utsav

Wingardium Leviosa – levitation photography

2011-11-30T22:13:00.001-08:00

Wingardium Leviosa is the levitation spell – the spell that makes things fly/hover. Most Harry Potter fans would swear by it. Here, this spell has a different connotation – photographs of floating people. Inspired by the Japanese yowayowa blog and with hints and howtos from theDigital rev channel, I and Udayan decided on doing something similar – taking photographs of levitating people. We were fairly successful in getting our colleagues to join us in our endeavor and Udayan, a true photo aficionado that he is, was ever bubbling with ideas. The venue – the campus at work, and our very good friends served as the models. With a lesser number of people and prying eyes likely to disturb us on a Sunday, the 1-2 hours that we managed to squeeze in between breaks during the practice for the cultural programme at work was time well spent. Some of the photos turned out decent and some had more to be desired. We even planned on using a hose and a trolley as props, but those will likely follow in the days to come. For now, we managed to use an umbrella and a schedule as props. More

Wingardium Leviosa – levitation photography

2011-11-30T21:35:00.001-08:00

2011-08-14T08:06:00.001-07:00

Bhaktapur!

about myself

2011-06-19T23:02:00.001-07:00

Shivapuri Chisapani and Sanku over two days

2011-05-26T22:27:00.001-07:00

I don't hike, period! However, I am at times goaded into following the pack. Throw in a few incentives such as the opportunity to test out my now not-so-new camera pack, I accede myself to the physical abuse of body and soul.

The hike officially began for the nine of us (Abhit, Ashok, Badri, Dadi, Dibbesh, Gyanendra, Ratna, Sanjay and myself) at the park entrance of the Shivapuri Nagarjun National Park in Pani Muhan. A haze overhead showed no sign of clearing at 8:00 AM, as we entered the national park. Rather accustomed to the road up to Nagi Gumba (nun monastery) having been there quite a few times already, I was rather candid during my walk uphill. The steps near the monastery were a different story, as I ran out of breath every few steps. Continued…

Psych your mind with Pulp Society

2011-05-26T22:25:00.001-07:00

Kathmandu played host to "Pulp Society" an Indie rock band from India beginning of May this year. The band, here to promote the upcoming movie "404 -Error Not Found", played at 1905, Kantipath. Much thanks to our dear friend Pradhyumna, I along with other friends from work managed to weasel our way into an invitation only event. Continued…

Panorama of brick kilns at Godavari

2011-05-06T02:38:00.000-07:00

Ruining a perfectly good landscape are about four brick factories in Godavari. This panorama as seen from the restaurant/dining space at the Godavari Village resort, is a composite of eight different images stitched with...

if only we had Nepalese designers who could spell

2011-05-06T02:37:00.001-07:00

One of many hoarding boards that span across the walls of the Dasarath Rangasala Stadium in Tripureswor opposite the UWTC shopping mall. More>>

Behind Lambert Academic Publishing’s marketing gimmick

2011-04-10T20:21:00.001-07:00

I was rather taken back by how VDM or Lambert Academic publishing had pieced together bits of my information – Name and email address, the university I studied at, and my dissertation topic. At first I assumed that this would have required a really smart scraper (lines of software code that read information off website) or bot to piece together these bits of info (possibly acquired from multiple sources) for instance – the blog, information indexed on Google and the library at Kathmandu University. continued>>

Knowledge sharing workshop in Asia

2011-04-08T01:18:00.001-07:00

7th April marks day 1 of the Knowledge sharing workshop in Asia. The third among three different workshops being organised back to back with foci ranging from capturing stories, writing them and sharing , this one focused on the sharing aspect. Primarily geared at IFAD staff in the Asia Pacific, the workshop also has local participants from Nepal who are at loggerheads with participants and resource persons (read facilitators) from FAO, IFAD, KM4DEV, ICIMOD among others. The group is diverse with various nationalities from Afghanistan, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Thailand, Philippines, Sri Lanka and Pakistan.

