Art

A Briton Who is Cleaning Up India ….

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There is a reason Jodie Underhill is called the ‘garbage girl’.

Archana Masih/Rediff.com meets the young lady who has been dirtying her hands in a crusade against filth.

Jodie Underhill“The first thing I saw were the beautiful mountains, but when I looked over the edge what I saw was — garbage,” says Jodie Underhill remembering her trek to Triund, near McLeodganj a few years ago.

Left: Jodie Underhill, CEO-Founder, Waste Warriors. Photograph: Seema Pant/Rediff.com

After spending three months travelling through Mumbai, Goa, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, she had made her way to Dharamsala in 2008.

“India is such a beautiful country, but I haven’t seen filth on this scale. People just don’t care,” she continues talking about her battle with garbage in her office-cum-home in Dehradun; which is also a refuge to Bella, a donkey that broke its leg in a car accident across the road.

“I thought Dharamsala would be my salvation. It was the home of the Dalai Lama and would be clean, but I was wrong. I got off the tourist bus at 6 am to see a big pile of garbage at my feet. I couldn’t take it anymore.”

A native of England, Underhill, who had come to volunteer at a Tibetan school, then spent two weeks walking around McLeodganj with a placard saying ‘Volunteers Needed.’

Hundreds of people, mostly foreigners, turned up for her first clean up.

She and the volunteers went on to clean a children’s park that had been made into a dumping ground and started a waste collection system from home and shops in Triund so that people stopped throwing garbage down the mountains.

“With every piece of glass, plastic or trash you picked, it felt you were rescuing nature in a small way,” she says.

Since then waste is collected from 250 households and brought down on mules. Her NGO also maintains an 8-km-long popular trekking trail.

Underhill, who is often called ‘pagal (mad) for her passion for cleaning up and disposing off waste in the correct way, moved to Dehradun in 2012 to start Waste Warriors with funding from Max-India.

One of its projects was Gandhi Park, the only park in the city, which costs Rs 20,000 a month to maintain.

The organisation and its staff of 24 waste workers maintain certain shopping complexes, forest areas and localities in cooperation with shopkeepers and locals. She also conducts workshops in schools and has conducted a programme on waste management with the Indian Army.

“In India, people have a terrible attitude towards those who clear waste. They are the invisible people. Without them India would have disappeared under its garbage,” says the 38 year old, who won Times Now’s Amazing Indian Award in 2012 and a Rs 4 lakh (Rs 400,000) grant from the Mahindra Rise competition that supports new ideas.

In addition, Mahindra also gave Waste Warriors two pick-up trucks. It was the first time Waste Warriors moved on from the sole cycle rickshaw it had used till then to collect waste. Individual donations also help the organisation with funds — one of them being Telugu movie superstar Chiranjeevi’s contribution of Rs 5 lakhs (Rs 500,000).

When Underhill, a CEO without a salary, could not get a reduction in her visa extension fee of Rs 32,000 recently, Michael Dalvi, the former Ranji Trophy player, donated the amount to the NGO.

Waste Warriors charges Rs 100 from a chaiwallah to Rs 5,000 from a bank to collect and dispose the garbage responsibly. In a particular complex in Dehradun, the waste was earlier being dumped into a parking lot.

Struggling to raise funds and at times confronted with local governmental indifference, working with garbage hasn’t been easy for Underhill. It also elicits prejudice. She was once reported as a prostitute to the Foreigners Registration Office because residents disapproved of her living with two sweepers and her clean-up rounds in a cycle rickshaw.

“I shared their home. It was convenient as I worked with them,” she says and is grateful to have found the present space where Waste Warriors does waste segregation, composting and even provides shelter to cows, donkeys and dogs

Jodie with BellaGetting down on her knees as she goes through a pile of garbage her waste warriors had brought in, she picks up a plastic bag with rotting, smelly foodstuff.

