Education – Page 56 – Take off with Natarajan

” மடை”யர்களை போற்றுவோம்…..!!!

November 16, 2015NatarajanLeave a comment

80 ஆண்டுகளுக்கு முன்பு ராஜசிம்ம மங்கலம் ஏரி.

இன்றைய நிலையில் ராஜசிம்ம மங்கலம் ஏரி. படம்: எஸ்.முஹம்மது ராஃபி

ஓடும் நீரின் வேரை அறுத்த வேதனை வரலாறு

நம் முன்னோர்களின் ஏரி தொழில்நுட்பங்களை அறிந்துக்கொள்வதற்கு முன்பாக ஏரிகளைப் பற்றிய அடிப்படைத் தகவல்களை அறிந்துகொள்வோம். மனிதன் வெட்டியது அல்லாமல் இயற்கையாகவே உருவாகும் ஏரிகளும் உண்டு. அவை 6 வகைப்படுகின்றன. பூமித் தட்டுகளின் அசைவால் உருவாவது டெக்டோனிக் (Tectonic) ஏரி (உ.ம்: டிசோ மொரீரி ஏரி-லடாக்). எரிமலை வெடிப்புகளால் உருவாவது வேல்கனிக் (Volcanic) ஏரி (உ.ம்: டவோடா ஏரி-ஜப்பான்). தொடர் காற்று வீச்சால் உருவாவது எயோலியன் (Aeolian) ஏரி (உ.ம்: சாம்பார் ஏரி-ஜெய்ப்பூர்). தொடர் நீர் பாய்தலால் உருவாவது புளுவியல்(Fluvial) ஏரி (உ.ம்: கபர்டால் ஏரி-பிஹார்). பனிப் பாறைகளின் சரிவுகளால் உருவாவது கிளாசியல் (Glacial) ஏரி (உ.ம்: சந்திராடால் ஏரி-இமாச்சலம்). கடலோர இயக்கங்களால் உருவாவது கோஸ்டல் (Coastal) ஏரி (உ.ம்: பழவேற்காடு ஏரி-சென்னை).

ஆனால், மனிதனால் உருவாக்கப்பட்ட ஏரிகளே அதிகம். இந்தியாவில் 2,52,848 ஏரிகள், குளங்கள் உள்ளன. தமிழகம், ஆந்திரம், கர்நாடகம் ஆகிய மாநிலங்களில் மட்டும் 1,66,283 ஏரிகள் உள்ளன. சரி, மனிதன் ஏரிகளை உருவாக்க வேண்டிய அவசியம் என்ன? மனிதன் முதலில் மழையை மட்டுமே நம்பி விவசாயம் செய்தான். மழை இல்லாதபோது மழை நீரை சேமிக்க ஆறுகளின் அருகே சிறு நீர் நிலைகளை ஏற்படுத்தினான். இதுவே ஏரியின் தொடக்கக் காலம். அடுத்ததாக ஆற்றில் இருந்து நீர் நிலைகளுக்குத் தண்ணீர் கொண்டுவர ஆற்றின் குறுக்கும் நெடுக்குமாக சவுக்கு, மூங்கில் கம்புகளை அடித்தார்கள். அவற்றின் இடையே கோரை மற்றும் நாணல் புற்களைக் கொண்டு அடைத்து, களிமண் பூசி சுவர்போல தடுப்பு ஏற்படுத்தினார்கள். இதன் பெயர் கொரம்பு. கொரம்பில் நீர் நிரம்பியபோது கால்வாய்கள் அமைத்து உயரமான இடங்களில் இருந்த குளங்களுக்கு நீரைப் பாய்ச்சினார்கள். இதுவே பிற்காலத்தில் அணைகள் அமைய அடிப்படையாக அமைந்தது.

பழந்தமிழர் நீர் நிலைகளை இலஞ்சி, வாவி, நளினி, கயம், கண்மாய், ஏரி, கோட்டகம், கேணி, குளம், மலங்கன், கிடங்கு, குட்டம், வட்டம், தடாகம், மடு, ஓடை, பொய்கை, சலந்தரம் என்று அழைத்தனர். அப்போது நீர் நிலைகளை உருவாக்குவது ஒரு மன்னனின் தலையாயக் கடமையாக கருதப்பட்டது. இதைத்தான் பாண்டியன் நெடுஞ்செழியனிடம் குடபுலவியனார்,

‘நிலன்நெளி மருங்கின் நீர்நிலை பெருகத்
தட்டோரம்ம இவண்தட் டோரே
தள்ளாதோர் இவண்தள்ளா தோரே’

