health wise – Page 81 – Take off with Natarajan

Message for the Day…” Right Conduct is the only way to win the Grace of God…”

August 13, 2015NatarajanLeave a comment

Sathya Sai Baba

You must dedicate yourself to right conduct (Dharma) and always be engaged in righteousness (Dharma). Then you will live in peace and the world will enjoy peace. No one can acquire real peace, nor can they win the grace of the Lord through any means other than right conduct. Dharma is the foundation for the welfare of humanity; it is the only unchanging truth across all times. When Dharma fails to transform human life, the world will be afflicted by agony and fear, tormented by stormy revolutions. When the effulgence of Dharma fails to illumine human relationships, people will be shrouded in sorrow. All religions and scriptures expound Dharma and proclaim aloud the Glory of Dharma. The stream of Dharmic activity should never run dry; when its cool waters cease to flow, disaster is certain. God is the embodiment of Dharma; His Grace is won by Dharma

கம்பனும் மதுவிலக்கும்…..

August 12, 2015NatarajanLeave a comment

மது அருந்துவது தீய பழக்கம் என்று கம்பராமாயணத்தில் பல இடங்களில் பதிவுசெய்கிறான் கம்பன்

ஆங்கிலேயரது ஆட்சிக் காலத்திலேயே தமிழ்நாட்டில் மது விலக்குக்காக 1886-ல் மதராஸ் அப்காரி சட்டம் என்ற ஒரு சட்டம் இயற்றப்பட்டது. அப்காரி என்ற சொல்லுக்குப் போதை ஊட்டும் பானங்களையோ மருந்துகளையோ தயாரிப்பது அல்லது விற்பது என்பது பொருளாகும். இச்சொல், பெர்ஷிய மொழிச் சொல்லாகும். இந்தச் சொல்லுக்கு இன்னொரு பொருள் மதுபானம் மற்றும் மருந்துகள் தயாரிப்பது அல்லது விற்பதற்கு விதிக்கப்படும் வரி என்பதாகும்.

மதராஸ் அப்காரி சட்டம், 1905, 1913, 1929 ஆகிய ஆண்டுகளில் திருத்தம் செய்யப்பட்டு, அதன் பின்னால் ஒரு புதுச் சட்டமாக 1937-ம் ஆண்டு தமிழ்நாடு மதுவிலக்குச் சட்டம் இயற்றப்பட்டது. இந்தச் சட்டத்தின் முதல் நோக்கம் என்னவென்றால், போதையூட்டும் பானங்களையும், மருந்துகளையும் தயாரிப்பது, விற்பது மற்றும் அருந்துவது ஆகிய அனைத்தையும் தடை செய்வதாகும். ஆனால் பின்னாளில், மதுபானங்களின் தயாரிப்பு, விற்பனை மற்றும் அருந்துதலை ஒழுங்குபடுத்தும் சட்டமாக இது மாற்றப்பட்டுவிட்டது.

1947-ல், இந்திய நாடு சுதந்திரம் அடைந்த பிறகு, 26.1.1950-ல் நமது அரசியல் நிர்ணயச் சட்டம் அமலுக்கு வந்தபிறகு, அதில் மருத்துவத் தேவையைத் தவிர மற்ற எந்தக் காரணத்துக்காகவும் மது அருந்துவதைத் தடை செய்வதற்கு எல்லா மாநிலங்களும் தீவிர முயற்சி எடுக்க வேண்டும் என்னும் உறுதிப்பாடு, பிரிவு 47-ல் கொண்டுவரப்பட்டது. இது ஏட்டளவில் நின்றுபோய், பெருவாரியான மாநிலங்கள் மது விலக்கைத் தளர்த்தி, குறைந்தபட்சம் இரண்டு தலைமுறைகளை உடல் மற்றும் மனவளம் குன்றியவர்களாக ஆக்கிவிட்டது. கடந்த 67 ஆண்டுகளாகச் சுதந்திர இந்தியாவில் பல மாநிலங்கள் மது விற்பனையால் வரும் வருமானத்தைக்கொண்டே மக்கள் நலத் திட்டங்களை அமல்படுத்துவதாகக் கூறுகின்றன. கண்ணிரண்டும் விற்றுச் சித்திரம் வாங்குவது போலவும், கோயிற்பசை செய்வோர் சிலையைக் கொண்டு விற்றல் போலும், வாயிற் காத்து நிற்போர் வீட்டை வைத்து இழத்தல் போலும், நம் நாட்டின் மதுவிலக்குக் கொள்கை அமைந்துவிட்டது.

