cheerful attitude – Page 65 – Take off with Natarajan

படித்து ரசித்தது ….” அங்கே பாட்டு , இங்கே பட்டு …” !!!

April 19, 2015NatarajanLeave a comment

மறைந்த தமிழறிஞர் கி.வா.ஜகந்நாதன் எழுதுகிறார்: மயிலாப்பூர் வெள்ளீஸ்வரர் கோவிலில், ஒட்டக்கூத்தர் திருவிழா நடந்தது. அப்போதைய அறநிலைய துறை ஆணையர் நரசிம்மன் தலைமையில், நானும், சிலரும் பேசினோம்.
கூட்டம் துவங்குவதற்கு முன், கோவில் அறங்காவலர்கள், ஆணையர் நரசிம்மனுக்கு, ஒரு தட்டில் மாலை மற்றும் பட்டு வஸ்திரம் எடுத்து வந்தனர். சட்டென்று அந்தப் பட்டை எடுத்து எனக்குப் போட்டு, மாலையையும் அணிவித்தார் நரசிம்மன். எனக்கு மிகவும் தர்மசங்கடமாக இருந்தது.
சுவாமி தரிசனம் முடிந்த பின், கூட்டம் துவங்கியது. தலைவர் உரை முடிந்ததும், பேசத் துவங்கினேன்…
‘இன்று நாம் ஒட்டக்கூத்தர் திருநாளைக் கொண்டாடுகிறோம். சிறிது நேரத்திற்கு முன், இறைவன் சன்னிதியில் ஒரு நிகழ்ச்சி நடந்தது. அது, ஒட்டக்கூத்தர் காலத்து நிகழ்ச்சி ஒன்றை நினைக்கச் செய்தது.
‘ஒட்டக்கூத்தர் அடுத்தடுத்து, மூன்று சோழர்கள் காலத்தில் வாழ்ந்தவர். இரண்டாம் குலோத்துங்கனுக்கு, அவர் ஆசிரியராகவும், அவை புலவராகவும் இருந்தார். ஒரு நாள், புலவர்களும், அறிஞர்களும் கூடியிருந்த அரசவையில், சிம்மாசனத்தில் அமர்ந்திருந்தான் குலோத்துங்கன். அப்போது ஒட்டக்கூத்தர், அவனைப் புகழ்ந்து பாடத் துவங்கினார்.
‘தன் அரண்மனை வாயிலில் தொங்கும் ஆராய்ச்சி மணியின் நா என்றும் அசையாதபடி, யாருக்கும் குறையில்லாமல் செய்து, இவ்வுலகமெல்லாம் பரந்த குடையைத் தரித்த பிரான்…’ என்ற பொருள் அமைய,
ஆடும் கடைமணி நா அசை
யாமல் அகிலமெல்லாம்
நீடும் குடையைத் தரித்த பிரான்…
– என, தொடர்ந்து பாட்டை அவர் சொல்வதற்குள், குலோத்துங்க சோழன், தானே அப்பாட்டின் பிற்பகுதியைச் பாடினான்.
‘தினந்தோறும் புதிய கவிதையைப் பாடும், கவிப் பெருமானாகிய ஒட்டக்கூத்தனுடைய பாதத் தாமரைகளை, தலையில் அணியும் குலோத்துங்க சோழனென்று என்னை உலகினர் சொல்வர்…’ என, பொருள் அமைத்து,
என்றும் நித்தம் நலம்
பாடும் கவிப்பெரு மான் ஒட்டக்
கூத்தன் பாதாம் புயத்தைச் சூடும் குலோத்துங்க சோழன் என்றே
எனைச் சொல்லுவரே!
என்று பாடி முடித்தான். அவையோர், குலோத்துங்கனின் குரு பக்தியை பாராட்டினர்.
‘தனக்கு வந்த புகழ் மாலையை ஏற்றுக் கொள்ளாமல், அதை ஒட்டக்கூத்தருக்கே அளித்து விட்டான் குலோத்துங்கன். இங்கே, ஆண்டவன் சன்னிதியில் தமக்குப் போட இருந்த பட்டையும், மாலையையும் எனக்குப் போட்டு விட்டார் ஆணையர் நரசிம்மன். அந்த நிகழ்ச்சியும், இந்த நிகழ்ச்சியும் ஒரு வகையில் ஒப்புமை உடையதாகத் தோன்றுகிறதல்லவா? அங்கே பாட்டு; இங்கே பட்டு…’ என்றேன்.
அவையோர் இதைக் கேட்டு, கைதட்டி ஆரவாரித்தனர்; எனக்கும், என் நன்றியை ஒரு விதமாக வெளிப்படுத்தி விட்ட மகிழ்ச்சி!

