We should be taught not to wait for inspiration to start a thing. Action always generates inspiration. Inspiration seldom generates action - Frank Tibolt
Monday, October 01, 2007
A Thought for Today-79: September 12, 2007
There is no such thing as a "self-made" person. We are all interdependent on one another and we all need each other's help from time to time - Chris Widener
Websites to Watch-5 : Website on Higher Studies – Edex, The New Indian Express
A new portal, www.uniguru.com, has been launched to help students aspiring to study abroad.
Launched by Hotcourses, a UK-based publisher of education guides, the portal promise to reveal the real issues about the universities, which were not covered in the prospectus.
Primarily a website for Indian students, it would have information about management, engineering and medical courses offered by institutions in the USA, the UK, Singapore and Australia.
The site, which contains reviews from students already pursuing courses at various universities around the world, had allowed existing students to post their reviews, including video diaries and photographs.
The review postings includes details about accommodation, the quality of a course, the weather, city life, getting a visa, working in the UK and the cost of living.
The website offers peer-to-peer advice on over 100,000 courses at 808 institutions in UK, US, Singapore and Australia. The company also plans to launch a similar site for domestic universities in India next year.
Excerpt from Education Express, Supplement to The New Indian Express, Madurai, Sep.28, 2007
Launched by Hotcourses, a UK-based publisher of education guides, the portal promise to reveal the real issues about the universities, which were not covered in the prospectus.
Primarily a website for Indian students, it would have information about management, engineering and medical courses offered by institutions in the USA, the UK, Singapore and Australia.
The site, which contains reviews from students already pursuing courses at various universities around the world, had allowed existing students to post their reviews, including video diaries and photographs.
The review postings includes details about accommodation, the quality of a course, the weather, city life, getting a visa, working in the UK and the cost of living.
The website offers peer-to-peer advice on over 100,000 courses at 808 institutions in UK, US, Singapore and Australia. The company also plans to launch a similar site for domestic universities in India next year.
Excerpt from Education Express, Supplement to The New Indian Express, Madurai, Sep.28, 2007
Self-Improvement- :: Meaning and Purpose of Life
What could be, in a nutshell, the meaning and purpose of life? What could be that philosophy which when lived can take man from manhood to supermanhood and to Godhood?
In simple terms, it may be said that by enhancing the ‘unifying’ and ‘universalising’ forces in his life, man can move from imperfection to perfection. The former is the ultimate goal of all disciplines, austerities, sadhanas or yoga, that is, centralizing and focusing the vital energies in us bringing them under control and thus strengthening and ennobling and integrating one’s personality. It is only then that the inner potentialities can be brought to manifest. The second is to channelise the energy thus accumulated for expansion, fulfillment and growth, directed towards serving everything in the universe.
Swami Vivekananda puts it as “involution followed by evolution”. In his own inimitable way he related it to human life as “internal contemplation followed by external service.” Again, this principle forms the backbone of the ideal of “renunciation and service”.
To a person in whom these two forces have been harmonized, the whole creation is nothing but a grand display of these forces of unification and universalisation. This is the very secret of Nature; this is the science of sciences. This cosmic force operates from the gigantic galaxies to the invisible atom – from ant to Brahma – as they put it in our scriptures. This cycle of matter to energy conversion goes on eternally.
What could be the role of man in this great universal drama? To understand that, he has only to look around again to Nature and her working.
There is the great sun illuminating the entire world and filling it up with its light energy. It must have taken millions of years of condensation and concentration to create the dense matter within it before it turn out to be an almost infinite source of energy burning itself off – sacrificing itself to serve the creation for centuries to come. Look at the trees around. What are they for? The pigments in the plant world only can capture effectively the immense amount of light energy falling on the earth and convert it into all these forms of energy, food, fuel, and so on, by which man can make his life beautiful.
So much man realize his place and role in this vast creation. As a potential source of divinity, he has to convert himself to be an instrument to capture the divine energy, condense, concentrate, focus and centralize unto himself as much as of these positive cosmic divine forces and through him route them back into the universe, to complete the cycle. In short, he must learn to make himself an instrument in the divine play.
