Monday 21 October 2013

Magnificent Ndebele Art






The Ndebele woman does not paint for acclaim or money. She paints because her house is her shrine, and she desires to beautify it. What set a woman apart from the others is her style of decoration and her choice of colours for the walls of her mud dwelling. But when asked about their art, these women merely say, “I learnt from my mother” or “It is the law of the Ndebele.” For generations the women of the Nedebele of Southern Africa have produced an art of remarkable richness and vitality.
                When the current generation of painters was young, its palette was limited to earth tonnes – browns, Ochres, red and black. But today commerical tints allow the women to create all the hues of the spectrum. Brilliant colour, enhanced by the Transvaal light, is as much a part of Ndebele decoration as composition, texture or any other factor. Ndebele painting is composed freehand, directly on to the wall surface, in one of two prinicipal styles; traditional and contemporary – with both sometimes present within the same dwelling. In the traditional style, the designs are bold, linear and abstract, becoming more complicated on the front of the house. The contemporary style is more representational, symbolizing courtyards, doors and windows and striking diagonal, horizontal and vertical lines echo the forms of support structures beneath the mud walls. The Ndebele artists choose the most graphic and geometric shapes from everyday life to use in their compositions. Flowers and trees, which can be broken down into well-defined components, are common motifs. Ans as western aspirations replace African culture, the women have begun to include light bulbs, street lights and television aerials perched on thatched roofs in their murals.
               
          The Ndebele women take as much pride in their bead work as they do in their mural painting. After completing daily tasks around the compound, they gather under the shade of a tree to sort, string and stitch colorful glass or plastic beads for personal adornment. In ceremonial dress women wear gala blankets with beaded trimmings, long beaded strips attached to headbands, lavishly beaded skirts, along with beaded hoops studded with glittering tacks. The Southern Transvaal Ndebele today 400,000 strong have survived as a nation because so many have adhered to their culture. Despite terrible social, political and economical upheaval, these women have stubbornly pursued their own distinct aesthetic path.






Monday 14 October 2013

THE NOVEL


The Novel and other Forms
The germ of the novel lay in the mediaeval romance, a fantastic tale of love and adventure, itself derived from the ballads and fragments of epic poems sung by the wandering minstrel. In 1350 Baccaccio wrote a world-famous collection of love stories in prose, entitled the Decameron. Such short stories are called in Italian ‘novelle’. The term originally meant a ‘fresh story’ but gradually came to signify a story in prose as distinguished from a story in verse, which continued to be called a romance. When prose became almost the Universal medium, the term ‘romance’ implied a story or series of stories of the legendary past, of which Malory’s Morte d’Arthur  is a famous example. It is often used to-day to describe a historical novel which is intentionally picturesque and exciting rather than scholarly, and still more frequently for a piece of light fiction of an emtional type, somewhat remote from the facts and probabilities of everyday life. F.Marion Crawford, a popular American novelist, once described the Novel as a ‘pocket theatre,’ containing as it does all the accessories of drama without requiring to be staged before an audience. It is more formally defined as “a long narrative in prose detailing the actions of fictitious people.” Meredith called it “a summary of actual life,” including both “the within and the without of us.” Fielding loosely characterised it as a comic epic in prose. It is the loosest form of the literary art, but its very freedom from all limitations allows it to give a fuller representation of real life and character than anything else can provide. Many hundreds of new novels appear every year, but their literary standard is not, as a rule, a high one, for , as W.H.Hudson remarks, “any one can write a novel who has pens, ink and paper at command, and a certain amount of leisure and patience.” It is none the less a very effective medium for the portrayal of human thought and action, “combining in itself the creations of poetry with the details of histroy and the generalised experience of philosophy, in a manner unattempted by any previous effort of human genius.”  

Thursday 3 October 2013

HOW TO STRENGTHEN THE WILL TO CONTROL THE MIND

It cannot be said that we have no will to control the mind. The very fact that all of us have our own inner struggles indicates that we have the will. But in most cases this will to control the mind is not very strong. Out will to control the mind can never be strong until and unless we have deliberately and irrevocably renounced pleasure as one of the main pursuits of our life. The canker which eats away the vitality of our will to control the mind is the pursuit of pleasure. It is like this: if you have a servant who is aware that you depend on him to procure you illicit drugs and if you both enjoy the drugs together, you cannot then control that servant. The same is the case with the mind. The mind which is use for seeking pleasure and enjoying pleasure, we can never control until we give up seeking pleasure. Even after giving up the pursuits of pleasure it will not be easy to control it for the mind will always have past incidents to cite to embarrass us. The strength of our will to control the mind will be in proportion to the strength and intensity of our renunciation of the pursuit of pleasure. Unless the pleasure-motive is overcome, no matter what else we do, we can never perfectly control the mind. The derivative of this truth is that those who are reluctant to renounce the pleasure-motive are not sincere enough in wanting to control their minds, whatever their professions.
                By renunciation of the pursuit of pleasure is not meant renunciation of the pursuit of joy or bliss. By pleasure is meant the enjoyment of sense-pleasure or the gratification arising from what Shri Ramakrishna calls the “unripe ego”, both of which obstruct the attainment of joy or bliss. It is by going beyond pleasure and pain that one attains joy our bliss, which is the very goal of life. There is no question of giving up  the desire for joy or bliss, for it is integral to us, our real nature being Existence-Know-ledge-Bliss. About the methods of overcoming the pleasure-motive something will be said in the next section.
                Opposites sometimes look alike. Two types of persons do not have inner struggle; those who have become unquestioning slaves of their lower nature, and those who have completely mastered their lower nature. All others have inner struggles, which are the result of inadequate or unsuccessful attempts at controlling the mind. Inadequate attempts are indications of weak will and of lack of knowledge as to how to control the mind.
                The most important thing is to strengthen the will to such a degree that even in the face of repeated failures we are not deheartened; rather, that with every new failure to control the mind we are roused to fresh endeavours with new enthusiasm. Now how do we strengthen this will to control the mind? We have to remove the causes of weakness of will. And we have to inject strength into it by ensuring the presence of suitable causes.
                Not doubt some of us have struggled with our minds but have faced repeated failures. So we have come to believe that controlling the mind is not for us. Another reason for the weakness of our will is not the most of us have perhaps not clearly thought what exactly is at stake in the control of the mind. If we had, the sheer instinct for survival would have driven us to strengthen our will to control the mind, we need not be unduly exercised. It has never been an easy task even for the noblest of men, the nature of the mind being restless. Shri krishna says in the gita:
                The turbulent sense, O Arjuna, do violently snatch away the mind of even a wise man, striving after perfection.
                For the mind which follows in the wake of the wandering sense, carries away his discrimination, as a wind carries off its course a boat on the waters.
The Buddha teaches:
                If one man conquers in battle a thousand men a thousand times, and if another conquers himself, he (the latter) is the greater conqueror.