Source………www.dinamalar.com

Natarajan

“A Mega Cruiser Which Will be Bigger than Sydney Opera House …”

April 18, 2015NatarajanLeave a comment

The largest cruise ship to ever visit Australia, Ovation of the Seas, is coming to Sydney in summer 2016.

The Royal Caribbean megaliner is currently being built in Germany at a cost of $US1 billion ($AU1.3 billion).
Ovation of the Seas Sydney Harbour

This giant floating apartment block can carry up to 5000 passengers and 1500 crew. It will be 348 metres long and more than 50m tall, with 18 decks. At a gross weight of 168,666 tonnes, it’s the equal third largest cruise liner in the world. Royal Caribbean will have the top 5 largest cruise ships in the world when it’s complete.

It will join the other four superliners calling Australia home during summer: Voyager of the Seas, Explorer of the Seas and Radiance of the Seas in Sydney and Legend of the Seas in Brisbane.

In a move that will please nearby residents concerned about sulfur emissions, it will have a new purification system, known as scrubbers, that removes 97% of sulfur dioxide emissions from the engines, although the Baird government has promised to ban the use of bunker fuel, which has 3.5% sulfur, before Ovation comes online.

Among the attractions the Ovation will carry are an onboard virtual skydiving chamber, a capsule observatory on a robotic arm rising above the ship for 360-degree views, and a “bionic” bar where cocktails are ordered on tablet, then made by two bionic arms and served without human intervention.

Bookings for Ovation of the Seas open in mid 2015.

The Australian cruise industry is currently worth around $2.3 billion.
Source……..www.businessinsider.com

natarajan

Meet this Guy… Who will be Travelling to 13 countries and over 20000Miles…all for Free !!!

April 12, 2015NatarajanLeave a comment

Scott Keyes will be travelling to 13 countries and over 20,000 miles on his next trip, all for free.

When I spoke with Scott Keyes, he was on a 10-hour layover in Dallas kicking back in theCenturion Lounge where American Express has provided its members with free food and drinks, high-speed WiFi, free spa services, and even its own shower suite.

“It’s just a day in the office in here essentially,” the 28-year-old Keyes told Business Insider. “I’ve got a nice work space, food, drinks, some WiFi. This is like this whole other world.”

Keyes, a reporter for Think Progress, gained access to the lounge as a perk from one of his 25 credit cards. The card, an American Express Platinum, typically has an annual fee of $US450, but Keyes managed to get it waived for the first year by taking advantage of an online deal. After that, he’ll either try to get the next year’s fee waived as well, or he’ll simply downgrade the card to something that doesn’t carry a fee.

This is nothing new for Keyes who told us that he uses his massive collection of credit cards to gain points, frequent flyer miles, and plenty of other member perks all the time. He then turns around and uses those perks on vacations like his upcoming trip which will take him
20,000 miles on 21 flights — all for free.

This isn’t luck. Keyes is somewhat of an expert on travelling for little to no cost, not unlike extreme couponers who put incredible amounts of time, energy, and thought into making sure they never pay a penny more than they have to when making purchases.

After jealous friends kept asking him how he does it, Keyes decided to write his e-books “How To Fly For Free” and “How To Find Cheap Flights.” He even made an email list to send friends updates on any amazing travel deals he comes across on Twitter or his RSS feed.

The epic world trip spans 13 countries — Mexico, Nicaragua, Trinidad, St. Lucia, Grenada, Germany, Czech Republic, Ukraine, Bulgaria, Greece, Macedonia, Lithuania, and Finland — over the next two months. Total airfare is 136,500 frequent flyer miles plus a few small taxes such as ‘airport use’ fees which are all under $US20 per flight.

Aside from those taxes, Keyes will be paying exactly $US0 for his trip, including his hotel stays.

