Monday, 12 October 2009

Very Informative and Useful Sites

The Following contains many very useful inks to various Government and other Sites:

Sent by Wg.Cdr S D Karnik

How Do I: National Portal of India

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Thursday, 8 October 2009

Are You Feeling Lonely?

Are You Feeling Lonely?

(This has been published in the October 2009 issue of Dignity Dialogue)

I was reading the article, “Perils and Pitfalls of Twilight Years” by Mayah Balse in the September 2009 issue of “Dignity Dialogue” and pained to learn those shocking stories of desertion and desolation of some of our unlucky elders. I understand a few state governments and NGOs have been trying their best to get some relief to such distressed seniors by persuading their sons and daughters to take care of their own parents. Good if they can do it. Still, a major factor facing the elders is the ‘lack of friends’ at this age of loneliness.

I was one of the luckiest to have many friends from almost entire India as I was fortunate to be posted in many major cities. As a result, I used to receive hundreds of greeting cards on my birthdays, new years, Diwalies etc. In fact, almost a thousand people attended my retirement party organized by my friends. The trend continued for that entire year. Then the number of greeting cards, the number of phone calls, all slowly dwindled and became almost nil during the last few years. I was almost certain that my days were over and left to muse over past glories in total loneliness. Then my daughter came to my rescue – she introduced me to one of the social networking sites on the internet.

Today, I have many good friends and interesting communities to interact with, receive and send birthday greetings, engage in intellectual dialogues with some fascinating personalities and NGOs, associate with some important social and cultural organizations. I could even establish touch with some of my school mates after about 40 years! Suddenly my life has become very eventful and I spend almost three to four hours every day in such activities. All from the comfort of my home! And without paying anything on posts, telephones and telegrams other than the charges for the internet.

Interesting? Please read on.

There are a thousand of such sites and the most interesting (in my view and experience) are ‘Orkut’, ‘Facebook’, ‘MySpace’, ‘Linkedin’ and “Twiiter’. In this article I will be writing about ‘Orkut’ with which I am somewhat more familiar and easy to operate.

Orkut is a free access social networking service owned and operated by Google. The service is designed to help users meet new friends and maintain existing relationships. This provides on line a meeting place where you can socialize and make new acquaintances who share your interest.

How to access ‘Orkut’?

You require an internet connection and your own personal E-mail ID, preferably of a Gmail account, and a password.

- Please open www.orkut.com

- When the page opens, look for “Join Now” and click on it to open a new Orkut Account.

- A new page opens asking for information such as your ‘Full Name’, ‘Last Name’, ‘Your Current Email Address’, ‘Choose a Password’, ‘Re-enter Password’ etc. Fill up with all necessary details.

- Then continue with ‘Get Started With’, ‘Word Verification’ and ‘Agree with Terms of Service’.

- Another page opens to ‘Confirm’ certain details such as ‘Date of Birth’ etc which also helps in future verification.

- When you fill up with these details a new Orkut account is opened for you operate.

At this stage, or later, you can edit your profile with more information under the heads, ‘Social’, ‘Professional’ and ‘Personal’. This will help others to know you and your interest better. You can also publish your own photos, pictures and even video clips. You can import friends from your email accounts. You can also search for friends, school mates, and even join social and cultural communities. You can create your own communities too.

Now, you are ready with your own Orkut page. You can connect with friends and family using ‘Scraps’ (Notes) and instant messaging. You can discover new people through friends of friends and communities. You can share your ideas, pictures and passions all in one place.

You can even make me as your friend by accessing to my name ‘Aravind’ under ‘Individuals’ in “Communities”. I have also opened a new Community called “The Dignitarian” under “Cultures & Communities”. You can search for this under “Cultures & Communities” in “Communities” or find it listed as one of the communities in my orkut page. Please join the community of Dignitarians.