(புறநானூறு 18) என்று பாடினார். அதாவது, ‘எங்கெல்லாம் நிலம் பள்ளமாக இருக்கிறதோ அங்கெல்லாம் கரை அமைத்து நீர் நிலைகள் உருவாக்கிய மன்னர்களே இந்த உலகில் தங்களது பெயரை நிலை நிறுத்திக்கொள்வார்கள்’ என்கிறார் குடபுலவியனார். அதேபோல 10 வயது முதல் 80 வயது வரை குடிமராமத்துப் பணி செய்வது கடமையாக கருதப்பட்டது. இப்படியாக நீர் நிலைகளை உருவாக்குவதும் பராமரிப்பதும் பழந்தமிழர் வாழ்வோடு ஒன்றியதாக இருந்தது.

நம் முன்னோர் ஏனோதானோவென்று ஏரிகளை வெட்டிவிடவில்லை. இன்றைய பொறியியல் தொழில்நுட்பங்களுக்கு எல்லாம் சவால் விடுபவை அவை. பாண்டியன் மூன்றாம் ராஜசிம்மன் கட்டிய ராஜசிம்ம மங்கலம் ஏரி உட்பட, தமிழகத்தின் பாரம்பரிய ஏரிகளைக் கழுகுக் கண் கொண்டு பார்த்தால் அவை பிறை நிலவின் வடிவில் இருப்பதைக் காணலாம். குறிப்பாக, பழந்தமிழர் ஏரிகளை 8-ம் நாள் பிறை வடிவில் அமைத்தார்கள். ஏரிகள் இந்த வடிவத்தில் அமைவதால் கரையின் நீளம் குறைவாகவும், அதேசமயம் அதிக நீர்க் கொள்ளளவு கொண்டதாகவும் இருந்தன. இது சிக்கனமான வடிவமைப்பு முறை. இதைத்தான் சங்கப் புலவர் கபிலர்,

‘அறையும் பொறையும் மணந்த தனைய
எண்நாள் திங்கள் அணைய கொடுங்கரைத்
தென்நீர்ச் சிறுகுளம் கீழ்வது மாதோ
தேர்வன் பாரிதன் பறம்பு நாடே’

என்று பாடினார்.

ஏரியை வடிவமைத்தப் பிறகு அதிலிருந்து தண்ணீர் வெளியேற்ற கண்டுபிடித்த தொழில்நுட்பம்தான் ‘மடை’. அந்த மடைகளை அமைக்க முதலில் பனை மரங்கள் பயன்படுத்தப்பட்டன. முதிர்ந்த பனை மரத்தை ‘வாய்ச்சு’ என்கிற கருவியால் வெட்டுவார்கள். மரம் வெட்டுப்படாமல் நெருப்புத் தெறிக்க வேண்டும். அதுதான் மடைக்கு உகந்த மரம். வைரம் பாய்ந்த கட்டை. அப்படியான மரங்களைத் தேர்வு செய்து, அதன் உள்தண்டை நீக்கிவிடுவார்கள். உறுதியான நீண்ட குழாய் தயார். இதனை ஏரிக் கரையின் அடியாழத்தில் பதித்து, அதன் உள் ஓட்டையில் கோரை, நாணல், களிமண் கலந்து அடைத்துவிடுவார்கள். இதுதான் ஆரம்பகால மடை. பின்பு பாறை மற்றும் மரச் சட்டங்களில் மடைகள் உருவாக்கப்பட்டன.

வெள்ளக் காலங்களில் மடைகளைத் திறப்பதற்கு என்றே ஆட்கள் இருந்தார்கள். மடைகளைத் திறப்பது சாதாரண விஷயமல்ல; உயிரைப் பணயம் வைக்கும் சாகசப் பணி இது. வெள்ளக் காலங்களில் ஏரியில் தண்ணீர் நிரம்பி வழியும். கரை வெடிக்கக் காத்திருக்கும். நேரம் கடந்தால் ஊரே அழிந்துவிடும். வெள்ளத்துக்குப் பயந்து மக்கள் ஊருக்கு வெளியே ஒதுங்கிவிடுவார்கள். அப்போது ஒரே ஒருவர் மட்டும் ஏரிக் கரைக்குச் செல்வார். கடல்போல கொந்தளிக்கும் ஏரிக்குள் குதிப்பார். நீரில் மூழ்கி, மூச்சடக்கி, கரையின் அடியாழத்தில் இருக்கும் மடையின் அடைப்பை திறந்துவிடுவார். மடை திறந்ததும் புயல் வேகத்தில் வெளியேறும் வெள்ளம். அதேவேகத்தில் வெள்ளம் அதை திறப்பவரையும் இழுத்துச் செல்ல முற்படும். அதன் வேகத்தில் இருந்து தப்புவது மிகவும் சிரமம்.

