| Having a roof to live under is a luxury. Having ample food on your table every day is luck. And above all, having a family to care for you is a blessing. The unconditional love of a family is something we should all be thankful for, notwithstanding the messes we make, the chores we complain about, the heartbreak we experience, and the distances that separate us. Let us all express our gratitude to the Lord, for having given us a comfortable house for us to live in and a warm family that makes it a home.
Lord, thank you for this sink of dirty dishes;
Thank you for this pile of dirty, stinky laundry;
And I would like to thank you, Lord, for those unmade beds;
My thanks to you, Lord, for this bathroom,
Thank you for this finger-smudged refrigerator
Thank you, Lord, for this oven that absolutely
The whole family is grateful for that tall grass
Lord, the presence of all these chores awaiting me says
Even though I clutch my blanket and growl
Even though I keep my eyes closed from the morning light
Even though I huddle in my bed and put off rising,
Even though the first hour of my day is hectic, There are many who are lonely. Even though our breakfast table never looks like
Even though the routine of my job is often monotonous,
Even though I grumble and bemoan my fate from day to day
Source……..www.ba-bamail.com Natarajan
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Discipline
Message for the Day….” The Sun Teaches man the Lesson of Humble Devotion to Duty …”
For all actions, the inspirer, the performer and the experiencer is the Sun-God. For people caught up in a meaningless existence and going through an endless round of futile activities, the Sun-God stands out as the exemplar of tireless and selfless service. He enjoys no respite from work. He is above praise and censure. He carries on his duties with absolute equanimity. Everything he does is only for the well-being of the world and not to cause any harm. Draw inspiration from Sun-God. The world cannot survive without the Sun. Life on earth is possible only because of the Sun. The Sun teaches man the lesson of humble devotion to duty, without any conceit. The Sun is the supreme example for everyone that one Sushould do one’s duty with devotion and dedication. Doing one’s duty is the greatest Yoga, as pointed out by Krishna in the Gita. Let your actions and thoughts be good. You will then experience the Bliss Divine.
How an Anonymous Group of People Came Together to Paint over 250 Flyover Pillars in Bengaluru…
The Ugly Indian, the anonymous collective that is working a slow revolution in Indian streets (and mindsets), has done it again.
After cleaning up the streets of Bangalore with a vengeance, they have found their next target: flyover pillars. These massive structures are common targets for promotional posters and the accumulated dust and filth on our streets, and can (and do) easily become public eyesores.
The Ugly Indian has till date cleaned and painted over 250 of these pillars.
Their latest target was area under the flyover (what is called the UFO area) of the Bhadrappa Layout flyover in Bangalore. Over a 100 civic-minded citizen volunteers and BBMP personnel came together to reclaim this public space. The drive saw people of all ages turn up and work, from young children to senior citizens.
They didn’t just paint the pillars, either; they also fixed up walls, footpaths, and road medians in the area.
The local government is clearly thrilled with these enthusiastic and dedicated workers — since BBMP personnel work along with them, this is, in a way, a public-private partnership.
There may be something to what they’re painting onto the pillars too. The 3-D pyramid design seems to work wonders at dissuading advertisers from using them as notice boards.
In contrast to their previous bedraggled condition, the painted pillars remain spotless. It’s clear that a single move in the right direction can lead to sustained positive change.
Clean, beautiful public spaces can make even the make living in cities a joy. The Ugly Indian, whose motto is “kaam chalu, mooh bandh” (“stop talking, start doing”), is showing us that moralising, debating, and blaming will lead us nowhere till we pick up broomsticks and paintbrushes in our own hands — and get to work.
Because our cities belong to us.
All photos from The Ugly Indian’s Facebook page.
Source…….Vandita Kapoor in http://www.the betterindia.com
natarajan
This Mumbai-Born Girl Living in the UK May Just Be Smarter than Einstein…!!!
Kashmea Wahi, an 11-year-old Indian-origin girl living in the UK, has achieved the highest possible score of 162 on a Mensa IQ test.
