Wednesday, November 21, 2012

Zero Waste Homes


Meet a few families that have made this their catch phrase. If more
households follow the example, we can get a clean and green city

Did you know that in Chennai, 68 per cent of the city’s total solid
waste is generated by households? Did you know that one person
produces 200 kg of solid waste per year? *

There is little point in keeping our homes sparkling clean when most
of us step out into streets piled high with garbage. What can we do to
reduce the amount of bio-degradable waste that leaves our home and
goes into streets and landfills? Zero waste homes are fast becoming
the norm. They not only make your home clean and eco-friendly, they
also keep your streets and city clean. And you can get there simply by
composting waste.

Composting sounds messy but it’s just the practice of converting
organic waste into manure. If you can do it easily and simply at home
or in your workspace, why not? You don’t need lots of space or a
dedicated compost yard. A small green patch, a balcony or just about
any unused space in an office or apartment block can do the trick.

The Bangalore-based Daily Dump has been offering a range of home
composting products since 2006. Poonam Bir Kasturi, the founder,
explains why everyone must take it up at home, “It makes you proud to
keep waste off the streets. It is sensitive

to natural cycles and tolerant of different life forms. It builds a
sense of joy that you can actually make a change to the mess around,
and moves you from being a consumer to a change agent.”

Segregation is the first step in composting. Says Poonam, “Without
segregation, composting cannot happen.” A family can start immediately
but in an apartment block, it takes time to get a consensus. You need
a group to follow it through and the space and budget to invest in
bins. “The capital cost per family in both individual homes and
apartment blocks is approximately the same. The recurring cost for
individual homes is higher, whereas communities can achieve economies
of scale,” explains Poonam.

Navneeth Raghavan, Chennai’s very own Daily Dump clone, began her
compost journey after she met Poonam in Bangalore. “I was very
impressed with what she did. I found a potter, made some pots, and
trained myself to compost. Now, my entire family is involved in it and
they see the benefits of composting.” Poonam and Navneeth use
three-layered terracotta pots called khambas for composting.

What Navneeth started on a small scale in 2008 today benefits 3,500
families. “We make our pots locally. I live on the fourth floor of an
apartment and leave my khamba on the balcony. There is no stink during
decomposition and we have a

solution to keep away flies.” Navneeth gives away plastics and tins to
the recyclers and the rest goes into the khamba.

Preethi Sukumaran and Sruti Harihara Subramanian are just two of the
many who have followed the Daily Dump example. “After we began
composting, I saw a remarkable reduction in the amount of garbage
going out of home. We have

started to critically examine everything that comes into the house to
see if it can be recycled or composted.” Preethi even carries her own
containers and oil cans to grocery stores. “If we can’t avoid packaged
groceries, the covers are washed, dried

and put into the recycling bin.”

Preethi has a separate bin in the kitchen for plastic and paper to be
given away to the recycler. Her family has replaced plastic water
bottles with stainless steel ones and the plastic water storage can
with a copper pot. They save the rinse water from

hand-washed clothes to mop floors and clean toilets. Water used to
wash vegetables or rice is recycled for plants. In fact, Preethi and
her husband make sustainable alternatives like organic and
eco-friendly detergents.

Sruti began composting to sustain her terrace garden and she too uses
the khamba. “It’s easy,” she says, “Throw all your organic waste into
it. You get microbes and additives to mix in. Just follow the
instructions.” Sruti, who runs Ashvita Bistro in Alwarpet, uses a
khamba there as well, apart from retailing the compost sets. “Do you
know about 60 per cent of waste from any home is organic waste,” she
asks.

Singapore-based blogger Bhavani Prakash has written an e-book called
50 Ways to Make Your Home Eco-Friendly. “I compost vegetable and fruit
peels in my apartment. I started by using empty flower pots and soil
for my method. Start with a thin layer of soil, then peels, then a
layer of browns (cardboard, dry leaves, paper) and another layer of
soil. This prevents flies and smells. There has to be a judicious mix
of wet and dry waste. Once that’s done, moisture, heat and air will do
the trick. Stir, if it starts to smell and in a few days it will be
alright.” It’s better to start with a flower pot, she says, since you
use things you already have at home; old pots, unused soil, paper.
Clearly, cleanliness too begins right at home.

Thursday, September 20, 2012

Cell phone information

4 Things you might not have known about your Cell Phone For all the folks with cell phones. (This should be printed and kept in your car, purse, and wallet. Good information to have with you.) There are a few things that can be done in times of grave emergencies. Your mobile phone can actually be a life saver or an emergency tool for survival. Check out the things that you can do with it: FIRST (Emergency) The Emergency Number worldwide for Mobile is 112. If you find yourself out of the coverage area of your mobile network and there is an Emergency, dial 112 and the mobile will search any existing network to establish the emergency number for you, and interestingly, this number 112 can be dialed even if the keypad is locked. Try it out. SECOND (Hidden Battery Power) Imagine your cell battery is very low. To activate, press the keys *3370#. Your cell phone will restart with this reserve and the instrument will show a 50% increase in battery. This reserve will get charged when you charge your cell phone next time. THIRD (How to disable a STOLEN mobile phone? ) To check your Mobile phone's serial number, key in the following Digits on your phone: *#06# . A 15-digit code will appear on the screen. This number is unique to your handset. Write it down and keep it somewhere safe. If your phone is stolen, you can phone your service provider and give them this code. They will then be able to block your handset so even if the thief changes the SIM card, your phone will be totally useless. You probably won't get your phone back, but at least you know that whoever stole it can't use/sell it either. If everybody does this, there would be no point in people stealing mobile phones. And Finally.... FOURTH (Free Directory Service for Cells) Cell phone companies are charging us $1.00 to $1.75 or more for 411 information calls when they don't have to. Most of us do not carry a telephone directory in our vehicle, which makes this situation even more of a problem. When you need to use the 411 information option, simply dial: (800) FREE411 or (800) 373-3411 without incurring any charge at all. Program this into your cell phone now. This is sponsored by McDonalds.

Friday, August 3, 2012

How to plan your investments once you are retired?

This is a guest post written by Manikaran Singal who is a certified financial planner and runs a personal finance blog - Good Moneying. Retirement is very important and critical stage in one’s financial life. This stage can be made more enjoyable where you relax, spend time with family, pursue hobbies if you have properly planned for that. But it can be most horrifying phase also where your regular income stream is no longer available, with no pension provision and where you have not saved enough to take care of your retirement needs. Due to the various challenges and risks associated with retirement, we recommend retirement planning should be given its due importance and starts as soon as possible. Retirement Planning works in 3 steps – Accumulation – Preservation-Distribution. Accumulation is the stage where we invest to generate a decent corpus which is assumed to take care of us during retirement years. This accumulation we do till retirement. In Preservation stage we become cautious about our accumulated corpus and we start coming out of risky asset classes and start shifting the corpus into debt, though savings doesn’t stop during this stage also, as our regular income stream is intact. Distribution is the stage when we make arrangements to use the corpus through interest, dividends and withdrawing capital which we have accumulated. In the complete retirement planning, distribution is the most important of all, as all our efforts of accumulation and preservation were directed towards this stage only. With a regular income stream no longer available, the savings made over one’s working years now have to provide for all needs. Now your investments need to create a paycheque for you. In accumulation and preservation stages the mistakes can be ignored as you were getting regular income, but at distribution stage, small mistakes can cost huge. Through this article, I will be discussing with you on the distribution stage of retirement planning and how you can plan your investments once retired. 1. First step is to prepare you on the risks front. Like : a) Longevity risk: We don’t know for how long we are going to live. Whatever life expectancy you have assumed during accumulation stage may not be correct. If you outlive that age and not used your corpus judiciously you may find yourself in financial soup. b) Health risk: At this age probability of health problems is much more. We don’t know till when health remains favorable on our side. And when it gets unfavorable how much of our accumulated corpus it may wash away. 2. Have a look at your expenses. This is very important as the ultimate target is about to generate comfortable income stream from the corpus to meet the basic and desired expenses easily. Here you may divide your expenses in 4 parts: Basic/desired/on dependents if any/Loan EMIs if any. Basic would include the family’s general and unavoidable expenses which may include the family gifts on various festivals/occasions, desired is what you want to do after retirement like going on annual or bi annual vacations, pursuing some hobby, some charitable or religious activity etc., On dependents means…situations where children are still studying or are not yet settled in life etc. and Loan EMIs. 3. Investment Options. When you have calculated how much is required, now is the time to look out for the options where you may park the lump sum amount to start getting regular income. Here one thing has to be noted that one should not ignore the growth aspect in investments and should give equal importance to that. To add to it, one should not get into wrong products with the lure of making fast money in the name of growth. Just reminding you again that mistakes made at this stage of life may prove very costly. Make 3 investment buckets by investing corpus in different percentages. Basic Bucket (50% -60%): Looking at the monthly requirement and pension inflow if any, one has to plan to fulfill the gap, for which one may use the products like Post Office Monthly Income scheme, Senior Citizens savings scheme , bank fixed deposits with monthly/quarterly pay-out options, Immediate annuity etc. I mean use those products which can supplement your monthly inflow. But here do keep in mind the taxability aspect also. All the so called safe instruments are taxable. So where the taxation crosses the acceptability criteria, then you may use Mutual funds Monthly income plans or park the amount in debt mutual funds and start systematic withdrawal plan, but please note in the latter you are withdrawing the capital part of corpus which should be last resort. Health Bucket (10%-15%): After arranging for your current monthly requirement, put some percentage of your corpus into debt mutual funds or cumulative fixed deposits as a health fund which will take care of your those medical emergencies where expenses jumps over health insurance coverage. Growth Bucket (20%-25%): Put the balance corpus or at least 20% of the total corpus in equity oriented Mutual funds diversified or index, to cope up with the inflation aspect and After every 5th year transfer the growth portion into the basic bucket, so the monthly income can be supplemented and put it in line with the increased expenses. Some Do’s and don’ts after Retirement. Do review your financial situation every year. Do buy adequate health insurance coverage for yourself and your spouse. Count the annual premium in the basic expenses. Don’t buy or gift any investment product to any of your family member other than you or your spouse. Avoid gifting child plan to grandchildren etc. Don’t part with your savings in your lifetime. You will be soft emotionally gullible target to the sellers. So beware. Do keep working even after retirement. Shocked!! But in many cases it becomes inevitable especially when you still have dependents, or paying Loan EMIs. The idea is not to enter retirement phase with the burden of Debt and dependents, and not to use the nest egg on these areas. Also please understand that stock trading is not working. Do take good care of your health. If at all you have any health problem better to take proper treatment. Many times I have seen people ignoring the health aspects due to the finances involved in the treatment. But please understand that your health is equally important for your wealth. Don’t overspend in retirement if you have not over invested while working. Don’t put your retirement corpus into Real estate due to the illiquid and unregulated nature of investment. Retirement planning includes much more than just investing. It needs some behavioral adjustments also. The ultimate goal is steady, dependable and lasting income. With careful planning we can balance the needs of inflation protected income and long term growth during retirement.

