MILLION DOLLAR THOUGHTS

Sow the wind, Reap the Whirlwind

2012-01-14T08:28:00.000+05:30

This is a true story that had happened in 1892 at Stanford University.

Its moral will always be relevant.

A young, 18-year-old student was struggling to pay his fees. He was an orphan, and not knowing where to turn for money, he came up with a bright idea. A friend and he decided to host a musical concert on campus to raise money for their education.

They reached out to the great pianist Ignacy J. Paderewski. His manager demanded a guaranteed fee of $2000 for the piano recital. A deal was struck. And the boys began to work to make the concert a success.

The big day arrived. Paderewski performed at Stanford. But unfortunately, they had not managed to sell enough tickets. The total collection was only $1600.

Disappointed, they went to Paderewski and explained their plight. They gave him the entire $1600, plus a cheque for the balance $400. They promised to honour the cheque soonest possible.

"No." said Paderewski. "This is not acceptable." He tore up the cheque, returned the $1600 and told the two boys "Here's the $1600. Please deduct whatever expenses you have incurred. Keep the money you need for your fees. And just give me whatever is left" The boys were surprised, and thanked him profusely.

It was a small act of kindness. But it clearly marked out Paderewski as a great human being. Why should he help two people he did not even know? We all come across situations like these in our lives. And most of us only think "If I help them, what would happen to me?" The truly great people think, "If I don't help them, what will happen to them?" They don't do it expecting something in return.
They do it because they feel it's the right thing to do.

Paderewski later went on to become the Prime Minister of Poland. He was a great leader, but unfortunately when the World War began, Poland was ravaged. There were over 1.5 million people starving in his country, and no money to feed them.

Paderewski did not know where to turn for help. He reached out to the US Food and Relief Administration for help.
The head there was a man called Herbert Hoover - who later went on to become the US President. Hoover agreed to help and quickly shipped tons of food grains to feed the starving Polish people. A calamity was averted.

Paderewski was relieved. He decided to go across to meet Hoover and personally thank him. When Paderewski began to thank Hoover for his noble gesture, Hoover quickly interjected and said, "You shouldn't be thanking me Mr. Prime Minister.

You may not remember this, but several years ago, you helped two young students go through college in the US. I was one of them."

The world is a wonderful place.
What goes around comes around!
Sometimes we notice it, sometimes we don't !!!

Quotable Quotes of 2011

2011-12-30T11:42:00.000+05:30

1. Virat Kohli on Sachin

April 2, 2011: The Cricket World Cup came back to India after 28 long years. The win was especially because this is probably Tendulkar’s last time in the India World Cup squad.

After the historic win, when Team India went on a victory lap around the stadium, Virat Kohli carried Tendulkar on his shoulders much to the crowd's delight. On being asked, Kohli said, “He (Sachin) has carried the burden of the nation for 21 years, so it’s time we carried him on our shoulders.”

2. Omar and Mehbooba Slugfest

Sept 19, 2011: That there is no love lost between the two is well-known throughout the country, them being political rivals. But when they started targeting their fathers, both celebrated in their own right, things took an ugly turn in Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti’s relationship.

It all began with BJP leader Sushma Swaraj saying Mehbooba praised Narendra Modi’s worth ethics. To which Ms Mufti’s retort was, “I feel the party (BJP) is frustrated, but I would request them if they want some Muslim leader on their side to prove their secular credentials, they must approach Farooq Abdullah who has praised Modi and even said he had seen Allah in Modi's eyes…Omar was a minister in the NDA government when Muslims were massacred in Gujarat.”

This obviously didn’t go down well with the J&K chief minister. Omar took to Twitter to retaliate saying, “I'm not surprised Mehbooba praised Modi, she can praise who ever she likes; I am surprised she'd deny knowing others heard her speech... At least her father had the sense not to deny calling Laloo, as home minister, to order Advani's release. He just did what Ostriches do.”

3. Kiran Bedi on Politics

August 26, 2011: During Anna Hazare and team’s rally for a corruption-free India, there were many attacks and counter attacks with the central government. But the quote that stayed on people’s mind was the one Kiran Bedi made at the Ramlila Maidan in the capital when Anna Hazare on a hunger strike. She ridiculed the politicians and the entire political system. Mocking them, she said, "Our politicians are hiding behind a mask. They don’t think and speak. There has been no lathi-charge till now because of Anna. We don't know what will happen after he goes. Till now, Delhi Police is with us, but if they get any demands, we don't know what will happen. We have been tolerating for the past 60 years, how much more do we tolerate?"

4. Om Puri on Politicians

Aug 28 2011: Joining Team Anna against the government was actor Om Puri. His speech was almost something out of one of his movies, complete with melodrama. When he spoke to the crowd at the Ramlila Maidan, he came across as someone who means business. But that feeling soon died out when he took back all his words. Still, his quote will be remembered its sheer force in moving a people. He took a dig at the politicians, calling them Nikamme, ganwaar (illiterate and unfit to govern). He said, “For five years they (politicians) loot the country. Ask them what their background is…"

5. Naipaul on Women Writers

June 2, 2011: That VS Naipaul is a controversial figure goes without saying. One of the most outspoken authors of our time, he doesn’t think twice about voicing his opinion. This year the supposed "greatest living writer of English prose" targeted women writers. According to him, women are no match to men’s writing abilities.

In an interview at the Royal Geographic Society, Naipaul was quoted saying that no woman writer could be his literary equal. He went on to say, "I read a piece of writing and within a paragraph or two I know whether it is by a woman or not. I think [it is] unequal to me."

6. Amitabh to KBC fan

During an episode of KBC, Amitabh was at his usual witty best. In response to a contestant's hopeful sister with dreams of meeting Abhishek Bachchan, he quipped, "Madam, aisa hain ki woh sannlagn ho gaye hain kisi aur ke saath aur is mel ka parinaam kucch mahinon mein aanewala hain!"

Translated, he gently reminded her that his son is married to another, and the product of their marriage is to announce itself in a few months.

7. Mayawati on Julian Assange

Sept 6, 2011: Uttar Pradesh CM Mayawati manages to make it to the headlines, one way or other. If it isn’t the congress party, Rahul Gandhi in particular, that she directs her barbs at, it’s anyone else who dares question her authority. In this case, Julian Assange. He had it coming when Wikileaks said Mayawati sent her private jet to buy her favourite sandals from Mumbai.

In retaliation, Behenji called Assange insane and that he needs to be sent to a mental asylum. Speaking at a press conference, she said, "There is no iota of truth in the cable leaks. The cables are all a blatant lie to tarnish the image of my government. He should be sent to a mental asylum by the country he belongs to and in case there is no place for him he should be sent to UP (Uttar Pradesh). We will put him in the Agra mental asylum."

8. Nasser Hussain on Indian fielders

Sept 2, 2011: Former England skipper Nasser Hussain does have a knack of saying the wrong things at the wrong time. Agreed you’re entitled to your opinion, but when what you say is hung onto by millions of avid cricket fans, you might just have to be a bit more responsible than the average Joe.

Hussain has, once again, rubbed the Indians the wrong way with him calling some Indian fielders "donkeys" during the one-off Twenty20 match between India and England. He made this comment after Parthiv Patel misjudged a Kevin Pietersen catch off Munaf Patel's bowling. He said, "I would say the difference between the two sides is the fielding. England are all-round a good fielding side. I do believe that India have few...3 or 4 very good fielders and one or two donkeys in the field still."

9. Rahul Gandhi on Terrorism

July 14, 2011: It goes without saying that in a year, there has to be at least one quotable quote from the likely future PM of India, Rahul Gandhi.

A day after yet another serial blast rocked Mumbai, Rahul said it was impossible to eradicate every single terror attack in the country but the UPA government had been successful in controlling most of the attacks. He said, "It is very difficult to stop every single terror attack in the country. Terrorism is something that is impossible to stop all the time. But 99 per cent of terror attacks had been stopped due to strong vigilance and intelligence efforts." Rahul may not have intended to court controversy, but what you say does matter especially if you’re seen as the next PM of the nation.

10. Prashant Bhushan on Kashmir
Sept 27, 2011: Team Anna has been making the news for all the wrong reasons, although they claim it’s a vendetta by the central government. But what Prashant Bhushan said on a sensitive topic like Kashmir cannot be prompted by the government. After he voiced his opinion on Kashmir Anna Hazare was quick to add that it was Bhushan’s opinion alone, and not of the entire team.

His thoughts on the separation of Jammu and Kashmir didn’t go down too well with certain section of the society, namely the Bhagat Singh Kranti Sena. Two people beat him up inside his chamber in the Supreme Court. Bhushan had said, “Remove army from J&K, end AFSPA and try to get the Kashmiris on our side, but if they want to have a separate state, then in my opinion, there should be a plebiscite and if they still have to be separated, then they should be allowed to.”

Age is no excuse for failing to learn

2011-12-23T13:37:00.000+05:30

I’ve always maintained that life is boring if you’re not learning something.

It is never too late to learn
Surprisingly, sometimes adults turn out to be better than children at acquiring a new skill.
But sometimes our own success and expertise can be the biggest stumbling block to our ability to continue to get better and better at what we do.
When we are new at something, we have an eagerly open and excited mind that always, is trying to learn as much as we can. Then over a period of time, as we work ourselves into a position of respect and leadership, we start to think of ourselves more as teachers and less as students.

It is the ability to maintain interest and desire to learn as much as we can, keeps us fresh and happy.
We can be a winner if one can always maintain the attitude of the student, which is - Never be too big to ask questions, never know too much to learn something new.
The best way to always keep learning, get Into a Habit of Regular Reading
One of the most powerful ways to learn is to read regularly. Ask friends or colleagues for recommendations, and buy or borrow some books.

And, give yourself a challenge or two.
There’s nothing stopping you from learning.
We start at a zero skill level for everything in life.
What would you like to learn? What’s stopping you?
Just because you can’t currently play the piano doesn’t mean that you’ll never be able to. With the internet, there’s a huge amount of content on every topic you can think of.

Future News:-

2011-10-15T09:21:00.000+05:30

Kasab dies at 85 in jail. Human Rights wants a CBI investigation of his death in jail.

Afzal guru will be awarded by Bharat ratna

Golmaal 27 will be released.Tushar Kapur is still unable 2 speak or act

Sharad Pawar owns half the world.

Facebook is declared a country.

A Raja does a 6G scam.

A Girl in Delhi travels 50 feet alone, safely.

Lakhshwadeep Cats 2 be the 63rd team 2 join IPL.

Pakistan wants Tamil Nadu. PM says that they can resolve issues by peaceful talks !

Don't allow Ego to kill you..... Instead KILL YOUR EGO..!!!

2011-09-23T07:18:00.000+05:30

There was once a scientist who after a lot of practice and efforts, developed a formula and learned the art of cloning himself. He did it so perfectly that it was impossible to tell the reproduction from the original .One day while doing his research, he realized that the Angel of Death was searching for him. In order to remain alive he reproduced a dozen copies of himself.

The clones were so similar that all of them looked exactly like him. Now when the Angel of Death came down, he was at a loss to know which of the thirteen clones standing before him was the original scientist. Confused, he left them all alone and returned back to heaven.

But, not for long, for being an expert in human nature, the Angel came up with a clever idea. He said to the scientist addressing all thirteen of them, Sir, you must be a genius to have succeeded in making such a perfect cloning formula. However, I have discovered a flaw in your work, just one tiny little flaw.

The scientist immediately jumped out & shouted Impossible! Where is the flaw ??

Right here said the Angel, as he picked up the scientist from among the Clones & carried him off.

Dear Friends....

The whole purpose of the scientist & his formula of remaining immortal failed as he could not control his PRIDE , so he lost his life. So when Man's Knowledge & Skill take him to the top of the ladder.... only the three letter word EGO can pull him down to earth immediately at its double speed.

The Carpenter - A Beautiful Story....!!!

2011-09-21T16:20:00.000+05:30

Once upon a time, two brothers who lived on adjoining farms fell into conflict. It was the first serious rift in 40 years of farming side-by-side, sharing machinery and trading labor and goods as needed without a hitch.

Then the long collaboration fell apart. It began with a small misunderstanding and it grew into a major difference and finally, it exploded into an exchange of bitter words followed by weeks of silence.

One morning there was a knock on John's door. He opened it to find a man with a carpenter's toolbox. "I 'm looking for a few days' work," he said. "Perhaps you would have a few small jobs here and there I could help with? Could I help you?"

"Yes," said the older brother. "I do have a job for you. Look across the creek at that farm. That's my neighbor. In fact, it's my younger brother! Last week there was a meadow between us. He recently took his bulldozer to the river level and now there is a creek between us. Well, he may have done this to spite me, but I'll do him one better. See that pile of lumber by the barn? I want you to build me a fence an 8-foot fence -- so I won't need to see his place nor his face anymore."

The carpenter said, "I think I understand the situation. Show me the nails and the post-hole digger and I'll be able to do a job that pleases you."

The older brother had to go to town, so he helped the carpenter get the materials ready and then he was off for the day. The carpenter worked hard all that day -- measuring, sawing and nailing. About sunset when the farmer returned, the carpenter had just finished his job.

The farmer's eyes opened wide, his jaw dropped. There was no fence there at all. It was a bridge .. A bridge that stretched from one side of the creek to the other!

A fine piece of work, handrails and all! And the neighbor, his younger brother, was coming toward them, his hand outstretched..

"You are really sweet to have built this bridge after all I've said and done to you."

The two brothers stood at each end of the bridge, and then they met in middle, hugging each other.. They turned to see the carpenter hoist his toolbox onto his shoulder and start walking away with a Big smile on his face.

"No, wait! Stay a few days. I've a lot of other projects for you," said the older brother.

"I'd love to stay on," The carpenter said, "but I have many more bridges to build."

So Dear Friends Let’s all ponder on these thoughts…..!!!

God won't ask what kind of car you drove, but He'll ask how many people you helped get where they needed to go…???

God won't ask how many square feet your house was built on, but He'll ask how many people you welcomed into your home…??

God won't ask about the clothes you had in your closet, but He'll ask how many you helped to clothe…??

God won't ask how many friends you had, but He'll ask how many people were you a friend to..??

God won't ask in what neighborhood you lived, but He'll ask how you treated your neighbors…??

Why is Teaching Called A Noble Profession...?

2011-09-11T09:15:00.001+05:30

This is a beautiful story I read recently and thought I must share it with all teachers !!!

One day a teacher asked her students to list the name of the other students in the room on two sheets of paper, leaving a space between each name. Then she told them to think of the nicest thing they could say about each of their classmates and write it down.

It took the remainder of the class period to finish their assignment, and as the students left the room, each one handed in the papers.That Saturday, the teacher wrote down the name of each student on a separate sheet of paper, and listed what everyone else had said about that individual.

On Monday she gave each student his or her list. Before long, the entire class was smiling with joy and radiance. ‘Really...?’ she heard whispered. ‘I never knew that I meant anything to anyone!’ and, ‘I didn’t know others liked me so much,’ were most of the comments.

No one ever mentioned those papers in class again. She never knew if they discussed them after class or with their parents, but it didn’t matter. The exercise had accomplished its purpose. The students were happy with themselves and one another. That group of students moved on......

Several years later, one of the students was killed in combat and his teacher attended the funeral of that special student. She had never seen a serviceman in a military coffin before. He looked so handsome, so mature.

The church was packed with his friends. One by one those who loved him took a last walk by the coffin. The teacher was the last one to bless the coffin.

As she stood there, one of the soldiers came up to her. ‘Were you Ranjeet’s Math teacher?’ he asked. She nodded: ‘yes.’ then he said: ‘ Ranjeet talked about you a lot.’

After the funeral, most of Ranjeet’s former classmates aqlong with the Maths teacher went together to his house .Ranjeet’s mother and father were there, obviously waiting to speak with his teacher.

‘We want to show you something,’ his father said, taking a wallet out of his pocket ‘They found this on Ranjeet when he was killed. We thought you might recognize it.’

Opening the wallet , he carefully removed two worn pieces of notebook paper that had obviously been taped, folded and refolded many times. The teacher knew without looking that the papers were the ones on which she had listed all the good things each of Ranjeet’s classmates had said about him

‘Thank you so much for doing that,’ Ranjeet’s mother said. ‘As you can see, Ranjeet treasured it.’

All of Ranjeet’s former classmates started to smile. Varun smiled rather sheepishly and said. ‘I still have my list. It’s in the top drawer of my desk at home.’

Anoop’s wife said, ‘Anoop asked me to put his in our wedding album.’

Then Vinita , another classmate, reached into her pocketbook, took out her wallet and showed her worn and frazzled list to the group. ‘I carry this with me at all time.’ Vinita said and without batting an eyelash, she continued: ‘I think we all saved our lists.’

That’s when the teacher finally sat down and cried. She cried for Ranjeet and for all his friends who would never see him again.

The density of people in society is so thick that we forget that life will end one day. And we don’t know when that one day will be.

So please, tell the people you love and care for, that they are special and important. Tell them, before it is too late. Please Remember, “you reap what you sow.” What you put into the lives of others comes back into your own.

It is a Culture of India - Hobbesian.(culture of self interest)

2011-09-05T08:46:00.000+05:30

This can be very controversial !! But thought-provoking for sure.

Corruption in India is a cultural aspect. Indians seem to think nothing peculiar about corruption .

It is everywhere.

Indians tolerate corrupt individuals rather than correct them. No race can be congenitally corrupt. But can a race be corrupted by its culture?

To know why Indians are corrupt, look at their patterns and practices.

First:

Religion is transactional in India.

Indians give God cash and anticipate an out-of-turn reward.

Such a plea acknowledges that favours are needed for the undeserving.

In the world outside the temple walls, such a transaction is named- “bribe”.

A wealthy Indian gives not cash to temples, but gold crowns and such baubles.

His gifts can not feed the poor. His pay-off is for God. He thinks it will be wasted if it goes to a needy man.

In June 2009, The Hindu published a report of Karnataka minister G. Janardhan Reddy gifting a crown of gold and diamonds worth Rs 45 crore to Tirupati.

India’s temples collect so much that they don't know what to do with it. Billions are gathering dust in temple vaults.

When Europeans came to India they built schools. When Indians go to Europe & USA, they build temples.

Indians believe that if God accepts money for his favours, then nothing is wrong in doing the same thing.

This is why Indians are so easily corruptible. Indian culture accommodates such transactions morally.

There is no real stigma. An utterly corrupt Jaya Lalita can make a comeback, just unthinkable in the West.

Second -

Indian moral ambiguity towards corruption is visible in its history. Indian history tells of the capture of cities and kingdoms after guards were paid off to open the gates, and commanders paid off to surrender.

This is unique to India. Indians' corrupt nature has meant limited warfare on the subcontinent. It is striking how little Indians have actually fought compared to ancient Greece and modern Europe.

The Turks’ battles with Nadir Shah were vicious and fought to the finish. In India fighting wasn't needed, bribing was enough to see off armies.

Any invader willing to spend cash could brush aside India’s kings, no matter how many tens of thousands soldiers were in their infantry. Little resistance was given by the Indians at the “Battle” of Plassey. Clive paid off Mir Jaffar and all of Bengal folded to an army of 3,000. There was always a financial exchange to taking Indian forts. Golconda was captured in 1687 after the secret back door was left open. Mughals vanquished Marathas and Rajputs with nothing but bribes. The Raja of Srinagar gave up Dara Shikoh’s son Sulaiman to Aurangzeb after receiving a bribe. There are many cases where Indians participated on a large scale in treason due to bribery.

Question is: Why Indians have a transactional culture while other 'civilized' nations don't?

Third -

Indians do not believe in the theory that they all can rise f each of them behaves morally, because that is not the message of their faith. Their caste system separates them. They don't believe that all men are equal. This resulted in their division and migration to other religions. Many Hindus started their own faith like Sikh, Jain, Buddha and many converted to Christianity and Islam.

The result is that Indians don't trust one another .

There are no Indians in India ,there are Hindus ,Christians, Muslims and what not.

Indians forget that 400 years ago they all belonged to one faith. This division evolved an unhealthy culture.

The inequality has resulted in a corrupt society, In India every one is thus against everyone else, except God and even he must be bribed.

LETTER OF THE EDITOR OF "THE TIMES OF INDIA " TO THE PRIME MINISTER

2011-09-03T16:05:00.000+05:30

I am born and brought up in Mumbai for last fifty eight years. Believe me, corruption in Maharashtra is worse than that in Bihar . Look at all the politicians, Sharad Pawar, Chagan Bhujbal, Narayan Rane, Bal Thackray, Gopinath Munde, Raj Thackray, Vilasrao Deshmukh all are rolling in money.

Vilasrao Deshmukh is one of the worst Chief ministers I have seen. His only business is to increase the FSI every other day, make money and send it to Delhi , so Congress can fight next election. Now the clown has found new way and will increase FSI for fishermen, so they can build concrete houses right on sea shore.

Next time terrorists can comfortably live in those houses, enjoy the beauty of the sea and then attack our Mumbai at their will.

Recently, I had to purchase a house in Mumbai. I met about two dozen builders. Everybody wanted about 30% in black.

A common person like me knows this and with all your intelligence agency & CBI, you and your finance ministers are not aware of it. Where all the black money goes?

To the underworld, isn't it? Our politicians take help of these goondas to vacate people by force. I myself was victim of it. If you have time please come to me, I will tell you everything.

If this has been a land of fools, idiots, then I would not have ever cared to write to you this letter. Just see the tragedy. On one side we are reaching moon, people are so intelligent; and on the other side, you politicians have converted nectar into deadly poison.

I am everything ? - Hindu, Muslim, Christian, Scheduled Caste, OBC, Muslim OBC, Christian Scheduled Caste, and Creamy Scheduled Caste; only what I am not is INDIAN.

You politicians have raped every part of Mother India by your policy of divide and rule.

Take example of our Former President Abdul Kalam. Such an intelligent person; such a fine human being. But you politician didn't even spare him and instead choose a worthless lady who had corruption charges and insignificant local polititian of Jalgaon WHO'S NAME ENTIRE COUNTRY HAD NOT HEARD BEFORE. Its simple logic your party just wanted a rubber stamp in the name of president.

Imagine SHE IS SUPREME COMMANDER OF INDIA 'S THREE DEFENCE FORCES. What morale you will expect from our defence forces? Your party along with opposition joined hands, because politicians feel they are supreme and there is no place for a good person.

Dear Mr Prime minister, you are one of the most intelligent person, a most learned person. Just wake up, be a real SARDAR. First and foremost, expose all selfish politicians. Ask Swiss banks to give names of all Indian account holders. Give reins of CBI to independent agency.

Let them find wolves among us. There will be political upheaval, but that will be better than dance of death which we are witnessing every day. Just give us ambience where we can work honestly and without fear. Let there be rule of law.

Everything else will be taken care of.

Choice is yours Mr. Prime Minister. Do you want to be lead by one person, or you want to lead the nation of 100 Crore people?

Prakash B. Bajaj

Editor Mumbai-Times of India

Anna Hazare says bring back the Black Money.

2011-08-27T09:56:00.000+05:30

Do u know what will happen if 1,456 Lac Crores comes back.

1. India Financially No.1

2. Each district will get 60000 crores & each village will get 100 Crores

3. No need to pay taxes for next 20 yrs.

4. Petrol 25 Rs, Diesel 15 Rs, Milk 8 Rs.

5. No need to pay electricity bill.

6. Indian borders will become more stronger than the China Wall.

7. 1500 Oxford like Universities can be opened.

8. 28,000 kms Rubber road (like in Paris) can be made.

9. 2,000 hospitals (with all facilities) all medicine Free.

10. 95 crore people will have their own house.

Things to know about Anna Hazare and Lok pal Bill-:

1.Who is Anna Hazare?

An ex-army man(Unmarried). Fought 1965 Indo-Pak war.

2.What's so special about him?

He built a village Ralegaon Siddhi in Ahamad Nagar district, Maharashtra.

3.This village is a self-sustained model village. Energy is produced in the village itself from solar power, biofuel and wind mills. In 1975, it used to be a poverty clad village. Now it is one of the richest village in India. It has become a model for self-sustained, eco-friendly & harmonic village.

4. Anna Hazare was awarded Padma Bhushan and is a known figure for his social activities.

5. He is supporting a cause, the amendment of a law to curb corruption in India.

6. How that can be possible?

He is advocating for a Bill, The Lok Pal Bill (The Citizen Ombudsman Bill), that will form an autonomous authority who will make politicians (ministers), bureaucrats (IAS/IPS) accountable for their deeds.

