Saturday, March 31, 2012

Sunny Drivers and Sunny Tanks - Gaming Saturday




Hey all! I hope everybody is doing great! :)

This week seems to have been one of the awesome weeks after ages for my blog! :D Why?! O_O Well! I posted something everyday till yet! :D If I post something tomorrow too, it'd be great great great!! :D :D :D

Anyways, I wanted to share 2 small, nice, time-pass games with you all. These games are developed by the GameHitZone. The two games are :

  1. Sunny Drivers: Description as provided by the GameHitZone: Very funny 3D racing game with "Super Mario Kart"-like gameplay and cartoons style graphics. Finish first in each level to gain access to the next track and to unlock new cars!

    Screenshots:





    Requirements: CPU Pentium 1500 MHz or higher, 512MB RAM, Video 64MB or above

    CLICK HERE to download now - free, full, legal!
  2. Sunny Tanks: Description as provided by the GameHitZone: Funny 3D tank arcade game with strategy elements and cartoons style graphics. Make your tank squad and destroy the enemy squad. Remember the armour of the tanks is stronger on their front but weaker on their back. So shot the tanks in their back!

    Screenshots:






    CLICK HERE to download now - free, full, legal!

Friday, March 30, 2012

External Hard Disk Formatting Tips - Fromrum Friday




Hey everyone! I hope you all are doing great and my this post finds everyone in pink of their health! :D

External Hard Disks are one of the most popular computer accessories these days for increasing the computer storage. The main reason being, they are portable and thus one can move the data from one place to other. Popularly using USB as the connection mechanism, these drives have made their place in the market, and have solidified there position so good, that almost 90% of the professionals and enthusiast computer owners are today using this. I don't know how correct my last line is, but if I consider the people I know, then that line is 100% correct! Please donot consider this post to be a tutorial of how to format, I am just sharing some tips. If you guys need a procedure, kindly comment, I'll be happy to share. But since I think most of you know it, I didn't find it worthy to share.


External Hard Disks, though amazing, are always having issues to deal with, especially in case of those users who use them heavily, copying/moving tonnes of data all the time! If I talk about myself, I use external hard drives to store all of my photos and for my backups. External hard drives are great, but they must be formatted properly before you start filling them up with important information. Just yesterday I had format my drive since it's transfer rate had gone down at 1 MBps! O_O Anyways, I thought to discuss such issues and the simple way to format the External Hard Disk here at my blog. How the idea strike in my mind? I was searching the internet for some information related to RAM. Accidentally, I bumped into "popular" article section and saw an amazing CNET article, the link of which I have attached at the end.


Most external hard drives (HD) are sold in a format called NTFS, which is designed to work with Windows. Macs read and write to a different format, called HFS+. Another format, called FAT32 is compatible with both OS platforms. Here's a look at how the different HD format types function:

FAT32 (File Allocation Table)
- Natively read/write FAT32 on Windows and Mac OS X.
- Maximum file size: 4GB
- Maximum volume size: 2TB

NTFS (Windows NT File System)
- Natively read/write NTFS on Windows. - Read-only NTFS on Mac OS X
- Native NTFS support can be enabled in Snow Leopard and above but has proven instable.
- Maximum file size: 16 TB
- Maximum volume size: 256TB

HFS+ (Hierarchical File System, aka Mac OS Extended)
- Natively read/write HFS+ on Mac OS X
- Required for Time Machine
- Maximum file size: 8EiB
- Maximum volume size: 8EiB


So if we observe, FAT32(though I personally stopped using since the year 2006 or 2007! >_<), is the best option for cross-platform users. Though I recommend use of exFAT instead(the option is readily available in Windows 7 atleast). HFS+ seems to be the best! MAN JUST SEE THE FILE AND VOLUME SIZE IT SUPPORTS!! DAMN AWESOME!!! :D But alas! :/ it is supported only by the MacOSX. Anyways, we have some utilities available to get it read/write ready on the Windows too, but well, something that is meant for something else, you cannot be 100% relying on them :/ Though there are both open-source and commercial software available for this, I would recommend a commercial one, since it is more reliable. Example - HFSExplorer(open source), and MacDrive(Commercial Software). Similarly, NTFS is one of the most amazing, but well, won;t work on Mac :/ Though just like for HFS+ on Windows, we have software to run NTFS on Mac too, but as I said for HFS+ also, you cannot rely 100% on them.




Isn't FAT32 the obvious solution?


