Few world famous short (really short :-) ) science fiction stories.
“The world’s last man was sitting inside the room alone. The door was knocked.”
“Man reached the border of the universe. He saw a line below him and a text that read ‘Border of universe’ – written upside down” My favorite
And here is the shortest of all.
The story was given this caption, “World’s grade in the school of universe”.
And the story starts with a line beneath the caption “F”.
End of story. :-)
-- Dear! Jap Evans
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Saturday, October 17, 2009
Alzheimer disease
We all forget things once in a while. Maybe you've forgotten to send a card for someone's birthday or to return an overdue library book. Forgetting stuff is a part of life and it often becomes more common as people age.
But Alzheimer (say: alts-hi-mer) disease, which affects some older people, is different from everyday forgetting. It is a condition that permanently affects the brain, and over time, makes it harder to remember even basic stuff, like how to tie a shoe.
Eventually, the person may have trouble remembering the names and faces of family members — or even who he or she is.
What Happens in the Brain?
You probably know that your brain works by sending signals. Chemical messengers, called neurotransmitters (say: nur-oh-trans-mih-terz), allow brain cells to communicate with each other. But a person with Alzheimer disease has decreased amounts of neurotransmitters. People with Alzheimer disease also develop deposits of stuff (protein and fiber) that prevent the cells from working properly. When this happens, the cells can't send the right signals to other parts of the brain. Over time, brain cells affected by Alzheimer disease also begin to shrink and die.
Warning signs for Alzheimer:
1. Memory loss that affects day-to-day function
It's normal to occasionally forget appointments, colleagues' names or a friend's phone number and remember them later. A person with Alzheimer's disease may forget things more often and not remember them later, especially things that have happened more recently.
2. Difficulty performing familiar tasks
Busy people can be so distracted from time to time that they may leave the carrots on the stove and only remember to serve them at the end of a meal. A person with Alzheimer's disease may have trouble with tasks that have been familiar to them all their lives, such as preparing a meal.
3. Problems with language
Everyone has trouble finding the right word sometimes, but a person with Alzheimer's disease may forget simple words or substitute words, making her sentences difficult to understand.
4. Disorientation of time and place
It's normal to forget the day of the week or your destination -- for a moment. But a person with Alzheimer's disease can become lost on their own street, not knowing how they got there or how to get home.
5. Poor or decreased judgment
People may sometimes put off going to a doctor if they have an infection, but eventually seek medical attention. A person with Alzheimer's disease may have decreased judgment, for example not recognizing a medical problem that needs attention or wearing heavy clothing on a hot day.
6. Problems with abstract thinking
From time to time, people may have difficulty with tasks that require abstract thinking, such as balancing a cheque book. Someone with Alzheimer's disease may have significant difficulties with such tasks, for example not recognizing what the numbers in the cheque book mean.
7. Misplacing things
Anyone can temporarily misplace a wallet or keys. A person with Alzheimer's disease may put things in inappropriate places: an iron in the freezer or a wristwatch in the sugar bowl.
8. Changes in mood and behaviour
Everyone becomes sad or moody from time to time. Someone with Alzheimer's disease can exhibit varied mood swings -- from calm to tears to anger -- for no apparent reason.
9. Changes in personality
People's personalities can change somewhat with age. But a person with Alzheimer's disease can become confused, suspicious or withdrawn. Changes may also include apathy, fearfulness or acting out of character.
10. Loss of initiative
It's normal to tire of housework, business activities or social obligations, but most people regain their initiative. A person with Alzheimer's disease may become very passive, and require cues and prompting to become involved.
Beyond Forgetting
Beyond Forgetting is a unique collection of poetry and short prose about Alzheimer's disease written by 100 contemporary writers--doctors, nurses, social workers, hospice workers, daughters, sons, wives, and husbands--whose lives have been touched by the disease. Through the transformative power of poetry, their words enable the reader to move "beyond forgetting," beyond the stereotypical portrayal of Alzheimer's disease to honor and affirm the dignity of those afflicted.
Here is the one i like in that book.
Prayer for My Mother
Let every moment of every day
break upon her with the dazzle of
utter newness, and let her exult in it.
Let wonder rule: the sky more lovely
than she's ever seen, the birds that
come by the hundred to her feeder.
Please let her forget that she does not
remember. Let her lose somehow
the torment of losing her mind.
Let there be insight in the one page that,
over and over for days, she reads
for the first time, never gets beyond.
Let the living past be vibrant in her
dreams each night, her mother, her brother
at her side, showering her with love.
Please let her eyes open in the morning
not to the despair of the lost at sea,
but to the familiar play of sunlight
in the leaves outside her window,
the solid sense that she is safe,
the firm ground of home.
- Rick Kempa
But Alzheimer (say: alts-hi-mer) disease, which affects some older people, is different from everyday forgetting. It is a condition that permanently affects the brain, and over time, makes it harder to remember even basic stuff, like how to tie a shoe.
Eventually, the person may have trouble remembering the names and faces of family members — or even who he or she is.
What Happens in the Brain?
You probably know that your brain works by sending signals. Chemical messengers, called neurotransmitters (say: nur-oh-trans-mih-terz), allow brain cells to communicate with each other. But a person with Alzheimer disease has decreased amounts of neurotransmitters. People with Alzheimer disease also develop deposits of stuff (protein and fiber) that prevent the cells from working properly. When this happens, the cells can't send the right signals to other parts of the brain. Over time, brain cells affected by Alzheimer disease also begin to shrink and die.