7. It's an entirely new thing right..?

In 1972, the bill was proposed by then Law minister Mr. Shanti Bhushan. Since then it has been neglected by the politicians and some are trying to change the bill to suit their theft (corruption).

8. He is going on a hunger strike for that whole thing of passing a Bill ! How can that be possible in such a short span of time? The first thing he is asking for is: the govt should come forward and announce that the bill is going to be passed. Next, they make a joint committee to DRAFT the LOK PAL BILL. 50% government participation and 50% public participation. Bcoz u can't trust the government entirely for making such a bill which does not suit them.

9.What will happen when this bill is passed?

A LokPal will be appointed at the centre. He will have an autonomous charge, say like the Election Commission of India. In each and every state, Lokayukta will be appointed. The job is to bring all alleged party to trial in case of corruptions within 1 year. Within 2 years, the guilty will be punished.

See how Lokpal Bill can curb the politicians.....

2011-08-27T09:50:00.000+05:30

See how Lokpal Bill can curb the politicians, Circulate it to create awareness

Existing System

No politician or senior officer ever goes to jail despite huge evidence because Anti Corruption Branch (ACB) and CBI directly come under the government. Before starting investigation or prosecution in any case, they have to take permission from the same bosses, against whom the case has to be investigated.

No corrupt officer is dismissed from the job because Central Vigilance Commission, which is supposed to dismiss corrupt officers, is only an advisory body. Whenever it advises government to dismiss any senior corrupt officer, its advice is never implemented.

No action is taken against corrupt judges because permission is required from the Chief Justice of India to even register an FIR against corrupt judges.

Nowhere to go - People expose corruption but no action is taken on their complaints.

There is so much corruption within CBI and vigilance departments. Their functioning is so secret that it encourages corruption within these agencies.

Weak and corrupt people are appointed as heads of anti-corruption agencies.

Citizens face harassment in government offices. Sometimes they are forced to pay bribes. One can only complaint to senior officers. No action is taken on complaints because senior officers also get their cut.

Nothing in law to recover ill gotten wealth. A corrupt person can come out of jail and enjoy that money.

Small punishment for corruption- Punishment for corruption is minimum 6 months and maximum 7 years.

System Proposed by civil society

Lokpal at centre and Lokayukta at state level will be independent bodies. ACB and CBI will be merged into these bodies. They will have power to initiate investigations and prosecution against any officer or politician without needing anyone’s permission. Investigation should be completed within 1 year and trial to get over in next 1 year. Within two years, the corrupt should go to jail.

Lokpal and Lokayukta will have complete powers to order dismissal of a corrupt officer. CVC and all departmental vigilance will be merged into Lokpal and state vigilance will be merged into Lokayukta.

Lokpal & Lokayukta shall have powers to investigate and prosecute any judge without needing anyone’s permission.

Lokpal & Lokayukta will have to enquire into and hear every complaint.

All investigations in Lokpal & Lokayukta shall be transparent. After completion of investigation, all case records shall be open to public. Complaint against any staff of Lokpal & Lokayukta shall be enquired and punishment announced within two months.

Politicians will have absolutely no say in selections of Chairperson and members of Lokpal & Lokayukta. Selections will take place through a transparent and public participatory process.

Lokpal & Lokayukta will get public grievances resolved in time bound manner, impose a penalty of Rs 250 per day of delay to be deducted from the salary of guilty officer and award that amount as compensation to the aggrieved citizen.

Loss caused to the government due to corruption will be recovered from all accused.

Enhanced punishment - The punishment would be minimum 5 years and maximum of life imprisonment.

Summary of All scams of India : Rs. 910603234300000/-

2011-08-27T09:35:00.000+05:30

Summary of All scams of India : Rs. 910603234300000/-

Sonia Gandhi's Surgery?

2011-08-26T18:04:00.000+05:30

Ever wondered why the Congress is so tight lipped about this, so called 'surgery'?

Ever wondred why this shroud of secrecy behind her surgery?

Ever wondered why Madam Gandhi had to go at this time for surgery? Media was also very cool on this so called breaking news about patient Madam…No direct live show from Hospital…Indian people, congress party loving their foreign leader was not looking to be worried about Madam Gandhi…..????
No prayers for her early recovery…..Making doubts in Indian people’s mind.

And what was the ailment that could not have been attended to by Indian doctors?

Ever wondered that she is accompnied by her family members AND NOT A SINGLE DOCTOR (NOT EVEN HER PERSONAL PHYSICIAN)has accompanied her. Most unusual!

If the then Prime MInister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's knees could have been replaced in Mumbai by a surgeon of Indian origin, why Madam Gandhi needed to go abroad for her surgery?

And even Manmohan Singh though a pensioner of the World bank and able to get free medical treatment in the US, got his heart surgery done in Delhi.......

And has she actually gone to the US or some other country?It is stronglysuspected thatthe need for her to go abroad at this time, islinked to the fact that Dr. Subramaniam Swamy's petition for the permission to prosecute Madam Gandhi (an MP) for corruption charges, pending with the Prime Minister's Office, has to be decided before the end of August this year.
Dr. Swamy has given incontrovertible proof of Sonia Gandhi's accounts in foreign banks, and these cannot be overlooked or ignored.
Madam Gandhi is actually suffering from an acute enlargement of her wealth gland.

The realsurgery for which Madam Gandhi has gone abroad has to do with the operation of her illegal bank accounts, as time is running out for her and her cronies.
That is why even Kalanidhi Maran has disappeared from Chennai and isrumoured to have escaped to Zurich.

Where gold and silver locks are key to prayers

2011-08-22T09:27:00.000+05:30

Flowers, fruits and incense sticks are not quite what devotees bring to a temple in Kanpur. To appease the deity, they make an offering of locks made of gold, silver and other precious metals.This unusual way of worship has become a tradition at the Kali Mata temple in the Bangali Mohaal area of Kanpur, about 80 km from Lucknow.

"It's been around 60 years since the practice came into existence at the temple believed to have been built in 1949," Ravindra Naththe, head priest at the Kali temple, said on telephone from Kanpur. "Devotees thronging the temple generally offer locks made of iron, but on a number of occasions, particularly during Navratri - a nine-day festival dedicated to goddess Durga - people offer special locks made of gold, silver and other precious metals," he added.

On an average, around 500 people visit the temple every day and offer locks before a massive idol of Kali Mata. The locks are not directly put in front of the idol, but are tied in strings attached to a number of pillars erected a few metres away from the idol. There's an interesting story behind the unique custom being followed by the devotees. It is believed that Tara Chand, the first priest of the temple, who also got it constructed, fastened the idol with chains and locks after an ardent devotee of the goddess was falsely implicated in a murder case. Tara Chand had pledged that he would not unfasten the chains or open the locks till the goddess blessed the devotee and his innocence was proved. "After the devotee was jailed, Taraji did not perform the usual 'pooja' and 'aarti' and left the idol tied in chains and locks.

It continued for several months. However, things started changing in favour of the devotee and he was released by the court," said Kedar Kumar, another priest of the temple. "Since then, the unusual practice of offering locks came into existence and is alive till today. With locks in their hands, devotees in huge numbers turn up at the temple premises and pray before the goddess to solve their problems and to bless them the same way she blessed the ardent devotee who was set free by the court," he added.

The usual strength of 500-odd devotees visiting the temple every day rises drastically during the Navratri festival - which is observed twice a year and is on right now - and reaches up to 2,500-3,000. Devotees from several parts of Uttar Pradesh and other states throng the temple. "I have been coming here for the last eight years. On my first visit, I prayed to the mother to bless me with a child. Months later, I was blessed with a baby boy," said Chitranjan Ambasht, a Bihar resident.

Dear Indian Government,

2011-08-11T09:38:00.000+05:30

We hired you.

Now can we please fire you too?!

yours sincerely,

Indians.

The Winner Never Quits

2011-08-04T10:12:00.000+05:30

Two boys were walking down a country road when they saw two milk cans being loaded for delivery in a nearby city. Seeing no one, the boys lifted off the cover of Can Number One and dropped a bullfrog. Then they lifted off the cover of Can Number Two and dropped in another bullfrog. Later the cans were picked up and loaded for delivery.

During the journey, the bullfrog in Can Number One said: "This is terrible ! I can't lift off the cover of the can because its too heavy. I have never had a milk bath before, and I can't reach to the bottom of the can to get enough pressure to lift the cover, so, what's the use..."- and he gave up trying and quit ! When the cover of Can Number One was taken off, there was a big dead bullfrog. He was Dukhiram.

The same conditions existed in Can Number Two and the frog said to himself: "Well, I can't lift off the cover because its too tight and too heavy. I cannot drill a hole to save myself, but from Father Neptune there is one thing I learned to do in liquids and that is to swim." So, he swam, and swam, and churned a lump of butter and sat on it, and when the cover was lifted off, out he jumped. He was Sukhiram.

So the winner never quits and the quitter never wins! There lived an old man with the rowboat who ferried passangers across a mile-wide river for ten paise. Asked "How many times in a day do you do this? " he said,"As many times as I can because the more I go, the more I get. And if I don't go, I don't get."

Coke and Pepsi - Sweetened Slow Killer

2011-07-27T09:45:00.000+05:30

Have a look at the wrapper on a Cola-Cola 1.5 litre bottle and in the ingredients lable, you will find phosphoric acid in it. Minute quantities of ethylene glycol is also used (which is acknowledged in the soft drink world for making it really chill). This is popularly known as anti - freeze, which prevents water from freezing at 0 deg C and instead drops it by 4 - 5 degrees with minute quantities.

This chemical is a known slow poison in the calibre of arsenic. So if you manage to drink about 4 litres of coke within an hour or so, you can die. Guess what is the pH for soft drinks, e.g., Coke? pH 34 ! This acidity is strong enough to dissolve teeth and bones ! Our human body stops building bones at the age of about 30. Soft drinks do not have any nutrition value (in terms of minerals and vitamins). It is high in sugar content, carbonic acid, chemicals i.e., colouring etc.

Some people like to take cold soft drinks after each meal. Guess what's the impact? Our body needs an optimum temperature of 37 deg C for functioning of digestive enzyme. The temperature of cold soft drinks is very much below 37 degrees or even close to 0 degree Celsius. This will dilute the enzymes and stress the digestive system. The food taken will not be digested. In fact, it will be fermented ! The fermented food produces gases, decays becomes toxic, and gets absorbed by the intestine, circulates in the blood stream and is carried to the whole body. Hence, toxin is accumulated in other parts of the body, developing into various disease's.

Think before you drink Coke / Pepsi ( or any soft drink) again. Have you ever thought what you drink when you drink an aerated drink? You gulp down carbon dioxide, when nobody in the world would advise you to drink carbon dioxide.

Two months back, there was a competition at Delhi University - who could drink the most coke? The winner drank 8 bottles and fainted on the spot because of too much carbon dioxide in the blood. Thereafter, the principal banned all soft drinks from the college canteen ! While this might have been an extreme measure, the results do provide some food for thought. Did you know that soft drink have chemicals in them that cause immense harm to you. Someone put a broken tooth in a bottle of Pepsi and in 10 days it DISSOLVED ! Can you believe it? Teeth and bones are the only human parts that stay intact for years after death. Imagine what the drink must be doing to your soft intestines and stomach lining!

Read along and give up these dangerous things. Be natural, have flavoured milks, tender coconuts, butter milk, lassi and plain water instead of soft drinks.

Request to all: Forward this message to your friends to increase the awareness of the great "Assumed Soft Drinks". In India, people hesitate to pay Rs 7 - 8 for a tender coconut but prefer to pay Rs 10 and drink these dreadful products.

THE LAW OF THE GARBAGE TRUCK

2011-07-25T12:05:00.000+05:30

One day, I hopped in a taxi and we took off for the airport.

We were driving in the right lane when suddenly a black car jumped out of a parking space right in front of us. My taxi driver slammed on his brakes, skidded, and missed the other car by just inches! The driver of the other car whipped his head around and started yelling at us. My taxi driver just smiled and waved at the guy. I mean, he was really friendly.

So, I asked, "Why did you just do that? This guy almost ruined your car and sent us to the hospital!" This is when my taxi driver taught me what I now call, "The Law of the Garbage Truck."

He explained that many people are like garbage trucks. They run around full of garbage, full of frustration, full of anger, and full of disappointment. As their garbage piles up, they need a place to dump it and sometimes they'll dump it on you.

Don't take it personally. Just smile, wave, and wish them well, say a prayer for them and move on. Don't take their garbage and spread it to other people at work, at home, or on the streets. The bottom line is that successful people do not let garbage trucks take over their day.

Life's too short to wake up in the morning with regrets, so . . . love the people who treat you right. Forgive the ones who don't. We're not always responsible for everything that happens to us, but we are responsible for how we react to what happens.

Life is ten percent what you make it and ninety percent how you take it!

“Have a wonderful, garbage-free day!!!!!!!”

A fool shows his annoyance at once, but a prudent man overlooks an insult.

OUR DESTINY.......!!!!!!!!!!!

2011-07-08T07:30:00.000+05:30

Each one of us has hundreds of beliefs, philosophies, theories and also desires. There is no right or wrong in that.... in fact everything is proven by our Destiny.

I personally think that life does not follow any fixed theory but that all theories explain some parts and aspects of the world, but never all of it. I believe that to understand life completely we in fact will have to die to understand the mysteries laid down before us by God. Anyway, while that is not possible, we will only have some fascinating mosaic pieces, multicoloured and in part logical to play with and to construct whatever we consider able to make our own destiny more understandable and also clearer.

So, to come back to the subject of DESTINY....the difference between our past, present and our future destiny is only in our perspective.

The past from my point of view seems to be static, fixed and immovable.

The present is a great mystery that moves at a very high speed and that gets more mysterious the more we try to understand it.

The future then is the great vacuum, the all-that-could-be and the what-never-will-be.

Our Future is the unknown potential of our lives, evolving itself constantly.

Personally I think that there are three sources that shape our DESTINY.....

1.Our present choices , independent and individual, that we decide to make consciously.

2.Our personal choices.

3.Our collective choices of which we are only a small part.

The third source is absolutely beyond our reach and the more we try, we would never achieve to change its route . The power of this source in fact is fatalistic for us.

The second source of personal choices being much stronger than us, even though sometimes we manage to influence it. ...it is Difficult, but still possible.

The first one according to me is the one that interests me the most , because this is what can really influence and shape our destiny.

So very rarely is our DESTINY shaped by personal or collective choices .....BUT by present choices that we tend to make consciously.....!!!!

A "Dreamer" vs A " Realist"

2011-07-04T15:28:00.000+05:30

Being an optimist usually comes hand in hand with being a dreamer and an idealist.

Optimists usually internalise fantastic visions of their future, imagining a life full of the things they want to achieve. However wild and ambitious these visions are, everything is obtainable for the eternal optimist.

All great things have come from an individual’s ability to conceptualise change in the world before this change has happened. Visions and ideals are the seed that creates change, and without these in place the world would stand still.

However it is easy to become so lost in the opium of idealism that nothing actually gets done in the real world.

One of the major flaws of the optimist is that they are predisposed to lack the realistic and critical thought processes that ground their idealistic visions. Unfortunately their visions of grandeur become lost in the realm of wishful thinking.

The pessimist on the other-hand is driven by critical thinking, and can therefore aid the optimist.

By critiquing the optimist’s ideals, the optimist is forced to evaluate the problems that may arise during the process of making the dream a reality.

The constant battle between the two opposing mindsets, quickly forces a balanced equilibrium that outlines a realistic and grounded approach to making the optimists ideals a reality.

The famous Walt Disney paid testament to the importance of having an internal critic as well as an internal optimistic during the creation of some of his most spectacular work. By combining the two mindsets, Disney was able to produce balanced work that was well grounded and equally ambitious.

So friends..this point illustrates that adopting a pessimistic mindset at times, can be highly useful in life...!!!

I Will Wait....!!!!

2011-06-29T10:06:00.000+05:30

A terrible flood once hit a village . Everyone was evacuated and fled for safety, except for one man who said,“ God will save me. I have faith.” As the water level rose, a jeep came to rescue him but he refused help and said, “God will save me. ....I have faith.”

As the water level rose further, he went up to the second floor , and a boat came to help him. Again he refused to go saying, “God will save me..... I have faith.”

The water kept rising and finally he climbed to the roof. A helicopter came to rescue him, but he said, “God will save me. I have faith.”

Finally he drowned. ...When he came face to face with God he angrily commented, “I had complete faith in you. Why did you ignore my prayers and let me drown?”

The Lord replied, “Who do you think sent the jeep, the boat, and the helicopter.....?”

So dear friends We must remember that each one of us should be accountable for what we do and not blame others for our shortcoming. We have to take the necessary action to help ourselves, rather than waiting, wishing and wondering what is happening in life. Nobody will help us unless we first decide to help ourselves.

We & only We are responsible for your own failure or success....!!

Reaction vs Response ...

2011-06-25T12:47:00.000+05:30

Suddenly, a cockroach flew from somewhere and sat on a lady. I wondered if this was the cockroaches response to all the glory that was spoken about it!

She started screaming out of fear. With panic stricken face and trembling voice, she started jumping, with both her hands desperately trying to get rid of the cockroach. Her reaction was contagious, as everyone in her group got cranky to what was happening. The lady finally managed to push the cockroach to another lady in the group.

Now, it was the turn of the other lady in the group to continue the drama. The waiter rushed forward to their rescue. In the relay of throwing, the cockroach next fell upon the waiter. The waiter stood firm, composed himself and observed the behaviour of the cockroach on his shirt. When he was confident enough, he grabbed and threw it out with his fingers.

Sipping my coffee and watching the amusement, the antenna of my mind picked up a few thoughts and started wondering, was the cockroach responsible for their histrionic behaviour? If so, then why was the waiter not disturbed? He handled it near to perfection, without any chaos.

It is not the cockroach, but the inability of the ladies to handle the disturbance caused by the cockroach that disturbed the ladies.

I realised even in my case then, it is not the shouting of my father or my boss that disturbs me, but its my inability to handle the disturbances caused by their shouting that disturbs me. Its not the traffic jams on the road that disturbs me, but my inability to handle the disturbance caused by the traffic jam that disturbs me. More than the problem, its my reaction to the problem that hurts me.

The Take-Away : The women reacted, whereas the waiter responded.

We should not react in life, we should always respond.

Reactions are always instinctive whereas responses are always intellectual

The Last will and testament of Nur Jehan

2011-06-24T14:08:00.000+05:30

The moonlight slept sweetly on the terrace of her modest two-storey house near eastern gate of the royal palace grounds. There was a refreshing cold nip in the air. Not a sound came from any side. Even the guards, it seemed had dozed off in the heady calm of a night still young.

Inside, on a heavily cushioned divan, lay Nur Jehan - weak, scerene but still beautiful. Though ill; for many years, her three score and eight years sat lightly on her. the maidservants had left to snatch a few hours of rest. Ladli Begum had retired earlier. She was the only prop of her mother in old age. Both of them were widows of 18 years, and very lonely in their own ways. Misfortune gave depth to their dependence on one another. Memories saddened them. But prayers kept them going together.

Little did the former empress know that she was not destined to set her eyes on the glow of another moon. Illness ahd turned her once lusty, roseate cheeks into pale yellow, but the freshness of her mind gave no sign of fading. Frality, if anything, gave lusture to the halo that enveloped her. Faith in fortune had sustained in the darkest day of her tempestous career, and even now when the angels were making ready to esort her accross the big, broad gate to the world beyond, she lay unperturbed brimeful of trust in Him who raised her from the deariness of a desert to the splendour of a throne unmatched for its prestige and power.

For a decade and half the laws of Hindustan were under her commandment while Jehangir with a pot of ale in his hand, was content to luxuriate in the sunshine of her smiles. She became a legend, a light that cheered weary hearts and gave hope to the poor. Large hearted munificence was the ladder she used to capture the citadels of power and popularity. she was an elegent, gentle woman and the elements in her so mixed that nature wondered at its own workmanship.

the belief that destiny was on her side obsessed her. The disillusionment which came with the dfeat of her plan to raise her stepson and son-in-law, Shahryar, to the throne depressed her, but it failed to disrupt her stars. She bowed to the verdict of fate with dignity, saught contentment in seclusion and when death came she ran to it as to a mother's arms.

A little past the midnight hour on this moonlit October night, Nur Jehan suffered a spasm of cutting pain in her belly. Ladli Begum and the maidservants rushed to her side. Hakim Jehan refused to take any mendicine. Instead, she requested the wise physician to take down a parting message. In slow, measured words, whe narrated to the Hakim what her mother Asmat Begum had told her for wife; "I have no costly presents to give to an empress. Perhaps a word of advice will do. Cross not t he emperor's way. In each thing give him way. Submit to his will. This is the surest way to conquer and pocess any man, more so a king. Else you may lose him before you know your whereabouts in the zig-zag of the palace. Now go, my dearest daughter ascend the throne. Allah keep you there forever."

there were tears in Nur Jehan's eyes as she finished. She requested the Hakim to tell the women of the world the secret of her hold of my hold over Jehangir. I never said no to him, obedience with a smile was the secret of my success. I ruled over Hindustan by letting myself be ruled by one man.

Having spoken thus, Nur Jehan fell into a coma. She did not gain consciousness till the cocks began to crow. In the meantime, a team of royal hukuma had come to attend on the formaer Malika. Her reluctance to take medicine, however, remeined firm. When Masih-uz-Zamari Shaikh Sadrud-Din begged her on his knees to swallow a few drops of herbal concoction, she mustered her failing strength, and recited in a low, feeble voice her famous couplet that " on my grave be placed neither a candle nor a flower, that the lark and the moth may thus be saved the agony of love."

Her request, said Nur Jehan, should be conveyed to the emperor.

Then the dyeing Malika turned to Ladli Begum who stood drenched in sorrow by the right side of her divan. "Grieve not my child" she said, "Allah knows all. I was born in a desert. the wheel will come full circle when my bones are interned in a grave bearing the look of desertion. This is my last will and testament."

Shortly before the call of the muezzan went up for the evening prayers the next day (October 6, 1645), the angels of death did the proud act of taking into their possession a woman unparallelled in the history of Hindustan.

Shah Jehan respected the wishes of her illustrious step-mother. she was laid to rest in a modest grave hear the tomb of her husband at Shehdara near Lahore.

More visitors go to see the dilapidation which is Nur Jrhan's grave than the marbled magnificance of the tomb of Jehangir. Humility does breed greatness.

Today is a gift, that's why it is called the present

2011-06-23T11:32:00.000+05:30

This is very touching.

Two men, both seriously ill, occupied the same hospital room. One man was allowed to sit up in his bed for an hour each afternoon to help drain the fluid from his lungs. His bed was next to the room's only window.

The other man had to spend all his time flat on his back. The men talked for hours on end. They spoke of their wives and families, their homes, their jobs, their involvement in the military service, where they had been on vacation.

Every afternoon when the man in the bed by the window would sit up, he would pass the time by describing to his roommate all the things he could see outside the window. The man in the other bed began to live for those one-hour periods where his world would be broadened and enlivened by all the activity and color of the world outside.

The window overlooked a park with a lovely lake. Ducks and swans played on the water while children sailed their model boats. Young lovers walked arm in arm amidst flowers of every color and a fine view of the city skyline could be seen in the distance.

As the man by the window described all this in exquisite detail, the man on the other side of the room would close his eyes and imagine the picturesque scene. One warm afternoon the man by the window described

parade passing by. Although the other man couldn't hear the band - he could see it in his mind's eye as

the gentleman by the window portrayed it with descriptive words.

Days and weeks passed. One morning, the day nurse arrived to bring water for their baths only to find the lifeless body of the man by the window, who had died peacefully in his sleep. She was saddened and

called the hospital attendants to take the body away.

As soon as it seemed appropriate, the other man asked if he could be moved next to the window. The nurse was happy to make the switch, and after making sure he was comfortable, she left him alone. Slowly, painfully, he propped himself up on one elbow to take his first look at the real world outside. He strained to slowly turn to look out the window beside the bed. It faced blank wall.

The man asked the nurse what could have compelled his deceased roommate who had described such wonderful things outside this window. The nurse responded that the man was blind and could not even see the wall. She said, "Perhaps he just wanted to encourage you."

Epilogue: There is tremendous happiness in making others happy, despite our own situations. Shared grief

is half the sorrow, but happiness when shared, is doubled. If you want to feel rich, just count all the

things you have that money can't buy.

"Today is a gift, that's why it is called the present."