கம்பன் கண்ட கோசல நாடு, கிஷ்கிந்தை மற்றும் இலங்கை கூட, இந்தக் குழப்பத்துக்கு விதிவிலக்குகளாக அமையவில்லை போலும். எனவே, கம்பன் பல இடங்களில் கோசல நாட்டு மக்கள், கிஷ்கிந்தை மற்றும் இலங்கை மக்கள் கொண்டிருந்த குடிப் பழக்கத்தை ஆங்காங்கே காட்டிவிட்டு, அதேசமயம், பல இடங்களில் இப்பழக்கத்தைக் கண்டிக்கவும் செய்கிறான்.

யுத்த காண்டம், பிரம்மாத்திரப் படலத்தில், இந்திரஜித்தனின் பிரம்மாஸ்திரத்தால் அனைவரும் கீழே விழுந்து கிடக்கும் செய்தியைக் கேள்விப்பட்ட ராவணன், ஒரு வெற்றிவிழாக் கொண்டாட்டத்துக்கு ஏற்பாடு செய்கிறான். இந்தக் கொண்டாட்டங்களைக் களியாட்டுப் படலத்தில், கம்பன் கற்பனை வளத்தோடு விவரிக்கிறான். அந்தக் கொண்டாட்டத்தில், அரம்பையர்கள், அரக்கியர்கள், அசுரப் பெண்கள், நாக கன்னியர்கள் ஆகியோரை ராவணன் ஆடவைக்கிறான். அப்போது, கள்ளுண்டு ஆடியவர்களுடைய நிலை எப்படி இருந்தது என்பதைக் கம்பன் சொல்கிறான் :

நல் பெருங் கல்விச் செல்வம் நவை அறு நெறியை நண்ணி,

முன் பயன் உணர்ந்த தூயோர் மொழியொடும் பழகி, முற்றி,

பின் பயன் உணர்தல் தேற்றாப் பேதைபால், வஞ்சன் செய்த

கற்பனை என்ன ஓடிக் கலந்தது, கள்ளின் வேகம்.

அதாவது, நல்ல கல்விச் செல்வத்தால் பெரியோர் களது உபதேச மொழிகளை அறிந்து அவற்றால் வரும் பயனைத் துய்க்க வேண்டிய தருணத்தில், ஒரு மூடன் மனதில் ஒரு வஞ்சகன் வைத்த கற்பனை எப்படிப் பரவி நிற்குமோ அப்படிக் கள்ளின் வேகம், மகளிர் கூட்டத்தில் பரவியது என்பது இப்பாடலின் பொருள். கல்வியால் பெறும் தெளிவைக் கள்ளினால் வரும் மயக்கம் அழித்துவிடும் என்னும் உறுதியை இப்பாடலில் கம்பன் காட்டுகிறான். இதில் பின்னால் வரும் இன்னொரு பாடலில் கள்ளுண்டு ஆடிய காரணத்தால் தாளமும், காலமும் தவறி ஆடிய பெண்களைக் கம்பன்,

‘பாணியின் தள்ளி, கால மாத்திரைப் படாது பட்ட நாணியின் முறையின் கூடாது, ஒரு வழி நடையின் செல்லும் ஆணியின் அழிந்த பாடல் நவின்றனர்’

என்று விவரித்தான். கள்ளுண்ணுதல் பெரும் பாவம் என்னும் கருத்தையும் பல்வேறு இடங்களில் குறிப்பிடுகிறான்.