“This plastic will take hundreds of years to decompose,” she says, reiterating the 5 important things all of us MUST do:

  • Segregate dry and liquid waste.
  • Stop using plastic.
  • Recycle.
  • Compost food/ garden waste.
  • Stop LITTERING and PEEING anywhere you feel like!

Image: Jodie Underhill with Bella, an injured donkey that she has given refuge. Photograph: Seema Pant/Rediff.com

“To change mindsets and habits is not impossible, but difficult. Stopping littering, dumping, burning is equivalent to giving up alcohol or drug addiction,” says Underhill, whose NGO is also working with six villages surrounding the Corbett National Park and aims to expand to 120 villages in the next five years.

With no awareness or mechanism, villagers have been dumping their waste into the Corbett tiger reserve. Funding for the first year has been provided by Mahindra. Waste Warriors has projects in Dharamsala, Dehradun, Corbett and has recently started work in Rishikesh. It aims at having similar projects around the country.

Underhill is quite obviously, excited about the Swachh Bharat initiative, and is eager to make a presentation to the prime minister. “I’d like to tell him what needs to be done because I work in the field,” she says.

“The PM is doing the right thing, but sweeping is not enough, it also has to be disposed properly. We need infrastructure, technology and mass scale awareness,” says Underhill.

“The municipal solid waste rules that came into being 14 years ago need to be enforced and read by every government official. This piece of legislation is the key to cleaning India.”

Yet she feels no government can work wonders unless the people bring about the transformation themselves.

Back in England, her parents think she has lost her mind to be working with garbage in India. But she feels India is home.

“English parents are like Indian parents. They want you to get married and have kids. I say I want to make a difference for other kids,” says Underhill who hasn’t been home for a couple of years.

“What are we leaving behind for them — a planet that has nothing left? Millions are going to die if we don’t change the way we live.”

Archana Masih/Rediff.com in Dehradun

SOURCE:::: http://www.rediff.com
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” Better to be Paranoid Than Careless … ” Woman”s Safety Guide Tip …

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‘As I sat down in the cab, I forwarded details of the cab number, driver’s name and phone number to a family member.’

‘I also switched on the GPS on my phone.’

Upasna Pandey, who travels at odd hours in taxis every 15 days, reveals how she stays safe.

Delhi at night

I’m both, a novice and expert on Delhi roads. I am a novice because I have travelled to all parts of Delhi, but cannot give directions if the need arises.

I’m an expert because I have used all possible modes of public transport — from the Delhi Metro to a cycle rickshaw.

When I need to travel long distances at odd hours and have to select a cab service, which may happen at least once in 15 days, the decision is usually a quick one, based on earlier experiences.

I am sharing with you one such experience at night.

It started with a trip to Dwarka for a family event which was to end post dinner. I requested a cab to take me from Dwarka to Noida opting for 10 pm as the pickup time.

Dwarka is one of the biggest residential hubs in Delhi, located close to the Indira Gandhi International Airport. It is densely populated and well-connected through a deep reach of public transport. So when I decided to use a private cab, I was confident it was a safe decision.

The driver turned up at the designated time. He was a middle aged man, heavy built, tall with a heavy voice. This is important to share as I am the opposite of this in size, so an immediate sense of intimidation is almost natural.

As I sat down in the cab, I forwarded the details of the cab registration number, driver’s name and phone number to a family member for reference. I also switched on the GPS on my mobile phone to understand the most suitable route to reach Noida.

There is one more thing which I have been doing for many years, almost instinctively: As soon as I board a cab, I remove all expensive jewellery in case I am wearing any.

We were on our way when I realised that the route shown on the GPS was actually a deserted stretch and my instinct was to move on to the busier roads which may have taken much longer.

Some panic had set in as I worried over this while the driver continued to drive on the GPS route; he also assured me that we would be reaching a busy road soon.

I called up my family member to share the exact location and seek an opinion on whether it was safe to continue on it or to deviate to a busy road.

