Thursday, September 29, 2005

Perfection

Perfection
The preacher said, "There's no such thing as a perfect woman. Anybody present who has ever known a perfect woman, stand up."

Nobody stood up.

"Those who have ever known a perfect man, stand up."

One elderly gentleman stood up.

"Are you honestly saying you knew an absolutely perfect man?" he asked, somewhat amazed.

"Well now, I didn't know him personally," replied the little old man, "but I have heard a great deal about him. He was my wife's first husband."

You know u are living in 05, if...

*Subject:* Fwd: You know you're living in 2005...


*YOU KNOW YOU ARE LIVING IN 2005 when...*


1. You accidentally enter your password on the microwave.

2. You haven't played solitaire with real cards in years.

3. You have a list of 15 phone numbers to reach your family of 3.

4. You e-mail the person who works at the desk next to you.

5. Your reason for not staying in touch with friends and family is that they
don't have e-mail addresses.

6. You pull up in your own driveway and use your cell phone to see if anyone
is home to help you carry in the groceries.

7. Every commercial on television has a web site at the bottom of the
screen.

8. Leaving the house without your cell phone, which you didn't have the
first 20 or 30 (or 60) years of your life, is now a cause for panic and you
turn around to go and get it.

10. You get up in the morning and go online before getting your
coffee.

11. You start tilting your head sideways to smile. : )

12. You're reading this and nodding and laughing.

13. Even worse, you know exactly to whom you are going to forward this
message.

14. You are too busy to notice there was no #9 on this list.

15. You actually scrolled back up to check that there wasn't a #9 on this
list.

*AND NOW U R LAUGHING* at yourself.

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

How you want to fight?

Today's Quote

People who fight fire with fire usually end up with ashes.

-Abigail Van Buren

It's getting hot!

BBC NEWS
Arctic ice 'disappearing quickly'
By Richard Black
Environment Correspondent, BBC News website

Part of what we're seeing is the increased greenhouse effect; I'd bet the mortgage on it
Mark Serreze, NSIDC
The area covered by sea ice in the Arctic has shrunk for a fourth consecutive year, according to new data released by US scientists.

They say that this month sees the lowest extent of ice cover for more than a century.

The Arctic climate varies naturally, but the researchers conclude that human-induced global warming is at least partially responsible.

They warn the shrinkage could lead to even faster melting in coming years.

"September 2005 will set a new record minimum in the amount of Arctic sea ice cover," said Mark Serreze, of the National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC), Boulder, Colorado.

"It's the least sea ice we've seen in the satellite record, and continues a pattern of extreme low extents of sea ice which we've now seen for the last four years," he told BBC News.

September lows

September is the month when the Arctic ice usually reaches a minimum.

The new data shows that on 19 September, the area covered by ice fell to 5.35 million sq km (2.01 million sq miles), the lowest recorded since 1978, when satellite records became available; it is now 20% less than the 1978-2000 average.


ARCTIC SEA ICE EXTENT - SEPTEMBER TREND, 1978-2005
The straight line tracks a more than 8% decline per decade
The current rate of shrinkage they calculate at 8% per decade; at this rate there may be no ice at all during the summer of 2060.

An NSIDC analysis of historical records also suggests that ice cover is less this year than during the low periods of the 1930s and 40s.

Mark Serreze believes that the findings are evidence of climate change induced by human activities.

"It's still a controversial issue, and there's always going to be some uncertainty because the climate system does have a lot of natural variability, especially in the Arctic," he said.

"But I think the evidence is growing very, very strong that part of what we're seeing now is the increased greenhouse effect. If you asked me, I'd bet the mortgage that that's just what's happening."

Confusing movement

One of the limitations of these records is that they measure only the area of ice, rather than the volume.

"One other factor could be movements of sea ice," said Liz Morris, of the British Antarctic Survey, currently working at the Scott Polar Research Institute in Cambridge, UK.

"If it all piles up in one place, you might have the same total amount of ice," she told the BBC News website, "and there is some evidence that ice is piling up along the north Canadian coast, driven by changes in the pattern of winds and perhaps ocean currents."

Most data on sea ice thickness comes from records of military submarines, which regularly explored passages under the Arctic ice cap during the Cold War years.


Submarines can cross the Arctic Ocean along tracks taken decades before, and note differences in the ice thickness above; but that may mean little if the ice itself has moved.

Professor Morris is involved in a new European satellite, Cryosat, which should be able to give definitive measurements of ice thickness as well as extent; its launch is scheduled for 8 October.

But she also believes that the NSIDC data suggests an impact from the human-enhanced greenhouse effect.

"All data goes through cycles, and so you have to be careful," she said, "but it's also true to say that we wouldn't expect to have four years in a row of shrinkage.

"That, combined with rising temperatures in the Arctic, suggests a human impact; and I would also bet my mortgage on it, because if you change the radiation absorption process of the atmosphere (through increased production of greenhouse gases) so there is more heating of the lower atmosphere, sooner or later you are going to melt ice."

Arctic warming fast

Though there are significant variations across the region, on average the Arctic is warming twice as fast as the rest of the planet, according to a major report released last year.


The Arctic Climate Impact Assessment, a four-year study involving hundreds of scientists, projected an additional temperature rise of 4-7C by 2100.

If the current trend can be ascribed in part to human-induced climate change, Mark Serreze sees major reasons for concern.

"What we're seeing is a process in which we start to lose ice cover during the summer," he said, "so areas which formerly had ice are now open water, which is dark.

"These dark areas absorb a lot of the Sun's energy, much more than the ice; and what happens then is that the oceans start to warm up, and it becomes very difficult for ice to form during the following autumn and winter.

"It looks like this is exactly what we're seeing - a positive feedback effect, a 'tipping-point'."

The idea behind tipping-points is that at some stage the rate of global warming would accelerate, as rising temperatures break down natural restraints or trigger environmental changes which release further amounts of greenhouse gases.

Possible tipping-points include

* the disappearance of sea ice leading to greater absorption of solar radiation
* a switch from forests being net absorbers of carbon dioxide to net producers
* melting permafrost, releasing trapped methane

This study is the latest to indicate that such positive feedback mechanisms may be in operation, though definitive proof of their influence on the Earth's climatic future remains elusive.

Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/sci/tech/4290340.stm

Published: 2005/09/28 13:45:01 GMT

© BBC MMV

Wednesday, September 28, 2005

Love thyself and thy neighbour

If I am not for myself, who will be for me?
And if I am only for myself, what am I?
And if not now, when?

- Rabbi Hillel

From Agape Love:

bOY/GIRL CHATTING ON YAHOO AT OFFICE TIME

Aboy & Girl Chatting on Yahoo!

Both are s/w {software}engineers by the way & both work 4 real big MNC's
Boy: Hey...GM (Good Morning)... How's u doing today?
Girl: VGM...Day is going good & it got better having found u on chat
Boy: wow...am honored, u know what, my day starts only when I find u on Chat
Girl: Yep...me too feel the same...Brb (be right back)'ll get some Coffee.
Boy: OK
(Boywaits impatiently. Meanwhile, his manager comes 2 his seat.)
Manager: Hey, I need some help from u
Boy: [**** This female always comes at wrong time****] Yeah tell me
Manager: Could u write a program 4 me which generates nth pr ime
number, Given value of n. Would u give this by 2day evening?
Girl: I would do that, but I think it's quite hard, is it ok with u,
if I Give it by 2morrow evening.
Manager: Yeah, that would be fine. Thank u [Leaves the place]
(Boy sighs & stares at his monitor waiting impatiently $
the girl 2 Arrive. . Over 2 chat window...)
Girl : Hey, am back
Boy: cool, u know what my manager does, She's kinda..... keeps asking
stupid Things, tries 2 give me stupid work
Girl: Yeah, it's the same everywhere. Real sick ppl these managers are!!
Boy: Yep, u rite!!
Heroin: Hey, can u do me a favor
Boy: *smiles* sure, why not.
Girl: Hey, I want u 2 write me a program 2 print nth prime
Number, given N. Would u give that 2 me by 2morrow evening? Plzzz.
U know it's real Urgent 4 me 2 work this out
Boy: hey, that's a 1-hour's work. Sure check Ur mail in an hour from now.ok?


Girl: THAT WAS THE SAMETHING I ASKED U WHEN I CAME 2 UR WORK PLACE. U KNOW WHO I'M NOW!! UR 1 HOUR TIME STARTS NOW!!

Fall down nine times; stand up ten times

Today's Quote

If you have made mistakes, even serious ones, there is always another chance for you. What we call failure is not the falling down, but the staying down.

-Mary Pickford

the winning farmer

"WHY DO YOU SHARE...?"

A reporter once asked a farmer to divulge the secret behind his corn, which won the state fair contest year after year. The farmer confessed it was all because he shared his seed with his neighbors.

"Why do you share your best seed corn with your neighbors when you're entering the same contest each year as well?" asked the reporter.

"Why sir," said the farmer, "didn't you know? The wind picks up pollen from the ripening corn and swirls it from field to field. If my neighbors grew inferior corn, cross-pollination would steadily degrade the quality of my corn. If I am to grow good corn, I must help my neighbor do the same."

