Message For the Day…” Need For Transformation …”

No object can be enjoyed without undergoing the process of transformation and refinement (Samskara). Take the example of paddy. The paddy that is grown and harvested in the field cannot be consumed as such. It has to be converted into rice through the process of winnowing and thrashing. Once the process is complete, the value of the original paddy increases significantly. The process of transformation makes the object more useful and valuable. The utility value of cotton when spun and transformed into cloth is significantly higher, thanks to the transformation process. Take the example of gold. Again, there is a significant increase in its value when it is transformed to the shiny yellow metal, from its original form in the gold mine. Such being the case, how much more necessary it is for the human being to be transformed?

 Sathya Sai Baba

Image of the Day…

Saturn’s largest and second-largest moons

The Cassini spacecraft captured this image on June 16, 2011. These are two of Saturn’s moons – the largest moon Titan and second-largest moon Rhea.

Saturn's largest and second largest moons, Titan and Rhea, appear to be stacked on top of each other in this true-color scene from NASA's Cassini spacecraft.  Image via NASA/JPL-Caltech/Space Science Institute.

Saturn’s largest and second largest moons, Titan and Rhea, appear to be stacked on top of each other in this true-color scene from NASA’s Cassini spacecraft. Image via NASA/JPL-Caltech/Space Science Institute.

Titan’s north polar hood can be seen. It’s 3,200 miles (5,150 kilometers) across. The hood appears as a detached layer at the top of the moon on the top right.

This view looks toward the Saturn-facing side of Rhea (949 miles or 1528 kilometers across). North on Rhea is up and rotated 35 degrees to the right.

Images taken using red, green and blue spectral filters were combined to create this natural-color view. The images were acquired with the Cassini spacecraft narrow-angle camera on June 16, 2011, at a distance of approximately 1.1 million miles (1.8 million kilometers) from Rhea and 1.5 million miles (2.5 million kilometers) from Titan. Image scale is 7 miles (11 kilometers) per pixel on Rhea and 9 miles (15 kilometers) on Titan.

Via NASA

SOURCE:::: earth sky news site

natarajan

Joke of the Day …” It is not Porsche …It is BMW…” !!!

A hobo (wanderer) comes up to the front door of a neat looking farmhouse and raps gently on the door. When the farm owner answers, the hobo asks him, “Please, sir, could you give me something to eat? I haven’t had a good meal in several days.” The owner says, “I have made a fortune in my lifetime by supplying goods for people. I’ve never given anything away for nothing. However, if you go around the back, you will see a gallon of paint and a clean paint brush. If you will paint my porch in the back of the house, I will give you a good meal.” So the hobo goes around back and a while later he again knocks on the door. The owner asks, “Finished already? Good. Come on in. Sit down. The cook will bring your meal right in.” The hobo says, “Thank you very much, sir. But there’s something that I think you should know. It’s not a Porsche you got there. It’s a BMW..”  

source:::: joke a day.com

natarajan

Message for the Day…” Master Your Mind and Become a Mastermind …”

We think that we are weak. Thinking in this manner is a big mistake. We are not weak. There is no one who is as powerful as a human being. Despite being powerful, people are afraid of many things. They are even afraid or worried about small ailments. Why this fear? Why is a person afraid? This is due to an inherent mistake. If there is no error or mistake, there will be no fear. That mistake is to think and act such that ‘we are the body’. We are not this body. Body, mind, senses and intelligence are instruments and you are the Master. Master your mind and become a mastermind. Enquire into the activities of your daily life and understand and experience the Truth. Become the Master, then you can merge in everything and experience Divinity.   

Sathya Sai Baba

– ‘

World Water Day… 22 March …”Water and Energy are Interlinked and Interdependent…”

World Water Day 2014: Water and Energy

Azzizia desalination plant, Saudi Arabia – Flickr CC BY-NC-SA 2.0 by Waleed Alzuhair

Water and energy are closely interlinked and interdependent. Energy generation and transmission requires utilization of water resources, particularly for hydroelectric, nuclear, and thermal energy sources. Conversely, about 8% of the global energy generation is used for pumping, treating and transporting water to various consumers.

In 2014, the UN System – working closely with its Member States and other relevant stakeholders – is collectively bringing its attention to the water-energy nexus, particularly addressing inequities, especially for the ‘bottom billion’ who live in slums and impoverished rural areas and survive without access to safe drinking water, adequate sanitation, sufficient food and energy services. It also aims to facilitate the development of policies and crosscutting frameworks that bridge ministries and sectors, leading the way to energy security and sustainable water use in a green economy. Particular attention will be paid to identifying best practices that can make a water- and energy-efficient ‘Green Industry’ a reality.

Objectives of World Water Day in 2014

Selling fuel wood at wood market in Cambodia ©FAO/J. Koelen
Geothermal Power Station in Þingvellir, Iceland – Flickr CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 by Scott Ableman
  • Raise awareness of the inter-linkages between water and energy
  • Contribute to a policy dialogue that focuses on the broad range of issues related to the nexus of water and energy
  • Demonstrate, through case studies, to decision makers in the energy sector and the water domain that integrated approaches and solutions to water-energy issues can achieve greater economic and social impacts
  • Identify policy formulation and capacity development issues in which the UN system, in particular UN-Water and UN-Energy, can offer significant contributions
  • Identify key stakeholders in the water-energy nexus and actively engaging them in further developing the water-energy linkages
  • Contribute as relevant to the post-2015 discussions in relation to the water-energy nexus.

