megabugs: Most finest Wines in the World

megabugs: Most finest Wines in the World: "Robert M. Parker, Jr., earned his international reputation and unprecedented influence as a dedicated consumer advocate -- if a wine isn't ..."

Most finest Wines in the World

Robert M. Parker, Jr., earned his international reputation and unprecedented influence as a dedicated consumer advocate -- if a wine isn't worth the money, he says so, regardless of the wine's pedigree. In Parker's Wine Bargains, for the first time he and his Wine Advocate team offer budget-minded wine buyers a handy guide to low-priced wines for both everyday drinking and special occasions.

Organized by country, the book lists more than 1,500 quality wine producers, as well as abbreviated tasting notes for more than 3,000 of the best value wines. Chapters include an overview of each country's wine-producing regions, highlight up-and-coming or underappreciated regions, and detail when wines can be consumed. Also featuring a vintage guide and lists such as "the best of the best," Parker's Wine Bargains is an accessible guide from the expert the New York Times deems "the critic who matters most."

Most Expensive Wines in the World

The word wine has its root from the ancient Greek word for vines, vinos. Grapevines produces lush grapes which are then fermented to create the popular yet sophisticated alcoholic drink we know as wine. In many areas, the English word wine and its synonyms in different languages are protected by law, as other beverages similar to wine can be produced from fruits, rice, flowers and honey.

At the highest end, rare, super-expensive wines are often the costliest item on the menu, and exceptional vintages from the best vineyards may sell for thousands of dollars per bottle. Expensive red wines with their complex subtleties are traditionally more costly than other expensive wines.

Here are the most expensive wines in the world.

1992 Screaming Eagle
around $80,000

At Auction Napa Valley 2008, a charity event, a lot of six magnums of Screaming Eagle were sold for $500,000. In addition to the wine, the lot included a dinner at the winery. The lucky purchaser was Chase Bailey, an executive at Cisco Systems.

1945 Chateau Mouton-Rothschild Jeroboam
$114,614

Sold to an anonymous buyer at a Christie’s auction in 1997, this bottle comes from what is considered by wine enthusiasts to be one of the finest vintages of the 20th century.

“Th.J” 1787 Chateau Lafitte
$160,000

A bottle of 1787 Chateau Lafitte which sold at Christie’s London in December of 1985, this wine was originally reported to be from the cellar of Thomas Jefferson, the former US President, and this most expensive bottle of wine had the initials Th.J etched into the glass bottle. It made its way into the hands of American tycoon Bill Koch, who became suspicious of the origins of the four bottles he had purchased. Eventually, he instigated the investigation that debunked the supposed origin of what was, at the time of purchase, the most expensive wine in the world.

Shipwrecked 1907 Heidsieck
$275,000

These hundred year old bottles of Champagne from the Heidsieck vineyard in Champagne took over eighty years to reach their destination. Shipped to the Russian Imperial family in 1916, a shipwreck off the coast of Finland caused this champagne to be lost at sea until divers discovered over 200 bottles in 1997. Now they’re finally being sold—to wealthy guests at the Ritz-Carlton hotel in Moscow, at least. Of course, the wine’s extraordinary tale and incredible age are what makes it the world’s most expensive wine.

megabugs: TIMES CAMPAIGN: ACT AGAINST CORRUPTION Join campai...

megabugs: TIMES CAMPAIGN: ACT AGAINST CORRUPTION
Join campai...: "TIMES CAMPAIGN: ACT AGAINST CORRUPTION Join campaign for a strong Lokpal law to make India corruption-free The people of India are sick ..."

TIMES CAMPAIGN: ACT AGAINST CORRUPTION

Join campaign for a strong Lokpal law to make India corruption-free

The people of India are sick of corruption. Anna Hazare's Jantar Mantar fast, which got overwhleming public support, has not gone in vain. The latest government version of the proposed Lokpal Bill is certainly an improvement over the anemic bill drafted by the law ministry in December 2010, but the governemt is still not ready to go the whole hog. It wants to retain certain controls. This, unfortunately, may provide escape routes to the corrupt.

Hello DK Bose

I often wonder which idiot first defined porn. All our problems began right there. Pornography is what revolts the senses, raises your hackles, disrupts your sense of morality, enrages you. Right? In short, porn is vulgar, obscene, obnoxious. It corrupts society. That's why we, as a supposedly morally upright and respectable society, not only reject it but also want it outlawed. But that's exactly where the problem begins.

Anything outlawed is a Godsend for that business. It is the outlawing of porn that makes it one of the world's biggest industries, estimated at $60 billion a year. Porn revenue is larger that the combined incomes from pro soccer, baseball, basketball and cricket. But unlike other outlawed businesses (like drugs) porn flourishes because Governments react to it differently. It's a bit like gambling. Many nations encourage it because it grows tourism in their country and the locals are indifferent to it. It's exactly the way our Government reacts to tobacco. Smoking is banned everywhere but tobacco companies can run and prosper, so that the Government can earn taxes, knowing fully well it is blood money.  