And so it is with other situations in our lives. Those who want to be successful must help their neighbors, friends, relatives be successful. Those who choose to live well must help others live well, for the value of a life is measured by the lives it touches.
And those who choose to be happy must help others find happiness, for the welfare of each is bound up with the welfare of all.

-James Bender

Tuesday, September 27, 2005

Don't you despair; help is just around the corner!

After The Rain
===============

Whatever your cross, whatever your pain,
There will always be sunshine after the rain.

Perhaps you may stumble, perhaps even fall,
But God's always ready to answer your call.

He knows every heartache, sees every tear,
A word from His lips can calm every fear.

Your sorrows may linger throughout the night,
But suddenly vanish at dawn's early light.

The Savior is waiting somewhere above
To give you His grace and send you His love.

Whatever your cross, whatever your pain,
God always sends rainbows after the rain.

~Author Unknown~

Give me your money or mine!

Crime

Late one night in the Washington D.C. a mugger wearing a ski mask jumped into the path of a well-dressed man and stuck a gun in his ribs.

"Give me your money," he demanded.

Indignant, the affluent man replied, "You can't do this - I'm a US Congressman!"

"In that case," replied the robber, "give me MY money!"

Saturday, September 24, 2005

Modes of devotion to God

There are various modes of expression of devotion to God. Sage Vyasa, writer of the Bhagavad Gita, says: “Devotion is worship of God.” Worship implies a reverential separation between the devotee and God – the worshipper and the Object of worship. Several verses in the Gita define various forms of ceremonial worship, the ultimate of which is to make one’s whole life a ceremonial offering to God; that is, all the time to be busy with expressions of devotion to attain realization of God.



—Paramahansa Yogananda, “The Devotional Way to God” from Self-Realization magazine, spring 1998.

Success

Today's Quote

The reason so few people are successful is no one has yet found a way for someone to sit down and slide uphill.

-W. Clement Stone (submitted by Bluejay916)

Buddha sayeth

Today's Quote

The right time to show your good character is when you are pestered by somebody weaker than you.

-Buddha

For women - to be fat to live longer or be slim.....?

Click to learn more...

Girls Here Are Force-Fed to Get Very Fat

It may be hard to believe but there is one place in the world where being fat is such an honored trait of beauty that pre-teen girls are force-fed to gain weight. That country is Mauritania, an Islamic republic on the western edge of the Sahara. Reuters reports that the Mauritania people believe that corpulent women make more desirable wives. If a man's wife and daughters are voluptuous, it shows the rest of society that he is wealthy and powerful and they are well fed so they can survive the hardship of desert life.

Here's a big advantage for curvy women: They live longer than their slimmer friends. Find out how big your hips need to be for this longevity benefit.

But there is trouble in Mauritania, a place where men and women still walk the streets in flowing robes and headscarves. Thanks to satellite television images, the young women see a new definition of beauty: women with flat tummies. And as more Mauritanians travel to other countries, fat as beautiful is beginning to change. Change is hard, though. It's long been a custom that Mauritanian women should not engage in any strenuous activity so exercise must be done under the cloak of darkness. "Sometimes I walk, sometimes I run. We come after dusk when the men have gone home," a 31-year-old woman named Fatimatou, who was force-fed as a child, told Reuters. "It's no longer the modern fashion to be overweight. Women have evolved. Now they work in offices and they have to be fit."

Belly or butt: Which is better? The shape of your body, not how much you weigh, is the most powerful predictor of your health.

It is thought that some 20 percent of women in Mauritania were force-fed in a brutal practice called "gavage." Some were even tortured during the force-feeding. Fingers and toes were broken so the pain would distract them from swallowing the food. The feet of some girls were crushed in a wooden vice and the pressure was only relieved when they started to eat. Others were forced to eat their vomit. Gavage has dropped in popularity since the government has initiated an educational campaign to highlight the health risks. But the desire to be fat runs deep. Men still tend to prefer fat women as sexual partners.

Click to see a photo of Nene Drame, a Mauritanian writer who is working on a novel about force-feeding.

Friday, September 23, 2005

Luck and the luckier

Today's Quote

Luck is a dividend of sweat. The more you sweat, the luckier you get.

-Ray Kroc

Baseball and two old friends

Two 90-year-old men, Moe and Sam, have been friends all their lives.

>It seems that Sam is dying of cancer, and Moe comes to visit him every

>day.

>

>"Sam," says Moe, "You know how we have both loved baseball all our

>lives, and how we played minor league ball together for so many years.

>Sam, you have to do me one favor. When you get to Heaven, and I know

>you will go to Heaven, somehow you've got to let me know if there's

>baseball in Heaven."

>

>Sam looks up at Moe from his death bed, and says, "Moe, you've been my

>best friend many years. This favor, if it is at all possible, I'll do

>for you."

>

>And shortly after that, Sam passes on.

>

>It is midnight a couple of nights later. Moe is sound asleep when he

>is awakened by a blinding flash of white light and a voice calls out to

>him,"Moe....Moe...."

>

>"Who is it?" says Moe sitting up suddenly. "Who is it?"

>

>"Moe, it's me, Sam,"says the voice.

>

>"Come on. You're not Sam. Sam just died."

>

>"I'm telling you," insists the voice. "It's me, Sam!"

>

>"Sam? Is that you? Where are you?"

>

>I'm in heaven," says Sam, "and I've got to tell you, I've got really

>good news and a little bad news."

>

>"So, tell me the good news first,"says Moe.

>

>"The good news," says Sam, "is that there is baseball in heaven.

>Better yet, all our old buddies who've gone before us are there.

>Better yet, we're all young men again. Better yet, it's always spring

>time and it never rains

>or snows. And best of all, we can play baseball all we want, and we never

>get tired!"

>

>"Really?" says Moe. "That is fantastic, wonderful beyond my wildest

>dreams!

>But, what's the bad news?"

>

>"You're pitching next Tuesday."

FOR COLLEGE STUDENTS: when to start worrying

For College Students
Start Worrying When...

You consider McDonalds 'real food'.

4.00AM is still early on weekends.

You'd rather clean than study.

Two miles is not too far to walk for a party.

Re-arranging your room is your favorite pastime.

You schedule classes around sleep and TV soaps.

There is less then $4.50 in your bank account at any given time.

The Visa cards are full and the overdraft is up to its limit.

Computer solitaire is more than a game, its a way of life.

DADI MAAN KE NUSKHE

Simple home remedies for common ailments

Priya Khanna, Seemaa Tarneja | September 22, 2005

You love pottering about in your kitchen.

And now, you have one more reason -- the very ingredients you need for cooking can be used to whip up home remedies to combat common ailments like constipation, sore throat and more.

These simple home remedies tap the chemicals naturally present in herbs, spices, fruits, vegetables, etc, to tackle the pain and infection in your body.

Why home remedies?

~ They are less expensive than other alternative forms of medicine.

~ They do not cause any reactions or side effects.

The following remedies can be used to relieve common discomforts and life's 'little' health problems...

Sore throat

This could be accompanied with cough due to an infection of the lungs, causing a secretion of mucous. Some home remedies that can be used are:

i. Boil water. Add a dash of cinnamon, a little piece of ginger, 1 tsp honey and drink.

ii. Heat water with 2 tsp of lemon juice and 2 tsp of honey and sip.

iii. Heat one glass of water, add a tsp of salt and gargle. Be careful not to swallow the water as it may make you feel like throwing up.

iv. Take 1 tsp fresh ginger juice, ½ tsp honey and a pinch of turmeric. Swallow this mixture at least three times a day.

v. Heat ½ glass milk, add less than ¼ tsp of turmeric and sugar. Drink while warm.

vi. Pour one cup of boiling water over a piece of ginger, ½ tsp ground cloves and ½ tsp cinnamon. Filter it, sweeten with honey and have it sip by sip. This helps when there is mucus in the cough.

vii. Add ½ a raw onion, 2 cloves, 4-5 mint leaves, 2-3 black peppercorns and a small stick of cinnamon to a glass of water. Boil it thoroughly, strain and have while it is still warm. To reduce the spicy taste, you could add 1 tsp of honey.

viii. Avoid milk and milk products if you have excess mucous secretion for one month.

Common cold

i. Blow your nose often, rather than sniffing back the mucous.

ii. Put 2-3 drops of salt water in your nose in the morning and before going to bed. Salt keeps the nasal passage moist; the saline solution also helps thin the mucous so you can get rid of it at regular intervals.

iii. Make hot chicken soup with lots of garlic. Have when hot. It will help unclog your nasal passage.

iv. Have lots of liquids like tea, soups, etc, daily. This will replace important fluids lost during the cold and help flush out impurities.

v. Soak your feet in warm water, it will help relieve any headaches or nasal congestion you get during your cold.

vi. Warm ¼ katori mustard oil to which you have added 4-5 cloves of chopped garlic. Apply this on your nose, chest and back just as you would a bottle of Vicks. Cover up and sleep.

vii. Boil half a bowl of water, add few drops of eucalyptus oil and inhale the steam.

