Wednesday, December 29, 2010

டாக்டர் கலாம் - புத்தகம் படிக்கும் பழக்கம் பற்றி

புத்தகம் படிக்கும் பழக்கம் பற்றி டாக்டர் கலாம் அவர்கள்  "விழிவேள்வி"  புத்தக முன்னுரையில் சொல்லியிருப்பதாவது:



"...மாணவர்களை நான் ஏற்க வாய்த்த உறுதி மொழி எனக்கு நினவு வருகிறது 


1. என்னுடைய வீட்டில் பூஜை அறை அல்லது பிரார்த்தனை செய்யும் இடத்துக்கு அருகில், 20 நல்ல புத்தகங்களுடன் ஒரு சிறு வீட்டு நூலகத்தை ஆரம்பிபேன்.



2. என்னுடிய வளர்ந்த மகன் மற்றும் மகள் 2௦ புத்தக நூலகத்தை, 2௦௦ புத்தக நூலகமாக மாற்ற எடுக்கும் முயற்சிக்கு உறுதுணையாக இருப்பேன்.



3. என்னுடைய வளர்ந்த பேரன் மற்றும் பேத்திகள் 2௦௦ புத்தக நூலகத்தை, 2௦௦௦ புத்தக நூலகமாக மாற்ற எங்கள் குடும்பம் உறுதுணையாக இருக்கும்.



4. தினமும் ஒரு மணி நேரம், நானும் எங்கள் குடும்ப உறுப்பினர்கள் அனைவரும், எங்கள் வீட்டு நூலகத்தைப பயன்படுத்திப் படிக்கும் பழக்கத்தை இன்று முதல் தொடர்ந்து செயல்ப்படுத்துவோம். 



5.எங்கள் வீட்டு நூலகம் தான் எங்கள் வீட்டுப் பரம்பரைச் சொத்து; எங்கள் வீட்டு அறிவுக் களஞ்சியம்.



6. இந்த முயற்சிதான் நாட்டில் ஏற்படப்போகும் அறிவ்வு புரடிசிக்கு அடிப்படி ஆதாரம்."
எத்தனை வளமான சிந்தனை இவை!

New Year 2011 - Heads Up #5

Many of us buy gifts for ourselves, thanks to the flooding festive offers!

As you enter 2011, you may want to carry one essential and powerful tool with you: its called Forgiveness. Its a forgotten art of forgiveness!



How much ever happy we be, but it we carry grudges and mental poisons, whereever we go, life is going to be disastrous. Its like growing a fruit tree among filth.



We never realize that by not forgiving we hold on to our negative past and negative people. Life is meant to be fast forward!  Lets move on; lets move forward and not backward.



There is every reason for us to not forgive those people or incidents; but, but, can we devote sometime, and explore, invent and devise enough reasons to forgive the past.



We are better off, we are alive today probably because someone has forgiven us someday but they did not tell us.



So, think of all those people - it could be your relatives, neighbours, your family, especially your parents, your colleagues, someone very stupid, your friends, your well wishers, and including yourself.



Religions teach us this principle already - but to me its a common sense thing. Forgiveness is unassumingly simple and powerful tool that every time you apply, it will transform your life.



Forgiveness is good for your health. Forgiveness makes your more beautiful.



If for some reason, you cannot reach out to the person, forgive him mentally and you get transformed.



Go, find more than enough excuses on why to forgive someone.  Go, make new year yours!



 

Sunday, December 26, 2010

More malls on Bannerghatta Road

Bangalore gulps every landscape available to it. Two more malls are coming up on the Bannerghatta Road.



One is Gopalan Innovation Mall near to Jayadeva junction. Another one is Royal Meenakshi Mall opposite to Meenakshi Amman Temple.




View Larger Map




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The Beethoven Experience

Having listened to Maestro Ilayaraja's How To Name It and Nothing But Wind, I kind of know how symphony sounds like. And his recent contribution has been Thiruvaasagam.



I often wanted to listen to Mozart and Beethoven. You would have probably read science articles on how listening to Mozart music improves brain skills!

 

I always wanted to listen to Mozart and Beethoven, though I do not know how to appreciate their greatness. 



Yesterday, I gifted myself with a collection of Beethoven's symphonies and started listening to them!



I will research to understand the music better.  No matter what, its repeated listening that helps understand any classical music. Those legends did not have the "commercial pressure" that our current musicians have. The genius in music can be interrupted thoroughly only by experts. For common man, its music for soul.



