Brave Hearts 08

Keep Life In Balance

2010-06-10T16:36:00.001+05:30

Keep Life In Balance It's nice to relax on a regular basis. Yet a life of nothing but relaxation would be unbearably miserable. It is extremely fulfilling and energizing to put forth great effort and to make things happen. Yet if that's all you ever do, your spirit will surely become worn away. Life is best when it is balanced. Night and day, warm and cool, wet and dry, effort and rest all benefit from each other and from the natural balance that permeates all of life. Are you plagued by frustrations, or weariness, anxiety, doubt, confusion or lack of motivation? Then the chances are very good that something in your life is out of balance. Often, the best way to get something done is to stop working on it for a while. And the best way to fully enjoy the time when you're not working is to practice discipline, diligence and commitment during the times when you are working. Your life is blessed with many different aspects. Keep them all in balance, and they will all be of much greater value to you.

Pattie Maes and Pranav Mistry demo SixthSense | Video on TED.com

2010-05-04T18:55:00.000+05:30

Pattie Maes and Pranav Mistry demo SixthSense | Video on TED.com

Major Facts about Stress

2010-03-22T08:34:00.000+05:30

Stress is already a part of daily living. You may never know it but you are already affected by this issue. You shout at your kids or nag your partner about something. You seem to raise an issue out of a particular event even if it is not true. You also tend to be suspicious at some points. All these are due to stress.

Scientifically, stress is a state of high tension or pressure, resulting from an accident or injury or a psychological reaction of heightened emotional response. Certain occupations are particularly stressful, such as acting, advertising, controlling air traffic, politics, investing and gambling. As an effect of stressful emotions such as panic attacks, fear and anger, the blood pressure rises, the pulse beats faster, breathing is accelerated, digestion stops, and the adrenal glands become overactive.

1. It can be caused by many factors. Fear and anxiety are the greatest causes of psychological stress. In modern times people are constantly beset by the threat of calamities. They fear depression and inflation, unemployment, cancer and heart failure, missiles and bombs and famine. At home they may be confronted with marital incompatibility, quarrels, family illness, or financial troubles.

2. It can also cause something. Many illnesses are caused by mental stress, including ulcers, spastic constipation, diarrhea, high blood pressure and migraine headaches. Sometimes latent mental disorders are precipitated by stressful circumstances, as in the case of manic-depressive psychosis, schizophrenia, hysteria and neurasthenia.

3. It can worsen through time. When a person is subjected to repeated stresses, she is likely to develop what people call nervous breakdown, an unscientific but expressive term. The stress produced by the problems of everyday living has led to the widespread use of tranquilizers, a last resort when there seems to be no escape from a difficult situation.

4. It happens in daily living. Stress exists in almost every human activity and is not the same as nerve tension. Some stress is beneficial since it may stimulate action.

5. It can be lessened through healthy intimate relationships. Psychiatrists also found out that for the avoidance of excessive stress being married is better than being divorced or single.

6. There are major stressful events connected to it. Studies also showed that the death of a child is the most stressful of any life’s events. Other items include a jail sentence, major financial problems, divorce and the beginning of an extra-marital affair. Some of the environmental factors that may be related to stress are the status of health, the social class, and the size of the household.

7. There are also some stresses that cannot be controlled. Too much stress can show itself in various emotional, behavioral and physical signs, and the signs of stress differ extremely according to each individual.

Usual Physical, Emotional and Behavioral Signs of Stress

The physical indications of stress include sleep interruptions, tense muscles, annoyance, gastrointestinal problem, and exhaustion. Its emotional and behavioral indications consist of apprehension, fear, alterations in eating practices, depleted energy, and mood swings. All of the symptoms given cannot tell whether a person has an elevated stress level because these indications may be due to other medical or mental problems.

It is also a fact that persons in stress are most likely to maintain harmful activities like drug and alcohol addiction, excessive cigarette smoking, and poor eating habits. These harmful activities can extremely add to the severity of the indications connected to stress.

Remember that all people may be prone to stress – no matter what age you are in and no matter what status of life you have. The extent may vary also depending on how you take up the challenge that goes with it. If you have a support system with you, it is easy to do away with the situation. But at the worse, it may only lead you to panic attacks.

Tamil literature

2009-12-21T16:19:00.001+05:30

Tamil literature refers to the literature in the Tamil language. Tamil literature has a rich and long literary tradition spanning more than two thousand years. The oldest extant works show signs of maturity indicating an even longer period of evolution. Contributors to the Tamil literature are mainly from Tamil people from Tamil Nadu, Sri Lankan Tamils from Sri Lanka, and from Tamil diaspora. Also, there have been notable contributions from European authors. The history of Tamil literature follows the history of Tamil Nadu, closely following the social and political trends of various periods. The secular nature of the early Sangam poetry gave way to works of religious and didactic nature during the Middle Ages. Jain and Buddhist authors during the medieval period and Muslim and European authors later, contributed to the growth of Tamil literature.

A revival of Tamil literature took place from the late nineteenth century when works of religious and philosophical nature were written in a style that made it easier for the common people to enjoy. Nationalist poets began to utilize the power of poetry in influencing the masses. With growth of literacy, Tamil prose began to blossom and mature. Short stories and novels began to appear. The popularity of Tamil Cinema has also provided opportunities for modern Tamil poets to emerge.
Contents

Sangam age

குறிஞ்சி - தலைவன் கூற்று

யாயும் ஞாயும் யாரா கியரோ
எந்தையும் நுந்தையும் எம்முறைக் கேளிர்
யானும் நீயும் எவ்வழி யறிதும்
செம்புலப் பெயனீர் போல
அன்புடை நெஞ்சம் தாங்கலந் தனவே.

-செம்புலப் பெயனீரார்.

Red earth and pouring rain

What could my mother be
to yours? What kin is my father
to yours anyway? And how
Did you and I meet ever?
But in love
our hearts have mingled
as red earth and pouring rain
[Translated by AK Ramanujan (Kuruntokai - 40)

A poem from the Eight Anthologies collection.

Sangam literature comprises some of the oldest extant Tamil literature, and deals with love, war, governance, trade and bereavement. Unfortunately much of the Tamil literature belonging to the Sangam period had been lost. The literature currently available from this period is perhaps just a fraction of the wealth of material produced during this golden age of Tamil civilization. The available literature from this period has been broadly divided in antiquity into three categories based roughly chronology. These are: the Major Eighteen Anthology Series comprising the Eight Anthologies and the Ten Idylls and the Five Great Epics. Tolkaappiyam, a commentary on grammar, phonetics, rhetoric and poetics is dated from this period.

Tamil legends hold that these were composed in three successive poetic assemblies (Sangam) that were held in ancient times on a now vanished continent far to the south of India. A significant amount of literature could have preceded Tolkappiyam as grammar books are usually written after the existence of literature over long periods. Tamil tradition holds the earliest Sangam poetry to be over twelve millennial old. Modern linguistic scholarship places the poems between the first century BC and the third century AD.

Sangam age is considered by the Tamil people as the golden era of Tamil language. This was the period when the Tamil country was ruled by the three 'crowned kings' the Cheras, Pandyas and the Cholas. The land was at peace with no major external threats. Asoka's conquests did not impact on the Tamil land and the people were able to indulge in literary pursuits. The poets had a much casual relationship with their rulers than can be imagined in later times. They could chide them when they are perceived to wander from the straight and narrow. The greatness of the Sangam age poetry may be ascribed not so much to its antiquity, but due to the fact that their ancestors were indulging in literary pursuits and logical classification of the habitats and society in a systematic manner with little to draw from precedents domestically or elsewhere. The fact that these classifications were documented at a very early date in the grammatical treatise Tolkappiyam, demonstrates the organized manner in which the Tamil language has evolved. Tolkappiyam is not merely a textbook on Tamil grammar giving the inflection and syntax of words and sentences but also includes classification of habitats, animals, plants and human beings. The discussion on human emotions and interactions is particularly significant. Tolkappiyam divided into three chapters: orthography, etymology and subject matter (Porul). While the first two chapters of Tolkappiyam help codify the language, the last part, Porul refers to the people and their behavior. The grammar helps to convey the literary message on human behavior and conduct, and uniquely merges the language with its people.

The literature was classified in to the broad categories of 'subjective' (akam) and 'objective' (puram) topics to enable the poetic minds to discuss any topic under the sun, from grammar to love, within the framework of well prescribed, socially accepted conventions. Subjective topics refer to the personal or human aspect of emotions that cannot be verbalized adequately or explained fully. It can only be experienced by the individuals and includes love and sexual relationship.

Recognizing that human activities cannot take place in vacuum and are constantly influenced by environmental factors, human experiences, in general, and subjective topics in particular, are assigned to specific habitats. Accordingly land was classified into five genres (thinai): kurinji (mountainous regions), mullai (forests), marutham (agricultural lands), neithal (seashore), paalai (wasteland). The images associated with these landscapes – birds, beasts, flowers, gods, music, people, weather, seasons – were used to subtly convey a mood, associated with an aspect of life. Kuruntokai, a collection of poems belonging to the Ettuthokai anthology demonstrates an early treatment of the Sangam landscape. Such treatments are found to be much refined in the later works of Akananuru and Paripaatal. Paripaatal takes its name from the musical Paripaatal meter meter utilised in these poems. This is the first instance of a work set to music. Akaval and kalippa were the other popular meters used by poets during the Sangam age.

Post-Sangam period

Didactic age

எப்பொருள் யார்யார்வாய்க் கேட்பினும் அப்பொருள்
மெய்ப்பொருள் காண்ப தறிவு.

"The mark of wisdom is to discern the truth
From whatever source it is heard."
- (Tirukkural - 423)

The three centuries after the Sangam age witnessed an increase in the mutual interaction of Sanskrit and Tamil. A number of words and concepts relating to ethics, philosophy and religion were mutually borrowed and exchanged between the languages. Around 300 CE, the Tamil land was under the influence of a group of people known as the Kalabhras. The Kalabhras were Buddhist and a number of Buddhist authors flourished during this period. Jainism and Buddhism saw rapid growth. These authors, perhaps reflecting the austere nature of their faiths, created works mainly on morality and ethics. A number of Jain and Buddhist poets contributed to the creation of these didactic works as well as grammar and lexicography. The collection the minor eighteen anthology was of this period.

The best known of these works on ethics is the Tirukkural by Thiruvalluvar. The book is a comprehensive manual of ethics, polity and love, containing 1,330 distichs or kural divided into chapters of ten distichs each: the first thirty-eight on ethics, the next seventy on polity and the remainder on love.

Other famous works of this period are Kalavali, Nalatiyar, Inna Narpathu and Iniyavai Narpathu. The Jain texts Nalatiyar and Pazhamozhi Nanuru each consist of four hundred poems, each of which cites a proverb and then illustrates it with a story.