I noticed that the driver was speaking to someone in Punjabi on his phone. I understood the language so was at ease to know it was his personal call, and nothing with reference to me. It did bother me when he chose to speak in his native language, I would have preferred if he spoke in Hindi or English.

The 5 to 10 minutes drive on a deserted stretch was enough to give me goosebumps; I resolved not to commit myself to any such engagements which would require me to travel alone at night in cabs.

I was waiting anxiously to see a busy road and some streetlights, which are also missing in many parts of Delhi, regardless of these being well developed areas.

Soon we hit a busy National Highway and then the Ring road which is the lifeline of Delhi, heading for Noida. I had the option of taking one more relatively lonely stretch which would help enter Noida via Mayur Vihar or taking a toll road which required payment, I chose the latter.

I was not consistently on the phone with my family member but making repeated phone calls, so I could remain attentive and alert to the route and the driver’s behaviour; this is crucial.

Keeping myself rooted in the reality of being alone with a stranger for a short span on the road made more sense for me instead of talking over the phone with a loved one, as an escape to comfort.

I saw a couple of police patrol vehicles en route, which was also comforting but I was praying I wouldn’t need to reach out for any help.

I reached home in almost an hour, paid the cab fare, and thanked the driver for a service which was more about safety than about distance.

I knew if there is one learning for me from this experience, it was simple: It’s better to be paranoid than be casual and careless.

The driver would normally be a good person, but the risk is too high if he isn’t. It is better to be slightly aloof than being friendly and being misunderstood.

Let’s not take a chance.

SOURCE:::: http://www.rediff.com

Natarajan

Joke of the Day…” Only one Parachute Left Now … ” !!!

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Four people are in an airplane, the pilot, the smartest man in the world, the richest man in the world, and a punk teenager. The airplane experiences some difficulties, and the pilot informs the three passengers that the plane is going to crash, and there are only three parachutes on the plane. The richest man in the world takes one, because he says that his lawyers will sue everyone else on the plane if he doesn’t survive. The smartest man in the world takes a parachute, because he thinks that the world would be a worse place without him. The pilot says to the punk “There’s only one parachute left, I’ll fight you for it.” “That won’t be necessary,” said the punk, “The smartest man in the world took my backpack.”  

SOURCE:::: http://www.joke a day.com

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Interesting Facts of Human Brain !!!

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Facts About Human Psychology

