SOURCE:::: http://www.dinamalar.com
Natarajan
Discipline
A Briton Who is Cleaning Up India ….
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.
“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
Getting 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
” Better to be Paranoid Than Careless … ” Woman”s Safety Guide Tip …
‘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.
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
Meet the Lesser Known Malalas …
Image: Nobel Peace Prize laureate Malala Yousafzai (centre) poses for a photo with young activists she invited to accompany her in Oslo. From left to right: Amina Yusuf of Nigeria, Kainat Soomro of Pakistan, Shazia Ramzan of Pakistan, Malala, Mezon Almellehan of Syria and Kainat Riaz of Pakistan. Photograph: Suzanne Plunkett/Reuters
“I am Shazia.”
“I am Kainat Riaz.”
“I am Kainat Somro.”
“I am Mezon.”
“I am Amina.”
“I am those 66 million girls who are out of school,” said Malala Yousafzai after she was conferred the Nobel Prize on Wednesday in Oslo. The five names mentioned by the world’s youngest laureate in her Nobel lecture are her friends from across the world and what united them is the campaign for education for every child.
Rediff.com profiles Malala’s five extraordinary young friends and fellow activists.
Kainat Riaz
Kainat Riaz was sitting next to Malala in the same bus when a gunman appeared and opened fire on them. Kainat was shot in the upper right arm, while Malala received a bullet injury in her head on October 9, 2012.
“When you are educated, you are able to do everything,” Riaz said. “If you are not educated, you can’t do anything,” she told the media after the ceremony. “The Malala mission is our mission. She’s my friend. And she inspired us. We will always support her,” she said.
Shazia Ramzan
Shazia, then 13, was sitting in front of Malala and Kainat when the gunman barged in and asked, “Who is Malala?”
The brave identified herself; the gunman shot her. He then turned his gun at Shazia.
He shot Shazia twice — below her collarbone and in her left hand. Finally, he shot Kainat and then jumped off the bus.
Both Shazia and Kainat are now studying in Wales at the UWC Atlantic College and both want to become doctors.
Kainat Soomro
She was only 13 when she was gang-raped in Pakistan’s Mehar. Her struggle to obtain justice drew global attention in 2007.
Soomro’s father was ridiculed by the police. The conservative community in Pakistan said that she should be “killed for honour”; her family stood by her and rejected it outright. Fearing the subsequent backlash, the family left for Karachi.
Defying all norms, she took her alleged perpetrators to court, and has worked tirelessly since then to bring them to justice. The alleged rapists are still at large.
Mezon Almellehan
This 16-year-old Syrian refugee, who lives with her family in a camp in Azraq, Jordan champions for girls’ education within the camps.
She met Malala earlier this year at the large Syrian refugee camp, Za’atari, where Almellehan was living at the time.
Amina Yusuf
Amina Yusuf, 17, is a girls’ education activist from northern Nigeria where the terror group Boko Haram abducted more than 200 schoolgirls during a raid in April 2014.
SOURCE::: http://www.rediff.com
Natarajan
Interesting Facts of Human Brain !!!
Facts About Human PsychologyThe 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 |
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| 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 |
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| 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 |
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| 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 |
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| 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 |
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| 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! |
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| 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 |
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| 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 |
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| 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 |
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| 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 |
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| 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 |
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| 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 |
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| 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 |
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| 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  |
| 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 |
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| 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
Natarajan
Message For the Day…” Keep Your Emotions always within Check …”
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!
Joke of the Day… ” It is Not Addressed to you …” !!!
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
Natarajan
Home Remedies to control Your Blood Sugar Level !!!
Home Remedies To Control Blood Sugar Levels
| Diabetes is one of the leading concerns among health professionals today as more and more individuals fall prey to this life-long and dangerous disease. Diabetes is caused when the blood sugar levels rise to an excess and a resistance to insulin results. Once this happens, the diabetic individual can no longer control their blood sugar levels, and they can rise and fall with serious consequences. Yet whether you are diabetic or know someone diabetic or not, it is important to implement measures to control blood sugar levels and to stop the spread of the diabetes in its tracks. |
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1. Consume More Dairy Products
 The protein and fat in dairy products helps improve blood sugar levels, and if the products are low in fat, it has been shown that they can also decreased the chances for developing insulin resistance.
2. Choose the Right Kind of Bread
Avoid white flour based products at all costs! These simple carbohydrates are full of sugar that spike up your blood sugar. Instead, you should consume whole wheat or rye products that are high in fiber, protein and complex carbohydrates which control blood sugar levels and keep you full longer.
3. Maximize the Magnesium
Magnesium is a mineral known to help prevent the onset of Type II diabetes and should be consumed as much as possible. It is best to consume natural sources of magnesium such as spinach, fish, nuts, leafy greens and avocados. All of these foods have been proved to lower the risk of diabetes and can even aid in weightless.
 4. Cardamom is great!
Cardamom originates in the ginger family of spices and comes from Asia as well as South America. The spice is known to regulate Type II diabetes and can be sprinkled on coffee, tea, yogurt and even cereal. The spice is known to help decrease blood glucose levels by eighteen to thirty percent.
5. Buckwheat
 Buckwheat is an excellent source of fiber that you may never have heard of. It also does wonders for maintaining healthy blood sugar levels. Buckwheat comes in the form of soba noodles, which are a delicious substitute for rice or pasta as well as in a number of powders that can be added to baked goods or even on top of a slice of (whole wheat) bread.
