Art – Page 96 – Take off with Natarajan

Message for the Day…” Position , Pride and Power – all Vanish Before Death …”

November 7, 2015NatarajanLeave a comment

To a superficial observer, life appears to revolve around eating and drinking, working, and sleeping. But verily life has a much deeper significance. Life is a sacrifice (yajna). Every little act is an offering to the Lord. If your days are spent in deeds performed in this spirit of surrender, your sleep would be a total immersion in the Divine Consciousness(Samadhi)! Most people commit the great fault of identifying themselves with the body and accumulate a variety of things for its upkeep and comfort. When the body becomes weak and decrepit with age, they still attempt to bolster it by one means or the other. How long can death be postponed? When Yama’s (Lord of Death’s) warrant comes, everyone must depart. Position, pride, and power – all vanish before death. Remember, you are not this body! It is your vehicle to serve all. Realising this, strive day and night, with purity in body, mind and spirit, to realise the Higher Self.

Joke of the Day…” Are You OK …” ?

November 7, 2015NatarajanLeave a comment

Last Wednesday a passenger in a taxi heading for the airport leaned over to ask the driver a question and gently tapped him on the shoulder to get his attention.

The driver screamed, lost control of the cab, nearly hit a bus, drove up over the curb and stopped just inches from a large plate glass window. For a few moments everything was silent in the cab. Then, the shaking driver said “Are you OK? I’m so sorry, but you scared the living daylights out of me.”

The badly shaken passenger apologized to the driver and said, “I didn’t realize that a mere tap on the shoulder would startle someone so badly.”

The driver replied, “No, no, I’m the one who is sorry, it’s entirely my fault. Today is my very first day driving a cab. I’ve been driving a hearse for 25 years.”

Source…..www.ba-bamail.com

Natarajan

This Man Turned His Halloween Candy Into A Magical Landscape That’ll Amaze You…!!!

November 7, 2015NatarajanLeave a comment

There are very few things you can do with all that candy you got on Halloween but don’t actually like. You know, those subpar candy necklaces and 3 Musketeers…I mean, we’re all in for the Twix and Reese’s, am I right? Sure, you can videotape yourself telling your kids you ate all their candy, or you can just power through and eat it, but typically you wouldn’t think to make a whimsical dreamland out of it…that is, unless you’re this guy.

A photographer by trade, this dad decided to take some of his kid’s Halloween candy and create a cool landscape with it.

Flickr / JaysunsPhotos

It doesn’t look like much from here…but a quick zoom-in reveals:

A whole town of mini people mining candies.

Flickr / JaysunsPhotos

He bought the tiny characters at a local hobby store and used various sweets in key shots.

He’d always wanted to try his hand at macro photography…I think he’s found his calling!

Fickr / JaysunsPhotos

Just chillin’ by a giant bubble gum.

Flickr / JaysunsPhotos

According to the photographer, the figurines are pretty much all about as tall as a Nerd candy.

Flickr / JaysunsPhotos

Chocolate is basically the same thing as water.

Flickr / JaysunsPhotos

The man behind the photos says, “I’ve never spent so much time setting up a shoot.”

Flickr / JaysunsPhotos

Judging by all this detail, we can totally understand.

Flickr / JaysunsPhotos

Honestly, I would have just eaten it, but this is way cooler — and involves less of a sugar high.

If you’d like to see more of the photographer’s work, head over to his Flickr page!

Source…..Amanda Black in http://www.viralnova.com

Natarajan

This Simple Feature Tells Emergency Services Your Medical Information……..

November 7, 2015NatarajanLeave a comment

If you’ve got an iPhone, here’s a handy app you’ll most definitely want to install, one that could potentially save your life. This health app, contains an important feature called Medical ID. You’re probably already familiar with the ‘In Case of Emergency’ (ICE) practice, which collects important contact information on your phone so that it may be used to contact family in the event of an emergency – well, Apple’s Medical ID is basically an enhanced version of ICE. This feature provides both emergency contact information, and also informs first responders and medical personnel of important health information, such as your medications, medical conditions, blood type and allergies.

