The Greedy and The Generous

A devotee was having a conversation with God one day and said. 'Lord, I would like to know what Heaven and Hell are like.

God led the her to two doors. God opened one of the doors and she looked in. In the middle of the room was a large round table. In the middle of the table was a large pot of stew, which smelled delicious. The people sitting around the table were, however, thin and sickly. They appeared to be famished. They were holding spoons with very long handles that were strapped to their arms and each found it possible to reach into the pot of stew and take a spoonful. But because the handle was longer than their arms, they could not get the spoons back into their mouths.

The devotee shuddered at the sight of their misery and suffering. God said, 'You have seen Hell.

They went to the next room and opened the door. It was exactly the same as the first one. There was the large round table with the large pot of stew which made the devotee's mouth water. The people were equipped with the same long-handled spoons, but here the people were well nourished and plump, laughing and talking. She said, 'I don't understand.' 'It is simple,' said God. 'It requires but one skill. You see they have learned to feed each other, while the greedy think only of themselves.'

It's a Strawberry Leopard of course!

What is a Strawberry Leopard?

Learn more about this rare genetic mutant leopard that makes is stand apart from the other leopards. Its one-of-a-kind animal's survival is threatened by poaching. Click this link to see a rare photo of this creature on National Geographic.

Check out also National Geographics Big Cat Initiative.

Top Ten Ways To Build Credibility On The Internet

#10 - Be visible. Upload an author photo that's an actual photo of you.

#9 - Be real. Use your real first and last name for your author or pen name.

#8 - Be accessible. Use social media channels to network and build relationships.

#7 - Be consistent. Match names, photos, etc. to ensure your audience doesn't get confused.

#6 - Be innovative. Tie in your brand with relevant products.

#5 - Be ethical and transparent. Show people who you really are.

#4 - Be an expert. Target a niche you have experience in.

#3 - Be active. Regularly update your websites and social media channels to stay fresh and current.

#2 - Be professional. Use proper English and be polite.

#1 - Be valuable. Provide high-quality, valuable content to your readers and customers.

Butterflyfish

Butterflyfish is a species of reef fishes that adorn the reef marine scape with amazing diversity. Check out the links below to see more species of this gorgeous fishes. The image here was taken from a snapshot of National Geographics site that featured a short article about this species that inspired me to look for more links to images of butterflyfish.

What are butterfl fish? Find out a summary of this species of marine fish from National Geographic.

Butterflyfish are popular fish in the Marine aquarium industry. Here are links to some of the Marine aquarium sites with images of different species of this fascinating fish.

• Aquacon.com

• Liveaquaria.com

Reflection on Indian Democracy by V Mitchell, New York, NY

It is truly the greatest show on Earth, an ode to a diverse and democratic ethos, where 700 million + of humanity vote, providing their small part in directing their ancient civilization into the future. It is no less impressive when done in a neighbor-hood which includes de-stabilizing and violent Pakistan, China, and Burma.

Its challenges are immense, more so probably than anywhere else, particularly in development and fending off terrorism -- but considering these challenges and its neighbors, it is even more astounding that the most diverse nation on Earth, with hundreds of languages, all religions and cultures, is not only surviving, but thriving.

The nation where Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism were born, which is the second largest Muslim nation on Earth; where Christianity has existed for 2000 years; where the oldest Jewish synagogues and Jewish communities have resided since the Romans burnt their 2nd temple; where the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan government in exile reside; where the Zoroastrians from Persia have thrived since being thrown out of their ancient homeland; where Armenians and Syrians and many others have come to live; where the Paris-based OECD said was the largest economy on Earth for 1500 of the last 2000 years, including the 2nd largest, only 200 years ago; where 3 Muslim Presidents have been elected, where a Sikh is Prime Minister and the head of the ruling party a Catholic Italian woman, where the President is also a woman, succeeding a Muslim President who as a rocket scientist is a hero in the nation; where a booming economy is lifting 40 million out of poverty each year and is expected to have the majority of its population in the middle class already, equal to the entire US population, by 2025; where its optimism and vibrancy is manifested in its movies, arts, economic growth, and voting, despite all the incredible challenges and hardships; where all the great powers are vying for influence, as it itself finds its place in the world.

Where all of this is happening, is India, and as greater than 1/10th of humanity gets ready to vote, it is an inspiration to the entire World.

— V Mitchell, New York, NY

A Personal Account of Yogaswami by the former Canadian High Commissioner to Sri Lanka.

Who Is Yogaswami?
Yogaswami was perhaps the greatest saint from Sri Lanka in modern times. The essence of his teaching was "Siva Thondu and Siva Dhiyanam" which translates as service to God through serving humanity, and Meditation on God through self-inquiry and self-realization.

Through his life, Yogaswami transformed many people's lives around the world. In 2009, I had the privilege of meeting a Yogaswami devotee who was a former Canadian High Commissioner to Sri Lanka.