According to the list above, formatting your hard drive to FAT32 so that you can read and write on either OS seems like the obvious solution. The video and directions below will guide you through the process, but before you format your HD to FAT32, beware of these drawbacks:
  • FAT32 offers no security, unlike NTFS, which allows you to set permissions. If your HD gets into the wrong hands, that person will be able to access your data.
  • The max size for any given file stored on a FAT32-formatted HD is 4GB. So, for example, if you want to store a 9GB movie, it will be impossible.
  • In general, FAT32 drives are more susceptible to disk errors.
  • It's not a huge issue, but FAT32 is less efficient at storing files. Its large cluster sizes waste disk space, unlike the other HD storage formats.

For alternatives to FAT32 in such case, you can consider the before mentioned software to use NTFS on Mac or HFS+ on Windows. Though if you use only one platform(like I use Windows and Linux, not Mac, NTFS works best for me), then either one would be suitable for your need.


I can see I have not said much about the tips while formatting the external HD, but to be honest, I was to share only the above thing. but well, since I have said I will share tips(the above things were also tips damn it! >_<), I will say more about it, okay?

  • You can make partitions in your external drive to manage things, but be sure that each partition means eating away of a small, a very small chunk of your volume space.


  • You can consider using NTFS on Mac or HFS+ on Windows with the software mentioned before, but be cautious. Though commercial software are highly reliable, I would say if you work on just one platform, why go for such things?


  • Another tip I got is, if you are a cross platform worker, you can make 2 partitions. One for Windows(NTFS) and other for Mac(HFS+). how's that? ;)


  • Periodically backup, format, defragment your drive to maintain speed and reliability.


So that's all I had to say about it, and yes! I just saw that I have discussed disk-defragment in Windows XP, but not in Windows 7. So I will discuss it and also partition scanning in Windows 7 also, in detail with screenshots real soon. So stay tuned, Bhanu Gupta is kinda back with Tech Updates foe you all! ;)

Thanks for reading, good day!

Links you might like to check out:

CNET Article - The best ways to format an external drive for Windows and Mac

HFSExplorer - Read HFS+ system on Windows - OPEN SOURCE

MacDrive - Commercial Software to read/write HFS+ system on Windows

NTFS3G - Read NTFS on Mac(OPEN SOURCE)


Paragon NTFS(Commercial)

How to scan a partition

What is Disk Defragment

How to defragment disk

Thursday, March 29, 2012

Windows Shortcuts - Amazing ways to quicken up certian things! - Shortcuts Part 1


Hey all! I hope all my readers are doing great! :) I guess after a long time I see I have posted something on regular basis. I mean, something or other on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and now Thursday! :D I might post something tomorrow and on Saturday and even on Sunday maybe! LOL! A power week this may turn out to be! LOL! Who knows?! ah! let's cut out the crap and get to the business! LOL!

So as you guys know I am a subscriber of certain tech magazines, and today's post is actually inspired by one. In March issue of one such magazine there was a huge list of keyboard shortcuts for Windows, and many Windows apps, together with certain websites like Gmail, Google+ and Facebook.

Earlier I thought to share all the shortcuts, but now it rather seems cumbersome, you see! So I would be sharing them one by one. SO what am I doing is, sharing Windows Shortcuts today, and others I will share gradually. So go ahead, read this, or save the page, or find some useful shortcuts for yourself! :D


WINDOWS SHORTCUTS


Windows system key combinations

F1Help
CTRL+ESCOpen Start menu
ALT+TABSwitch between open programs
ALT+F4Quit program
SHIFT+DELETEDelete item permanently
Windows Logo+LLock the computer (without using CTRL+ALT+DELETE)

Windows program key combinations

CTRL+CCopy
CTRL+XCut
CTRL+VPaste
CTRL+ZUndo
CTRL+BBold
CTRL+UUnderline
CTRL+IItalic

Mouse click/keyboard modifier combinations for shell objects

SHIFT+right clickDisplays a shortcut menu containing alternative commands
SHIFT+double clickRuns the alternate default command (the second item on the menu)
ALT+double clickDisplays properties
SHIFT+DELETEDeletes an item immediately without placing it in the Recycle Bin