The human brain is an interesting and powerful organ, but understanding why it does what it does is a process that we’re still studying. The conscious mind and the subconscious mind, psychological effects on our decisions, our habits, etc’, all occur in the brain, yet most of us aren’t aware when these processes take place. This list encompasses 15 of the more interesting facts about our behavior.
1. We blame a person’s behavior on their personality, unless it’s us
15 Things Psychology Tells Us
One classic examples is driving – how many times have you seen someone cut you off on the road, and the first thing on your mind was “What a crazy *#%&#@”, but 15 minutes later, you tell yourself it’s OK to cut another person because you’re “in a hurry, and it’s just this one time”. We tend to attribute our decisions to external forces, and other people’s bad behavior on their internal attributes. Sadly, it’s a very difficult behavior to stop…
2. We overestimate how we would react to future events
15 Things Psychology Tells Us
How many times were you sure that your reaction to future events would be one way, only for that event to arrive, and your reaction is significantly different? The reason behind this is that most of us are bad at predicting the future. You think that getting the job of your dreams or marrying that special person will make you happy, but when you do – you’re pretty much the same. Studies show that an individual’s level of happiness will almost always revert to an average level.
3. Our strongest memories are usually inaccurate
15 Things Psychology Tells Us
We feel like the memories of traumatic events “burn” themselves into our minds, to remain there forever (this is known as “Flashbulb Memories”). Studies have shown that the stronger the emotional state you were in during that event, the more the memory is inaccurate.
4. We can only sustain a high level of concentration for 10 minutes
15 Things Psychology Tells Us
Do you think you can concentrate on a task for more than 10 minutes? Studies indicate otherwise. On average, a person’s attention span peaks after 10 minutes and then the mind will start wandering.
5. Our brains wander for about 30% of the day
15 Things Psychology Tells Us
On average, we spend about 30% of our day daydreaming (though some people do it more). On the up side of this, researchers point out that people who tend to daydream more are better at solving problems and tend to be more creative.
6. Humans can’t multitask!
15 Things Psychology Tells Us
You may hear people claiming that they’re natural multitaskers, and you even see it in some job requirements, but humans simply cannot multitask. Sure, you can listen to music while you work, but your brain can only process one higher-function task at a time. That means that you’ll either be doing work and mainly ignore the music or listen to the music and ignore your work. People simply cannot think about two things at once.
7. Most of your decisions are made subconsciously
15 Things Psychology Tells Us
Do you think about all the decisions you make, weighing all the options and calculating the impact of each outcome? You might think so, but you’re wrong. The majority of your decisions are made in your subconscious because otherwise – your conscious mind would be overwhelmed with information, and you’ll probably get mentally frozen. The reason for this is that your brain receives over 11 million bits of information every second, and there’s simply not enough “brain power” to go through all of it consciously.
8. We can only store between 5 and 9 bits of information at once
15 Things Psychology Tells Us
The average human can only keep an average of 7 bits of information at once in their short-term memory. Each of the 7 bits of information can be comprised of several pieces of relevant data. The best example is remembering a phone number – it can be anywhere between 9 and 14 digits long, so we break it into segments like country code, area code, and a set of numbers we split (usually to 3-4 digit groups).
9. We prefer shorter lines of text, but read longer ones better
15 Things Psychology Tells Us
Sounds counterintuitive, but while we might prefer to read narrow columns, we’ll read the same information faster if it’s spread to the width of the page. The only reason you don’t notice that is because you visually prefer the shorter layout.
10. We want more choices, but choose better with fewer options
15 Things Psychology Tells Us
Professor Dan Ariely tells in his book “Predictably Irrational” about an experiment he and his colleagues performed: They set up two booths that offered jam for sale. One booth had 24 different kinds of jams while the other only had six kinds of jam. The table with fewer options managed to sell six times more jams than the one with more options. This reverts us back to #8 – our brain just cannot process too many options.
11. We think other people are more easily influenced than us
15 Things Psychology Tells Us
We can see the effect advertising has on other people more clearly than its impact on ourselves – this is known as the “Third Person Effect”. We can tell how an ad affects our peers, but deny its effects on ourselves, and it gets worse when it’s an ad for something we have no interest it. You have likely not realized it, but all the advertisements you see every day have a subconscious effect on your mood, desires and even attitude.
12. Your brain doesn’t stop working when you sleep
15 Things Psychology Tells Us
Your brain is just as active when you sleep as it is when you’re awake. Scientists have discovered that the only time your brain clears out toxins and waste is when you sleep. It is also believed that during the sleep cycles, your brain sorts out all the data from the previous day and creates new associations.
13. “Wisdom of the Crowd” is not very wise
15 Things Psychology Tells Us
Psychologists refer to this as “Groupthink” – the larger the group of individuals, the more likely it is to make choices based on emotions rather than logic and common sense.
14. Crowds are easily swayed 15 Things Psychology Tells Us
People with a dominant or charismatic personalities can easily affect crowd opinions and maneuver groups to do their bidding. They appeal to the group’s emotions, taking advantage of the effect in #13. (Oddly enough, research proves that two heads are still better than one)
15. It takes a person 66 days to form a habit
15 Things Psychology Tells Us
There is a lot of research data that suggests that following a pattern for 66 days will make it habitual. If, for example, you want to be better about cleaning your home or going to the gym – make a conscious effort to do it for 66 days, after which it will become a habit and will be easier to persevere. (This also works for breaking habits)

