Nowadays there are various speculations rife regarding the end of mankind.Throughout history we can find instances of the impending doomsday which naturally never came.However the difference this time around is that the end timers have come out with a date :21st december 2012.Now then what shall we make of it?Shall we do away with the idea and take it as a fantasy dreamed up by few to reap profit by appealing to the basest feeling of mankind-Fear ,or,shall we take it as a warning for the days to come and be prepared and take action in our own way-no matter how small-to make earth a better place.
First of all it would be prudent if one examines the details and reasons behind the sudden spurt in predictions regarding the end of the world.The reasons are as follows(of what i have been able to catch):-
* The mayan civilisation,which spawned in central America,and which was depicted recently in the movie Apocalypto(by Mel Gibson) were known to be very good time keepers.They devised calender which is so accurate that one can make predictions about the occuring solar and lunar eclipses which wouldn't deviate by a second.The problem is that their calender ends abruptly on 21.12.2012.It is said that some major event would occur on that day.
* I ching which originated in china and is known to be reasonably accurate in predictions also ends when the year comes to 2012.Don't know the details,but some graph is plotted according to the no. of possible outcomes.[6 lines are drawn based on the toss of 3 coins.a majority of tails gives an unbroken line,a majority of head gives broken line and the toss is repeated 6 times therby giving a pattern.]
Hopi indians,indegenous people of USA also feel that the end times are near.They have a no. of prophecies which were to come true beore the end-
1. coming of spinning wheels filled with voices:vans and cars.
2. land will be crossed by snakes of iron:railroad
3. land shall be crisscrossed by giant spider web:electric and telephone lines
4. you will hear of sea turning black and many living things dying because of that:oil spills
5. young people will wear hair long:the hippy movement of 80s
6. nothing should be brought back from moon:lunar rocks brought back by apollo 11
so they feel that the earth is nearing its end.
* Mother shipton who lived around 15th century also predicts the end.She describes the the modern technological achievements quite well but doesn't give out any date for the end.
* Edgar cayce who lived in the twentieth century predicted major events to start occuring around 2001.Thankfully we are past that time.
* The biggest credance to the above theories is given by the american churches,many of which feel that the end is coming soon and Lord Jesus will return soon to form his kingdom.Their belief in turn comes the book which was added to bible in later periods and is titled The Revealation.A very gloomy and disasterous picture is painted in it.Based on it authors Tim LE Haye and Jerry Jenkins have written a no. of books on it.The books are known as left behind series.The book is a bestseller in usa and has sold more than 67 million copies,give or take a few million.Atleast everyone knows the concept of Christ and antichrist and the number of the devil:666.
* Hindu mythology also paints a dire picture of the end times and accurately describes the present times and impending end.However it does not give a date to it.
* Islam religion also fortells the end times.
* A number of astrologers have started predicting the end.One of them fortold of a nuclear device exloding in USA.However he looks likes a fake and was arrested by FBI over some charge.I can't seem to remember his name.
* Most famous of them all -Nastredamus :also predicted the end in the year 2000.We are almost a decade past with nothing to show.
* Some scientists have predicted that the earth will undergo pole reversal around 2012 and as a result extreme weather events will occur.However i find such predictions childish as pole reversal has occured before also and no correlation exists between extreme weather events and pole reversal.
* Some scientists have said that the radiation from the sun is increasing and will be at a maximum in 2012,there by causing great imbalances in climate which would be a catastrophe for the earth.Again there is not much credance to the theory.
* Recently fearmongers have come up with the father of all theories: Climate Change.It is sought to explain all the ills of the present day world.Anything not working blame it on climate change.Scientists are yet to establish a complete corelation about the climate change.Though the united nations has given credance to the theory through the report of IPCC and by giving noble peace prize to IPCC and AL Gore.Still the theory is on a shaky ground.Climate has never been stagnant and has always been changing.Even the continents we live on have been moving.[the theory is known as plate tectonics and the volcanoes and earthquakes can be explained by the moving plate theory].
* Some have even said that a supervolcano exists in the yellowstone national park(USA)and is due to erupt.The above prediction is unscientific to say the least.
And so we see a number of predictions about the end.The list is by no way exhaustive but merely a short collection to remind the various predictions doing the round.
The man is the most intelligent creature currently living on earth.He is the epitome in the classical struggle for survival of species according to darwin.Man has come so far that a number of species are at his mercy for survival.Also man's footprint can be found out in almost every area in which he has been interested.No other species has as large a footprint as the man.Man since the begining has sought to do the impossible and to find answers to all the questions that he has been interested in.
