...Involve me..

Tell me, I'll forget. Show me, I may remember. But involve me, and I'll understand.

-Chinese Proverb

Heart and the size of the tongue

When the heart is narrow, the tongue is wide.

- Solomon Ibn Gabirol, Mibhar HaPeninim

Waiting

Everything comes to him who hustles while he waits.

Did Nehru misled the nation about Netaji

Did Nehru mislead nation on Bose?

Udayan Namboodiri

The report of the Justice Mukherjee Commission of Inquiry (JMCI) on the Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose mystery is with the Government since November 14. What new thing does it say apart from the already publicised fact that there was no air crash at Taiwan on August 18, 1945 as claimed by the GD Khosla Commission and Shah Nawaz Khan Committee?



Well, plenty, as The Pioneer found out during a week-long investigation recently. The biggest revelation, complete with documentation, is about the guilt of India's first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, in suppressing the basic facts about the Taiwan non-crash and subsequent bogus cremation of Netaji. Nehru, who doubled as India's External Affairs Minister, had been personally informed by the Government of Formosa (as Taiwan was then called), albeit through British channels, in August 1956 about the full facts behind Japan's staging of a spectacular "death" for the Indian hero.

Yet, Nehru had allowed the Shah Nawaz Khan Committee to go on with its command performance of an inquiry. He had accepted a report that completely contradicted the Formosan version. The myth about the air crash was allowed to grow under the assumption that a lie told many times becomes the truth. The Khosla Commission, instituted by his daughter Indira Gandhi, also reiterated it. Finally, in January 2005, the JMCI got the truth straight from Taiwan.

Had Nehru not concealed the Formosan report back in 1956, two great misfortunes might have avoided this nation. First, three generations of Indians would have been spared of the tragicomic dimensions that the Netaji mystery often took. Second, the subcontinent's most charismatic politician could yet have been recovered for the people of India had its Government made use of the reliable input that he had not died as presumed 11 years earlier. Who knows, he may very well have been held prisoner at the time in some gulag in China or Soviet Russia. The possibilities are endless because, after all, Subhas Chandra Bose would have been only 59-years-old in 1956.

THE ANGLO-FORMOSAN INQUIRY

The facts about Nehru's deception came to JMCI from an unexpected source: Great Britain. In 1996, the British Government had declassified some papers (The National Archives Ref: Fo 371/12012) relating to an inquiry it had conducted on behalf of India through its Embassy in Formosa. This was necessitated by the lack of formal diplomatic relations between New Delhi and Taipei.

The full series constitutes Exhibit 229 of JMCI. It includes correspondence, once deemed confidential, exchanged between the UK High Commission in India and Tamsui ( in Formosa), the British Foreign Office and its departments for Southeast Asia and the "Far East" and notes exchanged between the Consul (the highest official posted in Tamsui) and the Formosan Government.

It all starts from a note sent from the UK High Commission in India to the Commonwealth Relations Office in London dated May 3, 1956 referring to a request made to it by New Delhi to arrange for the British Consul in Formosa to use its good offices with the Nationalist Chinese Government to interview "certain Formosan witnesses and obtain a copy of cremation certificate".

There is a certain background to this. In 1955, Nehru, under public pressure, had instituted the Shah Nawaz Committee. Apart from the former INA officer who had joined the Congress, there was an ICS officer, SN Moitra, and Suresh Chandra Bose, a brother of Netaji. In May 1956, this group went to Tokyo to collect evidence and interview the remnants of the INA, Japanese generals and a large number of others who were connected with the great leader.

Once there, the Committee felt that their inability to go to Formosa because of India's pro-Communist China position would considerably undermine the credibility of their findings.

The Indian Ambassador, BR Sen, had tried to get around this lacuna by proposing to the MEA that the Japanese Government be used as a medium (Secret Telegram dated May 19, 1956 forming JMCI Exhibit 236). South Block replied to the Ambassador a week later that while he could try his luck with the Japanese, they had meanwhile, approached the British but were awaiting a reply (Secret Telegram dated May 22).

From another cable (May 24), it is apparent that a feeler had been sent to the Formosans requesting they allow a certain number of witnesses to travel to Hong Kong, at Indian expense, to depose before the Committee. But from a cable sent by the British Consul in Formosa to his superiors in London dated May 20, it was clear that the Tamsui-based diplomat was already active on the project and that the Formosan Government was against the Hong Kong idea.

The British had been only too glad to avail the opportunity to launch another inquiry into the Bose mystery (they had carried out several by then already) and the High Commission's cable clearly states as much: "Indian official concerned was obviously embarrassed at making this request. Nevertheless, I think there is some advantage in trying to establish facts in this case..."

They moved with astonishing efficiency in uncovering what New Delhi wanted. Strangely enough, the Indian Government did not ask them to ascertain whether a Japanese "Sally Bomber" had indeed crashed in Taihoku on August 18, 1945, killing Netaji, Japanese General Shedei and two others.

It only wanted the interviews of a couple of nurses who allegedly "treated" Bose in his "final moments", two clerks who India believed saw the "body" and a small number of people believed to have been associated with its cremation plus the police super of the time and select officials. The British were also requested to get the "doctor's report on Bose's death", the "police report on death" and "cremation permit" (Cypher no.847 dated June 6).

This reveals that Nehru's mind was made up. He only wanted to prove that Netaji had died and in pursuit of this line, he did not care to first check out whether a "crash" had taken place. Instead, he ordered a wild goose chase about the cremation. Meanwhile, even as the British moved with lightening speed in activating the Formosan establishment, his toady, Shah Nawaz Khan, spent several weeks in Japan actively promoting the fiction about the air crash and composing yarns in support of it.

Finally, on August 10, 1956, JV Rob, a diplomat with the High Commission in New Delhi, handed over to the Indian MEA "five copies of the translation of the letter from the Governor of Formosa together with the police report and the cremation certificate". Two copies of the original in Chinese. They all pointed to a make-belief cremation against a backdrop full of contradictions that the Shah Nawaz Khan Committee either overlooked deliberately, or was completely innocent of.

They all point to the central fact that there was no proof of Netaji's actual death in Formosa. The country had to wait 49 years to know what the British and Formosans knew all along. And now, thanks to JMCI, it is abundantly clear that Nehru knew too.

(To be continued)

Who are you not?

Who You Are
============

I find myself on the downhill slide of yet another trial in my
life where confusion seemed to be the only thing I was sure of.

Who, what, why, when, how, and how long were the questions I
didn't have answers for.

Last night, I sat quietly and instead of asking,
I just listened.

God whispered to me.

Who I am is a child of His.

What I am is a wife and mother.

Why is something we can only figure out as we go along.
When is always and can never be more than right here and right
now (live for today).

How is only with His help, and how long depends mostly on us.

He explained to me that I am who and what I am
(don't try to be any more or any less) therefore I need to do
and be the best that I can at all times.

I get discouraged,
but I also have the ability to inspire and be inspired.

I become sad sometimes,
but I can also experience joy.

I can become angry,
but I have the heart to console.

I need to be forgiven sometimes (a lot)
but I can also forgive.

I feel helpless at times,
but can still lend a hand or ear to help others.

I am a teacher,
but I still have much to learn.

I get confused,
but deep down I know the answers are within my grasp.

It is the same grasp that boldly lifts my hands to Heaven,
and gently brings me to my knees.

Sometimes I feel lost,
but that is merely an illusion because it is not only enough for
my Father to know where I am and exactly what I am going
through,

He has every hair on my head numbered.

Life is a series of lessons to be learned.
That is the only way we can grow.

I wish I had all the answers, but sometimes I think (I know) the
only way for us to become stronger and grow into what He wants
us to be, is to walk through the fire.

So, whatever you're going through, hold your head up, guard your
heart, and put all your faith and trust in the only ONE who will
never fail you....... JESUS.......

Remember all the things you can be even when you are sometimes
those things you wish you weren't.

Ways to have good luck!

Hard Luck
==========

Ain't no use as I can see
In sittin' underneath a tree
An' growlin' that your luck is bad,
An' that your life is extry sad;

Your life ain't sadder than your neighbor's
Nor any harder are your labors;
It rains on him the same as you,
An' he has work he hates to do;

An' he gits tired an' he gits cross,
An' he has trouble with the boss;
You take his whole life, through an' through,
Why, he's no better off than you.

If whinin' brushed the clouds away
I wouldn't have a word to say;
If it made good friends out o' foes
I'd whine a bit, too, I suppose;

But when I look around an' see
A lot o' men resemblin' me,
An' see 'em sad, an' see 'em gay
With work t' do most every day,

Some full o' fun, some bent with care,
Some havin' troubles hard to bear,
I reckon, as I count my woes,
They're 'bout what everybody knows.

The day I find a man who'll say
He's never known a rainy day,
Who'll raise his right hand up an' swear
In forty years he's had no care,

Has never had a single blow,
An' never known one touch o' woe,
Has never seen a loved one die,
Has never wept or heaved a sigh,

Has never had a plan go wrong,
But allas laughed his way along;
Then I'll sit down an' start to whine
That all the hard luck here is mine.


~Edgar Albert Guest (1881-1959)~

Send issue 5332 to a friend C

State pension age to rise to 68 in UK

A gradual rise in the state pension age to 68 is part of a proposed shake-up to the UK pensions system detailed in a major report.

HOW IS YOUR DRIVING?

Tired of commuting, 4 teachers marry driver

Reuters
Posted online: Monday, November 28, 2005 at 1525 hours IST


Riyadh, November 28: Four Saudi women teaching in a remote village school have married their driver so they can live closer to work, Al-Watan newspaper said on Monday.

The newspaper said the women from Al-Baha province in south-west Saudi Arabia were impressed with the man's "good morals" and decided to marry him and live together in the village where they teach -- avoiding a tiring daily commute.