Why the Sky is Blue

Today it found out why the sky is blue. For the short answer, when light from the sun enters our atmosphere it collides with molecules in the air. The blue part of the light gets scattered more than the other parts during these collisions and thus makes the sky appear to our eyes as blue. If the light from the sun took a straight path down to our eyes with no scattering or absorption in the atmosphere, the sky would in fact look much as it does at night in the day time. So a little background. White light waves from the sun are in fact mixtures of all colors of the light spectrum. Anyone who’s ever had a prism knows that when white light shines through it, the light gets separated and you get a rainbow spectrum showing up on the other side. Humans can only see a portion of the total light spectrum of energy; we see from Violet, which has a wavelength of about 380 nanometers, to red which has a wavelength of about 720 nanometers. Descending from red to violet, we get orange, yellow, green, blue, and indigo between the two. Another needed piece of information is that the atmosphere of the earth is made up of almost all nitrogen and oxygen. So specifically, what is happening here is that because the wavelength of blue light is about the same size of an atom of oxygen, which makes up 21% of the earth’s atmosphere, blue light gets scattered by these oxygen molecules while the reds, oranges, and others more or less pass straight through the atmosphere without being scattered much at all. So when you look up at the sky, everywhere you look looks blue as the blue portion of the light spectrum bounces off an oxygen molecule and into your eye. It actually turns out that the earth’s atmosphere is also scattering quite a bit of violet light as well. So why doesn’t the sky look more like a blueish/violet? This is for a few reasons. Most important is that our eyes are most sensitive to blue, red, and green. So our eyes are naturally more inclined to respond to blue over violet. Also important is that the sun doesn’t put out light at the same intensity at all wavelengths of the spectrum. In addition to this less amount, some of the violet also gets absorbed in the upper atmosphere; so not as much of it gets to our eyes. So it turns out more or less a combination of these three things makes it so we see the sky as blue instead of violet or blueish/violet. It is interesting to note however, that our eyes are picking up some of the violet and indigo being scattered. Without this, we would in fact see the sky as more of a blueish green. This is because the green cones in our eyes respond to the small amounts of scattered yellow light wavelengths to some extent; meanwhile our eye’s red cones respond to the indigo/violet somewhat which balances things out a bit and so we only perceive the blue being scattered. So you might now be asking, “Why is the sky red or orange when the sun is setting?” What’s going on here is that as the sun is setting, the light you are seeing from it is having to travel through a lot more atmosphere given your angle to the sun. Light at lower wavelengths gets scattered more than at the higher wavelengths. So less of the blue light gets to you as it’s being scattered more than, for instance, yellow, orange, and red. In this case, if it is a relatively clear day, the sky will appear more yellow than blue as you watch the sunset because the blue is being scattered so much it never reaches you or at least, not as much of it, but the yellow isn’t scattered nearly as much but still scattered enough to make the sky look yellow. If it is dusty or there are a lot of other types of particles in the air along the path to where you are looking at the sun, the sky will appear more red. If there is a lot of salt in the air, such as at sea, it will appear more orange. So, if there was no scattering or absorption, the sky would appear black in the day time. If there was more absorption or scattering going on than there is, then the sky might appear to us to be yellow, orange, or red all day long.

CUCUMBER

1. Cucumbers contain most of the vitamins you need every day, just one cucumber contains Vitamin B1, Vitamin B2, Vitamin B3, Vitamin B5, Vitamin B6, Folic Acid, Vitamin C, Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Potassium and Zinc. 2. Feeling tired in the afternoon, put down the caffeinated soda and pick up a cucumber. Cucumbers are a good source of B Vitamins and Carbohydrates that can provide that quick pick-me-up that can last for hours. 3. Tired of your bathroom mirror fogging up after a shower? Try rubbing a cucumber slice along the mirror, it will eliminate the fog and provide a soothing, spa-like fragrance. 4. Are grubs and slugs ruining your planting beds? Place a few slices in a small pie tin and your garden will be free of pests all season long. The chemicals in the cucumber react with the aluminum to give off a scent undetectable to humans but drive garden pests crazy and make them flee the area. 5 Looking for a fast and easy way to remove cellulite before going out or to the pool? Try rubbing a slice or two of cucumbers along your problem area for a few minutes, the phytochemicals in the cucumber cause the collagen in your skin to tighten, firming up the outer layer and reducing the visibility of cellulite. Works great on wrinkles too!!! 6. Want to avoid a hangover or terrible headache? Eat a few cucumber slices before going to bed and wake up refreshed and headache free. Cucumbers contain enough sugar, B vitamins and electrolytes to replenish essential nutrients the body lost, keeping everything in equilibrium, avoiding both a hangover and headache!! 7 Looking to fight off that afternoon or evening snacking binge? Cucumbers have been used for centuries and often used by European trappers, traders and explores for quick meals to thwart off starvation. 8. Have an important meeting or job interview and you realize that you don't have enough time to polish your shoes? Rub a freshly cut cucumber over the shoe, its chemicals will provide a quick and durable shine that not only looks great but also repels water. 9. Out of WD 40 and need to fix a squeaky hinge? Take a cucumber slice and rub it along the problematic hinge, and voila, the squeak is gone! 10. Stressed out and don't have time for massage, facial or visit to the spa? Cut up an entire cucumber and place it in a boiling pot of water, the chemicals and nutrients from the cucumber will react with the boiling water and be released in the steam, creating a soothing, relaxing aroma that has been shown to reduce stress in new mothers and college students during final exams. 11. Just finish a business lunch and realize you don't have gum or mints? Take a slice of cucumber and press it to the roof of your mouth with your tongue for 30 seconds to eliminate bad breath, the phytochemcials will kill the bacteria in your mouth responsible for causing bad breath. 12. Looking for a'green'way to clean your faucets, sinks or stainless steel? Take a slice of cucumber and rub it on the surface you want to clean, not only will it remove years of tarnish and bring back the shine, but is won't leave streaks and won't harm you fingers or fingernails while you clean. 13. Using a pen and made a mistake? Take the outside of the cucumber and slowly use it to erase the pen writing, also works great on crayons and markers that the kids have used to decorate the walls!!

Sunday, July 29, 2012

Multiplying Complementary Pairs

Multiplying Complementary Pairs Quick! What's 23 x 27? 621 There's a trick to doing this quickly. Can you see a pattern in these multiplications? 42 x 48 = 2016 43 x 47 = 2021 44 x 46 = 2024 54 x 56 = 3024 64 x 66 = 4224 61 x 69 = 4209 111 x 119 = 13209 In each pair above, the numbers being multiplied are *complementary*: they are the same number except for the rightmost digit, and the rightmost digits add to 10. The trick to multiplying complementary pairs is to take the rightmost digits and multiply them; the result forms the two rightmost digits of the answer. (So in the last example 1 x 9 = 09.) Then take the first number without its rightmost digit, and multiply it by the next higher whole number; the result forms the initial digits of the answer. (So in the last example: 11 x 12 = 132. Voila! The answer is 13209.) *The Math Behind the Fact:* This trick works because you are multiplying pairs of numbers of the form 10*N+A and 10*(N+1)-A, where N is a whole number and A is a digit between 1 and 9. A little algebra shows their product is: 100*N*(N+1) + A*(10-A). The first term in the sum is a multiple of 100 and it does not interact with the last two digits of sum, which is never more than two digits long.

