of Sendai when the earthquake struck. He spoke from his car as he was driving toward Sendai trying to find the rest of his family. While it usually takes about an hour to drive to the city, parts of the road were impassable. “I’m getting worried,” he said as he pulled over to take a reporter’s call. “I don’t know how many hours it’s going to take.”
Japanese, accustomed to frequent earthquakes, were stunned by this one’s magnitude and the more than 100 aftershocks, many equivalent to major quakes.
ICC World Cup 2011
| Date | Local | GMT | IST | Match Details | Venue |
| Feb 19, 2011 | 14:30 | 08:30 | 14:00 | Group B : Bangladesh vs India, 1st ODI  - | Mirpur |
| Feb 20, 2011 | 09:30 | 04:00 | 09:30 | Group A : New Zealand vs Kenya, 2nd ODI - | Chennai |
| Feb 20, 2011 | 14:30 | 09:00 | 14:30 | Group A : Sri Lanka vs Canada, 3rd ODI - | Hambantota |
| Feb 21, 2011 | 14:30 | 09:00 | 14:30 | Group A : Australia vs Zimbabwe, 4th ODI - | Ahmedabad |
| Feb 22, 2011 | 14:30 | 09:00 | 14:30 | Group B : England vs Netherlands, 5th ODI - | Nagpur |
| Feb 23, 2011 | 14:30 | 09:00 | 14:30 | Group A : Pakistan vs Kenya, 6th ODI - | Hambantota |
| Feb 24, 2011 | 14:30 | 09:00 | 14:30 | Group B : South Africa vs West Indies, 7th ODI - | Delhi |
| Feb 25, 2011 | 09:30 | 04:00 | 09:30 | Group A : Australia vs New Zealand, 8th ODI - | Nagpur |
| Feb 25, 2011 | 14:30 | 09:00 | 14:30 | Group B : Bangladesh vs Ireland, 9th ODI - | Mirpur |
| Feb 26, 2011 | 14:30 | 09:00 | 14:30 | Group A : Pakistan vs Sri Lanka, 10th ODI - | Colombo |
| Feb 27, 2011 | 14:30 | 09:00 | 14:30 | Group B : India vs England, 11th ODI - | Bangalore |
| Feb 28, 2011 | 09:30 | 04:00 | 09:30 | Group A : Canada vs Zimbabwe, 12th ODI - | Nagpur |
| Feb 28, 2011 | 14:30 | 09:00 | 14:30 | Group B : West Indies vs Netherlands, 13th ODI - | Delhi |
| Mar 1, 2011 | 14:30 | 09:00 | 14:30 | Group A : Sri Lanka vs Kenya, 14th ODI - | Colombo |
| Mar 2, 2011 | 14:30 | 09:00 | 14:30 | Group B : England vs Ireland, 15th ODI - | Bangalore |
| Mar 3, 2011 | 09:30 | 04:00 | 09:30 | Group B : South Africa vs Netherlands, 16th ODI - | Mohali |
| Mar 3, 2011 | 14:30 | 09:00 | 14:30 | Group A : Pakistan vs Canada, 17th ODI - | Colombo |
| Mar 4, 2011 | 09:30 | 04:00 | 09:30 | Group A : New Zealand vs Zimbabwe, 18th ODI - | Ahmedabad |
| Mar 4, 2011 | 14:30 | 08:30 | 14:00 | Group B : Bangladesh vs West Indies, 19th ODI - | Mirpur |
| Mar 5, 2011 | 14:30 | 09:00 | 14:30 | Group A : Australia vs Sri Lanka, 20th ODI - | Colombo |
| Mar 6, 2011 | 09:30 | 04:00 | 09:30 | Group B : South Africa vs England, 21st ODI - | Chennai |