God and religion were invented to give shape to the incomprehensible.Whatever he could not explain,could not think, was laid at the door of religion.
God maybe the greatest invention by mankind.But man was not content,he wanted something more.God himself was not interested in founding his kingdom,but man on his behalf took the mantle on himself and in the process faught bloodiest war on earth.Whereas religion taught tolerance,the man went furthur in his interpretation and thought that others should be tolerant of him while he founded an empire.Those who were victors thought that the mandate was given by God to rule over others.They conveniently forgot that "the meek shall inherit the earth".
So it seems that all the misdeeds of the past are finding utterances in the various predictions about the end of the world.The doomsday has always facinated man.Man is more inclined to violence than to peace.Even in present day world we want to watch movies that are violent,play violent games,no book is good unless it has some action or murder,etc...In short we strive for stimuli that goes towards the extreme.
In our gradual progress as we started coquering nature through the instrument of science,more and more power started coming in our hand.So by the twentieth century man was in a very good position scientifically.What did we do?Made the world a better place?no! Two of the bloodiest battles were faught in this era,So bloody that war term was married to world and out came world war.
So the start of 21st century was seen by many to be the golden age promised.The start though ominous( Y2K virus etc.),was thought to bring equality to one and all as globalisation spread its root to far regions.The millenium development plan of the UN and the vast advances in technology were thought to be the answers to all ills and sustainable development was thought to be within each countries grasp.But man's bloody history came once again in path.Ethnic cleansing in Africa,War in Afganistan,War in Iraq and various other squirmishes occuring all over the world just show that we are in no better position.Just one squirmishes too many and bang-we are in middle of world war 3.While the 20th century was bloodiest in the whole history;21st century may well be the end of history itself.
So in the end,the world may not end in 2012;but definately we are in the danger.The whole world is standing at the edge of precipice and the only way forward is to stop and take a step backward and to engage each and every member of the world community in dialogue; to grow more tolerant and to believe in what Indians have always believed,"vasudhaiv kutumbakam": THE WHOLE WORLD IS ONE FAMILY.
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Sunday, April 20, 2008
The new cricket! IPL & beyond...
Cricket,always associated with the britishers,and known as a gentleman's game ,is undergoing a transformation and by the time it stops all definition of what constitutes cricket may change.In the brief history of the game first came the test matches,a form which lasted over five days.The most common result was a draw until you were playing a third world country.The one day internationals during these times were of 60 overs.Then came a version promoted by Kerry Packer who asked the different teams to wear different colours.The ODI gradually came to be of 50 overs.But even this short version of the game was deemed to be too long.So in the country of its birth the game transformed once again and became twenty20 i.e. it became a twenty over game.
It is with this background one must see the spectacle unfolding today in INDIA named the Indian Premier League.With cricket gradually losing its place in the country of its birth (UK),the mantle was taken up by India and its neighbouring countries to keep the game alive.The indian cricket board flush with funds decided to come into the fray mainly to counter the threat to its monopoly by subhash chandra(owner of zee tv) who thinking on the lines of kerry packer, started ICL.(One of the main reasons for doing so was to get material for his new sports channel).
BCCI, which owns the cricket related activities in India(and is not a government body surprisingly!)came out with full might to promote IPL and looking by the early results seems to have succeded.First it promoted eight City teams and sold them to the highest bidder.These eight teams are...
1. Delhi Daredevils
2. Kolkata Knight Riders
3. Rajasthan Royals
4. Mumbai Indians
5. Kings 11 Punjab
6. Deccan chargers
7. Chennai Superkings
8. Bangalore Royal Challangers
After the sale of the teams came the drama of contracting players with each team paying tonnes of money to get their favorites. MS dhoni went to chennai for 7,50,000 pounds.And other international players getting a good deal too.The money involved was so much that grumblings could be heard from England whose players were not allowed to take part in it by their own board.
Its been two days since the tournament started and already the records have started tumbling.Mc Cullum scored the highest runs(158 with 13 sixes) and M Hussey made the fastest century(in T20,116).Mc grath took a maiden wicket in t20.With the spectacle to continue over the next month it promises to become a greater event than the world cup maybe.
Now we see the new transformation of cricket.Here nationality matters not,nor does the technique;What matters is whether you can entertain the crowd or not.The purity,the essence of cricket is going to die a quick death in the face of corporate mega event and fast bucks.
God save cricket!
If you want to catch live feed goto: www.iplt20.com
I watch all the matches here!