Qur'an *ഖുര്‍ആനില്‍ നിന്നും ചില വാക്യങ്ങള്‍:-

**1. **ദൈവത്തിന് പുറമെ മറ്റാരോടും നിങ്ങള്‍ പ്രാര്‍ത്ഥിക്കരുത്. (വി:ഖു: ** 28:88)** **2. **നന്മ കല്‍പ്പിക്കണം തിന്മ വിരോധിക്കണം. (വി:ഖു: **31:17)** **3. **എത്ര പ്രതികൂലമായാലും സത്യമെ പറയാവൂ. (വി:ഖു: **4:135)** **4. **പരദൂഷണം പറയരുത്. (വി:ഖു: **49:12)** **5. **മറ്റുള്ളവരെ പരിഹസിക്കരുത്. (വി:ഖു: **49:11)** **6. **അസൂയ അരുത്. (വി:ഖു: **4:54)** **7. **ചാരവൃത്തിയും ഒളിഞ്ഞുകേള്‍ക്കലും അരുത്. (വി:ഖു: **49:12)** **8. **കള്ള സാക്ഷി പറയരുത്. (വി:ഖു: **2:283)** **9. **സത്യത്തിന് സാക്ഷിപറയാന്‍ മടിക്കരുത്. (വി:ഖു: **2:282)** **10. **സംസാരിക്കുമ്പോള്‍ ശബ്ദം താഴ്ത്തണം. (വി:ഖു: **31:19)** **11. **പരുഷമായി സംസാരിക്കരുത്. (വി:ഖു: **3:159)** **12. **ആളുകളോട് സൌമ്യമായ വാക്കുകള്‍ പറയണം. (വി:ഖു: **20:44)** **13. **ഭൂമിയില്‍ വിനയത്തോടെ നടക്കണം. (വി:ഖു: **25:63)** **14. **നടത്തത്തില്‍ അഹന്ത അരുത്. (വി:ഖു: **31:18)** **15. **അഹങ്കാരം അരുത്. (വി:ഖു: **7:13)** **16. **അനാവശ്യ കാര്യങ്ങളില്‍ മുഴുകരുത്. (വി:ഖു: **23:3)** **17. **മറ്റൊരാളുടെ തെറ്റുകള്‍ കഴിയുന്നത്ര മാപ്പ് ചെയ്യണം. (വി:ഖു: **7:199)* * **18. **മറ്റുള്ളവരോട് ഔദാര്യത്തോടെ പെരുമാരണം. (വി:ഖു: **4:36)** **19. **അതിഥികളെ സല്‍ക്കരിക്കണം. (വി:ഖു: **51:26)** **20. **പാവങ്ങള്‍ക്ക് ഭക്ഷണം നല്കാന്‍ പ്രേരിപ്പിക്കണം. (വി:ഖു: **107:3)** **21. **അനാഥകളെ സംരക്ഷിക്കണം. (വി:ഖു: **2:220)** **22. **ചോദിച്ച് വരുന്നവരെ ആട്ടിക്കളയരുത്. (വി:ഖു: **93:10)** **23. **വിഷമിക്കുന്നവരെ കണ്ടെത്തി സഹായിക്കണം. (വി:ഖു: **2:273)** **24. **ചെയ്ത ഉപകാരം എടുത്ത് പറയരുത്. (വി:ഖു: **2:264)** **25. **വിശ്വസിച്ചേല്‍പ്പിച്ച വസ്തുക്കള്‍ തിരിച്ചേല്‍പ്പിക്കണം. (വി:ഖു: ** 4:58)** **26. **കരാര്‍ലംഘിക്കരുത്. (വി:ഖു: **2:177)** **27. **തിന്മയെ നന്‍മ കൊണ്ട് പ്രതിരോധിക്കണം. (വി:ഖു: **41:34)** **28. **നന്മയില്‍ പരസ്പരം സഹകരിക്കണം. (വി:ഖു: **5:2)** **29. **തിന്‍മയില്‍ സഹകരിക്കരുത്. (വി:ഖു: **5:2)** **30. **നീതി പ്രവര്‍ത്തിക്കണം. (വി:ഖു: **5:8)** **31. **വിധി കല്‍പ്പിക്കുമ്പോള്‍ നീതിയനുസരിച്ച് വിധിക്കണം. (വി:ഖു: **4:58)** **32. **ആരോടും അനീതി ചെയ്യരുത്. (വി:ഖു: **5:8)** **33. **അളവിലും തൂക്കത്തിലും കൃത്രിമം കാണിക്കരുത്. (വി:ഖു: **6:152)** **34. **സത്യവും അസത്യവും കൂട്ടിക്കലര്‍ത്തരുത്. (വി:ഖു: **2:42)** **35. **വഞ്ചകര്‍ക്ക് കൂട്ട് നില്‍ക്കരുത്. (വി:ഖു: **4:105)** **36. **സത്യത്തില്‍നിന്ന് വ്യതിചലിക്കരുത്. (വി:ഖു: **4:135)** **37. **പിശുക്ക് അരുത്. (വി:ഖു: **4:37)** **38. **അന്ന്യന്‍റെ ധനം അന്ന്യായമായി തിന്നരുത്. (വി:ഖു: **4:29)** **39. **അനാഥകളുടെ ധനം അപഹരിക്കരുത്. (വി:ഖു: **4:10)** **40. **ധനം ധൂര്‍ത്തടിക്കരുത്. (വി:ഖു: **17:29)** **41. **ലഹരി ഉപയോഗിക്കരുത്. (വി:ഖു: **5:90)** **42. **മദ്യം കഴിക്കരുത്. (വി:ഖു: **5:90)** **43. **കൈക്കൂലി അരുത്. (വി:ഖു: **2:188)** **44. **പലിശ അരുത്. (വി:ഖു: **2:275)** **45. **വ്യഭിചാരത്തെ സമീപിക്കരുത്. (വി:ഖു: **17:32)** **46. **കൊലപാതകം അരുത്. (വി:ഖു: **4:92)** **47. **ചൂത് കളിക്കരുത്. (വി:ഖു: **5:90)** **48. **മറ്റുള്ളവര്‍ക്ക് പാഠമാകും വിധം കുറ്റവാളികളെ ശിക്ഷിക്കണം. (വി:ഖു: ** 5:38)** **49. **ഊഹങ്ങള്‍ അധികവും കളവാണ്**; **ഊഹങ്ങള്‍ വെടിയണം. (വി:ഖു: **49:12)** **50. **തിന്നുക**, **കുടിക്കുക**, **അമിതമാകരുത്. (വി:ഖു: **7:31)** **51. **ശവം**, **രക്തം**, **പന്നിമാംസം എന്നിവ നിഷിദ്ധമണ്. (വി:ഖു: **5:3)** **52. **ഭാഗ്യ പരീക്ഷണങ്ങള്‍ അരുത്. (വി:ഖു: **5:90)** **53. **ഭൂമിയില്‍ കുഴപ്പം ഉണ്ടാക്കരുത്. (വി:ഖു: **2:60)** **54. **മനുഷ്യര്‍ക്കിടയില്‍ ഐക്യത്തിന് ശ്രമിക്കണം. (വി:ഖു: **49:9)** **55. **നിങ്ങള്‍ പരസ്പരം ഭിന്നിക്കരുത്. (വി:ഖു: **3:103)** **56. **ഉഛ്വനീചത്വബോധം ഉണ്ടാകരുത്. (വി:ഖു: **49:13)** **57. **ദൈവ ഭക്തനാണ് നിങ്ങളില്‍ ശ്രേഷ്ഠന്‍. (വി:ഖു: **49:13)** **58. **കാര്യങ്ങള്‍ പരസ്പരം കൂടിയാലോചിക്കണം. (വി:ഖു: **42:38)** **59. **ഇങ്ങോട്ട് യുദ്ധം ചെയ്താലല്ലാതെ യുദ്ധം അരുത്. (വി:ഖു: **2:190)** **60. **യുദ്ധ മര്യാദകള്‍ പാലിക്കണം. (വി:ഖു: **2:191)** **61. **യുദ്ധത്തില്‍നിന്ന് പിന്തിരിയരുത്. (വി:ഖു: **8:15)** **62. **അഭയാര്‍ഥികളെ സഹായിക്കണം (സംരക്ഷിക്കണം). (വി:ഖു: **9:6)** **63. **മറ്റുള്ളവരെ കണ്ണടച്ച് അനുകരിക്കരുത്. (വി:ഖു: **2:170)** **64. **പൌരോഹിത്യം പാടില്ല. (വി:ഖു: **9:31)** **65. **സന്യാസം അരുത്. (വി:ഖു: **57:27)** **66. **നഗ്നത മറക്കണം. (വി:ഖു: **7:31)** **67. **ശുദ്ധി (വൃത്തി) സൂക്ഷിക്കണം. (വി:ഖു: **9:108)** **68. **കോപം അടക്കി നിര്‍ത്തണം. (വി:ഖു: **3:134)** **69. **സമ്മതം കൂടാതെ അന്യരുടെ വീട്ടില്‍പ്രവേശിക്കരുത്. (വി:ഖു: **24:27)** **70. **രക്തബന്ധമുള്ളവര്‍ തമ്മില്‍ വിവാഹം അരുത്. (വി:ഖു: **4:23)** **71. **മാതാക്കള്‍ കുഞ്ഞുങ്ങള്‍ക്ക് രണ്ടു വര്‍ഷം പൂര്‍ണ്ണമായി മുലയൂട്ടണം. (വി:ഖു: **2:233)** **72. **മാതാപിതാക്കള്‍ക്ക് നന്മ ചെയ്യണം. (വി:ഖു: **17:23)** **73. **മാതാപിതാക്കളോട് മുഖം ചുളിച്ച് സംസാരിക്കരുത്. (വി:ഖു: **17:23)** **74. **മാതാപിതാക്കളുടെ സ്വകാര്യമുറിയില്‍ അനുവാദമില്ലാതെ പ്രവേശിക്കരുത്. (വി:ഖു: **24:58)** **75. **കടം വാങ്ങുന്നതും കൊടുക്കുന്നതും എഴുതി വെക്കണം. (വി:ഖു: **2:282)** **76. **കടം വീട്ടുവാന്‍ ബുദ്ധിമുട്ടുന്നുവെങ്കില്‍ വിഷമിപ്പിക്കരുത്. (വി:ഖു: **2:280)** **77. **ഭൂരിപക്ഷം സത്യത്തിന്‍റെ മാനദണ്ഡമല്ല. (വി:ഖു: **6:116)** **78. **സ്ത്രീകള്‍ മാന്യമായി ഒതുക്കത്തോടെ കഴിയണം. (വി:ഖു: **33:33)** **79. **മരണപ്പെട്ടവന്‍റെ സ്വത്ത് കുടുംബാംഗങ്ങള്‍ക്ക് അനന്തരം നല്കണം. (വി:ഖു: **4:7)** **80. **സ്ത്രീകള്‍ക്കും സ്വത്തവകാശം ഉണ്ട്. (വി:ഖു: **4:7)** **81. **സ്ത്രീയായാലും പുരുഷനായാലും കര്‍മ്മങ്ങള്‍ക്ക് തുല്യ പ്രതിഫലം ഉണ്ട്. (വി:ഖു: **3:195)** **82. **കുടുംബത്തിന്റെ നേതൃത്വം പുരുഷന് നല്കണം. (വി:ഖു: **4:34)** **83. **ആര്‍ത്തവ കാലത്ത് ലൈംഗിക സംബര്‍ക്കം അരുത്. (വി:ഖു: **2:222)** **84. **പ്രപഞ്ചത്തിലെ അത്ഭുതങ്ങളെക്കുറിച്ച് ചിന്തിക്കണം. (വി:ഖു: **3:191)** **85. **വിജഞാനം നേടുന്നവര്‍ക്ക് ഉന്നത പദവി നല്കും. (വി:ഖു: **58:11)** **86. **ഭരണാധികാരികളെ പ്രാപ്തി നോക്കി തിരഞ്ഞെടുക്കണം. (വി:ഖു: **2:247)** **87. **ആരാധനാലയങ്ങളില്‍നിന്ന് ആളുകളെ തടയരുത്. (വി:ഖു: **2:114)** **88. **മറ്റ് മതസ്ഥരുടെ ആരാധ്യ വസ്തുക്കളെ നിന്ദിക്കരുത്. (വി:ഖു: **6:108)** **89. **എല്ലാ പ്രവാചകരെയും അംഗീഗരിക്കണം. (വി:ഖു: **2:285)** **90. **സത്യത്തിലേക്ക് ക്ഷണിക്കുന്നത് സദുപദേശത്തോട് കൂടിയാകണം. (വി:ഖു: ** 16:125)** **91. **ആരാധനാവേളയില്‍ നല്ല (അലങ്കാര) വസ്ത്രം അണിയനം. (വി:ഖു: **7:31)** **92. **മതത്തില്‍നിര്‍ബന്ധിക്കുവാന്‍പാടില്ല. (വി:ഖു: **2:256)** **93. **ഒരാല്‍ക് കഴിയാത്തത് അയാളെ നിര്‍ബന്ധിക്കരുത്. (വി:ഖു: **2:286)** **94. **കഷ്ടപ്പാടുകളിലും വിഷമതകളിലും ക്ഷമ കൈക്കൊള്ളണം. (വി:ഖു: **2:286)** **95. **അനാചാരങ്ങള്‍ക്കെതിരെ പോരാടണം. (വി:ഖു: **5:63)** **96. **വര്‍ഗ്ഗീയത അരുത്. (വി:ഖു: **49:13)** **97. **ദൈവത്തോട് മാത്രം പ്രാര്‍ത്ഥിക്കുന്നവര്‍ക്ക് നിര്‍ഭയത്വം നല്കും. (വി:ഖു: **24:55)** **98. **ദൈവം കാരുണ്യവാനാണ്. അവനോട് പാപമോചനം തേടുക. (വി:ഖു: **73:20)** **99. **ദൈവം എല്ലാ പാപങ്ങളും ഒന്നിച്ച് മാപ്പ് ചെയ്യുന്നവനാകുന്നു. (വി:ഖു:** 39:53)** **100. **ദൈവകാരുണ്യത്തെക്കുറിച്ച് നിരാശരാകരുത്. (വി:ഖു: **39:53)**