The Road To Happiness - by Mac Anderson and BJ Gallagher

2011-06-20T09:43:00.000+05:30

When I travel on business, I like to talk to the taxi drivers who take me from the airport to my hotel, or to a convention center, or to a restaurant. Taxi drivers are often immigrants with interesting personal histories and unusual cultural backgrounds. I ask them how long they've been in America, how they chose which city to live in, and what they like best about where they live. Of course, I also ask them for advice on good local restaurants and any special attractions they'd recommend to a visitor. I've had some great experiences on my travels, thanks to the advice of taxi drivers!

On one trip about ten years ago, I was making conversation with the taxi driver, asking him my usual questions about how he came to live where he lived. Then I asked him a hypothetical question: "If you could live anywhere in the world-and if money was no object-where would you live?"

Without hesitating even for a second, he replied, "I live in my heart. So it really doesn't matter where my body lives. If I am happy inside, then I live in paradise, no matter where my residence is."

I felt humbled and a little foolish for my question. Of course he was right-happiness is an inside job. He had reminded me of something I already knew, but had forgotten. If you can't find happiness inside yourself, you'll never find it in the outside world, no matter where you move. Wherever you go, there you are. You take yourself with you.

I am grateful for the wisdom of that taxi driver. And I'm grateful for all the wisdom others have shared with me about how to be happy.

Benjamin Franklin pointed out that, "The U.S. Constitution doesn't guarantee happiness, only the pursuit of it. You have to catch up to it yourself."

A lot of us pin our happiness to external factors...if only we had more money...or a better house...or whatever your latest "want" is, but your happiness has been...and always will be... right inside yourself.

A woman over 40

2011-06-18T10:21:00.000+05:30

As I grow in age, I value women who are over 40 most of all.

Here are just a few reasons why:

A woman over 40 will not lay next to you in bed and ask, "What are you thinking?" She doesn't care what you think.

If a woman over 40 doesn't want to watch the game, she doesn't sit around whining about it. She does something she wants to do. And, it's usually something more interesting.

A woman over 40 knows herself well enough to be assured in who she is, what she is, what she wants and from whom.

Few women past the age of 40 give a damn what you might think about her or what she's doing.

Women over 40 are dignified. They seldom have a screaming match with you at the opera or in the middle of an expensive restaurant. Of course, if you deserve it, they won't hesitate to shoot you, if they think they can get away with it.

A woman over 40 has the self-assurance to introduce you to her women friends. A younger woman with a man will often ignore even her best friend because she doesn't trust the guy with other women.

Women over 40 couldn't care less if you're attracted to her friends because she knows her friends won't betray her.

Women get psychic as they age. You never have to confess your sins to a woman over 40. They always know.

A woman over 40 looks good wearing bright red lipstick. This is not true of younger women or drag queens.

Once you get past a wrinkle or two, a woman over 40 is far sexier than her younger counterpart.

Older women are forthright and honest. They'll tell you right off if you are a jerk if you are acting like one! You don't ever have to wonder where you stand with her.

Yes, we praise women over 40 for a multitude of reasons.

Unfortunately, it's not reciprocal. For every stunning, smart, well-coiffed hot woman of 40+, there is a bald,

paunchy relic in yellow pants making a fool of himself with some 18-year-old waitress.

Ladies, I apologize!

( Here is a piece written by Andy Rooney - CBS 60 Minutes. )

Play Google Doodle Guitar Online

2011-06-16T13:20:00.001+05:30

Lester William Pollsfus was an American jazz and country guitarist , songwriter and inventor . He was Born on June 9th 1915 . The search Engine giant Google celebrated the 95th Birthday of the legendary guitarist Les Paul . The Google Doodle on 9th of June looked as shown above which is a design of Guitar . The Guitar can be played and the tune can even be recorded .

Simple Notes to Play Google Guitar

Happy Birthday Notes
112143 112154 1186432 776454 112143 112154 1186432 776454

Amazing Grace Notes
257657 7532 257657 69 797657 6532 25765765

Twinkle Twinkle Little Star Notes
11556654433221 55443325544332 11(45)(45)54433221

How to play online Google Guitar Chords?

To play the Google guitar, click on the guitar image above, then move your mouse over the string of that guitar. Make sure that sound is turned on and is maximum in your Desktop/Laptop.

To play with your keyboard keys, just click on the black colored small key board image button given below the image above. Now it will turn red color. Then press the keys in your keyword for testing the sound.

Fascinating info on Sonia Gandhi and family from Subramanian Swamy

2011-06-15T09:32:00.000+05:30

Please watch these fascinating videos-- Subramanian Swamy speaks of his extensive research on the back ground of Sonia Gandhi and family as well as their exploits.

The whole Sequence is a revelation to many of us , who believe implicitely the yarns ,spun by the Dynasty and their party. The very fact that none of these jokers have taken Subramya Swamy to court for defamation , vindicates his stand . Take your time; but do watch all the three videoes in sequence.

Dr. Subramanian Swamy who has been a Prof. in IIT Delhi, Harvard & a successful parliamentarian can not be ignored. Mr. Swamy raises questions over educational qualifications & nationality of Sonia & Rahul Gandhi & which are well supported by prima facie evidences with him. The country must investigate about these allegations, Do these (Pseudo) gandhies deserve the treatment Indians give them. I certainly have my doubts. Why can't there be somebody other then gandhies a congress leader. How long this sycophancy prevail.

Me..Myself & I ....Put together Make ME....!!!

2011-06-10T15:40:00.000+05:30

I am Me....... In d entire world, there is no one else exactly like me.... Everything that comes out of me is authentically mine, because I alone chose it -- I own everything about me: my body, my feelings, my mouth, my voice, all my actions, whether they be to others or myself..... I own my fantasies, my dreams, my hopes, my fears, my inhibitions ..... I own my triumphs and successes ..I also own all of all my failures and mistakes.

Because I own all of me, I can become intimately acquainted with me. By doing so, I can love me and be friendly with myself .... I know there are aspects about myself that honestly puzzle me, and other aspects that I still do not know -- but as long as I am friendly and loving to myself, I can courageously and hopefully look for solutions to the puzzles and ways to find out more about me.....!!!

However I look and sound, whatever I say and do, and whatever I think and feel at a given moment in time is authentically me..... If later some parts of how I looked, sounded, thought, and felt turn out to be unfitting, I can discard that which is unfitting, keep the rest, and invent something new for that which I discarded.....!!!

I can see, hear, feel, think, say, and do. I have the tools to survive, to be close to others, to be productive, and to make sense and order out of the world of people and things outside of me. I own me, and therefore, I can engineer me..... I am me, and I think im happy to be me..”

Core Competencies Found in Highly Effective People

2011-06-09T14:12:00.000+05:30

Be Proactive - Take initiative, Manage change, Respond proactively, Keep commitments, Take responsibility and practice accountability, Create positive business results.

Begin With the End in Mind -Define vision and values, Create a mission statement, Set measurable team and personal goals, Start projects successfully, Align goals to priorities, Focus on desired outcomes.

Put First Things First -Execute strategy, Apply effective delegation skills, Focus on important activities, Apply effective planning and prioritization skills, Balance key priorities, Eliminate low priorities and time-wasters, Use planning tools effectively, Use effective time-management skills.

Think Win-Win- Build high-trust relationships, Build effective teams, Apply successful negotiation skills, Use effective collaboration, Build productive business relationships.

Seek First to Understand Then to Be Understood- Apply effective interpersonal communication, Overcome communication pitfalls, Apply effective listening skills, Understand others, Reach mutual understanding, Communicate viewpoints effectively, Apply productive input and feedback, Apply effective persuasion techniques.

Synergize-Leverage diversity, Apply effective problem solving, Apply collaborative decision making, Value differences, Build on divergent strengths, Leverage creative collaboration, Embrace and leverage innovation.

Sharpen the Saw-Achieve life balance, Apply continuous improvement, Seek continuous learning.

Focusing on these skills would surely result in a highly effective leader.....!!!!

Rahul Gandhi exposed by an IIT student...THE CURIOUS CASE OF RAHUL GANDHI

2011-06-09T10:17:00.000+05:30

Rahul Gandhi: "I feel ashamed to call myself an INDIAN after seeing what has happened here in UP".

PLEASE DON'T BE ASHAMED OF U.P. YET

Please don't be ashamed of Uttar Pradesh yet. Congress ruled the State for the Majority of the duration Pre Independence to Post Independence.. from 1939 to 1989 ( barring the Periods of Emergency.. Thanks to your Grand Mom Indira G. and a couple of transitional Governments)

8 out of the total 14 Prime Ministers of India have been from UP, 6 out of those 8 have been from Congress...

I think your party had more than half a century and half a Dozen PM's to build a State...

The Reason Mulayam Singh, subsequently came to Power is because your party wasn't exactly Gandhian in their dealings in the State.. So May be If you look at in totality the present chaos in UP is the outcome of the glorious leadership displayed by Congress in UP for about 50 years!

So Please don't feel ashamed as yet Dear Rahul.. For Mayawati is only using the Land Acquisition Bill which your party had itself used to LOOT the Farmers many times in the Past!

WHY DIDN'T YOUR PARTY CHANGE THE BILL WHEN IT WAS IN POWER FOR SO LONG?

Not that I Endorse what Mayawati is doing.. What Mayawati is doing is Unacceptable..

But the past actions of your party and your recent comments, puts a question mark on your INTENT and CONSISTENCY.

YOU REALLY WANT TO FEEL ASHAMED

But don't be disappointed, I would give you ample reasons to feel ashamed...

You really want to feel Ashamed..?

First Ask Pranav Mukherjee, Why isn't he giving the details of the account holders in the Swiss Banks.

Ask your Mother, Who is impeding the Investigation against Hasan Ali?

Ask her, Who got 60% Kickbacks in the 2G Scam ?

Kalamdi is accused of a Few hundred Crores, Who Pocketed the Rest in the Common Wealth Games?

Ask Praful Patel what he did to the Indian Airlines? Why did Air India let go of the Profitable Routes ?

Why should the Tax Payer pay for the Air India losses, when you intend to eventually DIVEST IT ANYWAY!!!

Also, You People can't run an Airline Properly. How can we expect you to run the Nation?

Ask Manmohan Singh. Why/What kept him quiet for so long?

Are Kalmadi and A Raja are Scapegoats to save Big Names like Harshad Mehta was in the 1992 Stock Market Scandal ?

Who let the BHOPAL GAS TRAGEDY Accused go Scot Free? ( 20,000 People died in that Tragedy)

Who ordered the State Sponsored Massacre of SIKHS in 84?

Please read more about, How Indira Gandhi pushed the Nation Under Emergency in 76-77, after the HC declared her election to Lok Sabha Void!

(I bet She had utmost respect for DEMOCRACY and JUDICIARY and FREE PRESS)

I guess you know the answers already. So My question is, Why the Double Standards in Judging Mayawati and members of your Family and Party?

I condemn Mayawati. But Is She the only one you feel Ashamed for?

What about the ones close to you? For their contribution to the Nation's Misery is beyond comparison.

You talk about the Land being taken away from the Farmers. How many Suicides have happened under your Parties Rule in Vidarbha ? Does that Not Ashame You ?

THE 72,000 CRORE LOAN WAIVER

Your Party gave those Farmers a 72,000 Crore Loan Waiver. Which didn't even reach the Farmers by the way.

So, Why don't you focus on implementing the policies which your govt. has undertaken, instead of earning brownie points by trying to manufacture consent by bombarding us with pictures of having food with Poor Villagers....

You want to feel ashamed. You can feel ashamed for your Party taking CREDIT for DEBITING the Public Money (72,000 crores) from the Government Coffers and literally Wasting it...

You want to feel ashamed.. Feel ashamed for that...

WHY ONLY HIGHLIGHT THIS ARREST?

Dear Rahul, to refresh your memory, you were arrested/detained by the FBI the BOSTON Airport in September 2001.

You were carrying with you $ 1,60,000 in Cash. You couldn't explain why you were carrying so much Cash.

Incidentally He was with his Columbian girlfriend Veronique Cartelli, ALLEGEDLY, the Daughter of Drug Mafia.

9 HOURS he was kept at the Airport.

Later then freed on the intervention of the then Prime Minister Mr.Vajpayee.. FBI filed an equivalent of an FIR in US and released him.

When FBI was asked to divulge the information, by Right/Freedom to Information Activists about the reasons Rahul was arrested ... FBI asked for a NO OBJECTION CERTIFICATE from Rahul Gandhi.

So Subramaniyam Swami wrote a Letter to Rahul Gandhi, " If you have NOTHING to HIDE, Give us the Permission"

HE NEVER REPLIED!

Why did that arrest not make Headlines Rahul? You could have gone to the Media and told, "I am ashamed to call myself an INDIAN?".

Or is it that, you only do like to highlight Symbolic Arrests (like in UP) and not Actual Arrests ( In BOSTON)

Kindly Clarify.....

In any case, you want to feel ashamed, Read Along...

YOUR MOTHER'S SO CALLED SACRIFICE OF GIVING UP PRIME MINISTER SHIP in 2004.

According to a Provision in the Citizenship Act.

A Foreign National who becomes a Citizen of India, is bounded by the same restrictions, which an Indian would face, If he/she were to become a Citizen of Italy.

(Condition based on principle of reciprocity)

[READ ANNEXURE- 1&2]

Now Since you can't become a PM in Italy, Unless you are born there.

Likewise an Italian Citizen can't become Indian PM, unless He/She is not born here!

Dr. SUBRAMANIYAM SWAMI (The Man who Exposed the 2G Scam) sent a letter to the PRESIDENT OF INDIA bringing the same to his Notice. [READ LETTER TO THE PRESIDENT IN ANNEXURE -3]

PRESIDENT OF INDIA sent a letter to Sonia Gandhi to this effect, 3:30 PM, May 17th, 2004.

Swearing Ceremony was scheduled for 5 PM the same Day.

Manmohan Singh was brought in the Picture at the last moment to Save Face!!

Rest of the SACRIFICE DRAMA which she choreographed was an EYE WASH!!!

Infact Sonia Gandhi had sent, 340 letters, each signed by different MP to the PRESIDENT KALAM, supporting her candidacy for PM.

One of those letters read, I Sonia Gandhi, elected Member from Rai Bareli, hereby propose Sonia Gandhi as Prime Minister.

So SHE was Pretty INTERESTED! Until She came to know the Facts!

So She didn't make any Sacrifice, It so happens that SONIA GANDHI couldn't have become the PM of INDIA that time.

You could be Ashamed about that Dear Rahul!! One Credential Sonia G had, Even that was a HOAX!

THINK ABOUT YOURSELF.

You go to Harvard on Donation Quota. ( Hindujas Gave HARVARD 11 million dollars the same year, when Rajiv Gandhi was in Power)

Then you are expelled in 3 Months/ You Dropped out in 3 Months.... ( Sadly Manmohan Singh wasn't the Dean of Harvard that time, else you might have had a chance... Too Bad, there is only one Manmohan Singh!)

Some Accounts say, You had to Drop out because of Rajiv Gandhi's Assassination.

May be, But Then Why did you go about lying about being Masters in Economics from Harvard .. before finally taking it off your Resume upon questioning by Dr. SUBRAMANIYAM SWAMI (The Gentlemen who exposed the 2G Scam)

At St. Stephens.. You Fail the Hindi Exam.

Hindi Exam!!!

And you are representing the Biggest Hindi Speaking State of the Country?

SONIA GANDHI's EDUCATIONAL QUALIFICATIONS

Sonia G gave a sworn affidavit as a Candidate that She Studied English at University of Cambridge

[SEE ANNEXURE-6, 7_37a]

According to Cambridge University, there is no such Student EVER! [ SEE ANNEXURE -7_39]

Upon a Case by Dr. Subramaniyam Swami filed against her,

She subsequently dropped the CAMBRIDGE CREDENTIAL from her Affidavit.

Sonia Gandhi didn't even pass High School. She is just 5th class Pass!

In this sense, She shares a common Educational Background with her 2G Partner in Crime, Karunanidhi.

You Fake your Educational Degree, Your Mother Fakes her Educational Degree.

And then you go out saying, " We want Educated Youth into Politics!"

Letters sent by Dr. Swami to EC and then Speaker of Lok Sabha are in ANNEXURE 7_36 &7_35 RESPECTIVELY

Contrast that with Gandhi Ji , who went to South Africa, Became a Barrister, on Merit, Left all that to work for South Africa, then for the Country....

WHY LIE ABOUT EDUCATIONAL CREDENTIALS?

Not that Education is a Prerequisite for being a great Leader, but then you shouldn't have lied about your qualifications!

You could feel a little ashamed about Lying about your Educational Qualifications. You had your reasons I know, Because in India, WE RESPECT EDUCATION!

But who cares about Education, When you are a Youth Icon!!

YOUTH ICON

You traveled in the Local Train for the first time at the Age of 38.

You went to some Villages as a part of Election Campaign.

And You won a Youth Icon!! ... That's why You are my Youth Icon.

For 25 Million People travel by Train Everyday. You are the First Person to win a Youth Icon for boarding a Train.

Thousands of Postmen go to remotest of Villages. None of them have yet gotten a Youth Icon.

You were neither YOUNG Nor ICONIC!

Still You became a Youth Icon beating Iconic and Younger Contenders like RAHUL DRAVID.

Shakespeare said, What's in a Name?

Little did he knew, It's all in the Name, Especially the Surname!

Speaking of Surname, Sir

DO YOU REALLY RESPECT GANDHI, OR IS IT JUST TO CASH IN ON THE GOODWILL OF MAHATMA?

Because the Name on your Passport is RAUL VINCI.

Not RAHUL GANDHI..

May be if you wrote your Surname as Gandhi, you would have experienced, what Gandhi feels like, LITERALLY ( Pun Intended)

You People don't seem to use Gandhi much, except when you are fighting Elections. ( There it makes complete sense).

Imagine fighting elections by the Name Raul Vinci...

It feels sadly Ironic, Gandhi Ji, who inspired Icons like Nelson Mandela ,Martin Luther King Jr. and John Lennon, across the world, Couldn't inspire members of his party/ Nehru's Family, who only seem to use his Surname for the purposes of FIGHTING ELECTIONS and conveniently use a different name on their PASSPORT.

You use the name GANDHI at will and then say, " Mujhe yeh YUVRAJ shabd Insulting lagta hai! Kyonki aaj Hindustan mein Democracy hai, aur is shabd ka koi matlab nahin hai!

YUVRAJ, Itna hi Insulting lagta hai, to lad lo RAUL VINCI ke Naam se!!! Jin Kisano ke saath photo khinchate ho woh bhi isliye entertain karte hain ki GANDHI ho.. RAUL VINCI bol ke Jao... Ghar mein nahin ghusaenge!!!

You could feel ashamed for your Double Standards.

YOUTH INTO POLITICS.

Now You want Youth to Join Politics.

I say First you Join Politics.

Because you haven't Joined Politics. You have Joined a Family Business.

First you Join Politics. Win an Election fighting as RAUL VINCI and Not Rahul Gandhi, then come and ask the youth and the Educated Brass for more involvement in Politics.

Also till then, Please don't give me examples of Sachin Pilot and Milind Deora and Naveen Jindal as youth who have joined Politics..

They are not Politicians. They Just happen to be Politicians.

Much Like Abhishek Bachchan and other Star Sons are not Actors. They just happen to be Actors (For Obvious Reasons)

So, We would appreciate if you stop requesting the Youth to Join Politics till you establish your credentials...

WHY WE CAN'T JOIN POLITICS!

Rahul Baba, Please understand, Your Father had a lot of money in your Family account ( in Swiss Bank) when he died.

Ordinary Youth has to WORK FOR A LIVING.

YOUR FAMILY just needs to NETWORK FOR A LIVING

If our Father had left thousands of Crores with us, We might consider doing the same..

But we have to Work. Not just for ourselves. But also for you. So that we can pay 30% of our Income to the Govt. which can then be channelized to the Swiss Banks and your Personal Accounts under some Pseudo Names.

So Rahul, Please don't mind If the Youth doesn't Join Politics. We are doing our best to fund your Election Campaigns and your Chopper Trips to the Villages.

Somebody has to Earn the Money that Politicians Feed On.

NO WONDER YOU ARE NOT GANDHI'S. YOU ARE SO CALLED GANDHI'S!!

Air India, KG Gas Division, 2G, CWG, SWISS BANK Account Details... Hasan Ali, KGB., FBI Arrest..

You want to feel ashamed..

Feel Ashamed for what the First Family of Politics has been reduced to...

A Money Laundering Enterprise.

NO WONDER YOU ARE NOT GANDHI'S BY BLOOD. GANDHI is an adopted Name. For Indira didn't marry Mahatma Gandhi's Son.

For even if you had one GENE OF GANDHI JI in your DNA. YOU WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN PLAGUED BY SUCH 'POVERTY OF AMBITION' ( Ambition of only EARNING MONEY)

You really want to feel Ashamed.

Feel Ashamed for what you ' SO CALLED GANDHI'S' have done to MAHATMA'S Legacy..

I so wish GANDHI JI had Copyrighted his Name!

Meanwhile, I would request Sonia Gandhi to change her name to $ONIA GANDHI, and you could replace the 'R' in RAHUL/RAUL by the New Rupee Symbol!!!

RAUL VINCI : I am ashamed to call myself an Indian.

Even we are ashamed to call you so!

P.S: Popular Media is either bought or blackmailed, controlled to Manufacture Consent!

My Guess is Social Media is still a Democratic Platform. (Now they are trying to put legislations to censor that too!!)

Meanwhile, Let's ask these questions, for we deserve some Answers.

For we are all Gandhi's. For Bapu is the Father of the Nation!

To know more, Try looking for Dr. SUBRAMANIYAM SWAMI. He is the reason today 2G SCAM is being Investigated!!!

YOURS SINCERELY

NITIN GUPTA ( RIVALDO)

B.Tech, IIT Bombay

How can we Differentiate between Emotional Intelligence & Cognitive Intelligence ..

2011-06-08T13:12:00.000+05:30

Lets begin with a short example....Arun was brilliant in his field and the best person in the office as far as his techinical skills were concerned, but his people skills were very low. He was arrogant, short-tempered, and a social rebel. Other people in the office didn't like to work with him, and he was unable to explain things in terms that other people could understand.

On the other hand Poonam, who was also working in the same department, had very good technical skills and qualifications though it was less than Arun’s. However, her emotional intelligence more than made up for this. She was able to handle herself and other people well and was able to explain things calmly and clearly. People loved to work with her and she was very popular .She received promotion after promotion because of her technical expertise and her high emotional intelligence.

Many people with very high IQs (Cognitive Intelligence) do poorly in work and relationships because they have low EQs (Emotional Intelligence). They underestimate themselves because they can't manage their own emotions or those of other people, and they cannot be a part of big projects because they may have all the logical, rational and analytical “answers,” but they don’t have the “soft” skills to move a project forward.

So Now let us see what is Emotional Intelligence

a) Its is all about understanding our own emotions and those of others, and being able to use this information to bring about the best outcome for all concerned.

b) Knowing where our emotions come from and being able to manage our own emotions and those of others.

c)Knowing what emotions mean and what information they are providing.

d )Being able to work well with others as well as alone,

e ) being able to combine cognitive knowledge with emotional knowledge and use them in tandem .

On the other hand Cognitive Intelligence –

a) is about our intellectual abilities such as logic, reasoning, reading, writing, analyzing and prioritizing.

b) These go on in our own head and utilize only the neo -cortex, not the emotional centres of the brain which also provide crucial information.

c )These abilities do not require any social skills for example we can solve a sudoku or crossword all by our self , or write an article , or handle our business issues all by ourselves.

Comparing EI & CI

EI Being effective both alone and as a team player

CI Only effective when working alone.

EI Being able to manage our own emotions.

CI Having temper tantrums, sulking or withdrawing symptoms.

EI Being able to empathize with others and knowing where they're coming from .

CI Unable to grasp other feeling , and see how their emotions are affected.

EI Using an emotional appeal to convince someone of something

CI Using an intellectual appeal to convince someon .

EI Knowing that motivation is a word with feeling.

CI Thinking that motivation is a thinking word .

Finally I guess we can safely say that Emotional intelligence accounts for more success and happiness in life than Cognitive Intelligence.

So dear Friends, We must all learn to develop our Emotional Intelligence as well as our skills and technical expertise and only then will we be able to do better in our careers. Developing our Emotional Intelligence is also crucial for personal and family relationships. So lets all get started today as our career’s and relationships could depend upon it...!!

We Are All Born To Fly...!!