Setting Up

Here’s how to set up Medical ID on your iPhone:

Note: To take advantage of this nifty feature, your phone needs to run on iOS 8.

1. To get started, launch the Health app.

2. Tap the Medical ID icon, located at the bottom-right of your screen.

3. Tap Edit on the top-right corner of your screen

medical ID

4. Change or update your name, photo, birth date and input any important medical information.

5. The fields available will allow you to list any medical conditions, allergies, and current medications. You also have a blank field for general medical notes – such as your preferred hospital or doctor, or any religious requests.

6. Further down, you can add multiple emergency contacts, which must be included in your already existing iPhone contacts. If your ICE contact is not in your phone book, they must be added prior to proceeding.

7. In the process of selecting your contacts, the Medical ID app, will ask you to identify your relationship with the person. With this in mind, should you rather not mention how this contact person is connected to you, you may simply put ‘other’ or ’emergency’.

8. Below the contacts section is another field, whereby you can add your blood type, height, weight and your organ donor preference.

9. Once you have completed the information, just tap Done at the top of the screen to save your changes.

Accessing Medical ID

Once all your important medical information and emergency contacts have been stored in your iPhone’s Medical ID, here’s how someone can access this information in the event of an emergency.

For safety reasons, your iPhone should be secure, meaning that it should have a passcode or Touch ID, prohibiting others from entering your phone. Despite this, the Medical ID can still be accessed from a locked screen.

medical id

Just tap Emergency on the bottom-left of the iPhone lock screen, allowing anyone without a passcode to make an emergency phone call. Then tap Medical ID, which will bring up a screen showing the information you entered previously. Anyone accessing your Medical ID can tap on any of your emergency contacts and call them directly.

What if you don’t have an iPhone?

This app has yet to be introduced to android users, in which case, it is wise to mark or create a separate folder for your ICE contacts.

Source….www.ba-bamail.com

Natarajan

India To Get Its First Transgender Sub-Inspector Of Police, Thanks To Madras High Court…

November 7, 2015NatarajanLeave a comment

We weren’t done applauding the remarkable decision taken by West Bengal government that directed Kolkata police to include Hijras in the Civic Police Volunteer Force (CPVC), and now comes another good news that says India is set to get its first transgender sub-inspector of Police.

The news comes from Tamil Nadu, a state hailed for forming the first transgenders welfare board, which is said to be the first not only in India but probably in the world.

Following a historic decision made by Madras High Court, K. Prithika Yashini is soon to become India’s first transgender sub-inspector of Police.

Madras High Court directed the Tamil Nadu Uniformed Services Recruitment Board (TMUSRB) to appoint K. Prithika Yashini as a sub-inspector, as she is deemed perfectly entitled for the job.

Prithika was born and brought up as Pradeep Kumar. But her journey, unsurprisingly, wasn’t easy. She had to fight a long legal fight to get things going her way.

In the first go, her application was rejected due to the absence of ‘third gender category’ in the state police recruitment board.

Image Source: Facebook

She moved the High Court. As a consequence of this, she was allowed to appear for written, physical and endurance test, and also viva-voce. While she cleared all her rounds perfectly, in a 100-metre dash, she missed out by 1 second. But, she was testified to be an SI.

According to The Hindu, Chief Justice S.K. Kaul and Justice Pushpa Sathyanarayana of the First Bench made the board realize their failure at not adding the ‘third gender category’ despite the Supreme Court’s direction.

Excited by things turning out in her favour, Prithika who also hopes to become India’s first transgender IPS Officer told NDTV, “I’m excited. It’s a new beginning for the entire transgender community,”

India has seen some significant feats this year in relevance to recognizing the talent sidelining other factors. Manabi Bandyopadhyay (India’s first transgender college principal) and Akkai Padmashali (First transgender recipient of Rajyotsava award) are a couple of notable examples.