Sunday, July 15, 2012

DENGUE FEVER -VS- PAPAYA LEAF JUICE

It works for sure, I had it after an advice from my cousin. And for a dengue fever this season my platelets dropped to 40,000 and this papaya leaf therapy for 2 days make my platelets counts to shoot up to a normal count of 1,35,000 without any other medication. Thnx for sharing this info n giving an opportunity to share mine too. -Amal On Jul 5, 2012, at 11:48 AM, P Nair wrote: If you do happen to get dengue or chikungunya or you know anyone suffering from it, here is a cure that works within two days. I, Bevinda Collaco couch for it. And so will a number of people. I read it first in the Times of India some years ago, told my brother about it. He used the medicine and was fine in two days. t's simple and easy to do. All you need is two papaya leaves on Day 1 and two papaya leaves on Day 2. Directions: Cut off the stem and the thick veins of light green on the leaves. Use only the dark green leaf portion. Grind it with a tablespoon of water. Squeeze the paste through a muslin cloth or a strainer. Drink the liquid which may be a tablespoon or two of papaya leaf juice. Within 3 hours your platelet count jumps up. Do the same procedure the next day, two papaya leaves, remove stem and veins, grind the green leafy part with a tablespoon of water, strain the juice through a muslin cloth or through a strainer. Drink the juice and that's it. You are cured. Please spread this around. It has saved many from both diseases, dengue and chikungunya. Regards, Bevinda Collaco Editor

improve brain memory

If our brains were computers, we'd simply add a chip to upgrade our memory. The human brain, however, is more complex than even the most advanced machine, so improving our memory isn’t quite so easy. Just as it takes effort to build physical fitness, so too does boosting brain power. Sharp and Strong memory is natural desire of every person. Either you are a student,or professional or an aged person.A strong memory depends on the health and vitality of your brain.it is better to do something about it and try to follow given Tips which will definitely help you to enhance your brain memory. Try to adopt a habit of regular exercise because it increases oxygen to your brain and reduces the risk for disorders that lead to memory loss. Proper sleep of at least 6 to 8 hours is essential for proper functioning of brain cells. Make time for friends and fun because smiling and laughters involve multiple regions across the whole brain and have positive effects on brain cells. Reduce the stress level because it has adverse effect on brain cells. Try to intake food which is essential for proper nourishment and growth of brain cells. Fish oil is also effective for improving memory loss. It contains Omega-3 fatty acids that help your brain and body work better. It is also good for improving the body’s functioning by helping you think better.Omega-3 fatty acids are found in wild-caught, deep sea fish (wild salmon, tuna, mackerel and herring). Other non-fish sources of omega-3 fatty acids include walnuts, ground flax seed, flax seed oil, pumpkin seeds, and soybeans. B Vitamins improve memory by creating a protective shield for the neurons in the brain. B vitamins break down homocysteine, which is an amino acid that is a toxic poison to nerve cells. These vitamins also help in the production of red blood cells, which carry oxygen, an important brain nutrient. The most important B vitamins for memory include B6, B12, and Folic Acid (B9). You can increase the B vitamins in your diet by taking vitamin supplements and by consuming healthy, natural foods such as spinach and other dark, leafy greens; broccoli, asparagus, strawberries, melons, black beans, leeks, and other legumes, citrus fruits such as oranges and grapefruit, and soybeans. Vitamins C, E, and beta carotene are antioxidants and are also important vitamins for memory. Antioxidants protect brain tissue by breaking down free radicals, which are toxic forms of the oxygen molecule naturally found in the bloodstream.These vitamins can be found in naturally occurring foods such as blueberries, strawberries, and other berries; sweet potatoes, red tomatoes, spinach, broccoli, green tea and other types of tea, nuts and seeds, and citrus fruits such as oranges and grapefruits.

Thursday, June 28, 2012

Great Speech from Chetan Bhagat

Speech by Chetan Bhagat at Symbiosis… Don’t just have career or academic goals. Set goals to give you a balanced, successful life. I use the word balanced before successful. Balanced means ensuring your health, relationships, mental peace are all in good order. There is no point of getting a promotion on the day of your breakup. There is no fun in driving a car if your back hurts. Shopping is not enjoyable if your mind is full of tensions. "Life is one of those races in nursery school where you have to run with a marble in a spoon kept in your mouth. If the marble falls, there is no point coming first. Same is with life where health and relationships are the marble. Your striving is only worth it if there is harmony in your life. Else, you may achieve the success, but this spark, this feeling of being excited and alive, will start to die… One thing about nurturing the spark - don't take life seriously. Life is not meant to be taken seriously, as we are really temporary here. We are like a pre-paid card with limited validity. If we are lucky, we may last another 50 years. And 50 years is just 2,500 weekends. Do we really need to get so worked up? … It's ok, bunk a few classes, scoring low in couple of papers, goof up a few interviews, take leave from work, fall in love, little fights with your spouse. We are people, not programmed devices...” Don't be Serious, be Sincere guys !!!

Mahabharatha

മറ്റുള്ളവരില്‍ അസൂയ ജനിപ്പിക്കുന്നിടത്താണ് യുദ്ധം ആരംഭിക്കുന്നത്. മഹാഭാരതത്തിലൂടെ വ്യാസന്‍ നല്‍കുന്ന ഈ സന്ദേശം എക്കാലവും പ്രസക്തമാണ്. ഇന്ദ്രിയങ്ങള്‍ക്ക് ഹരം പകരുന്ന വിധത്തിലാണ് പാണ്ഡവര്‍ ഇന്ദ്രപ്രസ്ഥം നിര്‍മിച്ചത്. അസുരശില്പിയായ മയനെ ഖാണ്ഡവവനം ദഹിപ്പിച്ചപ്പോള്‍ രക്ഷിച്ചതിനുള്ള കൈക്കൂലിയാണ് ഈ മഹാസൗധമെന്നു പറയ‍ാം. വാസസ്ഥലം എന്നലക്ഷ്യം മറന്ന് വിസ്മയിപ്പിക്കാനും അസൂയപ്പെടുത്താനുമാണിത് നിര്‍മിച്ചത്. ഇവിടെ ക്ഷണം സ്വീകരിച്ച് അതിഥിയായാണ് സുയോധനനെത്തിയത്. സ്ഥലജല വിഭ്രാന്തിയില്‍പെട്ട് അദ്ദേഹം നിലംപതിക്കുമ്പോള്‍ പിടിച്ചെഴുന്നേല്പിച്ച് ക്ഷമാപണം നടത്തുകയായിരുന്നു വീട്ടുകാരിയായ പാഞ്ചാലി ചെയ്യേണ്ടിയിരുന്നത്. എന്നാല്‍ , വസ്ത്രങ്ങള്‍ സ്ഥാനംതെറ്റിയ സുയോധനന്റെ നഗ്നത കണ്ട് ചിരിക്കുകയാണ് ചെയ്തത്. ഈ നിമിഷത്തില്‍ മഹാഭാരതയുദ്ധത്തിന് വിത്തുപാകപ്പെട്ടു. ഇതുപോലെ പാഞ്ചാലിയേയും പൊതുമധ്യത്തില്‍ വിവസ്ത്രയാക്കി പരിഹാസ്യപാത്രമാക്കുമെന്ന് ദുര്യോധനന്‍ മനസ്സിലുറപ്പിച്ചു. ഈ തീരുമാനമാണ് മഹാഭാരതയുദ്ധമായി പരിണമിച്ചത്. നമ്മുടെ ഗൃഹനിര്‍മാണവും ആഘോഷങ്ങളും വസ്ത്രധാരണവുമെല്ല‍ാം പലപ്പോഴും മറ്റുള്ളവരെ വിസ്മയിപ്പിക്കാനും അസൂയപ്പെടുത്താനുമാണ് ലക്ഷ്യംവെയ്ക്കുന്നത്. പാണ്ഡവര്‍ രാജസൂയം നടത്തിയതുപോലുള്ള വിവാഹ മാമാങ്കങ്ങളും ബര്‍ത്ത്ഡേ പാര്‍ട്ടികളും ആത്യന്തികമായി അസൂയയും കലഹവുമാണ് ജനിപ്പിക്കുന്നത്. ഏതു പ്രവര്‍ത്തിക്കുമുമ്പും ധ്യാനം അനിവാര്യമാണ്. അപ്പോള്‍ ധര്‍മ്മമേത് അധര്‍മ്മമേത് എന്ന് വിവേചിച്ച് പ്രവര്‍ത്തിക്കാന്‍ കഴിയും. അങ്ങനെ ചെയ്താല്‍ പിന്നീട് പശ്ചാത്തപിക്കേണ്ടിവരില്ല. നരനാരായണ സംവാദമായിവേണം ഭഗവത്ഗീതയെ കാണാന്‍.