He told Business Insider that it took around 10 to 15 hours to plan his itinerary, including finding flights that will use his miles, choosing between airlines, and avoiding “fuel surcharges” at all costs.

Keyes had previously been living and working for the past year in Oaxaca, Mexico, but now that he’s returning to the US, he realised it was the perfect opportunity to spend some time travelling before jumping back into a full-time job. “It’s tough when you have a job and you have to ask your boss for time off,” Keyes told Business Insider. “You only have a limited time off and then you spend a lot of that travelling. I figured while I’m in a position where I don’t have a 9-to-5, I might as well take advantage.

This is not the first time Keyes has gone on an incredibly cheap getaway for next to nothing. He has flown to Milan for $US67, gone to Galapagos for $US45, and visited Norway and Belgium for around $US70.

“It’s not necessarily easy or intuitive for beginners,” he told Business Insider about finding bargain flights. “But the good news is that because if you do a little bit of leg work — learn how to get a few miles and how to use them well — you can start to travel really, really well.”

Keyes has a few methods to procure his frequent flyer miles, including opening new credit cards that award miles or points, letting airlines know when there’s a problem with his flight, and not being afraid to get bumped if a flight is full.

He also uses Award Wallet and a detailed spreadsheet to keep organised so he never misuses his credit cards or loses track of his points and miles. In fact, since he started accruing cards, Keyes insists his credit score has actually increased just by virtue of handling his credit responsibly.

Standing 18 inches from the mouth of this hippo in Mozambique was the ‘most scared I’ve been in my life,’ according to Keyes.

And when it comes to finding cheap trips, Keyes has an RSS reader and Twitter list chock full of blogs and websites like Airfarewatchdog and The Flight Deal that he skims to see if there are any “mistake fees” or cheap flights available.

The key, he said, is flexibility.

“If your ultimate goal is to be able to find as cheap a flight as possible and go somewhere cool for not much money then starting with an open, blank slate and going wherever there’s a cheap flight right now is going to be your best bet,” he told us.

Since starting his frequent flyer mile journey, Keyes has been to 30 countries — this next trip will make that count 42 — and flown 354,000 miles or roughly 14.3 times around the earth.

“The moon is only 250,000 miles away,” Keyes laughed. “I’ve only got 150,000 more to go until I can get back from the moon.”

As for his upcoming trip, Keyes said he’s most excited to visit a “beer spa” in Prague.

“I don’t quite understand it because I don’t speak Czech, but my understanding from pictures is that you just go and soak in beer,” he told us. “And who can complain about that?”

Source…….MEGAN WILLETT in http://www.businessinsider.com.au

Natarajan

” Why I Need A Password For Everything I do …” ? !!!

April 12, 2015April 12, 2015NatarajanLeave a comment

Passwords now have to be so secure you need to be a genius to remember them. Source: Sunday Style

YOU can record a show on telly without even being home, or talk to someone on the other side of the world while sitting in your car, or run an entire office without using a single sheet of paper, or wake up to a device that will tell you how many hours you’ve slept, and how deeply, or carry around 10,000 books on a device slimmer than a hardcover copy of just one of them. There are so many new, extraordinary things in the world, yet it seems there is always a price to be paid that sucks a little bit of soul from your body.

Take passwords.

I mean, please, really, take them. I don’t want them any more. Because I can’t handle the pressure. I have, frankly, been pushed to the brink by EVERY SINGLE FRICKEN thing I do on my computer, or phone, or bank, or at work, requiring a password. I mean, if it was just a sequence of numbers, it would be fine, but now it seems every website or transaction requires an increasingly complicated multiple digit/include a capital letter/and a number/seven-letter foreign word that can only be read upside-down by an encryption wizard wearing dyslexia goggles, which I am then expected to memorise, but not write down anywhere, and then change every month, as though I am the character Russell Crowe played in that Beautiful Mindfilm, so that my entire existence is based around devising and remembering ever-more-complex mathematical formulae.

Really, are these people serious? I am assuming that there are people behind these recommendations, but maybe they’re not.

Maybe it’s the dreaded bots (the ones who apparently can’t read words written in drippy font on a computer screen) dreaming up these unsustainable password-producing demands.