Having missed the "tagging" ice breaker session altogether, I and a few colleagues just made it to Lucie Lamoureux's presentation on Knowledge sharing, as she came to a close. Surmising from the closing remarks and with further help from my neighbours (at the table) I found out that she touched base on the distinction between data, information and knowledge (not the same as most of us put them to be). She also went further to introduce the concepts of kinds of knowledge –tacit (in our minds), and explicit (that can be codified), and the benefits of sharing knowledge. more>>

International training school on ABC: Day 1

2011-03-21T21:23:00.001-07:00

I was at the international training school on Atmospheric brown clouds (ABC) held in Kathmandu yesterday. The international school held every two years, by internationally prominent atmospheric scientists, provide a theoretical background and an overview of current knowledge on various aspects of atmospheric brown clouds and climate change. The fourth of its kind, this school is led by Dr. Mark Lawrence (MPIC-Germany), Dr. Maheswar Rupakheti (AIT-UNEP RRC.AP, Thailand), and Dr. Arnico Panday (U. Virginia, USA).

Continued…

Holi hai!

2011-03-21T09:24:00.001-07:00

Holi began with a rather lazy start of a day with breakfast in bed, mildly irritated by the loud music blaring off speakers in the neighbourhood, as I surfed the internet in bed. Yes, I have lights on Saturday and Sunday for a few hours. Thank you NEA!

Post lunch, Dhungel phoned to say that he was on his way to pick me up to "do something this Holi with the home boys". Repulsed at the idea of having to duck my way onto the pickup point with rooftops festering with kids and exuberant adults, who'd be more than happy to tip a bucket of fetid water over or hurl plastic bag projectiles at passersby, I left the sanctity of my bed. Continued…

learning to click

2011-03-05T11:12:00.001-08:00

This is my first post for 2011! This year, the reasons (read excuses) have been numerous.

writer's block
limited electricity (16 hours or is it 18? Heck I have given up counting)
trouble finding my niche: I dabble with technology, while I have an egging for the environment and literature.
Very close friends of mine got hitched. I had to be part of their merriment. Afterall they were giving up a major portion of their lives into servitude
I have found a new hobby - photography; and have been reading/researching incessantly on it. Continued…

2011-01-08T20:53:00.001-08:00

Lakes a big source of climate-warming gas: study http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE70555620110106

2011-01-08T20:52:00.001-08:00

Environmental Stories to Watch in 2011 http://www.wri.org/stories/2011/01/environmental-stories-watch-2011

2011-01-06T07:04:00.001-08:00

Zynga buys social browser Flock … or maybe just its engineering team http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Venturebeat/~3/ubS2r3O5diY/

2010-12-30T19:15:00.001-08:00

AskGaijin launches crowd tool to help Japanese companies avoid embarrassing Engrish http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Venturebeat/~3/XTY7Hwp9tTc/

2010-12-30T03:08:00.001-08:00

How to make a difference - Cliimate Change and energy - How to make a solar water heater from plastic bottles - The... http://www.theecologist.org/how_to_make_a_difference/climate_change_and_energy/477574/how_to_make_a_solar_water_heater_from_plastic_bottles.html

2010-12-29T03:10:00.001-08:00

Samsung’s Galaxy Player to debut next week, Android’s answer to the iPod Touch http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Venturebeat/~3/Q7-4QN0QnRM/

2010-12-23T11:32:00.001-08:00

Kipal Sibal Moves India Toward an Aggressive Geospatial Data Sharing Policy http://apb.directionsmag.com/archives/9166-Kipal-Sibal-Moves-India-Toward-an-Aggressive-Geospatial-Data-Sharing-Policy.html

2010-12-22T20:27:00.001-08:00

The best and worst in mobile 2010: It’s all about Apple and Android http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Venturebeat/~3/isUNB6EbnKI/

2010-12-22T05:52:00.001-08:00

London Twitter Network Map http://www.digitalurban.org/2010/12/london-twitter-network-map.html#comment-form