யுத்த காண்டம், நிகும்பலை யாகப் படலத்தில், தன்னை இகழ்ந்து பேசும் இந்திரஜித்தனுக்கு மறுமொழி உரைக்கும் வீடணன், தான் குற்றமற்றவன் என்பதற்கு அத்தாட்சியாக

‘உண்டிலென் நறவம் பொய்ம்மை உரைத்திலென் வலியால் ஒன்றும் கொண்டிலென் மாய வஞ்சம் குறித்திலென், யாரும் குற்றம் கண்டிலர் என்பால்;

என்று உரைக்கிறான். எனவே, மது அருந்துவது என்பது, பொய் சொல்வதற்கும், பிறர் பொருளைக் கவர்வதற்கும், வஞ்சம் செய்வதற்கும் இணையான குற்றம் என்பதையும் கம்பன் பதிவு செய்கிறான்.

‘ஏயின இது அலால், மற்று, ஏழைமைப் பாலது என்னோ?

“தாய் இவள், மனைவி” என்னும் தெளிவின்றேல், தருமம் என் ஆம்?

தீவினை ஐந்தின் ஒன்று ஆம் அன்றியும், திருக்கு நீங்கா

மாயையின் மயங்குகின்றாம் மயக்கின்மேல் மயக்கும் வைத்தாம்!

‘கள்ளுண்ணல் ஐம்பெரும் பாதகங்களில் ஒன்று. தாயையும் மனைவியையும் வேறுபடுத்தி அறியும் அறிவைக் கள் அழிக்கும். மற்ற எல்லா அறங்களைப் பின்பற்றி வாழ்ந்தாலும், கள் அருந்துபவனுக்குப் பிற அறங்களால் என்ன பயன்? மனிதப் பிறவி எடுத்தவன் ஏற்கெனவே மாயையின் மயக்கத்தில் ஆழ்ந்து கிடக்கும் போது, அந்த மயக்கத்தின் மேல் இன்னொரு மயக்கத்தை ஊட்டுவது எஎவ்வளவு விந்தை’ என்று ஒரு மாயையின் தத்துவத்தை இப்பாடலில் சுக்ரீவன் பேசுகிறான்.

‘வஞ்சமும், களவும், பொய்யும், மயக்கமும், மரபு இல் கொட்பும்,

தஞ்சம் என்றாரை நீக்கும் தன்மையும், களிப்பும், தாக்கும்

கஞ்ச மெல் அணங்கும் தீரும், கள்ளினால் அருந்தினாரை

நஞ்சமும் கொல்வது அல்லால் நரகினை நல்காது அன்றே?

விஷம்கூட அருந்தியவரைக் கொல்லுமே தவிர, நரகத்தில் தள்ளி விடாது. ஆனால், மது அருந்துவதால் வஞ்சனை, திருட்டு, பொய், அறியாமை, தொன்று தொட்டு வந்த மரபுக்கு மாறான கொள்கை, அடைக் கலமாக வந்தவரைக் காப்பாற்றாத தன்மை, ஆணவம் ஆகியவை வந்து சேர்ந்து நரகத்தில் கொண்டு விட்டுவிடும் என்கிறான் சுக்ரீவன்.

இப்படி சுக்ரீவன் மூலமாக மது ஒழிப்புக்கு ஒரு மிகப் பெரிய அடித்தளத்தை அமைத்துக் கொடுத்த கம்பன், இந்திய அரசியல் நிர்ணயச் சட்டம் பிரிவு 47-ல் கொள்கையளவில் ஏற்றுக்கொள்ளப்பட்ட மது விலக்கு, நடைமுறையில் காற்றில் பறக்க விடப்பட்டதை நமக்கு நினைவுபடுத்திக் காட்டுகிறான்.