By Rishi Thondunathan

In 2007, my dear friend and Yogaswami devotee, Dr. Indra Sivayoham in London, told me that a former Canadian High Commissioner to Sri Lanka was now living in Toronto, Canada. She also mentioned that the High Commissioner had written a book in which he had dedicated a chapter to Yogaswami.

We made several attempts through Dr. Sivayoham’s brother, Dr. Sriskandarajah who lives in Canada, to locate the High Commissioner and arrange a meeting. Two years later, on June 30, 2009 our meeting with the former High Commissioner, Dr. James George took place. Dr. & Mrs. Sriskandarajah accompanied me on the visit to Dr. George. When we arrived at Dr.George’s home that evening I received a very warm welcome from Dr. George and his wife, Barbara. Mrs. George most graciously served tea and we began our conversation.

Dr. George was the Canadian High Commissioner in Sri Lanka from 1960 - 1964. One of Yogaswami’s devotees, Sandaswami, also known as Soulburyswami, was the son of the last British Governor of Sri Lanka, Lord Soulbury. Lord Soulbury’s other son, Peter, also a diplomat, was the person who introduced Dr. George to Yogaswami.

Dr. George says of his first meeting with Yogaswami; “I knocked quietly on the door to his modest thatched hut in Jaffna and a voice from within roared, ‘Is that the Canadian High Commissioner?’ I opened the door to find him seated crosslegged on the floor - an erect, commanding presence, clad in a white robe, with a generous topping of white hair and long white beard. Well Swami, I began, that is just what I do, not what I am. ‘Then come and sit with me’, he laughed uproariously. I felt bonded with him from that moment. He helped me to go deeper towards the discovery of who I am, and to identify less with the role I played.”

During Dr. George’s four-year stay in Sri Lanka, he visited Yogaswami a dozen times. On one occassion Dr. George began his conversation with Yogaswami... “Swami, I think...” ‘already wrong!’...Yogaswami thundered.” And my mind again went into the non-conceptual state he was such a master at invoking, clearing the way for being.”

I asked Dr. George if he would like to pay tribute to Yogaswami and the followoing was his response:

“I’m very glad to have my turn to pay tribute to Yogaswami. I think of him as one of the greatest spiritual pioneers of my lifetime, and in a broader sense, the catalyst for the gradual coming together of Eastern and Western spirituality. Because, what he was able to do was not only talk to me about the “Gospel According to St. John” and quote “in the beginning was the word” which is how the Gospel begins, and of course as a Christian, that was how I was brought up - but he was able to take me from that all the way to the question of “Who Are You? - you think you are the Canadian High Commissioner - nonsense - that’s not who you are - that’s what you do”! Then the vigor with which he would impress that so it wasn’t just a mental idea, it was an experience - an experience from his presence to my presence. Now, as we’re trying to remember and speak about him, he is here in that presence because that energy is birthless and deathless. That is the energy that the world needs if it is to chart a course away from the destruction it seems to be heading for currently. And, I think the change, the great “turning” its been called, the change of course is coming, and Yogaswami, even so long ago, had a hand in making that turn possible. That shift of consciousness - both in the East and the West.”

After this Dr.George gave me an autographed copy of his book, “Asking for the Earth”- Waking Up to the Spiritual/Ecological Crisis. In this book he has a chapter explaining his meetings with Yogaswami. The following is one excerpt from the book:

“The Tamils of Sri Lanka called Yogaswami “the Sage of Jaffna”. His thousands of devotees, including many Singhalese Buddhists and Christians, called him a saint. Some of those closest to him referred to him as the “Old Lion” for he could be very fierce and unpredictable, chasing away unwelcome supplicants with a stick.”

After two hours of a very warm, spiritual conversation, when Dr. George and I said good-by to each other, in my mind I thought... though Yogaswami lived in a simple, thatched hut in Jaffna, Sri Lanka, he made a global spiritual impact on many levels of humanity.

PS: Dr. James George served in many capacities - as a diplomat, a naval historian, an environmentalist and author - in some of the world’s most interesting countries. Among other dignitaries, the Dalai Lama calls him “my old friend”. The author of two books: The “Little Green Book on Awakening”; and “Asking for the Earth” (chapter on Yogaswami) are available through Amazon Books and this email geojam6@gmail.com I highly recommend these books.

Wisdom From The Dying

A friend sent me this article that appeared on Guardian.co.uk . It is about the top 5 regrets that people on their death bed have. Check out the blog Inspiration and Chai too, the link is below. Very touching.

There was no mention of more sex or bungee jumps. A palliative nurse who has counselled the dying in their last days has revealed the most common regrets we have at the end of our lives. And among the top, from men in particular, is 'I wish I hadn't worked so hard'.

Bronnie Ware is an Australian nurse who spent several years working in palliative care, caring for patients in the last 12 weeks of their lives. She recorded their dying epiphanies in a blog called Inspiration and Chai, which gathered so much attention that she put her observations into a book called The Top Five Regrets of the Dying.

Ware writes of the phenomenal clarity of vision that people gain at the end of their lives, and how we might learn from their wisdom. "When questioned about any regrets they had or anything they would do differently," she says, "common themes surfaced again and again."