John Hopkins Gives Advice on Preventing and Fighting Cancer

John Hopkins Gives Advice on Preventing and Fighting Cancer Through Proper Nutrition After years of telling people chemotheropy is the only way to try ('try', being the key word) to eliminate cancer. Johns Hopkins now knows there are alternative ways. 1. Every person has cancer cells in the body. These cancer cells do not show up in the standard tests until they have multiplied to a few billion. When doctors tell cancer patients that there are no more cancer cells in their bodies after treatment, it just means the tests are unable to detect the cancer cells because they have not reached the detectable size. 2. Cancer cells occur between 6 to more than 10 times in a person's lifetime. 3. When the person's immune system is strong the cancer cells will be destroyed and prevented from multiplying and forming tumors. 4. When a person has cancer it indicates the person has nutritional deficiencies. These could be due to genetic, but also to environmental, food and lifestyle factors. 5. To overcome the multiple nutritional deficiencies, changing diet to eat more adequately and healthy, 4-5 times/day and by including supplements will strengthen the immune system. 6. Chemotherapy involves poisoning the rapidly-growing cancer cells and also destroys rapidly-growing healthy cells in the bone marrow, gastrointestinal tract etc, and can cause organ damage, like liver, kidneys, heart, lungs etc. 7. Radiation while destroying cancer cells also burns, scars and damages healthy cells, tissues and organs. 8. Initial treatment with chemotherapy and radiation will often reduce tumor size. However prolonged use of chemotherapy and radiation do not result in more tumor destruction. 9. When the body has too much toxic burden from chemotherapy and radiation the immune system is either compromised or destroyed, hence the person can succumb to various kinds of infections and complications. 10. Chemotherapy and radiation can cause cancer cells to mutate and become resistant and difficult to destroy. Surgery can also cause cancer cells to spread to other sites. 11. An effective way to battle cancer is to starve the cancer cells by not feeding it with the foods it needs to multiply. *CANCER CELLS FEED ON: a. Sugar substitutes like NutraSweet, Equal, Spoonful, etc are made with Aspartame and it is harmful. A better natural substitute would be Manuka honey or molasses, but only in very small amounts. Table salt has a chemical added to make it white in color. Better alternative is Bragg's aminos or sea salt. B. Milk causes the body to produce mucus, especially in the gastro-intestinal tract. Cancer feeds on mucus. By cutting off milk and substituting with unsweetened soy milk cancer cells are being starved. c. Cancer cells thrive in an acid environment. A meat-based diet is acidic and it is best to eat fish, and a little other meat, like chicken. Meat also contains livestock antibiotics, growth hormones and parasites, which are all harmful, especially to people with cancer. d. A diet made of 80% fresh vegetables and juice, whole grains, seeds, nuts and a little fruits help put the body into an alkaline environment. About 20% can be from cooked food including beans. Fresh vegetable juices provide live enzymes that are easily absorbed and reach down to cellular levels within 15 minutes to nourish and enhance growth of healthy cells. To obtain live enzymes for building healthy cells try and drink fresh vegetable juice (most vegetables including bean sprouts) and eat some raw vegetables 2 or 3 times a day. Enzymes are destroyed at temperatures of 104 degrees F (40 degrees C).. e. Avoid coffee, tea, and chocolate, which have high caffeine Green tea is a better alternative e and has cancer fighting properties. Water-best to drink purified water, or filtered, to avoid known toxins and heavy metals in tap water. Distilled water is acidic, it needs to be alkalined if you drink it The natural way to alkaline it is to squeese fresh lemons in it. Lemons are alkalining fruit. 12. Meat protein is difficult to digest and requires a lot of digestive enzymes. Undigested meat remaining in the intestines becomes putrefied and leads to more toxic buildup. 13. Cancer cell walls have a tough protein covering. By refraining from or eating less meat it frees more enzymes to attack the protein walls of cancer cells and allows the body's killer cells to destroy the cancer cells. 14. Some supplements build up the immune system (IP6, Flor-ssence, Essiac, anti-oxidants, vitamins, minerals, EFAs etc.) to enable the bodies own killer cells to destroy cancer cells.. Other supplements like vitamin E are known to cause apoptosis, or programmed cell death, the body's normal method of disposing of damaged, unwanted, or unneeded cells. 15. Cancer is a disease of the mind, body, and spirit. A proactive and positive spirit will help the cancer warrior be a survivor. Anger, un-forgiveness and bitterness put the body into a stressful and acidic environment. Learn to have a loving and forgiving spirit. Learn to relax and enjoy life. 16. Cancer cells cannot thrive in an oxygenated environment. Exercising daily, and deep breathing help to get more oxygen down to the cellular level. Oxygen therapy is another means employed to destroy cancer cells. 1. No plastic containers in micro. 2. No water bottles in freezer. 3. No plastic wrap in microwave.. Johns Hopkins has recently sent this out in its newsletters. This information is being circulated at Walter Reed Army Medical Center as well. Dioxin chemicals cause cancer, especially breast cancer. Dioxins are highly poisonous to the cells of our bodies. Don't freeze your plastic bottles with water in them as this releases dioxins from the plastic. Recently, Dr Edward Fujimoto, Wellness Program Manager at Castle Hospital , was on a TV program to explain this health hazard. He talked about dioxins and how bad they are for us. He said that we should not be heating our food in the microwave using plastic containers. This especially applies to foods that contain fat. He said that the combination of fat, high heat, and plastics releases dioxin into the food and ultimately into the cells of the body. Instead, he recommends using glass, such as Corning Ware, Pyrex or ceramic containers for heating food. You get the same results, only without the dioxin. So such things as TV dinners, instant ramen and soups, etc., should be removed from the container and heated in something else. Paper isn't bad but you don't know what is in the paper. It's just safer to use tempered glass, Corning Ware, etc. He reminded us that a while ago some of the fast food restaurants moved away from the foam containers to paper The dioxin problem is one of the reasons. Also, he pointed out that plastic wrap, such as Saran, is just as dangerous when placed over foods to be cooked in the microwave. As the food is nuked, the high heat causes poisonous toxins to actually melt out of the plastic wrap and drip into the food. Cover food with a paper towel instead.

THE INSIDE STORY OF JAMMU & KASHMIR STATE

Kashmir 1947– what really happened?Sandhya Jain Jun 5th, 2012 Kashmir interlocutors: perpetuating Nehru’s blunder By suddenly inviting debate on the interlocutors report on Jammu and Kashmir, especially its startling suggestion to restore the State’s pre-1953 status, the Congress Party has virtually disowned the actions of its longest serving Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, thus diminishing the legitimacy and stature of the political dynasty descended from him. Some experts have added fuel to the fire by urging implementation of the report even though Parliament, political parties, and the nation have not yet studied it in depth. Restoration of the pre-1953 status means a return to the stressful relationship between New Delhi and Srinagar that culminated in the arrest of Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah on charges of conspiracy against the Indian State in August 1953. Since the J&K constitution came into effect only on 26 January 1957, pre-’53 status would return the State to a lawless limbo in which its ‘prime minister’ can choose freedom from Article 1 of the Indian Constitution which names the States and territories that shall be part of the First Schedule. Sheikh Abdullah’s slipperiness in committing to the Indian Union after endorsing the Accession by Maharaja Hari Singh and persistent flirtation with the idea of an independent nation, forced the Centre to replace him with Bakshi Ghulam Mohammad. But Mr. Nehru failed to take the logical step of fully integrating the State with the Indian Union; his many grave blunders remain his lasting national legacy. [Sic: His surrender of Tibet to China being the greatest.] Mr. Nehru’s successors and protégés have long scuttled attempts at public scrutiny of these mistakes. But time has eroded their power and many facts are entering the public domain. Dr. S.P. Bakshi, Chief Education Officer of the State armed forces and a member of the Maharaja’s Durbar, published his reminiscences of the 1947-48 war before he passed away some weeks ago, just short of his 99th birthday. Kashmir: heroes sacrificed in vain Though brief, 'The Inside Story of Jammu & Kashmir State' (Knowledge World, Delhi, 2012) is a fascinating narrative of that troubled time. Dr Bakshi for the first time brings on record the fact that a Rasputin-like sadhu known as ‘Mahantji’ played a crucial role in delaying the accession to India by giving the Maharaja delusions of grandeur, telling him of his visions of the State flag flying from Lahore fort and beyond, thus causing immense suffering to the people. Dr Bakshi’s most sensational disclosure concerns New Delhi’s cavalier disregard of Major Onkar Singh Kalkat’s direct warning about the impending attack, an episode that deserves detailed exposure, with the guilty named. As part of its plans, Pakistan suddenly imposed an economic blockade upon J&K, causing grave hardship to the people. This should have rung alarm bells in Delhi as all supplies of arms and ammunitions to the State were also cut off as all ordnance depots were in Pakistan. The overall action seems to have been supervised by Gen. Frank Messervy, the British chief of the Pakistan Army, though the main planning was by Maj.-Gen. Akbar Khan who recruited 60,000 soldiers demobilized from Punch area after WWII, ex-INA soldiers, and tribals lured with the promise of loot and plunder. Orders were issued through DO Letters marked Personal/Top Secret and signed by the British C-in-C of the Pakistan Army within days of the creation of Pakistan. In other words, it was a Raj conspiracy! At that time, Major Onkar Singh Kalkat was serving as Brigade Major at Bannu Frontier Brigade Group under Brig C.P. Murray, who was away at Mural outpost on 20 August 1947. On his behalf, Major Kalkat received and opened an envelope marked Personal/Top Secret and found within a detailed plan of Operation Gulmarg. He hastily called Brig Murray, who told him not to breathe a word to anyone or he (Kalkat) would not be allowed to leave Pakistan alive. Perhaps the Brigadier alerted the Pakistani authorities anyway, for Kalkat was placed under house arrest. He made a daring escape and reached Ambala on 18 October 1947 and took a goods train to Delhi. The next day, he met senior officers of the Indian Army and told them of the Pakistan plan to launch Operation Gulmarg. But they dismissed his claims, for reasons that deserve to be made public, as also the identities of the officers concerned. It is inconceivable that this news would not have been made known to Governor General Louis Mountbatten, Prime Minister Nehru, and the then Defence and Home Ministers. Nothing is known of their reactions then, or later. Yet, in this context, we must question the unwarranted delay in sending troops to relieve the besieged Sate once the invasion began, on the pretext of first getting the Instrument of Accession signed by the Maharaja and Governor General. Why did Lord Mountbatten insist on the loss of a valuable day? Why were Jawaharlal Nehru and even Vallabhbhai Patel so much in thrall of Mountbatten that they couldn’t challenge his evil advice that cost the nation so dearly? At least Patel realised that going to the UN Security Council would be ruinous to India. [Sic: Gandhi was insistent on not sending troops to Kashmir, Nehru was dithering, but it was Patel who expedited the troop shipment to Srinagar. General Manekshaw has given an eyewitness account.] The UN helped to deprive India of the northern territory of Gilgit, necessary for the British to oversee Russia. Britain had leased Gilgit from the Maharaja and built an all-weather airfield and roads between Gilgit Agency and the North West Frontier Province. Indeed, Gilgit was integrated with NWFP and run from Peshawar. When Gilgit was returned in August 1947, Rao Bahadur Brig. Gansara Singh, General Staff Officer of J&K State Forces, was appointed Governor. On midnight, 31 October 1947, Major Brown of the Gilgit Scouts surrounded the Governor house and arrested Gansara Singh; the Gilgit Government was handed over to Pakistan a few days later. [Sic: This means Major Brown staged a military coup against the Gilgit Governor Gansara Singh. Otherwise it would have joined India along with the rest of Maharaja Hari Singh's dominions.] Dr Bakshi speaks eloquently of the personal valour of Brig. Rajinder Singh, Chief of Staff of the J&K State Forces, who gave up his life to save Srinagar valley by blowing up the vital Uri bridge and delaying the raiders by a crucial 48 hours. His posthumous award of a Mahavir Chakra is still perceived by many as niggardly. Through vivid snapshots, Bakshi unveils the enormous sacrifices made by the officers and men of the J&K State Forces, which made them the only force from a Princely State to be absorbed en bloc into the Indian Army as a separate unit, the Regiment of the Jammu and Kashmir Rifles. A major triumph of this war was Maj.-Gen. Timmy Thimaya’s audacious feat of scaling the inhospitable Zojila Pass with Stuart tanks, the highest recorded use of tanks in battle anywhere in the world –11000 ft.