 

SOURCE::::www.ba-bamail.com

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Few Natural Remedies to cure Chapped Lips …

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Winter season is here, which means many of us will suffer from chapped lips. It seems that no matter how much we bundle up, our lips constantly remain exposed to the harsh winter winds. It’s important to keep a scarf wrapped around your mouth as a preventative measure.
Chapped lips, also referred to as dry lips, occurs when the lips aren’t properly moisturized or due to certain illnesses. There are a number of external factors that can cause your lips to crack and peel. Here are a few of the most common causes and symptoms:
Causes:
  • Dehydration
  • Malnutrition
  • Excessive Licking of Lips
  • Cheilitis
  • Exposure to Sun
  • Allergic Reaction
  • Smoking
  • Kawasaki Disease
Symptoms:
  • Redness
  • Dryness
  • Swelling
  • Flaking
  • Sore Lips
  • Cracking
  • Bleeding
10 Natural Remedies to Treat Chapped Lips:
1) Honey – Honey can cure almost anything, including chapped lips. Honey acts as a natural lip balm, and moisturizes your lips with its powerful antibacterial properties. Dab a little honey on your lips a couple of times during the day, and an extra dose before bed to prevent chaffing.
2) Sugar – Sugar might not be great for your teeth, but it’s certainly an effective treatment for chapped lips! The sugar helps exfoliate dead cells, while restoring them back their natural state. Here’s a quick recipe on how to prepare a natural sugar lip balm:
How to Prepare It:
  • Mix 1 teaspoon of honey with 2 teaspoons of sugar.
  • Apply the sugary sweet lip balm mixture to the damaged areas and allow it to sit for several minutes.
  • Gently rub the mixture around on your lips to loosen the dead skin cells.
  • Wash the mixture off with lukewarm water.
3) Water – One of the most common causes of cracked lips is dehydration. It’s extremely important to keep yourself properly hydrated during the day to prevent dry mouth. Try to drink at least 6-8 glasses of water a day. Make sure you carry a large water bottle when you leave the house, so you can stay fully hydrated no matter where you go.
4) Petroleum Jelly – A little Vaseline can cure those dry lips. The petroleum jelly moisturizes your lips, and helps to repair the dead cells. Vaseline also lasts for a long time, and comes available in tiny tubes that fit inside your pocket. Alternatively, you can also apply a bit of honey to your lips, wait for it to dry a few seconds, and add a light smear of petroleum jelly. Remove the substance with a cotton ball dipped in warm water.
5) Aloe Vera Gel – Aloe vera is a multi-purpose skin treatment. It can be used to get rid of chapped lips as well. Place a small amount of the gel to the damaged lips a few times during the day. The aloe vera keeps your lips fully hydrated, which allows the dryness to heal much quicker. The taste may be a bit unpleasant, but the results are worth it.
6) Coconut Oil – The minerals found within the coconut oil helps to moisturize the uncomfortable dryness, and softens the cracked areas of your lips. Here is a step-by-step guide on how to apply the coconut oil:
How to Prepare It:
  • Mix a teaspoon of coconut oil together with a teaspoon of sea salt into a bowl.
  • Apply the mixture all over the chapped lips, by gently using your fingers in a small circular motion.
  • Continue the circular motion for about a minute, before rinsing with a warm washcloth.
7) Castor Oil – Did you know that castor oil can actually be used to nourish and repair dry lips? Castor oil stops the peeling, and works like magic too. Place a dab of the oil over the chapped lips, and cover it with a thin layer of petroleum jelly. Glycerin may be used in place of Vaseline, and here’s how to prepare the mixture:
How to Prepare It:
  • Mix one teaspoon of castor oil, with a teaspoon of glycerin and a few drops of lemon juice into a small bowl.
  • Apply the mixture over your dry lips before going to sleep, and wash it off in the morning with a cotton ball dipped in warm water. -Repeat this treatment daily until your lips are smooth again.
8) Cucumber – Sliced cucumbers can reduce puffiness in the eyes, and work wonders for flaky or dry lips. Cucumbers are high in ascorbic acid, which stimulates the production of collagen. Here’s how to prepare a cucumber lip balm to treat the chapped lips:
How to Prepare It:
  • Take a small cucumber slice and gently rub it on your dry lips.
  • Let the cucumber juice sit on your lips for around 15 to 20 minutes, and then wash your lips with lukewarm water.
  • Repeat this process a periodically throughout the day to allow your lips to heal quicker.