Here are the top five regrets of the dying, as witnessed by Ware:

1. I wish I'd had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me.

"This was the most common regret of all. When people realise that their life is almost over and look back clearly on it, it is easy to see how many dreams have gone unfulfilled. Most people had not honoured even a half of their dreams and had to die knowing that it was due to choices they had made, or not made. Health brings a freedom very few realise, until they no longer have it."

2. I wish I hadn't worked so hard.

"This came from every male patient that I nursed. They missed their children's youth and their partner's companionship. Women also spoke of this regret, but as most were from an older generation, many of the female patients had not been breadwinners. All of the men I nursed deeply regretted spending so much of their lives on the treadmill of a work existence."

3. I wish I'd had the courage to express my feelings.

"Many people suppressed their feelings in order to keep peace with others. As a result, they settled for a mediocre existence and never became who they were truly capable of becoming. Many developed illnesses relating to the bitterness and resentment they carried as a result."

4. I wish I had stayed in touch with my friends.

"Often they would not truly realise the full benefits of old friends until their dying weeks and it was not always possible to track them down. Many had become so caught up in their own lives that they had let golden friendships slip by over the years. There were many deep regrets about not giving friendships the time and effort that they deserved. Everyone misses their friends when they are dying."

5. I wish that I had let myself be happier.

"This is a surprisingly common one. Many did not realise until the end that happiness is a choice. They had stayed stuck in old patterns and habits. The so-called 'comfort' of familiarity overflowed into their emotions, as well as their physical lives. Fear of change had them pretending to others, and to their selves, that they were content, when deep within, they longed to laugh properly and have silliness in their life again."

What's your greatest regret so far, and what will you set out to achieve or change before you die?

-guardian.co.uk

ARE YOU A MEDIC OR NOT?

Rearrange the letters below to spell out an important part of the human body; which is even more useful when erect. P N E S I                           The Two People who wrote SPINE became doctors........... The Rest are all my friends.........

LAST WILL FROM HUSBAND TO WIFE

Last night my wife and I were sitting in the living room, talking about life... In-between, we talked about the idea of living or dying.

I said to her:

'Dear, never let me live in a vegetative state, totally dependent on machines and liquids from a bottle. If you see me in that state I want you to disconnect all the contraptions that are keeping me alive, I'd much rather die'.

Then my wife got up from the sofa with this real look of admiration towards me... and proceeded to disconnect the TV, the DSTV, the Dish, the DVD, the Computer, the Cell Phone, the iPod, and the Xbox, and then went to the fridge and threw away all my beer!!

I ALMOST DIED!!

Obama and Wife ( Probably fiction )

One night President Obama and his wife Michelle decided to do something out of routine and go for a casual dinner at a restaurant that wasn't too luxurious.

When they were seated, the owner of the restaurant asked the President's secret service if he could please speak to the First Lady in private.

They obliged and Michelle had a conversation with the owner. Following this conversation President Obama asked  Michelle, why was he so interested in talking to you.

She mentioned that in her teenage years, he had been madly in love with her.

President Obama then said, "so if you had married him, you would now be the owner of this lovely restaurant", to which Michelle responded, ...........

no, if I had married him, he would now be the President."

Important Information for Vegetarians

An article on the side effects on eating an unbalanced vegetarian diet appeared recently on National Geographic. The article recognizes that vegetarianism is a very healthy diet choice but it emphasizes that vegetarians must "pay attention to nutritional requirements and follow a balanced eating plan." It goes on to reveal a food pyramid created by the Mayo Clinic and explains nutritional deficiencies that vegetarians should be aware of such as B-12 deficiency, iron deficiency etc. and how to avoid them.

Click Here to read Side Effects of Becoming a Vegetarian on National Geographic's site.

Monk Against Mining the Ganga

The simple activity of mining for sand and stones from riverbeds can have far reaching and disastrous effects for communities living around a river. I always wondered how this happens and this article on National Geographic that highlights a swami's prolonged struggle against mining Ganga's riverbed explains it. Basically when the river is deepened from the mining the depth of the water table under ground also deepens making water less accessible to plants and bore wells. It can cause water shortage and crop failure, even deserts in the surrounding area of the river.

Click Here to read this Article: A Swami's Hunger Strike Ends Mining On A Stretch Of The Ganges River on National Geographic.

Pilgrimage Overload in Amarnath

India is the second most populated place in the world. It is also unfortunately very polluted in its large cities. It is of concern to see how pollution created by humans is now stressing India's ancient pilgrimage sites. This article on National Geographic links the problem not only on the need to control the number of pilgrims who can go to places like Amarnath every year but also highlights to me one of India's biggest problems, which is general civil disrespect of the environment by both Indian public and government. I would expect that Hindus who believe in the concept of Bhumidevi as a deity would at least understand that leaving garbage, especially the un-biodegradable ones is part of caring for Bhumidevi. Yet both pilgrims and government more often than not give a blind-eye to such issues. It is unfortunately considered mundane and unimportant to the economic development of India. What a shame!