Warning signs for Alzheimer:
1. Memory loss that affects day-to-day function
It's normal to occasionally forget appointments, colleagues' names or a friend's phone number and remember them later. A person with Alzheimer's disease may forget things more often and not remember them later, especially things that have happened more recently.
2. Difficulty performing familiar tasks
Busy people can be so distracted from time to time that they may leave the carrots on the stove and only remember to serve them at the end of a meal. A person with Alzheimer's disease may have trouble with tasks that have been familiar to them all their lives, such as preparing a meal.
3. Problems with language
Everyone has trouble finding the right word sometimes, but a person with Alzheimer's disease may forget simple words or substitute words, making her sentences difficult to understand.
4. Disorientation of time and place
It's normal to forget the day of the week or your destination -- for a moment. But a person with Alzheimer's disease can become lost on their own street, not knowing how they got there or how to get home.
5. Poor or decreased judgment
People may sometimes put off going to a doctor if they have an infection, but eventually seek medical attention. A person with Alzheimer's disease may have decreased judgment, for example not recognizing a medical problem that needs attention or wearing heavy clothing on a hot day.
6. Problems with abstract thinking
From time to time, people may have difficulty with tasks that require abstract thinking, such as balancing a cheque book. Someone with Alzheimer's disease may have significant difficulties with such tasks, for example not recognizing what the numbers in the cheque book mean.
7. Misplacing things
Anyone can temporarily misplace a wallet or keys. A person with Alzheimer's disease may put things in inappropriate places: an iron in the freezer or a wristwatch in the sugar bowl.
8. Changes in mood and behaviour
Everyone becomes sad or moody from time to time. Someone with Alzheimer's disease can exhibit varied mood swings -- from calm to tears to anger -- for no apparent reason.
9. Changes in personality
People's personalities can change somewhat with age. But a person with Alzheimer's disease can become confused, suspicious or withdrawn. Changes may also include apathy, fearfulness or acting out of character.
10. Loss of initiative
It's normal to tire of housework, business activities or social obligations, but most people regain their initiative. A person with Alzheimer's disease may become very passive, and require cues and prompting to become involved.
Beyond Forgetting
Beyond Forgetting is a unique collection of poetry and short prose about Alzheimer's disease written by 100 contemporary writers--doctors, nurses, social workers, hospice workers, daughters, sons, wives, and husbands--whose lives have been touched by the disease. Through the transformative power of poetry, their words enable the reader to move "beyond forgetting," beyond the stereotypical portrayal of Alzheimer's disease to honor and affirm the dignity of those afflicted.
Here is the one i like in that book.
Prayer for My Mother
Let every moment of every day
break upon her with the dazzle of
utter newness, and let her exult in it.
Let wonder rule: the sky more lovely
than she's ever seen, the birds that
come by the hundred to her feeder.
Please let her forget that she does not
remember. Let her lose somehow
the torment of losing her mind.
Let there be insight in the one page that,
over and over for days, she reads
for the first time, never gets beyond.
Let the living past be vibrant in her
dreams each night, her mother, her brother
at her side, showering her with love.
Please let her eyes open in the morning
not to the despair of the lost at sea,
but to the familiar play of sunlight
in the leaves outside her window,
the solid sense that she is safe,
the firm ground of home.
- Rick Kempa
Saturday, September 19, 2009
The Ten Most Famous Movie Quotes
(According to The Guinness Book of Film)
These are the ten most recognizable film quotes according to a 1998 survey of a group of "10 film critics and experts" who were asked by Guinness to draw up a list of the "ten most famous movie quotes ever." According to the publication's editors, "We were looking for quotations that were accessible and that had popular appeal on a global scale. We were also looking for wit and delivery. Delivery is important."
The films chosen ranged from 1930 to 1994, and six of the 10 were from the 1930s and '40s. Odeon Cinemas in the UK conducted a similar survey in 2003 to determine the 10 Best Movie Lines Ever, with some duplications!
Dr. No - 1962 "...Bond. James Bond."
Casablanca - 1942 "Of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world, she walks into mine."
I'm No Angel - 1933 "Well, it's not the men in your life that counts, it's the life in your men."
The Terminator - 1984 "I'll be back."
Hell's Angels - 1930 "Would you be shocked if I put on something more comfortable?"
Forrest Gump - 1994 "My Mama always said, 'Life was like a box of chocolates; you never know what you're gonna get.'"
Duck Soup - 1933 "I could dance with you till the cows come home...On second thought, I'd rather dance with the cows when you came home."
Gone with The Wind -1939 "Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn!"
Taxi Driver - 1976 "You talkin' to me? You talkin' to me? You talkin' to me? Well, who the hell else are you talkin' to? You talkin' to me? Well, I'm the only one here. Who the f--k do you think you're talkin' to?"
Anna Christie - 1930 "Gimme a whiskey, ginger ale on the side. And don't be stingy, baby."
The most common scripted line in all Hollywood productions (it was used at least once 84% of the time) from the late 30s to the mid 70s, was:
"Let's get outta here!"
How Many Do You Know? :-)
These are the ten most recognizable film quotes according to a 1998 survey of a group of "10 film critics and experts" who were asked by Guinness to draw up a list of the "ten most famous movie quotes ever." According to the publication's editors, "We were looking for quotations that were accessible and that had popular appeal on a global scale. We were also looking for wit and delivery. Delivery is important."