They were married in a short ceremony, and have agreed to pay the driver a share of their monthly salaries, Al-Watan said. Women are not allowed to drive in Saudi Arabia, while men can marry up to four women according to Islamic law.

JEWISH WISDOM

Wealth is affliction disguised as a good.

- Bahya ben Joseph ibn Pakuda

By never giving in.....

By never giving up, we prove to God that our devotion, our loyalty, our desire for Him are unconditional. When the Lord is once convinced that it is He alone we want, that it is to Him alone that we turn, then He is satisfied in spite of all our weakness and shortcomings. Then God takes us by the hand, “and He walks with us and He talks with us, and He tells us we are His own.”



—Sri Daya Mata, “Walk Inwardly with God,” from Only Love.

Jawahar Lal do you want Kashmir or do you want to give it away

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THE INTERVIEWS
REFLECTIONS
IMPRESSIONS
50 INDIANS

'Jawaharlal, do you want Kashmir,
or do you want to give it away?'
Sam Manekshaw Sam Manekshaw, the first field marshal in the Indian army, was at the ringside of events when Independent India was being formed. Then a colonel, he was chosen to accompany V P Menon on his historic mission to Kashmir. This is his version of that journey and its aftermath, as recorded in an interview with Prem Shankar Jha.


At about 2.30 in the afternoon, General Sir Roy Bucher walked into my room and said, 'Eh, you, go and pick up your toothbrush. You are going to Srinagar with V P Menon. The flight will take off at about 4 o'clock'. I said, 'why me, sir?'

'Because we are worried about the military situation. V P Menon is going there to get the accession from the Maharaja and Mahajan.' I flew in with V P Menon in a Dakota. Wing Commander Dewan, who was then squadron leader Dewan, was also there. But his job did not have anything to with assessing the military situation. He was sent by the Air Force because it was the Air Force which was flying us in.'

Since I was in the Directorate of Military Operations, and was responsible for current operations all over India, West Frontier, the Punjab, and elsewhere, I knew what the situation in Kashmir was. I knew that the tribesmen had come in - initially only the tribesmen - supported by the Pakistanis.

Fortunately for us, and for Kashmir, they were busy raiding, raping all along. In Baramulla they killed Colonel D O T Dykes. Dykes and I were of the same seniority. We did our first year's attachment with the Royal Scots in Lahore, way back in 1934-5. Tom went to the Sikh regiment. I went to the Frontier Force regiment. We'd lost contact with each other. He'd become a lieutenant colonel. I'd become a full colonel.

Tom and his wife were holidaying in Baramulla when the tribesmen killed them.

The Maharaja's forces were 50 per cent Muslim and 50 per cent Dogra.

The Muslim elements had revolted and joined the Pakistani forces. This was the broad military situation. The tribesmen were believed to be about 7 to 9 kilometers from Srinagar. I was sent into get the precise military situation. The army knew that if we had to send soldiers, we would have to fly them in. Therefore, a few days before, we had made arrangements for aircraft and for soldiers to be ready.

But we couldn't fly them in until the state of Kashmir had acceded to India. From the political side, Sardar Patel and V P Menon had been dealing with Mahajan and the Maharaja, and the idea was that V.P Menon would get the Accession, I would bring back the military appreciation and report to the government. The troops were already at the airport, ready to be flown in. Air Chief Marshall Elmhurst was the air chief and he had made arrangements for the aircraft from civil and military sources.

Anyway, we were flown in. We went to Srinagar. We went to the palace. I have never seen such disorganisation in my life. The Maharaja was running about from one room to the other. I have never seen so much jewellery in my life --- pearl necklaces, ruby things, lying in one room; packing here, there, everywhere. There was a convoy of vehicles.

Jawaharlal Nehru The Maharaja was coming out of one room, and going into another saying, 'Alright, if India doesn't help, I will go and join my troops and fight (it) out'.

I couldn't restrain myself, and said, 'That will raise their morale sir'. Eventually, I also got the military situation from everybody around us, asking what the hell was happening, and discovered that the tribesmen were about seven or nine kilometres from what was then that horrible little airfield.

V P Menon was in the meantime discussing with Mahajan and the Maharaja. Eventually the Maharaja signed the accession papers and we flew back in the Dakota late at night. There were no night facilities, and the people who were helping us to fly back, to light the airfield, were Sheikh Abdullah, Kasimsahib, Sadiqsahib, Bakshi Ghulam Mohammed, D P Dhar with pine torches, and we flew back to Delhi. I can't remember the exact time. It must have been 3 o'clock or 4 o'clock in the morning.

(On arriving at Delhi) the first thing I did was to go and report to Sir Roy Bucher. He said, 'Eh, you, go and shave and clean up. There is a cabinet meeting at 9 o'clock. I will pick you up and take you there.' So I went home, shaved, dressed, etc. and Roy Bucher picked me up, and we went to the cabinet meeting.

The cabinet meeting was presided by Mountbatten. There was Jawaharlal Nehru, there was Sardar Patel, there was Sardar Baldev Singh. There were other ministers whom I did not know and did not want to know, because I had nothing to do with them. Sardar Baldev Singh I knew because he was the minister for defence, and I knew Sardar Patel, because Patel would insist that V P Menon take me with him to the various states.

Sardar Patel Almost every morning the Sardar would sent for V P, H M Patel and myself. While Maniben (Patel's daughter and de facto secretary) would sit cross-legged with a Parker fountain pen taking notes, Patel would say, 'V P, I want Baroda. Take him with you.' I was the bogeyman. So I got to know the Sardar very well.

At the morning meeting he handed over the (Accession) thing. Mountbatten turned around and said, ' come on Manekji (He called me Manekji instead of Manekshaw), what is the military situation?' I gave him the military situation, and told him that unless we flew in troops immediately, we would have lost Srinagar, because going by road would take days, and once the tribesmen got to the airport and Srinagar, we couldn't fly troops in. Everything was ready at the airport.

As usual Nehru talked about the United Nations, Russia, Africa, God almighty, everybody, until Sardar Patel lost his temper. He said, 'Jawaharlal, do you want Kashmir, or do you want to give it away'. He (Nehru) said,' Of course, I want Kashmir (emphasis in original). Then he (Patel) said 'Please give your orders'. And before he could say anything Sardar Patel turned to me and said, 'You have got your orders'.

I walked out, and we started flying in troops at about 11 o'clock or 12 o'clock. I think it was the Sikh regiment under Ranjit Rai that was the first lot to be flown in. And then we continued flying troops in. That is all I know about what happened. Then all the fighting took place. I became a brigadier, and became director of military operations and also if you will see the first signal to be signed ordering the cease-fire on 1 January (1949) had been signed by Colonel Manekshaw on behalf of C-in-C India, General Sir Roy Bucher. That must be lying in the Military Operations Directorate.

Excerpted from Kashmir 1947, Rival Versions of History, by Prem Shankar Jha, Oxford University Press, 1996, Rs 275, with the publisher's permission.Readers in the US may secure a copy of the book from Oxford University Press Inc USA, 198, Madison Avenue, New York, New York 10016, USA. Tel: 212-726-6000. Fax: 212-726-6440.

Continued......

Words - from heart or empty

Words which come from the heart enter the heart.

- Moses Ibn Ezra, "Shirat Yisrael"

TRANS FAT TRAP AND HOW TO ESCAPE IT

Escape the Trans Fat Trap:
8 Ideas

Easy Ways to Cut Fat and Calories:Easy Ways to Cut Fat and Calories:
Cutting a few calories at every meal will add up to real calorie savings. Here are some culinary "special effects" that you can try to trim some calories and fat.
Trans fats are produced when liquid vegetable oil is heated and transformed into a solid form called partially hydrogenated oil. Trans fats are worse for your heart than saturated fat because they boost levels of "bad" LDL cholesterol and decrease "good" HDL cholesterol. Here are some ways you can reduce trans fats in your diet:

1. Choose tub margarine instead of stick margarine, and look for brands with the lowest trans fat content.

2. Use olive oil instead of stick margarine for sauteing.

3. Sprinkle slivered nuts or sunflower seeds on salads instead of bacon bits.

4. Snack on a small handful of nuts or a box of raisins rather than potato chips or processed crackers. Or try peanut butter or other nut-butter spreads (nonhydrogenated) on celery, bananas, or rice or popcorn cakes.

5. Shop the perimeter of the store. Most processed foods, which contain a lot of trans fats, are on the inner aisles of the supermarket.

6. When you do purchase processed foods, choose lower-fat versions of crackers, cereals, and desserts.

7. Skip fast-food fries. Get a side salad, a plain baked potato, or, for the kids, a healthy alternative such as sliced fruit (now becoming available at more fast-food chains).

8. When you have time, make your own pancakes, waffles, and muffins instead of using store-bought versions or a trans fat-packed mix. Make extra and freeze some.

FEAR?

Today's Quote

To fear is one thing. To let fear grab you by the tail and swing you around is another.

-Katherine Paterson

Bazaar se nikla hoon khariddar nahin hoon, will not do.

Today's Quote

You must get involved to have an impact. No one is impressed with the won-lost record of the referee.

-John Holcomb

FLAX SEED - or in India ALSI KE BEEJ (LINSEED)

A WORD TO THE WISE…
Flaxseed Oil vs. Ground Flaxseed - Flax Seed Oil does not have the same nutritional composition as the whole or ground seed. When you buy flax in the oil form, you are missing out on the protein, the lignins, and the dietary fiber, leaving you only with the omega-3 fatty acids. Buy it in this form if you only want the benefits of the omega-3 fatty acids. But, if you want to get the most out of your flax, buy it in the whole form and grab onto the other nutritional benefits!