General keyboard-only commands

F1Starts Windows Help
F10Activates menu bar options
SHIFT+F10Opens a shortcut menu for the selected item (this is the same as right-clicking an object
CTRL+ESCOpens the Start menu (use the ARROW keys to select an item)
CTRL+ESC or ESCSelects the Start button (press TAB to select the taskbar, or press SHIFT+F10 for a context menu)
CTRL+SHIFT+ESCOpens Windows Task Manager
ALT+DOWN ARROWOpens a drop-down list box
ALT+TABSwitch to another running program (hold down the ALT key and then press the TAB key to view the task-switching window)
SHIFTPress and hold down the SHIFT key while you insert a CD-ROM to bypass the automatic-run feature
ALT+SPACEDisplays the main window's System menu (from the System menu, you can restore, move, resize, minimize, maximize, or close the window)
ALT+- (ALT+hyphen)Displays the Multiple Document Interface (MDI) child window's System menu (from the MDI child window's System menu, you can restore, move, resize, minimize, maximize, or close the child window)
CTRL+TABSwitch to the next child window of a Multiple Document Interface (MDI) program
ALT+underlined letter in menuOpens the menu
ALT+F4Closes the current window
CTRL+F4Closes the current Multiple Document Interface (MDI) window
ALT+F6Switch between multiple windows in the same program (for example, when the Notepad Find dialog box is displayed, ALT+F6 switches between the Find dialog box and the main Notepad window)

Shell objects and general folder/Windows Explorer shortcuts

F2Rename object
F3Find all files
CTRL+XCut
CTRL+CCopy
CTRL+VPaste
SHIFT+DELETEDelete selection immediately, without moving the item to the Recycle Bin
ALT+ENTEROpen the properties for the selected object

General folder/shortcut control

F4Selects the Go To A Different Folder box and moves down the entries in the box (if the toolbar is active in Windows Explorer)
F5Refreshes the current window.
F6Moves among panes in Windows Explorer
CTRL+GOpens the Go To Folder tool (in Windows 95 Windows Explorer only)
CTRL+ZUndo the last command
CTRL+ASelect all the items in the current window
BACKSPACESwitch to the parent folder
SHIFT+click+Close buttonFor folders, close the current folder plus all parent folders

Windows Explorer tree control

Numeric Keypad *Expands everything under the current selection
Numeric Keypad +Expands the current selection
Numeric Keypad -Collapses the current selection.
RIGHT ARROWExpands the current selection if it is not expanded, otherwise goes to the first child
LEFT ARROWCollapses the current selection if it is expanded, otherwise goes to the parent

Accessibility shortcuts

Press SHIFT five timesToggles StickyKeys on and off
Press down and hold the right SHIFT key for eight secondsToggles FilterKeys on and off
Press down and hold the NUM LOCK key for five secondsToggles ToggleKeys on and off
Left ALT+left SHIFT+NUM LOCKToggles MouseKeys on and off
Left ALT+left SHIFT+PRINT SCREENToggles high contrast on and off

Microsoft Natural Keyboard keys

Windows LogoStart menu
Windows Logo+RRun dialog box
Windows Logo+MMinimize all
SHIFT+Windows Logo+MUndo minimize all
Windows Logo+F1Help
Windows Logo+EWindows Explorer
Windows Logo+FFind files or folders
Windows Logo+DMinimizes all open windows and displays the desktop
CTRL+Windows Logo+FFind computer
CTRL+Windows Logo+TABMoves focus from Start, to the Quick Launch toolbar, to the system tray (use RIGHT ARROW or LEFT ARROW to move focus to items on the Quick Launch toolbar and the system tray)
Windows Logo+TABCycle through taskbar buttons
Windows Logo+BreakSystem Properties dialog box
Application keyDisplays a shortcut menu for the selected item

Microsoft Natural Keyboard with IntelliType software installed

Windows Logo+LLog off Windows
Windows Logo+PStarts Print Manager
Windows Logo+COpens Control Panel
Windows Logo+VStarts Clipboard
Windows Logo+KOpens Keyboard Properties dialog box
Windows Logo+IOpens Mouse Properties dialog box
Windows Logo+AStarts Accessibility Options (if installed)
Windows Logo+SPACEBARDisplays the list of Microsoft IntelliType shortcut keys
Windows Logo+SToggles CAPS LOCK on and off

Dialog box keyboard commands

TABMove to the next control in the dialog box
SHIFT+TABMove to the previous control in the dialog box
SPACEBARIf the current control is a button, this clicks the button. If the current control is a check box, this toggles the check box. If the current control is an option, this selects the option.
ENTEREquivalent to clicking the selected button (the button with the outline)
ESCEquivalent to clicking the Cancel button
ALT+underlined letter in dialog box itemMove to the corresponding item