From this we can understand that controlling the mind is the most difficult task in the world. It is indeed a hero’s task. Hence occasional or repeated failure to control the mind should not be taken too seriously. Failures should be taken as spurs to more determined, sustained, and intelligent efforts, for we are assured by the great teachers that perfect control of the mind is possible. All thoughts to the contrary must be eschewed like poison.     

Sunday 29 September 2013

MIND –CONTROL: DIFFICULT BUT POSSIBLE

In this theme, the mind and its control, we are all deeply interested, in a very personal way, for nothing affects us individually more than our own minds. We know something about the subject. All of us try to control our minds. But we should like to know more and do better.
Who can help us in this regard? Only those who have perfectly controlled their own minds. What we may learn from such sources we shall present here as a system of simple disciplines.
                Control of the mind is a very interesting inner game. If you have a sportsman’s attitude. You will thoroughly enjoy it, even while apparently losing. In the playing, this game takes a great deal of skill, alertness, sense of hum our, goodness of heart, sense of strategy, patience and some heroic flair which makes it possible not to get disheartened in the face of a hundred failures.
                Shri Krishna, was explaining in the Gita how the supreme state of Yoga was to be attained. After listening to him Arjuna said to the Lord in understandable despair :
                “ O Krishna, this yoga which you declare to be characterized by perfect evenness of mind, I do not see how it can endure, Because of the restlessness of the mind. The mind, O krishna, is restless, turbulent, powerful and obstinate. To control the mind is as hard, it seems to me, as to control the wind.
                Shri krishna listened to this representative complaint of man and gave a reply important for all men of all times. All Indian thinking and practice on mind-control are largely based on this teaching of Shri Krishna. He said: ‘undoubtedly, O Arjuna, the mind is restless and hard to control. But by practice and dispassion it can be controlled.
                From this conversation we know three basic facts about mind-control:
a.       That it has always been an extremely difficult task even for heroic persons of the stature of Arjuna.
b.      That yet it is possible to control the mind.
c.       That there are well-defined methods for controlling the mind.
In these two words, practice and dispassion, Shri Krishna gave the whole secret of controlling the mind. It is the uniform verdict of all the saints of India down the ages that there is no other way of controlling the mind expect through ‘Practice and Dispassion’. This is also called ‘the yoga of practice’.
        We shall quote here a dialogue between Shri Ramkrishna and a devotee, in which the former emphasizes a fundamental point which everyone needs to remember:
Shri Ramkrishna: ‘Don’t sit idle simply because your spiritual consciousness has been awakened a little. Go forward. Beyond the forest of sandalwood there are other and more valuable things – silver-mines, gold-mines and so on.’
Priya : ‘Sir, our legs are in chains. We cannot go forward.’
Shri Ramkrishna: ‘What if the legs are chained? The important thing is the mind. Bondage is of the mind, and freedom is also of the mind.’
Priya: ‘But the mind is not under my control.’
Shri Ramkrishna: ‘How is that? There is such a thing as the yoga of practice, yoga through practice. Keep up the practice and you will find that your mind will follow in whatever direction you lead it. The mind like a white cloth just returned from the laundry. It will be red if you dip it in red dye and blue if you dip it in blue. It will have whatever color you dip it in.’
        Practice and Dispassion are no doubt the entire secret of controlling the mind. But how do we bring them into our life-stream? That is the question. To do this
a.       We shall have to develop a strong will to control the mind;
b.      We shall have to understand the nature of the mind;

c.       We shall have to learn certain techniques and practice them earnestly and intelligently.