Please read this article on National Geographic and get involved in environmental issues. They are imperative to the survival and quality of life for future generations.

Click Here to read: Massive Hindu Pilgrimage Melting Sacred Glacier

National Geographics & Dr. Spencer Wells Genographic Project

Are you interested in the earliest orgins of your particular ancestor. Who they might have been 10,000 or even 100,000 years ago, how they migrated on foot around the world, then this project of a lifetime is yours. For about US 99 you can get a comprehensive analysis of either your mitochondrial or Y chromosome DNA, that will tell the story of your descendants and your origins. If you are interested do check out National Geographics page for more information and how to participate in this historic undertaking. Click here to go to The Genographic Project webpage.

Temple discovery reveals clues of Indonesia's past

Archaeologists in Indonesia have uncovered a 1,000-year-old temple that could shed light on the country's Hindu past.

The intricately carved statues and reliefs are some of the best preserved in Indonesia, but the dig is being conducted under tight security to protect the site from well-organised relic thieves.

The temple was found on the grounds of Yogyakarta's Islamic University as workers probed the ground to lay foundations for a new library, and they realised the earth beneath their feet was not stable.....Click here to continue reading this article on ABC News Website

A Controversy About Devotion

A 'devotee' wrote a letter to the editor of an indian newspaper and complained that it made no sense to go to the Temple . 'I've gone for 30 years now, he wrote, and in that time I have heard something like 3,000 mantras.

But for the life of me, I can't remember a single one of them. So, I think I'm wasting my time and the Gurus are wasting theirs by giving services at all.

This started a real controversy in the 'Letters to the Editor' column, much to the delight of the editor. It went on for weeks until someone wrote this clincher: I've been married for 30 years now. In that time my wife has cooked some 32,000 meals.

But, for the life of me, I cannot recall the entire menu for a single one of those meals. But I do know this... They all nourished me and gave me the strength I needed to do my work.

If my wife had not given me these meals, I would be physically dead today. Likewise, if I had not gone to the Temple for nourishment, I would be spiritually dead today!

When you are DOWN to nothing.... God is UP to something! Faith sees the invisible, believes the incredible and receives the impossible! 

An Award Winning Joke

A Chinese walks into a bar in America late one night and he saw Steven
Spielberg. As he was a great fan of his movies, he rushes over to him,
and asks for his autograph.

Instead, Spielberg gives him a slap and says, "You Chinese people bombed
our Pearl Habour, get outta here."

The astonished Chinese man replied, "It was not the Chinese who bombed
your Pearl Harbour, it was the Japanese".

"Chinese, Japanese, Taiwanese, you're all the same," replied Spielberg.

In return, the Chinese gives Spielberg a slap and says, "You sank the
Titanic, my forefathers were on that ship."

Shocked, Spielberg replies, "It was the iceberg that sank the ship, not
me."

The Chinese replies, "Iceberg, Spielberg, Carlsberg, you're all the
same."

This particular joke won an award for the best joke in a competition
organized in Britain

The Business of the Global '2 Cows'

SOCIALISM :You have 2 cows, so you give one to your neighbour.

COMMUNISM :You have 2 cows. The State takes both and gives you some milk.

FASCISM : You have 2 cows.. The State takes both and sells you some milk.

NAZISM : You have 2 cows. The State takes both and shoots you.

TRADITIONAL CAPITALISM :You have two cows. You sell one and buy a bull. Your herd multiplies, and the economy grows. You sell them and retire on the income.

MALAYSIAN GOVERNMENT LINKED    CORPORATION : You have two cows. You employ mainly bumiputras to milk them. But both cows have been sent to the kenduri, so the State gives you more cows and write off the
losses of the first two. After several kenduris later, you invite an American or German Corporation to turnaround the losses. The Japanese have however already taken their two original cows back home to Japan .

AN AMERICAN CORPORATION :You have two cows. You sell one, and force the other to produce the milk of four cows.Later, you hire a consultant to analyse why the cow has dropped dead.

ENRON VENTURE CAPITALISM :You have two cows. You sell three of them to your publicly listed company, using letters
of credit opened by your brother-in-law at the bank, then execute a debt/equity swap with an associated general offer so that you get all four cows back, with a tax exemption for five cows. The milk rights of the six cows are transferred via an intermediary to a Cayman Island Company secretly owned by the majority shareholder who sells the rights to all seven cows back to your listed company. The annual report says the company owns eight cows, with an option on one more. Sell one cow to buy a new president of the United States , leaving you with nine cows. No balance sheet provided with the release. The public buys your bull, too.

A FRENCH CORPORATION! : You have two cows. You go on strike, organise a riot, and block the roads, because you want three cows.

A JAPANESE CORPORATION :You have two cows. You redesign them so they are one-tenth the size of an ordinary cow and produce twenty times the milk. You then create a clever cow cartoon image called 'Cowkimon' and market it worldwide.

A GERMAN CORPORATION :You have two cows. You re-engineer them so they live for 100 years, eat once a month, and milk themselves.