– உயர் நீதிமன்ற நீதிபதி வெ.இராமசுப்பிரமணியன் எழுதிய ‘கம்பனில் சட்டமும் நீதியும்’ நூலிலிருந்து தேர்ந்தெடுக்கப்பட்ட பகுதிகள் (வெளியீடு: வானதி பதிப்பகம்).

source….வெ.இராமசுப்பிரமணியன் in http://www.tamil.thehindu.com

Natarajan

Message for the day…” No One is Outside the Love of God…”

August 12, 2015NatarajanLeave a comment

Sathya Sai Baba

No one is outside the Love of the Lord. The eighteen-year old boy is asked by the mother to go into the kitchen, take a plate and serve himself rice and curry and eat. The mother is not callous or unkind; she knows the capacity of the boy and treats him as he ought to be treated. For another son she accompanies to the kitchen, sits by his side and serves food to him. But she seats the third son on her lap and feeds with many a song in order to make the process pleasant for the child. Do not think that the mother is partial; no, she is only making use of her knowledge of the capacity of her children to make them progress. That is the nature of maternal love.

A Mini Punjab in Tamilnadu….

August 11, 2015NatarajanLeave a comment

Workers from Punjab at Akal farm in Vallanthai village. Photo: S. James..The Hindu

Hard working farmers from Punjab are greening dry tracts in the interiors of Ramnad district.

Ropar in Punjab or Ramnad in Tamil Nadu, it no longer makes a difference to Jaspal, Harpal, Gagandeep and Rajendra Singh. Wearing colourful turbans, long white shirts and pyjamas they are out in the fields doing what they love — tilling the land.

“If you love nature and understand the interconnectedness of life, you can do farming anywhere,” says the youngest in the group, Jaspal, in chaste Punjabi.

The sun shines bright in Vallandhai village in Kamuthi taluk of Ramnad district. The farmers, with smiles on their sun-tanned faces, move around pulling out bunches of groundnuts. A lady in salwar-suit walks into the fields with a thermos of chilled lassi (butter milk) and the men take a break.

The group of Punjabis have beautifully blended into the sun-blistered landscape of one of the driest districts in south Tamil Nadu and shown the locals how a farmer’s faith and hard work can yield amazing results.

Till about a decade ago the land here was covered with thorny bushes (kaattu karuvelam) and abandoned by the locals. Today, a big iron gate welcomes you into the area now called the ‘Akal Farm’ that boasts of lush green orchards and sustainable green farms. It has not only become the talking point in the district but also a model example of cultivation showcased to tourists, agriculturists and visitors.

With apt knowledge, experience and some experimentation, about two-dozen farmers from Moga and Sangrur districts in Punjab are now successfully growing mangoes, water melons, papaya, guava, cucumber, pumpkin, amla, carrot, ladies finger, oranges, sapota and custard apple. “We are gradually acquiring more land and increasing our farm produce,” says the soft-spoken Darshan Singh, one of the two group leaders-cum-supervisor who can speak a smattering of Tamil and was invited by the District Collector last month to address local administration staff and farmers from the region.

“It was my first attempt at public speaking and I felt humbled,” says Darshan Singh, “to share tips because I know every farmer anywhere shares a special relationship with the real food.” “I managed to convey my points as I was asked to motivate the people who had rejected the same land for farming,” he adds.

“Sab rab di meherbani hain (everything is God’s grace),” says Darshan Singh, who feels the yield is not yet as high as desired. But we all are happy to have turned the infertile and fallow lands into lush green orchards and fields, he adds.

It all began when Darshan Singh and his friend, Manmohan Singh, left behind their families and chose to travel more than 3,000 kms to this backward belt seven years ago. They followed the suggestion of a retired agriculture officer to explore cultivation in the arid lands of south Tamil Nadu.