Let’s hope more path-breaking decisions like these that give importance to talent over prejudices, are taken often. Let’s hope, people who don’t easily get socially accepted because of their choices that don’t exactly conform to social norms, get to live their dreams.

After all, it is dreams, aspirations and goals we are talking about- things that don’t have any genders or castes or religions.

Sources: NDTV , The Hindu

Cover Image Source

Ananta Sharma in http://www.storypick.com

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This Singapore apartment complex was just voted the best new building in the World…

November 6, 2015NatarajanLeave a comment

HOUSING The Interlace by OMA:Buro Ole Scheeren, Singapore

World Architecture Festival

One of the most prestigious prizes in architecture has just been awarded to a housing complex in Singapore.

The judges at the World Architecture Festival 2015, which ran from November 4 – 6, has bestowed its top honours, the “World Building of the Year” award, upon an apartment complex known as The Interlace. Designed by the Dutch-based Office for Metropolitan Architecture, the building was an entry in the housing category, where it was also recognised as the top entry.

World Architecture Festival

The development is located on an elevated site covering eight hectares. It makes the most of being located in the lush green Southern Ridges of Singapore, with its 31 stacked apartment blocks each measuring six stories high and ensuring beautiful views in every direction.

This also creates eight huge, open courtyards with rooftop sky gardens and terraces for both public and private use. The development’s apartment facings were carefully designed to ensure privacy.

But this unique design doesn’t sacrifice living space. The complex contains 1,040 apartment units of varying sizes spread across more than 1.8 million square feet — all with an incredible amount of outdoor space and landscaping.

The Interlace

Source…. Dennis Green …www.businessinsider.com.au

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Message for the Day….” Contentment, Humility and Detachment Keep You on the path of Truth” …

November 6, 2015NatarajanLeave a comment

Some profess that since this is Kali yuga, falsehood alone can succeed. No! In spite of all appearances, honesty is still the best policy. One lie must be couched by a hundred others; whereas uttering truth is the easiest, simplest and safest. Be what you profess to be; speak what you intend to do; utter what you have experienced; no more, no less. It is a hard job to maintain a false stand, while it is always safe to be straight and honest. Do not take the first false step and then be led, on and on, to perdition. Truth is one’s real nature and when you are yourself, there comes a great flood of joy welling up within you. When you deny and deceive yourself, shame darkens your mind and breeds fear. You take the path of falsehood because of the Rajasikpassions of lust, greed, hate and pride. Contentment, humility and detachment – these keep you on the path of Truth.

Sai Bakery: A Mother’s Sweet Gift to Her Autistic Son and His Differently Abled Friends….

November 6, 2015NatarajanLeave a comment

Visit Sai Bakery in Thiruvanmiyur, Chennai, and you will find more than just the wonderful aroma of freshly baked goods wafting out of it. You’ll sense the pride with which it is run and the confidence and self-esteem it provides to many of its employees who are adults with special needs.

Pista muffins, mango blondies, cheese wraps, and wheat bread are just some of the mouth-watering treats being produced at this neighbourhood initiative that gives adults with special needs an opportunity to harness their skills, socialise with each other and the community at large, and feel like they are productive members of society.

When we talk about people with special needs, there are many organizations that provide early intervention and cater to the needs of learning-disabled children. But what happens after these children are grown adults?

This is where Sai Bakery comes into the picture. It is not just a regular bakery but it’s a place where adults with learning disabilities can come, work, learn, and spend a respectable and productive day.

Sai Bakery employs adults with developmental disabilities (cerebal palsy, mental retardation, autism and multiple disabilities). Each special person’s skills are assessed and the jobs distributed accordingly. Training is provided in the areas of baking and packaging and marketing.

“As a child with special needs grows, his or her family too is growing old. The parents have less stamina to take care of the growing child/adult. There are very few organisations that are working with adults with special needs,” says Sumithra Prasad, founder of Sai Bakery.