Acidity

i. Chew 8-10 pudina leaves (fresh mint leaves) early in the morning on an empty stomach for one month. Having raw onions along with your meals will also keep acidity at bay.

ii. Drink a glass of lemon juice before each meal, it will help relieve acidity.

iii. Avoid too much tea, coffee, fried and fermented food as they stimulate acid production.

iv. Take a glass of water, add a pinch of baking soda and drink it at one go. It gives immediate relief.

v. Take a glass of warm water, add a pinch of hing (asafoetida) and have it every morning.

vi. Drink coconut water 3-4 times in a day.

vii. Eat a serving of cucumber or watermelon 4-5 times in a day.

viii. Chew 7-8 basil (tulsi leaves) leaves to get relief from acidity and gas.

ix. A glass of kokum sherbet with little jeera (cumin seeds) added to it helps relieve acidity.

Next: Banish hiccups, stomachache, constipation and more.

Thursday, September 22, 2005

Nourishment for courage

Today's Quote

Pain nourishes courage. You can't be brave if you've only had wonderful things happen to you.

Wednesday, September 21, 2005

Telephone to God

IF GOD HAD CALL CENTER :
>
> We have all learned to live with " IVRs " as a
> necessary part of modern life. But have you
> wondered,
> what if God decided to install IVR?"
>
> Imagine praying and hearing this:
>
> Hi! Thank you for calling GOD.
> Please select one of the following options:
>
> Press 1 for Requests
>
> Press 2 for Thanksgiving
>
> Press 3 for Complaints
>
> Press 4 for All Other Inquiries.
>
> Else wait for our Customer Support Executive.
>
> What if God used the familiar excuse... "I'm sorry,
> all of our angels are busy helping other sinners
> right
>
> now. However,your prayer is important to us and will
> be answered in the order it as received, so please
> stay on the line."
>
> Can you imagine getting these kinds of responses as
> you call God in Prayer:
>
> If you would like to speak to Ganeshji, Press 1.
>
> For Lord Hanuman, Press! 2.
>
> For Lord Krishna, Sorry He is on Annual Leave!
>
> For a directory of other God's & Angels, Press 3.
>
> If you would like to hear Narad sing a Bhajan while
> you are holding, please press 4.
>
> To find out if a loved one has been assigned to
> Heaven, Press 5, enter his or her PAN number, then
> press the # key. If you get a negative response, try
> area code 420 for (Hell).
>
> Our computers show that you have already prayed once
> today.
> Please hang up and try again tomorrow.
>
> This office is closed for the weekend to observe a
> religious holiday.
>
> Please pray again on Monday after 9:30 AM. If you
> need
> emergency assistance when this office is closed,
> contact your local Priest at your neighborhood
> Temple
> and drop $300 per hour in the so called "daan peti".
>
> THANK GOD, HE DOESN'T HAVE IVR AND LISTENS
> WHENEVER WE PRAY!!!!!

Tuesday, September 20, 2005

Belief

Today's Quote

He does not believe who does not live according to his belief.

-Thomas Fuller

Monday, September 19, 2005

wHAT LIFE MEANS TO US

Not Interested
===============

It is the individual who is not interested in his fellow men
who has the greatest difficulties in life and provides
the greatest injury to others.

It is from among such individuals
that all human failures spring.


~from the book “What Life Should Mean to You” by Alfred Adler~

He who asks mercy for another while he himself is in the same need, will be answered first.

- Talmud: Baba Kamma, 92a

Sunday, September 18, 2005

Never confuse....

Today's Quote

Never confuse a single defeat with a final defeat.

-F. Scott Fitzgerald

Expression of gratitude

Today's Quote

Sometimes our light goes out but is blown into flame by an encounter with another human being. Each of us owes the deepest thanks to those who have rekindled this inner light.

-Albert Schweitzer

Prophet's medicines

Hyderabad wants the ‘Prophet’s medicine’


Hyderabad, Sept. 17: Tibbe Nabawi or ‘Prophet’s medicine’ is striking root here as an alternative system of curative and preventive medicine. The system is said to be based on the Sunnah, the life and traditions of the Prophet, and the Hadith, a collection of the Prophet’s narrations and approvals, on sickness or medical treatment.

Tibbe Nabawi is free of chemicals and based on natural herbs and food products. Giving a modern touch to this 1,500-year-old Islamic system of medicine, pharmaceutical companies are marketing facial masks, beauty creams, hair oil, massage oil and ointments in bright packs.

At least a dozen Tibbe Nabawi clinics are in operation here and in other parts of Andhra Pradesh. Eight books on the subject are available in city bookshops. The Islamic Research Academy has over 200 papers testifying to its efficacy. At least one clinic claims to have cured over 8,000 people of obesity while following the Tibbe Nabawi.

Practitioners prescribe grapes, pomegranates, citrus, honey, henna, dates (specially the ajwa variety), olive, methi (fenugreek), aloe vera, rosewater, hibiscus, miswak, black cumin (kalonji), sweet basil (myrtle), ginger, Indian incense (Ud-al-Hind), truffles, watercress, squash, melons and figs for a variety of ailments. For example, people who have survived a heart attack are prescribed the combination of honey, sana maki and ajwaa dates to speed up recovery.

Says eminent physician Dr Fakhruddin Muhammad, “The efficacy of the ‘Prophet’s medicine’ has been proved by dozens of research organisations including the (US) Food and Drugs Administration.” It is based on natural herbs,” he said adding, “It is a lifestyle management system to prevent health problems.” Tibbe Nabawi has treatments for cardiac problems, obesity, malnourishment, respiratory disorders, anaemia, renal obstructions, healing wounds. ‘Prophet’s medicine’ can be used for improvement of eyesight and mental agility and toning up skin texture.

Dr Fatemeh Mojtahedi, an MBBS doctor, has turned to Tibbe Nabawi in her Avicenna Clinic to treat obesity. She has formulated “slim capsules” based on the herbs and fruits mentioned in Islamic medical literature.

“The important thing is moderation. Treatment of obesity is quite simple: Eat simple and wholesome natural foods and herbs, and drink plenty of water. Since the ‘Prophet’s medicine’ normalises the metabolism and curbs the appetite, patients who lose excess weight continue to maintain their slim and trim figure after the treatment ends,” explains Dr Fatemeh. She is approaching the Guinness Book of Records for reducing obesity in the shortest time.

Dr Qudratullah Hussami, whose Islamic Research Academy has worked on Tibbe Nabawi, says, “It is a nothing but a collection of the Hadith that instruct Muslims on the subject of sickness or medical treatment. Most of the products were prescribed by the Prophet himself or utilised by him.” He says that over 200 university research papers have proved the efficacy of the medicine, particularly the black cumin seeds (kalonji).

Hakeem Muhammad Zaheer Ahmad prescribes black cumin (Nigella sativa) for asthma, controlling sugar in blood and urine, psoriasis, hypertension, hypotension and skin diseases. Kalonji extract removes obstructions in the body and strengthens the stomach. Dr Syed Jaleel Hussain, former director of the Central Research Institute in Unani Medicine, says the Prophet had prescribed olive oil for treatment of haemorrhoids (piles).

Users testify to the efficacy of Tibbe Nabawi. “Kalonji oil has improved my hair growth. It has controlled falling of hair due to alopecia and improved my skin texture,” says Rafique Ahmad, a resident of Charminar. For Intermediate student Zareena Almas, the beauty cream prepared from kalonji has been quite effective in controlling pimples and blackheads. “Unlike creams which are loaded with chemicals, Tibbe Nabawi creams do not cause rashes.”

Young Rubina is on a diet of figs and dates to shed extra fat. Middle-aged Abdul Kareem takes kalonji to control his blood cholesterol. Dr Ghousuddin, a pharmacologist, refers to medical reports in support of his claim that the Tibba Nabawi has been useful in paralysis, facial palsy, migraine, amnesia and palpitation. “The ‘Prophet’s medicine’ is based on the Sunnah and it is a good thing (nek kaam) for Muslims to follow it,” says Islamic scholar Moulana Hasanul Hashmi. He says Tibbe Nabawi is not only a curative and preventive system of medicine but it also gives a “rewarding experience.”

Confucius

Today's Quote

When we see men of worth, we should attempt to equal them; when we see men of a contrary character, we should turn inward and examine ourselves.

-Confucius

Friday, September 16, 2005

If there were no unions....

The teacher was giving her class of seven-year-olds a natural history lesson.

"Worker ants," she told them, "can carry pieces of food five times their own weight. What do you conclude from that?"

One child was ready with an answer: "They don't have a union."

Why supermodels are skinny

"According to the 'Wall Street Journal', researchers at Harvard have found an enzyme in the brain that regulates obesity. They said if it wasn't for our brains, we would all be thin. That's why supermodels are so skinny." --Jay Leno

GOD'S MERCY AND CONEIT AND HUMBLENESS

26. Lack of conceit (na atimanita) signifies absence of excessive pride. The Lord does not harbor pride, though His cosmic possessions and powers are infinite. In humble concealment He secretly works for man’s salvation through the propelling power in virtuous actions and in the silent attraction of His love inherent in each soul.



…Only he who is free from the sense of self-importance becomes richer and richer in spirituality until he is one with God. On the mountain peaks of pride, the mercy rains of God cannot gather; but they readily collect in the valley of humbleness.



—Paramahansa Yogananda, the twenty-six ennobling qualities of the devotee, chapter 16, God Talks with Arjuna: The Bhagavad Gita.

Solitude and character

Today's Quote

One can acquire everything in solitude--except character.

-Henri Stendhal

WHAT'S LIFE IF THER WERE NO DREAMS?