Hindu devotional period

Tirumurai

The twelve volumes of Tamil Shaivite hymns of the sixty-three Nayanars
1, 2, 3. Tirukadaikkappu Campantar
4, 5, 6. Tevaram Appar
7. Tirupaatu Cuntarar
8. Tiruvacakam and Tirukkovaiyar Manikkavacakar
9. Tiruvisaippa & Tiruppallaandu Various poets
10. Tirumandhiram Tirumular
11. Prabandham Various poets
12. Periya Puranam Sekkizhar

After the fall of the Kalabhras around 600 CE saw a reaction from the thus far suppressed Hindus. The Kalabhras were replaced by the Pandyas in the south and by the Pallavas in the north. Even with the exit of the Kalabhras, the Jain and Buddhist influence still remained in Tamil Nadu. The early Pandya and the Pallava kings were followers of these faiths. The Hindu reaction to this apparent decline of their religion was growing and reached its peak during the later part of the seventh century. There was a widespread Hindu revival during which a huge body of Saiva and Vaishnava literature was created. Many Saiva Nayanmars and Vaishnava Alvars provided a great stimulus to the growth of popular devotional literature. Karaikkal Ammaiyar who lived in the sixth century CE was the earliest of these Nayanmars. The celebrated Saiva hymnists Sundaramurthi, Thirugnana Sambanthar and Thirunavukkarasar (also known as Appar) were of this period. Of Appar's verses 3066 have survived. Sambandar sang 4169 verses. Together these form the first six books of the Saiva canon, collected by Nambi Andar Nambi in the tenth century. Sundarar wrote Tiruttondartokai which gives the list of sixty-two Nayanmars. This was later elaborated by Sekkilar in his Periyapuranam(4272 verses). Manikkavasagar, who lived around the eight century CE was a minister in the Pandya court. His Tiruvasakam consisting of over 600 verses is noted for its passionate devotion.

Along with the Saiva Nayanmars, Vaishnava Alvars were also producing devotional hymns and their songs were collected later into the Four Thousand Sacred Hymns (Naalayira Divyap Prabhandham). The three earliest Alvars were Poygai, Pudam and Pey. Each of these wrote one hundred Venpas. Tirumalisai Alwar who was a contemporary of the Pallava Mahendravarman I wrote such works as Naanmugantiruvadiandadi. Tirumangai Alvar who lived in the eighth century CE was a more prolific writer and his works constitute about a third of the Diyaprabhandam. Periyalvar and his adopted daughter Andal contributed nearly 650 hymns to the Vaishnava canon. Andal symbolised purity and love for the God and wrote her hymns addressing Vishnu as a lover. The hymn of Andal which starts with Vaaranam Aayiram (One Thousand Elephants) tells of her dream wedding to Vishnu and is sung even today at Tamil Vaishnava weddings. Nammalvar, who lived in the ninth century, wrote Tiruvaimoli. It comprises 1,101 stanzas and is held in great esteem for its elucidation of the Upanishads. This corpus was collected by Nathamuni, around 950 CE and formed the classical and vernacular basis for Sri Vaishnavism.

Narrative epics

Cilappatikaram is one of the outstanding works of general literature of this period. The authorship and exact date of the classic Cilappatikaram are not definitely known. Ilango Adigal, who is credited with this work was reputed to be the brother of the Sangam age Chera king Senguttuvan. However we have no information of such a brother in the numerous poems sung on the Chera king. The Cilappatikaram is unique in its vivid portrayal of the ancient Tamil land. This is unknown in other works of this period. Cilappatikaram and its companion epic Manimekalai are Buddhist in philosophy. Manimekalai was written by Sattanar who was a contemporary of Ilango Adigal. Manimekalai contains a long exposition of fallacies of logic which is considered to be based on the fifth century Sanskrit work Nyayapravesa by Dinnag.[7] Kongu Velir, a Jain author wrote Perunkathai based on the Sanskrit Brihat-katha. Valayapathi and Kundalakesi are the names of two other narrative poems of this period written by a Jain and a Buddhist author respectively. These works have been lost and only a few poems of Valayapathi have been found so far.

Medieval literature

The medieval period was the period of the Imperial Cholas when the entire south India was under a single administration. The period between the eleventh and the thirteenth centuries, during which the Chola power was at its peak, there were relatively few foreign incursions and the life for the Tamil people was one of peace and prosperity. It also provided the opportunity for the people to interact with cultures beyond their own, as the Cholas ruled over most of the South India, Sri Lanka and traded with the kingdoms in southeast Asia. The Cholas built numerous temples, mainly for their favourite god Siva, and these were celebrated in numerous hymns. The Prabhanda became the dominant form of poetry. The religious canons of Saiva and Vaishnava sects were beginning to be systematically collected and categorised. Nambi Andar Nambi, who was a contemporary of Rajaraja Chola I, collected and arranged the books on Saivism into eleven books called Tirumurais. The hagiology of Saivism was standardised in Periyapuranam (also known as Tiruttondar Puranam) by Sekkilar, who lived during the reign of Kulothunga Chola II (1133 – 1150 CE). Religious books on the Vaishnava sect were mostly composed in Sanskrit during this period. The great Vaishnava leader Ramanuja lived during the reigns of Athirajendra Chola and Kulothunga Chola I, and had to face religious persecution from the Cholas who belonged to the Saiva sect. One of the best know Tamil work of this period is the Ramavatharam by Kamban who flourished during the reign of Kulottunga III. Ramavatharam is the greatest epic in Tamil Literature, and although the author states that he followed Valmiki, his work is not a mere translation or even an adaptation of the Sanskrit epic. Kamban imports into his narration the colour and landscape of his own time. A contemporary of Kamban was the famous poetess Auvaiyar who found great happiness in writing for young children. Her works, Athichoodi and Konraiventhan are even now generally read and taught in schools in Tamil Nadu. Her two other works, Mooturai and Nalvali were written for slightly older children. All the four works are didactic in character. They explain the basic wisdom that should govern mundane life.

Of the books on the Buddhist and the Jain faiths, the most noteworthy is the Jivaka-chintamani by the Jain ascetic Thirutakkadevar composed in the tenth century. Viruttam style of poetry was used for the first time for the verses in this book. The five Tamil epics Jivaka-chintamani, Cilappatikaram, Manimekalai, Kundalakesi and Valayapathi are collectively known as the The Five Great Epics of Tamil Literature. There were a number of books written on Tamil grammar. Yapperungalam and Yapperungalakkarigai were two works on prosody by the Jain ascetic Amirtasagara. Buddamitra wrote Virasoliyam, another work on Tamil grammar, during the reign of Virarajendra Chola. Virasoliyam attempts to find synthesis between Sanskrit and Tamil grammar. Other grammatical works of this period are Nannul by Pavanandi, Vaccanandi Malai by Neminatha, and the annotations on the puram theme, Purapporul Venpamalai by Aiyanaridanar.

There were biographical and political works such as Jayamkondar's Kalingattupparani, a semi-historical account on the two invasion of Kalinga by Kulothunga Chola I. Jayamkondar was a poet-laureate in the Chola court and his work is a fine example of the balance between fact and fiction the poets had to tread. Ottakuttan, a close contemporary of Kambar, wrote three Ulas on Vikrama Chola, Kulothunga Chola II and Rajaraja Chola II.

Vijayanagar and Nayak period

The period from 1300 CE to 1650 was a period of constant change in the political situation of Tamil Nadu. The Tamil country was invaded by the armies of the Delhi Sultanate and defeated the Pandya kingdom. The collapse of the Delhi Sultanate triggered the rise of the Bahmani Sultans in the Deccan. Vijayanagar empire rose from the ashes of the kingdoms of Hoysalas and Chalukyas and eventually conquered the entire south India. The Vijayanagar kings appointed regional governors to rule various territories of their kingdom and Tamil Nadu was ruled by the Madurai Nayaks, Thanjavur Nayaks and Gingee Nayaks. This period saw a large output of philosophical works, commentaries, epics and devotional poems. A number of monasteries (Mathas) were established by the various Hindu sects and these began to play a prominent role in educating the people. Numerous authors were of either the Saiva or the Vaishnava sects. The Vijayanagar kings and their Nayak governors were ardent Hindus and they patronised these mathas. Although the kings and the governors of the Vijayanagar empire spoke Kannada and Telugu they encouraged the growth of Tamil literature as we find no slowing down in the literary output during this period.

There was a large output of works of philosophical and religious in nature, such as the Sivananabodam by Meykandar. At the end of the fourteenth century Svarupananda Desikar worte two anthologies on the philosophy os Advaita, the Sivaprakasapperundirattu. Arunagirinatha who lived in Tiruvannamalai in the fourteenth century wrote Tiruppugal. Around 1,360 verses of unique lilt and set to unique metres these poems are on the god Muruga. Madai Tiruvengadunathar, an official in the court of the Madurai Nayak, wrote Meynanavilakkam on the Advaita Vedanta. Sivaprakasar, in the early seventeenth century wrote a number of works on the Saiva philosophy. Notable among these is the Nanneri which deals with moral instructions. A considerable par to the religious and philosophical literature of the age took the form of Puranas or narrative epics. A number of these were written on the various deities of the temples in Tamil Nadu and are known as Sthala Puranas, based on legend and folklore. One of the most important of the epics was the Mahabharatam by Villiputturar. He translated Vyasa's epic into Tamil and named it Villibharatam. Kanthapuranam on the god Murugan was written by Kacchiappa Sivachariyar who lived in the fifteenth century. This work was based broadly on the Sanskrit Skandapurana. Varatungarama Pandya, a Pandya king of the period was a littérateur of merit and wrote Paditrruppattanthathi. He also translated into Tamil the erotic book known as Kokkoha from Sanskrit.

This period also an age of many commentaries of ancient Tamil works. Adiyarkunallar wrote an annotation on Cilappatikaram. Senavaraiyar wrote a commentary on the Tolkappiyam. Then came the famous Parimelalagar whose commentary on the Tirukural is still considered one of the best available. Other famous annotators such as Perasiriyar and Naccinarikiniyar wrote commentaries on the various work of Sangam literature. The first Tamil dictionary was attempted by Mandalapurusha who compiled the lexicon Nigandu Cudamani. Thayumanavar, who lived in the early eighteenth century, is famous for a number of short poems of philosophical nature.

The seventeenth century also saw for the first time literary works by Muslim and Christian authors. The population of Muslims and Christians were growing in Tamil Nadu with the influences of the Delhi Sultanate and the growing European missionaries. Syed Khader known in Tamil as Sithaakkathi, lived in the seventeenth century and was a great patron of all Tamil poets. He commissioned the creation of a biography on the Islamic prophet Muhammad. Omar known in Tamil as Umarupulavar, wrote Seerapuranam on the life of Muhammad.[8] Costanzo Giuseppe Beschi (1680-1746), better known as Veeramamunivar, compiled the first dictionary in Tamil. His Chathurakarathi was the first to list the Tamil words in alphabetical order. Veeramamunivar is also remembered for his Christian theological epic Thembavani on the life and teaching of Jesus Christ.