AN ITALIAN CORPORATION :You have two cows, but you don't know where they are. You decide to have lunch.

A RUSSIAN CORPORATION :You have two cows. You count them and learn you have five cows. You count them again and learn yo! u have 42 cows. You count them again and learn you have 2 cows. You stop counting cows because you're
sobering up and open another bottle of vodka.

A SWISS CORPORATION :You have 5,000 cows. None of them belong to you. You charge the owners for storing them.

A CHINA CORPORATION :You have two cows. You have 300 people milking them. You claim that you have full employment, and high bovine productivity, and arrest the newsman who reported the real situation.

AN INDIAN CORPORATION :You have two cows. You worship them

A BRITISH CORPORATION :You have two cows. Both are mad. 

Trivia

  
In the 1400's a law was set forth in England that a man was allowed to beat his wife with a stick no thicker than his thumb.
Hence we have 'the rule of thumb'
 ------------ 
 Many years ago in Scotland , a new game was invented.
It was ruled 'Gentlemen Only...Ladies Forbidden'.. . and thus, the word GOLF entered into the English language. 
------------ 
The first couple to be shown in bed together on prime time TV was Fred and Wilma Flintstone 
------------ 

Coca-Cola was originally green.
 ------------ 
 It is impossible to lick your elbow. 
------------
 
The cost of raising a medium-size dog
to the age of eleven:
£ 10,120.00 
------------ 
The first novel ever
written on a typewriter, Tom Sawyer.
 ------------ 
Each king in a deck of playing cards represents
a great king from history: 
Spades - King David

Hearts - Charlemagne

Clubs -Alexander, the Great

Diamonds - Julius Caesar 
------------ 
111,111,111 x
111,111,111 = 12,345,678,987, 654,321 
------------ 
If a statue in the park of a person on a horse has both front legs in the air, the person died in battle.
If the horse has one front leg in the air, the person died because of wounds received in battle.
If the horse has all four legs on the ground, the person died
of natural causes 
------------ 

Q.. If you were to spell out numbers, how far would you have to go until you would find the letter 'A'? 
A. One thousand 
------------ 
Q. What do bulletproof vests, fire escapes, windshield wipers and laser printers have in common?

A. All were invented by women.
 ------------ 
Q. What is the only food that doesn't spoil?

A. Honey 
------------
 In Shakespeare's time, mattresses were secured on bed frames by ropes.
When you pulled on the ropes, the mattress tightened,
making the bed firmer to sleep on.
Hence the phrase...'Goodnight , sleep tight' 
------------ 
It was the accepted practice in Babylon 4,000 years ago that for a month after the wedding, the bride's father would supply his son-in-law with all the mead he could drink. Mead is a honey beer and because their calendar was lunar based, this period was called the honey month, which we know today as the honeymoon. 
------------ 
 In English pubs, ale is ordered by pints and quarts....
So in old England , when customers got unruly, the bartender would yell at them 'Mind your pints and quarts, and settle down. It's where we get the phrase:                               'mind your P's and Q's' 
------------ 
Many years ago in England , pub frequenters had a whistle baked into the rim, or handle, of their ceramic cups. When they needed a refill, they used the whistle to get some service. 'Wet your whistle'
is the phrase inspired by this practice. 

------------ 
At least 75% of people who read this will try to
lick their elbow!
 
------------ 
Don't delete this just because it looks weird. Believe it or not,
you can read it. 

I cdnuolt blveiee taht I cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrd waht I was rdanieg. The phaonmneal pweor of the hmuan mnid Aoccdrnig to rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoatnt tihng is taht the
first and last ltteer be in the rghit pclae. The rset can be a
taotl mses and you can still raed it wouthit a porbelm. This
is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by

istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. Amzanig huh? 
 ------------
 
YOU KNOW YOU ARE LIVING IN 2011 when...
 
1. You accidentally enter your PIN on the microwave. 

2. You haven't played solitaire with real cards in years.
 
3. You have a list of 15 phone numbers to reach your family
of  three.
 4. You e-mail the person who works at the desk next to you. 
5. Your reason for not staying in touch with friends and family is that they don't have e-mail addresses.

6. You pull up in your own driveway and use your mobile phone to see if anyone is home to help you carry in the groceries... 
7. Every commercial on television has a web site at the bottom
of the screen