A word of caution:

No web site is totally safe, more so with these social network sites. First, there is no privacy and anybody can view your profile, your scraps, access to your friends, your communities and even misuse your pictures.

There are thousands of fake profiles which will try to interact with you, post abusive messages and even pictures. There are quite a few ‘Hate Groups’ which spread hatred against certain religious and political organizations., against certain leaders and celebrities. Remove them as and when you come across such messages.

Some countries have even banned Orkut. In India too there are a few hate groups which try to spread such hatred. In the year 2006, the Mumbai Police sought a ban on this Orkut. But, it was from one such postings, the Pune Police traced and cracked a rave party, The Cyber Police in India have entered into an agreement with Orkut to have a facility to locate and prosecute those abusing orkut since complaints were on the rise

But you need not be very alarmed. Take normal precautions and do not give information or post messages and pictures which are of very personal in nature. Orkut has now introduced a few features for the safety of your site. For example, now nobody can access to your scraps or photos without your permission. Utilise such features fully.

I am sure you will find yourself busy again with a lot of new friends and activities!

If you have any difficulty you can contact me through email p.aravindan@gmail.com

P.Aravindan

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Thursday, 1 October 2009

How to eat fruits!

(It's long but very informative)

We all think eating fruits means just buying fruits, cutting it and just popping it into our mouths. It's not as easy as you think. It's important to know how and when to eat.

What is the correct way of eating fruits?

IT MEANS NOT EATING FRUITS AFTER YOUR MEALS!

FRUITS SHOULD BE EATEN ON AN EMPTY STOMACH.

If you eat fruit like that, it will play a major role to detoxify your system, supplying you with a great deal of energy for weight loss and other life activities.

FRUIT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT FOOD.

Let's say you eat two (2) slices of bread and then a slice of fruit. The slice of fruit is ready to go straight through the stomach into the intestines, but it is prevented from doing so.

In the meantime the whole meal rots and ferments and turns to acid. The minute the fruit comes into contact with the food in the stomach and digestive juices, the entire mass of food begins to spoil....

So please eat your fruits on an empty stomach or before your meals! You have heard people complaining - every time I eat watermelon I burp, when I eat durian my stomach bloats up, when I eat a banana I feel like running to the toilet etc - actually all this will not arise if you eat the fruit on an empty stomach. The fruit mixes with the putrefying other food and produces gas and hence you will bloat!

Graying hair, balding, nervous outburst, and dark circles under the eyes all these will NOT happen if you take fruits on an empty stomach.

There is no such thing as some fruits, like orange and lemon are acidic, because all fruits become alkaline in our body, according to Dr. Herbert Shelton who did research on this matter. If you have mastered the correct way of eating fruits, you have the Secret of beauty, longevity, health, energy, happiness and normal weight.

When you need to drink fruit juice - drink only fresh fruit juice, NOT from the cans. Don't even drink juice that has been heated up. Don't eat cooked fruits because you don't get the nutrients at all. You only get to taste. Cooking destroys all the vitamins.

But eating a whole fruit is better than drinking the juice. If you should drink the juice, drink it mouthful by mouthful slowly, because you must let it mix with your saliva before swallowing it. You can go on a 3-day fruit fast to cleanse your body. Just eat fruits and drink fruit juice throughout the 3 days and you will be surprised when your friends tell you how radiant you look!

KIWI: Tiny but mighty. This is a good source of potassium, magnesium, vitamin E & fiber. Its vitamin C content is twice that of an orange.

APPLE: An apple a day keeps the doctor away? Although an apple has a low vitamin C content, it has antioxidants & flavonoids which enhances the activity of vitamin C thereby helping to lower the risks of colon cancer, heart attack & stroke.

STRAWBERRY: Protective Fruit. Strawberries have the highest total antioxidant power among major fruits & protect the body from cancer-causing, blood vessel-clogging free radicals.

ORANGE : Sweetest medicine. Taking 2-4 oranges a day may help keep colds away, lower cholesterol, pr event & dissolve kidney stones as well as lessens the risk of colon cancer.