It is with this background one must see the spectacle unfolding today in INDIA named the Indian Premier League.With cricket gradually losing its place in the country of its birth (UK),the mantle was taken up by India and its neighbouring countries to keep the game alive.The indian cricket board flush with funds decided to come into the fray mainly to counter the threat to its monopoly by subhash chandra(owner of zee tv) who thinking on the lines of kerry packer, started ICL.(One of the main reasons for doing so was to get material for his new sports channel).
BCCI, which owns the cricket related activities in India(and is not a government body surprisingly!)came out with full might to promote IPL and looking by the early results seems to have succeded.First it promoted eight City teams and sold them to the highest bidder.These eight teams are...
1. Delhi Daredevils
2. Kolkata Knight Riders
3. Rajasthan Royals
4. Mumbai Indians
5. Kings 11 Punjab
6. Deccan chargers
7. Chennai Superkings
8. Bangalore Royal Challangers
After the sale of the teams came the drama of contracting players with each team paying tonnes of money to get their favorites. MS dhoni went to chennai for 7,50,000 pounds.And other international players getting a good deal too.The money involved was so much that grumblings could be heard from England whose players were not allowed to take part in it by their own board.
Its been two days since the tournament started and already the records have started tumbling.Mc Cullum scored the highest runs(158 with 13 sixes) and M Hussey made the fastest century(in T20,116).Mc grath took a maiden wicket in t20.With the spectacle to continue over the next month it promises to become a greater event than the world cup maybe.
Now we see the new transformation of cricket.Here nationality matters not,nor does the technique;What matters is whether you can entertain the crowd or not.The purity,the essence of cricket is going to die a quick death in the face of corporate mega event and fast bucks.
God save cricket!
If you want to catch live feed goto: www.iplt20.com
I watch all the matches here!
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
The Good Samaritan
HI!
its 3 o clock in the morning and i have just woken up.I can't go to sleep as hard as i try.So after tossing and turning in my bed for the last 15 minutes i decided to write a story to keep the little grey cells busy.this is my first attempt at writing a story and that too on a computer.So forgive me if it doesn't hold upto ur standard.
She was a lonely figure,going up in the distance.You couldnot guess her age at the speed she walked.Her steps though short,followed each other in quick succession and created a sort of rhythmic noise-tip,tap,tip,tap.You could tell from the noise that she was wearing high heels and probably that was the reason for the soothing rhythmic noise,almost like a lullaby coming from the distance.She was not old,but niether was she in the young stages of her life when a girl is always compared to a rose.You could see a trace or two of lines coming on her face.It was as if she was loosing the battle of youth and vigour to the biggest enemy of all-age.But even from the distance you could tell she must have had created a flutter in her youth.Oh! how many hearts must have been torn asunder from merely a raised eyebrow.How many men would have promised to bring her the moon,how many would have died for her,would have given everything just to be near her.But you could see those years were past her.She was alone on the desolated part of the city and no one was accompanying her.You could see,nay ,almost hear her muttering to herself.
"Now i told you to hurry,to get home before dark but no!you had to stay.You had to have a taste of good life.You had to talk",was the low voice that came out of her mouth.You could see that she was in a foul and frightened mood and the talking to herself was just a way to keep herself from being too frigtened.
"you should know that ur age is past.You have grown old dear"She stops for a second and glances all around for a noise disrupts her hypnotic state.She steals a glance in all directions and seeing noone or nothing hastens forward.
"Earlier how many of those men would have escorted me to my home.How many would have been happy to walk beside me,to talk to me.But now no one seems to care.What is this world coming to."She stops for a second to get her bearings right.She can see that there are two ways forward.One is through the inhabited patch with mango groves on both sides.You can see a hint of fear cross her face as contemplates going through the stretch.The other is through a basti( a small village).You can see traces of loathing on her face.You can see it clearly that a battle between fear and hate is going on,as she stands there in the dim light of the moon,with not even a trace of electric lights around here.Oh here it is !the decision has been made.Fear has won a victory,she would go through the habited land.
"now u had to be late.See this is ur punishment."she mutters in a low voice as she ties a handkerchief to her mouth,"you have to go through a harijan basti".She gives out a shrill laugh.
"Imagine!never have you thought so in ur entire life.to go through basti.oh what would happen if u meet some wretched fellow.Gandhi ji was somebody different and moreever i am no gandhi.I would have to go and purify myself."