Three particularly great things about Flax Seed.
bullet Flaxseed is the best plant source of omega-3 fatty acids.
bullet Flax Seed contains both types of fiber (about 3 grams per tablespoon)
bullet Flax is one of the top plant sources of the phytoestrogen called lignans. Flaxseed contains up to 800 times more plant lignans as compared to other vegetarian foods and is one of the richest sources of lignans in the plant kingdom.

HOW TO USE IT FOR MAXIMUM BENEFIT: Grind the seed in a small mixer, two or three large spoons, if possible each day, or every other day. Start with eating one spoonful in yagurth increasing it to two spoonfuls; in addition to being a source of omega-3 fatty acids, it also regularizes your motions. Try it and let me know.

purdah

jab woh benakab mohatrama se bole ki tumhara purdah kahan gaya;

to woh muskarah kar boleen ki woh to mardon ki akal par pad gaya.


When he asked the 'bepurdah'woman where has her purdah gone?

She smilingly replied that it has fallen on the wisdom of men!

Wah Wah, kya baat hai.

NAA JANE KIS ROOP MEIN NARAIN MIL JAYEIN

You never know in what being you may find God!



Despise no man: many pearls are found in a poor man's tunic.

- Eliezer b. Isaac, Orhot Hayyim

ASTEROID PROBE BY JAPAN - HOORRAY

Asteroid probe 'did touch down'
By Paul Rincon
BBC News science reporter


Asteroid Itokawa, Jaxa
Apparently, Hayabusa bounced off something on the surface more than once
Dr Andy Cheng
Johns Hopkins University
The Hayabusa space probe landed successfully on its asteroid target despite the initial announcement of a failure, Japan's space agency says.

It apparently failed to drop equipment to collect material from the surface of asteroid Itokawa.

The Japanese spacecraft is on a mission to return surface samples to Earth.

But a team member told the BBC Hayabusa could have disturbed enough surface material for some to have got into its sample collection chamber by accident.

On Sunday, controllers lost contact with the probe for about three hours after it had manoeuvred to within several metres of the space rock.

The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (Jaxa) subsequently announced the landing attempt had failed.

But the data now show that the spacecraft touched down on the potato-shaped asteroid located 290 million km (180 million miles) from Earth for about half an hour.

Second attempt

When it "lands", the probe is designed to fire a metal pellet into the surface at 300m/s. After the firings, Hayabusa is supposed to take off to collect the dust ejected by the impact.

"Apparently, Hayabusa bounced off something on the surface more than once and spent some 39 minutes resting on it, but the samplers didn't fire," science team member Andy Cheng of Johns Hopkins University told the BBC News website.


The asteroid is named after Hideo Itokawa, a father of Japan's space programme

Enlarge Image
"It's possible some asteroidal material has been collected, but the spacecraft has no sensor to confirm that."

Although the body of the probe had not suffered any major damage, some of its sensors needed to be checked, the Japanese space agency said.

Jaxa has said it will decide on Thursday whether to make a second attempt to land Hayabusa, scheduled for Friday 25 November.

Solar System dynamics require that the spacecraft begin its return to Earth in the first week of December - so time is of the essence.

It is also unclear how much fuel Hayabusa has left. Two of the spacecraft's four stabilising reaction wheels have failed.

'Incredibly nasty'

These wheels help the probe maintain its "attitude", or orientation, in space without needlessly expending fuel by using thrusters to do the same job.

Controllers have been forced to use thrusters in addition to the last remaining reaction wheels in order to maintain a stable attitude.

The spacecraft is also understood to have lost two attitude sensors, or inertial measurement units. The combination of these two issues has proved a significant hindrance to the mission.

Neither has it been helped by the unexpectedly jagged terrain of Itokawa.

"The object has not been co-operative at all. It is an incredibly nasty place to land," said Dr Cheng.

"The surface is strewn with very angular, large rocks - much more so than was expected. They've picked the most benign looking spot, but it has not turned out to be very benign."

The only experience in landing on asteroids comes from Nasa's Near Earth Asteroid Rendezvous (Near) mission, which touched down on the asteroid Eros. That "wasn't anywhere as ragged-looking", according to Andy Cheng.

The mission has lost a small robotic "hopper" called Minerva. This was to have performed several 10m-high jumps on the surface, taking pictures and temperature readings.

CHAT WITH GOD!

Chat with God...

God: Hello. Did you call me?

Me: Called you? No. Who is this?

God: This is GOD. I heard your prayers. So I thought I will chat.

Me: I do pray. Just makes me feel good. I am actually busy now. I am in the midst of something.

God: What are you busy at? Ants are busy too.

Me: Don't know. But I can't find free time. Life has become hectic. It's rush hour all the time.

God: Sure. Activity gets you busy. But productivity gets you results. Activity consumes time. Productivity frees it.

Me: I understand. But I still can't figure out. By the way, I was not expecting YOU to buzz me on instant messaging chat.

God: Well I wanted to resolve your fight for time, by giving you some clarity. In this net era, I wanted to reach you through the medium you are comfortable with.

Me: Tell me, why has life become complicated now?

God: Stop analyzing life. Just live it. Analysis is what makes it complicated.

Me: why are we then constantly unhappy?

God: Your today is the tomorrow that you worried about yesterday. You are worrying because you are analyzing. Worrying has become your habit. That's why you are not happy.

Me: But how can we not worry when there is so much uncertainty?

God: Uncertainty is inevitable, but worrying is optional.

Me: But then, there is so much pain due to uncertainty.

God: Pain is inevitable, but suffering is optional.

Me: If suffering is optional, why do good people always suffer?

God: Diamond cannot be polished without friction. Gold cannot be purified without fire. Good people go through trials, but don't suffer. With that experience their life become better not bitter.

Me: You mean to say such experience is useful?

God: Yes. In every term, Experience is a hard teacher. She gives the test first and the lessons afterwards.

Me: But still, why should we go through such tests? Why can't we be free from problems?

God: Problems are Purposeful Roadblocks Offering Beneficial Lessons (to) Enhance Mental Strength. Inner strength comes from struggle and endurance, not when you are free from problems.

Me: Frankly in the midst of so many problems, we don't know where we are heading.

God: If you look outside you will not know where you are heading. Look inside. Looking outside, you dream. Looking inside, you awaken. Eyes provide sight. Heart provides insight.

Me: Sometimes not succeeding fast seems to hurt more than moving in the right direction. What should I do?

God: Success is a measure as decided by others. Satisfaction is a measure as decided by you. Knowing the road ahead is more satisfying than knowing you rode ahead. You work with the compass. Let others work with the clock.

Me: In tough times, how do you stay motivated?

God: Always look at how far you have come rather than how far you have to go. Always count your blessing, not what you are missing.

Me: What surprises you about people?

God: when they suffer they ask, "why me?" When they prosper, they never ask "Why me" Everyone wishes to have truth on their side, but few want to be on the side of the truth.

Me: Sometimes I ask, who am I, why am I here. I can't get the answer.

God: Seek not to find who you are, but to determine who you want to be. Stop looking for a purpose as to why you are here. Create it. Life is not a process of discovery but a process of creation.

Me: How can I get the best out of life?

God: Face your past without regret. Handle your present with confidence. Prepare for the future without fear.

Me: One last question. Sometimes I feel my prayers are not answered.

God: There are no unanswered prayers. At times the answer is NO.

Me: Thank you for this wonderful chat. I am so happy to start the New Year with a new sense of inspiration.

God: Well. Keep the faith and drop the fear. Don't believe your doubts and doubt your beliefs. Life is a mystery to solve not a problem to resolve. Trust me. Life is wonderful if you know how to li

BACK THEN....

Back then...

...A computer was something on TV from a science fiction show, a window was something you hated to clean, and ram was the cousin of a goat.

Meg was the name of my girlfriend, and gig was something you did on stage for money; now they all mean different things and that really mega bytes.

An application was for employment, a program was a TV show, a cursor used profanity, and a keyboard was a piano.

Memory was something that you lost with age, a CD was a bank account...

Compress was something you did to the garbage, not something you did to a file, and if you unzipped anything in public you'd be in jail for a while.

Log on was adding wood to the fire, hard drive was a long trip on the road, a mouse pad was where a mouse lived, and a backup happened to your commode.

Cut you did with a pocketknife, paste you did with glue, a web was a spider's home, and a virus was the flu.

I guess I'll stick to my pad and paper and the memory in my head. I hear nobody's been killed in a computer crash but when it happens they wish they were dead.

Labours of other men and women

A hundred times a day I remind myself
that my inner and outer life depend
on the labors of other men and women,
living and dead,
and that I must exert myself in order
to give in the measure as I have received
and am still receiving.

- Albert Einstein

COUNT YOUR BLESSINGS WITHOUT HAVING TO LOSE WHAT YOU HAVE

It is vital that people "count their blessings":
to appreciate what they possess
without having to undergo
its actual loss.

- Abraham Mas

AISHWARYA RAI, TERE CHAHNE WALON KI KAMI NAHIN HAI

PTI
EU to honour Aishwarya Rai, Jackie Chan
Wednesday, 23 November , 2005, 08:23
London: European Union (EU) will honour Bollywood actress Aishwarya Rai with the Global Diversity Award for being an international symbol for diversity in London on Thursday.

Hollywood actor Jackie Chan will also be presented with the honour at the one-day conference on Celebrating Diversity in the European Union at Lords Cricket Ground here.

"Aishwarya Rai is a symbol of what Asian women can achieve and a real international symbol for diversity," Keith Vaz MP, and Co-Chair of the conference said. Vaz said the will help EU to "refocus our goals and inspire the minds of leading individuals across Europe".

