Lincoln and Kennedy

 

                                                                                Abe Lincoln

Abraham Lincoln was elected to Congress in 1846.
John F. Kennedy was elected to Congress in 1946.


Abraham Lincoln was elected President in 1860.
John F. Kennedy was elected President in 1960.


Both were particularly concerned with civil rights.
Both wives lost a child while living in the WhiteHouse.


Both Presidents were shot on a Friday.
Both Presidents were shot in the head.


Now it gets really weird.


Lincoln's secretary was named Kennedy.
Kennedy's Secretary was named Lincoln.


Both were assassinated by Southerners.
Both were succeeded by Southerners named Johnson.

Andrew Johnson, who succeeded Lincoln, was born in 1808
Lyndon Johnson, who succeeded Kennedy, was born in 1908


John Wilkes Booth, who assassinated Lincoln, was born 1839
Lee Harvey Oswald, who assassinated Kennedy, was born 1939

Both assassins were known by their three names.
Both names are composed of fifteen letters.


Now hang on to your seat !

Lincoln was shot at the theater named "Ford."
Kennedy was shot in a car called "Lincoln" made by "Ford."


Booth and Oswald were assassinated before their trials.


And here's the "kicker":


A week before Lincoln was shot, he was in Monroe,
Maryland.
A week before Kennedy was shot, he was with Marilyn
Monroe.


and Lincoln was shot in a theater and the assassin ran
to a warehouse.
Kennedy was shot from a warehouse and the assassin ran
to a theater.

J F Kennedy

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Lord Of The Worlds





Hare Krishna! 

Happy Janmashtami

 

 

 

Krishna Janmashtami, also known as "Krishnashtami","Saatam Aatham" ,"Gokulashtami", "Ashtami Rohini", "Srikrishna Jayanti", "Sree Jayanthi" or sometimes merely as "Janmashtami", is a Hindu festival celebrating the birth of Krishna, svayam bhagavan.

Krishna is the Supreme Person, the Godhead. Krishna is the speaker of the Bhagavad-gita, which is recognized throughout the world as one of mankind’s greatest books of wisdom. In the Gita, as it is also known, Krishna says repeatedly that He is God Himself, the source of everything. Arjuna, to whom Krishna is speaking, accepts Krishna’s words as true, adding that the greatest spiritual authorities of that time also confirm that Krishna is God.

August 24, 2008 is the appearance anniversary of Krishna. For devotees of Krishna worldwide, this is the biggest event of the year. Why? Based on a clear understanding of the wisdom literature of the Vedas, Krishna devotees know the Supreme Absolute Truth, the ultimate source of all energies, to be a person. That person has as many names as there are cultures in the face of the Earth. The primary name connected to that primary person, however, according to Vedic teachings, is “Krishna”–the “all-attractive” Supreme Being. And He appears on Earth.

This year (according to the lunar calendar), Krishna’s appearance, or Janmastami (literally: “janma”– birth, “astami”–the eighth day after the full moon) is calculated to be August 24th.

Those curious to know more about the Personality of Krishna and His mysterious appearance may wish to take a look at our super-condensed online biography of Krishna. There’s a lot to be said about Him.

This year, we wanted to do something different to celebrate Krishna Janmastami 2008 at Krishna.com. We’ve designed a new home page especially for the event. We have new articles, a brand-new Kids’ page, a 25% off storewide sale at the Store, live streaming video of this year’s Janmastami celebrations, webcams photographing the momentous festivities–as they happen–at eighteen different temples all over the world.

Please make yourself comfortable, take some time and make yourself acquainted with all Krishna.com has to offer to commemorate this very special, once-in-a-year event. 

Thanks for visiting, and Happy Janmastami!

The web dictionary

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|| INDIAN YOGA ||

 
'Patanjali', the first exponent of Yoga, says 'Yogah Chittavritti nirodhakah' which means : Yoga is one that controls wavering of mind and frees it from all tensions. Yoga has got its roots in Vedas of ancient India, lakhs of years ago. Indians have always tried to master their senses and there by their mind and soul. They used yoga as a tool for this eternal purpose. 