WATERMELON: Coolest thirst quencher.. Composed of 92% water, it is also packed with a giant dose of glutathione, which helps boost our immune system.. They are also a key source of lycopene - the cancer fighting oxidant. Other nutrients found in watermelon are vitamin C & Potassium.

GUAVA & PAPAYA: Top awards for vitamin C. They are the clear winners for their high vitamin C content. Guava is also rich in fiber, which helps prevent constipation. Papaya is rich in carotene; this is good for your eyes.

Drinking Cold water after a meal = Cancer! Can u believe this?? For those who like to drink cold water, this article is applicable to you. It is nice to have a cup of cold drink after a meal. However, the cold water will solidify the oily stuff that you have just consumed. It will slow down the digestion. Once this 'sludge' reacts with the acid, it will break down and be absorbed by the intestine faster than the solid food. It will line the intestine. Very soon, this will turn in to fats and lead to cancer. It is best to drink hot soup or warm water after a meal.

A serious note about heart attacks

HEART ATTACK PROCEDURE': (THIS IS NOT A JOKE!)

Women should know that not every heart attack symptom is going to be the left arm hurting. Be aware of intense pain in the jaw line.. You may never have the first chest pain during the course of a heart attack . Nausea and intense sweating are also common symptoms.. Sixty percent of people who have a heart attack while they are asleep do not wake up. Pain in the jaw can wake you from a sound sleep. Let's be careful and be aware. The more we know the better chance we could survive....

A cardiologist says if everyone who gets this mail sends it to 10 people, you can be sure that we'll save at least one life.

Read this....It could save your life!!

(Received by Email - Author unknown. Hence the suggestions contained above is subject to critical evaluation before following it up)

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Tuesday, 22 September 2009

Why Do We Shout In Anger?

Why Do We Shout In Anger?

A saint asked his disciples, 'Why do we shout in anger? Why do people shout at each other when they are upset?'

Disciples thought for a while, one of them said, 'Because we lose our calm, we shout for that.'

'But, why to shout when the other person is just next to you?' asked the saint. 'Isn't it possible to speak to him or her with a soft voice? Why do you shout at a person when you're angry?'

Disciples gave some other answers but none satisfied the saint.

Finally he explained, 'When two people are angry at each other, their hearts distance a lot. To cover that distance they must shout to be able to hear each other. The angrier they are, the stronger they will have to shout to hear each other through that great distance.'

Then the saint asked, 'What happens when two people fall in love? They don't shout at each other but talk softly, why? Because their hearts are very close. The distance between them is very small...'

The saint continued, 'When they love each other even more, what happens? They do not speak, only whisper and they get even closer to each other in their love. Finally they even need not whisper, they only look at each other and that's all. That is how close two people are when they love each other.'

MORAL: When you argue do not let your hearts get distant, do not say words that distance each other more, else there will come a day when the distance is so great that you will not find the path to return.

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Monday, 14 September 2009

Sun Set? Not For Me!

Sun Set? Not For Me!

The bird was ‘coo’ing again, now more persistently. Was it not too early for the birds to chirp anyway? I covered my ears with the bed sheet. But the cooing would just not stop. Was it by any chance my mobile phone giving wake-up call? Was it already 5.45?

I looked at my wife enjoying a wonderful deep slumber. What a lucky person she was! She preferred evenings for her walk. Regretfully - with eyes half closed - I got up from my bed, folded the sheets, washed my face, brushed my teeth, combed my hair, went to the kitchen, switched the coffee machine on with fresh coffee powder and filter water, put on my jogging suit and left with all the reluctance in the world.

The watchman with his head covered by a woolen muffler was sleeping nicely sitting in the chair. Another lucky guy! I opened the gates myself and stepped out into the morning cold and mist.

The sun was yet to rise. But the clouds of the eastern sky were bright and golden red.