Because, whoever — or whatever — it is, they seem to know very little about the way humans think.

See, the whole never-ending password cycle has actually backfired with me. I have been so beaten down by the constant hanging/remembering/forgetting/resetting cycle of my 329 passwords, that I now don’t change mine at all.

At my last job, I actually stopped accessing my work emails because I lost the will to reconfigure my password every week.

Basically, I just opted out. And you know what happened? After I got through the initial phase, where techs and office managers were dropping by (in person!) to see if there was anything wrong, I gained an hour in my day.

Yes, it actually freed up my time, because I didn’t have to wade through a daily litany of whose birthday it was, what building works would be happening, the latest excuse for why the office lifts weren’t working, reminders that the charity chocolate box was eight dollars short, marketing strategies being implemented in Far North Queensland by colleagues I’d never heard of, and what time we would convene for the hackysack competition/muffin bake/Denim Day extravaganza to raise money for whatever charitable event had co-opted that day.

Some IT trainspotter had expected me to religiously change a password FOR THAT?

Who did they think was going to hack into that email exchange; the dreaded International Boring Office Email Gang? And what, pray tell, were the evildoers going to do with the information they would gain by infiltrating it? Crash the all-staff gathering in the kitchen to celebrate Mandy from Accounts’ birthday?

Steal a slice of her Michel’s Patisserie black forest cake?

So this is where I’m at now. I use the same password ALL THE TIME. And the people in my office know it, so if they ever need to check anything on my computer, they can.

And if, perchance, a Romanian card-skimming gang of fraudsters ends up with access to my Asos account, I don’t care. In fact, it would be a relief, because such a security breach would actually mean it’s become a problem for Asos, whereas at the moment, it’s a problem for me.

I know what’s going to happen. People who are much smarter than me are going to email me, warning of what can happen when online security is breached. There will be terrible tales of money stolen, and identity fraud, and ensuing bureaucratic madness.

But I’ll have to imagine your correspondence. You see, I haven’t been able to access my Sunday Style emails since June last year, after my fifth password change in as many months.

I mean, I’d love to read them. But computer says ‘no’.

Source………

Kate Langbroek Sunday Style

in www,news.com.au

Natarajan

” Glorious and Colorful Display of Lights through Glass Windows…” !!!

April 12, 2015NatarajanLeave a comment

The Colorful Pink Mosque

When it comes to historical buildings, we usually imagine castles, towers, bricks and mortar. Rarely do we think about the colors it might have.

Here’s an exception. The Nasir Al-Molk Mosque was built in 1876 in Shiraz, Iran. The specialized stained glass windows were built to capture the morning light and create a glorious and colorful display of light on the building’s floor, earning it the name “Pink Mosque”.

At certain times of the day, it seems like this building contains all the colors in the world. It also uses traditional Islamic architecture styles, such as iwan arches, a central fountain etc. However, the stained glass windows are a rarity in mosques, with another example being the famous blue mosque in Istanbul.

Source….. http://www.ba-bamail.com

Natarajan

How Good is Your Eyesight ….!!! …Take This Test !!!

April 11, 2015NatarajanLeave a comment

Who do you see? Take a couple of minutes to have some fun. Video from the guys at AsapSCIENCE.

Source………You Tube and www,earthsky.org

Natarajan

Smile Please….Age No Bar…!!!

April 10, 2015NatarajanLeave a comment

Source………..www.ba-bamail.com

Natarajan

An Amazing Body Paint and Two Ladies…See What Transpires !!!

April 9, 2015NatarajanLeave a comment

Here’s a couple of sisters doing an extremely convincing impression of a chameleon with the help of some amazing bodypaint:

Johannes Stötter/YouTube

It’s the work of renowned bodypaint artist Johannes Stötter, who has won a stack of awards for his work, including a world championship in 2012. He recently released the making of Chameleon onto YouTube so we could see it magically come to life:

It has been nearly two years since Stotter last hit internet fame with another of his creations on YouTube, The Frog, which is actually pieced together by five women.

If you like that,head over to his website where you’ll find around 100 more mind-blowing prints. Or, if you prefer, his Facebook page.

While his animal creations get most attention, Stotter’s landscape works are just as incredible:

stotter creek