Yoga is of two types: External yoga and Internal yoga. External yoga is for purifying the body. This will take care of health and keeps your body fit always. Internal yoga is for purifying the mind. This will take care of mental health and frees one from any kind of stress, strain, and mental conflictions. 

External Yoga:

Extenal yoga is also called 'Hatha yoga', which comprises of Kriyas(purification techniques) and Asanaas(postures). A lot of postures are discussed in standard works. Every one can not practise those postures, since they are very difficult to follow and should be practised under strict supervision of a guide. In all the postures, Surya Namaskaaras (Bow of greeting to Lord Surya) are famous, which are 12 in number. They are very useful in preventing the ailments and shaping up the body. We are presenting those postures here. These postures should be practised with empty stomach, either at dawn or dusk. They should be practised smoothly with a relaxed mind and body, by staying at least 2 minutes in each posture. The first 6 postures will be

repeated again thus forming 12 postures.

1. Pranamaasanam: Stand before the Sun, close your eyes, fold both the hands near your chest as in namaskaara.  

2. Utthitahastaasanam: Get both of your hands up as much as possible, bending your trunk slightly and bend your neck back and see up.  

3. Paadahastaasanam: Exhaling slowly, bend your body down and touch your knees with forehead. Place your hands at the side of feet.  

4. Aswasanchalanaasanam- Right: Get your left leg back, and bend your right leg forward. Right leg knee should be in between two hands. Look up and inhale slowly. Put your head back as much as possible.  

5. Parvathaasanam: Inhaling slowly, lift up your trunk and place your head between your hands. Put your body in the shape of a bow or a hill. In this posture, the feet should touch the ground horizontally. Dont lift up the heels.  

6. Saashtanganamaskaarasanam: Lie down, and place your chin, chest and palms on the ground and shoot up your trunk. Breath normally.

 

7. Bhujangaasanam: Straight your legs horizontally on the ground, lift up your head and trunk.

 
8. Parvathaasanam: Exhale slowly and lift up your trunk in the form of a bow. (See posture 5).  

9. Aswasanchalanaasanam- Left: Get your right leg back, bend your left leg forward. (This is like posture 4, but doing with left leg).  

10. Paadahastaasanam: Exhale slowly when bending down and touch your knees. (See posture 3).  

11. Utthitahastaasanam: Stretch your hands up and look at top. (See posture 2).  

12. Pranamaasanam: Stand straight in namaskaara pose. (See posture 1).  

Internal Yoga:

Internal yoga comprises of desciplined life, mastering the mind and soul and liberating the human soul from all these worldly sorrows. There are various stages in Internal yoga, but the most important are: Praanaayaama(controlling the life force), Dhyaana(meditation) and Samaadhi(spiritual absorption). 

Praanaayaama: 

Every breath is composed of life force entering our body. People generally breath from the chest. This is not full breathing. We should breath fully from the belly. Then only we can get the complete life force. When you are inhaling, see that your stomach should come up and when you exhale, see that your stomach should go in. Inhale and exhale like this for atleast 15 minutes a day. This is called 'diaphragmetic breath'. Use your right hand thumb to close the right nostril and the little finger to close the left nostril. First of all exhale through left nostril fully and slowly (close right nostril) and slowly inhale through the same nostril. Do this for 3 times. Then close the left nostril. Now exahale and inhale with right nostril for 3 times. Then close the right nostril. Do it with left nostril. Like this do for atleast 15 minutes. This is called 'alternate nostril breathing'. See that every time, the duration of exhale is equal to the duration of inhale. 

Dhyaana(Meditation):

Dhyaana means focussing our mind on a target, and thus controlling its distortions. Sit calmly in a relaxed posture like Padmaasana (See below), keep your back and neck straight, look straight horizontally, and close your eyes. Rest your hands on your knees. Just relax your body parts, dont feel any tension in any part of your body and start observing how your breath is entering your nostrils and how it is going out. You can observe your breath may enter and leave from the same nostril or it may enter from one nostril and leave from the other. Watch from which nostril it is entering and from which nostril it is leaving. How long your breath is or how short it is. How depth it is or how shallow it is. How hot it is or how cool it is. Your concentration should be on your breath at your nose tip only. When it is going into your stomach, where it is ending, and again where it is starting. Do it for at least 20 to 30 minutes. 