Some useful links:

http://www.bukisa.com/articles/343504_learning-how-to-appreciate-classical-music

http://www.ehow.com/how_7369084_listen-symphony.html

http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio3/beethoven/

http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Beethoven+String+Quartet&aq=f

Google and your mind

There is a lot of research on neuroscience that Google focuses on. I am impressed by the depth of the topics on neuroscience, mind, brain, cognitive science etc covered in Google Tech Talks (link).



Most of these videos run between 50 min to 65 min. And they are very technical. There are several other topics shared under this link. I am sharing some of the neuroscience related topics below:













DeClutter!

Today is the day I fixed for decluttering the several stuff I have at home. Every house "stores" a lot of unwanted things; and we keep them close to our heart without using them. There  is a hidden opportunity for charity - but we should not be disposing waste stuff in the name of charity.





One will undergo mental conflict before deciding to 'give away' something.



If you have not used an item for last 6 months, dispose off.

If you know that you will not use it for next 6-12 months, dispose off.



I did one today, and was able to find a lot of items that I thought I will use and never used.



This will help one live a close-to-minimalist life!  Try it.

 

ஆ ராசாவும், வெங்காயமும்

 ஆ.ராசாவும், வெங்காயமும்



பார்க்க சாமானியன்  போலிருக்கும்

தோல் உரிக்க உரிக்க கண்ணீர் வரும்



பேராசை வெள்ளத்தில் ஒன்று 

பெரும் மழை வெள்ளத்தில் ஒன்று 



அலை வரிசையில் சிக்கியதொன்று

விலை வரிசையின் உச்சத்திலொன்று





பதவியிலிருந்து இறங்கியதொன்று - சிலர்

உதவியால் விலை குறைந்ததொன்று





இரண்டும் நாட்டின் விவகாரம்

இரண்டில் ஒன்றில் உண்டு ஈரம் 



பையன் ராசா மாதிரி இருக்கான்னு - இனி

கொஞ்சவா முடியும்?

இது வெறும் வெங்காயமென்று

சொல்லவா முடியும்?



பாமரனுக்கு என்ன தெரியும்?

பாவம் அவனுக்கு மறதி அதிகம்.

தேர்தல் வரும் வேளை

வெளுத்து எல்லாம் பாலாகும்.



 written by Ganesh Subramanian

Saturday, December 25, 2010

Vani Jayaram song

Recently, happened to watch interview of Vani Jayaram, an amazing singer among us who has sung in almost all the Indian languages. She has a very mesmerizing voice. I bought a mp3 collection of hers and listening to her voice during drive. A sample song of her magical voice; the lyrics of this song a gifted one; and my all time favorite Sridevi.



குமுதமும் விகடனும்

குமுதமும் விகடனும் - பல தமிழர்களின் வாழ்வில் ஒன்றிப்போன வாரப் பத்திரிகைகள். ஜன ரஞ்சக பத்திரிகைகள் வகை. இருந்துமே போட்டி போட்டுக்கொண்டு பற்ப்பல இணைப் பத்திரிகைகள் நடத்தி வருகின்றன.  தொடர்கள் புத்தக வடிவு எடுத்து சிறப்பு விற்பனை ஆகின்றன.

பெங்களூரில் ஓரிரு தினங்கள் தாமதமாகவே கிடைகின்றன. விகடன் கையில் கிடைத்து விட்டால், யார் பேசினாலும் காதில் வாங்கி கொள்ள மாட்டேன். பிறகு வாரம் முழுக்க உக்கார்ந்து படிப்பேன். ஆனால், சில மாதங்களகாவே சினிமா நெடி ரொம்ப தூக்கல்.  படித்து  விட்டு ஓரமாக போட்டு விடுகிறேன். ஒரு theme-ஏ இல்லாமல் வார வாரம் காகித கழிவுகள்!  ஒரு கிலோ kurkure packetஐ full meals க்கு வாங்கியது போல இருக்கிறது.

தயவு செய்து கொஞ்சம் தரத்தை முன்னேற்றுங்கள். அட்டை படத்தில் சினிமாவை தவிருங்கள். சினிமாவை மீறிய விஷயங்கள்  உலகில் நிறைய உள்ளன.

Happy Christmas

Wish you a happy Christmas! Photo Note: Bought 2 mega size candles today.

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Way to download Youtube videos

Yesterday I found a way to download Youtube Videos through a free software.  Youtube has a wealth of information.  Thanks to YouTube, knowledge is truly free.