The films chosen ranged from 1930 to 1994, and six of the 10 were from the 1930s and '40s. Odeon Cinemas in the UK conducted a similar survey in 2003 to determine the 10 Best Movie Lines Ever, with some duplications!
Dr. No - 1962 "...Bond. James Bond."
Casablanca - 1942 "Of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world, she walks into mine."
I'm No Angel - 1933 "Well, it's not the men in your life that counts, it's the life in your men."
The Terminator - 1984 "I'll be back."
Hell's Angels - 1930 "Would you be shocked if I put on something more comfortable?"
Forrest Gump - 1994 "My Mama always said, 'Life was like a box of chocolates; you never know what you're gonna get.'"
Duck Soup - 1933 "I could dance with you till the cows come home...On second thought, I'd rather dance with the cows when you came home."
Gone with The Wind -1939 "Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn!"
Taxi Driver - 1976 "You talkin' to me? You talkin' to me? You talkin' to me? Well, who the hell else are you talkin' to? You talkin' to me? Well, I'm the only one here. Who the f--k do you think you're talkin' to?"
Anna Christie - 1930 "Gimme a whiskey, ginger ale on the side. And don't be stingy, baby."
The most common scripted line in all Hollywood productions (it was used at least once 84% of the time) from the late 30s to the mid 70s, was:
"Let's get outta here!"
How Many Do You Know? :-)
Friday, May 15, 2009
What have we been doing lately?
I am so jealous to see the people coming in TV advertisements.
What an wonderful world they live in?
By using a particular cooking oil, the daughter in law keeps her mother in law happy. Girls get married as soon as they apply the fairness cream. School boy beats Viswanath anand in chess by eating the small green tablet. Love blossoms when the orange bottle is opened. Just by drinking some beverage, the son wins a silver cup of his own size and jumps off the fence to show it to his mother. When any bike is kick started, a jeans babe sits in the pillion.
There raises a question inside common people like us, who drink the same liquid that comes in different bottles and use the same perfumes and bikes all day and night:
‘Where is this world in which mini skirt girls and bare bodied boys happily play beach volleyball with no worries?’
We are never gonna find it.
And what we see in reality?
120 degree fahrenheit heat.Increasing number of beggars in every traffic signal. Rubbish political posters that calls every tom, dick and harry not with their name but with titles [Nalaya bharathame (India tomorrow), thamizh thaayin thalai magane(first son of Mother Tamil) , Ilaignyargalin varungaalame (future of the youth)’]. Lousy news coverage by major TVs, hiding facts and making business with people’s emotions.
Media (Advertisements and TV) are not letting people see what the real world is.
We have all been raised on television to believe that one day we'd all be millionaires, and movie gods, and rock stars. But we won't. That’s the reality.
When we are enjoying IPL season and watching theme park advertisements in TV, millions of Tamil people die in Sri Lanka not because of war, not because guns and bombs but just because of no food to eat and no good water to drink. That’s the real world.
It has been experimented and proved that the sale of a particular drink increased double-forth when they showed it in a single frame (frame is 1/24th of a second) of a movie.
An entire generation is being fooled by media.
Drink Coke to meet Actor Vijay, buy tata indicom connection to dine with Asin, Get aircel connection to hear dhoni's facourite love songs......The list doesn't stop here. What a cheap promotion ideas? They keep coming back as we, the slaves of lifestyle obsession, support them by sending SMSes and post cards for every crap competition they keep.
I sincerely request all of my friends to choose books instead of TV and advertisements. Dont take Media's bait. This is post is just to make you think. Decision or result of this post is all yours.
-- Dear! Jap Evans
What an wonderful world they live in?
By using a particular cooking oil, the daughter in law keeps her mother in law happy. Girls get married as soon as they apply the fairness cream. School boy beats Viswanath anand in chess by eating the small green tablet. Love blossoms when the orange bottle is opened. Just by drinking some beverage, the son wins a silver cup of his own size and jumps off the fence to show it to his mother. When any bike is kick started, a jeans babe sits in the pillion.
There raises a question inside common people like us, who drink the same liquid that comes in different bottles and use the same perfumes and bikes all day and night:
‘Where is this world in which mini skirt girls and bare bodied boys happily play beach volleyball with no worries?’
We are never gonna find it.
And what we see in reality?
120 degree fahrenheit heat.Increasing number of beggars in every traffic signal. Rubbish political posters that calls every tom, dick and harry not with their name but with titles [Nalaya bharathame (India tomorrow), thamizh thaayin thalai magane(first son of Mother Tamil) , Ilaignyargalin varungaalame (future of the youth)’]. Lousy news coverage by major TVs, hiding facts and making business with people’s emotions.
Media (Advertisements and TV) are not letting people see what the real world is.
We have all been raised on television to believe that one day we'd all be millionaires, and movie gods, and rock stars. But we won't. That’s the reality.
When we are enjoying IPL season and watching theme park advertisements in TV, millions of Tamil people die in Sri Lanka not because of war, not because guns and bombs but just because of no food to eat and no good water to drink. That’s the real world.
It has been experimented and proved that the sale of a particular drink increased double-forth when they showed it in a single frame (frame is 1/24th of a second) of a movie.
An entire generation is being fooled by media.