2011-06-07T09:36:00.000+05:30

Once there was a king who received a gift of two magnificent falcons from Arabia . They were peregrine falcons, the most beautiful birds he had ever seen. He gave the precious birds to his head falconer to be trained.

Months passed and one day the head falconer informed the king that though one of the falcons was flying majestically, soaring high in the sky, the other bird had not moved from its branch since the day it had arrived.

The king summoned healers and sorcerers from all the land to tend to the falcon, but no one could make the bird fly. He presented the task to the member of his court, but the next day, the king saw through the palace window that the bird had still not moved from its perch. Having tried everything else, the king thought to himself, "May be I need someone more familiar with the countryside to understand the nature of this problem." So he cried out to his court, "Go and get a farmer." In the morning, the king was thrilled to see the falcon soaring high above the palace gardens. He said to his court, "Bring me the doer of this miracle."

The court quickly located the farmer, who came and stood before the king. The king asked him, "How did you make the falcon fly?"With his head bowed, the farmer said to the king, " It was very easy, your highness... I simply cut the branch where the bird was sitting."

We are all made to fly -- to realize our incredible potential as human beings. But instead of doing that, we sit on our branches, clinging to the things that are familiar to us. The possibilities are endless, but for most of us, they remain undiscovered. We conform to the familiar, the comfortable, the mundane. So for the most part, our lives are mediocre instead of exciting, thrilling and fulfilling.

So Dear Friends...let us learn to destroy the branch of fear we cling to and free ourselves to the glory of flight as WE ARE ALL BORN TO FLY....!!!

Achieve more out of your life …. Now !

2011-06-06T12:07:00.000+05:30

The more we chase happiness in life the less we have it.

Living has become complicated and strange in the modern world that we are living in today. With innumerable new discoveries man has surrounded himself with a vast sea of thrill and joy, but he is more worried and caught up in his own web than he was a decade ago.

In various studies it has been found that more than 50% cases coming to doctors today are related to stress, or side-effects caused by them. Worry sucks out all our positive energy. In pursuit of larger fun we ignore the joys of daily living.Many of us must be remembering the good old days when even simple communications with friends and relatives produced large doses of happiness.

We need to ask ourselves ..Are we really progressing, or more accurately, progressing in a right way ? We must think before everything is out of our hands. If we become slaves of our own fate, life won’t be worth-living. Therefore the first step to stop worrying and live happily is to put a break on our hectic life. I don’t mean permanently….!!

I am not going to scuttle your ambitious plans. But just ask you to forget everything for a couple of days.

Relax your mind. Enter a new phase of thinking:

Ask these questions to yourself.

1. Why do I worry?

2. Am I pursuing the fun of tomorrow by erasing the joys of today?

3. Will I achieve more by worrying and ruining my health and happiness?

4. Why am I in the rat race?

5. What can I do to solve my problems?

Write the answer of each question in detail. It will free your mind from the emotional clutter & your bubbles of worries will start bursting one by one.

But dear friends, this is only a temporary solution to your present worries. The second phase of action will change your lifestyle and give you better solutions.

Negative Energy

You must understand first that worry is a form of negative energy. If you use this energy its impact will loosen up. So dear friend, use this energy forcefully in a game, exercise or long quick walk.

Fun Times

Due to fast pace of life people rarely go for regular outings with the family. Keep one day in a week for outings, short travels, visiting relatives or friends.

Power of a Hobby

Intentionally develop a hobby and give at least two hours every week. A hobby is a great relaxing tool.

Break the Routine

As soon as you reach home from your office or work ..u need to relax and keep at least half an hour for an activity that will break your daily routine. Do something different everyday. Listen to music, read yr fav book... go with your family for a walk to a nearby park.. workout at the gym ...do some gardening... visit friends.... call a friend over to spend the evening etc.

Now decide and act, and see your worries flying away in the sky for ever…..!!!

Don’t worry….Be Happy !

11 Things They Don’t Teach in High School According to Bill Gates

2011-06-04T09:24:00.000+05:30

Love him or hate him, he sure hits the nail on the head with this! Bill Gates recently gave a speech at a High School about 11 things they did not and will not learn in school. He talks about how feel-good, politically correct teachings created a generation of kids with no concept of reality and how this concept set them up for failure in the real world.

Rule 1: Life is not fair – get used to it!

Rule 2 : The world won’t care about your self-esteem. The world will expect you to accomplish something BEFORE you feel good about yourself.

Rule 3 : You will NOT make $60,000 a year right out of high school. You won’t be a vice-president with a car phone until you earn both.

Rule 4 : If you think your teacher is tough, wait till you get a boss.

Rule 5 : Flipping burgers is not beneath your dignity. Your Grandparents had a different word for burger flipping: they called it opportunity.

Rule 6: If you mess up, it’s not your parents’ fault, so don’t whine about your mistakes, learn from them.

Rule 7: Before you were born, your parents weren’t as boring as they are now They got that way from paying your bills, cleaning your clothes and listening to you talk about how cool you thought you were. So before you save the rain forest from the parasites of your parent’s generation, try delousing the closet in your own room.

Rule 8: Your school may have done away with winners and losers, but life HAS NOT. In some schools, they have abolished failing grades and they’ll give you as MANY TIMES as you want to get the right answer. This doesn’t bear the slightest resemblance to ANYTHING in real life.

Rule 9: Life is not divided into semesters. You don’t get summers off and very few employers are interested in helping you FIND YOURSELF. Do that on your own time.

Rule 10: Television is NOT real life. In real life people actually have to leave the coffee shop and go to jobs.

Rule 11: Be nice to nerds. Chances are you’ll end up working for one.

If you can read this – Thank your teachers

Take out time....

2011-06-04T09:20:00.000+05:30

Take out time to think - It is the source of all power.

Take out time to read - It is the fountain of wisdom.

Take out time to play - It is the source of perpetual youth.

Take out time to be quiet - It is the opportunity to seek God.

Take out time to be aware - It is the opportunity to help others.

Take out time to love and be loved - It is God's greatest gift.

Take out time to laugh - It is the music of the soul.

Take out time to be friendly - It is the road to happiness.

Take out time to dream - It is what the future is made of.

Take out time to pray - It is the greatest power on earth.

Take out time to give - It is too short a day to be selfish.

Take out time to work - It is the price of success.

There is a TIME for everything.

ONLY if YOU LEARN TO TAKE OUT TIME

Hold Yourself and Carry On............

2011-06-04T09:16:00.000+05:30

There was a couple who visited England frequently to shop at the beautiful & exquisite stores there. They were very fond of collecting antiques, especially teacups.

One day while shopping around for antiques they came across this beautiful teacup. They requested the sales lady May we see that? We've never seen one quiet so beautiful." As the lady handed it to them, suddenly the teacup spoke, "You know something" it said, "I haven't always been a teacup."

"There was a time when I was clay. My master took me and rolled me and patted me over and over and I yelled out, 'Leave me alone,' but he only smiled, 'Not Yet.' "Then I was placed on a spinning wheel," the teacup said, "and suddenly I was spun around and around and around. 'Stop it!

I'm getting dizzy!' I screamed. But the master only nodded and said, 'Not Yet.'

"Then he put me in the oven. I never felt such heat. I wondered why he wanted to bake me and I yelled and knocked at the door. I could see him through the opening and I could read his lips, as he shook his head, 'Not Yet!'

"Finally the door opened, he put me on the shelf, and I began to cool.

'Now that's better', I said. He then brushed and painted me all over.

The fumes were horrible; I thought I would choke. 'Stop it, Stop it!' I cried. He only nodded, 'Not Yet.' "Then suddenly he put me back into the oven, not like the first one.

This was twice as hot and I knew I would suffocate. I begged. I pleaded, I screamed. I cried. All the time I could see him through the opening nodding his head saying, 'Not yet!'

"Then I knew there wasn't any hope. I would never make it. I was ready to give up. But to my good luck the door opened and he took me out and placed me on the shelf.

One hour later he handed me a mirror and said, 'Look at yourself", and I did.

I said, 'that's not me; that couldn't be me. It's beautiful. I'm beautiful.'

"'I want you to remember', he said, 'I know it hurts to be rolled and patted, but if I had left you alone, you'd have dried up. I know it made you dizzy to spin around on the wheel, but if I had stopped, you would have crumbled. I knew it was very hot in the oven, but if I hadn't put you there, you would have cracked.

"I know the fumes were bad when I brushed and painted you all over, but if I hadn't done that, you never would have hardened; you would not have had any color in your life. And if I hadn't put you back in the second oven; you wouldn't survive for very long because the hardness would not have held. Now you are a finished product. You are as beautiful as what I had in mind when I first began you".

MORAL

Dear Friends, whenever we are passing through the toughest phase of our lives, just remember that it means God is taking us through the journey to make the best of what He has planned for each one of us. ....

So Just Hold Yourself and Carry On……!!!!!!!!!

Nature of man to follow blindly..........

2011-06-03T09:14:00.000+05:30

One day, a calf needed to cross a virgin forest in order to return to its pasture. Being an irrational animal, it forged out a tortuous path full of bends, up and down hills.

The next day, a dog came by and used the same path to cross the forest. Next it was a sheep’s turn, the head of a flock which, upon finding the opening, led its companions through it.

Later, men began using the path: they bent down, deviating obstacles, complaining and cursing – and quite rightly so. But they did nothing to create a different route.

After so much use, in the end, the path became a trail along which poor animals toiled under heavy loads, being forced to go three hours to cover a distance which would normally take thirty minutes.

Many years passed and the trail became the main road of a village, and later the main avenue of a town. Everyone complained about the traffic, because the route it took was the worst possible one.

Meanwhile, the old and wise forest laughed, at seeing how men tend to blindly follow the way already open, without ever asking whether it really is the best choice.

Hold on gently

2011-06-03T09:11:00.000+05:30

When she was eleven years old, Anita went to her mother to complain.

“I can’t manage to have friends. They all stay away from me because I’m so jealous.”

Her mother was taking care of newly-born chickens, and Anita held up one of them, which immediately tried to escape.

The more the girl squeezed it in her hands, the more the chicken struggled.

Her mother said: “try holding it gently.”

Anita obeyed her. She opened her hands and the chicken stopped struggling.

She began to stroke it and the chicken cuddled up between her fingers.

“Human beings are like that too,” said her mother. “If you want to hold onto them by any means, they escape. But if you are kind to them, they will remain for ever by your side.”

The story of the Pencil

2011-05-31T19:21:00.000+05:30

A boy was watching his grandmother write a letter. At one point, he asked:

Are you writing a story about what we've done? Is it a story about me?

His grandmother stopped writing her letter and said to her grandson:

I am writing about you, actually, but more important than the words is the pencil I'm using. I hope you will be like this pencil when you grow up.

Intrigued, the boy looked at the pencil. It didn't seem very special.

But it's just like any other pencil I've ever seen!

That depends on how you look at things. It has five qualities which, if you manage to hang on to them, will make you a person who is always at peace with the world.

First quality: you are capable of great things, but you must never forget that there is a hand guiding your steps. We call that hand God, and He always guides us according to His will.

Second quality: now and then, I have to stop writing and use a sharpener. That makes the pencil suffer a little, but afterwards, he's much sharper. So you, too, must learn to bear certain pains and sorrows, because they will make you a better person.

Third quality: the pencil always allows us to use an eraser to rub out any mistakes. This means that correcting something we did is not necessarily a bad thing; it helps to keep us on the road to justice.

Fourth quality: what really matters in a pencil is not its wooden exterior, but the graphite inside. So always pay attention to what is happening inside you.

Finally, the pencil's fifth quality: it always leaves a mark. In just the same way, you should know that everything you do in life will leave a mark, so try to be conscious of that in your every action.

Positive Thinking & its Power's....!!!

2011-05-22T06:33:00.000+05:30

Positive thinking is a mental attitude that admits into the mind, thoughts, words and images that are conductive to growth, expansion and success. It is a mental attitude that expects good and favourable results. A positive mind anticipates happiness, joy, health and a successful outcome of every situation and action. Whatever the mind expects, it finds.

Not everyone accepts or believes in positive thinking. Some consider the subject as just nonsense, and others scoff at people who believe and accept it. Among the people who accept it, not many know how to use it effectively to get results. Yet, it seems that many are becoming attracted to this subject, as evidenced by the many books, lectures and courses about it. This is a subject that is gaining popularity. It is quite common to hear people say: "Think positive!" to someone who feels down and worried. Most people do not take these words seriously, as they do not know what they really mean, or do not consider them as useful and effective. How many people do you know, who stop to think what the power of positive thinking means?

The following story illustrates how this power works:

Allan applied for a new job, but as his self-esteem was low, and he considered himself as a failure and unworthy of success, he was sure that he was not going to get the job. He had a negative attitude towards himself, and believed that the other applicants were better and more qualified than him. Allan manifested this attitude, due to his negative past experiences with job interviews.His mind was filled with negative thoughts and fears concerning the job for the whole week before the job interview. He was sure he would be rejected. On the day of the interview he got up late, and to his horror he discovered that the shirt he had planned to wear was dirty, and the other one needed ironing. As it was already too late, he went out wearing a shirt full of wrinkles.During the interview he was tense, displayed a negative attitude, worried about his shirt, and felt hungry because he did not have enough time to eat breakfast. All this distracted his mind and made it difficult for him to focus on the interview. His overall behaviour made a bad impression, and consequently he materialized his fear and did not get the job.

On the other hand Jim applied for the same job too, but approached the matter in a different way. He was sure that he was going to get the job. During the week preceding the interview he often visualized himself making a good impression and getting the job. In the evening before the interview he prepared the clothes he was going to wear, and went to sleep a little earlier. On day of the interview he woke up earlier than usual, and had ample time to eat breakfast, and then to arrive to the interview before the scheduled time. He got the job because he made a good impression. He had also of course, the proper qualifications for the job, but so had Allan.

So What do we learn from these two stories? Is there any magic applied here?

No, it is all natural. When the attitude is positive we entertain pleasant feelings and constructive images, and see in our mind's eye what we really want to happen. This brings brightness to the eyes, more energy and happiness. The whole being broadcasts good will, happiness and success. We walk tall and the voice is more powerful. Our body language shows the way you feel inside.

Would you like to think positively and attract success into your life?

Do you have negative thoughts?

Would you like to think positive thoughts?

Would you like to develop a positive attitude?

Affirmations can program the mind to think positively!

Affirmations can help you attract success into your life!

Positive and negative thinking are both contagious.

All of us affect, in one way or another, the people we meet. This happens instinctively and on a subconscious level, through thoughts and feelings transference, and through body language. People sense our aura and are affected by our thoughts, and vice versa. Is it any wonder that we want to be around positive people and avoid negative ones? People are more disposed to help us if we are positive, and they dislike and avoid anyone broadcasting negativity.

Negative thoughts, words and attitude bring up negative and unhappy moods and actions. When the mind is negative, poisons are released into the blood, which cause more unhappiness and negativity. This is the way to failure, frustration and disappointment.

Few Practical Tips

In order to turn the mind toward the positive, inner work and training are required. Attitude and thoughts do not change overnight. Think about its benefits and persuade yourself to try it. The power of thoughts is a mighty power that is always shaping our life. This shaping is usually done subconsciously, but it is possible to make the process a conscious one. Even if the idea seems strange give it a try, as you have nothing to lose, but only to gain. Ignore what others might say or think about you, if they discover that you are changing the way you think.

Always visualize only favourable and beneficial situations. Use positive words in your inner dialogues or when talking with others. Smile :)))) a little more, as this helps to think positively. Disregard any feelings of laziness or a desire to quit. If you persevere, you will transform the way your mind thinks.

Once a negative thought enters your mind, you have to be aware of it and endeavour to replace it with a constructive one. The negative thought will try again to enter your mind, and then you have to replace it again with a positive one. It is as if there are two pictures in front of you, and you choose to look at one of them and disregard the other. Persistence will eventually teach your mind to think positively and ignore negative thoughts.

In case you feel any inner resistance when replacing negative thoughts with positive ones, do not give up, but keep looking only at the beneficial, good and happy thoughts in your mind.

So dear friends It really does not matter what your circumstances are at the present moment.... Think positively, expect only favourable results and situations, and circumstances will change accordingly. It may take some time for the changes to take place, but eventually they will take place...!!!!

Even the most distant dream can be realized with Determination and Persistence.

2011-05-21T07:35:00.000+05:30

In 1883, a creative engineer named John Roebling was inspired by an idea to build a spectacular bridge connecting New York with the Long Island. However bridge building experts throughout the world thought that this was an impossible feat and told Roebling to forget the idea. It just could not be done. It was not practical. It had never been done before.

Roebling could not ignore the vision he had in his mind of this bridge. He thought about it all the time and he knew deep in his heart that it could be done. He just had to share the dream with someone else. After much discussion and persuasion he managed to convince his son Washington, an up and coming engineer, that the bridge in fact could be built.

Working together for the first time, the father and son developed concepts of how it could be accomplished and how the obstacles could be overcome. With great excitement and inspiration, and the headiness of a wild challenge before them, they hired their crew and began to build their dream bridge.

The project started well, but when it was only a few months underway a tragic accident on the site took the life of John Roebling. Washington was injured and left with a certain amount of brain damage, which resulted in him not being able to walk or talk or even move.

Everyone had a negative comment to make and felt that the project should be scrapped since the Roeblings were the only ones who knew how the bridge could be built. In spite of his handicap Washington was never discouraged and still had a burning desire to complete the bridge and his mind was still as sharp as ever.

He tried to inspire and pass on his enthusiasm to some of his friends, but they were too daunted by the task. As he lay on his bed in his hospital room, with the sunlight streaming through the windows, a gentle breeze blew the flimsy white curtains apart and he was able to see the sky and the tops of the trees outside for just a moment.

It seemed that there was a message for him not to give up. Suddenly an idea hit him. All he could do was move one finger and he decided to make the best use of it. By moving this, he slowly developed a code of communication with his wife.

He touched his wife's arm with that finger, indicating to her that he wanted her to call the engineers again. Then he used the same method of tapping her arm to tell the engineers what to do. It seemed foolish but the project was under way again.

For 13 years Washington tapped out his instructions with his finger on his wife's arm, until the bridge was finally completed. Today the spectacular Brooklyn Bridge stands in all its glory as a tribute to the triumph of one man's indomitable spirit and his determination not to be defeated by circumstances. It is also a tribute to the engineers and their team work, and to their faith in a man who was considered mad by half the world. It stands too as a tangible monument to the love and devotion of his wife who for 13 long years patiently decoded the messages of her husband and told the engineers what to do.

Friends I personally think Perhaps this is one of the best examples of a never-say-die attitude ....!!!

Often when we face obstacles in our day-to-day life, our hurdles seem very small in comparison to what many others have to face. The Brooklyn Bridge shows us that dreams that seem impossible can be realised with determination and persistence, no matter what the odds are.

Even the most distant dream can be realized with determination and persistence.

Fashion designer ends life fearing divorce

2011-05-20T12:16:00.005+05:30

Ruchi Shandilya, a fashion designer ends life by hanging herself due to mental torture by husband for divorce. This is the real story and more can be known by reading the suicide notes available with Ulsoor police station.......

READ THE REAL STORY ON>>>>>>

Justice for Ruchi !!!!!!!!!!

LATERAL & LOGICAL THINKING

2011-05-03T06:44:00.000+05:30

Many years ago in a small Indian village, a farmer had the misfortune of owing a large sum of money to a village moneylender. The moneylender, who was old and ugly, fancied the farmer's beautiful daughter. So he proposed a bargain.

He said he would forgo the farmer's debt if he could marry his daughter. Both the farmer and his daughter were horrified by the proposal.

So the cunning money-lender suggested that they let providence decide the matter. He told them that he would put a black pebble and a white pebble into an empty money bag. Then the girl would have to pick one pebble from the bag.

a) If she picked the black pebble, she would become his wife and her father's debt would be forgiven.

b) If she picked the white pebble she need not marry him and her father's debt would still be forgiven.

c) But if she refused to pick a pebble, her father would be thrown into jail.

They were standing on a pebble strewn path in the farmer's field. As they talked, the moneylender bent over to pick up two pebbles. As he picked them up, the sharp-eyed girl noticed that he had picked up two black pebbles and put them into the bag. He then asked the girl to pick a pebble from the bag.

Dear Friends, what would you have done if you were in the girl’s place? If you had to advise her, what would you have told her?

Careful analysis would have produced these three possibilities:

1. The girl could refuse to take a pebble.

2. The girl could show that there were two black pebbles in the bag and expose the money-lender as a cheat.

3. The girl could pick a black pebble and sacrifice herself in order to save her father from his debt and imprisonment.

The girl's dilemma cannot be solved with traditional logical thinking.Think of the consequences if she chose any of the above logical answers.

Well, here is what she did ....!!!!

The girl put her hand into the money bag and drew out a pebble. Without looking at it, she fumbled and let it fall onto the pebble-strewn path where it immediately got lost among all the other pebbles.

"Oh, how clumsy of me," she said. "But never mind, if you look into the bag for the one that is left, you will be able to tell which pebble I picked."

Since the remaining pebble is black, it would be assumed that she had picked the white one. And since the money-lender dared not admit his dishonesty, the girl changed what seemed an impossible situation into an extremely advantageous one.

MORAL

Dear Friends, Take a moment to ponder over this story. I have shared the above story with you all with the hope that it will make all of us appreciate the difference between lateral and logical thinking.Most complex problems that occur in our lives do have a solution. It is just that we never try to think of a way to solve it. . I hope this story enables us to start thinking differently .

Must read - King Arthur

2011-05-02T09:14:00.000+05:30

This is quite interesting. And so true!!! Take time off to read till the end ....

(To women) Please take time to ponder.....

(To men) Just enjoy the story......

Young King Arthur was ambushed and imprisoned by the monarch of a neighboring kingdom.. The monarch could have killed him but was moved by Arthur's youth and ideals. So, the monarch offered him his freedom, as long as he could answer a very difficult question. Arthur would have a year to figure out the answer and, if after a year, he still had no answer, he would be put to de ath.

The question was: What do women really want?

Such a question would perplex even the most knowledgeable man. And to young Arthur, it seemed an impossible query. But, since it was better than death, he accepted the monarch's proposition to have an answer by year's end.

He returned to his kingdom and began to poll everyone: the princess, the priests, the wise men, and even the court jester. He spoke with everyone, but no one could give him a satisfactory answer.

Many people advised him to consult the old witch, for only she would have the answer. But the price would be high as the witch was famous throughout the kingdom for the exorbitant prices she charged.

The last day of the year arrived and Arthur had no choice but to talk to the witch. She agreed to answer the question, but first he would have to agree to her price.

The old witch wanted to marry Sir Lancelot, the most noble o f the Knights of the Round Table, and Arthur's closest friend! Young Arthur was horrified. She was hunch-backed and hideous, had only one tooth, smelled like sewage, made obscene noises, etc.

He had never encountered such a repugnant creature in all his life.. He refused to force his friend to marry her and endure such a terrible burden.

But Lancelot, having learnt of the proposal, spoke with Arthur. He said nothing was too big of a sacrifice compared to Arthur's life. And the reservation of the Round Table. Hence, a wedding was proclaimed and the witch answered.

Arthur's question thus: 'What a woman really wants?'

She said, 'A woman wants to be in charge of her own life.'

Everyone in the kingdom instantly knew that the witch had uttered a great truth, and that Arthur's life would be spared. And so it was. The neighbouring monarch granted Arthur his freedom. And Lancelot and the witch had a wonderful wedding.

The honeymoon hour app roached and, Lancelot, steeling himself for a horrific experience, entered the bedroom. But, what a sight awaited him. The most beautiful woman he had ever seen was sitting by the bed.

The astounded Lancelot asked what had happened. The beauty replied that since he had been so kind to her when she appeared as a witch, she would henceforth become her horrible and deformed self only half the time, and be the beautiful maiden the other half.

'Which would you prefer?' She asked him. 'Beautiful during the day .... or at night?'

Lancelot pondered the predicament.

During the day he could have a beautiful woman to show off to his friends, but at night, in the privacy of his castle, an old witch!

Or,

Would he prefer having a hideous witch during the day? But by night a beautiful woman for him to enjoy wondrous moments with?

(If you are a man reading this...) What would YOUR choice be?

(If you are a woman reading this...) What would YOUR MAN'S choice be?

And Lancelot's choice is given below...

BUT... please make YOUR choice first before you scroll down below... OKAY?

Knowing the answer the witch gave to Arthur for his question,

Sir Lancelot said that he would allow HER to make the choice herself.