How can man attract this supra-human forces unto himself? Just as one pure tiny crystal can attract to itself like molecules in a saturated solution, grow and expand, so can man expand his speck of divinity and make it operative as a divine force. Through renunciation of all the unwanted dissipating forces within him, through the power of his self-will, sadhana and surrender, he can in this very life manifest divinity.
Excerpt from the Chapter “Mother, upon thee I meditate” in the book “Snake and Ladder” (A Few Drops from the Nectar of Bhagavad Gita) by Dr.M.Lakshmi Kumari, President, Vivekananda Kendra.
In simple terms, it may be said that by enhancing the ‘unifying’ and ‘universalising’ forces in his life, man can move from imperfection to perfection. The former is the ultimate goal of all disciplines, austerities, sadhanas or yoga, that is, centralizing and focusing the vital energies in us bringing them under control and thus strengthening and ennobling and integrating one’s personality. It is only then that the inner potentialities can be brought to manifest. The second is to channelise the energy thus accumulated for expansion, fulfillment and growth, directed towards serving everything in the universe.
Swami Vivekananda puts it as “involution followed by evolution”. In his own inimitable way he related it to human life as “internal contemplation followed by external service.” Again, this principle forms the backbone of the ideal of “renunciation and service”.
To a person in whom these two forces have been harmonized, the whole creation is nothing but a grand display of these forces of unification and universalisation. This is the very secret of Nature; this is the science of sciences. This cosmic force operates from the gigantic galaxies to the invisible atom – from ant to Brahma – as they put it in our scriptures. This cycle of matter to energy conversion goes on eternally.
What could be the role of man in this great universal drama? To understand that, he has only to look around again to Nature and her working.
There is the great sun illuminating the entire world and filling it up with its light energy. It must have taken millions of years of condensation and concentration to create the dense matter within it before it turn out to be an almost infinite source of energy burning itself off – sacrificing itself to serve the creation for centuries to come. Look at the trees around. What are they for? The pigments in the plant world only can capture effectively the immense amount of light energy falling on the earth and convert it into all these forms of energy, food, fuel, and so on, by which man can make his life beautiful.
So much man realize his place and role in this vast creation. As a potential source of divinity, he has to convert himself to be an instrument to capture the divine energy, condense, concentrate, focus and centralize unto himself as much as of these positive cosmic divine forces and through him route them back into the universe, to complete the cycle. In short, he must learn to make himself an instrument in the divine play.
How can man attract this supra-human forces unto himself? Just as one pure tiny crystal can attract to itself like molecules in a saturated solution, grow and expand, so can man expand his speck of divinity and make it operative as a divine force. Through renunciation of all the unwanted dissipating forces within him, through the power of his self-will, sadhana and surrender, he can in this very life manifest divinity.
Excerpt from the Chapter “Mother, upon thee I meditate” in the book “Snake and Ladder” (A Few Drops from the Nectar of Bhagavad Gita) by Dr.M.Lakshmi Kumari, President, Vivekananda Kendra.
Grateful thanks t0 Dr M.Lakshmi Kumari and Vivekananda Kendra.
Facts and Figures-4: "Super Crunching"
What is Super Crunching?
It is statistical analysis that impacts real-world decisions. Super Crunching decisions usually bring together some combination of size, speed, and scale. The sizes of the data set are really big – both in the number of observations and in the number of variables. The speed of the analysis is increasing…. Increasingly, business and government datasets are being measured not in mega- or giga-bytes but in tera- and even peta-bytes of text… Google has about four petabytes of storage which it is constantly crunching.
Courtesy: “Super Crunchers: How anything can be predicted” by Ian Ayres & Books Page of The New Indian Express, Madurai, Sep.16, 2007.
It is statistical analysis that impacts real-world decisions. Super Crunching decisions usually bring together some combination of size, speed, and scale. The sizes of the data set are really big – both in the number of observations and in the number of variables. The speed of the analysis is increasing…. Increasingly, business and government datasets are being measured not in mega- or giga-bytes but in tera- and even peta-bytes of text… Google has about four petabytes of storage which it is constantly crunching.
