| 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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human
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.
Tarr Steps: An Ancient ‘Clapper Bridge’ in Somerset…
In the lonely moors of Devon and in other upland areas of the United Kingdom, the ancient people had built stone bridges by placing large flat slabs of stones over piles of stones, without mortar or cement, to cross narrow streams. These bridges are called clapper bridges. The name is derived from the Anglo-Saxon word “cleaca” which means “bridging the stepping stones”, suggesting that the first clapper bridges might have been stone slabs laid across the top of existing stepping stones. Most clapper bridges were built during the medieval times, although some of them age much much more.
Photo credit: j.e.mcgowan/Flickr
One of the most famous clapper bridge is Tarr Steps, located in the Exmoor National Park, in Somerset, across the River Barle. It is also the longest clapper bridge in Britain with 17 spans and measuring 55 meters in length.The bridge lies very low in the water, less than a meter over the river’s normal water level. Over the last century, the river has silted so much that during flood it often flows over the stones. Several times in recent years, the slabs of stones, which weigh up to two tons each, have been washed up to 50 meters downstream. The bridge was repaired each time.
The age of Tarr Steps is unknown with several theories claiming that it dates from the Bronze Age, but others put them around 1400 AD. According to local legend, the Devil himself built it so that he could sunbath on. A more elaborate story says that the Devil never fully completed building the bridge, because his apron strings broke and he dropped the stones he was carrying. The Devil then denounced destruction on the first creature to venture across, so the villagers sent a cat across. The poor creature was torn to pieces. The parson then crossed the bridge without harm, and traded insults with the Devil.
The Tar Steps has been a tourist attraction for at least two hundred years.
Photo credit: James Morley/Flickr
Photo credit: Matt Neale/Flickr
Photo credit: Exmoor NP/Flickr
Photo credit: lee roberts/Flickr
Sources: Wikipedia / Theaa.com / www.everythingexmoor.org.uk
Expressive and Whimsical Watercolor Art……
| Artist Luqman Reza creates expressive animal paintings using watercolor paint. He has always had a knack for art, even as a child. Having grown up in the countryside in a modest family, Luqman’s parents did not have much money to buy their son toys. They gave him a drawing book and a set of markers instead. From that moment on, Luqman would sketch and draw instead of play. For him, a piece of paper is his playground – a blank space that could be filled with anything. “I have the freedom to build my imagination and I knew from the very beginning that I have found my joy in life.” As the years rolled on, Luqman began to experiment with his art using various mediums – including pencils, crayons and oil. But then he discovered water color paint, from that point on, his art became expressive and whimsical. Let’s take a look:
See more of Luqman’s work by clicking here. Timescape
Autumn
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Image of the Day….Double rainbow !!!
Double rainbow, Brooklyn Bridge, NYC
EarthSky community member Jennifer Khordi caught this spectacular double rainbow on Sunday, after storms passed over Manhattan.
View larger. | Photo taken January 10, 2016 by Jennifer Khordi of Matawan, New Jersey. Visit Jennifer’s Facebook page.
Source….www.earthsky.org
Natarajan
Hilarious Cartoons for the Day…!!!
Source….www.ba-bamail.com
natarajan
Message for the Day….” As Vivekananda said, you should have nerves of steel and muscles of iron. You must brim in hope and joy as your unshakable resolution, not display despair and dejection.”
The greatest disease is the absence of peace. When the mind is peaceful, your body will be healthy. So everyone who craves for good health must pay attention to their emotions, feelings, and motives that animates them. Just as you wash clothes, you must wash your mind free from dirt every day. To cleanse your mind you should mix in good company and avoid dirt elements like falsehood, injustice, indiscipline, cruelty, hate, etc. Truth, righteousness, peace, love – these form the clean elements. If you inhale the pure air of clean elements, your mind will be free from evil bacilli and you will be mentally sturdy and physically strong. As Vivekananda said, you should have nerves of steel and muscles of iron. You must brim in hope and joy as your unshakable resolution, not display despair and dejection.
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
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