| Mar 6, 2011 | 14:30 | 09:00 | 14:30 | Group B : India vs Ireland, 22nd ODI - | Bangalore |
| Mar 7, 2011 | 14:30 | 09:00 | 14:30 | Group A : Canada vs Kenya, 23rd ODI - | Delhi |
| Mar 8, 2011 | 14:30 | 09:00 | 14:30 | Group A : Pakistan vs New Zealand, 24th ODI - | Kandy |
| Mar 9, 2011 | 14:30 | 09:00 | 14:30 | Group B : India vs Netherlands, 25th ODI - | Delhi |
| Mar 10, 2011 | 14:30 | 09:00 | 14:30 | Group A : Sri Lanka vs Zimbabwe, 26th ODI - | Kandy |
| Mar 11, 2011 | 09:30 | 04:00 | 09:30 | Group B : West Indies vs Ireland, 27th ODI - | Mohali |
| Mar 11, 2011 | 14:30 | 08:30 | 14:00 | Group B : Bangladesh vs England, 28th ODI - | Chittagong |
| Mar 12, 2011 | 14:30 | 09:00 | 14:30 | Group B : India vs South Africa, 29th ODI | Nagpur |
| Mar 13, 2011 | 09:30 | 04:00 | 09:30 | Group A : New Zealand vs Canada, 30th ODI | Mumbai |
| Mar 13, 2011 | 14:30 | 09:00 | 14:30 | Group A : Australia vs Kenya, 31st ODI | Bangalore |
| Mar 14, 2011 | 09:30 | 03:30 | 09:00 | Group B : Bangladesh vs Netherlands, 32nd ODI | Chittagong |
| Mar 14, 2011 | 14:30 | 09:00 | 14:30 | Group A : Pakistan vs Zimbabwe, 33rd ODI | Kandy |
| Mar 15, 2011 | 14:30 | 09:00 | 14:30 | Group B : South Africa vs Ireland, 34th ODI | Kolkata |
| Mar 16, 2011 | 14:30 | 09:00 | 14:30 | Group A : Australia vs Canada, 35th ODI | Bangalore |
| Mar 17, 2011 | 14:30 | 09:00 | 14:30 | Group B : England vs West Indies, 36th ODI | Chennai |
| Mar 18, 2011 | 09:30 | 04:00 | 09:30 | Group A : Ireland vs Netherlands, 37th ODI | Kolkata |
| Mar 18, 2011 | 14:30 | 09:00 | 14:30 | Group A : Sri Lanka vs New Zealand, 38th ODI | Mumbai |
| Mar 19, 2011 | 09:30 | 03:30 | 09:00 | Group B : Bangladesh vs South Africa, 39th ODI | Mirpur |
| Mar 19, 2011 | 14:30 | 09:00 | 14:30 | Group A : Pakistan vs Australia, 40th ODI | Colombo |
| Mar 20, 2011 | 09:30 | 04:00 | 09:30 | Group A : Zimbabwe vs Kenya, 41st ODI | Kolkata |
| Mar 20, 2011 | 14:30 | 09:00 | 14:30 | Group B : India vs West Indies, 42nd ODI | Chennai |
| Mar 23, 2011 | 14:30 | 08:30 | 14:00 | TBC vs TBC, 1st Quarter Final ODI | Mirpur |
| Mar 24, 2011 | 14:30 | 09:00 | 14:30 | TBC vs TBC, 2nd Quarter Final ODI | Ahmedabad |
| Mar 25, 2011 | 14:30 | 08:30 | 14:00 | TBC vs TBC, 3rd Quarter Final ODI | Mirpur |
| Mar 26, 2011 | 14:30 | 09:00 | 14:30 | TBC vs TBC, 4th Quarter Final ODI | Colombo |
| Mar 29, 2011 | 14:30 | 09:00 | 14:30 | TBC vs TBC, 1st Semi Final ODI | Colombo |
| Mar 30, 2011 | 14:30 | 09:00 | 14:30 | TBC vs TBC, 2nd Semi Final ODI | Mohali |
| Apr 2, 2011 | 14:30 | 09:00 | 14:30 | TBC vs TBC, The Final ODI | Mumbai |
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