An old man goes to the Wizard to ask him if he can remove a curse he has been living with for the last 50 years. The wizard says, “Maybe, but you will have to tell me the exact words that were used to put the curse on you.” The old man says without hesitation, “I now pronounce you man and wife.”
SOURCE:::: joke a day.com
Natarajan
Do not be led away by all this present-day talk of equality, either of men and women, or of all men. Each has a certain fund of intelligence, and a peculiar bundle of instincts, impulses and vasanas (past impressions). To the extent that you develop them or divert them or diminish their strength, to that extent there is bound to be difference in your equipment and achievement. Use all chances you get to develop your skills, your health and your character. That is your present duty. Do not by any action of yours cause pain to another; nor suffer pain yourself, by foolishness or sheer bravado. Do not dishonour your elders; cultivate the spirit of service and learn how to serve the sick and the needy, and seize every chance to help others. Or at least, desist from causing sorrow to others.
The Judge Harry Pregerson Interchange is a stack interchange near the Athens and Watts communities of Los Angeles, California. Though the interchange permits traffic entering the interchange in all directions to exit in all directions (cf. Hollywood Split, East Los Angeles Interchange), the interchange also consists of direct HOV (high-occupancy vehicle) connectors, Metro Green Line tracks, and the Harbor Transitway, all of which contribute to the towering, imposing structure for which the interchange is known.
Opened with Interstate 105 in 1993, the interchange is named for Harry Pregerson, a longtime federal judge who presided over the lawsuit concerning the I-105 freeway’s construction. Shortly before the interchange opened, filmmakers had access to use it for the 1994 motion picture Speed. In one of the movie’s best-known scenes, the bus must jump across an unfinished construction gap in an uncompleted elevated freeway-to-freeway ramp while still under construction.
In 1996, the U.S. Federal Highway Administration recognized the Interstate 105/Interstate 110 interchange with an Award of Merit in the Urban Highways category of its biennial Excellence in Highway Design awards. The award recognized the interchange’s design which sought to improve traffic congestion, safety, and air quality. [Source: Wikipedia]
Source::::www.twistedsifter.com
Natarajan
John Martin says his passion for flying has given him “the best life in the world”. Source: Supplied
AT 82, John Martin is not your typical frequent flyer — but he’s quite possibly one the proudest.
During his 50 years of flying, which he celebrated on July 19 this year, Mr Martin has notched up 148 flights to New York, 138 to London and almost three million miles in the air — and he shows no signs of having his wings clipped just yet.
Mr Martin who spent 20 years as News Editor at WIN Television in Wollongong, has dedicated his life to flying anywhere and everywhere and making it his mission to reach 1000 flights on Qantas.
And rest assured, with his 959th flight scheduled for the 2nd December, he’s going to get there … “because dropping dead is not really in my top ten”, he says, “the bucket list does not include it!”.
The veteran traveller says his friends keep giving him brochures on retirement homes and suggesting the time has come for him to slow down, but he’s got too many flights planned.
“I say to my doctor, who I have a great relationship with, ‘I don’t think I’m ready for it, I’m too busy, I can’t really spare the time for retirement living,” he toldnews.com.au on a recent flight. “I’ve got mountains to climb, things to do and flights to take’ and he says ‘John you will know when the time has come and there are worse things than having the time of your life and dropping dead.’”
John Martin names his favourite Qantas aircraft as the WH-EBK. Source: Supplied
He travels all over the world to pursue his twin loves of theatre and flying.
“I made my money as a news editor, it was a good salary and a good job and I spent most of it with the tax office and Qantas, and it gave me, I think, the best life in the world. The things I’ve done, the places I’ve been, it’s been wonderful!
And while his body might be showing the signs of old age, his mind is still as sharp as a tack.
Mr Martin can name every one of the 278 different aircraft he’s flown on — and the ones he hasn’t.
He records the registration of every single flying kangaroo aircraft he flies on and will always try and book on aircraft that he has never flown on before.
“The one I want the most is VH-OQA — Qantas’ first A380 called Nancy Bird Walton, I’d like that one,” he says of the aircraft that has so far escaped him.
In fact, Mr Martin loves flying so much that he often flies Sydney to Perth or Melbourne and back again in the one day — simply for the joy of the flight and to say G’Day to all his friends in the Qantas lounge.
Mr Martin was presented with the keys to Qantas’ 75th Boeing 737-800. Source: Supplied
“I love Perth on the A332, I’ll go over on the 8.15am, spend a couple of hours in Perth then come back at night. To me, that is a great thing to do when you retire.”