Upon hearing this, she announced that she would be beautiful all the time..

Because, he had respected her enough to let her be in charge of her own life.

Now... what is the moral to this story?

The moral is...

1) There is 'witch' in every woman, no matter how beautiful she is !

2) If you don't let a woman have her own way, things are going to get ugly !

So, be careful how you treat a woman and always remember

IT IS EITHER ' HER WAY ' OR IT IS ' NO WAY ' !!

NEW OFFICE POLICY............EFFECTIVE from April , 2011

2011-05-02T09:09:00.000+05:30

Dress Code:

1) You are advised to come to work dressed according to your salary.

2) If we see you wearing Prada shoes and carrying a Gucci bag, we will assume you are doing well financially and therefore do not need a raise.

3) If you dress poorly, you need to learn to manage your money better, so that you may buy nicer clothes, and therefore you do not need a raise.

4) If you dress just right, you are right where you need to be and therefore you do not need a raise.

Sick Days:

We will no longer accept a doctor's statement as proof of sickness. If you are able to go to the doctor, you are able to come to work.

Personal Days:

Each employee will receive 104 personal days a year.

They are called Saturdays & Sundays.

Bereavement Leave:

This is no excuse for missing work. There is nothing you can do for dead friends, relatives or co-workers. Every effort should be made to have non-employees attend the funeral arrangements in your place. In rare cases where employee involvement is necessary, the funeral should be scheduled in the late afternoon. We will be glad to allow you to work through your lunch hour and subsequently leave one hour early.

Bathroom Breaks:

Entirely too much time is being spent in the toilet.

There is now a strict three-minute time limit in the stalls. At the end of three minutes, an alarm will sound, the toilet paper roll will retract, the stall door will open, and a picture will be taken. After your second offense, your picture will be posted on the company bulletin board under the 'Chronic Offenders' category. Anyone caught smiling in the picture will be sectioned under the company's mental health policy.

Lunch Break:

* Skinny people get 30 minutes for lunch, as they need to eat more, so that they can look healthy.

* Normal size people get 15 minutes for lunch to get a balanced meal to maintain their average figure.

* Chubby people get 5 minutes for lunch, because that's all the time needed to drink a Slim-Fast.

Thank you for your loyalty to a company. We are here to provide a positive employment experience. Therefore, all questions, comments, concerns, complaints, frustrations, irritations, aggravations, insinuations, allegations, accusations, contemplations, consternation and input should be directed elsewhere.

Speech by Bryan Dyson (CEO of Coca Cola)

2011-04-29T06:45:00.000+05:30

"Imagine life as a game in which you are juggling some five balls in the air. You name them - work, family, health, friends and spirit and you're keeping all of these in the air.

You will soon understand that work is a rubber ball.

If you drop it, it will bounce back.

But the other four Balls - family, health, friends and spirit - are made of glass. If you drop one of these; they

will be irrevocably scuffed, marked, nicked, damaged or even shattered. They will never be the same. You must understand that and strive for Balance in your life."

PUT THE GLASS DOWN …!!

2011-04-26T07:14:00.000+05:30

Once A professor began his class by holding up a glass with some water in it. He held it up for all to see; asked the students, How much do you think this glass weighs? 50gms ....100gms ......125gms......the students answered. I really don't know unless I weigh it,' said the professor.

But, my question is What would happen if I held it up like this for a few minutes?

Nothing Sir .. the students said.

OK what would happen if I held it up like this for an hour? professor asked.

Your arm would begin to ache…. said one of the students.

You're right said the Professor…!!

Now what would happen if I held it for a day?' Your arm could go numb, you might have severe muscle stress & paralysis; have to go to hospital for sure… ventured another student ; all the students laughed.

Very good. But during all this, did the weight of the glass change? Asked the professor. Exactly!' said the professor' Life's problems are

No replied the students….Then what caused the arm ache; the muscle stress?' Instead What should I do? The students were puzzled. Put the glass down! said one of the students.

If your thoughts and problems are in your head try to..........

Hold it for a few minutes in your head; they seem OK. Think of them for a long time; they begin to trouble you….. Hold it even longer in your head it begins to paralyze you.

So dear friends remember ....It's important to think of the (problems) in your life, but EVEN MORE IMPORTANTLY to 'Put Them Down' at the end of every day before you go to sleep. …That way, you are not stressed, you wake up every day fresher; stronger and in that way you can handle any issue, any problem that comes your way….!

Unusual Year 2011

2011-04-24T07:02:00.000+05:30

This year we are going to experience four unusual dates-1/1/11, 1/11/11,11/1/11, 11/11/11 and thats not all. Take the last two digits of ur birthdate - now add the age you will be this year and the result will be always be 111 for everyone. This is the year of money'.This year october will have 5 sundays,5 mondays and 5 saturdays.this happens every 823 years.

These particular years are known as "moneybags".

How do you handle ADVERSITY?

2011-04-11T11:35:00.000+05:30

A young woman went to her mother and told her about her life and how things were so hard for her. She did not know how she was going to make it and wanted to give up. She was tired of fighting and struggling.

It seemed that, as one problem was solved, a new one arose. Her mother took her to the kitchen. She filled three pots with water and placed each on a high fire. Soon the pots came to a boil. In the first, she placed carrots, in the second she placed eggs, and in the last she placed ground coffee beans.

She let them sit and boil, without saying a word. In about twenty minutes, she turned off the burners. She fished the carrots out and placed them in a bowl. She pulled the eggs out and placed them in a bowl. Then she ladled the coffee out and placed it in a bowl. Turning to her daughter, she asked, "Tell me, what do you see?"

"Carrots, eggs, and coffee," the young woman replied. The mother brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots. She did and noted that they were soft. She then asked her to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard-boiled egg. Finally, she asked her to sip the coffee. The daughter smiled as she tasted its rich aroma. The daughter then asked, "What does it mean, mother?"

Her mother explained that each of these objects had faced the same adversity - boiling water - but each reacted differently. The carrot went in strong, hard and unrelenting. However, after being subjected to the boiling water, it softened and became weak.

The egg had been fragile. Its thin outer shell had protected its liquid interior. But, after sitting through the boiling water, its inside became hardened! The ground coffee beans were unique, however. After they were in the boiling water, they had changed the water.

"Which are you?" the mother asked her daughter. "When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond? Are you a carrot, an egg, or a coffee bean?" Think of this: Which am I? Am I the carrot that seems strong but, with pain and adversity, do I wilt and become soft and lose my strength? Am I the egg that starts with a malleable heart, but changes with the heat? Did I have a fluid spirit but, after a death, a breakup, or a financial hardship, does my shell look the same, but on the inside am I bitter and tough with a stiff spirit and a hardened heart? Or am I like the coffee bean? The bean actually changes the hot water, the very circumstance that brings the pain. When the water gets hot, it releases the fragrance and flavour.

If you are like the bean, when things are at their worst, you get better and change the situation around you.

When the hours are the darkest and trials are their greatest, do you elevate to another level?

How do you handle adversity? Are you a carrot, an egg, or a coffee bean?

Malinga :-D (Malinga's unique Photo).....

2011-04-09T13:18:00.000+05:30

Ha Ha ....:-)

CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY - The Tata Gesture

2011-04-09T12:50:00.000+05:30

"Success is not a Long jump nor a High jump , Its a Marathon of Steps"

A news reporter asked Ratan Tata as to why Tatas are not making as much money as Reliance.

He was said to have replied,

We are Industrialists. They are businessmen.

What TATA did to 26/11 Mumbai victims?

LET THE WORLD KNOW WHAT IS "CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY"?

The Tata Gesture

.All category of employees including those who had completed even 1 day as casuals were treated on duty during the time the hotel was closed.

·Relief and assistance to all those who were injured and killed

·The relief and assistance was extended to all those who died at the railway station, surroundings including the Pav- Bha ji vendor and the pan shop owners.

·During the time the hotel was closed, the salaries were sent by money order.

·A psychiatric cell was established in collaboration with Tata Institute of Social Sciences to counsel those who needed such help.

·The thoughts and anxieties going on peoples mind was constantly tracked and where needed psychological help provided.

·Employee outreach centers were opened where all help, food, water, sanitation, first aid and counseling was provided. 1600 employees were covered by this facility.

·Every employee was assigned to one mentor and it was that persons responsibility to act as a single window clearance for any help that the person required.

·Ratan Tata personally visited the families of all the 80 employees who in some manner either through injury or getting killed were affected.

·The dependents of the employees were flown from outside Mumbai to Mumbai and taken care off in terms of ensuring mental assurance and peace. They were all accommodated in Hotel President for 3 weeks.

·Ratan Tata himself asked the families and dependents as to what they wanted him to do.

·In a record time of 20days, a new trust was created by the Tatas for the purpose of relief of employees.

·What is unique is that even the other people, the railway employees, the police staff, the pedestrians who had nothing to do with Tatas were covered by compensation.

·Each one of them was provided subsistence allowance of Rs. 10K per month for all these people for 6 months.

·A 4 year old granddaughter of a vendor got 4 bullets in her and only one was removed in the Government hospital. She was taken to Bombay hospital and several lacs were spent by the Tatas on her to fully recover her.

·New hand carts were provided to several vendors who lost their carts.

·Tata will take responsibility of life education of 46 children of the victims of the terror.

·This was the most trying period in the life of the organization.

Senior managers including Ratan Tata were visiting funeral to funeral over the 3 days that were most horrible.

The settlement for every deceased member ranged from Rs. 36 to 85 lacs

[One lakh rupees translates to approx 2200 US $ ] in addition to the following benefits:

1.Full last salary for life for the family and dependents;

2.Complete responsibility of education of children and dependents anywhere in the world.

3.Full Medical facility for the whole family and dependents for rest of their life.

4.All loans and advances were waived off irrespective of the amount.

Counsellor for life for each person

B. Epilogue

How was such passion created among the employees? How and why did they behave the way they did?

The organization is clear that it is not something that someone can take credit for. It is not some training and development that created such behavior. If someone suggests that everyone laughs It has to do with the DNA of the organization, with the way Tata culture exists and above all with the situation that prevailed that

time. The organization has always been telling that customers and guests are #1 priority

The hotel business was started by Jamshedji Tata when he was insulted in one of the British hotels and not allowed to stay there. He created several institutions which later became icons of progress, culture and modernity. IISc is one such institute. He was told by the rulers that time that he can acquire land for IISc to the extent he could fence the same. He could afford fencing only 400 acres.

When the HR function hesitatingly made a very rich proposal to Ratan he said do you think we are doing enough?

The whole approach was that the organization would spend several hundred crore in re-building the property why not spend equally on the employees who gave their life?

This is NOT COVERED BY Any NEWS CHANNELS Like JOKERS RUNNING AAJTAK, ZEE NEWS , IBN

These People Busy SHOWING DOGS CATS and cricketers

BASIC INFO ABOUT ANNA HAZARE

2011-04-08T09:40:00.000+05:30

Most of us may already know, but I am mailing this for the benefit of those who may not be aware.

ANYWAY IT WILL SPREAD THE MESSAGE .... PLEASE KEEP SPREADING IT.

Subject: Anna Hazare

10 things to know about Anna Hazare and Jan Lok Pal Bill

1. Who is Anna Hazare? An ex-army man. Fought 1965 Indo-Pak War

2. What's so special about him? He built a village Ralegaon Siddhi in Ahamad Nagar district, Maharashtra

3. So what?

This village is a self-sustained model village. Energy is produced in the village itself from solar power, biofuel and wind mills. In 1975, it used to be a poverty clad village. Now it is one of the richest village in India. It has become a model for self-sustained, eco-friendly & harmonic village.

4. Ok,...?

This guy, Anna Hazare was awarded Padma Bhushan and is a known figure for his social activities.

5. Really, what is he fighting for? He is supporting a cause, the amendment of a law to curb corruption in India.

6. How that can be possible?

He is advocating for a Bil, The Jan Lokpal Bill (The Citizen Ombudsman Bill), that will form an autonomous authority who will make politicians (ministers), beurocrats (IAS/IPS) accountable for their deeds.

7 It's an entirely new thing right..?

In 1972, the bill was proposed by then Law minister Mr. Shanti Bhushan. Since then it has been neglected by the politicians and some are trying to change the bill to suit thier theft (corruption).

8. Oh.. He is going on a hunger strike for that whole thing of passing a Bill ! How can that be possible in such a short span of time?

The first thing he is asking for is: the government should come forward and announce that the bill is going to be passed. Next, they make a joint committee to DRAFT the JAN LOKPAL BILL. 50% goverment participation and 50% public participation. Because you can’t trust the government entirely for making such a bill which does not suit them.

9. Fine, What will happen when this bill is passed?

10. Is he alone? Who else is there in the fight with Anna Hazare?

Baba Ramdev, Ex. IPS Kiran Bedi, Social Activist Swami Agnivesh, RTI activist Arvind Kejriwal and many more. Prominent personalities like Aamir Khan are supporting his cause. COMMON MAN is supporting him.

Ok, got it. What can I do? At least we can spread the message. Putting status message, links, video, changing profile pics. At least we can support Anna Hazare and the cause for uprooting corruption from India. At least we can hope that his Hunger Strike does not go in vain. At least we can pray for his good health.

Father of My Kids...

2011-03-23T08:39:00.002+05:30

Guy goes to the supermarket and notices an attractive woman waving at him. She says "Hello!!!". He's rather taken aback because he can't place where he knows her from. So he says..."do you know me???"... to which she replies..." I think you're the father of one of my kids"....

Completely shocked...the guy's mind travels back to the only time when he was unfaithful to his wife and
Says..." My God!... are you the stripper from my bachelor party that i made love to on the pool table???!!"

Confused... she looks into his eyes and says calmly..." No... I am your son's teacher"

Moral Of The Story........ Need to Know The Complete Picture Before U Open your Mouth.

Ants Philosophy

2011-03-16T10:20:00.000+05:30

All of us tend to look up to big people for lessons on how to get better. We are keen to learn the secrets of their success. But we forget that sometimes the biggest lessons in life come from the smallest folks around us.

Take ants for instance. Would you believe those small creatures can teach us how to live a better life?

Their are four key lessons from the behaviour of ants that can help us lead better lives.

1. Ants never quit. Have you noticed how ants always look for a way around an obstacle? Put your finger in an ant’s path and it will try and go around it, or over it. It will keep looking for a way out. It won’t just stand there and stare. It won’t give up and go back.

We should all learn to be like that. There will always be obstacles in our lives. The challenge is to keep trying, keep looking for alternative routes to get to our goals.

2. Ants think winter all summer. Remember the old story of the ant and the grasshopper? In the middle of summer, the ant was busy gathering food for the winter ahead – while the grasshopper was out having a good time. Ants know that summer - the good times – won’t last forever. Winters will come. That’s a good lesson to remember. When the going is good, don’t be so arrogant as to believe that a crisis or a setback cannot happen to you. Be good to other people. Save for a rainy day. Look ahead. And remember, good times may not last, but good people do.

3. Ants think summer all winter. As they suffer through the unbearable cold of the winter, ants keep reminding themselves that it won’t last forever, and that summer will soon be here. And with the first rays of the summer sun, the ants come out – ready to work, ready to play. When we are down and seemingly out, when we go through what looks like a never-ending crisis, it’s good to remind ourselves that this too shall pass. Good times will come. It’s important to retain a positive attitude, an attitude that says things will get better. As the old saying goes, tough times don’t last. Tough people do.

4. Ants do all they possibly can. How much food does an ant gather in summer? All that it possibly can! Now that’s a great work ethic to have. Do all you can! One ant doesn’t worry about how much food another ant is collecting. It does not sit back and wonder why it should have to work so hard. Nor does it complain about the poor pay! Ants just do their bit. They gather all the food they can. Success and happiness are usually the result of giving 100% - doing all you possibly can. If you look around you, you’ll find that successful people are those who just do all they possibly can.

Don’t quit. Look ahead. Stay positive. And do all you can.

And there’s just one more lesson to learn from ants. Did you know that an ant can carry objects up to 20 times their own weight? Maybe we are like that too. We can carry burdens on our shoulders and manage workloads that are far, far heavier than we’d imagine. Next time something’s bothering you and weighing you down, and you feel you just can’t carry on, don’t fret. Think of the little ant. And remember, you too can carry a lot more on your shoulders!

POLITICIANS AND DIAPERS

2011-02-17T09:43:00.001+05:30

One day a florist went to a barber for a haircut. After the cut, he asked about his bill, and the barber replied, 'I cannot accept money from you, I'm doing community service this week.' The florist was pleased and left the shop. When the barber went to open his shop the next morning, there was a 'thank you' card and a dozen roses waiting for him at his door.

Later, a cop comes in for a haircut, and when he tries to pay his bill, the barber again replied, 'I cannot accept money from you , I'm doing community service this week.' The cop was happy and left the shop. The next morning when the barber went to open up, there was a 'thank you' card and a dozen donuts waiting for him at his door.

Then a Member of Parliament came in for a haircut, and when he went to pay his bill, the barber again replied, 'I can not accept money from you. I'm doing community service this week.' The Member of Parliament was very happy and left the shop. The next morning, when the barber went to open up, there were a dozen other Members of Parliament lined up waiting for a free haircut.

And that, my friends, illustrates the fundamental difference between the citizens of our country and the politicians who run it.

BOTH POLITICIANS AND DIAPERS NEED TO BE CHANGED OFTEN AND FOR THE SAME REASON!

Do we have a branch?

2011-01-05T12:27:00.000+05:30

Once there was a king who received a gift of two magnificent falcons from Arabia. They were peregrine falcons, the most beautiful birds he had ever seen. He gave the precious birds to his head falconer to be trained.

In the morning, the king was thrilled to see the falcon soaring high above the palace gardens. He said to his court, "Bring me the doer of this miracle."

The court quickly located the farmer, who came and stood before the king. The king asked him, "How did you make the falcon fly?"

With his head bowed, the farmer said to the king, " It was very easy, your highness. I simply cut the branch where the bird was sitting."

We are all made to fly -- to realize our incredible potential as human beings. But instead of doing that, we sit on our branches, clinging to the things that are familiar to us. The possibilities are endless, but for most of us, they remain undiscovered. We conform to the familiar, the comfortable, and the mundane. So for the most part, our lives are mediocre instead of exciting, thrilling and fulfilling.

So let us learn to destroy the branch of fear we cling to and free ourselves to the glory of flight.

Travel by Indian Railways !

2010-09-16T14:01:00.001+05:30

Life has been so far quite a journey. Some incidents in my life have been inspiring, some scary, some sentimental, some absolutely fearless moves, etc etc. Sometimes I wonder, why so many things in our lives happen. This and that of Life.

Since last 2 years I got an opportunity to travel within my country and abroad. Seeing the world and different cultures has been a wonderful and exciting experience. Traveling on Indian trains is always adventurous. Trains never comes on time. Maximum time move on single track routes. Have filthy compartments. Cribbing about the Indian railways is a good past time for every Indian citizen.

But this time my journey from Mumbai to Agra by Punjab Mail, was quite a surprise. I boarded from Dadar. The train was exactly in time. The stoppage never ran beyond its applicable time. Every station in between Dadar and Agra was in time. Unbelievable!!! The train moved at Super Speed. The pantry food was equally good and clean. Hats off to the driver of this train..

When the train runs on time then I suppose the passenger enjoys the view and the company of the fellow passengers. The view was all green due to the rainy season. The meadows looked so green and crunchy. It looked no less than the green pastures of Yash Chopras movies, hahaha!!!

The credit goes to the people running the railway systems and definately not to the polititians of the country.

The Different Versions of the Ramayana in India

2010-06-29T09:23:00.000+05:30

The original or Adi Ramayan by Sage Valmiki has been adapted or translated into the various regional languages in India. Majority of them are not mere literal translation instead they all have their own distinguishing features.

Ramcharitmanas written by Tulsidas in the 16th century is the Ramayana version popular in North India.

In Urdu, it the Pothi Ramayana written in 17th century.

In Jammu and Kashmir, it is Kashmiri Ramavatara Charita written in 19th century.

In Punjab, it is the Ramavatara written in 17th century by Guru Gobind Singh.

In Gujarat, it is the Tulsi-krita Ramayana a Gujarati adaptation of Tulisdas Ramayana in 17th century by poet Premanand.

In Maharashtra, it is the Marathi Bhavartha Ramayana written by Eknath in the 16th century. There is also reference of Ramayana being translated into old Marathi during the 12th or 13th century.

In Assam, it is the Assamese Katha Ramayana or Kotha Ramayana in 15th century by Madhava Kandali.

In Bengal, it is the Bengali Krittivas Ramayan written by poet Krittivas in 15th century.

In Orissa, it is the Oriya Balramadasa Ramayana was adapted by Balarama Das in the 16th century.

In Andhra Pradesh, the Telugu Ramayan is known as Sri Ranganatha Ramayana and was adapted by Buddha Reddy.

In Karnataka, it is Kannada versions of the Ramayan - the Kumudendu Ramayana (Jain version) in 13th century and the Kumara-Valmiki Torave Ramayana in 16th century. There is another one titled Ramachandra Charita Purana written by Nagachandra during the 13th century.

In Tamil Nadu, it is the most popular Tamil Kamba Ramayana written by poet Kamban in the 12th century.

In Kerala, it is the Malayalam Adhyatma Ramayanam Kilipattu written by Thunchaththu Ezhuthachan in the 16th century.

Please note that this list is incomplete as there are more regional versions of this immortal epic. An exhaustive study needs to be conducted to identify all the regional versions of the Ramayana. Unfortunately, some regional languages are no longer in use and some languages have undergone severe changes and therefore Ramayana written in these languages might have disappeared completely.

Did you know?

2010-05-25T08:40:00.000+05:30

42 Great Facts.............

1 MOPED is the short term for 'Motorized Pedaling'.

2. POP MUSIC is 'Popular Music' shortened.

3. BUS is the short term for 'Omnibus' that means everybody.

4. FORTNIGHT comes from 'Fourteen Nights' (Two Weeks).

5. DRAWING ROOM was actually a 'withdrawing room' where people withdrew after Dinner. Later the prefix 'with' was dropped..

6. NEWS refers to information from Four directions N, E, W and S..

7. AG-MARK, which some products bear, stems from 'Agricultural Marketing'.

8. JOURNAL is a diary that tells about 'Journey for a day' during each Day's business.

9. QUEUE comes from 'Queen's Quest'. Long back a long row of people as waiting to see the Queen. Someone made the comment Queen's Quest..

10. TIPS come from 'To Insure Prompt Service'. In olden days to get Prompt service from servants in an inn, travelers used to drop coins in a Box on which was written 'To Insure Prompt Service'. This gave rise to the custom of Tips.

11. JEEP is a vehicle with unique Gear system. It was invented during World War II (1939-1945). It was named 'General Purpose Vehicle (GP)'.GP was changed into JEEP later.

12. Coca-Cola was originally green.

13. The most common name in the world is Mohammed..

14. The name of all the continents end with the same letter that they start with.

15. The strongest muscle in the body is the tongue.

16. TYPEWRITER is the longest word that can be made using the letters only on one row ! of the keyboard.

17. Women blink nearly twice as much as men!!

18. You can't kill yourself by holding your breath.

19. It is impossible to lick your elbow.

20.. People say "Bless you" when you sneeze because when you sneeze, your heart stops for a millisecond.

21. It is physically impossible for pigs to look up into the sky.

22. The "sixth sick sheik's sixth sheep's sick" is said to be the toughest tongue twister in the English language.

23. Each king in a deck of playing cards represents a great king from history.

>> Spades - King David

>> Clubs - Alexander the Great,

>> Hearts - Charlemagne

>> Diamonds - Julius Caesar.

24. Horse Statue in a Park…

>> If a statue of a person in the park on a horse has both front legs in the air, the person died in battle.

>> If the horse has one front leg in the air, the person died as a result of wounds received in battle

>> If the horse has all four legs on the ground, the person died of natural causes.

25. What do bullet proof vests, fire escapes, windshield wipers and laser printers all have in common? Ans. - All invented by women.

26. A crocodile cannot stick its tongue out.

27. A snail can sleep for three years.

28. All polar bears are left handed.

29. Butterflies taste with their feet.

30. Elephants are the only animals that can't jump.

31. In the last 4000 years, no new animals have been domesticated.

32. On average, people fear spiders more than they do death.

33. Shakespeare invented the word 'assassination' and 'bump'.

34. Stewardesses is the longest word typed with only the left hand.

35. The ant always falls over on its right side when intoxicated.

36. The electric chair was invented by a dentist.

37. The human heart creates enough pressure when it pumps out to the body to squirt blood 30 feet.

38. Rats multiply so quickly that in 18 months, two rats could have over million descendants.

39. Wearing headphones for just an hour will increase the bacteria in your ear by 700 times.

40. If you sneeze too hard, you can fracture a rib. If you try to suppress a sneeze, you can rupture a blood vessel in your head or neck and die.