The road was deserted. The tea shop was yet to open and the boys were still sleeping on the front of the shop. The ex-army man, 70 years aged, seemed to be in a hurry. But that was how he always walked his morning walk.

Two soldiers were cleaning the front of ‘Dharamsthal’ . As I was crossing the temple, he bells started ringing and the ‘pujari’ was performing his morning ‘arthi’. The deity fully decorated with jewels and electric bulbs all around seemed to be smiling at me. I said ‘good morning’ and walked on.

Around the bend the handicapped ex-soldier was rushing his tricycle to open the tea shop. The well dressed professor was coming out of SIMS and overtook me as usual.

On the platform adjoining the ‘Gurudwara’, a young man was all ears to his mobile phone. A nice looking girl in her teens was on her morning run. She looked fresh and full of energy despite the perspiration on her face. Another girl was walking slowly mumbling something. No, she was talking to the mobile phone hanging from her ears! The doctor in Maruty 800 sounded his horn even when the road was deserted. Was he wishing me ‘good morning’? I just smiled and walked on.

The stinking smell from the gutter near the military hospital was missing today. Perhaps the cantonment men had cleaned the stagnant water at last. The sentry at the rear-gates of the hospital was as usual very alert despite the early morning cold and mist. The vegetable truck had already arrived and four soldiers were cleaning and cutting vegetables for the meals to be served to the patients. They were talking and laughing at the same time. Something very interesting?

Army soldiers in their drill dress were on their morning run. A beautiful sight of youth and valour!

The couple in their late sixties was walking slowly. I overtook them and felt proud. But the euphoria died soon as another old couple walked past me. I tried to overtake but could not. They should have been athletes, I thought. Any how, I was not in any race!

Cuckoo birds were calling each other in melodic voices. Other birds joined them by chirping merrily. Above in the sky white birds were flying in arrow-head formation in army like discipline.

The girls behind me were giggling: I allowed them to pass. Unmindful of my looking at them (not staring – mind my age!) they continued to walk giggling totally absent to the concerns of the adult world. The young ‘love birds’ were walking hand in hand slowly wholly lost to this world. Were they married? They looked so young. But why should I bother?

Some of the morning walkers were glued to the earphones of the ‘walkman’. I wondered what could me more music than the chirping of the morning birds! Anyhow I believed in enjoying the nature in its pure form.

I entered into the university campus through General Joshi Gates. It was another world altogether! The trees were tall and fully grown with wide branches covered with dark green leaves and their tusks reaching the earth. Some of the trees had scrounging weeds knotted around them. I tried to count the number of turns of the weeds entwined the trees, but lost soon. You cannot see the sky; the rain drops will not fall on you. Ever pervading fragrance of the ‘morningness’ was all you feel. You can not but feel calm and refreshed here.

A middle aged man was performing yoga; another was in deep meditation. The third was performing ‘Pranayam’. Three young men were running. An old man was jogging. The young handicapped man was trying his tricycle up the road but declined my help with a smile!

I walked up to the junction and turned.

The sun had risen and the eastern sky was glowing with a riot of colours.

The couple in their ‘Honda City’ was driving fast to the university campus where a laughter club was in session. Today they were late.

Around another bend, cheerful young kids were waiting for the school bus. The army school bus reversed a few yards to pick up the daughter, perhaps, of an officer. The same bus did not stop the other day for the boy who was a little bit late and running behind the bus to catch it!

The temple seemed deserted. A few just stood outside and touched their forehead and chest. A couple parked their car hurriedly, stood before the gates with folded hands, mumbled something and rushed back to the car.

The tea shop was now open and two morning walkers were sipping their cups of tea. Milk cartons were being unloaded in front of the shop opposite my building. It was still not time for the newspapers to arrive.

The security men of my building were alert now and said ‘namasthe’ to me. I climbed the stairs and entered my house. My wife was sipping her morning coffee. I washed and sat for my morning coffee by her side.