 

 

World Water Day 2014 Key Messages

World Water Day is about what you will do in 2014 and beyond to promote  sustainable practices in the realm of water and energy. The key messages provided below are to be used as a basis to help you frame and design your own activities and messages. You can adapt the messages to your local conditions or to your specific audience to make them more targeted and efficient.


Coal and firewood in Ulaanbaatar ©FAO/Sean Gallagher
Electric motor irrigation pumps for small-scale farming in Kenya CC by DIVatUSAID on Flickr

1. Water requires energy and energy requires water

Water is required to produce nearly all forms of energy. Energy is needed at all stages of water extraction, treatment and distribution.

2. Supplies are limited and demand is increasing

Demand for freshwater and energy will continue to increase significantly over the coming decades. This increase will present big challenges and strain resources in nearly all regions, especially in developing and emerging economies.

3. Saving energy is saving water. Saving water is saving energy

Choices concerning the supply, distribution, price, and use of water and energy impact one another.

4. The “bottom billion” urgently needs access to both water and sanitation services, and electricity

Worldwide, 1.3 billion people cannot access electricity, 768 million people lack access to improved water sources and 2.5 billion people have no improved sanitation. Water and energy have crucial impacts on poverty alleviation.

5. Improving water and energy efficiency is imperative as are coordinated, coherent and concerted policies

Better understanding between the two sectors of the connections and effects on each other will improve coordination in energy and water planning, leading to reducing inefficiencies. Policy-makers, planners and practitioners can take steps to overcome the barriers that exist between their respective domains. Innovative and pragmatic national policies can lead to more efficient and cost effective provision of water and energy services

 

source::::www.unwater.org

natarajan

Jokes For the Weekend !!!

Mr. and Mrs. Thorne had just reached the airport in the nick of time to catch the plane for their two-week’s vacation in Majorca. “I wish we’d brought the piano with us,” said Mr. Thorne. “What on earth for?” asked his wife.

“I’ve left the tickets on it.”

…………….

Three old ladies are sitting in a diner, chatting about various things. One lady says, “You know, I’m getting really forgetful. This morning, I was standing at the top of the stairs, and I couldn’t remember whether I had just come up or was about to go down.” The second lady says, “You think that’s bad? The other day, I was sitting on the edge of my bed, and I couldn’t remember whether I was going to bed or had just waken up!” The third lady smiles smugly. “Well, my memory’s just as good as it’s always been, knock on wood.” She raps the table. With a startled look on her face, she asks, “Who’s there?!

……………

A young man was walking through a supermarket to pick up a few things when he noticed an old lady following him around. Thinking nothing of it, he ignored her and continued on. Finally he went to the checkout line, but she got in front of him. “Pardon me,” she said, “I’m sorry if my staring at you has made you feel uncomfortable. It’s just that you look just like my son, who just died recently.” “I’m very sorry,” replied the young man, “is there anything I can do for you?” “Yes,” she said, “As I’m leaving, can you say ‘Good bye, Mother’? It would make me feel so much better.” “Sure,” answered the young man.
As the old woman was leaving, he called out, “Goodbye, Mother!” As he stepped up to the checkout counter, he saw that his total was $127.50. “How can that be?” He asked, “I only purchased a few things!” “Your mother said that you would pay for her,” said the clerk.

………………..

 

Kids are the Only Ones who Make Sense … !!!

KIDS ARE THE ONLY ONES WHO MAKE SENSE.!

A three-year-old boy went with his dad to see a litter of kittens. On returning home, he breathlessly informed his mother, “There were 2 boy kittens and 2 girl kittens.” “How did you know?” his mother asked.“Daddy picked them up and looked underneath,” he replied. “I think it’s printed on the bottom.”

Another three-year-old put his shoes on by himself. His mother noticed that the left shoe was on the right foot. She said, “Son, your shoes are on the wrong feet.” He looked up at her with a raised brow and said, “Don’t kid me, Mom. They’re the only feet I got!”

On the first day of school, about midmorning, the kindergarten teacher said, “If anyone has to go to the bathroom, hold up two fingers.” A little voice from the back of the room asked, “How will that help?”

A mother and her young son returned from the grocery store and began putting away the groceries. The boy opened the box of animal crackers and spread them all over the table. “What are you doing?” his mother asked.“The box says not to eat them if the seal is broken,”the boy explained. “I’m looking for the seal.”

A father was at the beach with his children when his four-year-old son ran up to him, grabbed his hand, and led him to the shore, where a seagull lay dead in the sand.“Daddy, what happened to him?” the son asked.“He died and went to Heaven,” the dad replied. The boy thought a moment and then said, “Did God throw him back down?”

After the church service, a little boy told the pastor, “When I grow up, I’m going to give you some money.” “Well, thank you,” the pastor replied, “but why?” “Because my daddy says you’re the poorest preacher we’ve ever had.

 

source::::unknown…Input from a friend of mine

natarajan

All the Airplanes that Have Mysteriously Vanished since 1948 …

All the airplanes that have mysteriously vanished since 1948

As this Bloomberg map shows, Malaysian flight 370 is not the first flight to mysteriously disappear. 83 flights have vanished since 1948—80 of them never to be found again (the dots in yellow). This map only includes flights capable of carrying more than 14 passengers.

Some more curious stats:

  • Five planes were missing in the famous Bermuda Triangle.
  • The DC-3 is the airplane with the higher count of disappearances: 19.
  • The average number of people missing: 13.
  • The average number of vanished flight per year: 1.2.

Check out the full Bloomberg infographic here.

 source::: http: // sploid.gizmodo.com

natarajan