மடையைத் திறக்க ஒருவர் உள்ளே மூழ்கும்போதே உயிர் பிழைத்தால் உண்டு என்று கடவுளை வேண்டிக்கொண்டுதான் அனுப்புவார்கள். மூழ்குபவர் மனைவி, குழந்தைகளிடம் எல்லாம் ஆற்றாமையுடன் விடைப் பெற்றுக்கொண்டுதான் ஏரிக்குள் இறங்குவார். இப்படி மடை திறக்கச் சென்று மீண்டு வந்தவர் பலர். மாண்டுபோனவர் பலர். தியாகிகளான இவர்களைப் பற்றி எந்தக் குறிப்புகளோ, கல்வெட்டுகளோ வரலாற்றில் எதுவுமில்லாமல் போனதுதான் சோகம். இவர்கள் ‘மடையர்கள்’என்று அழைக்கப்பட்டார்கள்.

மனதை தொட்டுச் சொல்லுங்கள், இனியும் யாரையாவது ‘மடையா’ என்று திட்டுவீர்கள் நீங்கள்?

Source…..டி.எல்.சஞ்சீவிகுமார் in http://www.tamil.thehindu.com

Natarajan

Message for the Day….” Strive to light Your own Lamp from the Universal Light of Love First…”

November 16, 2015NatarajanLeave a comment

You can light more than thousand candles from a single lamp. Remember only a burning lamp or candle can be used to light other candles. An unlit candle cannot light the other unlit candles. So too only the one who earned wisdom can enlighten others who are in ignorance. One who is not illumined cannot illumine others who are dwelling in the darkness of maya:So you must strive to light your own lamp from the Universal Light of Love and from there transmit illumination to all who seek and strive. All lamps shine alike, since they are all sparks of that Param-jyothi, the Universal Luminosity, which is God. Lamps are many but light is one. Every patch of water on earth has the reflection of the sun in it but the original sun is one. Just as the one sun is seen in a million pots, lakes or wells the one same Divine (Paramjyothi) shines as wisdom in a million hearts.

Musician Darren Hanlon recounts a Muslim Uber driver’s reaction to the Paris terrorist attacks…

November 16, 2015NatarajanLeave a comment

Australian singer and songwriter Darren Hanlon has told of his encounter with a Muslim Uber driver.

FOLK rocker Darren Hanlon has illustrated the heartbreaking impact of the Paris attacks in an account of a Saturday night Uber ride that has gone viral.

Hanlon, a singer and songwriter from Gympie who has toured with Courtney Barnett, is in Sydney ahead of his Wednesday gig at Giant Dwarf Theatre.

Posting on his Facebook page, he told of the emotional outburst by the Muslim driver who picked him up outside a Sydney car dealership after he missed his bus stop.

“I sunk down in the seat and we settled into the usual small talk, his shift hours and workload,” Hanlon wrote.

“I looked over and could see even with him sitting down he was small framed, his chin almost in line with the top of the steering wheel.”

After some lighthearted discussion about the perils and pitfalls of GPS navigation, the conversation shifted to the more grave topic of the terrorist attacks that had rocked the French capital overnight.

“I can’t understand these who go around killing other people … in cold blood”, Hanlon heard the Indian-born driver say.

“Although it’s been on everyone’s mind today it was still an abrupt shift,” he wrote.

“He’d dovetailed it into the conversation as if he’d been waiting to. I recognised the moment that sometimes happens in the driver/passenger relationship where the banal switches to the deeply personal, the freedom allowed strangers who are trapped in a finite time period together.”

Straightening himself in his seat, Hanlon said, he sat quietly and listened as the driver confessed: “I’m a Muslim … And this is not what I was taught as a child”

“The etymology of the word Islam comes from a word that means peace.”Source:Facebook

The driver told Hanlon he had spent most of the day praying at the Zetland mosque after hearing of the deadly attacks the killed at least 129 people and left at least 150 wounded.

Hanlon said he emphasised: “These people say they act under the name of Islam. I’ve studied religion, theology. The etymology of the word Islam comes from a word that means Peace.”