SOURCE: Keyboard Shortcuts for Windows

Tuesday, March 27, 2012

Dia - Tech Tuesday



Hey my dear readers! :D How is everybody doing out there?! :D

Last Friday, during my class of Software Engineering, I came across a nice, free, open-source software called Dia. Dia is roughly inspired by the commercial Windows program 'Visio,' though more geared towards informal diagrams for casual use. It can be used to draw many different kinds of diagrams. It currently has special objects to help draw entity relationship diagrams, UML diagrams, flowcharts, network diagrams, and many other diagrams. It is also possible to add support for new shapes by writing simple XML files, using a subset of SVG to draw the shape.


It can load and save diagrams to a custom XML format (gzipped by default, to save space), can export diagrams to a number of formats, including EPS, SVG, XFIG, WMF and PNG, and can print diagrams (including ones that span multiple pages).

SVG files remind me of Inkscape. You know about that software? O_O Wooo! I got a topic to talk about next Tuesday too! LOL! :D Oh! Anyways, Dia is free and open source general-purpose diagramming software, developed originally by Alexander Larsson. Dia uses a controlled single document interface (CSDI) similar to GIMP and Sodipodi.

Let's talk about the features now! :D Dia has a modular design with several shape packages available for different needs: flowchart, network diagrams, circuit diagrams, and more. It does not restrict symbols and connectors from various categories from being placed together. I have got a link for the shape-sheets too. You may check out at the end of the article/post.

Dia has special objects to help draw entity-relationship models, Unified Modeling Language (UML) diagrams, flowcharts, network diagrams, and simple electrical circuits. It is also possible to add support for new shapes by writing simple XML files, using a subset of Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG) to draw the shape. This makes it a versatile tool in the hands of Computer engineers, engineering being one of the "hot-favorites" option for the Indian students! LOL!


Dia loads and saves diagrams in a custom XML format, which is, by default, gzipped to save space, and can print large diagrams spanning multiple pages. It can also be scripted using the Python programming language. Though when you'll install it, it would give you an option to get this Python support, but for that, you'll need Python to be already installed on your system.

Dia's wide swath of technical objects makes it perfect for IT professionals, but its basic tools and ease of use make it appropriate even for non-techies. Dia installs and uninstalls cleanly and without issues. Since I myself used it and found it really awesome, I would personally recommend, rather HIGHLY recommend this program for all users.

Not only for IT users, Dia is superb for others too. There are Dia sheets available for download. Let me first explain this thing. Dia sheets are free additions to the Dia software. These sheets have some symbols related to their sheet name. What I mean by this is, there is a Chemistry sheet, for example, which has the symbols of funnels and glass tubes. This could be beneficial for the Chemistry students for their projects!


Links of Dia :

Dia @ GNOME

Dia @ SourceForge

Official Dia website

Download Links :

Dia v0.97.2

Diashapes (makes it easy to download and install additional Dia symbols.)

Dia shape repository

Dia Portable 0.97.2 - If you wish to get the software's portable version. What's special? You don't need to install this one. Just take it in your USB drive or CD, or any portable media and use it on any computer(Windows O.S.) without the need to install it!


Wednesday, March 21, 2012

Origami Bird :D


Hey all! :)

Been a while since my last post? Well, you all know the busy me! ;) hahahaha! :D

Anyways, I ordered some books through a local online store, and they sent me some Thank you cards(1 with each book) and some Origami-bookmark-making-tips-sheets.

So I thought to share them with you all :)


I have scanned the bookmark-making steps. Then using a simple square shaped paper, I made the bird it guided me to make. The steps weren't so easy to understand, so I thought to click photographs at each successful step! LOL! I am sharing the scanned process thing and also the pics. I hope you guys have fun making this. Oh! This time I am gonna say, you guys "AND GIRLS" because lately when I saw my Alex stats, they said, "Males are over-represented" at my blog. Overrepresented? Well, I write most of the things from my pretext and I am a boy, and this is my blog, whom would I represent else than myself? O_O But now I think I would have to make some "girl-oriented" posts to see that soon both genders are likely represented at my blog! LOL! Though crafts and creativity is a common topic. I am sure everyone would like it! :)