Today's Quote

Hold fast to dreams, for if dreams die
Life is a broken-winged bird that cannot fly.


-Langston Hughes

Wednesday, September 14, 2005

SCHOOL OF LEARNING FOR MEN ONLY

*ALL ARE WELCOME*
*OPEN TO MEN ONLY*
*EARLY REGISTRATION FEE $1,000.*
*GROUP RATES AVAILABLE*

Note: Due to the complexity and level of intelligence required to follow the course, each course will accept a maximum of eight participants only.
The course will last a total of eight hours which will be spread out over a period of two days. The course will cover the following topics:-
*_DAY ONE_*

*HOW TO FILL ICE CUBE TRAYS*
Step by step guide with slide presentation

*TOILET ROLLS- DO THEY GROW ON THE HOLDERS?*
Roundtable discussion

*DIFFERENCES BETWEEN LAUNDRY BASKET & FLOOR*
Practicing with hamper (Pictures and graphics)

*DISHES & SILVERWARE; DO THEY LEVITATE/FLY TO KITCHEN SINK OR DISHWASHER
BY THEMSELVES?*
Debate among a panel of experts.

*LOSS OF VIRILITY*
Losing the remote control to your significant other - Help line and
support groups

*LEARNING HOW TO FIND THINGS*
Starting with looking in the right place instead of turning the house
upside down while screaming - Open forum


*_DAY TWO_*

*EMPTY MILK CARTONS; DO THEY BELONG IN THE FRIDGE OR THE BIN?* Group discussion and role play

*HEALTH WATCH; BRINGING HER FLOWERS IS NOT HARMFUL TO YOUR HEALTH* PowerPoint presentation

*REAL MEN ASK FOR DIRECTIONS WHEN LOST*
Real life testimonial from the one man who did

*IS IT GENETICALLY IMPOSSIBLE TO SIT QUIETLY AS SHE PARALLEL PARKS?* Driving simulation

*LIVING WITH ADULTS; BASIC DIFFERENCES BETWEEN YOUR MOTHER AND YOUR
PARTNER*
Online class and role playing

*HOW TO BE THE IDEAL SHOPPING COMPANION*
Relaxation exercises, meditation and breathing techniques

*REMEMBERING IMPORTANT DATES & CALLING WHEN YOU'RE GOING TO BE LATE* Bring your calendar or PDA to class

*GETTING OVER IT; LEARNING HOW TO LIVE WITH BEING WRONG ALL THE TIME* Individual counsellors available


SHER AGRAWAL
EM: agrasen@gmail.com

truth

Truth, like surgery, is painful but cures.

Tuesday, September 13, 2005

Alphabet of new.....

Pleasing?
When I was a child, I remember my Mom telling me, "Son, when you grow up, you can marry any girl you please."

When I became a young man, I learned the sad fact was that I could not please any of them.

Mothers of teenagers know why animals eat their young.

Life is really like a shower: one wrong turn and you are in hot water.

When two egoists meet it’s an I for an I.

Sign on a synagogue: under same management for 5765 years.

A:\ B:\ C:\ - Alphabet of a new generation.

Mothers and teenagers

Mothers of teenagers know why animals eat their young.

Sunday, September 11, 2005

When it is dark enough......

Today's Quote

When it is dark enough, you can see the stars.

-Charles A. Beard

THE GOOD OLD SINDHIS

THE UNIQUE FIVE MILLION SINDHIS.
>
> They were the people
> Who were denied their ancient land (Sindh, now part of Pakistan)
> 5000 years old Civilization: Mohan Jo Daro
> They paid supreme price for FREEDOM OF INDIA.
>
> They were the people
> Who dwelled on the banks of river Sindhu
> Where Rig Veda was evolved
> Then Upanishads took shape,
> Who believed in peace and tranquility
> And in universal brotherhood.
>
> But in the year 1947,
> Were forced to migrate.
> They came empty
handed
> Many with only clothes on their back
> Assigned in dilapidated barracks
> Leaking roofs and missing privacy
> And had to stand in line for free rations.
>
> But, instead of whining or moaning
> They stood proud and erect
> They took, not arms, but creative intelligence,inner strength
> They believed in knowledge and education
> And moved forward.
>
> Next 50 years
> They traversed many lands and oceans
> By hard work and perseverance
> They spread prosperity everywhere
> They built new houses
> They built new hospitals
> They built new schools and colleges
> Gave free aid and
scholarships
> And advanced trade and industry.
>
> The Original Unique five Million Sindhis
> The peaceful people, the hospitable people
> The generous people
> The proud and independent people
> The self-reliant people
>
> Without a millimeter of their land.They survived
> They are survivors,they are tough,
> They are HINDU SINDHIS.




UNTIED WE STAND
> AND DIVIDED WE FALL
>SINDHIS HAVE BUILT MORE COLLEGES AND HOSPITALS IN INDIA
>AND HAVE ALWAYS BEEN PEACE LOVING COMMUNITY......
>
>

Life and your attitude

Subject: Life and your attitude
John is the kind of guy you love to hate. He is always in a good
>> Mood and always has something positive to say. When someone would ask
him
>> how he was doing, he would reply, "If I were any better, I would be
>> twins!"
>> He was a natural motivator.
>>
>> If an employee was having a bad day, John was there telling the
>> Employee how to look on the positive side of the situation.
>> Seeing this style really made me curious, so one day I went up and
>> Asked him, "I don't get it!
>> You can't be a positive person all of the time. How do you do it?"
>> He replied, "Each morning I wake up and say to myself, you have two
>> choices today. You can choose to be in a good mood or ... you can
>> choose to be in a bad mood. I choose to be in a good mood."
>>
>> Each time something bad happens, I can choose to be a victim or...I
>> can choose to learn from it. I choose to learn from it.
>> Every time someone comes to me complaining, I can choose to accept
>> their complaining or... I can point out the positive side of life. I
>> choose the positive side of life.
>>
>> "Yeah, right, it's not that easy," I protested.
>>
>> "Yes, it is," he said. "Life is all about choices. When you cut away
>> all the junk, every situation is a choice. You choose how you react
>> to situations. You choose how people affect your mood.
>> You choose to be in a good mood or bad mood. The bottom line: It's
>> your choice how you live your life."
>>
>> I reflected on what he said. Soon hereafter, I left the Tower
>> Industry to start my own business. We lost touch, but I often thought

>> about
>> him when I made a choice about life instead of reacting toit.
>> Several years later, I heard that he was involved in a serious
>> accident, falling some 60 feet from a communications tower.
>> After 18 hours of surgery and weeks of intensive care, he was
>> released from the hospital with rods placed in his back.
>> I saw him about six months after the accident.
>> When I asked him how he was, he replied, "If I were any better, I'd
>> be twins Wanna see my scars?"
>> I declined to see his wounds, but I did ask him what had gone
>> through his mind as the accident took place.
>>
>> "The first thing that went through my mind was the well-being of my
>> soon-to-be born daughter," he replied. "Then, as I lay on the
>> ground, I remembered that I had two choices: I could choose to live
>> or...I
>> could choose to die. I chose to live."
>>
>> "Weren't you scared? Did you lose consciousness?" I asked.
>>
>> He continued, "..the paramedics were great.
>> They kept telling me I was going to be fine.But when they wheeled me
>> into the ER and I saw the expressions on the faces of the doctors
>> and nurses, I got really scared. In their eyes, I read 'he's a dead
man'.
>> I knew I needed to take action."
>>
>> "What did you do?" I asked.
>>
>> "Well, there was a big burly nurse shouting questions at me," said
>> John. "She asked if I was allergic to anything. 'Yes, I replied.'
>> The doctors and nurses stopped working as they waited for my reply. I
>> Took a deep breath and yelled, 'Gravity'." Over their laughter, I
told
>> them,
>> "I am choosing to live. Operate on me as if I am alive, not dead."
>> He lived, thanks to the skill of his doctors, but also because of
>> his amazing attitude... I learned from him that every day we have the
>> choice to live fully.
>>
>> Attitude, after all, is everything.
>> Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about
>> itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." Matthew 6:34.
>> After all today is the tomorrow you worried about yesterday.
>>
>> You have two choices now:
>> 01. Delete this.
>> 02. Forward it to the people you care about.
>> You know the choice I made
>>
>>

Friday, September 09, 2005

Letter to the editor - ADVANI, Jinnah and expulsion of Khuranaji

Mr. Advani must resign from the BJP for his blunders one after the other;he is now more of a burden than able to do something right and helpful for the party any longer, after his Jinnah speech and also the expulsion of Mr. Khurana, a devoted and loyal party member whose name shines like a star in Indian politics.

It is time that Mr. Advani must go in the interest of the party and the nation.

I would also suggest that the party must bring in some young
people to lead it with new blood on top, if the party has to survive.

My dear , watch out THIS IS INDIA

Village that’s a model for self-help
SAYLI UDAS
Send Feedback E-mail this story Print this story
Posted online: Thursday, September 08, 2005 at 0000 hours IST

MAHALUGE (THANE), SEPTEMBER 7: It’s not what you would expect an Indian village to be. There are neither any dung heaps, nor garbage mounds. And anyone defecating in the open is slapped with a Rs-20 fine. You can’t dump garbage outside your house.