Wednesday 25 September 2013

The Problem of Rising – Prices

Problem of risin- prices is the burning problem at present. Prices of all things have been rising very rapidly. They have gone up twenty times.
Causes of rising prices- A developing country. India is a developing country. In a developing country prices are bound to go up.
Hoarding tendency – There is a no actual shortages of anything in the country. But there is shortage of honesty only. The businessmen create artifical shortage of foodgrains. So the prices go up day by day.
Population explosion- Our population  is increasing very rapidly. Now our population is more than 80 crores. Foot grains have not increased in proportion of increase in population.
Deficit financing- The deficit financing in the plans is also responsible for the roaring prices.
Useless plans- Much money is spent on some plans which do not seen to be useful.
Increase in the prices in raw materials -Producers say that there is a rise in the prices of raw materials. So there is an increase in the manufacturing cost.
Defective taxation policy.- Some people say that the taxation policy is defective and needs change to bring the prices down.
Investments- The government is making investments in the industries which will show the benefits after a long time.
No adjustment between demand and supply- There is no proper adjustment between supply and demand.
Fault with officials- Some government officials are corrupt. They are quite indifferent towards the seriousness of the problem.
Remdy. The rising prices should be checked at once. The government should take drastic steps against hoarding and black- marketing. Production should be increased. Distribution of national wealth should be made fair and effective. The government must take over the trade of important food grains such as wheat, rice and sugar. The circulation of black money must be controlled at all costs. The check on growing population should be brought under contro;. Deficit budgets should be discouraged. Sense of partriotism must be created by our leaders who should be far above corruption. Public should Co-operate with the government. Our slogan must be “Down with Prices”.

If these suggested steps are taken the prices will surely go down. Of what use are plans if the life of the common people is full of misery? Our government must realise this truth and check the ever rising prices.

Tuesday 24 September 2013

THE PROBLEM OF INDISCIPLINE AMONG STUDENTS


Now –a-days the problem of indiscipline among students has grown very serious. Everybody complains of the growing indiscipline among the students who are our future hopes. The question arises why there is indiscipline among students? Some main causes that are responsible for the indiscipline among student are:
Old system of education: Our old system of education results in unrest among the students. They have to pass through age-old system of examinations.
Political causes: Students were encouraged by our leaders before 1947 to take part in freedom struggle. The leaders and students made use of all fair and foul methods. The students grew in the habit of using them against their teachers and the elders. Now we are independent but still political parties use students for their selfish ends.
The conditions of schools and colleges: The schools and colleges are over-crowded. The teachers are low-paid. They are ill-fed and ill-clad. They run after tuitions. Students go to the safest way to tuitions to pass the examination. The students do not read and the teachers do not teach. When there is no work indiscipline comes in.
Backward educational system: Our present educational system is not fruitful. After the education there students do not get suitable jobs. There is a rush in classes. So there is no personal link between teachers and students. Students fail to learn many useful and important things from their teachers.
Social environments: Indiscipline among students is a part of indiscipline in the society. The students see that their leaders behave in an indiscipline way. Hence they do whatever they see. The home atmosphere does not suit to our students. They see the anti-social activities of their father.
Government’s responsibility: Every year books and courses are changed. Experiments are made at the cost of students, career. Sometimes the students have to appear in both meetings during the examination days. He has to learn the most difficult subjects in a day when they take up examination in both the meetings. They use unfair means. When they are checked, they revolt.  
Certain Suggestions. 1. Reforms in the colleges and schools. The students or teachers should not be allowed to take part in politics. Political parties should be not use the students for their selfish ends. Only first rate persons must be appointed as teachers. Salary of teachers must be increased. The classes must not be over- crowded. There must be a good choice of taking up different courses.
2. To keep students away from dirty life. The students should be taken away from the dirty life of cities. Schools and colleges must be far away from busy cities. Let us follow the example of Gurukuls and Rishikuls.
3. Collective efforts. Collective efforts have to be made by government, teachers and guardians. The government should take interest in the education. The teachers should think themselves as trustees. The guardians should give some time to look after their wards. 

Friday 20 September 2013

Life is not a bed of roses


Aggressiveness is a natural instinct with men, animals and plants. In a forest vegetative growth tries to occupy every inch of place, animals’ kingdom and birds ransack forest to find eatables. Mankind behaves likewise in its own social sphere. In America and similar countries where land is virgin, competition is less and luxurious goods are in plenty. This will, however, not continue for a long period.
                Struggle for existence ultimately makes everyone tough. People should, therefore, train themselves to be hardy. There is no place in this world for a person who cannot face difficult life and cannot stand all kinds of trials, troubles and tribulations. Whether one is a sportsman, a businessman or an artist, toughness of life does not spare anyone. Comfortable life does not make a complete man. Man in the habit of leading a luxurious life may happen to be hard in other directions. Weakness of character results when a person moves in a society. This weakness can be overcome during the academic career.

                Love of calmness and peace do not indicate a soft life. Only a tough man can meditate and defy the norms of social life. This is an achievement and cannot be regarded as cowardice for idleness. Civilization requires competitive spirit to be channelized for noble purposes. Animal use of power reigns supreme where culture has no value. Cunningness, cruelty and war, which results in tremendous waste of all kinds of resources, constitute some or the other form of brutality. War can be overcome by strength and not weakness. The latter is an invitation to war. Brutality is the result of self-interest and indiscipline. Unless these can be overcome, culture cannot hold charge of brutality, people should dissociate with such of the activities as are responsible for the exploitation of labor. Cultural forces in this way can affect the economic sphere.
                When cheap goods are purchased from a market, brutality holds its upper hand over civilized culture. This can be avoided only by refusing to buy the goods produced by the exploitation of labor. This requires great vigilance, which is often lacking in people. To obviate the possibility of brutality taking an upper hand in society, forces of civilized should be encouraged. Luxurious life can result in neglect of masses and habitual use of power. Constitutions do not hold out any hope in this respect. The desired effects can be achieved only by the cultivation of cultural values. Luxurious life in the States, as elsewhere, should not neglect the strong traits of character. 