"We are in dire need of a fresh approach to integration and of finding inspiration in a diverse environment, which recognises and nurtures the talents of all people within our great European community, regardless of religion, culture or ethnicity," he said.

The conference will feature a special interview with Prime Minister Tony Blair.

PEANUT BUTTER GOOD FOR YUR YEART!

Lose Weight on the Peanut Butter Diet

Eat 4 to 6 tablespoons of peanut butter every day. You'll lose weight and you won't be hungry.

Yeah, yeah, peanut butter is loaded with calories. But it's also packed with monounsaturated fats, which Men's Health magazine calls the original death-defying potion. In fact, the magazine goes so far as to say we should all be on the Skippy Diet to reduce the risk of heart disease AND to lose weight.

Researchers at Brigham and Women's Hospital concluded that people who consumed foods that were high in monounsaturated fats, including olive oil, avocados, and peanut butter, were more likely to lose weight and keep it off than people following a more regimented, lower-fat diet. These amazing claims were backed up by researchers at Purdue University. It's really pretty simple: Peanut butter is filling. BUT. Limit your Jif Diet to no more than 6 tablespoons of the gooey stuff a day.





Delicious Recipes for All Meals Using Peanut Butter [Jif]

Peanut Butter Has Diabetes Benefits Too [WebMD]

These 5 Foods Help Control Your Appetite [Netscape]

How Peanut Butter Is Made [PeanutButterLovers]

Fats to Eat and Fats to Avoid [iVillage]

What do you eat on the peanut butter diet? Men's Health offers this menu:

Breakfast: Peanut Butter and Banana Shake (1 cup of fat-free milk, 1 medium banana, and 2 Tbsp. peanut butter liquefied in a blender)

Lunch: Peanut butter and jelly sandwich and an apple

Snack: Peanut butter on a rice cake

Dinner: It's peanut-butter free! But be sensible and enjoy a skinless chicken breast, chopped nuts, an avocado, and a salad for example.

In case you need justification to go on the peanut butter diet, how about justifying a healthy heart? Peanut butter may just lower your risk of heart disease and stroke. Reuters reports that Italian researchers have concluded that women who consume less vitamin E may be at a far greater risk of heart disease and stroke. Vitamin E seems to protect against plaque build-up or arteriosclerosis at the carotid bifurcation, the Y-shaped branch in the arteries of the neck. And peanut butter is packed with vitamin E--along with canned salmon with the bones, canned tuna fish, olive oil, almonds, and sunflower seeds.

Led by Dr. Paolo Rubba from Federico II University in Naples, Italy, the research team examined 310 women aged 30 to 69, measuring their blood levels of vitamins A, C, E, and other antioxidants. They also interviewed each participant about her medical history, drug use, personal habits, and food consumption. Based on this information, the women were divided into three groups based on their vitamin E consumption. (None were taking vitamin supplements.)

Those who ate a diet that was the richest in vitamin E foods also had the lowest build-up of plaque in the carotid bifurcation. Reuters reports that those who consumed the least vitamin E were nearly three times more likely to have arterial plaque regardless of age, smoking habits, blood pressure, body mass index (BMI), and other heart disease risk factors. How vitamin E protects against heart disease and stroke is not yet known. The study findings were published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

Behold the turtle

Today's Quote

Behold the turtle. He only makes progress when he sticks his neck out.

-James Bryant Conant

BE BOLD

Be bold and mighty forces will come to your aid.

-Basil King

Time factor in marriage

Men and Marriage

Here's how a man evolves directly following marriage.

The Love Word:

After 6 weeks: I love you, I love you, I love you!
After 6 months: Of course, I love you.
After 6 years: GOD, if I didn't love you, then why do you think I proposed?

Back from Work:

After 6 weeks: Honey, I'm home
After 6 months: BACK!!
After 6 years: What did your mom cook for us today?

Phone Ringing:

After 6 weeks: Baby, somebody wants you on the phone
After 6 months: Here, for you
After 6 years: ANSWER THE PHONE!

Cooking:

After 6 weeks: I never knew food could taste so good!
After 6 months: What are we having for dinner tonight?
After 6 years: AGAIN!

New Dress:

After 6 weeks: Wow, you look like an angel in that dress.
After 6 months: You bought a new dress again?
After 6 years: How much did THAT cost me?

TV:

After 6 weeks: Baby, what would you like us to watch tonight?
After 6 months: I like this movie
After 6 years: I'm going to watch ESPN, if you're not in the mood, go to Bed, I can stay up by myself

Unpardonable laws of nature

After discarding something not used for years, you will need it one week later. (Law of fatal irreversibility)

Arriving early for an appointment will cause the receptionist to be absent, and if one arrives late, you are too late for the appointment (Law of DE LAY)

Do not take life too seriously, because in the end, you won't come out alive anyway." (Theory of absolute certainty)

HOW ABOUT: FALL DOWN NINE TIMES, STAND UP TEN TIMES

If one says, I'll sin again and repent again, he'll have no opportunity to repent.

- Mishna: Yoma

Cookies

Pulled Over

Returning from a trip to visit my grandmother in California, I was stopped by a state trooper in Kansas for exceeding the speed limit. Grateful to have received a warning instead of a ticket, I gave him a small bag of my grandmother's delicious chocolate-chip cookies and proceeded on my way.

Later, I was stopped by another trooper. "What have I done?" I asked.

"Nothing," the trooper said, smiling. "I heard you were passing out great chocolate-chip cookies."

Bridal Registry

Bridal Registry

My sister, went to the department store to check out the bridal registry of our niece whose wedding was coming up soon. When my sister returned from the store, she tossed the gift list on a table and declared, "I think she's too young to get married."

"Why do you say that?" I asked.

"Because," she said, "they registered for Nintendo games."

All you need to know!

"Well, here's all you need to know.

Classes: nothing before eleven.

Beer: it's your best friend, you drink a lot.

Women? You're a freshman, so it's pretty much out of the question."

Theory of absolute certainty

Do not take life too seriously, because in the end, you won't come out alive anyway." (Theory of absolute certainty)

wise sayings and a kind word

Today's Quote

Wise sayings often fall on barren ground; but a kind word is never thrown away.

-Sir Arthur Helps

SATYA YUG and KALI YUG

1. When I said Thames water, I meant whisky, which is a sort of joke;

2. As for the world's evil and vices which are on the increase, the only
answer I can find is in the Hindu religiion. According to Hindu religion
the human existence on earth is divided in four epochs, each epoch lasting
hundreds of thousands of years: the first epoch is SATYAYUG (The truthful
period) in which people are very pious and good; then comes TRETA yUG, WHEN
decay in mentalities starts a bit, but people are still generally good, in
the third yug which is called DWAPAR, people become worse still and the
fourth one is KALIYUG (i.e. machine age) in which we are now. In this yug,
people do not believe in God, they say we are everything, it is through sex
that the world is created. In this yug nothing will make sense, people will
have no respect for each other or for their brothers, sisters, daughters
etc. There will be lots of glitter and money, but no character and no
happiness. At the end of the period for this yug, the world destroys itself
and is recreated or reborn in SATYA YUG and that's how the cycle goes on. I
know this story from my childhood. Now it is upto you to accept or reject
it.. Hindu religion also believes that whenever the religion decays too much on this earth, God comes here in human form.He has already been on earth nine times, in SATYA YUG, BHAGWAN RAM came and in DWAPAR, BHAGWAN KRISHN came and they killed the bad ones and protected the good people. Lord Krishn also gave a message for life and how to live etc. which is enshrined in the book called SHRIMAD BHAGWAT GITA, in short it
is called GITA.

4. I hope I have not bored you enough by now but let me add the following:
In Kaliyug the only thing which can save a man or a woman, is by continually
repeating GOD's name, whichever God you believe in and try to be good and
helpful to others and remain serene and unaffected from whatever happens in
the world around us, to us, near us or far away and continue to do your duty.

History of Mankind and our impact

"If an historian were to relate truthfully all the crimes, weaknesses and disorders of mankind, his readers would take his work for satire rather than for history."

Pierre Bayle, French philosopher and critic (1647-1706)

For me I'm guided by this famous quote which I'm certain you too are familiar with:

God grant me the
courage to change the things I can;
serenity to accept the things I cannot
and Wisdom to know the difference.

An Irish saying

And we three should be very proud and blessed that we have served and done our share of making this world a peaceful place to live in: We the International Civil Servants.

Sugar in the mouth

Sugar in the mouth won't help if you're bitter at heart.

- Yiddish proverb

Interesting

*NOW THIS I MIGHT FIND USEFUL ,,, UMMMMMMM*





A new wine for seniors California vintners in the Napa Valley area, which primarily produces Pinot Blanc, Pinot Noir and Pinot Grigio wines, have developed a new hybrid grape that acts as an anti-diuretic. It is expected to reduce the number of trips older people have to make to the bathroom during the night. The new wine will be marketed as

Pino More.

Fool and wise

Today's Quote

Every fool knows you can't touch the stars, but it doesn't stop a wise man from trying.

-Harry Anderson

GAGAN CHADE RAJ PAWAN PRASANGA

I do not know how many of us know the above one liner in Tulsi Dasji's Ramayan. Anyhow to translate it into simple English, even the dust or sand touches the sky if it gets the company of wind.

So is the case with India and America getting together. How the outsourcing is working for the benefit of USA and India both. On the other end, India aspires to remain the world guru and is teaching yoga, herbal, the ways to succeed not only in this life but beyond.

Keep it up old chaps!

Mental reviewing or worrying

Don’t mentally review any problem constantly. Let it rest at times and it may work itself out; but see that you do not rest so long that your discrimination is lost. Rather, use these rest periods to go deep within the calm region of your inner Self. Attuned with your soul, you will be able to think correctly regarding everything you do; and if your thoughts or actions have gone astray then they can be realigned. This power of divine attunement can be achieved by practice and effort.



