Tata's Nano

Tata calls it the 'People's Car'.

Given the modest price tag -- Rs 100,000 -- and an ambitious roll-out scheme, the Nano could very well become a true car for the common man, ubiquitous on Indian roads and part of the nation's identity.

In that sense, the Nano is just the latest in a long line of affordable, mass-produced automobiles to lay claim to the 'People's Car' title.

One hundred years ago, when Henry Ford launched his Model T in 1908, he is famously said to have declared: "I will build a car for the great multitude. It will be large enough for the family, but small enough for the individual to run and care for. It will be constructed of the best materials, by the best men to be hired, after the simplest designs that modern engineering can devise. But it will be low in price that no man making a good salary will be unable to own one - and enjoy with his family the blessing of hours of pleasure in God's great open spaces."

At roughly half the price of its competitors, the Model T empowered an entire generation of working-class families to buy vehicles, and is still referred to colloquially as the car that 'put America on wheels'. In the 1930s, in Germany, the Volkswagen (which in German literally means 'People's Car'), became a source of national pride, symbolic of the Third Reich's hyper-patriotism and rush for modernity.

These two iconic automobiles, along with many other 'economy' models released over the past century, have worked to revolutionise the auto industry, by encouraging greater and greater segments of the population to become car owners.

A volcano erupts

Scientists sailed Thursday to inspect an undersea volcano that has been erupting for days near Tonga — shooting smoke, steam and ash thousands of feet (meters) into the sky above the South Pacific ocean.

Authorities said Thursday the eruption does not pose any danger to islanders at this stage, and there have been no reports of fish or other animals being affected.

Spectacular columns are spewing out of the sea about 6 miles (10 kilometers) from the southwest coast off the main island of Tongatapu — an area where up to 36 undersea volcanoes are clustered, geologists said.

Trade winds continued to blow gas and steam away from the island Thursday.

Beautiful Scenes

Are boys becoming weaker !

Considering the present situation where the girls are succeeding in every field & wining hands on in every competition leaving the boys far behind, the thought certainly comes to mind " Have the boys become weaker than the girls".

By weaker, I dont mean physically, I mean mentally. Is it just possible that this has happened. Let us for a moment consider this as true, then how has this happened?

The phenomenon starts from the very first day at school. The boys are taught by ladies teachers who do not understand their psychology. The teachers are not wrong, but who is to tell them that boys are by nature boisterous & girls are quiet. This nature of the boys is being stopped at a very young age. Let these kids make a little noise for gods sake. Dont compare them with the quiet girls.

As the boys become older this comparison continuous. At every step they are compared with their girl classmates by their teachers parents, teachers or other elders which again affects them psychologically.Nature has made the two sexes different , so why do we want to mould one like the other.

Dont get me wrong, I am not against the ladies coming up in life. On the contrary their progress is very much needed for the progress of the society. But at what costs? Do we want to become a society with weak men who are unable to take decisions? The day will not be far mind you if this continues.

DONT COMPARE THE BOYS AND GIRLS> THEY AR BY NATURE DIFFERENT, PHYSICALLY & MENTALLY.

More Battered Cricketers

Sri Lankan cricketer Tharanga Paranavitana is carried on a stretcher as he is being taken inside a local hospital in Lahore after a dozen gunmen attacked their bus near the Gadaffi stadium on Tuesday.

Paranavitana, who opened the batting for Sri Lanka in the second Test, had a shrapnel wound to his chest and was out of danger.

Battered Cricketers!

The most seriously injured player was Thilan Samaraweera, who was shot in the leg. Doctors will decide on Wednesday whether to try to remove the bullet.

Sri Lankan spinner Ajantha Mendis, who was injured during the attack by gunmen in Lahore on Tuesday, arrives at the Colombo airport early on Wednesday morning.

Cricket tour called off!

The Lahore second Test between Sri Lanka and hosts Pakistan has been called off after a gun attack on the touring team bus injuring players, a Sri Lankan cricket board official said.

"We are trying to bring the team back as quickly as possible. The Test match has been cancelled," the official said on Tuesday.

Six members of Sri Lanka's cricket team were wounded in a shooting attack in Pakistan on Tuesday, and two including an assistant coach were still being treated in hospital, Sri Lanka's sports minister said.

"Six members were injured including assistant coach Paul Farbrace. Four have been treated at hospital, and Thilan Samaraweera and the assistant coach are still being treated," Sports Minister Gamini Lokuge said.

Their injuries are not serious and the other players are safe at their hotel, he added.

Cricket Team attacked

Gunmen killed at least four people in an attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team's bus on Tuesday as it drove to the Gadaffi stadium in Lahore. Four players received minor injuries in the attack -- Kumar Sangakkara, Ajantha Mendis , Thilan Samaraweera and Tharanga Paranavithana.

Pakistan television channels said four people were killed. Two police commandos were killed along with a regular policeman and a traffic warden. The two police commandos had been driving behind the team bus when they were hit.

Pakistan had invited the Sri Lanka team to tour after India's team pulled out with security concerns following the militant attacks on the Indian city of Mumbai in November.

The incident took place when the Sri Lankan team was attacked by around 10 armed gunmen near the Liberty Chowk which is close to the stadium.

One explosion was also heard at the stadium.

The attackers later escaped in separate groups.

The liaison officer of the Pakistan team said players of the host nation have been sent back to the hotel.

"The Sri Lankan players are presently safe at the Gaddafi stadium and they are getting treatment," one PCB official told PTI.

Sources also claimed that the police had received a threat on Monday that the Sri Lankan team would be attacked so a different route was used to transport the team to the stadium.

"The firing took place from at least four sides and continued for some minutes," one police official said.

"There were 12 masked gunmen," Lahore police chief Habib-ur Rehman told reporters, adding that police battled against the assailants for about 25 minutes.

"They appeared to be well-trained terrorists. They came on rickshaws. They were armed with rockets, hand grenades, Kalashnikovs," he said.

Television channels aired footage of at least two of the gunmen, one of them wearing shalwar kameez and other jeans and a jacket. Both were armed with assault rifles and carrying backpacks.

Police cordoned off the area immediately after the attack and launched a search for the gunmen. The driver of the cricket team's bus drove away from the spot immediately after the firing started.

"We are assessing the situation," Pakistan Cricket Board chief Ejaz Butt said.

"Five policemen who were providing protection to the team sacrificed their lives," he added.