"what the world is coming to?"she had bought a home a bit farther from the city in an upcoming locality which had been an upcoming locality for the last 15 yrs.Apart from the early comers no new man had brought land there.It was abandoned like an unwanted child.It was thought to be unlucky and moreover it was surrounded by slums."why hasn't the god been fair to me."
You can stil hear the sounds made by her sandles.You could almost go to sleep hearing the sounds-the only sounds coming.Its an eerie sight,with half moon the only source of light and a lone women walking with soft sounds of tac tac coming on the semi solid surface that can be thought more of a dry drain than a road.
"ah ,thats the curve where the main road meets" a sigh!
"5 minutes and u r home baby"you can see faint traces of a smile coming on her face as she takes out the handkerchief tied across her face.
"WHO'S home baby!"comes a loud voice.
She is frozen in her tracks and tries to see in the direction from which the voice came.
"You didn't answer my question?"Oh yes she can see them.There are two guys in the shadow of the tree, their shadows mingling with the tree as if saying that they were as permanent as the tree there.
"they must be harijans.thats why they talk that way.oh what shall i do",you can see the the old play of fear and loathing on her face but it is the loathing that seems to be winning this time.Her face is becoming disfigured as hate wells up inside her.
"shall i run?but i can't outrun the two.What shall i do ?Oh god why did you create the shudras?Yes that is what they were.No matter what Gandhi ji called them"
She watches as the two men come closer.Fear has no place on her face,just loathing,an intense hateful feeling that forces the two men to stop there and look at her.
"Hey you no good charlatans,just be gone or you would be in jail",comes a new voice from the cuve of the road.All the three characters jump and watch as they see a well built man come into view.
"Didn't i tell you to run!you scumbags!",says the man gruffly.
The physique and the commanding voice of the man has effect on the two guys and they run away.
"now madame!can i walk u to ur home?"says the man."you shouldn't be out so late "
"thanks!"says the women as relief sweeps on her face.
"Those bastards!I am sure they were shudras.Tulsidaas had written correctly about them.They are fit to be beaten and nothing more",you could make out that hate still hadn't left her.It was what was keeping her going.
Hate is a wonderful instrument.No matter what the odds,no matter what the calling :a single emotion of hate tips all that.It channelises all your energies toward a common goal.It fills your head so much that not even one different thought can make an entry.YOu are nothing but hate,you have nothing but hate.The instrument and the means become one.Well i am diressing from the story.Here it goes...
"old times were right,when they were made to live outside a city.They should be turned out and banished from the city"Her voice had started quivering, and the words were coming out like a forceful hiss.
The stranger said nothing and kept walking beside her, listening to her rants.
Soon they came near to the gate where the colony started.The stranger now said"Here is the safety zone maa'm.You can go from here on your own."
"Oh !but i don't know anything about you.You should come to my house tomorrow for a cup of tea.I have been fortunate to meet someone like you.My only regret of today is that i will have to take bath bcoz of those two shudras.Even their sight makes one unclean"Says the women.
The stranger at this point becomes still and watches her with eyes full of curiosity,pity and sympathy.
"what!",asks the women.
"maa'm i have been listening to you for the past 15 minutes.Now would you be kind enough to listen to me for two!"
"sure!say whatever u have in ur mind!"
"Maa'm !Tulsidaas talked about 4 things that search for the stick.Animals,shudras,Dhol and last but not the least Women.Now being a women yourself how do you feel about that?"
"but..."
"Please maa'm,let me finish.Surely he may have been wrong, for can the gods best creation-a women-mother to all mankind,full of suffering,full of virtue,full of divinity can be subject to stick!"
"second. The class structure in the beginning was not so rigid.A man was classified according to the work he did.We have instances of Vishwamitra,a kshatriya becoming a rishi through his work.The hereditary and rigid cast structure was man's creation"
"Third.Shudras were thought to be created from gods feet according to the purus shukta hymn of rig veda.Now you tell me maam,even shudras are part of god.How can something created from the holy become unholy.A tree is known by the fruits it begets."
"Last but not the least!The two men you encountered on the curve belong to upper caste.They drink there and loot money from any person passing by.So you will not have to take bath for their account."
"However",said the man,turning away,not even a slight tremor in his voice,in the same flat pitched voice"you will have to take bath on my account.You see maa'm i am a shudra!"
Saying this he walked away,not even giving a glance backwards.
its 3 o clock in the morning and i have just woken up.I can't go to sleep as hard as i try.So after tossing and turning in my bed for the last 15 minutes i decided to write a story to keep the little grey cells busy.this is my first attempt at writing a story and that too on a computer.So forgive me if it doesn't hold upto ur standard.