Modern era

During the eighteenth and the nineteenth century Tamil Nadu witnessed some of the most profound changes in the political scene. The traditional Tamil ruling clans were superseded by European colonists and their sympathisers. The Tamil society underwent a deep cultural shock with the imposition of western cultural influences. The Hindu religious establishments attempted to stem the tide of change and to safeguard the Tamil cultural values. Notable among these were the Saiva monasteries at Tiruvavaduthurai, Dharmapuram, Thiruppananthal and Kundrakudi. Meenakshisundaram Pillai (1815-1876) was a Tamil scholar who taught Tamil at one of these monasteries. He wrote more than eighty books consisting of over 200,000 poems.[citation needed] He is more famous however for encouraging U.V.Swaminatha Iyer to go search for Tamil books that have been lost for centuries. Gopalakrishna Bharathi lived during the early nineteenth century. He wrote numerous poems and lyrics set to tune in Carnatic music. His most famous work is the Nandan Charitam on the life of Nandanar who having been born in a sociologically lower caste, faces and overcomes the social obstacles in achieving his dream of visiting the Chidambaram temple. This work is a revolutionary social commentary considering the period in which it was written, although Gopalakrishna Bharati expanded on the story in Periyapuranam. Ramalinga Adigal (Vallalar) (1823-1874) wrote the devotional poem Tiruvarutpa is considered to be a work of great beauty and simplicity. Maraimalai Adigal (1876-1950) advocated for the purity of Tamil and wanted to clean it of words with Sanskrit influences. One of the great Tamil poets of this period was Subramanya Bharathi. His works are stimulating in their progressive themes like freedom and feminism. Bharathy introduced a new poetic style into the somewhat rigid style of Tamil poetry writing, which had followed the rules set down in the Tolkaappiyam. His puthukkavithai (Lit.:new poetry) broke the rules and gave poets the freedom to express themselves. He also wrote Tamil prose in the form of commentaries, editorials, short stories and novels. Some of these were published in the Tamil daily Swadesamitran and in his Tamil weekly India. Inspired by Bharathi, many poets resorted to poetry as a means of reform. Bharathidasan was one such poet. U.V.Swaminatha Iyer, was instrumental in the revival of interest in the Sangam age literature in Tamil Nadu. He travelled all over the Tamil country, collecting, deciphering and publishing ancient books such as Cilappatikaram, Kuruntokai, etc. He published over 90 books and wrote En caritham, an autobiography.

Tamil novel

The novel as a genre of literature arrived in Tamil in the third quarter of nineteenth century, more than a century after it became popular with English writers. Its emergence was perhaps facilitated by the growing population of Tamils with a western education and exposure to popular English fiction. Mayuram Vedanayagam Pillai wrote the first Tamil novel Prathapa Mudaliar Charithram in 1879. This was a romance with an assortment of fables, folk tales and even Greek and Roman stories, written with the entertainment of the reader as the principal motive. It was followed by Kamalambal Charitram by B.R. Rajam Iyer in 1893 and Padmavathi Charitram by A. Madhaviah in 1898. These two portray the life of Brahmins in 19th century rural Tamil Nadu, capturing their customs and habits, beliefs and rituals. Although it was primarily a powerful narration of the common man's life in a realistic style spiced with natural humour, Rajam Iyer's novel has a spiritual and philosophical undertone. Madhaviah tells the story in a more realistic way with a searching criticism of the upper caste society, particularly the sexual exploitation of girls by older men.Mr.D.Jayakanthan - the real trend setter in modern day Tamil novels.He has not only enriched the high traditions of literary traditions of Tamil language but has also made outstanding contribution towards the shaping of Indian literature. His literature presents a deep and sensitive understanding of complex human nature and is an authentic and vivid index of Indian reality. His famous novel Sila Nerangalil Sila Manithargal notable one.

Since the 1990s, a number of experimental and avant-garde Tamil writers have emerged as major figures, including Charu Nivedita, whose fractured narratives are often full of graphic sex and violence, and Konangi, who mixes classical Tamil inflections with experimental sound poetry.

Periodicals

The increasing demand of the literate public caused a number of journals and periodicals to be published and these in turn provided a platform for authors to publish their work. Rajavritti Bodhini and Dina Varthamani in 1855 and Salem Pagadala Narasimhalu Naidu's fornightlies, Salem Desabhimini in 1878 and Coimbatore Kalanidhi in 1880, were the earliest Tamil journals. In 1882, G. Subramaniya Iyer started the newspaper Swadesamitran. It became the first Tamil daily in 1899. This was the start of many journals to follow and many novelists began to serialise their stories in these journal. The humour magazine Ananda Vikatan started by S.S. Vasan in 1929 was to help create some of the greatest Tamil novelists. Kalki Krishnamurthy (1899-1954) serialised his short stories and novels in Ananda Vikatan and eventually started his own weekly Kalki for which he wrote the enduringly popular novels Parthiban Kanavu, Sivagamiyin Sabadham and Ponniyin Selvan. Pudhumaipithan (1906-1948) was a great writer of short stories and provided the inspiration for a number of authors who followed him. The 'new poetry or pudukkavithai pioneered by Bharathi in his prose-poetry was further developed by the literary periodicals manikkodi and ezhuttu (edited by Si Su Chellappa). Poets such as Mu Metha contributed to these periodicals. Tamil Christian poets also added to the body of Tamil literature. Tamil Muslim poets like Pavalar Inqulab and Rokkiah too have made significant contributions to social reforms. The pioneering fortnightly ournal Samarasam was established in 1981 to highlight and cater to the ethnic Tamil Muslim community's issues. Another remarkable work was done in Tamil novel field by Mu.Varatharasanar.[Agal vilakku] [Karithundu]. And last but not least Akilan the unique Tamil novelist,short story writer and a social activist is famous for his works like 'Chithirapavai' 'Vengayinmaindan' 'Pavaivilaku'.

Popular Fiction

Crime and detective fiction has enjoyed wide popularity in Tamil Nadu since the 1930s. Popular authors in the years before independence included Kurumbur Kuppusami and Vaduvur Duraisami Iyengar. In the 1950s and 60s, Tamilvanan's detective hero Shankarlal carried readers to a variety of foreign locales, while using a pure Tamil with very few Hindi or English loan words. From the 1980s to the present, leading authors include Subha, Pattukkottai Prabakar and Rajesh Kumar (who also writes science fiction and other genres). These writers are often extremely prolific, with hundreds or even thousands of short novels to their credit, and one or more short novel published in a monthly periodical. Indra Soundar Rajan, another popular modern author, writes supernatural crime thrillers usually based around Hindu mythology.

In the 1950s and 60s, Chandilyan wrote a number of very popular historical romance novels set in medieval India or on medieval trade routes with Malaysia, Indonesia and Europe.

Modern romance novels are represented by the current bestselling author in the Tamil language, Ramanichandran.

Though sales of Tamil pulp fiction have declined since the hey-day of the mid-1990s, and many writers have turned to the more lucrative television serial market, there remains a thriving scene.

The Hindu & N Ram play for China | ‘சீன நலனை முன்னெடுக்கிறார் இந்து ராம்’

2009-11-04T08:43:00.001+05:30

The Hindu & N Ram play for China | ‘சீன நலனை முன்னெடுக்கிறார் இந்து ராம்’

ஈழ விடுதலைக்கு எதிராகவும், ராஜபக்சேவி்ற்கு ஆதரவாகவும், அதே நேரத்தில் திபெத்தியர்களின் போராட்டத்திற்கு எதிராகவும் தனது நாளிதழில் செய்திகளையும், கட்டுரைகளையும் தீட்டும் தி இந்து நாளேட்டின் ஆசிரியர் என். ராம், சீன நாட்டின் நலனை கருத்தில் கொண்டே செயல்படுகிறார் என்று மே 17 இயக்கம் நடத்திய கருத்தரங்கில் குற்றம் சாற்றப்பட்டது.

‘தி இந்து நாளிதழும், அதன் ஆசிரியர் என்.ராமும் வாசகர்களை ஏமாற்றுவது ஏன், ஊடகங்களின் பொறுப்பு’ என்ற தலைப்பில் ஞாயிற்றுக் கிழமை சென்னை தியாகராயர் நகர், வெங்கடநாராயணா சாலையில் உள்ள தேவநாயகம் பள்ளியில் மே 17 இயக்கம் கருத்தரங்கத்தை நடத்தியது.

தமிழர்கள், ஈழத் தமிழர்கள் தொடர்பான பிரச்சனைகளில் உண்மையை மறைத்து எப்படியெல்லாம் தி இந்து கட்டுரை எழுதியது என்பதை இந்தக் கருத்தரங்கில் பேசிய ஒவ்வொருவரும் ஆதாரத்துடன் எடுத்துரைத்தனர்.

இக்கருத்தரங்கை ஏற்பாடு செய்த மே 17 இயக்கத்தைச் சேர்ந்த ஜி. திருமுருகன், இந்தியாவை நேசித்த ஈழத் தமிழர்கள் சிறிலங்க இனவெறி அரசால் திட்டமிட்டுப் படுகொலை செய்யப்பட்டதனால், அவர்களின் கட்டுப்பாட்டில் இருந்த இலங்கையின் கடற்பகுதி இந்தியாவிற்கு எதிரான சீனா போன்ற சக்திகள் ஆதிக்கம் செலுத்துவதற்கான வாய்ப்பை ஏற்படுத்திவிட்டது என்று கூறினார்.

தமிழீழ விடுதலைப் புலிகளை இந்தியாவின் உதவியைப் பெற்று ஒழித்த சீனா, தென்னிலங்கையில் இராணுவ முக்கியத்துவம் வாய்ந்த ஹம்பன்தோட்டா துறைமுகத்தை சீனாவிற்குத் தாரை வார்த்து, அதனை நன்கு காலூன்ற இடமளித்துவிட்டது. இது மட்டுமின்றி, இலங்கையின் மற்ற இடங்களிலும் சீனா பலமாகக் காலூன்றி வருகிறது” என்று கூறிய திருமுருகன், சீனா அமைத்துள்ள தளத்தில் இருந்து 100 கி.மீ. தூரத்திற்கு உட்பட்டுத்தான் கூடங்குளம் அணு மின் நிலையம் உள்ளது என்று கூறினார்.

இந்தியா, சீனா எல்லைப் பிரச்சனையில் சீனத்தின் பக்கம் சார்ந்த தி இந்து எழுதி வருகிறது என்று குற்றம் சாற்றிய திருமுருகன், இந்தியாவை 20, 30 துண்டுகளாக உடைக்க வேண்டும் என்று சீனத்தின் சர்வதேச இராணுவ ஆய்வு மையம் தனது இணையத்தளத்தில் எழுதியபோது அது குறித்து தி இந்து எந்தணச் செய்தியையும் வெளியிடாதது மட்டுமின்றி, அதுகுறித்து சீனா அரசு கருத்தேதும் கூறாத நிலையில், அதனை ‘அதிகப்படியான கருத்துக் கூறல்’ என்று கூறி தி இந்து அதனை சாதாரணமாகக் குறிப்பிட்டதைச் சுட்டிக் காட்டினார்.