8. Leaving the house without your mobile phone, which you didn't even have the first 20 or 30 (or 60) years of your life, is now a cause for panic and you turn around to go and get it 
10. You get up in the morning and go on line before getting
your coffee
 11. You start tilting your head sideways to smile. : ) 
12 You're reading this and nodding and laughing. 
13. Even worse, you know exactly to whom you are going to forward this message.
 14. You are too busy to notice there was no 9 on this list. 
15. You actually scrolled back up to check that there wasn't
a 9 on this list 

~~~~~~~~~~~AND FINALLY~~~~~ ~~~~~~~ 

NOW U R LAUGHING at yourself.

Go on, forward this to your friends.
You know you want to!

And stop trying to lick your elbow! 

How do you write 4 in between 5?

F(IV)E

An Eulogy for Steve Job's by his Sister

Click Here to Read the Eulogy

"By then, I lived in New York, where I was trying to write my first novel. I had a job at a small magazine in an office the size of a closet, with three other aspiring writers. When one day a lawyer called me - me, the middle-class girl from California who hassled the boss to buy us health insurance - and said his client was rich and famous and was my long-lost brother, the young editors went wild.

This was 1985 and we worked at a cutting-edge literary magazine, but I'd fallen into the plot of a Dickens novel and really, we all loved those best. The lawyer refused to tell me my brother's name and my colleagues started a betting pool. The leading candidate: John Travolta. I secretly hoped for a literary descendant of Henry James - someone more talented than I, someone brilliant without even trying.

When I met Steve, he was a guy my age in jeans, Arab - or Jewish-looking and handsomer than Omar Sharif.

We took a long walk - something, it happened, that we both liked to do. I don't remember much of what we said that first day, only that he felt like someone I'd pick to be a friend. He explained that he worked in computers......"

Click Here to Read the complete Eulogy

From Simpletruths.com : Life is Like Coffee

For the slideshow CLICK HERE

"The happiest people don't have the best of everything. They just make the best of everything!" – Life is like coffee

Be Inspired by the Aurora Borealis

Click on this link to go to National Geographics site to view pictures of the Aurora Borealis, also known as the Northern Lights. Beautiful, Amazing, Incredible, WOW!

Have you met yourself? -Article on reincarnation by Atul Sethi.

Have you met yourself?

Atul SethiAtul Sethi,

Sheikh Saud bin Al Thani is a passionate collector of art. Over the past few years, the sheikh — a cousin of the emir of Qatar — has been frantically buying artworks and objects related to the erstwhile Maharaja Yeshwant Rao Holkar II of Indore, another passionate patron who led a flamboyant lifestyle in the early part of the 20th century. But there is a reason why the sheikh is so interested in the Holkar: he believes he is the reincarnation of the maharaja, who died in 1961.

Whether or not the sheikh is the maharaja reborn is a matter of speculation. But increasingly, more and more people are beginning to believe in the concept of reincarnation. "Objective evidence of reincarnation is growing, based on an increasing number of cases of people remembering their past lives," says Walter Semkiw, a San Francisco-based physician, who has established the Institute for the Integration of Science, Intuition & Spirit to research reincarnation and related phenomena scientifically.

To understand whether human beings come back in another body is a fascinating — and controversial — subject that has attracted a lot of debate. Till the past few decades, it was dismissed as bunkum, fit only for potboilers and masala movies. But many, according to Semkiw, are taking reincarnation more seriously now — and coming around to the acceptance of rebirth as a natural phenomena. "This is primarily because of the extensive research done by Dr Ian Stevenson of the University of Virginia, who studied almost 3,000 children who claimed to have past life memories. In 700 of these cases, memories were so detailed that he was able to factually validate them," he says. Stevenson's book "Twenty Cases Suggestive of Reincarnation", first published in 1966, is regarded by many as a classic work of reincarnation research. "Anyone who reads "Twenty Cases" with an open mind will develop a belief in reincarnation," says Semkiw.

In India, belief in reincarnation is nothing new. The concept of karma — the principle of cause and effect — has been firmly entrenched in the Indian ethos for a long time. New Age practices like past life regression (PLR) — made popular by American psychiatrist Brian Weiss — are reinforcing the belief. "Over the last few years , there has been an exponential increase in awareness of this therapy. A lot more people are willing to experiment and there is a lot less fear regarding exploring past lives," says Gurpreet Singh, an ex-Army officer who now dabbles full time in PLR. The number of trained regression therapists in the country has also increased. "From a few hundred in the last decade, it's close to more than 5,000 now," says Rock Furtado of Ritana Books that publishes material on spirituality.

Among the earliest therapists in the country, Newton Kondaveti, a Hyderabad-based doctor, left his medical career to focus on PLR. He now has a packed schedule of workshops , where people queue up to explore their past lives and also learn regression techniques. Kondaveti says there is a practical application of this knowledge. "Through PLR, one can get a clear understanding of why situations in this life are the way they are, and find solutions for the problems faced in the present life," he says.

Many of those who have undergone past life regression vouch for its efficacy. Actress Celina Jaitly — who discovered in a regression session that she was a man in a past life — says that knowing one's past life can be an extremely useful source of self-knowledge, inspiration and healing. "It helped me come to terms with several areas," she says. "It helped me a lot in discovering and dealing with certain aspects of connection to my parents, sibling and other important relationships."