Divine

Reliving with the Divine - What Swami said on Chitravathi River Bed, Puttaparthi on 23-2-1958 - SSS.Vol.I.Ch.5 JAPASAHITHA DHYANA (Meditation on the Lord's Form and Fame) The devotee who spoke first here now was, let me tell you, denying God for 25 years and it is only since five years, after seeing Me, that he has changed. Of course, many people have had no experience, which could change them, and so they are not to be blamed for their want of faith. So too, this Seshagiri Rao here was finding fault with his son and daughters for coming to Puttaparthi, and himself for long refusing to come! One day at Bangalore, there was a function in the house opposite his, for I had gone there. During Bhajan (group singing of devotional songs), this man hesitantly crossed the road and peeped into the hall and I went forward and called him and made him sit near Me. I asked him to come to Puttaparthi and invited him to 'examine' and 'experience'. He has been with Me ever since; it is now 18 years since he first came here. This is just the reason why I came to sow the seeds of faith, in religion and in God. You might have heard some people say that I became Sai Baba when a scorpion stung me! Well, I challenge any one of you to get stung by scorpions and transform yourself into Sai Baba. No, the scorpion had nothing to do with it! In fact, there was no scorpion at all! I came in response to the prayers of sages, saints and spiritual aspirants for the restoration of Dharma (Righteousness). The root cause of all this restlessness When there is a sign of a little unrest, the police constable appears on the scene; if the mob gets unruly, the Inspector rushes in; and if it becomes violent, the Superintendent of Police has to be personally present on the scene to quell it. If, however, the situation waxes hot, the Inspector-General has to make himself available, is it not? This is a situation in which the I-G. is taking over-all charge of the situation. The Mahaapurushas, the Mahatmas, the Jnanis, the Yogis and the Dhevaamsa-sambhuuthas (sages, savants, saints, yogis & divine personalities) have had their try, and they will all be co-operating in the task of re-establishing righteousness and clearing the path for the world attaining Shanthi (absolute peace). The greatest defect today is the absence of Atma Vicharana (the inquiry into the nature of the Self). That is the root cause of all this Ashanti (restlessness). If you are eager to know the truth about yourself, then even if you do not believe in God, you will not go astray. The pots are all of mud, the ornaments are all of gold, the clothes are all of yarn. There is unity where one saw only diversity; the basic substance is one and indivisible. That is Brahman (Supreme Reality) that is the Atma, which is your own basic substance too. This Atma Vicharana is best found in the Upanishads. Just as a river's flow is regulated by bunds and the flood waters are directed to the sea, so too the Upanishads regulate and restrict the senses, the mind and the intellect and help one to reach the sea and merge individuality in the Absolute. Study the Upanishads with a view to act accordingly, to put the advice into practice. Scanning a map or turning over a guidebook will not give you the thrill of the actual visit, nor will it give you a fraction of the joy and knowledge of a journey through that land. The Upanishads and the Gita are only maps and guidebooks, remember. Call upon the Lord in your own heart There is the story of a rustic who sat among a gathering of devotees and listened to the exposition of the Gita by a great Pundit. All were wonder-struck by the scholarly commentary which the Pundit gave and his learned disquisition on each word and phrase and the rustic, though the exposition was very much over his head, seemed to attend very closely for he was all the time in tears! When at last the Pundit asked him why he was weeping, he surprised everybody by the sincerity of his Bhakti. For he said that he wept at the predicament of the Lord, who had to sit at the head of the chariot and half turning his neck hold forth so long to convince the dull-witted Arjuna. "How much pain must He be suffering in His neck?" he asked and wept. That was real devotion, a sure passport to spiritual victory. He had identified himself with the participants in the episode and the whole setting had become alive for him. You need not even read the Gita or the Upanishads. You will hear a Gita specially designed for you if you call upon the Lord in your own heart. He is there, installed as your own charioteer. Ask Him and He will answer. Have the Form of the Lord before you when you sit quietly in a place for meditation and have His Name, that is, any Name when you do Japam (repetition of holy Name). If you do Japam, without that Picture or Form before you, who is to give the answer? You cannot be talking all the time to yourself. The Rupa (Form) will hear and the Rupa will respond. All agitations must cease one day, is it not? The Dhyana of the Form and the Japam of the Name---that is the only means for this task. Stick to the Name and Form you like the most The secret is: you should 'be', but not be as in sleep, when you are aware deep down within you, that you are. Only, sleep is enveloped in Maya (Delusion). Awake from that delusion, but immerse yourself in this sleep that is real Samadhi (Super conscious state of Bliss). Japam and Dhyana are means by which you can compel even the concretization of the Divine Grace, in the Form and with the Name you yearn for. The Lord has to assume the Form you choose, the Name you fancy; in fact, you shape Him so. Therefore, do not change these two, but stick to the ones that please you most, whatever the delay or the difficulty. Do not get discouraged that you are not able to concentrate for long from the very beginning. When you learn to ride a bicycle, you do not get the skill of keeping the balance immediately. You push the cycle along to an open maidan and hop and skip, leaning now to one side and now to the other and even fall with the cycle upon you on many an attempt before you are able to ride with skill and never again to worry about the balance. Automatically, you are able to make the necessary adjustments to correct the balance, is it not? After getting this skill, you can ride through the narrow streets and lanes and you do not need an open maidan; you can negotiate your vehicle through the most crowded thoroughfares. So too practice will equip you with a concentration that will sustain you in the densest of surroundings and the most difficult situations. The best Sadhana for the beginners Do not be under the impression that I will be angry with you if you do not accept Me as the Dhyana Rupa (Form for meditation)! I am not concerned at all; you have perfect freedom to select the Name and Form that give you necessary encouragement. When you meditate, the mind often runs after something else, it takes another road. You have then to plug that outlet by means of the Name and the Form and see that the even flow of your thoughts towards the Lord is not interrupted; if it happens again, use the Name and the Form again, quickly. Do not allow the mind to go beyond the twin bunds, this side Nama and that side Rupa! Then it will not stray into a third place. First, when you sit for meditation, recite a few Slokas on the glow of God, so that the thoughts that are scattered could be collected. Then gradually, while doing Japam, draw before the mind's eye the Form which that Name represents. When your mind wanders away from the recital of the Name, take it on to the picture of the Form. When it wanders away from the picture, lead it on to the Name. Let it dwell either on that sweetness or this. Treated thus it can be easily tamed. The imaginary picture you have drawn will get transmuted into the Bhaava chithram (emotional picture), dear to the heart and fixed in the memory; gradually it will become the Saakshaathkaara chitram---when the Lord assumes that Form in order to fulfill your desire. Use the body as an instrument for spiritual practice This Sadhana (spiritual practice) is called Japa sahitha Dhyana (meditation on the Lord's Name and Form) and I advise you all to take it up, for it is the best for beginners. Within a few days, you will fall in line and you will taste the joy of concentration. After about ten or fifteen minutes in the initial stages and longer after some time of this Dhyana, have some manana (inward contemplation) on the Shanthi and the sowkhya (peace and contentment) you had during the Dhyana; that is to say, bring back into your memory the joy you experienced. This will help your faith and earnestness. Then, do not get up suddenly and start moving about, resuming your avocations. Loosen the limbs slowly, deliberately and gradually, and then enter upon your usual duties. Taste the fruits of Dhyana and learn to relish them; that is what I mean by this process of manana (repeated reflection). Be careful about your physical health also. Satisfy the demands of nature; the car must be given the petrol, which it needs. Otherwise, your head might reel and your eyes might get blurred through sheer exhaustion; how can thoughts of the Lord be stabilized in a weak frame? Only, do not forget the purpose of this body when you are tending it. A road-roller is fed with oil and coal and other types of fuel. But why is it kept in good trim? In order to mend the road, is it not? Similarly, remember that you have come embodied, so that you might realise the end of this cycle of birth and death. For that sake, use the body as an instrument. Flying hither and thither, higher and higher, the bird has at last to perch on a tree for rest. So too, even the richest and the most powerful man seeks rest, Shanthi. Peace can be got only in one shop, in inner reality. The senses will drag you along into a mire, which submerges you deeper and deeper in alternate joy and grief, that is to say, prolonged discontent. Only the contemplation of unity can remove fear, rivalry, envy, greed, and desire---all the feelings that prompt discontent. Every other avenue can give only pseudo contentment; a day will come when you will throw away all these playthings and toys and cry, "Lord! Grant Me unruffled peace." The dacoit Valmiki prayed so; the confirmed atheist too has one day to pray for peace and rest. Engage yourself in good thoughts and deeds People hug brass pots and take them to be gold, but they have to polish them so that they may appear bright. One day, they will get disgusted with this constant polishing and scrubbing; they will pray, "Release me from this scrubbing, this birth, this suffering and this agony." Life is short; time is fleeting: your Sadhana is creeping at tortoise speed. When will you decide to proceed a little faster? Your Sadhana is like the answers you write at the examination. If you get only 5 or 6 marks, then the examiner will strike out even that, saying, "What is the use of these few marks: it will take him neither here nor there." If you get somewhere near the passing marks, then Grace will give you just a little more so that you may pass, provided you have been a diligent well behaved student. Engage yourselves in good deeds, good company and good thoughts. Fix your attention on the goal. You have not realised yet the secret of this Advent. You are indeed lucky, more fortunate than many others. It is only when Yasoda found every length of rope a little short to go round His belly that she discovered He was the Lord. So to, you will realise every description of My Mahima (Divine Glory) a little too short of the actuality; and then you will get convinced. Meanwhile if you study the Sasthras and know the characteristics of the Avatar of the Lord, you might get a glimpse of the Truth regarding Me. You will know the truth when you experience There is no use arguing and quarrelling among yourselves; examine, experience; then you will know the truth. Do not proclaim before you are convinced; be silent while you are still undecided or engaged in evaluating. Of course, you must discard all evil in you before you can attempt to evaluate the mystery. And, when faith dawns, fence it around with discipline and self-control, so that the tender shoot might be guarded against the goats and cattle, the motley crowd of cynics and unbelievers. When your faith grows into a big tree, those very cattle can lie down in the shade that it will spread. Chitravathi River Bed, Puttaparthi, 23-2-1958