41. The cigarette lighter was invented before the matchbox.

42. Most lipstick contains fish scales.

India Is Racist, And Happy About It

2010-05-25T08:31:00.000+05:30

A Black American's first-hand experience of footpath India: no one even wants to change

In spite of friendship and love in private spaces, the Delhi public literally stops and stares. It is harrowing to constantly have children and adults tease, taunt, pick, poke and peer at you from the corner of their eyes, denying their own humanity as well as mine. Their aggressive, crude curiosity threatens to dominate unless disarmed by kindness, or met with equal aggression.

Once I stood gazing at the giraffes at the Lucknow Zoo only to turn and see 50-odd families gawking at me rather than the exhibit.

Parents abruptly withdrew infants that inquisitively wandered towards me. I felt like an exotic African creature-cum-spectacle, stirring fear and awe. Even my attempts to beguile the public through simple greetings or smiles are often not reciprocated. Instead, the look of wonder swells as if this were all part of the act and we were all playing our parts.

Racism is never a personal experience. Racism in India is systematic and independent of the presence of foreigners of any hue. This climate permits and promotes this lawlessness and disdain for dark skin. Most Indian pop icons have light-damn-near-white skin. Several stars even promote skin-bleaching creams that promise to improve one's popularity and career success. Matrimonial ads boast of fair, v. fair and v. very fair skin alongside foreign visas and advanced university degrees. Moreover, each time I visit one of Delhi's clubhouses, I notice that I am the darkest person not wearing a work uniform. It's unfair and ugly.

Discrimination in Delhi surpasses the denial of courtesy. I have been denied visas, apartments, entrance to discos, attentiveness, kindness and the benefit of doubt. Further, the lack of neighbourliness exceeds what locals describe as normal for a capital already known for its coldness.

My partner is white and I am black, facts of which the Indian public reminds us daily. Bank associates have denied me chai, while falling over to please my white friend. Mall shop attendants have denied me attentiveness, while mobbing my partner. Who knows what else is more quietly denied?

"An African has come," a guard announced over the intercom as I showed up. Whites are afforded the luxury of their own names, but this careful attention to my presence was not new. ATM guards stand and salute my white friend, while one guard actually asked me why I had come to the bank machine as if I might have said that I was taking over his shift.

It is shocking that people wear liberalism as a sign of modernity, yet revert to ultraconservatism when actually faced with difference. Cyberbullies have threatened my life on my YouTube videos that capture local gawking and eve-teasing. I was even fired from an international school for talking about homosociality in Africa on YouTube, and addressing a class about homophobia against kids after a student called me a 'fag'.

Outside of specific anchors of discourse such as Reservations, there is no consensus that discrimination is a redeemable social ill. This is the real issue with discrimination in India: her own citizens suffer and we are only encouraged to ignore situations that make us all feel powerless. Be it the mute-witnesses seeing racial difference for the first time, kids learning racism from their folks, or the blacks and northeasterners who feel victimised by the public, few operate from a position that believes in change.

Living in India was a childhood dream that deepened with my growing understanding of India and America's unique, shared history of non-violent revolution. Yet, in most nations, the path of ending gender, race and class discrimination is unpaved. In India, this path is still rural and rocky as if this nation has not decided the road even worthy. It is a footpath that we are left to tread individually.

(The writer is a Black American PhD student at the Delhi School of Economics.)

No hard feelings but something to know and ponder about...................

2010-05-20T14:09:00.000+05:30

We live in a nation,

Where Pizza reaches home faster than Ambulance / police,
Where you get car loan @ 5% and education loan @ 12%,
Where rice is Rs 40/- per kg but sim card is free,
Where the footwear, we wear, are sold in AC showrooms, but vegetables, that we eat, are sold on the footpath
Where we make lemon juices with artificial flavors and dish wash liquids with real lemon.
Where people are standing at tea stalls reading an article about child labour from a newspaper and say,"yaar bachhon se kaam karvane wale ko to phansi par chadha dena chahiye" and then they shout "Oye chhotu 2 chaii laao....."

ARE WE HEADING TOWARDS A CHRISTIAN INDIA?

2010-04-10T06:15:00.001+05:30

I am a westerner and a born Christian. I was mainly brought up in catholic schools, my uncle, Father Guy Gautier, a gem of a man, was the parish head of the beautiful Saint Jean de Montmartre church in Paris ; my father, Jacques Gautier, a famous artist in France, and a truly good person if there ever was one, was a fervent catholic all his life, went to church nearly every day and lived by his Christian values. There are certain concepts in Christianity I am proud of : charity for others, the equality of system in many western countries, Christ’s message of love and compassion….
Yet, I am a little uneasy when I see how much Christianity is taking over India under the reign of Sonia Gandhi : according to a 2001 census, there are about 2.34 million Christians in India ; not even 2.5% of the nation, a negligible amount.
Yet there are today five Christian chief ministers in Nagaland, Mizoram, Meghalaya, Kerala and Andhra Pradesh.
One should add that the majority of politicians in Sonia Gandhi’s closed circle are either Christians or Muslims. She seems to have no confidence in Hindus. Ambika Soni, a Christian, is General Secretary of the Congress and a very powerful person, with close access to Sonia Gandhi. Oscar Fernandes is Union Programme Implementation Minister. Margaret Alwa is the eminence grise of Maharasthra. Karnataka is virtually controlled by AK Anthony, whose secretaries are all from the Southern Christian association. Valson Thampu, a Hindu hater, is Chairman NCERT curriculum Review Committee, John Dayal, another known Hindu baiter, has been named by Sonia Gandhi in the National Integration Council ; and Kancha Ilaya, who hates Hindus, is being allowed by the Indian Government to lobby with the UN and US Congress so that caste discrimination in India is taken-up by these bodies.
I have nothing personnally against Sonia Gandhi, in fact she probably is a good person to win the alliegance of so many and certainly a loving mother . I share with her a love for India, like her I have lived in this country for over 30 years and like her I have married an Indian. But nevertheless, since she is at the top, Christian conversions in India seem to have gone in overdrive.
More than 4,000 foreign Christian missionaries are involved in conversion activities across different states.
In Tripura, there were no Christians at independence, there are 120.000 today, a 90% increase since 1991.
The figures are even more striking in Arunachal Pradesh, where there were only 1710 Christians in 1961, but 1.2 million today, as well as 780 churches!
In Andhra Pradesh, churches are coming-up every day in far flung villages and there was even an attempt to set-up one near Tirupati.
Many of the North-East separatist movements, such as the Mizo or the Bodos, are not only Christian dominated, but also sometimes function with the covert backing of the missionaries.
In Kerala, particularly in the poor coastal districts, you find “miracle boxes” put in local churches: the gullible villager writes out a paper mentionning his wish: a fising boat, a loan for a pukka house, fees for the son’s schooling… And lo, a few weeks later, the miracle happens ! And of course the whole family converts, making others in the village follow suit.
During the Tsunami, entire dalit villages in Tamil Nadu were converted to Christianity with the lure of money.
It is true that there have been a few backlashes against missionnaries and nuns, particularly the gruesome muder of Staines and his two sons. But Belgium historian Konenraad Elst laments that « When over a thousand Hindus are killed and a quarter million Hindus ethnically cleansed in Kashmir, the world media doesn't even notice, but watch the worldwide hue and cry when a few local riots take place and a few missionaries are killed by unidentified tribal miscreants. Christian Naga terrorists have been killing non-Christians for decades on end, and this has never been an issue with the world media, except to bewail the "oppression" of the Nagas by "Hindu India" ».
More than 20,000 people have lost their lives to insurgency in Assam and Manipur in the past two decades. As recently as last week, four paramilitary Assam Rifles soldiers were killed in an ambush yesterday by the outlawed United National Liberation Front (UNLF).
The other day I was at the Madras Medical center, the foremost heart hospital in Madras. Right when you enter the lobby, you find a chapel, inviting everybody to pray, there are pictures and quotations of Christ everywhere and a priest visits all the patients, without being invited at all. Educational institutes and orphanages run by Christian organisations have become big business in Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and other states.
In Pondichery, where I am often, schools run by Adventists force their pupils, mostly Hindus, to say Christian prayers every day and attend mass. They are constantly fed anti Hindu slogans and biases under different forms, whether it is in history books, or discourses by priests during religious classes. Even in the elite schools or colleges, such as Saint Stephen in Delhi, Saint Xavier in Calcutta or Loyola college in Madras, where no direct proletization is attempted, Hindu pupils are subtly encouraged towards skepticism of their own religion, and admiration of whatever is Western. One should also say that it’s a one way traffic : remember the furor when MM Joshi wanted the Saraswati hymn to be sung at a Chief Ministers’ meet on education ? And imagine the uproar in secular India if portions of the Bhagavad Gita, this Bible for all humanity, were read at the beginning of the day in public schools ?
Sonia Gandhi said during the last National Integration Council meeting : « We are committed to ideological battle against communal forces which seek to destroy our diversity and polarise us. Certain parties promote polarisation and confrontation. And there are certain regimes in India which promote communalism ». But is not actually the Congress under Mrs Gandhi, which is promoting communalism, by insidiously installing Christians and Muslims (and Marxists) everywhere, propping up Christian states, allowing a free hand too missionnaries and pressing for reservations for Christian Dalits and Muslims, as recently done in AP, in a nation of 850 million Hindus ?
In my country, France, a Christian majority nation , it would be unthinkable to have Hindus – or even Indian born French for that matter – in so many positions of power. Impossible also to find a non-elected, non French, non-Christian person being the absolute ruler of the country behind the scene as Sonia Gandhi is in India.
Indians like to say that the greatness of India is that it accepts a foreigner and a Christian like Sonia Gandhi. But is’nt it rather a weakness, and an aberration ?
Can’t we find a worthy leader amongst one billion Indians ?
This is an India where you see today Swami Avimukteshwarananda Saraswati of Dwarka Peeth, made to disembark from an Indian Airlines flight for carrying his holy dand, a thin bamboo stick which is a symbol of their spiritual designation, inside the aircraft cabin.
Are we heading then towards a Christian India under Sonia Gandhi’s helm? It would be a tremendous loss not only to India, but also to the world.
For in India, you find the only living spirituality left on this planet.
By François Gautier - eminent author, journalist and Indologist

The Scientific Meaning of the Gayatri Manta

2010-03-30T08:00:00.001+05:30

Gayatri mantra has been bestowed the greatest importance in Vedic dharma.This mantra has also been termed as Savitri and Ved-Mata, the mother of the Vedas.

Ombhur bhuvah swah

Tat savitur varenyam

Bhargo devasya dheemahi

Dhiyo yo nah prachodayat

The literal meaning of the mantra is:

O God! You are Omnipresent, Omnipotent and Almighty. You are all Light. You are all Knowledge and Bliss. You are Destroyer of fear, You are Creator of this Universe, You are the Greatest of all. We bow and meditate upon Your light. You guide our intellect in the right direction.

The mantra, however, has a great scientific import too, which somehow got lost in the literary tradition. The modern astrophysics and astronomy tell us that our Galaxy called Milky Way or Akash-Ganga contains approximately 100,000 million of stars. Each star is like our sun having its own planet system.

We know that the moon moves round the earth and the earth moves round the sun along with the moon. All planets round the sun. Each of the above bodies revolves round at its own axis as well. Our sun along with its family takes one round of the galactic center in 22.5 crore years. All galaxies including ours are moving away at a terrific velocity of 20,000 mile s per second.

And now the alternative scientific meaning of the mantra step by step:

(A) OM BHUR BHUVAH SWAH:

Bhur the earth, bhuvah the planets (solar family), swah the Galaxy. We observe that when an ordinary fan with a speed of 900 RPM (rotations Per minute) moves, it makes noise. Then, one can imagine, what great noise would be created when the galaxies move with a speed of 20,000 miles per second. This is what this portion of the mantra explains that the sound produced due to the fast-moving earth, planets and galaxies is Om.

The sound was heard during meditation by Rishi Vishvamitra, who mentioned it to other colleagues. All of them, then unanimously decided to call this sound Om the name of God, because this sound is available in all the three periods of time, hence it is set (permanent). Therefore, it was the first ever revolutionary idea to identify formless God with a specific title (form) called upadhi. Until that time, everybody recognized God as formless and nobody was prepared to accept this new idea. In the Gita also, it is said, "Omiti ekaksharam brahma", meaning that the name of the Supreme is Om, which contains only one syllable (8/12).

This sound Om heard during samadhi was called by all the seers nada-brahma a very great noise), but not a noise that is normally heard beyond a specific amplitude and limits of decibels suited to human hearing. Hence the rishis called this sound Udgith musical sound of the above, i.e., heaven. They also noticed that the infinite mass of galaxies moving with a velocity of 20,000 miles/second was generating a kinetic energy = 1/2 MV2 and this was balancing the total energy consumption of the cosmos. Hence they named it Pranavah, which means the body (vapu) or store house of energy (prana).

(B)TAT SAVITUR VARENYAM: Tat that (God), savitur the sun (star), varenyam worthy of bowing or respect. Once the form of a person along with the name is known to us, we may locate the specific person.Hence the two titles (upadhi) provide the solid ground to identify the formless God, Vishvamitra suggested. He told us that we could know (realise) the unknowable formless God through the known factors, viz., sound Om and light of suns (stars).

A mathematician can solve an equation x2+y2=4; if x=2; then y can be known and so on. An engineer can measure the width of a river even by standing at the riverbank just by drawing a triangle. So was the scientific method suggested by Vishvamitra in the mantra in the next portion as under:-

C) BHARGO DEVASYA DHEEMAHI:

Bhargo the light, devasya of the deity, dheemahi we should meditate. The rishi instructs us to meditate upon the available form (light of suns) to discover the formless Creator (God). Also he wants us to do japa of the word Om (this is understood in the Mantra). This is how the sage wants us to proceed, but there is a great problem to realize it, as the human mind is so shaky and restless that without the grace of the Supreme (Brahma) it cannot be controlled.

Hence Vishvamitra suggests the way to pray Him as under:

D) DHIYO YO NAH PRACHODAYAT:

Dhiyo (intellect), yo (who), nah (we all), prachodayat (guide to right Direction). O God! Deploy our intellect on the right path. Full scientific interpretation of the Mantra: The earth (bhur), the planets (bhuvah), and the galaxies (swah) are moving at a very great velocity, the sound produced is Om, (the name of formless God.) That God (tat), who manifests Himself in the form of light of suns (savitur) is worthy of bowing/respect (varenyam). We all, therefore, should meditate (dheemahi) upon the light (bhargo) of that deity (devasya) and also do chanting of Om. May He (yo) guide in right direction (prachodayat) our(nah) intellect dhiyo.

So we notice that the important points hinted in the mantra are:-

1) The total kinetic energy generated by the movement of galaxies acts as an umbrella and balances the total energy consumption of the cosmos. Hence it was named as the Pranavah (body of energy). This is equal to 1/2 mv2 (Mass of galaxies x velocity2).

2) Realizing the great importance of the syllable OM, the other later date religions adopted this word with a slight change in accent, viz., amen and Ameen.

International Womens Day 2010

2010-03-08T07:43:00.001+05:30

March 8th Commemorates Womens Rights and Peace:

International Womens Day is an occasion and celebrated on 8 March all over the world. Women’s Day date (8 March) is also venerated at the United Nations and is designated in many countries as a national holiday. Women from all continents often segregated by linguistic, cultural, ethnic, financial and political distinctions. Women have been started at least ten decades of struggle for social equality, social justice, peace and development.

HISTORY OF INTERNATIONAL WOMENS DAY:

The history of International Womens Day is the event originated in 1908. In New York, women garment makers proved to demand better working conditions in the company. The Women has worked in very bad conditions and also earned half of men's wages. They died too early from deprived health. They did not have the right to vote.

In 1910, an international conference of women determined that each year a day should be set aside to press for women's demands. International Womens Day stands for equality between women and men.

At this time in England, women were demanded the right to vote. They stands for their slogan "Give Women the Vote" to struggle for women to obtain social equalities.

So International Women’s Day is remembered the battles for a long fought to build a society that is fair to all its members in a society in which diversity, tolerance, safety, social justice and social equality between women and men. And Women celebrated what they have done and are can do.

INTERNATIONAL WOMENS DAY COLOURS
International Womens day colours 2010 are white, green and purple
WOMENS DAY MODERN CULTURE:
The International Womens day is an official holiday in the world, it is observed by men giving flowers and small gifts to the women. In few nations ‘The International Women’s day” is also celebrated as an equivalent of Mother's Day and children can also give small presents to their mothers and grandmothers.
After the collapse of the Soviet Union, the celebrations of International Women’s Day were deserted in Armenia. April 7 was declared as state holiday of ‘Beauty and Motherhood’. In Italy, on International Women’s day, men offer yellow mimosas to women as special gifts. Yellow mimosas and chocolates are the most common presents on March 8, in Russia.
In the Asia, the custom of giving women flowers still prevails on the International Women’s Day. Sometimes, Women get gifts from their employers. School children are often brought presentations for their teachers.
In Portugal and Romania, groups of women celebrates "women-only" dinners and parties at the night of 8 March. In India, International Women’s Day held a lot of significance. So many parties are held during International Women’s Day. This is represented the power of women in this era and their vital role in this society.
In 1975, The United Nations has been started a celebration to International Womens Day. The 2005 Congress of the British Trades Union Congress strongly approved a resolution calling for International Women’s Day to be nominated a public holiday in the United Kingdom.
Importance of Internation Womens Day
The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) is a group of delegates from each Member State to celebrate the International Womens Day. UNGA found IWD to establish the social progress and peace. International Women’s Day required the active participation and equality of women. The Women acknowledged contribution of women to international peace and security.
Some of the issues in the United Nations and International Womens Day have focused the following:
In India, About 20,000 brides are burned to death every year because of lacking dowries. The groom's family will attempt the bride on fire, an accident or suicide. The groom is also free when he goes to remarry.
In several countries, women have been raped, and sometimes killed by their individual families to protect the family's honor. Honor killings have been reported in Gulf countries.
According to UNICEF, 100 million to 150 million girls and women have gone through female genital mutilation.
Today, this female genital mutilation is accepted in 28 African countries, despite the truth that it is banned in a number of these nations.The Help

Letter to the Thackerays

2010-02-23T06:35:00.000+05:30

Dear Bal uncle, Uddhav uncle and Bal's 'mini-me' Raj uncle,

I apologize beforehand for this juvenile letter. You see I'm in fact an immature delinquent, I get into petty verbal fights, I issue random threats to people better known than I am, at times I even speak nonsense and then try and defend my views, just to get some sort of public attention. Oh wait, I've seen this elsewhere.

And on the subject of apologizing, I also owe an apology for putting the three of you'll in the same letter. I know how much you love your uncle and cousin Raj, but you see when three people have undergone some sort of traumatized childhood which leads to such a delightfully entertaining adulthood, you do deserve to be clubbed together. I'm guessing dear old uncle faced some atrocities as a young man, so he decided to pass them onto the next generation, but then again I'm speculating.

Ive got so much to tell you guys, that I have no idea where to begin. Let me begin with the trivial things, like movies. My Name is Khan should definitely not be released, that scum Shah Rukh Khan spoke his mind on something. How dare he? Its not as if Maharashtra comes under the purview of some Constitution that grants freedom of speech. I mean the idea, that a man can say something which he believes in, we must put an end to this nonsense. Anyways Bal uncle, you have this hatred for Muslims, doesn't everyone know that?! Plus I'm pretty sure all those Pakistani cricketers were running around the Taj shooting people with their bats. Wait Ive forgotten, where were you when all this happened? Surely you and your merry bunch could have ended the attacks quickly, your so quick in putting a stop to everything else.
But forget all these minor issues, I have a confession to make. I'm not a Marathi Manoos, its a birth defect, I'm trying to rectify it. On top of that Ive committed the gravest sin anyone could ever have committed, Ive stayed in Bombay my entire life without being a Maharashtrian. Oh shit, I'm sorry, its not Bombay, but Mumbai. I told you I have a sickness. But I was reading a bit of history today, and I came across so much nonsense. People write such bull in the name of history. I thought everyone knew that Bombay...umm Mumbai was a great Maharashtrian city, and those wretched goras changed its name to Bombay to suit themselves. Or worse it might have been changed by some of those wretched North Indians, curse those vile creatures! But I read today that Bombay..sorry Mumbai never existed as a city, before colonial times. Apparently it was a bunch of islands occupied by fishing communities. They weren't even your ancestors. And when India became independent (I think it was Chhatrapati Shivaji who gave India her independence, because all the places seem to be named after him), the historians write that for several years, there was no Maharashtra at all. It was just the state of Bombay which included included the present day states of Maharashtra and Gujarat. Apparently Bombay was always a multicultural society developed Maharashtians, Gujaratis,

Muslims and even Parsis. Such blasphemy! And you know what the worst part is, I keep coming across Maharashtrians in Bombay, who keep reiterating the fact Bombay belongs to everyone. I'm pretty sure they must be some filthy North Indians in disguise, to prevent themselves from being thrown out. But today I began thinking a little bit. See this city has so much money, it's one of the most renowned cities in the world because all major Indian business houses are here. But the Ambanis are cheap Gujjus, Ratan Tata is Parsi, so hypothetically if we throw those Gujjus out, ship Tata back to Iran, send non-Maharshtrians out, how

will this city run? I'm sorry, I don't know what happens to me, I use my brains by mistake sometimes.

Oh in all this small talk I forgot the main thing I wanted to ask all three of you. You see, I saw this book the other day, some shady book called Vanity Fair by some non-entity named William Makepeace Thackeray. And it hit me that your last names are the same! I'm not sure, but as far as I know, I don't think William was a Marathi manoos. Aren't Maharshtrian surnames generally Thakre? But what do I know, I'm an idiot whose ancestors were from Rajasthan, irrespective of the fact that Ive stayed in Bombay all my life. Damn, I did it

again! Not Bombay, Mumbai.

Anyways I'm getting a little late. I'll definitely read about your insecurities and family feuds in the paper, alongside those of idiots who talk about nonsensical things like national integration, and that national issues take precedence over regional ones. Such utter bull! I promise, next time Ill definitely write you a letter in Marathi. I'm anyways starting a petition for Facebook to be available only in Marathi. It should be a success, I mean if you are trying to remove all those North Indians from Bombay, converting Facebook to Marathi

should definitely be a piece of cake.

Anish Singhvi.

New Year 2010: New Year Messages, Greetings, Wishes, and SMS Quotes

2009-12-31T09:22:00.000+05:30

Happy New Year! New Year is the day for us to thank God for all the blessings that we received during the previous year. New Year is the day for us to make some wishes to our families and loved ones. A lot of people are starting to send New Year Greetings to each and everyone through text messages and SMS in their mobile phones.

Every New Year, New Year SMS quotes are exchanged in various mobile networks making New Year one of the busiest days. Have you texted your family and loved ones a Happy, Prosperous and Joyous New Year? Greet them with a Happy New Year with the following New Year Messages and New Year SMS quotes:

“Every year gives us another chance, chance to change, to hope and wish for the better. That betterment will surely come. Wishing you and your family a joyous New Year. Happy New Year!”
“Love all, trust few. Do wrong to none. Thanks for the good things that we shared and may 2010 be fruitful to you and to your family. Happy New Year!”
“New Year is God’s way of saying: One more time… Live life… Make a difference… Touch one heart… Encourage one mind… and Inspire one soul… Happy New Year!”
"May God’s richest blessings, truest joys, constant love, tender guidance, unfailing protection and claming peace be yours this coming 2010. Happy New Year!”
“Wishing you and your family a peaceful and prosperous New Year! May the Good Lord bless us all. Happy New Year!”
“May God bless you more with what is truly essential in life: Stronger spirit, brave heart, healthier body, endless love, and God’s grace in abundance this 2010. God Bless and a great 2010 year ahead. Happy New Year!”
“God’s love is unbounded. God’s grace is unlimited. God’s power is immeasurable. May you have God’s endless blessings this year 2010. Happy New Year!”
“May your home be blessed, your efforts be rewarded and your life enriched by God to whom we give thanks for all we have. Happy New Year to you and to your family!”
“God bless you and keep you safe not only today but through life that is coming in your way. May the year 2010 be among the best years you’ll ever spend. Happy New Year!”
“Have a prosperous and blessed New Year to you and to your family. Happy New Year!”
“Life is not fair but it is still good. However good or bad a situation is, it will change. Each day, thank God for all the blessings and beautiful gifts He has given to us. Enjoy living for the next full year. Happy 2010!”