“We migrated for farming beyond our home State lured by the cheap land that was in short supply back home,” says Sarabjeet Singh, another senior member in the group. “We were discouraged by the locals who were always grudging against the long dry spells. But we did not mind experimenting because the land was being sold at a throwaway price – Rs.10,000 per acre,” he adds.

The friends pooled in money and jointly bought 300 acres. They also took a house on rent in nearby Virudhunagar and travelled everyday to the hamlet. It took three years to clear the land, dig two dozen borewells, instal drip irrigation and make it ready for plantation.

“We toiled round-the-clock as cleaners, gardeners, farmers, night guards…initially the locals were hostile to us,” says Darshan Singh, “but everybody’s hard work and patience is bearing fruits now.”

“The results took time but we did not lose hope,” asserts Sarabjeet Singh.

Life has taken a new turn inside this mini-Punjab in Vallandhai. The Akal farm now encompasses 600 acres and also has a neatly fenced campus with small cottages, dormitory, a common kitchen, dining area and meditation room. “We no longer feel we live outside Punjab,” says Darshan Singh.

The farmers and their families celebrate Lohri, holi, baisakhi, rakhi, teej and diwali. The women cook the daily dal-chawal and roti-subzi together and even feed the visitors. They also join in pongal and Tamil new year celebrations with their local friends. “The villagers have become friendly now,” says Darshan Singh.

In fact with the Punjabi farmers setting a trend, some local farmers have joined them as workers in the Akal Farm. Some have even returned to them offering to buy the green fields at a higher rate.

A retired Village Administration Officer, Syed Segana, has been with them for the past six years helping in administrative work and translations. “I am trying to teach them Tamil,” he smiles, “but our friendship is beyond language, food and boundaries now.” “Nature and greenery binds us together and it does not matter where we belong to and where we stay and work,” he adds.

The Akal Farm yields

Amla and guava on 40 acres each, mixed dry fruits like cashew nuts and almonds on five acres, papaya on 10 acres. The farmers have planted 5,000 mango trees on 80 acres besides coconut and timber-value trees on 10 acres each and an assortment of other fruits and vegetables. They also cultivate inter-crop and this season harvested 15 tonnes of pumpkin, five tonnes of cucumber and 20 tonnes of water melon on a daily basis.

Source…..Soma Basu in http://www.thehindu.com

Natarajan

Message for the Day…” Suffer loss and grief gladly, for they help to toughen your personality…”

August 11, 2015NatarajanLeave a comment

Sathya Sai Baba

Never yield to indolence or despair. Suffer loss and grief gladly, for they help to toughen your personality. The diamond is found amidst rocks; you will have to blast through the vein to get gold. Follow the strict regimen that the doctor enforces in order to make the medicine yield the best result. The battery of your ‘car’ is charged when you come to Puttaparthi or when you go to some other holy place. Or at least that should be the aim of the pilgrimage. Charge the battery of your spiritual effort and then, after you return home, do not keep the car idle. If you do, the battery will run down; take the car around and keep it going; then the battery will charge itself. So also, if you do not continue the holy company, the good attitude, bhajans, and remembering God’s Name as part of your life, all this charging will turn into a waste.

India’s ‘Anaconda’ parody rap against Hindustan Unilever….

August 10, 2015NatarajanLeave a comment

Ms Ashraf says she never expected Nicki Minaj to acknowledge her song

Indian activist Sofia Ashraf’s “parody rap video” against consumer goods giant Hindustan Unilever has clocked nearly two million views since it was uploaded on YouTube last week. BBC Monitoring’s Vikas Pandey speaks to the activist about her decision to use singer Nicki Minaj’s hit song Anaconda in her video – and her use of rap as a form of protest.

Corporate giant Hindustan Unilever found itself pitted against an unlikely opponent last week: a YouTube video titled Kodaikanal Won’t, modelled on Nikki Minaj’s hit song Anaconda. The video called out the company for allegedly dumping toxic waste in the soil and the water in Kodaikanal, a city in southern India.