Courtesy: “Super Crunchers: How anything can be predicted” by Ian Ayres & Books Page of The New Indian Express, Madurai, Sep.16, 2007.
Grateful thanks to Ian Ayres and The New Indian Express.
Facts and Figures-3: New Energy and Wind Energy in India
Globally, India is fifth in production of new energy and fourth in the production of wind power.
Tamil Nadu is the leading producer of wind energy in the country. More than 50% of wind energy produced in India is from Tamil Nadu.
Current installed capacity of renewable energy in India is around 10,600 MW.
The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, Govt of India, has set an ambitious target of producing 14,000 MW in addition to the existing capacity.
Courtesy: The Hindu, Madurai, Sep.27, 2007.
Tamil Nadu is the leading producer of wind energy in the country. More than 50% of wind energy produced in India is from Tamil Nadu.
Current installed capacity of renewable energy in India is around 10,600 MW.
The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, Govt of India, has set an ambitious target of producing 14,000 MW in addition to the existing capacity.
Courtesy: The Hindu, Madurai, Sep.27, 2007.
Grateful thanks to The Hindu.
Websites to Watch-4 : Top Ten Lists by Subha Venkateshan, Education Express
There is always a fundamental sense of comparison among people in all walks of life and we are always looking for the best. A recent trend has been to rank the top 10 of everything we can think of. The website http://listverse.com does this and has the ‘Top Ten’ of many categories including art, entertainment, humour, literature and even ‘bizarre’.
It lists the top 10 mad scientists, 10 unresolved mysteries and top 10 true stories, 10 strangest rock and roll lebels, the top 10 errors in Da Vinci code, the top 10 pre-3D video games, the top 10 horror movies and 10 movies that have the best twists, top 10 incredible recordings, top 10 populated nations etc.
Excerpt from "Top Ten Lists by Subha Venkateshan", Education Express, Supplement to The New Indian Express, Madurai, Sep.28, 2007,
It lists the top 10 mad scientists, 10 unresolved mysteries and top 10 true stories, 10 strangest rock and roll lebels, the top 10 errors in Da Vinci code, the top 10 pre-3D video games, the top 10 horror movies and 10 movies that have the best twists, top 10 incredible recordings, top 10 populated nations etc.
Excerpt from "Top Ten Lists by Subha Venkateshan", Education Express, Supplement to The New Indian Express, Madurai, Sep.28, 2007,
Grateful thanks to Ms Subha Venkatesan and The New Indian Express.
Thursday, September 27, 2007
Facts and Figures-2: Growth of Knolwedge-based Industries in Karnataka
Karnataka's biggest success story in recent years has been the growth of knowledge-based industries : Information Technology (IT) and Biotechnology. It accounts for approximately 37% of India's IT and IT-enabled Services (worth Rs.50,000 crore). Around 40% of the country's biotech firms are located in Karnataka. (Excerpt from 'Soaring Economy' (Special Feature on Karnataka) by Ravi Sharma, Bangalore, in 'Frontline', Sep.7, 2007)(Grateful thanks to Mr Ravi Sharma and Frontline).
A Thought for Today-78: September 11, 2007
You can have anything you want if you want it desperately enough. You must want it with an exuberance that erupts through the skin and joins the energy that created the world - Sheila Graham
Facts and Figures-1: Taj Mahal Tourists and Cell Phone Market
As I read somewhere during my college days, "Statistics is like a bikini; what it reveals is interesting but what it conceals is signficant." Maybe right. Still I thought as long as it is interesting I can use it in my blog. So here is a series: Facts and Figures and the first two entries are -
(1) 26,03,571 tourists visited the Taj Mahal in 2006-07, according to the
tourism ministry.
(2) 6 million users are being added every month to India's cell phone market.
Courtesy: Facts & Figures, The Week, Sep.2, 2007.
Grateful thanks to The Week.