Tuesday 10 September 2013

ON WRITING THE THOUGHT OF A POEM



                The difficulty of a critical study of English literature, and for that matter of any living literature, is that it is constantly growing. In this process of growth, new dimensions are covered as the society grows and becomes more complicated. The Renaissance, the Industrial Revolution, the scientific and technological researches and in this nuclear age the landing of man on the moon, have affected the approach of thinking of every man  and specially the poets and writers who are more sensitive than the common man. Literature is the mirror of the society in which it is produced and as such the student of literature must also be a student of society – its social, economic and political problems – otherwise it would be too difficult to understand any poet or writer. This is true not for the complex social structure of the day but it was true in all ages and in all countries.
                The study of classical literature like the greek or sanskrit is a bit easier because one can have a detached and impersonal critical study of the writings of a particular age and country. This is not so for English literature because we have not only to cover from Yeats  and Eliot to Beowulf but have to study even American Poets who have written in a different step-up with quite a different back-ground and purpose, if we are allowed to say that all literature is or should be purposeful. Despite the fact that shakespeare had no political views and his like Milton and Dyden, we find him “deeply interested in the nature of kingship and authority, in statecraft and in men’s relation’s with each other in the sphere of public life….”.
                “It takes two to understand a word, “goes the saying and it is very true for us while studying the English literature. The use of ‘winter’, ‘spring’ and ‘summer’ in English poems may not give as a proper idea because in indian conditions we may not like to condemn winter or appreciate summer as the two seasons bring quite different feelings for us. While the flowers bloom at noon in England, they die out here at that time and one can easily jeer at a poet who writes about the blessings of noon. Sun-shine may be blessing for an Englishman but for most part of the year it is a curse for us. Thus, one has to be constantly at guard that he is studying the literature of a country which has different climatic and geographical conditions.
                Again , we have to be alert all the time about the meaning of terms like culture, love, progress and politics. They may mean something to the poet writing in England but may appear to be quit another to us sitting in India having quit  a different culture and hence different views and values regarding love, progress and politics. Thus, to be a student of English literature, one has to be a student of British ways of life and must have a knowledge of their interests and values of life not only of today but of the Victorian and Elizabethan days as well. He must also appreciate the change in interest and values with the changing times.

Sunday 1 September 2013

POEM2

Life is a Shylock; always it demands
The fullest ussrer’s interested for each pleasure.
Gifts are not freely scattered by its hand;
We make returns for every borrowed treasure.

Each talent, each acheivement, and each gain
Necessitates some penalty to pay.
Delight imposes lessitude and pain,
As certainly as darkness follows day.

All you bestow on causes or on men,
Of love or hate, of malice or devotion,
Somehow, sometime, shall be returned again-
There is no wasted toil, no laost emotion.

The motto of the world is give and take
It gives to favours- out of sheer goodwill,
But unless speedy recompense you make,
You’ll find yourself presented with its bill.

When rapture comes to thrill the heart of you,
Take it with tempered gratitude, remember,
Some later time the interest will fall due
No year bring June that does not bring, December.

The poet has presented the karma theory in very homely and interesting manner, but with a tinge of bitterness. He compares life of the world to Shylock, the exacting Jew of the Merchant of Venice, who charges exorbitant interest for any loan offered. The sum and substance of these lines is that there are no gains without pains. In the form of labour or hardship  we have to pay the price for every gift or pleasure that is bestowed upon us. As a matter of fact, the hardship and the pangs of pain that we experience outweigh the pleasures we receive. And then the irrevocable law of nature is that pain must follow pleasure as surely as day is followed by night. The poet then lays emphasis on the theory of cause and effect. Any action that we perform or any emotion that we harbour has sooner or later its repercussions, as we speak into a well the same echo shall reach our ears. The very structure of the universe is based on the formula of give and take. Pleasure and pain alternate.

The poet is a staunch believer in the doctrine of cause and effect. As we sow, so shall we reap. He exhorts us to take the stoic view on life- not to be overjoyed at opportunity of pleasure not to be found a hidden tings of Hardian philosophy in this utterance because like jude the obscure he would not like to smile at the bloom of flowers because he knew that it is so short-lived.

Monday 26 August 2013

Interesting

Life is a Shylock; always it demands
The fullest usurer’s interested for each pleasure.
Gifts are not freely scattered by its hand;
We make returns for every borrowed treasure.

Each talent, each achievement, and each gain
Necessitates some penalty to pay.
Delight imposes lessitude and pain,
As certainly as darkness follows day.

All you bestow on causes or on men,
Of love or hate, of malice or devotion,
Somehow, sometime, shall be returned again-
There is no wasted toil, no lost emotion.

The motto of the world is give and take
It gives to favours -  out of sheer goodwill,
But unless speedy recompense you make,
You’ll find yourself presented with its bill.

When rapture comes to thrill the heart of you,
Take it with tempered gratitude, remember,
Some later time the interest will fall due
No year bring June that does not bring, December.

The poet has presented the karma theory in very homely and interesting manner, but with a tinge of bitterness. He compares life of the world to Shylock, the exacting Jew of the Merchant of Venice, who charges exorbitant interest for any loan offered. The sum and substance of these lines is that there are no gains without pains. In the form of labour or hardship  we have to pay the price for every gift or pleasure that is bestowed upon us. As a matter of fact, the hardship and the pangs of pain that we experience outweigh the pleasures we receive. And then the irrevocable law of nature is that pain must follow pleasure as surely as day is followed by night. The poet then lays emphasis on the theory of cause and effect. Any action that we perform or any emotion that we harbour has sooner or later its repercussions, as we speak into a well the same echo shall reach our ears. The very structure of the universe is based on the formula of give and take. Pleasure and pain alternate.

The poet is a staunch believer in the doctrine of cause and effect. As we sow, so shall we reap. He exhorts us to take the stoic view on life- not to be overjoyed at opportunity of pleasure not to be found a hidden tings of Hardian philosophy in this utterance because like Jude the obscure he would not like to smile at the bloom of flowers because he knew that it is so short-lived.