Nibuwatar Chronicles

2010-12-14T09:10:00.001-08:00

Mona's invitation to come spend a weekend at his living quarters inside Kule Khani III project, in Nibuwatar was long overdue. Amidst last minute changes, we decided to take up on his offer and packed our bags with bare essentials and loads of hors d'oeuvre for the night. There were four of us who agreed on the commute – Dhungel, Gauri, Bhatte (a soon to be groom) and myself, amongst two motorbikes – an almost bedridden Pulsar 180 DTSi and a relatively newer Yamaha FZR. More>>

Ethical Framework for a Sustainable World (memoirs)

2010-12-01T20:35:00.001-08:00

Govind Singh, DelhiGreens.org and I were among 71 youth participants from India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Nigeria, Germany, Spain, United States of America, Sri Lanka among others, who came together on a pre-conference workshop at the Centre for Environment Education (CEE) campus in Ahmedabad. This workshop was held to strategise youth involvement at the 3 day conference (Ethical Framework for a sustainable world) that followed. Participants comprised of students enrolled in different undergraduate and graduate programmes. Both Govind and I, were invited to the conference ( popularly referred to as the Earth Charter plus 10 celebrations) as SAYEN mentors through South Asia Youth Environment Network (SAYEN). more>>

Review: ?Climate Change ? Youth Guide to Action?

2010-11-29T08:19:00.001-08:00

International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development - ICIMOD‘s Asia Pacific Mountain Network (APMN) is just out with its winter issue. This special issue on ‘Youth and Climate Change’ has been compiled to underscore the International Year of Youth (IYY) 2010-2011; COP 16 in Cancun http://utsavmaden.com.np/blog/2010/11/29/review-climate-change-%e2%80%93-youth-guide-to-action/

Academic SPAM or vanity publishing?

2010-11-29T08:18:00.003-08:00

I recieved an email from an associate from LAP Lambert Academic Publishing some time back, stating that they found my thesis entitled “Application of GIS in the study of land cover distribution, geomorphometry, terrain and water quality in Asi Khola Subwatershed” in the library at Kathmandu University and wanted to publish it in the form of a book. Furthermore, they would do all this for free! http://utsavmaden.com.np/blog/2010/11/29/academic-spam-or-vanity-publishing/

Considering getting myself a DSLR

2010-11-29T08:18:00.001-08:00

I have been dabbling in photography lately, mainly through borrowed cameras (point and shoot, Canon and Sony Alpha DSLRS and Nikon P6000)s. A selection is available here, here and here. http://utsavmaden.com.np/blog/2010/11/23/considering-getting-myself-a-dslr/

Review: Global Biodiversity Outlook 3

2010-11-29T08:17:00.001-08:00

wrote the following review of the Global Biodiversity Outlook 3 some time back for the Asia Pacific Mountain Network (APMN). It appeared in the current issue of the Asia-Pacific Mountain Courier (Mountain Courier) on ‘mountain biodiversity’. The issue is available online and in print, and is distributed free of cost to interested stakeholders. http://utsavmaden.com.np/blog/2010/10/23/the-third-global-biodiversity-outlook-gbo-3/

Presentation on Social Media

2010-11-29T08:16:00.001-08:00

Posted below, is a presentation on Social Media and Networking I made along with a colleague from work (I handled the part on social media while he led a group discussion on networking) some weeks back http://utsavmaden.com.np/blog/2010/10/05/presentation-on-social-media/

2010-11-21T08:47:00.001-08:00

West Virginians Down to Last Mountain – Yet Wind Income Would be 50 Times More http://cleantechnica.com/2010/11/20/west-virginians-down-to-last-mountain-yet-wind-income-would-be-50-times-more/

2010-11-10T20:16:00.001-08:00

Bedbug National Registry and City Maps http://www.geographictravels.com/feeds/6429891930797746818/comments/default

2010-11-07T10:00:00.001-08:00

Kiribati to show the world climate change http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-world/kiribati-to-show-the-world-climate-change-20101105-17gwh.html

2010-11-01T03:17:00.001-07:00

Former Indonesian REDD+ negotiator arrested on corruption charge http://news.mongabay.com/2010/1030-wandojo_graft_indonesia.html