The tool name is FreeCorder (link).  You can play the Youtube vidoes and then save it as FLV and various other file formats as MP4. I was able to download both from Firefox and IE.



It is supposed to take the Youtube video URL and give me choice to download in different formats.  It worked in IE but not in Firefox.  (Firefox was probably suspicious about uncertified apps!).  IE did not care, it just prompted me to run a Java Runtime and I was able to download.



Alternatively, irrespective of IE or Firefox, if you have played a video from youtube, this software tracks it, and you can download from there.  Ensure, you play the full video if you wanted it full.  This tool also have video format converter.



I started downloading very good videos of Anthony Robbins and Google Tech Talks from Youtube. The quality is very good. I hope to convert them into DVDs.





 

Friday, December 24, 2010

New Year 2011 - Heads Up #4




Theme for 2011

New Year 2011 - Heads Up #3

What a man can be!

  Met this man in Lalbagh. He brings biscuits for stray dogs everyday. I can never imagine someone getting surrounded by stray dogs. What a thoughtful action he has been doing!
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Lalbagh on a misty morning

New Year 2011 - Heads Up #2

Looking back at 2010, I had satisfied life. I was happy most of the times. I moved away from several 'past things' of mine and moved towards new. I am happy for taking several decisions consciously and having done it. I lived almost every day with my heart. I was grateful to myself than anybody else for choosing the path I decided to walk. Being my own critic, I am aware what I need to change. Thats up for 2011.

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Thursday, December 23, 2010

New Year 2011 - Heads Up #1

This year, I have two choice to pick my character traits. One is what Benjamin Franklin practiced. Another set is what Brian Klemmer preaches.  I love them both.



Benjamin Franklin Virtues

•  TEMPERANCE. Eat not to dullness; drink not to elevation.

•  SILENCE. Speak not but what may benefit others or yourself; avoid trifling conversation.

•  ORDER. Let all your things have their places; let each part of your business have its time.

•  RESOLUTION. Resolve to perform what you ought; perform without fail what you resolve.

•  FRUGALITY. Make no expense but to do good to others or yourself; i.e., waste nothing.

•  INDUSTRY. Lose no time; be always employed in something useful; cut off all unnecessary actions.

•  SINCERITY. Use no hurtful deceit; think innocently and justly, and, if you speak, speak accordingly.

•  JUSTICE. Wrong none by doing injuries, or omitting the benefits that are your duty.

•  MODERATION. Avoid extremes; forbear resenting injuries so much as you think they deserve.

•  CLEANLINESS. Tolerate no un-cleanliness in body, cloths, or habitation.

•  TRANQUILLITY. Be not disturbed at trifles, or at accidents common or unavoidable.

•  CHASTITY. Rarely use venery but for health or offspring, never to dullness, weakness, or the injury of your own or another’s peace or reputation.

•  HUMILITY. Imitate Jesus and Socrates.



Read more: http://artofmanliness.com/2008/02/24/lessons-in-manliness-benjamin-franklins-pursuit-of-the-virtuous-life/#ixzz18upmiO39  (this Read more link appeared automatically when I copied from their site J I am just retaining it giving them the credit )



Character Traits of Compassionate Samurai

The character traits of Compassionate Samurai are Commitment, Personal responsibility, Contribution, Focus, Honesty, Honour, Trust, Abundance, Boldness and Knowledge.  I have already ordered the book from Flipkart and expecting the delivery in a couple of days. It’s a new year for myself. 



Tony Robbins Value System and Rules

As a NLP practitioner, I see value in values and defining my own rules to have unlimited power. 



What is my finally approach then?

•         My theme for 2011 is to live the life of “Compassionate Samurai”

•         My Value system for 2011 will be that of Compassionate Samurai

•         My rules will be defined according to those values

•         My tracking system will be similar to that of Benjamin Franklin

This is my sharing for all my beloved ones.

Tuesday, December 21, 2010

Shankar Bidari

Police Commissioner Shankar Bidari visited St.Pauls School's sports day event.  Sir was late to the event. The kids were frying on the hot sun. The teachers and parents took shelter in shamiyaana shade.

Saturday, December 11, 2010

Swamiji Darshan

Visited Siddaganga mutt for a community service activity and got an opportunity to get blessings from the Swamiji. The 103-year old sage is running about 100+ institutions educating the poor children right from primary education to engineering college.