The idea about starting a bakery came from Sumithra’s son Srinivasan who has Asperger’s syndrome. After he finished Class 12, he just went to Sumithra and said, “I want to bake. I want to start a bakery. I will get my friends and we’ll do it together.”

Sumithra welcomed her son’s idea and enthusiasm to do something. She helped him get some training to learn the basics of running a bakery. And, in September 2013, Sai Bakery opened its doors.

Sai Bakery, which works with the support of the DORAI (Development Opportunities Resources Access Insight) Foundation, not only engages adults in baking but also provides them access to various activities like music, yoga, terrace gardening, etc. The products from the bakery are also delivered to corporate events in bulk.

“We are not a regular bakery. We make products when we get orders and deliver them fresh. Our aim is not to earn profits but to empower and give a sense of respect and individuality to these adults who have been often ignored even by their own families,” says Sumithra.

Sumithra has personally witnessed the impact on some of the lives of these adults with special needs working at the bakery.

Earlier, Shameena would not even go to the toilet alone; she was always accompanied by her mother. Today, she travels all by herself from her house to the bakery everyday, an incredible and positive achievement. She has taken over the packing of pastries in their boxes.

Once a shy boy, Anand would barely speak to anyone. But today, he sings and dances with his friends from the bakery. Similarly, there is Srinivasan who has become good at mixing and blending the dough.

Though a monthly stipend is given to these adults for coming to the bakery, it is the emotional and psychological support they get that matters.

“Many times, even families don’t take these adults seriously. Someone once said about their disabled daughter, ‘What will happen even if we teach her? She is not going to work anyway.’ This attitude needs to be changed. Respect and individuality are very important,” says Sumithra.

Sumithra adds that the attitude of parents towards their own children with disabilities has been the biggest challenge she has had to overcome. Sometimes, the families are not even ready to pay for the transport of their children, even though all the other facilities at Sai Bakery are free.

But thanks to Sumithra’s determination, she has been able to create ripples of change in the lives of many such adults. She has also inspired four to five similar bakery initiatives in different parts of the country.

In the future, Sumithra wants to reach out to more people who are willing to start similar initiatives and enable more people with learning disabilities to become empowered. Even if there are three people with disabilities who need help, she says, Sai Bakery will help them set up the entire system.

Here is a heart-touching video on the unique bakery produced by The Better India Talkies:

To order tasty treats from the bakery or to know more about their work, contact Sumithra Prasad at – doraifoundation@gmail.com and check out their Facebook page.

Source…..Shreya Pareek… http://www.the betterindia.com

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At the age of 11, this ” chota masterji” Teaches Kids from Slum…

November 6, 2015NatarajanLeave a comment

“His clothes were tattered, and we wanted to help him with some money to buy new clothes, but he denied our charity.

“After we persisted, the boy asked us for books for his education, which we bought for him from a nearby shop. Inspired by a boy of his age, Anand’s life changed.”

Today Anand Kumar Mishra, a Class 6 student is educating and empowering hundreds of slum kids in and around Lucknow.

A story worth sharing!

At an age when most of his classmates spend their time watching cartoons, playing video games, and preparing for exams, 11-year-old Anand Krishna Mishra is busy teaching underprivileged kids.

Currently studying in Class 6 in Lucknow, this ‘chhota masterji’ has reached out to children from slums and over 125 villages around the city and organised his ‘Bal Choupals’.

His Bal Choupals started in the year 2012, when Anand had the opportunity to spend time with a few children living in a slum.

He was sharing with them all that he learnt at school.

Soon this initiative took the shape of a gathering, where he started educating these children.

Taking an hour out of his daily schedule and sharing his bit is just one side of the coin, but it was his vision and sheer consistency which has today started taking shape as a larger-than-life movement.

Today, he teaches mathematics, computers and English to these children, and has inspired over 700 children to get enrolled in schools.

In the process of teaching poor children, Anand gets the opportunity to dig deeper into their lives, and takes help from his parents to make their families aware of the need to educate their children.

Anand’s parents Anoop and Rina Mishra are both employed in the UP police and are supportive of the mission Anand has taken up.