She was a lonely figure,going up in the distance.You couldnot guess her age at the speed she walked.Her steps though short,followed each other in quick succession and created a sort of rhythmic noise-tip,tap,tip,tap.You could tell from the noise that she was wearing high heels and probably that was the reason for the soothing rhythmic noise,almost like a lullaby coming from the distance.She was not old,but niether was she in the young stages of her life when a girl is always compared to a rose.You could see a trace or two of lines coming on her face.It was as if she was loosing the battle of youth and vigour to the biggest enemy of all-age.But even from the distance you could tell she must have had created a flutter in her youth.Oh! how many hearts must have been torn asunder from merely a raised eyebrow.How many men would have promised to bring her the moon,how many would have died for her,would have given everything just to be near her.But you could see those years were past her.She was alone on the desolated part of the city and no one was accompanying her.You could see,nay ,almost hear her muttering to herself.
"Now i told you to hurry,to get home before dark but no!you had to stay.You had to have a taste of good life.You had to talk",was the low voice that came out of her mouth.You could see that she was in a foul and frightened mood and the talking to herself was just a way to keep herself from being too frigtened.
"you should know that ur age is past.You have grown old dear"She stops for a second and glances all around for a noise disrupts her hypnotic state.She steals a glance in all directions and seeing noone or nothing hastens forward.
"Earlier how many of those men would have escorted me to my home.How many would have been happy to walk beside me,to talk to me.But now no one seems to care.What is this world coming to."She stops for a second to get her bearings right.She can see that there are two ways forward.One is through the inhabited patch with mango groves on both sides.You can see a hint of fear cross her face as contemplates going through the stretch.The other is through a basti( a small village).You can see traces of loathing on her face.You can see it clearly that a battle between fear and hate is going on,as she stands there in the dim light of the moon,with not even a trace of electric lights around here.Oh here it is !the decision has been made.Fear has won a victory,she would go through the habited land.
"now u had to be late.See this is ur punishment."she mutters in a low voice as she ties a handkerchief to her mouth,"you have to go through a harijan basti".She gives out a shrill laugh.
"Imagine!never have you thought so in ur entire life.to go through basti.oh what would happen if u meet some wretched fellow.Gandhi ji was somebody different and moreever i am no gandhi.I would have to go and purify myself."
"what the world is coming to?"she had bought a home a bit farther from the city in an upcoming locality which had been an upcoming locality for the last 15 yrs.Apart from the early comers no new man had brought land there.It was abandoned like an unwanted child.It was thought to be unlucky and moreover it was surrounded by slums."why hasn't the god been fair to me."
You can stil hear the sounds made by her sandles.You could almost go to sleep hearing the sounds-the only sounds coming.Its an eerie sight,with half moon the only source of light and a lone women walking with soft sounds of tac tac coming on the semi solid surface that can be thought more of a dry drain than a road.
"ah ,thats the curve where the main road meets" a sigh!
"5 minutes and u r home baby"you can see faint traces of a smile coming on her face as she takes out the handkerchief tied across her face.
"WHO'S home baby!"comes a loud voice.
She is frozen in her tracks and tries to see in the direction from which the voice came.
"You didn't answer my question?"Oh yes she can see them.There are two guys in the shadow of the tree, their shadows mingling with the tree as if saying that they were as permanent as the tree there.
"they must be harijans.thats why they talk that way.oh what shall i do",you can see the the old play of fear and loathing on her face but it is the loathing that seems to be winning this time.Her face is becoming disfigured as hate wells up inside her.
"shall i run?but i can't outrun the two.What shall i do ?Oh god why did you create the shudras?Yes that is what they were.No matter what Gandhi ji called them"
She watches as the two men come closer.Fear has no place on her face,just loathing,an intense hateful feeling that forces the two men to stop there and look at her.
"Hey you no good charlatans,just be gone or you would be in jail",comes a new voice from the cuve of the road.All the three characters jump and watch as they see a well built man come into view.
"Didn't i tell you to run!you scumbags!",says the man gruffly.
The physique and the commanding voice of the man has effect on the two guys and they run away.
"now madame!can i walk u to ur home?"says the man."you shouldn't be out so late "
"thanks!"says the women as relief sweeps on her face.
"Those bastards!I am sure they were shudras.Tulsidaas had written correctly about them.They are fit to be beaten and nothing more",you could make out that hate still hadn't left her.It was what was keeping her going.