Blogs to Watch-11: "Desire to Inspire"
Authors:
Midcenturyjo and Kim. It is listed at Blogger Buzz as a Blog of Note. Contains a lot of beautiful and fascinating designs and some pretty photos. One can pick up a lot of ideas for colorfully decorating interior of one's home.
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
A Thought for Today-77: September 10, 2007
The problem is our mind is so busy we can't hear the wisdom of our Heart.
- Dr. Paul Pearsall
- Dr. Paul Pearsall
A Thought for Today-76: September 10, 2007
Think highly of yourself, for the world takes you at your own estimate - Source Unknown
A Thought for Today-75: September 9, 2007
A man who works with his hands is a laborer; a man who works with his hands and his brain is a craftsman; but a man who works with his hands and his brain and his heart is an artist — Louis Nizer
A Thought for Today-74: September 8, 2007
Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Willing is not enough; we must do - Johann von Goethe
A Thought for Today-73: September 7, 2007
When we accept tough jobs as a challenge and wade into them with joy and enthusiasm, miracles can happen - Arland Gilbert
A Thought for Today-72: September 6, 2007
"Nurture your mind with great thoughts, for you will never go any higher than you think. " - Benjamin Disraeli
A Thought for Today-71: September 5, 2007
"Life is a grindstone. Whether it grinds us down or polishes us up depends on you." - L. Thomas Holdcroft
Self-Improvement: Take the time to live!!!
1. Throw out nonessential numbers. This includes age, weight, and height. Let the doctor worry about them. That is why you pay him/her.
2. Keep only cheerful friends. The grouches pull you down.
3. Keep learning. Learn more about the computer, crafts, gardening, whatever. Never let the brain idle. "An idle mind is the devil's workshop,"The devil's name is Depression.
4. Enjoy the simple things. When the children are young, that is all that you can afford. When they are in college, that is all that you can afford.When you are on retirement, that is all that you can afford.
5. Laugh often, long, and loud. Laugh until you gasp for breath. Laugh so much that you can be tracked in the store by your distinctive laughter.
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, don't put out a mailbox on the highway of death and just wait in residence for your mail.
7. Surround yourself with what you love, whether it is family, pets, keepsakes, music, plants, hobbies, whatever. Your home is your refuge.
8. Cherish your health. If it is good, preserve it. If is unstable, improve it. If it is beyond what you can improve, get help.
9. Don't take guilt trips. Go to the mall, the next county, foreign country, but not to guilt country.
10. Tell the people you love, that you love them, at every opportunity. AND ALWAYS REMEMBER. Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.
May today, there be peace within you. May you trust God that you are exactly where you are meant to be.
"I believe that friends are quiet angels who lift us to our feet when our wings have trouble remembering how to fly."
2. Keep only cheerful friends. The grouches pull you down.
3. Keep learning. Learn more about the computer, crafts, gardening, whatever. Never let the brain idle. "An idle mind is the devil's workshop,"The devil's name is Depression.
4. Enjoy the simple things. When the children are young, that is all that you can afford. When they are in college, that is all that you can afford.When you are on retirement, that is all that you can afford.
5. Laugh often, long, and loud. Laugh until you gasp for breath. Laugh so much that you can be tracked in the store by your distinctive laughter.
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, don't put out a mailbox on the highway of death and just wait in residence for your mail.
7. Surround yourself with what you love, whether it is family, pets, keepsakes, music, plants, hobbies, whatever. Your home is your refuge.
8. Cherish your health. If it is good, preserve it. If is unstable, improve it. If it is beyond what you can improve, get help.
9. Don't take guilt trips. Go to the mall, the next county, foreign country, but not to guilt country.
10. Tell the people you love, that you love them, at every opportunity. AND ALWAYS REMEMBER. Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.
May today, there be peace within you. May you trust God that you are exactly where you are meant to be.
"I believe that friends are quiet angels who lift us to our feet when our wings have trouble remembering how to fly."
Author Unknown
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
A Thought for Today-70: September 4, 2007
I learned that courage was not absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear - Nelson Mandela
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