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9) Rose Petals – Rose petals contain natural oils that provide instant relief against cracked lips. The natural astringent properties of the rose petals offer a soothing effect on the capillaries beneath the skin surface. They also give your lips beautiful color, while kissing the dryness and inflammation goodbye!
How to Prepare It:
  • Grab a handful of rose petals, and clean them thoroughly in water.
  • Allow the petals to soak in a milk for a few hours.
  • Mash the petals in the milk until they begin to form a thick paste.
  • Apply the paste on your cracked lips a few times per day, and every night before bed.
10)  Milk Cream – The high fat content found inside the milk cream is used to eliminate chapped lips. Put a little milk cream on your dry lips, and let the thick heavy cream go to work for about 10 minutes or so. Gently wash your lips afterward with a cotton ball dipped in lukewarm water. Try adding a little lime juice for twice the relief and twice the nourishing benefit!

Image of the Day…”Colorful and Plankton-full Patagonian Waters” !!!

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Late spring and summer weather brings blooms of color to the Atlantic Ocean off of South America, at least from a satellite view. The Patagonian Shelf Break is a biologically rich patch of ocean where airborne dust from the land, iron-rich currents from the south, and upwelling currents from the depths provide a bounty of nutrients for the grass of the sea—phytoplankton. In turn, those floating sunlight harvesters become food for some of the richest fisheries in the world.

The Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) on Suomi NPP captured this view of phytoplankton-rich waters off of Argentina on Dec. 2, 2014. Scientists in NASA’s Ocean Color Group used three wavelengths (671, 551, and 443 nanometers) of visible and near-infrared light to highlight different plankton communities in the water. Bands of color not only reveal the location of plankton, but also the dynamic eddies and currents that carry them.

> More Information

Image Credit: Norman Kuring, NASA’s Ocean Color Group, using VIIRS data from the Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership

SOURCE:::www.nasa.gov

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” Why a $ is called a Buck …” !!!

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Why a Dollar is Also Called a “Buck”!!!

As with many etymologies, the exact root of this word is difficult to say with one hundred percent certainty. However, the leading theory is extremely plausible and backed up by a fair bit of documented evidence. Specifically, it is thought that a dollar is called a “buck” thanks to deer.

One of the earliest references of this was in 1748, about 44 years before the first U.S. dollar was minted, where there is a reference to the exchange rate for a cask of whiskey traded to Native Americans being “5 bucks”, referring to deerskins. In yet another documented reference from 1748, Conrad Weiser, while traveling through present day Ohio, noted in his journal that someone had been “robbed of the value of 300 Bucks.”

At this time, a buck skin was a common medium of exchange. There is also evidence that a “buck” didn’t simply mean one deerskin, but may have meant multiple skins, depending on quality. For instance, skins from deer killed in the winter were considered superior to those killed in the summer, due to the fur being thicker.

It is thought that the highest quality skins were generally assigned a one to one value, with one skin equaling one buck. In contrast, for lower quality skins, it might take several of them to be valued at a single buck. The specific value for given sets of skins was then set at trading.

In addition, when the skin was from another animal, the number of skins required to equal a buck varied based on the animal and the quality of the skins. For instance, there is one documented trade where six high quality beaver skins or twelve high quality rabbit pelts each equaled one buck.