Since regression essentially plays out in the mind, a common skepticism is that what passes off as a past life memory is just the mind playing tricks. But Kondaveti is emphatic that past life visions are not figments of the imagination. "When you imagine something, you will come up with something different every time. But in most people, the same visions are seen when the same past life is re-visited."

Those who have remembered factual details from their past life through regression have often checked the authenticity of the information. Many have been quite surprised at what they found. Chennai-based Susheel Nair recalls seeing himself as a pilot , working with KLM airlines whose aircraft — a DC-6 passenger plane — crashed into an apartment building in Munich in 1951, killing all the 52 people on board. Nair says that after the session was over, he was unsure whether he had actually seen his past life. But when he searched for this information on the internet he could find, buried in a corner of the official KLM website all the details of the crash. It matched with what he saw, right from the make of the plane to the number of people killed. He says, "The experience helped me understand and deal with my childhood phobia of turbo-prop planes like the DC-6."

Despite regression being increasingly used to deal with traumas and health issues, modern medicine is yet to endorse it. "From a psychiatric point of view, there is not enough evidence to suggest that regression, or knowledge of past lives, can be used as a modality of treatment as of now," says Dr Samir Parikh, chief psychiatrist at Delhi's Max hospital.

Those who believe in it, however, continue to peep into the past, often to look for solutions for the present. As also for the tantalizing feeling that when you whirl back in time to the mists of the past, the stranger that you meet there might just be yourself.

HOW TO IDENTIFY DIFFERENT CITIZENS OF INDIA

Scenario 1
  
Two guys are fighting and a third guy comes along, sees them and walks on.
  
That's MUMBAI
------------ --------- --------- --------- -
  
Scenario 2

Two guys are fighting.
Both of them take time out and call their friends
on their mobiles.
Now 50 guys are fighting.


You are definitely in PUNJAB !!!
------------ --------- --------- --------- -
  
Scenario 3

Two guys are fighting and a third guy comes along and
tries to make peace.
The first two get together and beat him up.

 
That's DELHI
------------ --------- --------- --------- -
  
Scenario 4
 
Two guys are fighting.
A crowd gathers to watch.
A guy comes along and quietly opens a Chai-stall.
  
That's AHMEDABAD
------------ --------- --------- --------- -
  
Scenario 5  
 
Two guys are fighting and a third guy comes.
He writes a software program to stop
the fight.
But the fight doesn't stop because of a virus in
the program.   (Errr.. this is rubbish!)

That's BANGALORE
------------ --------- --------- --------- -
  
Scenario 6
 
Two guys are fighting. A crowd gathers to watch..
A guy comes along and quietly says that
"AMMA" doesn't like all this
nonsense.
Peace settles in...
 
That's CHENNAI
------------ --------- --------- --------- -
  
Scenario 7

Two guys are fighting and a third guy comes along, then
a fourth and they start arguing about who's right.

 
You are in KOLKATA
------------ --------- --------- --------- -
  
Scenario 8 

Two guys are fighting.
Third guy comes from nearby house and says,
"don't fight in front of my place,
go zumwhere yelse and kyeep fighting".


That's KERALA !
------------ --------- --------- --------- -
 
 
and the best one is ....  
 Scenario 9

Two guys are fighting.
Third guy comes along with a carton of
 beer.
All sit together drinking beer and abusing each other
and all go home as friends.
  
You are in GOA  !!!

You will never guess what this ad is about...till the end!

Hint: Its about a devil!

CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE AD.

New Year Ode

Thanks to those who hated me, they made me a stronger person.

Thanks to those who loved me, they made my heart bigger.

Thanks to those who were worried about me, they let me know that they
actually cared.

Thanks to those who left me, they made me realize that nothing lasts
forever.

Thanks to those who entered my life, they made me who I'm today.

Just want to THANK YOU for being there in my life whatever I might have
meant to you.

I want to be The 1st to wish you...
Happy Prosperous New Year

A small list of resources for those interested in understanding Hindu philosophy

Online resources:

http://www.himalayanacademy.com/resources/books/  - There are many online books published by Himalayan Academy that will be enriching to your study. Dancing with Siva is a good place to start to get an overview of Hindu philosophy in general.

http://www.hinduseaerchengine.com   - This is a search engine that I have created if you want access to targeted information, if you want other good sources of information on the many aspects of Hinduism from sites that I have handpicked for relevance and quality of information.

Books on Amazon.com that I recommend:

Idiots Guide to Hinduism: One of the easiest book to help with understanding the complexities of Hinduism that many beginners to Hinduism face.

Essentials of Hinduism: More technical or academic in its approach if this is what you are looking for.

What is Hinduism: Taken from thematic research done on Hindu Subjects from "Festivals" to "Salvation", a wealth of a resource in Hindu philosophy and culture as it is practiced today.

An Ode From A Friend

ODE TO LIFE:

The little wave grew,
And thought it knew,
What a great thing it would be.
Being washed ashore it thought, 
"I am no more",
But gained all the Love of the sea.

Quotes that Prod

"Our lives begin to end, the day we become silent about things that matter"
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