தி இந்து நாளேடு தொடர்ந்து ஆதரித்து எழுதிவந்த சிறிலங்க அரசு தனது நாட்டு மக்கள் மீதே தொடுத்தப் போரில் எப்படிப்பட்ட போர்க் குற்றங்களையும், மனித உரிமை மீறல்களிலும் ஈடுபட்டது என்பதை அமெரிக்க அயலுறவு அமைச்சகம் தயாரித்த அறிக்கையை மேற்கோள் காட்டி விவரித்தார் இந்தியக் கடற்படையில் பணியாற்றி ஓய்வு பெற்ற லெப்டினென்ட் எம். சுப்ரமணியம்.

மனிதாபிமானமும், உண்மை கூறல் வேண்டு்ம் என்ற நேர்மை சற்றும் இன்றி எவ்வாறு ஒவ்வொரு பிரச்சனையிலும் தி இந்து நாளிதழ் தான்தோன்றித்தனமாக நடந்துகொண்டது என்பதை தமிழ்.வெப்துனியா.காம் இணையத் தளத்தின் ஆசிரியர் கா.அய்யநாதன் ஆதாரங்களுடன் அம்பலப்படுத்தினார்.

உலகமே அதிர்ச்சியுற்ற செஞ்சோலைப் படுகொலையை கண்டுக்காதது, போர் நிறுத்தம் கோரி தமிழ்நாட்டின் அரசியல் கட்சிகள் போராடியபோது அதனை தமிழ் வெறித்தனம் என்று சித்தரித்தது, பாலஸ்தீன விடுதலைப் போரையும், ஹமாஸ் இயகத்தையும் சரியாக தனது செய்திகளில் குறிப்பிட்ட அதே நேரத்தில், ஈழ மக்களின் விடுதலைப் போராட்டத்தை கொச்சைப்படுத்தியதும், தமிழீழ விடுதலைப் போராளிகளை பயங்கரவாதிகள் என்று தொடர்ந்து உண்மையை மறைத்து எழுதி வந்தததையும் எடுத்துக்காட்டிய அய்யநாதன், கச்சத் தீவுப் பிரச்சனையில் எப்படியெல்லாம் உண்மையை மறைத்து, தமிழ் மீனவர் நலனை கேவலப்படுத்தி எழுதியது தி இந்து என்று ஆதாரத்துடன் சுட்டிக்காட்டி அம்பலப்படுத்தினார்.

இறுதியாக உரையாற்றிய திபெத் விடுதலைப் போராளி டென்சிங், இந்தியாவின் பாதுகாப்பிற்கும், நலனிற்கும் திபெத் விடுதலைப் பெறுவதன் அவசியத்தை தெளிவாக எடுத்துரைத்தார்.

இந்தியாவின் நிலப்பரப்பில் மூன்றில் இரண்டு பங்கு நிலப்பரப்புடைய திபெத்தும், அதன் மக்களும் இந்தியாவின் இயற்கையான நண்பர்களாக வரலாற்றுக் காலத்திலிருந்து திகழ்ந்து வருகின்றனர் என்று கூறினார்.

இந்தியாவை வளப்படுத்தும் ஜீவ நதிகளான கங்கை, யமுனை, பிரம்புத்திரா ஆகியன திபெத்தில் உருவாவது மட்டுமின்றி, இந்துக்கள் மிகப் புனிதமான இடமாக கருதும் கைலாயமும், மானசரோவர் நதியும் திபெத்தில் உள்ளதையும், ஆனால் திபெத் சீனத்தின் ஆக்கிரமிப்பில் உள்ளதால் அங்கு இந்தியர்கள் அனைவரும் சென்றுவர முடியாத நிலை உள்ளது என்றும் கூறினார்.

இந்தியாவின் தெற்கிலுள்ள ஈழத்து விடுதலைப் போராட்டமும், வடக்கில் உள்ள திபெத்தின் விடுதலைப் போராட்டமும் ஒன்றிணைவது காலத்தின் அவசியம் என்றும் டென்சிங் கூறினார்.

இந்நிகழ்ச்சியில் தி இந்து நாளிதழின் உண்மைக்குப் புறம்பான போக்கை விமர்சித்து பத்திரிக்கையாளர்களும், வரலாற்றாளர்களும் எழுதிய கட்டுரைகளின் தொகுப்பான ‘பத்திரிக்கை அறமும் இந்து என்.ராமும்’ என்ற புத்தகம் வெளியிடப்பட்டது.

இப்புத்தகத்தை முதுபெரும் பத்திரிக்கையாளரும், பெரியார் திராவிடர் கழகத்தின் பொதுச் செயலருமான விடுதலை இராசேந்திரன் வெளியிட, அதனை டென்சிங் பெற்றுக் கொண்டார்.

இந்நிகழ்ச்சியில் ஏராளமான பொதுமக்கள் கலந்து கொண்டனர்.

Voice

2009-06-20T15:25:00.000+05:30

What is voice?

We rely on our voices to inform, persuade, and connect with other people. Your voice is as unique as your fingerprint. Many people you know use their voices all day long, day in and day out. Singers, teachers, doctors, lawyers, nurses, sales people, and public speakers are among those who make great demands on their voices. Unfortunately, these individuals are most prone to experiencing voice problems. It is believed that 7.5 million people have diseases or disorders of voice. Some of these disorders can be avoided by taking care of your voice.

What are some causes of voice problems?

Causes of vocal problems may include upper respiratory infections, inflammation caused by acid reflux, vocal misuse and abuse, vocal nodules or laryngeal papillomatosis (growths), laryngeal cancer, neuromuscular diseases (such as spasmodic dysphonia or vocal cord paralysis), and psychogenic conditions due to psychological trauma. Keep in mind that most voice problems are reversible and can be successfully treated when diagnosed early.

How do you know when your voice is not healthy?

* Has your voice become hoarse or raspy?
* Have you lost your ability to hit some high notes when singing?
* Does your voice suddenly sound deeper?
* Does your throat often feel raw, achy, or strained?
* Has it become an effort to talk?
* Do you find yourself repeatedly clearing your throat?

If you answer "yes" to any of these questions, you may be experiencing a voice problem. You should consult a doctor. An otolaryngologist (oh-toe-lar- in-GAH-luh- jist) is the physician and surgeon who specializes in diseases or disorders of the ears, nose, and throat. He or she can determine the underlying cause of your voice problem. The professional who can help you with improving the use of your voice and avoiding vocal abuse is a speech-language pathologist.

Tips to Prevent Voice Problems

* Limit your intake of drinks that include alcohol or caffeine. These act as diuretics (substances that increase urination) and cause the body to lose water. This loss of fluids dries out the voice. Alcohol also irritates the mucous membranes that line the throat.

* Drink plenty of water. Six to eight glasses a day is recommended.

* Don't smoke and avoid second-hand smoke. Cancer of the vocal folds is seen most often in individuals who smoke.

* Practice good breathing techniques when singing or talking. It is important to support your voice with deep breaths from the diaphragm, the wall that separates your chest and abdomen. Singers and speakers are often taught exercises that improve this breath control. Talking from the throat, without supporting breath, puts a great strain on the voice.

* Avoid eating spicy foods. Spicy foods can cause stomach acid to move into the throat or esophagus (reflux).

* Use a humidifier in your home. This is especially important in winter or in dry climates. Thirty percent humidity is recommended.

* Try not to overuse your voice. Avoid speaking or singing when your voice is hoarse.

* Wash your hands often to prevent colds and flu.

* Include plenty of whole grains, fruits, and vegetables in your diet. These foods contain vitamins A, E, and C. They also help keep the mucus membranes that line the throat healthy.

* Do not cradle the phone when talking. Cradling the phone between the head and shoulder for extended periods of time can cause muscle tension in the neck.

* Exercise regularly. Exercise increases stamina and muscle tone. This helps provide good posture and breathing, which are necessary for proper speaking.

* Get enough rest. Physical fatigue has a negative effect on voice.

* Avoid talking in noisy places. Trying to talk above noise causes strain on the voice.

* Avoid mouthwash or gargles that contain alcohol or irritating chemicals. If you still wish to use a mouthwash that contains alcohol, limit your use to oral rinsing. If gargling is necessary, use a salt water solution.

* Avoid using mouthwash to treat persistent bad breath. Halitosis (bad breath) may be the result of a problem that mouthwash can't cure, such as low grade infections in the nose, sinuses, tonsils, gums, or lungs, as well as from gastric reflux from the stomach.

* Consider using a microphone. In relatively static environments such as exhibit areas, classrooms, or exercise rooms, a lightweight microphone and an amplifier-speaker system can be of great help.

* Consider voice therapy. A speech-language pathologist who is experienced in treating voice problems can provide education on healthy use of the voice and instruction in proper voice techniques.

Medical Benefits of Honey and Cinnamon..

2009-06-12T09:37:00.002+05:30

It is found that a mixture of honey and cinnamon cures most Diseases. Honey is produced in most of the countries of the world. Scientists of today also accept honey as a "Ram Ban" (very effective) medicine for all kinds of diseases. Honey can be used without any side Effects for any kind of diseases.

Today's science says that even though honey is sweet, if taken in the right dosage as a medicine, it does not harm diabetic patients. Weekly World News, a Magazine in Canada , on its issue dated 17 January, 1995 has given the following list of diseases that can be cured by honey and cinnamon as researched by western scientists

HEART DISEASES:

Make a paste of honey and cinnamon powder, apply on bread, instead of jelly and jam, and eat it regularly for breakfast. It reduces the cholesterol in the arteries and saves the patient from heart attack. Also, those who have already had an attack, if they do this Process daily they are kept miles away from the next attack. Regular use of the above process relieves loss of breath and strengthens the heart beat. In America and Canada , various nursing homes have treated patients successfully and have found that as you age, the arteries and veins lose their flexibility and get clogged; honey and cinnamon revitalize the arteries and veins.

ARTHRITIS:

Arthritis patients may take daily, morning, and night, One cup of hot water with two spoons of honey and one small teaspoon of cinnamon powder. If taken regularly even chronic arthritis can be cured. In a recent research conducted at the Copenhagen University, it was found that when the doctors treated their patients with a mixture of one tablespoon honey and half teaspoon Cinnamon powder before breakfast, They found that within a week, out of the 200 people So treated, practically 73 patients were totally relieved of pain, and within a month, mostly all the patients who could not walk or move around because of arthritis started walking without pain.

BLADDER INFECTIONS:

Take two tablespoons of cinnamon powder and one teaspoon of honey in a glass of lukewarm water and drink it. It destroys the germs in thebladder.

TOOTHACHE:

Make a paste of one teaspoon of cinnamon powder and five teaspoons of honey and apply on the aching tooth. This may be applied three times a day until the tooth stops aching.