With two million video views and widespread coverage of the rap in both local and international media, the company has in response issued a statement saying that safety is its “number one priority” and that studies showed there had been “no adverse impact” on Kodaikanal’s environment, except in some of the factory premises.

‘Minaj shout out’

Ms Ashraf told the BBC that she decided to create a rap video over the issue because she believed that “social media had the power to add much-needed global voices to the campaign”. But she says she never dreamed that Minaj would actually respond – as she did on Twitter.

“I never expected that. I decided to use her song for [the] parody to ensure that it gets noticed,” she said.

The “shout out” by the pop star ensured media outlets and social media took notice of the song and brought the Kodaikanal issue back into the spotlight.

Activists allege that a thermometer factory belonging to Hindustan Unilever dumped mercury waste, polluting local water supplies and the soil.

Environmental group Greenpeace first reported the alleged violations in 2001. Unilever subsequently shut down its factory and ordered an investigation into the functioning of the unit.

Health workers who conducted a survey of 30 Unilever workers and ex-workers have also alleged that they found many people with “gum and skin allergy-related problems which appeared to be due to exposure to mercury”. Another significant finding, the survey reported, was the high rate of absenteeism and resignations from the job owing to health problems. The report was accepted by the Madras High Court, which has been hearing a petition against Hindustan Unilever by its former workers since 2006.

As the video grew in popularity, the company issued fresh statements over the incident.

A Unilever spokesperson said: “We would never allow our employees to suffer ill-health because of their employment with us and not address it.

“Several independent studies, carried out by experts on mercury-related health complaints, concluded that our former employees were not harmed by working in our factory in Kodaikanal.”

Hindustan Unilever did not dump mercury waste, but “glass scrap containing mercury residue” had been sold to a scrap dealer near the factory, the company said. This was “in breach of our company rules” and the company had removed “both the glass and the underlying soil” to address this.

Studies had showed “no adverse impact on the environment in Kodaikanal, except in some areas of the factory premises”, the statement added. “We are keen to continue work on clearing up the factory site.”

‘Burka rapper’

Kodaikanal Won’t did not happen in a vacuum. Ms Ashraf has composed rap songs for social causes in the past as well.

“Rap is often used as a form of protest. It just feels empowering to use rap for a cause and the success of the Kodaikanal Won’t song just proves that,” she said.

Her foray into rapping began in her early 20s, where she rapped about injustice against Muslims. She was nicknamed the “Burka Rapper” because of her attire and the subject of her performances.

“I was strongly religious. I loved my religion [Islam] and all it entailed. It was beautiful, it defined me and it gave me purpose”, she explained.

The 28-year-old does not wear the burka anymore and says she no longer feels connected to any specific religion. She now finds “purpose” in promoting social causes.

And instead of the burka, she has gone for a traditional South Indian look in her video.

“Some of the clothes I have worn in the video were my own choices but we thought that wearing Indian garments like sari will give the video a distinctive look,” she said.

‘Fight not over’

Ms Ashraf has stressed that the video was “not a solo effort”.

She told the BBC that the dancers, the photographers and activists invested time and energy in making the video free of charge “because they felt strongly for the cause”.

Ms Ashraf says her songs are a result of collaboration with different artists

Ms Ashraf is thrilled with the success of her video, but stressed that the “fight” is far from over.

“We understand that the shelf life of such social media campaigns is not very long. So we will have to come up with ideas to sustain the momentum we have got from the video,” she said.

Source….www.bbc.com

Natarajan

The Epic Moment When Goddess Kali Took Over The Empire State Building In New York…

August 10, 2015NatarajanLeave a comment

Goddess Kali is regarded as the Goddess of death but the death of an ego. Of all the forms of Devi, she is considered to be the most compassionate one because she provides moksha or liberation to her children. And now, people in New York would know about Her. Yeah, you read that right.

