Nuwan Online - Nuwan Weerasinghe’s Web Log

For couple of weeks now i am experiencing this problem from time to time. Loging into Gmail fails with a pop up saying ‘Operation Aborted’. I’m using IE 7.0.5730.11 version on Windows XP SP 2.

I cleared the cache twice and the problem still persists. This link suggests that its an IE issue.

For the time being the only fix available is to access the older version of gmail.

Social Networking sites such as Facebook, Myspace and Bebo has experienced exponential growths recently. Many including me is a member of some social networking tool. For me this is very humane indeed as we ‘Homo Sapiens’ are extremely social creatures. We love to talk - chat   and engage with each other.

How many times have we felt like sharing our emotions, feelings with others. Social Networking just took these humane behavior to a next level with the help of technology.

Things have taken a new twist when we publish highly personal information on these places. Court cases are using these entries as evidence in cases now. So, just about posting anything on a social networkinig site could be disaster in disguise.

See this for more.

2007 was promising with lot of things happening. I joined Zone at the Very beginning of 2007 and was able to buy my first car in August. Was also stationed in Canada in June just a week after my B’Day for three weeks. Three things which i would remember for some time. Also there were many dissapointments, but all in all I found to live through all these and still continue.

2008 is going to be the deciding year. The take it or break it year. Career wise i look forward to build up certain skills to be more competitive and it would be a high priority. I would’nt comment on my personal life as things are not quite sorted out as yet. 2008 should be a year where I’ll rediscover myself!

Life is a journey, Its not a destination!

I think I am melting down a bit now after a couple of quite hectic weeks. While working, i have this habit of suddenly wondering around the net. So if i remember correctly I have been to these places mostly in that order.

1. del.icio.us

2. Facebook

3. Twitter

It has become like switching TV channels now! From one to the other.

I finally got some time to write here on my visit to Canada on the 25th of June. I’m here on  an official visit and will be returning to      Sri lanka in Mid July. I’m staying in a city called Waterloo which is a 1hr drive from the Toronto International airport. Waterloo is a City of slightly over one hundred thousand population and is a buzzling city with indudtry, agriculture and shopping.

People here are quite hospitable and warm and are extremely cosmopolitan. French is widely spoken. On weekdays, very few are found on streets or shopping areas, but on weekends things change. This is the beginning of the Canadian Summer and people are simply enjoying the bright sun shine. Outdoor temperatures are still less than 20 degrees celcius.

We are staying at St. jacobs Country Inn which is conveniently placed for everything. The Hotel itself is nice and compact and we were lucky to meet a Sri Lanka Lady (Her name is ‘Gale’)who happens to be from Colombo working at the Hotel. Nice to here someone speak sinhalese so far away from Sri lanka after all. I noticed her on my very first day to the dining area of the hotel since she looked Asian.

Today, she simply came to us and asked "From which country we are from" and when we said we are Sri Lankans she said ‘Mamath Lankawe’ and inquired about our food, since she realised that we are not used to typical Canadian breakfast. She still says proudly that she still prepares ‘Pol Sambol and Bath’ at her home in Canada.

One thing i noticed!…….words like ‘Thank You’, ‘Excuse me’, ‘I’m Sorry’, ‘Good Morning’ etc are in abundance here….and that certainly speaks volumes of the ‘Canadians’. They are celebrating kind of an Independance called Canada Day on the 1st of July. People are getting ready for Celebrations. ‘Happy Canada Day’ !

These days I’m reading The Google Story. This is yet another story of Youthfull courage and determination of two bright young people who set out to change the world. A company worth 150 billion US$ created in less than a decade is nothing short of a spectacular achievement.

In doing so, they were able to outsmart some of the biggest players in computing including Microsoft and Yahoo.

Sergey and Larry shows that you should go all out to achieve dreams. I mean ‘All Out’…….

By the way…………….My Homepage is Google and it was since i started my career almost 4 years back. How frequently do we ‘google’ in search of a bug or a piece of code? How many ebooks we searched for? Its hard to think developing software these days if not for super fast search. Also Google News is essential for me and I love the Google Analytics, which shows how this blog is being accessed.

All in all this book is quite an interesting read…..just like the googleplex…………………………

Quite honestly speaking, I’m very bad with knots and manage my Shoelace knot with some trouble as well. Also unlike those who have been ‘Scouts’ durinig school time, I know only one or two knots. So this is a place for like minded people to know better how to tie something better next time.

For me, the most illfated decision made by Hitler during the Second world war was Operation Barbarossa or the invasion of Soviet Russia. Simple maths will prove that it takes virtually millions of soldiers to invade Russia due to her sheer size. But Hiltler went ahead with his plans and the rest is history.

The Gernman attempt to capture the city of Stalingrad is a bit of history itself as hundreds and thousands of both Germans and Russians lost their lives. A briliant movie on a Russian Snipper "Enemy at the Gates" is based on this Stalingrad siege.

But this is not the story…………..

Russian Leader Joseph Stalin had a Son serving in the Red Army at that Time ‘Jakov Djugahvili‘ who was a Senior Lieutenant. He was caught by the Germans during battle.

German Field Marshal Paulus who surrendered to the Red Army in the battle of Stalingrad was in the custody of the Russians. Hiltler suggested a prisoner exchange, Jakov for Paulus. Afterall its Joseph Stalin’s (Russian Leader) Son for a German Field Marshal.

Stalin’s reply for this proposal was………..

"A marshal would not be exchanged for  lieutenant"

This blog post certainly brought a smile to my face. Its well written!

For me the best part is about the one regarding the Chineese government

Its interesting how the role of a leader is seen in different corners. Let it be Politics, Sports or even Terrorism, I think that those who are called as leaders are not born, but are made into a leader. Birth might help such as if you are born into a royal family, you automatically inherit the throne. But this does not make you a Good Leader.

In Cricket (Since its the World Cup these days), lot of Indians in particular has to say a lot about their Cricket Captain. But I believe that its not just the individual but the process which drills a Leader into a Good Leader. Either this process is through Learning or sheer Hands on Experience with the job.

Also certain leaders emerge with time. Churchil was the one for England during the TIME of Second World war.Li Quan Yu was the one for Singapore, and Arjuna Ranatunga was the one during the 1996 World Cup for Sri Lanka.

So I dont beleive in these NATURAL Leaders……….you have to go with your Instincts, and more importantly stick to them when the going gets tough and be accountable as a good leader.