He says he loves everything about flying, the movies, talking to the crew about the aircraft and it’s history and can’t understand why people find flying a hassle.
“People don’t like airports, but I’m the one in a million who does, I love sitting in the airport watching planes coming in and going out, pushing back. They’re all interesting to me.
Mr Martin, who has never married and never had children often flies to a destination and back on Christmas Day because he considers Qantas his family — and says they put on a great Christmas lunch in the lounge.
He was chuffed to be presented with the keys to Qantas’ 75th Boeing 737-800 last week, a retro-inspired aircraft which featured exactly the same livery as the inaugural B747 flight he flew on in 1971.
But he says the key to his long life is his passion for flight.
Qantas pilot Alex Passerini present John Martin with the keys. Source: Supplied
“This is (flight number) 958 and I would think given a reasonable chance, I’ll reach the 1000 and we’ll probably get an A380 and go under the Harbour Bridge or loop the loop,” he joked.
“I would have liked to have done the 1000 in the 50th year, because it was neat and it was tidy and somehow it was me. 1000 flights is the next goal, if it’s going to happen, it will happen and I think it will.
“But then again, I could be dead tomorrow and if that’s the case, I’ve had a wonderful life.”
But don’t think Qantas’ most enthusiastic flyer will be taking any Frequent Flyer points with him.
“I tend to use the (points) before they get too big, because if I died before I used them, it would kill me, it would be the end of the world, I mean going up to heaven with Frequent Flyer Points unused! The man upstairs says you can’t use them for the last trip, so there’s just no way.”
SOURCE::::www.news.com.au
Natarajan
| According to most scientists, we are fast approaching a global food shortage. The amount of land used for agriculture is just not enough to meet the food demands of the global urban population. That is why creative means must be found to grow food in limited spaces. Nowhere is that problem more profound and noticeable than places like Singapore, where very little land is available. What did they do? They started farming UPWARDS… |
SOURCE:::You Tube and Ba-bamail.com
Natarajan
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Cal was out driving in the country, seeing how his new car handled the curvy roads at high speeds. As he rounded a corner, one of his tires blew.
When he got out of the car to change the tire, he noticed that he had stopped in front of the state mental asylum. There was also a man sitting on the brick wall in front of the facility. The driver went about his business, not paying any attention to the guy on the fence. He first took his tire iron and jack out of the car, and got the car jacked up. Then, he removed the hubcap. Next, he removed the six lug nuts, and placed them in the hubcap for safekeeping. About this time, the guy on the fence decided to start a conversation. This startled the driver, and he reeled around quickly, knocking over the hubcap, and the lug nuts fell into the sewer drain. The driver gets angry with the guy on the fence, shouting, “Now look what you made me do. Now I’m going to have to walk to town to buy some new lug nuts. Just go back inside and leave me be.” The guy on the fence says, “Why don’t you just take one lug nut from each of your other three wheels, and use them on this one. That should hold it steady enough for you to drive the car to the auto parts store.” The driver asks, “That’s a brilliant idea…then why are you here?” The guy on the fence replies, “I’m just crazy, not stupid.” SOURCE::::: joke a day.comNatarajan
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By praying to God and asking for trivial and petty things, people demean the Lord’s Divine estate. No one appreciates the valuable, sacred and divine favour God may choose to confer on a deserving devotee. Hence never seek from God, nor desire, nor pray for some petty trifles. More precious and desirable than everything else is God’s love. If you wish to ask for anything from God pray to Him thus, “O Lord! Let me have You alone.” To crave for anything other than Divine Love is like asking for coffee powder from the Kalpataru (Wish-fulfilling Tree)! For, once you have secured the Lord, you will naturally get everything you want! While praying to God for His grace, do not indulge in extravagant praise and flattery to win His approbation and seek His favours; that prayer then acquires a commercial tinge! Pray sincerely and earnestly from within.
November morning sky at Old Scituate Light in Scituate, Massachusetts, USA.
.Photo by Daniel Levy Photography.
You can see more of Daniel’s photos here
SOURCE::::www.earthsky.org
Natarajan
Gustave Eiffel’s apartment had a lot of things going for it: beautiful furnishings, a grand piano, and its prime location were major highlights. And that’s before the fact that it was located on the third level of the tower he designed. After all, what’s the point of bringing such an architectural masterpiece into being if you don’t have a cool place to crash in it?
After the Eiffel Tower opened in 1889, Eiffel himself would entertain some of the greatest scientific minds in his pied-à-terre high above Paris. For many years, Eiffel’s apartment was off limits to tourists, but you can peer into it today and see what it was like in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
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