Oh! I speak a bit too much. uh! leave it. Let's talk about the origami thing. You guys know, what Origami is? o.O Origami is the traditional Japanese art of paper folding, which started in the 17th century AD at the latest and was popularized outside of Japan in the mid-1900s. It has since then evolved into a modern art form. The goal of this art is to transform a flat sheet of material into a finished sculpture through folding and sculpting techniques, and as such the use of cuts or glue are not considered to be origami. Paper cutting and gluing is usually considered kirigami.

okay! Now enough of G.K. Now let's see how to make our origami bird! :D

Steps :














So! Our bird is ready! :D

Final Bird :





Looks nice? :D Decorate it a bit and then use it as a decorative material, or as a bookmark(as that shopping website suggests, but this bookmark is thick to act like one in my books! :/)

So that's all for that. Have a good day all! ^_^

Thursday, March 8, 2012

Happy Holi!



Hello All! :)
I hope all my readers are doing great!

As I said, an article about Holi was waiting in the queue of being published over here. And today is Holi. So here's the article! :P

Holi (Hindi: होली), is a religious spring festival celebrated by Hindus. Holi is also known as festival of Colours. It is primarily observed in India, Nepal, and countries with large Indic diaspora populations following Hinduism, such as Suriname, Malaysia, Guyana, South Africa, Trinidad, United Kingdom, United States, Mauritius, and Fiji.


The main day, Holi, also known as Dhuli in Sanskrit, also Dhulheti, Dhulandi or Dhulendi, is celebrated by people throwing scented powder and perfume at each other. Bonfires are lit on the eve of the festival, also known as Holika Dahan (burning of Holika) or Chhoti Holi (little Holi). After doing holika dahan prayers are said and praise is offered. 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.

Today is the main day called Dhulandi, and yesterday was the Chhoti Holi. Chhoti Holi is rather the religious one and Dhulandi the playful one. The kids are the most amused about the festival. In India, the kids get over the roof loaded with water-balloons a week before Holi to prank the pedestrians! LOL! Though it's fun but it is not too safe, I know.

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. In 2011, Holi was on March 20 and Holika Dahan was on March 19. This time Chhoti Holi or Holika Dahan was on March 7th and Dhulandi on March 8th(Today).


The religious significance for holi makes it one of a major festival for Hindus. The stories about the festival :

In Vaishnavism, Hiranyakashipu is the great king of demons, and he had been granted a boon by Brahma, which made it almost impossible for him to be killed. The boon was due to his long penance, after which he had demanded that he not be killed "during day or night; inside the home or outside, not on earth or in the sky; neither by a man nor an animal; neither by astra nor by shastra". Consequently, he grew arrogant and attacked the Heavens and the Earth. He demanded that people stop worshipping Gods and start praising him.

According to this belief, Hiranyakashipu's own son, Prahlada, was a devotee of Lord Vishnu. In spite of several threats from Hiranyakashipu, Prahlada continued offering prayers to Lord Vishnu. He was poisoned by Hiranyakashipu, but the poison turned to nectar in his mouth. He was ordered to be trampled by elephants yet remained unharmed. He was put in a room with hungry, poisonous snakes and survived. All of Hiranyakashipu's attempts to kill his son failed. Finally, he ordered young Prahlada to sit on a pyre on the lap of his demoness sister, Holika, who could not die because she also had a boon. And a boon which would prevent fire from burning her. Prahlada readily accepted his father's orders, and prayed to Vishnu to keep him safe. When the fire started, everyone watched in amazement as Holika burnt to death, while Prahlada survived unharmed, the burning of Holika is celebrated as Holi.

In Vrindavan and Mathura, where Lord Krishna grew up, the festival is celebrated for 16 days (until Rangpanchmi) in commemoration of the divine love of Radha for Krishna. The festivities officially usher in spring, the celebrated season of love.

There is alternative story detailing the origin of Holi. This story is about Kamadeva, a god of love. Kama's body was destroyed when he shot his weapon at Shiva in order to disrupt his meditation and help Parvati to marry Shiva. Shiva then opened his third eye, the gaze of which was so powerful that Kama's body was reduced to ashes. For the sake of Kama's wife Rati (passion), Shiva restored him, but only as a mental image, representing the true emotional and spiritual state of love rather than physical lust. The Holi bonfire is believed to be celebrated in commemoration of this event.


I was so tired after playing holi today that I could barely write. I took help from Wikipedia for this article. So be kind enough not to blame of any copying! :P

Anyways, hope you all had an awesome Holi, a colorful, cheerful and awesomely-amazing day! :) May God Bless you all.