Drink Coke to meet Actor Vijay, buy tata indicom connection to dine with Asin, Get aircel connection to hear dhoni's facourite love songs......The list doesn't stop here. What a cheap promotion ideas? They keep coming back as we, the slaves of lifestyle obsession, support them by sending SMSes and post cards for every crap competition they keep.
I sincerely request all of my friends to choose books instead of TV and advertisements. Dont take Media's bait. This is post is just to make you think. Decision or result of this post is all yours.
-- Dear! Jap Evans
Saturday, April 4, 2009
Why Ignorance is Bliss?
Famous proverb in English. "Ignorance is Bliss"
But Why ignorance is called bliss?
This Question was asked in the Miss world contest.
All young contestants came up with some stupid answers.
‘Ignorance is bliss because it's easier to support something blindly than exploring all the options.’
‘If you don't know something, it can't hurt you.’
But the real meaning is very different.
‘Ignorance is bliss’ does not mean that you're happier not knowing some particular thing. It does not mean that you will feel better not getting the bad news.
So what does it mean? Where did it come from?
It was written in the Poem ‘Ode on a Distant Prospect of Eton College’ by Thomas Gray.Thomas Gray is an English poet who lived in 1742. Gray is basically a pessimist. He saw sorrow in everything around him.When he saw a couple of college boys playing, he wrote this poem and unintentionally added a proverb to the language.
".Yet ah! why should they know their fate?
Since sorrow never comes too late,
And happiness too swiftly flies.
Thought would destroy their paradise.
No more; where ignorance is bliss, '
Tis folly to be wise."
It has been observed that Gray didn't mean it is better to be ignorant than wise at all times, for he makes an important qualification by using the word where. But a reading of the whole poem shows that he did mean it is better for man to be blissfully ignorant of his fate."
-- Dear! Jap Evans
But Why ignorance is called bliss?
This Question was asked in the Miss world contest.
All young contestants came up with some stupid answers.
‘Ignorance is bliss because it's easier to support something blindly than exploring all the options.’
‘If you don't know something, it can't hurt you.’
But the real meaning is very different.
‘Ignorance is bliss’ does not mean that you're happier not knowing some particular thing. It does not mean that you will feel better not getting the bad news.
So what does it mean? Where did it come from?
It was written in the Poem ‘Ode on a Distant Prospect of Eton College’ by Thomas Gray.Thomas Gray is an English poet who lived in 1742. Gray is basically a pessimist. He saw sorrow in everything around him.When he saw a couple of college boys playing, he wrote this poem and unintentionally added a proverb to the language.
".Yet ah! why should they know their fate?
Since sorrow never comes too late,
And happiness too swiftly flies.
Thought would destroy their paradise.
No more; where ignorance is bliss, '
Tis folly to be wise."
It has been observed that Gray didn't mean it is better to be ignorant than wise at all times, for he makes an important qualification by using the word where. But a reading of the whole poem shows that he did mean it is better for man to be blissfully ignorant of his fate."
-- Dear! Jap Evans
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
'Pay it Forward' - An Idea that can change you and the world
The world can seem like an unfriendly, threatening place, yet we all want safety, health, and happiness for ourselves and our loved ones.
How can one ordinary person -- you or me -- make a positive difference in this world?
One way is the practice "paying it forward." While the steps might be simple, the outcome could change the world.
So what is this “Pay it Forward”?
The concept is very simple: When someone does a favor to you, something that you couldn’t have done all by yourself, don’t pay it back to the person who helped you. Instead pay it forward to people who need help just like you needed once.
It can be best described by Benjamin Franklin’s words in a letter dated April 22, 1784:
" I do not pretend to give such a Sum; I only lend it to you. When you [...] meet with another honest Man in similar Distress, you must pay me by lending this Sum to him; enjoining him to discharge the Debt by a like operation, when he shall be able, and shall meet with another opportunity. I hope it may thus go thro' many hands, before it meets with a Knave that will stop its Progress. This is a trick of mine for doing a deal of good with a little money. "
The term "pay it forward" was coined, or at least popularized, by Robert A. Heinlein in his book Between Planets, published in 1951:
The banker reached into the folds of his gown, pulled out a single credit note. "But eat first — a full belly steadies the judgment. Do me the honor of accepting this as our welcome to the newcomer."His pride said no; his stomach said YES! Don took it and said, "Uh, thanks! That's awfully kind of you. I'll pay it back, first chance.""Instead, pay it forward to some other brother who needs it."
In 2000, Catherine Ryan Hyde's novel ‘Pay It Forward’ was published which was later made into a movie with the same title, starring Helen Hunt, Haley Joel Osment, and Kevin Spacey. In Ryan Hyde's book and movie it is described as an obligation to do three good deeds for others in repayment of a good deed that one receives. Such good deeds should be things that the other person cannot accomplish on their own. In this way, the need to help one another can spread exponentially through society, creating a social movement with the goal of making the world a better place.
The idea of the book has been championed in real life by the Pay It Forward Foundation.
The Pay It Forward Foundation was established in September 2000 by author Catherine Ryan Hyde and others to educate and inspire students to realize that they can change the world, and provide them with opportunities to do so. By bringing the author's vision and related materials into classrooms internationally, students and their teachers are encouraged to formulate their own ideas of how they can pay it forward. Visit http://www.payitforwardfoundation.org/ for more details.
“Pay It Forward” is not just a book , not just a movie, but it's an IDEA.
It's an action plan within a work of fiction. But does it have to be fiction? I am hoping not.