Goddess Kali was displayed on to the iconic Empire State building in New York which is considered to be the tallest building and also the key piece of NYC skyline.

Empire State building had started a new trend to feature extinct species across the world. But, featuring Goddess Kali was a class apart. Android Jones is the artist who designed the portrait of Kali.

Why Goddess kali? Because She represents the destruction of evil, Android thought it would be a good idea to feature Her. Hence, he opines that She would work as the epitome to fight dangers and pollution.

Recently, the much touted Cecil the lion was also featured there. The death of this lion by an American dentist had caused international outrage. It was broadcast in a picture more than 350 feet tall and 180 feet wide. Other than this, many animals were featured to garner people’s attention and subsequently, create awareness.

Source….Aparajita Mishra in http://www.storypick.com

Natarajan

Risk of future Nepal-India Earthquake increases….

August 10, 2015NatarajanLeave a comment

There is an increased risk of a future major earthquake in an area that straddles the west of Nepal and India, scientists warn.

New data has revealed that the devastating quake that hit Nepal in April did not release all of the stress that had built up underground, and has pushed some of it westwards.

The research is published in the journals Nature Geoscience and Science.

Its authors say more monitoring is now needed in this area.

Prof Jean-Philippe Avouac, from the University of Cambridge, told BBC News: “This is a place that needs attention, and if we had an earthquake today, it would be a disaster because of the density of population not just in western Nepal but also in northern India, in the Gangetic plain.”

The 7.8 magnitude earthquake that struck Nepal earlier this year killed about 9,000 people, and left many thousands more injured and homeless.

It occurred in a geological collision zone, where the Indian tectonic plate pushes north into the Eurasian plate, moving the ground an average of 2cm a year.

Over decades, stress built up along a stretch of the fault line, which is called the Main Himalayan Thrust fault, close to Nepal’s capital Kathmandu.

The boundary between the two plates in this area had become locked – stuck together by friction, and so immobile – building up energy that only a major earthquake could release.

However, the quake on 25 April only released part of this pent-up pressure.

“If the earthquake had ruptured all the locked zone all the way to the front of the Himalayas, it would have been a much larger earthquake,” said Prof Avouac.

Instead, the researchers believe that some of this stress has shifted west, to an area stretching from the west of Pokhara in Nepal to the north of Delhi in India.

A major earthquake there is already long overdue: the last happened in 1505 and is estimated to have exceeded M8.5. The researchers say the new stress that has moved there could already be adding to the tension that has been building up over five centuries.

At the moment, we are quite worried about western Nepal,” said Prof Avouac.

The earthquake triggered an avalanche on Everest – but experts say the damage could have been worse

The team says extra monitoring by the research community is now needed, although it is impossible to predict accurately when the natural disaster might strike.

“We don’t want to scare people, but it is important they are aware that they are living in a place where there is a lot of energy available,” Prof Avouac explained.

“A lot of families are building their own houses in Nepal. With minimum care, it is possible to build small buildings that can withstand large earthquakes.”

Commenting on the research, Prof David Rothery from Open University said: “Monitoring techniques have now advanced to the stage where we can work out how a previously ‘locked’ fault has ‘unzipped’ during the couple of minutes that it takes a major earthquake to happen.

“Lives would be saved by drilling school children in western Nepal and the nearby plains of northern India in how to react in the event of an earthquake, and in ensuring that at least school buildings are adequately constructed to survive seismic shaking.”

Data from advanced GPS stations has also revealed that the death toll could have been far higher. These stations track tiny shifts in ground position, at a rate of five measurements every second.

Scientists say the seismic waves travelling underground were a lower frequency than expected, causing the ground to vibrate more gently.

Prof Avouac said: “When I heard about this M7.8 earthquake happening so close to Kathmandu, I was prepared for a death toll in the order of 300,000 or 400,000 people.