Kashmea, who was born in Mumbai, now lives in London. Her parents Vikas and Pooja Wahi are IT management consultants at Deutsche Bank. She took the test to prove a point to them — she wanted to convince them that she didn’t need to spend all her time studying (something that they were insisting she do).
This score puts her among the top 1 percent of people in the world for IQ.
The IQ of geniuses such as Albert Einstein and Stephen Hawking, who have changed our perception of the world, is estimated to be 160.
Source: Wikimedia
“It’s overwhelming to be compared with the likes of Stephen Hawking and Albert Einstein, the comparison is implausible and I believe it would take loads of achievements for anyone like myself to be able to get into the league of such legends. Anyways, I am buzzing with excitement,” Kashmea said.
Her parents are also thrilled at this news. They say that while they always knew she was smart, this further confirmation has made them hopeful that she will do “something wonderful” in the future.
Kashmea is a member of school’s maths team. She also takes part in chess tournaments — she has won a number of awards — and plays net ball and lawn tennis.
Mensa is the largest and oldest high-IQ society in the world. Membership is open to anyone whose IQ is in the top 2 percent of the population. A Mensa spokesperson has confirmed that Wahi is among the youngest people ever to have received a score of 162.
Featured image source: Twitter (left); Wikimedia (right)
Source…….vandita kapoor in http://www.the betterindia .com
Natarajan
Mango Phone: Here’s an iPhone killer….?
Apple’s iPhone will soon have an interesting competitor in smartphone markets around the globe with the launch of MPhone — the Mango Phone.
Not very surprisingly, the company has also decided on a mango as their logo. The new handset is expected to hit Indian markets by the end of this month.
The company, reportedly helmed by group of Malayalis, was founded on an initial investment of Rs 3500 crore. In what could be more interesting to prospective buyers, a fresh handset also packs a bluetooth headset, wireless charger, power bank and a selfie stick!
The handset will be brought to the markets by MPhone Electronics and Technologies Limited with 4G and 3D technology assistance from Korea. MPhone Electronics and Technologies Limited is learnt to be partnered by Anto Augustine, Roy Augustine and Josekutty Augustine from the Wayanad district of Kerala.
It is also learnt that the handset employs a 6050 mah battery that assures three days charge life for a fully charged handset. Shock resistant Gorilla screen glass, 23 MP primary and 8 MP secondary camera are other major attractions of the upcoming competitor of the iPhone. Reportedly, the handset will be providing an internal memory of 32 GB, which can be extended up to 128 GB. A 3 GB RAM module will speed up the handset.
As per unofficial reports, the MPhone will be priced around Rs 35,000. While it may not be wise to compare apples to oranges mangoes, it will certainly make for some interesting competition in this space!
Deepu
Source: 
http://www.rediff.com
http://www.rediff.comNatarajan
Anamorphic Art by István Orosz………
István Orosz was born in 1951 and after training as a graphic designer, he first gained recognition as a stage designer and for his work in animated film as animator and director. His posters and graphic art have featured in countless international design exhibitions, and he is well-known as a printmaker and illustrator too. He is perhaps best known for his renewal of the technique of anamorphosis.
Anamorphosis is an art of distorted projection or perspective requiring the viewer to use special devices or occupy a specific vantage point to reconstitute the image. The art of Anamorphosis was invented in China and brought to Italy in the 16th century, about the time Renaissance artists like Leonardo da Vinci were mastering 3-D and discovering slant anamorphosis.
István Orosz specializes in mirror anamorphosis, where a conical or cylindrical mirror is placed on the drawing to transform a flat distorted image into a three dimensional picture that can be viewed from many angles. He also does slant anamorphosis.
István Orosz’s best creation is probably the one called Mysterious Island. It’s a sketch of a seashore with a sail pushed along by the wind, and two men trekking.
But if a cylindrical mirror is placed over the circular sun, a portrait of Jules Verne emerges.