The man ranked No 1 in the world's biggest porn producing nation is Larry Flynt. He is 70, diagnosed with bipolar disorder, lives on a wheelchair but is a fascinating symbol of both popular outrage as well as great admiration. A white racist sniper shot him outside a courtroom in 1978 for an inter-racial sexy photo shoot in his magazine Hustler, leaving him paralyzed waist downwards at 36. But that hasn't stopped him from pitching for President as a Republican candidate even though he is a Democrat and supports activists against the Iraq war, backs gay rights. The iconic movie, The People vs Larry Flynt, directed by Milos Forman and co-produced by Oliver Stone, captures the charming dichotomy every society faces towards porn. It's the same here: Hypocrisy versus consumer choice.

That's why it delights me to see change. While Muthalik and his goons beat up young girls in Bangalore for wearing short skirts and drinking in pubs and Maharashtra bans waitresses in bars from working after 9, it's interesting to see Dev D, Shaitan and Delhi Belly get past the censors without a cut. When I first watched DK Bose on TV, I thought Aamir got a lucky break. I had crucial scenes from Jhankaar Beats, Chameli, Kaante, Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi brutally censored for far less. But when I saw Delhi Belly, I figured things are actually changing. The fact that our censors have passed the film without a cut while in Pakistan, censors have refused to even consider it with cuts speaks volumes for how different our societies have become. One is opening up while the other is pulling down the shutters.

The fight against porn is led by all kinds of strange, fringe groups who claim to represent the moral majority. They urge the State to see porn as a socially reprehensible crime. What they don't recognise is that it's just another simple consumer choice. No Government has the talent or the machinery to assess what is porn, what is not. That is why Lady Chatterley's Lover and The Tropic of Cancer remain on our banned list even though they are great literary classics. Why should we stop some stupid young boys from reading Playboy magazine if they want to? Or some dirty old men from watching porn flicks on DTH if they are ready to pay for it? It's just another inane buy. And, trust me, it's not half as bad as choosing between B&H and Camel. 6 million people don't die every year, watching porn. They die smoking. Research shows porn does not provoke, as is often claimed, crimes against women. Instead, it keeps sickos at home, jerking off in the privacy of their own bedrooms, not cruising the streets looking for victims.

However, since the battle against porn is a battle against obscenity, we must all join it to fight against those who allow millions of tonnes of foodgrains to rot while millions of Indians starve. We must fight against the vulgar levels of corruption every Indian has to wage battle against every day. That is real porn. Porn is the way we kill thousands of unborn girl children. Porn is the vulgar statistics of thousands killed in police custody. Porn is the way we allow khaps to murder young lovers just because their parents disapprove. Porn is the way pretty young brides are set on fire because they don't bring enough dowry with them. Porn is the way people languish in jails for decades because their case files are lost. Porn is when farmers commit suicide because they can't feed their families. Porn is when 90 per cent of State spend on the rural poor is intercepted and stolen by netas and babus. Yes, let's fight porn. But let's not shadow box with petty issues. Instead, let's fight the really obscene crimes. We are a grown up nation now. 64 at last count.

Why Team India is not a truly champion side

India is world's no 1 Test side. But are we really a champion team? Being a champion isn't only about winning games and rustling up a certain number of points on the ICC score sheet. Being a champion is also a state of mind, a way of approaching the game. That's exactly what you saw in Clive Lloyd's side or Ricky Ponting's Australia.

Sadly, MS Dhoni's men looked far from being a champion side at Windsor Park, Dominica.

I admit the pitch wasn't the easiest to force pace. But Dhoni and company lacked genuine intent in winning the game. The chase was only half-serious. I really don't understand why we called it a day with 15 overs remaining and with 86 runs to score. We should have tried till the very end. That is what really separates a champion team from the
rest: the desire to win every game till the very end.

Not one single batsman had a higher strike rate than 60. Admittedly, the Windies bowled a negative line towards the end but we did not respond with creativity. The attitude seemed to be: Chalta hai, after all, we have already won the series 1-0. That's sad.

We are not true champions for another reason too. We whine whenever anything goes wrong against us. And we are not averse to using our financial and administrative muscle to get our way. This way we will never win the respect of the opposition. By the way, we got a couple of major umpiring decisions in our favour in the third Test. Nobody seemed to have any complaints about that.

Now a far sterner test awaits us against England. The Englishmen are masters of the longest version of the game. They have got a great batting line-up (as good as ours) and a superb pack of bowlers (better than ours). If they field well, and the umpires don't make mistakes in our favour, they should win the series.

I am betting on Sehwag though for some high-quality entertainment. I am hoping Sachin will get his 100th first-class ton in a Test match. And I am hoping, we won't start complaining about umpiring decisions, if they go against us.