Saturday 24 August 2013

Poem

Ye wise, instruct me to endure
An evil, which admits no cure:
Or, how this evil can be borne
Which breeds at once both hate and scorn.

Bare innocence is no support,
When you are tried in Scandal’s court.
Stand high in honour, wealth or wit;
All others, who inferior sit,

Conceive themselves in conscience bound
To join, and drag you to the ground.
Your altitude offends the eyes
Of those who want the power to rise.

The world, a willing stander-by
Inclines to aid a spacious lie:
Alas! They would not do you wrong;
But, all appearances are strong!

Yet, whence proceeds this weight we lay
On what deteracting people say?
For, let mankind discharge their tongnes,
In venom, till they burst their lungs.

Their utmost malice cannot make
Your head, or tooth, or finger ache;
Nor spoil your shape. Distort your face,
Or put one feature out of place?

Nor, will you find your fortune sink,
By what they speak or what they think
Nor can ten hundred thousand lies
Make you less virtuous, learn’d or wise.

The most effectual way to baulk
Their malice is – to let them talk.

Scandal against the onslaught of which innocence is no shield is an abominable evil. Crushing is its weight on the ordinary minds; it hangs over their heads like the sword of Damocles. And there is no way out of it. One’s prestige, wealth and wisdom seem to sink into insignificance because the whole world seem to be an accomplice of the slanderers. One’s feels doomed. But the post argues that all the prattle of the people cannot bring the least change in any part of our physique. The columny cannot snatch away anything from one’s virtues, wisdom or learning. Why should then it give jitters to our nerves. The best way to thwart the spite of the slanderers is not to take any notice of their talk, believing that he who spits on the moon merely spoils his own face.
                Scandal is the most nerve shattering malady that one can face. One feels helpless against its onslaught. There seems to be no way out of it. Mere innocence is no shield against the ravages of calumny. Those to whom our wealth, learning or status is like a thorn in their flesh want to make us lick the dust. And it appears as if all the the world is in collusion with these slanderers. But the poet exhorts us not to be panicky in such a predicament. He argues that we should pay no heed to what these jealous wretches say against us. Because the malice and hatred vomited out by these people can neither bring the change in any part of our body nor can deprive us of our virtues, wealth or wisdom. The best way, according to the poet, to thwart their malice is to turn a deaf ear towards them.

Moral – The best way to combat scandal is to turn a deaf ear to it.

Thursday 22 August 2013

motivational story


Mark was walking home from school one day when he noticed the boy ahead of him had tripped and dropped all of the books he was carrying, along with two sweaters, a baseball bat, a glove and a small tape recorder. Mark knelt down and helped the boy pick up the scattered articles. Since they were going the same way, he helped to carry part of the burden. As they walked Mark discovered the boy's name was Bill, that he loved video games, baseball and history, and that he was having lots of trouble with his other subjects and that he had just broken up with his girlfriend. They arrived at Bill's home first and Mark was invited in for a Coke and to watch some television. The afternoon passed pleasantly with a few laughs and some shared small talk, then Mark went home. They continued to see each other around school, had lunch together once or twice, then both graduated from junior high school. They ended up in the same high school where they had brief contacts over the years. Finally the long awaited senior year came and three weeks before graduation, Bill asked Mark if they could talk.
Bill reminded him of the day years ago when they had first met. "Did you ever wonder why I was carrying so many things home that day?" asked Bill. "You see, I cleaned out my locker because I didn't want to leave a mess for anyone else. I had stored away some of my mothers sleeping pills and I was going home to commit suicide. But after we spent some time together talking and laughing, I realized that if I had killed myself, I would have missed that time and so many others that might follow. So you see, Mark, when you picked up those books that day, you did a lot more, you saved my life."
-John W. Schlatter (true story)

Shake It Off And Step Up
A parable is told of a farmer who owned an old mule. The mule fell into the farmer's well. The farmer heard the mule 'braying' - or - whatever mules do when they fall into wells. After carefully assessing the situation, the farmer sympathized with the mule, but decided that neither the mule nor the well was worth the trouble of saving. Instead, he called his neighbors together and told them what had happened...and enlisted them to help haul dirt to bury the old mule in the well and put him out of his misery.
Initially, the old mule was hysterical! But as the farmer and his neighbors continued shoveling and the dirt hit his back...a thought struck him. It suddenly dawned on him that every time a shovel load of dirt landed on his back...HE SHOULD SHAKE IT OFF AND STEP UP! This he did, blow after blow.
"Shake it off and step up...shake it off and step up...shake it off and step up!" he repeated to encourage himself. No matter how painful the blows, or distressing the situation seemed the old mule fought "panic" and just kept right on SHAKING IT OFF AND STEPPING UP!
You're right! It wasn't long before the old mule, battered and exhausted, STEPPED TRIUMPHANTLY OVER THE WALL OF THAT WELL! What seemed like it would bury him, actually blessed him...all because of the manner in which he handled his adversity.
THAT'S LIFE! If we face our problems and respond to them positively, and refuse to give in to panic, bitterness, or self-pity...THE ADVERSITIES THAT COME ALONG TO BURY US USUALLY HAVE WITHIN THEM THE POTENTIAL TO BENEFIT AND BLESS US! Remember that FORGIVENESS--FAITH--PRAYER-- PRAISE and HOPE...all are excellent ways to "SHAKE IT OFF AND STEP UP" out of the wells in which we find ourselves!