2010-11-01T03:15:00.001-07:00

UNDP 2010 Asia-Pacific Human Development Media Fellowships http://scholarship.bursa-lowongan.com/undp-2010-asia-pacific-human-development-media-fellowships/

2010-10-30T16:23:00.001-07:00

AdMobâ€™s Omar Hamoui leaves Google for â€œpersonal reasonsâ€ http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Venturebeat/~3/1a48tAcLfHE/

2010-10-23T21:57:00.001-07:00

Gartner's top 10 technologies for 2011 | 10 Things | TechRepublic.com http://blogs.techrepublic.com.com/

2010-10-18T21:49:00.001-07:00

Facebookâ€™s Causes reels in $9M and defends online activism http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Venturebeat/~3/YhExe32WFN8/

2010-10-13T13:09:00.001-07:00

Google invests in $5 billion Atlantic wind transmission project http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Venturebeat/~3/g6AGXzQf-BQ/

2010-10-12T12:46:00.001-07:00

Citizens of 188 countries challenge leaders on climate change http://news.mongabay.com/2010/1011-hance_globalworkday.html

2010-10-12T04:12:00.001-07:00

xkcdâ€™s Online Communities 2 http://tinyhacker.com/hacks/xkcds-online-communities-2/

2010-10-10T01:33:00.001-07:00

Wonder-woman Â« On the D http://bibekbhandari.wordpress.com/2010/10/06/wonder-woman/

2010-10-08T20:17:00.001-07:00

Slashdot Your Rights Online Story | Facebook Patents Location Social Networking http://yro.slashdot.org/story/10/10/06/1443253/Facebook-Patents-Location-Social-Networking

2010-10-01T22:13:00.001-07:00

Walk Around the Beautiful Antarctica with Google Maps http://www.labnol.org/internet/antarctica-penguins-on-google-maps/17849/

2010-09-26T04:38:00.001-07:00

Neil Young - Angry World http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4uDwvJK0YdI

2010-09-16T03:53:00.001-07:00

DEMO: LinkedIn CEO says status updates growing fast http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Venturebeat/~3/U17jv_gtwxY/

2010-09-09T19:20:00.001-07:00

Hackers say they can â€œjailbreakâ€ iPhone 4.1 software http://venturebeat.com

2010-09-01T07:42:00.001-07:00

Climate 'sceptic' BjÃ¸rn Lomborg now believes global warming is one of world's greatest threats - Teleg... http://www.telegraph.co.uk/

2010-08-31T07:47:00.001-07:00

Hari Bansha-- a new joke http://prawinreviews.blogspot.com/feeds/6058360413222352188/comments/default

Kohi...mero

2010-08-30T21:52:00.001-07:00

My writer friend (Prawin Adhikari), who penned the story and wrote the screenplay as well, got forty of us (mates from school, writer fraternity and their pluses and plus's pluses) to an evening screening of Kohiâ€¦ mero yesterday. http://utsavmaden.com.np/blog/2010/08/29/kohi-mero/

2010-08-27T06:50:00.001-07:00

Seth's Blog: Senior management http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2010/08/senior-management.html

2010-08-20T10:13:00.001-07:00

Googleâ€™s social czar picks a location fight with Facebook http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Venturebeat/~3/zIKTvV8du64/

2010-08-10T10:39:00.001-07:00

Climate change and illegal logging could wipe out rainforest wildlife by 2100 http://www.rsscockpit.com

2010-08-05T23:49:00.001-07:00

Google sinks its Wave collaboration tool http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Venturebeat/~3/5oU34yCWXf0/

2010-08-03T13:58:00.001-07:00

100 million Facebook pages leaked to a torrent site, creating the world's least exciting torrent -- Engadget http://www.engadget.com/

2010-08-03T01:56:00.001-07:00

How Facebook checks your account is not fake (and keeps legitimate users out) Â« Bottomless, Endless http://blog.bottomlessinc.com/

2010-07-30T01:52:00.001-07:00

Mountaintop Removal Cuts Through Southern Forests http://www.wri.org/stories/2010/07/mountaintop-removal-cuts-through-southern-forests

2010-07-28T09:59:00.001-07:00

Johns Hopkins University Launches Global Water Magazine http://aquadoc.typepad.com/waterwired/2010/07/jhu-launches-global-water-magazine.html

Everest revisited? yet again!