“But this earthquake didn’t generate a lot of high frequency waves, which would have been devastating for the small buildings in Kathmandu. They could withstand the earthquake because of the characteristics of the ‘pulse’ – and its relative smoothness.”

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source…Rebecca Morelle in http://www.bbc.com

Natarajan

Message for the Day…” prema”…This one Dedicated act leads on to all activity being dedicated…”

August 10, 2015NatarajanLeave a comment

Sathya Sai Baba

Prema (pure love) is filial piety when directed towards parents, companionship when it flows towards friends, love when it is felt towards the partner, respect when it is expressed to elders, and affection when you are drawn towards children. Bhakthi (devotion) affects your acts in three forms: first, you do some acts consciously in order to express your love or give shape to the Prema that animates you; second, you do acts as dedicated offerings to enhance the glory of the Lord, in a spirit of worshipful humility, as if you are offering at His feet all that you are and all that you are capable of; and third you do acts which are full of Prema towards all, as part of your mere existence, automatically, without any tinge of violence upsetting the perfume of the act. One dedicated act leads on to all activity being dedicated; theAananda you experience makes you feel that your effort has been worthwhile. That is the end, the aim and the inspiration.

” Save Your Spine…. Stop Staring at Your Cellphone Always…”

August 10, 2015NatarajanLeave a comment

Saving Your Spine While Texting

It seems that we are growing more attached to our cell phones every day, but we never really stop to consider the amount of pressure our spines go through each time we bend our necks down. The poor posture is more commonly referred to as “text neck”, which can add anywhere between 30-60lbs (15-30kg) of pressure on the lumbar region by the awkwad spinal angles.

The force increases by approximately 27 pounds (12.2kg) at a 15-degree angle, 40 pounds (18kg) at a 30-degree angle, 49 pounds (22kg) at a 45-degree angle and 60 pounds (27kg) at a 60-degree angle. That would be like having a small child sitting on your neck while you type!

The Symptoms & Consequences of “Text Neck”

Having your neck in a downward position for extended periods of time can result in severe stretching of the spinal tissue, which could potentially lead to pinched nerves, herniated disks, and even spinal surgeries. Texting can also strain your eyesight, especially when you have to squint down further to read the words or titles. Some of the symptoms of “text neck” can include; tightness across the shoulders, soreness of the neck (stiff neck), and chronic headaches.

Dr. Kenneth Hansraj, who is the chief of spine surgery at New York Spine Surgery and Rehabilitation Medicine, wrote about how texting drastically affects the spine with bad posture, and published it in the U.S. National Library of Medicine. The research suggested that keeping good posture is ideal to prevent spinal injuries from occurring.

Dr. Hansraj points out a safer alternative to “text neck”. He suggests that your ears should be aligned with the shoulders, while the shoulder blades are retracted. This position reduces the amount of stress on the spinal region. Dr. Hansraj also suggests that you should look down at your cell phones and tablets, by moving your eyes down in favor of bending the neck.

Preventing “Text Neck”:

Make sure your neck isn’t tilted when you’re glancing down at the phone. Instead, try scrolling with your eyes only, while keeping your neck in a neutral position.
Keep your neck and spine comfortably rested on a few pillows if you’re going to text while in bed.
Keep your ears aligned with the shoulders, and your shoulder blades retracted. This is important posture for texting while sitting inside a moving vehicle or train.
Avoid eye strain by making the fonts on the phone or tablet larger when possible. You can enter the display settings and simply change the fonts to a larger size.
Hold a tablet straight in front of you at a 30 degree angle when typing to keep your neck and wrists protected.
Take a break every 15 minutes or so by looking up and bringing the neck back into the neutral position.

All it takes is a few slight adjustments to maintain proper posture, and you can limit the potential for unwanted cervical spinal stress.

Cover image courtesy of stockimages / freedigitalphotos.net

Source……..www.ba-bamail.com

Natarajan