His other works
Source…..www.amusingplanet.com
Natarajan
Positive Affirmations to Help You Through Tough Times….
| When the going gets tough, I have found that positive affirmations have helped me push through and overcome the odds. After all, just like every muscle in the body, the mind needs to be exercised too. Positive affirmations remind us to believe in ourselves and move forward. They tell us exactly what we need to hear at the time we need it most. And if we train our mind with positive affirmations every day, soon enough, the right thoughts will spring to mind without needing to make the extra effort. Here are 10 of my favorite affirmations I repeat each morning. I hope that they will benefit you as much as they have me.
Source…….www.ba-bamail.com Natarajan |
The Incredible Story of a Village in Kerala That Gave up Alcohol… For Chess!
In the midst of the recent debate surrounding prohibition in the southern Indian state of Kerala, maybe it’s time once again to talk about the tiny village of Marottichal in Puthur Gram, Thrissur.
In the 60s and 70s, the village had a serious problem with locally-brewed liquor. Too many villagers both brewed toddy and were addicted to it. Over time, this became a source of local suffering. Slowly but surely, though, the villagers realised that the deep rifts caused in their community because of alcohol needed to be healed. In a move that goes to show the extent of their determination (and desperation) to be rid of alcohol, they convinced excise officials to raid their village and put a stop to the brewing.
Often, when the focus of an addiction is removed, the addict simply replaces the object his devotion with another.
How delightful then, that what the residents of Marottichal chose to put their heart in was, of all things — chess.
mage for representation only. Source: Wikipedia
Over 40 years ago, when the villagers were struggling to cope with the aftermath of their alcoholism, it just so happened that a young man called C. Unnikrishnan was intensely fascinated by Bobby Fischer — the American who became the youngest chess Grandmaster at the at of 16.
After he came across an article about Fischer in a magazine, Unnikrishnan was hooked. He started attending coaching classes to learn chess, then decided that the game was too special to remain a private pleasure; it needed to be popularised. He started giving free lessons at his home to villagers both young and old. Since then, he has trained over 600 people. Today, he runs a restaurant where people can come at any time and play chess.
In a 2012 article, Unnikrishnan had said to The Hindu, “Chess is my passion. Once I start playing, I forget everything. It’s kind of an addiction.”
Funny that he would choose that word.
Today, 90 percent of the residents of Marottichal are chess players. This passion cuts across gender and age — here men and women, children and grandparents all play intense games of chess against each other with equal fervour.
Viswanathan Anand, Grandmaster and five time World Chess Champion, has congratulated the villagers’ effort “to create a rare distinction in the field of chess”. Their prodigious love of the game has also found a place in a 2013 Malayalam movie, August Club.
Source…..Vandita Kapoor in www.the betterindia.com
Natarajan
9 of the Most Remote Inhabited Islands in the World…!!!
| I can’t get my head around how far away the inhabitants of these islands live from civilization! They are hundreds, if not thousands, of miles from the nearest continental land mass – it’s truly astonishing to think they’re even inhabited at all. Would you dare to visit somewhere so remote? These are 9 of the world’s most remote inhabited islands: | |||||||||||||||||||
| Saint Helena
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Message for the Day….” Understand What is Culture …”
Many do not invest time to understand the sacredness and value of their culture. ‘Culture’ means that which sanctifies the world, which enhances the greatness and glory of a country, and which helps to raise the individual and society to a higher level of existence. The observance of morality in daily life, divinisation of all actions and thoughts related to life, and adherence to ideals – all these together constitute culture. Culture contributes to the refinement of life. The process of refinement or transformation is essential for improving the utility of any object. For instance, paddy has to be milled and the husk has to be removed before the rice is fit for cooking. This is the process known as Samskriti or transformation. This means getting rid of the unwanted elements and securing the desirable elements. With regards to people, Samskriti (culture) means getting rid of bad qualities and cultivating virtues. A cultured person is one who has good thoughts and good conduct.
Take off with Natarajan 