And if all this sounds too wonderful to be true, there’s more. From being water deficient, Mahaluge village in Thane district, 80 km from Mumbai, has managed to end its dependence on outside sources. Agriculture is back in fashion and migration has ebbed.

Advertisement
All this hasn’t happened overnight. In fact, when about 500 villagers from Koyna were rehabilitated here in 1962 due to the construction of the Koyna dam, they were filled with despair. For the next 20 years, nothing changed.

Things started moving after one Suresh More retired in 1987 and settled in the village. ‘‘When I started living here, I realised that the dirty surroundings were coming in the way of the development of the village. So I decided to get everyone together to clean it up,’’ recalls More, now 68.

Today a huge arched cement gateway welcomes you to the village. When you walk on the clean red-mud village road, you marvel at the dustbins hanging from green hedges on either side, every 25 metres, and boards with messages to keep the village clean on the trees around you. This has fetched the village awards.

‘‘Earlier we used to wait for someone from the Collectorate to come and clean our village and for politicians to get us water. When nothing happened, we decided to do it ourselves,’’ said More.

It wasn’t easy. The villagers were so used to defecating in the open and dumping garbage outside that they were reluctant to spend money on toilets. But when More and some other villagers started sweeping the village themselves, they were convinced.

Recalls Balkrishna More, 70, who supported Suresh More right from the beginning: ‘‘Slowly people started joining us in sweeping the village and collecting the garbage and the look of the village changed.’’ For those who couldn’t afford cement toilets, they devised a Rs-500 toilet and also contributed for those who couldn’t afford.


Clean and simple solutions



• Mahaluge village rehabilitated Koyna dam oustees in 1962. The conditions were quite bad
• Resident Suresh More initiated a public movement to keep the village clean in 1987: defecation in the open and dumping garbage was banned, every house had a toilet by 2000
• Once the villagers came together, they solved their water problem and also formed self-help groups to raise money
• The young men who were leaving the village have turned back to plow their fields

Today Mahaluge is swept on Tuesdays and there’s a daily muster for garbage collection. Besides, 90-odd homes have their own toilets.

Once the villagers witnessed how they could improve their quality of life, it was only a matter of time before they resolved to solve other problems similarly. They conducted a water audit in 2002 and dug a borewell in 2003 after pooling in Rs 50,000. The women had come together and formed small saving groups.

This led to the birth of a small women credit cooperative where some money could be saved every month. ‘‘Today we have six women self-help groups with more than 200 women involved in it,’’ said Rekha Bhonsale (30), who heads the cooperative.

As a result of all this, the youth who were leaving the village took a second look at it. ‘‘After the village has become clean and there is enough water, the youth in about 85 per cent of the families have gone back to the traditional agriculture,’’ says More. Those who hold private jobs now commute from the village. And the youth are also coaching students from the village so that they can do better in life.

Mahaluge, which has been without a panchayat for the past seven years, takes every decision democratically, with a majority vote. ‘‘Our village came under tribal reservation seven years ago and since we did not have anyone from the ST community, we decided to have open democratic rule,’’ said More. Politicians are kept at an arm’s length. The villagers says they are their own leaders.

My dear , watch out THIS IS INDIA

Village that’s a model for self-help
SAYLI UDAS
Send Feedback E-mail this story Print this story
Posted online: Thursday, September 08, 2005 at 0000 hours IST

MAHALUGE (THANE), SEPTEMBER 7: It’s not what you would expect an Indian village to be. There are neither any dung heaps, nor garbage mounds. And anyone defecating in the open is slapped with a Rs-20 fine. You can’t dump garbage outside your house.

And if all this sounds too wonderful to be true, there’s more. From being water deficient, Mahaluge village in Thane district, 80 km from Mumbai, has managed to end its dependence on outside sources. Agriculture is back in fashion and migration has ebbed.

Advertisement
All this hasn’t happened overnight. In fact, when about 500 villagers from Koyna were rehabilitated here in 1962 due to the construction of the Koyna dam, they were filled with despair. For the next 20 years, nothing changed.

Things started moving after one Suresh More retired in 1987 and settled in the village. ‘‘When I started living here, I realised that the dirty surroundings were coming in the way of the development of the village. So I decided to get everyone together to clean it up,’’ recalls More, now 68.

Today a huge arched cement gateway welcomes you to the village. When you walk on the clean red-mud village road, you marvel at the dustbins hanging from green hedges on either side, every 25 metres, and boards with messages to keep the village clean on the trees around you. This has fetched the village awards.

‘‘Earlier we used to wait for someone from the Collectorate to come and clean our village and for politicians to get us water. When nothing happened, we decided to do it ourselves,’’ said More.

It wasn’t easy. The villagers were so used to defecating in the open and dumping garbage outside that they were reluctant to spend money on toilets. But when More and some other villagers started sweeping the village themselves, they were convinced.

Recalls Balkrishna More, 70, who supported Suresh More right from the beginning: ‘‘Slowly people started joining us in sweeping the village and collecting the garbage and the look of the village changed.’’ For those who couldn’t afford cement toilets, they devised a Rs-500 toilet and also contributed for those who couldn’t afford.


Clean and simple solutions



• Mahaluge village rehabilitated Koyna dam oustees in 1962. The conditions were quite bad
• Resident Suresh More initiated a public movement to keep the village clean in 1987: defecation in the open and dumping garbage was banned, every house had a toilet by 2000
• Once the villagers came together, they solved their water problem and also formed self-help groups to raise money
• The young men who were leaving the village have turned back to plow their fields

Today Mahaluge is swept on Tuesdays and there’s a daily muster for garbage collection. Besides, 90-odd homes have their own toilets.

Once the villagers witnessed how they could improve their quality of life, it was only a matter of time before they resolved to solve other problems similarly. They conducted a water audit in 2002 and dug a borewell in 2003 after pooling in Rs 50,000. The women had come together and formed small saving groups.

This led to the birth of a small women credit cooperative where some money could be saved every month. ‘‘Today we have six women self-help groups with more than 200 women involved in it,’’ said Rekha Bhonsale (30), who heads the cooperative.

As a result of all this, the youth who were leaving the village took a second look at it. ‘‘After the village has become clean and there is enough water, the youth in about 85 per cent of the families have gone back to the traditional agriculture,’’ says More. Those who hold private jobs now commute from the village. And the youth are also coaching students from the village so that they can do better in life.

Mahaluge, which has been without a panchayat for the past seven years, takes every decision democratically, with a majority vote. ‘‘Our village came under tribal reservation seven years ago and since we did not have anyone from the ST community, we decided to have open democratic rule,’’ said More. Politicians are kept at an arm’s length. The villagers says they are their own leaders.

Consultancy and India

Global giants watch out, here comes India!

Surajeet Das Gupta | September 08, 2005

For years, it's been a cosy little club. A club whose select members hobnobbed with Fortune 500 companies and supped on the rich pickings from technological transformation and greater globalisation.

It was a club whose gilt-edged portals were firmly shut to outsiders.

Until now. For, having already got their foot in the door, several IT majors are resolutely elbowing their way deeper into the rarefied world of technology consulting, hoping for a larger slice of the lucrative $21 billion pie.

Says an optimistic N Chandrashekhar, executive vice-president and head of global operations at Tata Consultancy Services: "Consultancy has been identified as a key business growth area as our customers are demanding a full-service offering. We are looking at 100 per cent growth in this area."

Mumbai-based TCS hopes to earn more than 10 per cent of its revenues (FY05: $2.4 billion) from consulting in the next three years, up from 3 per cent currently. It has already roped in over 400 consultants across the globe to make its dream a reality.

TCS isn't the only one with such ambitions. Consulting income for Bangalore-based Wipro Technologies already constitutes 6 per cent of revenues (FY05: $1.87 billion). The target is to hit 10 per cent in less than three years.

"While our consulting business is growing at 40 per cent, overall company revenues are growing at only 28-30 per cent. We are looking both at organic as well as inorganic growth to scale up our business," says Kapil Khandelwal, head of the India delivery centre of excellence at Wipro Consulting Services.

There's certainly ample room for growth. Last year, Indian technology companies earned barely $ 120 million from consulting, just a tiny fraction of the $17 billion raked in from IT exports. What's even more promising is that consulting isn't a greenfield area any longer:

Wipro, for instance, bought out the global energy practice of American Management Systems in 2002 and acquired consulting firm NerveWire a year later . Today, it has 225 professionals servicing clients in the areas of strategy consulting, e-governance , strategic cost reduction, business transformation and security governance.

How to go about it?

Of course, the easiest way to prise open the door to consultancy is by tapping existing clients who have been hollering for end-to-end capability from their IT services partners. Almost two-thirds of Infy's consulting clients are companies with whom it already has a business relationship.

Similarly, 50 per cent of Wipro's consulting business comes from referrals from existing clients. Says Tim Matalack, practice head of consulting at Wipro: "Consulting is a matter of reputation and connection. Our reputation comes from the work we have done for our existing clients."

Now that they've scampered up the steep end of the learning curve, Indian IT majors are hoping to spring into the big league. Take Infosys. Last year, the Bangalore-based technology services giant set up a fully owned consulting subsidiary in Texas.

In the intervening period, the company has built and fine-tuned its consulting model and is planning to spend $20 million to expand operations, possibly through acquisitions.