A discussion ensued about the ways religious texts, including the Koran, are misconstrued by those who seek to serve their own needs.

“The finance banker will use certain lines to justify his actions, just as the jihadist will do the same,” Hanlon wrote.

“I looked over to see him wipe tears from his eyes.”

He said he queried whether the Koran had a basic law, like that of the Bible’s Ten Commandments, stating “thou shalt not kill”.

“‘Of course!’ he exclaimed, ‘The second highest law says that if you kill a single soul it’s like killing the soul of all humanity. If you save a single soul, you save all humanity.’”

Hanlon said the pair sat in the car continuing to talk after reaching his destination on King St, mourning both the innocent victims in Paris and the young men “whose minds have been brainwashed”, concluding that love was “the only defence” against the terror threat.

“I didn’t wanna write this as some kind of statement,” Hanlon’s post concluded.

“I just want to tell you about my brief random conversation with a sad Muslim Sydney Uber driver, whose religion is being taken from him.”

The Facebook post drew more than 12,000 likes, but some commenters expressed scepticism about whether the story was true.

Hanlon told news.com.au the encounter happened exactly as described, that he jotted it down soon afterwards and had quoted the driver as precisely as possible when recalling the conversation.

Source…..dana.mccauley@news.com.au

Natarajan

Simple Cleaning Tricks for Household ….

November 15, 2015NatarajanLeave a comment

Cleaning your home usually involves harsh, smelly chemicals that assault your sense of smell, dry out your skin, and leave you feeling like you live in a science lab.

The natural methods below not only work just as well without those abrasive side effects, some actually work even better. Say goodbye to working up a sweat scrubbing away and let these simple hacks take care of the hard work for you. Everything from the bathroom to your laundry will benefit from these awesome tricks.

Revive your musty shower curtain.

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Toss it in the washing machine with a few old towels to help scrub off all the mildew and other ickiness. Just do a normal wash in warm water and hang to dry.

Clear out drain buildup without harsh chemicals.

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Pour one cup of baking soda followed by one cup of white vinegar and allow to fizz for five to ten minutes. Rinse with boiling hot water.

De-grime your shower head.

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Use a Ziplock bag large enough to fit over the entire shower head and fill it with white vinegar. Tie it over the shower head, making sure it’s fully submerged, and allow to sit overnight. Rinse with water.

Toilet brushes need to be cleaned, too.

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Pour one cup of washing soda, a half-cup hydrogen peroxide, and half a cup of white vinegar into your toilet bowl and leave your brush to sit in it for a few hours. Flush to rinse.

Get your mirrors and windows drunk.

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Okay, not really, but using a mixture of one part vodka, one part white vinegar, and two parts distilled water will give you a streak-free clean.

Stop scrubbing your microwave.

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Fill a bowl with water and lemon juice (or vinegar) and heat it for about five minutes. Once it’s cooled down, you’ll be able to wipe away all the stains without a struggle.

Keep your wood cutting boards naturally sanitized

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Just rub a sliced lemon over the whole thing, then let it dry before wiping off any residue.

Toothpaste doesn’t just make your teeth shiny.

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It can also get rid of the pesky tarnish on silver without having to resort to smelly chemical solutions.

Clean hard-to-reach glassware nooks with rice.

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Decorative wine bottles, flower vases, and other items with small openings can be cleaned using one-quarter cup of uncooked rice, a splash of water, and a few drops of dish soap. Simply give ’em a good shake!

Give your appliances a smooth shine with baby oil.

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It cuts through all the dust and grease and leaves metal appliances shining for up to a week.

Soak up carpet spills with salt

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It’s best to get to the stain as quickly as possible and pour lots (LOTS) of salt on it. Let it stay for a few days, adding more if necessary, then vacuum up.

Or iron the stain away.

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Put a damp cloth over the stain and iron on a high setting to give it a good steam clean.

Make your mildewy towels as fresh as new.

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Wash them with vinegar on hot to kill the stale smell and make them fluffy as well as fresh-scented.

Speaking of washing machines, clean those, too.

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Run an empty load with as much water and on the highest heat setting as possible. Once it’s filled, add a quart of white vinegar and one cup of washing or baking soda (or whatever you can fit into the front-loading detergent drawer), then run again with just water.

Gather the dust from your fans in a pillowcase instead of your face.

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Wrap the pillow case around the blade and wipe away the dust on the bottom and top of the blade at the same time.

When your guests forget to use coasters, clean the wood rings with olive oil and salt.

