Human nature.... or rather.. nature displayed by 'humans' .. the less said about this, the better. Just yesterday.. I came across two polarities in human behaviour..

There was this old 80 plus something .. young cheerful man who runs a watch repair shop... He knew me cos I had gotten a wrist watch battery replaced from him less than a month ago. When I told him that the watch had stopped working because it was dropped, he was surprised!

He then spent a good ten minutes in bringing the watch back to life.. He peered at the minute innards of that watch.. apparently his eyesight was better than mine.. and then proceeded to carry out a couple of complicated yet delicate procedures with some strange looking apparatus before handing the now kicking, I mean ticking watch back to me.. Upon asking what his charges were, he calmly said "Five thousand rupees" Now, I ought to digress here a bit and let my valued readers know that I do not fully trust my hearing at the best of times.. .and after witnessing firsthand his obviously spectacular eyesight.. I had serious doubts on my own faculties.. so, I politely asked him again "How much do I owe you" and again he calmly repeated the same sum. I wearily put it down to his youthful sense of humor and handed over a hundred rupee note. Imagine my surprise when he says "I said Five thousand rupees" Now, I was getting a little irritated, cos I had a dozen errands to run before I could reach home, and here was this Gentleman stretching things a bit too far. I patiently waited with the note in hand.. till he laughed out loud and said.. Its my pleasure M'aam.. no charges... I walked out with a smile, blessing his soul (worth much more than the few rupees he might have charged me)

My next stop was a silver jewellery store. Here I was served by a young couple who apparently owned the shop. I was looking for a silver bracelet, and this lady was extremely watchful. The moment I picked up one piece, the rest she would gather together and immediately lock away. Finally, inspite of all the hide-n-seek, I managed to find a piece to my liking and after paying, picked up my purchases to walk out. The man however, insited I open the boxes in front of him to check that he had indeed packed the pieces I had chosen (costing a few hundred rupees).

I was amazed that he could not trust my trust in him!

Such is the nature of we the 'humane' beings...

Merry Christmas folks!!!!!!

Here is a Spectacular Space Photo of the Christmas Tree Cluster.....

Known as the Christmas Tree cluster, this colorful collection of stars lies 2,600 light-years from Earth in the constellation of Monoceros, the unicorn.

The cluster was first discovered in the 18th century but was captured anew in this stunning image by by the 2.2-meter Max Planck Society/ESO telescope at La Silla observatory in the Atacama Desert. The telescope was outfitted with a specialized astronomical camera called the Wide Field Imager and a series of filters, and then aimed at the cluster for 10 hours to get the full-color image above.



The swirling gas clouds appear red because of ultraviolet light emanating from the young, hot stars that look like blue ornaments on a Christmas tree. The triangular feature near the bottom of the photo is an area of gas called the Cone Nebula.

The brightest star, at the top of the image, can be seen by the naked eye. The furry texture of the light to its right earned that area the name Fox Fur Nebula.

The whole cluster is in a star-forming molecular cloud, and the area between the brightest star and the tip of the cone is a great place for studying how stars are born.

A great pic.. to wish you all a very merry and joyful Christmas.....

...

Time and again, history repeats itself, yet its lessons are rarely learned.

We are all too aware of cowardly terrorism, mindless violence and sudden death, yet everytime we are confronted with these, we are jarred out of our complacency; sadly, only for a short while.

Mumbai November 26, will soon be yet another statistic, yet another day we would all rather forget and move on. But, we as ordinary citizens, ought to be more aware, aware of the menace that pushes its roots deep before it explodes. We ought to keep our eyes and ears open and cultivate the tendency to be "Active and Aware Citizens' rather than mere onlookers. As we go about our dad to day lives, we ought to be on the lookout for anything that is not normal and report it to the authorities.

If only as much energy was expended by seemingly normal but crazed lunatics into doing some good instead of creating chaos... we would move Forward .. not Backward..



Those who have lost near and dear ones, whose minds are scarred can never be compensated enough. I would like to however salute our brave Police Officers, Our Army and Navy men for their wonderful courage and selfless sacrifice.

Childrens Day

Today is 'Children's Day'... yeah.. just another day.. for so many kids.. who unfortunately cannot be kids....

A friend of mine told me this.. today morning, on his way to office, he stopped at a local bakery and bought some hot delicous vegetable puffs. He bought a few extra, thinking of sharing them with colleagues.. However.. no one from his office ate them! This is what happened..

While driving .. he heard over the radio.. that it was Children's Day.. and as he was driving.. he saw some poor kids by the roadside... Down rolled his car window.. he stopped at the side.. oblivious of traffic honking behind him.. and pushed the bag into the surprised kids hands..