Sunday, April 22, 2012

Lemon

Just cut 2-3 thin slices of lemon and put it in a cup containing driking water. The water will become "alkaline water". Drink for the whole day, just by adding more water. Take it as drinking water everyday. It is good for health. Institute of Health Sciences, 819 N. L.L.C. Charles StreetBaltimore , MD 1201. This is the latest in medicine, effective for cancer! Read carefully & you be the judge Lemon (Citrus) is a miraculous product to kill cancer cells. It is 10,000 times stronger than chemotherapy Why do we not know about that? Because there are laboratories interested in making a synthetic version that will bring them huge profits. You can now help a friend in need by letting him/her know that lemon juice is beneficial in preventing the disease. Its taste is pleasant and it does not produce the horrific effects of chemotherapy. How many people will die while this closely guarded secret is kept, so as not to jeopardize the beneficial multimillionaires largecorporations? As you know, the lemon tree is known for its varieties of lemons and limes. You can eat the fruit in different ways: you can eat the pulp, juice press, prepare drinks, sorbets, pastries, etc... It is credited with many virtues, but the most interesting isthe effect it produces on cysts and tumors. This plant is a proven remedy against cancers of all types. Some say it is very useful in all variants of cancer . It is considered also as ananti microbialspectrum against bacterial infections and fungi, effective against internal parasites and worms, it regulates blood pressure which is too high and anantidepressant, combats stress and nervous disorders. The source of this information is fascinating: it comes from one of the largest drug manufacturers in the world, says that after more than 20 laboratory tests since 1970, the extracts revealed that It destroys the malignant cells in 12 cancers Including colon, breast, prostate, lung and pancreas The compounds of this tree showed 10,000 times better than the product Adriamycin, a drug normally used chemotherapeutic in the world, slowing the growth of cancer cells. And what is even more astonishing: this type of therapy with lemon extract only destroys malignant cancer cells and it does not affect healthy cells. Institute of Health Sciences, 819 N. L.L.C. Cause Street , Baltimore , MD1201

Saturday, April 21, 2012

[Periva] Oldest language in the World

As narrated by research supervisor Prof Soundararajan (Retd. IISc/Bangalore) : When I went to the Kanchi Mutt to have His darshan (Maha Periyava), four foreigners were there, an Israeli, an Italian, a German and a British. They had come to do their Ph.D., in Philology on the topic of 'the most ancient languages in the Occidental and the Oriental world'. They were studying Latin, Hebrew and Greek languages in the Occidental part and Sanskrit and Tamil in the Oriental part. He went inside to do His Anushtanas; they had wanted to a photo of Him but His kaingaryams refused.They were heartbroken that they could not take a picture. All the four of them were standing near a tree since morning. They asked His Sevakas when He will be done with the poojas but got an unconvincing reply. I told the foreigners that we Indians are used to the way of life at the Mutt, but how come you all have been standing for the past 6 hours? One of them looked at his watch and exclaimed, 'oh my God, has it been 6 hours? He is a Man of Certainty and is Beyond Time!' Periyavaa came in after 10 minutes and we all went and prostrated to Him. Looking at the man (who had the camera hanging on his neck) who had wanted to take the photos, He gestures with His hands that he can take the pictures now. He posed for three photos and stops him before the fourth and inquires as to why they have come. They told HIM their purpose. HE asked, "So, did you arrive at a conclusion as to which is the most ancient language?" The Israeli replied, "Hebrew is the most ancient in the Occident; but in the Oriental, people say that both Sanskrit and Tamil are the oldest, we are confused and that is why we are here for Your opinion". He said, "There is another language which is the most ancient than all these, it is the Vedic Language. It is the Source of even Sanskrit and Hebrew." "There is a verse about Rebirth in Hebrew, can you recite it completely?", HE asked the Israeli by giving the man the first two words. The Israeli recited it for 3 to 4 minutes. Swamigal looked around and asked some boys, " have you studied Rig Veda, can you recite this particular verse?" Those boys recited it for 5 minutes. He asked me, "can you ask them if they understood what these boys recited now?" The four men remain quiet. Maha Periyava turns to the boys and says smilingly, "you all will definitely not understand what this man had recited in Hebrew!" He turned to me and said, "tell that Israeli that what he had chanted before is the same as what these boys chanted!" I told him, "Swamiji says that what is you had chanted is 'verbatically' same as the what the boys had chanted". Swamigal corrected me, "What? Do not use the word 'verbatically', tell him that both the chants are 'alphabetically' the SAME!!!" He said He will prove it and asked if we have a paper and a pen. "In Vedas it is mentioned that the world has been classified into 32 portions/regions. And in each of the 32 geographic regions, Vedas say how the Veda Aksharas have changed/pronounced in those places!" He asks each of them which region they come from and then explains to them how a particular Veda Aksharam is changed in their individual places! He asked the boys to recite verse from Rig Veda again and told the men how each Aksharam in Rig Veda in that verse will sound in their Regions! The Sarveshwaran told me, "I will now say this verse with some difficulty as it has been a long time since I had Abhyasam, ask that Israeli if he understands my recital!" To the boys He said, "I will now say it in a slightly different form based on how each Aksharam will sound in Hebrew. Please do not think it is wrong; there is this injunction in the Vedas that it can be recited this way also." And The Sarveshwaran started to say it, slowly. Wonder of Wonders, the Israeli starts to recite it Together with Him!!! (Sarveshwaraa, I am unable to type now due to a flood of emotions...) We were all Stunned ! "I told you earlier, the same verse in Rig Veda is present ditto in Hebrew, but the Aksharas have changed slightly. (like we say "Yamuna" but in the North it is "Jamuna", "Va" in the south is "Ba" in West Bengal, "Paa" in Tamil is "Haa" in Kannada etc) Therefore, the most ancient language in the world is the Vedic language!" Swamigal asked the four men to prepare a table and fill it with how the Rig Veda Aksharams sounded in their language. This was completed in 15 minutes. The Israeli was shocked and exclaimed, "this is something unimaginable!" He asked him, "what do you think now, do you now agree that everything has sprung from Vedas?" The look on the Israeli was not convincing. He said, "what, is he thinking that why, could not have Vedas originated from Hebrew?" The man says, "yes, it could have been the reverse also, the Vedas could have come from Hebrew". Periyavaa replies, "you have only the lock, whereas we have both the key and the lock! It is even mentioned in the Vedas as to which Maharishi from here in India went to your region and spread/taught Vedas in Israel!" The man seemed to be convinced in the end. ஸ்ரீஸ்ரீஸ்ரீ மஹா பெரியவா திருவடி சரணம் ஜெய ஜெய சங்கர ஹர ஹர சங்கர Pranams Rajaji ஸ்ரீஸ்ரீமஹா பெரியவா

Thursday, March 29, 2012

True and shortest speech ever delivered by a CEO

True and shortest speech ever delivered by a CEO



Here's a very very short (30 second) speech by Bryan

Dyson, CEO of Coca Cola. It's short but one of the

most effective and true speeches ever delivered by

a CEO. Guess what the speech pertains to...

Professional development? Working overtime?

Nope. Check it out!



"Imagine life as a game in which you are

juggling some five balls in the air. Name

them -Work, Family, Health, Friends & Spirit.

You Are keeping all of them 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 it."



So guys, there's something beyond

our work. Work efficiently during

office hours and leave on time.

Have proper rest and give the

required time to your

family and friends.

Wednesday, March 28, 2012

Hotel offers free meal to guests who are willing to generate electricity

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The Crown Plaza Hotel in Copenhagen , Denmark , is offering a free meal to any guest who is able to produce electricity for the hotel on an exercise bike attached to a generator. Guests will have to produce at least 10 watt hours of electricity - roughly 15 minutes of cycling for someone of average fitness. They will then be given meal vouchers worth $36 (26 euros).