Good Day! ^_^

Friday, March 2, 2012

Piratebay without Torrents? :O You must be kidding! :/



I was just wondering if there's anything good to be shared under the "Fromrum Friday", and guess what?! TADA! I found something checking my mails! Whoa! But the expression on finding that one out can be called rather mixed :/ Well, happy that found something interesting, bu sad about what the thing is. HUH! >_<

The news said The Piratebay has cleared off the torrents off it's server! Ah! It was the biggest hub to download almost anything, but see what happened now :( The CNET article that gave me this news, it's link is attached at the end of the article.

One of the Internet's largest torrent-downloading sites is no longer offering torrents, but that doesn't mean the site is being shuttered. Now users can access files with magnet links. The Pirate Bay wrote(on it's blog) that even though this "marks the end of an era," users should not notice much of a difference. Not much of difference? How could you say that? Ask the torrent freaks who download all day! Damn! :/

The Pirate Bay says the reason for the change is simple--the torrents are a waste of space and time. "It's simpler for us and no more hassle for you," the site wrote on its blog. "It's more resilient than .torrent files and it uses much less bandwidth for those who want to mirror."



Two weeks ago, The Pirate Bay warned that this would happen and explained exactly how the magnet links work. Rather than keeping all torrent files on a central server for users to download, the magnet links instead let users download from other BitTorrent users. However, personally I think, the recent crackdown on file-hosting sites like MegaUpload might be another motivator to move from torrents to magnets. Guess what? Piratebay is now Magnetbay! :O

I was amazed to see on wikipedia that the news has already let the change in the article related to piratebay calling it to be "a site that hosts magnet links, and previously hosting torrent files!" LOL! They are quick!

bu the big issue was that, when I tried to access the new site, URL - thepiratebay.se, it didn't open even! O_O uh, huh! >_< The big question that now arises is, already one could question the safety of using a torrent site, now directly downloading from peers? Isn't that a bit too much risky? I am still working out to find the answer to that question though. Anyways, in all these stupid Anti-Piracy people are now actually starting to make the things idiotic. They seem to be becoming rather scary for the file sharing environment! :/ I had seen torrentspy close already. The database of mininova being shattered. Now The Pirate Bay, too. I hope I don't have to see more dying torrent sites :/

The Pirate Bay Blog Post about the news!

CNET Article - "The Pirate Bay tosses all torrents"

Thursday, March 1, 2012

Happy March!



Hello all my dear readers! :)
How is everybody doing out there?! :D

So the third month of 2012 is here, March 2012. Wow, after this one, we will be out of 25% of this year already! :O (Uh! everybody knows it! Man, what's the big deal?) Of course nothing as such, I thought to post something, and since it was the first day of the month, I couldn't think of anything better! :O LOL!


March is the third month of the year in both the Julian and Gregorian calendars. It is one of the seven months which are 31 days long. The name of March comes from ancient Rome, when March was the first month of the year and named Martius after Mars or Ares, the Greek god of war. In Rome, where the climate is Mediterranean, March was the first month of spring, a logical point for the beginning of the year as well as the start of the military campaign season. (Military Campaign, wow! sounds interesting! :D) In Finnish, the month is called maaliskuu(Ah! you should not laugh! >_< Respect the language!), which originates from maallinen kuu, meaning earthy month, because during maaliskuu, earth finally becomes visible under the snow. In Ukrainian, the month is called березень(O_O What's that? O_O), meaning birch tree. Historical names for March include the Saxon Lentmonat, named after the equinox and gradual lengthening of days, and the eventual namesake of Lent. Saxons also called March Rhed-monat or Hreth-monath (deriving from their goddess Rhedam/Hreth), and Angles called it Hyld-monath. The Turkish word Mart is given after the name of Mars the god.

Anyways! As an Indian, and a Hindu, the best thing about march that is most exciting for me is? IT IS HOLI - The festival of colours! :D It is a religious spring festival. There are many amazing things about holi(ah! that gives me another topic to write about! :D Will surely post an article about the festival on the day itself! :D). The festival is generally observed in 2 days, the first being the religious one, and the second being the fun one! hahaha! Colours, water, baloons, sweets, songs, dance! FUN! FUN! FUN!! :D

Oh anyways, I am not really starting to say about it as yet. Let's be a bit patient! :D Till then, good day all, have a great new month!