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Apply a mixture of olive oil and salt to each stain and allow to sit for an hour or so before wiping away. It might not look like it worked at first, but just wait and reapply if necessary.

Get rid of your kids’ graffiti from wood furniture.

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A washcloth soaked in rubbing alcohol will easily wipe away their artwork on most wood surfaces.

(via Nourishing Joy, Bustle)

Source…. http://www.justdiy.com/cleaning-tricks

Natarajan

Message for the Day…” Let the Field of our Heart be Pure and Sacred thro Good and Holy actions to Yield the Fruit of Divine Wisdom…”

November 14, 2015NatarajanLeave a comment

It is not easy for the human mind, immersed in worldly concerns to turn to God. It is only when the mind is transformed and brought under the control of the Soul (Atma) that the body experiences Divine Bliss (Ananda). The means by which the mind is transformed is devotion (Bhakthi – intense love for God). Progressively, turn your mind towards God until it merges in God. Meditation, repetition of the names of the Lord, group singing of devotional songs (bhajans), reading of scriptures and other such activities are designed only to purify the mind so that it can concentrate on God. As a field has to be properly ploughed and prepared for sowing so as to reap a good harvest, the field of our heart has to be rendered pure and sacred through good and holy actions and spiritual discipline(sadhana) if it is to yield the fruit of Divine Wisdom.

Sathya Sai Baba

This IT Analyst Started a Tea Stall on Bangalore’s Footpaths. For a Very Special Reason….

November 13, 2015NatarajanLeave a comment

It’s 5:00 pm on a Saturday evening and work is just getting started for a group of 12 to 15 young people in the BTM area of Bangalore. Standing on a pavement, dressed in white t-shirts, they look more like friends hanging out and unwinding on a weekend. There is laughter, there are interesting discussions, and there is music. But walk closer and you will see the main reason this sidewalk is bustling with energy – it’s tea!

Welcome to the ‘I Support Foundation’ tea stall, one of the most pleasantly offbeat chai shops in Bangalore.

All set and ready to roll!

There is a small table set up neatly with two thermos flasks, some peanuts, a few earthen pots, and a banner saying ‘I Support Foundation.’ The stall owners welcome you with smiling faces and gratefully take your order – masala or plain tea, earthen cups or paper cups, some peanut masala to go – the choice is yours.

And while you sip, cheerful music from a guitar overcomes the loud honking of cars on the road as one of the team members, Utkarsh, strums along.

Tea plus music

But this small arrangement is a lot more than just a fun tea stall and a bunch of youngsters whiling away time. Every weekend, volunteers of the ISF organization gather on the sidewalk. Their aim? To spread awareness about autism among as many people as they can with the help of this tea stall.

In a congenial environment created with tea and music, they talk to their customers about autism, its meaning, its presence in India, and more if the curious want to know.

A perfect environment for conversation and awareness

Ask ISF’s co-founder Juhi Ramani about her motivation behind starting something like this, and she says, “My brother, 19-year-old Shivam Ramani, lives with autism. I was eight when we found out about his condition. I come from the small city of Raebareli in UP, and at that time, there wasn’t much awareness about autism. It took us five years just to be informed that he is autistic. Then, finding a good school for him was a very big challenge. There were schools, but autistic children need special care, so we had to be very careful in finding the best place where he could study. Growing up, my elder sister and I witnessed these struggles. Hence we decided to do something for such children.”

Thus began ‘I Support Foundation’, a joint venture between 25-year-old Juhi and her sister Bobby Ramani, with the purpose of working for the education and overall development of children living with autism, as well as for underprivileged children.

In January 2014, they started a school in Lucknow where children with autism and underprivileged children could get a chance to study together. Today, the school has 45 children, and a group of special educators and caretakers. Students receive assistance in the form of free education, computer training, career counselling, and sports training, along with basic necessities like clothes and hygiene kits. The caretakers include Juhi’s mother and sister as well. All expenses of the school are taken care of by Bobby, from her own pocket.

While her sister continues to work in UP, Juhi, an IT professional, started a chapter of the Foundation in Bangalore in November 2014.

With a team of about 40 volunteers who came on board with the help of her friends, colleagues and social media, Juhi has successfully set up an organised base in the city. –

Juhi Ramani with her students These are the different activities the Foundation conducts: –

Sessions about child sexual abuse for underprivileged children and parents of children with autism. Juhi and her team of volunteers go from school to school, talking to as many children, parents and teachers as they can, to make them aware about CSA and how to fight it.