Hate is a wonderful instrument.No matter what the odds,no matter what the calling :a single emotion of hate tips all that.It channelises all your energies toward a common goal.It fills your head so much that not even one different thought can make an entry.YOu are nothing but hate,you have nothing but hate.The instrument and the means become one.Well i am diressing from the story.Here it goes...
"old times were right,when they were made to live outside a city.They should be turned out and banished from the city"Her voice had started quivering, and the words were coming out like a forceful hiss.
The stranger said nothing and kept walking beside her, listening to her rants.
Soon they came near to the gate where the colony started.The stranger now said"Here is the safety zone maa'm.You can go from here on your own."
"Oh !but i don't know anything about you.You should come to my house tomorrow for a cup of tea.I have been fortunate to meet someone like you.My only regret of today is that i will have to take bath bcoz of those two shudras.Even their sight makes one unclean"Says the women.
The stranger at this point becomes still and watches her with eyes full of curiosity,pity and sympathy.
"what!",asks the women.
"maa'm i have been listening to you for the past 15 minutes.Now would you be kind enough to listen to me for two!"
"sure!say whatever u have in ur mind!"
"Maa'm !Tulsidaas talked about 4 things that search for the stick.Animals,shudras,Dhol and last but not the least Women.Now being a women yourself how do you feel about that?"
"but..."
"Please maa'm,let me finish.Surely he may have been wrong, for can the gods best creation-a women-mother to all mankind,full of suffering,full of virtue,full of divinity can be subject to stick!"
"second. The class structure in the beginning was not so rigid.A man was classified according to the work he did.We have instances of Vishwamitra,a kshatriya becoming a rishi through his work.The hereditary and rigid cast structure was man's creation"
"Third.Shudras were thought to be created from gods feet according to the purus shukta hymn of rig veda.Now you tell me maam,even shudras are part of god.How can something created from the holy become unholy.A tree is known by the fruits it begets."
"Last but not the least!The two men you encountered on the curve belong to upper caste.They drink there and loot money from any person passing by.So you will not have to take bath for their account."
"However",said the man,turning away,not even a slight tremor in his voice,in the same flat pitched voice"you will have to take bath on my account.You see maa'm i am a shudra!"
Saying this he walked away,not even giving a glance backwards.
Thursday, April 3, 2008
Humour
James Thurber: "Humor is a serious thing. I like to think of it as one of our greatest earliest natural resources, which must be preserved at all cost."
What is humour?Is it merely the ability to find something funny or is it a way of life that should be taken seriously.Humour has always been a part of human life.Without humour what would our life be? Dreary & monotonous.Humor makes us more human,it makes us tolerant of each other.Even the most serious events become bearable,it makes the life worth living,it gives us hope.
Now a day the environment is more challenging and unforgiving. You always have to be on your toes, improving yourself. The pace of technological changes happening around us is very rapid. Earlier life changing innovations occurred once in a century. The greatest inventions like fire,wheel, printing, steam engine(Industrial Revolution) are separated by a hundreds even thousand years. Now a day's these changes are ocurring every 15 to 20 years.The revolution in
communication is a good example.The burgeoning population and the scramble for a limited resources doesn't help much either.
It is in such a scenario that humour can play an important role. However stressing your work life be,a few moments of humour, of laughter, of joy -- ends the stress,the frustration, the heartburn.It acts as a balm.It gives you new energy.Most important is the fact that it comes free,you just have to listen to the child inside you.One should give place to humour in everyday life.
The day one parts with humour -- thinking it to be a frivolous things -- that day the man is dead. Make no mistake about it.Though he may breathe,work and be physically very fit but he has died from inside -- for there is no place for joy, emotion, laughter, gaiety in his heart and these are positive emotions, these bring out the best in humankind. "For what has a man profited if he shall gain the whole world and lose his own soul" says Bible. A life without
humour is a life less divine, for even Angels would not tread there.As GK Chesterton said "Angels can fly because they take themselves lightly; Devils fall because of their gravity." Even to seek God, one need not disfigure his face.
Like all things in life, a proper balance should be maintained. A heart full of humour and nothing else could not make a man great -- it would only make him a joker. Laugh at urself first, see your mistakes in a humourous light, learn from them; and then laugh at others. Be happy and spread the warmth of joy everywhere around you and watch the world become a better place in your own lifetime.
To end on a positive note here are some funny jokes.Hope you enjoy them...
What is humour?Is it merely the ability to find something funny or is it a way of life that should be taken seriously.Humour has always been a part of human life.Without humour what would our life be? Dreary & monotonous.Humor makes us more human,it makes us tolerant of each other.Even the most serious events become bearable,it makes the life worth living,it gives us hope.