Wow! wat a nice gesture..

Maybe.. we cannot change the world all by ourselves, but every small gesture, every small act, every small smile counts..

So, what did you do to bring a smile to a kid today?

Guru Nanak's birthday

Yesterday, as I was just settling down in office, a colleague walked in with a huge box of (yummmm) kaju rolls.. Its my Gurunanakji's birthday he chirped... I said, this is a novel way of celebrating a religious feast! Upon which he got nostalgic and saidn...

Gurunanakji's birthday is celebrated in our homes in Grand Ishtyle... here all I can do is buy some sweets (he apparently purchased 3 kgs!)

One thing I learned after talking to him was.. the true Sikhs.. the true followers of Gurunanakji strictly kept away from 1) Alcohol, drugs and other intoxicants 2) Cutting of their hair was a no- no 3) Monogamy with one's spouse 4) And this one surprised me .. they were pure vegetarians!!!

Something new learned.....

PRECIOUS MOMENTS

I probably golf about as well as a slug wages war.... In fact, out of consideration for my friends (I embarrass them), I quit playing with anybody I know. It was too hard for them to watch. But I can still appreciate what a golf enthusiast said about the game.

He listed three mental techniques to improve one's golf game. And the great part is this: these techniques not only help to improve a game,they can help all of us live better lives. They are mental attitudes that can help you and me live more in the moment and less in the past or the future. Here they are… golf tips for better living.

1. Resist the urge to add up your score as you go along. If youa nticipate your score, you'll be distracted from the task at hand.In other words, live more in the present. Clear your mind of past mistakes and even past successes, and try to think only about the here and now.

2. Focus. Concentrate on hitting great shots rather than worrying about bad ones or what others will think if you miss. Visualize the ball going to your target.This is a terrific technique for daily living. Focus. Concentrate on doing the present task well rather than worrying about what others will think if you should "mess up." And get a picture in your mind'seye of succeeding at the thing you are doing right now.

3. Keep your mind on the hole you're playing. Don't think about how you are going to play the last hole.This is about resisting the urge to think ahead. If we pay close attention to the present, the future will take care of itself. Our present moment is full of power and wonder. It deserves our full attention.

Now, did you notice what all of these tips have in common? They are not about understanding the past or setting goals for the future. Theyare simply about living in the present moment.

Writer H.G. Wells once noted, "Man must not allow the clock and the calendar to blind him to the fact that each moment of life is a miracle and a mystery." Anybody can get more out of life who concentrates on and cherishes the here and now – and we're not talking about golf. The present is too important not to pay attention to it.

One doctor said, "I have learned from speaking to many cancer survivor groups that (when you have cancer) the watch on your hand no longer says,'Tick, tick, tick.' It now says, 'Precious, precious, precious.'"When the present moment is precious, everything else takes care of itself.

Steve Goodier http://www.lifesupportsystem.com

20-Oct-2008

HOOKED ON GIVING

Dr. Mar Aprem of the ancient Chaldean Orthodox Church of the East in India tells a funny story about when a member of the church won a lottery worth 100,000 rupees. His wife went to the bishop and told him that she was afraid to tell this glad news to her husband because he had a heart problem and any sudden excitement could cause a heart attack.

The bishop offered to break the news gently to her husband. He visited the house and asked the man, "Wouldn't it be a good thing if you won 1,000 rupees in the lottery?" The man replied that he still would have to work to support his family.

"What about 10,000 rupees?" the bishop asked. The man still showed no excitement, so the bishop carefully raised the amount to 50,000 and finally to 100,000 rupees."

If I got 100,000 rupees, I would give half of it to you, your Excellency," the man replied.The bishop had a heart attack, and the man called an ambulance.

We can get excited about winning and getting. But have you learned how fun it is to give -- and not only money? Engineering and machinery genius R. G. LeTourneau (1888 - 1969) discovered the great joy that can come of generosity. Besides establishing a private school (today's LeTourneau University), that remarkable man reportedly gave 90 percent of his income to worthwhile causes, while living on the remaining 10 percent. He became hooked on giving!

And like I said, money is not the only commodity that is fun to give. We can give time, we can give our expertise, we can give our love or simply give a smile. What does that cost? The point is, none of us can ever run out of something worthwhile to give.Giving is fun. And addictive.

www.LifeSupportSystem.com

THE WAY FAMILIES WIN

Winston Churchill said, "We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills." And humorist Bob Orben added, "That sounds a lot like our family vacations." And for some people it sounds a lot like everyday life.

The problem is not whether we who live in families will have squabbles, arguments and fights. My worry is more whether those conflicts will end anytime soon. I don't want home life to become the Hundred Years' War - going on and on with no end in sight while the casualties mount. Conflicts need to have an ending so that the family can get about its real business.