—Paramahansa Yogananda, “How to Solve Your Problems,” from Self-Realization magazine, summer 1988.

Daring ideas

Today's Quote

Daring ideas are like chessmen moved forward. They may be beaten, but they may start a winning game.

-Goethe

Born Lucky

If you were born lucky, even your rooster will lay eggs.

-Russian proverb

A good one at that!

1 cup Courtesy
1/2 cup Patience
1/4 cup Forgiveness
2 cups Understanding
1 cup Encouragement
2 tsp. Unselfishness


Stir in a pinch of Praise.
Add a dash of Wit and Humor.
Season with Faith and Conf idence ,
Put it in a 16 x 9 pan, bake on 350° for a Lifetime
and serve with generous portions of Love and Smiles . .

Have A Tasty Day

I WANT TO BE NEAR YOU....

1) My sweetest memory...our meeting!
My biggest sadness...The distance!
My biggest hope...i will c u soon!
My craziest dream..
hope we stay friends 4evr.....

2) Minutes r small, hours r less, days r short, months r few,
years rnt enough 2b with u,
I can take 10 more births if i get a friend like you.

3) I love my eyes wen u look into them
i love my name wen u speak it
i love my heart when u love it nd
i love my life wen ur a part of it..

4) its easy to say I LOVE U
but hard to get love from the one u love
its easy to say I HATE U
but hard to hate the ONE whom u love.

5) Age does not protect you from love.
But love, to some extent,
protects you from age.
True love can be delayed- but
not denied....................

6) If loVE is Sweet, Y does it HurT!
If lovE is dEEP, Y does it bURN!
If loVE is WaRM, Y do wE shIVEr!
If LoVE is teNDER, Y do we cRY!
If loVe is 4eveR, Y do we DIE?

7) i mess yo ..
i mis yo ..
i mmis yoo ..
i miss yuu ..
maybe i didn"t learn how to write it
but you taught me how to feel it :)

8) a simple txt means I care

enough 2 flex my thumb
search ur name
wait4 "Message Sent"
thn thnk of u & smile
as I say "Hope ur OK"

9) If 2 Hearts r Meant 2 b friends, no Matter How Long it takes,How Far
they Go,How Tuff it Seems,Fate Will Bring them 2Gether 2Share Friendship
4ever! KEEP SMILING!!!


10) "What make some people dearer s not just d hapines that u feel when u
meet them but d pain u feel when u miss them."
"It takes a minute to have a crush an hour to like someone and a day to
love someone but it takes a lifetime to forget someone" Be in touch..

True and honest purpose

Every thought of God is prayer. Holy, true and honest purposes are prayer. Earnest thought, search without vanity is prayer.

Letter by a lady whose relative is fighting in Iraq

The lady that wrote this letter is Pam Foster of Pamela Foster and
Associates in Atlanta. She's been in business since 1980 doing interior
design and home planning. She recently wrote a letter to a family member
serving in Iraq. Read it!


WHAT'S ALL THE FUSS?

"Are we fighting a war on terror or aren't we? Was it or was it not started
by Islamic people who brought it to our shores on September 11, 2001? Were
people from all over the world, mostly Americans, not brutally murdered that
day, in downtown Manhattan, across the Potomac from our nation's capitol and
in a field in Pennsylvania? Did nearly three thousand men, women and
children die a horrible, burning or crushing death that day, or didn't they?
And I'm supposed to care that a copy of the Koran was "desecrated" when an
overworked American soldier kicked it or got it wet?
Well, I don't! I don't care at all.I'll start caring when Osama bin Laden turns himself in and repents for
incinerating all those innocent people on 9/11.

I'll care about the Koran when the fanatics in the Middle East start caring
about the Holy Bible (the mere possession of which is a crime in Saudi
Arabia).

I'll care when Abu Musab al-Zarqawi tells the world he is sorry for hacking
off Nick Berg's head while Berg screamed through his gurgling, slashed
throat.

I'll care when the cowardly so-called "insurgents" in Iraq come out and
fight like men instead of disrespecting their own religion by hiding in
mosques.

I'll care when the mindless zealots who blow themselves up in search of
nirvana care about the innocent children within range of their suicide
bombs.

I'll care when the American media stops pretending that their First
Amendment liberties are somehow derived from international law instead of
the United States Constitution's Bill of Rights.
In the meantime, when I hear a story about a brave marine roughing up an
Iraqi terrorist to obtain information, know this:
I don't care.
When I see a fuzzy photo of a pile of naked Iraqi prisoners who have been
humiliated in what amounts to a college hazing incident, rest assured that I
don't care.

When I see a wounded terrorist get shot in the head when he is told not to
move because he might be booby-trapped, you can take it to the bank, I don't
care.

When I hear that a prisoner, who was issued a Koran and a prayer mat, and
fed "special" food (that is paid for by my tax dollars) is complaining that
his holy book is being "mishandled," you can absolutely and positively
believe in your heart of hearts that I don't care.

And oh, by the way, I've noticed that sometimes it's spelled "Koran" and
other times "Quran."
Well, Jimmy Crack Corn and -- you guessed it, I don't care!

I could not have said this any better myself!
If you agree with this view point, pass this on to all your e-mail friends.
Sooner or later, it'll get to the people responsible for this ridiculous
behavior!
If you don't agree, then by all means hit the delete button.
Should you choose the latter, then please don't complain when more
atrocities committed by radical Muslims happen here in our great country.

A teacher and eternity!

A teacher affects eternity; he can never tell where his
influence stops.
~Henry Brooks Adams~

from The Mountain:

Our tone and mode in conversations

The goodness one hopes to receive from others should begin with goodness
>given to others. One should never behave in a way that he would abhor
>were he the recipient.* Persons who want people to speak kindly and
>understandingly to them, to behave toward them sincerely, honorably, and
>lovingly, must initiate such response by their own demeanor in
>relationships with others. The Divine Law and the prophets deal with
>people in the noblest way, that people in turn will learn to act always
>nobly. God is never cranky, mean, or spiteful even toward those of
>troublesome temperaments; people who feel punished by Him have rather
>disturbed themselves due to their own rancorous thoughts and wrong
>actions. The infinite voice of God is silent, yet He is always
>whispering gently and lovingly through one's conscience: "Child, wake
>up, forsake the evil way."
>
>
>
>- Paramahansa Yogananda, from Discourse 30 in "The Second Coming of
>Christ: The Resurrection of the Christ Within You"

Laugh lines

Blonde LOGIC
Two blondes living in Oklahoma were sitting on a bench
talking........ and one blonde says to the other, "Which do you think is
farther away..........Florida or the moon?"
The other blonde turns and says "Helloooooooooo, can you see
Florida...?????"

CAR TROUBLE
A blonde pushes her BMW into a gas station. She tells the mechanic it
died. After he works on it for a few minutes, it is idling smoothly.


She says, "What's the story?"
He replies, "Just crap in the carburetor"
She asks, "How often do I have to do that?"

SPEEDING TICKET
A police officer stops a blonde for speeding and asks her very nicely
if he could see her license.
She replied in a huff, "I wish you guys would get your act together.
Just yesterday you take away my license and then today you expect me to
show it to you!"

RIVER WALK
There's this blonde out for a walk. She comes to a river and sees
another blonde on the opposite bank. "Yoo-hoo!" she shouts, "How can I get
to the other side?"
The second blonde looks up the river then down the river and shouts
back, "You ARE on the other side."


AT THE DOCTOR'S OFFICE
A gorgeous young redhead goes into the doctor's office and said that
her body hurt wherever she touched it.
"Impossible!" says the doctor. "Show me."
The redhead took her finger, pushed on her left breast and screamed,
then she pushed her elbow and screamed in even more. She pushed her knee
and screamed; likewise she pushed her ankle and screamed. Everywhere she
touched made her scream.
The doctor said, "You're not really a redhead, are you?
"Well, no" she said, "I'm actually a blonde."
"I thought so," the doctor said. "Your finger is broken."

KNITTING
A highway patrolman pulled alongside a speeding car on the freeway.
Glancing at the car, he was astounded to see that the blonde behind the
wheel was knitting! Realizing that she was oblivious to his flashing lights
and siren, the trooper cranked down his window, turned on his bullhorn and
yelled, "PULL OVER!"
"NO!" the blonde yelled back, "IT'S A SCARF!"

BLONDE ON THE SUN
A Russian, an American, and a Blonde were talking one day. The
Russian said, "We were the first in space!"


The American said, "We were the first on the moon!"
The Blonde said, "So what? We're going to be the first on the sun!"
The Russian and the American looked at each other and shook their
heads. "You can't land on the sun, you idiot! You'll burn up!" said the
Russian.
To which the Blonde replied, "We're not stupid, you know. We're going
at night!"

IN A VACUUM
A blonde was playing Trivial Pursuit one night. It was her turn. She
rolled the dice and she landed on Science &Nature. Her question was, "If
you are in a vacuum and someone calls your name, can you hear it?"
She thought for a time and then asked, "Is it on or off?"

FINALLY, THE BLONDE JOKE TO END ALL BLONDE JOKES!
A girl was visiting her blonde friend, who had acquired two new dogs,
and asked her what their names were. The blonde responded by saying that
one was named Rolex and one was named Timex.

Her friend said, "Whoever heard of someone naming dogs like that?"
"HELLLOOOOOOO......," answered the blond. "They're watch dogs!"

INWARDNESS

Without inwardness there can be no external world,
and without imagination there can be no reality.

DONT WORRY ABOUT TOMORROW

Because tomorrow will bring its own worries;

just concentrate on TODAY and try to be happy.

Remove the splinters, don't just yell at them!