2010-07-24T08:44:00.001-07:00

Mountaineer, photographer and filmmaker (director and leader of the Everest IMAX team) David Breashears is in the limelight again..http://utsavmaden.com.np/blog/2010/07/20/everest-revisited-yet-again/

2010-07-21T21:30:00.001-07:00

5 More Websites To Share Videos Privately With Friends & Family http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Makeuseof/~3/xpVBzPkD8_0/

2010-07-20T04:06:00.001-07:00

Is the Internet making us smart or stupid? http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Venturebeat/~3/9ZXzsh-UWVc/

2010-07-19T20:38:00.001-07:00

Freelancer.com snaps up Freemarket, rebrands its download marketplace http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Venturebeat/~3/erjj7UB23lI/

2010-07-13T01:12:00.001-07:00

Editorial - A Climate Change Corrective - NYTimes.com http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/11/opinion/11sun2.html?_r=1

2010-07-09T02:32:00.001-07:00

Roundup: iPhone 4 spontaneously combusts, Las Vegas jumps on energy efficiency bandwagon, and more http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Venturebeat/~3/FTo3b6ZKI2k/

2010-07-06T03:38:00.001-07:00

China to host climate talks before Mexico meeting - report http://in.reuters.com/article/idINIndia-49888520100705

2010-07-05T08:49:00.001-07:00

Experts to step up collaboration on Indus basin http://www.thehimalayantimes.com/rssReference.php?headline=Experts+to+step+up+collaboration+on+Indus+basin&NewsID=248860

2010-07-05T02:26:00.001-07:00

Melting ice fields pose serious threat to water supply in Asia http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/world/2010/0705/1224274034676.html

2010-07-05T02:21:00.001-07:00

The Energy Revolution in a Bike http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/yankodesign/~3/z7S1hfOv1t0/

2010-07-04T23:19:00.001-07:00

More Fraud Within the Clean Development Mechanism http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ClimateChangeNews-Enn/~3/yIGBJsC5EXY/41485

2010-07-04T07:39:00.001-07:00

Bheja Fry http://prawinreviews.blogspot.com/2010/07/bheja-fry.html#comment-form

2010-06-28T20:26:00.001-07:00

iPhone 4 parts cost around $188 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Venturebeat/~3/qTkpMUXKsjc/

2010-06-26T05:05:00.001-07:00

Analyzing Environmental Trends in Asia http://www.wri.org/stories/2010/06/analyzing-environmental-trends-asia

2010-06-26T04:28:00.001-07:00

Easily Convert PowerPoint Presentations to Video http://tinyhacker.com/hacks/easily-convert-powerpoint-presentations-to-video/

2010-06-24T22:14:00.001-07:00

Asian Rivers Impacted by Clmate Change http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ClimateChangeNews-Enn/~3/-lpRuqZ6Jvc/41456

2010-06-23T23:33:00.001-07:00

Study Finds Link Between Climate and Size of Bird Bills http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/YaleEnvironment360/~3/7C0PjA8YI_U/digest.msp

2010-06-22T20:51:00.001-07:00

"Amazongate" evaporates as newspaper apologises for story http://wwf.panda.org/what_we_do/footprint/climate_carbon_energy/climate_deal/news/?uNewsID=193909

2010-06-21T20:42:00.001-07:00

Apple already knows where you are all the time â€” and is telling others http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Venturebeat/~3/7c9S3gWwak0/

2010-06-17T03:21:00.001-07:00

Google Donates 3,000 Solar Chargers to International Medical Corps http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/cleantechnica/com/~3/TzgcyMSmeH8/

2010-06-16T20:31:00.001-07:00

Could adding a LinkedIn connection land you in legal hot water? http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Venturebeat/~3/k6-l5IXG_FI/

2010-06-16T07:10:00.001-07:00

240,000 volunteers create digital map of world http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/GISDevelopment/~3/nCey7E5xCJ8/index.php