What began as a work of fiction has already become much more.
- The mathematician Paul Erdos, in one of his visits to Harvard University, met a promising math student on the verge of expulsion for inability to pay his tuition. Erdos paid the young man's tuition in full. Years later, the man offered to return the entire amount to Erdos, but Erdos insisted that the man rather find another student in his situation, and give the tuition to him.
- In 2004, a small group of University of Minnesota students, wanting to find a way for students to do ordinary things to improve their world, created the student group Students Today Leaders Forever (STLF). The main event for STLF is the annual "Pay It Forward" tour, where college students spend their Spring Break on a bus trip to several cities doing community service projects, with the idea that those served will "pay it forward" and benefit their communities.
- On October 26, 2006 Oprah gave her audience a challenge to Pay it Forward, giving 300 audience guests $1,000 USD on a debit card and a camcorder to record the acts of kindness they did. The rules of the challenge were very specific, the money had to be spent within one week and could only be used to help charitable organizations or an individual person but not a relative.
So you know what to do now. You can either see this as just another idea or you can believe in this idea.
Sometimes The Simplest Idea Can Make The Biggest Difference. Try these simple steps.
1) Educate your children about Paying forward.
The simple idea of doing good works for others to repay the good that has happened to you is one that can easily be conveyed to children and encourages them to be socially aware and take a role in making the world a better place.
2) Look for opportunities everywhere to pay forward.
Even small acts, such as paying the bridge toll for the car behind you when you pay for your own, counts. Perhaps you have an elderly or disabled neighbor who is too proud to ask for help with their yard work.Or maybe you're in a
restaurant and see someone who looks like they could use some kind stranger to pay for their meal. You can change people's attitudes about the world through your unobtrusive acts of indness.
3) Practice the “Pay it forward” principle in your daily life.
It will make you alert to unexpected kindness from strangers toward you, and you may find yourself becoming more grateful for everyday kindness and consideration from people you don't even know.
4) Spread the word.If a person thanks you and wants to "repay" you (that is, pay it "back"), let them know that what you'd really like is for them to pay it "forward" -- you'd like them to do something nice for three people they don't know, and ask those three people to do something nice for three more people. The idea is to consciously increase the goodness of the world.
If it makes the world a friendlier place, you succeeded!
And finally a word of caution.
Do take care of yourself. If you have excess, then share with those in need, but don't give away your last dollar. The stronger you are the more good you can do for others.
And remember, "You can never pay back; but you can always pay forward."
-- Dear! Jap Evans
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Living with the himalayan masters - A review
My friend told me about this book. He said that i will feel good and high about myself if i read this. All these didnt impress me to read. I was impressed and had a urge to read only when i came to know that this was the book presented by Superstar RajiniKant to the Ultimate Star Ajith. :)
Ajith, when talking about the big transformation in his life (from outspoken, over confident person to a calm and philosophical person) , the actor said Rajini was instrumental in doing that. For it was the superstar who presented him with a book titled "Living with the Himalayan Masters." According to Ajith, the book had a great impact in his life which helped him mellow down a lot. "I would have wondered if someone told me that a book had changed their lives, until I felt it myself," he stated.
'Cool!!' I thought, 'Why cant I try it myself and find out?'. I was presented this book by the very same friend i was talking about earlier, (thanks to him) when i was starting to America last year. I completed the book only last week.
So what's so special? My point of view.
Many people know that Himalayas are not merely the home of snow, but they have also been a stronghold of yogic wisdom and spirituality for millions of people, regardless of their religious beliefs. This ancient and rich tradition still exists there today as these unique mountains continue to whisper their spiritual glory to all who have an ear to hear (as i said in my first post)
'I will tell you how I grew up and how I was trained, about the great sages with whom I lived and what they taught me, not through lectures and books but through experiences', writes Sri Swami Rama, the author of this book, in the opening pages of this timeless saga. These stories record his personal quest for truth and enlightenment. Inspiring, illuminating, entertaining, mystifying, and frequently humorous, they bring you face-to-face with the great Himalayan Masters, including:
Mataji of Assam, a ninety-six-year-old lady sage who never slept
Gudari Baba, who taught Swami Rama the value of direct experience
Yogi Sri Aurobindo, who integrated meditation with action
Uria Baba, who teaches that every human being has a potential for healing
After reading the book, i felt that this book is inspirational and the book that has many good motivational lines. One of those rare books written about lives of great men and women who are powerful beyond all imagination yet very kind, gentle and down to earth.
First few pages talks about himalayas and its beauty and diviness. Then it starts telling about Swami Rama's childhood days. (Have you seen Rajini's movie Baba? The story line is taken from this :) Also, many little stories that Rajini tells in functions are taken from this book) I felt somewhat boring till this. Then it kickstarts with his daily life, his guru and how he gets enlightened.
What i liked very much in this book is that Swami Rama never conceded anything. He has frankly stated his mistakes, his greediness and his attachment to normal human life. He even explains about his relationship with a women and how he wanted to marry her. From all these mistakes, he had learnt his lessons and he shares it with us.
Although he has written many other books, this is his first one and most popular one. It is available in .net as PDF.
Few more reviews i got from net.