How to Write a Great Article for the Internet

2009-12-22T09:36:00.000+05:30

Article writing is one of the best ways to get your knowledge out and provide you with great free exposure for your business or your website.

Here are seven simple tips and some examples that will teach you how to write a great article for the Internet:

1) Create a catchy title

Your article's title can be a make or break for readers. A short, attention-grabbing title will pique reader interest and draw them in. Be sure that your title remains relevant to the topic you are writing about.

2) Keep it short

People are reading your article because they want information on the topic at hand. Get right into the meat of the article after a brief introduction. Effective Internet articles tend to be relatively short as people are turned off by seeing too many words on their screens. An ideal article for SelfGrowth.com contains approximately 500-1500 words.

3) Keep it simple and straightforward

Keep in mind your main purpose for writing the article to express your points as clearly as possible. Use language that is easy to understand and conversational in tone. Maintain a clear and organized structure throughout the article, and ALWAYS proofread and edit your article before submitting it.

4) Include a beginning, middle, and end

Every good article has a clear beginning, middle, and end. The beginning should be a short introduction about main focus of your article. The middle, or body, should contain the meat of the article: all of the important facts, ideas, instructions, etc. And an article should always end with a conclusion that wraps up or briefly restates your main points.

5) Write what you know

Be sure to pick a topic that you are knowledgeable about. It is much easier to write about something you are familiar and comfortable with, and your expertise will shine through in your writing. Plus, you will enjoy the writing process!

6) Teach something new or at least teach it in a new way

What point is there in sharing information that has already been brought to the table countless times? Teach your readers something new. Your knowledge is unique: Let your readers see this. If it's a popular topic, try to put a fresh spin on it or explore an area of your topic that is not commonly written about.

7) Include a short bio

Give yourself credit for your work by writing a brief bio. State who you are and what makes you an expert on your topic. You can also use this section to include links back to your website or contact information.

Stress is a good servant but a bad master

2009-12-22T09:34:00.000+05:30

There are several centers established in order to enable de-stressing but these provide, at the most, only temporary relief. None of them offer any permanent solution. Tension is only the negative name of a positive phenomenon. What is generally called tension is, in fact, the sign of a healthy life. It is actually a blessing in disguise.

Your mind has unlimited capacity, but this capacity, which is a gift of nature, is in the form of potential. You need to turn this potential into actuality. How should you go about doing this? Your potential can be realised only through being exposed to different kinds of stress or tension. Stress awakens the mind; stress activates natural processes which can lead to intellectual development. Stress plays a role in developing our personality.

In volleyball, there are two players: the waller and the booster. The waller has the key role in this game but he needs a booster, for without a booster, no waller can play his role properly. It is this process of boosting which is going on in the life of every human being. When you face stress of any kind, don’t despair. Take it as a challenge. Take it as an intellectual booster. Stress is a positive sign, a healthy activity. It unfolds your mental potential.

All great men have been faced with daunting problems. But these problems only increased their creativity, and became the source of revealing a fresh dimension to their personality. English poet John Milton has several major works to his credit. His masterpiece was ‘Paradise Lost’ and this he wrote after he turned blind. Almost all creative people have had to face such difficulties.

When you come face-to-face with stress, don’t take it as a negative phenomenon. Look upon it as a challenge and try to meet it. You have to activate your mind in a positive direction. Don’t lose your positivity; don’t resort the language of complaint.

When there is stress in your life, face it as a normal phenomenon and try to continue with your normal routine. Then, very soon, you will find that your stress has propelled you towards your betterment. If you compare your pre-stress situation and your post-stress situation, you will certainly find that your post-stress situation is an improvement on your pre-stress situation.

M K Gandhi was once subject to humiliating treatment in South Africa. Prior to this, he was an ordinary lawyer, but as a result of this incident, he became the father of the Indian nation.

When you perceive an opportunity, and you try to avail of it, and for some reason you fail to achieve your goal; then you might suffer a feeling of tension. But you should know that there is no end to opportunities in this world.. If you fail to avail of one opportunity, then don’t take it as the end of everything. There are many other opportunities in life: in fact, the world is full of them. So, if you fail in the first instance, then try to avail of the second or third opportunity, and so on. There is no full stop to opportunities – only commas! So instead of allowing yourself to be overwhelmed by tension, adopt the formula: ‘Try, try, try again.’

This is the formula for de-stressing yourself. Living in worry or stopping your thinking processes is not the solution. Instead of stopping your thinking processes, enhance them and you will soon discover that the stress you felt was acting as an intellectual booster in your life.

Open letter to Raj Thackeray.... From one 'Marathi Manoos' to another...

2009-10-26T17:09:00.000+05:30

Wah! Kya baat hai. You’ve done it. Proved a point. And succeeded in your main objective, which - whether or not you acknowledge it – was to ‘show Uddhav.’ Well, you’ve certainly ‘shown’ your cousin Uddhav. Now what? That is the key question. And why just Maharshtra, the rest of India has its eyes on you.So, let me, as a bonafide daughter of the soil, spell it out clearly. Treat it as an important piece of communication from one ‘marathi manoos’ to another.
The main job ahead of you is to de-demonise yourself. Baring your teeth, has served its original purpose – which was to get yourself noticed. And subsequently, to get yourself acknowledged as someone who means business. You walked the talk, went for the jugular, advocated violence, condoned your workers who indulged in shocking goondagiri, and created an ever- widening chasm between ‘outsiders’ and those you defined as the ‘asli’ marathi manoos . You were well aware of the provocative and dangerous message you were sending out. My guess is, that was your intention. Within a startlingly short time, you made national headlines and got India talking about you. From being viewed as just a discarded nephew of an ageing Tiger, you transformed yourself into a terror… even a menace. Civil society across the board condemned your brazen tactics, your aggressive, crude ways. I guess, you had the last laugh …. you had achieved one of your key objectives, which was to stake a claim to Balasaheb’s formidable legacy.You didn’t care a damn what anybody thought or even that your ‘dhamkis’ were being seen as ‘Goonda Raj’. You seemed to revel in the ‘Attila the Hun’ reputation, even as sane thinking citizens reviled you and found themselves reeling at the audacity of it all. Virtually overnight, you became the Gabbar Singh of politics. ‘Kitney Aadmi The’ became a familiar chant, as the body count of defenceless, innocent victims attacked by your foot soldiers went up. You remained remorseless and unrepentant, shocking critics still further. A monster was born.
Aata kai, Raj?

READ MORE >>

Anand Lok Jaipur by Ansal API

2009-10-23T16:18:00.000+05:30

People must see the quality provided by Anand Lok Jaipur by Ansal API.
They talk so big on their website but have a look at the quality provided by them.................
The cracks in a brand new house...................Termites all over................ wood work quality ...................
Ansals have lost its quality work.

Here's an address that can save your life.

2009-10-22T07:12:00.000+05:30

The address is www.indianblooddonors.com. From Adilabad to Yamuna Nagar, from the most common blood group to the rarest, the site has a huge database of blood donors. So if you need blood, it's a good place to turn
to. It's simple. It's effective. It's free. It can match you with a donor near you in minutes. And you can save the life of a loved one. You can also register as a donor at the site and save the life of someone else's loved one. Pass the message. And let's build a community that cares !

Good, it happened to SRK !!!!

2009-08-17T21:09:00.003+05:30

Each country has its own set of rules – some are more stringent than others. Tried going to Israel?? No?? Well… that’s what I would describe as a truly nightmarish experience. But, given Israeli sensitivities and vulnerabilities, it’s perfectly understandable. A visitor always has the choice to either go or not go to a destination that makes him\her uncomfortable.

America is known to be super scrupulous while screening tourists. In today’s times, it is far better to err on the side of safety than make exceptions for certain individuals and protect a few fragile egoes. People going to America are well aware of the punishing procedures in place there, especially after 9\11. Thousands of tourists are subjected to this on a daily basis.

Not everybody feels victimized. Most visitors go through this painful process gamely enough and co- operate with the officers.

It is time our movie stars, politicians , cricketers and other ‘VVIPs’ woke up to a few international ground realities. The outside world is neither interested in nor impressed by any individual’s local status. It is not about fans waving and asking for autographs. You may be India’s biggest business tycoon or Bollywood Badshah. But out there you are an anonymous nobody - nothing more and nothing less than a name and a number – deal with it.

The officer who asks you to step aside is least concerned with your fame or bank balance back home. It is his job to make sure you are ‘clean’ – and he has the full and absolute authority to undertake as thorough a check as he thinks fit. It’s that, or his own butt on the line. Is that so tough to accept?

Of course, it is irritating – but rather this level of scrutiny than facing the risk of another 9\11, or in our case 26\11. This incident should inspire our own guys to tighten up immigration

checks.

Good, it happened to SRK. This is the sort of publicity no amount of lolly can buy. I think it was a clever promotional stunt for his next movie.

What has he done to get a special treatment? Just a Bollywood actor !

Hot chocolate !

2009-08-07T07:53:00.003+05:30

A group of graduates, well established in their careers, were talking at a reunion and decided to go visit their old university professor, now retired.

During their visit, the conversation turned to complaints about stress in their work and lives.

Offering his guests hot chocolate, the professor went into the kitchen and returned with a large pot of hot chocolate and an assortment of cups - porcelain, glass, crystal, some plain looking, some expensive, some exquisite - telling them to help themselves to the hot chocolate.

When they all had a cup of hot chocolate in hand, the professor said: "Notice that all the nice looking, expensive cups were taken, leaving behind the plain and cheap ones. While it is normal for you to want only the best for yourselves, that is the source of your problems and stress.

The cup that you're drinking from adds nothing to the quality of the hot chocolate.. In most cases it is just more expensive and in some cases even hides what we drink.

What all of you really wanted was hot chocolate, not the cup; but you consciously went for the best cups... And then you began eyeing each other's cups.

Now consider this: Life is the hot chocolate; your job, money and position in society are the cups.

They are just tools to hold and contain life.

The cup you have does not define, nor change the quality of life you have..

Sometimes, by concentrating only on the cup, we fail to enjoy the hot chocolate God has provided us. God makes the hot chocolate, man chooses the cups. The happiest people don't have the best of everything. They just make the best of everything that they have.

Live simply. Love generously. Care deeply. Speak kindly. And enjoy your hot chocolate.

How to ask your Boss for a salary increase !

2009-08-04T12:00:00.002+05:30

This is soooo funny !

One day an employee sends a letter to his boss asking for an increase in his salary !!!

Dear Bo$$
In thi$ life, we all need $ome thing mo$t de$perately. I think you $hould be under$tanding the need$ of u$. We are worker$ who have given $o much $upport including $weat and $ervice to your company .. I am $ure you will gue$$ what I meant and re$pond $oon .
Your$ $incerely, $

The next day, the employee received this letter of reply :

Dear $,

I kNOw you have been working very hard. NOw a days, NOthing much has changed. You must have NOticed that our company is NOt doing NOticably well . NOw the newspapers are saying the world's leading ecoNOmists are NOt sure if the United States may go into aNOther recession. After the NOvember presidential elections things may turn bad . I have NOthing more to add NOw. You kNOw what I mean .
Your Boss._,___

PETA's undercover investigation

2009-07-23T14:07:00.000+05:30

PETA's undercover investigation of Ringling Bros. and Barnum and Bailey Circus in 2009 found that employees had beaten and whipped elephants and tigers dozens of times in venues across the country. Watch the video and find out how you can help.

To take action on this issue, click on the link below:https://secure.peta.org/site/Advocacy?s_oo=cNIqUQmprWiKOVPLKCz6TQ..&id=2359

If the text above does not appear as a link or it wraps across multiple lines, then copy and paste it into the address area of your browser.

Comments on the Shiney Ahuja case

2009-07-13T07:26:00.002+05:30

I am astounded as to the clearly biased determination to discredit the rape victim in the actor’s case by those who should at the very least look at the facts and be honoured by their support for the truth. Once the actor becomes aware that he can not be accused of statutory rape, he decides to admit to have actually performed the sexual act but conveniently add and states that the young woman consented (I wonder under what conditions….).

To any sound and fair minded soul, the actor lied upon being accused and later admits to consensual sex with a young women submissive perhaps due to her maid condition or cast status.

Does this means the actor has pursued the young woman before?, perhaps has he made subdue promises or understated threats that might have caused the young woman to give into what he calls, consent?

But the actor admits to the sexual nature of his action. He had consensual intercourse, does this makes it right and acceptable being a married man and her employer?

What is terrifying to see is the extent to which the actor’s family, specially the related women are willing to omit the facts that he, himself, made clear in his own confession and remain in self denial.

The man has committed two grave acts, one of adultery and the other the lie. The actor lied on interrogation to cover his misdeed and thus sending the media, his protectors (of commercial interest or of his image perhaps?), friends and acquaintances into a frenzy of allegations against the young woman under his employment, to further victimize her. Who is to protect the image of the young woman, who is to vouch for the maid.. would the actor ever tell the truth?

Is so easy.. but he can not.. he does not care for the young woman, the maid… maybe a lie detector test would suffice (on him, not the maid) for his behaviour already attest to his faulty character, appalling at best, for as an educated men, a supposedly pillar of a society that consider him exemplary and readily willing to look the other way and forgive his misdeed.

He has failed the basic rule of conduct for any decent human being - the love and respect of others as he loves and respects himself-. But he can lie, why not, maybe was not a lie but a change of though, a redefinition of his act to suit his own interest and preserve his image while demeaning a person that he will victimize every time he lies about the true facts. His wife would vouch for his character, kindness and decency, never mind the adultery part of the story….or the lie.

Heavy rains predicted in Mumbai - 2009

2009-07-09T07:14:00.006+05:30

A valuable input from BMC is being circulated for your information. Floods - 2009 :

Mumbai Floods in Mumbai are attributable to simultaneous occurrence of rainfall and high tides. If, the rainfall is in excess of 200 mm in a day (24 hrs), floods can occur anytime irrespective of tides. However, if there ismoderate rainfall but the tide is in excess of 4.50 meters at the same time, the city of Mumbai is sure to get flooded.

There are speculations about very high waves on 22 July 2009 due to solar eclipse. Public should, therefore, keep away from the beaches that day. Also, please advise your friends and relatives outside Mumbai not to plan a trip to Mumbai around these days.

Mumbai got off to a wet start on Wednesday (8th July 09) as incessant downpour the previous night caused severe waterlogging in several places across the bustling metropolis.
By 8.30 a.m. Wednesday, the Colaba and Santacruz stations of the Regional Meteorological Centre recorded 73.7 mm and 32.2 mm of rain. Flooded streets greeted rush-hour crowds at Parel, Wadala, Sion, Elphinstone, Grant Road and Do Taki and in the congested Gol Deul area at Bhendi Bazaar. Commuters waded through long stretches of knee-deep waters.Trains, flights delayed. Train schedules went awry for a few hours, grounding many office-goers. Heavy bunching (trains lined up in one area) was reported between Parel and Byculla from 8 to 9.30 a.m. At the Grant Road and Mumbai Central stations on the Western line, water entered the rail track. Local services were delayed on average by 20-25 minutes. At some stations, the delay was up to 45 minutes. Flights also suffered a delay of 15-30 minutes. However, there was no diversion or cancellation. The Air Traffic Control suspended runway operations for half hour due to poor visibility, an airport spokesperson said.
The weather bureau has predicted spells of rain or thundershowers for the next 24 hours. Elsewhere in Maharashtra, the Nagpur bureau has issued warnings of heavy rain during the next 24 hours in the Vidarbha region.

Shared keyboards can lead to infections

2009-07-04T07:33:00.002+05:30

A study conducted by researchers from Swinburne University of Technology (SUT), Australia, examined the number and type of micro-organisms on computer keyboards in three large, multiple-user facilities on the university campus.
These were compared with staff computers that were generally handled by only one person. The study found almost five times the number of micro-organisms on the keyboards of multiple user computers as on single-user computers.
Almost half the multiple-user keyboards were found to harbour Staphylococcus aureus, also known as golden staph, compared with one-fifth of the single user keyboards.
"High use, multiple user Internet cafes and computer labs are potential hot spots for harbouring micro-organisms."
"Keyboards and other hand contact areas such as a computer mouse should be regularly cleaned and disinfected, especially for multiple-user workstations."
The study is slated for publication in the July issue of the American Journal of Infection Control.

Gold Coins Gain

2009-06-24T17:17:00.002+05:30

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Their backgrounds comprise a broad collection of varied knowledge that is brought together, to insure a unique approach for each individual client’s requirements and expectations.
Give gold coins a try. It sounds like it maybe right for you.

Help Baby Seals Who Are Killed in Canada

2009-06-18T12:25:00.000+05:30

Did you know that the Canadian government allows for hundreds of thousands of seals to be killed in its annual seal massacre? Most of these gentle creatures are just babies, and many are skinned alive on the ice while still conscious.
With all eyes on Canada as it prepares to host the 2010 Winter Olympics, the country should end the seal slaughter now so that the Vancouver Olympics aren't tarnished. Write to the Vancouver Olympic Organizing Committee and urge it to help end the seal slaughter now!

To take action on this issue, click on the link below:https://secure.peta.org/site/Advocacy?s_oo=SO33nnUPd6U3OVNqnp6Wkw..&id=1858If the text above does not appear as a link or it wraps across multiple lines, then copy and paste it into the address area of your browser.

Worldwide Sports Travel

2009-06-06T07:03:00.005+05:30

Worldwidesportstravel.com creates an effective way of creating business networking opportunities and cementing business relationships. Today corporate hospitality is increasingly becoming important because of the cost of customer acquisition is rising. As per the current situation it actually costs four or five times more to attain a new customer as it does to maitain an existing client.

Worldwide Sports Travel offers plenty of hospitality benefits like making client relationships stronger with the help of A grade corporate entertainment. They help in exciting loyalty with lots of client praise ocasions, thus gainning a competitive edge cver othe companies.
Also increasing sales with Incentive Programs. Also with the help of motvation the customers are kept happy and updated with the latest hospitality events.

With the best facilities, banqueting and tailor made offes and accessing the Worldwide Sporting Ticket and Hotel Packages one can entertain business clients, friends or enjoy a great day out for you and your family. They also specialise in providing a very high quality, client management at an extremely competitive price.
Whatever your sporting requirements, they help one identify it and fulfil them.

Worldwide Sports Travel is one of the UK’s leading corporate hospitality agents. It also offers in support overseas.

Attitude

2009-05-23T15:42:00.001+05:30

What makes 100% satisfaction in life ?
IF : A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
Equals 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26
Then, H+A+R+D+W+O+R+K= 8+1+18+4+23+15+18+11 = 98% only
K+N+O+W+L+E+D+G+E = 11+14+15+23+12+5+4+7+5 = 96% only
L+U+C+K = 12+21+3+11= 47% ( don't most of us think this is most important??)
Then what makes 100%
Is it Money? ........... Leadership? ............Health?..........
NO !!!
Every problem has a solution, only if we perhaps change our attitude.
To get to the top, to that 100% what we really need togo further... a bit more....
A+T+T+I+T+U+D+E = 1+20+20+9+20+21+4+5 = 100 %
So there we discovered it:
It is OUR Attitude towards Life and Work that makes OUR Life 100%

Did I Marry The Right Person?

2009-05-17T11:38:00.002+05:30

During one of seminar, a woman asked a common question. She said, "How do I know if I married the right person? The Speaker noticed that there was a large man sitting next to her so he said, "It depends. Is that your husband?" In all seriousness, she answered "How do you know?" The answer to this question is weighing on your mind.

Here's the answer

EVERY relationship has a cycle. In the beginning, you fell in love with your spouse. You anticipated their call, wanted their touch, and liked their idiosyncrasies. Falling in love with your spouse wasn't hard. In fact, it was a completely natural and spontaneous experience. You didn't have to DO anything. That's why it's called "falling" in love... because it's happening TO YOU. People in love sometimes say, "I was swept of my feet." Think about the imagery of that __expression. It implies that you were just standing there; doing nothing, and then something came along and happened TO YOU. Falling is love is easy. It's a passive and spontaneous experience.

But after a few years of marriage, the euphoria of love fades. It's the natural cycle of EVERY relationship. Slowly but surely, phone calls become a bother (if they come at all), touch is not always welcome (when it happens), and your spouse's idiosyncrasies, instead of being cute, drive you nuts. The symptoms of this stage vary with every relationship, but if you think about your marriage! , you will notice a dramatic difference between the initial stage when you were in love and a much duller or even angry subsequent stage. At this point, you and/or your spouse might start asking, "Did I marry the right person?" And as you and your spouse reflect on the euphoria of the love you once had, you may begin to desire that experience with someone else. This is when marriages breakdown. People blame their spouse for their unhappiness and look outside their marriage for fulfilment. Extramarital fulfilment comes in all shapes and sizes. Infidelity is the most obvious. But sometimes people turn to work, a hobby, a friendship, excessive TV, or abusive substances. But the answer to this dilemma does NOT lie outside your marriage. It lies within it. I'm not saying that you couldn't fall in love with someone else. You could. And TEMPORARILY you'd feel better. But you'd be in the same situation a few years later. Because (listen carefully to this): THE KEY TO SUCCEEDING IN MARRIAGE IS NOT FINDING THE RIGHT PERSON; IT'S LEARNING TO LOVE THE PERSON YOU FOUND...

SUSTAINING love is not a passive or spontaneous experience. It'll NEVER just happen to you. You can't "find" LASTING love. You have to "make" it day in and day out. That's why we have the expression "the labour of love." Because it takes time, effort, and energy . And most importantly, it takes WISDOM. You have to know WHAT TO DO to make your marriage work. Make no mistake about it. Love is NOT a mystery. There are specific things you can do (with or without your spouse) to succeed with your marriage. Just as there are physical laws of the universe (such as gravity), there are also laws for relationships. Just as the right diet and exercise program makes you physically stronger, certain habits in your relationship WILL make your marriage stronger. It's a direct cause and effect. If you know and apply the laws, the results are predictable...you can "make" love.

Love in marriage is indeed a "decision"... Not just a feeling .

“No one falls in love by choice, it is by CHANCE.

No one stays in love by chance, it is by WORK.

And no one falls out of love by chance, it is by choice”.........

Pranic Healing for Body, Mind and Soul

2009-05-10T08:38:00.002+05:30

In Pranic healing, we believe that we are all made of ‘prana’ or life-force that runs through our body, like water and sponge, and also envelopes it. The stronger and healthier our prana, the bigger, more spread out and more potent this energy field around us, also called the “energy body”.

Pranic healing is accomplished through very simple procedures which are easy to learn. The first process is ‘cleansing’ - to remove the devitalized, diseased energy in the whole body or in the affected part, and to remove blockages in the energy channels.

The second process is ‘energizing’ - to replenish and reinvigorate the body with fresh prana or vital energy. Pranic healing uses “no drugs or gadgets”. It is non-invasive and requires “no physical contact” with the patient. Physical touch in not required while healing, because the practitioner applies pranic healing on the energy body, rather than on the physical body. It has no side effects. However, it must be emphasized that Pranic Healing is not meant to replace the allopathic system of medicine, but in fact to complement and supplement it. It can be effectively combined with any other form of treatment. It can be used for self healing and healing other people even thousand miles away.

There is a lot more to Pranic Healing than just healing part. It not only makes you aware of the aura around the human body - the 'chakras' (energy centers) and their effects on our health, but also teaches us how to feel or scan the aura and determine which parts of the chakras may be affected. By learning about energy, we become more conscious about its ubiquitous presence, be it in people, buildings or even objects.

Just by recognizing the existence of energy, we learn the possibilities of the healing process and bring in harmony and productivity to every aspect of our lives. Pranic Healers around the world have started using Pranic Healing for their businesses, homes, relationships, projects and studies with fantastic results.

Broaden Your Travel Horizon with 78mm

2009-04-28T16:21:00.006+05:30

Hi people !

You wanna see what real adventure is????

78mm Adventures is gearing up to take you into the Forbidden Lands for 10 days on one road trip.In some of the most challenging conditions for life, discovering new dimensions of India with self indulging camping & cooking - and support. Shooting photons of our experience.