A person who risks nothing does nothing, has nothing, and is nothing.
Only a person who risks is free.

PONGGAL AD

AN INSPIRING TAMIL FESTIVAL (PONGGAL) AD 

STANDARD DEFINITION ( As seen on TV)

1. English 120 sec

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KP7sK654Gnk&feature=mfu_in_order&list=UL

2. Tamil 120 sec

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K92ph3Sl_sc&feature=mfu_in_order&list=UL

HI DEFINITION 

1. English 120 sec

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OhltCqwxZio&feature=mfu_in_order&list=UL

2. Tamil HD 120 sec

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eAvHItlexUU&feature=mfu_in_order&list=UL

Regs

GURU

ENGLISH PAIR OF DOXES?

English - absolutely hilarious/brilliant...
We'll begin with a box, and the plural is boxes,
But the plural of ox becomes oxen, not oxes.
One fowl is a goose, but two are called geese,
Yet the plural of moose should never be meese.
You may find a lone mouse or a nest full of mice,
Yet the plural of house is houses, not hice.

If the plural of man is always called men,
Why shouldn't the plural of pan be called pen?
If I speak of my foot and show you my feet,
And I give you a boot, would a pair be called beet?
If one is a tooth and a whole set are teeth,
Why shouldn't the plural of booth be called beeth?

Then one may be that, and there would be those,
Yet hat in the plural would never be hose,
And the plural of cat is cats, not cose.
We speak of a brother and also of brethren,
But though we say mother, we never say methren..
Then the masculine pronouns are he, his and him,
But imagine the feminine: she, shis and shim!

Let's face it - English is a crazy language.
There is no egg in eggplant nor ham in hamburger;
Neither apple nor pine in pineapple.
English muffins weren't invented in England.

We take English for granted, but if we explore its paradoxes,
We find that quicksand can work slowly, boxing rings are square,
And a guinea pig is neither from Guinea nor is it a pig.
And why is it that writers write, but fingers don't fing,
Grocers don't groce and hammers don't ham?

Doesn't it seem crazy that you can make amends but not one amend?
If you have a bunch of odds and ends and get rid of all but one of them,
What do you call it?

If teachers taught, why didn't preachers praught?
If a vegetarian eats vegetables, what does a humanitarian eat?

Sometimes I think all the folks who grew up speaking English
Should be committed to an asylum for the verbally insane.
In what other language do people recite at a play and play at a recital?

We ship by truck but send cargo by ship...
We have noses that run and feet that smell.
We park in a driveway and drive in a parkway.
And how can a slim chance and a fat chance be the same,
While a wise man and a wise guy are opposites?

You have to marvel at the unique lunacy of a language
In which your house can burn up as it burns down,
In which you fill in a form by filling it out,
And in which an alarm goes off by going on.
And in closing..........

If Father is Pop, how come Mother's not Mop???

The King and His Four Queens

Once upon a time there was a rich King who had four wives.

He loved the 4th wife the most and adorned her with rich robes and treated her to the finest of delicacies. He gave her nothing but the best.

He also loved the 3rd wife very much and was always showing her off to neighboring kingdoms. However, he feared that one day she would leave him for another.

He also loved his 2nd wife. She was his confident and was always kind, considerate and patient with him. Whenever the King faced a problem, he could confide in her, and she would help him get through the difficult times.

The King's 1st wife was a very loyal partner and had made great contributions in maintaining his wealth and kingdom. However, he did not love the first wife. Although she loved him deeply, he hardly took notice of her or even fed or clothed her properly!

One day, the King fell ill and he knew his time was short. He thought of his luxurious life and wondered, I now have four wives with me, but when I die, I'll be all alone."

Thus, he asked the 4th wife, "I have loved you the most, endowed you with the finest clothing and showered great care over you. Now that I'm dying, will you follow me and keep me company? "No way!", replied the 4th wife, and she walked away without another word. Her answer cut like a sharp knife right into his heart.

The sad King then asked the 3rd wife, "I have loved you all my life. Now that I'm dying, will you follow me and keep me company?" "No!", replied the 3rd wife. "Life is too good! When you die, I'm going to remarry!" His heart sank and turned cold.

He then asked the! 2nd wif e, "I have always turned to you for help and you've always been there for me. When I die, will you follow me and keep me company?" "I'm sorry, I can't help you out this time!", replied the 2nd wife. "At the very most, I can only walk with you to your grave." Her answer struck him like a bolt of lightning, and the King was devastated.

Then a voice called out: "I'll go with you. I'll follow you no matter where you go." The King looked up, and there was his first wife. She was very skinny as she suffered from malnutrition and neglect. Greatly grieved, the King said, "I should have taken much better care of you when I had the chance!"

In truth, we all have the 4 wives in our lives:

• Our 4th wife is our body. No matter how much time and effort we lavish in making it look good, it will leave us when we die.

• Our 3rd wife is our possessions, status and wealth. When we die, it will all go to others.
• Our 2nd wife is our family and friends. No matter how much they have been there for us, the furthest they can stay by us is up to the grave.
• Finally, our 1st wife is our Soul. Often neglected in pursuit of wealth, power and pleasures of the world. However, our Soul is the only thing that will follow us wherever we go.
MORAL: Cultivate, strengthen and cherish it now, for it is the only part of us that will follow us to the throne of God and continue with us throughout Eternity.