“One of the great spiritual classics of all time. An insider’s view of hidden adepts who live outside time and space as we know it, yogis and yoginis who can’t possibly exist-but do!” Linda Johnson, author of The Living Goddess: Reclaiming the Tradition of the Mother of the Universe
“Buy this book for yourself. Each page is filled with joy and cheer. What I like best is that Swami Rama’s message does not require us to transform ourselves, it teaches that we are already perfect”.- Judith Benn Hurley, author of The Good Herb Savoring the Day and Healing Secrets of the Seasons
The book is a compelling work that you cannot help but admire, whether you believe what the Swami says or not. Read it !!
--Dear! Jap Evans.
Ajith, when talking about the big transformation in his life (from outspoken, over confident person to a calm and philosophical person) , the actor said Rajini was instrumental in doing that. For it was the superstar who presented him with a book titled "Living with the Himalayan Masters." According to Ajith, the book had a great impact in his life which helped him mellow down a lot. "I would have wondered if someone told me that a book had changed their lives, until I felt it myself," he stated.
'Cool!!' I thought, 'Why cant I try it myself and find out?'. I was presented this book by the very same friend i was talking about earlier, (thanks to him) when i was starting to America last year. I completed the book only last week.
So what's so special? My point of view.
Many people know that Himalayas are not merely the home of snow, but they have also been a stronghold of yogic wisdom and spirituality for millions of people, regardless of their religious beliefs. This ancient and rich tradition still exists there today as these unique mountains continue to whisper their spiritual glory to all who have an ear to hear (as i said in my first post)
'I will tell you how I grew up and how I was trained, about the great sages with whom I lived and what they taught me, not through lectures and books but through experiences', writes Sri Swami Rama, the author of this book, in the opening pages of this timeless saga. These stories record his personal quest for truth and enlightenment. Inspiring, illuminating, entertaining, mystifying, and frequently humorous, they bring you face-to-face with the great Himalayan Masters, including:
Mataji of Assam, a ninety-six-year-old lady sage who never slept
Gudari Baba, who taught Swami Rama the value of direct experience
Yogi Sri Aurobindo, who integrated meditation with action
Uria Baba, who teaches that every human being has a potential for healing
After reading the book, i felt that this book is inspirational and the book that has many good motivational lines. One of those rare books written about lives of great men and women who are powerful beyond all imagination yet very kind, gentle and down to earth.
First few pages talks about himalayas and its beauty and diviness. Then it starts telling about Swami Rama's childhood days. (Have you seen Rajini's movie Baba? The story line is taken from this :) Also, many little stories that Rajini tells in functions are taken from this book) I felt somewhat boring till this. Then it kickstarts with his daily life, his guru and how he gets enlightened.
What i liked very much in this book is that Swami Rama never conceded anything. He has frankly stated his mistakes, his greediness and his attachment to normal human life. He even explains about his relationship with a women and how he wanted to marry her. From all these mistakes, he had learnt his lessons and he shares it with us.
Although he has written many other books, this is his first one and most popular one. It is available in .net as PDF.
Few more reviews i got from net.
“One of the great spiritual classics of all time. An insider’s view of hidden adepts who live outside time and space as we know it, yogis and yoginis who can’t possibly exist-but do!” Linda Johnson, author of The Living Goddess: Reclaiming the Tradition of the Mother of the Universe
“Buy this book for yourself. Each page is filled with joy and cheer. What I like best is that Swami Rama’s message does not require us to transform ourselves, it teaches that we are already perfect”.- Judith Benn Hurley, author of The Good Herb Savoring the Day and Healing Secrets of the Seasons
The book is a compelling work that you cannot help but admire, whether you believe what the Swami says or not. Read it !!
--Dear! Jap Evans.
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
The number 11 - Magical or Mystical or mere Mental?
Everyday you glance at the clock and see 11:11, coincidence? Set the microwave subconsciously for 1:11, laziness? Some important event in your life happens and when you look back it happened on 11th day? Ever wondered whether you are the only one getting it? And what is the strange feeling you get every time you see 11?
If you are being stalked by a number, like in the situation above, not just any number, but the number 11, then you are experiencing the strange 11:11 phenomenon. It is one that defies all logic. Everyday, millions of people are mysteriously propelled to look at the time at exactly 11 minutes past the hour. And the numbers show up wherever they go.
Well, I am one of the Eleveners. :)
People who knew me very personally know the story about me and the number 11. So I started to dig more about it and found some interesting stuffs.
Numerologists believe that events linked to the time 11:11 appear more often than chance or coincidence. Other authors believe it is an auspicious sign, and others that it signals a spirit presence. In Astrology, eleven is considered to be a Master Number. The belief that it has mystical powers has been adopted by many believers in New Age philosophies.
Although not an originator of the concept, Uri Geller (The Magician who became famous by bending spoon just by looking at it, with the power of his mind) has spoken repeatedly about 11:11. Check out his website www.uri-geller.com
Uri advises, "I believe that people who have constant contact with the '11-11' phenomena have some type of a positive mission to accomplish. It is still a mystery to me what it is that we all have to do or why are we all being gathered and connected together, but it is very real and tangible, I feel that it is immensely positive, almost like there is a thinking entity sending us these physical and visual signs from the universe. In me, it activates the power of prayer, love and determination to some how help the world. Some day I suspect we will find out the true meaning behind this puzzling phenomenon. It could start happening to you too after reading this”
On the other side, few oppose the whole belief and say it is a mere effect of confirmation bias which refers to a type of selective thinking whereby one tends to notice and to look for what confirms one's beliefs, and to ignore the relevance of what contradicts one's beliefs. For example, if you believe that during a full moon there is an increase in admissions to the emergency room where you work, you will take notice of admissions during a full moon, but be inattentive to the moon when admissions occur during other nights of the month. A tendency to do this over time unjustifiably strengthens your belief in the relationship between the full moon and accidents and other lunar effects.