Caribbean report of the Indian Test team:

1. Murali Vijay: 2 out of 10: Was like a fish out of water throughout the tour. Gets two points for his last knock

2. Abhinav Mukund:  5 out of 10: Showed grit unlike his statemate and opening partner

3. Rahul Dravid: 7.5: Played the classiest innings by an Indian batsman in the series

4. VVS Laxman: 7: Didn't do anything worthwhile in the first Test that India won but found form in the matches thereafter

5. Virat Kohli: 3: Looked out of league against the rising ball in the first Test. Marginally improved in the second and third Tests. Needs to go back to the learning school

6. Suresh Raina: 8.5: Nobody seems to have noticed that he is India's most consistent batsman in the series. Has really established himself as the team's no 6 for the England series. Got important wickets too as a change bowler.

7. MS Dhoni: 7: Complained against the umpiring. That was so unlike Dhoni. Batted poorly in the first two tests too. However, marshalled his limited resources admirably. Was superb behind the stumps. And topscored in the first innings of the third test with 74

8. Harbhajan Singh: 7 out of 10: For a few seasons, he was a great bowler. Now he seems to have become a batting all-rounder. Scored an aggressive 70 to change the course of the first Test. Bowled without much bite in the first two tests. Was marginally better in the third

9. Amit Mishra: 8: Unlucky to be dropped after claiming four wickets and scoring a match-winning 28 (56-run partnership with Dravid) in the first Test

10. Pravin Kumar: 7.5: Was India's match-winning bowler in the first Test. Also displayed good pinch-hitting skills

11. Ishant Sharma: 8.5: Player of the series

12. Munaf Patel: 6.5: Has raised his pace and overall game. But needs to be more penetrative

13. Abhimanyu Mithun: 5.5: Bowled his heart out

c++ intresting text

By console I mean the basic default DOS-y realm-of-"Hello World!" console!
What could mean "Best": Funnest? Most interesting? Most educational? Most complex? Etc...
Any of those choices, and they can be directed at the code or coding process, not just the run-time program or game-play. The game could be boring yet it's code may provide something interesting to see. Perhaps it's not the game or the specific code that's educational, but that your choice's code shows a viewpoint or technique that you'd recommend others to recreate in their own way; to experience the design/coding/debugging/etc processes and experience something beneficial. Perhaps the coding contains lessons that teach easier or more efficient ways to program, or perhaps they are advanced or purposely difficult programming methods that are meant as a challenge or puzzle-solving process(a good exercise for not only problem solving and logic, but also for the situation of modifying/fixing of someone else's overly-complex or hard-to-read code).

Basically..
What is the most interesting C++ game you've seen that utilized only the default console window?
I would imagine a text-adventure could get very far perhaps, but I have a feeling there have been or "can" be some pretty cool programs made within it's limitations.
Mention even a basic summary of a program you've seen(or made yourself, or what you'd imagine could be possible), or if you have/know where the code/program is for it then I know at least I would check it out.

This simple request that would benefit from even your smallest input which can and will spark ideas and creativity from both sides of the C++/programming proficiency spectrum. Experts may ponder the idea and decide to give themselves a challenge of making something fun, educational, or interesting within those limitations. Then, may share their work which can be picked apart and analyzed for many to learn from. I notice Beginners(including me) have trouble thinking of specific programs to write that will improve their coding. Beginners can see what is possible within their deceivingly plain textual interface, and this can motivate and inspire them. They too may want to join in on the self-challenge within their skills and knowledge.

So, yeah... *prepares brain for information absorption*


from"

AT&T Labs Research — Leading Invention, Driving Innovation"

The auto and rickshaws in india....

Top 5 DON'Ts when you're taking an auto:

1. Wear shades- they automatically expect you to be rich and have oodles of money flowing out of your ears. It's why you're wearing shades and it's why you're going to donate some of that overflowing cash to the auto guy. He deserves it more than you, dummy.

2. Speak in a language other than the regional language: Don't you know, you pay extra just because you don't speak in the regional language? I mean, commmmmon, learn the language already- how hard can it be- it's just a whole new language.

3. Wear western clothes: Are you Indian or are you not? Then what's to ask? Wear Indian clothes- dhoti, sari-blouse etc. Otherwise, the very wise Mr. Auto Guy will assume you're opulent and take all your money from you. Because if he's not rich, no one else is allowed to be, okay? (if only someone would tell him that the rich don't take autos- they have enough cars/private helicopters. Only us middle class people do- we just like to dress nicely/ how we like).

4. Ask him to stop anywhere other than a main road: He goes only where HE wants to go. You're not paying him, he's doing YOU a favour. So don't you go and ask him to take a right into the galli you live in. That's just too much to ask from him- he has to draw the line somewhere you know.

5. Ask him to put on this auto meter: How dare you ask! It's only there for show. Believe it.