CHOLESTEROL:

Two tablespoons of honey and three teaspoons of cinnamon powder mixed in 16 ounces of tea water, given to a cholesterol patient were found to reduce the level of cholesterol in the blood by 10 percent within two hours. As mentioned for arthritic patients, if taken three times a day, any chronic cholesterol is cured. According to information received in the said Journal, pure honey taken with food daily relieves complaints of cholesterol. By the way, if you're taking cholesterol medicine, STOP! They all contain STATIN which weaken your muscles...including YOUR HEART and none has been shown to stop heart attacks or strokes!!!!= 20

COLDS:

Those suffering from common or severe colds should take one tablespoon lukewarm honey with 1/4 spoon cinnamon powder daily for three days. This process will cure most chronic cough, cold, and clear the sinuses.

UPSET STOMACH:

Honey taken with cinnamon powder cures stomach ache and also clears stomach ulcers from the root.

GAS:

According to the studies done in India and Japan , it is revealed that if honey is taken with cinnamon powder the stomach is relieved of gas.

IMMUNE SYSTEM:

Daily use of honey and cinnamon powder strengthens the immune system and protects the body from bacterial and viral attacks. Scientists have found that honey has various vitamins and iron in large amounts. Constant Use of honey strengthens the white blood corpuscles to fight bacterial and viral diseases.

Tips for Better Life

2009-05-06T10:01:00.004+05:30

1. Take a 10-30 minutes walk everyday. And while you walk, smile.
2. Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day.
3. Sleep for 7 hours.
4. Live with the 3 E's -- Energy, enthusiasm, and Empathy.
5. Play more games.
6. Read more books.
7. Make time to practice meditation, yoga, and prayer. They provide us with daily fuel for our busy lives.
8. Spend time with people over the age of 70 & under the age of 6.
9. Dream more while you are awake.
10. Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants and eat less food that is manufactured in plants.
11. Drink plenty of water.
12. Try to make at least three people smile each day.
13. Don't waste your precious energy on gossip.
14. Forget issues of the past. Don't remind your partner with his/her mistakes of the past. That will ruin your present happiness.
15. Don't have negative thoughts or things you cannot control. Instead invest your energy in the positive present moment.
16. Realize that life is a school and you are here to learn. Problems are simply part of the curriculum that appear and fade away like algebra class but the lessons you learn will last a lifetime.
17. Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a beggar.
18. Smile and laugh more.
19. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone. Don't hate others.
20. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
21. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.
22. Make peace with your past so it won't spoil the present.
23. Don't compare your life to others'. You have no idea what their journey is all about. Don't compare your partner with others.
24. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.
25. Forgive everyone for everything.
26. What other people think of you is none of your business.
27. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
28. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick.Your friends will.Stay in touch.
29. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.
30. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
31. The best is yet to come.
32. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
33. Do the right thing!
34. Call your family often.
35. Your inner most is always happy. So be happy.
36. Each day give something good to others.
37. Don't over do. Keep your limits.

How to work Smart, Not Hard

2009-04-09T12:21:00.001+05:30

Working smarter, not harder, is an age-old adage, and if you master the concept, your entire working life will be easier. There are simple techniques that you can employ to save steps and tedium from almost any task.

Steps

Assess everything that needs to be done. Before you plunge in headfirst, remember that enthusiasm needs to be tempered with wisdom. Look over every aspect of the job, and allow yourself ample "pondering time" so that you can be sure that every detail is accomplished on time, and accurately.
Make an outline. Whether it's in your head or on paper, you should have a checklist in mind, and follow it to the letter, and in order - you don't want to repeat steps, duplicate the efforts of others, or make mistakes. Also, you definitely don't want to forget anything.
Consider your materials. Don't take shortcuts, when possible, on the quality of your materials. Cheap materials are harder to work with, because they aren't as sturdy or nice. Because they're harder to work with, they take longer to bend to your will. Remember that working smart means thinking about these things - in most jobs, the materials aren't where the majority of the costs are. It's the labor - the time needed to complete the job - that costs the company more money. Using inexpensive materials where they are easily installed makes sense. Trying to save a few bucks but spending an extra hour or two because those cheap things didn't install properly doesn't make any sense at all.
Follow your plan and don't deviate from it - unless you must. Once you've assessed the job and come up with a plan, it's usually best to stick with the plan. However, things come up: a part doesn't fit, or it turns out it's not the best item for the job, someone gets sick, all sorts of emergencies can throw a wrench into your plan. Be prepared to think on your feet, and be resourceful. Nimble thinking is essential to working smart, especially when something goes wrong. Following a plan slavishly, in spite of new information, developments, or problems is just plain dumb. Be flexible and change if you need to.
Delegate to the right people at the right times. Make sure your team is well-ordered. If one person is faster, put him or her on the part of your task that will take longest. If one person is more skilled and accurate, put him or her on the part of the task that is most critical.
Work parallel. This means that there may be four or five, for example, components to your job. Let's say you are a design and display company creating a display for a county fair. Your client wants a combination of signs, banners, flyers, and brochures, along with a booth design. You set your best designer in motion to design the copy and look of things, but meanwhile, you assign someone to procure what essential supplies you will need. So far, you could be having one of your people contact printers to get pricing for the number of flyers and/or brochures your client wants, and another to take an inventory of what sign and banner materials you already have on hand - vinyl or paint colors, banner sizes, pre-cut blanks. This way, once the client meeting is complete and you have a good idea of what is going into the installation, you can match it to your inventory and see if there are things on hand that you can use to get started, while someone else goes and gets the things you still need.
Control clients by
communicating properly. Many times, it's hard to work smart because your clients will insist that their job is a big rush. Instead of scrambling to get that job done, make sure your clients understand in the initial meeting what your normal turnaround time for their job would be. If you know you will need two weeks, don't let the client squeeze you into one week unless that client is willing to pay extra for the rush. Most businesses have more than one client, yet many clients forget that their job is not the only one you're working on.

Stick to your policies. If you charge extra to rush a job, don't deviate from that, ever. It's unfair to apply policies to some customers and not others. When one client comes in and is very pushy, feeling entitled to your undivided attention immediately, often, you can simply say something like, "Sure, we can rush the job for you, but I need to let you know that it will cost extra - probably as much as 50% more than the original quote, for the rush." It's amazing how quickly this type of client stands down, saying, "Oh, forget that - it's not that big a rush. We can wait." Just let them know that you are willing to rush their jobs, but by doing so, you must move other customers who were "in line" before them out of the way - causing you to run those jobs behind. Plus, you need different workers to complete different jobs, and rushing requires you to pay them overtime, rather than allowing more time to complete the job during regular hours. This is smart - it lets your clients know that you really know your stuff, plus it relieves your schedule or makes you more money.
Give one to three choices - never more. Handing a swatch book to a client and saying, "Tell me which colors you are interested in" is deadly. Too many choices will cause horrible delays as the customer peruses ALL possibilities, and later tends to second-guess every decision, wanting to see it now "In green?" or how about "In this chartreuse? It's just a shade different, but..." Oy. Instead, say things like, "Do you like this blue or this green better?" Lots of the jobs you do will instantly suggest certain tools, colors, approaches, materials, etc. You can also attempt to influence the client in the direction you think best for his purpose. Use your expertise to narrow down the critical choices right away: "We can paint, which will be expensive to fix when it weathers, about 3 - 5 years from now, or we can use 5-year vinyl, or 10-year vinyl for the letters. The best stuff only costs a few dollars more."

Never willingly trap yourself into accepting a bad job. You know when a job is going to be great. You also know when you get that "uh-oh" feeling that something is not right. A client or boss who pressures you into areas where you are not comfortable, either because it is an unreasonable expectation or because it's outside your scope needs to be aware immediately of your discomfort with the job as proposed. Make any misgivings clear instantly, and in front of others, if possible. If you are self-employed, declining a job like this is much smarter, even though it's so hard to let that money go when you depend on every job for your livelihood. Still, a client who doesn't pay because you didn't adhere to every jot and tittle of his demands (and some are just breathtakingly demanding) is not a good customer in the end, and if you work for hours and end up not being paid all or part of what you worked for - especially when you were sweating bullets over it the whole time - is not smart. And it's the hardest work you'll ever do.
Work as hard and as efficiently as possible, and finish each job as quickly as you can. Hit every job with everything you've got. Getting it done quickly and efficiently - while you have the time - is much smarter than looking at the schedule and telling yourself you have three more days to get it done, and then going to a long lunch or off to play tennis or whatever. You don't know what will happen tomorrow - you might come down with the flu. Figuring that you will need only one day to complete that job if nothing goes wrong and then sitting on it just because you can is dumb. If you end up getting sick, you might not even be well enough to finish on time, let alone early. Running out the clock on jobs when you don't absolutely need to can force a rush at the finish line, or worse, deprives you of opportunities you might not have otherwise.

Example: you're the self-employed designer mentioned above. Today is Wednesday. You have a big job due for Client A on Friday. You know the job will only take about 8 hours if all goes well. You could quit at 4pm and go to a ballgame with friends, leaving you all day tomorrow to finish so that the job will be ready for pickup on Friday morning. Or you could put your head down and work until 7pm today instead of your usual 6pm. If you do this, you will be finished today - the client can pick it up on Thursday morning, a full day ahead of schedule. You decide to sacrifice the ballgame and get the job done tonight. On Thursday morning, Client B comes in, panicked because he has a job which he needs finished by Friday - you've worked with him before, and he realizes he will have to pay a rush charge to get it done that quickly. You accept the job on a rush basis, knowing you have cleared your schedule and can easily turn this around in time during regular hours - you will work no overtime, but still receive rush pay. Had you gone to that ballgame, Client A's job would still be sitting there, undone, and in front of this job, and you would have to work all day today to finish it, then be forced to pull an all-nighter to finish Client B's rush job. But because you sacrificed your fun at the ballgame: You can call Client A on Thursday and let him know he can come and pick up his job, plus, you can do the new job, be Client B's hero - and you can get his job to him by Friday! On top of that, you can even give Client B a slight discount (from the rate he was willing to pay for the rush job), and still make loads of money you wouldn't have been able to make at all, had you allowed Client A's job to run out until Friday, slacking until the last minute.

Recognize the point of 'diminishing returns.' The above steps do not imply that you should work yourself to the point of exhaustion. You need to protect your health and the integrity of your job. Working yourself to a frazzle constantly makes you prone to mistakes. When you're so tired that you realize it's taking you twice or three times longer to do a job than normal, you need to call it a day. Rest at least a few hours, and come back fresher, so that you can be strong at the end of the job. Learn how to power nap.
Finish strong. It's sooooo important! Being dead tired and sluggish at the finish line is not smart - it's foolish. Be sure that you are well rested at deadline time. On the day a client is expected to pick up his or her job, go over it with a fine-toothed comb - and this means checking the finished product against the original instructions, making sure they match up. Check it for accuracy and detail, make any adjustments, corrections or touch-ups well ahead of the time the client will arrive. Making sure every last detail has been checked and re-verified will make you confident and calm when your client comes to pick up the job. You can present it proudly, knowing that everything has been done to ensure the client will be happy with the finished product. Your confidence spills over to the client, which also makes it easier to ask for that final payment - when you see the client smiling and appreciative of the work you've done for him or her. This works for any project you have to do in life.