To me, the number 11 has become inevitable. The number follows me everywhere mostly when I see time in chat windows, computer and in my mobile. I might be into this confirmation bias but I think its fun to feel something is following you. :)
I believe (not seriously though) that there is a message. Optimistic or pessimistic is the choice before us. I choose optimism.
What do you believe in?
--Dear! Jap Evans
If you are being stalked by a number, like in the situation above, not just any number, but the number 11, then you are experiencing the strange 11:11 phenomenon. It is one that defies all logic. Everyday, millions of people are mysteriously propelled to look at the time at exactly 11 minutes past the hour. And the numbers show up wherever they go.
Well, I am one of the Eleveners. :)
People who knew me very personally know the story about me and the number 11. So I started to dig more about it and found some interesting stuffs.
Numerologists believe that events linked to the time 11:11 appear more often than chance or coincidence. Other authors believe it is an auspicious sign, and others that it signals a spirit presence. In Astrology, eleven is considered to be a Master Number. The belief that it has mystical powers has been adopted by many believers in New Age philosophies.
Although not an originator of the concept, Uri Geller (The Magician who became famous by bending spoon just by looking at it, with the power of his mind) has spoken repeatedly about 11:11. Check out his website www.uri-geller.com
Uri advises, "I believe that people who have constant contact with the '11-11' phenomena have some type of a positive mission to accomplish. It is still a mystery to me what it is that we all have to do or why are we all being gathered and connected together, but it is very real and tangible, I feel that it is immensely positive, almost like there is a thinking entity sending us these physical and visual signs from the universe. In me, it activates the power of prayer, love and determination to some how help the world. Some day I suspect we will find out the true meaning behind this puzzling phenomenon. It could start happening to you too after reading this”
On the other side, few oppose the whole belief and say it is a mere effect of confirmation bias which refers to a type of selective thinking whereby one tends to notice and to look for what confirms one's beliefs, and to ignore the relevance of what contradicts one's beliefs. For example, if you believe that during a full moon there is an increase in admissions to the emergency room where you work, you will take notice of admissions during a full moon, but be inattentive to the moon when admissions occur during other nights of the month. A tendency to do this over time unjustifiably strengthens your belief in the relationship between the full moon and accidents and other lunar effects.
To me, the number 11 has become inevitable. The number follows me everywhere mostly when I see time in chat windows, computer and in my mobile. I might be into this confirmation bias but I think its fun to feel something is following you. :)
I believe (not seriously though) that there is a message. Optimistic or pessimistic is the choice before us. I choose optimism.
What do you believe in?
--Dear! Jap Evans
Monday, February 16, 2009
Yethanai yugangal vendumo? - தமிழ் kavithai
கொட்டும் மழை...
கோலம் போடும் வானவில்...
கருமேகங்கள் வழியே
எட்டி பார்க்கும் கதிரவன்...
குளிர்நிலவில் குதித்தாடும்
கடல் அலைகள்....
இவை எதுவும் தேவை இல்லை எனக்கு
ரசிப்பதற்கு ஒரு பெண் இருபது போதாதா
நான் வாழ்வை ரசிப்பதற்கு?
*******************************************************
ஒரே உருவம் கொண்டு
உலகில் ஏழு பேர் உண்டாம்.....
உதடு பிரியாத உன் புன்னகை
தரை தொடாமல் உன் நடை
பிள்ளை மொழியாக உன் கிள்ளை தமிழ்
ரோஜாவுக்கே வண்ணம் தரும் உன் வெட்கம்
இன்றே தீர்ந்து விடுவது போல்
நீ சிரிக்கும் சிரிப்பு
சத்தியமாய் சொல்கிறேன்
உன்னை போல் ஏழு பெயரெல்லாம் இருக்கவே முடியாது
*****************************************************************************
கொலை செய்ய சொன்னால் கூட
ஒரே நொடியில் செய்து விடுவேன்
இத்தனை அழகை
காதலிக்க அல்லவா சொல்கிறார்கள்
எத்தனை யுகங்கள் வேண்டுமோ?
*************************************************************************
-- Dear! Jap Evans
Saturday, February 14, 2009
I N T O T H E W I L D
Into the Wild is a 2007 film based on the 1996 non-fiction book of the same name by Jon KraKauer about the adventures of Christopher McCandless. It's a real life story.
The Plot
The movie is about a young man named Christopher McCandless, an actual student-athelete at Emory University. After Graduation, he abandons all his possessions, burns his SSN and credit cards and dollar bills, donates his entire savings 24000$ to charity, to follow his heart and pursue his dream - 'to travel into the wild and live alone in the land between Alaska' by nicknaming himself 'Alexander Supertramp'
Along the way, he meets some hippies, a landowner, a lonely leather worker and other characters. He stays with them for couple of days and learns the lesson of his life. They shape his life. Nearly two years after his initial departure, he reaches Alaska.
Set out to stay in the wild, he carries with him 10 pounds of rice, a .22 caliber rifle, a camera, several boxes of rifle rounds, and a small selection of reading material. He walks over a large river bed (snow as its winter season) and finds a "Magic Bus" serving as a shelter for mosse hunters. McCandless finds joy in living off the land, and begins to write a book of his adventures.