Now a day the environment is more challenging and unforgiving. You always have to be on your toes, improving yourself. The pace of technological changes happening around us is very rapid. Earlier life changing innovations occurred once in a century. The greatest inventions like fire,wheel, printing, steam engine(Industrial Revolution) are separated by a hundreds even thousand years. Now a day's these changes are ocurring every 15 to 20 years.The revolution in
communication is a good example.The burgeoning population and the scramble for a limited resources doesn't help much either.
It is in such a scenario that humour can play an important role. However stressing your work life be,a few moments of humour, of laughter, of joy -- ends the stress,the frustration, the heartburn.It acts as a balm.It gives you new energy.Most important is the fact that it comes free,you just have to listen to the child inside you.One should give place to humour in everyday life.
The day one parts with humour -- thinking it to be a frivolous things -- that day the man is dead. Make no mistake about it.Though he may breathe,work and be physically very fit but he has died from inside -- for there is no place for joy, emotion, laughter, gaiety in his heart and these are positive emotions, these bring out the best in humankind. "For what has a man profited if he shall gain the whole world and lose his own soul" says Bible. A life without
humour is a life less divine, for even Angels would not tread there.As GK Chesterton said "Angels can fly because they take themselves lightly; Devils fall because of their gravity." Even to seek God, one need not disfigure his face.
Like all things in life, a proper balance should be maintained. A heart full of humour and nothing else could not make a man great -- it would only make him a joker. Laugh at urself first, see your mistakes in a humourous light, learn from them; and then laugh at others. Be happy and spread the warmth of joy everywhere around you and watch the world become a better place in your own lifetime.
To end on a positive note here are some funny jokes.Hope you enjoy them...
- An English traveller, asked by the Australian immigration if he had a criminal record, expressed some surprise." you mean you still need such a qualification? " asked the Brit.
- What time is it? asked the inebriated customer."four o'clock"replied the bartender." I must be going crazy" the customer said," all day long I have been getting different answers".
- Oxymorons are phrases that are self-contradictory:some interesting example are...
- found missing
- resident alien
- advanced BASIC
- good grief
- same diference
- Silent scream
- living dead
- new classic
- clearly misunderstood
- terribly pleased
- pretty ugly
- exact estimate
- A teacher, Mechanic and Laloo died on same-day and went to heaven. On the gate St Peter asked the teacher- "what was the name of the ship that crashed
with the iceberg? They just made a movie about it ?" "Titanic" St.Peter Let him in. To the Mechanic he asked;" how many people died". the Mechanic had luckily
seen the movie and answered "about 1500" he was let in. Then St. Peter turned to Laloo and asked "name them". - God made man, took one look and said, "I can do better than that"- and made woman.
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
Free will or destiny-Which side are you on ??
Hi All!
this question has always fascinated almost all of us since time immemorial.Is there a thing called destiny or the fate of a man is in his own hands.Whether "hohiye wahi jo Rama rachi rakha" or "himmate marda madada khuda" holds true?The answers to these questions have kept a number of our ancestors busy yet we are as far from the answers as ever.Even the modern day science has not been able to settle the question to everyone's satisfaction.
In psychology also we find a similar strand running-Nature vs Nurture.i.e,whether a mans behaviour is heridatory or is it determined by the environment.Whether a man is born with characteristics or he acquires them from the society and his interaction with it.In philosophy we ask the question whether a man is born great or he becomes great.In polity we ask whether a man is born leader or can he learn leadership qualities.History has thrown both kind of leaders-one who were born great as well as those who rose to the occasion when situation demanded it and leadership was thrust on them(though not on their choosing).
So where does that leave us?The average indian has belief in the theory of KARMA -that each individual must experience the consequences of all his actions.As ye sow,so shall ye reap.Each individual has to pass through a series of pre-ordained experiences, all of which are the consequences of previous acts and thoughts. Destiny is the result of past actions.Whatever good things are happening are as a result of good deeds done in past lives.Whatever u r doing now will stand for u in next life.Thus is the diversity among the human lives sought to be explained-why is someone born rich or poor;why he/she has good looks;why someone has good luck while others are born miserable and wretched....
To any one born in the twentyfirst century these generalisations may sound way over the top.Present day man would say-I am what i am bcoz i worked hard for it,not due to destiny.
If you work hard then success is bound to come.I remember an adge: Success is 99% perspiration and 1% inspiration.Even a sloka in sanskrit says that a deer will not walk into the mouth of a sleeping lion,he will have to go out and work for it.