2010-06-15T02:43:00.001-07:00

Forest carbon offsets: Low-hanging fruit in the garden of evil environmentalism http://www.stabroeknews.com/2010/features/06/13/forest-carbon-offsets-low-hanging-fruit-in-the-garden-of-evil-environmentalism/

2010-06-11T04:56:00.001-07:00

BBC News - Rich countries accused of carbon 'cheating' http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science_and_environment/10286334.stm

Cultural Pollution

2010-06-11T04:01:00.001-07:00

â€˜Culturalâ€™ implies pertaining to customs, beliefs, art and all the other products of human thought made by a particular group of people at a particular time. http://utsavmaden.com.np/blog/2010/06/04/cultural-pollution/

2010-06-10T22:05:00.001-07:00

We'll Be Twice as Rich if We Switch http://cleantechnica.com/2010/06/07/well-be-twice-as-rich-if-we-switch/

2010-06-08T22:04:00.001-07:00

Google launches Caffeine search indexing for a faster, more chaotic web http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Venturebeat/~3/UDj9MySBqe4/

2010-06-07T21:12:00.001-07:00

REDD threatens rights of 350 million local people http://news.mongabay.com/2010/0603-hance_redd_locals.html

2010-06-07T20:29:00.001-07:00

Climate change may not be inundating Pacific islands: study http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/climate-change-may-not-be-inundating-pacific-islands-study-1992428.html

2010-06-03T21:22:00.001-07:00

Five things Facebook can do to rebuild trust http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Venturebeat/~3/YGAiw_nKsDs/

2010-06-01T22:35:00.001-07:00

Maldives president calls for direct action over climate change http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2010/may/29/maldives-president-climate-hay

2010-05-31T07:13:00.001-07:00

Jwagal Puppies: part two http://prawinreviews.blogspot.com/2010/05/jwagal-puppies-part-two.html

2010-05-30T20:23:00.001-07:00

Bangladesh blocks Facebook over Islamic image controversy http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Venturebeat/~3/9xYvp8nyRhA/

2010-05-29T07:53:00.001-07:00

How Much Electricity Does Your Computer Use? http://www.labnol.org/software/calculate-electricity-cost-of-computer/13744/

2010-05-29T07:50:00.001-07:00

Facebook: We know what you browsed last quarter http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Venturebeat/~3/nbEMJEur9p0/

2010-05-27T08:32:00.001-07:00

CO2 Emissions Could Grow 43 Percent by 2035, New Projection Says http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/YaleEnvironment360/~3/2tEufyBFlY4/digest.msp

Recollections of the peace rally in Kathmandu, 7 May 2010

2010-05-19T22:59:00.001-07:00

http://bit.ly/8Z3YsO

Random Photoshop Antics IV

2010-03-22T09:58:00.001-07:00

The following is the product of a few hours in front of the computer... http://utsavmaden.com.np/blog/2010/03/22/random-photoshop-antics-iv

2010-03-09T02:55:00.001-08:00

photoshopped? Nah! http://www.oddee.com/item_96986.aspx

Boycotting the KFC in Kathmandu

2010-03-08T01:33:00.001-08:00

This was/is one of my silent resolutions of 2010.

Amidst all the hype with the new venture dead centre in Kathmandu, and with a never ceasing line of exuberant youngsters eagerly waiting to sink their teeth into a succulent chicken breast or leg and slurp a signature Krusher, I had my mind set on boycotting the eatery! http://ping.fm/KGWW7

foot in mouth incident I!

2010-03-08T01:31:00.001-08:00

http://ping.fm/f53tN

2009-12-20T20:37:00.001-08:00

these young people i tell you, never stop amazing me
http://ping.fm/MYeL7

2009-12-15T22:49:00.001-08:00

ICIMOD and CICERO Event @The Bellona Room, Bella Centre on Wednesday, 16 December 2009 (11.15 am – 12.45 pm) - Facing the Challenges: Climate change adaptation in the greater Himalayas http://ping.fm/pD2QX