Then his friend asked the man,

“Why didn’t you remove the splinter?”


So many times in life, we let splinters get in our way.
Instead of removing them and enjoying the rest of our journey,
we simply yell at them thinking they will respond to our
complaining and fussing. Then we cut the trip short.

What splinters do you carry?

God has.....

More Faith
===========

God has more faith in you than you do in yourself.

You know what's ON you.
He knows what's IN you.

You know the weight you carry.
He knows your strength.

You know your pain.
He knows where your healing is.

"For I know the plans I have for you," says the LORD.
"They are plans for good and not for disaster,
to give you a future and a hope." (Jer 29:11 NLT)

YOU THOUGHT NO ONE CARES FOR YOU....

If you think no one cares if you are alive,
try missing a couple of car payments.

MOVING MOUNTAINS

The person who removes a mountain begins by carrying away small stones.

breast cancer new drugs approved in UK

Breast cancer drugs gap 'widens'
Another breast cancer drug has been approved for full use by the NHS in Scotland ahead of the rest of the UK.

Aromasin has been passed by the Scottish Medicines Consortium for early stage breast cancer sufferers.

It is the third such drug to be approved by the SMC in as many months, following Taxotere and Arimidex.

Charity Breast Cancer Care said that the "postcode lottery" of different access across the country could not be allowed to continue.

The drug is not likely to be rubber-stamped for patients in the rest of the UK before November 2006.

Breast cancer patients in Scotland are much more likely to receive satisfactory treatment
Prof Tim Cooke
Director of surgery for Glasgow

Aromasin, also known as exemestane, is claimed to reduce the risk of breast cancer coming back by a third and of cancer in the other breast by half.

The once-daily oral medicine is for post-menopausal patients and works by shutting down the oestrogen production which fuels cancer cell growth.

It is prescribed south of the border, but only for patients in the advanced stages of the disease.

Taxotere was approved for NHS Scotland patients in October and Arimidex in September.

Review call

But those treatments are not due to be considered by the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (Nice) until at least next year.

The latest announcement sparked renewed calls from charities to review the use of breast cancer drugs.

Lorraine Dallas, of Breast Cancer Care, said: "The SMC decision does yet again highlight that patients' access to drugs can vary across the country.

There are thousands of women in the rest of the UK who could also benefit
Arlene Wilkie
Breast Cancer Campaign

"The government cannot allow such a postcode lottery to continue."

Arlene Wilkie, of Breast Cancer Campaign, said: "It's good news that Scotland is once again taking the lead in approving an effective breast cancer treatment.

"However, there are thousands of women in the rest of the UK who could also benefit from wider access to treatments like Aromasin."

Professor Tim Cooke, medical director of surgery for Glasgow, said: "Breast cancer patients in Scotland are much more likely to receive satisfactory treatment because of the availability of Aromasin and the other drugs."

Aromasin is likely to gradually replace Tamoxifen for treatment of post-menopausal breast cancer patients.

The disease is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in women in the UK - one in nine females will develop the disease at some point in their lives.
Story from BBC NEWS:

Guardians of law or the lawless?

Under attack, Buta vacates bungalow

New Delhi, Nov. 15 (PTI): Attacked by the Supreme Court for "unauthorised" occupation of government accommodation, Bihar Governor Buta Singh, has vacated his residence in Lodhi Estate in the national capital.

The process of vacating the bungalow was completed yesterday and the premises had been handed over to the authorities, sources said.

However, some things were being moved out even today.

Using strong language, the Supreme Court had asked Government on October 24 to take remedial measures like "throwing out" the Bihar Governor.

"Buta Singh is Governor of Bihar. What is he doing here. How can he be occupying a house here. Governor cannot have a House here. Throw him out

Scary risk of......

Scary Risk of Drinking Colas--Even Diet

The good news: Drinking coffee--even a lot of it every day--will not increase your risk of hypertension. The bad news: Cola drinks will.

A new study from Harvard-affiliated Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, Mass., concludes there is a significant link between high blood pressure in women and the consumption of sugared or diet cola drinks. This was a surprising discovery even to the researchers since colas do not contain any ingredients known to cause hypertension.

The study: Led by Wolfgang C. Winkelmayer, M.D., the team followed 155,594 women for 12 years, all of whom participated in the Nurses' Health Studies I and II. While all the women had normal blood pressure when the studies began in the early 1990s, 33,000 developed hypertension during the follow-up years.





More than Anything Else, Soda Makes Us Fat [Netscape]

The Truth About Soda [iVillage]

Too Much Soda Raises Your Risk of One Type of Cancer [Netscape]

Help for Soda Lovers [WebMD]

Drinking Soft Drinks in Moderation [PCC Natural Markets]

The results: Caffeine intake was not directly linked to incident hypertension. When the team dug down further and analyzed the beverages the women consumed, they concluded habitual coffee drinking was not linked to an increased risk of high blood pressure, but sugared and diet colas had a significant link.

Is it the caffeine in the colas that causes the high blood pressure? The researchers think not. "We speculate that it is not caffeine but perhaps some other compound contained in soda-type soft drinks that may be responsible for the increased risk in hypertension," the wrote in the Journal of the American Medical Association. "If these associations are causal, they may have considerable impact on public health."

Approximately 50 million people in the United States have hypertension, and the prevalence is increasing. Hypertension is a major risk factor for coronary heart disease, stroke and congestive heart failure.

Opening/expansion of hospital and college at Khair

You have rightly mentioned many problems which will crop up if we try to do the above subject plans. In this connection, let me tell you a story which really happened. As you may be aware, Pandit Madan Mohan Malviyaji took a bida to make a Hindu University in Kashi, which is known as Banaras Hindu University. He had no money of his own; so he had to go place to place, person to person, nawabs to nawabs to beg for money to make the university.

When he went to see Nizam of Hyderabad, who was the richest nawab, he refused to give him any money as he did not want to give money for a Hindu university. Then while Panditji was in that city, one rich man died and when they were taking out his arthi they threw coins, rupees, silver/golden sikkes,etc. on his arthi as was the custom, Malviyaji went into the crowd and started picking up the money from the road. This was reported to the Nizam and he felt quite ashamed at this and I think he gave some money to Panditji for the university.

Incidentally, in accordance with some books/articles I have read in fact Nizam of Hyderabad was a Hindu born of Hindu parents but he was groomed as a moslem and was appointed (?)as the heir and by his trickery was able to disinherit the real heirs, who died as pauppers. They fought several cases in England and almost won but something or the other happened each time and their case was finally lost. For example, in one of the cases, their appeal went to King George who seemed to be favourably inclined but before the final decision/order was made/came, he died.

LOVE OF GOD

Think of the great example of such divine saints as Theresa of Avila, who was so practical, who founded many convents in spite of great obstacles, and yet was always enraptured with love for God, immersed in His love. And think of the struggles and misunderstandings that came to St. Bernadette. The story of her last moments intoxicates me. Despite all the physical and mental sufferings she was passing through, when she perceived the Divine Presence she raised herself up on her bed, whispering, “I love You, I love You, I love You.” That to me is perfection. That is the relationship with God I wish for all. And it comes through spiritualizing your thinking by these methods: faith in God, daily deep prayer and meditation on God, surrender to God’s will, and giving your troubles to Him. Isn’t that a beautiful philosophy? It is the highest way to live.



– Sri Daya Mata, in “Spiritualizing Life” from “Fall 1974 Self-Realization Magazine”
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Virtue

It is a virtue to refrain from hurting others, but it needs courage and faith in yourself to bear a hurt patiently.

A penny for your thoughts

A Penny for your Thoughts
==========================

I'll never again pick up a penny without thinking of this.

Several years ago, a friend of mine and her husband were invited
to spend the weekend at the husband's employer's home.
My friend, Arlene, was nervous about the weekend. The boss was
very wealthy with a fine home on the waterway and cars costing
more than her house.

The first day and evening went well, and Arlene was delighted to
have this rare glimpse into how the very wealthy live.

The husband's employer was quite generous as a host and took
them to the finest restaurants. Arlene knew she would never
have the opportunity to indulge in this kind of extravagance
again, so she was enjoying herself immensely.

As the three of them were about to enter an exclusive restaurant
that evening, the boss was walking slightly ahead of Arlene and
her husband. He stopped suddenly, looking down on the pavement
for a long, silent moment.

Arlene wondered if she was supposed to pass him. There was
nothing on the ground except a single darkened penny that
someone had dropped and a few cigarette butts.

Still silent, the man reached down and picked up the penny.

He held it up and smiled, then put it in his pocket as if he had
found a great treasure.

How absurd!

What need did this man have for a single penny?

Why would he even take the time to stop and pick it up?

Throughout dinner, the entire scene nagged at her.
Finally, she could stand it no longer. She casually mentioned
that her daughter once had a coin collection and asked if the
penny he had found had been valuable.

A smile crept across the man's face as he reached into his
pocket for the penny and held it out for her to see. She had
seen many pennies before. What was the point of this?

"Look at it," he said. "Read what it says."

She read the words "United States of America."
"No, not that; read further."

"One cent?"
"No, keep reading."

"In God we Trust?"

"Yes!"

"And?"

"And if I trust in God, the name of God is holy, even on a coin.

Whenever I find a coin, I see that inscription.
It is written on every single United States coin,
but we never seem to notice it.

God drops a message right in front of me telling me to trust Him.

Who am I to pass it by?

When I see a coin, I pray. I stop to see if my trust IS in God
at that moment. I pick the coin up as a response to God, that I
do trust in Him. For a short time, at least, I cherish it as if
it were gold. I think it is God's way of starting a
conversation with me.

Lucky for me, God is patient and pennies are plentiful."