By 2007, for instance, Infosys Consulting hopes to ramp up the number of consultants from 120 now to more than 500. That should multiply consulting's current 4 per cent contribution to turnover (FY05: $1.59 billion) manifold. By offering a full range of services, Infosys COO Kris Gopalakrishnan hopes to bag at least "a few clients who bill more than $100 million each," in the next few years.

Clients like that have hitherto been the exclusive preserve of big boys like the $96.29 billion IBM Corp, $20.67 billion Electronic Data Systems Corp, and $13.67 billion Accenture Ltd, who straddle the entire value chain from business consulting to software outsourcing to IT implementation, thereby offering comprehensive, end-to-end solutions.

Flexing their muscles

Taking them head-on now are Indian companies that are using their strengths in offshore IT services to paddle rapidly upstream to consultancy creek.

The reason? "Our entry into consulting is essentially a business strategy. It is only the cherry: the real revenue is from the downstream application work that it brings," explains Mumbai-based Patni Computer Systems vice-president Deepak Khosla.

Unlike some of its peers, Patni doesn't even have a separate consulting practice, preferring instead to build its teams on top of key industry verticals.

However, that didn't stop the company from acquiring Massachusettes-based The Reference Inc., a technology consulting and advisory firm specialising in investment management, in 2003 for $7.5 million, and following that up last year with a $68 million buy-out of Cymbal Corp, a consulting, systems integration and outsourcing solutions provider specialising in telecommunications. The objective: to build domain knowledge in key sectors.

Domain knowledge

That domain knowledge is crucial when it comes to consultancy. That's because IT companies can leverage a domain-knowledge won consultancy agreement to bag a veritable windfall in application and maintenance contracts. Satyam, for instance, expects 80 per cent of its consulting work to generate downstream implementation and maintenance work. Industry experts reckon that every dollar earned from consultancy can generate between $7 and $10 in downstream deals. "Consulting is a wedge to open doors," adds Khosla.

Consulting is a pretty profitable business on its own as well. Billing rates can be five to ten times that of pure application work (with 20-30 per cent higher margins). Not surprising, therefore, that companies like Satyam are hurriedly reworking contracts that bundle consulting with services for existing clients. "Forty per cent of our contracts have already been restructured so that consultancy is billed separately," says Satyam senior vice-president Sailesh Shah.

But perhaps most importantly, a consulting practice is essential for survival. With competitors worldwide nipping at their heels, Indian IT majors are looking for clients who undertake 'strategic offshoring'. In simple terms, that means clients who offer long-term contracts, where the board rather than the CTO is involved in taking a decision on what areas to outsource.

Says Goplakrishnan: "If we're looking for a deeper involvement with clients, there is a clear need to build relationships with business managers and board members rather than just the technology chiefs. If we want to add more value, we must get into the lifecycle of the project much earlier. That is were consulting comes in."

That view is echoed by industry analysts. Points out Avinash Vashishta, managing partner at San Ramon (Calif.)-based offshore advisory fiirm neoIT: "None of their clients will come to them only for consulting. That might happen ten years down the line. But as (Indian) IT companies try to move up the value chain, clients are asking whether you have a wider knowledge of their businesses like the Accentures of the world. You need a consulting arm to convince them."

Advantage India

One of the biggest advantages that Indian companies have, of course, is cost. By replicating its offshoring model in IT services, TCS plans to hire 60 per cent of its consultants in the US and Europe, with the balance based in India. Chandrashekar says that some work which is research-based or requires elements of training, can be easily offshored.

Similarly, Infosys works on a simple rule of thumb: three India-based consultants for every consultant overseas. But the real cost advantage kicks in when companies undertake both consulting as well as implementation and maintenance work as a package because then, most of the work can be offshored.

Gopalakrishnan says that by leveraging the global delivery model, Infosys can undertake consulting and implementation at a 35 per cent mark-down in price over its global competitors.

"We have 40 delivery centres in 30 countries and cover of 30 industries. It will take them years to replicate this model. After all, where do Indian IT companies have a global delivery model? Their operations are dominated by India," says Kevin Campbell, global managing director of Business Process Outsourcing at Accenture.

That's not Indian IT companies' only drawback. Reconciling consulting and software services businesses poses a serious challenge.

Argues Arun Maira, chairman of Boston Consulting Group in India: "They have different cultures, skill-sets and pay packets. The way they think is different. So, there are serious issues of integration." Maira adds another word of caution: "Indian IT companies are not involved in strategic consulting at all. Their consulting is geared to selling solutions and getting downstream revenues."

Hoping to pull the rug from under the feet of domestic upstarts, the big boys are also replicating the offshoring model for consultancy much faster than Indian IT companies are are building global delivery models.

As much as 12 per cent of Accenture's employees, for instance, are now based in India and more than half of technology consultant Sapient Corp's work is outsourced to this country. "Indian IT companies have still not built a truly global delivery model, but the Accentures have, after some years in India, perfected the offshoring model," reminds Vashishta.

So are the Indian challengers destined to fall by the wayside? Perish the thought. They contend that it isn't easy for the multinationals to shift hundreds of jobs to India without disrupting operations in other countries.

Our homegrown consultants may not have the geographical spread of the global big boys, but their ability to build domain knowledge in specific verticals as well as offer far cheaper end-to-end solutions could signal the arrival of an Indian contingent at the consultancy club.

Indian Americans role in Katrina assistance

ndian Americans open wallets, expertise for Katrina victims


Seema Hakhu Kachru in Houston | September 08, 2005 22:08 IST

The Indian-American community in Houston and across the United States has not only opened its homes, hearts and wallets, but also expertise for the victims of hurricane Katrina rendered homeless after it inflicted largescale devastation along the Gulf Coast.

About 38 Indo-American associations in Houston are working together through Indo-American Charities Foundation and have decided to raise US$ 1 million for food, volunteers, medical aid, health, shelter, hotel rooms, temporary jobs,medical assistance, computer assistance and hygiene products.

*
Katrina aid: US accepts nearly $1 billion from some 95 nations

"We have asked everyone to pitch forward generously and chip in to meet the challenge and make a difference. The immediate goal is to raise US$ 150,000 before September 19 and the amount so raised will go towards feeding 25,000 people, three meals for a whole day," IACF president Sheela Rao said.

There has been an outpouring of generosity and concern from the people and "I am sure we will meet this goal," she said.

*
Katrina necessitates Singh-Bush meeting

IACF, whose goal is to help the poor, the homeless, underprivileged, and the needy with monetary, in kind and volunteer contributions through established Houston area charitable organisations, raised and distributed US$ 27,000 to various charities in the US and in India during tsunami relief efforts.

The Asian American Hotel Owners association has donated US$ 100,000 toward the relief efforts through the American Red Cross and other initiatives.

Several Indian doctors have offered their services for this cause through the Indian Doctors Association working with the Harris County Medical Society.

"It's amazing that in times like this all our doctors poured their heart and time out to help our community. Some even canceled their schedules just to help the needy victims," said Dr Rakesh Mangal, president of IDA.

*
India pledges 5 million dollars for Katrina relief operations

Various computer professionals are assisting to set up Astrodome Community Technology Center, which enables people to register themselves and help find their kin online.

In addition, various other organisations throughout the US have risen to this occasion. Sewa International USA and Hindus of Greater Houston are also coordinating volunteer services with the Hindu temples, and Indian-American organisations.

Besides, BAPS is also distributing emergency supplies of toiletries, medicines, cooking utensils, disposable kitchenware items (plates, knives and spatulas), and over 15 grocery items including milk, biscuits, sugar, salt and cooking oil.

The Federation of Indian Associations, an umbrella body of Indian-American organisations based in the tri-state area, announced the setting up of a special Katrina Fund to help the victims.

Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh has urged all Hindus in America to rise to the occasion and has appealed its hundreds of volunteers in all 90 chapters of HSS to help through collecting donations, canned foods, cookies, crackers, medical supplies and blankets.

India Development & Relief Fund volunteers in Baton Rouge, LA, are working with American Red Cross and local voluntary organisations to assist in relief efforts.

Indians second largest immigrants to UK

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Indians are second largest UK migrants

H S Rao in London | September 08, 2005 21:05 IST

Indians are the second largest migrants settled in the United Kindom, next only to Irish people, according to the data collated for the Institute for Public Policy Research.

There are as many as 466,416 India-born people in the UK as against 494,850 Irish people. Pakistanis come third with 320,767, followed by Germans, 262,276 and Caribbeans, 254,740.

Other migrants included Americans (155,030), Bangladeshis (154,201), South Africans (140,201), Kenyans (129,356) and Italians (107,002).

The economic performance of different groups varied, with refugees from countries such as Iran, Angola and Somalia tending to do worse.

New Zealanders and Filipinos, who tend to arrive on temporary work permits, recorded the highest rates of employment, data collected by experts at Sheffield University said.

Nationals that came to Britain to do low-skilled jobs, such as people born in Bangladesh or Hong Kong, continued to be poorly paid.

Scotland, the south-west and north-east England -- three of the areas to have seen the least immigration over 50 years -- are among the top locations for recent increases.

In all, more than 4.3 million people born abroad were living in Britain at the time of the 2001 census, an increase of around one million compared with 1991 and two million higher than 30 years ago.