After this, start visualizing your big toe of right foot in your mind. Visualize all the toes of that foot one by one. In the same way, get the picture of all the toes of the left foot starting from its big toe. Slowly move from the toes to calves, and then knee joints. Then mentally visualize thighs, trunk, inner parts of stomach, chest, shoulder joints, hands, neck, throat, chin, mouth, nose, ears, eyes, mid point of eyebrows, fore head and finally imagine the top mid point on your head. This location is called the seat of God. Do this visualization slowly and one by one from bottom to top of head. Then proceed in the same way but in reverse order from head to toes of your legs. When you do this, you will often feel a sort of tingling sensation in your body parts. Do this for at least 3 times a day. This observation leads your mind to forget the external world and increases your concentration. You will feel tranquility of mind. 

Transcendental Meditation:

This technique is practised by millions of people all over the world. In Transcendental Meditation, the meditator sits quietly with closed eyes and focuses his mind on a mantra (sacred sound) and repeats it for 20 minutes once in the morning and once again in the evening. When distractions come to his mind, he simply observes them and gently return his mental focus to repeating his mantra. 

Samaadhi:

This is the ultimate goal of a yogi. A person who practises praanaayaama and dhyaana properly for some time, will get greater awareness that he and the world is one and the only one. He feels his presence in every atom of the external world. He sees sorrow and happiness are nothing but same. His soul is elevated from all these worldly affairs. This state is called Samaadhi. 

A person who properly practises both External yoga and Internal yoga techniques will attain purification of body, mind and soul and finally attain Moksha(liberation) which is the ultimate goal of any human being's life. And this is the reason the word: 'yoga' means 'combining'. This means unification of human soul with the all pervading divine soul.

NAVARATRI -- DASARA 

It’s October, and that means it’s the month of dance, much and revelry! Navratri is celebrated from the first to ninth date of Ashwin Shukla Paksha of the Hindu Calendar, which usually falls in October. This is essentially a religious festival.

Goddesses Worshiped 

During the festival of navratri, the goddess Durga, who is a form of goddess Parvati, is worshiped in her nine forms.

There are 9 forms of the Divine Mother they are:


Shailaputri: Navi-Ratri commences with the first night devoted to a puja for Shailaputri, the daughter of Himavan. Her two hands, display a trident and a lotus. She is mounted upon a bull (also Lord Shiva's vehicle)



Bramacharini: One hand holds a water pot and the other a rosary. She personifies love and loyalty.



Chadraghanta: Worshipped on the third night this Durga-Shakti is astride a tiger, displays a golden hue to her skin, possesses ten hands and three eyes. Eight of her hands display weapons while the remaining two are respectively in the mudras or gestures of boon-giving and stopping harm.


Kushmanda: The fourth night begins the worship of Kushmanda, possessed of eight arms, holding weapons and a maalaa or rosary. Her mount is a tiger and she emanates a solar-like aura.




Skandamata: Using a lion as a vehicle she holds her son, Skanda, in her lap while displaying three eyes and fours: Two hands hold lotuses while the other two hands respectively display defending and granting gestures.





Katyayani: Daughter of the sage Katya, this sixth shakti is also astride a lion with three eyes and eight arms clasping battle implements. Her complexion is golden coloured.





Kalaratri: Black skin with bountiful hair and four hands: two hands are clutching a cleaver and a torch, while the remaining to are in the mudras of giving and protecting. Her vahana (vehicle) is a faithful donkey.





Mahagauri: Four arms with the fairest complexion of all the Durga-Shaktis. Peace and compassion radiate from her being and she is often dressed in a white or green sari. She holds a drum and a trident and is often depicted riding a bull (Lord Shiva's vahana).