Simply way of Attraction factor…..The Words


A word is the symbol of expression indicating certain object, person, idea or concept.It may refer to something quite abstract like beauty, mercy, truth or some thing physical like chair or table. It is a symbol and not a reality. When we talk of ‘night’ we refer to time which has certain characteristics like the appearance of the moon and the stars, the blackness and the desire for rest and sleep. For some people it may mean something very pleasant like going to clubs, attending dinners, drinking parties and time of peace and rest. It may, however, mean unbearable time for a patient or for one who is away from his wife and children. It may have two different sets of meaning for a  blind man or a sighted person. The post has very loyally expressed the feelings of a Blind Boy when he says:

My days and nights, myself I make,
When’er I sleep or wake

Thus, this depends upon the flight of imagination of both the writer and the reader that the meanings of a word depend. The greatest problem of the man today is how to communicate with others. The proper selection of words by the writer or speaker is of paramount importance so that the reader or the hearer should derive the same meaning which the former intended. In one of his letters to his son, Lord chesterfield, conveyed the importance of the proper selection of words, thus:

“It is now above forty years since I have never spoken or written one single word without giving myself at least one moment’s time to consider whether it was a good one or a bad one, and whether I could not find out a better in its place.”

The only lesson that we can draw from these lines of Lord Chesterfield is that one should weigh each and every word before using it so that it should serve one’s purpose faithfully and loyally.

We are not satisfied to be right, unless we can prove others to be quite wrong.
There are many religious and political ideologies prevailing in this world. They emphasize that their dogmas and views are up to the mark and thus, they must be accepted. The exponents of socialism sometimes used to claim that their ideology can never be challenged. Similarly, the bigoted persons also dominate over others and Endeavour to thrust their religious views. Some political philosophers intend to prevail upon others. They always expect from them that they must be treated right and their dogmas must carry importance in the world. But this sense of superiority and inferiority creates unharmonious relations among human beings. Modern wars originate due to this unsympathetic attitude of one man with the other. The formula of co-existence is not in favour of basic human rights. Since the creation of human beings, mankind has been living on this earth. But it is not merely the question of living but living well, living in a way which makes it possible for all to live peacefully and to contribute his best to promote common welfare of humanity at large. The greatest hurdle to the co-existence is the human segregation, colour-prejudice and racial discrimination. 

Friday 16 August 2013

7 Unluckiest People on Earth


 The Japanese Man Who Was Hit by Both Atomic Bombings, Hiroshima and Nagasaki

The Japanese Man Who Was Hit by Both Atomic Bombings, Hiroshima and Nagasaki
A resident of Nagasaki, Tsutomu Yamaguchi was in Hiroshima on business for his employer Mitsubishi Heavy Industries when the city was bombed on August 6, 1945. He was actually preparing to leave the city on that day, and was on his way to the station when he realized that he had forgotten his "hanko" --a stamp allowing him to travel-- so he had to return to his workplace to get it. At 8:15, while he was walking back toward the docks, the American bomber The Enola Gay dropped the "Little Boy" atomic bomb near the center of the city, which was only 3 km away.

The explosion ruptured his eardrums, blinded him temporarily, and left him with serious burns all over the left side of the top half of his body. After recovering, he spent the night in an air raid shelter before returning to Nagasaki the following day.

Back at home in Nagasaki, he received treatment for his wounds. Despite being heavily bandaged, he reported for work on August 9, the day of the second atomic bombing. At 11am, just when Yamaguchi was describing the blast in Hiroshima to his supervisor, the American bomber Bockscar dropped the "Fat Man" atomic bomb on Nagasaki. Once again, he was 3 km from ground zero, but this time he was unhurt.

In 2009, the government of Japan officially recognized him as the only person who survived both explosions. He died of stomach cancer in 2010 at the age of 93. 

 The Greek Man Who Was the Only Person in Town Who Didn't Win a $950 Million Lotto

The Greek Man Who Was the Only Person in Town Who Didn't Win a $950 Million Lotto
In 2012, residents of the small town of Sodeto, Spain bought tickets for Spain's huge Christmas lottery out of loyalty to the homemakers' association there, which makes a small percentage on the sales.

When the big day arrived, their number came in, making all 70 households winners of at least a piece of the biggest first prize ever, $950 million.

All of the town's residents won a piece of it except for one, Mr. Cotis Mitsotakis, a Greek filmmaker whose house was somehow overlooked that year as they made the rounds, making him the only one in all of Sodeto who didn't win.

 The Ocean Liner Stewardess Who Crashed with the RMS Titanic, the HMHS Britannic, and the RMS Olympic

The Ocean Liner Stewardess Who Crashed with the RMS Titanic, the HMHS Britannic, and the RMS Olympic
In 1911, 23-year-old Violet Jessop was a stewardess on the RMS Olympic, a luxury ship that was the largest civilian liner at that time, until it collided with the old protected cruiser HMS Hawke off the Isle of Wight. 

A year later, Violet boarded the RMS Titanic, also as a stewardess, until it famously struck an iceberg, broke in two, and sank. She was later ordered into lifeboat 16 and was rescued by the RMS Carpathia.

Finally, during the First World War, Violet served again as a stewardess on board His Majesty's Hospital Ship Britannic. However, that ship apparently struck a mine and, with all the portholes open for ventilation, quickly sank in the Aegean Sea off the Greek island of Kea with the loss of 30 lives. Violet jumped out of a lifeboat to avoid being sucked into the Britannic's propellers and was eventually rescued, once again.

After the war, Violet continued to work a stewardess! Many years later, in 1971, she died of congestive heart failure.