What a wonderful way to begin my day!

I was feeling absolutely fresh and bright just like the ‘Sun Rise’.

I was feeling young and cheerful just like those kids waiting for the school bus.

These mornings were always the same for me wherever I was.

As fresh as the first smile of the new born baby!

Sun Set? No. Not for me!

--------- P.Aravind

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Sunday, 13 September 2009

HOW TO STAY YOUNG

HOW TO STAY YOUNG

Ciontribution from Wg. Cdr. SD Karnik

I dont mean you are old, But following these tips you may reach sweet 16


1. Throw out nonessential numbers. This includes age, weight and
height. Let the doctors worry about them. That is why you pay 'them.'

2. Keep only cheerful friends. The grouches pull you down...

3.Keep learning. ! Learn more about the computer, crafts, gardening,
whatever, even ham radio. Never let the brain idle. 'An idle mind is
the devil's workshop.' And the devil's family name is Alzheimer's.

4. Enjoy the simple things...

5.Laugh often, long and loud. Laugh until you gasp for breath..

6. The tears happen. Endure, grieve, and move on. The only person, who
is with us our entire life, is ourselves. Be ALIVE while you are
alive.

7. Surround yourself with what you love , whether it's family, pets,
keepsakes, music, plants, hobbies, whatever. Your home is your refuge.

8. Cherish your health: If it is good, preserve it. If it is unstable,
improve it. If it is beyond what you can improve, get help.

9. Don't take guilt trips.. Take a trip to the mall, even to the next
county; to a foreign country but NOT to where the guilt is.

10. Tell the people you love that you love them, at every opportunity.


AND REMEMBER
:
Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but


by the moments that take our breath away.


Life's journey is not to
arrive at the grave safely
in a well preserved body,
but rather to skid in sideways,
totally worn out, shouting
'...holy sh*t ...what a ride!

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Each Individual is Unique!

Each Individual is Unique

Why exactly we compare ourselves with others? We compare ourselves because we have never understood ourselves and are not aware of who we are and what we have. It is also because society has conditioned us from our birth to evaluate ourselves based upon others.

Buddha says, “Nothing exists except in relationship.” Suppose you were the only person on a new planet, how would you compare yourself with anyone? Could you call yourself tall or short, ugly or beautiful, rich or poor, intelligent or dumb? No! When there is no one to compare yourself with, you just are!

Understand, there is no scale to compare with anybody. Each individual is unique. Can you compare a lion and a horse? Do we ever compare ourselves with flowers or birds or mountains? Then, why do we have to compare ourselves with other human beings? Just see nature: the rose plant and the mango tree grow in the same garden and prosper because they use all their energy for their own growth instead of using to compare themselves with the other.

Comparison leads to jealousy. Comparison is the seed and jealousy is the fruit! We always compare ourselves with others in various fields – looks, wealth, knowledge, name and fame and friends, etc. when we compare ourselves with others we feel that somebody else has something more than what we have and, we get caught in jealousy. We suffer and constantly fight with others openly or inside ourselves. We are just waiting for someone to hurt us. Don’t throw the responsibility of your suffering on the other person. be very clear, nobody can hurt you without your silent permission.

You are made to believe that only by comparison you can grow. No. through comparison you will grow only to the extent of the person with whom you are comparing yourself, not to your own unique level. The whole spiritual knowledge or experience is nothing but realising you are unique, there is nothing to compare. Comparison is societal. Realising your uniqueness is natural.

Comparison happens because you feel that you are somehow lacking. But, you have no idea of your true unique potential! If you did, you wouldn’t spend one second looking outside yourself for answers about how to live a creative, fulfilling life. All the confidence, intelligence, and vibrant energy that you need already exist inside you. You have the potential to live like god on planet earth.

Be blissful!

(An article of Paramahamsa Nithyanda

published in the 10th September 2009 edition of Economic Times)

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