This use of skins as a medium of exchange gradually died off over the next century as more and more Europeans moved in and built towns and cities. Once the U.S. dollar was officially introduced after the passing of the Coinage Act of 1792, it quickly became the leading item used as a medium of exchange, but the term “buck” stuck around and by the mid-nineteenth century was being used as a slang term for the dollar.

If you liked this article, please consider purchasing The Wise Book of Whys, whence this article came. As mentioned, sales of this book go towards keeping ads out of this newsletter as much as possible. So if you hate ads as much as we do, please do consider purchasing a copy for yourself or as a gift for someone.  Thanks!

Bonus Fact:

  • While it may be tempting to think that the “buck” in this sense is where we also get the phrase “pass the buck”, most etymologists don’t think the two are related. The leading theory on the origin of the phrase “pass the buck” is thought to come from poker, with one of the earliest known references of the idea of literally passing a buck being found in the 1887 work by J.W. Keller, titled “Draw Poker”. In it, Keller states: “The ‘buck’ is any inanimate object, usually knife or pencil, which is thrown into a jack pot and temporarily taken by the winner of the pot. Whenever the deal reaches the holder of the ‘buck,’ a new jack pot must be made.” As to why it is then called  a buck, it is thought that may have arisen from the fact that buck-handled knives were once common, and knives were often used as the “buck” in this sense. As for the figurative sense of passing the buck, this didn’t start popping up until the early twentieth century.

 

SOURCE:::: http://www.today i found out.com

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Image of the day…” MoonLight Skating in Sweden …” !!!

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“Nights like these are almost to good to be true.” See this touching, just-released video.

 

 

Master sky photographer Göran Strand of Sweden – whose beautiful photo The Father, The Son and the Moon is also featured here at EarthSky this week – mentioned a couple of days ago that he soon would have something more “exotic” to show us. Today (December 10, 2014), he wrote with word of a new video he’s just completed and posted at YouTube. He wrote:

Now I finished the movie showing me and a couple of my friends tour skating on a frozen lake near Östersund, Sweden [a couple of nights ago]. This night was really magic, no wind, lots of ice crystals in the air and an almost full moon that shined upon us during our two hours out on the ice. To the right of the moon, you can see the constellation of Orion and, down left of the moon, you can see planet Jupiter shining brightly.

Nights like these are almost to good to be true.

Hope you like it.

Visit Göran Strand’s website: http://www.astrofotografen.se

Visit Göran on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/fotografgoranstrand

Follow Göran on Twitter: http://twitter.com/Astrofotografen

Göran Strand on Instagram: http://instagram.com/Astrofotografen

SOURCE::: http://www.earthsky.org and You Tube

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Message For the Day…” Keep Your Emotions always within Check …”

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Do not get too much attached to the world, and too involved in its tangles. Keep your emotions always within check. The waves agitate only the upper layers of the sea; down below it is calm. So too, when you sink into your depths, you must be free from the agitation of the waves. Know that most things are of no lasting value and can therefore be brushed aside; hold fast to the solid substance alone. Use your discrimination to discover and distinguish lumber from treasure. The Pranava japa (recitation of Om and contemplation of its significance) will help to calm the roaring waves. Gita affirms that when the word ‘Om’ (Supreme Universal Reality) is spelt by the dying with their last breath, they attain the Divine. To be able to spell it then, dwell upon its sweetness and significance throughout your life, from today. Then the final Om that emerges from your lips will be an offering that merges in Him!

Sathya Sai Baba

Joke of the Day… ” It is Not Addressed to you …” !!!

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 A couple of terrorist were making letter bombs. After they had finished, one said: “Do you think I put enough explosive in this envelope? “I don’t know,” said the other. “Open it and see.” “But it will explode.” “Don’t be stupid! It’s not addressed to you! 

SOURCE:::: joke a day.com

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