Unfortunately, as the spring thaw arrives, he is cut off from civilization by waterways. The frozen that he crossed by walk becomes a large river. As his food supply lessens, he resorts to eating plants. Although he consults a brought-along book about the edibility of plants, he confuses an edible and a posionous kind, which shuts down his digestive system forcing him to starve to death. As he dies, he continues to write, detailing his painful demise as a dramatic denouement to his autobiography.
The film received positive reviews from all magazines. It won Golden globe award and got 2 oscar nominations. The hero Emile Hirsch was at his best and won Best actor award at Mill Valley film festival.
Favourite dialogues in the movie.
Christopher McCandless: The sea's only gifts are harsh blows, and occasionally the chance to feel strong. Now I don't know much about the sea, but I do know that that's the way it is here. And I also know how important it is in life not necessarily to be strong but to feel strong. To measure yourself at least once. To find yourself at least once in the most ancient of human conditions. Facing the blind death stone alone, with nothing to help you but your hands and your own head.
The Plot
The movie is about a young man named Christopher McCandless, an actual student-athelete at Emory University. After Graduation, he abandons all his possessions, burns his SSN and credit cards and dollar bills, donates his entire savings 24000$ to charity, to follow his heart and pursue his dream - 'to travel into the wild and live alone in the land between Alaska' by nicknaming himself 'Alexander Supertramp'
Along the way, he meets some hippies, a landowner, a lonely leather worker and other characters. He stays with them for couple of days and learns the lesson of his life. They shape his life. Nearly two years after his initial departure, he reaches Alaska.
Set out to stay in the wild, he carries with him 10 pounds of rice, a .22 caliber rifle, a camera, several boxes of rifle rounds, and a small selection of reading material. He walks over a large river bed (snow as its winter season) and finds a "Magic Bus" serving as a shelter for mosse hunters. McCandless finds joy in living off the land, and begins to write a book of his adventures.
Unfortunately, as the spring thaw arrives, he is cut off from civilization by waterways. The frozen that he crossed by walk becomes a large river. As his food supply lessens, he resorts to eating plants. Although he consults a brought-along book about the edibility of plants, he confuses an edible and a posionous kind, which shuts down his digestive system forcing him to starve to death. As he dies, he continues to write, detailing his painful demise as a dramatic denouement to his autobiography.
The film received positive reviews from all magazines. It won Golden globe award and got 2 oscar nominations. The hero Emile Hirsch was at his best and won Best actor award at Mill Valley film festival.
Favourite dialogues in the movie.
Christopher McCandless: The sea's only gifts are harsh blows, and occasionally the chance to feel strong. Now I don't know much about the sea, but I do know that that's the way it is here. And I also know how important it is in life not necessarily to be strong but to feel strong. To measure yourself at least once. To find yourself at least once in the most ancient of human conditions. Facing the blind death stone alone, with nothing to help you but your hands and your own head.
Christopher McCandless: You are wrong if you think that the joy of life comes principally from the joy of human relationships. God's place is all around us, it is in everything and in anything we can experience. People just need to change the way they look at things.
I recommend this movie to each and everyone of you.
-- Dear! Jap Evans.
Friday, February 13, 2009
Here I am. So what do i do?
Hey Ppl,
Dont know why, I suddenly got up by 5.30 am today and felt i should have a blog.
So here I am, trying my hand. Forgive me if its not impressive and informative.
Will improve in few days.Since this is first day, I am putting all my thoughts that come to my mind.
There is so much in the world that we dont see...There is so much advice in the air that we dont hear.... Without hearing or seeing, we just complain that we dont understand nature. Thats because we are not listening. So my point is, you should be all ears to listen. There is some lesson from everyone. Athanala en mokkaya konjam thaangikonga pa. (So, please bear my crappy blog)
So what am i going to convey to my friends through my blog? Well, i was thinking about this question for a while......Hmmm... I dont know the answer.
I am not a technical geek. I dont know much about computers. I can give lots of advices that i myself dont follow. I am not a problem solver.
I think i can start with what i love. So initially i will start with some movies that i love. Then so philosopichal thoughts...Then any interesting article that i read in net. Then some poems that i write....Then, I will think about this and improve the quality of my blog.
Ok guys, you can expect a lot from me in future,
Bye for now,
Dear! Jap Evans
Dont know why, I suddenly got up by 5.30 am today and felt i should have a blog.
So here I am, trying my hand. Forgive me if its not impressive and informative.
Will improve in few days.Since this is first day, I am putting all my thoughts that come to my mind.
There is so much in the world that we dont see...There is so much advice in the air that we dont hear.... Without hearing or seeing, we just complain that we dont understand nature. Thats because we are not listening. So my point is, you should be all ears to listen. There is some lesson from everyone. Athanala en mokkaya konjam thaangikonga pa. (So, please bear my crappy blog)
So what am i going to convey to my friends through my blog? Well, i was thinking about this question for a while......Hmmm... I dont know the answer.
I am not a technical geek. I dont know much about computers. I can give lots of advices that i myself dont follow. I am not a problem solver.
I think i can start with what i love. So initially i will start with some movies that i love. Then so philosopichal thoughts...Then any interesting article that i read in net. Then some poems that i write....Then, I will think about this and improve the quality of my blog.
Ok guys, you can expect a lot from me in future,
Bye for now,
Dear! Jap Evans
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