Siddhihatri: Ensconced upon a lotus, most commonly, with four arms, and is the possessor of twenty-six different wishes to grant her worshipers.

Dasara

Dasara, also called "Navaratri", is among the most important festivals celebrated in India. Unlike the festival of Dussera, the so-called "festival of joy," this is celebrated for 10 days in some parts of the subcontinent

The Festival of Dasara is celebrated on the occasion of Navaratri, and the holy day also commemorates the triumph of good over evil.Forms of celebrations can take on a wide variety of manifestations, ranging from worshipping the goddess Chamundeshwari (Durga) to exhibiting colorful toys on the day of bombe habba in Kannada.

There is a legend related to the exhibition of toys that is known as Golu (spelled Kolu in some regions). Since the goddess Durga needed tremendous power, all other gods and goddesses transferred their power to Goddess Durga and they all stood still as toys. To respect the self-sacrifice of these deities during the festival days, Hindus revere toys that are in shape of particular gods and goddesses.

Annual festival finale

The last day of all the celebrations is Vijaya Dashami. In Mysore there is a tradition of holding a grand procession through the streets of the city with the idol of the goddess Chamundeshwari riding in a golden Ambaari (elephant-seat). For many centuries, presiding over the 10-day festivities was an important sovereign ritual during the Kingdom of Mysore. Many cultural events are held at the main Palace in Mysore. During the post-independence period, the provincial government of Karnataka has taken over the tradition and continues the celebration every year.

Plastics and Environnment

Yesturday, 1st october 2008, it was about 9'o clock in the morning that my mother went outside to clean the garbage that accumulated in front of our house, and I extended a hand in doing it. The most daunting task there was to make the garbage into a heap, and incinerating it. I started to collect the garbage most of it was only plastic, nothing than that, plastic bags almost made a layer on the ground allowing the plants either to sustain or to grow.

All Pervasive Plastic Bags
Thin plastic carry bag has become an intrinsic part of our lives and the urban landscapes. It is one of the most ignored environmental and health problems. Almost everyone including chemists, grocers, vegetable/fruit vendors, restaurants, fast food centers and super markets, put everything we buy in plastic carry bags, as they find it cheaper, easier and cleaner to get them. Even the temples give away "Prasadams" in them. The colourful plastic carry bags can be seen littered around carelessly. They cause more harm when they are strewn allover. But people, unmindful of their hazardous nature, are liberally accepting plastic bags and discarding them all around carelessly.

Hazardous Nature
Being non-biodegradable, they choke the earth for hundreds of years, making the soil unfertile, apart from polluting ground water through leaching of toxic substances. They choke open drains, sewer lines and even the stray cattle foraging them for food. The carcinogens - the agents which cause cancer-is likely to be generated during chemical reactions that take place in plastic materials, inter alia due to temperature variations. They are reported to enter human body, through food items like sambar, pickles, fatty or liquid items, packed in non-food grade and coloured plastic bags. The regular intake of such food items containing carcinogens, is very hazardous to health over a period of time. Though there may not be any immediate effect on health, it would be too late, once the effects of carcinogen start showing up, say after about 20 years.

Disposal of Plastic Waste
Basically there are three main routes for disposal/utilization of enormous quantity of domestic plastic waste being generated these days. One is incineration ie., burning under controlled conditions for reducing its volume and providing a stable landfill. The second is recycling of plastic waste, which may be difficult to recycle more times, hence the recyclability of the plastic bags reduces. Because of practical problems and the cost factor in segregation and collection, the domestic plastic waste is invariably disposed along with other domestic garbage, for dumping in open landfills, unmindful of its environmental consequences.

Reduction of Plastic Waste
In the light of environmental and health risks, the cost factors and other problems involved in the management of domestic plastic waste, it is desirable to reduce the quantum of waste generated, by minimizing the use of plastic carry bags and by reusing them in our daily lives. This can be achieved by increasing the thickness of carry bags, so as to make them expensive and to discourage their liberal dispensation, use and disposal. Then whatever is discarded will be collected by the rag-pickers because of their high value realization.