Tips

When you can work, do. Don't slack or allow time to run out so that you're rushing at the end to meet a deadline.
When you're sick, stay home and rest until you are well. You make too many mistakes when you're ill or tired to call that "working smart."
Learn to make your money work for you. Working a lot and spending every penny you make is NOT working smart!

Warnings

It's mentioned above that you should avoid taking a bad job. By that, it's meant that you know that it's a sort of thing you aren't good at, or that is not part of the usual services you offer, or that it's something you don't know much about. Instead of trying to bs your way through it, tell the truth. And if you get an "uh-oh" feeling from the client, don't take the job. If you have a sense right away that this client is not on the same page with you, either you must take steps immediately to get them there, or you must not take the job. This doesn't suggest that a difficult client is a bad client - often, a difficult client isn't really so difficult at all, once s/he knows you and trusts you to do the good job s/he requires. But one who constantly grinds for discounts, tries to get you to cut corners to save money, or changes scope of job or deadlines in the middle of everything, this is someone who will work your last nerve. You must ask yourself if the money you make on these jobs is worth the time, effort and tears.
There is one other situation you should take caution with, and that is allowing the customer to make changes mid-stream, causing you to go out of pocket much more than you originally planned. A little tweak is one thing. A big change should stop everything while you re-think - and re-bid. The client should be made aware instantly that it's not "just a little change", and that making changes in mid-job could cost significantly more. Don't allow yourself to be suckered into making "just a little adjustment" more than one time during a job. Some clients have this down to a science, asking for "small changes" several times when you're already heavily into the project. Many huge problems and disagreements (usually resulting in you not getting paid as you should have, had you bid the job this way originally) start with "small changes."

Uses Of Salt

2009-03-03T15:00:00.000+05:30

Although you may not realize it, simple table salt has a great number of uses other than simply seasoning your food. The following list will give you sixty uses of salt, many of which you probably didn't realize:

Soak stained hankies in salt water before washing.
Sprinkle salt on your shelves to keep ants away.
Soak fish in salt water before descaling; the scales will come off easier.
Put a few grains of rice in your salt shaker for easier pouring.
Add salt to green salads to prevent wilting.
Test the freshness of eggs in a cup of salt water; fresh eggs sink; bad ones float.
Add a little salt to your boiling water when cooking eggs; a cracked egg will stay in its shell this way.
A tiny pinch of salt with egg whites makes them beat up fluffier.
Soak wrinkled apples in a mildly salted water solution to perk them up.
Rub salt on your pancake griddle and your flapjacks won't stick.
Soak toothbrushes in salt water before you first use them; they will last longer.
Use salt to clean your discolored coffee pot.
Mix salt with turpentine to whiten you bathtub and toilet bowl .
Soak your nuts in salt brine overnight and they will crack out of their shells whole. Just tap the end of the shell with a hammer to break it open easily.
Boil clothespins in salt water before using them and they will last longer.
Clean brass, copper and pewter with paste made of salt and vinegar, thickened with flour
Add a little salt to the water your cut flowers will stand in for a longer life.
Pour a mound of salt on an ink spot on your carpet; let the salt soak up the stain.
Clean your iron by rubbing some salt on the damp cloth on the ironing surface.
Adding a little salt to the water when cooking foods in a double boiler will make the food cook faster.
Use a mixture of salt and lemon juice to clean piano keys.
To fill plaster holes in your walls, use equal parts of salt and starch, with just enough water to make a stiff putty.
Rinse a sore eye with a little salt water .
Mildly salted water makes an effective mouthwash. Use it hot for a sore throat gargle.
Dry salt sprinkled on your toothbrush makes a good tooth polisher.
Use salt for killing weeds in your lawn.
Eliminate excess suds with a sprinkle of salt.
A dash of salt in warm milk makes a more relaxing beverage.
Before using new glasses, soak them in warm salty water for awhile.
A dash of salt enhances the taste of tea.
Salt improves the taste of cooking apples.
Soak your clothes line in salt water to prevent your clothes from freezing to the line; likewise, use salt in your final rinse to prevent the clothes from freezing.
Rub any wicker furniture you may have with salt water to prevent yellowing.
Freshen sponges by soaking them in salt water.
Add raw potatoes to stews and soups that are too salty.
Soak enamel pans in salt water overnight and boil salt water in them next day to remove burned-on stains.
Clean your greens in salt water for easier removal of dirt.
Gelatin sets more quickly when a dash of salt is added.
Fruits put in mildly salted water after peeling will not discolor.
Fabric colors hold fast in salty water wash.
Milk stays fresh longer when a little salt is added.
Use equal parts of salt and soda for brushing your teeth .
Sprinkle salt in your oven before scrubbing clean.
Soaked discolored glass in a salt and vinegar solution to remove stains..
Clean greasy pans with a paper towel and salt.
Salty water boils faster when cooking eggs.
Add a pinch of salt to whipping cream to make it whip more quickly.
Sprinkle salt in milk-scorched pans to remove odor.
A dash of salt improves the taste of coffee.
Boil mismatched hose in salty water and they will come out matched.
Salt and soda will sweeten the odor of your refrigerator.
Cover wine-stained fabric with salt; rinse in cool water later.
Remove offensive odors from stove with salt and cinnamon.
A pinch of salt improves the flavor of cocoa.
To remove grease stains in clothing, mix one part salt to four parts alcohol.
Salt and lemon juice removes mildew.
Sprinkle salt between sidewalk bricks where you don't want grass growing.
Polish your old kerosene lamp with salt for a better look.
Remove odors from sink drainpipes with a strong, hot solution of salt water.
If a pie bubbles over in your oven, put a handful of salt on top of the spilled juice. The mess won't smell and will bake into a dry, light crust which will wipe off easily when the oven has cooled.

Fruit juices - adding colour and health to your life

2009-01-26T18:43:00.003+05:30

Easy to prepare, a good friend of your taste buds, a hit all through the year and good for your health – that’s a glass of fresh juice, which can also add glow and energy to your life. Fresh juice is healthy and we all know that drinking the real thing is better than the sugary alternatives that are packed months before they reach the consumers. Fresh juices benefit us in the following ways:

They provide minerals, vitamins, essential fatty acids, carbohydrates and proteins

Help improve energy levels

Good for the skin

Strengthen the immune system

Make the bones stronger

Despite all the benefits that fruit juices offer, there are certain things we need to know about fresh juice.

Is it OK to drink as much juice as we want daily?

No, water should be the main source of liquid and it is always better to have fruits in their natural form rather than as juice. Why? Because we all add sugar and salt to the fruit juice we make at home. This increases the amount of sugar in our diet and thus, the calorie load. But we don’t really perceive drinks to be food. Eating a whole pomegranate or having three or four oranges in a row is a cumbersome job. But we would gallop a big glass of juice in a few seconds and even forget to count them as calories. So, if you take two servings of fruit in a juice, ideally you should forego your evening snacks.

Should we drink juice daily?

Drinking juice is an easy way to have two fruit servings per day that is good for the daily quota of vitamins. But, keep a check on the sugar added to the juice. It’s best to have fresh juice without any sugar or salt. Though such juice might taste a bit bland and sometimes sour as in the case of orange juice, you would gradually develop a taste for them. The best choice for a daily habit of juice is carrot, apple and ginger, made with only one piece of fruit. Carrots are sweet but lower in calories and have about half the carbohydrates of fruits. Celery is also a nice low-calorie filler. Have a look at the amount of carbohydrates different fruits have.

Orange –16 g

Grapes – 28 g

Pomegranates – 26 g

Pineapple – 19 g

Apple – 21 g

How to use the juicer?

Now the next thing is how to use the juicer at home to get the best juice. The foremost thing is to get a good quality juicer, preferably ISI marked. If you want the fibre benefits, then put all the vegetables and fruits into a blender and don’t use a juice extractor. While ordering fresh juice from outside, be sure about the hygiene and ensure that they are using a blender, not an extractor. Extractors make a smooth drink but they remove the all-important fibre from the juice.

Are juices good for children?

Replacing water with juice for children can cause diarrhoea. Having juice everyday can help to develop lifetime sweet tendencies in children. So, juices should be an occasional drink for children. Eating fruit in its natural form and relying on water, as the source of liquid, are better alternatives. Nevertheless, fruit juice is better than having aerated drinks.

Tips on getting best out of your juices

Always wash fruit and vegetables – even organic produce could carry bacteria.

Include the stems and leaves of vegetables because they have a high vitamin and mineral content.

Drink a juice within half an hour of preparing it, or it can get oxidised by exposure to air and develop a sour taste.

If you must prepare juice early, keep it refrigerated with a tight lid. Or freeze in daily-serving- size containers immediately and drink it straight after thawing.

Include the white inner skin of citrus fruits, as it is full of beneficial bioflavonoids.

Add lemon juice to preserve the natural colour and reduce the oxidation of essential nutrients.

If you want to lose weight, then drink vegetable juices, as they contain fewer calories than fruit juice.

If you have a sensitive stomach or irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), ensure that you dilute juices with water (three parts of juice with one part of water).

Easy to make juice-based drinks

Watermelon drink

Ingredients - 3 cups watermelon (washed and cut into small pieces), sugar (as per taste), 3 tablespoon skimmed milk, ice cubes.

Method - Blend the ingredients in a blender and refrigerate. Pour the prepared drink into serving glass, add ice cubes and serve.

Nutritive value of the watermelon juice - Apart from providing energy, watermelon protects against age-related symptoms of vision loss, fights heart disease, reduces cancer risk and is loaded with anti-oxidants. So, a glass of watermelon drink everyday not only quenches your thirst but also offers a range of health benefits.

Carrot, celery and cabbage juice

Ingredients - 2 cucumbers, stalks of celery, a piece of ginger, a handful of parsley, piece of apple or citrus fruit

Method - Wash all vegetables and juice them together. Serve it fresh.

A glass of fruit or vegetable juice takes very little digestion. It goes right into your body and is a very yummy way of getting instant energy. Fruit juices can energise your life.

IEEE 802.11n

2009-01-17T20:15:00.002+05:30

IEEE 802.11n is a proposed amendment to the IEEE 802.11-2007 wireless networking standard to significantly improve network throughput over previous standards, such as 802.11b and 802.11g, with a significant increase in the maximum raw (PHY) data rate from 54 Mbit/s to a maximum of 600 Mbit/s. The current state of the art supports a PHY rate of 300 Mbit/s, with the use of 2 spatial streams at a channel width of 40 MHz. Depending on the environment, this may translate into a user throughput (TCP/IP) of 100 Mbit/s.