Sharing an open minded quest for sustainable lifestyle alternatives, amidst the unchartered Himalayas of Kinnaur, Lahaul & Spiti.If you aren’t married and even if you are but have somehow managed to preserve your sense of abandon, here’s your chance to create very own road adventure. Biking, hiking, camping, rappelling and any and everything in between – this is your chance to scorn every five star facility wooing you with their fancy poolside dinners, discos and ‘cultural nights’ for an experience that will change the very direction of your so predictable memory lane.

78 mm Adventures, a one-of-a-kind startup in India, has penetrated the emerging turf of alternate tourism. The website 78 mm Adventures.com started off as a virtual club where like-minded enthusiasts shared information about their trip experiences and provided insights about interesting places to stay, eat and explore. The concept evolved into guided adventure trips and outbound programs.

Call of Adventure

Weekend escapades had always been high on the menu of life of the three 25 year olds who concocted the formula of the perfect weekend adventure. A year into their high flying careers (the kinds that awaited MBA grads from high ranking institutes a couple of years back), Jagrit Gupta, Jeet Sachdeva and Vivek Pratap Singh found time for weekend trips at least once a month.Three best three buddies slipping out of the urban jungle into the lap of nature, ‘Gradually, these trips became business brainstorming sessions. We were convinced that there's a huge opportunity in experimenting with a different beat,” explains Vivek. Each of them were earning hefty packages when they decided to sacrifice their comforts for a vision.By mid-2008, they had given up their regular jobs and designed and launched their alternative travel portal, and tagged it with the slogan, ‘Every declaration of independence is an act of adventure.’

78mm Adventures is an overlap between eco-tourism, anti-tourism, awareness and exploration travel mixed with social networking.

Trippin Isn’t Easy

So far, they have got themselves into trips as varied as a beachfront jam on East-Coast Road (Tamil Nadu), an overnight trek into Tada falls (Andhra Pradesh), exploring caves and ruins and mountain climbing at Savandurg (Karnataka), a trekking camp at Kasauli (Himachal Pradesh), jeep safari near Jaipur (Rajasthan), a corporate workshop trip in Dalhousie (Himachal Pradesh) and an endurance bike trip to the haunted ruins of Bhangarh (Rajasthan)

The latest trip coming from the stables of Team 78mm is a road trip to the Forbidden Land (Kinnaur, Lahaul and Spiti). Ten days (May 28th to June 6th 2009) will flag-off from Naggar, near Kullu. Apart from bike and jeep safaris, the trip will include lakeside and jungle camps, treks, campfires, rappelling and more. “India always had an inclination towards unknown and new experiences, which is to be explored within.”
If the prospect of unearthing your inner Indiana Jones has adequately piqued your interest, visit their website
(Registration is open till May 7th):
http://78mmadventures.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=175

Check out for more information here too and join the group
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=66182920508&ref=mf

Live life joyfully

2009-04-19T17:11:00.004+05:30

If you are reading this, you have many more reasons to be joyful than you might think. You are alive, which is probably pretty basic, but all too Live life joyfully. Often we don't realise that it is the most basic things that bring us the greatest joy.
We often forget to celebrate the things that are most important because they are so much with us. One of the few really wise people I have ever met once asked with great puzzlement, “Why isn't everyone dancing with the sheer joy of being alive?” Everything we do celebrate is a celebration of life, whether it is a birth, a wedding, or an anniversary. Religious festivals all celebrate some aspect of life as represented by the attributes of the deity, or the passage of some event of our lives. What we need to do is remind ourselves to consecrate every day, take time out at least once a day to quietly experience being alive. And the simplest way to that is to just pay attention to our breathing, which is another wonderful reason to be joyful.
Breath is the key to life and almost every spiritual discipline starts and ends with the breath, as does life itself. Every moment we are meditating. With every breath we are partaking of all the mysteries of the universe. Mathematically there are six molecules of Buddha in every square foot of air. A foolish friend of mine used to like to breathe in real deep to try and get some Buddha in him.
It seemed to work for him. Just for a few minutes pay attention to a gentle indrawn breath. Within that action is the key to sustaining our life. How does that happen? Whenever I think I need a miracle just to keep going, I stop and pay attention to one or two breaths. Each breath feeds the fire of the heart. Amazing.
Odds are that if you're reading this you have enough to eat. Most of us don’t eat gourmet food three times a day, but we are blessed with sufficient food, and I don’t just mean enough to provide the basic calory intake to keep us alive. We are blessed with all the associations of a loving mother that comes with the taste of some food, the memories of discovering new wonderful tastes every time we eat them again, and the love that we imbibe with food made by those who care enough about life to prepare good food, a spouse or a friend. I believe that food made by people who love to feed people has special nutritional properties.
If you think that nobody cares enough about you to prepare delicious food, let me invite you to go and get a banana, and pay attention to it. What a marvel of packaging, flavour and nutrition. I am not implying that that particular banana was grown just for you as an act of love, or may be I am. It grew, it made its way to you and it will sustain you. Now I can hear you arguing that it was provided by a chain of commerce.
What if that chain was forged to get that banana to you without any of the links being aware of the chain’s purpose? Might be, and even if it isn’t, the banana is still pretty amazing in its color, utility, taste and ability to keep us alive. I once knew a man named Rudy who only ate bananas, all different kinds and he was very healthy. And think about bread. I know that it is not much more than grain and salt and water but think about what that means. Bread, naan , chapatti, tortilla, pain, hobz, brot, or whatever you call it provides us with the elements of the earth. The process of growing, threshing and milling the grain transforms the earth into a form that we can use Almost every spiritual tradition uses the fruit of the earth to impart spiritual nourishment along with the calories, whether as communion, Live life joyfully.

Prasad, dates at Iftar or Karah Prashad . I would invite you everyday to take a few minutes to pay attention to the joy that is food. Find something simple to eat, maybe a piece of fruit and take time to eat it with focus, eat it slowly, pay attention to the color and texture than the smell, and the taste. Charles Camilleri, Malta’s greatest composer once told me he had learned not do anything while he ate; not listen to music, watch television, or read. I think he wanted to experience the transformation of one form of life to another. What a wonderful lesson.
All of us reading this article have enough to drink and I hope that everybody enjoys at least one drink a day as much as I enjoy the first cup of tea. Throughout the day we en joy a wide variety of things to choose from; tea, coffee, lassi , juice and a whole lot more. But how often do we appreciate the miracle that is the liquid we drink? We are 70% water. Without a steady supply of water we would only live a few days. Having access to water is really a reason to be joyful, throughout the day. My friend, the fool had a way to remind himself of the miracle of liquid. You could do the same.
Sit in a comfortable chair with a large glass of water and take a small sip of water. Notice something about the water as you swallow. Feel it with you, feel the water’s presence. Take more small sips, noticing something different about the water each time until you drink one third of the water. Now take more small sips, this time noticing something about yourself each time. Keep sipping and noticing until two thirds of the water is gone. Now spend time with the remaining third of the water, notice its relationship with the glass, its relationship to you and your relationship to other things in the room.
So, there are a number of really elemental reasons to be joyful. Celebrate them everyday. Is this simple? Yes, but that doesn’t mean easy. We are all too often caught up in the drama of the day, our pain, the effort of work, the demands of family and friends to be full of joy. Yet, we each have a few minutes to celebrate the fire, earth and water and remind our selves to dance.
But there are more than elemental reasons to be joyful. You’re reading this in the Times of India, which means you know English and most likely at least one other language. Every language is the key to wisdom that only that key can open. Whole worlds are yours to explore, and I don’t just mean Shakespeare or the Vedas, you also have the keys to the Marx brothers and humour in Hindi, Marathi, Kanada, French or whatever language you might know. Laughing can cure more things than you think.
Norman Cousins recounts in Anatomy of an Illness how he cured himself by laughing after doctors gave up on him. So, everyday find something that you can laugh about or look for the local chapter of Laughter Club International. Founded by Dr Madan Kataria of Mumbai. So even if you don’t have time to breath slowly, eat purposefully or drink mindfully, laugh out loud. How foolish would that be?

Money has no memory

2009-04-10T17:48:00.000+05:30

Experience has. You will never know what was the total cost of your education, but for a lifetime you will recall and relive the memories of schools and colleges. Few years from now, you will forget the amount you paid to settle the hospitalization bill, but will ever cherish having saved your mother's life or the life you get to live with the just born. You won't remember the cost of your honeymoon, but to the last breath remember the experiences of the bliss of togetherness. Money has no memory.

Experience has. Good times and bad times, times of prosperity and times of poverty, times when the future looked so secure and times when you didn't know from where the tomorrow will come… life has been in one way or the other a roller-coaster ride for everyone. Beyond all that abundance and beyond all that deprivation, what remains is the memory of experiences. Sometimes the wallet was full… sometimes even the pocket was empty.

There was enough and you still had reasons to frown. There wasn't enough and you still had reasons to smile. Today, you can look back with tears of gratitude for all the times you had laughed together, and also look back with a smile at all the times you cried alone. All in all, life filled you with experiences to create a history of your own self, and you alone can remember them all. The first time you balanced yourself on your cycle without support…The first gift you bought for your parents and the first gift your sibling gave you…The first award… the first public appreciation… the first stage speech… The first day in college…the first day at work…the first adventure…And the list is endless… Experiences, with timeless memory… No denying that anything that's material costs money; still the fact remains the cost of the experience will be forgotten, but the experience will never be.

So, what if it's economic recession? Let it be, but let there not be a recession to the quality of your life. You can still take your parents & grand parents, if not on a pilgrimage, at least to the local temple. You can still play with your children, if not on an international holiday, at least in the local park. It doesn't cost money to lie down or to take a loved one onto your lap. Nice time to train the employees, create leadership availability and be ready for the wonderful times when they arrive. Hey! Aspects like development and spiritual growthyour health, knowledge are not economy dependent. Time will pass… economy will revive… currency will soon be in current… and in all this, I don't want you to look back and realise you did nothing but stayed in gloom. Recession can make you lose out on money.

Let it not make you lose out on experiences… If you are not happy with what you have, no matter how much more you have, you will still not be happy. Make a statement with the way you live your life: "How I feel has nothing to do with how much I have".

Salary & Govt. Concessions for a Member of Parliament (MP)

2009-04-10T17:42:00.002+05:30

Monthly Salary : 12,000
Expense for Constitution per month : 10,000
Office expenditure per month : 14,000
Traveling concession (Rs. 8 per km) : 48,000 ( eg..For a visit from kerala to Delhi & return: 6000 km)
Daily DA TA during parliament meets : 500/day
Charge for 1 class (A/C) in train: Free (For any number of times) (All over India )
Charge for Business Class in flights : Free for 40 trips / year (With wife or P.A.)
Rent for MP hostel at Delhi : Free
Electricity costs at home : Free up to 50,000 units
Local phone call charge : Free up to 1 ,70,000 calls.
TOTAL expense for a MP [having no qualification] per year : 32,00,000 [i.e . 2.66 lakh/month]
TOTAL expense for 5 years : 1,60,00,000
For 534 MPs, the expense for 5 years : 8,54,40,00,000 (nearly 855 crores) This is how all our tax money is been swallowed and price hike on our regular commodities.......

Amitabh Bachchan - Unplugged

2009-03-10T09:44:00.002+05:30

Did you know Amitabh Bachchan was declared clinically dead for 11 minutes? No? And you thought you knew all about him! Read on...
Amitabh was born Inquilab Shrivastav. Inquilab was also the name of a film he worked.

The star, who once enjoyed his drink and smoked 200 cigarattes a day, has given it all up!

He loves gorging on gulab jamuns, especially from Jhama's in Chembur, Mumbai.

He hates self-service and wants his meals to be served by Jaya. He’d rather not eat than serve himself.

AB uses the Lomani perfume brought out in his name. In fact, his entire family uses it and he’s just run out of stock!

A strict vegetarian, he loves aloo puri, pakodas, dhoklas and parathas and prefers a penne or a risotto anytime, mostly at the Mezzo Mezzo at the JW Marriott.

He has one meal a day with the family, ideally dinner.

On a normal day, he works out for an hour-and-a-half starting off at around 5 a.m. Earlier, he used to work out at the JW Marriott. Now he has a hi-tech gym installed in his bungalow.

After he was injured while shooting for Coolie, he was clinically dead for 11 minutes till doctors plunged adrenaline injections into his chest saving his life. Jaya saw his toe move and said, “He’s alive!” The scene was incorporated in Major Saab, with Ajay Devgan mouthing the same.

His Lexus is bulletproof and has Formula 1 style radial tyres worth Rs 2.5 lakh each. The car's global positioning system keeps him on track!

He has 11 cars; a Rolls Royce Phantom, a Bentley Continental GT, Mercedes SL500, a Porsche Cayman S, a Range Rover, a Lexus LX470, a Mercedes E 240, a BMW X5, a BMW 7 Series, a Mercedes S320 and a Ford Mondeo.

Amitabh was a good athlete. He used to often win the 100, 200 and 400 metre races, besides the broad jump. He also won a boxing championship once in Sherwood, Nainital. Remember how Jaani wins the boxing bouts in Naseeb?

In 1983, he burnt his left hand during Diwali and had to get it reconstructed, wrist upwards.

India has little to celebrate on Women's Day

2009-03-08T08:32:00.002+05:30

This may hardly be the time to 'celebrate' International Women's Day. Just recently, women were beaten for sitting in a pub; one was forced to strip naked for an FIR to be lodged against her husband, and socio-economic indices overall for Indian women continue to be lower than in the developed world.

Studies show that a woman is raped every 35 minutes in India; female child mortality is higher than male by 25%-50% in India, Bangladesh and Nepal; about 60% of women all over the world have complained about sexual harassment and that the average South Asian woman's risk of dying in childbirth is a hundred times greater than for a woman in an industrialised country (1 in 43 for South Asia and 1 in 4,000 for the developed world).

India may have made some positive gains when it comes to infant mortality but the maternal mortality ratio is rising, as is discrimination and violence against women. Experts say that things cannot change much unless women are empowered. Socio-economic independence is one way to do this, as well as allowing women to participate in governance.

One of the biggest reasons that little or nothing seems to change for the better for Indian women is the lack of strong and good law. Legislation is still awaited on anti-trafficking, the indecent representation of women, sexual harassment at theworkplace and the compulsory registration of marriages. They have been on the anvil for several years but are yet to go on the statute book. It may be relevant to point out that though women's representation at the panchayat level is high, representation in Parliament has barely improved from 4.4% at Independence to about 9% today. Civil society activists suggest that bringing in legislation is inadequate if not backed by sufficient resources.

Sita Sena - Join now !

2009-03-06T08:52:00.001+05:30

This is the beauty and the power of blogs. I read the reports of fresh attacks on women in Bangalore and felt sickened. This has to STOP ! I said to myself . The idea of launching a Sita Sena to counter the Ravanas in our midst came to me in a flash. I communicated it to my dear, dear blogdost Aham, who immediately swung into action and created a site. His plan is to congregate at the Gateway of India on March 8th, International Women's Day, and raise awareness, but even more importantly raise voices against this abominable trend. Harish needs volunteers. As of now, there is no specific agenda but to communicate the idea to as many like- minded people as possible. It has to be peaceful and it has to be strong. Nobody should take law into their own hands or respond via violence\abuse.

Make the world a safe place for all of us

2009-03-04T09:03:00.002+05:30

Discourse by Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

The corrupt amass a lot of money, but cannot spend all of it. Then one day they die. Children might inherit the wealth maybe they fight over it. Seeing life in the context of the universe and unfathomable time can broaden your vision, your mind and enrich your heart.

Corruption can be countered by five Cs. The first is a sense of connectedness. Lack of a sense of belonging breeds corruption in society. That is why corruption is lowest at the village level. But in urban areas, it's high because there is little or no sense of community.

The second C is courage. Lack of self-esteem or confidence in one's own ability is one of the causes of corruption. Fear or insecurity makes one corrupt. When you try to find security only through money, it doesn't work. Even after acquiring more money, the insecurity doesn't disappear. In fact, you become more fearful because the money might not have been earned in the right manner. So you need to have courage and confidence in your ability and in the laws of nature.

The third C is an understanding of cosmology: looking at one's own life in the context of extended space and time. What is the human lifespan, just 80 or 100 years? See life in the context of the huge dimension of time. Billions of years have passed since creation. And everything in this creation is recycled. The air we breathe is old, every cell in our body, every atom is old, the oxygen and hydrogen is old!

The fourth C is care and compassion, important since they bring dedication. Its lack causes corruption. The Kumbha Mela was attended by 30 million people nearly three million people each day without violent incidents, theft or robbery!

The fifth one is commitment. When a person has a goal, a commitment to a higher cause in life, it brings a shift from taking to giving. If you only think 'What can I gain?' rather than 'What can I contribute?', corruption cannot be rooted out. We need to shift our attitude to commit ourselves to give. All this is not possible without individual spiritual uplift. A sense of belonging with the whole world.

Today, we have globalised everything other than wisdom. And that is one of the causes of terrorism and unrest in the world today. We accept food from every part of the world, we accept music from every part of the world, but when it comes to wisdom, people seem to shy away. If every child in the world learns a little about all cultures, about each other's values, the whole scenario will be different. Then one will not think, 'Only I will go to heaven. Everyone else will go to hell'. Lack of knowledge of this truth has caused so many problems. Even if one part of the world remains ignorant of these shared values, the world will not be a safe place. It is not something we can do overnight, but it can be done through education and creating that sense of community, through inspiration and example.

Religion is like the banana skin and spirituality is the banana. Spirituality, the values, are the same in every religion. The differences are superficial. It is good to have differences. Nurture the differences but also enliven spiritual values. Then together we can make the world joyous and safe.

Yoga originated from Shiva, the Adi yogi

2009-02-23T15:44:00.002+05:30

By race, by language they were not same; by religion, they did not worship the same Gods; politically, they were never one, but still the land south of the Himalayas was referred to as Bharat Varsha .

So somewhere, there was some sense of unity because of the common spiritual ethos they carried in them. Spiritual ethos means, no matter what you are doing, whether you are a king or a peasant, whatever is the nature of your activity, there is only one ultimate goal for everybody - liberation. Even today, even the simplest farmer in this country will talk about mukti. This is a result of the phenomenal amount of spiritual work done in this country. One person who is largely responsible for this, who is of paramount significance in shaping the human consciousness is Shiva.

In the yogic culture, Shiva is not known as a God, but as the first Guru or the Adi Guru. He is the Adi Yogi or the first Yogi. Out of his realisation, he became ecstatic and danced all over the mountains or sat absolutely still. He was constantly into bouts of stillness and bouts of mad dancing. All the gods who saw him, saw something was happening to him that they themselves did not know. Suddenly heaven felt like a bad place, because this guy is having such a good time! They felt, "We are missing out on something." When they finally got him to teach the method, Shiva expounded various types of yogas depending upon the level of preparedness of the person who was sitting in front of him. The first part of Shiva's teaching was to Parvati, his wife.

It was taught in a certain intimacy. In great detail, and in very gentle ways, Shiva expounded the ways of yoga to Devi. The yoga sutras of Shiva are such that almost in every sutra , he refers to her as the resplendent one, the gracious one, the beautiful one. So this teaching transpired between two people with utmost intimacy.

Intimacy should not be understood as sexuality. It means there is no resistance; this person is absolutely open to whatever is being offered. The second set of yogic teaching was expounded to the Sapta Rishis , or the first seven sages.

When we use the word yoga, you should not think of twisting your body or holding your breath or anything like that we are not talking about a particular exercise or a technique. We are talking about the very science of creation and how to take this piece of creation (you) to its ultimate possibility. We are looking at gaining mastery over the fundamental processes of life; the very process of creation and dissolution.

It doesn't matter at what level of evolution a person is right now, for him also, there is a way. For every being on the planet, there is a certain way that is the advantage of yoga. This teaching happened on the banks of Kanti Sarovar, near Kedarnath. This is when the world's first yoga programme happened. Today, yoga is said to be the world's fastest growing wellness regimen because it presents spirituality as technology. Mahashivratri is a festival that was chosen to honour Shiva, the Adi Guru, from whom yoga originated. On this night the planetary positions in the northern hemisphere are such that there is a natural upsurge of energies. If one just stays awake and keeps one's spine erect throughout the night, it naturally pushes a person towards his spiritual peak.

Its all in your MIND !!!!

2009-02-14T15:44:00.001+05:30

This Story is about a man who once upon a time was selling Hotdogs by the roadside. He was illiterate, so he never read newspapers. He was hard of hearing, so he never listened to the radio. His eyes were weak, so he never watched television. But enthusiastically, he sold lots of hotdogs. He was smart enough to offer some attractive schemes to increase his sales. His sales and profit went up. He ordered more a more raw material and buns and use to sale more. He recruited few more supporting staff to serve more customers. He started offering home deliveries. Eventually he got himself a bigger and better stove. As his business was growing, the son, who had recently graduated from College, joined his father.
Then something strange happened. The son asked, "Dad, aren't you aware of the great recession that is coming our way?" The father replied, "No, but tell me about it." The son said, "The international situation is terrible. The domestic situation is even worse. We should be prepared for the coming bad times" The man thought that since his son had been to college, read the papers, listened to the radio and watching TV, he ought to know and his advice should not be taken lightly. So the next day onwards, the father cut down the his raw material order and buns, took down the colorful signboard, removed all the special schemes he was offering to the customers and was no longer as enthusiastic. He reduced his staff strength by giving layoffs. Very soon, fewer and fewer people bothered to stop at his hotdog stand. And his sales started coming down rapidly, same is the profit. The father said to his son, "Son, you were right. We are in the middle of a recession and crisis. I am glad you warned me ahead of time."
Moral of The Story: Its all in your MIND!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
What can we take away from this story??
1. How many times we confuse intelligence with good judgment?
2. Choose your advisers carefully but use your own judgment
3. A person or an organization will survive forever, if they have the 5 Cs
* Character

*Commitment

* Conviction

* Courtesy

* Courage
The tragedy today is that there are many walking encyclopedias that are living failures. The More practical and appropriate views on this economic recession is: "This is the time to reunite together for any small or a big organization, this is the time to motivate and retain people which are the biggest asset, this is the time to show more commitments to the customers, this is the time show values of our company to the world, and this is the time to stand by our Nation".

Never Say - Tomorrow we will dance

2009-02-13T05:27:00.001+05:30

You could have said, "Tomorrow we will dance." But now there may be no tomorrow; you cannot postpone.

This is for the first time that tomorrow is absolutely doubtful for all. Individually it is always doubtful: tomorrow may never come, even the next breath may not come in. Individually death is always imminent, but this time it is something global, universal. The whole earth may disappear, may explode. You can cry and weep and you can beat your head against the wall; that will not stop nuclear destruction and its threat.

In fact, it may bring it closer and faster because sad people, miserable people, are dangerous people. Misery creates destructiveness. Politicians have enough atomic energy piled up to destroy this earth not only once but several hundred times. If the whole of humanity can start dancing, rejoicing, feasting ^ seeing that the threat is very close by... If the whole earth can become full of joy it will be less possible to destroy, because who is going to destroy it? We are the people; it is up to us to decide that we want to live or that we want to commit suicide. If we start a new climate in the world ^ of rejoicing, of dancing, of singing, of meditation, of prayer ^ and if people become full of bliss, cheerfulness, laughter... there is every possibility we can avoid destruction, because joyous people don't want to destroy, they want to create. If destruction has become global, we have to make laughter and dancing also global, in the same proportion, to counteract it. Why be sad? And what are you going to gain by sadness? Yes, i know the world is facing a danger, but each individual has always faced the danger of death. If universal death is really close by, don't postpone.

I say rejoice because if you can die rejoicing, you will transcend death, you will go beyond death. One who can die blissfully never dies, because in death he comes to know immortality. If the time is short, then you have to spread this orange laughter all over the world. Then it is time that we should make people more and more joyous.

Tell them that death can take over this earth any moment, because... politicians have so much power now... Just push a button and the process can be triggered, the whole earth can explode. You don't have time to waste. Remember, meditation will give you many joys, many blessings; many gifts will descend on you.

The Buddha says: do not turn away what is given to you... because if you turn it away you will miss the opportunity, and it may not knock on your door again for a long time. One never knows when the moment will come again. So whenever something happens to you in meditation, open your heart. And go dancing, go joyously, because in meditation nothing wrong can ever happen to you.

The more alert you are, you find new ways of doing things, you find new styles of living your life. The more alert you are, the more creative you are, and only creative people know what happiness is. What you create is not the point ^ just be creative. It may be poetry, it may be music, it may be sculpture, it can be anything, but just the process of being creative brings you to the point where you meet the Divine.