Never give up! Sharath Babu from idlies wendor to FOODKING

A crorepati who lives in a hut!
 


His story is an inspiration for millions. A self-made entrepreneur, his mission is to help the poor through job creation. E Sarathbabu hit the headlines after he rejected several high profile job offers from various MNCs after he passed out of IIM, Ahmadabad two years ago. 

He instead started a catering business of his own, inspired by his mother who once sold idlis on the pavements of Chennai, worked as an ayah in an Anganvadi to educate him and his siblings. As a child, he also sold idlis in the slum where he lived. "We talk about India shining and India growing, but we should ensure that people do not die of hunger. We can be a developed country but we should not leave the poor people behind. I am worried for them because I know what hunger is and I still remember the days I was hungry," says Sarathbabu.

In August 2006, Sarathbabu's entrepreneurial dream came true with Foodking. He had no personal ambition but wanted to buy a house and a car for his mother. He has bought a car but is yet to buy a house for his mother. The "foodking" still lives in the same hut in Madipakkam in Chennai. Today, Foodking has six units and 200 employees, and the turnover of the company is Rs.32 lakh a month. But it has not been a bed of roses for Sarathbabu. After struggling and making losses in the first year, he managed a turnaround in 2007.

How has his experience as a 'Foodking' been in the last two years? Sarathbabu shares the trial and tribulations of an exciting and challenging job in an interview with Shobha Warrier.

A tough beginning 
As I am a first generation entrepreneur, the first year was very challenging. I had a loan of Rs 20 lakh by the end of first year. I had no experience in handling people in business, and it was difficult to identify the right people. Though I made losses in the first year, not even once did I regret my decision of not accepting the offers from MNCs and starting an enterprise of my own. I looked at my losses as a learning experience. I was confident that I would be successful one day.

 

Sleeping on the railway platform

April 29, 2008
 


My first unit was at IIM, Ahmadabad. When we started our second unit in October 2006, I thought now I would start making money. But I made losses of around Rs 2000 a day. A first generation entrepreneur cannot afford such a loss. But I worked really hard, working till 3 a.m. in the morning. What reduced my losses were the birthday party offers. 

I started the third unit again in Ahmadabad but it also made losses. All my units were cafeteria and I understood then that the small cafeterias do not work; I needed huge volumes to work. My friends who were extremely supportive in the first year when things were difficult for me. I had taken loans from my IIM-A friends. They were earning very well. 

In December 2006, an IIM Ahmadabad alumni event took place in Mumbai and I decided to go there mainly to get a contract. I was hopeful of getting it. I also knew that if I got the huge contract, I would come out of all the losses I had been incurring. 

I booked my train ticket from Ahmadabad to Mumbai for Rs 300 and I had Rs 200 in my hand. As the meet went on till late at night, I could reach the station only at midnight. I missed the train. I decided to sit on the platform till the morning and travel by the next train in the morning. I didn't have the money to check into a hotel. I didn't want to disturb any of my friends so late at night. 

It was an unforgettable night as I was even shoved off by policemen from the platform. It was quite insulting and embarrassing. After two hours, people started moving in, I also went in. 

A man who sat next to me on the platform gave me a newspaper so that I could sleep. I spread the newspaper and slept on the platform! I sleep well. I got my ticket refund in the morning and went back to Ahmadabad. And, luck did not favour me, I didn't get the contract. 

In March 2007, I got an offer to start a unit at BITS, Pilani (Sarathbabu was an alumnus of BITS, Pilani). That was the first medium break for me. For the first time, I started making profits there though the other units continued to make losses. The reason for our success at BITS, Pilani was the volume; there were more students and there was a need for a unit like ours while in Ahmadabad, they have at least a hundred options. 

If I made Rs 5000 a day at Ahmadabad in two shifts, here I made Rs 15,000 a day. BITS, Pilani unit gave me the confidence to move on. Unless you make money, you can't be confident in business.