Interview with Mrs. Blair, wife of UK PM visitng India

No, I don't want to be like Hillary Clinton," said Cherie Blair, wife of British Prime Minister Tony Blair while talking to women journalists in New Delhi on Wednesday over a south Indian lunch.

She said she had no political ambitions like the former first lady of the United States.

"In last 22 years of public life I have seen it all," she said.

But she said that as a 14-year-old she had told her class she wanted to be prime minister of Britain. "But then, Maggi beat me to it." (referring to Margaret Thatcher, Britain's first woman prime minister)

At age 18, she started studying law and liked it so much that she never looked back.

Blair revealed a lot about herself in the one-hour interaction and was not shy to express her views on sensitive issues like Islam or Iraq.

*
The Gulf War II

She was candid, fast and straight. She was cool when talking about fashion and aggressive when putting forward the British point of view on Iraq.

Her best take was when she, quite playfully, shared her childhood fantasy.

She said in school they used to read about the history of the Raj (British rule in India) and how girls of her age wanted to come to India and fall in love with an Indian king!

Blair was wearing a black trouser, a spaghetti strap top with a transparent shirt over it, which had delicate Indian embroidery. Saying she likes "fusion fashion" and that she has a designer who helps her get "Indo-Western" stuff.

She has seen Monsoon Wedding and Bend it Like Beckham, and liked both. She said she would like to see Pride and Prejudice, but a reporter punctured her idea saying it was a bad movie.

And she has not taken too well to Delhi's hot weather.

In the morning, Cherie and her husband went to Rajghat to pay homage to Mahatma Gandhi. Since she was attending the event as Mrs Tony Blair, she had to wear "a proper British dress".

But the heat was so overpowering that she changed to an informal dress before she arrived at 5, Windsor Place on Ashoka Road for the lunch meet with journalists.

She said she is a religious person (Catholic) and believes Islam is a wonderful religion. She finds it "interesting" how Islam is practiced differently in different countries. She said the way women are treated in some places in the Islamic world needs to be looked at.

She said she is fighting a case (well known as the Begum case) in Britain on behalf of a Muslim girl who wants to wear a black coat (jilbab) over her school uniform. When she took up that case even her daughter questioned her. But she was convinced that "it's a matter of an individual's choice". She fought the case and won in a lower court.

Cherie came off as a strong woman, an aggressive professional and a determined wife who wanted to support her husband in bad times and good.

She has strong religious (Catholic) views, which she combines with what appears to be a genuine commitment to human rights, said a lawyer who knows her well.

When asked about Iraq, she said, "I am behind my husband completely."

She believes that critics of the invasion are refusing to see the real suffering of the people of Iraq. She said the bombings and the insurgency in Iraq were not because of the presence of British and United States troops but because of "the people there".

When someone pointed out that Iraqis should be allowed to decide their own fate, she said, "We are enabling them to do that."

She regretted that there was no world forum to decide when any nation should intervene, and why and how. It seemed that she did not find the United Nations an appropriate platform to decide such issues.

On managing four children, her profession and her husband's career, Blair said that like any other working woman she struggles but that she is "lucky".

She had high praise for her children's nanny. She said she has her own office and a secretary, who makes her work easy. She emphasised the importance of time-management.

Blair was repeatedly asked if she takes care while accepting legal briefs because she is the wife of the prime minister.

She said she doesn't accept briefs from the government since her husband became the prime minister. In fact, many times she fights against the government.

*
BJP seeks Chidambaram's resignation

She found the debate over Nalini Chidambaram (Finance Minister P Chidambaram's wife) accepting a case on behalf of the government interesting.

*
'Chidambaram must resign'

She said she has been fighting for parental leave, which the British government is not implementing properly.

When she was more than eight months pregnant, the issue came up for debate in the courts and it became big news. At one point she complained, "Sometimes, you know the press is not very fair."

On the killing of a Brazilian immigrant by the British police, she stuck to the official line although later in a day she was going to deliver a lecture on human rights.

*
Man shot dead by London police identified as Brazilian

She admitted that she does "not always" agree with her husband. But she said, after a pause, she does not differ with him "in public".

She said to agree with him on all issues "either my husband has to be a saint, or I a subservient".

That, she said, "is not in my nature."

Photograph: Kirsty Wigglesworth/AF

New Orleans vs Mumbai

New Orleans vs Mumbai

18 ----Inches of rain in new orleans due to hurricane katrina...
37.1" inches of rain in mumbai (July 27th)....

population of new orleans... 484,674
population of mumbai.... 12,622,500

deaths in new orleans within 48 hours of katrina...100
deaths in mumbai within 48hours of rain.. 37.

number of people to be evacuated in new orleans... entire city.. wohh
number of people evacuated in mumbai...10,000

Cases of shooting and violence in new orleans...Countless
Cases of shooting and violence in mumbai.. NONE

Time taken for US army to reach new orleans... 48 hours
Time taken for Indian army and navy to reach mumbai...12hours

status 48 hours later...new orleans is still waiting for relief, army and electricty
status 48 hours later.. mumbai is back on its feet and is business is as usual

USA...world's most developed na

Wednesday, September 07, 2005

25 inventions which changed our lives

Scientists have harnessed the power of pee to charge batteries in home-based health kits! 'Ewwwww', you say? Not really.

The urine-activated battery would be integrated into biochip systems for healthcare diagnostic applications. The inventors envision a world where people will easily be able to monitor their health at home, seeking medical attention only when necessary.

This research is published in the Journal of Micromechanics and Microengineering.

If it weren't for innovative people, our lives would be pretty simple. :-)

In the last 25 years, our lives have been impacted/changed by 25 major innovations.

CNN.com's 'Top 25 Innovations' are...

1. The Internet
2. Cell phone
3. Personal computers
4. Fiber optics
5. E-mail
6. Commercialized GPS
7. Portable computers
8. Memory storage discs
9. Consumer level digital camera
10. Radio frequency ID tags
11. MEMS
12. DNA fingerprinting
13. Air bags
14. ATM
15. Advanced batteries
16. Hybrid car
17. OLEDs
18. Display panels
19. HDTV
20. Space shuttle
21. Nanotechnology
22. Flash memory
23. Voice mail
24. Modern hearing aids
25. Short Range, High Frequency Radio

Read CNN's article

Have any of these innovations changed your life for the better? Are there others that CNN did not consider, but should have?

Will the pee powered home medical kits make the next top 25 innovation list?

do you ever know when you have reached your goal?

Today's Quote

In the pursuit of happiness, the difficulty lies in knowing when you have caught up.

-R.H. Grenville

Tuesday, September 06, 2005

Destroying enemies

Today's Quote

Am I not destroying my enemies when I make friends of them?

-Abraham Lincoln

Monday, September 05, 2005

Irish Clergy

Irish Clergy

An English Clergyman turned to a Scotchman and asked: "What would you be if you were not Scot?"

The Scotchman said: "Why, an Englishman, of course!"

Then the clergyman turned to a gentleman from Ireland and asked him: "And what would you be were you not an Irishman?"

The man thought a moment and said: "I'd be ashamed of myself!"

Live frugally

Today's Quote

Own only what you can carry with you; know language, know countries, know people. Let your memory be your travel bag.

-Alexander Solzhenitsyn

Doing your best

Today's Quote

If you are doing your best, you will not have time to worry about failure.

-Robert Hillyer

USE OF EXPERIENCE

Today's Quote

Nothing is a waste of time if you use the experience wisely.

-Auguste Rodin

NO LABOUR, NO WORLD

Only through labor is one at home in the world.

Learn what you started!

There are too many things in this world to be learned, and life is too short to learn everything, so we should complete that which we have begun rather than dabbling in many things.

-Geshe Ngawang Dhargyey, "Advice From a Spiritual Friend"

Sunday, September 04, 2005

Adversity

Today's Quote

Adversity causes some men to break; others to break records.

Bed right or Happy

Today's Quote

Do you prefer that you be right, or that you be happy?

-A Course in Miracles

Mirage and the miracle

Those who are afraid of all the sufferings in the world, and yet who are afraid of death, seek for nirvana. But they do not know that the world and death and nirvana are not to be separated from one another. They imagine that nirvana is to be found through annihilation of the senses, not knowing that the world of the senses is already a mirage or a miracle when it is no longer clutched at.

-Lankavatara Sutra

From "Buddha Speaks

Saturday, September 03, 2005

Nectar of life and heavenly..... from Rajasthan

Sunday, September 04, 2005 at 0000 hours IST

THE Rajasthani tale begins with an end. A wounded king is on his deathbed. Afraid that he might die without naming a successor, his worried advisors summon the royal physician to revive the comatose king, at least for a few minutes. But nothing works.

Then the royal bartender offers to help, he says he’s got the concoction to prevent a crisis. He pours a glass of the mysterious potion down the royal gullet. Within minutes, the raja is up and standing steady enough to name an heir. An hour later, after the effect of the alcohol wanes, he’s dead.

Advertisement
Centuries after it acquired cult status as the cocktail that pulled a man from the doors of death, Chandrahas—the liquor of life—is about to make a comeback.

Later this month, Chandrahas—just one of the many brands from the royal houses of Rajasthan—will be brewed, packaged and marketed by the Rajasthan government. ‘‘The recipes for these exotic liquors were passed on to us by the royal families that originally brewed them,’’ says OP Yadav, general manager of the state-owned Ganganagar Sugar Mill (GSM), which will bottle and market the drink.