 The Woman Who Was Struck by Hurricanes Five Times

The Woman Who Was Struck by Hurricanes Five Times
Melanie Martinez had lost four homes in the last 50 years after Hurricanes Betsy (1965), Juan (1985), George (1998), and Katrina (2005), but she was still hesitant to leave Louisiana. "I was born here," she said. "It's home, home, home." 

Touched by her story, the A&E reality show Hideous Houses selected her home for a $20,000 makeover in 2012. Her luck seemed to change, but just a few months later a category 1 hurricane named Isaac took her brand new home. Everything was lost. "Now I've lost five houses to five storms. Every time a wipe-out," said Martinez, who the media now calls "the unluckiest woman in America." 

 The Florida Man Who Was Bitten by a Shark, Struck by Lightning, and Bitten by a Rattlesnake

The Florida Man Who Was Bitten by a Shark, Struck by Lightning, and Bitten by a Rattlesnake
Erik Norrie is no stranger to unusual occurrences. After nearly dying in a shark attack, he told reporters that he has also been struck by lightning and has suffered a rattlesnake bite, as well.

Norrie was spearfishing in the Bahamas on July 29, 2013 when a shark came up behind him and took a chunk out of the back of his leg. Norrie's father-in-law jumped in between him and the shark and helped him get to the shore where a doctor from San Diego happened to be vacationing. Norrie used large rubber bands from his spear to create a tourniquet to stop the blood from gushing from his fresh wound.

 The Briton Who Endured 16 Major Accidents In His Life, Including Lightning Strikes, an Avalanche in a Mine, and Three Car Crashes

The Briton Who Endured 16 Major Accidents In His Life, Including Lightning Strikes, an Avalanche in a Mine, and Three Car Crashes
"Calamity John," as some call him, is a 54-year-old industrial cleaner who might just be Britain's unluckiest man, according to his country's media.

John Lyne's mishaps cover a lifetime, and he has even been known to suffer from two accidents at once. 

As a child, he fell off a horse and cart – only to be run over by a delivery van.

When he was a teenager, he broke his arm falling from a tree.

On his way back from the hospital, his bus crashed and he broke the same arm in another place. The date, of course, was Friday the 13th.

Then in 2006, his story hit the newspapers because he was laid up again after falling down a manhole at work.

 The American Who Was Robbed at Gunpoint, Stabbed in the Chest, Bitten by Two Snakes, and Struck by Lightning

The American Who Was Robbed at Gunpoint, Stabbed in the Chest, Bitten by Two Snakes, and Struck by Lightning
John Wade Agan made the news in 2011 for being taken to the hospital again, this time after he was struck by lightning while using a landline telephone in his Florida home.

In the past, the 47-year-old was robbed at gunpoint while driving his taxi and got locked in the trunk. He also suffered injuries after being stabbed in the chest with a butcher's knife in 2008. In 2009, he claimed he was bitten by two snakes at the same time.

Thursday 15 August 2013

What is Networking, Really?


Dictionary Definition

From Merriam-Webster:
"the exchange of information or services among individuals, groups, or institutions; specifically : the cultivation of productive relationships for employment or business"


Contrary to popular belief, networking is neither a chore nor a contagious disease. And yet, the very thought of networking sparks fear in the hearts of many. In its simplest terms, networking is a gathering of like-minded people who exchange information, share ideas and help promote each other’s interests. Networking is a popular activity for small business owners, entrepreneurs, freelancers, consultants and sales people.
It sounds helpful and fun, so why are some people so resistant at first? Networking means doing risky things like meeting new people and putting yourself out there. Even if you’re not an introvert, mingling in a room full of strangers might be a scary proposition and not everyone relishes the thought of talking about themselves in front of others.
When you network, you make a conscious effort to meet other people, learn what they do, and look for ways to help each other professionally.

The Pros and Cons of Networking

Pros of Networking
Cons of Networking
Generate Leads
Time Commitment
Practice Sales Pitch
Shyness
Give and Get Referrals
Not Knowing What to Say
Build Your SOI (Sphere of Influence)
Don't Know Where to Start


What Is Your Networking Experience?

How to Find Networking Groups

Intimate groups that are smaller and more focused like Master Mind Groups and BNI (referral) groups can be found locally by knowing the right people, being invited, starting your own or searching on the internet.
Casual and more broad networking groups can usually also be found online or through your community. Join your local chamber of commerce to make lots of networking connections and have the opportunity to improve your neighborhood.
A great deal of networking can be done with community service groups and volunteer organizations; this lets you do good work while strengthening your brand and meeting new important contacts.
You can find specialty or niche networking groups easily online as well. There are networking groups geared just for women, for minorities, or for people of a specific industry or trade.
To easily find and track local networking groups that are most likely to have members who are beneficial to you, check out Meetup.com. Meet.com is a great meeting organization website where you can search for what interests you and go to events and meetings to network with people.

What type of "Networker" are you?

  •  I don't do it, but I know I should!
  •  I attend a few events but I mostly lurk about waiting for someone else to come to me!
  •  I attend as many as I can and am outgoing with a clear goal!
See results without voting

Networking Survival Tips

  • Know your goals. You should have a good idea of what you want to get out of networking (contacts, leads, referral sources, etc.) and develop a goal for each networking event. For example: "At today's event my goal is to collect the contact information of 5 new people who could become referral sources for me in the future."
  • Dress for the occasion. You will be meeting many new people, including possible future clients, so dress to impress! You can wear formal business attire for most networking events, or a nice business/casual dress for after hours events or happy hours.
  • Bring plenty of business cards! Bring more than you think you will need, seriously!
  • Make a good introduction! When you meet a new contact don't forget to smile and make eye contact. Give your first and last name and shake hands. Listen to the other person's name and try to let them talk first by asking them what they do.
  • Give your best "elevator pitch." In two to three sentences you want to describe what you do and who your ideal clients are. This short but powerful introduction is often called an "elevator pitch."
  • While talking to a new or existing contact make sure to use their name once or twice during the conversation. This helps build relationships because people like to hear their own names and it lets them know you are engaged and interested.