Destiny or freewill?the battlelines have been drawn.Which side are you on????
this question has always fascinated almost all of us since time immemorial.Is there a thing called destiny or the fate of a man is in his own hands.Whether "hohiye wahi jo Rama rachi rakha" or "himmate marda madada khuda" holds true?The answers to these questions have kept a number of our ancestors busy yet we are as far from the answers as ever.Even the modern day science has not been able to settle the question to everyone's satisfaction.
In psychology also we find a similar strand running-Nature vs Nurture.i.e,whether a mans behaviour is heridatory or is it determined by the environment.Whether a man is born with characteristics or he acquires them from the society and his interaction with it.In philosophy we ask the question whether a man is born great or he becomes great.In polity we ask whether a man is born leader or can he learn leadership qualities.History has thrown both kind of leaders-one who were born great as well as those who rose to the occasion when situation demanded it and leadership was thrust on them(though not on their choosing).
So where does that leave us?The average indian has belief in the theory of KARMA -that each individual must experience the consequences of all his actions.As ye sow,so shall ye reap.Each individual has to pass through a series of pre-ordained experiences, all of which are the consequences of previous acts and thoughts. Destiny is the result of past actions.Whatever good things are happening are as a result of good deeds done in past lives.Whatever u r doing now will stand for u in next life.Thus is the diversity among the human lives sought to be explained-why is someone born rich or poor;why he/she has good looks;why someone has good luck while others are born miserable and wretched....
To any one born in the twentyfirst century these generalisations may sound way over the top.Present day man would say-I am what i am bcoz i worked hard for it,not due to destiny.
If you work hard then success is bound to come.I remember an adge: Success is 99% perspiration and 1% inspiration.Even a sloka in sanskrit says that a deer will not walk into the mouth of a sleeping lion,he will have to go out and work for it.
Destiny or freewill?the battlelines have been drawn.Which side are you on????
Sunday, March 30, 2008
Love story 2050
HI all!
It is usually with trepidation that i go to watch hindi movies.so this time was no different when i was asked by my friends to accompany them to the movie RACE.What ever could go wrong did go wrong on the night before holi-festival of colours.First the show which was to start at 10.45 pm started well past 11.20pm.Next the movie itself has nothing much to write home about.Apart from a crash course in fashion and brands the movie has nothing to offer.OH MY!how can i forget the she-devils.Though they look hot in the movie,their antics could turn even the most frigid of hearts a notch or two colder.No character in the movie had even a semblance of moral backbone( may be johnny lever would be an exception;he was frank,and tried real hard to make us laugh.But as a actor is as good as the director,he wasn't at his best).
The only saving grace was the trailer of the movie Love story 2050 starring harry baweja and priyanka chopra along with boman irani.From the 2 min trailer that i could see i found there glimpses of three english movies-
a)Time Machine
b)I,robot
c)the fifth element
and maybe d)the bi-centinel man.
Now maybe i am too hasty in forming my judgement,but i look forward to be proved wrong.However the feel of the movie is international especially the look generated for mumbai 2050. I am strongly looking forward for the movie and keeping my fingers crossed!
May it prove me and everyone wrong who think that bollywood can't come up with its original fare...
See ya when i see you!
I Am.
It is usually with trepidation that i go to watch hindi movies.so this time was no different when i was asked by my friends to accompany them to the movie RACE.What ever could go wrong did go wrong on the night before holi-festival of colours.First the show which was to start at 10.45 pm started well past 11.20pm.Next the movie itself has nothing much to write home about.Apart from a crash course in fashion and brands the movie has nothing to offer.OH MY!how can i forget the she-devils.Though they look hot in the movie,their antics could turn even the most frigid of hearts a notch or two colder.No character in the movie had even a semblance of moral backbone( may be johnny lever would be an exception;he was frank,and tried real hard to make us laugh.But as a actor is as good as the director,he wasn't at his best).
The only saving grace was the trailer of the movie Love story 2050 starring harry baweja and priyanka chopra along with boman irani.From the 2 min trailer that i could see i found there glimpses of three english movies-
a)Time Machine
b)I,robot
c)the fifth element
and maybe d)the bi-centinel man.
Now maybe i am too hasty in forming my judgement,but i look forward to be proved wrong.However the feel of the movie is international especially the look generated for mumbai 2050. I am strongly looking forward for the movie and keeping my fingers crossed!
May it prove me and everyone wrong who think that bollywood can't come up with its original fare...
See ya when i see you!
I Am.
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