“For underprivileged kids, we take sessions with interactive videos and explanations, and then provide them with a feedback form where they can write about any issues they might be facing and are hesitant to talk about to anyone. After this, we also have one on one sessions with those children and their guardians,” explains Juhi.

• Career counselling sessions. These are also conducted in the form of sessions at different schools where children get to learn about the various career options they will have after school or college and how they can prepare for them.

“We are doing this because many children remain uninformed about the kind of options they have, and hence miss out on opportunities. For such sessions, we visit orphanages too.”

• Football training for children with autism, and computer classes for all children at different low income schools, organised by the volunteers with their own laptops.

However, in order to fund these sessions and activities, the Foundation requires money.

The volunteers come for the stall every weekend

Juhi and the volunteers initially pitched in from their own pockets, but in March this year, Juhi came up with a unique idea for raising funds. ISF started the sidewalk tea stalls with two purposes in mind – raising funds and creating a platform to make people aware about autism.

“Every weekend, about 10-12 of us gather at any one person’s place and prepare tea together. After that, we reach the venue, set up the stall, and get started. Plain tea is sold for Rs. 10 and masala tea for Rs. 15. And sometimes, people who come to the stall as customers, end up getting associated with us as volunteers,” says a proud Juhi.

They often set up the stall on different sidewalks in BTM itself, but sometimes shift to regions like Koramangala too to increase their reach.

“I came across Juhi through a common friend, and before being associated with ISF, I did not know much about autism. Working here is a very different experience. It is not like a task but more of a passion. I get to do what I love and, as a by-product, my work also makes a difference in society,” says Karthik, a volunteer who comes from a sales background and looks at the financial and business aspects of the Foundation.

“Whenever I have a commitment on Saturdays and Sundays, it is mostly a commitment for ISF,” says Ajitesh, another volunteer.

“Here I have realised that it’s not just monetary help that needs to be given to society, you can also give time and that makes a lot of difference.”

A lot more than money

According to Juhi, ISF earns profits between Rs. 1,100 and 1,600 daily from the tea stall. The team conducts activities and sessions during the mornings, and sets up the stalls in the evenings. To date, ISF has visited 15 schools and interacted with about 5,000 children. “The best part is that the volunteers enjoy this a lot and are excited about being here every weekend,” says Juhi.

“It is very important to spread awareness about autism. People don’t know much about it, and it is very difficult for parents and siblings like me when people look at our loved ones differently. We have to bridge the gap,” concludes Juhi.

Source………Tanaya Singh….www.thebetterindia.com

Natarajan

The curious case of the Google self-driving car and the police officer…!!!

November 13, 2015November 13, 2015NatarajanLeave a comment

Never mind the mystery behind The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, things just got a whole lot weirder today when Google shared with the world a picture of a police officer, seemingly in California, pulling over one of its self-driving cars— for going too slow.

Now, I’m surprised that at just about this point in the picture the officer’s head didn’t implode. (OK, OK, there was probably a human in there somewhere.)

“Driving too slowly? Bet humans don’t get pulled over for that too often,” Google wrote it a posting on its self-driving car Google+ page. “We’ve capped the speed of our prototype vehicles at 25mph for safety reasons. We want them to feel friendly and approachable, rather than zooming scarily through neighborhood streets.”

“Like this officer, people sometimes flag us down when they want to know more about our project. After 1.2 million miles of autonomous driving (that’s the human equivalent of 90 years of driving experience), we’re proud to say we’ve never been ticketed!”

It’s also another fascinating example of how technology is racing ahead of regulations. Yes, Google’s cars are road-legal (at least along the roads they drive), but in general the laws around self-driving cars have a long way to go.

As Re/code points out, the California Department of Motor Vehicles still doesn’t have a law in place for what happens when a self-driving car is pulled over and all the seats are empty inside. Presumably, there was someone sitting in the front seat of Google’s car, though the picture doesn’t reveal that person.

One thing that came to my mind when I saw the picture was how the cars know to pull over when a police car hails them — assuming there’s no driver. Clearly that will have to be programmed in, if laws are eventually passed to allow vehicles on the road without a human inside.

It would be interesting to know if Google’s self-driving cars can already respond to police sirens, lights, or other requests that it pull over. “I’m pretty sure the car can understand that cops and fire engines behave differently than regular cars, I’m just not sure if they’re capable of pulling over for them just yet,” Christopher Espejo commented on the Google+ posting.