At one point during a game, the coach said to one of his young players, "Do you understand what cooperation is? What a team is?" The little boy nodded yes."Do you understand that what matters is whether we win together as a team?" The little boy nodded yes."So," the coach continued, "when a strike is called, or you are out at first, you don't argue or curse or attack the umpire. Do you understand all that?" Again, the boy nodded yes."Good," said the coach. "Now go over there and explain it to your mother."

I believe a family can be like that sports team. A successful family wins as a team. But if its members are intent upon winning their own individual battles with one another, the team loses.A winning solution is to work out the differences and, when it's over, let it be over. Then they can get back in the game as a team.

Flower for the day..

Bachelor's button..

19-Aug-2008

GETTING READY FOR TOMORROW
You heard about the sign posted on a rancher's fence? On the otherside of the fence resides the biggest, meanest looking bull you canimagine. The sign is intended to strike fear into the hearts ofwould-be trespassers. It reads: "Don't attempt to cross this field unless you can do it in 9.9 seconds. The bull can do it in 10 flat!"Don't try to cross that field unless you are prepared! And isn't thatthe way it is in life? We have to be ready when the opportunity arises or else we will have little chance of success.
Sixth-grade schoolteacher Ms. Shelton believed in readiness. Students remember how she walked in on the first day of class and began writing words of an eighth-grade caliber on the chalkboard. They quicklyprotested that the words were not on their level and they couldn't learn them.Their teacher insisted that the students could and would learn these words. She said that she would never teach down to them. Ms. Shelton ended by saying that one of the students in that classroom could go onto greatness, maybe even be president some day, and she wanted toprepare them for that day. Ms. Shelton spoke those words many years ago. Little did she know thatsomeday one of her students - Jesse Jackson - would take them seriously ("Leadership," Summer 1992). She believed that if they were well prepared, they could achieve high goals.Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, "People only see what they are preparedto see." If that's true, then it is also true that they only become what they are prepared to become. And a lot of life is just aboutgetting ready."I want to be doing something more significant with my life than whatI am doing now," a young man once said to me. He felt like what he was doing was just not that important. Other people have said things to me such as, "I only wish I had a meaningful relationship." And, "I'd really like to get a better job, but I just don't see how."You fill in the blanks. What is it you would like to happen that isn't happening? Perhaps the answer is that you are not yet ready. Maybe you need more time to prepare before you are truly ready for that whichyou desire. Think of today as another chance to prepare yourself for that exciting future you are looking for. Today is not wasted. If you desire more from life, then you can use today as training. For you will experience only what you are prepared to experience. Something wonderful can happen. And you can use today to get ready for tomorrow.-- Steve
P.S. CELEBRITY QUIP: New York City: No matter how many times I visit this great city I'malways struck by the same thing: a yellow taxi cab. -- Scott Adams.

flower for the day..

The Primrose...

18-Aug-2008

PUT YOUR BEHIND IN YOUR PASTI like what Miguel de Cervantes, the author of DON QUIXOTE, said, "Love not what you are, but what you may become." There is hope that I can always change for the better. I can become more self confident, more in charge of my life, healthier, happier -- you get the idea. And there is hope that I can change a situation -- like finding a new career or going after a new life-style.If you're like me, making any big changes can be scary. We will have to COMMIT. And we may have to take a risk.Let me illustrate what I mean:Consider a performer on a trapeze. She swings back and forth. And then she encounters another trapeze bar. It is swinging toward her and it is empty. Now she has a decision to make. She may continue to hang onto her present bar, or let go and grasp the new one. But she can't do both! She can't hang onto the old and grasp the new with her other hand. She HAS to decide which she wants.If she chooses to let go of the past and grasp the future, she finds herself suspended for a moment in mid-air. Scary! It's too late to go back and she has not yet latched onto the other bar. She is vulnerable and at risk. But she has decided to take that risk in order to move forward.Life is like that. Sometimes you have let go of something if you want to latch onto something else. Maybe you will need to let go of an old job in order to take a new one. Or you may have to let go of an old relationship before fitting a new one into your life. You have to let go of other priorities on your time or money before grasping that new opportunity.And for a while you may feel suspended in mid-air. You've committed to something new and let go of the past, but you have not yet grasped what is ahead. You feel vulnerable and you may be frightened. But you know that the only way you can reach the new "bar" is to let go of the old one.But like Pumba (from "The Lion King") says, "Ya gotta put your behind in your past." Then you're ready for whatever comes next.--
(http://stevegoodier.blogspot.com)/
P.S. CELEBRITY QUIPWhenever people agree with me I always feel I must be wrong. -- OscarWilde