When I was out shopping today, I found a penny on the sidewalk.
I stopped and picked it up, and realized that I had been
worrying and fretting in my mind about things I cannot change.
I read the words, "In God We Trust," and had to laugh.

Yes, God, I get the message. It seems that I have been finding
an inordinate number of pennies in the last few months, but
then, pennies are plentiful. And God is patient.

Author Unknown

A boring story!

"The whole reason you watch a TV show is because it ends. If I wanted a long, boring story with no point to it, I've got my life." --Jerry Seinfeld

An old joke

White Hair
One day a little girl was sitting and watching her mother do the dishes at the kitchen sink. She suddenly noticed that her mother had several strands of white hair sticking out in contrast on her brunette head.

She looked at her mother and inquisitively asked, "Why are some of your hairs white, Mom?"

Her mother replied, "Well, every time that you do something wrong and make me cry or unhappy, one of my hairs turns white."

The little girl thought about this revelation for a while and then said, "Momma, how come ALL of grandma's hairs are white?"

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Circulation
A teacher was giving a lesson on the circulation of the blood. Trying to make the matter clearer, she said, "Now, class, if I stood on my head, the blood, as you know, would run into it, and I would turn red in the face."

"Yes," the class said.

"Then why is it that while I am standing upright in the ordinary position the blood doesn't run into my feet?"

A little fellow shouted, "Cause your feet ain't empty."

A gift you can't return!

How Smart Are You?
(Passing requires 4 correct answers...)

1) How long did the Hundred Years War last?

2) Which country makes Panama hats?

3) From which animal do we get catgut?

4) In which month do Russians celebrate the October Revolution?

5) What is a camel's hair brush made of?

6) The Canary Islands in the Pacific are named after what animal?

7) What was King George VI's first name?

8) What color is a purple finch?

9) Where are Chinese gooseberries from?

10) What is the color of the black box in a commercial airplane?

Quiz Answers:

1) How long did the Hundred Years War last? 116 years

2) Which country makes Panama hats? Ecuador

3) From which animal do we get catgut? Sheep and Horses

4) In which month do Russians celebrate the October Revolution? November

5) What is a camel's hair brush made of? Squirrel fur

6) The Canary Islands in the Pacific are named after what animal? Dogs

7) What was King George VI's first name? Albert

8) What color is a purple finch? Crimson

9) Where are Chinese gooseberries from? New Zealand

10) What is the color of the black box in a commercial airplane? Orange, of course.



Wedding Humor
At my friends' wedding reception, the groom stood to say a few words. He turned to his bride's mother. "You've given me a gift," he began, "a gift that..."

Here he paused in thought, whereupon his mother-in-law completed the sentence, "That you can't return.

The Holy One

The Holy One delights in the prayer of the righteous, yet He does not always grant their requests.

1. Slouching 2. Backache while climbing down from mountain

Thank you for telling us a very simple exercise to do as an antidote to slouching..

Here is another one which I had learned earlier and tried with amazing results on my way back from Vaishno Devi in 2004.

While I was coming down, I started having a lot of backache. Even Resting did not
help. Then I remembered something one of my friends had told me earlier.

I took a thin long towel, and folded it across its width so that the width
remained 2 - 3 inches. Then I tied it around my waist at umbilical level
with a little pressure into my abdomen; thereafter, I was able to get down without any backache whatsoever.

R D Agrawal

Tomorrow or Today

Today's Quote

We know nothing of tomorrow, our business is to be good and happy today.

-Sydney Smith

Church bulletin board announcements

Church Announcements...

From bulletin boards:

Ladies Bible Study will be held Thursday morning at 10. All ladies are invited to lunch in the Fellowship Hall after the B.S. is done.

The pastor would appreciate it if the ladies of the congregation would lend him their electric girdles for the pancake breakfast next Sunday morning.

The pastor will preach his farewell message, after which the choir will sing, "Break Forth Into Joy."

Remember in prayer the many who are sick of our church and community.

The eighth graders will be presenting Shakespeare's Hamlet in the church basement Friday at 7 p.m. The congregation is invited to attend this tragedy.

Thursday night Potluck Supper. Prayer and medication to follow.

Weight Watchers will meet at 7 p.m. at the First Presbyterian Church. Please use large double door at the side entrance.

Don't let worry kill you, the church can help.

This being Easter Sunday, we will ask Mrs. Lewis to come forward and lay an egg on the altar.

Thursday at 5:00 pm there will be a meeting of the Little Mothers Club. All wishing to become little mothers, please see the minister.

Irving Benson and Jessie Carter were married on October 24 in the church. So ends a friendship that began in their school days.

The ladies of the church have cast off clothing of every kind and they may be seen in the church basement Friday.

Announcement in the church bulletin for a National PRAYER & FASTING Conference: "The cost for attending the Fasting and Prayer conference includes meals."

The church will host an evening of fine dining, superb entertainment, and gracious hostility.

This evening at 7 P.M. there will be a hymn sing in the park across from the Church. Bring a blanket and come prepared to sin.

"Ladies, don't forget the rummage sale. It's a chance to get rid of those things not worth keeping around the house. Don't forget your husbands."

PIRATES ARE BACK - WATCH OUT

Pirates open fire on cruise ship off Somalia


NAIROBI, Nov 5 (Reuters) - Pirates in speed boats opened fire on a cruise liner carrying hundreds of tourists off the Somali coast on Saturday, but none of the holidaymakers were hurt, a shipping official and the ship's owners said.

"Gunmen in two or three speed boats opened fire on the Seabourn Spirit while it was about 70 nautical miles off Somalia," said Andrew Mwangura, programme coordinator for the Seafarers' Association in neighbouring Kenya.

"The captain managed to change the course of the vessel and speed away. Most of the passengers are believed to be Americans or Western Europeans. No one was hurt," Mwangura told Reuters.

The Indian Ocean waters off the Somali coast are classed as among the most dangerous in the world.

The 10,000-ton Bahamas-registered Seabourn Spirit was believed to be carrying about 300 passengers and crew from Alexandria in Egypt to the Kenyan port of Mombasa.

Its owners, Miami-based Seabourn Cruise Line, said the vessel had been rerouted to the Seychelles after the attack.

"Early this morning an attempt was made to gain access to the Seabourn Spirit while it was at sea," the company said in a statement. "The approach was successfully repelled."

A company official contacted in Britain gave no more details, but said all on board were safe."

"It is heading for the Seychelles now," she told Reuters.

Piracy off Somalia threatens shipping and has sabotaged the delivery of food aid to more than half a million hungry people in the region, the United Nations said on Thursday.

Hijackers have commandeered two vessels used by the U.N. World Food Programme this year and ship owners now demand armed escorts to travel in the waters, the agency said.

This week, the London-based International Maritime Bureau said it knew of 27 pirate attacks off Somalia since March.

The attacks have highlighted insecurity in Somalia, which has had no government to enforce law and order since warlords ousted dictator Mohamed Siad Barre in 1991.
11/05/05 12:18

Story of a little girl

Story of a little girl


A little girl and her father were crossing a
bridge. The father was kind of scared so he asked his
little daughter, "Sweetheart, please hold my hand so
that you don't fall into the river." The little girl
said, "No, Dad. You hold my hand." "What's the
difference?" Asked the puzzled father.

"There's a big difference," replied the little girl.
"If I hold your hand and something happens to me,
chances are that I may let your hand go. But if you
hold my hand, I know for sure that no matter what
happens, you will never let my hand go."

In any relationship, the essence of trust is not in
its bind, but in its bond. So hold the hand of the
person whom you love rather than expecting them to
hold urs...

The beauty of life does not depend on how happy you
are. But on how happy others can be because of you!!

THE WAY TO LIVE IN GOD

Think of the great example of such divine saints as Theresa of Avila, who was so practical, who founded many convents in spite of great obstacles, and yet was always enraptured with love for God, immersed in His love. And think of the struggles and misunderstandings that came to St. Bernadette. The story of her last moments intoxicates me. Despite all the physical and mental sufferings she was passing through, when she perceived the Divine Presence she raised herself up on her bed, whispering, “I love You, I love You, I love You.” That to me is perfection. That is the relationship with God I wish for all. And it comes through spiritualizing your thinking by these methods: faith in God, daily deep prayer and meditation on God, surrender to God’s will, and giving your troubles to Him. Isn’t that a beautiful philosophy? It is the highest way to live.



– Sri Daya Mata, in “Spiritualizing Life” from “Fall 1974 Self-Realization Magazine”

there are still brave people in this world, read on....

Two Stories of Doing The Right Thing
=====================================

You need to read all of this, especially if you are from Chicago
or ever travel by plane to Chicago.

Story Number One:

Many years ago, Al Capone virtually owned Chicago.
Capone wasn’t famous for anything heroic. He was notorious for
enmeshing the windy city in everything from bootlegged booze and
prostitution to murder.

Capone had a lawyer nicknamed "Easy Eddie." He was his lawyer
for a good reason. Eddie was very good! In fact, Eddie's skill
at legal maneuvering kept Big Al out of Jail for a long time.
To show his appreciation, Capone paid him very well.

Not only was the money big, but Eddie got special dividends.
For instance, he and his family occupied a fenced-in mansion
with live-in help and all of the conveniences of the day.

The estate was so large that it filled an entire Chicago City
block. Eddie lived the high life of the Chicago mob and gave
little consideration to the atrocity that went on around him.

Eddie did have one soft spot, however. He had a son that he
loved dearly. Eddie saw to it that his young son had the best
of everything: clothes, cars and a good education. Nothing was
withheld. Price was no object.

And, despite his involvement with organized crime, Eddie even
tried to teach him right from wrong. Eddie wanted his son to be
a better man than he was. Yet, with all his wealth and
influence, there were two things he couldn't give his son; that
he couldn't pass on a good name and a good example.