But in a tongue-in-cheek comment that highlights just how absurd (and cool) this tech-driven world of ours is becoming, Ken Hiroshi Clark wrote, “The cop is actually a robot, created by Google. Photo taken by a drone, Google’s, as well.”

Before long, that seems all too likely to come true.

Source….MICHAEL DE WAAL-MONTGOMERY…. http://www.venturebeat.com

Natarajan

” The sentences you need to stop saying to your kids…”

November 12, 2015NatarajanLeave a comment

The might come naturally, but there are some sentences you should never say to your kids. Picture: iStock

THERE is no rule book when it comes to parenting.

We say things to our kids that come naturally. And often we say things that our own parents said to us. But unfortunately research has indicated that some of these simple sayings can have negative long-term effects.

Innocent sayings like “naughty boy” or “don’t be stupid” can be bad for a child’s self esteem because it teaches them to label themselves, explains Gregg Chapman, Psychologist and Clinical Manager at Strategic Psychology. He further adds that this may lead to a child developing poor self-concept.

Now you might be thinking, ‘But my parents said this to me and I turned out fine.” But as Dympna Kennedy, founder of Creating Balance, a parenting organisation that encourages parents to connect more closely with their children, points out: research and knowledge has come a long way in recent decades.

“It’s not about looking back and thinking my parents did the wrong thing by me,” says Dympna. “It’s about looking back and saying, ‘OK, they did the best they could with what knowledge they had at that time. But I now have the advantage of research and knowledge that they didn’t have.’”

And that research and knowledge says we should stop saying these things to our children.

1. “You naughty boy/girl!”

Instead address the situation. Gregg Chapman suggests a better statement might be: “Was what you did helping or hurting? If it was hurting let’s see how we could turn that around”

2. “How many times have I told you?”

Clearly your current approach isn’t very effective. Plus, do you really expect your child to answer this question? Gregg suggests saying something like: “I’m upset that I’m not getting my message across to you. How do you think that you could make better choices that don’t hurt you and/or others?”

3. “How could you do this to me? After all I do for you!”

Gregg explains that the child is not doing things out of a sense of obligation to the parent. They are acting to meet their needs and get what they want. He suggests not focusing on oneself as parent but instead helping the child understand the impact of their actions on others.

4. “You wait until you get home!”

As a parent you want to build a close relationship with your child but, according to Gregg, threats generate fear and insecurity and certainly don’t strengthen the parent-child relationship. Gregg says a better statement might be: “We will need to discuss this at home. I’d like you to think what you could do to put this right”

5. “Don’t be Stupid.”

Once again, children will label themselves as they have been taught. And negative labels such as ‘stupid’ do not foster a happy, healthy relationship with themselves.

6. “You make mummy very happy when you eat all your dinner.”

Dympna Kennedy says it is important not to teach children to do things for external praise. This teaches them to be people pleasers, which may lead to them doing things they may not want to do during their school years just to be accepted. Dympna suggests just saying “thank you” when a child does something you want them to do, or encourage internal self praise and say “you should be proud of yourself for eating all your dinner.”

But it goes without saying, sometimes in the heat of the moment a situation might get the better of you and what you say isn’t the best choice of words. And that’s OK because it is impossible to be a perfect parent all of the time.

“It is not about being the perfect parent because children don’t learn from a parent who is perfect,” explains Dympna.

“They learn from a parent who makes mistakes because that shows your child it’s not about being perfect but it’s about reflecting and learning and trying again the next.”

So the next time you go to say one of these sayings to your child, stop, reflect and try to speak to them in a way that will encourage them to become resilient, compassionate and confident.

Source…..Nicole Thomson-Pride news.com.au

Natarajan

A Street Store Where the Poor get to ‘Choose’ What they want for Free…

November 12, 2015NatarajanLeave a comment

We all have the luxury to go to a shop and buy the clothes we like; we have the privilege of choice. But not everyone is as lucky as we are. Organizing a street store is an endeavor to give the people who don’t have the privilege of choice, a unique shopping experience. Bhubaneswar recently hosted a Street store where you can come, pick whatever you want and leave.

The third edition of the event organized in Bhubaneswar on 1st November, 2015 saw an overwhelming number of people drop into what is known as the “world’s first rent-free, premises-free” pop-up clothing store. Started in 2014, the Street Store has previously hosted editions in 33 other cities across the world.

The concept here is that homeless and needy citizens are allowed to browse a selection of clothing and other items donated by people in the city, and pick whatever they need.