6. Drink in Moderation
Alcohol contains huge amounts of sugar, and anyone trying to watch out for their blood sugar should definitely moderate the amount of alcohol they consume. It is best to occasionally drink wine with dinner, and not after dinner when the same glass of wine could alter insulin levels in the blood.
7. Watch Fat Intake
It is important to watch the amount of saturated fats entering the body because these can seriously increase the chances of contracting diabetes. Saturated fats are usually in fried and junk foods as they are cooked in unhealthy oils.
8. Exercise Daily
Getting in exercise each day is critical to maintaining normal blood sugar levels, even if it’s a brisk walk in the park.
9. Laughing
Yes, this is really one of the tips that will prevent your chances for diabetes. It was found that those who laugh have lower blood sugar levels than those who don’t laugh enough (this means you should keep reading our jokes!).
 10. Eat Grapefruit
Grapefruit has been proved to aid in weight loss as it affects the glucose metabolism, keeping insulin levels steady.
11. Do Resistance Training
Building muscle mass is important for burning more glucose out of your system and training once to twice a week could significantly aid in preventing the occurrence of diabetes.
12. Drink Decaf, Not Regular
 Decaffeinated coffee slows down the rate at which the intestines absorb sugars and speeds up the absorption of sugar by the muscles.
13. Eat Smaller Meals
It is best to have a small meal every half hour and then another small meal (or a second half of the regular size meal) later on. In the same vein, it is also important to eat regularly so that insulin levels don’t spike.
14. Get Enough Sleep
Sleep deprivation can affect blood sugar and insulin levels so it is important to get enough sleep each night. It is also essential to stop snoring because according to some studies, those who snore are more likely to develop diabetes (because snoring is often tied to being overweight).
15. Learn Relaxation
Listen to soothing music or read an interesting book, whatever you need to do to relax. Meditation and yoga can also help if they are done properly and on a regular basis.
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SOURCE::::www.ba-bamail ,com
Natarajan
” What a Magic ” !!!….. Unbelievable !!!
SOURCE:::: You Tube
Natarajan
Korean Air Chief Bows In Apology For His Daughter”s Action …
https://natarajank.com/2014/12/09/hard-nut-to-crack/
Pl read the related link above with a simple click before proceeding further …
Natarajan
On Friday, Korean Air and Hanjin Group chairman Cho Yang-ho bowed apologetically and blamed himself for the outlandish behavior of his eldest daughter and former Airline executive Heather Cho.
The younger Cho landed in hot water last week after she ordered a flight she was on to return to its gate at New York’s JFK International Airport. Why? To kick off the head flight attendant due to unhappiness over how she was served macadamia nuts.
The international outcry from to the incident led Cho – who was in charge of in-flight service and catering for Korean Air as well as hotels for a Korean Air subsidiary – to resign her post as executive vice president of her father’s multi-billion dollar conglomerate, the Hanjin Group, earlier this week.
T he Hanjin Group is comprised of major international shipping lines and logistics companies, as well as Korean Air.
In an attempt to regain some of the luster the family lost over the past week, the elder Cho stepped in front of a slew of reporters and apologized profusely for his daughter’s behavior.
He also announced his daughter’s dismissal from any position within Hanjin Group from which she has not already resigned.
“I apologize to the people of [South Korea] as chairman of Korean Air and as a father for the trouble caused by my daughter’s foolish conduct,” the tycoon said, according to Reuters.
“Please blame me; it’s my fault,” Cho said, according to the New York Times. “I failed to raise her properly.”
AP/Lee Jin-manHeather Cho apologizes to the press.
In a separate press conference, Heather Cho also took questions from a gaggle of reporters. In a dramatic turn of events, the executive appeared sullen and spoke almost inaudibly as she apologized for her behavior.
The controversy began when the younger Cho, seated in first class of a Korean Air Airbus superjumbo, was served macadamia nuts in its original packaging by a junior flight attendant instead of following the airline’s service procedure, which requires the crew member to ask if the passenger would like some nuts and then serve the snacks on a plate.
Cho then proceeded to grill the flight’s head flight attendant over the company’s service policies. Apparently unhappy with the crew member’s response, Cho ordered the airliner to abandon its place in line for take off and return to its gate at JFK to deplane the head flight attendant. This maneuver cause the flight to be delayed 20 minutes and arrive at its destination in South Korea 11 minutes late.
Flickr/John MurphyKorean Air super jumbo
Korean media is reporting that the country’s transport ministry is investigating whether Cho violated any Korean aviation regulations.
According to Marketwatch, Korean aviation regulations state that an aircraft preparing for takeoff should only return to the gate if the pilots determine that there’s an emergency that would threaten the well being of the plane and its passengers. Violators could be subject to 10 years of jail time!
The incident has invited criticism of family owned conglomerates – known as “chaebols”- in the Korean economy. In addition to Hanjin Group, other chaebols such as Samsung, Hyundai, and LG have risen to global prominence over the past few decades.
Many in the public as well as the press characterised the Hanjin’s airline heiress as entitled and inappropriate.
Hopefully, the elder Cho’s apologies have walked back some of the uproar over the ugliness of the incident
SOURCE:::: http://www.businessinsider .in
Natarajan
Take off with Natarajan 