Before Independence, every royal family in Rajasthan had its own brand of liquor. But when the Rajasthan Excise Act came into force in 1952, the blue booze was banned. In 1998 the ban was lifted and production allowed under the desi liquor category. But many of the brands, though popular, contained almost 80 per cent alcohol.

In its latest avatar, the blue-blooded desis will get an upgrade; the alcohol content will be watered down to less than 48 per cent (giving them IMFL status) and they will be sold to domestic and international customers.

Liquors from the houses of Jodhpur, Jaipur and western Rajasthan will lead this royal challenge and be priced anywhere between Rs 300 to

Rs 3,000. Good news for those who want their wares to have an image that’s independent of both desi daru and foreign liquor. ‘‘You have to taste it to believe it. Our liquors are the nectar of life,’’ says Rajendra Singh ‘Banna’ Shekhawat, scion of the Mahansar royal family.

In Rajasthan, Mahansar, a powerful riyasat till Independence, is almost synonymous with heritage liquor. The quality of liquor distilled by the people of Mahansar (despite the ban) is considered at par with top international brands and is in great demand among connoisseurs. Such is its popularity that during any election, Mahansar, nearly 200 km from Jaipur, is the first port of call for netas whose journey to the ballot goes through the bottle.

Shekhawat has offered three of the best Mahansar brands for production, and sensing the potential, he has secured a patent on the Mahansar brand name. The Mahansars have also launched a separate company to produce their own brand of liquor, using a treasure trove of more than 150 liqueur and cocktail recipes left behind by their ancestors.


BREW BUYS

• Mahansar Gulab Saunf, orange, rose, mint and ginger under the brand names Royal Mahansar, Maharani Mahansar and Maharaja Mahansar
• Sodawas Mawalin Made from dates, dry fruits and two dozen spices
• Kanota Chandrahas Made from nearly 165 spices, kesar, awlah and dry fruits
• Shyopur Narangi Ginger and pineapple flavours, made from fruits and two dozen spices
‘‘There is a book, handwritten in the local dialect, by our great-grandfathers. It was passed on from generation to generation like a family secret,’’ says Shekhawat, at his Jaipur residence.

Each baap dada ki daru, as the drinks are known, also has a colourful history. For instance, there’s the aphrodisiac (Shekhawat refuses to name it) that was gifted to Rana Hammir of Ranthambhore to deal with his 11 wives. Though he loved his wives, Hammir didn’t have the stamina to satisfy all of them.

According to legend, one day he met a saint who gave him the recipe for a cocktail that anointed him with the power of 100 horses and, thereby, solved his delicate problem. ‘‘We have that recipe,’’ says Shekhawat mischievously.

So, what are the ingredients? ‘‘That’s a trade secret for the time being. But don’t worry, we will launch it soon,’’ he promises.

While the drinks were born in male-dominated Rajput households, their makers were surprisingly gender-sensitive, says Shekhawat. A honey-based brew with 21 spices was meant for the queens. ‘‘After drinking it, even an old lady would behave like a 16-year-old girl,’’ he says. Unfortunately, this one won’t hit the shelves. ‘‘Some of the important ingredients can’t be found anymore,’’ says Shekhawat.

Though it’s difficult to back the tall—and usually libidinous—claims with scientific evidence, it’s easy to understand the lure of the royal beverage. ‘‘Our ancestors had plenty of time and little work. So they spent most of their time trying to find new ways to maximise pleasure,’’ says Devraj Singh, of the Shyopur family.

The Shyopurs, who were in charge of the household affairs of Jaipur’s royal family, the Kachawas, have at least three dozen recipes. They want the government to market their Narangi, Angoor and Annanas (pineapple) brands.

Though the names bring back memories of Mithun Chakraborty lolling about with a dirty brown bottle in his hand, the Shyopur brand would rather project a different image. ‘‘It is made with oranges and 18 herbs. It keeps the body cool even during scorching summers. You can drink it from dawn to dawn and still wake up a fresh man,’’ says Singh.

In fact, the ‘‘ours is a herbal drink that rejuvenates’’ is a refrain you’ll hear from the entire collection of royals. From the rulers of Kanota, who will launch Chandrahas, to the Mahansars, everyone claims that their drink has great therapeutic value. ‘‘The royals wanted to drink, enjoy good health, have plenty of energy and sex. They compromised on nothing and all these drinks were prepared keeping that in mind,” says Singh.

But, he says, a few steps before the distillation process that turns them into spirits, these mixtures resemble simple ayurvedic medicines. ‘‘If you use the alcohol after allowing the ingredients to ferment, it is a medicine. Distill it further and it becomes liquor,’’ says Singh.

At its best though, heritage liquor promises to go beyond medication and spirits and give much more than just your average buzz. This is the Rajput promise: ‘‘It will give you a daily dose of high and, if you are lucky, reignite your sex life. In short, we are promising bliss.’’ Cheers to that. Kindred Spirits
Sandipan Sharma takes off on the Mahansar Saunf With a licence to drink from the office, I immediately launch a search for the famed blue label that promises an instant kick and the power of a 100 horses. But before the horses can be unleashed comes the bad news that the royal owners have drunk that particular ‘daru-viagra’ out of existence. I settle for Mahansar Saunf—high on alcohol but low on promise. ‘‘It won’t hit you below the belt. But three pegs and you can bet you’ll be on the Discovery shuttle,’’ my host Balendu Singh, scion of the Mahansar family warns, referring to the alcohol content. The alcohol content of the Saunf—a 1999 vintage mixed by Rajendra ‘Banna’ Shekhawat, of the Mahansar family—exceeds 60 per cent. It was brewed by fermenting gur and ber in an earthen pot for 15 days. Later, it was distilled by adding milk, misri, saunf and a variety of other spices and stored in a ceramic vessel, where it lay for six years, awaiting its evening with an Express staffer. The aroma is a mixture of spices and alcohol; the colour—clear, with a dash of yellow. Says Shekhawat: “You won’t reek of alcohol even if you bathe in a bucket of this stuff.” We’re drinking at Singh’s Jaipur residence and there’s a stuffed tiger on the wall behind us, strictly for atmospherics, of course. Shekhawat begins to pour and fills half his glass. When I drink, it’s usually beer—60 per cent plus is not a figure I encounter often. So I start with a spoonful, tickling my host’s funny bone. After topping the glass with water and ice, the joyride begins. The first sip melts on my tongue. Its fragrance soothes my senses. A mild burning sensation drifts down my throat and to my stomach. Four sips later, I’m in love. We’re discussing politics, but after the second peg (large, on the rocks), it turns to secrets of the royal harems. By the time the third round begins, one of the hosts morphs into a ghazal singer. After the fourth, the room is filled with meaningless chatter and sporadic roars triggered by A-jokes. In short, like any gathering of cultured men over drinks, the evening goes downhill, from the sublime to the ridiculous. We polish off the bottle before midnight. I am four down, but I can still walk (two steps forward, one sideways, one backward), string a few decent sentences together (with a smattering of French I picked up during a three-day tour to that country) and am able to recognise my palace when I’m delivered back home. The next morning, I wake up fresh and ravenous. There is not even the shadow of a hangover. I’m already planning my next evening in the kingdom of heaven.

CLASSES FOR MEN

Classes for Men
DAY ONE

HOW TO FILL ICE CUBE TRAYS
Step by step guide with slide presentation

TOILET ROLLS- DO THEY GROW ON THE HOLDERS?
Roundtable discussion

DIFFERENCES BETWEEN LAUNDRY BASKET & FLOOR
Practicing with hamper (Pictures and graphics)

DISHES & SILVERWARE; DO THEY LEVITATE/FLY TO KITCHEN SINK OR DISHWASHER BY THEMSELVES?
Debate among a panel of experts.

LOSS OF VIRILITY
Losing the remote control to your significant other - Help line and support groups

LEARNING HOW TO FIND THINGS
Starting with looking in the right place instead of turning the house upside down while screaming - Open forum

DAY TWO

EMPTY MILK CARTONS; DO THEY BELONG IN THE FRIDGE OR THE BIN?
Group discussion and role play

HEALTH WATCH; BRINGING HER FLOWERS IS NOT HARMFUL TO YOUR HEALTH
PowerPoint presentation

REAL MEN ASK FOR DIRECTIONS WHEN LOST
Real life testimonial from the one man who did

IS IT GENETICALLY IMPOSSIBLE TO SIT QUIETLY AS SHE PARALLEL PARKS?
Driving simulation

LIVING WITH ADULTS; BASIC DIFFERENCES BETWEEN YOUR MOTHER AND YOUR PARTNER
Online class and role playing

HOW TO BE THE IDEAL SHOPPING COMPANION
Relaxation exercises, meditation and breathing techniques

REMEMBERING IMPORTANT DATES & CALLING WHEN YOU'RE GOING TO BE LATE
Bring your calendar or PDA to class

GETTING OVER IT; LEARNING HOW TO LIVE WITH BEING WRONG ALL THE TIME
Individual counselors available

Friday, September 02, 2005

Miracles and Miracles

Today's Quote

If we could see the miracle of a single flower clearly, our whole life would change.

-Buddha