One day, Easy Eddie reached a difficult decision.

Easy Eddie Wanted to rectify wrongs he had done. He decided he
would go to the authorities and tell the truth about Al
"Scarface" Capone, clean up his tarnished name and offer his son
some semblance of integrity.

To do this, he would have to testify against The Mob, and he
knew that the cost would be great. So, he testified.

Within the year, Easy Eddie's life ended in a blaze of gunfire
on a lonely Chicago Street. But in his eyes, he had given his
son the greatest gift he had to offer, at the greatest price he
would ever pay.

Story Number Two:

World War II produced many heroes. One such man was Lieutenant
Commander Butch O'Hare. He was a fighter pilot assigned to the
aircraft carrier Lexington in the South Pacific.

One day his entire squadron was sent on a mission. After he was
airborne, he looked at his fuel gauge and realized that someone
had forgotten to top off his fuel tank. He would not have
enough fuel to complete his mission and get back to his ship.
His flight leader told him to return to the carrier.

Reluctantly, he dropped out of formation and headed back to the
fleet. As he was returning to the mother ship he saw something
that turned his blood cold.

A squadron of Japanese aircraft was speeding their way toward
the American fleet. The American fighters were gone on a
sortie, and the fleet was all but defenseless. He couldn't
reach his squadron and bring them back in time to save the
fleet. Nor could he warn the fleet of the approaching danger.

There was only one thing to do.
He must somehow divert them from the fleet.

Laying aside all thoughts of personal safety, he dove into the
formation of Japanese planes. Wing-mounted 50 caliber's blazed
as he charged in, attacking one surprised enemy plane and then
another.

Butch wove in and out of the now broken formation and fired at
as many planes as possible until all his ammunition was finally
spent. Undaunted, he continued the assault. He dived at the
planes, trying to clip a wing or tail in hopes of damaging as
many enemy planes as possible and rendering them unfit to fly.

Finally, the exasperated Japanese squadron took off in another
direction. Deeply relieved, Butch O'Hare and his tattered
fighter limped back to the carrier. Upon arrival he reported in
and related the event surrounding his return.

The film from the gun-camera mounted on his plane told the tale.
It showed the extent of Butch's daring attempt to protect his
fleet. He had in fact destroyed five enemy aircraft.

This took place on February 20, 1942, and for that action Butch
became the Navy's first Ace of W.W.II, and the first Naval
Aviator to win the Congressional Medal of Honor.

A year later Butch was killed in aerial combat at the age of 29.

His home town would not allow the memory of this WW II hero to
fade, and today, O'Hare Airport in Chicago is named in tribute
to the courage of this great man.

So the next time you find yourself at O'Hare International, give
some thought to visiting Butch's memorial displaying his statue
and his Medal of Honor. It's located between Terminals 1 and 2.

SO WHAT DO THESE TWO STORIES HAVE TO DO WITH EACH OTHER?


Butch O'Hare was Easy Eddie's son.

Some funny tidbits

The husband and wife go to a counsellor after 15 years of marriage.

The counsellor asks them what the problem is and the wife goes into a tirade listing every problem they have ever had in the 15 years they've been married. She goes on and on and on.

Finally, the counsellor gets up, goes around the desk, embraces the woman and kisses her passionately. The woman shuts up and sits quietly in a daze.

The counsellor turns to the husband and says "that is what your wife needs at least three times a week. Can you do that?"

The husband thinks for a moment and replies, "Well, I can get her here Monday and Wednesday, but Friday I golf.



A married couple was sitting in a fine restaurant, the husband kept
looking over at a nearby table where a lady sat in a drunken stupor.

The wife asks "I notice you've been watching that lady for some time
now. Do you know her ?"

"Yes" he replies, "she's my ex-wife, and
has been drinking like that since I left her seven years ago."
"That's unbelievable" the wife replies, "I wouldn't think anybody could
celebrate that long."

Number 7 - Give a person a fish and you feed them for a day; teach a person to use the Internet and they won't bother you for weeks.

Hotel fit for dogs!

Dog and Hotel

A man wrote a letter to a small hotel in a Midwest town, which he planned to visit on his vacation.

He wrote, "I would very much like to bring my dog with me. He is well groomed and very well behaved. Would you be willing to permit me to keep him in my room with me at night?"

An immediate reply came from the hotel owner, who said, "I've been operating this hotel for many years. In all that time, I've never had a dog steal towels, bedclothes, silverware or pictures off the walls. I've never had to evict a dog in the middle of the night for being drunk and disorderly. And I've never had a dog run out on a hotel bill. Yes, indeed, your dog is welcome at my hotel, and if your dog will vouch for you, you're welcome to stay here, too!"

Prayer

Prayer for Liberation for All Beings

I beseech the wisdom of all enlightened beings, past and future. May the Four Immeasurable Minds (love, compassion, joy, and equanimity) grow in the hearts and minds of all beings. May peace and wisdom visit the home of our hearts, and may we know the true, clear light of liberation. OM MANI PADME HUM

- Beliefnet member dreamtheatre (Buddhis

Just for arguments sake

A mechanic was removing the cylinder heads from the
motor of a car when he spotted a famous heart surgeon
in his shop, who was standing off to
the side, waiting for the service manager to come to
take a look at his car.
The mechanic shouted across the garage, "Hello Doctor!
Please come over here for a minute." The famous
surgeon, a bit surprised, walked over to the mechanic.

The mechanic straightened up, wiped his hands on a rag
and asked argumentatively, So doctor, look at this. I
also open hearts, take valves out, grind 'em, put in
new parts, and when I finish this will work as a new
one. So how come you get the big money,
when you and me are doing basically the same work? "

The doctor leaned over and whispered to the mechanic
......"Try to do it when the engine is running"

Beautiful is what we see as beautiful!

Today's Quote

Everything has its beauty, but not everyone sees it.

-Confucius (submitted by Nikole)

Reminiscences Sardar Mohan Singh Oberoi

....Soon after I joined the Cecil, there was a change of management. Mr Clarke succeeded Mr Grove as manager. For the first time a small piece of luck came my way.

My knowledge of stenography helped me take over the post of cashier and stenographer to Mr Clarke, and thus began my grounding on how hotels run. I worked and maintained an interest in my job. The fact that I knew my efforts were noted encouraged me.

It was while I was working in this capacity that Pandit Motilal Nehru came to stay at the Cecil, which was his usual place of residence when he came to Simla. He was then leader of the newly formed Swaraj Party but known throughout the country for having renounced a princely law practice to participate in the Freedom Movement with Mahatma Gandhi.

Panditji had an important report, which needed to by typed speedily and with care. I sat up all night to complete the report and when I delivered it to him the next morning, he took out a hundred-rupee note and handed it to me with a word of thanks.

I am an emotional person and had received little kindness in my short life. This gesture of Panditji's brought tears to my eyes and I quickly left the room.

I could not have guessed then that I had met the father of the future prime minister of India, and that I myself would be one day a Member of Parliament during his leadership. One hundred rupees, which the wealthy throw away, was for me a fortune and made a big difference in my salary.

So high was the purchasing power of the rupee that I was able to buy a wristwatch for my wife, clothes for our baby and a much needed raincoat for myself.

Give him the rope!

Today's Quote

If you are losing a tug-of-war with a tiger, give him the rope before he gets to your arm. You can always buy a new rope.

-Max Gunther

Halloween halloos!!!

Why did the vampire go to the orthodontist? To improve his bite...

Why was the skeleton afraid to cross the road? It had no guts...

Why do witches use brooms to fly on? Because vacuum cleaners are too heavy...

How do witches keep their hair in place while flying? With scare spray...

Who was the most famous French skeleton? Napoleon bone-apart

Do zombies eat popcorn with their fingers? No, they eat the fingers separately...

You want to pay back what you owe the Creator

If an account were kept of what we owe the Creator, no man would ever receive reward in the world to come. He will receive it only by divine grace.

- Bahya, "Hobot HaLebabot"

wANT TO BE RICH - REMEMBER GOD, A research analysis

Church-going boosts economic well-being?



WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Attending religious services may enrich the soul, but it also fattens the wallet, according to research released on Tuesday.

"Doubling the frequency of attendance leads to a 9.1 percent increase in household income, or a rise of 5.5 percent as a fraction of the poverty scale," Jonathan Gruber of the economics department at Massachusetts Institute of Technology wrote in his study.

"Those with more faith may be less 'stressed out' about daily problems that impede success in the labor market and the marriage market, and therefore are more successful," Gruber wrote in the study, which was released by the National Bureau of Economic Research.

Living in a community with complementary ethnic groups that share the same religion increases the frequency of going to a house of worship, he said in the paper titled "Religious Market Structure, Religious Participation, and Outcomes: Is Religion Good for You?"

Tuesday, Nov. 1

Does Affluence Fuel Spirituality? [BeliefNet]


Least Church-Going Give Most [Common Dreams News Center]


Spiritual Prospects of the Rich [BeliefNet]


Religious Affiliation Shapes Wealth Accumlulation [OSU Research News]




Is Religion a Source of World Problems? [Netscape Community]


White Church-goers Better Off Financially [Blog: Tim Thompson..Reflections]




Such visits correlate to higher levels of education and income, lower levels of welfare receipt and disability, higher levels of marriage and lower levels of divorce, the study said.


Gruber says he focused on non-Hispanic whites aged 25 or older because "there is very strong evidence of racial segregation in church-going, so that the density of Hispanics or non-whites in a religion in some area is not likely to be relevant for the religious participation of whites in that area."


Gruber divided the individuals into seven groups: Catholics, Jews, Liberal Protestants, Moderate Protestants, Conservative Protestants, other and none.
10/26/05 12:21