The beneficiaries were given a token, which they could exchange for a product of their choice.

“It is in giving that we receive the ultimate joy.”

Building upon this thought, the Social Responsibility Cell at XIMB-XUB decided to organize a street store to give a unique shopping experience to the needy and underprivileged.

To get the full value of joy you must have someone to share it with and the XIMB community donated with open hearts during the Joy of Giving week, organized in the first week of October.

A strong team of 150 members from the Social Responsibility Cell (SRC) of Xavier Institute of Management Bhubaneswar (XIMB-XUB) collected clothes from students and locals and displayed them at the street store.

From apparels to footwear, the store has many products.

The interesting store was set up in front of XIMB campus from 10 am to 2:30 pm and saw a regular footfall the entire day.

“The concept of the street store is that anyone who cannot afford much can come to the store, choose any attire that he/she likes and take it home for free. Usually the underprivileged don’t have any choice when they receive donations or charity. Here they can choose and take whatever they like,” says the XIMB SRC team.

About 500 less privileged people lined up that day to pick clothing, footwear and other donated items for themselves.

It was the third time that such a street store was organized in Bhubaneswar. Stalls were set up and divided into different sections where various types of apparel were displayed. People were given a token at the counter and could exchange it for the garment of their choice. In addition, there were hangers and paper bags designed using eco-friendly products by the team.

The event also received a heart-warming response across media circles, with a call for similar initiatives to be held in other Indian cities. Through this event, people could truly experience the ‘Joy of Giving’ by bringing smiles on the faces of hundreds of underprivileged people. It is not how much we give but how much love we put into giving that matters.

– XIMB Students

Source….Shreya Pareek ….www.thebetterindia.com

Natarajan

Why Surya Namaskar is Good for us….

November 12, 2015NatarajanLeave a comment

Did you know that practicing Surya Namaskar daily can make you look younger?

Fitness is not only about refining the body, but also reviving the soul.

A healthy body and mind is the best fashion statement… and to achieve this, you should indulge in Sun salutation, popularly known as ‘Surya Namaskar’ every morning.

It is a versatile Yoga posture that has, in recent times, gained popularity among fitness enthusiasts.

Surya Namaskar is considered as a highly beneficial exercise for the body and the mind and most celebrities swear by it.

We take a look at 10 awesome benefits of practicing this popular exercise every morning.

1. Shed those extra kilos

First and foremost Surya Namaskar helps you keep your weight in check.

It sheds the extra kilos to keep your body toned and fit.

With just one round of Surya Namaskar, you lose close to 13.9 calories!

2. Improves digestion

Due to stretching and compressing, your digestive system is strengthened and you can bid goodbye to indigestion and dyspepsia forever.

Think of that!

3. Cleanses your breathing organs

One of the biggest benefits is that, due to the rhythmic breathing the exercise involves, it cleanses your breathing tract and lungs.

It also detoxifies your body, helping you to get rid of harmful gases that might have entered your system.

4. Strengthens your back

Recurring backache is often caused by lack of movement of the muscles and joints.

By making you stretch and bend, Surya Namaskar keeps your joints and spine in good condition.

It also strengthens the overall skeletal system.

5. Makes you look younger

As cliched as that sounds Surya Namaskar actually does this… how?

By increasing and maintaining healthy blood flow in the body.

It brings glow to your skin and also helps prevent wrinkles for a long time.

6. Childbirth goes easy on you

Girls, irrespective of the faith you belong to, this exercise will help you strengthen your immune system and regularize periods.

It also has a positive effect on childbirth and keeps complications at bay.

7. Gives you a ‘Goodnight’

Surya Namaskar helps you get your proper quota of sleep everyday and keeps anxiety at a distance.

When your body stays strong, you tend to keep away from bodily and mental dysfunctions.

8. Tones your look

Surya Namaskar broadens your chest and makes your waist flexible on the whole, making you an easy mover and also helps you look fit!

9. Easy to remember stuff

You can also improve your neural system by practising Surya Namaskar… and it also helps in improving your memory.

That means you will not forget that easily and retrieval of memories will also be bettered.

10. Suits your pace

Now-a-days, it’s difficult for most working people to follow an exhaustive exercise routine.

Surya Namaskar fits the demand and helps you fit the regime within the restricted time frame by choosing the number of namaskars you want to or can do.

It’s a slick routine that is fast, yet effective.

Lead image used for representational purposes only. Image: Mikaku/Creative Commons

Source….www.rediff.com

Natarajan