IEEE 802.11n builds on previous 802.11 standards by adding multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) and Channel-bonding/40 MHz operation to the physical (PHY) layer, and frame aggregation to the MAC layer.

MIMO uses multiple transmitter and receiver antennas to improve the system performance. MIMO is a technology which uses multiple antennas to coherently resolve more information than possible using a single antenna. Two important benefits it provides to 802.11n are antenna diversity and spatial multiplexing.

MIMO technology relies on multipath signals. Multipath signals are the reflected signals arriving at the receiver some time after the line of sight (LOS) signal transmission has been received. In a non-MIMO based 802.11a/b/g network, multipath signals were perceived as interference degrading a receiver's ability to recover the message information in the signal. MIMO uses the multipath signal's diversity to increase a receiver's ability to recover the message information from the signal.

Another ability MIMO technology provides is Spatial Division Multiplexing (SDM). SDM spatially multiplexes multiple independent data streams, transferred simultaneously within one spectral channel of bandwidth. MIMO SDM can significantly increase data throughput as the number of resolved spatial data streams is increased. Each spatial stream requires a discrete antenna at both the transmitter and the receiver. In addition, MIMO technology requires a separate radio frequency chain and analog-to-digital converter for each MIMO antenna which translates to higher implementation costs compared to non-MIMO systems.

Channel Bonding, also known as 40 MHz, is a second technology incorporated into 802.11n which can simultaneously use two separate non-overlapping channels to transmit data. Channel bonding increases the amount of data that can be transmitted. 40 MHz mode of operation uses 2 adjacent 20 MHz bands. This allows direct doubling of the PHY data rate from a single 20 MHz channel. (Note however that the MAC and user level throughput will not double. Coupling MIMO architecture with wider bandwidth channels offers the opportunity of creating very powerful yet cost-effective approaches for increasing the physical transfer rate.

Data encoding

The transmitter and receiver use precoding and postcoding techniques, respectively, to achieve the capacity of a MIMO link. Precoding includes spatial beamforming and spatial coding, where spatial beamforming improves the received signal quality at the decoding stage. Spatial coding can increase data throughput via spatial multiplexing and increase range by exploiting the spatial diversity, through techniques such as Alamouti coding.

Number of antennas

The number of simultaneous data streams is limited by the minimum number of antennas in use on both sides of the link. However, the individual radios often further limit the number of spatial streams that may carry unique data. The a X b : c notation helps identify what a given radio is capable of. The first number (a) is the maximum number of transmit antennas or RF chains that can be used by the radio. The second number (b) is the maximum number of receive antennas or RF chains that can be used by the radio. The third number (c) is the maximum number of data spatial streams the radio can use. For example, a radio that can transmit on two antennas and receive on three, but can only send or receive two data streams would be 2 X 3 : 2.

The 802.11n draft allows up to 4 X 4 : 4. Common configurations of 11n devices are 2 X 2 : 2, 2 X 3 : 2, and 3 X 3 : 2. All three configurations have the same maximum throughputs and features, and differ only in the amount of diversity the antenna systems provide.

Frame aggregation

PHY level data rate improvements do not increase user level throughput beyond a point because of 802.11 protocol overheads, like the contention process, interframe spacing, PHY level headers (Preamble + PLCP) and acknowledgment frames. The main medium access control (MAC) feature that provides a performance improvement is aggregation. Two types of aggregation are defined:

1. Aggregation of MAC Service Data Units (MSDUs) at the top of the MAC (referred to as MSDU aggregation or A-MSDU)
2. Aggregation of MAC Protocol Data Units (MPDUs) at the bottom of the MAC (referred to as MPDU aggregation or A-MPDU)

Aggregation is a process of packing multiple MSDUs or MPDUs together to reduce the overheads and average them over multiple frames, thus increasing the user level data rate. A-MPDU aggregation requires the use of Block Acknowledgement or BlockAck, which was introduced in 802.11e and has been optimized in 802.11n.

Backward compatibility

When 802.11g was released to share the band with existing 802.11b devices, it provided ways of ensuring coexistence between the legacy and the new devices. 802.11n extends the coexistence management to protect its transmissions from legacy devices, which include 802.11g, 802.11b and 802.11a. There are MAC and PHY level protection mechanisms as listed below:

1. PHY level protection: Mixed Mode Format protection (also known as L-SIG TXOP Protection): In mixed mode, each 802.11n transmission is always embedded in an 802.11a or 802.11g transmission. For 20 MHz transmissions, this embedding takes care of the protection with 802.11a and 802.11g. However, 802.11b devices still need CTS protection.
2. PHY level protection: Transmissions using a 40 MHz channel in the presence of 802.11a or 802.11g clients require using CTS protection on both 20 MHz halves of the 40 MHz channel, to prevent interference with legacy devices.
3. PHY level protection: An RTS/CTS frame exchange or CTS frame transmission at legacy rates can be used to protect subsequent 11n transmission.

Even with protection, large discrepancies can exist between the throughput an 802.11n device can achieve in a greenfield network, compared to a mixed-mode network, when legacy devices are present. This is an extension of the 802.11b/802.11g coexistence problem.

Deployment Strategies

To achieve maximum throughput a pure 802.11n 5 GHz network is recommended. The 5 GHz band has substantial capacity due to many non-overlapping radio channels and less radio interference as compared to the 2.4 GHz band.[3] An 802.11n-only network may be impractical for many users because the existing computer stock is predominantly 802.11b/g only. Replacement of incompatible WiFi cards or of entire laptop stock is necessary for older computers to operate on the network. Consequently, it may be more practical in the short term to operate a mixed 802.11b/g/n network until 802.11n hardware becomes more prevalent. In a mixed-mode system, it’s generally best to use a dual-radio access point and place the 802.11b/g traffic on the 2.4 GHz radio and the 802.11n traffic on the 5 GHz radio.[4]

Wi-Fi Alliance

As of mid-2007, the Wi-Fi Alliance has started certifying products based on IEEE 802.11n Draft 2.0.[6] This certification program established a set of features and a level of interoperability across vendors supporting those features, thus providing one definition of 'draft n'. The Baseline certification covers both 20 MHz and 40 MHz wide channels, and up to two spatial streams, for maximum throughputs of 144.4 Mbit/s for 20 MHz and 300 Mbit/s for 40 MHz (with Short Guard interval). A number of vendors in both the consumer and enterprise spaces have built products that have achieved this certification.[7] The Wi-Fi Alliance certification program subsumed the previous industry consortium efforts to define 802.11n, such as the now dormant Enhanced Wireless Consortium (EWC). The Wi-Fi Alliance is investigating further work on certification of additional features of 802.11n not covered by the Baseline certification, including higher numbers of spatial streams (3 or 4), Greenfield Format, PSMP, Implicit & Explicit Beamforming and Space-Time Block Coding.

Literary Works ........

2008-12-23T22:51:00.001+05:30

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David Copperfield by Charles Dickens
Down and Out in Paris and London by George Orwell
Dracula by Bram Stoker
Erewhon by Samuel Butler
For the Term of His Natural Life by Marcus Clarke
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
Great Expectations by Charles Dickens
Grimms Fairy Tales by the brothers Grimm
Gulliver's Travels by Jonathan Swift
Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
Kidnapped by Robert Louis Stevenson
Lady Chatterly's Lover by D. H. Lawrence
Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert
Middlemarch by George Eliot
Moby Dick by Herman Melville
Nostromo: A Tale of the Seaboard by Joseph Conrad
Notes from the Underground by Fyodor Dostoevsky
Of Human Bondage by W. Somerset Maugham

Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens
Paradise Lost by John Milton
Pollyanna by Eleanor H. Porter
Pride and Prejudice
Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe
Sense and Sensibility, by Jane Austen
Sons and Lovers by D. H. Lawrence
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain
The Brothers Karamazov, by Fyodor Dostoevsky
The Great Gatsby
The Hound of the Baskervilles by Arthur Conan Doyle
The Idiot by Fyodor Dostoevsky
The Iliad by Homer
The Island of Doctor Moreau by H. G. Wells
The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling
The Last of the Mohicans by James Fenimore Cooper
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, by Washington Irving
The Odyssey by Homer
The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood by Howard Pyle
The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka
The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
The Prince by Nicolo Machiavelli
The Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Orczy
The Trial by Franz Kafka
The War of the Worlds by H. G. Wells
Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson
Ulysses by James Joyce
Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë

Listing of World Wonders

2008-12-23T22:26:00.001+05:30

The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World

The Seven Wonders of the Medieval Mind

The Seven Natural Wonders of the World

The Seven Underwater Wonders of the World

The Seven Wonders of the Modern World

The Seven Forgotten Natural Wonders of the World

The Seven Forgotten Modern Wonders of the World

The Seven Forgotten Wonders of the Medeival Mind

The Forgotten Wonders

Maps of the World Wonders

Famous Billionarie's - Dropout

2008-10-28T18:12:00.002+05:30

Bill Gates :

Are college dropouts more successful than people with good education? It would seem so if you consider that many billionaires are people who dumped college. However, what this hides is the fact that although millions quit studies before completing them, very few of them go on to become rich. What the list of the super-rich dropouts signifies is that in business, a top degree is not as important as having the right aptitude, attitude, determination and vision. Here are some dropouts who went on to become billionaires: William Henry Gates III (1955), along with Paul Allen, co-founded Microsoft Corporation, the world's largest software maker. Bill Gates, the wealthiest person in the world with an estimated net worth of $480 crores (Rs 211,200 crore!), is probably the best-known college dropout. Gates attended an exclusive prep school in Seattle, went on to study at Harvard University, then dropped out to pursue software development. As students in the mid-70s, he and Paul Allen wrote the original Altair BASIC interpreter for the Altair 8800, the first commercially successful PC. In 1975, Micro-Soft - later Microsoft Corporation - was born. Three decades on, Gates has been Number One on the Forbes 400 for over a dozen years. And here's something you probably didn't know: The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation currently provides 90 per cent of the world budget for the attempted eradication of polio.

Larry Ellison :

Lawrence Joseph Ellison (1944-), co-founder and CEO of Oracle Corporation, founded his company in 1977 with a sum of $2,000. Once a school dropout, he is now, according to Forbes, one of the richest people in America with a net worth of around $184 crores. The figure also makes him the ninth richest in the world. As a young man, Ellison worked for the Ampex Corporation, where one of his projects was a database for the CIA. He called it Oracle, a name he was to reuse years later for the company that made him famous. Interestingly, the organisation’s initial release was Oracle 2. The number supposedly implied that all bugs had been eliminated from an earlier version. Ellison is quite a colourful man, and has long dabbled in all kinds of things. Want to learn more? Try his biography, The Difference between God and Larry Ellison.