 
  
What changed my fortune

April 29, 2008
 


When all my friends who worked for various MNCs made good money every month and I made losses with my venture. But I kept telling myself, I am moving in the right direction to reach my ambition and vision. My dream was to provide employment and I was doing just that. I continued to work till 3 a.m. but I never felt tired. 

Through BITS, Pilani, I got the BITS, Goa contract and that was the biggest break for me. It was not a cafeteria like the earlier ones but the dining hall that we got. We had to feed 1300 students. We started our operations in July 2007. At Rs 50, for 1300 students, our sale was Rs 65,000 per day. We soon started making a profit of Rs 10 to 15,000 a day. Around 60 to 70 people work there. I gave the charge of the Ahmadabad operations to one of my managers and moved to Goa. 

I was still in debt by Rs 15-20 lakhs but I knew BITS, Goa would keep my dream alive. Within six months of starting our operations in Goa, I repaid all my debt. 

I was called to give a speech at the SRM Deemed University. After the speech, I asked the Chancellor, can you give me an opportunity to serve in your campus?? He said, "If not you, to whom will I give such an opportunity?" It's a food court but a big one, similar to the one at BITS, Pilani. There are around 17,000 students there. 

Now, I have the BITS, Hyderabad contract, ready to start in July 2008. Other than the six units, I have approached a few more universities and corporate houses too. In the first year, I had made a loss of Rs 25 lakh. Right now, we have a turnover of Rs 32 lakh every month, which works out to 3.5 crore (Rs 35 million) a year. 

I have hired about 200 people. Indirectly, we touch the lives of around 1000 people. By this year end, we will have 500 people working for us. Only 10% of my workers are educated, the rest are uneducated. I want to make a change in their lives. If they have any problem, I will take care of it. We support the marriages and education of poor families. We are paying more to the employees as the company is doing well. Now that the foundation is strong, I plan to have ten units and a turnover of Rs 20 crore (Rs 200 million) turnover by next year.


  
 

His advice: Never give up!

April 29, 2008
 


In the last two years, I have given more than 120 lectures in various institutions in India. When I got the first opportunity to speak, I thought God had given me an opportunity to encourage or inspire entrepreneurs. When youngsters tell me they are inspired, I feel good.

When you just dish out the theory, nobody believes you. But when you do it, they believe you. What I tell them is based on my own experiences.

When I thought of starting a company, I felt India needed 100 people like Narayana Murthy and Ambani. If 100 such people support 2 lakh people each, imagine how many Indians get supported. 

Entrepreneurship is needed to uplift the poor. It is not easy to be an entrepreneur, especially a first generation entrepreneur. 

There will be lots of challenges in the beginning but you should learn to look for the light at the end of the tunnel. 

Never give up even if there are hurdles. There are many who give up within a week. 

You need determination and a tough mind to cross the initial hurdles. 

If you are starting without much money, you should not have any overhead expenses. 

He still lives in the same hut 

As I am in the food business, I know how much the price of every food item has gone up. Many people will languish in poverty because of inflation. Had my mother been working as an Anganvadi ayah today and earning Rs 1500, she would not have been able to feed us and educate us. 

On the one side, we talk about India shining and India growing, but we should ensure that people do not die of hunger. We can be a developed country but we should not leave the poor people behind. I am worried for them because I know what hunger is and I still remember the days I was hungry. That is why I feel it is our responsibility to take care of them. 

I wanted to buy a car and a house for my mother. I bought a car first, not a house. I still live in the same house, the same hut. I can build a house right now but I want my business to grow a little more. I feel good in the hut; that's where I get my energy, that's where I lived 25 years of my life. I want to remind myself that the money and fame should not take me away from what I want to achieve. 

But within six months, I will build a good house for my mother. Her only advice to me is, don't waste money. 

Till I was in the 10th, there was no electricity in my house. I had to sit near the kerosene lamp and concentrate hard. That's how I learnt to concentrate. 

The two year journey has been very enriching. It seems like a 20-year journey for me. I was living every moment of the two years, from sleeping on the Mumbai railway station platform to this level.