006601cb5c26$653cb0e0$0201a8c0@user094b6e3085Disco pub gets electricity produced by people dancing at specially modified dance floor

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All the flashing strobes and pounding speakers at the dance club are massive consumers of electrical power. So Bar Surya, in London, re-outfitted its floor with springs that, when compressed by dancers, could produce electrical current that would be stored in batteries and used to offset some of the club's electrical burden. The club's owner, Andrew Charalambous, said the dance floor can now power 60 percent of the club's energy needs.
006801cb5c26$653cb0e0$0201a8c0@user094b6e3085Company creates a desktop printer that doesn't use ink nor paper
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Who says printers only use paper to print documents? It's time for you to meet the PrePeat Printer then. Different from conventional printers, PrePeat adopts a thermal head to print on specially-made plastic sheets. These plastic sheets are not merely water-proof, but could be easily erased, just feed the sheets through the printer again, and a different temperature will erase everything or just write over it. Also claimed by the manufacturer, such one sheet could be used up to 1,000 times so that you'll reduce your expenses on paper for sure.
006a01cb5c26$653cb0e0$0201a8c0@user094b6e3085University constructs a green roof as a gathering place
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Green design is an enormously popular trend in modern architecture, just take a look at this amazing green roof at the School of Art , Design and Media at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore . This 5-story facility sweeps a wooded corner of the campus with an organic, vegetated form that blends landscape and structure, nature and high-tech and symbolizes the creativity it houses. The roofs serve as informal gathering spaces challenging linear ideas and stirring perception. The roofs create open space, insulate the building, cool the surrounding air and harvest rainwater for landscaping irrigation. Planted grasses mix with native greenery to colonize the building and bond it to the setting.
006c01cb5c26$653cb0e0$0201a8c0@user094b6e3085Designer creates a sink that uses wasted water to grow a plant

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Made of polished stained concrete, the Zen Garden Sink has a channel that allows the water used while washing your hands to water a plant. Created by young Montreal designer Jean-Michel Gauvreau the sink comes in single or double basin model. The sink is designed in a way you won't get your plants all soapy. There is a main drain at the bottom of the basin for soapy grime. Your little plant friend just gets whatever you choose to dole out.
006e01cb5c26$653cb0e0$0201a8c0@user094b6e3085Designer creates a shower that forces you to leave when you've wasted too much water

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20% of our total domestic energy usage is from hot water for showering and bathing. That's over 6 times the energy usage of domestic lighting. So designer Tommaso Colia came up with his eco-friendly shower design that will force you to get out when you take too long and waste much water. The eco_drop shower features beautiful concentric circles that will rise to force you to stop showering when you take too long, and accordingly save water.
007001cb5c26$653cb0e0$0201a8c0@user094b6e3085Designer creates light-switch that changes colours to teach children how to save energy

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Teaching the importance of energy conservation is the goal of this design from Tim Holley. He calls it Tio, and it's a ghost-shaped light switch that gives kids a visual reminder of how much energy they've used by leaving lights on. Tio starts out green and smiling. If the light is left on for more than four hours, he turns yellow and looks shocked. And if you dare to leave that light on for more than eight hours, sweet little Tio turns into a raging red hulk, complete with frowny mouth and angry eyes. But he won't just visually remind your kids about their energy habits; information from the light switch is sent to Tio's computer program so the entire family can see how they're doing. In a brilliant piece of visual positive reinforcement, Holley's program lets kids grow a ⤽virtual tree¤ which gets bigger and healthier the more energy they save.
007201cb5c26$653cb0e0$0201a8c0@user094b6e3085Environmental company creates a staple-free stapler to avoid staple pollution

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Staples are supposed to be so bad to the environment that a company decided to create a staple-free stapler. This product promises to make collation eco-friendly. Instead of using those thin metal planet-killers, the staple-free stapler "cuts out tiny strips of paper and uses the strips to stitch up to five pieces of paper together." You can even order them customized with your corporate logo so you can, you know, brag about what your company is doing to stop the staple epidemic.
007401cb5c26$653cb0e0$0201a8c0@user094b6e3085Designer creates an iPhone charger powered by a hand grip

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Bottle Opener Remote
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Sauce Dispensing Chopsticks!

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Self-Locking Bendy Bike

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Pillow With Arm Hole

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Finger Guard

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Pizza Scissors

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Retro vision Glasses

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Car Swivel Chair

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Tea Pot Frame

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Keyboard Food Tray

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Indian Diets

Something to Think about of our Diet/ food/ we enjoy.....
Good Article - Worth Reading
To:
Mohan Singh had his arteries bypassed on Saturday, a procedure that increasing numbers of Indians are having. Last year, medical journal Lancet reported a study of 20,000 Indian patients and found that 60 per cent of the world's heart disease patients are in India, which has 15 per cent of the world's population.

This number is surprising because reports of obesity and heart disease focus on fat Americans and their food. What could account for Indians being so susceptible -- more even than burger-and-fries- eating Americans?

Four things: diet, culture, stress and lack of fitness.

There is no doctrinal prescription for vegetarianism in Hindu diet, and some texts explicitly sanction the eating of meat. But vegetarianism has become dogma.

Indian food is assumed to be strongly vegetarian, but it is actually lacking in vegetables. Our diet is centred around wheat, in the north, and rice, in the south. The second most important element is daal in its various forms. By weight, vegetables are not consumed much. You could have an entire South Indian vegetarian meal without encountering a vegetable. The most important vegetable is the starchy aloo. Greens are not cooked flash-fried in the healthy manner of the Chinese, but boiled or fried till much of the nutrient value is killed.

Gujaratis and Punjabis are the two Indian communities most susceptible to heart disease. Their vulnerability is recent. Both have a large peasant population -- Patels and Jats -- who in the last few decades have moved from an agrarian life to an urban one. They have retained their diet and if anything made it richer, but their bodies do not work as much. This transition from a physical life to a sedentary one has made them vulnerable.

Gujaratis lead the toll for diabetes as well, and the dietary aspect of this is really the fallout of the state's economic success. Unlike most Indian states, Gujarat has a rich and developed urban culture because of the mercantile nature of its society. Gujaratis have been living in cities for centuries.

Th prosperity has given the Gujarati surplus money and, importantly, surplus time. These in turn have led to snacky foods, some deep fried, some steamed and some, uniquely in India, baked with yeast. Most Indians are familiar with the Gujarati family on holiday, pulling out vast quantities of snacks the moment the train pushes off.

Gujarati peasant food -- bajra (millet) roti, a lightly cooked green, garlic and red chilli chutney, and buttermilk -- is actually supremely healthy. But the peasant Patel has succumbed to the food of the 'higher' trader and now prefers the oily and the sweet.

Marathi peasant food is similar, but not as wholesome with a thick and pasty porridge called zunka replacing the green.

Bombay's junk food was invented in the 19th century to service Gujarati traders leaving Fort's business district late in the evening after a long day. Pao bhaji, mashed leftover vegetables in a tomato gravy served with shallow-fried buns of bread, was one such invention.

The most popular snack in Bombay is vada pao, which has a batter-fried potato ball stuck in a bun. The bun -- yeast bread -- is not native to India and gets its name pao from the Portuguese who brought it in the 16th century. Bal Thackeray encouraged Bombay's unemployed Marathi boys to set up vada pao stalls in the 60s, which they did and still do.

The travelling chef and TV star Anthony Bourdain called vada pao the best Indian thing he had ever eaten, but it is heart attack food.

Though Jains are a very small part (one per cent or thereabouts) of the Gujarati population, such is their cultural dominance through trade that many South Bombay restaurants have a 'Jain' option on the menu. This is food without garlic and ginger. Since they are both tubers (as also are potatoes), Jains do not eat them, because in uprooting them from the soil, living organisms may be killed (no religious restriction on butter and cheese, however!). The vast majority of Ahmedabad's restaurants are vegetarian. Gujaratis have no tolerance for meat-eaters and one way of keeping Muslims out of their neighbourhoods is to do it through banning 'non-vegetarians' from purchasing property in apartment buildings.

Even in Bombay, this intolerance prevails. Domino's, the famous pizza chain, has a vegetarian-only pizza outlet on Malabar Hill (Jinnah's neighbourhood) . Foreigners like Indian food, and it is very popular in England, but they find our sweets too sweet. This taste for excess sugar extends also to beverage: Maulana Azad called Indian tea 'liquid halwa'. Only in the last decade have cafes begun offering sugar on the side, as diabetes has spread.

India's culture encourages swift consumption. There is no conversation at meal-time, as there is in Europe. Because there are no courses, the eating is relentless. You can be seated, served and be finished eating at a Gujarati or Marathi or South Indian thali restaurant in 15 minutes. It is eating in the manner of animals: for pure nourishment. We eat with fingers, as opposed to knives and forks, or chopsticks, resulting in the scooping up of bigger mouthfuls. Because the nature of the food does not allow for leisurely eating, Indians do not have a drink with their meals. We drink before and then stagger to the table.

As is the case in societies of scarcity, rich food is considered good -- and ghee is a sacred word in all Indian languages. There is no escape from fat. In India, advertising for healthy eating also shows food deep fried, but in lower-cholesterol oil.

The insistence by family – 'thoda aur le lo' -- at the table is part of our culture of hospitality, as is the offering of tea and perhaps also a snack to visiting guests and strangers. Middle class Indians, even families that earn Rs10,000 a month, will have servants. Work that the European and American does, the Indian does not want to do: cooking, cleaning, washing up.

Painting the house, changing tyres, tinkering in the garage, moving things around, getting a cup of tea at the office, these are things the Indian gets someone else to do for him. There is no sense of private space and the constant presence of the servant is accepted.

Gandhi's value to India was not on his political side, but through his religious and cultural reforms. What Gandhi attempted to drill into Indians through living a life of action was a change in our culture of lethargy and dependence. Gandhi stressed physical self-sufficiency, and even cleaned his toilet out himself.

But he wasn't successful in making us change, and most Indians will not associate Gandhi with physical self-sufficiency though that was his principal message. Indian men do no work around the house. Middle class women do little, especially after childbirth. Many cook, but the cutting and cleaning is done by the servant. Slim in their teens, they turn thick-waisted in their 20s, within a few years of marriage.

Since we are dependent on other people, we have less control over events. The Indian is under stress and is anxious. This is bad for his health. He must be on constant guard against the world, which takes advantage of him: the servant's perfidy, encroachment by his neighbours, cars cutting in front of him in traffic, the vendor's rate that must be haggled down. Almost nothing is orderly and everything must be worried about.

In the Indian office, the payroll is a secret, and nobody is told what the other makes. Knowledge causes great stress, though the lack of information is also stressful, leading to spy games and office gossip. Because there is no individualism in India, merit comes from seniority and the talented but young executive is stressed by the knowledge that he's not holding the position he deserves. Indians are peerless detectors of social standing and the vertical hierarchy of the Indian office is sacrosanct.

Dennis Kux pointed out that Indian diplomats do not engage officially with an American of lower rank, even if the American was authorised to decide the matter. In the last decade, when Indians began owning companies abroad, the Wall Street Journal reported on cultural problems that arose. Their foreign employees learnt quickly that saying 'no' would cause their Indian bosses great offence, so they learnt to communicate with them as with children.

Indians shine in the west where their culture doesn't hold them back. In India honor is high and the individual is alert to slights from those below him, which discomfort him greatly. There is no culture of physical fitness, and because of this Indians don't have an active old age.

Past 60, they crumble. Within society they must step back and play their scripted role. Widows at that age, even younger, have no hope of remarriage because sacrifice is expected of them. Widowers at 60 must also reconcile to singlehood, and the family would be aghast if they showed interest in the opposite sex at that age, even though this would be normal in another culture.