Dhirubhai Ambani :

Dhirajlal Hirachand Ambani (1932-2002) was born into the family of a schoolteacher. It was a family of modest means. When he turned 16, Dhirubhai moved to Aden, working first as a gas-station attendant, then as a clerk in an oil company.He returned to India at 26, starting a business with a meagre capital of $375. By the time of his demise, his company - Reliance Industries Ltd - had grown to become an empire, with an estimated annual turnover of $120 crores! Dhirubhai was, in his lifetime, conferred the Indian Entrepreneur of the 20th Century Award by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry. A Times of India poll in the year 2000 also voted him one of the biggest creators of wealth in this century. Dhirubhai's is not just the usual rags-to-riches story. He will be remembered as the one who rewrote Indian corporate history and built a truly global corporate group. He is also credited with having single-handedly breathed life into the Indian stock markets and bringing in thousands of investors to the bourses.

Steve Jobs :

Steven Paul Jobs (1955-) and Apple Computer are names that have long gone together. Born in the United States to an unknown Egyptian-Arab father, Jobs was adopted soon after birth. After graduating high school, he enrolled in Reed College, dropping out after one semester. In 1976, 21-year-old Jobs and 26-year old Steve Wozniak founded Apple Computer Co. in the family garage. Jobs revolutionised the industry by popularising the concept of home computers. By 1984, the Macintosh was introduced. He had an influential role in the building of the World-Wide Web, and also happens to be Chairman and CEO of Pixar Animation Studios. Today, with the iPod, Apple is bigger than ever. Incidentally, Jobs worked for several years at an annual salary of $1. It got him a listing in the Guinness Book as `Lowest Paid Chief Executive Officer.' He was once gifted a $9 crores jet by the company though. And his net worth? Moer than $3 billion.

Michael Dell :

Michael Saul Dell (1965- ) joined the University of Texas at Austin with the intention of becoming a physician. While studying there, he started a computer company in his dormitory, calling it PC's Limited. By the time he turned 19, it had notched up enough success to prompt Dell to dropout. In 1987, PC's Limited changed its name to Dell Computer Corporation. By 2003, Dell, Inc. was the world's most profitable PC manufacturer. Dell has won more than his fair share of accolades, including Man of the Year from PC Magazine and EM>CEO of the Year from Financial World . Forbes, in 2005, lists him as the 18th richest in the world with a net worth of around $1600 Crores. Not bad for just another dropout.

Subhash Chandra Goel :

Here's something not many people know about Subhash Chandra Goel : The Zee chairman dropped out after standard 12. Subhash Chandra started his own vegetable oils unit at 19. It was, in a manner of speaking, his first job. Years later, a casual visit to a friend at Doordarshan gave him the idea of starting his own broadcasting company. We all know how that story ran. Chandra knew nothing about programming, distribution or film rights. What he did understand quite well was the Indian sensibility though. Funded by UK businessmen, Zee came into being as India's first satellite TV network. Today, it reaches 320 lakhs homes, connecting with 20 crores people in South Asia alone.

Technical Learning

2008-09-19T13:59:00.020+05:30

Learn any Language from this website http://www.java2s.com/

RELATIONSHIPS - A must read!!!

2008-08-29T16:07:00.000+05:30

TRUST

Trust is a very important factor for all relationships. When trust is broken, it is the end of the relationship. Lack of trust leads to suspicion, suspicion generates anger, anger causes enmity and enmity may result in separation.

A telephone operator told me that one day she received a phone call.. She answered, "Public Utilities Board." There was silence. She repeated, "PUB." There was still no answer. When she was going to cut off the line, she heard a lady's voice, "Oh, so this is PUB. Sorry, I got the number from my Husband's pocket but I do not know whose number it is."

Without mutual trust, just imagine what will happen to the couple if the telephone operator answered with just "hello" instead of "PUB".

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NO POINTING FINGERS

A man asked his father-in-law, "Many people praised you for a successful marriage. Could you please share with me your secret?"
The father-in-law answered in a smile, "Never criticize your wife for her shortcomings or when she does something wrong. Always bear in mind that because of her shortcomings and weaknesses, she could not find a better husband than you."

We all look forward to being loved and respected. Many people are afraid of losing face. Generally, when a person makes a mistake, he would look around to find a scapegoat to point the finger at. This is the start of a war. We should always remember that when we point one finger at a person, the other four fingers are pointing at ourselves..

If we forgive the others, others will ignore our mistake too.

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CREATING PERFECT RELATIONSHIPS?

A person visited the government matchmaker for marriage, SDU, and requested "I am looking for a spouse.. Please help me to find a suitable one." The SDU officer said, "Your requirements, please." "Oh, good looking, polite, humorous, sporty, knowledgeable, good in singing and dancing. Willing to accompany me the whole day at home during my leisure hour, if I don't go out. Telling me interesting stories when I need companion for conversation and be silent when I want to rest." The officer listened carefully and replied, "I understand you need television."

There is a saying that a perfect match can only be found between a blind wife and a deaf husband, because the blind wife cannot see the faults of the husband and the deaf husband cannot hear the nagging of the wife. Many couples are blind and deaf at the courting stage and dream of perpetual perfect relationship. Unfortunately, when the excitement of love wears off, they wake up a and discover that marriage is not a bed of roses. The nightmare begins.

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NO OVERPOWERING

Many relationships fail because one party tries to overpower another, or demands too much. People in love tend to think that love will conquer all and their spouses will change the bad habits after marriage. Actually, this is not the case. There is a Chinese saying which carries the meaning that "It is easier to reshape a mountain or a river than a person's character."

It is not easy to change. Thus, having high expectation on changing the spouse character will cause disappointment and unpleasantness.

It would be less painful to change ourselves and lower our expectations..

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RIGHT SPEECH

There is a Chinese saying which carries the meaning that "A speech will either prosper or ruin a nation." Many relationships break off because of wrong speech. When a couple is too close with each other, we always forget mutual respect and courtesy. We may say anything without considering if it would hurt the other party.

A friend and her millionaire husband visited their construction site. A worker who wore a helmet saw her and shouted, "Hi, Emily! Remember me? We used to date in the secondary school." On the way home, her millionaire husband teased her, "Luckily you married me. Otherwise you will be the wife of a construction worker." She answered," You should appreciate that you married me. Other wise, he will be the millionaire and not you."

Frequently exchanging these remarks plants the seed for a bad relationship. It's like a broken egg - cannot be reversed.

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PERSONAL PERCEPTION

Different people have different perception. One man's meat could be another man's poison. A couple bought a donkey from the market. On the way home, a boy commented, "Very stupid. Why neither of them rides on the donkey? "Upon hearing that, the husband let the wife ride on the donkey. He walked besides them. Later, an old man saw it and commented, "The husband is the head of family. How can the wife ride on the donkey while the husband is on foot?" Hearing this, the wife quickly got down and let the husband ride on the donkey.

Further on the way home, they met an old Lady. She commented, "How can the man ride on the donkey but let the wife walk. He is no gentleman."
The husband thus quickly asked the wife to join him on the donkey. Then, they met a young man. He commented, "Poor donkey, how can you hold up the weight of two persons. They are cruel to you." Hearing that, the husband and wife immediately climbed down from the donkey and carried it on their shoulders.

It seems to be the only choice left. Later, on a narrow bridge, the donkey was frightened and struggled. They lost their balance and fell into the river. You can never have everyone praise you, nor will everyone condemn you. Never in the past, not at present, and never will be in the future.

Thus, do not be too bothered by others words if our conscience is clear..

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BE PATIENT

This is a true story which happened in the States. A man came out of his home to admire his new truck. To his puzzlement, his three-year-old son was happily hammering dents into the shiny paint of the truck. The man ran to his son, knocked him away, hammered the little boy's hands into pulp as punishment. When the father calmed down, he rushed his son to the hospital.

Although the doctor tried desperately to save the crushed bones, he finally had to amputate the fingers from both the boy's hands. When the boy woke up from the surgery & saw his bandaged stubs, he innocently said, "Daddy, I'm sorry about your truck." Then he asked, "but when are my fingers going to grow back?" The father went home & committed suicide.

Think about this story the next time someone steps on your feet or u wish to take revenge. Think first before u lose your patience with someone u love. Trucks can be repaired.. Broken bones & hurt feelings often can't. Too often we fail to recognize the difference between the person and the performance. We forget that forgiveness is greater than revenge..

People make mistakes. We are allowed to make mistakes. But the actions we take while in a rage will haunt us forever.

About Blood Pressure

2008-08-09T20:22:00.000+05:30

Garlic: Garlic is very effective in lowering blood pressure.Take 2-3 raw garlic cloves a day. It slows down the pulse rate and relieves the symptoms of dizziness, numbness and shortness of breath and formation of gas within the digestive system.

Indian Gooseberry: Indian gooseberry is also very effective in controlling high blood pressure.

Lemon: Lemon is also very effective food in controlling high blood pressure.It helps in maintaining capillary fragility.

Grapefruit: Grapefruit is useful in preventing high blood pressure.

Watermelon: Watermelon also safeguards against high blood pressure.The seeds of watermelon also can be dried and roasted and taken in liberal amounts.

Rice: Rice is low-fat, low-cholesterol and low-salt content is very good for people suffering from high B.P. who have been advised salt-restricted diet.Particularly brown rice having calcium soothes and relaxes the nervous system and helps relieve High B.P symptoms.

Potato: Boiled potatoes are very valuable in lowering high B.P. Boiled potatoes absorb very little salt and thus are very useful.Potatoes are rich in Potassium and not sodium salts and magnesium present in potato is also beneficial.

Parsley: Parsley is very useful in high blood pressure.It helps maintain the blood vessels .Parsley can be taken as a beverage by simmering 20gms of fresh parsley leaves gently in 250 ml of water for a few minutes.Drink this several times a day.

Vegetable Juice: Raw vegetable juices, especially carrot and spinach juices, taken separately or in combination, are also beneficial in the treatment of high B.P If taken in combination, 300 ml of carrot juice and 200 ml of spinach juice should be mixed to make 500 ml and taken daily.If taken separately, one glass should be taken twice daily, morning and evening.

Cut down on these: Cut down on salt, cholesterol, fat, tea, coffee and alcohol intake to keep a tab on high blood pressure.

Don't repress your feelings: Don't repress your feelings, talk about them to friends and exercise regularly.

Learning Java .........

2008-07-18T22:39:00.001+05:30

Java Notes:

Java Notes. These Java programming notes are written to fill in missing or weak topics in textbooks that I've taught from. Many pages are useful for reference, but not as an ordered tutorial. Some pages are still rough drafts, but I'm slowly working on fixing them. notes-java-2007-04-25.zip [2.4 MB].

Java Basics. I've started writing a more coherent tutorial called Java Basics. In addition to lessons, there is also commentary which explains why things are done the way they are. JavaBasics-2007-04-25.zip [0.4 MB].

Copyleft - Java Notes is copyrighted by the very permissive MIT License, except as otherwise noted (eg, some GPL'ed images).

Copyright - Java Basics, which has more work put into it, has a traditional copyright, but allows free educational use.

Public Domain - All source code in the examples in both Java Notes and Java Basics is placed in the public domain so you can use them.

Index on Net:

Background