Collect As Many New Contacts As You Can!

Always get a business card! Use the contact information to build your lists and networking database.
Always get a business card! Use the contact information to build your lists and networking database.
Source: Deanna Balestra Original Photo CC

Following Up After Networking Events

You can go to several events per month and give out hundreds of business cards, but if you aren't following up with your new contacts then you’re wasting your time. The keys to successful networking areimmediate follow up and ongoing nurturing of the relationship.
Right after the networking event takes place, drop your new contacts a note (hand written is always nice and since it’s more unusual these days it will not be forgotten) but an e-mail also works. Let them know that it was nice to meet them and repeat any promises you made to them when you met. For example you might have promised to meet up with them for coffee or to send them a referral. Always do what you’ve promised, the sooner the better.
You can then place a reminder on your calendar to call this contact every 60-90 days to catch up.

Additional ways to stay in touch:

  • Invite them to join your mailing list
  • Connect with them on social media sites like LinkedIn, Facebook or Twitter
  • Send them leads and referrals as they come up, and perhaps they will do the same for you

Networking Can Be Fun!

  • Keep in touch on a more causal level with your networking connections by linking to them in social media.
  • It doesn't have to be ALL business, invite someone to coffee or happy hour to trade industry ideas and have fun!
  • Start a referral club with a few connections that have related businesses to yours.

Good Networking Karma

In networking, you get what you give. If you tackle networking with the mindset that you will make great connections who you can help promote; then people will in turn start sending business your way. Whatever your goals might be for networking, assume the people you meet have similar goals. Help them out and become a trusted member of their circle in order to win their business or referrals.
If you think you will be able to help promote their business and send them some referrals, let them know and ask for a few extra business cards. After you send them new business, always follow up to see how it went.
Many networkers have a goal of increasing their network and sphere of influence size. You can help your new contacts by introducing them to other people in the business community that could possibly help them.
You can keep in contact by sending them the occasional reference article or inviting them to relevant events. This is a non-intrusive way to staying top-of-mind.
If a network connection sends you a referral, make sure to follow up and send a hand written thank you card. If the business referral leads to a closed deal for you then consider sending a small gift like a coffee gift card!
If you use the goods or services of any networking partner you can help their business grow by offering positive reviews and testimonials. These are just a few of the many ways you can build profitable, long lasting, business relationships through networking.

Wednesday 14 August 2013

The goal is to limit Chinese competition against European manufacturers such as Solarworld AG, without resorting to anti-dumping duties opposed by U.K. and Germany.



Import tariffs on Chinese solar panels will be removed in three days as the European Commission approved European Trade Commissioner Karel De Guct’s plan for curbs on solar panels. The European Commission, EU’s executive arm, endorsed a negotiated settlement with China that sets a minimum price and a volume limit on EU imports of Chinese panels until the end of 2015, Chinese manufacturers will be spared of EU duties levied to counter below-cost sales, more popularly known as dumping. Dumping is a king of predatory pricing, it happens when manufacturers export a product to another country at a price below the price charged in its home market or below its cost of production. The World Trade Organisation condemns dumping if it causes material injury to a domestic industry in the importing country.
Quoting media persons in Brussels, European Trade Chief De Guccht said “We allow a certain intervention in the market hoping we are trustful and this will lead to a stabilization of the market. If the European solar industry wants to continue selling solar panels, they will have to be competitive with the rest of the world “.
The goal is to limit Chinese competition against European manufacturers such as Solarworld AG, without resorting to anti-dumping duties opposed by U.K. and Germany. The renewable energy case covers EU imports of crystalline silicon photovoltaic modules or panels, cells and wafers used in between them, shipments which were valued at £ 21 billion Euros ($ 28 billion) in 2011.  Earlier in June, the commission introduced provisional anti dumping duties as high as 67.9 percent on Chinese solar panels as part of a probe which began in September, the commission decided to relax the anti dumping duty to 11.8 percent for two months to encourage Beijing for a compatible solution between both the parties.
As on August, without the accord, the provisional levies applied would have ranged from 37.3 percent to 67.9 percent, depending on the company. The import taxes target more than 100 Chinese companies including Yingli Energy Co, Wuxi Suntech Power Co and Changzhou Trina Solar Energy Company. The agreement fixes a minimum price of 56 euro cents a watt for annual imports from China of as much as 7 gig watts, a trade official in Europe said. The pact would cover around 90 Chinese exporters who dominate the solar panel market, De Gucht said the agreement covers Chinese exporters that account for 70 percent of EU imports of solar panels.
Observations by EnergyTrend a research subsidiary of global research company TrendForce noted the new agreement’s minimum retail price for modules will probably fall between € 0.54 per watt to € 0.57 per watt, which is about a 10 percent increase compared to previous market range of € 0.50 per watt to € 0.55 per watt. The cell and wafer products produced by Chinese manufacturers will have a minimum cost of $ 0.54 per watt.
Opposition to the Deal
EU ProSun, which represents around 40 European solar panel producers including Solarworld of Germany has called the accord unacceptable and vowed to file a lawsuit. “Seventy percent of the EU market will be given over to China’s planned economy delivering products at dumped prices, European Industry expects further bankruptcies and job losses as a result of this agreement”, Milan Nitzschke, President of EU ProSun said in an e-mailed statement.