The popularity they garnered also helped them organise sessions on environmental awareness, where people come together and organise afforestation drives.

How did it all start?

Anoop tells us, “When Anand was in class 4, we had visited Maharashtra during his holidays and saw a kid sitting in a corner and studying.

“Every time the prayers started in the temple, he ran inside and led the singing group.

“After the prayers ended, he went back to his place under the dim lights and continued with his reading.

“His clothes were tattered, and we wanted to help him with some money to buy new clothes, but he denied our charity.

“After we persisted, the boy asked us for books for his education, which we bought for him from a nearby shop. Inspired by a boy of his age, Anand’s life changed.”

After coming back from the trip, Anand’s parents took him to villages around Lucknow.

They saw many kids who are devoid of education and spending their time doing household chores or working as child labourers.

They were able to convince some kids to study with Anand.

Gradually with time, these kids started bringing their friends along. Bal Choupal was formed.

Method of teaching

Anand studies in City Montessori School in Lucknow. After coming back from his school every day, he takes some time to rest in the afternoon.

At five in the evening, he goes for his Bal Choupal.

When asked about his methods of teaching, Anand says, “I try to teach my friends in a friendly manner. Sharing interesting stories and organising games for them are some of the ways to make learning fun.

“I try to make sure that they don’t get bored. Some of these kids don’t like the way they are taught in school just because it is boring. This is also the reason some, even after being enrolled, don’t go to school regularly.”

The learning imparted by Anand in his Bal Choupal is not just restricted to books. He gives them lessons on morality too.

Anand says, “The sessions at Bal Choupal begin with singing ‘Hum Honge Kaamyaab’ (We shall overcome) and ends with singing the National Anthem. I believe that this helps my friends become aware of their social and national responsibilities and they grow up to become responsible citizens of our country.”

Plans to start a library

Anand has received many awards for the work he has been doing, including Satyapath Bal Ratan award and Seva Ratna award.

With help from local people, Anand has been trying to start local libraries at different places in and around the city.

He has been successful in starting a few libraries in nearby villages.

Anand is trying to get help from other privileged and educated children to join the cause and help the students of Bal Choupal.

Anand teaches 100 kids daily who come to his gathering from their villages and slums.

His efforts suffer during exams, but his friends pitch in for help.

Anand is proud that his friends never disappoint him and their Bal Choupal continues to grow.

This year, during Teachers Day, Anand and his parents have started a ‘Chalo Padho Abhiyan’ where they are inviting the educated members of the society to support the education of at least one child.

Along similar lines, they have also started a programme ‘Chalo Bahan, School Chalo’ (Come sister, let’s go to school) which is specifically for girls from poor families.

The programme has been launched on the event of Navratri.

This little boy smiles with confidence when he says that with small steps like these, India will soon become an educated and prosperous country.

Photographs: Bal Choupal/Facebook

Source….Sourav Roy in http://www.rediff.com

Natarajan

Two guys wearing jetpacks fly alongside an Airbus A380….!!!

November 6, 2015NatarajanLeave a comment

We’ve already seen ex-fighter pilot Yves Rossy — a.k.a. Jetman — fly his jet-propelled wing in formation with another pilot, and we’ve seen him whizz around Dubai’s Burj Khalifa.

His latest stunt, however, again performed with parachuter Vince Reffet, is perhaps the most impressive so far. The two pilots fly their jetpacks in formation with an Emirates-owned Airbus A380.

In the stunt, once again available in 4K resolution, the pilots whir incredibly close to the airplane as it flies above the Dubai skyline. The airplane’s size — the A380 is the world’s largest passenger airliner, some 238 feet long — gives a great sense of scale, showing how incredibly small the pilots’ jetpacks really are.

Filming the video was no easy feat either; every little detail had to be carefully planned, with a team of videographers recording the stunt from another, smaller plane. Check out the “making of” video below.

Source…… STAN SCHROEDER…..www.mashable.com

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